Page 171 of High Reward

Why is Luke just spilling our business to the DJ’s partner?

“Luke did you meet my wife, Kenzie when you were in DC?”

Luke shakes Kenzie’s hand. “I feel like we crossed paths, but there wasn’t a formal introduction. Congratulations on the pregnancy.”

“Thank you, Luke. Think you can get this one to stop hovering?”

Luke lets out a jovial laugh. “Afraid not, lass. If my Zara were in your condition I would be hovering too.”

She rolls her eyes and turns to me. “I guess you feel that way about your wife?”

“Girlfriends. And yes. If either of them were pregnant I would be even more protective than I am now.”

She sighs. “You do understand that women have been having children for centuries, right?”

“Yes, but not my children,” Gage says with a shrug. “Now sit down while you can. You’ve been on your feet too long.”

Then he turns his attention to me. “Apologies, I haven’t formally introduced myself. I’m Gage Allard. I owned Club Exposure in D.C. Your friends came for a visit a few months ago, and I partnered with Luke’s wife on a project after they helped us out with something.”

I nod as if I understand, even though I don’t at all.

“Gage and Kenzie are living in New Orleans now,” Luke says pointedly.

Now the introduction makes a little more sense.

“Do you know Tyson Vance?” I ask.

Gage’s face splits into a huge grin. “That bastard almost killed me when he was first learning to cook. Of course, that’s because we were cooking in the middle of a jungle and we only had so many resources, but still, I like to give him hell about it.”

So whatever Tyson did for the government before turning to cooking apparently involved this man.

“He’s been good to us in Las Vegas. We’re bummed to have to give him up to New Orleans, but I guess he has to go where the culinary inspiration hits.”

We keep the conversation going for a few more minutes before Lili appears at Victor’s elbow with a fresh glass of champagne, sliding easily into the circle like she’s been part of it all night.

Victor excuses himself not long after, murmuring something about needing to say hello to Danny Trentini before the night gets away from him. I watch him cross the room to where Danny’s been quietly nursing a drink near the family tables all evening, and the two of them disappear onto the terrace for several long minutes.

When Victor comes back, his shoulders have dropped an inch.

“Everything all right?” I ask, looping my arm through his.

“Yeah.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “Danny finally told me the truth about his father. Confirmed what we all suspected. He did it himself, years ago. Mercy, not malice, if you believe him. And I think I do. Ernesto was slipping fast, and Danny couldn’t stand to watch him destroy everything his family built along with himself. He pinned it on the Serranos because he thought it would break the four of you apart before you got this far.”

“And now?”

Victor huffs something almost like a laugh. “Now he’s standing at his brother’s wedding, watching four crime families and a room full of people who actually like each other. I think he’s finally starting to understand what Matteo built is worth more than what he tried to protect.”

I squeeze his hand, because I don’t know what else there is to say to that kind of quiet, complicated grief.

“That’s my cue,” Kenzie says as she clicks something on her laptop.

We gather around Skylar and Matteo as a song I’ve never heard before begins to play talking about starting a new adventure together. It’s clearly Skylar’s voice, so it must be something from the new album.

Grace

Lukeusherseveryoneoutsidefor the sendoff, and Lili and I end up on either side of Victor on the sidewalk, sparklers hissing in our free hands while we sing along at the top of ourlungs. We know the lyrics by heart. Skylar’s been playing us this album in the car for a month.

“I’ve been to plenty of family weddings,” Victor murmurs against my temple, watching the sparks die out over the sidewalk. “They always felt solemn. Obligations dressed up in white lace. Nobody actually learns to like their spouse until they’ve been married a few years.”