Chapter Twenty-One – Laina
Jason was giving real daddy energy when I woke up. He made me come downstairs with him, and he brought along the takeout Lola had ordered, arranged it on a plate for me, and threw it in the microwave. He also got me something to drink.
It was kind of sweet, him taking care of me, acting like this house was his when, in actuality, it was the first time he’d stepped foot in here.
I was sitting at the island, you know, being waited on hand and foot by a tattoo-covered man in his upper forties that didn’t turn me down upstairs, sipping on my drink when my guys funneled into the kitchen.
Mike, Fang, and, of course, Kieran. The latter of which kept tossing jealous glances Jason’s way, as if the man by the microwave had completely stolen me away, just like that.
Mike came and placed a hand on my back, his hazel eyes studying me so hard they might poke holes right through me if he wasn’t careful. Fang, on the other hand, asked, “How are you doing?”
“Yeah,” the ever-jealous Kieran spoke. “How was your time upstairs? You two were alone for an awful while. I can’t lie, the wheels in my head are turning.”
“Spinning,” Mike corrected him.
Gasping, the man currently envious over his father acted like he just got an arrow to the heart. “See? I’m so out of it, Mike is correcting my choice of phrase. Mike, the dude who never talks—” The more he said, the harder Mike frowned at him.
The obvious jealousy made my mouth twitch in the tiniest of smiles, but that smile disappeared quickly.
Having them here, surrounding me, all eyes on me, was something I would’ve given anything for in the past—almost anything.
Had to clarify that since, you know, the reason we were here was the one thing I never would’ve traded away.
It still didn’t feel real. I didn’t understand how your average, everyday person could process grief and carry on with their lives as if nothing happened.
I know, I know. It was because they had to, because the world wouldn’t stop for your grief. Just because you lost someone important to you didn’t make everything else freeze. Life wasn’t like that. It kept going, kept trudging on, in spite of all the pain and misery it left you with.
It was hard. It’d be hard for a long, long while. I didn’t know how I was supposed to go on, honestly.
The microwave beeped, meaning my food was ready. Jason pulled it out and brought it over to me, setting the plate before me, along with a fork. I was pretty sure he met Kieran’s stare before he wandered around the island to stand there and watch me eat.
I still wasn’t hungry, although I couldn’t really remember the last thing I ate.
Did Kieran and I stop for breakfast, or did we skip it?
The whole morning was a blur. We stopped at a hotel to get a few hours of sleep since we spent most of the night reacquainting ourselves with each other’s body, and then… then everything changed.
I picked up the fork and, even though eating was the last thing I wanted to do, I forced myself to eat some of it.
Chinese food was never as good re-heated as it was when you first got it.
If I asked, I was certain any of the men in this room would leap at the chance to get me fresh takeout, but the freshness wasn’t so important to me.
Right now? The only important thing was vengeance, but before we discussed that, I had to eat something, otherwise I had the feeling Jason wouldn’t let up about it. Like I said, real daddy energy.
It was a few moments before Kieran started, “So…”
“Let her eat,” Jason said, his tone demanding. “She needs to eat something. Don’t pester her with inane questions just yet, Kieran.”
“Right, because you know exactly what she needs, just like that.” As Fang rubbed my back and watched me eat, Kieran glared at his dad. Mike stood to my left, folding his arms over his chest.
Quietly, Fang murmured, “Now isn’t the time to bicker. There will be plenty of time for that later.”
“He’s right.” Jason held his son’s stare. “We can bicker all we want later.”
With an incredulous laugh, he said, “I’ll do a lot more than bicker, I promise you that—”
“Stop,” I said, mouth half-full as I glanced at Kieran.
I could feel his anger rising; my Devil simmered on the surface, aching to come out and play, even if said play would involve hurting his own father.
“We’re on the same team here. Act like it.
” Jason wasn’t the only one who could bark out orders; I’d learned to be a little bossy when it came to Mike.
If I had to boss around the others, then so be it.
Kieran shut up after that, but I knew it wasn’t quite over. It might not ever be, if I really wanted to see more of his dad, and the fact that Jason seemed open to the idea meant it might just happen.
I ate less than half of what was on the plate, but at least it was something. Better than nothing. I also drank a full glass of water. As much as I wasn’t hungry or thirsty, now wasn’t the time to starve or dehydrate myself, Jason was right. I needed to stay poised and ready to finish this thing.
Tessa was going down, once and for all. I just didn’t know how yet.
Viper hurried into the kitchen, clinging to the archway that separated the kitchen from the hallway as he said, “Tessa is on the TV right now.” It was all he needed to say; I slipped off my chair and followed him to the living room, where Lola, Maddox, and Sylvester were, already watching the impromptu press conference.
My guys and Jason were right behind me, crowding around me as we watched the large flat-screen TV on the opposite wall.
“Today my husband was found murdered. He was your mayor, but he was my everything. Our everything.” Tessa looked tired as she spoke to the reporters, rubbing her belly to showcase she was pregnant.
“As I work with the police to find who’s responsible for this heinous crime, I ask that you please respect my family’s privacy in this difficult time. ”
The TV cut to a reporter, standing in front of the police station, with dozens of other reporters and their cameras behind her as she spoke directly to her cameraman.
“Mr. Hawkins was indeed a beloved figure in this city, and the police won’t rest until they piece the entire investigation together.
If you have any tips that might help them, please contact the phone number below. ”
As the reporter went to repeat the number listed, Lola grabbed the remote and rewound it, pausing it when Tessa was the focus of the screen.
Like I said, the woman appeared tired, but that didn’t mean anything—she normally caked her face in makeup, so the whole tired look could simply be due to the fact that she wasn’t wearing any.
