Chapter 26—Milly
“N ice rental,” I say as I sip my coffee, careful to set it back on its saucer. We might still be in Kansas, but my brother seems to have found the only Airbnb in the state that’s willing to let renters use their fine china. Either that or my brother brought his own. I wouldn’t put it past him. Vinny might fuck you up if he has to, but he likes the finer things in life as well. He surrounds himself with the richly things to blend into the crowd with all those he rubs elbows with. From the other heads of the mafia to cartel members and even politicians. He’s the most gentlemanly gangster New York ever saw, and twice as deadly as the well-known ones.
He drinks from his own cup as he continues to read from his tablet. He might still read the paper every day, but the guy at least keeps with the times. “Not a rental.”
I sputter at his words and look to Bobby, whose head is in his own laptop, doing God knows what. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you bought it. Seriously?” I glance at Danny, who at least looks up at me before he goes back to eating his food.
Vinny sets his tablet down and pulls his hands together to steeple them as he leans on the table. “If you want me to answer, don’t restrict my words.”
“What are you going to do with a farm?” The place might not have cows and chickens, but there’s definitely a cornfield in the backyard. And sure, it looks like a mini mansion, with four bedrooms and four baths, plus a separate building for more guests surrounding a fire pit, but it still screams country if I compare it to the high-rise penthouse Vinny usually goes for. Or at least he did before I left. Who knows what he’s into nowadays. Maybe he’s met someone and wants to settle down or something. Of course, the idea of Vinny even just sitting back to relax seems far crazier than him being a farmer.
“Not sure. Might be a nice vacation home, or maybe just a hidey-hole to take the heat off when needed.”
“Sure, why not? It’s not like anyone would expect a suit like you to step into a place like this. You might get mud on your shoes. God forbid,” I say with mock horror.
He just looks at me, clearly not amused. But I am, so I laugh, but it quickly turns into a groan. I hold my stomach, as it still hurts to do anything, to include breathing.
“Quit glaring, Danny.” I look over at my brother, who’s been making that face each time I make a noise. Not like I can help it. Sure, I could grit my teeth and keep it internal, but I read once that grunting is the pain leaving the body. Might not be true, but hey, it pisses off my brother, and what kind of little sister would I be if I didn’t aim to piss him off at least once a day?
“How you feeling, nugget?” Bobby asks, even though he doesn’t look up, missing the glare I throw at him. I don’t miss the lip twitch it gets from Danny, though. Everyone knows I hate that nickname, but no one is going to stop calling me that. It’s what Dad called me. Tough as stone but precious, too, like a gold nugget. But somehow, the gold part fell off the sentiment, and I’ll forever be known as just nugget .
“I took my meds earlier, and I’ve got an appointment with Ruby later this afternoon.” I learned long ago, way before this, that when it comes to my health, my sass never goes over well. Better to just call it like it is than deal with the constant badgering. They’ve been known to call a doctor in for a full physical if they think I’m not telling the truth. And let me tell you, once you’re in pain, having a doctor poke and prod at you more is not on any chart marking fun times. And I especially don’t want them to call General. Guy has a hard-on for causing pain that I can see a mile away.
“You need one of us to drive?” Vinny wipes his mouth with his cloth napkin before setting it on top of his plate. As if a flare went up, someone comes and clears his dish and exits. Anyone who works for Vinny knows better than to take a plate away from anyone else just because the head of the family is done eating. While some might live in the mindset that if the head of the family is done, we’re all done, that’s not how the Leone family operates. We stab a bitch if they get too close when we’re eating.
“Nah, I got the truck,” I say, which earns me another glare, this one from Vinny.
The two gunshots to the leg were in my left leg, so technically I can still drive—not that anyone likes me to. But screw them and the fucking limo they drove here in. If Vinny is really serious about using this place as a safe house, he’s going to need to tone it down. While not everyone in Kansas is dirt poor, money stands out here more than it does on the East and West Coasts.
