26. After the Storm
After the Storm
Ezekiel
M y feet hit the ground running as I sprint across the warehouse lot with Leo clinging to my chest, my heart thundering against his small frame.
Smoke burns my lungs, but I push through it, dodging debris and focusing on getting him to safety.
The night air is thick with gunfire and shouts, but all I can hear is Leo’s terrified breathing against my neck.
“I’ve got you, buddy,” I say, one hand cradling his head as I duck behind a shipping container. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
Eli materializes beside us, gun drawn. “Clear path to the vehicles, boss. Micah’s got the perimeter locked down.”
I nod sharply, adjusting my grip on Leo. He’s trembling, fingers digging into my shoulders hard enough to bruise. The fear radiating off him tears at something deep in my chest. No child should ever feel this kind of terror.
“Uncle Zeke?” His voice is barely a whisper. “Where’s Aunt Evie?”
“She’s coming soon, buddy. Remember, she has to help catch the bad guys first.” The lie tastes bitter, but necessary. How do you explain to a seven-year-old that his aunt can’t leave with us because she’s a cop and I’m … whatever the hell I am?
Sirens wail in the distance, growing closer. We need to move. Now.
“Eli, take point. I want a clean exit.”
He nods and moves ahead while I follow, keeping Leo’s face pressed against my shoulder so he can’t see the carnage around us. The warehouse is fully engulfed now, flames reaching toward the star-studded sky like grasping fingers. The heat is intense even from this distance.
We make it to the SUV without incident. Micah’s already behind the wheel, engine running. I slide into the backseat with Leo still clutched to my chest, unwilling to let go even though we’re relatively safe now.
“Go,” I order as Eli jumps in the passenger seat. “Take the back routes. No tails. And tell the rest of our men to get out of there.”
Eli is shouting orders into his headset while the SUV peels out just as the first police cruisers screech into the lot behind us.
Through the rear window, I catch a glimpse of Eve’s silhouette against the flames before we turn a corner, and she disappears from view. Something in my chest constricts.
Be safe . Please be safe.
Leo sniffles against my neck, drawing my attention back to more immediate concerns. His clothes reek of smoke and there’s a nasty bruise forming on his cheek that makes my blood boil. If Alessandro weren’t already dead.
“Hey, buddy,” I keep my voice gentle, running a hand through his hair. “You hurt anywhere? Did they hurt you?”
He shakes his head but doesn’t lift it from my shoulder. “Just scared,” he mumbles. “Want Aunt Evie.”
“I know. She’ll be home soon.” I press my lips to his temple, surprised by how natural the gesture feels. “But for now you’re stuck with me, okay? I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you ever again.”
The drive home feels endless, even with Micah taking every shortcut he knows. Leo’s trembling gradually subsides but he maintains his death grip on my shirt. I keep up a steady stream of meaningless comfort, more for my own sake than his.
When we finally pull up to the mansion, I’m not surprised to see Seb waiting on the front steps.
“Thank fuck,” he says as we approach. Then, catching sight of Leo, he changes his tone. “I mean, thank goodness. You okay, little man?”
Leo peeks out from my shoulder just long enough to give a tiny nod before burrowing back against my neck.
“He needs a bath,” I say, heading for the front door. “And probably food. When’s the last time you ate, buddy?”
A small shrug is my only answer.
“Right.” I glance at Seb. “Think you can handle making something while I get him cleaned up?”
My brother’s face lights up with that particular brand of mischief that usually means trouble. “How about ice cream? I make a mean sundae.”
That finally gets Leo to lift his head, though he doesn’t loosen his grip on my shirt. “Really?”
“Really. With all the toppings. Whipped cream, cherries, the works.” Seb grins. “But only after you get cleaned up, deal?”
“Deal,” Leo whispers, a faint smile touching his lips.
I carry him upstairs to the master suite and Leo’s eyes go wide at the sight of the huge soaking tub.
“Wow,” he breathes. “Is this really your bathroom?”
“Yours too now.” I set him down carefully, making sure he’s steady on his feet before letting go. “Think you can handle washing up on your own or do you need help?”
He considers this seriously for a moment. “I can do it. I’m seven.”
“That you are.” I ruffle his hair, trying to ignore how my hand shakes. “I’ll get you some clean clothes. Yell if you need anything, okay?”
He nods and starts fumbling with his smoke-stained shirt. I step out, leaving the door cracked, and lean against the wall for a moment. My heart is still racing, adrenaline singing through my veins. The image of Leo clinging to me for dear life, tear-streaked and terrified, is burned into my brain.
