Bonus Chapter
Logan
I pour coffee into a mug, pull a granola bar from the counter, and peel back the wrapper in methodical movements—but I’m not paying attention to anything except the dark-haired boy.
He’s the spitting image of my brother.
It isn’t just the unruly hair and identical eyes, either.
He’s all passion, fire, and energy. It’s barely six in the morning, and he’s already bouncing between the couches and chairs like he’s in a trampoline park, not a living room.
He only stops to make sure Lyla is watching before he does a roll or spin that never fails to make her giggle.
Mason and I rarely got along, even before I learned about his betrayal. He was always reckless, power-hungry, and ambitious—I just assumed he’d use the traits to strengthen our family, not destroy it.
I’ve spent two months loathing him for what he did to us.
I loathe him a little less as I watch Dominic fall into the cushions—laughing without a care in the world.
“Dominic, don’t jump on the couches, buddy. You know Rachel doesn’t want you to get hurt,” Ryder says, coming up beside me and pouring a cup of coffee for himself.
The boy grumbles something as he rolls dramatically from the couch onto the floor, but his frustration melts away when Lyla lies next to him.
“I can introduce you to him if you want,” Ryder offers.
I’ve only met Moreno’s former underboss once—at a capo meeting a few months ago.
He’s quiet, but I know better than to underestimate silence.
From our brief interactions, I’ve figured his stiff demeanor is just a front for his observations—which he confirmed when he nearly choked me out yesterday.
It just took the right taunt to fracture the facade.
Ryder Bates is a man of few words and quick action.
He’s also responsible for the well-being of my only nephew.
After that decision was made yesterday, I made it a point to observe how he interacts with the kids—and I have to admit, I’m impressed. He’s got three years of fatherhood under his belt, but the instincts seem to come naturally to him.
My only experience with kids was watching Elise as she grew up—but that mostly consisted of making sure she was never exposed to anything related to our family’s work. I have no idea how to handle children.
Ryder, however, juggles both kids with ease.
Last night, Dominic had climbed onto Ryder’s back, begging for another serving of dessert, while Lyla giggled in his arms—all as he washed his dinner plate. He’s playful but ready to drop the hammer the second the kids get too rough.
I shake my head and set my mug on the counter. “He doesn’t need to be overwhelmed. We should wait until things are more settled.”
Ryder nods as he readies a second mug—presumably for Rachel.
“There are a few more things we need to settle before I leave,” I tell him.
“I figured. What did you have in mind?”
“He’ll have a natural loyalty to you, but that won’t extend to Moreno. His only role in Dominic’s life is as an uncle—not a boss. I also don’t want Dominic stepping foot in a single Moreno base.”
“That might not be possible,” Ryder says, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t plan on lying to Lyla about what I do for a living—within age-appropriate parameters.
Dominic is going to learn, too, and when I do work in LA again, that’ll mean seeing Moreno as the boss. ”
“If you can’t guarantee Dominic’s impartiality, then I can’t let this arrangement stand. He’s a Consoli, and raising him with an inclination to the Morenos isn’t going to make learning the truth about his parents any easier.”
He presses his lips into a line, eyes drifting to the kids who are now watching a movie about racecars. It’s a long moment before he finally sighs.
“I’ll keep distance between them,” he says, and a hint of a smile tilts his lips. “I’m sure Moreno will just love going by Uncle Joshua.”
I know he won’t, which is a bonus for me.
“I want updates on him,” I say, turning toward Ryder. “Let me know how he takes the news about his mother.”
“I’ll keep you as informed as you want to be. He’s going to need all the support he can get.”
I nod, my eyes trailing to Dominic, who’s slowly inching closer to Lyla as they watch the movie.
A strange sensation hits me at the sight—a fondness for a child I barely know. The list of people I reserve my minimal affection for is limited to my siblings, and yet I feel it extending to Dominic already. I haven’t even officially met the kid—but I don’t need to.
He’s family.
“What’s he like?” I ask.
Ryder chuckles. “He’s crazy—a pure spitfire. He likes fast cars, martial arts, and utter chaos.”
My lip tugs up at that. “He’s his father’s son.”
“That he is,” Ryder agrees.
With that, I take my mug to the back door, intent on heading to the pool house to pack my things so we can leave right after the meeting at the Sacramento base. This plan is halted by Elise, who pulls me to the table on the back porch the second I step outside.
