Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

"Boss Cold." Trev snorted. "You give yourself that name?"

"No."

Trev tapped his fingers against the door. "I suppose you want me to thank you, right? Well, thank you. For the very unneeded rescue and making me leave my friend behind." He flashed an icy smile. "I was doing just fine without you."

Cold's expression didn't change.

He didn't even flinch.

He was good.

Trev knew he was better.

"So." Trev batted his eyes. "Anything else?"

"Come with me." Cold's tone was firm and did not leave any room for argument. He was clearly a man who did not take kindly to being disobeyed.

So, naturally, Trev had to defy him.

"Right now?" Trev pretended to check a watch he didn't have. "I'm super busy at the moment. Not sure when?—"

"Mr. Usher." Cold did not appear amused.

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

"I'd like to discuss the terms of your release."

Trev snorted. "Am I in prison or something? Thought we were all one big happy family?"

Cold stared expectantly.

He was impossible to read.

That certainly made it harder to manipulate him or figure out what was going through his head, but Trev could still work with this. If nothing else, he knew he was really good at being annoying.

"So, that's a no to the picnic?" Trev asked. "Because I thought it would be really fun for all of us to go play in the yard with the big scary guard dogs. Maybe we'll do a cookout. Grill some burgers. You like burgers, right?"

Still nothing.

"Come on. Everybody likes burgers. Big juicy ones with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions?—"

Cold's upper lip twitched.

Huh.

So, he didn't like onions.

"Fine. No onions." Trev smiled. "I'll remember that. Any other dietary preferences?"

Cold turned and walked away.

"Hey!" Trev scowled.

Cold kept walking.

Trev took a step as if to follow him, but he hesitated.

Was this a trick?

Had he actually pissed off Boss Cold so much that he was walking away from him?

What did Cold even want to talk to him about?

What the fuck ?

"Hey! Hello!" Trev stalked after Cold with a scowl. "I was talking to you!"

"Were you?" Cold sounded bored. "I thought you were more interested in fucking with me."

"Don't walk away from me."

Cold seemed intent on doing just that, and he strolled downstairs without a care in the world.

"Uh, excuse you!" Trev followed him, fuming. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Cold had literally orchestrated an entire plot to get Trev away from the Luchesi family and bring him here, and now he didn't want to talk to him?

Fuck to the no.

Trev hurried to catch up, and he found Cold lounging in a parlor near the front door. There were three big plush chairs and a small table with a vase of fresh lilies.

Cold had taken the chair so his back would be to the wall, and there was a hint of a smile playing over his lips as Trev walked in.

It was then Trev realized he'd been skillfully baited to follow Cold here like a damn puppy.

"Wow." Trev grinned. "You're an asshole."

"Thank you." Cold held out his hand. "Knife, please."

"Left it upstairs."

"Now."

Trev groaned and slid the butter knife out of his sleeve so he could dutifully surrender it. "There. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." Cold dropped the knife onto the table.

"So." Trev plopped down in the other chair. "Is this the part where you ask me lots of stupid questions?"

"On the contrary, this is where you get to ask me lots of stupid questions," Cold retorted. "I can't promise I'll answer them all, but what answers I do give will be honest."

Trev narrowed his eyes.

He was a little grumpy about Cold tricking him into coming down here, so he decided to go right for the jugular with his first question.

Fuck it.

He didn't have anything to lose.

"Why did you kill our father?"

"Because he was an abusive, violent, cowardly piece of shit ." Cold's face didn't even twitch. "I beat him until his face was an unrecognizable bloody pulp, threw him down two flights of stairs, and then I shot him fifteen times."

Trev tensed, unable to hide his horror. "Wh-why would you admit to that? Why would?—"

"You thought you'd be cute trying to throw me off by asking a question you didn't think I'd want to answer. So, I decided to give you a little more detail than I normally share. It's all a matter of public record, as I was arrested, convicted, and then served time for his murder. My only regret about killing him is that I was far too merciful."

Trev scoffed, and his stomach twisted. He thought about his chat with Rowena. "Did he hurt Rowena too?"

"There was no one in his life that he did not hurt if he could."

"I'm sorry. I don't…" Trev hesitated to say more.

"You don't understand why your mother would lie to you?" Cold took the words right out of Trev's mouth. "The easiest answer is usually the right one. She did it to protect you."

Trev leaned forward. "Did you know her?"

"Not well, but I do know she left Strassen in quite the hurry about twenty years ago."