“If it will make you feel better, I’ll wear the shoulder sling.” I know that isn’t the compromise they want, but it’s what they’ll get.
Since I was released from the hospital four days ago, things have been interesting, to say the least. Vinny had me and Ollie move in with him, and I wasn’t in the position to turn him down. Ruby said I had to stay, but I had no place to actually stay. It’s not like Bass gave me a key to his place, and the clubhouse is in enough shambles that it doesn’t need me there. They also have a full house, as news spread about Law and half the damn country seems to be at the clubhouse paying their respects or just helping where they can.
Bulldog asked Casper to step in and take over some things since his hands were getting full dealing with the funeral arrangements and trying to put the place together as well as hunt down Ivan. They aren’t keeping me in the loop, obviously, but Ruby talks to me when she does physical therapy on my shoulder and leg. I might make both move, but they ache like all get-out, and I’ve developed a limp for some God-only-knows reason that I fucking hate.
Vinny also tells me things when I ask. He sent Tommy to help Bass, and I know they’re both in more danger than anyone here. Ivan is a formidable foe on a good day in the USA. But in Russia? On his home turf? I’m surprised that Vinny was willing to send anyone, much less blood.
“You taking Ollie?” Bobby finally looks over at me as he pushes his glasses up his nose, and I smile softly as I nod.
My brothers have taken to Ollie as if he’s my own legitimate kid and not someone I claimed because of tragedy. They’ve each spent time with him like regular uncles would. They care for him, just like I do, but Ollie is still holding himself back. I’ve only seen him really connect with one male before, and that one is on a crusade that I didn’t ask him to take on for me.
“Danny” is all Vinny says, and I roll my eyes as Danny shovels the last of his food in his mouth. He’s got no problem sending me on my way alone, but if Ollie’s with me? We get a damn military escort. A girl might get jealous if she didn’t already know they were just looking out for her kid in a way that shows they care and also that they missed her.
My brothers might not be ones to admit if they did something wrong, or even acknowledge if another person besides them is right, but they will put their lives on the line to show respect. Till Ollie cashes in on the favor Vinny owes him, he’ll be treated like a damn prince. In my brethren’s eyes, they don’t go back on an offer. And they sure as hell don’t weasel their way out of it. They keep the person alive and well till the debt is paid in full. After that? Well, that’s not their problem.
But I doubt they’ll just wash their hands of Ollie once he does cash in. The way they keep him close and cater to his every whim shows how whipped they truly are already. The world is fucked if any of these men ever have a kid of their own, especially if it’s a girl. These guys will go down hard each time she cries, and I secretly can’t wait.
I pull into the compound, getting waved in quickly. I’m still not sure if it’s because of who I am or the truck I’m driving. Did I forget to mention that I commandeered Bass’s truck? If he can go off on some shoot-’em-up trip, the least I can do is borrow his vehicle. I might even put gas in it before I give it back.
Maybe.
Danny gets out quickly, looking around as he buttons his jacket. No matter how much I dog my brothers, they keep the suit look. I know they’re hot. I’m hot, and I’m in shorts. I realized pretty quickly that pants are a bitch to pull over the bandages and restrict my movements more than anything when I’m in physical therapy. Ruby doesn’t go easy on me by any means. I know she doesn’t blame me for what happened to her dad, but sometimes I question it when she pushes harder than I think is necessary. Does it work? Am I walking with less pain? Maybe. But it’s still a bitch to deal with.
Ollie and I wait the few moments it takes for Danny to feel good enough to open Ollie’s door and let him out. Both he and I made the mistake of getting out of the car before Danny was ready a few days ago. Man, he never shut up about all the issues on how that was a bad idea. Both Ollie and I decided it was just easier to wait for him than go through that earful again. What made it twice as bad was that Danny played snitch and told Vinny and Bobby about it, too, so we both got two more rounds of it when we made it back to the house before they let it go.
I look around and see Ruby standing by Maddy, so I make my way over.
“Hey, girl. How you feeling today?” Ruby asks, but it’s Maddy who leans in for a hug.
