Lucas sat sprawled in the chair, and Ian couldn’t help but remember the night they were talking about—when Lucas had been so worried about Andrei, who’d gone undercover in an illegal cage-fighting ring. Lucas had been very different that night. Vulnerable. It was a word he’d never thought he’d use with Lucas. He was always an immovable wall of strength and determination, but when it came to the man who captured his heart, Lucas became vulnerable in all the best ways.
“Times sure have changed,” Ian said softly. “We have a lot of memories of this penthouse.”
Lucas’s shoulders shook and he covered his mouth with one hand.
“What?” Ian demanded.
“I was thinking of the time Mel and Snow got so wasted they were singing ‘Dancing Queen’ at the top of their lungs while shaking their asses out on the balcony.”
Rowe’s loud bark of laughter filled the penthouse, and Ian’s heart swelled to hear it. He knew Rowe missed his deceased wife, but he was glad he could now remember her with less pain and more joy. That woman was happiness personified, and it was all she would have wanted for her husband.
Snow leaned his head over, putting it against Ian’s. “Half my good drunk memories are thanks to her.”
“Only half?” Ian teased.
Snow lifted his head and grinned at Ian. “The other half I was too drunk to remember.”
Everyone groaned and Snow snickered.
Rowe hummed. “Drunk Battleship.”
“Fuck you!” Lucas shouted suddenly, and Rowe gave an evil cackle. “I was finding those damn red and white pegs all over the fucking house for months after that.”
“Not my fault. Snow and Ian were cheating.”
Lucas flipped Rowe off while Ian and Snow laughed. Ian couldn’t argue with him. He and Snow had teamed up against Rowe in a random game of Battleship, and yes, they had cheated terribly.
“So many good memories,” Rowe agreed.
“Bringing Daciana home from the hospital for the first time.” Lucas looked down and patted the arm of the chair. “I fell asleep so many times in this chair while holding her after a late-night feeding.”
“I wonder who will live here next. You’re leaving it fully furnished, aren’t you?”
Lucas nodded. “This furniture isn’t all that old, so I might as well. Andrei and Ian have been shopping for the new house, so we’ll be all set.” He set down his drink and got up to walk to the bar. “I think this night calls for the Vintage Bourbon.” He got the bottle down.
Snow groaned. “I can tell we’re not getting out of here sober.”
Rowe rubbed his hands together and got up to grab one of the drinks Lucas had poured.
Lucas handed Snow and Ian glasses and held his own up in a toast. “To new beginnings.”
They clinked glasses and Ian took a sip of the expensive bourbon. It was definitely smooth, but he preferred the wine. He set his bourbon next to his Cabernet. “I’ve got two different glasses going on here, so yeah, I’d say we won’t be leaving here sober. That lasagna should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
Lucas sat back in his seat and swirled the alcohol around in his glass. His gaze pierced Ian. “Enough time for you to fill us all in on what’s going on since you were attacked.”
Ian picked up his wine and took a sip. The red exploded on his tongue, and he sighed with pleasure. “I don’t want to talk about that tonight.”
“Too bad,” Snow retorted. “I’d like to catch up as well.”
Ian sighed. “Two of my employees were attacked.”
“I know about that,” Snow said. “Jude was on the scene. I want to know if you’ve gotten further in the investigation.”
“As Rowe knows, we went out to confront one of Jagger’s old enforcers and that was a dead end. Sort of. Hollis got a new idea as we were talking to Ernie. Maybe the person after me and my restaurant is actually one of Jagger’s past kids.”
“Why wait all this time if that’s the case?” Lucas asked.
“Who knows?” Ian shrugged and cradled his wineglass between both hands. “Something must have set him off.”
“You have been in the news recently with that magazine spread, and the restaurant is doing really well. All of Cincinnati knows you’ve got a new restaurant opening and is dying to get in.” Rowe leaned forward, making the leather couch creak. “I can see jealousy being an instigator for all this. You have a lot going for you these days and as that brute said, a lot of those past kids ended up worse off.”
