Chapter 31 Gage
Gage
One by one last night, Zane pulled us to the movie room, where everyone piled in to go to sleep. It’s the only place where we have enough space.
Les laid on top of Dex and immediately passed out. I tucked Leo into Dex’s side, with me against his back. Holden laid down on Dex’s other side, with Ryder behind him and Zane spooning Ryder. You could feel a calm settle over the room, a sense of the circle finally being complete.
After shit hit the fan in the basement last night, I was worried about Les. My worries were misplaced. I’ve never seen Ryder lose it in all the time I’ve known him, and last night I saw many sides of him I’ve never seen.
I thought it would be an all-out brawl between them when he punched Zane. We were all stepping together as one to stop it when Les held up a hand, waiting to see how it played out.
When the energy shifted and we realized what was happening, we quietly slid from the room, so Ryder could finally accept that part of himself.
I’ve seen it for a while, that submissive side he tries so hard to hide.
I just never knew how to help him with it.
Zane figured it out damn fast. That dynamic I never saw coming, but it made sense.
Tell me Zane doesn’t have daddy vibes. I shake my head at that thought. It’s definitely the BDE.
All jokes aside, when I woke up this morning, that was the most peaceful I’ve ever seen Ryder’s face, even asleep.
Men have a certain way they are told to act, and I bucked that shit a long time ago.
I never conformed to society’s thoughts on what it meant to be a man, and I’ve watched proudly as Leo, Holden, and Ryder accepted that, too. Now Zane.
Les woke seconds after I did, then Dex. Les and I quietly went to the chairs in the back to play video games while the rest were sleeping, and Dex went to work out. It felt so normal to be in here with everyone. Which meant my plan to make Les officially ours was well on its way.
Les kicks my ass again in the fighting game we’re playing. I cut a look at her, and she giggles.
Holden’s sleepy eyes seek her out at the noise, a soft smile playing on his lips. When I got up, I scooted Leo over toward Holden. They moved closer to each other even in sleep, nose to nose, with Leo throwing an arm around Holden’s hip.
“Morning,” Ryder says gruffly behind Holden.
Holden looks over his shoulder at him. “Morning.”
Zane lays his hand over Holden’s face from Ryder’s other side. “Shhhh,” he says, making me chuckle.
“You fucking cheated,” I declare when Les starts doing a cute victory dance in her chair.
“I don’t cheat,” Les replies, rolling her eyes.
“Oh my god,” Leo groans. “Stop talking. Some of us are still sleeping.”
Les gets up and walks to their feet, propping her hands on those thick hips. She narrows her eyes. “You’re lucky I let you sleep this long.”
Leo’s eyes crack open; he takes in her face and smiles. “I’m sorry, Baby.”
“Fuck’s sake,” Zane grumbles. “You’re too fucking easy.” She turns towards Zane with the same look. “I’m sorry, Beautiful,” he mutters, making everyone laugh.
She nods. “That’s what I thought. Now. Get up. We have stuff to do today.”
Holden grabs her hand, pulling her toward their pile on the floor. “Come back to bed.”
“As tempting as that is, it’s already eleven in the morning.”
Ryder sits up, propping himself on an elbow. “How the hell?”
“Do I need to explain how time works, Love?” Zane asks dryly, making us laugh again.
Love? Holy shit. Les narrows her eyes at me in warning not to say anything, and I have to bite my lip to keep it from spilling out. Did Zane call Ryder…love?
“No, smartass, you don’t,” Ryder chuckles. “I don’t ever sleep this long.”
Zane jumps to his feet. “It’s Sir Smartass to you,” he jokes, jerking Ryder to his feet and then Holden. “The missus has spoken.”
Les’ eyebrows raise slowly. “The missus, huh?”
I jerk Leo to his feet. “Yep. You’re ours, Les. Deal with it.”
She widens her eyes comically. “I think I changed my mind.”
“Take that back,” Ryder growls playfully, pulling her against his chest.
Les puts the back of her hand on her forehead, dipping her head backward dramatically. “Be still my heart.”
“You’re a smartass this morning too,” Ryder laughs, kissing her neck and stepping back.
She snorts. “I’m a smartass every day.”
“That’s the damn truth,” Leo mutters, earning a sharp punch from her to the arm. “Ow,” he winces, rubbing his arm.
She flips her hair over her shoulder, and we follow that sassy swing of her ass downstairs toward the smell of food. Zane’s behind us, so it has to be Micah that cooked.
