“Have we got somewhere private we can talk?”
Sebastian frowned. “There’s nobody else in the kitchen, so let’s get a brew, but then we can go into the den.”
“Did you just saybrew? Have you gone native?”
“I’m from here, remember?”
Sebastian put the kettle on and got things ready.
“What’s this about?”
“Jason!”
“Of course it is. Have you two finally pulled your heads out of your asses?”
“Asses?”
“Got to keep you on your toes.”
Patrick chuckled. Before he could continue, he heard the front door open and close. A moment later, Ryder walked in with a big grin on his face.
“And what have you been doing?” asked Sebastian. “Or should that bewho?”
“What can I say? The locals love me.”
Sebastian snorted. Patrick wasn’t in the mood to hear someone’s sex story, but he was a guest here so would need to be polite.
“You were right about that apartment, Sebastian. It’s impressive.”
Patrick saw Sebastian tense, but wasn’t sure why.
“That Jason is a fucking dynamo in the sack. Took my dick like a champ.”
Patrick felt something snap inside him. A red mist descended over his vision. Before his brain could catch up to his body, he’d flown at Ryder and hoisted him off the floor, which under normal circumstances would be impossible. He was taller than Patrick by a few inches and built like a brick shithouse.
“What the fuck did you say?” he snarled.
Ryder looked shocked for a second and then had a grin back on his face. Patrick wanted to knock ten tonnes of shit out of him. He wouldn’t be smiling then. Patrick was awareof two sets of hands trying to pull him off. He didn’t know who the other person was, though, as he was solely focussed on Ryder. Patrick wasn’t a violent man, but he wanted to beat the living shit out of this guy.
“What’s it to you, anyway?” asked Ryder. “He was just a hole for the night.”
“Don’t you fucking dare talk about him like that.”
“What business is it of yours who I fuck?”
“You don’t touch him, okay? He’s mine!”
Ryder looked surprised, and his bravado slipped.
“Chill the fuck out, man. I didn’t know he was your boy,” said Ryder.
“Keep your hands off him. Do you hear me?” snarled Patrick.
It was clear Ryder just wanted to get away from Patrick now, and had underestimated him.
“What’s going on here?” asked another voice.
Patrick let go of Ryder and shrugged the hands off him. He realised Deacon was the other guy who’d been trying to pull him off with Sebastian. The voice had come from Max. Patrick noticed Charlie was also in the room, with Hunter, who was Deacon’s boyfriend. When the fuck did all these people come into the kitchen? He sensed movement from Ryder, and his anger prickled again.
