by TJ Nichols
He glanced up as his father entered the bar with a friend and they both sat down at his table. Was his father afraid of dying? Of him?
The men stared at him. Cody stared back.
“Do you have it?” his father said.
“Yes.”
His father pulled out a checkbook. “How much do you want?”
“Nothing. It was never about money.” When Cody first left home, his father had vowed to never give him a cent until he came to his senses. Was that moment now? “I just wanted the truth.” But he wished he hadn’t dug. He’d found a side of his father that should’ve remained buried. “Who’s your friend?”
“Insurance. You have dangerous friends.”
Cody laughed and finished his coffee. Not even the sugary silt at the bottom could improve his mood. He shook his head. “Really? That’s rich coming from you.”
“I did what I had to do to build a business, to dig us out of the debt my father left us in. You’ve never appreciated any of it. You snubbed the family at the first chance you got and took off to Vegas. You were a selfish child, and now you’re a selfish man, thinking only of yourself.”
Cody swallowed. For so long he’d wanted his father to turn around and say how proud he was. He was never going to hear that. “I have built a business from scratch, and never resorted to your methods.”
“You dabble in business and will never be more than a glitzy conman.”
So that was how his father saw him. “Don’t forget expendable. Connor and Lily… they didn’t matter either, did they? Little speed bumps on your way up? What is it next for you? Politics?”
His father flinched. It was politics. No wonder he wanted his dealings with Benitez cleaned up. But how did Palmerston come into it?
“You have no idea what you are meddling in.” His father’s voice was low and filled with venom.
“Why don’t you enlighten me? Did Palmerston approach you? Did he have something else on you?” As he said the words he realized he didn’t actually care. He was done with his father’s deadly games and didn’t want to know any more than what he already knew. Cody leaned back. He took in his father’s lined face and the grim set of his lips.
His father glared at him, anger flushing his cheeks. “Just give me the flash drive.”
His mother hadn’t been home last night, of that he was certain, but his father had been expecting visitors. He hadn’t been surprised when the men showed up. It wasn’t his father who was desperate for the information. It was his father’s friends. “They have Mom, don’t they?”
His father was a pathetic puppet, tangled in its own strings. That telltale twitch of his father’s shoulders was the response he needed. Cody should feel something. A jolt of panic or concern, but neither of his parents had bothered with him. His father had wanted him to come inside, but not so they could work things out. “You were hoping to trade me for her.”
“You screwed that up too,” his father snapped.
Cody took out the flash drive. If his father had said that Mom was in danger last night, he might have gone in and handed over the files. “Here it is. It’s even been hacked for you.” He pulled another flash drive out of his pocket and looked at his father’s friend. “You work for Palmerston, right? You get one too.”
The muscle gave a single nod and reached out to take the flash drive. Cody’s father put his hand out to grab it, but the man lifted his father’s hand by the pinkie. And his father obeyed. There wasn’t much he could do when the pinkie was in very real danger of being ripped off.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Cody,” the man said. “Your mother will be released unharmed.”
Cody gave the man a tight smile. “Now you should know that I sent a copy of the files to Benitez’s successor. He couldn’t join us today, but he did send his thanks for returning what was stolen.” It hadn’t taken him long to make copies of the files and burn them to flash drives. And while he had no idea what Olivier had said to David, David had called him to say thank you and don’t come back. Cody had assured him that he wouldn’t. Their business was done.
“You did what?” His father half rose out of his chair, only to be pressed down by Palmerston’s muscle. Maybe the man wasn’t muscle. Maybe he was Palmerston. Cody didn’t want to know. He was done asking questions. He just wanted out.
“No more secrets.”
His father turned a shade of purple. “You conniving little shit.”
“I love you too, Dad.” Cody stood and leaned in. “If you ever come after me or mine, the FBI will also receive a copy. My lawyer already has the files and instructions. I may be a college dropout and a failed stage magician, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“You don’t understand how business works or what you’ve done.” His father grabbed Cody’s jacket. “You’ll get nothing in the will. I’ll make sure your mother knows how you have betrayed the family—betrayed her.”
His father’s friend sat there like a heavy-duty sack of potatoes observing the fear and animosity.
Cody took a breath and fought for calm. It was almost over, and if his father kept going, someone would call security. “Be careful, Dad, people are watching you.” His father released him. “You betrayed Mom. You caused this, and I don’t want a cent of your dirty money.”
Cody glanced at the muscle. “Mom goes free?”
The man nodded. “I’m sure my boss will see reason, given that you’ve been reasonable. The files were Benitez’s to start with, so no harm done.”
Cody’s phone beeped to remind him it was time to check in. “Right. I’m done with you. Both of you. All of you.”
“You don’t get to walk away.” His father stood and pointed his finger at Cody. “You don’t know what you’ve done.”
