5. Drew

Ilifted my coffee to my lips and frowned in dismay when I realized it was empty. I stood, poured another cup, and returned to the kitchen table. I studied the schematics of Anton's warehouse for what felt like the hundredth time. There was a solution here. I knew it. I just had to find it. We'd spent the last month surveilling the warehouse and Anton's operation. We had everything we needed to move forward, and after the showdown between him and Layla the previous night, I knew we'd be moving soon. Layla and Tyler were going over charity business right now, but she'd want to hit the ground running as soon as she switched gears.

"What are you doing?" Zach asked as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a mango Snapple from the fridge and sat across from me. I glared at him as last night's activities flashed through my mind. He tipped his head back to chug his drink and froze as he met my eyes. "Oh, come on," he said, lowering the bottle. "You can't still be mad at me. So I touched your dick. Someone had to hold them together, and Layla was a bit busy if you recall."

"I'm not mad," I growled. "And if I were, it wouldn't be because you touched my dick. I didn't care about that."

"Then what's the issue? You've been weird all morning," Zach asked. He chugged his drink and looked at me expectantly as he recapped the empty bottle.

"You... you put it in your mouth!" I whisper-yelled.

Zach burst into side-splitting laughter, which didn't help ease my annoyance with him. "That's what has your dick in a knot?" he laughed. "Bro, it lasted like... less than two seconds. I was cleaning up Layla, and it was right there, so I figured fuck it, why not." He shrugged unapologetically. "What can I say? I'm an addict when it comes to her, and I had already licked all her juices from the source, and you had them all over you. I'd suck her off my dick if I could."

I shook my head. "So that's all that was?"

"Yes. Why? Did you like it?" he teased.

I didn't answer him because I couldn't deny that my dick had twitched, and that had been somewhat confusing because I knew I wasn't gay, and I definitely didn't want that to happen again.

"You did! You liked it when I sucked your dick!" Zach cackled.

"Would you keep your fucking voice down," I growled.

"Ok. I'm sorry," he said sobering. "In all seriousness, Drew, it didn't mean anything. I'm not gay, and just because it felt good doesn't make you gay. A warm mouth is a warm mouth. That's all it was."

"Fine," I said. "That makes sense. Just... don't do it again," I warned.

"Deal," Zach agreed. "Now, what are you working on?"

"I'm trying to decide the best spots to place the fuel barrels for maximum damage if we don't have time to burn Anton's warehouse to the ground," I replied.

"What's got you stumped? Find the load-bearing pillars and blow them," Zach suggested.

"Yes, but this warehouse has a bunch of them, so I'm trying to decide which ones."

"Every other one," he replied. "The point is to render the building unusable, right? So put a barrel in each corner and at every other pillar."

I pondered his suggestion. I had considered it about an hour ago and then tossed the idea out. "The problem with that is that there are a lot of barrels to move, and we might not have a lot of time."

"So prioritize them," he said like it was apparent, which it was.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. What the fuck do you think I was doing?"

"Oh, right," he laughed. "Well, it sounds like you need your own little Pyro brigade whose only job is to get everything in place while they dodge bullets. You'll need a few flatbed trucks with a couple of forklifts. Oh! And men inside with gasoline sprayers to spray everything down as we clear the building! And some explosives you can detonate remotely. Call Bear or talk to Sean since he plans to talk to Bear. I bet they can get you everything you need. Then you just need to recruit some guys."

I did like the idea of having a fire brigade. "Thanks. That's not a bad idea. I'll talk to Layla about it and see what she thinks." Zach nodded as his phone beeped. When he checked it, an excited grin spread across his face, and he started bouncing in his seat. "What?"

"We have a new guest," he announced. "Which means we get to feed the sharks!" Zach jumped out of his seat, jostling the table, and ran from the kitchen. "LAYLAAAA!" he screamed. "TIME TO PLAY, LITTLE SLASHER!"