"It was because of me," Trev realized out loud. "I was born here and then we left when I was a kid. Like, four years old or something. She…" He looked at the lilies on the table.

They looked familiar, but he couldn't place why at the moment.

"She wanted to get away from here. From all of this . That's why she made up all the stories about our father being some fucking saint and damn aunt Suzanne being a jazz singer and?—"

"Suzanne was my mother," Cold cut in gently. "And she was a great singer."

"Really?" Trev's heart lurched. "Wait, what happened to her?"

"She died giving birth to me. So, be thankful you had a mother who loved you enough and was there to spin falsehoods to protect you."

"Were our moms really sisters?"

"No. Good friends with the same terrible taste in men."

"Apparently." Trev snorted. "Do we… Do we have any other family out there?"

"Blood relations?"

"Yeah."

"No. Rowena has some distant relations through her mother, but they're estranged."

Trev huffed out a laugh. "Don't like gangsters?"

"On the contrary," Cold replied. "They're Luchesis."

"Well, fuck." Trev made a face. "Is that, like, a problem…?"

"No." Cold shook his head. "She's made it clear where she stands."

"And you?"

Cold's lips twitched up into a small smile. "The Luchesis are very aware of my feelings toward them."

"You killed a bunch of them, right?" Trev recalled what Jupiter had told him. "Wiped out a whole generation?"

"Allegedly." Cold's smile grew. "Anything else, Mr. Usher?"

"Ew, don't. Just call me Trev." Trev wrinkled his nose. " Mr. Usher is old. And creepy."

"Fine. Anything else, Trev ?"

Trev frowned, scanning over Cold's face as he considered his next question carefully. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

Trev tensed. "Seriously?"

"You've already told me what I want to know."

"But I didn't tell you anything."

"But you did." Cold raised his brow. "You're slow to trust, you think you're clever, and you despise authority."

"Hey, that's my Grindr profile. Also, I love big, hairy tops."

Cold rolled his eyes. "You don't have any allegiance to the Luchesi family, and that's all I care about."

"How do you know?" Trev wagged his eyebrows. "Maybe I'm playing you."

"Because of the questions you asked. The way you asked them. Your main concern was for your mother. You're angry that she lied to you. You probably never trusted anyone else and that's why the sense of betrayal haunting you stings so. You're having to reconcile that with how much you loved her, but you still wonder was there anything else she lied about."

Trev did his best to keep his expression calm.

But seriously, who the fuck was this guy?

Cold's pinpoint analysis was even more accurate than any of Jupiter's observations had been, and oh, great, now Trev was thinking about Jupiter.

Which did present another question.

Cold was busy looking smug, and Trev decided to ignore everything he said by asking, "Hey, what about Jupiter?"

"Prospero? Didn't he chain?—"

"Chain me to the wall. Yes. We're past that. Moving on." Trev sat on the edge of the chair. "Is there anything you can do to get him out of there?"

" There being with the Luchesi family?" Cold made a face.

"You were willing to get me out without even knowing who I was," Trev said firmly. "So, what about him? Can you?"

" Can I and will I are two very different things." Cold narrowed his eyes. "You were being used as a pawn by the Luchesis to manipulate me. Taking you from right under their noses reminded them of my power and reach."

"Wow. I feel so loved."

"I barely know you. But appearances are important. Letting the Luchesis know that I will not play their silly little games is important ." Cold arched a brow. "Risking my resources to save your beau? Not very important."

"But he saved me," Trev insisted. "He was helping me?—"

"To help himself," Cold pointed out. "I know Mr. Prospero is not in a good position and wishes to leave?—"

"Yeah! Because they're probably gonna kill him. If he's not already dead." Trev tried not to think about that, but he knew it was a possibility he had to consider.

Cold said nothing.

"Okay. Right. Great talk." Trev stood up. "Consider the terms of my release settled."

"Where are you going?"

"To get my shit, pack up, and head back to fucking Perry City. If you won't help Jupiter, then I will." Trev flashed a sweet smile. "Probably gonna get myself kidnapped again, just so you know!"

"Sit back down," Cold ordered.

"Sorry, bro . Gotta go."

"Hey!" There was a loud clacking of heels accompanied by a softer set of footsteps, and Rowena burst into the parlor with a scowl. "What did you do, Roddy? Why is he saying he's leaving?"

There was a beautiful young man with Rowena who didn't appear to be much older than Trev was. He had a youthful face with fair skin, bright eyes, wavy brown hair, and a dazzling smile. That smile faded, however, as he joined Rowena's accusations by snapping, "Rod! We talked about this."

