Chapter 25 Wylder
WYLDER
The mood is surprisingly upbeat as we join the others in the conference room. Given what we’re here to discuss, you’d think everyone would be more…somber.
“Then his head popped like a grape,” Samson tells Harley, using his hands to emphasize the action. “Never seen that happen before. I’m telling you, you’ve got to try it.”
“It was impressive,” Cade says. “The way his eyes just popped out. Looked like raspberries.”
Wyatt shudders, tucked up against Matthias. He soothes him with a stroke to his back.
I suppose my brothers did release some tension with the torture and murder last night. And from the tired expressions around the table, I’d wager that everyone else did in other ways.
Harley gives Samson a withering look. “I’ll stick to my guns, thanks.”
A plate of pastries appears before me as Neo slides into his seat. “Here. Eat.”
I do as instructed, freezing with a blueberry scone halfway to my mouth. “Where’s yours?”
“You think I can eat with this conversation? Grape heads and raspberry eyes?” He shudders. “No, thanks.”
I glance around and note more than one green face listening to Samson likening the skin coming off of our captive’s face to an orange peel. Rapping my knuckles on the table, I draw my brother’s attention. “Enough. Save it for a more appropriate time.”
He leans back in his chair and takes a bite of an apple. “Can’t think of a more appropriate time than this one.”
I meet his stare with a level one of my own. “I know it’s hard for you to be considerate, but try. There are more of us now.”
He gives me a long-suffering stare, but nods, continuing to chew.
“Speaking of which, we need a bigger table,” Dalton says, cutting a sausage with the side of his fork. “And more chairs. We keep stealing them from the dining room.”
Dalton’s not wrong. Once, it was just the six of us. But now, with Neo, Ansel, Wyatt, Jackson, and Jules, that number has almost doubled. “I’ll put it on my to-do list.”
“No,” Neo corrects. “That’s something someone else can do, yes?”
My brothers blink in surprise at the stern glare Neo is giving them all. Matthias recovers first. “Of course. I’ll get it arranged.”
“Thank you.” I squeeze Neo’s knee under the table so he knows I’m thanking him too. “I…appreciate it.”
“I know you do. Now, see how easy that was?” Neo mutters under his breath as a quiet conversation breaks out.
“Didn’t feel easy.”
“It will,” he replies confidently. “The more you do it, the more natural it’ll feel.”
“We’ll see.”
“We shall. I’ll be right, and so smug about it.”
I smirk. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, brat.”
When the plates are clear and shoved to the middle, the light mood evaporates. We know what needs to be discussed.
Jules goes to leave, but Harley grabs his wrist. “Where are you going?”
He flushes and responds in a quiet voice. “I’m not part of the family, chérie. Just the help.”
Harley’s nostrils flare as he yanks Jules onto his lap and bands his arms around him, nuzzling his face into his neck. “Stop saying that. You’re not just the help.”
“Harley’s right,” I add. “You should stay, Jules. Several others here are not officially Buckinghams, but they’re staying all the same.”
He squirms on Harley’s lap, but my brother is holding him too firmly. He gives up and sighs. “I am not like the others. I’m not a…boyfriend or a husband.”
No. He’s not. But with how deeply Harley obviously cares for him? He may as well be. The reality is that all these men are here because someone loves them. Love in this world is dangerous.
A tool that can be used against you.
With how frequently Jules is featured in the photos both Neo and Ansel have found, they already know he can be used against Harley.
Which means he stays.
I go to say something further, but Neo speaks before I can. “Sit, Cheffy. We all want you here. Right, gang?”
A memory hits me of a meeting just like this, where the others argued that Neo should be allowed to stay.
“Neo’s a distraction. We don’t know if we can trust him.”
I cringe thinking of my words now. I wasn’t wrong—Neo is a distraction, but in the best possible way.
But I was wrong about being able to trust him. Turns out, there’s no one I trust more in this world. He’s able to see past the mask I put on, to the real me inside. He knows exactly what I need, and he makes sure I get it.
Affirmations ring out from all around the table. Jules ducks his head, hiding his smile. “Merci. Thank you.”
Harley releases him, only for Jules to immediately slide back into his own chair. He folds his hands on the table, keeping his gaze steadily fixed on them.
Just as Harley keeps his gaze fixed on Jules.
Before I can contemplate too long why the two of them don’t just fuck, Samson fills us in on the information they gathered from the perps last night. It ties in with the evidence Ansel handed us several months ago, leading us to believe it’s the truth.
