23. Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter twenty-three
Peter
My phone rang, and a smile appeared on my face when I not only saw Lukas’s name, but that it was a video call. Things must be better. “Hey! How’s it going?”
There was a lightness to Lukas’s expression that complimented the smile on his face. “Better, now that Ryan’s here and resting.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure how Doc had convinced the hospital to release him early, but that was far above my pay grade. “Good. How’s everyone else doing?”
Lukas let out a dry chuckle as he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “Happy about Ryan, devastated about Kevin, and absolutely livid about Liam. I actually just got out of a rather heated team meeting. Lianne declared that Liam is no longer welcome or allowed in Agosti territory.”
“Really? Damn.” I pressed my lips together for a moment. “Wait. How will that work? Liam literally lives in Agosti territory.”
“Thanks to Mr. Greene, we found out the three of them have been staying at Susan’s condo in Vaux territory since everything went down with Dad.”
“I didn’t realize she had a condo.”
Lukas nodded. “Yep. She had it before they got married and never got rid of it. I'm not sure how I feel about him choosing to abandon Agosti territory, but then it shouldn't surprise me. That fucker turned his back on the family when he killed Dad. Moving to the middle of Vaux territory feels like the biggest ‘fuck you’ he could throw at us without actually throwing anything at it. It also feels like a goddamn temper tantrum.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. He’ll get what’s coming to him, if I have to do it myself. With or without Lianne’s blessing. ”
While I hadn't been expecting that big of an outburst, I didn’t disagree with Lukas. It baffled me how that man was still walking this earth after everything he’d done. “I’m a little surprised Lianne hasn’t retaliated yet.”
“Nah. Li and Mom are pissed, but they are also savvy, calculating, and cautious. They’re cooking up something. I just wish I knew what it was.” Lukas grumbled the last line.
A smirk appeared on my face at the mention of the Agosti women. “Your mom is not someone you ever want to double cross, and Lianne isn’t one to pull punches when it comes to defending her people.”
He hummed in agreement. “Exactly.”
“Your lovely wife isn’t one to be trifled with, either.”
A smirk appeared on his face before Lukas chuckled. “No, she is not. Speaking of, you’ll get to see her tomorrow. Both of us, actually.”
“Oh?”
He sighed. “Yeah. Quinn is doing a lot of guilt with Chelsea taking on all her work for this long. And with Ellen even going back to work, I suppose it’s time I come home for a bit.”
There was a hesitation to his words. If I had to guess, the man was torn between taking care of his family and being home with his wife. “You good with that plan?”
There was another deep sigh. “Yes, and no. I’m going to do better by my sister, regardless.”
I nodded. “As I knew you would. So, what time am I picking you two up from the airport?”
“Our flight is supposed to come in at three.”
I made a note of the time in the group calendar. “Got it. I’ll see you then.”
When I rolled into the arrivals pick up area, Lukas and Quinn were already standing outside, holding hands, and a weight lifted off my chest when Lukas looked much lighter than he had the last time I saw him.
There was still exhaustion and worry in his expression, but an improvement was an improvement.
I put the SUV in park, and Lukas pulled open the back passenger door, helping Quinn in before shoving the suitcases into the back.
“Welcome back Mr. And Mrs. Agosti, or is it Mr. And Mrs. Gates?”
Quinn snickered as she glanced at Lukas, grinning widely. “It’s Mr. And Mrs. Agosti, though I did tease him about keeping with Ben’s tradition of taking his wife’s name.”
Lukas shook his head. “Ben can blaze that trail all by himself.” He tipped his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes.
It surprised me a little, but after almost two weeks of chaos, I assumed he was using the quiet drive back to the house to get his head back in the game.
After we got home, Quinn immediately announced she was going to soak in her amazing tub and then go to bed. “Nothing against the bathtub in Chicago, but all my spa stuff is here.”
Lukas glanced over at her. “You want any company?”
She walked up to him and kissed his forehead before leaning hers against it. “After you chat with Peter. I know you won’t be able to settle until you do. And if the conversation runs long, I’ll leave a spot on the bed for you.”
He gave her a soft smile before pulling her into a tight hug and whispering something into her ear.
Smirking as she shook her head, Quinn turned and headed into their bedroom, closing the door behind her. Lukas let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair before looking at me. “Up for some tequila?”
I nodded slowly, a little surprised by the question. “Sure. Your office?”
“Yeah.”
Once he poured our drinks and handed me mine, Lukas sat on the front edge of his desk and took a sip.
“I’d ask if it was a good visit, but…” I trailed off.
Lukas sighed. “Yeah. It was a lot. A lot of good. A lot of bad. A lot of things I never thought I’d ever see.”
