Page 16

Rex softened. He shuffled closer.

July took a step back.

Rex snagged his waist and towed July against him. “You’re right. I went too far. You just make me so angry sometimes that I can’t control myself. I love you. The thought of losing you forever is too much for me. Tell me how to make this better. What pretty trinket do you want? I know you can’t stay mad at me. You love me too much to give up on me.”

That wasn’t true by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately, his feelings didn’t matter. This was a prison of his own making. Rex knew he would win. The crazy thing was, July wasn’t playing. He had given up a long time ago. This was Rex doing what he enjoyed the most: toe-tapping a celebratory dance on the ashes of July’s life. July didn’t even have it in him to cry. He kept hoping someone would save him, but he knew the truth. He was no one. This nightmare wouldn’t end. July didn’t know how much longer he would survive. He didn’t even care.

Even though this wasn’t the first time July had seen the Bosi compound, he was still every bit as enamored. The place was huge and extravagant beyond any other place July had seen before. The entire home was a work of art. He tried staying glued to Fletch to calm his nerves, but he couldn’t stop pausing to eye everything new. There was an indoor pool and an outdoor one. July loved that. His pool was… July tripped over his thoughts. He supposed he didn’t have a pool anymore. His chest tightened. While he had always known all that he owned didn’t truly belong to him, losing everything still hurt. July had decorated his house from top to bottom. Every inch suited his whims. Now July still didn’t own anything, but now he felt every lacking item. Here, he couldn’t even pretend.

July’s throat swelled. He squeezed the arm he was holding on to for support.

Fletch looked his way with his eyebrows raised. “Are you good?”

July nodded. He kept locking his jaw, hoping Fletch didn’t notice the way he shook. “This place is a lot. Beautiful, but a lot.”

“I get what you’re saying. When Beau’s second, Henry, first brought me here, I was speechless. I didn’t know people actually had this much money. All I had ever seen were group homes and back alleys. I was scared to look at anything for too long, much less touch anything. It took months for life to stop feeling surreal as fuck.”

July nodded. His disbelief was a little different than Fletch’s. While July was blown away by the extravagance surrounding him, he couldn’t believe he was there at all. July hadn’t let himself even consider the possibility he would live here with Fletch. Fletch had wormed his way through the solid rock July had built around his heart. He thought July was awestruck by the house. Meanwhile, July couldn’t get past Fletch wanting him here. He also couldn’t stop thinking about all he had lost. Unfortunately, if July showed an ounce of mourning, Fletch might think he was ungrateful. Sadness welled inside him. It was tough being him.

“I know you giving up everything has to be hard on you. If it helps at all, you made the right decision. No amount of possessions is worth dying for. Plus, this gives us a chance to go to all the fun stores and buy all the things. There’s an empty room next to mine. We could make that your playroom. I bet Beau would let us take a wall down between the two rooms if you’d like.”

A sardonic smile pulled at July’s lips. He loved the way Fletch got him and understood his sadness. But Fletch’s vision was just that: a dream. “That sounds amazing. I want to be excited, but you’re forgetting one detail. The money I left with is all I have. I have to make it last a really long time, so I can’t buy a lot of things.”

Fletch paused, stopping July in the progress. He had a line between his eyebrows. His confusion was on display. “What are you talking about? You don’t need money. You have me. I’m your daddy now.” His expression blanked as if he threw up a wall. “Unless you don’t want that. I thought we were on the same page, but you can just have the room next to mine. We don’t—”

July went onto his toes and swiped a quick kiss across Fletch’s lips. He felt the heat explode through his face, which was dumb as fuck. July used to strip, for the love of God. There was something about Fletch. He made July shy about things he never had been before. “Sorry. I needed you to stop talking. We’re on the same page. I just didn’t realize you wanted to be my daddy. You—”

Fletch kissed him. He obviously didn’t have the same qualms about his ability to show affection. His was not a sweet kiss. Fletch kissed him like he would fuck July in the middle of the living room, if he could.

