Page 34 of Winter's End

We were a unit now, and we worked better together.

“I think we need to look into Dad’s past more,” I announced as we rounded the dark parking lot to get into our vehicles.

Four sets of eyes looked at me expectantly.

“I think that’s the key to knowing how this all started,” I continued, knowing in my heart that this was the right path to follow and hoping they all agreed.

“We know from Drew’s mom that something happened when they were teenagers. We need to know what. I think Georgio has leverage over everyone and that’s how WAQ and Eccles got involved with his criminal activities from day one. We’re missing something huge here. Maybe it’s the key to lessening our father’s prison sentences, or at the very least, just understanding why they would ever put themselves in this position.”

Marcie said Dad’s story was sad. Why was it sad? What had made him get into bed with Georgio? Why did he make nice with men like Stanley and Camden, both of whom he’d obviously come to despise over the years, but by all appearances, worked with them professionally and was even invited to their children’s wedding?

I also needed to know what kind of role my mother played in all of this. She’d never been mentioned in anything we’d seen, but like Emmett and Amelia, she and Dad met in university. Did she have a clue what was going on, or was she so involved in her career and her other partnerships she truly was separate from the whole mess?

The more I tried to add up the factors, the harder it was to get a whole number.

“I personally”—I swallowed the lump forming in my throat—“don’t want to hate my father for the rest of my life. But I need to know more in order to do that. Right now …”

I left that statement hanging, because despite the years of absenteeism and less than stellar parenting, I wanted to love him. I wanted the love he hadn’t been able to show me.

Quick was the closest to me. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. “We’ll put a plan together, Snow. Let’s get through our exams first.”

I nodded and attempted to put the theory on hold as I moved to kiss the guys goodbye. Try as I might, my mind kept running over Dad’s possible history as we drove through Cascade Falls’ quiet streets.

Was there any hope at all for redemption? For Dad, or for us?

Bourbon & Blues was busy tonight. I was working a serving shift, and it was a rare night where Travis and Cam weren’t working. I never realized how much I relied on their presence in the building to make me feel safe under Georgio—or Georgio’s cameras—watchful eye, but I was very aware of their absence tonight.

Off in five minutes, I was clearing tables and getting the last of the drink orders from my section before escaping to some semblance of safety. Safety in the form of Hillary tonight, instead of one of my men.

She was meeting me here within the hour, to take me out to her Carlisle condo for a night of ‘girl time,’ whatever that entailed. I imagined she had planned something well above my pay-grade, like the disgusting Beluga sperm facials Travis had been so against.

I was willing to try anything once, but I didn’t know if I could throw myself off that luxury cliff tonight.

My eyes warily scanned the room, an action I’d become accustomed to since Georgio’s first threat over our heads. I was getting tired with all the cloak-and-dagger our lives had become, but I hoped upon hope Kellan’s new involvement in our lives would put an end to our double personas sooner rather than later.

That’s if we could keep our end of the bargain—I had my doubts he’d let us off scot-free like he had implied. Although, short of seducing Georgio—not only was that an unlikely possibility, I would rather suck on Shane’s rugby-sweat toes than even get close to the man—I didn’t know how me ‘keeping an ear to the ground’ could have any value to ‘Operation Georgio-Geronimo.’

I know it was another one of Quick’s lame titles, but Travis had encouraged it, so we were stuck with it.

As if the devil himself heard my thoughts, the distinct timbre of Kellan’s voice filled the room as I rounded the corner with my drink tray.

“You’ve done well here, brother. A far cry from when it opened.”

The two men hovered in an elevated alcove, surveying the throng of laughing customers and the four-piece jazz ensemble on the stage; the trumpeter’s solo overtook the room so I couldn’t catch Georgio’s response.

I was startled by Kellan’s obvious comfort, fully blending in with the crowd of small-town hooligans and traveling elitists.

I averted my eyes before Georgio could catch me watching them, and brought the tray of dirty glasses back to Colin.

“Could you fill this last order for me?” I asked while my mind raced with all the reasons Kellan could be here.

I had trusted up until this point that everything he’d said was the truth. I’d seen his badge, he’d shared information, and he was obviously doing his best to keep as much of his involvement hidden.

Was tonight an act of subterfuge, meant to keep Georgio from suspecting anything? Was Kellan as on our side as he said he was? Could I truly trust anyone in this cascading waterfall of lies?

Ugh. My head hurt. I could only hope Georgio would make a false move quickly, so the rest of us could go back to our lives. Even though I could admit I had no clue what that would now look like.

I just had finals left, then I graduated next month. Presently, I had no plans other than continuing to work for Bourbon & Blues until this web of fuckery was all over. Surprisingly, I hadn’t missed the diner like I thought, but my main reason for wanting to be there had been Drew, and now I got to spend time with that handsome devil as much as I wanted.

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