Chapter 31
Seth
W e had barely gotten started on some new data James uncovered from Giovanni’s phone when we heard a squeal that sounded unnatural. Jumping up, everyone raced down the hallway, ready to throw down with whoever was stupid enough to come inside Rhys’s house.
When we got to the kitchen and saw Regan and Hannah laughing until they were almost in tears, it was the kind of thing we all needed at that moment—lightness and good spirits.
I glanced at James, and he gave a knowing nod before he spoke.
“Why don’t we have dinner and deal with the rest of this later? ”
“Let’s eat,” Rhys declared, and his guards gave a nod before leaving us alone.
It looked like there was more than enough, but their job wasn’t to eat with us—it was to protect the grounds and home against anyone who wanted to bring harm here.
I respected their decision to leave us as a family to eat, and I knew that’s what we were.
With each new revelation, we gained a new member of the family until we were a hodgepodge of neurosis.
Hannah got up to go to the oven, and when Regan tried to stand, I gently placed my hand onto her shoulder and asked, “What do you need, baby?”
“I need to help Hannah with dinner,” she remarked, and Devlin stepped up.
“I’ll help with dinner. You rest. Deal?”
They stared at each other for a few seconds before she replied, “Deal.”
She watched as he pulled down plates from the cabinet and Lucian started filling glasses.
James began to plate pasta then handed it to Booker, who poured sauce over the noodles.
Caldwell took the plates and placed them on the island next to Hannah, who was slicing delicious-smelling bread and placing some on each plate.
When Devlin grabbed forks from the drawer and napkins from the holder, I swear, Regan nearly fell off her chair.
“Why hasn’t anyone helped me up until now, since you’re all so skilled in the kitchen?” she jokingly asked, and it was James who replied.
“Anytime someone gets in your kitchen, you run them off with your perfection. Since this is messy, it’s hard to screw it up. Otherwise, I have no doubt you would be running the show, injured or not.”
She looked up at me and admitted, “He’s right. I am a bit of a control freak in the kitchen.”
“A bit?” Hannah laughed. “You smacked my hand with a wooden spoon when I tried to help ice cupcakes.”
She held her hands up a little and replied, “Okay, I’m a nutjob in the kitchen, and James is right, it’s hard to screw up spaghetti.”
The group laughed, and I kissed her, no longer afraid to show her all the affection she deserved. Helping her from the stool, I grabbed two plates and offered, “I’ll get you settled and come back for our drinks.”
“I can help,” she whispered.
“Once you’re healed, I’ll take the training wheels off, but until then, please let me take care of you. I almost lost you before we had a chance to see how amazing we’re going to be and I can’t take that chance again.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled as she said, “Damn, Johnson, way to sweep a girl off her feet.”
James walked past, and I saw him glance at me, giving me a look of approval as he took his plate into the dining room.
Regan followed me, and I placed her plate next to James and across from Rhys and Hannah.
Mine went next to hers, then I pulled her chair out and helped her get situated before turning to grab our drinks and utensils.
When I returned, I saw her and James speaking quietly, and she nodded a few times as I sat down. James looked at me and said to Regan, loud enough so I could hear, “Talk to him and make sure that’s okay. He’s the one who’s going to be watching out for you, so he’s got to be onboard.”
I was about to ask what he was talking about when Devlin stood from his seat, drawing everyone’s attention.
He looked around at the small gathering before he spoke.
“Four years ago, I made the decision to tell my story, thinking it would help someone. Or maybe it was me being boastful that I’d finally gotten my lamb.
Whatever the reason, I know all the bullshit we’ve encountered is directly tied to that decision, and I’ve already spoken with Elise because she deserved to be the first to hear this, but now, I think I can say it to everyone.
” He glanced around the room before admitting, “I was wrong to shine a spotlight on our world, and I’m asking for your forgiveness.
If’ I’d kept my mouth shut, none of this would’ve happened, and I’m so sorry for all the pain I’ve caused. ”
A few people started to speak, but it was Regan, my beautiful woman, who stood and responded to his statement.
“You can’t blame yourself for all the drama any more than I can.
We were all pawns in Sergey’s quest for power, and even if you hadn’t spoken up about you and Elise, everything would’ve still played out the exact same way.
There isn’t one thing that has happened that you could’ve stopped, and like Stella reminded me, you need to give yourself some grace. ”
She sat back down, and I took her hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze to let her know how proud I was of her.
Rhys and James smiled at her before James looked at Devlin.
“Brother, you and I spoke at length about you speaking up before you uttered a single word. And I’ll tell you the same thing I said all those years ago.
The truth shall set us all free. If you hadn’t spoken up, then we wouldn’t be here, working to put the final nail in the Syndicate’s coffin. ”
Devlin retook his seat, and Lucian looked at him before speaking.
“We lost too many years as a family because of Sergey and his lies, and I agree with Regan and Stella. We all need some grace. We’ve all made mistakes, and we’ve all had to face our demons, but none of us allowed Sergey’s poison to infect us, and for that, we should all be grateful. ”
Hannah lifted her glass and said, “A toast.” Everyone raised their glasses as she said, “To family and truths. May we be plentiful in both.”
“Here, here,” Booker said, and I chuckled as his usual outburst.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold. Then someone is going to tell me about what you’ve uncovered and what the next move is,” Regan remarked before she lifted her fork and began to swirl her spaghetti around the tines.
