mansion later that day. A vacation was in order, but it wouldn't be happening anytime in the near future. With so many things stacking on top of me, I was hanging on by a thread, which was a horrible thing. I was known for becoming the worst type of asshole when things got bad, and I was headed there fast.
"Hey, you." Drake's voice filled up my Jag.
"Hey, yourself. How's it going?" I turned the air down so I could hear him better.
"Good. Really good. Sicily and I are talking about moving her out to the house soon. She loves staying with her friends in town, but we want more time together. It seems like we're paying for two places but only staying in one most of the time."
I chuckled. "Then it's time to consolidate."
"Agreed. I think she'll move out here. Her friend Lisa is thinking of moving back to New York with her boyfriend, Marc. He's a cool cat. You'd like him. He's cocky like you." Drake chuckled.
"Cocky? You got me confused with someone else." I turned off the freeway and pulled into a convenience store parking lot. I needed more time to bask in the conversation, and Joe's mansion was just a few miles down the road.
"How are you holding up since Mama died?" Drake's voice softened just a little.
"Good. Sort of. Just a lot on my plate."
"What can I do to help you?" It was the same question he always asked.
"Nothing. Live your life to the fullest?" I smiled sadly as I sat alone in my car.
"You could do that for yourself too." He cleared his throat. "Have you told Izabella how you feel?"
"No, and I'm not going to. We're dealing with Freddy having hooked up with the Kallup boys right now. They threatened his life, and he gave them far more than any of the rest of us would be alive to tell about." I closed my eyes and let my head fall back. "You remember the Kallup boys?"
"Fuck, don't I. Biggest pain in the ass ever. Don't underestimate them, D. You know old Thomas Kallup is looking for a reason to get you guys back for killing his brother."
"Naw. He's not that stupid. They played with fire and got burned. They're grown men. They know that what they did was wrong by turning on Joe when he offered them a place to play for free. You fuck up, and someone has to pay. That's what happened to Zach, plain and simple."
"Sounds like it's straightforward until it's your brother, D. You know you wouldn't take that shit lying down if it was me."
"True." I ran my hand down my face and sat back up. "I need to get out to the mansion. I just wanted to check on you."
"I'm glad you did. Don't underestimate those fuckers, okay? They're not a small time as you believe. All they need is the right force behind them to direct them, and they could tear you apart from the inside out. Watch your back, Bro."
"I will. Thanks, Drake." I dropped the call and headed toward Joe's. Drake was right, and scary enough, the Kallups already had someone backing them. I just needed more information to find out who.
The problem was that I was torn between trying to clean up Freddy's shit and searching for Vivian's killer. I couldn't shake the idea that maybe the two events were far more connected than I was giving them credit for.
I parked in front of the house and spoke to the guards who stood by the front door before walking in. The smell of chocolate chip cookies wrapped around me, and my stomach growled. I hadn't eaten all day, and it was well past lunchtime.
"Hey, Sylvia." I smiled at the pretty older woman who moved around the kitchen as I walked in. She was Vivian's favorite maid and had been with the family for a long time. "Did you bake these?"
"I did, young man. Have as many as you want." She rubbed my back as I moved over to hover above the baking sheet that sat on the stove. "You want a glass of milk?"
"Yes," I mumbled and shoved a whole cookie into my mouth. My own mother would bake all damned weekend, leaving poor Drake fat, and me sick to my stomach for eating too much sugar. Nostalgia left me needy for love and attention.
I took the glass from her and thanked her before plating up a few more cookies and walking toward the