Cold was unmoved, saying, "Before you go, Trev, please allow me to introduce my husband, Jimmy Poe, who loves to eavesdrop with Rowena."

"Hi! Jimmy! Nice to meet you." Jimmy glared daggers at Cold, even as he asked Trev, "You're not really going, are you? You just got here!"

"Afraid so." Trev shook the hand Jimmy held out. "Been a real delight, but I've got to get going. Long walk back to Perry City."

"What?" Jimmy blinked. "You're not serious."

"Let's go then." Rowena held her head high. "Maybe a little road trip is what we need, huh?"

"No," Cold said flatly.

Rowena ignored him. "I'll drive. Maybe we can go get some of your stuff, right? And then we can rescue your man meat."

"No one is going anywhere," Cold argued.

"This could be fun," Jimmy said cheerfully. "I can't remember the last time I took a road trip anywhere. We can make it there and back in a day, right?"

Rowena slipped her arm through Trev's. "Come on! Let's go get you packed! I just need to call my boyfriend and let him know I'm going out for a bit."

Jimmy took Trev's other arm, and they all headed to the stairs together. "I can take some more time off from the firm. I don't have any active cases right now."

"Not enough innocent people in Strassen, huh?" Rowena teased.

"Definitely not."

Cold hadn't moved from his chair, but still he called after them. "None of you are leaving this house."

"Love you, Roddy! Bye!" Rowena waved.

"Love you so much!" Jimmy cooed sweetly.

"Are we really doing this?" Trev asked when they reached the second floor. "You guys are really going to take me back?"

"Trust us," Rowena said with a wink.

"We know what we're doing," Jimmy added.

Trev was hopelessly lost, but he allowed Jimmy and Rowena to lead him back to his room. "So, should I pack…? Or what?"

"Just wait." Rowena shut the door.

Trev quirked his brows. "Will one of you explain what the fuck is happening right now? Because are we really about to go back to Perry City or not?"

"What?" Jimmy laughed. "No, it's all right. We won't have to."

"Why?"

There was a polite knock at the door.

Jimmy answered it with a sweet smile.

It was Cold. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was scowling. He looked pissed .

"Hi, honey," Jimmy chirped fearlessly. "What is it?"

"Something wrong?" asked Rowena with a bat of her eyes.

"I know what you two are up to," Cold warned, "and it's not going to work this time."

"What isn't?"

"Is there a problem?" Jimmy asked.

Cold growled .

Well, that was a terrifying sound Trev didn't know a human man could make.

"Just so we're clear, whatever this is?" Trev gestured to Rowena and Jimmy. "It's their thing, okay?"

"There is no need for anyone to go anywhere," Cold snapped. "Trust me that everything will be resolved by this evening. And yes, that includes the predicament with Mr. Prospero."

"What are you talking about?" Trev demanded. "You were about to let me walk out of here."

"Was I?" Cold hummed. "Allowing you to throw a little tantrum is hardly letting you leave the premises, Trev."

"You were going to hold me prisoner?"

"I was going to strongly suggest that you stay."

"That's the same thing!" Trev groaned.

"Well?" Jimmy prompted with his hands on his hips, eyeing Cold. "Come on. We know you already have some great, super intricate plan that you haven't told anyone about except maybe Jules?—"

"I know too!" a new voice shouted from the hallway.

"Shut up, Lorre!" Rowena barked.

"—and so why don't we just skip to the part where you show us that you're smarter than everyone and tell us what's really going on?" Jimmy concluded, dramatically crossing his arms over his chest.

Cold sighed, a sound of long and extended suffering as he glared at Jimmy and Rowena. "I am not going to tell you?—"

"Trev, start packing."

"Listen to me." Cold gritted his teeth. "I have it under very good authority that Mr. Prospero has left the Luchesi family, all right?"

"Left?" Trev echoed. "What do you mean, left?"

"As in, renounced any and all rights he had as a potential heir and has fled Perry City." Cold made a face. "So, it will do you no good to return there to find him because he is not there."

"But he's alive?"

"Yes."

Trev frowned and had to consciously force his hands down to his sides so he wouldn't be tempted to touch the collar. He wasn't sure what to feel. He should be happy that Jupiter had been able to get away, but he felt strangely hollow.

They were supposed to leave together, but…

No, it was better this way.

Trev would figure this out without him.

