Page 120 of Never Say Never

I groaned, rubbing at my forehead.

"There you are. Fuck, Paolo."

"My bad. I'm fine now."

Gin watched me. He wasn't the levelheaded one of us. The fact he was trying to bring me down meant I'd lost it for sure.

"Come on, we're getting drinks,” he said.

I looked down at our attire. There was no bar, not even the one that we owned, that would sell us a drop of booze looking like we went through a blood waterfall. We moved around the bodies littered all over the floor. I wasn't one to complain. After years of not killing, it felt good to scratch the itch, but a part of me would rather be in bed with York right now.

"Those two need a room," Enzo said. He wasn't as messy as he'd been the other night, but he was wearing a very severe frown.

“No consideration for the rest of us,” the man named Quincy said, shaking his head. He smeared blood on the side of his face as he shook his head at the two lover birds. “Ima head out. Tell Benito to hit me up on the next fun night.”

I looked over at where they had been looking and shook my head as well. Benito was practically devouring Harlow as they stood on top of bodies. I was happy for my brother but when my own love life was currently shit, I didn't want to see how happy they were, covered in blood.

"Jager," I said.

Gin groaned. "Got some in my trunk. We're going to be fucked."

I hoped so.

Stumbling through the door, I grunted at the darkness that greeted me. No girls and York sleeping on the couch waiting for me to come home.

"Fuck you."

"What, me? No offense, Paolo, but I'm a happily engaged man." Gin laughed at his own stupid joke. His words were slurring just as badly as mine. We might have taken way too many shots after our little murder spree.

I didn't have the mental capacity to roll my eyes. I'd do it tomorrow when I didn't feel like the world was spinning way too fast. The light flickered on, and I back peddled, my hand covering my eyes.

"The hell is going on?"

York. “Fuck, I love that man,” I slurred.

I dropped my hand, looking for him, and nearly fell to my knees when I saw him. All night I couldn't get him out of my head. Even after taking out my frustrations on the enemy, all I had thought about was my boss. Stumbling toward him, I realized York wasn't looking just at me. He kept looking between me and Gin.

"So, you're the bastard that's been hunting us down, huh?" Gin asked. He laughed. "Well, I'd say welcome to the family but if how he was tonight is any indication of how things are between you two, then I'll keep my welcome for another day."

York opened his mouth but Gin wasn't done.

My brother grabbed me and turned me to face him. "No more death stunts. Lost you once, not really trying to go through that shit again."

I nodded. "Yeah." Before Gin could walk away, I grabbed him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. That I couldn't be there for you or Mom when you both needed me the most." I choked on my words as I reached for him and clapped him on the back of the neck. “You mean the fucking world to me, Gin. I’m so fucking sorry.”

Gin looked away, his shoulders rose before relaxing once more. "You know how much that shit hurt?” he muttered, his smile disappearing. “I lost my damn mind. Everyone stopped talking about you. It was like you didn’t exist anymore. I didn’t even understand why I couldn’t talk about you, just that it was an order. You were dead, and I couldn’t say shit. It was like you were this ghost that everyone else had forgotten.”

“I’m sorry.”

He waved a hand and dragged me in for a hug before he stumbled and we both ended up on the ground. We cracked up.

“We’ll make up for lost time.” He chuckled. “I’m just glad you’re home.”

My heart squeezed. I’d wanted this moment since the second I came back. “Thanks for giving me another chance.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do? Never talk to you again? Shit’s stupid as hell,” he muttered as he pulled out a pack of smokes. He lifted his head. “Yo, you got a light, fed?”

York glared at him. “No.”