I shrugged, not quite sure what he was getting at. “His dad is a hunter. He probably learned from him.”
“But you didn’t ask him?” King cocked his head.
“I’ve seen a lot of people kill,” Undertaker began, gaining our attention. “But that man didn’t seem the least bit concerned that he’d ended another person’s life.” He smirked, his black-lined lips stretching to the side. “I know a fellow human being who enjoys a bloodbath as much as I do, and that hairstylist had a lot of fun.”
Laughter burst out of my mouth and I wrapped my hand around my stomach, rearing forward as amusement stole my breath. I laughed until I was in tears, and when I finally couldn’t anymore, I wiped at my eyes and turned to Undertaker. “We’re not talking about the same guy. Quain is the prissiest person I’ve ever met. He talks about morals and manners and shit like he fucking grew up in Canada or something. He didn’t enjoy killing a guy.”
Undertaker raised his black eyebrows, his stare burning a hole through my head. “I disagree. He’d sooner slit your throat to watch the blood drip from the wound than kiss you, Barber.”
“Yeah, well, he’s already kissed me, Undertaker. He’s kissed my cock, too, if you wanna know that as well.” I rolled my eyes.
“Enough of this,” King snapped, earning our attention again. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “What I’m getting from this is that we have no fucking idea why the Reyes Cartel is after Barber.”
“What about Killough?” Reaper grunted out, tapping the table with his forefinger impatiently. “Those guys are no good, and they’ve been at war with Thiago Reyes since before we ever went into business with them. What if Reyes is taking his anger for Killough out on us?”
“Why would he do that?” King asked, frowning. “Killough has a lot of allies across the East Coast and Reyes could target any one of them. What makes us so fucking special? And attacking Barber? He’s a nobody.”
I snorted. “Wow. Thanks, King. Nice to know I’m wanted.”
“You know what I mean,” King said with a glare. “You don’t have a leadership position, and we don’t use your shop for club business. There’s no reason for them to attack you. If they’re after us for our deal with Killough, it’d make more sense to hit Undertaker. Not you.”
Undertaker smirked. “No one, not even the Reyes Cartel, is that foolish.”
I had to agree. Undertaker was like a goth tiger—if you prodded him, he’d bite and fuck you up. Not even the guy with the biggest balls in the world would mess with him, unless he was all nuts and no brains.
“All right.” King massaged his temples. “I want everyone’s ears to the ground. I’ll give Killough a call and see what’s happening on his end. I hate talking to that cocky motherfucker, but he might know something.”
I made kissy noises at him. “Gonna kiss Killough’s arse, King? Maybe you can kneel beside his pet.”
He shook his head at me. “Beaumont should have let that Mexican kill you. Maybe I’ll finish the job.”
The rest of the guys chuckled, and Reaper punched me on the arm hard enough to hurt. I narrowed my eyes on him, and he gave me a deadly stare that turned my blood into ice. His warning was clear: now’s not the time to mess with King. He was saving my ass.
I nodded in acknowledgment to his silent warning.
“Barber, get the fuck outta here and figure out why they want you dead. We got other business to talk about.”
Rising, I followed Jester to the heavy box we’d put our weapons in, and he pulled out my gun, passing it to me. As I headed toward the door, I heard King say, “What the fuck is happening to my oxy? I should have gotten it through the airport by now.”
Stepping out of the meeting room, I made sure the door was shut firmly behind me. What fun that was. I needed another drink.
10
Quain
I stared at my phone longer than I should have. I knew what I needed to do, but I didn’t want to do it. Luke’s dad had been right, someone was gunning for him, and now I had to bite the bullet and admit it to him.
“It’s not going to make the call by itself,” KC said as he slammed a plate with a cut sandwich on the island in front of me.
“If I stare at it long enough, it might magically do it.” I gave him a smile in thanks and grabbed one of the squares of bread. I didn’t lecture him on not cutting it diagonally like I usually did because it still tasted amazing, and I wasn’t in the mood to tease him. We’d always argued over whether to cut in squares like he preferred or diagonally like I did.