“Same as yesterday. Is Teddy around?” I know Ollie won’t leave my side till he sees his friend. And then it’s only because Chains and half the damn club are still in overprotective mode till the Ivan situation is closed.
I totally get it. How do you expect everyone just to go back to normal after what happened? The Hounds got lucky, only losing one in the crossfire. Just like me, taking so many and being able to walk away. Someone up there was watching out for us that day, but as I look over at Ruby, I’ve got to think that she was missed somehow.
“Yeah, he’s somewhere. Think Jumper took him inside to get a drink. He’ll be back in a bit,” Maddy says as she smiles down at Ollie, who just moves closer to me. He’s gotten worse, not that any of us blame him. No one’s offering suggestions, but I know it won’t be long before I get a few brochures on how to handle a kid dealing with trauma. Just not sure if the club or my brothers will break first.
A dog barking pulls my attention. “What’s going on over there?”
“Casper wants to get a few guard dogs. Figured having a few extra hounds wouldn’t hurt.” Ruby huffs at her lame joke.
The dog barks again, but this time to a command. I watch for a bit as a gorgeous blonde walks Casper through a few commands they both give to two German shepherds. I’m not sure if anyone else notices that he seems to watch the woman more than the dogs.
Another bark pulls my attention to an SUV parked a few yards away. The back window is down, and a rottweiler has his head out with his tongue rolling out of his mouth, panting and looking in my direction. The face on the dog just makes me smile, so I look down to point him out to Ollie and see he’s already looking at him. And doing something he hasn’t done much of lately—smiling.
I look back, noticing a girl getting out of the passenger side. I’m not one to judge, but that she has a football helmet on and a purple tutu over orange parachute pants makes me question what side of the spectrum this woman is on.
She goes to the back of the SUV and puts her entire head in the dog’s face. He just licks all over her, even taking the helmet in his mouth and pulling it off her after a small tug-of-war between them. The antics cause Ollie to laugh, and from the quick way the girl turns to look at us, I know she must have heard him.
Now it’s her turn to look over at us and judge. Or at least that’s what I think she’s doing, as she’s only gazing at us. Actually, looking closer, I see it’s not all of us, just one person, one kid. She turns back to the SUV, and I see her lips moving before the trunk pops open and the dog dashes out.
Maddy lets out a startled scream, and half the damn club seems to run after the dog as he darts right for Ollie. My kid stands frozen, and I go to pull him behind me as Danny steps in front. But the dog goes around both me and my brother quickly, then stops suddenly and sits down at Ollie’s feet.
“Oh gosh, sorry,” Maddy says with a hand to her chest. “I couldn’t sleep last night and got to watching bad TV. Cujo was on, and I obviously have some issues watching it. Remind me to stick to the Golden Girls after ten.” She laughs it off, but my heart is still beating out of my damn chest. Never seen a dog run so fast before or go after my kid.
“He likes you.”
I look up quickly to the tutu girl before I look back at the damn dog. I don’t trust it.
“How can you tell?” Ollie hesitantly asks as he peers up at her.
“He came over for a pet, silly. He doesn’t do that with people he doesn’t like.” I look up in time to see her roll her eyes.
“A pet?” Ollie looks at her as if she’s lost her damn mind. I’m not sure if she even had one to begin with.
“Well, go on, pet him. He’s not going to bite.” She sounds agitated, but she just stands there with her hands on her hips.
Tentatively, Ollie hovers his hand above the dog’s head. In seconds, the dog makes the choice for him and bumps his head into Ollie’s hand, moving back and forth to force a pat till my kid gives in and goes for a full-on head scratch.
“He likes it behind the ears,” the girl says as she rocks back on her heels, putting her hands behind her back as she moves.
