“Sorry, Abe. But you’re not my first choice. You’re a target too.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
Quinn stepped forward. “We can add more bodyguards. Have them both stay with Shane and me.”
“Shane’s place is a one-bedroom and you’ve got roommates,” Abe said.
Dom sighed. “That’s a little too cramped and putting too many people in danger.”
“My old place,” Royce threw out. “The security is top notch, and no one is currently living there. Plus your brother wouldn’t know about it. Keeps you hidden but close at hand.”
Dom sat up a little straighter, and a small grin spread across his face. “You finally moved in with Marc?”
Royce just grunted, barely hiding an answering smile. The man might not shout it from the rooftops, but he was utterly lost over Marc. Dom was sure that the official move was well overdue. Didn’t matter fast or slow. Those two were meant for each other.
Grumbling to himself, Rowe pushed away from his desk and paced behind it, rubbing one hand through his hair as he thought, leaving it standing on end. “Royce’s place is a start. I want you two to go straight there and stay,” he said, pointing at Dom and Abe. “I need to look at the schedule, but I’ll be sending over guards. At least one will be in the house with you at all times.”
He then turned his attention over to Quinn. “In the meantime, I want you, Gidget, and Cole combing the city to find James. Whatever it takes. I don’t wanna know details. Just get it done. We need to lay our hands on the bastard and his crew before they can frame Dom.”
“Got it, Boss,” Quinn said before scrambling out of the office and down the hall, likely in search of his two coworkers.
“I’ll go get the key for the place out of my locker,” Royce said, following behind Quinn.
Putting a hand against his bruised ribs, Dom slowly pushed back to his feet. His body ached, but the dull pain was easily overlooked by the heavy thud of his heart. He’d never expected this from his coworkers, his friends, but he was beginning to realize that maybe he should have. In the time that he’d spent with them, he knew that he would do anything for them. Risk his life to protect and help them. He should have known that they’d feel the same way.
“Rowe—” he started, but Rowe cut him off by holding up his hand.
“If your next words are ‘sorry,’ I don’t wanna hear them. I knew this day would come when I offered to hire you, and I didn’t hesitate. You belong at Ward Security. No question about it. We’ll catch this douchecanoe, and then you can tell me what the hell was going through your head to make you think you couldn’t tell me the second you learned he was in town.”
“Got it,” he agreed, though he wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Rowe. Well, there wasn’t much to tell other than he was thinking that he’d protect Abe, but it still came down to the fact that he should have told Rowe from the start.
A strong hand landed against his lower back and Dom shivered. Abe. What the hell was Abe going to say when they were finally alone?
Chapter Fourteen
City lights and bright green trees passed in a blur as Garrett drove them to Royce’s old house in a company SUV. Dom shut his eyes and rested his head on the seat—which caused him to wince. Feeling around the tender spot on the back of his head, he was glad he didn’t have a worse concussion but pissed at his brother all over again. Exhaustion crashed through him, making him feel like it should be far later than the current eight in the evening.
He ran his fingers down the bandage on his cheek, the horror over watching James deliberately disfiguring himself coming back. Today, he’d looked into the face of pure madness, and it had chilled him to the soul. The young man who had looked at all they’d been forced to do by their father as a game was gone.
What the hell had happened to James after he left California? He’d been pushing boundaries they’d always operated under before, but this…this just felt so much more extreme. More frantic and desperate. Dom wouldn’t have called his brother crazy when they were children. Would James have turned out this way whether he’d left or not? Would he have been able to save his brother if he’d stayed?
Dom’s mind immediately skittered away from the thought the second it formed. There was no going back. No promises that he would’ve been able to change the course of James’s life if he’d have stayed. Leaving had been his only option for survival, and James had forced him to take it.
Garrett, who’d arrived at Ward Security as they were leaving, kept shooting worried glances at Dom in the rearview mirror, but didn’t say anything.
“You okay?” Abe asked.
