Then

A grueling five hours, enough coffee to have him hyped for days, and an amount of sugar that would make his dentist dream of a new Mercedes from the soon decaying teeth in his mouth later, Jace stood on stiff legs and stretched to get some feeling back in his rigid body. It was quite the contrast in him; his brain was working overtime, but his body was shutting down. Or maybe that was the problem; only one of the two could function at a time.

He really did not know how Gareth did it.

Entering the office, Rami checked if they were deep in conversation before he spoke. He never disturbed when people were talking, he simply waited his turn. He blinked a few times from the thick smoke hanging in the air from Jace's cigarettes and Vasili's cigars. The musky smell of males locked in a room with not enough ventilation burned his nostrils to the point where he preferred the smoke. "Everybody seems to have arrived and will be in the common room soon. Are you ready?" While Jace and Vasili had held their meeting, he had been at the front entrance to keep track of all the men from other cities who had arrived in a steady stream. He had guided them to their rooms and the dining room, though most knew the way.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jace said with a tired sigh, leaving the desk while putting on his suit jacket again before going to Rami.

"I'll meet you there." Vasili stood on stiff legs and pushed past them to get to the door. "I'll just need to change my suit before it becomes a permanent part of me."

Chuckling, Jace looked after Vasili as he exited the office. He was ready, that much was true. During their meeting, Vasili had listened to and encouraged Jace's ideas. He had not once made Jace feel inferior or dismissed his ideas as impossible. If there had been holes in some of his suggestions, they had filled them together. Jace knew some of the things he had suggested were radical, but they would work if the people he chose to trust did what he needed them to do. That would be up to him to ensure.

"You know you can do this, Jace." Rami did not even look at Jace when they walked down the stairs to the common room. He just threw the sentence out there like it was the most normal thing to do. "Just believe in it. Gareth does. Vasili does." He paused. "I do."

"I know, I know, Yoda. Do. Or do not. There's no try."

"I like you, Jace, but please don't compare me to that little, green guy." Rami laughed one of his rare laughs. "I'm more of a Chewbacca, and you're Han Solo. You do shit your way, don't ever try to be Luke Skywalker. Be that cheeky, charming guy who thinks outside the box, and I'll be there beside you to back you up."

Jace did not even know how to respond. He just smiled awkwardly, appreciating Rami's vote of confidence and backup. Something like trust was earned, same with respect. For Rami, those two were not given lightly, but once earned, he would stand by that person for life. Jace felt special to be included in what he believed was a very small group of people Rami would lay his life for.

A few heads turned when Jace and Rami walked into the common room. Conversation in the room stilled for a moment. Some seemed to look for Gareth and relaxed back into their seats while continuing to wait. Those present nodded at Jace, acknowledging his presence as Gareth's overseer, and went back to what they were doing, talking, or playing with their phones. Jace and Rami went to stand next to the grand fireplace where Gareth usually stood like a king when he held meetings.

Again, smoke hung in the air. Most of Gareth's men smoked like chimneys, drank like fish, and ate like they were training for the Glutton Bowl. They lived a hazardous lifestyle; drug and gun trades were not exactly easy. Many worked as bouncers at the different entertainment establishments, where people got rowdy, often resulting in fights they had to break up. And though Gareth had a policy of not moving in on other factions, they could not guard themselves against those factions not having the same grace. Fighting was normal, injuries and death too. If they liked their food, drinks, and other vices, so be it.

As the time of the meeting grew nearer, more people entered the common room in a steady stream. Among them were Gareth's top dogs, which he called Poddrakony, basically meaning 'under-dragons', who were overall liaisons for a branch of the organization between the cities and did not live in a specific city but traveled from one to another to keep track of the area leaders' work and help where needed. They acted as an extension of Gareth and could decide on a matter without consulting Gareth as long as they reported issues to him. Every area leader, those responsible for their area of expertise within a city, who reported to the Poddrakony, had shown up along with their team leaders. City leaders, or their second in command, along with the different managers from some of Gareth's larger establishments in the entertainment industry, had flown in from their respective cities. Same with the section leaders, who managed the financial aspect of an area but were not hands-on with the work. They were purely in charge of the accounting associated with their area and reported to Gareth's head accountant.

All of them slowly filled the room. They stood in smaller groups, conversing with each other and those they had not seen for a while. The tension and growing uncertainty of why everyone had been called dampened the mood, like a heavy weight on all of them.

