Page 9

CHAPTER 8

CRESSIDA

I grabbed an armful of bottled waters from the fridge and carried them back over to the table where the guys sat with Bishop, Vienna, and Vienna's men, Cash and Rick.

That information had been a shock, and I was still reeling. She had men, plural. From my perspective, it worked damn well for them. It sparked hope for us.

After Vienna dropped the bombshell on the guys, Cash received a text that had us rushing out of there. If Bishop was right, Vienna had a third man named Fletcher, and he alerted them to something he'd heard on a police scanner.

They torched the house so there’d be no evidence left behind.

Vienna sat at the end of the table in Lake’s spot as Cash leaned his hands on the back of her chair. Rick, the other man, who scared me a little with his serial killer face, decided he was better off in the kitchen.

Cabinets opened and closed as he pulled out different cooking utensils and a whole lot of ingredients from the fridge.

I set water down in front of everyone at the table, pretending my hands didn't shake so badly.

I wanted to touch my boys. I wanted these other people to leave, but I was also grateful they'd helped us track them down.

Kim sat with his shoulders hunched forward and his head tipped down toward the table. It looked like his eyes were open, but without bending down, I couldn't tell.

The sight of him this way broke my heart.

I hovered my hand over the back of his neck but changed my mind. He didn't seem like he wanted anyone to comfort him, not while these strangers were in the house.

I swallowed. Maybe not even after.

Atlas watched me make my rounds around the table. That at least provided me with a little reassurance. He hadn't changed. Even if his brows puckered and ghosts flashed behind his eyes.

Lake frowned as he watched Vienna, his gaze constantly tracking between the women, Cash, and Rick. He was antsy in a way I'd never seen him behave. He didn't want them in his house, but there was a pull there too. He wanted answers and Vienna was taking her time giving them to him.

I set the last one down in front of Joaquin. His hand snaked out and snatched up the bottle. He immediately started picking at the label, ignoring everyone else.

All the seats were taken, and I had nowhere to go. I stood back, glancing around. Bishop caught my eye and motioned to her seat. I shook my head no.

What kind of silence was this?

Vienna didn't seem to notice it, not like Bishop did. Biting her lip, Bishop watched the boys with concern. Did she see what I did?

They were broken all over again, and I didn't fucking know what to do about it. While Bishop and Vienna's crew were here, I couldn't talk to them. Not like I wanted to.

Clearing my throat, I turned to Vienna. "How did your father know to take down the Curator?"

Vienna smiled a secretive smile as Cash grunted. Rick was still happily banging away in the kitchen. Did this mean they weren't going to leave anytime soon? God, I hoped not.

"My dad has one mission in life, to rid the world of the terrible people the justice system failed to punish. The Curator was a man who was never going to pay for his sins, not with his money and connections. When Dad found out about it, he tracked him down and did what he had to do."

That jolted Joaquin out of his trance. "Is he friends with Ratio?"

Cash scowled and another grunt slipped from his lips as Vienna startled. "You know Ratio?"

I took a few steps to the side so I could see Joaquin's face.

This was torture.

It was my childhood all over again. I ached to be so close to them that I'd tracked them down just to catch a glimpse of their faces.

This time is different , I reminded myself.

I was here. I could help them. I could figure out what they needed and be that for them.

A blank expression settled over Joaquin's features as he set the water bottle down and sat back. "He's been helping us since we went out on our own."

He didn't provide any more details, not even after he glanced at Cash who was practically vibrating with the need to ask questions. Did he not like Ratio?

My first instinct was to question if Ratio was a bad man, but I squashed it. Instead, I listened and watched, reserving my judgments.

Everyone had the capacity for both good and bad. Sometimes, you needed a little bad to achieve the good. I glanced between Bishop and Vienna.

Vienna's eyes softened. "That's good. I'm glad to hear it. My dad will be too."

Joaquin gave one slow shake of his head as Lake zeroed in on him. "Ratio said he helped us on a request of someone important to him. What are the chances that’s your dad?"

Again, Vienna blinked, surprised. This time, there wasn't a softness but maybe a thread of hurt. "Who knows? It's possible," she said quietly.

A delicious, savory aroma wafted from the stove where Rick was sautéing vegetables while also prepping a pan and mixing...some kind of dough.

I rubbed my hands on the sides of my pants. I was nasty. I needed a shower, but I couldn't leave them. They needed showers worse than I did. While Bishop, Vienna, and I had a few streaks of dirt on our clothes and the random blood splatter, the boys had dirt caked in their hair, their suits were ruined by stains and ripped-off buttons.

And Lake…he was covered in dried blood.

Yet, everyone sat around the table like this was normal. It wasn't.

Something sizzled in the kitchen and Vienna cast a look so filled with love toward Rick, I had to look away.

She had three men. Not unlike what I wanted for myself with these boys. How did she make it work?

I wasn't sure it was even worth asking. My boys were so fucked up, I was just as fucked up in a different way. It was hard not to seem doomed from the start.

No. I clamped my teeth together.

I wanted them. They wanted me. It could be argued that there was a need there that surpassed typical relationships given our childhood ties.

We were going to make this work. I was determined.

"Cress," Bishop called my name.

There was compassion in her eyes and it caused my own to mist over. So few times in my life had I ever experienced this kind of care and right then, in a moment when the guys needed it, I was perilously close to breaking.

She should be showing them kindness, not me. They needed it more than I did.

"I'll fill Books in, and I'll connect with some contacts in the Network. This won't get out. And I'll make sure any trace of..." she hesitated, " it will all be gone."

"Damn right, it will. It already is. That was the purpose of setting a match to that fucked up house," Cash added.

Waving a hand, Vienna added, "Fletcher is already on it. No one will find anything that places you there, or even on that asshole's radar."

Joaquin visibly shuddered as Lake's shoulders dropped. They needed to hear that.

"Where's Gio?" Lake's question caught me off guard, and I snapped my focus to his face. His mouth was a grim slash as his hazel blue eyes drilled into me.

I sucked in a stuttering breath. I'd told Bishop what happened, how I ran from them, and I'd purposely not thought of them since. Maybe that was dumb now that we were back at their house where Gio could show up at any second.

My heart skipped a beat as everyone's gazes landed on me.

I opened my mouth, but Bishop beat me to it.

"I rescued her from them. It seemed that they had a different agenda than the most important one. Saving your asses."

Lake's eyes flared with anger and he never moved them from my face. "What did they do?"

I needed to tell them, but I glanced at Vienna and Cash out of the corner of my eyes. "Can we discuss this later? After you guys have settled in?"

Cash tapped Vienna's shoulder as Rick scraped a spoon across the bottom of a mixing bowl. The stove was off and he was assembling some kind of dish.

"My dark angel, I think that's our cue to leave. It looks like Rick is done anyway."

It was true. Whatever Rick made was in the oven and he was rinsing dishes in the sink before stacking them in the dishwasher. I'd never seen someone so meticulous and efficient. There wasn't a speck of flour on the counter and he already had the leftover ingredients put away.

Sighing, she touched her fingers to the back of Cash's hand. "You're right." Then she pushed her seat back and met my gaze. "We'll head out, but you have my number now, Cressida. If you need anything..." She smiled. "And I do mean anything, give us a ring. I'm part of the same network as Bishop and Ratio, and my men and I are what you'd consider a jack-of-all-trades."

"You take jobs?" From what Bishop had explained, the Network was a system of criminals for hire. But what they did–what Bishop did–didn't seem like they were the bad guys. They just did bad things for the right reasons.

That thought rocked my world upside down.

Wiping his hands on a dishtowel before sliding it neatly on the handle of the oven, Rick turned his head our way. "I made cheesy biscuit casserole. It's like a pot pie type of meal with protein and vegetables. An easy one-pan dish. Take it out of the oven in twenty-five minutes or when the biscuits are browned on top. I did make a garlic butter mixture there by the stove. Brush it on the biscuits a few minutes before you take it out. The dish is big enough, you should get a couple meals out of it."

It was weird how dead his eyes were as he told us cooking instructions.

Standing, Vienna touched Cash's shoulder before she walked over to Rick. His face showed unexpected warmth when she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, Rick."

He smiled down at her.

"Come on, Bishop. We'll chat on the way out. I want to know how our paths haven't officially crossed before now."

Bishop came around and gave me a quick hug. She whispered in my ear, "I called in a favor and the police are patrolling their street. If Gio and his associates give you any trouble, they'll see it and take them in."

"Police?" That wasn't good. Everyone had said no police. Why bring them in now?

She pulled back and winked. "These men are on network payroll. So don't worry about them. They'll also identify themselves if they approach the house so you know who you're dealing with. Call me if you need anything." Then to the boys, "I'm glad you're home safe. Let Cressida take care of you."

Resolve stiffened my spine as they walked out, leaving me with the boys.

For several minutes, the only sound was the fan of the oven and the thundering of my heart in my ears.

The boys were devastated, practically comatose at the table, and I had no fucking idea how to help them. Every passing second that I didn't say something clogged in my throat.

Lake pressed his chest against the table. "Kim," he said softly. "Why don’t you go shower?"

I should have said that. I'd thought it, but I'd missed my chance.

Kim raised his head. Instead of addressing Lake, he swiveled to stare at my chin. "Beasty, thank you for saving us. Again."

A breath whooshed out of me. "You don't have to thank me for tha–"

"But I think it's best if you leave. Joaquin, can you make sure she has a card to pay for transportation or a rental house?"

My heart cracked right down the fucking center as his words registered. I'd saved them. Again.

And they didn't want me.

A-fucking-gain.