Chapter 20

Chapter

Twenty

Trev woke up with a start, his heart pounding and skin prickling with sweat.

He'd had a nightmare, but he couldn't remember what it was about.

He had no recollection of what had been so terrifying, left with only the dregs of lingering adrenaline and an unshakeable sense of dread. He reached for Jupiter, clinging to his bulk for comfort.

Fuck.

Trev couldn't remember the last time he'd had a bad dream.

Even with all the recent insanity of being kidnapped, chained, and seeing people murdered, he hadn't had an incident of bad sleep until now.

Maybe it was nerves.

That was it.

Stupid ass nerves.

Nothing else.

Jupiter stirred, mumbling drowsily, "Good morning."

"Hey. Morning." Trev shifted as Jupiter wrapped an arm around him, drawing Trev in to nestle his head into the crook of Jupiter's shoulder. Jupiter was warm and firm, and Trev clung to him tightly.

"You okay?" Jupiter grunted.

"Fine," Trev lied, closing his eyes and hoping he could doze back off. He didn't know what time it was, but it definitely felt too early judging by how dark the bedroom was. He tried to get comfortable, wedging himself as close to Jupiter as he could.

Fuck.

Now he had to pee.

Trev grumbled as he headed to the bathroom in nothing but his collar. He tried to keep his eyes closed as he used the toilet, convinced if he stayed sleepy enough that he'd have no problem falling back asleep once he returned to bed.

Yes, this would certainly work.

Once he was done, he crawled back into bed to seek out Jupiter's warmth. He kept his eyes firmly shut, got comfortable, and then…

Well, shit.

Now Trev was wide awake.

"Can't go back to sleep?" Jupiter asked quietly.

"No." Trev grunted. "What time is it?"

"After seven. I think."

"Fucking gross." Trev kicked and rolled over, grumbling even as Jupiter followed to wrap his arms around him.

This was nice.

Jupiter nuzzled Trev's shoulder and settled back down with a yawn.

"Does that mean we're going back to sleep?" Trev asked.

"That's sure as hell what I'm trying to do." Jupiter snorted.

"Ugh." Trev tried again to get his body to relax enough for sleep to take him again, but his mind was wide awake now and already counting down the hours to the fateful lunch meeting today.

If it was after seven, that meant there was less than four hours to go.

Three hours and what? Fifty minutes? Forty? Less? More?

Trev growled as he sat up.

"Does this mean we're getting up?" Jupiter grumbled.

"Sorry. I can't get my fucking brain to shut up." Trev glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

It was seven sixteen.

Three hours and forty-four minutes.

"I'm going to take a shower." Trev slid out of bed.

Jupiter rubbed at his eyes. "Want some company?"

"I don't care. Whatever." Trev stumbled into the bathroom to remove his collar. He got the shower going as hot as it would go and then stepped in, wishing the water could scald the inside of his head and rinse away his nagging thoughts.

Three hours and forty-one minutes until the meeting.

Or was it forty now?

Thirty-nine?

Shit.

The minutes didn't matter. It wasn't going to be enough time to figure out what to do. The only option left to him was to follow Cold's lead and trust that he would honor his promise to let Trev and his friends go. He hated allowing anyone to have so much power over him, but Trev didn't have a choice.

He had to do this…

Or he'd lose what precious little bit of a family he'd managed to cobble together.

Jupiter, Juicy—and yes, Rowena and Jimmy too. They were all counting on Trev to see this through and do whatever the fuck he was supposed to do to get through this meeting. Trev still didn't understand the purpose of walking right into a fucking trap.

Was Cold trying to outsmart the Luchesi family and lure them into a trap of his own?

How was that supposed to work?

It wasn't like Emil and Sal were going to be hanging around waiting to see it go down.

Right?

Trev rested his head against the cool tile with a loud groan.

"Hey." It was Jupiter. "Whatcha doin' in there?"

"Nothing fun." Trev snorted.

Jupiter stepped into the shower behind him, his big hands sliding over Trev's back. "Talk to me, baby doll."

"Just in my head," Trev replied quietly. "Worried about today."

Jupiter kissed Trev's shoulder. "It's going to be all right. We're going to get through it."

"Glad one of us is so fucking confident."

"It's been a long time since I've had anything to hope for." Jupiter moved his arms around Trev's waist, hugging him gently. "Gave up for a while, you know. That I'd ever be able to get away from my family. Thinking about the future… Fuck, wanting a future with someone? I didn't think that would ever happen."

Trev's heart fluttered. "And… now?"

