27. 27 Tori
I may have been surrounded by the men I love all through the night, their hands grounding me in ways I never thought I’d need, but it didn’t stop the nightmares. The guilt that gnaws at me.
I took a life.
A shitty life, but a life all the same.
These guys have taken countless—killed without hesitation—and they’ve done it for me, in my name, to bring me back. I should be terrified of them. I should be terrified of myself. Instead, I’m lying here, staring at the ceiling as the sunlight filters through the curtains, trying to figure out how I could ever go back to a normal life after this.
You can’t. That’s the truth.
A heavy sigh escapes before I can stop it, breaking the stillness in the room. Thorne stirs beside me, his hand shifting against my shoulder, solid and warm. His dark eyes meet mine, and in the way only he can, he takes one look at me and seems to know exactly what’s on my mind.
Maybe one of these times I’ll stop being so surprised by how well he can do that.
His hand lifts, and for a second, I think he’s going to cradle my face, maybe kiss me. Instead, his fingers flick me right between the brows. “You’re thinking too hard.”
I rub the spot with an exaggerated pout, glaring at him as I playfully whack his shoulder in return. “Am not.” The way his brow arches says he knows otherwise. “Okay, fine. I am,” I admit, slumping back against the pillows.
“You still haven’t decided, have you?” His hand shifts, cupping my cheek now, his thumb brushing softly against my skin. “I think I know why.”
“Oh, you know everything, huh?” I say, but my voice lacks any real bite. He’s got my attention, and we both know it.
“You’re scared to accept this side of you, Vic,” he says, his tone calm, steady. “I get it. I was, too. But you saw yourself last night. You felt it. The power, the strength. That’s the real you. Not the you that’s worried about what people think. Fuck them. They didn’t care about us when we were kids, so why should we care now?”
His eyes hold mine like he’s daring me to argue, his words digging deep in that way only Thorne’s can. “Do what you want, not what you think you should want. Screw everyone else. All you need is us. And we’re with you. No matter what.”
Blaze shifts on my other side, his lips brushing against my ear as he pulls me closer. “He’s right, Doll,” he murmurs, his voice still rough from sleep. “There’s nothing you could do that would scare us off. So tell us, what do you want?”
Just spit it out, Tori.
“I…” The words get stuck, hesitation weighing them down. “I think I want to learn from my dad. But there’s a lot that needs to be done here. I don’t want you guys to lose the Iron Triad or the chance to take over The Niners.”
No matter how much I wish I could go back to being Tori the barista who goes to college part-time, I know I can’t. Not now that I know who my dad is. Not now that I know what I’m capable of. Definitely not now that I’ve taken a life.
To hell with it. I’m embracing this.
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve already told you—” Thorne begins, only to be interrupted by Ryder.
“Countless times,” he chimes in, his smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“No matter what, we’re by your side,” Thorne finishes, shooting Ryder a look of mild exasperation.
“If you want to go back to Roseburg, we’ll go,” Blaze says, his hand sliding up my arm, his touch steady and grounding.
“But would it really be worth it?” I ask, my voice softer now, doubt creeping in. Leaving the only city I’ve ever known feels like too big of a leap. “Wouldn’t you guys feel like you’re giving something up? The Iron Triad, the Niners, your careers at Lumina Towers—everything you’ve built?”
“Anything with you is worth it, Vic,” Thorne replies, his voice quiet but firm. He takes my hand, threading our fingers together before pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “Don’t you know that by now? Besides, we knew the moment we set out to find you that we would never be stepping back into Lumina Towers. Stacey’s going to lose her shit when she realizes.” Thorne almost laughs at that, and it brings a small smile to my face.
“You’re really okay with leaving the Iron Triad behind? Just like that?” My gaze locks with his, searching for any hint of regret, of hesitation, but there’s none.
“We’ve done it before,” Ryder says, his smirk turning sharper as he reaches for my ankle. His grip is possessive but soft, familiar in the best way. “Back when we thought it’d make us better for you.”
“For me?” The question slips out, my voice barely audible.
“Yes, Doll. For you,” Blaze answers, tilting my face toward him with a gentle hand. “And we’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours, Vic?” Thorne’s words are quieter now, but no less firm. “We love you. We’re consumed by you. Whatever you want, whatever you need—it’s yours. No questions. No regrets.”
They mean it. I can see it in their faces, feel it in their words. It should be overwhelming, but instead, it feels like a safety net, holding me steady. The final piece of a puzzle I didn’t realize was incomplete.
“You say that now, but—”
“No buts,” Ryder interrupts, climbing up the bed until he’s leaning over me, his weight braced on his forearms. His face is so close I can feel his breath against my skin. “We.” He kisses me, soft and quick. “Love.” Another kiss, slower this time. “You.”
