Page 72 of Emeric

“I don’t fucking play with assholes like you,” Jordan growled. “You thought you could come at us, try to threaten us?”

The guy lifted his head and spat at Jordan. He’d had that done to him enough that he knew when to lean away. “I hope everyone in the goddamn world knows about you and how they can get to you. All they need to do is threaten someone you give a shit about, and here you are, so easily drawn out. I should have shared that photo with everyone, exposing you.”

Lifting his blood-coated knife, Jordan stabbed the man in the neck. I’d seen it done before, but it was gruesome every time. Hell, I’d even done it.

Grabbing the man’s chin, Jordan stared at him as the man fought to breathe. “My face is going to be the last thing you see.” Jordan held him there and twisted the knife. When his eyes started to slide closed, Jordan held out his hand. Reghan took his own gun and handed it to Jordan, who released the man and stood back enough as to not be hit with blood and whatever else. The man’s head fell to the side and started rolling forward. Jordan shot him. He was already dying, but this finished it.

“I want everything on that phone gone through,” Jordan bit out. “Every single piece. Call Lawson and arrange for it to be delivered to him, or he can drive here and pick it up if he’s bored.” Then his eyes met mine. “It was good that we got him, but I don’t consider this over until we know for sure no one was working with him.”

I nodded. We had protocols. This time, I was too close to the issue, so Jordan reminded me how it would play out.

Part of me was angry I didn’t get to help kill the guy in front of us. The other was so damn relieved this could be over soon. There were more than the men I loved involved here. Jordan had his safe house exposed. Lawson was revealed as the actual target. When we returned to the building, I’d let Emeric and Sylvan know what happened, although not every detail of the gruesome death.

Fuck me, I never told Sylvan I loved him. That would be the first thing I did when we got back, or maybe the second. I had to kiss them too.

The weight hadn’t fully lifted from my shoulders yet, but seeing the guy dead with blood on and around him, dripping to the floor, helped. He didn’t deserve to live after the shit he did. Jordan could have drawn it out longer. Although spitting on him was a huge mistake. That deserved immediate injury.

I turned from the body and started to make my way out of the warehouse. It was time to put this behind me.

33

SYLVAN

The word calm wasn’t in my vocabulary when I described myself. I’d seen other people be the epitome of what I’d refer to as calm, not me. I was a ball of nerves. My anxiety was already ramped up, thanks to my home no longer being a place I could live in. Then Oleander rushed out of here, and we hadn’t heard from him since.

Vail insisted we sit and eat with him, Hartley, and Ava. Between them and their dogs, it was a welcome distraction. Vail had said he knew exactly what it felt like to have the person you care about leave at a moment’s notice, and you were left at home wondering if they were hurt, arrested, or something way worse. None of us wanted to think about that.

At least in this building, there was a found family, especially among us who didn’t go out to fight the bad guys, guard Jordan, or do any of the other things Jordan needed.

Kayli and Rory were our protection detail. I shouldn’t say ours. They were there for Hartley, Vail, and Ava. The other guards in the building would protect us. That didn’t make it easier to sit in Oleander’s apartment after we’d eaten and wait for him to come back, hoping beyond hope that everyone returned in one piece and they dealt with the person responsible for the shit we’d been through. I wanted it to end so we could move on with our lives.

I lay on the couch on my side, my head on Emeric’s lap as he ran his fingers through my hair. My knees were brought up so I could tuck myself into a ball. Having him and Oleander see me in the middle of panic attacks repeatedly, and them not leaving, said a lot. They cared about me and were willing to put up with me. I knew I shouldn’t phrase it like that, but I could be a lot.

Roughly two hours after we sat on the couch, the door to the apartment opened, and Oleander walked through, freshly showered and in different clothes.

Uncurling myself, I jumped up and ran for him, not stopping until I had my arms around his neck. He didn’t smell like his normal self, which threw me off a little, but it was him, one of the people who held my heart.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” he said with his arms around me. I heard a kiss, realizing Emeric had joined us. “I had to shower when we returned. It’s over though. The guy who was after us is dead.”

I should have been more upset to hear talk about murdering someone, but I didn’t care. Oleander was back. He was warm and solid against me.

“Thank fuck,” Emeric exhaled, then he put his arms around me too as they both held me and each other.

“Syl?” Oleander whispered.

“Yeah?” I still hadn’t let go. It was a good thing he was strong enough to hold me.

“I love you.”

My body stilled. Did he just say what I thought he did? Leaning back, I looked him in the eye and blinked. Apparently, my brain hadn’t gotten the message that I should speak, even reciprocate his feelings. Of course, I felt the same. For some reason, all I could do was stare at him.

Emeric stepped around Oleander to stand at his back so his eyes could meet mine as well. “I love you, Sylvan.”

“What’s happening?” I asked, instantly regretting it because I should have said the words back. My anxiety started bubbling up to the surface. Why were they both looking at me like they were? Why didn’t they say it to each other? What was even worse was how this was going to be the memory that lived in my head of the moment they told me they loved me, and I fucked it up. Par for the course with me.

“I should have said it earlier,” Oleander said. “But then the phone rang, and I had to leave.”

“Why aren’t you telling each other? I know you’re in love.” It was as obvious as it was how I felt about them. I wasn’t a master at hiding my emotions.