Chapter 42 #2
The day consisted of checking the docks, meeting with Helena about the restaurant, and checking on Maximus and a few other venues.
I haven’t told Leo yet, but I’m giving him reins over the new place because he’s expressed that he feels useless.
Evander and Mateo gave him a few places to manage, but he isn’t used to just sitting around.
It’s after eight at night, and we’re finally on our way to Evander and Mateo’s house to get Leo some of his stuff.
Gage is driving with his hand firmly on my thigh while I’m on the phone the whole time.
I hate this part. Sometimes it’s all quiet, but on days like today, I want to toss my phone out of the window again.
“Try harder,” I tell Ghost.
“I swear to you I am,” he sighs. “He’s not taking the bait, and he knows something is up.”
“Make him suspicious, then he has no choice but to show up, and when he does, you call me.”
“Got it.”
“Check back in later. I have to go,” I tell him and hang up.
“Everything good, Baby?” Leo asks from the back.
“Yeah,” I run my hand through my hair, “Except Ghost can’t get that meeting with Spinner.”
“He’ll show, Pretty girl. Eventually, Viktor will wonder where Xander is,” Gage says, swinging his car to a stop in front of the house.
“I hope so. Spinner is the lead I need on Viktor,” I reply and climb out of the car.
We follow Leo up to the door, where he unlocks it letting us in. The house is eerily quiet since Evander sent his staff home since he’s staying with me. The only person left behind is one of the housekeepers, Luna.
“Hello, Mr. Perez,” Luna greets politely, “Ms. Poletti. Mr. Lawson.”
Gage shivers. “Please call me Gage.”
He hates being called Mr. Lawson because of his dad.
Saying his dad is awful is an understatement.
He was a mean drunk that did everything in his power to make Gage’s life miserable after Gage’s mom left when he was seven.
I asked my dad once why he kept Gage’s dad Conner around, and he told me it was because our house was the only good place Gage had.
The first thing I did when I took over was run Conner off because Gage didn’t need him there anymore.
Luna smiles. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“No,” Leo smiles back, “I’m just packing some things up. Evander and Mateo will be by tomorrow to pick up a few things. Why don’t you go on home?”
“I just have a few more things to do.” She smiles again and disappears from the room.
Leo shakes his head, walking to the stairs. “That woman doesn’t understand the word rest.”
We walk into Leo’s room, and I realize this is the first time I’ve been in here. It instantly smells like him, and the room is done in a mixture of blues and earth tones.
Gage swan dives into the middle of the bed.
“You’re such a child,” I laugh, walking around the room and looking at the pictures he has hanging on a bulletin board.
Gage rolls off the bed, walks up behind me, and slides his arms around my waist. I lay my hand on his and glimpse Leo’s life before me.
There are pictures of him, Evander, and Mateo smiling at whoever is taking the picture, and that’s when I finally see the slight similarities between them.
All three have the same smile and crinkle around their eyes.
I look further up. “Is this your mom?” I ask, pointing to one in the corner.
Leo pokes his head out of the closet. “Yeah,” he answers before disappearing.
“Damn, he looks just like her,” Gage comments.
“She’s beautiful,” I say with a slight pain in my chest for my own mom.
Then I see one of the pictures we took together hanging there.
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was our fourth date, and we wanted a cheesy kissing picture.
So, we placed our lips together, and Leo snapped the picture with his phone.
Because of how ridiculous it was, you could see us smiling around the kiss, but I never got to take the cheesy couple pictures.
Now my camera roll is full of photos of the guys and me.
“You guys look so happy here,” Gage says, running his finger down the picture.
I smile. “We were.”
Gage hugs me tighter. “You ever feel like all this shit was meant to be?”
I frown. “Like fate?”
“I don’t know if I believe in that,” Gage replies. “I just mean, everything does happen for a reason, right?”
I want to believe that, but that doesn’t explain all the bad stuff we have to go through to get here. Do I feel like everything is where it’s supposed to be now? Yes. I just don’t know if I can agree with something like fate.
“Do you have feelings for him, Gage?” I ask quietly, just for his ears.
He’s silent for so long that I don’t think he’ll answer. “I’m getting there.”
I turn in his arms, wrapping mine around his neck. “I want you to be as happy with him as I am.”
“I’m happy as hell, Pretty girl,” he says, kissing my forehead. “I have you in my life, and I’m hopefully building something with Leo. It couldn’t be better.”
I already know I love Gage, but something is always holding me back from telling him, even now. I never feel like he’s ready, and this time is no different.
“I’m happy with you too,” I say instead.
“I have to get some things from downstairs,” Leo says, walking out of the closet and slinging a duffle on the bed, earning a glare from Gage.
“You aren’t supposed to be carrying that,” Gage says.
Leo rolls his eyes. “Then you carry it downstairs, he-man,” he snarks and disappears out of the door.
Gage turns back to me. “I wouldn’t change anything,” he says, kissing me softly.
I feel like we’re dancing around the same three little words, neither willing to put it out on the line yet.
It was easy with Leo; we had been dating for four months.
Ryder was obvious because I’ve been in love with him half my life if I’m honest with myself, and Dex made it easy to love him, even now. Gage and Holden are the unknowns.
“Let’s go before he hurts his dumb ass self,” Gage says, grabbing my hand and Leo’s duffle and tugging my hand to go downstairs.
“He doesn’t listen. Maybe he needs a spanking,” I joke.
“Leo!” Gage yells. “Come here so Les can spank that ass!”
I laugh, rounding the corner, and stop dead in my tracks. Leo turns wide eyes on Gage and me, and my stomach drops to my feet.
I’m staring into the same blue-green eyes as Leo, just in woman form. The exact shade of brown hair except long.
It’s none other than Leo’s mother.
Fuck.