As representatives from Gareth's non-mafia businesses, Phoenix, Vlad, Rotha, and Oleg, Gareth's head accountant, entered and went to stand by the window, talking among themselves. Phoenix briefly glanced at Jace but could not approach him for a conversation. Jace saw the need for contact in Phoenix, the same need he felt in himself. The itch in his fingers to touch the man burned up his arms with unbearable intensity. Whatever reason he had to pull out of his ass to have a few moments alone with Phoenix after the meeting, he would find. Mal, Yarro, Yelfim, Oleksander, and the rest of Jace's team came in not long after and went straight for the snack buffet, stuffing their faces like they were never fed. Savage beasts and their food.

Grinning at their predictable behavior, Jace smiled at Rami, who too had noticed.

"Want something to drink, boss?"

"Yes, if you stop calling me that, Chewbacca."

Provocatively saluting Jace, Rami ran off to grab them some drinks. He returned not long after with two glasses of Natalya's lemonade, handing one to Jace. "There's vodka in it. You might need the liquid support."

Jace simply smiled, thankful for the gesture. He had to make sure Rami got rewarded and shown appreciation for what he did and how he did it. It was like he could read a situation and know what to say or do without being asked. He and Vasili had already found a way; hopefully, Rami would not end up with a heart attack from it.

Jace sipped his drink, waiting for the room to fill.

Cracker and Roarke came in and both instinctively came toward him to huddle the same way as the others had done.

Phoenix left his group to join them, glad for the opportunity to be closer to Jace. Just the smell of his coconut-whatever-beauty-product would help his withdrawals from not being near him. When he came close, standing across from Jace, the smell wafted to his nostrils, overpowering even the smoke and cologne filling the room. The sweet scent soothed the caged animal in him, mellowing his temper. Finally, after weeks of stress and longing, he did not feel on edge. Sure, he was worried and overworked. But that was nothing compared to his ever-present libido.

"Any idea why we've been called?" Cracker asked and looked around with the usual suspicious frown on his face. His natural instincts of something dangerous lurking had him on high alert even though they were all colleagues and posed no threat to each other.

Jace wisely kept his mouth shut, though he should probably have said something. They would find out soon enough, and he was not ready to go through explaining twice. Once would be quite enough, and he could save himself the vicious grilling from his closest friends. At least when talking to everyone, the questions would be civil.

"No idea. I got a high-priority email with a meeting invite. It sounded more like an order, but still." Phoenix shrugged and looked to the others for confirmation that they had received the same, and nods were given to show they had. "I tried to call Gareth when I got it. But his phone went directly to voicemail. That's normal when he's traveling by commercial planes, but it's been like that for weeks. I can't get in touch with him. It's not like Gareth to not call me back."

"I think we've all met that fate when calling him," Jace said in a low, saddened voice. The fresh wound from Gareth's actions sprung open when they talked about it, even though he understood what Vasili had told him and he knew there was nothing to be done about it.

All Phoenix wanted to do was hold Jace and give him some strength; his hurt of Gareth ignoring him shone through in his subdued demeanor. His worry rolled off him, and his emotional state made him seek Phoenix's eyes for comfort. They all felt that something was wrong, and as Gareth's best friend, Jace felt the impact of the unknown more than the rest. He tried to hide it, but Phoenix knew Jace too well to not notice.

They waited in silence, everyone but Jace hoping Gareth would come waltzing into the room and all their worries had been for nothing. Their hopes plummeted when Vasili entered alone a few minutes later. Jace saw it on their faces and felt bad that he knew a bit more than them.

Vasili had changed his suit, but his face was still unshaven, his hair a mess, and a stressful frown furrowed his forehead, only to emphasize his lips that were pressed into a thin line, making a tick visible in his jaw. He went to the fireplace and stood, ignoring everyone, leaning his forehead against the mantle for a few seconds before turning to face the room.

At Vasili's entrance, people perked up and straightened their clothes, settling with their drinks, and waited for the meeting to be called to order, since it was obvious from Vasili's behavior that Gareth was not coming.

"It's your show, kid. You've got the reins. It's time to ride." Vasili turned to the small group of core people and took a step back to allow Jace to stand in front alone, like they usually did with Gareth. A few suspicious looks got shared because it was unusual for Jace to take point. The group acknowledged what Vasili had said and stepped to the side to give Jace space and still see his face.

Jace took a deep breath to calm the tingling nerves inside. The surprised looks from Cracker and Phoenix, he ignored. He could do it for Gareth. Could do it to prove to Phoenix that all those hours of teaching him, time spent believing in him, were not wasted.

