a minute as the room goes quiet around us.
“Zodiac has called a meeting for all the division heads on Saturday. You’ll be the only one in that room with me that I know is one hundred percent on my side, but if it comes down to you having to take me out, don’t hesitate. Lily needs you, Cash, don’t be a hero. He will have you killed on the spot for disobedience.”
“No, fuck that, and fuck you for thinking I could do that, V,” he snaps, shaking me before pulling me tighter.
“You have to, for Lily. Promise me, Cash.” I look up at him.
His jaw is rigid. He nods once, a short jerky movement, before he steps back and turns, stalking out of the room. I move to go after him, but Will stops me.
“Just give him a minute, love. He understands what you’re saying, and he’ll do it if necessary, but you are asking him to choose between the two people he loves,” he tells me softly.
I freeze at his words, looking up at him in confusion. “What?” I gasp.
“You didn’t know? Hell, Viddy, how is that possible? I’m pretty sure all of the men in this room are a little bit in love with you.”
“What?” I choke out again, turning to look at the others who all look at me with soft smiles, except Gary, who has a beaming one.
“My wife says you can be my hall pass girl if you’re interested.” He wiggles his eyebrows, making me burst out laughing.
Once I get myself under control, I look at them all again and see what Will’s talking about.
“I…I love you guys too but…”
“You’re in love with someone else,” Will answers for me. I look over my shoulder at him and see his eyes soften.
“We know. It’s why Cash and I never took things further with you even though I’d give my left nut to have you. You’re just not mine to keep. Besides, my desires run a little darker than I think you could handle.”
I tilt my head, curious at that, but Baker speaks before I can say anything.
“Okay, before this turns into a mass orgy, I think I’ve found something, V.”
“Oh, gross. I love you guys, but sorry to say, in a brotherly way. I don’t want to be thinking about your dicks, at all.”
“You’d let your brother grab your ass and tongue fuck you? Kinky,” Cash says as he re-enters the room. I reach for the ice cream spoon and lob it as his head, but of course, he catches it.
“Fine. You and Will are the exceptions to the rule. I can’t help it; you have that whole murdery vibe going on that I seem to be attracted to. It’s just…” I bite my lip, trying to figure out how to soften the blow.
“Your body wants us, but your heart belongs to another. I know, but if you ever need to fuck him out your system, I’m available,” he adds to a chorus of me too.
I grumble under my breath and move to sit next to Baker at the counter. “Everyone has gone crazy.”
Baker smiles at me but spins the iPad around to show me what he’s found.
“I sent DNA samples off from the two shooters to the guy we have down at the precinct. I wanted to see if there were any hits and the results are in. The first guy is a gun for hire. His name is John Eccles, and he was just starting out for all intents and purposes. He has a few kill claims under his belt, but there was never enough evidence to pull him in. The second guy, Cancer. He’s not in the system, but his DNA had enough familial markers with another sample for a hit to pop up.” He taps something on the screen before showing it to me.
“Gianni Romano, AKA—”
“Zodiac,” I finish for him. “Holy fuck.”
“That’s not all. We ran with what we had and found the same familial markers in the previous Gemini, and three other division heads. We can’t run the other heads because they aren’t in the system, but if we can get samples, I bet there are more.”
“But even if he is the father to some of the others, Viddy isn’t his kid, and neither am I. What the fuck are we doing here, unless he just ran out of offspring,” Cash adds, looking as incredulous as I do.
“I’ve run Viddy’s DNA before destroying it, no match. I’d like to run yours