Chapter 18
Leo
“We’re fucking going,” Les says for the third time. We had just got to the garage, ready to leave, when Ryder said he thought we shouldn’t go, which ensued the current argument between him and Les. “I told you I wasn’t fucking hiding.”
“Do you not remember he fucking shot at Dex, Gage, and Holden?” Ryder growls. They’re facing off in front of Ryder’s Explorer; the rest of us are sitting back and waiting for him to give in because we all know he will.
“No. I conveniently forgot,” Les snarks, and Gage covers a laugh with a cough. “Yes, I remember. But he isn’t going to scare me into staying at the damn house, Ryder.”
“We. Aren’t. Going,” Ryder says between clenched teeth. I know what he’s feeling, but the more he pushes that she doesn’t go, she’ll push harder, probably resulting in her leaving alone.
Les takes a step back. “You stay. We’ll go.” She turns to us, expecting us to argue. When she doesn’t get any, she jerks a nod. “Let’s go.” She steps towards Gage’s Range Rover, and Ryder grabs her arm, spinning her back around.
“Get the fuck in the car, Les,” Ryder says, striding over to his door, jerking it open, and slamming it behind him.
“That was fast,” Gage mutters before opening the backdoor.
“What did you expect?” Dex laughs.
We all knew he would give in, including Les, if that sly smile is any indication.
The ride to Rocco’s is quiet, between Ryder brooding and Les looking out the window.
When she turns to him, I’m just waiting for the argument to start again until she leans over and kisses his cheek.
“You can’t keep me under lock and key, Ryder,” she says softly. “If I do that, he wins. He can’t win.”
All the tension leaves Ryder’s shoulders. “I know that, Il mio sole,” he says, sliding a hand onto her thigh. “We can’t lose you again.”
“You won’t,” she promises. “I know what we’re up against now.”
As far as I know, Holden can’t figure out who those other guys were. Ryder took pictures of the ones killed at the house that day so Holden could run it through facial recognition, but there weren’t any hits yet. The only lead we have is that Jay is working with Viktor.
Ryder pulls in front of his dad’s house, shoving the car into park.
We all pile out to walk to the front door.
Ryder pushes it open without knocking, searching for my mom and his dad.
I hate that Mom can’t go home, but I don’t trust Viktor enough not to try anything.
We thought all of this would be over by now, and now we have to tell her she still has to stay here.
We round the corner into the kitchen, and Les’ shocked gasp is the only warning I get before the scene in front of me unfolds.
Rocco has my mom in his arms, his lips sealed over hers. “Mom?” I croak out.
They split apart fast, looking toward us. “Shit,” Rocco mutters under his breath, stepping back from Mom.
“Oh, hey, honey!” Mom says breathlessly.
“What the fuck?” Ryder asks, gesturing between them.
“You’re early,” Rocco says in answer.
“We’re actually late,” Les giggles, then seals her lips together when Ryder glares at her.
Ryder’s dad and my mom? No. Fucking. Way.
Mom wipes her hands on her dress nervously. “I think maybe we should sit down for dinner.”
I hear Gage snort behind me; knowing he’s trying to hold in a laugh, I turn around to face him. His face is blood red, and he has a hand clamped over his mouth.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Rocco says, agreeing with Mom. He levels a look at Ryder in warning. “Dining room. Now.”
Ryder jerks a nod, pulling Les to the dining room. Her face is red like Gage’s, trying to stifle her laughter.
We get seated around the table with my mom and Rocco toward the head of the table.
Ryder is sitting immediately to Rocco’s left, with Les between him and Dex.
Me, Gage, and Holden take up the other side.
One of the staff starts bringing food to the table, dishing it out onto our plates.
My head is reeling from what we saw in the kitchen.
How long has that been going on? Rocco seems awfully fucking familiar with my mom with how he was touching her.
What hasn’t she told me? I don’t know what to say; all I know is that it’s awkward as hell right now.
Halfway through the meal, Les starts giggling, ignoring the glare from Ryder and me. She snorts, causing Gage to laugh out loud.
“Spit it out, Bellissima,” Rocco says, turning amused eyes to Les.
She falls into all-out laughter. “You’re going to be stepbrothers!” she crows, tears running down her face.
Ryder growls under his breath. Mom looks mortified, as she should. She was just making out with Ryder’s dad. The guy who hated my guts up until a couple of months ago.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Rocco says dryly. “I think maybe we should get this out in the open.” He grabs Mom’s hand, pulling it into his. “Ask your questions.”
“When?” I demand. I thought Mom and I were closer than this, but apparently not if she couldn’t tell me. I can’t stop the hurt that it causes.