“Yeah, I do.” Cody took a few steps back. The muscle made no effort to move. It was over. He wished he’d realized years before that he was never going to get an approving nod from his father. Now he knew that, if his father did approve, Cody was doing something wrong.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
AFTER THREE weeks of living with his father, Olivier was bored. He needed a job. He needed something to do. Dani kept asking for her mom, and it was killing him. He kept checking flights to Vegas, but he hadn’t booked one. The prices were good. One click, and it would be done. He could be in Vegas for the weekend, hire a bike when he landed, and take that ride through the desert.
He imagined walking into Cody’s shop and surprising him. Would it be a good surprise or a bad surprise? He hadn’t actually spoken to Cody since that morning. Not even a text.
It had seemed like the right thing to do, make a clean break. There was too much history—literally centuries—and death between them. Even though the nightmares had stopped, he still dreamed of Cody. He’d roll over and expect someone to be there, only to find cold, empty sheets. He’d never wanted someone to be there. But suddenly it was like he couldn’t function alone.
He couldn’t leave. He was Dani’s legal guardian, and he couldn’t take off and do his own thing. He’d never been able to do that. He should be grateful to be alive, but was he living?
“That’s the third time you’ve looked at flights this week.” His father peered over his shoulder.
“Yeah.” He went to shut his laptop. All of his things had arrived the week before. He had boxes all over the small house, but he hadn’t unpacked more than the essentials.
His father put his hand out and kept the screen up. “If you want to go, go.”
“I only just got here, and Dani….” And he could make up a hundred excuses. There was no curse to blame. Just him. The rest of his life was all on him. Before he met Cody, he hadn’t been aware that he was cursed. But he’d always been able to put the blame somewhere else.
“When was the last time you had a week off?”
Never. He shrugged. “It’s not a good time.”
“There never is a good time. You have to make the most of what you have. What’s in
Vegas? You could go anywhere.”
He could… but he didn’t want to. There was only one pull that was getting harder to ignore. “A friend.”
“Just a friend?” His father laughed and sat down opposite him. There was no smile when he spoke. “Don’t waste this chance. It’s precious. Dani and I will be fine for a week.”
“I have to find a job.”
“Do it when you get back.”
But what if he didn’t want to come back? He’d have to, and then he’d resent his father and Dani. It was better not to know if he could have anything with Cody. Better to just keep the memories and his imagination.
“Oli, this is the first time you’ve had the chance to do something that you want. I can see it in your eyes how much you want to go. Dani and I will be fine.”
But he might not be. What if Cody didn’t want to see him? He could still rent a bike and ride around for a week, but it wouldn’t be the same doing it on his own. It had been so easy to make plans lying in bed with Cody.
“Go,” his father said.
“You trying to get rid of me?”
“You’ve been moping around since you got here. I know you were close to Marie, but I don’t think she’d want you to sit around with an old man and a baby for company.”
Olivier smiled. No, she’d be telling him off for wasting his second chance. Not many people got out in one piece. He was lucky, even if he didn’t feel it. Book the ticket. What was the worst that could happen?
“One week. Then I’ll come back, get a job, and get my life together.”
THE SOUND of a motorcycle revving in the parking lot made Cody look up. No one needed to make that much noise unless they were trying to get noticed. Because of the display in the front window, he couldn’t see the offender. The engine shut off, and Cody went back to filling an online order. He had a small pile of merchandise that he was going to bag up and mail after he closed in about five minutes.
The shop door opened and let in a wave of heat.
A man in full bike leathers and helmet walked in and stood by the door. He must be sweating his nuts off dressed like that. Then he took off the helmet.
Cody dropped the packet of flash paper he’d been holding. “Olivier?”
“Yeah. I thought I should come by and make sure you were alive.”
Cody could only nod. The timing was too coincidental. “Did you hear about my father?”
“No. What happened?”
“He was found hanging at one of his building sites yesterday. Suicide. He was about to be charged with a string of offenses.” He’d been shocked to read that, but he’d set up an alert so any news about his family would come to his inbox. He wanted to know what the fallout would be. His mother had sent him a box that contained his bag, still dusted with mulch from the garden, and a thank-you note about his visit. Nothing else. She probably didn’t know what his role had been. She hadn’t mentioned his father’s alleged crimes either, though she must have known.
Since his father’s death, no one in his family had contacted him. Even if they had, there was no way he was going to see them or to go to his father’s funeral. He’d promised David to stay out of New York, and that was a promise he was going to keep. He didn’t even care if it was really suicide or murder, though he was betting on the latter.
“That’s… I’m sorry to hear that? Are you going back?”
“Not a chance.” Cody leaned against the counter. Olivier still stood just inside the door. Cody didn’t know if he should tell him to leave or stay. He spent the most terrifying days of his life with Olivier, but also some of the best. “Florida isn’t anywhere nearby, unless my geography is faulty.”
“I decided to take a week off, do that ride through the desert thing before trying to find a job and get my life together.” He didn’t step any closer.
