Defiance (The Protectors #9)(65)

“It’s been years since the last attempt…” Everett said as I turned my back on him to get the stove going.

“We both know there’s no expiration date on revenge,” I muttered. “Let it go, Everett.”

“So what, Vincent? You’re going to live like this for the rest of your life?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically heavy with anger.

“Yeah, Everett, I am,” I snapped as I turned back around. “Because there’s no getting out for me! And he’ll pay the price,” I ground out as I pointed towards the stairs. I froze when I saw Nathan standing in the entryway to the kitchen. I held his startled gaze for a moment, and then turned back to the stove and tried to focus on getting the omelets going.

“Morning,” Nathan said as he entered the room.

“Morning, Nathan,” Everett said.

I stiffened when Nathan came around to my side of the island. I expected him to confront me about what I’d said, but instead, he leaned in and kissed me softly on the mouth. “Morning.”

“Morning,” I managed to say back. He grabbed the coffee pot and a mug and then went to sit next to Everett.

Nathan and Everett made small talk as I cooked, but when I asked Everett if he was staying for breakfast, he waved me off with an excuse about having already eaten. I didn’t believe him, but I kept my mouth shut. I watched as he and Nathan said their goodbyes. I hated how worn down my friend looked, but I wasn’t sure what to say, so I kept my mouth shut. He came around the island to give me a quick hug and then he was shuffling out the door.

“I’m worried about him,” Nathan murmured as he came around the island and began picking at some of the diced ham I’d set aside for the second omelet.

I nodded. “He’s usually better at hiding it.”

“Hiding what?” Nathan asked.

“The fact that he’s still in mourning.”

“Have you ever talked to him about it? About trying to move on?”

“Yeah, a couple of times. Keeps saying he’s too old and he’ll only ever love one man in his lifetime. It’s the reason he never bothered coming out.”

“What do you mean?” Nathan asked as he leaned against the counter.

“I think it’s his way of hanging on to my brother’s memory, you know? Like coming out means he’s starting a new chapter…one without Pierce.”

I glanced at Nathan to see him studying the spot where Everett had been sitting. “What about his son?”

“He told you about Reese?” I asked in surprise.

Nathan nodded. “He said Reese accused him of having an affair. He said Pierce was his commanding officer.”

I nodded because I’d heard the story from Everett about Reese walking in on him and Pierce so many years ago. “It probably ate Pierce up,” I mused.

“He said Reese works for someone in Seattle…it’s not your friend, is it? Beck’s uncle?”

I stilled at that and lifted my eyes to meet Nathan’s. “What?”

Nathan tensed. “You didn’t know?”

I shook my head as things finally fell into place. Everett had always been tight-lipped around me about how he and Ronan had met, and I’d accepted that. But I’d had no clue Reese had somehow ended up working for Ronan. And I had no doubt that he was the man Nathan was talking about, not Dom. I’d known enough about Reese before he’d disappeared to be aware that he’d hooked up with some mercenaries after leaving the military. The mercenaries had been less interested in being patriots and more interested in making some easy money. If Reese had made one wrong move with guys like that, it would have spelled disaster.

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t.” I thought back to his first question. “No, it’s probably not Beck’s uncle. There’s another guy out there who does some security consulting work,” I hedged.

Nathan eyed me. “Security consulting,” he said skeptically, his eyebrows raised. “Is that what they call it?”

I smiled at that. “Anyway, Ronan – that’s the guy’s name – I suspect he did it as a favor to Everett…to keep an eye on the kid.”

“You think Reese knows what Everett did for him?” Nathan asked.

I shook my head. “Probably not. He’d shoot himself in the foot to spite his father. If he found out Everett was involved, he’d likely disappear again like he did after his mother’s death.”

“How did Everett and this Ronan guy meet?”

“I actually don’t know,” I admitted. “Everett’s never told me the details about that.”

I finished the first omelet and slid it onto a plate and handed it to Nathan. “Thanks,” he said as he took it and went to the table. He paused before sitting down and letting his finger gloss over the table.

Right where I’d held him down as I’d fucked him the day before.

When he looked at me, color flooded his cheeks, and he smiled knowingly. I laughed and shook my head. Yeah, I’d never be able to look at that damn table the same way, either.

I finished getting my own food ready and went to sit down across from him. The second I did, his foot pressed against mine beneath the table. It was subtle, but it rocked me to my core. Knowing that he needed that physical connection with me, despite the fact that I was literally two feet away, made something tear open inside of me.