Page 25 of Lucky Boys
There was something about Diego that spoke to me, and with how shaken up he’d been, it only made sense that I wanted to make sure he was okay. Seeing him in person with my own eyes wouldn’t hurt.
That was why I’d agreed to come. Luca and Diego. Not because I was part of his team, because I wasn’t. I still had two months left on my current contract with the PMC group I worked for. I’d already told my boss I wasn’t renewing it, but that was only because I was retiring. I wanted to spend time in my home, get to know my son and Beckett better. I was too old to be going to every corner of the world on jobs I had no idea if I would get back from. There was no fucking way I was leaving that to join Luca to do the same damn thing but without the protection that came from working with an agency. Nope.
I finally pulled through Luca’s gates. The thing was so ostentatious, I could understand why my kids and their best friend, Jay, joked around about Luca being Batman. And they hadn’t even seen the house yet. It did belong in Gotham, though, and really didn’t fit Luca at all.
I pulled up to the security camera and waved. “If it isn’t my favorite silver fox daddy!” Skye called through the intercom, and I rolled my eyes.
“I am not a silver fox. Luca has more gray than I do.”
Skye laughed. “You will be, though. I’m just preparing.”
“I don’t think Maverick beats you hard enough,” I grumbled, causing Skye to answer with a full belly laugh.
“You’re right,” Maverick chimed in out of nowhere. “I’m happy to try, though.” The gate buzzed and then opened.
“Thanks, Mav.” Then I drove onto their maze of a driveway.
Luca was waiting for me when I walked in, and he looked rough. His normally olive skin tone was ashen and his under eyes were so dark, they almost looked like bruises. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, like he’d spent the night drinking,which was proven when I got close enough and could smell the booze on him. I frowned. “What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“You smell like a distillery and look like you haven’t slept in three months.”
Luca let out a rough laugh. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate the honesty.”
I knocked into his shoulder as I walked past. I figured we were going to the conference room, so I headed that way. “You know I’m not going to lie to you. And the same goes in reverse, so what’s going on?”
Luca stopped walking, his shoulders slouched. I paused and waited. “Shit hit the fan with Brooks this morning. I once again did something I shouldn’t and he told me some things I didn’t know and I . . . didn’t handle it well.” Then Luca straightened his posture and pasted on a fake smile. “But it’s fine now. And not important. This situation is heavy and we need to get a handle on it. My personal shit can wait.”
I wanted to say so much, but refrained. Normally, I had no problem calling Luca out on his shit, but it felt like if I did that now, he would shut down completely. He wasn’t going to talk, so I’d have to bide my time, but I wouldn’t drop it. He would do the same to me, like he had when I’d first found out I had a son my parents had hidden from me for twenty years. He wouldn’t let me wallow in my sorrows and had done everything he could to help me find Riley and make the situation right. So, I’d do the same and help him fix whatever was going on between him and Brooks. Though, he was right that it probably wasn’t the most pressing matter now.
I let Luca lead me, only glancing at his ass in his pants once. It was a rule I had with myself. I’d only indulge in checking Luca out once every time we were together, and then I’d bottle it back up and ignore it like the hypocrite I was. What Luca and I sharedhad been a long time ago and strictly a matter of convenience. He was with Mav and Skye now, and maybe, sort of, Brooks? I didn’t know. It was too complicated, and while I’d never judge them, it wasn’t for me. I was too old school.
Everyone was already there when we got into the conference room. Skye was lounging back in a soft leather desk chair, his feet crossed on top of the desk. Maverick was standing next to him while he pointed to the monitor and spoke in a soft voice to Diego. Diego was sitting in the other chair, face scrunched in concentration as he looked at the computer screens. He didn’t even seem to notice I’d walked in, his focus on whatever he was staring at and whatever Maverick was telling him. I did notice that Mav was careful not to hover behind him or touch him.
Brooks was sitting on top of the coffee counter, kicking his legs idly as he fiddled on his phone. At first glance, it would seem like he wasn’t paying attention, but I noticed how he kept watching Diego from the corner of his eye. That was, until Luca walked in. Immediately, his attention switched to Luca, his shoulders straightening before he very purposely looked in the other direction. Well, okay then.
Luca closed the door behind us. “Thanks for coming,” he told me sincerely. “I know you keep saying you don’t want to be a part of Il Fortunato, but the truth is, you’re involved in this now, and I feel better knowing you’re in the fold.”
I grinned. “I feel like this was your plan all along. No better way to get me on your team than forcing me to drop a few bodies.”
Maverick snorted. “Pretty close to how I was recruited, so you might be onto something.”
Brooks perked up. “How did you get recruited? I feel like you’ve always just been here.”
Luca sighed. “Can we reminisce later? Let’s get everyone up to speed and come up with a plan.”
Brooks grumbled but acquiesced and we all kind of settled. I dropped onto the leather love seat, and Luca sat on the armrest.
“Alright, let’s start with what we know and make sure everyone is on the same page. Marshall Fieldburg paid Brooks for a job, and then that very night, he was executed in his office. So far no one has taken credit for the hit, and if the feds or cops have a clue who did it, they’re keeping it quiet.”
“They don’t know anything yet,” Diego chimed in without looking up. “I just hacked into the police records.”
I felt like we should be more concerned by that, but since no one reacted, I guessed it was expected. Luca continued. “The good news about that is it also means they haven’t connected Brooks or Diego to it at all. But that brings us to the break-in at your home yesterday.” Luca shifted to address Diego directly. “We’ve been running their faces in facial recognition but haven’t gotten anything. Can you do your thing and try to find them? I’m sure they were hired, but if we can find out who they are, we can find out who paid them.”
Diego nodded. “On it. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thanks, Diego.” Luca stood, stretching a bit before he began addressing the rest of us. The shift in him was significant. As soon as he got into work mode, all the stress and personal issues just disappeared and he was totally sure and in control.