Ian’s heart clenched again at the thought of how much better he had it. “You guys are the reason my life is so good.”
“You’ve made your own life good, Ian,” Lucas said.
“But I wouldn’t have gotten the start without you three. I like to hope I would have made something of myself once out of Jagger’s clutches, but the truth is, I had help. The best kind of help. I love you all so much.”
“Don’t give him any more bourbon,” Snow drawled even as he gave Ian a grin.
Rowe reached over and ruffled his hair. “Back at ya, kid.”
“Not so much a kid anymore. I’m about to turn thirty.”
“You’re still a kid to us.” Rowe got up to get another drink.
Lucas leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Do you remember any kids who seemed jealous of you back then?”
Ian shook his head. “It could have been any of them. But I’ve been making a list of those I remember. I wasn’t around a lot of them—only during the parties.” He frowned at those memories.
Snow curled his lip and Ian knew he was remembering one as well. Snow had gotten into several fights that night when he’d realized what was going on.
“Come on, let’s take this to the dining room and eat. Andrei left us a big salad to go with it.” Ian stood up.
Lucas chuckled. “The man’s made it his mission to get me to eat salad every single day—even when he’s not here.”
“He loves you.” Ian walked into the kitchen and got out a big knife. He cut into the lasagna, serving it onto plates he’d stacked earlier on the counter. Rowe got down bowls for the salad, and Snow gathered the different salad dressings from the refrigerator. By the time they all sat down, Ian hoped the mood had improved. Talking about Jagger’s parties was enough to get them all down.
But Lucas wasn’t done with the conversation. “We should be able to track some of them if you can remember any names.”
“That’s just it, I can’t. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember, but a lot of that time brings up other memories. Ones I prefer not to revisit, you know?”
Snow scowled into his plate. “I hate thinking about that time, too.”
“But if it helps with what’s happening now…” Rowe pointed out as he forked a bite of food into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, then followed it up with a gulp of bourbon. At the rate he was putting that away, he’d be face-planting again in no time.
Lucas must have been having similar thoughts, because he chuckled as he covered his salad with Italian dressing. He might complain about the salads, but he seemed to like them enough.
Ian tried his lasagna and smiled at the flavors. He’d changed up his sauce and he liked the improvement. He could taste the basil and garlic, and the pasta was perfectly cooked.
“Remember when you first moved into this place?” Snow asked. He picked up his drink and tilted it toward Lucas. “We thought you were crazy to buy it.”
“All the freaking windows,” Rowe muttered. “Still can’t believe a sniper didn’t take you out.”
A slow smile spread across Lucas’s lips. “Before Daci was born, Andrei spent a lot of time naked in front of those windows.”
“Awww…and me without my binoculars,” Snow mocked.
Rowe made a face at Lucas and Snow. “Seriously? He’s my brother and COO now. I don’t need that mental image.”
Ian snorted. “Hollis is the love of my life, and I can still admit that Andrei is smoking hot.”
“Regardless, I hate that you’re leaving it,” Snow said.
“We’ll still get together at the house, and you’ll all have keys.” Lucas paused and chuckled to himself. “Andrei said the man who made copies of the keys looked at him like he was insane when he said he needed eight copies.”
“Big family,” Ian murmured.
“Yeah, the last time I used my key, I got an eyeful of Andrei’s ass.” Snow smirked. “That wasn’t a complaint.”
Lucas laughed. “No, I can’t imagine it was.” He got up to snag the bourbon and bring it to the table. He refilled Rowe’s glass and topped Snow’s up before his own. He raised an eyebrow at Ian, but Ian shook his head. He thought the wine went better with their dinner. Lucas set the bottle down and went to get the Cabernet. He poured some into Ian’s glass.
“I think he is trying to get us all drunk,” Rowe said.
“Just wanting you all to enjoy this last night here.” Lucas sat in his chair.
