Page 27 of A Game of Survival

“I was wondering when you’d check up on me again,” he says, and I can almost hear the grin in his voice.

“I just want to make sure my kingdom hasn’t fallen,” I reply, smiling to myself at his cheek.

“So little faith in me, Boss. I can’t lie but that hurts,” he jokes and I shake my head, stifling my own laughter this time.

“Anything to report?” I ask before the topic of conversation goes completely off course.

“No Boss, nothing out of the ordinary. I hope my earlier medical deliveries were adequate?” He asks, reminding me that I never did thank him for quite literally saving Max’s life and mine when he managed to get everything on Dr Graves’ list delivered to the club in record time.

“Yes, more than adequate, thank you Felix. I owe you for that one. You saved my ass big time.” I pause for a moment. “Dare I ask, how did you manage to pull that off so efficiently?”

“Better not, Boss,” he laughs again, “but this is why you employ me, is it not? To pull off the impossible.”

I must admit he has me there, it was in fact one of the reasons why I employed him. He is a fucking mastermind in that sense. If I need something, Felix is the one to call to get it done. I keep him around for his brains and computer skills too, and the fact that I trust him, which is more than I could say for most men I know.

“Well there aren’t many other people I would trust to run my business, Felix.” I admit while listening intently as I hear a scuffle in the background of the call. Before I can ask what's happening Felix’s voice echoes through the car again.

“And I am honored, truly Boss, but right now there’s a rather loud lady trying to bring her cat to one of the poker tables claiming he’s her good luck charm, so if you want your kingdom to still be standing by the time you come back, I suggest I go and deal with that.”

“Jesus Christ Felix, don’t let it scratch up the velvet!” I shout before he abruptly ends the call leaving me with the perfect distraction as my own wild imaginations picture a cat being chased around the poker lounge of my casino while Felix, Zack and Sully are in toe with a lady swinging her purse at them yelling not to harm her pussy.

Before I know it, I'm pulling in through the gates at the front of the driveway and bombing it down the gravel path towards the house. I don’t bother to park in the garage, skidding to a halt outside the door before I kill the engine, hastily making my way inside to find Silas, Lucille and Max in Silas’s office. Their raised voices draw me in immediately but I take a moment to listen outside of the door before making my arrival known.

“What do you mean I can’t come with you to find him, Silas?” Lucille's voice echoes on the other side of the door. Oh she is feisty today.

“I mean exactly that, Lucille. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know who’s there. It could be a trap.” Silas tries to reason with her before she snaps back at him.

“I don’t care Silas, I’m coming to help Linc.” My heart soars at her words as I walk through the door unannounced, smiling as they all whip up their heads round look at me, a mixture of relief, confusion and anger showering their faces. I hear Lucille gasp before meeting her wide-eyed stare as she takes in my appearance and runs over to me immediately, grabbing hold of my head with both hands to closer inspect the gash where the blood is still slowly oozing through my hair.

“Christ Linc, I thought you were fucking dead! I was just fighting with Rocky over here about coming to get you.” Silas shouts from behind her as he brings his hands to his head, releasing a heavy sigh of relief.

“What the hell happened to you?” Lucille gasps, ignoring Silas’s joke on her behalf, examining my wound before I pull away, bringing my arms around her back and caging her into my chest.

“Nothing that could keep me from coming back to you, Love.” I smile before tracing my hand up her spine to the back of her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. She resists at first, but I almost lose myself the moment she relents all of her built up frustration towards me and she melts into my body. Her lips part as she accepts my tongue so willingly into her mouth. I deepen the kiss, strengthening my hold on her neck and pulling her flush against my chest until a loud cough reminds me that we’re not alone, and although it physically pains me to tear my mouth from hers when all I want to do is ravish her, I remember that Lucille might not want to be fucked senseless right here in front of her brother. Unlike Silas, I am able to keep myself in control of my sexual desires. For the time being at least.

“Seriously, this shit is messed up,” Max mutters as he looks between Lucille and I and over to Silas who is standing behind his desk watching us with pure lust practically seeping from his body.

“Watch it, Costello. That’s your sister you’re fucking talking about.” I warn, pulling Lucille protectively into my chest as she turns to face her brother.

“This is my choice, Max,” she insists, squeezing my arms that are wrapped around her waist before adding, “and I expect you to either get on board with it or there’s the door,” she says, gesturing her head towards the door.

Max looks a little shocked by her abruptness but I can only smile at how fucking proud I feel in this moment. I know how much Lucille admires her brother, so for her to stand up to him like that for us, makes my heart fucking burst with pride. It must have the same affect on Silas too as he’s stood grinning just as fucking proud as I am while Max’s jaw all but hit’s the floor. Max is silent for a beat before holding his hands up in defeat.

“Alright, alright,” he resigns as he slowly moves himself away from Silas who’s now staring at him like he wants to rip his head from his shoulders. Can’t say I blame him. Lucille breaks free from my arms and walks back over to Silas and her brother, placing her hand onto the middle of Silas’ chest.

“Easy big guy,” she whispers to him, leaning up to kiss his cheek, “I only just got him back. I won’t let you kill him now.”

Max looks smug for a moment, knowing Lucille would never let either myself or Silas hurt him with her standing in the way but as I walk over, I can’t help myself from smacking him across the head.

“Knock it off you prick. We’ve got bigger problems today.” I snap as Max rubs his hand across his head and spins his body to face me.

“So, are you going to tell us what happened?” Lucille asks, moving again to stand between Max and I this time. She knows exactly what she’s doing. Using herself as a human shield, though I’m not sure who it is she’s really trying to protect. Us or him? Seconds pass as we stare at each other, sizing each other up and daring the other to make the first move. “LINCOLN!” Lucille barks, snapping my attention straight to her. “What happened?” she asks again.

“The delivery was hijacked. It’s all gone, the drugs, the money, all of it. I got a brick to the head before they could take off. Didn’t see who delivered it, but I did spot your brother across the lot before I blacked out.” I start, turning my attention to Silas now who’s gaze just turned a darker shade of murderous.

Lucille’s audible choke almost stops me from continuing. I gaze down, her petite frame looks so fragile between the three of us. I can see how much weight she’s lost in these few short days. She’s hardly eating or sleeping, all she seems to do is cry. It’s questionable whether she’s even living right now without Teddy back in her arms. Can I really share this package that's now burning a hole through my pocket? Can I get her hopes up just to tear them back down again if this isn’t what I think it is? What if I am wrong and Cole has done this to fuck with us? I close my eyes, trying to fight with every instinct in my body that tells me this is what is meant to happen and only when I feel a cold palm rest against my cheek do I open them again to see Lucille’s determination and fire burning behind her eyes. She needs this, she needs to know. With a deep breath, I reach into my pocket and retrieve the package, holding it out into the palm of my hand.

“He left me this.”

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