"Brothers," Jace called for silence. Low murmurs rose at Jace's leadership stand, and all attention was on him, their nervous energy clogging up the place. He nodded to people around the room, acknowledging their presence, mentally going over the different men and the cities they were from to be sure everybody was there. "Gentlemen, please settle down. I have some information for you all."

Everybody instantly quieted and gave Jace their attention. The collective worry did not lessen when Gareth was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, some information would help a bit.

"Where's Gareth?" somebody in the crowd asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"That's what I'm here to talk about." Jace surveyed the room, hiding behind his usual boyish smile, though his nerves were vibrating his entire body with anxiety. The nerves pricked under his skin to remind him it was real. He had wanted more responsibility, had wanted to be taken seriously. His work with Phoenix had been to get to that point. Suddenly, getting it all had never crossed his mind. Dreaming of being a leader was very different from being the leader.

He took a moment to let that feeling take root in him, as he mentally logged where the people he needed were in the crowd. He waved over Oleksander, Malachai, and a few more. The rest were already by his side.

When they had come forward and stood near, he continued, "Gareth has some things to take care of and will be unavailable for the foreseeable future." Jace saw the surprise on Phoenix's face, no anger or emotions of betrayal, just surprise that Jace knew something and had not told him.

Already anticipating the questions about to be hurled at him, Jace held up his hand to keep people from bombarding him. Vasili was the second in command, Jace was the overseer, and people respected that. Still, low murmuring and anxiety rose in the room.

"I can't tell you what's going on, and it's Gareth's explicit wish he gets some time to do what he needs to do, and for us to keep things running while he's away." He rubbed his chin for a second and took a few deep breaths. "I ask of you to respect Gareth's wishes and leave him be. No phone calls, no texts or emails, and please don't come to me with questions I can't answer."

Nods were given, some reluctantly, but the overall sentiment in the room was understanding despite their confusion and natural worry for Gareth and life as they knew it.

"As of today, I'll be taking over in Gareth's stead until his return," Jace continued in a confident voice. A lot more confident than he felt, but as he spoke and saw people accept his words without complaints or a show of disagreement, his belief in himself grew. Instinctively, he stood straighter, puffed out his chest, and held his head high.

People said nothing. They sat and glanced at each other as Jace's words sank in. They responded to his authority and calm. He was in control of everything and knew how to organize and take action. They did not doubt his credentials. Jace had proven himself since Gareth had taken him in, not only in the organization, but as Gareth's friend. His loyalty and knowledge made him a fitting stand-in.

"Let's face it, not even wearing my big boy pants, can I presume to be everything Gareth is. I can't do this by myself, so I'll need your help." Jace dusted some imaginary lint from his jacket. He was not used to dressing up for work, parties, sure, but not meetings. He was normally the person standing to the side, listening and noting everything he needed to remember. Moving up in the world, standing in for Gareth, forced him to dress the part.

After a few snickers at his big boy pants comment, Jace continued, "This means some restructuring, new rules, and a lot of dedicated work." Jace waved Vasili forward with a gesture of his hand, waiting for the man to step up beside him. "You all know, I have a threat hanging over my head. Roarke's team, Cellmate, and Horse will track that and if successful, we'll launch an attack. This means I'll stay on lockdown here in Dublin. I'll run everything from here, and Vasili will take on the traveling. He'll go to the cities where he's needed and act in my place. He'll be in charge of assuring that Gareth's absence is not discovered by anyone. Vasili?"

Yielding the floor to Vasili, Jace allowed him to take charge of his part of what they had agreed on. Being used to talking to the men, Vasili showed in his casual pose, much to Jace's envy, with one hand in his pocket and a cigar in the other. He puffed a bit before he began talking.

"During this time, it's a priority that things run as usual. If anyone catches wind of Gareth being away, we could be vulnerable for takeovers." Vasili looked around, making sure he caught the eyes of each city leader, for them to understand it was their job to ensure nothing went wrong. He singled in on Boris, the city leader from Moscow. "It's imperative that Lady Adjenkov doesn't know anything. If you feel it's easier to keep the secret by not informing the men in her protection detail, then that's your call."

Boris, a gruff-looking man of almost seventy, in an expensive-looking grey suit, his matching grey hair in a neat buzz cut, sharp, blueish eyes staring straight at Vasili, and a curved hawk nose, which he kept rubbing. He was one of the oldest still active in the organization, and he had been with Lady Adjenkov since before Gareth was born. He was the one who had trained Vasili.

"I can keep it from her, but is it wise? She'll have all of our balls if she finds out. And I rather like mine where they are." He pointed to the mentioned area with a wide grin.