“You were wrong, Pa. Someone tried to kill him. Make the call and get it over with.” KC brushed his hands together and crumbs scattered across the island. He grabbed a wet cloth and wiped it up again. “The worst-case scenario is he’ll say I told you so and ask you to stay on and protect Barber.”
“Or tell me he’s finding someone else to do the job,” I grumbled. One thing I hated was being replaced, which didn’t happen often, but there were a few cases where they thought someone else would be better. They weren’t because I was the fucking best.
KC snorted as he dropped into the tall chair beside me and carded his fingers through his dark red hair. “That won’t happen. You’ve been integrated into Luke’s life for too long. Getting someone else that far in would take more time than Barber has. His dad sounds like a dick, but not stupid, if he’s a district attorney in LA.”
“Don’t swear,” I said without any real fight. Sighing, I grabbed the phone off the island, activated the app, and hit Jeremy Booth’s name. It took a few rings before he answered. I placed my finger to my lips to gesture for KC to stay quiet.
“Hello?”
“What’s my name?” I asked in a deep voice.
“Your name is nothing but a figment of my imagination, a ghost.” Jeremy cleared his throat. “Mr. Ghost. Pleasure as always. Is this a phone call to tell me you’re officially done?”
“No.” I kept my composure. A client was never allowed to hear weakness. “Someone attacked your son yesterday. A Mexican from the Reyes Cartel.”
“Jesus Christ,” he breathed out over the line. “I knew it. I told you, didn’t I? They tried to get to my daughter, too. She’s a doctor in Boston, but her husband is a professional bodyguard and he protected her.”
“I don’t care about your other children.” I glanced at KC, and he smiled encouragingly, giving me a thumbs-up. He was always great moral support. “My job is to protect Luke, and I did that. The attacker was dealt with.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay on?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes.” It didn’t hurt that my urge for blood had been sated. There was something godlike about seeing the life disappear from someone’s eyes and that was a power I’d controlled for many years. The feeling was a craving now. “Until further notice.”
“I’ll keep paying you. Whatever you want.”
“Good. You have my details. Continue delivering the money, and I’ll continue protecting him.”
“Are you sure he was from the Reyes Cartel?”
“Yes. He had the cartel’s tattoo.” I smiled at the thought of him on the floor, those eyes wide, stuck in fear for eternity. Undertaker probably burned him that way.
“Fucking bastards.” He sighed. “Maybe I should call Luke—”
“No!” The sharpness of my tone had him breaking off abruptly. “Luke must stay in the dark. I won’t have you breaking my cover, Mr. Booth. If that happens, I will need to put a bullet in his head.”
“And what happens when all of this is over? You disappear?”
“Yes.” I stared down at my sandwich with my favorite fillings—ham, cheese, and tomato—and picked up a piece. How normal my life was outside of my job. Here I was sitting in my kitchen with my son while my client on the other end of the phone line talked about cartels and death. Booth had no idea how ordinary my life really was. “That’s all for now. I’ll be in contact.”
Ending the call, I placed the phone back on
the counter and sighed, taking a bite of my sandwich.
“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” KC teased.
I nudged him with my elbow and he laughed. “It was horrible. I hate people.”
“You like me and Barber.” He shoved his own square into his mouth, pushing the entire thing in, which had me wincing.
“You, sure. Barber’s a different story.”
“You had sex with him,” KC pointed out with a playful smirk.
I shook my head. “You shouldn’t know that.”
“Pa, I’m seventeen. I’m not a virgin.”
“Excuse me?” I crossed my arms and leaned back against the chair. “You better hope that you’re kidding, young man.”
KC gave me a crooked smile, a dimple crinkling in his cheek. “Come on, Pa. How old were you when you lost yours? Nearly every guy my age is having sex.”
“Bullshit they are.” I pointed at him. “You are not having sex. At all. You’re grounded.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “A little too late for that. I lost mine last year.”
