Page 19 of C is For Corruption (Horsemen #3)

Az

After days of hitting the streets with Phil after the others had gone to bed, we finally had a semi-accurate headcount and a secure warehouse to gather everyone.

Word went out for all remaining crew members to meet there at midnight.

We told anyone who thought they might have a tail to phone it in if they could find a secure place to make the call.

Craig had talked Phil through his tech wizardry to ensure we could have a conference call in a deserted warehouse.

“Dawn wants everyone at the table in five for dinner,” Victoria’s voice called from the doorway of Ian’s office as I skimmed over what little information I’d gathered on the streets.

She moved from the doorway toward where I sat at the desk.

“You look tired, have you been sleeping at all? Don’t lie to me either.

I’ve heard you sneaking out the past few nights. ”

“I sleep when I can. There’s too much to do and not enough bodies to get it done.” I replied with a slight shrug. “I’m finished up for now, though. Let me just wash up and I’ll join everyone at the dinner table.”

“If you’re not down in ten, I’m coming back, and I’ll drag you to the table if I have to.” She said with a smirk. I raised a brow and shook my head in amusement.

As promised, I joined everyone at the table five minutes later. Sliding into the only empty seat left between Craig and Leighton, I made a show of settling in for Victoria. She smiled and rolled her eyes before turning to ask Dawn if she needed any help.

“I’m glad everyone made it to dinner,” Dawn said, waving away Victoria’s offer to help.

“We’ve all been under the same roof for a week or so, but I feel like we haven’t spent any real time together as a family.

We need it. We can grieve alone all we like, but there’s nothing as healing as coming together as family. ”

I cast a sidelong glance at Joey, waiting for his response to Dawn’s statement.

Surprisingly, even Joey stayed quiet, looking down at his plate.

I moved my gaze toward Ian, who reached out from where he sat beside her and gently squeezed her hand.

He wore the same soft expression I’d always remembered him having whenever he looked at his wife.

Dawn smiled back at him and then flapped her free hand at the rest of us.

“I didn’t put in all that work in the kitchen for nothing, eat up before it gets cold.”

Ian made Dawn’s plate, then his own, before the rest of us dug in.

Dawn talked around the table as she ate, taking time to speak to each of us as if this were a regular catch-up.

Joey mumbled his responses, barely able to look at his mother before she moved on to Craig.

She fretted over the state of his injuries with motherly concern.

Craig must have answered a few dozen questions and offered just as many reassurances before she moved her attention to me.

“And how are you, Az? You’re the one carrying the weight of things now.

I know you boys never liked me in your business, but Rich would call me when things got too heavy.

He would tell me enough that I could give him my thoughts and advice.

” Her voice was steady, but nobody could miss the hint of sadness that tinged her words.

“You know, if you ever need the same, you can come to me.”

I saw Joey stiffen, looking at his mother with an open look of betrayal before he turned inward, scowling at his plate. The deep frown that etched Ian’s face as he studied his son didn’t escape my notice.

“I appreciate that, Dawn, truly I do. I’ve got the other three to lean on, but I’ll keep your offer in mind should I ever find myself in need of it.”

Dawn gave me an approving smile before chuckling. “In that case, the rest of you boys, and you Victoria, any of you up for a bet on what the tick will be? Rich took after his father and always pinched the bridge of his nose when he was at his limit.”

“I’ll take that action!” Leighton said enthusiastically.

“I’m pretty sure that’s cheating, Leighton. You can’t do Dawn like that!” Victoria chastised him.

“What? He hasn’t settled into it being a tick yet!” Leighton pouted.

Craig leaned forward and raised his voice to be heard over Leighton continuing to argue with Victoria. “Az has been tugging at his hair constantly lately,” he explained to Dawn. “That’s most definitely settling in to be his tick.”

“It is not a tick. It just eases the headache you three cause!” I retorted.

“See!” Leighton shouted.