Dom realized Abe was watching him from where he sat next to him. He sat up and despite the sting in his cheek, gave Abe his sauciest grin. “If you’re worried I’m not up for some fun, don’t be.”
“I wasn’t worried about that, Dom. I’m concerned about you.”
“I’m okay. Promise. I really am up for some fun.”
“Ew.” Garrett said it so matter-of-factly, both Dom and Abe laughed. He pulled into Royce’s driveway, which looked like every other driveway in the new neighborhood. “I’m going to wish I brought earplugs, aren’t I? Just let me check the house before you two come in.”
“I know the drill, G,” Dom muttered. “And I’m pretty sure I can watch out for Abe just fine. I’ve got a few bruises and a cut—I’m fine. Had a doctor look me over before you got there.”
“I’m well aware. Rowe filled me in. So let me do this without any griping from the peanut gallery. You can owe me.” Garrett took the keys and got out of the car. He soon disappeared inside the house.
Royce had lived in a nondescript, unbelievably boring townhouse in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Dom had been there, but each time, he was always surprised by the genuine lack of personality when its owner had more than his fair share. The exterior of the two-story was a nice middle-class place with a neatly manicured lawn and little ornamental shrubs. Like Royce gave a damn about shrubbery. Dom glanced up at the house and a little smirk formed. But then, if you were related to a notorious mob family and wanted to just blend in and disappear, this quiet neighborhood with its perfect lawns and cookie-cutter houses was a great start. Maybe he should have taken more lessons from Royce on hiding. James might never have found him.
“He a good friend of yours?” Abe asked.
He stared at the closed door, then watched the windows, knowing that when a light came on, all was clear. He’d watched Garrett move through an empty place before—the man glided through silently, like a cat. “Yeah, he’s probably my best friend out of everyone at work. We’re all close, but Garrett and I hang out the most.”
“Ever played each other’s wingmen?”
“Of course.” Dom draped his arm over the seat, then laid his temple on Abe’s shoulder. The energy he’d managed to scrape together just minutes ago was already draining out of him. “This was a shitty, shitty day, Abraham.”
Abe turned and pressed his lips to the top of Dom’s head. God, the man was just so affectionate. Dom was ready for a lot more of that attention. He didn’t feel like talking anymore, hashing out anything else. He wanted a shower, food, and sleep.
“I wish you’d told me about your brother,” Abe whispered. “About your childhood.”
He didn’t lift his head, but he closed his eyes. There was no missing the hurt in those soft words. “I just finally got you. Laying all that on your lap wouldn’t have been fair.”
Abe kissed his head again. “There is nothing unfair when it comes to you and me. Honesty is what I want from you. I want to know who you are, the good and the bad. And fuck, Dom, look what he did to you.”
Dom’s eyes popped open to stare at the strong hand that had come to rest on his thigh. “Well, at least I know the scars weren’t a deterrent before.”
“They never were and never will be. I just hate that he hurt you.” Abe’s hands balled into fists so tight, the knuckles popped. “I want to get him alon
e in a room. Make him regret he ever laid a hand on you.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near him.” Dom shut his eyes and tamped down a shudder. Just the thought of Abe being alone with his brother made his stomach churn. It wasn’t that he thought Abe couldn’t handle himself. It was that his brother was absolutely certifiable. There was no telling what James was capable of now.
“You said he’ll try to come after me.” There was a slow, pensive note to Abe’s tone that nearly made Dom smile. His man was not one to make rash decisions, and Dom was finding that he liked his slow and steady ways. They were certainly proving smarter than his “jump in with both feet and figure it out later” style. “And I’ve been thinking about that. I may have an idea.”
“Oh, yeah?” Dom lifted his head and opened his eyes. “What’s that?”
“Let it percolate a bit, then I’ll share. Let’s just go inside and have that chili we planned.”
“I want to shower first. Will you do it with me?”