The last kiss lingers, his tongue brushing against mine in a way that leaves me breathless. When he pulls back, his grin is playful, his blue eyes sparkling. “Still don’t believe me?”
“When did you turn into a romantic?” I ask, arching a brow at him, though my lips twitch with the threat of a smile.
“When I got you back,” he replies, winking before leaning in to kiss me again.
“Now,” Blaze cuts in, his voice tinged with amusement as his fingers stroke my side, “are you moving us to Roseburg or not? Because I can’t start planning until you make a decision.”
“Is it weird that I want to go back?” I bite my lip, my gaze locking with Ryder’s electric blue eyes. Those eyes could swallow me whole if I let them, and honestly, sometimes I do.
“Not at all,” Thorne answers first, his hand squeezing mine in a way that’s both comforting and grounding. “You’ve always wondered about your parents. Now you know who your dad is. It’s natural to want to learn about him, to be with him.”
“That’s reassuring… I guess.” I exhale heavily, the breath feeling more like an attempt to release the weight of my insecurities than just air. “Then, boys, it seems we’re moving to Roseburg and learning about the Diablos.”
“Great.” Blaze sits up and starts ticking things off. “I’ll talk to Juan and start setting things up. Ryder, you look into places and find good movers. Thorne, handle Lumina Towers—let them know we’re keeping our shares but staying faceless from now on.”
“And what do I do?” I ask, watching him as he’s already halfway out of bed. His eyes meet mine over his shoulder, his grin spreading like he’s got something up his sleeve.
“You have the hardest job of all,” he says, the smile widening in a way that tells me I’m going to hate his answer. “You get to call your dad and tell him you’re bringing your three boyfriends to live with you.”
I blanch. Sure, I told Diablo that I loved these guys, but I’m not sure he fully grasped the scope of it. Did he realize I meant I’m in a relationship with all three of them?
Of course not, Tori. No sane person would come to that conclusion.
“Oh, fuck,” I murmur under my breath, but Ryder’s sharp ears pick it up anyway. His chuckle is warm as he leans in to kiss my forehead before rolling off the bed.
“You’ve got this, Kitkat,” he says, his grin unshakable. “Just put your foot down and leave it there.”
“Right, foot down.” I nod like I believe it, but the thought of explaining all this to Diablo is about as appealing as walking through fire.
Blaze is the first to leave the room, followed closely by Ryder, and then Thorne, who lingers just long enough to give me one last glance. The door clicks shut behind them, sealing my fate.
Fuck me. Now I gotta call Diablo.
This shouldn’t be that nerve-wracking. It’s just a phone call to my father.
Yeah, your father who also happens to be a very scary stranger, Tori.
After a couple of hours, spent taking a shit ton of calming breaths—more like gasps for courage—I dial his number, mentally rehearsing what I’m going to say as the line rings. When it clicks, his voice comes through immediately, sharp and to the point.
“Juan tells me you finished the job,” he says. No ‘hello,’ no ‘how are you?’—just business.
“I did.” I nod like an idiot, because even though I’m a killer now, I’m still me. And apparently, I’m still a dunce.
“Good, Mija. I’m glad my people could help. Now, tell me when you’re returning. I’d like to have my right-hand man back.”
I half expect a joke, but the silence that follows is so stark I glance at my phone to make sure the call hasn’t dropped.
Nope, he’s still there.
“Right. About that…” I trail off, taking another deep breath before the words tumble out in a rush. “I want Thorne, Blaze, and Ryder to move in with me. They’re finding a house for us all to live in, so it’s not like I’m asking you to support them or anything. Well, I guess in a way, but not financially or in a business sense. More like—they’re my boyfriends. I need you to get behind the fact that I have three boyfriends. I know that’s probably strange to you, and that’s fine, but you can’t ask me to change the way I feel or the way they feel. So they’re coming with me. If you don’t want to teach me because of that—”
“Victoria,” he interrupts, using my name, spoken in a tone so quiet it cuts me off mid-ramble.
It’s a good thing he didn’t raise me. If he had, I’d have spent my childhood terrified every time he used that voice.
“That’s enough,” he says, clipped and firm. “Control your tongue. Say what needs to be said and leave it at that.”
So that’s why he’s so clipped all the time.
“Fine,” I say, straightening my back and lifting my chin, summoning confidence I didn’t know I had. “I’m coming back, but not alone. Thorne, Blaze, and Ryder are coming with me, and you can either take us all, or you can forget about having a daughter.”
