Page 6 of Tossed into the Mob (The Wolves of La Luna Noir #4)

SIX

brOCK

I looked to Treyton for clarification.

He was my support network, because while no one had put a gun to my head, they didn’t react with kindness when I walked in. Treyton was the only one I could sort of trust, while Flint and his brothers’ expressions and how they held themselves were intimidating.

“No longer with us.” My father had been kicked out of the crime family. Or… I couldn’t let my imagination run any more wild than it had since Dad was murdered.

But Treyton’s expression was as mystified as my own. He gripped my hand. Not in a mean, say something and I’d whack you way, but in a caring, almost loving manner. Being skin to skin was comforting and eased my fears a tad.

I glanced around the table, and other than Flint and his brothers, the rest of the family had lowered their eyes and were either fiddling with cutlery, folding and unfolding their napkins, or studying their dessert.

“What does that mean?” I looked directly at Flint, and Treyton squeezed my hand.

“I’m so sorry, Brock, but your alpha father passed away a few years ago.”

There was a collective intake of breath from everyone named Durand, and they stared at Flint. They either weren’t expecting him to say what he did or they learned it at the same time as me that he died.

The news crushed me, making it hard to breathe, but the pain was nothing like what I experienced when that assassin shot my dad.

A man I’d shared biology with and little else was dead.

I was an orphan. Dad was my one and only parent who’d helped me become the person I was, though he would have disapproved of me adding “kidnapper” to my resumé.

But that left my future and safety in doubt. I’d thought my alpha dad could assign some of his buddies to either find the killer or provide me with security. Now I was in limbo with no blood relatives to stand up for me.

But my inner voice, that hadn’t told me abducting a midwife was a shitty plan, told me to lean on Treyton, literally and figuratively.

“I understand this is a severe blow, but you asked for protection, and La Luna Noir will provide that.”

Flint folded his napkin, and I studied his ring and the snake tattoo that slithered under his sleeve. Treyton and I shared a glance, and I sent a thank-you to Dad sitting with the goddess, grateful he’d given me Treyton’s name and not Flint’s.

“Uncle, thank you for the meal. I’m sorry, we have urgent business to attend to.” Flint hugged his husband, saying he’d send drivers for him, his brothers-in-law, and their kids.

Treyton rose. “Alpha, I—” But a glance from Flint silenced him.

That mafia people addressed the head honcho as Alpha was bewildering, but I guessed their rituals had been passed down through the centuries.

The three brothers strode to the door before Flint said over his shoulder, “Treyton, you can’t stay in your place. Take the apartment in the city we use for guests. Dad will tell you the security code. And Brock, life will get better. I promise you.”

And they were gone. Their swift departure, the way the younger two brothers were at his shoulders but slightly behind, appeared as though they were in formation. I wouldn’t have wanted to meet them and their brooding looks on a dark lonely road.

“Anyone for coffee?” Rudy jumped up. “And cake. Arnie made cake, too.” He dashed into the kitchen and dragged Arnie with him.

Tony, Matt, and Odell bustled off to be with their children, leaving me and Treyton at the table littered with the remains of the meal.

“Was it something I said?” Everyone had deserted us. Something wasn’t right. While I had just met Treyton’s family, their behavior, expressions, shared looks, and abrupt departure suggested my presence had upset them.

“I don’t know.” Treyton gripped both my hands and that same comforting sensation surged through me, like climbing into bed with an electric blanket on a cold night. “But I’m sorry about your father.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t holding out much hope of creating a new family unit with the man who deserted us.”

But it stung. I was alone, too scared to go home, and with my future in tatters.

The only positive in my life was Treyton, but if he up and left, I’d curl into a ball and howl.

Except I wouldn’t. I was being overdramatic.

Dad had passed on his spine of steel, and I wouldn’t succumb to a bout of “woe is me.”

Rudy announced a doctor was here to stitch my wound, but after examining me, the guy said Treyton had done an amazing job and it didn’t need stitches. He gave me a shot of antibiotics and stronger painkillers.

“Would you prefer to leave now? The place where we’ll be staying is like twenty times bigger than the trailer. We won’t be on top of one another.”

My head snapped toward him. Had he been on top of someone else lately?

“A trailer?” Arnie arrived with a chocolate cake, slathered in icing. “You’ve been living in a trailer?”

Now they’d find out about the kidnapping, but Treyton said it was the safest place when they didn’t know if I was being followed. He glanced at me. If I interpreted his expression correctly, he was saying “Let’s get out of here.” He stood, bringing me with him.

“Grandpa, can we take the cake and coffee with us? Brock’s been hit with awful news and he needs to rest.”

He hugged his grandfather and Rudy, and said his goodbyes to Tony and the others.

“It was lovely to meet you.”

I went to shake Arnie’s hand, but he wrapped me in another hug, saying Treyton would look after me and he considered me another grandson. That was so sweet, if a little over the top. He gave us a key fob. “Take my car. That thing of yours wouldn’t protect you from a human.”

There must have been something wrong with my hearing. A human? I shrugged it off.

When we reached the porch, two men dressed in dark suits were waiting for us.

Shit, the people trying to kill me had multiplied.

Instinct stepped in, and I flung myself at one.

I wasn’t going to cower or go down without a fight.

But the guy sidestepped and a pair of strong hands yanked me up before I hit the ground.

I really had to find out why these mafia guys had such good reflexes.

