Page 49

Lucas

“Thank you for being here.”

I glance over at my little sister. We’re both in Greg’s living room. I’m sitting on the large, white sectional, and Aurora is curled up in an armchair with a blanket draped over her lap.

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s Christmas, for fuck’s sake. Of course I’ll be here.”

With a knowing smile, Aurora shakes her head. “You’re allowed to want to be with Xander, Luc. You two could work out an every-other-year arrangement. A lot of couples do something like that.”

“No. I’d never ask that of Xander. Family is too important to him.”

“Then maybe we could celebrate Christmas at a later date,” she says. “That way, you could spend Christmas with the Eldridges, and then you could both come back here and be with us for our Christmas.”

“I don’t know,” I mumble.

At this point, I don’t even know what future Christmases will look like. The longer Haven is with us, the concept of letting her go grows more distant. How would holidays work if she was involved? And Colton, too, since he’s suddenly open to the idea of not spending holidays alone?

“Just think about it,” Aurora begs. “I hate seeing you like this.”

“You two better not be fighting,” comes Mom’s singsong voice as she saunters into the room. She’s wearing a bright Christmas sweater that has little bells on it. The colors give me a headache, but as long as she’s happy, then so am I.

“We’re not.” I wrap my arm around her when she sits next to me. “Just talking about different holiday arrangements for next year.”

Mom squeezes my thigh. “I love having all my kids under one roof at Christmas, but I know I can’t expect that forever. You have Xander, and someday, Aurora will find someone.”

Aurora’s eyes widen, and she quickly drops her gaze to her lap. If we were alone, I’d ask her what that’s all about, but I don’t want to call attention to it in front of Sandra.

“You’ll have other obligations,” Mom continues, “and that’s okay. That’s good. And I’m not as fragile as you think. I can handle it.”

“Mom—”

“Sweetie, it’s all right.”

I know Mom can handle it. She’s not who I’m worried about. With how much I avoid the house, I already don’t see Aurora enough. I won’t be yet another man in her life who abandons her.

Greg re-enters the living room, but he hovers near the doorway. “Lucas, if you have a moment?”

Mom’s face falls, and Aurora deflates. Guilt mixed with anger slips into my veins as I stand.

The members of the Glass Rooks have the choice to explain to their families what the organization is or to keep it to themselves. Greg opted for the former. It’s one of the many things we disagree on.

He cares about being honest and transparent with Mom, and I can approve of that to a point. Telling her and Rora about the Rooks, though? It was a mistake. The worry in their eyes any time it comes up is proof enough.

That’s the thing about honesty. Sometimes it does more harm than good.

Jaw set, I follow Greg into his office. Theo is already inside, leaning against my stepfather’s mahogany desk. His light brown hair is kept short and styled, and his muscular arms are crossed over his chest. The two of us have made light conversation today, but I’ve kept most of my focus on Aurora while he’s stayed in the background.

Once Greg has closed us into the office, Theo sighs quietly. Good to know he wants to have this conversation about as much as I do.

“It’s Christmas,” I say flatly.

“You don’t give me very many opportunities to get in contact with you,” Greg counters. He doesn’t say it angrily. He’s one of the most reasonable men I’ve ever met, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose his temper.

“I’m here for Aurora and Mom, not you.”

Greg’s wince is almost imperceptible. He wants me to assimilate into the family like Mom and Rora, and it hurts him that I haven’t. But he doesn’t get to decide what I do. I don’t need another father, nor do I want one.

Theo glances at his watch. “Let’s just get to the point. Lucas is right. It’s Christmas. We should be in the living room with Cassandra and Rora.”

“Fine, fine.” Greg turns to me. “Mark is hiding things from the Rooks.”

“We know. We’ve been gathering proof for months.”

That’s not something we’ve told anyone, but I trust Greg and Theo. They’ve expressed their distaste for how Mark has been running the Rooks and have carefully signaled their support for Colton to take over.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” Greg moves around his desk and opens a drawer. “What’s on this flash drive should assist you in reaching your end goals. It’s a conversation between Mark and Stephen Lane.”

“How did you get this?” I ask.

“I was in the room with them. I cut out the parts I was involved in.”

My eyes narrow. “You realize that if we use this, and we’re unsuccessful, it means you’d go down with us. Mark will know you gave us the recording.”

Greg nods, his expression grim. “I’m aware.”

“He could come after you both.”

“Obviously,” Theo says boredly.

I cut him a sharp look. “I’m not sacrificing Mom’s and Rora’s safety. We have plenty of evidence piled up against Mark. We don’t need this.”

“How much of what you have is circumstantial?” Greg asks.

Nostrils flaring, I bite my tongue. Most of it is, but I’m not fucking admitting that.

“See? Told you,” Theo says to his father. Then his eyes rest on me. “What’s on that drive is rock-solid proof that Mark is skimming off the top of the Rooks’ general fund. It’s exactly what you need to get everyone on your side.”

“And if it’s not?”

“We can protect Sandra and Aurora,” Greg says. “We have the resources.”

“I’m talking about Mark ordering the entirety of the organization to come after us. You can’t protect them against that.”

“We can relocate them until things blow over if needed,” Greg replies. “We’ll keep them in hiding and rework a different plan to dethrone Mark.”

“But we won’t need to,” Theo cuts in, “because you’re going to succeed. Otherwise, Mark’s leadership will only continue to run the Rooks into the ground.”

“I’m not putting them in danger again,” I grit out.

“You already are,” Theo says coolly. “You’re with Colton on this. It’s already obvious enough, and when he makes his move, Mark will have confirmation. Why do you think that’s not enough for him to come after Cassandra and Rora?”