I didn't have to ask who our visitor was. Zach's guys had found Leo. I gathered my papers and dropped them off in my office before meandering to the interrogation room. I had promised myself after Layla was kidnapped and beaten that I would stop being a little bitch about blood. These men deserved everything that Layla gave them, and I wanted to be able to see it done. When I walked into the room, they already had Leo stripped and bound to a chair facing the shark tank. Everyone looked at me like I had three heads as the door closed behind me.

"What's up?" Layla asked as I stood beside her.

"Nothing. I just thought I'd try and stick around for this one," I shrugged.

Layla turned my face to meet her eyes. "Why? You know I don't expect you to do this or think less of you because you can't, right?"

I smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug. "I know, baby. One of the things I love most about you is how you accept people as they are without judgment, but this isn't about you. It's about me. I need to try to do this."

"You're sure?" she asked, leaning back to search my eyes.

"Positive," I assured her.

"If that's what you think you should do, I won't stop you," she replied. "As long as you promise me that you'll leave if it becomes too much."

"I promise."

"Good. Then let's get the show on the road, shall we?" Layla turned from me and grinned at Zach as he handed her a filet knife. I moved around the room to lean against the wall beside Colt so that I could see everything but still be out of the way.

"You sure about this?" Colt asked. "You don't have anything to prove to us."

"I'm trying to prove something to myself, not you," I replied.

He nodded. "Good for you."

Layla and Zach took center stage with the rest of us on the edges of the room. Zach was wrapped around Layla, and they looked like a young couple out for an exciting date night, which I guess, in a way, they were.

"Uncle Leo," Layla said, clicking her tongue, "I've been told that you've been a naughty man."

"Go fuck yourself, Layla," he replied, sounding bored. "You may as well kill me because I'm not telling you shit."

"God, you guys sound like a broken record," Layla laughed. "Is that phrase part of the standard training the old guard received back in the day? Did it used to work? When someone said that to you, were you just like, dammit, guess I'll have to kill you now?"

"The fact that this room has existed long before we knew about it says that it didn't work," Zach commented.

"So why," Layla asked, leaning closer, "do you all seem to think it will work with me? You all molded me in your images. I'm the blood thirsty little monster you raised me to be. Well done." She stepped forward and trailed the tip of her knife across his body as she circled him.

"I'll be honest; I've gotten particularly creative with my plans for your death. I didn't want it to be quick. I want to drag it out, make sure you suffer like my father suffered as you slowly poisoned him. I'll give you the same treatment I gave John, only these are smaller sharks, so I'll have to cut off smaller chunks."

Leo's eyes widened slightly. The overweight man began to sweat. He hadn't expected Layla to know what he'd done, and now he knew that his presence here wasn't just because of his betrayal. It was because it was his hand that was responsible for Uncle Joe's death. He had killed Layla's father, and no amount of begging or cocky refusal to talk was going to get him out of his fate. This wasn't an interrogation; it was an execution.

"Ten bucks says he's crying within fifteen minutes," Colton whispered.

"This might be my first time witnessing this, but I'm not that stupid," I replied.

"Have you ever heard of Shawarma?" Layla asked. "My sharks love it." Her eyes roamed his body with a look of disgust. "It looks like you've been drowning yourself in pasta, Leo. It's not so good for you, but it's great for my hungry babies. Don't worry. I'll help you shed the pounds."

Zach chuckled in glee as Layla stepped forward and pressed her blade to Leo's bicep. Her filet knife sliced through his flesh like butter, shaving off a quarter-inch thick slice while Leo screamed. Layla waved the piece playfully at Zach before walking to the shark tank and climbing the stepstool.

I was rather proud of myself for not reacting, and I could feel Colt's eyes on me as he checked my condition. I would overcome this issue and learn to be an asset, well, more of an asset. I knew my arson and sniper skills were valuable.

Layla opened her mouth to say something as she looked back at Leo, but he still screamed. At Layla's impatient nod, Sean stepped forward, Slid a strip of leather between his teeth, then placed a leather belt under his chin and cinched it around his head, forcing his jaws closed. This didn't completely silence him, but it quieted him down enough that Layla could be heard.

