I sit back on the bed, cuddled in the comforters, like I have been since the three of them had arrived. The blond male, Luke, is sitting at the desk, casually drinking a gin and tonic while going over something on his laptop. He curses under his breath every now and again, penning down notes.
"Where have the other two gone?" I managed to ask, finally being able to make my mouth work for the first time after Malyssa's initial line of rapid-fire questioning two days ago.
"Mal and Den have gone to pick up your father at the airport. They'll be coming back here soon. You should probably think of something to say to your father." He turns around to face me, taking off his glasses in the process and setting them on the desk behind him. "Malyssa is going to tell him about your impromptu wedding to soften the blow. He should have the majority of his meltdown before he gets here but you know how your father is."
"I do." I gnaw the inside of my lip thinking about the shit show that's probably going to ensue when he gets here.
"Seems like that McCaslin temper didn't skip you." He gives me a keen smile as he eyes my neck. "Interesting you got involved with the Rearicks."
"Why is that interesting?"
"Because the Rearicks and our families are close. Boston and our son, Torey, are best friends." I did not know that. "Your brother's wife, Amelia, was in a romantic relationship with Boston's father." I did know that. "It's just interesting you found yourself with him completely unknowing of familial connections." He sips his drink and then taps his chin with an index finger, regarding me with a bemused look. "I've gathered that some people are just meant to be together. Sometimes it's just fate, kismet if you will."
Kismet.
"Boston always says that about the two of us, that it's kismet." I feel tears fall down my cheek involuntarily. "Sorry." I wipe them way quickly from my face. "I just don't understand what's happening. Who would take him? Why would they take him? I just don't get it."
"Rhoen Rearick is a powerful man, one with a lot of influence. It would seem that over the last year he's aligned himself with some not so good people. He tried to get out of that business arrangement and it backfired. You don't get out of deals with crime syndicates easily. Doesn't really work like that."
"What?" I asked incredulously. "Crime syndicates? Those don't exist anymore. That's not a thing."
He lets out a wry laugh, sitting back in his chair. "I wish that were true, but unfortunately crime and Las Vegas tend to go hand in hand. At least as far as our family goes, it does."
"You don't mean like our family as in my family, do you?" He shrugs at that. "What are you saying?"
"Your father has been involved in some things along with my partners and I. Let's just say we know how to handle these types of situations." He said it so nonchalantly, like it was no big deal. Like he wasn't talking about mafia-esque stuff. "Rhoen is lucky that he's so close with Denver and that his son is so close with ours. He'd be in way over his head if he wasn't. Now that my wife knows Boston is also technically family because he married you... Well, they're going to feel pretty fucking stupid once they know who he is affiliated with and related to."
All this talk of crime and affiliations is starting to really wig me out, especially considering my father is involved. Not just my father either, a whole extension of our family. I blow out a deep breath when I hear a knock at the door. Luke stands up and pulls a firearm out of his suit jacket before shrugging it off.
Where the hell did that come from? Has that been on him the whole time?
He signals for me to be quiet and that's when I see a harness on him, one equipped with knives and guns. What in the actual fuck? He inches his way up to the door slowly, quietly. He grabs ahold of the door knob, opening it as he ducks into the closet. Two men rush inside, looking completely confused when not met with any resistance.
I watch, almost in slow motion, as Luke pulls down a pillow from the top of the closet and puts two bullets in the back of one man's skull. When his body falls he throws two knives into the other man before covering his face and putting a bullet in his head.
He lets out a hearty sigh, "I knew I should've had security detail but she said we'd have this taken care of." He rolls his eyes as if this were just another day before pulling out his phone and dialing a number, still crouching over the dead body as he does. "Landon, I need detail. Yes, the same location. I got your email, it appears it's Kamińska. You were right." He stands up and goes back to the closet, grabbing the extra blankets there to cover both bodies. He continues talking to whoever is on the phone completely normally, like he's not doing what he's doing.
Watching the blood begin to seep out on the carpet I feel my stomach churn. I get up and run to the bathroom. Luke gives me a questioning glance but then realizes my intentions and lets me pass. I lean over the toilet and throw up every last bit of anything left inside of me.
One hour and a penthouse later, it's still just Luke and I. He'd told me my father would be arriving any minute with the others, including Rhoen. Must be nice to have your own private jet to hop on whenever.
There's a knock at the door and a smile takes over Luke's face, which lets me know I won't be seeing him put any bullet holes in the back, or front, of someone's head again. He peeks out the door and the smile disappears compeltely. He whips it open and pulls in the young man on the other side.
"Torey! What the hell are you doing here? Are you fucking crazy?"
"Listen, before you freak out, I heard you talking about Boston and that someone had taken him. I may have gotten a flight here because of it." He throws up his hands. "I can fight, you know I can. Dad trained me well."
"That's not the point, Torey! These are dangerous people! You could get hurt!"
"Which means my best fucking friend is in the hands of dangerous people! I'm not just going to let him go at whatever this is alone! I'm going to be there for my friend!"
"Your mother is going to be livid, don't even get me started on Denver."
"I can handle dad, alright?"
Luke sighs heartily when there's another knock and the door. "You better hope so, kid."
When he opens it I see my father burst inside with, "Monica!?"
"Dad!?" He rushes to my place on the couch and picks me up into his arms with a giant hug. "Dad, I'm so glad you're here."
"I'm so glad you're safe, you're okay. Thank God they didn't hurt you." He sets me down on my feet and examines me, a deep frown setting in as he analyzes my neck. "Why are there scratches on your neck and... hickies?" I feel my face flush at that but then he adds, "never mind about the latter. Just tell me about the former."
"I got into a fight with some girl." His jaw ticks. "It was nothing. If you think I look bad, you should see her. I'm pretty sure I broke her nose." I try to laugh it off but his gaze looks murderous.
"Did it have anything to do with... your—" He puts his hands on his hips and glares at the other side of the room, looking much like a mortal Mount Vesuvius. "Tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't marry some kid you barely know." I don't say anything. "Monica McCaslin, you better fucking tell me that boy did not marry you at some tacky fucking Elvis chapel in Las Vegas."
"I did marry him. I married him because I love him, dad. I love him with everything in me."
"You can't love someone that you barely know! It's just stupid young love and now it's put you in danger!"
"Oh, is that so? Is that how grandpa felt about grandma?" He looks taken aback. "Huh? How about you and mom? You waited all those years because of what— stupid young love? You ever think that maybe being stupidly in love with someone is in our genetic makeup?"
"I—" He stops, not knowing what to say, as he runs a tatted hand through his hair. It reminds me so much of Boston it hurts. "You don't know him, his family. You don't know what kind of danger you've just married into."
"I don't know him? Boston is impulsive. Doesn't think before he acts. He's covered in tattoos. And you know who he reminds me of the most? You. He even does that thing you're doing." I point to his hair. "That thing when you're agitated and run a hand through your hair." He removes it immediately. "He loves me so much, dad. He loves me like how you love mom and I would've thought that's what you wanted for me. And you hated Carter! You always said someone like that wasn't meant for someone like me. That I could do better. So, I'm sorry that I fell in love with a man that reminds me of the man who's always loved me the most, always had my best interests in mind, because that's Boston. I'm sorry that's not good enough for you." I storm away from him toward one of the bedrooms.
"Monica, wait."
I don't. I slam the door in his face not wanting to hear another word.
A/N:
Happy Monday!