“You really alright with this, Ro? A cease fire with Hump for Pop’s sake?” Pitch asked.
“I really am,” Roman spoke with a conviction that made him seem older than his 19 years. “Feels like I’ve been at war with Hump my entire life. There’s something more important to me now than fighting with my big brother.”
“This is big of you, man.”
Roman waved off the compliment. “If I thought it’d bring back Stow, I’d fight Hump’s ass ‘til I had no fight left. But he’s gone. Forever. Time to focus on life, not death.” He forced a smile. “We can try, anyway. Gotta admit things have been pretty quiet on the shipping end. Maybe our rival fleet got what it needed and they’re in the wind. Literally. We didn’t unmask them, but Stone’s dream is being realized anyway.”
“And Hank Kreel?”
“Who?”
“Kreel. The guard from the Chicago jobs Uncle Emilio ordered.”
“Henry.” Roman said.
“What?”
“Henry Kreel, not Hank.”
Pitch shrugged. “Same difference. You gonna forget him too?”
“To a point.” A muscle ticked at Roman’s jaw. “I need to know, Pitch.”
“And you really think this guy would rat on Humphrey? Implicate him in Em’s so called hit squad?”
“I really do.”
“Ro...the guy would’ve barely been older than you are now- a kid. Mid twenties tops, if that.”
Roman smiled quietly, shook his head. “You and Imani are so alike,” he said.
Caught off guard, Pitch chuckled. “We’ve established this,” he smoothed a hand across a bronzed cheek.
Laughing once more, Roman walked the perimeter of Aaron’s office. “You can see the best in people even when they’ve shown you the worst. I need to know about Kreel for me. I won’t burden the family with whatever I learn.”
“If I didn’t know better, Ro, I’d swear you were growing up.”
Roman favored his brother with a mocking bow of respect. “Better late than never,” he said.
“As long as it happened before my nephew arrived. Poor kid’s at enough of a disadvantage with your flaky ass for a father. At least you’re trying to make some improvements.”
There was laughter and then the brothers came together for a hug.
~39~
Montreal, Canada~
Erica Lewis stared sleepily into the fire that was still furiously ablaze after three hours. She smiled when Liam shifted beneath her. She dropped a kiss to his stomach where she’d been resting since they had collapsed after their last round of lovemaking.
“How long before the business world misses you?” she asked, her voice deliciously drowsy.
Liam didn’t open his eyes when he smiled over the question. Lazily, he dragged his fingers through Erica’s chic, short cut hair. “There are others in my place to handle any emergencies,” he said.
Erica rested her hands on Liam’s stomach and propped her chin there. “Is Vic among them?” she asked.
“He is. He’s quite the man, our son.”
“Takes after his father.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” Liam moved his hand from Erica’s hair to stroke her bare back.
“It’s true...it’s what finally ended things between Paul and me,” she spoke of her ex-husband. “He took every chance to make Vic feel small, unwanted, lesser. Vic kept proving him wrong at every turn. Soon, Paul couldn’t deny how wrong he’d been.”
Liam bristled against the sheets. “He never should’ve gone through that. Any of it. I’m sorry for not protecting him better.”
Erica pulled herself up over Liam until they were face to face. “You’ve protected him better than anyone,” her full lips quirked on a smile. “Except my mother.”
They laughed for a while as the formidable Bettina George came to mind.
“So what do you think of his Candace?” Liam asked.
Erica smiled warmly. “She’s a doll, loves Vic very much and he’s crazy for her.” She looked to Liam then. “Do you think that all he’s been through and seen of love, how it...doesn’t always conquer all- might...affect his future with her?”
“I know he’s concerned about it,” Liam shared. “I know it worries him,” he added.
“It’s not too late then.”
Liam frowned. “For what?”
