“Focus, Matty.”
“I’ve only known two of them for a few days. And the other one I’ve had a crush on for forever. So it’s really new, and there are other things in amongst that—no, I can’t tell you, it’s complicated—and I don’t know where it’s going, or if it’s going anywhere?” Crush sounds juvenile, but how else do I explainhow stupid obsessed I got with Hunter? Hearts over the i’s and writing our names together. I’d call that juvenile. I’m not even sure I felt that for anyone while Iwasa teenager.
“Wait, wait, wait, you mean that guy, the parent of one of your kids?” He clicks his fingers. “What was his name? Harry?”
“Hunter,” Lana supplies. “But close.”
“When did that happen? I saw you last week, Matty, are you holding out on me?”
“I told you that it’s new. He invited me on a date, and while we were there, we met his ex and… a friend.” I assume Miles is the bodyguard, but I’m notactuallysure on the dynamics.
“They were there?” Lana asks. “Were they following him or something?”
“No.” Yes. “His ex owns the hotel.” And that’s all I’m going to say about that night. Some things are just better kept to myself.
Jack whistles. “Nice.”
I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it. “Right, so one thing led to another, and things are happening.” I hope they’re following this conversation because I’m definitely not explaining it well. To them or to myself.
“Do you want it to be something more?” Lana asks.
It’s such a loaded question.Yesis the first thing to go through my head. They’re all incredible men. Strong, loyal, handsome. Thinking about them makes me smile. If that were it, then so much yes. But there’s a lot more to consider. Their lives, the fact that they have people wanting to kill them, and they don’t so much as blink an eye? That feels like something that should be a shock. Be scary. Benot okay. And they act like it’s just an everyday occurrence. Maybe it is. Do I want to be near that? “I think so.” I know that I want to be near them. The rest of it will sort itself out, won’t it?
Lana sighs and nudges my knee with hers. “Maybe you should ask them. You won’t know otherwise. You are a man of manytalents, but mindreading is not one of them.” She squints. “Unless it is, and you’ve been hiding it from us.”
“I’d have told you,” I promise her. It would be handy for so many things, and I’d want to use it to help my loved ones too.
“This is why you’re my favourite.”
“Do you two want me to leave you alone?” Jack asks, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, though, Matty, just ask them. The worst they can say is no, and then you know, and you can move on.”
He says it like it’s simple. No, and continue on with your life, like they haven’t turned it upside down and changed everything.
I don’t know if I’m brave enough to ask.
Xavier
Itstillfeelslikea novelty being in this house during the light of day. To be welcome in Hunter’s home without sneaking in under the cover of darkness. Coming here after a day of work feels like the broken pieces of my soul starting to heal. We have a long way to go before Hunter will let me back in the way he used to, but it’s a start. Maybe it won’t ever be the way it was before; I doubt it will be. We can’t change the past, but I can do everything to stop from repeating it. My choices are now my own.
“He has a number of secondary homes, but he’d have to be an idiot to retreat to such obvious places,” Miles says from where he’s seated beside me on the dining table. “He has to know it’d be the first place we’d look.” He turns his laptop for Hunter to see across the table.
“That could be what he wants you to think,” Hunter replies. “Hiding in plain sight. It’s been proven to be an effective tactic.”
“It’s a hit-and-miss tactic,” Miles says flippantly. “Besides, you’re assuming that he has half a brain.”
“The fact that we haven’t yet been able to locate him suggests that he has at least that.”
Miles acknowledges that with a tilt of his head, not willing to voice anything that might sound anything like a compliment to Roger.
“He’s a cockroach,” I offer. “Not particularly smart unless it’s about his survival. His business practices leave a lot to be desired, but he always finds a way to weasel out of taking responsibility when shit hits the fan.”
“He sounds charming,” Hunter says.
“A man who thinks sending a finger as a message is a good idea lacks finesse.”
Hunter slides the laptop back to Miles. “I’d like to check the houses anyway. Anything overseas, I’ll investigate through contacts or send someone I trust.”
Miles shrugs and types something on his keyboard. “If you want to waste your time, be my guest.”
