Chapter 10 Anson #2
I didn’t mind her checking in on E, and I even told her as much, but she’d apologized anyway.
I suggested that if it would make her feel better, she could reach out to him and ask how he was doing.
I’d told Evan about it, and he agreed. He’d come a long way when it came to the horsemen.
He didn’t seem to hate them. He only seemed indifferent these days.
Before, he didn’t even want to be in that life.
Now, I was sure if he went back to it, he’d dominate, and Enzo wouldn’t know which way to look because Evan was every-fucking-where.
He would likely be a huge asset to Enzo now that he’d gotten over a lot of his trauma from the underground.
He’d gone a bit darker, but was still soft for our girl.
It didn’t matter, though. Everyone was free to do whatever made them happy.
I knew going into this relationship with Rosalie that she’d maybe someday reach back out to the horsemen.
That was a decision that was hers alone to make, especially since she had Ellis now.
I knew she wanted her to know Cole at some point.
“What do you want to know?” Church asked. “I know a lot about all of them. I keep tabs on monsters in my city.”
“Cole still nuts?” Ryder asked with a laugh.
“Crazier than before, yes,” Church replied. “Enzo too. He’s likely a lot darker than any of you remember him being, but going through what he has is likely the reason for that. He deserves it, though.”
“The kid?” I asked. “Did he keep it?”
“Yes.” Church nodded. “It’s a boy. His name is Lazarus Constantino De Luca. He’s a few months older than our little ballerina. He does not have much of a life outside of the horsemen’s home. Not like Ellis has.”
I nodded at that, assuming it was because they didn’t want him in the spotlight to be a target. That’s how we were with Ellis, for different reasons, of course, but just the same.
“And how is Enzo?” I asked.
Church shrugged. “He’s a dickhead. He’s top of an empire.
Cocky. Prickish. But he does stay in line.
I appreciate that about him. Much like the kings.
” Church glanced at Klaus, who remained expressionless.
“Anyway, Dominic and the kings are fairly quiet. They have their arrangement with the horsemen, stick to their side of the city, and all is well. It’s almost paradise.
” A wicked little smile cut his lips upward.
“Almost. We do have the Virelli family back in business, so that’s been… interesting.”
“I’m sure in the underground with you it is,” Ryder said. “You’re still punishing people, yeah?”
“Of course.” Church reached out and grabbed another slice of pizza. “Our job is to ensure monsters don’t roam free. At least monsters who make it their life’s work to hurt others with rape, torture, and lies. I don’t fucking like liars.” He bit into his pizza again, and I blew out a breath.
“So E? How is he?” I asked. E was an addict, and I often wondered if it had ever caught up to him.
He was known as the sugar daddy. The inventor of sugar, a drug that was non-addictive and non-traceable.
It was worldwide at this point, and many entrepreneurs tried to replicate it, but no one could do it as E could.
At least that’s what I’d heard. Even Rosalie’s band smoked it, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t partake from time to time.
E was at the top of his game and likely a damn multi-millionaire at this point in his life, if not a billionaire.
“Doctor Ethan Masters is good,” Church said.
“Quiet. A little spooky. Not the sort of character I’d want to run into in a dark alley, but overall, he is doing well for himself.
I have heard he no longer does drugs. Has a PhD in medicinal chemistry and does some work at Mayfair from time to time.
He simply makes drugs now and has created quite an impressive empire.
I suppose having children can change a man. ” He winked at me.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I didn’t dive into it. Maybe Rosalie had told him we were trying for a baby, or maybe Asylum and his damn all-seeing eye had said something to him.
The door to the bedroom opened, and Evan came out, holding Rosalie’s hand. She blushed when she saw everyone sitting in the living room.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
Klaus chuckled. “Come here, my love.”
She went to him with ease, and he pulled her down onto his lap as Evan smiled at me and grabbed some pizza. He was in a good mood. He got his Rosie.
“Are you OK?” Church turned his full attention to Rosalie.
She nodded, her cheeks still flushed pink.
He studied her for a moment before he seemed satisfied.
“Tomorrow,” I said, looking at Rosalie as Evan handed her some pizza. “Early morning. You know the drill, songbird.”
“I do.” She sighed before biting into her pizza and chewing. Klaus tightened his hold on her and pressed a kiss to her temple, which made her smile.
“We have everything in place,” I continued. “We have extra men helping out, and all will be well.”
“I know.” She gave me a sweet, reassuring smile. She trusted us with her life, and we’d damn well make sure she was taken care of.
We went over a few things with her, and by the end of the night, I felt confident everything would be OK. Ryder went back to his suite, and Church retreated to his room in our suite after his phone rang with a call from Stitches.
Evan held a sleeping Rosalie in his arms, his eyes closed and his breathing deep. I lay next to him as Klaus lay on his other side beside Rosalie.
“What do you think about all of this?” I asked softly into the darkened room.
“I think I’m willing to kill someone,” Klaus replied in a low, fierce voice.
“Me too,” I murmured.
“Well, let’s hope we don’t end up having to do that. I’ve been working on killing less. I’d hate to have to start my streak over,” he muttered.
I smiled in the dark at that. I’d started my streak over, too, when Rosalie became my girl, but I had no issues killing again if it meant she was safe.
You could take the mobster out of the mafia, but you could never take the mafia out of the mobster.
We were clearly a testament to that.