Abe stared at him a few moments, the corner of his mouth going up. “Of course. I’ll be happy to wash the rest of the blood out of your hair. It makes me sick to see it there.” He ran a finger next to the fresh wound by his old scar. “I’m with Garrett. This infuriates me,” Abe said, mentioning the first words out of Garrett’s mouth when he met them at Ward Security. “Your brother is sick.”
“It’s why I ran.” Dom turned his head away from Abe and stared out the window at the neat row of townhomes. “I shouldn’t have left him out there to terrorize other people.”
Abe carefully grabbed Dom’s chin, forcing him to turn his head back to face him. There was no escaping those large brown eyes staring him down. “What were you going to do? Take out your own family?”
“I could have set it up so he was arrested.”
Abe frowned and gave a little shake of his head. “You did what you felt was right at the time. You were young and he is still your brother. Self-recrimination is a waste of time.”
Turning his head, Dom brushed a light kiss across Abe’s fingers. “When did you get so smart, Mr. Stephens?”
“Probably about the time I gave in to your constant seduction.”
A bark of laughter jumped from Dom’s lips. “Seduction? Really? Felt more like begging to me.”
“This old man was always flattered, Dom.”
Dom looked around. “What old man?” He smiled again but knew it didn’t hold a lot of humor. He felt icky and just wanted to be clean and feel Abe’s strong body against his.
Garrett stepped outside the house and came to help with the overnight bags and groceries. Rowe insisted they all have satchels ready with changes of clothes and toiletries in the office because they never knew when they’d end up on a job. Rowe had grabbed one for Abe from one of the bigger employees. They’d stopped for chili and sandwich makings on the way, so they were prepared for at least a few meals while they discussed what their next step would be.
Royce said the house still had dishes and furniture—he wasn’t attached to anything in it, which was sad. Dom loved his historical house because it came with deep roots—something he’d never had in his entire life. Of course, Royce was now moved into his boyfriend’s house, which was warm and full of eclectic art. Definitely what Royce needed. His friend talked about listing the townhouse as a vacation rental rather than selling it right away. That was assuming they didn’t manage to destroy it while using it as a safe house. Bullet holes and fire damage were great selling points.
They took the bags inside, and Garrett offered to put away the groceries so Dom could shower. He felt no shame in luring Abe to come with him. And when they finally stood in the beige-tiled stall, Dom realized that Abe’s big body was good for more than hot sex. He was strong and solid, and it felt so damn wonderful to rest against him. Dom wrapped his arms around Abe and laid his unhurt cheek on his shoulder. Hot water pounded against his right side, where their bodies were plastered together.
“That’s it,” Abe said as he held him tight, bracing strong legs on the slick tile. “Lean on me. I can hold you up.”
Dom would normally have too much pride to show this kind of weakness but for some reason, it didn’t feel that way with Abe. It felt like he could be himself, could lean and be leaned on—that they could hold each other up and stand strong together no matter what came.
When Abe turned him and started gently shampooing his hair, feelings raced through him so hard, they swelled in his chest and he couldn’t hold them in any longer. “I’m in love with you.” His voice was low and soft, and for a moment Dom wasn’t sure if Abe heard him over the pounding water.
The fingers in his hair paused, then lightly tugged his head back and to the side. Abe stared at him, a small smile pulling up one corner of his mouth.
“What?” Dom asked, shampoo dripping down his forehead. “Like it’s a surprise?”
“I thought we were just going to try the dating thing?” Abe asked, something cautious in his expression—although the smile remained.
His heart started beating hard, and he worked to keep disappointment off his face. “We are. There’s just an extra layer of feelings involved.”
“Love isn’t just an extra layer of feelings. Love is the feeling.”
He searched those brown eyes, and what he saw in response chased away the disappointment instantly. That swell in his chest turned warm and welcoming, and he was glad for the water on his face, because his eyes teared up. “The feeling, huh? Like the big kahuna?”
Abe smirked. “That and the whole shebang.”
“The grand poobah?”
“And the top banana.”
Dom grinned and blinked as water got in his eye as he turned toward Abe.
