Page 105 of Perfect Vengeance

No easy task whenever Gina was around. They’d officially been a couple since the day she’d walked into his office carrying a clownfish to replace poor little John Wayne.

A breeze brought with it the scent of his mother’s rosebushes along the property line. Some of them were blooming early, particularly the one where he’d buried JW. Luckily, his new clownfish—Wyatt Earp—and Annie Oakley had instantly taken to each other. In fact, he’d discovered transparent fish eggs in the tank with tiny eyes showing. Soon he’d need a bigger tank, and the credenza in his office could only support so much weight. Moving the tank to his condo made sense. Then again, with Gina staying at his place half the time, what he really needed was a house.

Dealing with the mistakes they’d made and learning to live with them would take time. As would finding a way to balance her chocolate fetish with his need to constantly kiss her, something he couldn’t live without. “Being careful” had taken on a whole new meaning for them. It was less about becoming unexpectedly pregnant before they were ready and more about not wanting to accidentally send him into anaphylactic shock.

Kyle tugged a phone from his shorts pocket, and his brow creased.

“Everything okay?” Jack asked.

“Yeah.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “That was the US Attorney’s Office in Chicago. Semyon Novikov is ill and petitioning for release.”

Their boss made a sound of disgust. “He’ll never get it.”

“Probably not,” Kyle agreed.

“Who’s Semyon Novikov?” Heather, the pretty blonde clinging to Deke’s arm, asked.

Deke looked down at Heather, who had to be a good twelve inches shorter than his six-foot-two. “He’s a Russian mob boss Kyle put in prison ten years ago.”

When Kyle’s frown deepened, Jack had a strong suspicion it had nothing to do with Novikov.

“Another beer, anyone?” Morrison asked, and when they all shook their heads, their SAC sauntered off to the giant cooler in the middle of the lawn.

“I think I need another margarita.” Heather held up her empty glass just, then headed over to where Gina chatted with her friends and his mother.

“You ever gonna stop thinking about her?” Deke asked, now that the three of them were alone.

The only people in the world Kyle had confided in about the woman he’d saved in Chicago were him and Deke.

Rather than answer, Kyle shot Deke a look that said probably not and back off.

Whoever this woman was, it was clear she was still a sore spot not even a decade could heal. Jack hated seeing his brother in so much pain. Kyle had experienced more loss than any of them. If there was something Jack could do to help, he’d be all in. “I could probably pull strings, get some information on her.”

Kyle seemed to consider the offer for a moment, then shook his head. “Way too complicated. Besides, safeguarding domestic violence victims’ locations is sacred. I don’t want either of us to break that code. But thanks for the offer.”

“Anytime.” Jack clapped his brother on the back.

In a show of support, Deke did the same.

Feminine laughter drew his attention to the tight circle of women, in the middle of which stood Gina. All he had to do was look at her, and a sense of lightness wrapped itself around him like a warm blanket on a freezing cold winter day. Sometimes he felt guilty for being so damned happy when one of his brothers was suffering.

Kyle and Deke chuckled and exchanged smirks.

Deke aimed his beer bottle at the women. “You gonna make an honest woman out of her?”

“Honest?” Jack laughed outright. “After all the laws she broke?” Then again, if she hadn’t broken them, he would never have met her and found what was missing in his life. What he needed in his life. Love. And Gina.

“You know Mom wants grandkids, right?” Kyle flicked his gaze from Jack to Deke.

“Whoa.” Deke held up his hands. “Don’t look at me, bro. I’m not even close to that, and I may never get there.”

“Don’t look at me either.” Kyle shook his head. “I’ve been practically celibate for a decade.”

“Guess it’s up to you, Jack.” Deke squeezed Jack’s shoulder.

Again, he turned to watch Gina. The woman had nearly driven him out of his mind, yet he loved her with every cell in his body.

“Okay, guys.” He let out a breath, feigning resignation. “I’m the oldest. It’s time I took one for the team.”