“I know the feeling,” Declan grunted, slapping Gray’s back hard, then returning to massaging his own back. “Raiden and Horatio are your family, and you’re never going to stop worrying about them. Falling in love with Jameson won’t change that, trust me. If anything, it will just make you care about your people more.”
Gray sucked in a sharp breath, his anxieties surging back to the surface. “What am I supposed to do then? How am I supposed to work things out?”
“You talk to your guy,” Declan said sharply. “Tell him the truth: that if you’re going to share a future, there needs to be a place there for the rest of your family, too. And remember, it’s not bad fucking news.” Declan grinned, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re inviting him into the family. We might scare some of the other families, but in the end, we take care of each other.”
Gray let out a puff of breath. “Thanks, Uncle Declan.”
Declan grunted. “Why don’t you go check on our guys while I finish this workout? See if they need any help in the war room.”
Gray nodded, but after a few steps, he stopped himself. “Hey, Uncle Declan, could you do me a favor?”
Declan grabbed a bulky hand weight. “What now?”
“Next time a good job comes around, will you consider Raiden?”
Declan grunted. “On your recommendation? I’ll take him.”
A grin ate up Gray’s face. It wasn’t a total solution to his problems, but it was progress. Plus, he’d definitely have some peace of mind if he knew his uncle was snarling down Raiden’s neck and messing with his business. Gray chuckled as he imagined Declan ranting at his friend, then paused at the door to Seb’s office.
Tightening his fists, he tried to force down all of his doubts, and hold onto the feeling that Declan had inspired in him. Fuck, he felt like a mess, like he could still break down in tears at any minute, if he let himself.
Maybe the smart thing would have been to walk away a long time ago, to leave Jameson for his own good. But now that they were together, Gray knew he would never be able to tear himself free.
He pushed open the door to the office, then walked in. At the big wooden table in the middle of the room, Seb and Jameson sat across from each other, piles of papers and a few open laptops littered in the space between them. Jameson was still wearing Gray’s old wolf sweatshirt, which made him smile, and the two guys were chatting back and forth as they drank coffee.
“Hi, handsome,” Jameson said warmly. When Gray approached, he spun on his stool to offer a quick kiss.
“I like that color,” Gray said, tapping his finger against Jameson’s soft lip. The pink lipstick reminded him of candy, like something he was supposed to lick.
“Thank you,” Jameson smiled.
“How’s the work going?”
“Good. Seb is just showing me how to more effectively hide my activity online.”
Seb spun the laptop to face them as he nodded at Gray. “It only took me about half an hour to track down one of his accounts. But that’s okay! Most people wouldn’t be able to do it. And anyway, I’ve been covering his tracks all morning, so things should be in the clear now.”
Gray nodded. He looked at the laptop, numbers racing across the screen in some kind of code he didn’t understand. “Cool.”
“My publicist wants me to do a press conference,” Jameson said. “Now that everyone knows I haven’t been kidnapped, she needs a new story to replace it.”
Gray rested his hands on Jameson’s shoulders. “Are you going to?”
“Maybe,” Jameson sighed. “She says it will be good for the brand. I’m sure her team came up with something that will make the masses happy. It will feel shitty, but at least it will bring things to a close. Hopefully.”
Seb started explaining some more of what he’d done on the computer, and Gray went to work massaging Jameson’s shoulders, digging his thumb in with just enough pressure. Dealing with things like this stressed Jameson the fuck out, and he understood why. It made him even more proud of his boyfriend for facing the music and trying to find a way forward.
He needed to be that strong, too, Gray reminded himself. After all, they were always stronger together.
And with all the support they had, all the people who were coming together for them, Gray actually believed they could pull the damn thing off.
JAMESON
Jameson walked through a hazy gray cloud. It felt like his feet were floating beneath him, and no matter how hard he stepped, he couldn’t quite touch the ground. Through the haze, different people kept appearing, then disappearing again. Each time, their faces peered at him, staring like they were trying to figure something out, and their blank expressions sent a shiver down to his core.
In the distance, he saw Gray, floating away. They would catch each other’s eyes and try to push closer to each other, but then the cloud was swirling, and they’d be lost again, chilling Jameson with fear.
“Jameson, Jameson.”