“You little scoundrel!” Dawn laughed, turning her attention to Leighton. “Well, aside from attempting to make a fixed bet with little ol’ me, what have you been into? You disappeared there for a few days and nobody would tell me anything at all.”

Her continued conversation with the others faded to background noise as I finished my meal. My mind was busy reviewing what needed to happen at the meeting later, and nothing else registered. It wasn’t until I insisted on doing the cleanup that I zoned back into the present.

I gathered the plates from the table and walked into the kitchen, where Victoria was shooing Dawn away from the sink, insisting that she take care of the dishes since Dawn had cooked for all of us.

“Let us take care of it,” I interjected, putting the plates in the sink and a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “The meal was delicious as always.” Victoria made another shooing motion and Dawn smiled despite narrowing her eyes before she huffed and left us to clean up.

“Thanks for the assist, I didn’t think she was going to let me do anything,” Victoria said.

“She probably wouldn’t have. You’ll have to come around a little more before she stops treating you like a guest.” I chuckled, scraping off food into the garbage disposal and rinsing dishes before handing them to Victoria to put into the dishwasher.

“It took her ages to even start using the dishwasher.”

“You’d think with me hopping between Craig and Leighton’s bed, she’d have either dropped the politeness or ratched it up to an uncomfortable level.” Victoria chuckled.

“Nah, Dawn’s not judgemental like that. She’s seen it all living in the southside and has always made it clear to us that she just wanted us happy and healthy.

” I chuckled, my memories of Dawn through the years playing like a flip book in my mind.

“And I’ve heard a few stories growing up.

She was quite the character herself before she settled down. ”

“So, no weird politeness politics if she catches me slipping into your room tonight then?” Victoria grinned, taking the next dish from my hand, before turning serious.

“Just to sleep though. I miss you, you’re so busy lately that I feel like the only time I could possibly get with you is cuddled up asleep. ”

I grimaced, not only at her words but at the knowledge I was about to reject her offer. “As much as I wish we could, Love, tonight isn’t a good night. Me, Leighton, and Joey are meeting our people and I’m not sure how long that’s going to take.”

“I could come.” She said, not an ounce of hesitation in her voice.

“No,” I replied quickly, then sighed, realizing how that probably sounded. “Not because I think you need to stay put, but because this is Horsemen business.”

“Okay, and?” Victoria huffed, putting her hands on her hips and turning to face me fully.

I turned to face her fully, fighting the urge to tug my hair after the conversation at the dinner table. “You’re not a Horsemen, Victoria. A partner, yes, but you don’t have the training or experience to weigh in on our business.”

“I realize that I’m not officially a member of your boy’s club,” she spat, “But I’ve been through enough both with and for the Horsemen. When is it going to be enough to have some kind of voice or stakes here?”

“Don’t make me the asshole here, damn it.

Yes, you’ve been through a lot with us, and yes, whoever mixed you up in our business was using you to target us, but don’t forget Princess , that every damned time, it’s been our skill that’s saved your ass.

Let’s say I let you come, one, you aren’t part of the organization, your mere presence will cause people to question our authority.

But let’s say for argument’s sake, they accept the bullshit reasoning that you’re there for your protection.

You are safer here. You had, what, a few weeks of self defense training while everything has been going to shit?

You don’t have the skills to protect yourself if shit goes sideways at the meeting place.

And the odds aren’t in our fucking favor right now, Victoria.

So much so that Craig is staying behind because he understands that his injuries currently make him a liability. ”

The entire time I was speaking, Victoria merely stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. She weighed my words for a moment, and I could see the wheels in her head turning.

“I… see your point. I don’t want to, everything in me says you’re being an Az-hole.

” She sighed heavily, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“I’m tired of being left behind, and I’m tired of being reactive rather than proactive to keep not only myself safe, but you four as well.

” I opened my mouth to speak, and she made a ‘shut’ motion with her hand.