“Casinos are often looking for security.” But Olivier’s family was on the other side of the country. He wouldn’t want to stay. He’d come all this way to see him. Cody’s heart beat so hard that Olivier must be able to hear it.
“That right? I might be able to convince Dad to move… if I like it here, that is. It’s hotter than I expected.”
“It’s a city in the middle of a desert.”
“I’d noticed… it’s more deserty than I expected. There’s Vegas and then nothing.”
“You probably shouldn’t go out there alone. You might get yourself killed, city boy.” He couldn’t stop the smile from forming. Olivier was on Cody’s home ground now.
“Are you offering to help keep me alive? It could be dangerous.”
“It was getting a bit dull being safe.” He pushed off the counter. “Want to flip the sign and lock the door?”
Olivier turned and did both. Cody closed the distance between them and put a hand on Olivier’s cheek. For a couple of heartbeats, he didn’t know if he should go in for the kiss or wait. Were they picking up where they left off or starting over?
One of them had to make the next step. Olivier had come to him, so that meant it had to be Cody.
“I missed you.” The truth wasn’t as scary as Cody had thought it would be. “I didn’t realize how much until you were in front of me.” That’s what the ache was. He’d thought it was to do with the stress of his brother’s death. But it wasn’t. Somehow he’d fallen in love.
“I didn’t know if you’d want to see me. A lot happened.”
“Yeah, and a lot can happen in a week.” He kissed Olivier. Nothing had felt more right in his entire life.
A centuries old curse had brought them together, but the rest of it was up to them.
MORE ORDER OF THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Order of the Black Knights
Gideon Maybury enjoys a life of wealth and privilege, not to mention the advantages his position offers him in his career as a merchant banker and his less public life as a high-class, skilled, and very well-paid assassin for Her Majesty’s government. When his brother dies unexpectedly, he becomes the Duke of Westmoreland.
Michael Mathison has hated Gideon since they were at university together. He’s convinced Gideon had a hand in the death of Michael’s college lover, Christopher, and that he had something to do with the death of his own brother. So he gets a job as Gideon’s driver, enabling him to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the elder Maybury sibling. At first his suspicions seem to be confirmed, but clues emerge that suggest all is not as it appears at Maybury Hall.
As the mystery deepens, so does the attraction between the two implacable enemies, as does the feeling that they have met before—under dark and terrible circumstances. Each has reasons not to trust the other, but neither is averse to a bit of kinky play. Gideon and Michael end up owing each other their lives, and it results in consequences neither could have imagined.
Order of the Black Knights
From Louisiana swamp rat to revivalist huckster to skilled con artist, Matthias Krall clawed his way out of poverty using his natural gifts of grift and manipulation to become the leader of an exclusive retreat center. Exploiting the guise of spiritual guru, Matthias seduces the rich and powerful into turning over their lives and fortunes to his control. But wealth and a small cadre of loyal followers can’t protect Matthias from the betrayal he knows is imminent. Everyone wants what Matthias has, except for one man who wants to destroy it. Dylan Connelly is a reporter who’s determined to prove the charismatic recluse is not only a fraud but a murderer.
Irresistibly drawn to Dylan despite the warnings in his gut, Matthias lures Dylan to his island retreat, determined to destroy his enemy once and for all.
Order of the Black Knights
Special-ops-turned-professional-killer Vespar McKauley is hired to take out Marcolm Rogers, son of his employer’s worst enemy. But Marc isn’t like any hit he’s ever done. He’s just twenty-one, he goes to a private university studying English Lit, and for fun, he plays computer games with his friends. No drugs, no partying, no crime. The day Vespar bumps into Marc
and looks into his azure eyes, the world drops out from under him.
With his father in the Chicago crime syndicate, Marc and his mom have stayed out of the limelight, hiding from those who might harm them. He figures he’s safe at a small liberal arts university, all the way across the country. But midway through his senior year, he feels eyes on him and the shadows encroaching. Just as he’s about to run, he meets Vespar and experiences an instant attraction. When Vespar tells him he’s in danger and offers to protect him, Marc wants to believe him. But he’s been hunted before, and this time he isn’t sure he’ll get away. Especially when he finds out he is Vespar’s target.
Order of the Black Knights
US Marshal Jaeger Tripp is assigned to the Federal Witness Protection Program. The hurt and destruction he’s seen—along with protecting criminals who are only cooperating with the authorities to keep themselves out of jail—have left him with a bleak and jaded view of both life and people. His current assignment is Wren O’Riley, a computer wizard who witnessed a high-profile cartel hit.
To Jaeger, Wren is the same as any other job. He must protect him long enough to get him to testify at trial, and his personal feelings have no place in his work and must be set aside. But that’s easier said than done. On the run and fighting for their lives, Jaeger and Wren can’t help but grow closer. And Jaeger can’t help seeing beyond Wren’s nerdy exterior to a man who might be just what Jaeger needs to settle his soul and capture his heart—if they survive long enough to get that chance.