Page 80 of Chubs

“I got suspended from school all the damn time. I had cops bringing me home so often Pops was on a first-name basis with most of Denver P.D. I didn’t even bother to apply for colleges because I hated school so much. And look at me—I’m living a good life, and I’m out here killing it. Craig’s a lot like me, and he will too,” Axel says as he stops next to our table.

“Oh God. I’m doomed,” Pippa states in a horrified whisper while staring at Axel.

“No, Pips. I just explained that—” Axel says before I cut him off.

“You’re not helping, Axel.”

“I’m pretty sure I am! Pippa doesn’t need to worry because Craig—” Axel insists when I interrupt him again.

“Telling a mom that her son is just like you is not helping! Sorry, Axel, you know I love you, but that’s a horrifying thing to tell a mom.”

Axel stares at me like we’ve never met before, then aims a finger at my face.

“You’re a little spicy today. I liked you better when you were shy and quiet,” he states before stalking off.

“The look on his face!” Pippa says, laughing hard.

I pull out my phone and do what Axel would do if he offended Bailey. I order flowers.

Chapter 21

Chubs

Les and I lay low for a few days and give it time for his headaches to disappear. My hands still shake slightly when I think back to how close I came to losing my only blood brother. I never wanted to risk any of my family, but when I bring that up to Les, he refuses to listen. My only option is to minimize the risk to him the best I can and to maybe settle for less than I was hoping for in results.

Returning to our room, I drop into a chair in exhaustion. Les looks up from his laptop and studies me carefully. After a moment, he sets it aside and speaks.

“We can only do so much, Drew. There’re only two of us, and we’re up against a literal army of killers. Do you really think any of the Vero family is going to be concerned about Mom, Aria, and my whereabouts after all of this has happened? I think we could move away from here, and they’d not even care. They’re going to be busy rebuilding for a long time.”

“They’ll care because the Feds might eventually let it out that I’m still alive. They found me, so can Vero. They’ll come after any and all of us at that point. Keep in mind, it was me that was with Dad when he killed Dario Bianchi, and I was there when he was ordered to do it. He was the boss of the Bianchi family, and the Vero family wanted him dead. They knew I could put them away for life, and that’s why they came after me. Thinking I was dead is the only thing that kept them from using you, Mom, and Aria for leverage. We either have to kill them all, get the Bianchis to do it, or set them up for very long prison sentences,” I wearily answer.

“Which are we going to do? Killing them would be a permanent solution, but neither of us are straight-up killers. Depending on the situation, that is. The Bianchis have been doing a good job from their end so far, but it’s taking longer than I’d like. We have the information needed to set them up, so is that our game plan?”

“I think so. The biggest worry is that we get the information to law enforcement that’s not on the Vero payroll,” I reply.

“Let’s do it then.”

The next evening, we place all the items we’ve taken off our prisoners into a tote, and Les writes a letter explaining the contents. I leave the room long enough to procure us a vehicle, as in borrow one illegally. Stowing the tote in the trunk, we drive to the warehouse where our prisoners are living.

Entering, I set the tote near the door in plain sight. Moving rapidly, we toss wrapped sandwiches and bottles of water to our cuffed captives and ignore their comments. Keeping the lights low and our faces covered, their taunting knows no bounds. The most common insult thrown our way is being called cowardly Bianchis.

As I’m sliding a sandwich across the floor to a captive, I hear Leonardo running his mouth at Les. He’s taken his comments from threats of killing us to now threatening rape and death to our females.

“I get out of here, and your mom is going to be with a real man for the first time in her life! I’ll do her every way a… what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Turning, my mouth drops open at my brother’s response to Leonardo’s taunt. My calm, respected banker brother is beyond pissed, and his angry eyes tell me that. That isn’t what shocked me, though. It’s his actions that leave me speechless.

Les is staring hard at Leonardo while pissing into a water bottle. Finished, he caps it and tosses it within reach of our mouthy prisoner. Next, he drops his pants, opens the sandwich wrapper, and proceeds to rub his ass cheeks and then cock with the sandwich. Neatly rewrapping it, he slides it across the floor to a shocked Leonardo. Calmly wiping his hands off on his pants, he pulls them up, fastens them, and moves to the next prisoner. The next prisoner keeps his mouth shut.

I choke out a cough but restrain my laughter for the time being. Finished, we shut off the lights and relock the door on our way out. We get into the borrowed car and drive away. I make it about three blocks before pulling over and putting it in park. Turning, I look at my brother’s profile while he stares straight ahead.

“He pissed me off,” Les says with a shrug.

“I pissed you off plenty when we were kids! Please tell me you didn’t perfect your technique back then!” I nearly shout before I start laughing.

Still not looking at me, Les replies, “You’ll never know.”

I continue laughing, sometimes hysterically, on the way back to our room. Once there, I finally get control of it, and then Les speaks again.

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