“Love encompasses all those layers, Dom. Friendship, affection, desire…fear.” Abe swiped his thumb over the shampoo right before it followed the water into Dom’s eye. He touched the waterproof bandage the doctor had placed over his cheek. “Today, when I knew you were in danger, the fear that swept through me was overwhelming. Fear of losing you.”
“So you’re close to the whole shebang?”
“Close?” Abe chuckled and smoothed his fingers through Dom’s soapy hair, pulling it back from his face. “I’m right there with you, Dom. But that fear is about more than just losing you. It’s about loving you, giving you my heart when—”
“When what?” Dom broke in. “I get bored and move along? That’s not going to happen. I’m in this for good. Hell, Abe, I knew I was in love with you before we even kissed. And I’m not trying to pressure you into saying something you don’t fee—”
This time Abe broke him off. With movement. He backed him into the spray and tilted his head back into it, careful to keep the water off the bandage. He stroked his fingers through Dom’s hair until all the shampoo was gone, then he smiled and shook his head. “Silly man. I’m already in love with you and probably have been since before we kissed.”
The joy that shot through him threatened to send him to his knees. He gave Abe a half-watery grin, grabbed his head, and kissed him. Again. And again. He whispered against his lips. “We’re so doing this.”
“Yeah, I suppose we are,” Abe whispered back. “Come on, let’s dry off and get some food in you.”
They stepped out of the large shower. Dom hurriedly dried off and slung the towel around his waist. He looked in the mirror, frowned at the bandage, then grabbed his toothbrush out of his travel kit. As he brushed, Abe walked behind him and it felt so domestic, warmth filled his chest. This was what he had to look forward to. Abe paused and watched Dom in the mirror and Dom watched him right back because damn, the man was fine naked. The wide shoulders and chest with its curly brown and gray hair, the muscular arms and thighs. And when Abe turned to drape his wet towel on the rack, his round, meaty bubble butt made Dom’s hands itch to grab. He knew Abe worried about his body because of his age, but Dom loved it exactly as it was.
Love. The big guy loved him.
A
be came up behind Dom and brushed his fingers in the hair on either side of the sore spot on Dom’s skull. “Have I ever told you I love your hair?” He wrapped his arms around Dom gently and plopped his chin on his shoulder. “How’re your ribs?”
Dom quickly bent over the sink and rinsed out his mouth. “If you’re again asking if I’m up for some kind of sex, yes.”
Abe snorted, then nuzzled into Dom’s neck when he straightened again.
Dom wondered if the man realized how gorgeous he was, how affectionate. That warmth spread through Dom’s chest, and he set down the toothbrush and hugged his arms against Abe’s, ignoring the twinge in his ribs. Lips kissed his neck and he tilted his head and closed his eyes. Abe took the lobe of his ear into his mouth and sucked on it before letting go and stepping back. “Turn around.”
“Hold on,” Dom murmured before bending to get another handful of water in his mouth to swish out the last of the toothpaste. His ass bumped into Abe’s groin, and he saw the naughty smile flit across Abe’s mouth before he grabbed Dom’s hips and rubbed his dick against Dom’s towel-covered ass.
Even with the slight throb in his head, his interest perked up. He turned around and gasped when Abe picked him up and plopped him—still gently—onto the counter. He then pulled the towel free to let it drape to the sides. Dom spread his legs and tugged Abe between them for a kiss.
“You scared the shit out of me today,” Abe whispered against his mouth. “You’re not allowed to do damn fool things like go off alone again.”
Ooh, bossy Abe was fun. “I’m in danger like that all the time.”
“Not like that, you aren’t. From everything you’ve told me, your brother is a nightmare. You’ve got people who back you up on the job. You should have asked one of them or me to come with you.”
“Did I tell you that seeing your face, seeing that you came for me, did something funny to my heart?” He ran the pad of his thumb over Abe’s bottom lip.
“Did it? Maybe that’s because it’s mine.”
Sadistic Sherlock (Ward Security Book 4) Page 15