We ate and had good conversation, enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t often we had the chance to do this, and I hoped that in the future, dinner parties would be a part of our lives. They allowed us to unwind and relax, something we all struggled with.
After dinner was finished, Hannah stood and offered, “I’ll clean up, and you guys can talk in here so Regan doesn’t have to move more than necessary.”
She began to clear the plates, and when she took Regan’s, I heard my woman whisper, “Thank you.”
Hannah winked at me before she left the room, only to return a moment later to finish grabbing the last of the dishes.
When she was done, she closed the door behind her, leaving us alone to talk.
I knew none of the guys wanted to upset Regan, but I wasn’t cutting her out of the conversation.
Whatever was going on, she was going to know.
Information was power, and I was going to arm her with as much as she wanted.
“Where’s Ricardo?” Regan began, and the look Devlin cast down at her was telling.
No one knew. That’s as much as I got before we ran out of the war room, so anything else he’d say was new to me.
He cleared his throat before he began to explain.
“Giovanni’s phone had a number for Ricardo, but it went to a disconnected number, and with no trackable SIM card, we don’t have a way to locate him. We’re in the dark.”
“Has anyone heard from Waylon? I really think he knows more than he let on, and somehow, I don’t believe he was doing anything out of greed,” Regan said, and I could see the wheels turning in Devlin’s mind.
“What do you mean?” James asked as Rhys watched intently.
“I don’t want to go into too much detail,” she looked at me, and I understood what she didn’t want to say, “but I believe it was Waylon who made sure I was captured on a Callahan camera so you’d know where to find me.
He was the one who gave Hannah a phone to call when she was taken, and a memory keeps scratching at my brain that’s telling me Waylon was doing what he did to protect, not harm. ”
“Do you have anything besides your gut feeling?” Lucian asked, and I wanted to punch my friend in the face.
He wasn’t being rude to her, but he needed something to go on and a gut feeling wasn’t going to cut it.
“Do any of you know about some rich old guy who had a falling-out with a bank and apparently buried his money in his back yard?” Regan inquired, and after everyone gave her a confused look, she explained.
“One of the girls at Kelly’s said Waylon was hunting for some man’s missing money that no one could find after he died.
Maybe that’s where he got the money to bankroll Giovanni and Ricardo’s lifestyle while he was trying to find a way to get inside to stop the madness. ”
She shrugged like she was unsure, but her statement had validity. Waylon didn’t run, and when it was discovered that Giovanni had Regan, he called him back to Atlanta, giving her a window to escape. Someone looking for power wouldn’t care about anyone but themselves.
“I think she may be on to something. To find Ricardo, we need to find Waylon,” I reasoned.
“Let me do some digging. When exactly did you hear this woman say that?” James asked as he pulled a notepad from his pants pocket and began to take notes.
“It was the day Giovanni took me from Kelly, so about three months before you rescued me,” Regan replied.
“James, Lucian, and I need to head back to Portstill first thing tomorrow, but we’ll keep digging on our end, and when we get even a peep out of either of them, we’ll be on our way back.
Until then, go about your business but keep an eye out.
I have a feeling they’re going to pop up when we least expect it,” Devlin said, and we all stood from the table.
Regan walked over to James, and the two of them moved to the side and began to speak quietly away from everyone. I kept an eye on her as Lucian and I spoke about ways to track Ricardo, and when James hugged Regan and she returned to me, I glanced to see him smiling across the room at me.
The preppy assassin seemed to be on board with me and Regan, but every so often, I’d catch Rhys giving me weird looks. If he kept it up, I was going to have a long talk with him about butting the fuck out of mine and Regan’s business.
After hugs and handshakes, we left the dining room, and I followed Regan as she walked down the hallway toward her room. Stopping in front of the enclosed patio, she glanced at me and nodded to the outside.
I linked hands with her as we stepped into the cool night air and walked to the seating area in the middle.
The smell of wildflowers was pleasant as she stared up at the night sky.
“Did you know Rhys closed this in when I moved in after foster care?” I shook my head, and she smiled at the memory.
“He didn’t want me to wander around the grounds, but I loved being outside so much that he built this for me. I hardly come out here anymore.”
“When we start looking for a house, I’ll make sure it’s got a nice huge patio for you to enjoy.”
“You want to get a house with me?” she asked, shocked that I’d want to live with her.
Leaning over, I kissed her softly as I admitted, “I want to be able to shout to the world that you’re mine and I’m yours. And yes, I want to get a house with you, a big one that we can fill with kids, or dogs, or cats, since Edgar isn’t going anywhere.”
“Kids? You want to have kids with me?”
I smiled and replied, “Baby, I want it all. I want my ring on your finger, my baby in your belly, and my name plastered on your ass. I mean, I’m joking . . . sort of.” I offered her a reassuring smile and a wink as she looked stunned by my honesty.
Regan and I were starting fresh, but it didn’t mean that our feelings reset to zero.
For months—hell, almost a year—I’d wanted to get to know her and see what wonderful things rattled around her brain.
Now that she’s with me, I’d listen to every story, taste every new dish, wipe every tear, and celebrate every victory with her.
As long as she was beside me, we were unstoppable. And anyone who tried to keep us apart would be on the receiving end of a beating. Or worse.