“Oh God.” I ran my hands over my face, irritation burning inside me. I’d hoped KC would stay unattached until he was out of high school, but I was kidding myself. My son was handsome, and kids these days had the internet and all kinds of access to porn. Of course he was going to have sex. I was just mad I hadn’t known about it until now. “Who was it and were you safe?”
“You put me on PrEP, Pa.”
“So?” My eyes widened and I grabbed the back of his neck, dragging him closer. “Listen to me, KC, we had a sex talk. I put you on PrEP to protect you against HIV, and I knew that there was going to come a time where I couldn’t stop you from having a sexual relationship, but you’re smarter than that. PrEP doesn’t stop STIs. Please tell me you’ve been using a condom.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I do.”
Relief washed through me and the tension drained out of my body. I patted him on the cheek. “Good boy. I love you and I don’t want anything happening to you.”
“I know.” He relaxed too and smiled gently.
“Who was it with?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Pa, you can’t ask that.” He groaned, ducking his head, but I grabbed his chin, making him look at me.
“I can and I will. We’ve always shared everything, KC. At least tell me who it was.”
He shrugged and his gaze went clouded for a moment, like he was reliving something he didn’t want to think about. “It doesn’t matter. We aren’t together.”
“Were you?” I asked. I’d seen that look on other people’s faces before, including my own. Heartbreak was a worldwide pandemic when it came to relationships and sex.
“I thought we were, but he’s in the closet.” He sniffed in frustration. “So he told me he only wanted sex.”
“And you didn’t,” I whispered. KC was a sensitive guy. He looked big and brutal and played like that on the football field, but he was a teddy bear who wanted someone to hug. I loved that about him, and I’d never expected it because of his past. I wouldn’t change him for the world, though, even if it meant he’d be hurt more than I wanted him to be. “Tell me about him.”
He did. He told me about the running back on his football team who he’d always had a crush on, and how finally he figured out this kid felt the same way about him. They kissed a few times before they had sex. I listened like a good parent and hugged him when he came to the part where this guy broke his heart.
“You deserve better than him,” I murmured, kissing his cheek. “Do you want me to kill him?”
KC laughed through his tears. “No, but thanks for offering, Pa.”
“You’re welcome. How about we go watch some Netflix?”
He nodded against my shoulder. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
A few hours later, KC had fallen asleep on the couch and was snoring lightly when a bell came from the front door. I’d just finished the movie we’d been watching and was covering him with a blanket when I heard it. Walking toward the front, I checked the peephole and smiled when I saw Luke on the other side, slouched forward with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, waiting.
Opening the door, I greeted him with a kiss. “Hi.”
I was royally fucked with this guy. My boundaries disappeared quicker than my underwear last night.
Luke’s wicked grin turned my belly warm with need. “Hello, sexy.”
“Luke, what a lovely surprise. I thought we were meeting tonight for that party of yours.” I raised my eyebrows when he stepped forward like a predator hunting his prey. His gaze was hot with lust. It was almost as though he wanted to eat me whole, and in that moment I would have let him—if the sound of KC’s groan hadn’t reached my ears. I raised my hand to stop Luke and went to the living room.
Smoothing my hand over KC’s forehead, I smiled when he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. “Hey, you all right?”
He nodded and pushed himself up to a seated position. Glancing toward the door, he grinned. I followed his gaze to Luke, who stood there awkwardly. “You two want time alone.” It wasn’t a question. KC rose and hugged me. “Thanks, Pa. I’m going out for a while. Brett’s got a new car he wants to show off. Rich kids, right?” He rolled his eyes and laughed, slapped Luke’s shoulder as he walked past him, and then I heard the sound of keys from the kitchen. I followed him to the back door, and KC turned to me. “I won’t be back for a few hours. So….” He made a waving motion with his hand. “So do what you need to do. Release those juices.”
I groaned and dropped my face into my hands. “KC….”