The food is laid out on the island, but Micah is nowhere to be seen, probably because of Zane. If Ryder can get over it, so can Micah.
We all plate up food and make our way to the dining room, where Dex joins us a minute later.
“Did you have a good talk with Evander?” Les asks Leo.
“Yeah,” Leo shrugs, “I hope I helped.”
After everything went down in the basement, Leo called Evander to see if he was still coming over.
When Evander said no, Leo threatened to send Dex after him, and he showed up thirty minutes later, much to our amusement.
While waiting, Leo filled everyone in on what he and Les overheard and his talk with Micah.
“I’m sure it did, Baby,” I tell him. I’m fucking proud that he’s stepping up to the plate and helping Evander and Micah navigate their feelings for each other. It’s scary as hell at first.
Les looks at her phone with a frown, then pushes her plate away.
I can see her steeling herself for whatever she’s about to say.
Ryder and Zane catch it, opening their mouths up at the same time to argue.
She holds a hand up. “It’s not about Gregory.
Save it.” She gives me a look. “It’s about your dad. ”
I frown. “What about him?”
“He’s back in town,” she relays. When Les cut Conner from the Poletti’s, he fled town.
No one has seen or heard from him in the three years she’s been in control.
“That’s where Micah took off to. He’s kicking up a fucking fuss at Maximus demanding to see you.
” She leans forward, bracing her arms on the table.
“It’s your call, Gage, but if you want to see him, you aren’t going alone. ”
I can feel my heart rate pick up from the thought of seeing him. He always treated me like shit, told me too many times to count that he wished I was dead.
“I don’t know, Pretty girl,” I mutter, feeling unsure for the first time in a long time.
“You want my opinion?” Dex asks, and I nod. “Go down there and tell him to fuck off. Run him back out of town. Let him see the man you’ve become without his punk ass.”
I take a second to think about that. My dad’s last words were how much he wished my mom would have aborted me when she found out she was pregnant. Instead, she had me and then left me with him to raise.
I know what I need to do, so I nod at Les, and she picks up her phone, dialing Micah. “We’re getting ready, and then we’ll be there. Make sure he doesn’t leave.” She flicks the phone over to the speakerphone, and you can hear yelling in the background.
“Will you shut the fuck up?!” Micah yells. “Jesus Christ, you crazy bastard! He’s on his way.” He takes a breath. “Make it quick. He’s drunk as hell.”
“Got it,” Les disconnects the call and looks at me again. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I answer, running my fingers through my hair. “Let’s go.”
We all split to take showers and get dressed then meet back in the garage fifteen minutes later. Sliding into Ryder’s Explorer, Les sits between Leo and me, squeezing my thigh in support. Zane got up front with Ryder, with Dex sliding in behind us. Holden deciding to stay home.
When we pull in front of Maximus, my heart is thumping, and I feel like I’m going to puke. I hate my dad, and I don’t like that he chose now to blow back into town.
“We can drive right back home,” Ryder offers, looking at me in the rearview mirror. “Micah will gladly kick his ass back to wherever he came from.”
I almost take him up on his offer. “Nah. I need to do this.”
“We’re here for you,” Les reminds me. I get out of the car with my family at my back.
Tucking her hand into mine, I push open the door and can already hear my dad yelling.
“Where is he?” Dad slurs. “You said he was on his way.”
“He is, you piece of shit,” Micah grits out. “Sit down.”
My dad catches sight of me. “Look who decided to show,” he sneers.
“What do you want, Dad?”
He waves his hand behind me, pointing out my family. “What’s with the backup? Still scared of dear old dad?” He laughs obnoxiously, making me grit my teeth. Once upon a time, I was scared of him. Les squeezes my hand, reminding me I’m not scared of him anymore.
“Answer my question. What do you want?”
Ryder, Zane, and Dex spread out behind us, pushing in closer to Dad in case this goes sideways like it always does.
Dad watches them with narrowed eyes, then down at my hand in Les’.
“Does that mean you don’t take dick up the ass anymore?
” I feel Leo’s hand slide against my back subtly, reminding me he’s also here for me.
“What. Do. You. Want?” I grind out.
“I need money.” He waves his hand around, making him stagger. “You owe me.”
“For fucking what?” Les asks.
“For dealing with his shit!” Dad yells, making Les stand up even straighter.
“He’s your son,” Les hisses.
