Page 5 of Forever: The Companion

“And that’s all?” Dare asked.

Renzo glanced up from his phone, coming back into the conversation he hadn’t really left but wasn’t one-hundred percent engaged in. Now that he was back in America, he had too many other important things on his mind.

The job was done.

Successful.

Nothing else mattered but getting home to Lucia.

Like he always promised to.

Forever.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he said.

Dare nodded, never turning away from the screen covering one entire wall where he watched a sports game. With a wave over his shoulder, he said, “I will be in touch, Ren, look for the final deposit into your accounts.”

“Will do.”

He was halfway out of the office, and ready to call Lucia and hear her voice for the first time in weeks, when the phone in his hand buzzed with a call. The ringtone that accompanied it had him grinning even though it wasn’t his wife calling.

“Diego,” Ren greeted, picking up the call, “I just got back, kiddo.”

“Ah, Ren, don’t call me that.”

He laughed it off, as he always did. Yeah, Diego acted like he didn’t like it when his big brother teased him a bit, but Ren knew that in truth, he did. He was the only person Diego had that type of relationship with. Serious but fun. He really was the only father the kid knew, even if they were really half-brothers. Diego got both in him.

Someone to be his father when he needed it.

And the big brother he wanted even more.

“Are you back in New York?” Diego asked.

Damn, he wished.

“No, just got back to Vegas, but I am on my—”

“Rose said I can come over, so …”

Ren chuckled. “Buddy, I just got back. I haven’t even been home to see Lucia yet, you know?”

“So, when you get back in town, I can come over, right?”

Lord.

He couldn’t tell this kid no. Even if he just wanted to spend one night alone with his wife before he got back to his real life, that likely wouldn’t happen.

Not that he wanted to tell Diego no, anyway, because he missed his little brother, too. Because for as much as Diego needed his brother, Renzo needed the kid. He was never going to be separated or taken from his brother again.

“You know what? Yeah,” Renzo said. “Absolutely, Diego. We’ll work it out, okay?”

“Okay, Ren.”

He hung up from his brother shortly after and immediately tried to call his wife. The damn thing rang through to voicemail twice.

Shit.

Sometimes, she turned it off when she was with clients. He decided whatever. After all, it’d been a while since he’d surprised her. So, why not?