He hooted in laughter, and when he left, I turned and walked back toward Luke standing in the living room. He grinned at me, amusement flashing over his face.
“I like your kid,” he said.
Warmth spread throughout me as I thought about KC. “I like him, too. He’s a good boy.”
“How old was he when you adopted him?”
The question gave me reason to pause. Going into an assignment, I always made sure the identity I created was as close to my real one as possible. I stayed a hairstylist most of the time, and as far as my targets were concerned, I had a teenage son. It was easier to get closer to the more difficult people before I took them out if they thought I was harmless. None of them had gotten closer to the truth than Luke, though. He was here in my house and he’d met my real son. That should have scared the hell out of me. I never thought I’d need a reason to decide how much more truth to tell him. He wasn’t the type of guy who’d want to know my backstory, or at least that’s what I’d thought. I was wrong.
“Eleven.” The truth was the only direction to go. When the time came, I’d disappear from Luke’s life, and he’d never see KC again, either. “He was living on the streets. His mother was a heroin addict and couldn’t take care of herself most of the time. She disappeared, and he was left on his own. He never knew what happened to her, and he needed to pickpocket people to survive. Me included.”
Luke stepped forward and placed his hands on my arms. “What happened?”
I’d already told him the short version, but I knew he wanted the entire truth. He’d become more attached than I’d ever expected from him. “I caught him and made him tell me his story. I took him home and put him in school a week later. I adopted him and made him my son. He needed a future, and I gave him one.” I leaned my forehead against his chest, breathing in his spicy scent. “It was the best thing I ever did.”
He hooked his thumb under my chin and raised my head, so I was looking into his eyes. The smile he gave me was sweeter than I’d imagined possible from him, and my heart slammed against my ribs, causing me to let out a small gasp. “I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. You’re a good dad, Quain.”
“You’re only saying that to get laid.” I chuckled and grabbed a handful of his leather jacket in my fists, tugging it and him closer. “It’s working, by the way. You can have my ass or cock or whatever you wan
t.”
“I’m not saying it to get into your pants.” He leaned his head closer until our lips were only inches apart. “I mean it, but I won’t say no to having sex with you again.”
I laughed and tugged him harder, dragging him toward the kitchen. Spinning him around, I shoved him against the island. He grunted when his back landed against the edge, but I was already on my knees in front of him, working on his belt buckle. I glanced up at him with a smirk. “I want you to come in my mouth and then pound me over the island.”
“Fuck yeah,” he breathed out, reaching down to help me with his jeans until they were around his ankles with his boxers. He shoved his shirt up to his chin so I had access to his cock without his top and jacket being in the way. From my spot on my knees I stared up at his tight washboard abs and hair-light chest, ring flashing from his nipple, and my mouth watered. I wanted to trace my tongue from his nipples down to his cock, learn every line and curve of his body until I knew where he was sensitive so I could make him come undone.
I licked my lips and then swiped my tongue over the fat tip of his cock, watching in delight as he shivered. Running my palms over his thighs, I slid them around to his ass and grabbed his cheeks, dragging him closer so I could take his soft cock into my mouth. It didn’t take much to have him hard and heavy on my tongue.
I curled my fingers around the base of his cock and sat back to stare at the black ink on his erection. “Did you need to be hard the entire time?” I asked, before I traced the lines with the tip of my tongue.
He groaned. “Nah. Didn’t need to be.” His mouth curled into a smirk. “But I was. Can’t say no to some pain and a hand on my dick.”
“Really?” I grinned up at him and shuffled closer. “Did one of your brothers do it?”
He chuckled. “PD. Yeah. He wasn’t happy about holding my dick the entire time.”
“Too bad for him, it’s mine now.” I took him fully in my mouth, sucking him into the wet warmth, and he groaned, one hand in my hair while the other curled around the edge of the kitchen island. His cock hit the back of my throat, and his flesh was heavy and salty against my tongue. I moaned around him, knowing he could feel the vibrations against his cock, before I started a pace. In and out, slow at first and then speeding up.
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