“This is him.” Neo has been tapping at his laptop while Samson talks. He spins it so we can all see the screen. “Gordon Marino. Up and coming crypto millionaire with rumored connections to the Sicilian Mafia.”
My eyes flick to Dalton. “Who do we know there?”
He rubs a hand over his beard, barely covering his smirk. “I’m in touch with Dante.”
“By which he means, he regularly touches Dante,” Samson says, waggling his brows.
Jackson’s jaw goes tight, and his eyes lower.
If Dalton notices, he doesn’t comment on it, just fixes Samson with a flat look. “Don’t be so crude. If you must know, the Cavallaro family is opening up operations on the East Coast. He reached out as a matter of courtesy.”
Oblivious to the tension surrounding Jackson, Samson continues. “And then he fucked you.”
Dalton gives a lazy grin and adjusts himself. “I will neither confirm nor deny.”
Jackson’s chest expands and deflates, but he says nothing. He’s not even looking at Dalton. But Wyatt is. Like he’s about to take Matthias’s dagger and plant it right between Dalton’s eyes.
From the expression on Matthias’s face, he’ll let him.
Before all hell can break loose, I move us along. “Reach out immediately. I want reassurances that we won’t have any pushback from anyone on their side. Find out what we need to offer to get the other families on our side.”
“Done and done,” Dalton says, already typing on his phone. He’s still wearing his grin as he puts it back into his pocket. “Shame we need reassurances so fast. Would love an excuse to pay him a visit.”
Samson claps him on the back. “You should consider a thank-you visit.”
“Already planning on it. Because there’s no way the Sicilians won’t rally behind us. Umbra might be powerful, but they’re the new kids on the block. We have connections in this territory going back generations.”
Connections that owe us for many requests granted. I have no issue calling them in if needed.
“If there is any pushback, remind them that we never requested payment for the mess we dealt with regarding Emil’s daughter,” I advise, stroking my stubble. I went to shave this morning, but when Neo told me he liked how the burn felt on his thighs, I put the razor down.
“There won’t be any pushback,” Dalton says.
No, I don’t expect there will be. “Still, I like to have plans A, B, and C in place, just in case.”
“Unless we’re counting Dalton pushing back on Dante’s cock.”
Samson’s lewd comment has Jackson standing up quickly. His skin’s so pale I can see the veins underneath. “Sorry. Excuse me.”
Wyatt waits until the door closes behind his brother. “Seriously, did you want to make Jackson watch a home video of Dante fucking Dalton, or is the explicit description enough?” he seethes.
Samson rocks back on his chair, tossing the apple core on the table. “Not my fault that the kid has a crush. It’s not like it’ll ever be returned. He should know the reality of the situation before he hurts himself even more.”
“I disagree. You don’t need to rub Jackson’s nose in it.
He can’t help how he feels. He’s just a kid.
” Wyatt’s glare is murderous, and Matthias’s isn’t much better.
I give Matthias a small shake of my head, letting him know I’ll be pissed if Samson is decommissioned.
Any fight they want to have can wait until after Umbra and Gordon Marino have been dealt with.
“And I can’t stop living my life because he stupidly caught feelings for me,” Dalton says bluntly before sighing. “But you’re right. Samson, you’ve got the tact of a fucking cactus.”
Samson shrugs. “Or you’ve all become soft now that you’re all in love.”
Neo grins widely. “Wylder’s anything but soft with me.”
“Same with Cade.” Ansel winks at his friend.
Neo’s comment has the intended impact as lighthearted bickering breaks out, the tension leeching away.
We have more planning to do, but with Dalton now trying to slip out of the room unseen, it’ll have to wait a few more minutes.
When he returns, a tight-lipped Jackson in tow, I decide to wrap things up. “I think it’s best we take out Gordon before he gathers another team to send out.”
Cade nods. “Tell me that’s going to be done soon?”
“Yes. As soon as we have the confirmation from the Sicilians.” I brace myself, knowing exactly how well the next statement will go over. “It’ll just be the Buckinghams. Everyone else will be staying behind in the panic room with several guards.”
There’s a heartbeat of silence.
Then chaos breaks out.
Everyone is talking over each other. My brothers are in agreement with me.
Neither Matthias nor Cade want their partners involved.
They’d be more of a hindrance than anything.
And Harley is insisting Jules stay in the panic room rather than returning to Matthias’s house.
Even Dalton and Jackson are shouting loudly at one another.
I wonder how much of that is connected to this…or if it’s tension from what happened earlier.
To my surprise, the only one silent is Neo. He’s reclined in his chair, watching this all play out with a small smirk on his face.