“Chill.” Bee rolled her eyes. “I meant the pregnancy, bro. I don’t actually want to see it.” She scrunched up her nose. “This conversation just took a turn for the worse.”
Sergio snorted. “Good thing Chase isn’t here.”
“Ladies, I have arrived,” Chase announced from the bottom of the stairs. “Who’s the siren that made the call, because I could have sworn I heard my name.”
“Tex.” I nodded. “He needs reassurance his swimmers aren’t crap.”
“Tex swims just fine.” Chase nodded his head then tilted it. “Wait, are we talking swimming or…” He swallowed then grinned. “swimming.”
“Oh, good Lord.” Tex hung his head. “Trace is pregnant!”
“What?!” Chase’s eyes widened. “No way! Who’s the father?”
Nixon growled.
Chase inched past him and pulled Trace in for a giant hug, lifting her off the ground. “Just kidding.” He kissed her cheek. “Congrats, Trace… I can’t wait to be the godfather.”
Nixon let out a groan.
Chase shrugged and wrapped his arm around Trace. “It only makes sense,” he whispered in Trace’s ear. “Go ahead. Tell him.”
“Er…” Trace giggled. “…it really does, Nixon.”
“Family’s fun.” Tex chuckled. “Don’t you think, Serg?”
Sergio had been pretty quiet. I expected him to be scowling; instead, he was laughing, his face bright, happy. My stomach clenched. I wanted him to be like that forever — and I had no way of securing his happiness, except for the plan I’d put into motion, the plan I wasn’t even sure he would go along with.
It was a long shot.
But it was all I had.
“Nixon…” Sergio tossed some popcorn into his mouth. “…just think how much fun it will be to have Chase as the godfather…”
“Hey…” Trace looked around the room. “…where’s Mil?”
“Movie.” Chase released Trace and opened his arms. “She felt like we should have a movie night to celebrate a week since Andi and Serg have been home — oh, and the fact that nobody’s been shot at.”
“Throw a damn parade.” Frank entered the kitchen, wine glass in hand. “Sergio, a word?”
Sergio’s smile fell.
Damn.
“Sure.” He cleared his throat. “No problem.”
“Phoenix…” Frank nodded. “…you too.”
Why did it feel like the parent had just come into the room only to end all the fun?
“Let’s go.” Tex helped me up from my chair. “Time for the movie.”
Sergio walked over to me and kissed my head. “I’ll be right in. Save me a seat.”
“‘Kay.” I gripped his hand then released it and followed Tex out, but I didn’t miss Phoenix’s morose expression or the look of confusion on Sergio’s. I had a sneaking suspicion my plan was already getting set into motion.
Not by way of me.
But by way of Luca.
Someone who wasn’t even living anymore — carrying out his wishes.
Funny, we’d soon have that in common.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Sergio
FRANK POURED EACH OF US A GLASS of wine.
We drank wine all the time—it was like water; if you weren’t drinking it, you were either dead or dead. Seriously. Every other occasion called for it.
So I shouldn’t have been suspicious, and I wouldn’t have been — had Frank not asked Phoenix to stay as well.
Two bosses and me.
It wasn’t good news.
But would it be bad? What could be worse than what I’d already experienced or what I was currently experiencing?
Frank cleared his throat and slid the wine toward me slowly. His frosted black and gray hair looked more dominant in the light, casting a glow across his sharp features. I imagined around thirty years ago he probably could have given all of us guys a run for our money in the looks and all around muscle department. But now he just had the look of the patriarch of a very old and very organized business.
He swirled the wine in his glass then took a long sip. “Have you read your black folder?
I suppressed a groan. “No. And I don’t think I will.”
Phoenix tensed next to me.
I wasn’t sure why.
What the hell was so important about that damn folder?
“You should,” he encouraged. “Luca kept great tabs on not only you but some other key players in our… family.”
“I see what you’re doing.” I toyed with the stem of my wine glass. “But it won’t work. I’m curious but not so curious that I feel like reading about all the horrible things I’ve done — the horrible things I’m capable of.”
“Like you should talk,” Phoenix said under his breath.
I shot him a guilty look.
Phoenix scratched his head and leaned back. He looked less tired than he had a few minutes ago. “Look, it would be in your best interest to read it.”
I glanced between the two of them. They’d never been on the same team. Hell, the more I thought about it, they were basically natural enemies. Phoenix had tried to rape Trace; granted, that seemed like a million lifetimes ago, but Phoenix was basically the big bad wolf, the monster, the loose cannon. Out of all of us, he’s the one I’d say who was around two seconds away from losing his shit and just bombing the house because he felt like it. It made no sense.