by Ana Night
Juno shivered, his cock hardening between them. Rome kissed his way down the side of Juno’s neck, his fingers digging into Juno’s thighs.
“Rome.”
Rome cursed and leaned his forehead against Juno’s shoulder. Juno squeezed his eyes closed and slid a hand into Rome’s hair.
“I have to go,” Rome mumbled.
“Rome,” Juno snapped.
Rome pulled back, his eyes gleaming with amusement for a second before he turned serious again.
“I have to go find Marco. I need to make sure he’s safe.”
Juno nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
Rome’s brows jumped. “What? No. Absolutely not. King didn’t want to get involved and he’s already agreed to protect Dante. I’m not letting you put yourself in danger.”
A smile teased Juno’s lips as he said, “Careful. You’re making it sound like you care.”
Rome clenched his teeth and glared at Juno.
“Of course, I fucking care,” Rome hissed. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t trust you if I didn’t.”
Juno’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Rome. I…”
What the hell was he supposed to say to that?
Rome didn’t let him say anything. He crushed his mouth over Juno’s, nibbling at his lips before pushing his tongue into Juno’s mouth. Rome slipped his hands under Juno’s shirt, sliding them up his back. Juno moaned into Rome’s mouth and wrapped his legs around Rome’s hips to pull him closer.
“Oh, för helvete.”
Juno was chuckling before Rome had even pulled away. Rome stepped to the side so they could both see poor red-faced Auggie standing in the doorway.
“Why does this always happen to me?” Auggie asked with a shake of his head. He met Juno’s gaze and raised his hand awkwardly. “Hi.”
“Hi, Auggie,” Juno said with a chuckle.
“I’m just…” Auggie took a step back and hit the doorframe. He dropped his head back with a groan. “I’m gonna go now.”
“Bye, Auggie.”
He could hear Auggie cursing in Swedish as he walked down the hallway. He was grinning when he turned to Rome, but the smile quickly fell off his face. Rome was stiff as a board, his hands fisted at his sides.
“Rome?”
Rome
Shit. Fuck. Fucking fuck.
He hadn’t been thinking. Well, he had been thinking, just with the wrong head. Getting caught with Juno was the last fucking thing he needed. What he needed to do was focus. To find Marco.
“Rome?”
He blinked. Juno was in front of him, a concerned look on his face. Juno raised a hand, but Rome caught it before Juno could touch him.
“Don’t,” Rome hissed.
Hurt flashed across Juno’s face. It was only for a second, but he saw it and he felt like a dick for causing it.
“It’s okay,” Juno said, his voice soft. “No one here will care.”
“I’ll care,” Rome growled and immediately regretted it.
Juno took a step back and pulled his hand free from Rome’s grip.
“I see. I’ll tell Auggie to keep it to himself,” Juno said before turning and walking out the door.
“Juno,” Rome said on a sigh.
He stopped himself from going after Juno, but only for a second. He ran into the hallway and caught up with Juno before he made it to the door.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” Rome said.
Juno stopped walking but didn’t turn around.
“Juno.” He took a step closer. “Whatever this is between us, it’s moving fucking fast, all right? I don’t… I don’t know how to…”
He heard Juno sigh before he turned around.
“I’ll get you a gun and then I’m going with you,” Juno said.
“Juno…”
Juno shook his head. “No arguing. I’m going. You’re an asshole. But you’re my asshole.”
Rome tried to hold back a smile but from Juno’s groan, he wasn’t the least bit successful.
“That came out so wrong,” Juno mumbled.
Rome walked up in front of Juno and cupped his face in his hands, then he took Juno’s mouth in a sweet but firm kiss. This man? He was crazy but, apparently, he liked that. A lot.
“Let’s go,” Rome said.
Juno nodded and turned. Juno led the way across the courtyard to a door. The room they stepped into was big with a bar in one end and with a few couches and tables spread around the room. Juno motioned for him to stay while he continued through a door next to the staircase. Joker was at the bar with a guy Rome hadn’t met before and King was nowhere to be seen. Dante was sitting on a couch with King’s son, so Rome made his way to them. He crouched down in front of Dante.
“Hey, kiddo. I have to go find your uncle, but I promise we’ll both be with you soon, okay?”
“I don’t want you to go,” Dante mumbled.
“I know,” Rome said and pulled Dante into a hug. “I know, kiddo.”
He let go of Dante to ruffle his hair and Dante pushed his hand away with a giggle. King’s son took Dante’s hand and led him away, talking about food the whole way so Rome figured they were heading for the kitchen. He was still staring after them when Juno returned with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He walked up to Rome and handed him a gun, then started toward the door. Rome holstered the gun and went to follow Juno.
“Juno,” Joker snapped. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Juno turned around with a sigh and leveled his gaze on Joker. “I’m going with him.”
“The hell you are,” Joker growled. “We voted against it.”
“No. The club voted against it. I’m going.”
“Not alone, you’re not.”
Rome turned to see the woman from the tattoo shop standing there, her arms crossed.
“Scar…” Juno started.
“Fuck that. I’m bored. Gimme something to blow up.”