“Wasn’t that easier?” he asks, and the pause that follows feels like an invitation to respond, but he doesn’t wait for me to. “I’ll have an estate ready for you when you return. You won’t be living in some random house. But Victoria, don’t expect it to be easy. Those three boys will cause you more problems than they’re worth.”
Before I can even form a response, the line goes dead. I stare at the phone, struggling to process. Like a fish out of water, I’m left floundering.
But this is good, right?
I trudge off the bed and down the stairs, moving on autopilot toward Blaze’s office. I’m sure I’ll find him there with Keagan and Juan, who I heard come in while I was mid-panic. Rick, however, left yesterday with an arrogant goodbye and an invoice for his work. Dickwad.
“This isn’t a good idea,” Juan’s voice drifts through the door before I can enter. I pause, curiosity pulling me closer, but a floorboard creaks under my weight, and all three heads snap toward me.
Normally, I’d feel small under their combined stares, but today, something about their attention settles me. I step into the room like I belong there. Like I’ve earned this.
“What’s not a good idea?” I ask, letting the door click shut behind me.
“These guys coming back with you,” Juan says, jerking his thumb toward Blaze. His brows are furrowed, his expression all serious.
“I beg to differ,” I say with a shrug. “Besides, my dad’s fine with it. He’s already getting an estate ready for us.”
“That easily, huh?” Blaze murmurs, pulling me into his lap as I roll his chair back and settle myself there. His hands find my waist, holding me close as his lips brush my ear.
I nod, my gaze shifting to Juan and Keagan. “There are still things to handle before we leave, but make no mistake, these ‘guys’”—I air-quote ‘guys’ because they’re so much more than that—“are coming with me.”
Juan’s expression tightens, but he nods. “Very well, Senorita.”
“What is it we need to do, Doll?” Blaze brushes his fingers along my jaw, turning my head to look at him. There’s confusion in his eyes, like he thought he had everything planned already.
“I need to have a talk with Alicia.”
I wait—not so patiently—in what used to be Nico’s office, the memories flooding in like unwelcome guests who never knock. The first time I sat here feels like a lifetime ago. A dark, twisted, and terrifying lifetime.
Trauma really does age you.
Down on the casino floor, three scowling faces are glaring up at me through the window. The men I love look like they’re plotting a mutiny, but I know better. They want to be here, not on the sidelines. They’re supposed to be having a meeting with The Niners’ top guys, yet none of their lips are moving. Apparently, they’ve turned their strategy session into a staring contest with me instead.
Focus, boys. You’re not making this easier.
The creak of the office door pulls my attention away from their brooding vigil. I turn to face the woman I once thought of as family. Alicia steps inside, her expression blank, her posture rigid. But I can see it now, that thinly veiled hatred simmering just beneath her surface.
“You wanted to see me?” Her voice is cold enough to frost glass, each word biting.
“Sit,” I say, curt and firm, because I’m not here for her bullshit. She hesitates, her defiance flickering for a moment, but eventually she obeys, perching on the couch—the same damn couch I sat on the first time Nico summoned me to this room.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
“I asked Marcus to find you and bring you here because I wanted to tell you in person,” I begin, leaning against Nico’s desk. Her eyes widen slightly, and then she flinches like I’ve slapped her. She’s realizing, I think, how far the scales have tipped. “You’re free to go. All the girls are. The Iron Triad is taking over The Niners, and we don’t deal in sex trafficking.”
Her chin lifts defiantly, her nose practically in the air as she glares at me. “ We . Are you one of them now?”
“I am,” I say, my voice steady with pride. I stand straight, locking eyes with her. “You can hate me for killing Nico if it helps you sleep at night, but open your eyes, Alicia. He lied to you. Manipulated you. Anyway,” I add, my tone softening just slightly, “I had the guys talk to the university for you. They’ll let you make up your classes.”
Alicia’s lips twitch, but no words come. She sits as still as stone, her silence weighing heavier than any argument she could’ve made.
“I’m leaving,” I continue, the words sharper now. “You won’t find us here anymore, but Marcus will be taking over until we return… if we return. Don’t go sticking your nose into dark places, Alicia. And maybe double-check the guys you meet next time.”
I push off the desk, my feet dragging as I move toward the door. There’s a nagging feeling in my chest, like there’s more I should say. Something that could salvage what’s left of us. But there’s nothing, and there never will be.
This friendship is as dead as my innocence.
“Have a nice life, Alicia. For what it’s worth, you’re the reason I survived as long as I did.” The words are out before I can stop them, a parting gift she probably won’t appreciate. Without looking back, I leave, the door clicking shut behind me.
As I walk down the hall, memories of her flash through my mind—her helping me in high school, the way she stood by me during those dark, lonely years, the laughter we shared in that tiny apartment. Sadness wells in my chest, misting my eyes with tears I refuse to let fall.