Vasili laughed while averting his eyes from the area. Knowing was one thing, looking was another. "It's not like you need them, old man."

"Watch it, kid. I can still kick your ass." Boris laughed too, enjoying his drink while chatting with Vasili like they were alone in the room. "Don't think I won't. If that woman comes after me, I'll send her straight to you."

"I'll deal with her, if that happens."

"Better you than me." Boris winked at Vasili, eyes twinkling with amusement, and leaned back in his seat. "I'll handle Moscow, don't worry."

"Ok, it goes for all of you. If you suspect anyone knows Gareth is off the grid, you contact me. I'll be going around Europe like I normally do. You can talk with me when I'm there, but any issues should be directed to Jace." Vasili stepped back, turning to go to his spot to the side of Jace.

As a lifetime Adjenkov mafia man, Vasili had served Gareth's grandfather, Anatholy, before he had moved with Gareth and became his second in command. His expertise was beyond contestation, and they trusted him to know what to do. The combination of Jace and Vasili would be almost as strong as having one Gareth.

Walking past Vasili to get to the front, Jace leaned in with a cheeky grin. "Bro, your dad is hella scary, but not as much as Zariyah."

"And I get to deal with both. Yay me," Vasili whispered with a grin to match Jace's. He was not afraid of his father. Yes, Boris was tough as nails and could probably kick his ass, but as a father, he had always been the best. Boris was a second-generation mafia man with the Adjenkov house, which made Vasili the third generation. The one they all feared was Zariyah Adjenkov. If not for the rules about male leaders for the Russians, Zariyah would have stood as the most powerful leader the house had ever seen, until Gareth. Gareth, luckily, had taken after her and was by far the strongest to hold the name to date.

Vasili puffed a bit on his dying cigar to get it going and turned his attention to Jace, who once again stood in front, ready to continue.

"While Gareth's away, things will run a bit differently, and I'll need you all to cooperate. As Vasili said, we'd be sitting ducks if they attack us, which is why we need to keep operations going, as we always do." Jace gave a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers over his hair, forgetting he had it in a bun, while preparing to present how he needed to run things to live up to Gareth's expectations. "Since only Gareth knows how to do this as a one-person oracle, I'll be appointing temporary branch leaders. Instead of the poddrakony and section leaders reporting to me, they'll hold meetings with the branch leader, who'll be my direct link to everything. That'll minimize the number of people I'll need to meet with monthly."

A few nods of understanding were given, people whispering back and forth, all waiting to hear what Jace had to say. He had mentioned new rules and restructuring, and his idea held merit. It would be easier for him to only meet with one person instead of two. They would adapt because, in the end, they wanted Gareth's organization to last until Gareth came back. Being Gareth's men was their way of life, they knew what to do, the only difference was who they reported to.

"Mal, you're the new branch leader of everything drug-related," Jace continued, waiting for Malachi to step forward. He hesitantly did so with a frown and looked at Jace like he had lost his mind. "As area leader, you're used to communicating with the poddrakony and the other cities. Now you'll call the shots and report to me. Yelfim will take on the job as area leader for Dublin. I know you have a good team, and you work well together. That's why we've chosen to do it this way."

"Will do." Malachai knew better than to question Jace, though he squirmed a bit from the discomfort of being promoted from his cozy spot as area leader for Dublin to be overall responsible. He had only ever been with the Dublin team, and it would be a handful to manage every aspect of all the other cities and probably not go on missions and enjoy the life he had known.

"Oli?"

"Yeah?" Oleksander peeked out from his spot in the line of men Jace was issuing orders to and nervously waved at Jace.

A soft smile played on Jace's lips at the nervousness of Oleksander. He was not the new guy anymore, but he had been Russian police once upon a time, and that made some of Gareth's men slightly weary of trusting him. None of it mattered; Gareth believed in Oleksander and that belief Jace shared.

"You know Gareth trusts you without question, and he's been grooming you over the past years to help you find your role with us. Knowing that and looking at your unique skill set, it's my wish that you step up as branch leader and take over our gun trading, weapons caches, and firearms education." He smiled at how Oleksander dropped his jaw in shock. "I understand if you're overwhelmed, but don't worry, you can do this. The poddrakony will fill you in on everything, and never hesitate to ask if you're in doubt."

Scratching his head, Oleksander directed his pale-blue eyes at Jace, then pointed at himself. "You're sure you're talking to me and not some other Oleksander from another city? It's a common name, you know."

Muffled laughter sounded from around the room. Even Jace had to give in and guffawed. "Quite sure. You already work well with the team here, but if you need more men, ask me to allocate people."

