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If it were up to Zander, he wouldn’t have put this on Vince, but the other man had insisted on it. Zander couldn’t deprive him of his need for revenge, so he went with it while making sure Vince had his support.
“Let’s get out of here.” Vince turned to him. “The three of us, we’ve been apart for too long.”
Zander couldn’t agree more. Once again, he took Vince’s hand. “Deal with this.” He issued the order to whoever was closest enough to hear it. They would handle the cleaning and disposal of the body. “And don’t bother me unless it’s an emergency.” He ignored Derri’s outraged stare as he made his way back to the elevator, just him and Vince.
“You need to handle him,” Vince murmured.
Zander knew that. “On it.” But that wasn’t as important as the two of them getting back to Scotty. They had a lot of things to work through and figure out, but he looked forward to it. He had his men back.
That was all that mattered.
It wasn’t as hard as it should have been to end Russ’s life. And maybe that was what had Vince feeling a bit let down about the entire thing. He let Zander hold on to him, or maybe he was the one doing the holding, as they rode the elevator up to the penthouse where Scotty waited for them.
He wanted the whole thing to be behind them. Wanted it all over with, so the three of them could have a moment to breathe. Some semblance of a normal life, however they decided that looked for them.
Killing his friend, his superior, had not been anywhere on his radar. The shock of learning just how Russ had betrayed him still sat heavily on his chest, and Vince rubbed the spot with his free hand. He’d thought leaving Jersey would protect him from DuBois, but instead, Russ had sold him out, keeping DuBois apprised of his every move from the start.
It was time for him to make a decision about the job he’d loved so much. He’d never been naive to the corruption that he knew was present in his line of work, but he’d been dumb enough to assume that the bad guys were the outliers. That the good guys would win.
And now he didn’t know who was who.
The man who held him securely to his side, giving Vince his support and strength, was supposed to be the bad guy. And the man Vince had worked with, trusted with his life out in the field, the man he’d reported to and considered a mentor and friend, he would be considered the good guy.
The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening silently into the penthouse.
Vince only spotted Trem. The big guy sat on a black leather couch that was dwarfed by his large frame, legs crossed, staring at his phone. He must’ve heard them because he got to his feet, shoving his phone into his pocket.
“Where’s Scotty?” Zander asked him.
Trem jerked his chin. “Bedroom.”
Vince didn’t wait; he headed in the direction Trem indicated as Zander thanked his employee in a low voice. He found a closed door and pushed it open. It smelled like Zander and he stepped inside, taking in Scotty lying in the middle of the large bed. A smile curved Vince’s lips as he entered the room. Scotty sat up—he must’ve heard the footsteps—eyes widening.
“You’re back!”
“We’re back.” Vince beamed at him, kicking off his shoes and climbing onto the bed to wrap his arms around Scotty. “Are you okay?”
Scotty shook his head, inching away from Vince’s hold. “No, I should be asking you that.” He searched Vince’s gaze with concerned eyes. “Did you—” He swallowed thickly. “You dealt with Russ?”
Vince nodded, arms tightening slightly around him. “It’s done.”
“And that’s the last time we’ll talk about it.” Zander’s voice came from the doorway.
Vince glanced over his shoulder, watching as Zander stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He eyed them on the bed with the most tender expression even though his words were a bit cooler.
“Like Vince said, it’s done.” Zander sat on the edge of the bed. “So you…” He cupped Scotty’s chin and Vince released the younger man, who immediately climbed into Zander’s lap. “There’s nothing you need to worry about. Vince and I will always make sure you’re safe.”
“But what if there’s more?” Scotty asked against Zander’s neck. “You’re, like, a big name in the criminal world. You have enemies. What if they try something like those other guys did?”
“Look at me,” Zander coaxed. When Scotty reluctantly eased back to meet his eyes, Zander told him, “I will always protect the two of you no matter what. I promise you I won’t let anything or anyone harm you. Never again.”
Vince rose onto his knees and went to them, kneeling behind Zander and hugging the both of them. “We will protect each other.” They were all they had; they had to be a united front in all things and all ways.
Zander released a deep sigh. “I wanted to wait to discuss this but I guess this is as good a time as any.” He softly kissed Scotty’s lips and leaned back against Vince’s chest. “I love the two of you. Okay? That’s how I feel. I know this—my life—is fucking crazy, but I want you here with me.” He paused. “Do you want to be here with me?”
Scotty nodded frantically. “Yes, of course we want to be here.” He tightened his arms around Zander’s neck, meeting Vince’s gaze briefly as he smiled and said, “I love you. We love you too.”
Vince repositioned himself so he could stare into his men’s eyes and they could do the same as he said, “I love you.” He directed that to Zander. “And I love you,” he told Scotty. “Wherever the two of you are, that’s where I want to be.” He took a breath. “But I have to make a decision about what I want to do with my job.”