"Now, pay attention, Leo. I really want to make sure you're seeing this," she instructed. She flipped open a trap door at the top of the tank and dropped the piece in. A cloud of red surrounded it as we watched the sharks scent the blood in the water and move around agitatedly before zeroing in on their snack. There was a lot of splashing as they thrashed around, fighting over the morsel. Layla giggled as she got sprinkled with water.

When the water cleared, and the activity inside the tank calmed, the piece of Leo's flesh was gone. I looked back to Leo to see his reaction, and that was when I finally understood why the others enjoyed this so much. The rush I felt as his eyes widened in fear, and he began to hyperventilate as Layla's threat came to fruition before his eyes could quickly become addicting. There was immense satisfaction in making someone feel your fear and helplessness. To know that while there were countless things beyond your control outside of this room in here, you held a life in your hand right now. You decided whether they lived or died and how they met their maker.

"Can I do the next one?!" Zach asked excitedly.

"Have at it," Layla replied as she descended the stepladder and approached me with concern. "Are you good?" she asked quietly while Colton pretended not to listen.

"I'm good," I assured her. "Really good." I watched as Zach sliced another piece from Leo's other bicep. He taunted the man with it before skipping over to the shark tank and dropping the piece in. The sharks went nuts again, gobbling up the scrap. "Actually...," I trailed off as I uncertainly met Layla's eyes. Did I want to do this? A quick soul search made me realize that, yes, I did. "Do you think I could try?"

Layla's eyes widened, and the guys' eyes snapped to me in shock. Even Leo's muffled screams of pain seemed to pause as my words sunk in.

"You really want to?" Layla asked.

"I do. Believe me, even I'm surprised," I chuckled.

"Babe, you can do whatever you'd like," Layla grinned. "Have at it."

I approached Leo slowly, waiting for my stomach to turn as I got closer to his bleeding body, but I didn't flinch a bit. Zach stood next to me and handed me the filet knife. "Looks like I rubbed off on you when I sucked your dick last night, huh?" he murmured.

"Fuck off," I replied, shoving him out of the way.

I met Leo's eyes without any fear. Above all the others, this man had always scared me the most. Of course, that was because he rode me harder than the others. I always got the impression that Leo never really liked me, and I never knew why. Now, I wanted an answer. Even in his vulnerable state, he was still glaring daggers at me with a deep hatred. I reached out and undid the belt around his head. He couldn't answer questions if he couldn't talk.

"You've always hated me," I said, not bothering to beat around the bush. "Why is that?"

"You ruined a good thing I had going," he spit out.

"How did I do that?" I asked, perplexed.

"Your mother was my mistress for years before she met your father and even a year or so after," he replied. His eyes got a faraway look in them as he revisited the past. His admission floored me, and I looked to the others to see if they knew what he was talking about. From their surprised looks, this was news to them as well.

"I don't believe you," I replied.

His eyes pierced mine. "I don't give a fuck if you believe me or not, it's the truth. I loved your mother."

"But you were already married to Aunt Connie for years before Drew was born," Layla said, standing by my side and slipping her hand into mine.

"Are you really in a position to judge me when you're fucking five men, Layla?" he scoffed. "Drew's mother was my mistress; in some ways, I loved her more than Connie. When she got pregnant, and I wouldn't leave Connie, she cut things off between us, determined to give her all to her marriage. Give you a father who would be present in your life." His words were dripping with disdain, but I barely noticed as I felt like the floor was falling out from under me.

"Why did she want you to leave Connie when she got pregnant?" I whispered.

"Because I was the one who got her pregnant in the first place," he smirked. "You're my son."

"No," I whispered. I bent in half, bracing my hands on my knees as I tried to breathe. Leo was my father?

"Yes," he replied with glee, enjoying my pain. "Come now, boy. Finding out that your real father wasn't a drunk and a child rapist must be a relief."

"You knew he was yours and still treated him like garbage?" Layla asked.

"If he hadn't come along, I would have had more time with my Lisa before she got sick," Leo replied. "He fucked everything up."

My head spun as I tried to process the fact that the man sitting in front of me was my biological father. Thousands of interactions between us flashed through my mind. Even when I viewed them from this new perspective, I couldn't identify a single moment where he showed anything more than reluctant tolerance toward me.

