Page 91 of Mr. Wilde

“He’s still at the hospital after the fallout from all of the commotion last week,” Becket answers.

“I was in the cath lab that day,” Derek adds, “but I heard it was a madhouse after everything transpired.”

They make small talk for a minute, reviewing the events as they experienced them following the attempted abduction of Matteo’s ex-wife. But the mood isn’t the usual jovial atmosphere. The tension is thick. Or at least my neck and shoulders are at the moment.

Finally, Gianni approaches. “Max, we’re worried about you.”

“Here we go,” I splutter into my scotch.

“C’mon, man. I consider you a brother. Tell me what the hell is going on. What do you need?”

“What are you talking about, G? You’ve given me enough. You let me work here when I can’t manage the chaos in my own office.”

“And why is that?” Slick Willy asks. “You seem to be here working a lot. Why can’t you concentrate there?”

I look at each of them. The men who’ve befriended me without pushing for my backstory. Men I respect, who’ve found their own versions of peace. Loretta’s words come back to haunt me, and I decide to let them in.

So, I tell them everything. About the cruise, Isla, my parents’ slow decay into anger and depression. How Secure Sphere was built on the bones of my grief. I tell them about falling for a girl who worked here, who seemed to know how to quiet the storm. How she makes me want a future I’m terrified to reach for, both for fear of hurting her, and me. “She deserves far better than a rage-filled vigilante,” I finish, my voice thick.

“Then fix it,” Derek says, his voice unusually assertive. “Be the man she deserves. It sucks what your family has been through, Max. Trust me, I get it.” He looks away, likely thinking of his own wife. “But you have the chance to get help. To win your girl back. I’d do anything for one more chance.” There’s a break in his voice that is doing something uncomfortable to my heart. “You work on that while we help you look for Isla.”

“You know we’ll do anything we can to help,” Ben adds.

A single tear escapes, and I don’t bother to wipe it away. “Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t share this sooner. This was the only place I could come to block out the nightmares.”

“Well, we’ll put our heads together,” Devon adds. “My UK security team is top-notch. Maybe not as good as Gianni’s, but they may be able to examine the international landscape from a unique perspective.”

“And Matteo has been working with his cousin in Rome to monitor Vincenzo’s illegal exploits. I’ll have them look at his sex trafficking ring,” Gianni adds.

“Thanks, G.”

Slick Willy puts a warm hand on my shoulder. “But, Max? Get with someone. Talk this shit out. You can’t find her if you’re gone from the stress.”

I nod. “Already happening.”

A chorus of “good,” echoes about the table.

I should be relieved. Feel a little lighter. But the one person I want to share this with isn’t here anymore. How had I managed to completely fuck this up?

36

CASSIDY

“Hey, sis,” Holt greets, stepping into the shade of the patio. He’s carrying a weathered duffel bag and a small cardboard box. He sets them at my feet with a heavy thud.

“Are these my things from the club?” I whisper, looking at the meager collection of belongings. Just a few toiletries, clothes, and some books. It looks so small in the face of this mansion.

“So, I ran into lover boy.”

I straighten, almost afraid to ask.

Holt rolls his eyes. “Max.”

I freeze. “You spoke to him?”

“If you want to call it that. Let’s just say, I gave him a piece of my mind.”

I drop my face in my hands and groan. “No.”