Still shocked, Oli meekly answered, "Ok?"

"Welcome to the big leagues."

"Fuck me..." Oleksander stared at Jace.

With a wink at Oleksander, Jace continued to appoint the rest of the new branch leaders. He covered every aspect and divided some parts, like nightclubs and adult entertainment establishments, into separate branches where they had been under one umbrella before. It could seem like extra work to have meetings with more people, but Jace saw it as easier to divide the two to not fry his brain when going over payroll, employees, licenses, and whatever else he needed to know about. The reaction from the men he promoted was good. The other leaders in the room seemed to approve. Jace's idea to simplify the administrative pressure on himself seemed to be received well, probably helped by the choice of men he and Vasili had agreed on.

After having promised to coordinate meetings between the new branch leaders and everyone else, Jace got ready to move on to the next order of business. With each moment, Jace realized how comfortable he was in his new role. The acceptance and support from everyone when he appointed branch leaders had built his confidence. It had pleased him greatly to be able to promote people who deserved it, people who were good at their jobs and loyal to a fault, knowing they would work tirelessly to help until Gareth returned. But what really did it for him was doing things his way. Pretending to be Gareth and trying to do everything like him would have been impossible and set him up to fail. Finding his own way, his voice within the organization, and seeing people respond to it, that was the confidence builder.

"Phoenix will from this day handle every aspect of Gareth's businesses. He holds power of attorney and will solely be responsible for keeping everything going and making deals to benefit Gareth in the future." Jace nodded at Phoenix, who simply nodded back, not letting on if he was surprised or overwhelmed. If Jace had to be honest, it was unlikely that the announcement had taken Phoenix by surprise. Handling Gareth's businesses was his job after all.

Jace wondered if the enormity of that responsibility registered with Phoenix. He was always cool as a cucumber, and though they talked, he never divulged much about his work, probably because Jace would not understand half of it, and Phoenix did not want Jace to feel stupid. With all the time he had spent teaching Jace about management and building his confidence, it would be counterproductive to make him feel inadequate for not understanding the complexities of business analytics and property procurement.

If Jace had to bet on it, he would wager that Phoenix would soar with not having Gareth breathing down his neck. Sure, he had been busy the last weeks because of Gareth's absence, uncertain what he had the liberty to do in the situation. But now, by direct order from Jace, he would not have to second guess anything. He would be in control and though Gareth might not agree with all decisions made, Phoenix would be in the clear as long as he did not devalue Gareth's estate.

To be honest, he would have to seriously fuck up to do that.

"You can change your personnel any way you like. Vlad is very skilled and will be a great help, and Rotha will function as your personal assistant from now on."

Phoenix stood stoically and nodded at what Jace had said. He was not worried about the work; that was easy for him, though taking his place at the top of the food chain was daunting as Gareth had always been there to make the final decisions. Not that he and Gareth had ever budded heads on any business ventures in the past. They thought alike and had similar visions.

He saw how the men relaxed with the decision, and none expressed the same suspicions as they had when he had been introduced. Hard work and loyalty had gained him a solid reputation with the guys, and that worked to his advantage in the situation.

Sensing that Phoenix had nothing to say, Jace went on and pointed at Cracker. "Cracker, you will be in charge of security."

Laughing lightly, Cracker gave an affirmative shake of his head. "I thought you had forgotten me."

Jace chuckled at that. "Of course not. I need you to handle this situation with Grychenko." Turning to face the men in the room, Jace felt his stomach flip at what they were facing without Gareth there. "You know, I've queried all the cities about break-ins and vandalism, and it seems this is limited to Dublin. We already know Grychenko is behind it, but we don't know why. For now, we have to assume he's targeted us, and I need everyone to report anything suspicious to myself and Cracker instantly."

Cracker said nothing when Jace told him about his role in the Grychenko affair and the new group structure. He had figured it would be his assignment. Security was what he was good at, but tactical advances and figuring an enemy out were where he excelled. He knew how to read patterns and predict enemy behavior. Setting traps and gaining information was his primary task before eliminating the problem.

People stayed quiet too. Cracker's reputation was enough to put them at ease. He was always part of planning larger missions and knew every person in the organization and their skills. If he needed something specific, he knew who to call to get the right man. Most of the best snipers and attack team members, he had trained himself.

"Use whatever connections you trust to help you. If you need money to pay off informants or whatever, Phoenix will make sure you have the funds."