Joker let out a groan and, with a shake of his head, he said, “Fine. Just… try not to get yourselves killed.”
Scar gave Joker a two-fingered salute while Juno said, “We’ll try.”
“Don’t worry, boss man,” Scar said, a wry smile on her lips. “I’ll keep him alive.”
Rome held back a snort and turned to Joker, meeting his steely gaze. “I won’t let anything happen to them.”
One of Joker’s brows hit his hairline. Joker didn’t look convinced, which Rome got. After all, they were all carrying guns and had no idea what they could be walking into.
Joker held Rome’s gaze. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Juno
He handed Rome the duffle bag and the keys to the car he’d picked up Rome and Dante in. He watched Rome walk out the door and then he turned to Scar.
“You don’t have to come.”
She straightened and arched a brow at him. “I know.”
“Then why are you?”
The slight smile on her lips had him worried.
“Why are you?” she parroted.
Juno dropped his head back with a groan.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Scar said. “Since when do you put yourself in danger for one of your hookups? Hell, since when do you even remember who you’ve fucked?”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Scar snorted and put her hands on her hips. “Not a chance.”
Juno rolled his eyes and started toward the door. He pushed through it, avidly aware of Scar following close behind him. Once outside, he headed for Rome who was standing beside the car, the door to the driver’s side open.
“Where to?” Juno asked when he stopped in front of Rome.
“There’s only one place Marco would go to. If he’s alive,” Rome said, a sliver of emotion in his voice.
“Lead the way, then,” Scar said.
Rome gave her a nod before getting behind the wheel and closing the door. Juno took a deep breath before walking to his bike. He pulled o
n his helmet, then his gloves, and got on the bike, looking up in time to see Rome drive through the open gate with Scar close behind him. Juno was quick to follow.
Rome led the way through the city to a tiny neighborhood of unkept but somewhat large houses. It looked like it’d once been a middle-class area which had fallen apart. Rome turned into a driveway, so Scar and Juno parked in front of the closed garage next to it. Juno didn’t like leaving his bike there, but he reluctantly did so and walked up to Rome who was waiting for them by the front gate.
Rome opened the gate and stepped through. Juno followed while holding the gate open for Scar. The walkway to the house left them quite exposed and Juno was really starting to hate this whole thing. It didn’t help when a creaking sound had them all pulling out their guns.
Juno motioned for Scar to get behind him as he followed Rome. He knew she’d rip him a new one for it later, but she was too much of a soldier not to listen.
They made their way to the front door where Rome stopped to pull out a set of keys. He unlocked the door and glanced at Juno before opening it. Rome took a step inside, his gun raised.
“Marco?” Rome called out.
There was a bit of rustling and they all stilled.
“Romeo?”
Juno could see all the tension fleeing Rome’s body, so he let out a breath and holstered his gun. He moved inside and let Scar close the door after them. Serrano came walking into the hallway, his steps fast as he made his way to them.
“Dante? Where is—”
“He’s safe,” Scar said, stepping out from behind Juno.
Serrano’s gaze jumped from Juno to Scar, a scowl finding his face.
“So now you’ve decided to help?”
“Don’t,” Rome said, a growl in his voice.
Serrano’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t say another word about it. He looked reluctant as he motioned for them to follow. Serrano led the way into a dusty living room. The furniture looked old but well-used. Serrano sat down on the couch with a sigh.
“Is this place safe enough for you to lay low?” Scar asked.
“Oh, we’re not gonna lay low,” Serrano said.
“So. What? The two of you are gonna take on a whole cartel?” Juno asked.
Serrano shook his head. “Just one guy.”
“We know where he is,” Rome added.
“And you call me crazy,” Juno mumbled.
Serrano glanced between him and Rome, but Juno ignored him. He wasn’t sure if Serrano knew about them, but he sure as shit wasn’t going to be the one who told him.
“Juno…” Rome said with a sigh. “We can handle it.”
Juno shook his head. He sincerely doubted that. He didn’t want to discuss anything in front of Serrano, so he walked outside, annoyance filling him when he felt Scar’s eyes on him. He turned to glare at her only to find her smiling.
“What?” he snapped at her.
It didn’t stop her from grinning at him.
“His name is even Romeo,” she said.
He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Why did she have to be so fucking right? What was wrong with him? He never went out of his way for a hookup. Didn’t even bother to learn their names. What was so different about Rome?
Rome
He watched Juno and Scar leave for a moment before turning his gaze on Marco.
“You okay?” Rome asked.
Marco glanced up at him, then gave him a sharp nod.
“Is Dante?”
“Yeah,” Rome said.
“Why didn’t you go to Lawson?”
Rome sighed. “I did. He sent me to the Kings. Apparently, he knew something about them we didn’t.”
“Apparently,” Marco mumbled. He arched a brow at Rome. “You sure they’ll keep him safe?”
“Yes. Everything King told me made me confident enough to leave Dante with them.”
“Good,” Marco nodded. “We should get moving.”
Marco walked past Rome and, with a sigh, Rome followed him. He stepped outside where he found Juno flipping off Scar who was laughing at him. Rome walked up to them and, figuring since the woman was willing to help them out, he should at least know her full name.
