Author's POV
Lucius returned downstairs to his apartment, slumping onto the couch with a heaviness that had nothing to do with his physical injuries. The split lip throbbed.
His ribs ached where Caesar's fists had connected. But it was the hollow feeling in his chest that bothered him most.
After sitting there for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the restlessness became unbearable. He pulled out his phone and called Darren.
"Feel like drinking?" His voice came out rougher than intended.
"Sure." Darren sounded like he was in the middle of a game, but he agreed easily enough. "Should I call the others?"
By "others," he meant their usual crew—the childhood friends they'd grown up with in the territory.
Lucius's brow furrowed. "Just you."
The rest o
