I stretch my arms over my head, inhaling and exhaling as I work the aches in my limbs out. There's nothing like a full body stretch, especially after a night participating in rather strenuous activities. I'm sore just about everywhere but in the most delicious of fashions, a fashion I've come to whole-heartedly appreciate over the last few decades of my life.
Even with our age, the three of us seemed to be insatiable. Luke being the one with the most stamina out of the three of us these days, especially since arriving in New York. The man had a never-ending desire for lewd activities which is a far cry away from how he had once been; closeted and closed off. I had a feeling that recent dangerous circumstances were the reasoning for Luke's excitement.
"Mornin', gorgeous." I turn and smile at a just-waking Denver. "Woke up to an empty bed and you know how much I hate that. I would've preferred to start my day with picking up where we left off last night." He gives me a lopsided smile and a wink before walking over to me. "Come here."
"Gladly." I step into his open arms and give him a tight hug. "You know," I step out of his embrace, "you say you wanted to pick up where we left off but you've been dead to the world this morning, old man."
He rounds his head and scrunches his face with, "excuse me but who the fuck are you calling an 'old man'?" He reaches out to snatch me and I let him. "If I'm an old man then you are an old lady." I purse my lips but he just kisses them. "See how does it feel when the shoe is on the other foot, granny?"
"Excuse yourself, I may have a grandchild but I think I have aged quite gracefully."
"Like fine-fucking-wine, babe."
Speaking of fucking...
I run my hands through his salt and pepper locks with a coy grin. The speckles of silver and white in his onyx-colored hair made Denver all the more attractive in my eyes over the years. That personality of his has never changed. He's still playful and dominant, has always been the one to keep the mood light. He made Luke a better man for it and I loved him even more for that.
"What're you thinking about? You went from looking like you want me to bend you over the couch to lost in thought in zero-point-five seconds." The perks of motherhood have turned me into a sentimental woman, something I had never been previously.
"Just thinking about how much I love you." I caress the side of his face, grazing the stubble there.
"You're damn right you love me. Now think about that but with a lot less clothing." His lips descend on mine and I welcome them. He wraps his large arms around me before picking me up and setting me atop the back of the brown leather sofa. I wrap my legs around his waist as his hands wrap in my hair, making me let out a soft moan. Just as I'm about to pull down his pajama pants there's a loud clearing of a throat. Denver breaks away from our kiss and throws a look in Luke's direction. "Right on time, as per usual."
"I am afraid we have a bit of a problem before we get all into that business." He waves a hand in our direction.
Denver snorts out a laugh. "Only you would refer to sex as 'that business'." He steps out from between my legs, adjusts himself slightly, and then runs a hand through the hair that I'd just been doing much the same in a moment before. "What's going on, babycakes?"
Luke glares. "You know how much I hate ridiculous nicknames."
"Which is precisely why I called you babycakes, buttercup." His teasing is doing nothing but irritate Luke.
"Den, quit." I give him a smack to the chest after hopping off of the couch. "What's going on?" Luke pins Denver with one last disdainful look before bringing his attention back to me with a softer clearing of his throat this time.
"It would appear something has gotten under a certain blond man's skin this morning." Luke sets a bag of take-out down. He must've picked up breakfast after his morning workout. "While I was picking up this," he gestures to the bag on the countertop, "I walked past the bar and noticed Brooks knocking back a glass of whiskey and then another directly after. And, if you ask me," he takes a glance at the watch on his wrist, "it's a little bit early to be getting inebriated. I would think it safe to say something of importance has happened. He doesn't seem like one that typically let things get under his skin."
"You don't think he could be pulling a you, do you?" Denver offered up to Luke who just quirks a brow in question. "You know, like how you used to get... In the beginning of this?" He gestures to the three of us.
Luke tilts his head from side to side in deliberation. "It's a possibility but I would've just gotten wasted and locked myself in another room, not remove myself completely. He doesn't appear like I would've either. He didn't have that whole..." Luke mulls it over trying to find the right words.
"That whole fucking brooding and loathing your entire existence look?" Denver interjected for him.
"Yes." Luke snaps and points at him. "That. He didn't have all of that going on. He just looks sad, depressed even."
I cross my arms over my chest thinking as to the reasoning behind why that might be. Eyes much like my own flash in my head and I wonder just what my son said or did to put Brooks in the state that he is currently in. Because I know exactly how my son feels about this man, at least what he thinks he feels. He's jealous. Way too possessive of what currently is not, what he perceives as, 'his' any longer. Years with those misogynistic pricks have warped him into something nearly unrecognizable in that department.
I let out a heavy sigh with, "I'll go and have a chat with Brooks, make sure he doesn't drink himself into oblivion."
"You should eat first."
"Luke, he needs someone now not someone twenty minutes from now. The last thing we need is for him to get so drunk he ends up leaving, doing something to harm himself, or ends up talking to the wrong person about our current circumstances."
"You think he would do that?" Denver added in disbelief. "The man seems loyal." He had taken a liking to Brooks, actually we all had. There was something in his nature, the way he was with Dani and even Torey, that was very selfless. He seemed like a natural nurturer which is odd given the profession he is in.
"I can't say for sure if he gets blackout drunk. I don't really know the man like that but I know even less of the man he'll become when he's inebriated."
"That's a valid point. You want us to head over and talk to Torey and Dani?" I shake my head no at Denver. "Well we need to go over our recent findings with them at some point." Because we've pretty much got Dani's father's moves pinned down. We think we know where he's at but we need to see just exactly what they're doing on the legal end, in Torey's department, before we make any moves.