Phoenix and Cracker looked at each other, having a silent talk with their eyes, ending with a nod from Phoenix and a half-smile from Cracker. Whatever they had talked about, they clearly were on the same page. Jace envied them that bond, the understanding between them. He and Phoenix shared the same kind of understanding when it came to their sex life, but in a work situation, he did not have that connection with anyone.

Not willing to get into that mindset, Jace shook it off, wishing he had a smoke to concentrate on. That would have to wait. The meeting was almost over. "Rami?"

"Aye, boss?" Rami did not move from his spot. He knew he was not in line for a branch leader promotion, and figured it could not be all that important, what Jace had to say. It did not matter, he had no aspirations to handle anything but security for his boss, be it Gareth or Jace. Though people probably did not understand, he enjoyed being the invisible man, driving around and protecting the head of the organization, and he would lay his life if it was ever between him and his boss.

"I'd like for you to stay on and do what you've been doing..." Jace did not have time to say more as Rami just interrupted him with a chuckle.

"I pretty much intended to, with or without your permission."

Jace smiled, and people laughed. Knowing Rami, they had expected nothing less. "But," Jace said with a sly smile, hoping to wipe that self-satisfied grin off of Rami's face with a promotion. "Since I'll be busy with a lot of new tasks, I'd like for you to take over my team. If we're called up for any reason, you'll lead them."

Hoots and whistles rang through the room from the members of Jace's team. Even Phoenix applauded the decision, much to Rami's surprise. The room suddenly felt stuffy, like he could not get enough air. The chain-smoking by pretty much everybody had not bothered him until that moment. Hell, he was used to Gareth killing a pack or two daily.

He looked at Jace and glanced at the rest of his team for assurance. "Are you sure?"

"I think your teammates' reactions say it all." Shrugging, Jace tried not to smile at the blush that tinted Rami's cheeks. Seeing him flustered was quite funny, though his promotion was not meant to be a joke. Rami was skilled and deserved his chance. "I'd like for you to work with Cracker on the Grychenko situation, and if he needs it, you will lead the team when necessary."

"Ok." What else could he say? Everybody seemed to agree, and though he was apprehensive about leading the team, Rami knew he could do it.

Smiling Proudly, Jace addressed the room, "That concludes the meeting. Make sure you accept the invites I'll send out for strategic meetings between the new branch leaders and everybody else. Team leaders, please return to your cities. We need everything to look like business as usual. Everybody else, you're needed to stay for a few days for the meetings I'm calling. Rooms are available here or at a hotel if you prefer. Enjoy yourselves, but get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we begin. Thank you all for showing up at such short notice."

Vasili came forward, patting Jace on the back, then banging his chest, gazing at the men in the room who clearly stood behind Jace and his leadership. "Brothers," he announced in a booming voice.

"To death and beyond," came the immediate reply when people had stood from their seats, also banging their chests.

Finally able to relax, knowing he had done as well as could be expected, Jace blew out a breath. He had done it. Successfully rallied the troops, and asserted himself as the leader Gareth trusted him to be. The one Phoenix had helped build.

Yes, he was proud of himself, humbled by the men's acceptance, and tired as fuck. If he did not have back-to-back meetings during the days to come, Jace would have gone into hibernation for a few weeks.

Scattering from the room, everybody went to send off the people from their cities who needed to go back and then find their accommodations. Vasili went with them to coordinate. Phoenix pointed up, indicating the office floor, and left with Cracker, who waved his phone at Rami, letting him know he would call him.

"I need to get the fuck out of here when I'm done today. I'm not sleeping here with all these guys around. I need peace and quiet," Jace mumbled, eyeing people leaving and listening to their loud chatter. At least they would not go near Gareth's office, and they held all meetings in the conference rooms. "Like at your place, that was heaven. I understand why Gareth sleeps there."

"You're welcome any time," Rami casually commented. "Besides, you're under around-the-clock protection, either at your place, mine, or here."

Waving at a few on his way from the common room, Jace and Rami went up the stairs toward Gareth's office.

"I think I mistook you for Princess Leia," Rami chuckled from beside Jace. "Because I think you just rallied the Ewoks."

"Dude, you didn't!" Jace tried, he really did, but he laughed, as did Rami. It was refreshing to laugh; his face appreciated it, and hearing Rami joke, he had to get used to, but he liked it. "Can we keep it at Han Solo? I kind of liked that."

"Me too." Rami led the way to Gareth's office and closed the door behind them. He went to the bar table and poured them both a drink, handing one to Jace with a weak smile. "About the other thing... I'll do my best. Thank you for believing in me to lead your team."

Smiling at the humble thanks Rami offered, though it was completely unnecessary as he had earned his new role, Jace lifted his glass to toast Rami. "It's your team now. And well deserved."