"Morning, gents!" A man with a British accent, platinum blond hair, and a bright smile joined Cold at the door. "How are we?" His eyes fell on Trev. "Ah! Mr. Usher. Nice to see you!"

"Who the fuck are you?" Trev drawled.

"Charlie Eastwick," the man said as he offered his hand. He winked. "Friend of the family."

"Right." Trev shook his hand but still made a face. "I'm going to need you all to start wearing name tags or something."

"All right to speak freely?" Charlie asked Cold, glancing over the others. "It does pertain to Mr. Usher here."

"Then uh, yeah, speak freely. Right now," Trev demanded.

Cold appeared thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Go on."

"I confirmed through my old contacts that the Luchesi family does indeed have federal intel. It's how they knew about the raid and I believe how they were able to locate Mr. Usher," Charlie replied. "Now, I can't say for sure who it is, but I'd put money on Mr. Cham?—"

"Wait, wait." Trev held up his hands. "Back up. They used the feds to find me? As in, the FBI?"

"Afraid so, mate." Charlie grimaced. "Apparently your mother was going to enter witness protection but was rejected from the program when the Justice Department declined to prosecute the case she was going to testify for."

"What case?" Cold asked.

"Give me some more time and I might be able to find out."

Trev was nauseated.

His mother had lied to him about Boris and now this?

She had tried to get into witness protection? But why?

"The last address listed in her file was Perry City," Charlie went on. "Can't imagine why she moved there. They were literally in the Luchesi's backyard the whole time."

"Does the name Camille Bransby mean anything?" Trev asked carefully.

"No." Charlie quirked his brows. "Should it?"

"That's my landlord. She's the one who set me up."

"No. She was not," Cold corrected.

Trev stared at Cold and scowled. "No? What about her friend at the Cannery? All that bullshit about six months rent?" He paused expectantly while Cold scowled right back at him. "Yeah, didn't know about that, did you?"

Cold's expression indicated that perhaps he did because he simply looked too damn smug. "It's irrelevant. She did as she was told. All that matters now is that the very thing you wanted to leave to go get is no longer there. So, you might as well stay."

"That's not an answer and you know it," Jimmy argued fearlessly.

"Yeah, that's some bullshit, Roddy," Rowena snapped. "This isn't how we treat family."

"Blood doesn't make him family." Cold's tone was curiously calm, and he glared at the two of them. "If you two are done now, I am actually quite busy."

"So busy that you decided to stomp on up here and tell us a whole bunch of nothing helpful?" Trev asked dryly. "Really?"

"Yeah, and didn't you just say this morning you were staying home today?" Jimmy batted his eyes sweetly.

"I think he did!" Rowena gasped. "Funny how he's magically busy now."

"Right?" Jimmy pretended to look shocked. "Almost as if he's being dishonest."

"Mr. Poe," Cold said firmly, "say goodbye to Rowena and Trev."

"What?" Jimmy visibly shivered. "Right now?"

"Right now." Cold's voice had dropped and had an undeniable purr to it.

Trev quirked his brows. "What's with the Mr. Poe ? Is that a sex thing?"

"Definitely a sex thing," Rowena whispered loudly.

"Oh." Trev paused. " Oh ! Ew . He kept calling me Mr. Usher earlier."

"Ew!" Rowena wrinkled her nose.

Cold did not look amused.

"Hey! I'm not going anywhere until you tell us if you're going to help Jupiter." Jimmy stared Cold down. "If you know he left the Luchesis, you have to know where he's going."

"Do I?" Cold asked.

"You always know everything ."

Charlie smirked. "He's got you there, sir."

Two men crowded at the door beside Charlie. One was tall and lean with a bald head and no eyebrows. He looked like Uncle Fester but creepier. The other was a gorgeous blond with strong cheekbones, tan skin, and long lashes.

"More gangsters?" Trev assumed. "Do you guys get discounts for buying suits in bulk?"

"Ha!" The gorgeous man laughed. "Funny."

"Trev, this is Roger Lorre—" Rowena gestured to the gorgeous man. "—and his husband, Mickey Tamerlane." She waved to Uncle Fester. "More esteemed members of the Gentlemen."

"The who now?" Trev must have missed that.

"The Gentlemen," Rowena repeated. "It's what our lil' family is called."

"I'm sure you'll meet everyone eventually," Jimmy said cheerfully. "Everyone is really nice?—"

Cold cleared his throat.