Mom clears her throat. “A few weeks ago.”
Gage snickers under his breath. “This is how every romance novel starts.”
“Forced proximity,” Les agrees, laughing again.
“How is this funny?” Ryder asks, exploding from his chair. He looks seconds away from throwing a punch; I just don’t know who it’s aimed at. Everyone’s laughter dries up at the look on his face. Les reaches up to grab his arm, and he jerks it away. “Fuck this,” Ryder says, storming from the room.
“Leave him,” Rocco says when Les goes to stand up. “I didn’t want anyone to find out like this.”
“So, why the hell didn’t you tell us?” I ask, aiming that at either one of them. They’ve had ample opportunity to warn us; instead, Ryder and I are blindsided by our parents making out.
“I don’t like your tone, Leo,” Mom says, leveling me with that mom look.
“Are you serious right now?” I demand, standing up. “I just walked into a man with his tongue down your throat. Not just any man. Ryder’s dad.” I rake my hand through my hair. “I can’t do this right now.”
I stride from the dining room in the same direction as Ryder, trying to curb my temper. I’m not even sure why I’m pissed, except that she doesn’t respect me enough to tell me.
I find Ryder out beside the pool, staring into the distance. When I drop into the chair beside him, he doesn’t even look up. We sit there for the longest time, neither of us knowing what to say.
“I haven’t seen my dad with anyone since Mom died,” Ryder says finally, and my heart sinks.
I never even thought about that; I was worried about my hurt feelings.
“Seeing him with your mom just now,” he rakes a hand down his face, “I wanted to fucking throttle him.” I squeeze his arm in silent support, waiting for him to gather his thoughts. “I never thought he would move on.”
“I get it,” I say softly. “I can’t even begin to understand how hard this is.”
He sits up in the chair, bracing his arms on his legs, and hangs his head. “I don’t know what the fuck to feel. I feel like he’s disgracing Mom’s memory.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll always love your mom, Ryder.” I swallow my own resentment. “My mom will treat him right if that makes you feel better.”
Ryder barks out a surprised laugh. “Fuck. My dad and your mom?” He finally looks up, surprise showing in his eyes.
I shrug. “It could be worse.”
Ryder shakes his head. “We should have seen this shit coming a mile away.”
“How?” I ask incredulously.
“We just stuck two lonely people in the same house for weeks. Something was bound to happen,” Ryder says, then shudders. “I don’t even want to finish that thought.”
“Please don’t,” I laugh. I slap him on the back. “Come on. We have some apologizing to do.” I stand up and can’t help the next words that come out of my mouth. “Stepbro.”
Ryder shoots out of his chair, locking me in a headlock. “Don’t ever fucking call me that again.”
I laugh weakly. “Why not, stepbro?”
He squeezes harder before stepping back with a laugh. “I hate you.”
I grin. “No, you don’t,” I argue, causing him to roll his eyes.
Now that’s out of the way, it’s time to talk to Mom.
When we came back into the house, Mom and Rocco pulled us to an office away from everyone else. I still don’t know what to think, and I want to rinse my brain with bleach after seeing them in the kitchen.
“Does anyone want to say something?” Rocco asks after we’ve sat in awkward silence for two minutes. Ryder and I share a glance, shaking our heads. We’re sitting across from them in a little sitting area off to the side, on opposite sides of a coffee table.
“I wanted to tell you,” Mom says quietly. “I just didn’t know how.”
“Blindsiding us with it probably wasn’t the way to do it,” I argue.
“Neither was telling me you were in a polyamorous relationship and bisexual all in the same night,” she argues back.
Shit. She has me there. “I just want what’s best for you, Mom.”
“I’ll always treat your mother with respect, Leo,” Rocco promises. I acknowledge that with a nod. She seems more than happy, and he’s always nice. Much more than his son was at first. Then I remember what Ryder said that day at Nina’s, and my stomach sinks. “It’s just you guys here, right?”
“What?” Mom asks in confusion.
“You’re not dating more than just him, are you?” I ask lamely. I hear Ryder snort and look at him with narrowed eyes.
“I lied about Dad having brothers. He’s an only child,” Ryder admits.
“You fucker,” I grit out. This asshole had me believing Mom would end up in a relationship like I am and freaking me out for nothing.
“I assure you it’s just us,” Rocco answers in amusement. Then he sobers and looks at Ryder. “I’ll always love your mom.” My mom squeezes his hand in hers, accepting what he’s saying. “She gave me you. I didn’t see other women until I met Katherine.”
Ryder jerks a nod. “I’m sorry for my bullshit earlier. You didn’t deserve that.”