“You will?” Eyes hugged him. “Thanks, Charley.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He laughed and patted Eyes on the back. “Now come on, get up.”
They both rose, and I quickly saw my day with Charley going down the garbage chute. I had plans to make thisthinghappen today. I was going to spend some time in the shower, clean out, stretch, and let him fuck me. Now I wasn’t sure if that was going to happen. That didn’t stop my imagination from working, though. My cock reacted to the mental image of Charley pushing into my hole, and it filled out my underwear, tenting the cloth until it became obvious—not that I gave a shit who saw me with a chubby.
Charley pointed at Nic. “Stop staring at Scar’s junk.”
Nic shrugged and winked at him. “Can you blame me? Isthat… you know, all of it?”
I smirked. “I’m getting there. Can you see why your cousin likes me now?”
“And here I was thinking it was for your personality,” she teased. This was why I liked her. She snapped back as quick as I did and gave me a mouthy battle.
Charley huffed in exasperation, laughing a little, and raised his brows at me. “Go get some clothes on, Scar. I don’t want you to scare my family with your Loch Ness monster.”
“Oh, I wondered if you had a name for it.” Nic laughed and clapped her hands together. “Interesting. I’d heard of guys having a nickname, but I never actually knew one.”
Charley rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “Okay, enough. I’m going to get dressed, and then we’ll go see Nonno.” He turned toward me. “Are you coming?”
“Do you want me to slit his throat?” I asked.
He winced. “Better for you to stay here.”
I snorted and straightened. “You do you. I wouldn’t mind making him bleed. I’m going to jerk off in the shower. Have fun.”
Charley shook his head and pressed a kiss to my lips when I went over to him, and I slapped him on the ass.
“Call me if you need me,” I whispered against his mouth. “I’ll come.”
The skin around his eyes crinkled as he smiled gently at me, a softness he only reserved for three people in his life—me, Travis, and Nic. “I know you will. Thank you.”
With a final kiss, I left them alone to plan.
6
Charley
The fist flyingat me was expected, but also not, at the same time. I had the presence of mind to step back, but Nonno hooked his hand up and caught me square on the nose. The pain burst across my face and whited out my vision as I danced backward out of his reach. For an old man with stooped shoulders, he was still pretty quick.
I blinked my watering eyes as I glared at the photo of our whole family that Nonno kept on the wall in his cozy living room, above a long red couch. Travis and I were about ten, and the photographer had put us on our knees in front of everyone else. Nonno had rested a hand on my shoulder and one on Travis, smiling and proud of his brood. We’d looked a lot like him back then, when his body was still strong and his hair was mostly brown. Blood trickled from my nose, and I growled at the taste of that iron-heavy new-metal flavor as I licked my lips.
“Damn it,” I snarled. “Why?”
“You’re here to defend your brother’s lifestyle when you should be trying to help him get out of the cesspit of sin.” His voice was scratchy from all the yelling he’d done already, but there was no sign he was planning to give it a rest. “You’re no brother if you condone this… this… disgusting behavior.” Nonno nodded his silver head once, as if he’d proven some sort of point by being a dick.
Nic stomped her foot and tapped the toe of the knee-length riding boot she had on against the red Italian tiles that surrounded the front door. She’d been smart not to come the whole way inside. “Yeah, Nonno. We all heard about you catting around when you were younger.” She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. “We probably got cousins we ain’t never met. I’d say that doesn’t make you perfect, either.” Nic crossed her arms and glared daggers at Nonno. Of all of us, I was beginning to suspect she was the brightest. She hadn’t been dumb enough to get close to him when he started shouting, even though I knew he’d never raise a hand to hisItalian beauty. She had more brains than I did, that was for sure.
I spat blood on the floor, not giving a shit when Nonno let out an irritated little rumble in the back of his throat.
“I am helping Travis. Why do you think I’m here?” I growled out as I waved a hand at Nic to tell her to tone it down. He would only get pissed at her and come after me again. “I’m telling you, leave Trav alone. Leave his boyfriend, Mac, alone. Nonno, this is it. This is your last warning. You hit me, fine. Do whatcha gotta do. I’m not going to stand around and watch you ruin Trav’s happiness.”
Nic made an approving sound and snapped her fingers at him, and I wanted to die. I’d never seen her turn that attitude on the old man.
Nonno blustered and huffed and stalked around the house. There was bread baking in the kitchen, I thought maybe ciabatta. It smelled so good. Dealing with Nonno was so frequently a mindfuck because he embodied the best and worst memories I had. Sometimes I wished I could hate him and write him off the way Colton said I should.
Finally he pointed a finger at me, and I braced myself. “You can’t come into my home and act like this. Nicki, you stop hanging around with Charley. He’s a bad influence. Next thing you know, you’ll be groping girls.”
Nic let out a screech. “Nonno! No one cares about gay! Get the fuck over it!”