Get it together, Tori.
I wipe them away with a shaky breath, straightening my spine as I reach the meeting room. My guys are the last ones left at the table, sitting with Marcus, who looks like he’s trying to prove he belongs there.
“I’m trusting you, brother,” Blaze warns him, his tone edged with steel as he points a finger at him. “Don’t backstab me.”
“I won’t. I promise,” Marcus says quietly, his gaze meeting Blaze’s.
I step forward, and instantly all three of them are on their feet, closing the space between us. Their hands brush over my arms, my waist, checking me like I’m about to shatter. Their worry would be suffocating if it weren’t so sweet.
“I’m fine,” I say, mustering a faint smile to reassure them. “Better than I thought I’d be, actually.”
Blaze studies me for a moment longer, then nods, satisfied. “Good. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Yes, please,” Ryder adds, grabbing my hand and tugging me gently toward the door. “This place reeks.”
Thorne lingers for a beat, his eyes scanning my face as if committing this moment to memory. Then he falls into step beside me, brushing his fingers against mine.
“I’m done,” I say as we head out. “My business is handled. If you guys are ready, so am I.”
The ride home is quieter than I expected. Not in an awkward, stifling way, but in the kind of silence that feels heavy. Ryder’s hand rests on my thigh, his fingers tapping an uneven rhythm as if he’s got too much energy to contain. Thorne sits on my other side, his gaze out the window, though I know his mind isn’t on the passing scenery. Blaze drives, his focus locked on the road, his hands gripping the wheel with a steadiness I’ve come to rely on.
It’s a strange feeling, knowing that for the first time in what feels like forever, there’s no immediate danger lurking around the corner. Nico is gone. His empire is in ruins. The girls are free, the Iron Triad is stronger than ever, and for once, it feels like we can finally breathe.
So why does my chest feel so tight?
“Penny for your thoughts?” Ryder breaks the silence, his voice light but laced with curiosity. His fingers squeeze my thigh gently, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.
I glance at him, offering a small smile. “Just… processing, I guess.”
“I don’t know that we ever fully process anything. I mean, I’m a prime example of that.” He gestures to himself dramatically, running his hand down his chest before winking at me. “I just push it all aside and forget about it.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure I should take that advice.” I lightly laugh, feeling the corner of my lips tug into a genuine smile. But that’s the thing with Ryder, isn’t it? He’s always there to make me laugh, to cheer me up.
Right now it’s easier to joke than to admit how overwhelming everything feels.
Blaze’s voice cuts through the banter. “We’re almost home. You can process all you want there.” He glances at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes softening slightly. “But you won’t be doing it alone.”
I nod, but the weight in my chest doesn’t ease. He’s right, of course. I’m not alone. I have them—these three men who’ve been through hell and back for me. With me. Still, the thought of what comes next looms over me like a storm cloud I can’t outrun.
Once we reach the house, the guys carry out the last of our things, moving around with an ease that speaks to how much time we’ve spent here together. It’s strange, knowing we’ll be leaving soon. That this house, with all our important memories and chaos, will become a part of our past.
Ryder flops onto the couch, stretching out like he’s ready for a nap. “So,” he says, his grin as mischievous as ever. “What’s the plan now, fearless leader?”
I roll my eyes, leaning against the doorframe. “Fearless leader? That’s a stretch.”
“You did just orchestrate the destruction of a criminal empire,” Thorne points out, his tone matter-of-fact as he settles into the armchair. “That qualifies you.”
“Technically,” Blaze adds, walking in with his usual calm confidence, “you inherited that empire. So, yeah, fearless leader fits.”
I cross my arms, looking at the three of them. “You’re all insane, you know that?”
“We’re insane,” Ryder agrees, his grin widening. “But you love us for it.”
He’s not wrong.
“Okay,” I say, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Then I guess we’re moving to Roseburg.”
Ryder whoops, throwing his head back dramatically. “Road trip, baby!”
Thorne shakes his head, though a faint smile tugs at his lips. “You’re impossible.”
“And you love me for it,” Ryder retorts, winking at him.
Blaze chuckles, his hand squeezing mine briefly before letting go. “We’re going to have a lot of fun together.”
That’s not cryptic. That’s a promise of lots of sex and laughs.
I glance around at them, my heart swelling in a way that feels almost foreign after everything we’ve been through. This is my family. My future. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like maybe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Because I guess my thick skull is finally getting it—no matter what the future holds, we’ll face it together. And for now, that’s enough.
My monsters have turned me into their dark queen, and I’m embracing this shit.
To Roseburg we go!