“So, is Scar short for Scarlett?”
Scar glanced up at him, a blank expression on her face. “No.”
She walked off and he watched her with confusion. He felt Juno shift next to him.
“Was it something I said?” Rome drawled.
Juno snorted. “She named herself that. Embracing your faults and all that shit.”
“Faults?”
Juno shrugged and said, “She got blown up overseas.”
“What? Are you serious?”
He had to shake his head. He did not expect that. Not at all.
“Yeah. She was an Explosives Ordnance Disposal Technician. EOD Tech. Navy. She got it wrong one time and it ended her career. It also left her with a huge burn scar across her back and down her leg.”
“Shit,” Rome breathed.
Juno nodded, a somber look on his face. They stood there in silence for a few seconds and he wasn’t surprised when Juno’s thoughts returned to their current problem.
“What happens when we take out this one guy?” Juno asked.
Rome shrugged. “No idea. That could just be it. He was told to leave Marco alone. But they may just want to retaliate.”
“And you’re just willing to risk that?”
“Or do what? Roll over and let that little shit ruin our livelihood?”
Juno arched a brow at him. “Yeah, ‘cause it’s just the best job in the world, isn’t it?”
Anger flared in Rome, but he held it back, his jaw clenched tight as he glared at Juno.
“Tell me, if you came out, would you still have a livelihood? A family?” Juno asked and when Rome didn’t answer, he said, “That’s what I thought.”
“Fuck you. You don’t get to judge me,” Rome hissed.
Juno opened his mouth but before he could say anything, he was cut off by Scar’s shout.
“Are you two coming or what?”
Rome cursed under his breath, then turned and walked to the car.
Chapter Nine
Juno
HE WAS glaring at Rome and he didn’t care. Rome was being a dumbass. Serrano, too. Clearly it wasn’t just the one guy if several had attacked them at Serrano’s house. They had no fucking plan and Serrano was acting purely on emotion. He wasn’t thinking straight, and neither was Rome.
“You’re gonna get yourselves killed,” Juno said.
“Thought you were gonna help?” Rome said with a cocked brow.
Juno shook his head. “I’m not here to watch you die. This is suicide.”
“I agree,” Scar said and crossed her arms.
“If you don’t like it, you’re more than welcome to leave,” Serrano growled.
Juno glared at Serrano. They were in an empty house across the street from the one Jose Alvaro was supposedly in. When they’d gotten there, Serrano had told them what had happened at his place. How they’d been attacked by Alvaro’s men and had to run. It couldn’t have been easy for Serrano to admit he’d run, though he did make sure to mention how many of Alvaro’s men he took out along the way.
Juno looked at Rome and said, “Don’t do this.”
The look on Rome’s face was one of determination and before Rome even opened his mouth, Juno knew he’d lose this argument.
“We’re doing it. We’re gonna end this right now,” Rome said. He threw a glance Serrano’s way and, finding him not paying any attention to them, he turned back to Juno with a soft look in his eyes. “You should go.”
Juno shook his head. “No, we—”
“Your club decided not to help. You should honor that,” Rome said.
So now Rome didn’t want his help? What. The. Fuck.
“But—”
Rome cut him off again, saying, “It’s all right. We understand.”
Juno opened his
mouth, then shook his head.
Scar huffed, then said, “Well good luck, guys. As much as I like blowing things up, this is fucked, and I’ve got too much to live for. Sorry.”
Marco turned his head, his gaze on Scar. “Don’t be. This isn’t your fight. I shouldn’t have gone to King for help.”
Scar rolled her eyes and raised a brow at Juno before walking out of the room. Juno clenched his jaw and swallowed the words he wanted to say to Rome, then went after her. He walked down the hallway, only to be pulled to a stop by a hand wrapping around his arm. He didn’t turn around, sure if he did, he’d hit Rome for being an asshole.
“I’m sorry,” Rome said, his voice low and soft.
Juno squeezed his eyes closed. He found his resolve melting away at the vulnerability he heard in Rome’s voice. He turned and found himself much closer to Rome than he’d expected.
Rome raised a hand to cup Juno’s cheek and met his gaze.
“You’re right. It could be suicide. Walking in there.”
“Then why the hell would you go alone?” Juno hissed, though he tried to keep his voice low.
Rome pushed closer, putting them chest to chest, and lowered his head to brush his lips across Juno’s.
“Because I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt,” Rome said.
Juno opened his mouth to argue but Rome cut him off with a hard kiss. Then Rome moved back, resting his forehead against Juno’s.
“Please. Go.”
Juno kept his eyes closed. Fuck. He let out a sigh of defeat, then stole another kiss before stepping back and letting go of Rome.
“Stay safe,” he said and turned on his heels.
He walked outside, feeling crazy wrong about leaving. Everything was fucked up. He knew he shouldn’t have let Rome talk him into leaving but he also couldn’t say no to the man.
He drove way too fast on the way back to the clubhouse, but he didn’t care. His thoughts were on Rome. On Rome getting hurt. He hated the worry coursing through him