Again, that pang went through Ian’s chest. “We have so many wonderful memories here.”
“I know,” Lucas agreed. “I was tempted to hang on to it, but it just didn’t make sense.”
“Your new home is gorgeous, so you probably won’t even miss it.” Ian forked another bite.
“Oh, I will. My family has gathered here for years. I fell in love with Andrei here. My daughter’s first night home from the hospital was here. This place will always be a part of me.”
“Oh brother, I need another drink.” Snow reached for the bourbon.
“Hush, I know this is hitting you just as hard as it is us.” Ian pointed his fork at Snow. “Even you and Jude have stayed here. Hell, you lived here at one time, same as me.”
Snow grinned. “Yeah, okay, I am sorry to see it go. But we also have so much more to look forward to. And Lucas’s new place has an indoor pool.”
“Skinny dipping!” Rowe chimed in.
Lucas rolled his eyes, and Snow chuckled as he nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having one of those for me and Jude.”
They ate in silence for a few moments, and Ian was glad to see them putting away the food in addition to the alcohol. He poured himself another glass. Hell, he’d have Lucas’s driver take him home if he overindulged. He could crash here, but he didn’t want to be away from Hollis all night—not after they’d had that fight.
By the time they were cleaning up the kitchen, both Rowe and Snow were weaving a bit. There was a lot of laughter and once again, Ian felt that swell of love he had for these men. They were saying good-bye to a part of their lives, but they would stick together for life. Of that, he had no doubt. They were his family.
Lucas wrapped an arm around Ian and hugged him close. “You have nostalgia all over your face.”
“Ew, you should wipe that off,” Snow said with a swagger into the living room. He snagged the bottle of bourbon as he went, with Rowe following close behind.
“I can’t help it,” Ian said with a smile. “So many good memories. I can’t help but be sad that we won’t ever be coming back here.”
“We’ll turn the new house into the penthouse,” Lucas murmured, kissing his temple. “And we’ll all have families to bring even more joy.”
“And you guys say I’m the soft one.”
“Shh. I’ll never hear the end of it from Snow.”
“He’s been awfully quiet about his wedding tonight. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
“Probably bad, but don’t remind him.”
Ian hugged Lucas, then went to grab his wine and join his friends on the couch. Snow was half-sprawled, and Rowe had his head on Snow’s shoulder. They were looking at something on Snow’s phone. Ian leaned over the back of the couch to see that Snow was flipping through images of the four of them over the years.
“We need to get some of these printed.” Ian pointed to one of Lucas and Snow smiling. “Especially this one.”
“That’s a good idea,” Snow agreed as he swiped to the next image. It was of Andrei and Daci, and the sigh over Ian’s shoulder let him know Lucas had joined them.
“You have a beautiful family, Lucas.” Ian patted his chest. “Absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m a lucky man.” Lucas leaned over the couch. “Send that one to me.”
Rowe suddenly laughed. “Here we are, gathered for one last hurrah at the place we all considered part ours and we’re oohing and aahing over pictures. We’ve turned into a bunch of saps.” He paused as an image of Noah and his sweet smile came up. “Okay, okay, send me that one.”
Ian cracked up and walked around to sit next to Rowe. He sipped his wine and leaned back into the couch, putting his feet up on the glass coffee table. He wiggled his socked toes and watched as Lucas went to his original seat. It felt so good to be here with them.
“Let’s make a pact.” Ian held up his glass. “No matter how busy we get with our new families, we’ll always take at least one night every couple of months for just us four.”
Rowe lifted his glass. “Agreed!” He took a huge gulp of his drink and hiccupped. “You know our significant others still have their nights out once in a while.”
Snow snorted. “You mean the ‘No Boyfriends Allowed’ club? I can’t believe they did that.”
“What? Can’t believe that Jude might need one night off from your grumpy ass?” Rowe teased.
“What the hell do you think they talk about?”
“Probably about the fact that my forever boyfriend hasn’t met my parents yet,” Rowe muttered under his breath.
