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All I could do was laugh. Gregory had always been the cautious one, the guy most likely to succeed in everything he did. He was happy being second in command, providing support and his accounting expertise for the business. The fact he adored his job made it easier, but when I needed muscle, he was always willing to be right by my side.
I’d always taken family for granted, thinking that we weren’t as close as we should be, but that wasn’t the reality at all. It had taken me into my forties to realize that. Or maybe I hadn’t embraced how important having a family truly was. Having Christian in my life had provided a better taste. Sedona had awakened me enough to realize I longed for a nuclear family of my own. Wife. Kids. Hell, a dog or two. Family vacations. Holidays with festive movies. Birthday parties. They were all things I’d refused to buy into.
Now I felt like an idiot because I’d wasted so much time grabbing the brass ring.
I followed behind him into the building, scanning the street behind me before allowing the door to close. I’d brought four soldiers with me, although I doubted it would be necessary. I’d made a few phone calls, asking associates who worked the border crossings to alert me if any known Bratva members decided to head to Canada for the weekend. I almost laughed.Granted, they could easily disguise themselves, but I had a feeling if this was about revenge, Omar and his band of merry men had no issue announcing themselves.
I’d also taken into account that my sudden departure from Louisville might have caught them by surprise. That would take a little while for them to regroup. Unless Sean was planning a surprise attack. I’d sent other soldiers to survey gossip in the streets, spending time blending in to seek real answers. It would be interesting to see what they came up with.
Still, it paid to be extra careful at this point. I’d never handled surprise attacks with grace. Grinning as we headed for the elevator, I unbuttoned my jacket on purpose. I wanted to make certain Sean knew I was armed.
We remained quiet on the ride to the top floor. Lost in thought, I was allowed to enjoy the images of Sedona and the night of passion for a little while. Some would say our instant lust was fueling our feelings, masking the truth of what we were dealing with. Perhaps I’d have agreed with that two days ago, but being forced to rely on each other, and the night of shared passion had changed everything about our relationship.
It wasn’t just about me needing to possess her, breaking down her defenses. My strong feelings also had nothing to do with winning her over given her case against me. That had been tossed out the window after day one. I smirked, realizing that the confident woman would possibly never admit to that at all. Something else that had drawn me to her.
“You’re thinking about her again. Aren’t you, brother?” Gregory asked as soon as we’d stepped off the elevator.
“That easy to tell?”
“Hell, yeah. It’s written all over that wrinkled face of yours.”
I punched him as I used to do when we were younger, enjoying the camaraderie more than usual. “She’s something special.”
“So I’ve heard. What is your favorite attribute, other than her beauty, which is extraordinary I might add?”
We headed down the stark corridor. “You touch her and it won’t matter that we’re brothers. I will kill you.”
He snorted. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Not my type.”
“Every woman is your type.” We stopped in front of the door and I threw him a look.
“So, answer the question. What drew you to her other than her beauty and brilliance?”
“Hmm…” I rubbed the scruff on my jaw, just realizing I hadn’t taken the time to shave that morning. “Her dark sense of humor.”
“Wow. Now that says a lot about a woman. Does she have a sister?” He growled under his breath then knocked on the door.
I leaned against the wall, trying to be patient. I knew Sean was inside, having put a tail on him early that morning. Other than grabbing coffee and a newspaper at the corner store, he’d remained inside all day.
When the lock was finally disengaged, I shook my head.
I’d been forced to knock on hundreds of doors of possible enemies over the years, kicking more than a few in during my time as the Don of the family. Some had immediately begged for forgiveness, pleading for their lives, others brandishing firearms. I’d had grenades tossed at my head, steel bats flying atme. A knife or two. My favorite had been when the wife of one of a man who’d betrayed us had started throwing tomatoes. I’d been covered in red slop in the time it had taken for my men to wrestle the vegetables from her before driving her to the ground. And they’d been two of my beefiest men.
However, this greeting shocked the hell out of me.
“Thank God, you’re here. I was terrified you wouldn’t figure it out. I want to strike a deal.”
Sean’s words reverberated but they didn’t register completely for at least a full thirty seconds. I shook my head again, as if I could somehow drive the cobwebs away. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
He looked past us into the hallway before grabbing my arm, yanking me inside. “Did anyone follow you?”
“Excuse me?” Gregory asked, as confused as I was.
After Sean closed and locked the door, including the deadbolt, he started pacing the floor, acting as if he had fire ants crawling up his legs. To say his behavior was bizarre was an understatement but I’d seen it before, the anxiousness and obvious distress usually caused by drugs. Not the good kind.
Only I sensed he wasn’t on a damn thing by the look in his eyes. He’d been driven into a corner.
“Were you followed?” Sean stopped, glancing directly into Gregory’s eyes then mine. They were clear, only haunted. I’d seen that before as well in the faces of victims.
