Chapter Forty-Six
Three days later, we arrived for the meeting with the Don, which was taking place, not at his compound, of course, but at a safehouse that’d probably never be used again after we’d been there.
I knew of it, of course, I still knew plenty about the Don and his business, but the question of whether we’d leave this house walking, or it’d burn down with our bodies inside, was about to be answered.
We headed for the door, where Luca and Enzo waited, arms folded, and disapproving looks present on their faces, probably in part due to my arrival on my tricked out V-Max, and the leather cut I wore.
Or my carefully styled quiff, because I was going in there as the man I knew I was now, even if the Don didn’t realise it. Grease.
As I reached the steps, we heard the roaring of engines behind us, and five motorcycles pulled in behind us. What the hell? I thought this meeting was for us only.
“What the…” Luca shoved past us and headed for the bikers, as they parked up, and removed their helmets. I stared in awe, as Reacher, Stitch, and Micro started talking at Luca, and he dragged a hand through his hair in agitation.
“Why do you think they’re here?” Jamie asked me warily, falling silent as Luca threw his hands in the air and stormed back toward the house, slamming his way inside.
I turned to watch the bikers approach, Reacher, Stitch, Micro, Torch, and Ice.
They all looked determined, and ready to go to war. For me? For us?
“Hey, guys. Did I forget my keys or something?”
Micro snorted, slapping my back as he stepped up beside me.
“We’re just here to borrow a cup of sugar, ya know.”
Reacher rolled his eyes. “This meeting wasn’t about to happen without your club brothers beside you, Grease.”
Even though I’d hoped that was the reason, I gotta say, there was a lump in my throat, and a burning behind my eyes that I had to fight to hide.
“If you cry, I owe him fifty quid, so can you not?” Ice asked, patting my cheek none too gently.
“Prick.”
“That’s interference, man. I was winning, and you know it.” I flipped Torch off, and we all turned as the door opened again.
“He’s waiting.”
Luca disappeared again, and I took a deep breath. What happened in this house would determine so much. Life or death. Our futures, if we had them. Maybe the future of the club’s connection with the Rossi Organisation. Everything.
“Hurry. You know he’s not a man you keep waiting,” Enzo prompted, raising an imperious eyebrow at me. I guess he’d learned from the best, right?
We were all seated around a fucking conference table, with the Don at one end, bracketed by Luca and Enzo, while Jamie and I sat across from them, and the bikers, my fucking club brothers, surrounded us.
“This isn’t quite the gathering I requested,” Don Rossi said, a bemused frown on his… well… eyebrows.
“We’re just here to back our brother,” Reacher said firmly, but with respect I doubt I’d have shown in his place. I guess that’s why he was the Pres, and I was just a lowly biker, right?
“I realise we have a police officer here in our midst, Officer Jamie Charles,” the Don said next, and she lifted her chin, despite her obvious nerves, because my woman was, first and foremost, a fucking badass.
“So, uh… what happens now, boss?” I was doing my best to sit tall, and look like a mafia guy, even though I knew I wasn’t one, deep down inside. Showing anything other than that level of strength and respect felt like the wrong move in this moment.
“I will speak, and you will listen. Both of you. When I allow you, you’ll respond. If this descends into anarchy, this tentative peace talk is over.”
“He was looking at you when he said that,” Torch murmured, I’m going to guess, to Micro, because those two were a fucking double act again.
“Understood, boss,” I said, just as I heard a grunt from Torch, that told me someone shut him up with an elbow or something equally pointy.
The Don glared behind me, and then focused that flinty glare back on me.
“Betrayal isn’t something we can forgive, Tesio. You put Guido and Fredo in the hospital, and protected a law enforcement officer, going directly against the family.”
He lifted a hand as I opened my mouth, or Jamie did, let’s face it, she definitely did, but I think I did too.
“Ordinarily, you’d already have been dealt with, but you chose to run. And hide.”
“Like a pussy,” Enzo murmured, earning himself a Don glare for his efforts.
“Boss-”
“I can only imagine how you came by the information that led you to the meeting with Amato the other night, but, well…” he had the good grace to look awkward, or at least regretful, because we had absolutely saved his fucking ass.
“Boss-”
“I’m not sure what possessed you to throw yourself into the line of fire like that, but your lady there did the same thing, and thanks to one or both of you, I was unharmed, and more importantly, my daughter was unharmed.”
Jamie
Was this how a mafia asshole said thank you for saving my life?
I kept wanting to interrupt, but not only had he said not to, but every time Grease tried, he cut him off.
At least I’d managed to not interrupt him.
I’m not saying I was keeping score, but I was definitely winning, and planned to wind Grease up with that fact later, you know, if we survived.
“Because of your actions, I’ve decided that this can’t be settled as easily as we’d expected. Certainly, I’d feel a little perturbed if we killed either of you.”
“Aw it’s like he cares,” someone murmured behind us, and my money was on Micro, although Torch had been muttering a whole lot too. I’d have laughed at their behaviour if our lives weren’t in the balance.
“Boss?”
The Don sighed heavily, and waved a hand at Grease, who let out a heavy rush of breath.
“Look, I never wanted to betray you, hell, that wasn’t even what I was consciously doing that night. I was saving the woman I… that…”
“For heaven’s sake, you can’t even say it now?” The Don demanded. “Grow some balls, Tesio.”
There were chuckles coming from both sides of the table, and Grease glanced at me, his eyes softening as he smiled.
“The woman I love, happy? Yes, she’s the woman I love, and I’d die for her, but I’d really rather have an outcome here where we all live, and get to enjoy life.”
He looked at me again, having turned to announce his love to his boss instead of me. I did my best not to let that piss me off, because at least he’d said it at last.
“I do, little pain, I fucking love you, and I struggled to say it before, but apparently I had to grow some balls first.”
Chuckles behind us barely permeated, as did the comment from one of the peanut gallery, stating that they’d told him that a hundred times.
“You’re saying you love me? Here? In front of them?
” I gestured at the men all around us, but I knew I was smiling.
I knew that my relief showed on my face, and the fact that we were here was the only reason why I wasn’t in his lap already.
Later, I’d give him hell for telling me here, where we couldn’t celebrate instantly.
“Ahem.”
“That’s mafia speak for pay attention, Grease,” Reacher said, as he slapped the back of Grease’s head. He turned back to face the Don, but his fingers were now firmly linked between mine.
“Sorry, boss. Kinda having a moment here.”
“And if this were a fine restaurant, or your bedroom, I’d say carry on. We do, however, have matters to discuss. I’m willing to remove the death order from both of your heads, with some conditions.”
Uh oh. They were doozies too.