“Not by my choice. If it were up to me, I would have aborted his dumbass,” Dad cackles again.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not giving you shit, so you might as well fucking leave.”
Dad ignores me and asks Les, “What’s a girl like you doing with a guy like him? It won’t take long until you get tired of his shit too.”
My heart sinks; he just spoke about the very insecurity I’ve always had. Eventually, everyone will leave, unable to deal with my fucked up brain and constant mood swings, just like he beat into my head for years.
Les drops my hand, stepping forward. “Because, unlike you, I love Gage. You have no fucking clue what you missed out on while he was growing up. How fucking smart he is. How much he loves. My dad and Rocco raised him; he’s my family.
Nothing will ever change that, so go spill your hateful bullshit somewhere else.
” She steps back to me. “In short. Get fucked, Connor.” Dad’s face turns an unhealthy shade of purple, and I have to choke back a laugh.
His eyes swing to Leo, standing close behind me. I know Dad’s figured out who Leo is to me. “Save it,” Leo snorts. “I don’t give a fuck what you say about me, but you won’t say them about Gage. He’s ten times the man you’ll ever fucking be.”
I don’t think they will ever realize how much I needed to hear that.
“Dad. Leave town and stay away. I’m not giving you money,” I laugh. “I don’t even know why the fuck you thought I would.”
“I’m your father!”
“You aren’t shit to me!” I feel my blood boiling, that red haze covering my eyes that I try so hard to keep contained. “YOU ARE NOTHING!”
“You would choose your queer boyfriend and that whore over me?!”
Time stops. Every head turns to me, and Leo tugs on my shirt in a warning. No one talks about them like that.
I drop my shoulder and rush him, catching him in the gut and running him backward.
His head smacks the bar, and he goes down to the floor.
I pull my Glock from its holster and press it to his forehead.
Bending down, I push hard enough to make him wince.
“You don’t talk about them like that, you useless waste of fucking air,” I snarl in his face.
“These people mean more to me than you ever will. Give me one good reason I shouldn’t put a bullet through your goddamn skull right now? ”
Dad looks at the gun and then at my face. “You would shoot me?”
“In a heartbeat.” I tighten my finger on the trigger. “Give me a reason.”
“Gage.” My head snaps up at the sound of my name. “You won’t come back from that,” Zane’s voice cuts through the fog. “Piece of shit or not. That’s your father.”
“Did you hear what he said?!”
“Yes,” Zane says softly. “It’s still not worth it.”
“He’s right,” Ryder agrees.
“He shouldn’t get to live!” I yell. “For twenty-one years, he made me feel less than worthless! Why does he get to walk the fuck away?!”
“He doesn’t have to,” Zane says, slowly walking closer. “You just don’t have to be the one who does it.”
I look back at Dad. “I should load your body full of fucking lead for every time you backhanded me across the face, every time you beat the shit out of me with a belt, every time you called me a fucking name, every goddamn time you said I wouldn’t amount to anything.
” I can feel my hands shaking, my finger pulling on the trigger.
“I have everything without you. A beautiful woman who looks at me like I hung the fucking moon, a gorgeous boyfriend who trusted me to give me his firsts, and a family that fucking loves me. Me.” I jab my other finger at my chest, tears burning my throat.
“What do you have?” Dad actually looks scared of me; his eyes locked on my face.
I feel someone’s hand slide over mine on top of the gun; I look up at Zane. “Let us take care of it,” he says gently, slowly pulling the gun from my hand.
“That’s such a cop move,” I choke out.
He jerks me away from Dad into his chest, wrapping me in a bear hug. “You don’t need this asshole’s death on your conscience.”
I don’t get a chance to nod before Zane jerks me to the side, pulling the trigger.
My head snaps back at Dad. He has a perfect circle in the middle of his forehead, blood soaking the floor under him.
Zane takes the toe of his boot and kicks away the gun that clattered to the floor from Dad’s hand. “He was going to fucking shoot me?”
Zane looks apologetic. “I’m sorry, man.”
It’s one thing for your dad to hate you your whole life. It’s totally different knowing he’s more than capable of taking your life.
Les rushes over, wrapping her arms around my waist; I hug her closer, “I’m okay, Pretty girl.”
“Let’s go home,” she says gently.
I look back at Dad one last time, accepting his fate. It should bother me, but everything he did to me growing up reminds me why I shouldn’t.
And the fact he was about to shoot me in the damn back.