Page 29 of Lane (East Dremest Mafia #5)

ALTON

I couldn’t wrap my mind around what they were telling me. Raiden and Lane were involved in a situation where both of them could have been hurt. Luckily, they weren’t, but they were in front of the man who brought on the attack against Raiden’s family’s home. The one that killed his father.

The shock must have registered on my face because the next thing I knew, Lane crouched in front of where I sat on the couch, my hands in his. Raiden had somehow wedged himself behind me, his arms around my waist.

“We’re okay,” Lane said. “Nothing happened.”

“But it did. And it could again. Don’t you see that? Your lives are dangerous and I’m fucking helpless. There’s nothing I can do to stop anyone from hurting either of you.”

“You knew who we were when you entered a relationship with us. Do you… do you want to reconsider that?”

“No!” I rushed to say. “Absolutely not. I’m just trying to reconcile this and figure out how to deal with how dangerous your jobs are.

I knew, don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen enough damage to bodies, including to Raiden’s and yours, but this…

You’re mine. What if I can’t save you?” I almost tacked on like I couldn’t save Thane, but I managed to close my mouth in time to stop it from coming out.

The death was still fresh in our minds, Raiden having to live with the pain of missing his dad daily.

“I’m sorry,” Raiden whispered. His face was tucked against the side of my neck, warm breath puffing on my skin. “I hate that we worry you, but this is what we do.”

“I know.” I let out a breath. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t get angry or upset when you tell me what happened during your day. The last thing I want is for you to keep shit like this from me. I can handle situations better if I know what I’m coming home to.”

“Home?” Lane asked.

“You know what I mean.”

I’d only been to my house since Raiden’s dad died to gather more belongings and bring them here. Oh, and water the plants. They were still alive, thankfully. My home was nothing more than a storage area now.

Raiden propped his chin on my shoulder. “You two should move in with me. Not just store your stuff in the closet and leave when you need more. Stay here permanently.”

“Are you asking out of necessity or because you actually want us to live with you?” I asked. “This is a big step. We’ve only just said we loved each other.”

“Not out of necessity. I want you here. It feels right. I’m not sure if I could go back to sleeping by myself. And no, that’s not the only reason I want you here.”

“I’m in,” Lane said. “But only if Al is. All or nothing, right?”

Raiden nodded. “All or nothing.”

“Can I keep my house?” I’d worked hard on it and paid it off well before the mortgage was finished.

“I’m not asking you to give everything up. Keep whatever you want.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, as in you’ll move in?” The hope in Raiden’s voice made my lips curve into a smile.

“Yes.”

He squeezed me tighter then reached for Lane, who stood to straddle my lap. “You’ve both made me very happy.”

“Good, because I’m happy too,” Lane said.

“Back to the dangerous situation you were in last night,” I reminded them. “Lane, you haven’t seen this man in years, and he suddenly shows up and wants twenty mil?”

“Yup. Family is fun, isn’t it? Shit, sorry, Ray.”

“Don’t be. I was lucky. Am lucky. I hate that you didn’t have that.”

“It’s okay. I have both of you and family I didn’t know about before. I’m doing pretty damn good.”

There was a knock on the door. Before we could move so Raiden could see who it was, the door opened, and Jordan strolled in with Reghan and Barrett behind him. Lane didn’t even attempt to move from my lap.

“You couldn’t wait for us to answer?” Lane asked. “We could have been fucking. Not for nothing, but no one sees these cocks but me.”

“I don’t give a shit about anyone’s cock,” Jordan growled and paced over to the window. “We have shit to deal with and you two haven’t come up for air since we got back.”

“We had to fill Al in. I get you don’t want to upset your men and that’s totally your choice, but Al is the one who patches us up when we’re hurt.

He’s our love. We’re going to tell him when shit gets ugly.

Also, he’s moving in with Ray and so am I.

Say hello to two of your closest new neighbors. ” Lane grinned.

Jordan spun on his heel. “Fucking fantastic. Why didn’t you tell me about your goddamn godfather?”

“Fresh hell, are we seriously going to rehash this? We went through this in the restaurant. I had no idea if he was even alive nor that my asshole pretend father owed him money. You probably knew more about my background than I did so really this is on you, not me.”

Jordan stalked closer.

My arms instinctively went around Lane. “You know I’m loyal to you, Jordan,” I began calmly. “But if you hurt either of these men, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“Alton, I don’t give a fuck about your threats.

We could have been killed today by a person who wasn’t on my goddamn radar.