"Now I've got that and more." Jupiter nuzzled Trev's shoulder. "I've never wanted anything so much and I am not going to let a damn thing stand in our way, baby doll. We're getting the fuck out of here. Together."

Trev was glad they were in the shower because it was easy to hide how his eyes teared up. He grabbed Jupiter's forearm and gave it a firm squeeze, breathing in slowly to keep his rising emotions at bay. "Together."

They stood there for a long time, so long that Trev nearly forgot to actually bathe. His hand shook when he reached for the soap and Jupiter was there to help him, his firm touch reassuring. Trev let Jupiter scrub him down and enjoyed the attention, happy to return the favor when Jupiter was done.

He was mindful of the bandage on Jupiter's shoulder where he'd been shot, though he did linger in rubbing soap around it.

Trev wasn't sure why he hadn't thought about it before, but that injury could have been so much worse. Jupiter could have been killed. Hell, Trev might have been. They'd both escaped death more times in the last week than Trev was comfortable admitting, and he found himself leaning up to press a needy kiss to Jupiter's lips.

"We'll be okay, baby doll," Jupiter murmured. "I fucking promise you."

Trev wanted to believe that.

They kissed again, and as much as Trev longed for the relief of a passionate release, he couldn't get his body to cooperate. Jupiter seemed to understand and didn't push, and after rinsing off, they both got out of the shower.

Trev was quiet as he dried off, fumbling around on the counter for lotion. He rubbed himself down and smiled when Jupiter took over, massaging it over his back and shoulders. He closed his eyes for a moment before he looked in the mirror, watching Jupiter through the reflection.

Jupiter had a little smile on his face. It helped smooth the lines of his otherwise worried expression. He glanced up, catching Trev's eye in the mirror. His smile grew.

Trev smiled back. He had no idea what to say, but his heart was light, a warmth bubbling up to the surface that made him blush. He couldn't help but think about what Cold had told him last night. "Jupiter, I?—"

There was a firm knock at the bedroom door.

Of fucking course.

Trev strolled out of the bathroom, calling out loudly, "I'm not putting any fucking clothes on, so sorry in advance, but only if you're Rowena!" He opened the door.

Cold was on the other side, one hand firmly planted over his eyes and the other holding out a garment bag. He sighed. "Here."

"What the fuck is this?" Trev demanded.

"Put it on. Then come down for breakfast." Cold sighed again. "You can shut the door now."

"Thanks! I'll think about it!" Trev accepted the garment bag and grinned, not yet shutting the door.

Annoyed, Cold sighed a third time and turned around to stalk away.

Trev snickered as he finally closed the door. He joined Jupiter back in the bathroom, hanging the bag on the back of the door.

"Cold brought that for you?" Jupiter asked.

"Yeah." Trev shrugged. "I guess he doesn't want me to wear a dress. Which is a shame! Because I have that super short black one that…"

Inside the garment bag was a black three-piece suit with magenta pinstriping. The shirt was dark pink, the tie black, and there was a small velvet bag. Inside was a pair of cuff links with glittering pink gems.

He had no idea if they were rubies or what, but there was no doubt they were real.

"Holy shit," Trev whispered.

"Wow." Jupiter smiled warmly. "You're gonna look hot as fuck, baby doll."

"Yeah? Well. I'm not wearing that stupid ass tie though." Trev fiddled with the cuff links and glanced at Jupiter.

"Yes, I will help you put those on." Jupiter kissed Trev's forehead. "Come on. Let's get you ready."

The suit fit perfectly, and Trev opted to keep the top few buttons of his shirt undone. He didn't want to wear the tie anyway and this would allow his collar to show. He had Jupiter put it on for him along with the cuff links, and damn, Trev looked fucking hot .

Not that he planned to make dressing like this a habit or anything.

Jupiter's suit was hanging in the closet and freshly dry-cleaned, no doubt Cold's doing as well. While thoughtful, it was a little creepy since it meant someone had to have snuck in and out of the room without either of them knowing it.

Once Jupiter was ready, he and Trev headed downstairs.

It wasn't until they entered the kitchen that Trev realized Mickey wasn't shadowing them.

Cold was seated at the breakfast table with Jimmy beside him. He was reading a newspaper and didn't look up as he commented, "Lose your tie?"

"Yup," Trev replied. "Such a shame. I really liked that tie. No idea what could have happened to it."

"Uh-huh," Cold drawled.

"Good morning!" Jimmy greeted them with a cheerful grin. "You both look great. Love the pink, Trev."

Trev smiled. "Thanks."

Jerry gestured for both Jupiter and Trev to sit, asking graciously, "What can I get you gentleman to eat, hmm? Eggs? Some bacon, perhaps?"