Layla's face appeared in mine as she kneeled to look into my face. "Do you want to take a break? We can leave him here indefinitely until you're ready to come back. Or you can walk away now. You don't have to do this."

I shook my head as I straightened. "I want to. Now more than ever."

Leo rolled his eyes. "You've never been the strong one, Andrew. May as well not start playing pretend now."

Before I could respond to his criticism, Layla swung her arm and backhanded him across the face. "Don't you fucking dare try to make him feel weak."

Her response made me smile as I wrapped my free arm around her waist from behind. "Thank you, baby," I said, softly kissing her shoulder. "Where do you think I should cut?"

"You don't have the stones," Leo scoffed. "You won't kill your father."

This time, it was my turn to scoff as the others chuckled. "You forget, old man, I already did. I listened to his screams as he burned alive while I clutched my sister's lifeless body. You think you mean more to me than he had? Even with him turning into the monster that he did, I still hold more affection in my heart for him than I do for you."

"Why don't we take his tongue?" Layla suggested.

I liked that idea. It felt right.

"I'll get the pliers!" Zach yelled excitedly as he ran to one of the tool areas. He came back with pliers and a thick wooden dowel. "To keep his mouth open so I can grab that slippery little sucker," he explained.

Colt and Sean stepped forward while Tyler looked up from his laptop to watch. They grabbed his head to hold it still as he thrashed in the chair in an attempt to escape his fate.

"Come on, Leo. Open up," Zach taunted, holding the dowel ready to stuff between his teeth as soon as he opened his mouth.

Layla stepped out of my embrace and pinched Leo's nose. If looks could kill, we'd all be dead, as Leo resisted for as long as he could. I was beginning to think that he'd end up passing out when his mouth suddenly sprung open, gasping for air. Lightning quick, Zach shoved the dowel into the side of his mouth before Leo could shut it again. He started poking the pliers into Leo's mouth as he tried to catch his tongue.

"Dammit, Leo, stop being a little bitch," Zach complained. "If we have to do this in pieces, it will hurt more," he warned. Finally, he managed to get ahold of it and cheered as he stretched Leo's tongue out of his mouth. "Here ya go, bro. It's all yours."

I stepped to the other side of him and held the filet knife steady as I chose a spot as close to his mouth as I could reach with the knife. Layla and Zach had made slicing pieces off of him look easy, and I wasn't sure if it was the tool, the fact that I was cutting the tongue or the operator, but it took me several sawing motions to get through it. Leo screamed the entire time, a sound we would have to endure or risk him choking on his blood if we clamped his mouth shut again. I took Zach's pliers, walked the tongue to the tank, and dropped it through the hole. I didn't turn back until the tank had settled again, and Leo's tongue was gone.

"Why don't we take a break," Layla said with a smile. "I can't stand the screaming, and it's almost lunchtime."

I expected to feel nausea at the thought of eating after what I had just done, but surprisingly, it didn't come. Look at me growing and shit. "Lunch sounds good," I replied. We filed out of the room, and Leo's screams disappeared as soon as the door closed.

"Should we go out or stay in?" Tyler asked.

"Let Drew decide," Layla replied. "This is a big day for him, and he might not be up for going out."

I hugged her to my side as we went up the stairs. Was I up for it? The rush of exhaustion told me I wasn't. Now that I was out of that room, the weight of what I had found out settled on my shoulders. I never would have guessed that my father hadn't been my biological father. I wasn't sure that he knew either. I understood why my mother hadn't said anything. She wasn't just protecting me but herself as well. Connie was known to be as cutthroat as a mob wife came. I wouldn't have put it past her to retaliate.

"I think I'd prefer we stay in," I answered honestly. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around Leo being my father. I don't want my distraction to potentially put you at risk."

"Smell that?" Zach asked, inhaling deeply. "We'd be staying in regardless. Cordy made meatballs!" He took off running as I inhaled, letting the comforting smell wash over me. I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed it until Zach said something.