The guy snarled, and I shivered. That sound was almost feral, and I wanted to growl a reply.

“Sorry, I should have warned you. These are two of our bodyguards.” Treyton took my arm and led me to a big black car with tinted windows. I’d never seen such a beast, let alone ridden in one.

There were bodyguards in cars ahead of and behind us, and needing something to do with my hands, I opened the box of cake and grabbed a chunk. But when Treyton glanced at me, I apologized and crumbs spewed out of my mouth.

“I’ll clean it up.” Shit, now more crumbs tumbled out over me, the console, and the dashboard.

But instead of getting annoyed at my grossness, Treyton took a handful of cake and ate it, dropping more crumbs on himself and the steering wheel.

We shared a glance and laughed.

“We could hoover up the crumbs by eating them off one another.” His face was scrunched up as he spoke, but I couldn’t interpret the meaning.

The words hung between us, but it was just a silly joke.

“Grandpa will kill us if he sees the mess we made.”

Treyton had flipped a switch, and I froze, my mouth half open and full of cake. My dad had been killed, and I couldn’t have anything to do with more death. I’d seen enough blood to last a lifetime.

One look at my face and he slammed on the brakes, and I braced myself, thinking the car behind would rear-end us. But nope. Treyton steered us off the road as I huddled in the corner.

“Gods, all I do is apologize. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” He reached out, but I reared away. In that moment, I wanted nothing to do with the Durands and La Luna Noir.

Treyton leaped out of the car along with dark figures from the vehicle in front.

Shit. Dad prided himself on my excellent eyesight because he fed me a lot of carrots.

I spotted the guns they were holding. I couldn’t live this life, knowing someone might put a bullet in my heart at any second.

If Flint could find my dad’s killer, I wouldn’t need the Durands and could go home.

But I’d be leaving Treyton, and while it wouldn’t break me, this man had become my safety net. Perhaps I’d leaned on him too much, expecting him to deliver both security and my extended family on a platter. And not to mention how his touch consoled me.

Treyton flung open the door, murmuring that I could give him a kick in the pants for being so unfeeling, and the bodyguards surrounded him, guns at the ready.

In that split second, I wondered if Flint had given the order to get rid of me, and I snapped, tossing my backpack at the same guard I’d attacked earlier.

“You have yourself a feisty one,” the bodyguard muttered to Treyton as he caught the pack.

“Hey, you have something to say, speak to me.” His words irked me as though I was Treyton’s possession.

It was dark, the only illumination being from the car’s interior lights, of which there were many in this expensive vehicle.

But a smile played out on Treyton’s lips.

I didn’t know how, but I was pretty certain he wasn’t laughing at me but was sorta proud.

I’d probably look back at this moment and think how wrong I was.

But not about him. Everyone else, maybe.

Back in the car, I clutched the now lukewarm coffee to my chest as we drove into the city, wanting to feel something other than grief, confusion, and agony. I almost welcomed that pain from the bullet because it would ease eventually.

Pulling myself back from the brink of whatever chasm I was staring at wasn’t easy, but Treyton’s presence eased the see-sawing emotions.

Four of us shared the elevator going up, while the remaining bodyguards stayed in the parking garage. I left my belly on the first floor and leaned against the back of the elevator for support. I snuck glances at Treyton, who appeared to be as nervous as I was.

“You don’t have to do this. I have Flint’s protection, you can go back to your life.” I was giving him an out, because none of this chaos was to do with him or caused by him. I’d involved the poor guy, but now I was giving him his freedom.

“I can’t do that.” His smile was warm but tinged with exhaustion. “Your dad chose me to look after you. I’m not leaving until the gunman has been eliminated and you decide your next step.”

I hurdled over the word “eliminated” which wasn’t as hard as I’d assumed.

Shit, I was becoming more accepting of mafia tactics.

Perhaps thanks to my now-dead alpha father, I had mafia blood in me.

While I should have wanted my dad’s killer to be tried and jailed, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over Flint putting a bullet in his head.

My dark thoughts were interrupted by us walking into the apartment while the bodyguards scouted each room.

“Clear,” they told Treyton and added that someone would be outside the door.

“Wow, look at this place.”

The apartment was filled with large windows covered by curtains the bodyguards had closed.

It contained rooms with so much empty space.

My mind filled each corner with bookshelves, ornaments, schoolwork, and life’s clutter.

Everything gleamed, and the sofa was big enough for a kids’ sleepover party.

“Choose your bedroom.” Treyton pointed to doors at the end of a long corridor. “Each has its own bathroom.”

I longed for privacy, to weep and mourn my dad, but his cavernous apartment lacked warmth and personality. But I could hardly admit I wanted Treyton in my room. Poor guy had spent last night on the sofa.

The first room had a king bed with a couch. I stared at the mattress with the pillows piled high as Treyton asked if I wanted to shower. He had Saran wrap in one hand to wrap around my injury.

“Please.”

The closets were filled with generic clothes, all new, and he pulled out a pair of PJs still in their original packaging.

“Are you okay to sleep by yourself? I can bunk down on the sofa.”

I tilted my head, astounded that this man who’d saved me was so attuned to my mood. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

I was acutely aware of my bare chest and his feathery touch as he wrapped my arm. Once I was out of the shower, he’d clean my wound and bandage it. I almost looked forward to the routine because he held me as if I was something he treasured, even though I’d caused him nothing but trouble.

“We can talk more in the morning.” He understood I had questions.

“How about we do that now?”