Epilogue
THORNE
Six months later
“We’re home,” I say when I step inside the house, shouting to whoever can hear me. “And we have some good news.”
Bensotti steps in behind me, practically shoving me out of the way. “Tell the good news when we’re inside, will ya?”
I chuckle, but step aside, gesturing for him like a manservant. “After you, my liege.”
“Fucking kids,” he mutters as he heads to the living room, taking a seat in his favorite recliner.
A week after Warren, Chance, and I moved in together—and christened every room and surface we could—me, Knox and Pyro drove a U-Haul to Bensotti’s house, packed up all his shit and moved him into the mansion.
He might have tried to hide it with his growling and complaining, but I saw how grateful he was that we were moving him closer.
As Chance promised, he paid for B’s care, not even asking the cost when he enrolled him into the cancer center.
The physicians there are some of the best in the country, and treated B well.
He had about ten rounds of chemo treatment, then did radiation, which took him out physically for days afterward.
I’m not sure how he did it on his own before we forced him to move, but I told him he wouldn’t be alone anymore.
He grumbled but actually thanked us for caring.
He looks really good now, almost back to his old self. His hair—which was patchy and thinning just a few months ago—is growing back, holding its former luster. He’s also packing on the pounds again, his appetite returning since he no longer has treatments.
“It better be good,” Pyro says, sitting up from where he’s lying on the large sectional Chance just had to buy. It could fit almost ten people our size on it comfortably. “I was just about to go down for a nap.”
“Go sleep at your own place,” I say, pushing his legs off the couch so I can sit down.
Py looks down the couch, then back at me. “There are soooooo many other places you could have sat.”
“Why sit there when you made this spot look so comfortable?”
He rolls his eyes and sits up with a pout. “I really hate that your men have softened you into being playful.”
I give him a dry look. “Again, you can go home.”
Pyro spends a lot of time here instead of at his apartment. His reasoning is that we always have things to discuss, but I think he wants to be close to Bensotti in case something happens.
B gave us all a scare when he told us about his diagnosis and Pyro was on the other side of the country. I’m sure he’s afraid he’ll miss out on his last days if he’s not right here.
But B isn’t going anywhere. His doctor says his scans have come back good, the small tumors he had shrinking. If he keeps his appointments and takes care of himself, he’ll be with us for a long while.
“What’s the good news?” Chance asks as he comes into the living room, carrying food on a tray for Bensotti.
B glares but adjusts himself on the recliner. “I can get my own food, you little shit.”
“Okay, sure,” Chance says, sitting on the floor beside Bensotti.
The two of them have gotten close. B talked to him a lot about what Chance’s father did and how it’s not his fault.
As a former law enforcement officer, he’s seen the devastation criminal parents leave behind and was able to be there for Chance more than Warren and I ever could.
Chance’s shoulder isn’t completely healed, but he has good range of motion and started swimming again. His physical therapy is slow going, but he doesn’t complain. He’s just glad that he doesn’t have to be in his sling when he graduates next month.
“Where’s everyone else?” I ask, looking for Warren, Knox, and Orion.
Knox stops by a lot as well to check on B and Orion is visiting for a few weeks to attend Chance’s graduation.
“I’m here,” Warren says, hurrying into the living room. “I heard you shout from the kitchen.”
Warren had feelings about being the oldest person in the house—aside from Bensotti, but B wasn’t fucking any of us—and thought it made him look like a predator. Chance and I explained that we’re both grown-ass men and if we’re being technical, I basically seduced the two of them.
He’s settled into our life, though, no longer feeling left out or out of touch with us younger men. With the exception of Pyro being a brat, we’re all pretty mature. Most of us had to grow up fast, and the childish shit most people our age are into holds no appeal.
Knox rounds the corner, Orion on his heels, both with large-ass sandwiches in their hands. “We were making lunch,” Knox says, sitting at the coffee table. “What’s up?”
“Is this about your meeting?” Orion asks.
“Yep.” I look at Bensotti and incline my head, giving him the floor.
Since he retired, he’s been restless, especially since he can’t access police files like he used to and give us assignments.
But that’s just changed.
Bensotti wipes his mouth with the pretentious cloth napkin Chance gave him and says, “I talked to my contact here at the local PD. He said he’ll give me access to some of their files for people that may have slipped through the cracks or cases they’re having trouble solvin’.
So, I’ll be able to continue my work. I also know a merc that can help us get higher paying jobs.
No more low-level bullshit. When you’re on a job, it’ll be top dollar. ”
Knox grins. “Perfect. Chance has been setting up that room across from the theater room for us.”
Chance grins and nods, looking like a puppy.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be like…your headquarters.
It’s soundproof and I’m going to equip it with some computers that Orion can remote in to.
” He looks at Orion. “You’ll be able to call and the speakers around the room can help project your voice. It’ll be so cool.”
The things money can buy.
Still, I smile at Chance. “That’s amazing, Golden. Thanks.”
“Sure, yeah.” He always looks shy when talking about his wealth and what he’s doing with it. Thankfully, my brothers don’t care about money. We get paid pretty okay for the jobs we do outside of the ones Bensotti found for us. Now we’ll get more if his contact is to be believed.
After he moved in and got settled, Chance’s grandfather called him, saying that his father’s estate was finally settled and an extra sixteen billion dollars was bequeathed to him.
The cops have no leads on the person or persons that killed Charles but were able to track down some of the names on the records he stored.
They raided some of the locations and arrested over a dozen men so far.
Since the records were so extensive, there are a lot of bad men that are locked up, awaiting trial for human trafficking, assault, and transporting minors across state lines, as well as a slew of other charges.
The women they were able to find are in intense therapy and we all hope they’ll find a way to live a good life.
Chance wanted no parts of his newfound wealth, so he’s been quietly paying for the therapy for the found victims, donating the money to different charities, and paying off the tuition of some of the students at Meadowbrook that were having financial issues.
He’s also opening a swimming academy that’s free for students under the age of eighteen. When it’s up and running, he and Warren will teach classes. It’ll be a convenient schedule since his grad school classes are all early in the morning when kids are usually in school.
It wasn’t until we got into our pool here that I saw just how graceful Warren is in the water.
He’s not quick like Chance, but he swims like he belongs in the pool.
With him also being a professor, he has teaching experience to aid in his side gig.
He’ll only be teaching on the weekends and during the summers, but it’ll make him happy to be involved.
Warren snuggles closer to me, smiling down at Chance. “He’s like a kid in a candy store.”
“We love him being excited,” I whisper in Warren’s ear and he chuckles as his cheeks flush.
The heat between the three of us isn’t even close to dying down. Whenever we’re together, whether it’s just two of us or all three, we’re off the fucking charts. Bensotti has taken a room downstairs so we can be as loud as we’d like.
And B likes to sit in his recliner most of the day, so we still have the entirety of the house to make each other come.
Orion cracks a rare smile, rubbing his hands together. “I can’t wait. I’m sure even without leads from your guy, I could have cracked into their systems.”
Bensotti points a fork at him. “Yeah, but at least I ain’t gotta worry about you gettin’ arrested for hackin’ into shit ya shouldn’t.”
Orion simply shrugs.
As we all sit in the living room—Bensotti turning on the television and putting on some police procedural so he can complain about how fake it is—I look around at my family and my men. We’re a mishmash of personalities, coming from different backgrounds, but we’re all here together.
Family.
THE END