6. Chapter Six
Chapter six
Peter
I took Quinn to work while Phil was taking his things to Chelsea’s house.
Once he’d finished moving things over, he made his way to the lodge, and I headed out to collect Cole.
The drive to the airport was quiet and relatively uneventful, and it wasn’t long before I was picking up my co-worker from Arrivals.
“Hey!”
He grinned and nodded at me as he loaded his two suitcases and laptop bag into the back before hopping into the front seat. “Thanks for picking me up.”
I snickered. “Like any of us would make you get your own ride back to the house.”
Cole shrugged. “I’m used to a more chaotic and higher stakes pace. I would have rented a car if it came down to making sure everyone has enough coverage.”
“It’s not quite that intense out here right now.” And I hope it stays that way.
On our drive back, we chatted about roles and expectations. “Now, you might have a slightly different schedule since you’re more tech savvy than the rest of us, but—”
“I’m not going to let Lukas lock me in the safe room monitoring everything electronic. Ryan gave me some pointers before I headed out.”
I snickered. “Sounds like Ryan… always making sure not only is there a plan, but that there are multiple contingency plans, and that everyone knows them.”
Cole nodded, smirking. “Exactly. Though, he’s been extra busy lately, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
My eyebrows went up. “I didn’t think that was possible, either.”
“To be fair, I think there is something happening between him and Ellen. Finally.”
The exasperated tone made me smile as I got off the highway. “I thought I’d heard about Ryan being sweet on someone.”
Cole glanced over, smirking, and shaking his head. “Sweet on someone? Are you from the 1940s?”
“I dunno. Ryan can be old school sometimes. It felt appropriate.”
“Fair enough.”
It wasn’t much longer before we were pulling into the driveway and rolling up to the house.
“Welcome to your new home away from home.” After I parked the truck in the garage, I nodded my head toward the hidden basement entrance.
“Let’s get your stuff to your room, and then I can give you a tour of the rest of the house.
We had made it to the security/safe room when Lukas walked in, and about an hour after that, Quinn walked in like she was on a mission.
“Cole, welcome to Colorado. Glad you’re here.” She shifted her attention to me. “Are you two going out tonight?”
It didn’t take a psychologist or behavioral specialist to decipher the intent behind her question.
She wanted the house empty, not that I blamed her.
It couldn’t be easy constantly having other people around, especially when they were employed by a mafia family.
She more than deserved a night of peace.
“Yeah. I hadn’t asked yet, but that was the plan. ”
Cole looked between the two of us before opening his eyes a little wider. “Oh, I’m totally up for going out. I need to get the feel for the town, anyway.”
Lukas narrowed his eyes in mild confusion. “You mean you and Ryan didn’t already scour maps together?”
Cole shifted his focus to his boss. “We did, but there’s only so much you can get from satellite maps, camera feeds, and photos. There’s a lot to be learned from walking around the area.”
“So, where are we going?”
I stared at Lukas. Look at your girlfriend. How dense are you?
Quinn wrapped her arm around his waist. “We have dinner plans, remember?”
He looked at her, brows scrunched in confusion. “We do?”
She let out a long sigh, leaned forward, and whispered into his ear. With how pink his cheeks got, it was clear she told him something none of us needed, or likely wanted, to know.
When she stood up straight again, he nodded and cleared his throat. “Right. Those plans. Totally forgot. Rain check on dinner?”
“Sure thing.” Not wanting to be in the house any longer than necessary, I turned to Cole. “Do you need to take care of anything before we head out?”
“Nope. Let’s go.”
I smiled at Lukas and Quinn. “Enjoy your evening.”
We had barely left the property when Cole burst out in stunned laughter. “Did he seriously not know Quinn wanted a night in with him?”
A deep sigh came out as I shook my head. “The man has been struggling. It wouldn’t be the first clue he’s missed lately.”
Cole’s eyes went wide. “It’s been that bad?”
I nodded. “You’ll see. Honestly, I’m really glad you’re out here now. I’m looking forward to discussing your observations. Phil and I have been doing our best, but Lukas isn’t the only one hurting. We all are.”