I should have killed Alessandro slower.
A soft splash from the bathroom pulls me back to the present. Right. Clean clothes. I rush to his room and dig through the drawer Eve filled with Leo’s things, finding comfortable pajamas with some cartoon character I don’t recognize.
“You good in there, buddy?” I call through the crack in the door when I return.
“Uh-huh. Can I use the bubbles?”
I glance at Eve’s collection of bath products. “Go for it. Just don’t dump the whole bottle in.”
While Leo splashes around, I take the opportunity to change out of my own smoke-infused clothes. The suit jacket is probably ruined, but it’s a small price to pay. I pull on clean black slacks and a dark sweater, then check my phone.
No messages from Eve yet. The knot in my stomach tightens.
I tense up at a knock on the bedroom door before I recognize Seb’s particular pattern.
“Coast clear?” he asks through the door. “Ice cream’s ready whenever the kid is.”
“Almost done,” I call back, then to Leo. “How’s it going in there, bud?”
“Coming!” There’s more splashing, then the sound of the drain.
I grab a fluffy towel and hand it to him through the door crack, then step back to give him privacy. A few minutes later he emerges, clean and dressed, his hair sticking up in wet spikes.
“Feel better?”
He nods, some of the haunted look finally leaving his eyes. “Can I have ice cream now?”
“Absolutely.” I hold out my hand without thinking and am surprised when he takes it immediately, tiny fingers wrapping around mine with complete trust.
Christ . When did this happen? When did this kid work his way so thoroughly under my skin?
We head downstairs to find Seb has outdone himself. The kitchen island is covered in ice cream toppings—sprinkles, chocolate sauce, caramel, crushed cookies, the works. In the center sits what has to be the biggest sundae I’ve ever seen.
Leo’s eyes go wide. “All for me?”
“Well, maybe save some for the rest of us.” Seb winks. “But yeah, dig in, kid. You’ve earned it.”
I lift Leo onto one of the high stools, hovering nearby in case he needs help. But he attacks the sundae with the single-minded focus only kids can manage, and soon his face is smeared with chocolate sauce.
While he eats, Seb shoots me a questioning look. “Everything go according to plan?”
I nod and motion for him to step out of earshot of Leo. “Alessandro’s taken care of. His top guys too. Left enough evidence for the cops to build their case.” For Eve to build her case . “The rest will scatter once word gets out.”
“And Nicolo?”
“Won’t be happy, but he can’t move against us directly. Not without starting a war he’s not ready for.” I run a hand through my hair, trying to ease some of the tension in my shoulders. “For now, we’re clear.”
Seb studies me for a moment. “You’re worried about Eve.”
It’s not a question. My brother knows me well.
“She should have contacted us by now,” I mutter, checking my phone again. Still nothing.
“She’s got to play this careful,” Seb reminds me. “Make it look good for the brass. You know how it works.”
I do know. Doesn’t make the waiting any easier.
“Uncle Zeke?” Leo’s voice pulls me from my dark thoughts. “Can we watch a movie?”
He’s finished most of the sundae, though a good portion seems to have ended up on his face. I grab a napkin and clean him up, surprised again by how natural it feels.
“Sure thing, buddy. What do you want to watch?”
Before he can answer, Seb swoops in. “Oh man, have you seen the new Spider-Man? It’s awesome. Come on, I’ll show you.”
He scoops Leo off the stool with his good arm, making the kid giggle, and carries him toward the media room. I follow behind, pausing to send a quick text to Eli to tighten security around the house. Just in case.
Seb gets him settled in one of the oversized recliners while I hover by the door, unable to fully relax. The movie starts but I barely register it, too focused on my phone and the deafening silence from Eve.
Minutes tick by like molasses. On screen, some kid gets bitten by a spider. Leo curls up in his chair, already looking sleepy despite the sugar rush. Seb provides running commentary that gradually draws actual laughs from our nephew.
Our nephew . When did that happen? When did this scared kid become family instead of just Eve’s responsibility?
But I know the answer. It happened the moment I met him. It happened when he wrapped his arms around my neck and trusted me to keep him safe. It happened slowly and all at once, the same way falling in love with Eve did.
Love . The word no longer scares me like it used to. Maybe because I’m starting to understand it’s not a weakness—it’s what gives us the strength to do whatever needs to be done. To protect what’s ours. To build something worth fighting for.
I check my phone again. Nothing.
On screen, the action picks up. Leo’s eyes droop despite his best efforts to stay awake. Seb’s commentary gets increasingly ridiculous until even I have to crack a smile.