Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
ARICK
Forty-eight hours after the dinner party at Varr's house, all hell broke loose.
We were working on Gilded Ones stuff when Tank strolled into the office with a smug grin. “Pull up the news. Local, Big wall.”
Since it was a simple task, I did what he asked without waiting for anyone else to point me out. Memphis was too deep in whatever was on his screen to pay attention to our boss.
It still felt weird to think of Tank that way. Before, he'd been the man who helped me find my son. He’d coordinated me getting to Orion on the ranch. Now he was the person who made sure I got paid.
He was also a bit of a pain in the ass.
I could see why everyone made jokes about him when he wasn't around. The guy was a mess. Still, he was a mess who gave me a chance.
I was going to provide a better life for my son, and to sweeten the deal, I got to have Orion by my side the entire time. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
When I got the news up on the screen, we all turned to see what had caught Tank’s attention. A reporter was going over information that seemed mundane — local politics, mostly a discussion of the upcoming mayoral election.
The candidates, who admittedly were both handsome men, held quite different political views.
One was prepared to bring us into a new era of growth as a city. He spouted information about change and how we could be the next big thing like New York City or San Francisco. He wanted tourists and locals alike to flourish.
The other man had a more closed mindset. It wasn't exactly radical in the other direction, but he seemed to believe that we should have tighter restrictions in place.
I had to admit that the one who was a bit more restrictive irked me. Though he was handsome by society's standards, his smile and his photo gave me the creeps. Maybe it was the way his eyes looked so empty like he was dead inside.
I shivered right as the screen cut to a breaking news bulletin. The reporter on the screen began to speak, and the room went silent.
“We have breaking news just in from the DA's office. Businessman and city favorite Jackie Varr has been arrested on several counts of,” the woman took a sharp breath, “on several counts, including child pornography, human trafficking, fraud, embezzlement, and more. Varr was arrested at his home just now. His assets have been frozen, and he will be held without bail.”
The screen cut to a video of Jackie being dragged from his big ass house in pajamas. A snort escaped me seeing how he was not at all put together like he usually portrayed himself to be. This was a man who had fallen from grace.
The people would be furious whether the charge is stuck or not. Especially considering Varr had not realized there were cameras around. He ranted about how he owned this city and how these cops would lose their jobs. To shut him up, the officer shoved him into the back of the car and slammed the door.
The video went back to the broadcaster. “This breaking news will continue as we get more updates. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I might have to change where I shop. Varr Industries won’t get a dime of my money.”
The last part was clearly off script. The camera cut away from her and went to some weatherman who was clearly not ready, if the way he dropped his note cards and had to straighten his tie were any indication.
I cut the footage, then focused on the men around the room. I was trying to keep my cool, to keep a level head. For as much as I wanted this man arrested, I also wanted him to suffer.
He needed to know what it was like for me when my son was taken. To know how those women and children felt when they were taken. He needed a dose of his own medicine.
I knew that wasn't how the justice system worked. And I had given them the green light to do this. I knew that there could have probably been other methods to take care of Varr. But I couldn't, in good conscience, do that.
If the day ever came that my son asked me about the man who hurt him, about the men who had taken him, I wanted to honestly answer that they were put away and they were suffering for their crimes. I didn't know if he would still look at me the same if I said that they were murdered or that I had ordered their execution.
Orion moved around to wrap his arms over my shoulders. He kissed the side of my head and whispered, "You okay?"
I nodded slowly and turned to kiss his lips. It wasn't an erotic kiss or anything, but it was full of passion and thankfulness. He had stood by my side even as I was unsure about what I wanted to do.
“I just thought you all should know,” Tank said to the room before turning to leave again.
Four days later
Since Varr's arrest, we had part of the main screen locked in on the news. It would alert us anytime anything popped up about him.
And though there were a few opinion pieces about what would happen to him, most of it was quiet. We still hadn't heard a final verdict on when his arraignment would be.
I had buried myself in work and Orion to distract me from obsessing over the updates. During the day, I would dig for more information about the Gilded Ones. Sometimes I searched for the people Varr had worked with to buy my son.
At night, I would go home with my family. We would spend time together as a group. Then when Sol went down to bed, Orion and I would get lost in each other.
He would touch and kiss me until I was gasping for breath.
He would break me apart to put me back together.
Then we'd hold each other until we fell asleep.
It was a beautiful routine, and I became addicted to it. I knew that I was burying my feelings. That I had not been happy with my choice to let Varr go. Regret was a heavy burden.
It was especially clear the more time it took for any type of legal action to come about. I had forgotten how much the judiciary system in this country could drag.
There would be a long process as he awaited arraignment and trial. From there, his case would probably get caught up in the courts for months or maybe even years.
And what if he got out on bond before then? He didn’t have the option at the moment, but things could change. What if he wound up being able to hurt more children?
It would have been much better if I had just said that they could kill him.
I kept the notion to myself though because I knew telling Orion would only cause trouble. The man was busy enough as it was. He had been in and out of the office over the last few days working on a non-Gilded Ones project.
Today in particular, he had taken Takeshi and Ronan with him, claiming they had to help him with the next step in his process. Whatever he was doing, it seemed to be big enough to warrant it. The other two had agreed immediately, and they’d all left without any other details.
The rest of the team didn't act bothered at being left out. Seeing their relaxed states only further proved how well they all worked together. There wasn’t an ounce of jealousy to be found.
I was a bit jealous though.