“I’m curious how similarly or differently he’s managing this compared to Lianne.” He let out a sigh as we rolled along. “So, where exactly are we going tonight?”
“The best bar in town.”
Lukas was in a state the next morning when I came upstairs. He was grumbling under his breath and practically slamming cabinet doors closed as he pulled together his breakfast. Motion in the hallway caught my attention, and when I looked to my right, Quinn was walking toward me.
Her brow furrowed when our eyes met before she walked into the kitchen. A deep sigh came out as she wrapped her arms around Lukas’s waist. He stiffened up and then leaned forward, resting his hands on the counter.
Not wanting to intrude on what looked like a private moment, I made my way to Lukas’s office, letting out a tense breath as I slowly paced the room. For a man who had the house to himself with his girlfriend, I thought he would have been in a better headspace this morning.
What happened now?
I was worried about him. He’d been a different man since his brother betrayed their family and then even more after his father died.
How could he not change? Everyone was reeling from the one-two punch life had given us.
But there was more going on here than that.
Yes, I knew mourning looked different for everyone, but this was different.
“I said I was fine.”
Lukas’s sharp comment pulled my attention to the hallway.
“And I’m calling you a liar. Now, go into our room and get back in bed. Now.”
My eyebrows shot up at Quinn’s equally biting tone, and I froze in place, not wanting to make a sound for fear or drawing either of their ire.
“Quinn, I have shit to do. I can’t ju—”
“Lukas Reginald, get your ass in bed right now. I know for a fact you were up until at least three this morning doing lord knows what. You’ve done the same thing every night since you got back from Chicago. You will go back to bed and sleep some more, or I’m going to become most unpleasant.”
He scoffed. “As opposed to the ray of sunshine you are right now?”
There was a thud. Something hard hit the wall, but I had no idea what it was.
“You really want to play this game today? Fine. If you want me to turn into a bitch, just say the word, Mr. Agosti. Maybe you need to be reminded what a fucking pissed off client looks like, since you sure don’t seem to give shit about your girlfriend’s feelings.”
Oh, fuck.
“Quinn, I’m—”
“Save it. I’m already running late for work thanks to your shit this morning.
I love you, but I’m done with your mood for the moment.
I’ll talk to you later. Maybe then you’ll have remembered how to act like the man I fell in love with and not this raging asshole.
” There were three hard footsteps in the hallway before Quinn popped her head into the office, rage still flaring in her eyes. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Let’s roll.”
Quinn spun on her heel, walked into her bedroom, almost immediately walking back out with her purse and coat in hand. She headed straight toward the garage, throwing the door open, not waiting for me.
I glanced at their bedroom door as I passed it, barely clocking Lukas standing near the bed, hands on the back of his head.
The first few minutes of the drive to the lodge were tense and quiet.
I made the assumption Quinn wasn’t feeling chatty and let her be.
We’d barely hit the main road when she let out a frustrated groan.
“I love that man, but oh, my god. If he doesn’t pull his head out of his ass, he’s going to have to find somewhere else to sleep. ”
My eyes went wide as I quickly glanced her way. “Is he treating you… inappropriately? Do I need to step in or keep him away from you?”
“What?” Quinn looked over in shock. “Wait.” She paused for a moment, and I could almost see her thoughts racing. “Oh! Oh, no. No, Peter. Lukas hasn’t physically lashed out at me. Do you honestly think I’d let him get away with that shit?”
I shook my head. “No, but I needed to verify for my own peace of mind. You know how we met.”
She let out a sigh and sagged into her seat.
“Yeah. Lukas isn’t pulling a Jeffery. He may be acting like the most selfish ass this side of the Rockies, but he’s not taking it out on me…
not in the way that would require you and Phil to step in.
He’s just…” Another tense sigh came out as she stared out the window.
“The man is struggling being out here, not that he’d check his pride or ego long enough to admit it. ”
My thoughts went to the conversation Lukas and I had while he was still in Chicago. “Then why is he out here? Why isn’t he still at home with the rest of his family?”