40. Torin
FORTY
torin
I’m not going in there.
Even though my brain demands I should, I’m the last motherfucker Bay is going to want to see, her least favorite. I’ve fallen from grace, and there is no need to stress her out more than she already is. Not after what she’s gone through.
I wouldn’t even know what to fucking say or what she’d want to hear. Especially since we left on shit terms about the baby and the South Shore seat.
“We have him, sir. We caught him out back.”
My face twists as my concentration falls from the door Bay’s behind to the stupid fuck who I call part of my crew. “Don’t call me that shit.”
Dean, Dillion, whatever the fuck his name is, instantly frowns as if I said God wasn’t real, or his Rolex watch is a fake.
It is.
However, important details here.
“Where?”
“We put him in the hole, si—Mr. Wildes?”
“Dude,” I chide. “Just…don’t call me anything.”
It’s what the Forsaken Crew used to call Emilio, and I’m not down for a trip down memory lane after what I’ve done.
I’m not upset I did it.
Though, I’m still a bit taken aback I actually did it. That we’re free of Emilio Wildes once and for all.
Another frown from Dipshit. “But?—”
“Thanks, Duke,” Cairo interrupts at my side, giving me a small slap on the shoulder. “I’m sure my brother will be there soon.”
Oh, I will be.
I don’t know if he means me or Oz, but Cairo can bet his whole Titan seat I will finally be getting my hands on Matteo fucking De Leon.
And he’s not going to die easily.
I’m going to have him begging for fucking days and even then, I still don’t think I’ll give him the mercy of death.
That’s two men she’s been with who’ve hurt her.
Him, me, then him again.
I was supposed to protect her, and I promised I would. I’ve broken that a million times over at this point.
“Yes, sir,” Duke deadpans, before turning on his heel and leaving through the only exit of the small warehouse we’re in.
I don’t know what this is used for, but it’s empty. I’m aware it’s The Nameless’s. None of them want us here because we’re surrounded by, at least, eight of them. But Ozzy’s relationship with Bay gets us a free ride.
One they’re not going to argue with while their queen is down.
While our queen is down.
A buzzing sound vibrates off Cairo’s body as I return my attention back to the door Bay’s behind.
We don’t know much.
Ozzy said she was banged up, bleeding and bruised when he found her on the floor, but he didn’t evaluate beyond her breathing and consciousness.
I don’t know how hurt she is, but it’s enough for The Nameless to call in a doctor, unless it’s just precautionary.
“Hey, Dad,” Cairo greets, sounding exhausted and mentally over it. “We’re with her right now.”
I can’t hear him, obviously, and even if Cairo had the volume all the way up, he’s on my left.
My bad side.
Cairo nudges me and signs, “ He wants to know what we’re doing with Matteo.”
I’d tell my brother to put him on speaker, but we’re around a bunch of men who are supposed to be our enemy, and I’m not entirely sure what Lorenzo is going to say.
“ Is he going to try to stop us with the truth? ”
“ Probably. ”
“ Then we’ll ask for forgiveness later because he’s a dead man. ”
“We’re handling it,” Cairo tells his father, silent for a moment before he passes along, “ He wants us to wait .”
I glower.
“What’s your plan?” Cairo asks his father, and then begins translating to me, “ He wants to see if the Pistol Posse will come out of hiding so we can demolish it. ”
“ They can’t do shit without a leader. ”
“ They’ve been around long enough to probably have a second in command. ”
“ Do you think he’s stupid enough to fuck around and find out? I’d love to find out.”
“Hold on, Dad,” Cairo mutters. “ We’re not going to kill Matteo tonight. We both know that. Plus, I think Bay would like a few ? —”
“ I know what she’d want ,” I quickly respond. “ She’ll get her shot before he dies.”
“ So, we have time. He lives until she says. ”
It’s not ideal.
I’d love for him to die a million times over. Nonetheless, I don’t get that luxury. He’s one life to take, and he’s all Bay’s.
“ Whatever she wants. ”
Cairo nods, relaying the message back to his father that we’re holding off until Bay’s ready to start giving out orders.
Orders.
How far that beautiful creature has come now that we’ve tangled ourselves into a web. I told that woman I was never going to bow down to her, and here I am. Waiting impatiently behind a chipped door until she’s better to start barking out commands.
“He’s out scouting,” Cairo says, earning me to glimpse over my shoulder at him. “ Ozzy .”
“ Who’s in the room with her right now? ”
“ Juice and Hot Rod. ”
“ Where’s Reeve ?” Cairo shrugs, giving Lorenzo a “yes” at whatever question he’s been asked. “ Does he know ?”
My brother shakes his head. “ I didn’t want to send him a text with it. ”
I bow my head. “ I’ll go get him . He at the house? ”
“ Yeah. I locked him in his room. ” One of my eyebrows lifts in surprise. “ I don’t give a fuck. We don’t need any more fucking problems. ”
“ I’m not arguing. I’m just… ” I have no words.
“I’ll call you later, Pops,” Cairo says, hanging up his cell before signing to me, “ I’m tired of him. Now this. Then his dad, who he hasn’t gone and seen, by the way. ”
“ I don’t think Luther is going to remember him anyway. ”
“ Maybe not. But the more we keep him sedated, the more time that goes by ? —”
“I’ll talk to him. You worry about Bay, and I’ll…handle Reeve. ”
Cairo’s face doesn’t hold as much confidence in my plan as I would like. “ Right. That’s a big job. ”
“ So is she. ”
“ Hence why we need to handle this together. ”
I rock my head back and forth. “ Not yet. It’s still fresh. She needs space. I’m afraid if she remembers what she gave me, she’ll have me taken out right there. ”
“Yeah…about that… ” His forehead furrows as though I had something to do with it. “ Watch your fuckin’ ass. Don’t go ordering them around ? — ”
“ I’m half-deaf. Not suicidal. ”
“ You sure about that? Because your track record is fucked. ”
“ I got this. You worry about Bay, and I got the rest. ” He sighs. “ Trust me on this one. I know Bay Astor. There’s a right time to push. Another to insert your feelings. And the ultimate where she hasn’t seen you in a minute and all the anger she had dissipates. ”
My brother stares at me for a long moment before signing, “ You two are fucking impossible. ”
“ Impossibly meant to be together. ”
Because I know she loves me.
Still does.
She would’ve died with the secret of carrying my child until her last breath. I wouldn’t have known any different, yet she still had the respect to tell me. She gave me power I could use to fuck this entire game up, but she knows I won’t.
That’s a love language where we come from. Bay still cares about me, whether she likes it or not.
And that’s the only thing I have to keep her mine.
“ Text me if ? —”
An excruciating, heart-wrenching scream fills my ears, and all my surroundings freeze in that moment.
I know it as Cairo moves toward the door.
I’m aware of it because I feel it in my gut as the scream replays in my head.
There’s no denying how much I understand Bay Astor. Her bawling isn’t from pain.
She just lost the baby.