“Or that I’m afraid to commit to a wedding date because I’m sure I’m going to fuck this all up,” Snow admitted.
“Or that I’m fighting Andrei over being the sperm donor for our next child because my own family is so fucked up,” Lucas added.
“Or that Hollis and I both need to go into therapy,” Ian murmured. He looked up to find three sets of worried, questioning eyes. Ian smiled and shrugged. “The recent troubles have stirred up a lot of old Jagger baggage. Made us realize that we have stuff that we haven’t worked through.”
“Fuck,” Rowe said with a heavy sigh and then threw back the rest of his drink. “I seriously hope their meetings aren’t this big of a downer.”
Lucas chuckled. “I doubt it.”
“And ours won’t be either,” Ian added, keeping his tone upbeat. “We can do our get-togethers on the nights they meet. When those of you with kids have babysitters.”
Rowe looked down into his empty glass, eyes wide. “Wow, that sounds so weird. Babysitter. Kids.”
“Still don’t want any?” Snow asked.
“I’m surprised you do.” Rowe poked Snow in the chest. “Mr. I’m Never Having Kids.”
“Things change. I want it now. Jude will make a great father.”
“So will you,” Lucas added confidently. “And an interesting one.”
“I haven’t quite figured out how it will work with our schedules. Half the time, we’re on together, so that’s a lot of time to be away from a child.” Snow sipped his bourbon.
“I’m sure Anna will step in for babysitting,” Ian chimed in.
“Oh, there’s no doubt about that. She’s already screening surrogates.”
Rowe snorted and spilled a bit of alcohol on his black Ward Security polo. He brushed it off absentmindedly. “Is that the way you’re going to go?”
“We haven’t decided, but more than likely we’re going to adopt. If I left it up to Jude, we already would have. He’s ready.”
“Are you?” Ian asked because Snow looked a little green around the gills.
“Almost. I’m not quite there yet. I’m just really enjoying it being us still.” He grinned. “I like the freedom to fuck him anywhere I like.”
“Sex doesn’t stop with a kid,” Lucas said. “It gets interrupted sometimes, but there’s still plenty of time to
be together. I think you’re going to love being a father, Snow.”
“Well, I can’t wait to be a foster parent. We’re getting so close.” Ian sipped his wine, feeling a pleasant buzz despite all the food he’d eaten. “But I won’t even think of bringing a child into my life the way it is now. Not until we figure out who’s messing with me.”
“We’ll figure it out, Ian. Don’t give up on your dreams.” Lucas gave him a smile.
“To dreams!” Rowe said, holding up his glass. “And to new beginnings!”
They all lifted their glasses. Ian settled back onto the couch and basked in the pleasure of being with these men as they said good-bye to the penthouse. He looked around and realized that the place really didn’t matter. They were what mattered, and they’d always be together.
Chapter Sixteen
Ian stood to the side of the entrance to Rialto’s kitchen, watching as Isabella directed the controlled chaos with the expertise of a conductor overseeing the London Symphony orchestra. He’d just escaped his office and the pile of applications he’d been digging through in the hopes of lending a hand in the kitchen since both Sean and Wade were out for another day, but it was clear that Isabella had everything under control. He was almost afraid of being underfoot in his own kitchen.
He bit back a sigh and shook his head. He and Sean needed to have a meeting with that woman to discover if she wanted to remain at Rialto or take over as the sous chef for In Good Time. They’d put it off because of the recent chaos with the inspections, raid, bad reviews, and now the attacks on Sean and Wade. But it needed to get done.
Ian hated to admit that he loved having her at Rialto because he knew that his beloved restaurant was in good hands if Sean wasn’t around, but she deserved her own kitchen, her own place to be queen.
And at the new place, she’d have a chance at trying some of her own recipes. He was curious to see what she’d do.
Moving her up also meant giving someone else in the kitchen a chance to move into her coveted spot and shine.
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