And curious.
Since everything was Gilded Ones related, I thought maybe I could figure out what was going on. But nothing was adding up. It was like they had created their own mission or something.
Or maybe I was too in my head to put the pieces together properly. I wasn't exactly sure.
What I was sure of was how the screen began to flash letting me know there was an alert on Varr's name in the news. When I enlarged the screen, my jaw dropped.
There was an image of a charred vehicle in the middle of the highway.
“We have an update on the Varr case for you today,” the newscaster said. “Jackie Varr, who was being transported to a new facility after threats on his life were made at the local prison, was in a vehicle crossing the highway when a bomb exploded, killing him and the two officers inside. Reports indicate there's no chance of survival.
“As firefighters work to put out the last of the flames, we have to wonder if Varr had enemies who went after him. Maybe there was more to what was going on that we will ever know. With him gone, the case will be closed. Was Jackie Varr innocent? Or is he as guilty as we all suspect? Reporting live from New Roughoak News, I am Dana Talley.”
Cohen began to laugh as soon as the video ended. His shoulders shook, and his head fell back.
Godric dipped his head forward to hide a small grin. Even Memphis seemed amused.
“What do I not understand about this? You're all so happy. I mean, it's a good thing, I guess.” My voice was unsure since I couldn't make sense of anything going on.
Damari raised his head from the dog bed looking bean bag chair he rested on. “They're probably laughing because they know who killed him.”
He laid back down and went right back to coloring something in a book Ronan had brought with him. I would have thought he was way off base if not for the way the other men immediately stopped laughing.
I kind of wish Sinclair or Archie were around. At least then I would have had someone else who was more normal like me who could decipher what was going on.
"Do you know who killed him?" I asked slowly.
Memphis averted his eyes, his focus going back to his computer, while Godric and Cohen shared a look.
It was then I thought about how weird Orion had been lately. How he had tucked himself away for this "mission" he was on. The fact that he took Takeshi and Ronan too only furthered my suspicion.
"Did Orion —" I paused, not wanting to vocalize my thoughts.
Instead, I took off down the hall towards Tank’s office. From what everyone said, it was the most secure room in the building. If I was going to say out loud that I thought my boyfriend-roommate-partner-person was behind murdering a high-profile person in the city, I needed to be careful.
I barged into his office without knocking, only to stop short when I realized he was on a call. A video call. Tank’s eyes widened, then he mumbled something and slammed the laptop shut.
I only caught two seconds of the person's voice, but I recognized it. And from the disheveled look the man before me had, I felt like I was interrupting a pretty private moment.
What the hell was going on in these offices?
I closed the door behind me. "Did you send Orion to kill Varr?"
Tanks shook his head. His smile was slow to form, but when it hit, it was full of genuine amusement. “I didn’t order anything.”
The way he said that gave me a hint. He might not have ordered it, but he also didn't stop it.
“Orion did this, didn't he? Why?”
He steepled his hands in front of his face. For a moment he watched me, silent as could be. When he finally decided to reply, I felt the world shift beneath my feet.
“I've known Orion for a very long time. He's the type of person who will go to bat for the people he cares about. Because he knows what it's like to lose everything and everyone you love. When Sol appeared in his life, I saw him soften. He was less performative in how he interacted with people. And then we found you, and he changed again. Beneath all that, he was still the same person I'd known. Still the protective man who would burn everything and hurt anyone who went after his family. You are his family, Arick. And he would do anything to make sure you were safe.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wasn't angry or upset. More like overwhelmed.
I wanted to thank Orion for what he had done. I needed to kiss him and tell him I loved him, because I did. I was not falling, and I wasn't being foolish. That man meant everything to me.
“Where is he?” I said, my voice forced.
Tank stood from his chair quickly. “Can't answer that. I can reach out to see if he's okay with you coming, but he needs to do this. It's important that he takes care of it.”
I furrowed my brow.
“Takes care of it? It's already taken care of. The car blew — ” I hesitated. “The car blew up, but Varr wasn't inside, was he? Is he going to hurt him?”
Something like excitement moved through me.
But no, it couldn't be.
Tank walked around the desk and leaned on the edge. His hands gripped the sides as he watched me.
“I can't say what he is or isn’t doing. However, I do think an eye for an eye is one of Orion's favorite phrases. If Varr happens to not be in the vehicle, I imagine that he would be getting his dues. But don't quote me on that.”
I raised my hands and mimed zipping my lips.
“Now then, why don't you get back to work? If Orion wants to come get you to join his little party, I'm sure he'll reach out.”
I shook my head. “No need. He can have his fun. I just want to know the job's done.”
Tank gave me an appreciative look. Like he was truly seeing me for the first time and understood I could be just as bloodthirsty as the rest of them.
I shrugged, then left the office and went back to the war room. The other guys were whispering amongst themselves. They stopped once I returned.
“No need to keep it all a secret. I'm not going to get mad or anything. Let's let Orion and the others have their fun. I'm sure he’ll tell me about it when he's back.”
Cohen whistled and pumped his fists in the air. “Alright, we've got another one.”
Godric dipped his head at me and said, "Welcome aboard the crazy train."
Memphis grumbled something, though he didn't have the same excitement as the others.
I didn't care because at the end of the day, I was just happy to have found people who not only offered me a job and a better life but protected me and my family. I was surrounded by others who would help if I needed it.
That was worth everything. It was worth every second we'd gone through, and I would never take it for granted.