Page 12 of Hunted Vengeance

“You need to go,” Grayson suggests.

“I do,” I agree. “Like fucking tomorrow.”

“Get your shit together and go. When you get a plan together, call us,” Boden says.

The men in my life who are so willing to help me don’t even ask any questions. They are ready in a goddamn instant. It shouldn’t surprise me because if the tables were turned in any way, I would be there for them as well—zero questions asked.

“Go,” Theron says, his gaze finding mine.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat. “I have work—” I begin, but I’m cut off by Grayson.

“Fuck that shit,” he growls, but it’s Theron who speaks. As he talks, I can feel his emotion filling the room—filling me. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I listen to him anyway. I let his words settle inside of me, down to the marrow.

“We did not go through hell together, dig ourselves out of that hell, and become the men we are today just to turn our backs on one another when we’re needed the most. No one here fucked me over when I needed you, and we aren’t going to fuck you over, either.”

Shaking my head, I clear my throat as my gaze flicks between them. They’ve already helped me more than once, financially and otherwise, during this whole ordeal. They didn’t get pissed off or make any demands when I fucked up so badly that I was forced to marry a Mafia princess.

They should have severed all ties with me then.

I can’t ask them to back me up again, and I decide to tell them just that.

“You’ve already all done enough. I cannot ask you to do any more. I have to do this on my own. This is my shit.”

Theron snorts. “And Lucille wasn’t mine?”

“That’s different,” I argue.

There is a moment of silence where they all just stare at me, and my gaze flicks around the five of them still sitting at the table. I’m not sure how to end this conversation because I don’t want them to do a goddamn thing for me. They’ve done enough—brotherhood or not.

“It’s not, but you want to do this on your own. I think we’re good with that,” Hale says, speaking for the first time. “Until we’re not.”

“What’s that mean?” I ask.

He smirks. “Until you need us.”

Rolling my eyes, I run my fingers through my hair, tugging on the ends. They fucking frustrate me like no other. I start to stand, but Theron lifts his hand, which causes me to pause.

His gaze finds mine, and he holds it for a long moment before he speaks. “Don’t worry about work. We got you on that. And if you need us for more, then you got that, too.”

Jerking my chin toward him, I smile. “Thanks.”

“Go and get your woman.”

I almost laugh but decide against it.My woman. I’m not sure that she is mine, that she ever was in the first place, but I think that’s what I want from her. Colette Steele is my wife, and I’m not ready to roll over and give her up yet.

Leaving the conference room, I head toward my office. As much as I want to just pack my shit up and run, I need to tie up a few loose ends first. I’ve got some paperwork to send to Theron so he can write up contracts and bids.

Once I start working, I realize I have more than just a few things to catch up on. I’m not sure what time it is, but when a knock raps on my office door, I lift my head and call out for the person on the other side to come in.

It’s Vaughn who walks into the room. His eyes find mine instantly. “You’re still here,” he announces.

“I am,” I say.

Silently, he walks over to the sofa that’s across from my desk and flops down, causing it to groan under his weight. Arching a brow, I watch him as I wait for the reason he’s made his way into my space.

Vaughn crosses his ankle over his knee. I watch as he shakes his foot a few times, and then his expression turns serious as he takes me in. I’m not sure what he’s going to say, but I have a feeling whatever it is, I am without a doubt not going to like it.

“I wouldn’t ever say this in front of anyone,” he begins.

---