"How does he know it's meatballs?" Sean asked. "Maybe it's just pasta."

"It's meatballs," Colton replied as we trailed behind Zach to the kitchen. "Cordy's meatballs have a distinct smell, different from her other Italian dishes. We've never been able to figure out why."

"It's the mushrooms," I replied, realizing I knew the answer to that mystery. "She sautees mushrooms, then grinds them up enough to incorporate into the meat. Zach always hated mushrooms, so it was the only way she could get him to eat them."

"How the hell do you know that?" Tyler laughed.

I shrugged. "I helped her make them. I liked learning to cook, and she was more than willing to teach me."

"Does Zach still hate mushrooms?" Sean asked a hint of glee in his voice.

"He does," Layla giggled. "Don't you dare ruin meatballs for him. It's one of his favorite dishes."

"Sorry, Stór, but I can't make that promise," Sean said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head as he rushed past us.

"This oughta be good," Colton chuckled as he followed him.

Layla shook her head as we entered the kitchen. The horrified look on Zach's face told me that Sean hadn't wasted any time spilling the beans. Cordy's face was a mixture of amusement and anger.

"That's a lie!" Zach argued. "Tell me that's a lie, Cordy."

"Sorry, my boy, but he's telling the truth," Cordy apologized. "Instigator," she said, shooting Sean a look. Her eyes met mine. "That was a secret, Drew."

"Sorry, Cordy. I spoke before thinking." She returned to the oven to take out the tray of meatball subs. "Speaking of secrets, did you know Leo was my biological father?" She set the tray on the stove, and her shoulders slumped slightly before she turned to face me.

"You knew?!" Layla exclaimed.

"Your mama was a sweet girl," Cordy said as she came around the island to hug me. "Too good for either of those men. It broke her heart when Leo wouldn't leave Connie for her. As far as I know, I was the only person she told, and she begged me never to tell anyone, including you. I know Mr. Romano knew. Nothing escaped him. I think that's why he insisted that your father bring you to the house every day to play with Layla and Tyler. I think he hoped that constantly having you in the house in Leo's presence would make him step up and do right by you."

"Well, that backfired," I replied. "Instead, Leo made sure that I knew he didn't like me."

"Yes, he was quite a dickhead, wasn't he? Broke my heart to see it happen," Cordy replied matter-of-factly.

My mouth fell open as I stared at her. We knew Cordy cursed. We'd heard her muttering under her breath plenty of times when she thought we weren't around, but this was the first time she had done so in front of us.

She looked at the blood splattering my shirt pointedly. "Don't look so surprised, Drew. If you can change, so can I. You're adults now. Heaven knows dirtier things come out of your mouths constantly."

"And sometimes in them," Tyler joked. Layla giggled as Tyler turned bright red, realizing he had said that out loud.

"I don't need to know the details!" Cordy scolded. "Even my sweet Tyler has been corrupted. Go wash up, all of you. Lunch is ready."

"Excuse me!" Zach said with his hands on his hips. "Can we get back to the matter at hand? How long have you been defiling the meatballs with mushrooms?"

"Long before you were born," Cordy replied. "And you've always loved my meatballs."

We washed our hands and sat at the table. I couldn't help but laugh at Zach's wrinkled nose when Cordy set his plate in front of him.

She smacked him on the back of the head lightly. "Get over it, Zach. They're the same meatballs you've always eaten."

"But now I know they're tainted," Zach whispered sadly. His hunger won out, though, and it only took him a few seconds to start wolfing his sub down.

"I'm sorry that you found out the way you did about Leo," Cordy said as she joined us. "Though I'm not surprised the snake couldn't take that secret to his grave."

Layla leaned against me as we ate, offering me silent comfort and support. Ultimately, knowing didn't change anything. I had the family that truly mattered; that was all I needed. Keith entered the kitchen and bent to whisper something in Layla's ear. Her eyes widened in shock, and I instantly went on alert.

"Well, let her in," Layla replied. Keith ran off, and Layla met my eyes. "This should be interesting. Connie just arrived at the gate demanding to be let in to see her husband."

Well fuck.