"I'm good." Trev shook his head. "Just, uh, coffee or something."

"Eggs and bacon sounds great," Jupiter said with a polite smile. "Thank you."

"Right away." Jerry smiled and headed back to the stove.

"Sleep okay?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah. Great." Trev shrugged. He didn't feel like making small talk, but he roused himself from his thoughts to ask, "You?"

"Yeah, fine." Jimmy smiled softly. "I mean, heh, actually like shit to be honest."

"Yeah?" Trev quirked his brows.

"Anxiety is a bitch. It's okay to be nervous, you know. God knows I always worry about Rod when he has to go to work."

"If only he'd tell you the truth and then maybe you wouldn't worry as much." Trev batted his eyes at Cold.

Jimmy chuckled. "I'd still worry. Trust me."

Trev glanced around the table, noting a few key faces were missing. "Where's Rowena?"

"She left at the ass crack of dawn to meet Dario at the club," Jimmy replied. "Letting some guy in to work on the piano and tune it up or whatever." He smirked. "She's, uh, confident that you guys will be staying for dinner, so she didn't bother saying goodbye."

Trev snorted out a laugh.

Of course.

"And Juicy?" Trev prompted.

"Right here!" Juicy waved as he entered the kitchen, smiling brightly. He was wearing striped pajamas and a robe, but he was barefoot. He'd clearly been doing something outside because his feet were dirty.

Mickey trailed in behind him with a scowl.

"What the hell?" Trev laughed.

Well, that explained where Mickey was.

"I had to take Barkie for his morning walk!" Juicy said as he sat down with a big grin. "That little rascal got off his leash and took me for quite a little adventure!"

Mickey's sour expression indicated that adventure was not the word he would use.

Still, imagining Mickey having to chase Juicy down as Juicy went after his imaginary dog added about ten years to Trev's life and he grinned from ear to ear.

Even Cold had a little smile playing over his lips, as if he too was amused.

Mickey just kept scowling.

"Did you, uh, catch him?" Jimmy asked politely.

"Of course." Juicy stared. "He's right here." He gestured to the empty floor.

"Right. Got it."

Jerry came over to pass a plate of food to Jupiter and coffee for Trev. He smiled at Juicy, saying, "The usual for you and your canine companion, monsieur?"

"Yes, please! Thank you." Juicy beamed, but then his smile dropped as he looked over Trev. "Who's dying today?"

Trev nearly dropped his coffee. "What?"

"I've never seen you in a suit." Juicy frowned. "Are you going to a funeral?"

"No, Juicy. Just going out to lunch." Trev forced a smile. "I promise everything is all right. As soon as we get back, me, you, and Jupiter are going on a trip." He quickly added, "And Barkie too, of course."

"Oh! Splendid." Juicy smiled again.

Jupiter reached under the table to give Trev's thigh a warm squeeze.

Trev smiled and breathed in his coffee, letting the scent soothe him as much as the promise of caffeinated bliss.

Maybe this was going to be all right.

Maybe everything would work out and?—

"Someone is still going to die though," Juicy said firmly.

Trev sighed. "Thank you, Juicy."

"Look! You're already dressed for it. So, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Yup. Thanks. Super appreciate that."

"Don't forget. They'll wrap up your leftovers and make it look like a swan."

"Fuckin' fabulous ."

Now all Trev could think about was tinfoil swans and splattering brains, gangsters busting in with tommy guns and blood dripping from the ceiling in thick streams, but everything was totally going to be fine.

Right?

The restaurant was in the historic district of Strassen Springs, the first story of a corner building with big glass windows and checkered awnings. Trev immediately assumed it was an Italian restaurant because it looked like every other Italian place he'd ever seen.

Trev and Cold had ridden here in the back of a limo driven by Jerry. Jules was waiting for them out front and came over to open the door after Jerry pulled up.

Trev must have looked worried because Jules dipped his head down to say quietly, "Don't worry, boss bro. You got this."

"Thanks," Trev muttered, rolling his eyes at the nickname.

Jules clapped his hand on Trev's shoulder and nearly knocked him over.

Cold led them the short distance over to the restaurant's front door, where two large men in—what else—suits were waiting.

Judging by their ear pieces, Trev assumed they were members of the mayor's security detail.

The shorter of the two men said, "Hello there, gentlemen. If you don't mind, we need to conduct a little search for weapons, all right?"

"Of course." Cold nodded politely.

Trev held up his arms to tuck behind his head at practically the same time Cold did, and he smirked. "Not your first time being frisked, huh?"

"Hardly." Cold snorted.

The security detail was especially thorough, and Trev almost told one of them to buy him dinner next time. He'd made a promise to behave himself or whatever, so he resisted.

He hated this.

He hated the suit, the restaurant, and how his nerves were already fried, though they'd only been here a few minutes.

In that brief time, Trev had counted six men in the security detail, established at least two exits in the restaurant plus a possible third since there was likely a back door, and he spotted three cars with occupants inside who didn't seem like they were getting out anytime soon.

Cold and Trev were left waiting with Jules while the security detail at the door talked amongst themselves and the others paced around.

Cold didn't look at Trev, but he asked quietly, "What do you see?"

"What?" Trev frowned.

"You've been checking our surroundings. So. What do you see?"

"Six men in the detail, all of them armed. I think there's two ways in and out of the restaurant, probably a third in the back, and a few creeps out on the street sitting in their cars. One in the truck, another in that Ford sedan, and one in casual but seriously ugly clothes in the SUV." Trev shrugged. "Truck and Ford guy are wearing suits, but it looks like they shop at the cheap mafia bitch warehouse, not the fancy mafia bitch one, so, probably cops."

"Not bad." Cold nodded. "There are seven men on the detail. One's in the bathroom. The man in the sedan has adjusted a shoulder holster, so, yes. Probably a cop. The man in the SUV has been listening to something and he keeps checking his ear. Could be another cop in plain clothes."

"Okay, so what about the guy in the truck?"

"He's likely going to be arrested for indecent exposure. He's masturbating."

"What?" Trev looked back, snorting out a laugh when he caught the telltale jerk of the man's elbow. "Jesus Christ."

"Tamerlane is on the roof of the building behind us, but don't bother looking." Cold smirked. "You won't see him. Jerry and Lorre are nearby as well, along with a handful of other… supporters."

Trev did a cursory glance as if he was just looking at the buildings, and he only saw a woman walking her dog and a guy delivering a package.

Maybe the woman with the dog was a ruthless killer.

It made him think of Juicy, and he smiled a little.

One of the men from the security detail approached, saying, "All right, Mr. Legrand. We're ready for you."

"Excellent. Thank you." Cold led the way into the restaurant, Trev trailing behind with Jules.

The inside of the restaurant was very brown with splashes of red in the upholstery and the dingy carpet. There were dozens of framed black-and-white photographs on the walls. It was clean but quite old, and Trev could smell mildew seeping in through the scent of baking bread and a floral deodorizer.

They were shown to a table in the corner. Cold took the seat that would give him the best view of the restaurant and Trev took the next closest one to his left. While he couldn't see as much of the back as Cold could, he could still see the front pretty well.

Where would the attack come from?

If it was one of the staff, then the back.

But what if the staff member tried to come through the front to throw off suspicion?

Did the mayor even know what was going to happen? Did his staff?

Fuck, fuck, fuck, how much of a mess was this?

Cold touched Trev's shoulder. "Remember. No matter what happens, you stay inside the restaurant."

"What?" Trev blinked.

"You heard me. No matter what happens, you stay." Cold pointed at the table. "Right here."

"Yeah, sure."

"Mr. Usher?—"

"Got it, bro."

"Trevanion." Cold frowned. "Please."

The urgency of Cold's plea was surprising and Trev shrugged. "Yeah. Okay. I got it."

Jules hovered by the edge of the table. He grunted. "Just trust the boss, all right? This ain't our first rodeo."

"Yeah." Trev snorted. "Exactly how many generations of the Luchesi family have you wiped out again?"

" Allegedly wiped out." Jules looked very proud of himself.

Cold sighed.

"So. We're just sitting here waiting for you know what?" Trev asked.

"Yes."

"This is stupid."

"You'll understand. Very soon."

Trev reached up to adjust his collar.

Two members of the security detail took positions against the far wall while the others headed to the front door. A short older man in a suit, with a big white mustache and even pastier skin, was being ushered in, followed closely by a younger man in a sweater vest with big white teeth like Chiclet gum.

Trev hated him on sight.

Sweater Vest came forward, saying politely, "Hi, hi, there. Lawrence Ember, the mayor's personal assistant. He likes to sit in that corner because the light especially this time of day is so much more flattering?—"

"No," Cold said flatly.

"Let's try this again." Lawrence feigned a smile. "I'm going to need you to move?—"

"I'm going to need you to be quiet now," Cold said softly. "Clearly you didn't hear me the first time. I will not be moving. Do you understand?"

Jules grunted.

Lawrence must have finally realized who exactly he was trying to order around because he cowered immediately with a sheepish smile. "Right. Of course, sir. It is a lovely spot! I am so very sorry!"

Trev glanced at the photographs on the wall while Lawrence continued to apologize.

They were of people sitting at various places in the restaurant, some of them from many years ago when there apparently were booths instead of tables. A few were more modern shots judging by the clothing and the presence of cell phones, but they were all in black and white.

There was one right beside Cold's head of two old men laughing.

It wasn't a particularly great photo, but it got his attention because it was crooked.

Not by much, just enough to catch his eye.

And annoy him.

Trev had the wildest urge to reach over Cold and fix it.

Of all the dozens and dozens of pictures, the one damn crooked one had to be right next to them.

Trev was so transfixed by the photo that he didn't realize the mayor had come over until Cold politely cleared his throat. Trev shot up to his feet, smiling politely at the mayor.

"Mayor Edgar Arnold," the man said, his mustache wagging away as he spoke. "A pleasure to meet you, young man."

"Trevanion Usher," Cold said with a tip of his head. "My younger brother."

Trev wasn't sure why that made him smile, but it did. He shook Edgar's hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"It's always nice to meet more of Mr. Legrand's family." Edgar grinned as he took his seat. "Especially if they're of voting age!"

Trev sat, fiddling with his collar. "I… I don't live here, sir."

"Oh, well, nobody's perfect."

"Trevanion is leaving later today as a matter of fact." Cold sat with a small smile. "He and his partner will be staying at my villa in St. Thomas."

"Wait, what?" Trev stared.

"Surprise." Cold smiled warmly.

"Seriously?" Trev blinked. "You're… You got us a place?"

"You wanted a beach, did you not?" Cold shrugged. "If it's not to your liking, you and Jupiter are welcome to leave. But I thought you might enjoy having accommodations waiting for you."

"What about Juicy?" Trev demanded.

"He's welcome to join you too, of course. Should you accept my invitation, I will make sure he has adequate nursing care onsite."

"Aw, that's so nice." Edgar smiled. "Now, if you don't mind…" He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to dab sweat off his forehead. "Could we go ahead and order, hmm?"

He was nervous.

Did he know?

"Of course." Lawrence popped up to stand beside the mayor. "I'll get the waiter over here right away."

Trev really did not like that guy.

"Everything here is delicious," Edgar said with a big grin. "I highly recommend the eggplant parm. They make their own garlic bread too, you know!"

"Excellent. Thank you." Cold nodded.

"Oh, but if you like chicken, their chicken alfredo is good too…"

Trev took a few moments to digest Cold's generous offer while Edgar continued to ramble about the food, wondering if it was a trick of some kind. It was strange for Cold to tell him now with the mayor here, but perhaps he'd waited to make sure Trev would have more motivation to remain quiet and behave himself.

He wouldn't put it past Cold to bribe him.

And a trip to a tropical island in the Caribbean was very persuasive.

The waiter approached them to take their drink orders and pass out the menus, and Trev asked for water. He couldn't think of anything else, his mind occupied as he scanned over the restaurant to look for any sign of trouble.

Jules was relaxed, though his eyes were focused on the back of the restaurant.

Was he looking for the waiter? Or something else?

The majority of the security detail remained clustered near the front door, while a few wandered around looking lost.

Cold was calm as he perused the menu items, seemingly not having a care in the world.

Trev picked at the silverware and fought the urge to grab the knife.

Everything was going to be fine.

It was fine.

It was?—

Squealing tires drew Trev's attention to the windows.

A white van barreled down the street and rammed into the truck. The crash was deafening, an alarm instantly sounding.

The security detail tensed and Edgar nearly jumped out of his seat.

Cold didn't even blink.

Neither did Jules.

So this was expected.

Great.

Trev grabbed the knife.

Whatever stupid plan Cold had, Trev hoped it would be over quickly.

Horns honked away as the wreck blocked traffic, and voices shouted frantically. The air had grown tense, and Trev didn't miss how Edgar squirmed in his seat. There was definitely something about to happen.

But what?

What was?—

The waiter came toward their table, Cold barely glancing his way.

But the waiter was moving fast, too fast, and Trev stared him down. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, his blood iced over, and he forgot to breathe.

The waiter was holding a tray out like a shield, but why?

No.

No, no, no.

Jules turned to intercept the waiter, but he was too slow.

The waiter dropped the tray, revealing the gun in his hand.

"No!" Trev lurched forward with the knife.

A gunshot rang out.

Cold's face exploded in a splash of blood.

He fell over.

Someone screamed.

Cold was slumped over the table.

Dead.