“We need to talk,” she declares, sitting down beside Moreno—who doesn’t look any happier about this impromptu meeting than I am.
“Am I going to need something stronger than coffee to get through this conversation?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Potentially.”
I sigh but take the seat.
“What couldn’t wait until we’re at the base?” Moreno asks, and I don’t take it as a good sign that she didn’t tell him what this was about either.
“We’re going to hash out the plan moving forward.”
“That’s literally the point of today’s meeting,” he says dryly.
Her smile is sardonic. “I try very hard to refrain from disrespecting either of you in front of your capos, but if you two start a pissing match today, I won’t be able to bite my tongue.
If we go into that conference room with you two on the same page, we’re all saved the headache.
Unless you can promise me you’ll be courteous to each other at the base? ”
Neither of us says a word.
“That’s what I thought,” she mutters.
Moreno straightens in his chair, and any tension morphs into a professional coolness. I match his stance but narrow my eyes at Elise.
“I’m all for you changing your mind, but as long as you’re going to insist on staying with Moreno, you need to get used to how we deal with things,” I tell her.
“Not today, I don’t,” she says, cradling her mug of coffee in her hands as she brings it to her lips and leans back.
Moreno sighs. “What’s the update on the coms program to locate the traitors?”
“Ford can’t find any trace of the program within our database, but he still thinks it’s there. The likelihood Mason communicated with his followers outside the base is too low.”
“I’ll have Kade start on the project immediately,” Moreno says, pulling out his phone.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
“I thought you knew,” I say with a light laugh I know will grate on his nerves.
Moreno’s eyes narrow as he takes the bait. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Kade’s been working with Ford for weeks. Neither of them have had any success.” I lean back with a smug grin. “Strange that you don’t know what your own capos are up to. Is that a typical practice, or are you losing your touch?”
“Logan,” Elise warns.
Moreno’s jaw ticks, and suddenly, I think Elise is a genius for arranging this sit-down. I wouldn’t get to egg him on this much in front of our capos, and Elise won’t let him lay a hand on me.
I can have some fun with this.
“I’ll be finding a suitable candidate, then,” Moreno grates out.
“That’s not happening. I already have Ford compiling a list for me to review when I get home.”
“You trust him to put together a list of candidates capable of doing his job better than he can?”
“More than I trust you to,” I confirm.
Moreno doesn’t relent his glare. “Then you’ll tell me who your pick is so I can vet them before you reach out.”
“I didn’t intrude on your investigation into the leak. You have no place intruding on my investigation into the coms program. You agreed to let me handle this.”
“That was when I thought you were capable of handling this. It’s been two months, and you have nothing to show for your efforts. Meanwhile, I’ve already found and patched the leak.”
Elise shoots a sharp look at Moreno, but I laugh—genuinely laugh.
“You really want to boast about that? It took months of investigating to figure out that you’ve been losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two different leak sources—both of which have been happening for years.
And your investigative efforts didn’t even find it—Ryder did after being drugged for a week.
” I point to myself. “Meanwhile, I’ve been searching for a hyper-sophisticated communications program embedded in my most complex database.
If you want to compare competency, I’m feeling good about my odds. ”
“Do you have to use the same candidate?” Elise asks in an even tone—ever the peacekeeper. “Why don’t you each find one?”
“No,” Moreno and I say in unison.
She takes a deep, exasperated breath. “Why not?”
“This job is too delicate to bring in multiple people,” Moreno explains. “As it is, the candidate will need extensive background checks. If we pick wrong, our databases end up in the hands of someone who can destroy both our families.”
“And it’s my job to find them,” I say definitively. “Unless you’re suggesting the terms of our alliance are flexible, in which case, I’m more than happy to take my sister home.”
“I’d genuinely love to see you try,” he says with a challenging gleam in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Moreno. He’ll let you keep me,” Damon says as he and James stroll onto the back deck and join us at the table.
I point to Damon. “I’m willing to agree to that.”
Elise smacks my arm. “Can we please focus?”
“What’s this about?” James asks. “Because I have a feeling it isn’t a custody agreement for Damon.”
“Elise thinks she can force Moreno and me to get along if we’re not in front of an audience,” I explain.