Rami took a large swig of his drink and cleared his throat. "Enough with the mushy stuff. You have meeting invites to send, and I'll try to set up a meeting with Cracker about the Grychenko thing." He found his phone and clicked away, ignoring Jace.

Conversation over.

With only the sounds of Rami tapping his phone and Jace clicking the keyboard, they worked in comfortable silence. Jace went about his job meticulously, scheduling the meetings and inviting people by adding their emails. It was easy enough to do, it just demanded concentration to not forget somebody or have meetings overlap while still making time for sleep and the occasional meal. When he was about done, his brain was on the verge of exploding.

He rubbed his temples, looking at the clock. Damn, it had been hours already, but he was close to finishing. The thought of a hot meal and a soft bed gave him the needed boost to attack the last stretch with renewed energy. Rami had gone to find Cracker after he had received a text, promising to be back to drive Jace home when Jace was ready.

Lost in his work, Jace could not find the energy to raise his head when a firm knock on the door sounded. "Enter!" he yelled, chuckling at how easily he fell into Gareth's habits. The job truly had that effect. No wonder Gareth was always grumpy. Phoenix too, for that matter. He figured both were too stressed to be polite.

Phoenix's head poked inside, his tired eyes finding Jace, happy to see him alone in the room. "Got a sec?"

"Sure, come in." Jace drew his eyes from the screen and stood up, feeling how he could barely focus, though it was nice to see Phoenix again. He missed being close to him, even if it was not a sexual thing, he needed the closeness to ground him. Needed his calm and assurance to go on despite him being deadly tired.

Quickly checking the hallway outside the office, Phoenix came back and closed the door, glancing at Jace for a long moment before he unfolded his arms and waited. He smiled when Jace came around the desk and threw himself into an embrace.

"It's ok, Baby boy," Phoenix cooed when Jace clung to him. He rubbed Jace's back and kissed his hair. "I'm so proud of you. I've never seen you be that confident. You commanded the room as Gareth does. You held everyone's attention and made sure they gave their support."

"It scared me shitless," Jace mumbled into the comfort of Phoenix's chest. "I needed this."

"Me too. I wish we had more time."

"I know." Jace reluctantly pulled out of Phoenix's arms, shuddering at how cold he felt without the man holding him. "We'd better get to it. By the look on your face when you came in, this day is far from over."

With an ungraceful snort, Phoenix slumped his large body in the chair in front of Gareth's desk. "Sadly, yes. I'd rather do this at my home office, ten feet from my bed. That way, I could tilt over and sleep right after we're done."

"You could sleep here. There are a few available rooms still."

Phoenix lit a cigarette, already regretting the first puff after all the cigarettes he had smoked that day. He sighed when Jace handed him a drink. The sharp liquid did not do much for his throat, but it was a start, until he went back to his cigarette.

"So, what do you need from me?" Jace asked when he had sat down at the desk with his own drink. He had to admit it was counter-productive to get semi-drunk, but the drink did him good and settled his nerves.

"I had a quick chat with Cracker, and please let me know if I'm overstepping." Phoenix paused to look at Jace with that serious work face of his. He already knew he had gone behind Jace's back, and that did not sit well with him, though he had done it with the best of intentions. Hopefully, Jace would see it that way too. "I know you're not too fond of the numbers part of the business..."

Jace laughed dryly. By God, he hated numbers. "That's an understatement."

Rubbing his chin, Phoenix felt the stubble there. It had been too long since he had shaved. "I know you need to be on top of money going in and out, and I was wondering if you'd want me to handle that part along with Cracker and then report to you?" Continuing fast to get it all out before Jace saw how rude his suggestion was. He basically said Jace could not do it. "Cracker would take meetings with the branch leaders, section leaders, and accountants and go over the numbers. He would then give them to me, and I could explain them to you. I mean, only if you want."

"I can't ask you to do that on top of everything you already have on your plate."

"You're not asking, I'm offering."

"And you're sure? It won't be a burden to you?"

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Of course, I'm sure. Why else would I suggest it?"

Jace had no words. His heart swelled with gratitude, and warmth spread throughout his cold body. "I don't know how to thank you," he choked out, still baffled by Phoenix's generosity.

A smirk pulled at Phoenix's lips and turned into a self-satisfied grin. "Well, I'm not entirely altruistic. If you agree, we'll have to schedule regular meetings. I thought that would be a plus, especially if done at my place?"

Tapping his nose with a grin to match Phoenix's, Jace suddenly saw it from Phoenix's perspective. He was a sneaky fucker when he wanted to be. "That's some good thinking."