"Let me go talk to Brooks and see what I can get out of him. You two eat while breakfast," I glance at my watch and see that it's halfway till noon, "well, brunch at this point, is still hot."
Luke frowns. "But you didn't eat."
"I had a banana earlier. I'm fine." Luke is still frowning so I go up to the bag of food and remove a container out that has a very big breakfast burrito inside. I pick it up and take four massive bites out of it which has him grimacing. "You happy now?" I asked around the large amount of food in my mouth.
"You are something else." He just shakes his head at me before retrieving the other containers out of the bag.
"You bet your sweet ass I am." I give him a solid swat on said ass before making my way toward the door.
"Take care of yourself." Denver's protective self added.
"Always am!"
I exit the room and make my way down toward the bar. It was all of three whole minutes before I find Brooks parked at a seat at the bar. He's nursing a glass of whiskey with his head propped up on one fist. The bartender is eyeing him flirtatiously as she grabs the glass he'd just managed to polish off. He doesn't notice nor does he seem to care that she's wearing a shirt that shows off her ample cleavage.
I study him only for a moment longer before walking over to the bar and taking a seat beside him. I don't say anything and it takes him a moment to get out of whatever mental funk he's in to register who it is that sat next to him. He looks me over but doesn't say anything as his drink is placed in front of him.
"Can I get anything for you?" Her tone is a touch sharper than it should be and it makes me venture to think that she likes Brooks quite a bit.
"The man is taken, darling, you can relax." That makes her eyes flare with incredulousness but I only continue to stoke her irritation. "And that'll be the last drink of his before noon." She gives me her fakest smile possible before stalking off. "She wanted to ride you off into the sunset." He doesn't say anything just sips his drink. "You are quite the entertaining company, aren't you?"
"No. I am not." His words laced with drunkenness.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Come." I pull his arm slightly which makes his hazy eyes find mine. "There's a booth over there where we can talk privately." I nod over to a small, two-person booth. His eyes stay on mine for a moment too long and that's when I realize he's looking into mine but thinking of another set; Torey's. "Come on." I pull him over to the booth and he sits down across from me. "So..."
"So."
"What happened this morning?"
"Oh nothing. Just fucking had the..." He blows out a deep breath, one that makes my nose sting with the scent of rye. "Never-mind."
After a moment of silence I add something I've been meaning to tell the man. "I wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
"For putting up with my son, for being there for him and having his back. It means a lot to me and Torey's fathers that you were willing to put yourself at risk for him—"
"Dani. I did it for Dani."
"Right." That's a lie and he knows it. Maybe it had initially been for Dani but if by the way he's looked at Torey since I've been here is an indicator I'd say he is infatuated with my son. I doubt many people would be able to see it but, after years of dealing with a man who repressed nearly every deviant sexual urge he ever had, it was as clear as day to me. "He may not act like it but I know Torey appreciates you too."
He lets out an indigent snort. "You know he's got a funny way of showing it." He finishes the rest of his drinks and when he goes to lift his hand I place mine on top of his.
"You know this is not the way to handle whatever it is that's going on. I know that you know that." Especially after reading about his family history. "You're better than that."
"They're leaving." The words are barely audible. "Torey is taking her back."
"Back where?"
"To the people who can help her and put Dedaj away for good." Vegas. He's taking her back to Vegas, to the FBI. That's when what he really wants to say sets in.
"You can't go, can you?"
"According to Torey that'd be a no."
For all intents and purposes my son is right. Bringing a trained assassin with him to a law enforcement building would not be a good look, not in the least. It would put Brooks in a tough position, him possibly ending up in jail being one of those positions.
I stay silent, waiting for him to continue. After a handful of minutes he does. "You know I have watched Dani for the past two years. I have protected her and had her best interest at heart, always. Now I'm just supposed to not do that?" He shakes his head as he stares down at the table between us. "I don't think I can do that. And Torey... how does he expect me to not want to do the same for him now?"
What is that supposed to mean? I keep my mouth shut.
"You know I made them breakfast this morning? Like a nice breakfast too." He looks up at me with big, sad brown eyes. "I was trying to do something nice for the two of them after last night and this is what I get. Fucking story of my life. Always trying to be there for people and just getting shit on for it."
"I know about your past. I am sorry for it." Not that he wanted to hear those last few words. No one with pasts like ours cares about them really.
"Of course you do. You're the infamous Malyssa Ricci. You probably know every single thing about me. Once you found out I was working with your son you probably know every time I've ever needed to take a piss." Not entirely but something like that, yes. I am not going to inform him of that though. No one likes to think all of their dirty business, personal pasts and traumas included, are at someones beck and call if they wished.
After last night... My mind hangs on those words.
"What happened last night?"
He looks away from me and back at the table with a shrug. "Stuff."
Stuff indeed...
"I see. Have you talked about stuff with the two of them?"
"What's there to talk about? They're going to Vegas. They're going to go into protection with their son. I get left behind. Again, story of my fucking life." I grab ahold of his hand with both of mine when I see his shoulders visibly slump.
"No, you have us and Luke will not let anyone, including Torey, take Wolf away from him." Luke loves that little one fiercely and, much like Brooks, would probably go crazy not being able to make sure he is taken care of. "We'll figure it out together."
"Together?"
"Yeah." I give his hand another squeeze to accentuate the point. "You're part of the family now." He gives me a half-hearted smile, probably thinking I'm just saying it to appease him but I'm not. Anyone who would risk their lives to protect my children and family are a part of it, especially someone with no one, someone who, at one point in my life, I'd been very much like. "Now let's get out of here."
A/N:
I always love writing from Mal's point of view. Any thoughts about Brooks' past?
Happy Saturday!