I don’t even know where the fuck he went when he left.

That makes him even more dangerous. Moreover, he’s working with people I know.

There’s no way to tell who I can trust. So you can take your protective bullshit and shove it up your ass. I have my own partners to worry about.”

He had a point. I didn’t say that nor did I release the hold I had on Lane. Raiden was still wrapped around me too.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say,” Lane stated.

“I’ve told you everything I know, which is next to nothing.

Whatever business he had with Edison I wasn’t privy too.

The only thing we can do now is go on the defensive, which we are.

You’re sure as hell not handing him the money.

Fuck him. He didn’t suffer in that family like I did, like my mom did.

Even if I still had the money, I wouldn’t give it to him. Edison’s debts aren’t mine.”

Jordan raked a hand through his hair. “I swear, every day is a new pile of bullshit. Why can’t I have an enemy I can fucking see and face head-on. I currently have this motherfucker thinking he can demand money from me. I need to find and kill him before the three days are up.”

“I want his blood on my hands,” Raiden said, his body tensing. “He killed our dad. Reghan and I deserve to deliver justice.”

Nodding, Jordan said, “You do. I’ll kill whoever it is who’s betraying me then.”

“I’m glad we got that settled,” I muttered.

Eventually, Lane stood, and Raiden released me, though they didn’t go far.

We sat together on the couch while Jordan covered the logistics of how security was going to work.

Basically, there was to always be a guard on those at risk unless they were in his building.

Raiden had Lane and vice versa. I was apparently getting a new guard, one more skilled.

“I’ll do it,” Sheldon said, entering the apartment. The door had been propped open when the others came in.

“It’s not the worst idea,” I replied. “You’re not overly intimidating and you won’t fly off in a fit of rage for no reason.”

“Thanks for boosting my ego, Doc.”

“I have patients to worry about, Sheldon. I can’t have just anyone walking around my practice with me.”

"You can pay me in medication.”

“No.”

He pouted, sticking out his bottom lip. “But I like the liquid forms of things. I make pretty vials that kill people.”

“Again, no.”

“I’m not sure if I want to guard you anymore.”

“I’m devastated.”

Lane chuckled. “Sheldon is going to be perfect to watch over you.”

“Right, because my patients are after me.”

“Hey, you don’t know if my asshole godfather will make an appointment under a false name, to get in front of you. He’s dug through all of us. He has to know I’m involved with you and Raiden.”

I dropped my head back on the couch and closed my eyes.

Why did this have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t we have a calm, happy life?

The answer was obvious. This was who these men were.

They didn’t err on the side of caution. They jumped into the fray and thrived there.

Once this was over, I had to hope it would calm down for a bit.

“We’re going to be okay,” Raiden whispered. His shoulder pressed to mine. This was one of those instances where I’d feel better after this was handled. Where the people I cared about were safe.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation as it drifted from planning to preparation to I had no clue.

It wasn’t my field of expertise. My mind wandered to coming home here every day, to the men I loved, and seeing them on the couch, safe and together so I didn’t have to worry what I’d be walking into.

They’d call if they needed my help, but that didn’t ease my fears.

Much later, the room was quiet after, everyone but the three of us left. I wasn’t sure if their presence solved anything. Then again, I didn’t pay attention.

“When do you want to move in?” Raiden asked.

“Tomorrow?” was Lane’s reply. “It’s not like I have to go far. The furniture and other shit in the apartment will stay with it. I can move my belongings easily.”

“Alton, you can bring whatever you want from your place. Ideally, we would have been able to move in there. It’s a gorgeous home, but with the jobs we have?—”

“It’s not a possibility,” I supplied. “I get it. In all honesty, I’m happy being wherever you two are.

I’ll go through my belongings and bring what I can.

I’ve been accumulating things over the years.

I wonder if I can do something else with the home, something good so it doesn’t sit unoccupied.

” I’d have to think about it and figure out how to repurpose it.

If the relationship I had with Lane and Raiden was going to keep thriving, I couldn’t live half there and half here. I had to fully be here, which meant my home needed another purpose.

“There are people who need a soft place to land,” Raiden said.

“You’d be surprised how many times we find victims who don’t know where to go or what to do because they no longer feel safe.

You could offer your home to them. Although, you’ll need someone to oversee it and be there for them, but it’s an idea. ”

“A good one,” I told him.

Helping others was my passion. If I could provide comfort, a safe space for people to heal, that would be a very good idea.