Page 15 of Back to You
WHEN VINCENT OPENEDhis apartment door, Peter held up the two reusable bags he was carrying.“I figured that since we’re going to talk about your father, you’ll need comfort food and alcohol.”
Vincent grabbed one of the bags and peeked inside.“I don’t think we need alcohol so early in the day.”
“It’s five PM somewhere.”
It probably was, but it wasn’t five PM where they were, and Vincent didn’t think he could stomach anything alcoholic so early, not even wine.“Maybe we can drink a glass of wine with lunch,” he offered.
Peter opened his mouth like he was about to argue.He looked rough, and Vincent was worried, but he knew his best friend.Peter would brush him off if he asked.He was here to talk about the mess that was Vincent’s life, and he wouldn’t be deterred, especially not to talk about his asshole boyfriend.
Peter went straight to the kitchen.Vincent trailed after him, worried about his friend and himself.He was overwhelmed by what had happened yesterday, and he needed to put his thoughts in order.The best way for him to do that was to make a list, as ridiculous as it sounded.He always felt better when he had a list to follow.
“So, your father’s dead,” Peter said as he flopped into one of the chairs at the tiny table and opened the bag he’d dropped onto the table.He pulled out a jar of olives and opened it before dipping his fingers into it to grab one.
Vincent wrinkled his nose and opened the drawer.He handed Peter a fork, then started emptying the bag he’d taken from his friend.“Olives and wine?”
“I know you already have chips.”
Vincent did.“Not this early.”
“You’re no fun today.I’d say it’s because your father died, but I know how little you cared about him.”
Vincent was facing the cupboard.He hadn’t told Peter about Ronan yet.He wouldn’t have been able to do it on the phone, and doing so in a text hadn’t felt right.Peter would have freaked out and burst through Vincent’s front door as soon as he got it, and Vincent didn’t want him to get in trouble with Lou.
He hated that Peter could even get in trouble with Lou.He was an adult in an adult relationship.He shouldn’t have to come up with excuses to spend time with his best friend.
“Come on, sit with me,” Peter added.“And tell me everything.”
Vincent wouldn’t be able to continue avoiding this.He didn’t want to, but he was also wary of adding more to Peter’s plate.Still, he needed to tell someone about Ronan before he exploded.
He turned to Peter and leaned against the counter.“I went to Rosewood.”
Peter frowned and cocked his head.“Is that supposed to tell me something?”
“There’s a pack there.Fulton’s lawyer told me that a lot of the people my father hurt passed through there, and I wanted to talk to the alpha who gave them a safe place after Fulton hurt them.”
Peter’s jaw dropped.“You went to talk to the people your father put in cages?Are you nuts?Do you know how easy it would’ve been for them to hurt you, or worse?What were you thinking?”
“That the people my father hurt deserve all the money he left me.”
Peter breathed out.“I get it, and I think you’re right, but you need to be smart about this.You’re not planning on going back, are you?Because I’m sure the alpha has a phone or an email address.”
“I have to go back.”
Peter opened his mouth, probably to yell at Vincent for even thinking about it.He wouldn’t be wrong in normal circumstances, but what was happening was anything but normal.Peter would understand once he had all the information.He had to.
“Ronan was there,” Vincent blurted out because there was no easier way to do it.
Peter snapped his mouth shut and stared.Vincent had no idea what was going through Peter’s mind, but he could guess.It was easy to put himself in Peter’s place.If he hadn’t seen Ronan with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t believe any of what had happened since he’d gone to Rosewood.
He pushed away from the counter and slid into the chair in front of Peter.“I know how it sounds, but he’s there with the pack,” he murmured.“I don’t know everything that happened yet, but I know enough to be sure that he didn’t want to leave me.”
“He ghosted you, Vince.”
“He didn’t.Look, I still need to talk to him, but he thought I was dead.Fulton told him I was before he grabbed him and put him in a cage.Those auctions he organized?He sold my mate in one of them, Peter.”
“Are you serious?”
“Ronan told me, and I believe him.That’s why I need to go back.We agreed we’d talk, and I want to know what happened.I want to know what Fulton told him and what he did to him.”Vincent should have known better than to tell his father about his mate.He hadn’t meant to, but Fulton had found out, and when he’d asked Vincent about it, Vincent hadn’t denied it.He’d been proud of Ronan, and, in part, he’d known that it would hurt Fulton.