"What?" Jimmy fussed. "They are! Most of the time!" He wagged his finger at Cold. "And hey! You still haven't answered the question."

"I didn't realize you'd asked one." Cold reached out, cupping the back of Jimmy's neck and urging him out of the room with him. "Come along, Mr. Poe. We can talk about it while we do our sex thing ."

"That is not… going to work!" Jimmy argued, though his breathless tone said otherwise.

Cold wrapped his arm around Jimmy's shoulders as he led him down the hall. He paused to look back, commanding, "Lorre, Tamerlane. You know what to do. Charlie? Thank you for your assistance."

"Yes, boss." Mickey bowed his head respectfully.

Roger gave a little salute. "You got it."

Trev threw his hands up. "Uh, hello? Bro ?" He scowled. "This is me. Leaving. Bye bye."

"Dinner will be at six o'clock," Cold called back, already halfway down the hallway now and headed presumably to his bedroom with Jimmy.

"Too bad I won't be here!" Trev shot back.

"Yeah, you will be." Roger leaned against the doorway.

Rowena's icy glare focused on Roger and Mickey. "Oh? Is that so? What did Roddy tell you idiots to do, huh? What's going on?"

Mickey said nothing, arching his smooth brow.

"Charlie?" Rowena snapped. "What about you?"

Charlie flinched and his eyes widened. "You already know what I'm doing! I'm trying to find what case Trev's mother?—"

"Ugh! Fine!" Rowena whirled on Mickey and Roger again. "You two! Spill!"

"You know we can't tell you that." Roger grinned.

"Let me guess." Trev was tired of standing and listening to all of this nonsense, so he headed over to the bed to flop down. "If I try to leave, you two will encourage me to stay? Because Cold isn't keeping me prisoner here so much as he's extending my visit without my consent?"

"Only one way to find out," Roger taunted sweetly. "Don't worry. We'll be gentle."

Trev scowled and tried to get his thoughts in order.

So, he was still a prisoner after all.

Great.

At least he wasn't chained to a wall.

Trev didn't like that Cold was clearly withholding information from him, especially about his mother. If he wanted to find out more, maybe opting to stay wouldn't be such a bad idea. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go right now, and Cold clearly had the reach to track Jupiter. It might be his best bet to find out where he was going and maybe see him again.

Not that Trev cared.

Because it didn't matter.

But… just in case.

"Don't you start," Mickey warned, his voice so quiet that Trev almost didn't hear him.

"Start what?" Roger asked innocently. "I'm just talking."

"Shut up, slut." Mickey smacked Roger's ass viciously.

"Bitch!"

"Is everybody here fucking gay?" Trev blurted out.

"They're pretty much the gay mafia." Rowena giggled. "It's kind of their thing."

"I'd say queer mafia is more accurate," Roger teased. "We have a lot of different rainbow flavors. Mickey's gay, but I came out of the cabinet like all the other pans."

"Wow." Trev laughed. "That's actually pretty cool."

"I'm just an ally." Rowena winked. "Boys are my favorite flavor."

"Mine too." Trev winked back. "So, you two are married." He gestured to Mickey and Roger. "Cold and Jimmy are married. Jules has a boyfriend." He looked to Charlie. "What about you, Draco ? You got a man?"

"I certainly do," Charlie replied with a warm smile. "Jerry. You may have met him already."

"There's Thirdsies and Pym too!" Rowena waved her hand. "You haven't met them yet, but they are totally a thing."

"Yeah, always looking for a top. That's their thing ." Roger chuckled.

For some reason, that earned him a glare from Mickey. "Bullshit, Pym fucked you."

"What? Guys can't be fucking vers?" Roger's brow furrowed. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you!"

Rowena sat on the edge of the bed as Roger and Mickey continued to scream at each other, chirping, "Having fun yet?"

"Oh. Yeah. A blast." Trev snorted. "Being held prisoner again, my mother lied to me about even more shit than I thought she did, and oh yeah, being held prisoner again ."

"You said that twice."

"It bears repeating." Trev hesitated to say more, but Rowena did seem as if she genuinely cared about him, if nothing else because they were related. He could work with that. He'd probably have a much easier time getting information out of her than Cold or any of these other guys.

Mickey had Roger pinned to the floor now as they kept arguing, and Charlie waved a quick farewell before darting back down the hall.

This was apparently not that unusual because Rowena barely blinked.

"So." Trev sighed.

"So." Rowena smiled.

"Is it too early for a drink?"

"In my experience, never."