Could those bags under her eyes be from some early-morning murder?
It didn’t matter if she was the one who pulled the trigger or not. My dad had to be dead because of her, one way or another.
“She’s a good actor,” Lola remarked dryly. “I’ll give her that. All the best ones always are.”
“The cameras,” Kieran said. “Did you check the cameras?”
I said not a word as I handed him my phone—which was nearly dead. Needed to charge that thing, but today had been such a shitty day, it was the last thing on my mind.
“Fuck. Cameras were out. Of course. Knew it was too much to ask that she’d fuck up that badly.” He gave me my phone back, frowning hard as he glanced at his sister on the TV. “She needs to go down.”
“And she will,” Lola said. “I’d offer my services, but I have the feeling you want to get your own hands dirty on this one. I don’t blame you.”
“Monday I’ll know whether or not she’s faking the whole pregnancy,” Sylvester said. “If she is faking it, it’ll make it easier.”
Jason was the one who asked, “And if she isn’t, what then? I can’t imagine any of you being okay with letting her live her life for the next few months while waiting for her to give birth.”
With a maniacal giggle, Lola deadpanned, “A pregnant woman can be a prisoner just like anyone else. If she’s really carrying and you don’t want to dirty your hands like that, baby girl, I say we lock her up and wait it out. We’ve got plenty of locations that would work.”
With obvious distrust in his voice, Kieran asked his dad, “You really okay with all this? You aren’t going to run to Tessa and tell her about our scheming, are you? How do we know we can really trust you?”
Everyone turned to look at Jason after that, even me.
“Tessa brought me here under false pretenses,” he replied.
“She lied to me about damn near everything. She was the one who cut family ties first when she tried to have you killed, Kieran. I am not God. There are some sins I can’t look past. As much as it pains me to say it, she made her choice, and now she has to face the consequences.
I won’t be a part of the planning or the action, but I do want to be here for you.
” His dark eyes flick to me. “And for you.”
He stared at me for a few seconds longer, causing Lola to say, “Awe, how cute. Nothing brings people together like a bad guy that needs to get what he deserves—or, in this case, a bad woman who needs to get what she deserves.”
The only other woman in the room got up and sauntered around the couch, stopping only when she stood directly in front of me.
“You want to stay here for a while? I got plenty of room. Obviously you can’t go home.
One of these guys could take you to their place, but…
” She reached for my hair, twirling some of its dyed strands between her slender fingers.
“Honestly, I’d feel better if you were here. ”
The thought of leaving this house right now wasn’t a good one. It made my insides hurt all over. Fang’s place, Kieran’s apartment, even Mike’s; where would I go? Where would feel safe enough? Here I was surrounded by friends and lovers, people who would do anything to protect me.
Lola must’ve sensed my thoughts, because as she dropped her hand to her side, she added, “Everyone can stay here. Like I said, plenty of room. It’ll be fun. Get your mind off things while we wait. Like a sleepover. Can you believe I’ve never had one of those?”
I glanced at my guys. Fang said, “Whatever you want, Princess. If you want us to stay here, then here is where we’ll stay.”
Kieran sighed. “What the weirdo said. I will need to run home and grab some things, you know, like clothes and all that, but that won’t take too long.”
“No one should go anywhere alone right now,” Mike harrumphed.
“He’s right,” I said. “Go in pairs, at least. Or all three of you together, just in case…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, but it was safe to say everyone in the room knew where I was going with that. In case Tessa had something more planned. When it came to that bitch, you never knew.
Raising his hand, Kieran volunteered himself, “I’ll go with Fang.
Big guy, you can tag along with my pops—assuming the guy’s going to stick around and join this little sleepover.
What are boundaries? We have none, apparently.
Isn’t it great?” The absolute sarcasm that dripped off his tone was enough to choke.
Viper looked like he was going to volunteer to accompany his brother, but Lola moved to stand beside him and whispered, “No, no. Let ‘em handle this.” Her comment quieted him.
Mike silently groaned. “Fine.”
Sylvester’s phone rang, so he walked out of the room to answer it.
Still on the couch, Maddox appeared totally unbothered by everything that was going on around him.
He was scrolling on his phone for most of it, but after it was decided the guys would go out in pairs, he turned around and looked at all of us.
“One of you should pick up some dinner. I’m fucking starving. Pizza?”
I just ate, but I was aware everyone else was on a more normal eating schedule today than me. If they wanted to grab pizza, then they totally could. Maybe I’d re-heat some of it later. Maybe.
Pizza was one of those things that made everything better, it was true.
Melty cheese, crunchy crust; you couldn’t beat it.
I was a chicken nugget girl through and through, but my second favorite food might just have been pizza.
In a city like this, there were countless of pizza joints always popping up, too.
Half of them were probably money laundering businesses, but hey, if you strolled in and ordered a large pizza, they made you the best damn pizza you’d ever have.
And then, as I was thinking about pizza, I had another thought. It popped up out of nowhere, and yet it chilled me to the very core. Everything felt heavy all of a sudden when I thought: my dad will never have pizza again.
Just a simple thought. Nothing deep about it, and yet it was like I was finding his body all over again.
Lola must’ve sensed I was close to losing it again, because she grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the guys, saying, “Come on. While the guys go get whatever they need, we can get the bedrooms ready.” Her hand squeezed mine, and though I didn’t say anything to her, I was beyond grateful she was here for me in what was honestly one of the worst times of my life.
I didn’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have my guys or Lola. I thought I was strong, but this whole thing was making me wonder if I was still just a weak little girl pretending.
What was the truth? At this point, I was afraid I didn’t know anymore.