“Thanks,” Sebastian said, wiping tears from his eyes. He smiled at his father, and Lucas smiled back.
“Now, will someone tell me what else is going on? Because I know you wouldn’t all decided to get together on a whim to tell me this.” Lucas locked eyes with each of us. He wasn’t dumb, that was for sure. If it had just been about Sebastian wanting to come out, we could’ve done that any time. We wouldn’t have called for Chuck to drop everything and drive down.
When no one spoke up, I stepped forward. “Kathy’s cheating on you.”
Lucas blinked at me a couple of times, and then took another drink of his whiskey. “Yes, I know,” he said at last. “I’ve known for a while, in fact. How did you four find out? And what does this have to do with Sebastian?”
With a sigh, I told the story again, getting really tired of having to constantly repeat it. I was starting to wish I’d just recorded myself telling everything to Jaxson earlier, to save myself the breath. But, once I finished, I figured this would probably be the last time I had to repeat any of it.
Lucas was quiet for a while, staring into the amber liquid in his glass. Then, he took another drink, swallowing the rest of it in one go. When he set the now empty glass on his desk and looked at the four of us, he looked like he’d aged years in just a couple minutes.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” Lucas said, locking eyes with his youngest. “I know you’d liked her and trusted her. I hope you’ll forgive me for ever bringing her into this house and hurting you.”
Sebastian shrugged, his cheeks turning pink. “It’s all right.”
“You’re gonna kick her out then, right?” Wes asked.
“It’s more complicated than that.” Lucas leaned back in his chair, then looked over at me. “Kathy has lived in this house for five years now. It’s hard to say just what she might know.”
He was being cryptic, since Sebastian was standing there still, and I rolled my eyes. “Sebastian already knows about my father,” I told him, earning myself a frown. I just shrugged, though. “I trust him just as much as I trust Wes and Chuck.”
“Yes, well, as you can tell, I don’t exactly trust Kathy,” he said, his voice dry again. “I haven’t told her anything about Carter or you, no matter how many times she’s asked. But that doesn’t mean she hadn’t figured things out. And if she does know the truth, then kicking her out could be the worst possible option.”
“You’re afraid she’ll tell people. That word will get back to Carter’s enemies and put a target on me?” When Lucas didn’t respond, I knew the answer. I wanted to tell him I didn’t care that it wasn’t worth keeping her around just because of me.
But that was stupid. If gangs or cartels or whatever came after me, it wouldn’t just be me who might get hurt. It could be Wes, Chuck, or Sebastian. It could be Adrian or anyone else at the school. Was I really willing to put their lives on the line, just because I wanted that bitch to get her ass kicked to the curb?
Two hands appeared on my shoulders, one from Wes and one from Chuck as they both squeezed. “It doesn’t matter to us,” Chuck said, speaking for all four of us. “The longer you keep her around, the more she might learn. You can’t just let her stick around, living in our house, and spending your money, all while she’s fucking the pool boy or the gardener or God knows who else. She’s a loose end, and she needs to be taken care of.”
There was an edge to Chuck’s voice I’d never heard before. He sounded dangerous, just as dangerous as JP or any of his boys when someone disrespected them. I hoped he wasn’t suggesting what I thought he was, but I couldn’t have been positive either way. He was angry, no doubt about it, and I wasn’t sure just how far he’d go to protect his family.
“I know,” Lucas said after another moment of silence. He nodded at us. “And I appreciate all of you bringing this to me. But I don’t want any of you to worry about it anymore. I will handle Kathy, one way or another. So, just let me take care of it, okay?”
Everyone nodded. There’d been finality to his voice, letting us all know the discussion was over, that arguing wasn’t going to change anything. We just had to trust him, trust that he knew what he was doing and didn’t need our help to handle the problem.
“And Sebastian,” he said, locking eyes with his youngest again. “Remember that I love you, okay? And tell Todd he is always welcomed here. He’s family, just as much as you are.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Sebastian smiled as he nodded. This was probably the best outcome he could’ve ever hoped for. Lucas may not have been as affectionate as Wes and Chuck had been, but there was no doubt he still loved his son. “Are you gonna tell his parents?”
“I don’t think there’s anything I need to tell them right now.” Lucas didn’t even hesitate to respond. “But I do have some more work I need to finish up tonight, unless there’s something else you four need?”
That was our cue to head out, leaving Lucas alone in his office again. Out in the hall, Chuck stood in front of Sebastian. “You okay?” he asked, and Sebastian nodded, making all of us smile.
“Good, then I need to hit the club tonight. I’ve got some steam I need to blow off,” Wes said with a wicked grin. He glanced over at me and winked. “Wanna come with? See how much money we can bleed off those guys tonight?”
“Oh, I’m always in for bleeding your friends dry.” Even though I was much more secure living with the Cabots, I’d spent enough time in Compton to know to always have a backup plan. And, right then, the stack of cash living in the back of my closet was that backup plan was, and it could always use some more.
“Can I come?” Sebastian piped up, his eyes twinkling. Slowly, the hyperactive version of Sebastian was coming back out. When everyone looked at him, he rolled his eyes. “Just ‘cause I’m fifteen doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I’ve known about you and Chuck’s little secret society for ages. Like I said, I’m good at keeping a secret.”
Wes and Chuck looked at each other, having another one of their silent conversations. Then, they both shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Chuck said, throwing his arm around Sebastian’s shoulders. “Just don’t get mad when we end up winning all your money, all right?”
Chapter 16
To my surprise, the bouncer didn’t say a word about Sebastian going into the club. He’d just looked the kid up and down, then waited for Wes and Chuck to give their nods of approval. After that, all four of us headed inside and then to the back where the stairwell leading to the basement was.
Sebastian grinned like a kid in a candy store. I could only imagine how long he’d had to sit at home, knowing what his older brothers were getting up to and unable to participate. I just hoped it wouldn’t ruin his mood too much once I’d won everyone’s money again.
Hunter and Jaxson weren’t there this time, but I recognized most of the other guys from the last time I’d played. Everyone commented on Sebastian finally being able to sit at the big boy table, and then the games were on. Brothers or not, Chuck, Wes, and Sebastian were ruthless against each other. Surprisingly though, Sebastian was able to hold his own against them.