“Because—”

My hands curl into fists as Theo’s question sets in. My initial thought process had been that Mark wouldn’t go against Greg without reason to, but Theo is right. Punishing me—or trying to blackmail me—by threatening my family’s safety would be reasonable in Mark’s eyes.

“Fair point,” I admit.

“Colton will need to make his move soon,” Greg says, and it almost sounds like a warning. He hands me the flash drive. “Things are shifting with the board. Mark has swayed a few people who we initially thought would side with Colton.”

“Seriously?” I groan.

“Greed is a powerful tool, and Mark wields it well. But rage is powerful, too.” Greg clasps my shoulder. “Give the drive to Colton. It’ll turn enough of the Rooks against Mark, and they’ll view his son as a hero—and a leader to replace his father with.”

“I’ll give it to him, but using it is up to him.” Shrugging Greg’s hand off my shoulder, I slip the drive into my pocket. “Thank you. Are we done?”

With a disheartened sigh, Greg nods. “Yes. We’re done.”

“Then let’s get back to Christmas.”

Turning on my heel, I march out of the room. I already have to spend Christmas without Xander. I’m not wasting any more of it without my family.

. . .

“Luc.”

Xander jumps into my arms the second he steps into Colton’s kitchen. He buries his face in my neck and holds me in an embrace so tight, it almost hurts.

“Hey.” I nuzzle my face against his. “Missed you.”

I spent a few nights at Greg’s house, but I made sure I’d be here when everyone got back. The disappointed look in Rora’s eyes was like a stab to the gut, but I needed to see Xan as soon as possible.

“You have no idea how much I missed you.” Xan pulls back just enough to kiss me. “God, Luc.”

“I’m glad you two get to reunite,” Colton says tiredly, “but can you not do it right in the doorway?”

With a grin, I pull Xander out of the way so Colton can step through with his and Haven’s bags. Haven follows and throws a relieved glance my way when she sees my arms around Xan.

“The drive okay?” I ask.

“Fine,” Colton says. “The roads were pretty clear almost the entire way.”

“Good.” I place my lips right by Xander’s ear and whisper, “You okay?”

“Am now,” he mumbles.

I squeeze him tight. He’s in the same boat as I am. We hate the thought of spending Christmas without our families, but being apart from each other is torture.

“I’m gonna shower,” Colton says. “How does ordering in for dinner sound to you all?”

We all voice our agreement, and he nods.

“After you come back down, we need to talk,” I tell him. “Well, the three of us. Not Haven.”

“About what?” she asks.

None of us respond, and she huffs and rolls her eyes.

“Trust us, doll,” Xander says. “It’s better this way.”

“Fine,” she grumbles. “I’m gonna shower, too.”

The moment her and Colton have disappeared, Xander pins me against the counter and fuses his lips to mine. I hook my fingers through his belt loops and yank him closer. As the kiss turns heated, I feel his dick harden.

Xander bites at my bottom lip. “We’re not doing this again.”

“What, kiss?” I ask sarcastically.

“No,” he practically growls. “We’re not spending Christmas without each other again. I’m fucking sick of it, Luc. I don’t care if I have to kidnap both you and Rora. You’re coming home with me next year.”

I grin. “I think I like the idea of you kidnapping me.”

Eyes darkening, Xander presses his hips into mine. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Ace.”

“You know I don’t.”

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath.

“Kidnap Rora for any reason other than her safety, though, and we’ll have a problem. The girl is traumatized enough.”

“Hmmph. Fair enough.”

Still wrapped up in each other, we spend the next twenty minutes catching up. Xander updates me on stuff he didn’t tell me when we talked every day, and I do the same. Finding out how much Colton opened up at home is a relief, but it also has me sad that he’s just going to shut down his emotions again now that he’s back.

Unless… I don’t know. Maybe Haven can help him.

When Colton reenters the kitchen with his hair still damp, Xander and I reluctantly pull away.

“What’s going on?” Colton asks.

I place the flash drive Greg gave me on the counter. “This is proof that Mark is stealing from the general fund.”

Colton’s eyes dart from the drive to me. “How the hell did you get that?”

“Greg.”

“Shit,” Xan mutters. “That’s convenient.”

“Up to you if you want to use it,” I tell Colton. “It could potentially put my mom and Aurora in more danger, so all I ask is that you think about it carefully.”

Colton nods. “Like I’ve said before, I’m not doing this until I know we’ll come out on top. I’m not risking anyone’s safety. I can’t.”

The floor in the living room creaks, and all three of us freeze. I swear under my breath and march around the corner to find exactly what I expect.

Haven.

Her eyes widen with fear when I grab her arm and haul her into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” she blurts. “It just sounded like something was wrong, and I was worried, and—”

Colton’s expression turns cautious and maybe a touch desperate. “Haven, you can’t tell anyone about this.”

I’m surprised he doesn’t say it with any resentment. This is exactly how Haven betrayed us freshman year. She accidentally found out something she shouldn’t have, we told her not to tell anyone, and then she did.

“Please,” Colton rasps. “You don’t understand what this means—what it’ll change. You can’t breathe a word of this conversation to anyone.”

“I promise I won’t.” She hesitates, her gaze moving between all three of us. “I mean it this time.”

He relaxes. “Thank you.”

That’s it? We’re just going to trust her?

I can’t find it in myself to voice the questions out loud. I want to trust Haven, and with the way she’s been looking at us lately, I think we can. Maybe she’s learned her lesson.

“You still need punished, though,” Xander says nonchalantly.

“Punished?” Haven asks, her voice wavering.

“We told you this conversation wasn’t going to include you, yet you eavesdropped anyway. You actually think you’re gonna get away with that?” I laugh. “Not a chance.”

Haven makes an uneasy sound and steps back. “It’s been a really long day, though. I—”

“Not tonight.” Xander pulls her in and kisses her temple. “I’m dead tired. But soon, doll. Very soon.”