“You were pretty quiet the last couple of days. Everything wrap up okay?”
He let out a chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “Well, Lianne’s the Don now.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I almost dropped my glass. “What? But Lynette—”
“I know. But the entire team swore their allegiance, myself included. Even my mom did, meaning she stepped down, in a way.” He shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day when my sister would be taking the reins, and yet, here we are.”
I stared at my friend and boss, stunned. “Did you start that… process?”
Lukas almost looked ashamed. “No. Gage did.”
What? “Gage? Like Gage St. James, the tough as nails right-hand man to your dad? I thought he and Lianne hated each other. Didn’t I hear something about your mom dragging him off and having a discussion with him… and more than once?”
“My sister apparently punched him at some point, too.” Lukas chuckled and nodded before taking another sip. “I think that’s exactly why he started it. To make it abundantly clear, he fully accepted and supported Lianne in that role. It was a damn good move.”
I blinked several times. “Wow.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s been a wild and chaotic ride.”
“Anything else major happen?”
Lukas chuckled. “As if a wedding, another attempt on my family’s life, and a change of Don isn’t enough?”
I shared in his laughter. “Pretty much.”
“Life is never dull with the family, especially lately.”
“Not when you’re there, at least.”
Lukas glared at me harmlessly. “Oh, fuck off. There was plenty of drama even when I wasn’t there.” His tone started off light, but then his mood went serious, and he let out a deep sigh. “Did you know Ben nearly beat the shit out of me while we were waiting for Ryan to come out of anesthesia?”
“What?” I put the glass down, stunned. Quinn mentioned this side of Ben. “What could you have possibly done to push him to that drastic of a reaction?” Is this what Lynette was yelling at them about when she was on the phone with me?
Lukas stared at the liquor in his cup. “To make a long, detailed list short, he’s pissed because of how I haven’t been there for my sister.
His promise to her is the only reason he didn’t lay a hand or fist on me.
” I opened my mouth to respond, but Lukas shook his head. “He wasn’t wrong or out of line.”
That was not the response I was expecting. “No?”
“No. I keep forgetting how strong and stubborn Lianne is, and how she will do whatever it takes to get the job done, regardless of if she is in over her head or not. I know I’ve been there more lately, but I’ve been taking care of other shit and not checking in with Li.
To be fair, I haven’t checked in with most people in that house as much as I should have.
” He let out yet another sigh. “I can’t let Li keep doing it alone.
I may not be her second, or even on her team, but I am her brother, and I need to step up and do better than Liam. ”
The defeat and determination on his face showed how much this was eating him alive. “You’re already better than Liam. You’ve not only seen the error of your ways, but you’re also working on making amends.”
“I suppose, but the bar is pretty fucking low right now.” He drained what was left in his glass and stood up. “I’m going to see what my wife is up to.” His face lit up as he smiled. “I really like saying that.”
A few days later, I walked into Lukas’s office to find him on the phone.
“Wanted to be just like me, huh?” Lukas chuckled.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re the golden boy right now, but like you needed more reasons for people to like you more.
” He shook his head and glanced at me, waving for me to come in.
“Hmm? No. Peter walked in… Yeah…. Okay. Enjoy your day and please don’t overdo it. Congrats again.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as I perched on the side of the couch. “I assume that was Ryan?”
Lukas nodded, and I didn’t miss the excitement all over his face. “Did you hear he got engaged last night?”
My eyes widened at the news. “How did he manage that?”
“Lianne pulled rank.”
I couldn't help but snicker. “That didn’t take her long, but that still doesn’t tell me how he pulled it off.”
Lukas nodded. “Apparently Doc performed magic, to the point Ellen referred to him as the fairy godfather.”
“Sounds about right. There isn’t much that man can’t accomplish.” I leaned back and grinned. “I hope that much activity doesn’t compromise his recovery. That man shouldn’t have left his bed.”
“Nope, but he was determined, and Li couldn’t tell him ‘no’ at that point. Ellen assured me that Ryan is going to take it easy for the next several days. She’s good for him.”
I smirked. “She did put you in your place. I think it’s a rite of passage for people before they can join the family.”
Confusion filled his face. “What?”
My smile widened. “I’m pretty sure every person we’ve added to the family in one way or another has gotten in your face about something before settling down. Lord knows Quinn did.”
Lukas flipped me off. “Get the fuck out of my office.”
"Ahhh, but I came in to get instructions from the Almighty Lukas before starting my day. Guess I'll just go walk aimlessly in the streets until you deem yourself ready for me."
He facepalmed and let out a sigh. "Sit your ass down. Let's get started."
“As you wish, my liege.” I mockingly bowed and then sat, barely moving in time to avoid being hit by the pen Lukas threw at me.