"Yeah, I thought so too."

They went on to talk shop, planning meetings, Phoenix helping Jace make a system to keep track of information from the different cities, arranging each city into branches for easy cross-referencing. About an hour and a half into their intense planning, Rami knocked and came into the office.

Seeing they were deep in conversation, Phoenix standing behind Jace, leaning over his shoulder to point at the laptop screen while explaining something, Rami waited until they stopped talking. "Sorry to disturb you. I wanted to check how far you were. Cracker and I have a lot to talk about, so I wanted to make sure you either slept here or if I should arrange for a protection team to drive you home? Maybe Phoenix can drop you off when you're done? I'll have a team standing by at your place for when you get there, and I'll pick you up tomorrow." Rami paused to think. "Or, if it's ok with Phoenix, you could sleep at his place? You need rest. The next days will be taxing."

Seeing an opportunity to be alone with Jace, with nobody questioning why, Phoenix grabbed the chance. "If Jace wants, he can borrow my guest room. We still have hours of shit to go through and will probably work well into the night. It would be more comfortable in my apartment. We could grab some pizzas on the way, and crash when we're too exhausted to think?"

"Great. Phoenix already has a protection detail outside his place during the night, then I don't have to worry about leaving you." Rami did not allow Jace to get a word in. "I checked your meeting calendar. Your first meeting is at 10:00 am. If you pack a bag from your room here, you can get ready at Phoenix's, and I'll pick you up at 9:00. We can eat breakfast in the dining room before the show begins."

"Sure..." Jace mumbled, feeling a bit overrun by the two men arranging his life for him. Not that he minded spending the night with Phoenix, hopefully not only working. If he was lucky, he might get a chance to wake up with Phoenix, snuggled into his broad chest after a good fucking and some peaceful sleep.

"I'd better get back to Cracker. This Grychenko fucker is a piece of work, but Cracker has some pretty good ideas. Don't worry, we'll teach him a lesson." Rami chuckled. "The good thing about Gareth' being gone is Grychenko can't get to him, but he clearly tries to lure him out by targeting us here in Dublin."

"I have complete faith in both of you," Jace assured, smiling at the determination in Rami.

"Well, I'll just be the muscle to Cracker's genius. It'll take some weeks to get planned fully and set into motion. But that douchebag will be off our asses in no time."

Phoenix snickered, looking forward to hearing about the mission, since he was most likely not allowed to join as he could get hurt and that would leave Jace without someone to run Gareth's businesses. Jace had not mentioned his role on the team, but it was implied that Phoenix should stick to what he knew best. He did not mind; the only time he would want to be called from his office work was if they got a lead on Levi. They could order him not to go, but he wanted to be there when they caught that fucktard, because Phoenix had sworn to himself, he would give Levi a piece of his mind - and maybe a knuckle sandwich or twenty.

"I'll be happy when he's sent back to Ukraine. One less problem to deal with." Jace sighed, hoping they could cross off that issue from his list soon. Then he turned his attention to Phoenix. "We should pack up here and get going. I'm hungry."

Understanding the double meaning in Jace's words, Phoenix went to the desk and began stacking files, sorting through which they needed to bring. "Don't worry about Jace, just make sure you and Cracker come up with a plan," he called over his shoulder. "I'll make sure he gets some rest."

"Perfect. I'll be off. See you tomorrow at 9:00." Rami nodded at Jace and turned to leave, hiding his smirk from the men in the room. He wanted to laugh at how easy it had been to steer those two to spend the night together. If they were that eager to grab a chance, he would have no problems nudging them in the future. Though he had been surprised when he had found out, he liked the idea of them together, but he also understood why they were not out in the open about it. Many of the Russians, particularly the older ones, were not too accepting of gay and bi-people. Everybody knew this, especially Jace, who was known as a ladies' man. Phoenix, on the other hand, Rami had never figured out. It made sense when thinking about it. Stoic and unbothered by anything but Jace's constant cheerful attitude and joking, naturally, he would be drawn to it. Opposites truly did attract.

If he played it right, maybe he could add matchmaker to his resume beside bodyguard, chauffeur, and the new team leader titles.

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading.

Well, Jace is suddenly the big taco at the stand, taking action and forming the organization in a way he can manage. Do you think he'll succeed with his new structure? How about Cracker and Rami, will they take down Gryckenko before he becomes a real nuisance? And while on the subject of Rami, he did good by making Jace sleep at Phoenix's place, right?

If you like it then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: July 5th, 2022. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen