Page 42 of Kill Shot

Was Nico outraged? Thankful? He didn’t even know how to begin answering that question. His head pounding and his thoughts in complete disarray, Nico could only listen to the flick of a latch and the clinking of glass, followed by the startlingly sweet melody of liquid pouring.

As Pablo returned to his seat, he set one glass in front of Nico, then took a second back to his own seat. By the time he sat down and situated himself, Nico had managed to slow his pounding heart and recover, even if only slightly.

When he opened his mouth, he had no idea what was going to come out.

“I understand.”

But did he? The words felt right, but were they?

He looked to Pablo for a clue, but the older man just sat with his drink in his hand, watching with brows twisted in faint sympathy.

“You went through the same thing, didn’t you?” Nico asked without thinking. “After your wife died, you took revenge, and you didn’t rest until you’d extinguished every trace of your enemy.”

Pablo took a sip, then sighed, half in satisfaction and half in resignation. “Not every trace. And that was my greatest regret.”

“You have a point there,” Nico conceded, then took a large gulp of his own.

That instantly proved to be a terrible mistake.

The burn in his throat exceeded all expectations, and Nico’s eyes were watering as he fought down the desperate urge to cough.

He’d been expecting smooth, sophisticated whisky, but this was a harsh, low-grade kind.

It was the last thing he expected Pablo to keep on hand, especially in fancy cabinets in his inordinately tasteful dining room.

“It’s best sipped,” Pablo said with an ironic chuckle. “I like to keep it on hand for times like these.”

Unfortunately, Nico knew exactly what he meant. He took a sip this time, and it was just as horrible, but it was easier to fight back his reaction.

Yeah, he knew what it was like to want to torture himself. He and Pablo were two peas in a pod there.

“I thought I’d go the rest of my life hating you.

” Nico licked his lips to suffer through every last nasty drop.

“I wasn’t under any illusions. I didn’t think that killing you would bring me peace or even a sense of real satisfaction.

I figured that I’d just be a hateful, spiteful tool until the day I died, trudging onward and doing as Bolero commanded until my luck finally ran out.

How can you trust your son to human trash like me? ”

“Because you were right earlier,” Pablo said gently. “I was just like you. I was a ruthless, soulless bastard, and I was ready to throw everything else away in pursuit of vengeance. There was only one thing that brought me back from the edge. Only one person .”

Nico swallowed. “Seb.”

“Seb,” Pablo agreed. “He saved me, and now he can save you, if you’ll let him.”

A vivid image painted in Nico’s mind of a young, trembling Seb waiting every day for his papa to return home. How scared must he have been? And yet he had survived, both then and now.

Pablo was still watching Nico intently over the rim of his glass.

“Then I accept.”

The words rang out in the silence, and for a painful moment, Nico thought that he might have just made a terrible, terrible mistake.

But no, he knew this was right. Even if this was a trick, even if Pablo was about to cast him out forever, he needed to make an effort at least. The apology, the camaraderie, the job offer, and everything else in between. He needed to take the first step and stop closing himself off.

None of those things were said aloud. They were too embarrassing, and the wounds were still too fresh, yet they both understood one another anyway.

But maybe one day his memories wouldn’t be as painful when he looked at Pablo Altamirano.

The door to the dining room burst open, and Seb swept into the room, his hair a tousled mess and his collar crooked.

“You started without me! You said that dinner would be at seven, didn’t you?”

Pablo, the accused, just smiled fondly. “I did, but Nicolas and I had some business to discuss first, and I figured it would take about this long to resolve. Isn’t that so, Nico?”

Nico scoffed. It was truly uncanny how Pablo could predict things so accurately. He had known just how long it would take for Nico to have his mini-breakdown and recover. Either that or it was pure luck, and that would be even more valuable to a man in their line of work.

But then Nico’s attention was snared by Seb, who was warmly greeting his father with a hug before hurrying to take his place at the chair across from Nico. Servants promptly filed into the room, bearing plates, glasses, and utensils for the son of the household.

Nico could instantly tell Seb was nervous.

From the flick of his finger to the way his gaze didn’t quite meet Nico’s, Seb was desperately trying to cover up just how anxious he was.

When he spoke, it was loud and boisterous, as if compensating.

Perhaps it all would have been too subtle for Nico to notice a few months ago, but he’d grown impossibly aware of every little move Seb made.

In the years to come, just how many more tells and quirks would he learn by heart?

Just as Nico was about to set Seb at ease, Seb sprung to his feet and hurried around the table. Before Nico could even react, he was being pulled into a wet, affectionate kiss. It wasn’t exactly clumsy, but Seb’s enthusiasm made it messy.

Right in front of his dad, Seb had claimed Nico. He couldn’t have sent a louder message if he’d shouted it from the rooftops.

“Hi,” he whispered shyly into Nico’s ear, then he scurried back to his seat once more.

Completely taken aback, there was nothing Nico could say to that. He couldn’t stop the heat that crawled up his neck, or to his cock for that matter. Seb had grown far more bold with his affections these days. If he wanted something, he took it. And Nico was more than happy to oblige.

“Oh, Dad, did I tell you I managed to get the foundation registered? I’ve also received some tentative offers from a few other agencies about collaborations. So far, everything seems to be going smoothly!”

Nico watched on as father and son chatted, alternating between Pablo savoring his drink while his son gushed about the foundation he’d set up for his social work agency, and Seb chowing down while his father asked insightful questions.

There was a sense of ease and familiarity that Nico knew he could never achieve on his own no matter how many years he spent in pursuit of it.

But maybe, just maybe, he could join the little haven they’d already created.

“What do you think, Nico?” Pablo asked suddenly.

Nico smiled faintly and was about to reject the offer to contribute politely, but then he caught himself. Maybe it started with small steps like this. All he had to do was accept the invitations that Pablo and Seb handed him so easily.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he said instead. “Do you want some company when you go out to deliver your proposal, Sebby?”

And the brilliant smile Seb gave Nico made it all worth it.

“Sure! Will you be free on… Wednesday? I think that would work best.”

“Absolutely,” Nico said. “Pick any day you want, and I’ll be free for you.”

From the corner of his eyes, Nico caught Pablo smiling at their exchange with a satisfied look on his face.

Maybe there was a place for him after all, and maybe there was a life after vengeance. He wouldn’t be looking over his shoulder or sleeping with one eye open like he’d thought.

Nico returned Seb’s smile, feeling warmth bloom in his chest.

Perhaps he might have that moment of peace he’d been searching for after all.