“Penny!” The woman with Casper runs over to us quickly, Casper and the dogs hot on her heels. She grabs the other girl, Penny, around the arm and checks her over as if she’s afraid she’s the one who almost got mauled by the damn dog. “Geez, girl, I told you to wait in the car. Why didn’t you listen?” Penny at least seems contrite as she looks down and away. “Sorry about that. I hope no one was startled. Penny likes to let the puppies out to play. She didn’t mean anything by it.”
Being this close to her, I’m almost jealous. I love how I look. I adore everything about me. But this girl is fucking beautiful. No wonder Casper’s tongue is hanging out of his mouth as he follows her with his eyes. Her friend is pretty, too, even if she’s not all there.
“Goober wanted some pets,” Penny mutters as she kicks some dirt around.
“Goober? You named the dog Goober?” Ollie flips over the name. I admit that it’s funny and smirk as well .
Penny crosses her arms and glares, pouting as she talks. “I didn’t name him. That’s the name he gave himself.”
“And by that, you mean you wrote twenty names on tennis balls, and the first one he brought back was what you named him?” the one who isn’t wearing a crazy outfit says with an eye roll.
“Seriously?” I can’t help but ask.
The woman just shrugs. “She does it for all the dogs that get brought in when she doesn’t like their original names.”
Riiight. That just makes complete sense. Not. “Well, um, thanks for letting us pet Goober.”
“Want to keep him?” Penny goes from pouting to happy in seconds.
I’m so thrown by her complete 180 change that all I can say is “Huh?”
“Penny,” her friend says warningly.
“What? Goober needs a home, and the boy looks like he could use a friend.” Penny points to Ollie, and the fact that she noticed how sad my kid is makes me think we need therapy sooner than not. If someone crazy like her sees it, then it’s that bad.
“Well….” The other woman glances from Penny to Ollie, biting her lip before looking at me. “He really is good with kids. He was trained as a family protection dog along with his brothers and sisters but was considered the runt of the litter. He’s great, just smaller than they wanted, so they gave him to me to help train my lot. I don’t need his help anymore, so we are looking for someone to adopt him, if you’re interested.”
“Oh, can we?” Ollie looks up at me eagerly .
Obviously, this woman doesn’t have children. If she did, she’d know not to ask if someone wants a dog in front of a kid. Or maybe that’s her whole tactic. One look at Ollie, who’s now on his knees and getting licked everywhere, and it’s clear that he’s already in love. And the woman knows how to sell the whole thing to me just by the mere mention of him being trained for protection.
“Who are you?” My attitude comes out harsh for someone in Kansas, but it’s the normal tone for a girl from Brooklyn.
“Oh, sorry, how rude. I’m Wendi, and this is my sister, Penny. We run a vet clinic that’s a bit out of town, as we cater to most animal types. We recently started our hand at guard and protection classes, bringing in some specific types of dogs for people to use. Casper just picked up some for him and his friends.”
Ruby laughs at that as I look this chick over. She seems too bubbly for her own good, but it’s probably because she seems like the type to turn herself in for jaywalking. Far too nice and innocent to understand that she’s handing a bunch of bikers some trained killers.
Danny’s phone goes off, the shrill ringtone quite loud before he pulls it out of the inside pocket of his jacket and answers it. He walks away from me and Ollie, and I know it’s family business. The boys have been doing everything to keep Ollie out of earshot of what goes on. We already agreed that we aren’t hiding who we are, but we aren’t going to flaunt it either.
“So, what do you say? Want him? You can take him for the weekend or something and see if he fits into your life,” Wendi offers .
“Pleeeeease,” Ollie begs.
I’m watching Danny from the back as he tenses. Even with his damn suit jacket in ninety-degree weather, I can tell.
“Yeah, sure,” I say, not really sure what I’m agreeing to as my brother walks back toward us. I take a step away from the group and head to where Danny is. “Who’s that? Who’s on the phone?”
He ends the call and looks at me head-on. “Vinny.” He waits a beat, glancing at Ollie, then back at me. “Tommy’s on his way home.”
“And?” I throw my hands up, waiting for him to explain more because that means shit to me right now.
His jaw clenches. “There were some complications.”