Fletch pulled away. His eyes were intense. If he hadn’t been holding July, July might have scrambled away. “I needed you to stop talking.” He kissed July again. The move was every bit as hot as the last. He pulled away again. “That one was sealing the deal. You’re under my protection, beautiful. You never have to think about money again, or if I want you here. I very much want you.”

All July could do was hold his stare. Fletch had taken away his thoughts. Finally, one came barreling in: he didn’t deserve Fletch.

Fletch wanted the real July back so fucking badly. This broken person wasn’t the absolute nutcase Fletch had fallen for, and he had been caught way longer than even he realized. July’s wild, free thinking had addicted him. The way July would wear anything and say whatever, Fletch adored that. July made him feel free. Whenever they were together in public, Fletch was proud to be seen with July, in every outfit he chose. He didn’t have to second-guess his every move. July would do whatever he wanted, and Fletch looked forward to every antic. Fletch needed that breath of fresh air. His revelations had him having another. This was why he had been so angry over July’s betrayal. This was why that meeting with Beau had hurt so much. Fletch had thought he had met his person. Then everything he thought he knew had turned out to be a lie. But now, when he looked back on things, Fletch realized July had never actually told him a single lie. July was who he claimed to be. Fletch had never asked about his life outside of the time they spent together. He hadn’t felt as if he needed to. July was so open and guileless that Fletch had never felt like he needed to dig. He was the reason he hadn’t known more about July’s life. Fletch got the feeling, if he had just asked, July would have told him everything. But yeah, his heartbreak was his own. He should have looked deeper after Beau barred July from the property. Beau was right. He hadn’t said Fletch couldn’t go to July. Fletch should have seen the truth right then. It was rare as hell for anyone to evade Beau’s research. If Beau hadn’t ordered Fletch to kill July, he should have known there was a reason beyond Banks’ pleading. When he had asked July why he had put cameras in Leary’s house, Beau had genuinely not known why someone like July would do something like that. His question hadn’t been a gotcha moment. He hadn’t been able to get a bead on July because July really was that out of the loop. He didn’t know what Rex hoped to find at Leary’s place. All July had known was that Rex was a bad person with enough power to get away with it. July stayed in the dark because he knew ignorance kept him safe. That was Fletch’s job now. No one would ever hurt July again.

He watched July move around the room, looking in closets and peeking inside drawers. He wore a huge grin. The switch-up from earlier was a total one-eighty. Fletch had to know.

“What’s got you so excited?”

July motioned toward one closet. “That one has a built-in vanity with all the lights. It’ll be an awesome spot to make myself beautiful. I still have all my new makeup, so I don’t have to worry about that. The clothes I squirrel away won’t take up much space at all, so I won’t be in the way. Oh. Oh, and I can make everything really pretty.” He paused and looked thoughtful. His gaze latched onto Fletch. “If that’s okay with you, that is. I know you don’t like the same bright colors I do, so…”

Fletch snorted. “Babe, I don’t give a shit about decorating. Go wild.”

July happy-clapped. His smile vanished as quickly as it came. “All of this would probably take up a huge chunk of my funds.”

A growl rose in Fletch’s throat. He refused to let it out. “Were you not listening earlier? I don’t want you to ever think about money again.”

July moved to sit on the bed with Fletch. He winced as he climbed onto the mattress. Fletch got it. He had seen July’s wounds.

He took Fletch’s hands and held his gaze. “I heard you earlier and I love you for wanting to do this for me. Seriously, you have no idea. I’m just…” He looked as if he couldn’t think of a way to explain. July started again. “I haven’t had much money in my life that was mine. The money I have right now is mine. I worked for it. Someone else has always carried me and used that to control me and or keep me trapped.” A blush tinted July’s cheeks. His gaze moved to Fletch’s chin, as if he was too shy to keep holding his stare. “Since the moment we met, I’ve really liked you.” His face grew redder. “I mean, I really liked you. You’re the first person I’ve pursued. Usually, men pick me and I’m too…” This time, July swallowed as if it hurt. His gaze met Fletch’s again. There were tears in his eyes. “What if you realize you hate me? What if you’ve told Beau you’ll be my keeper and you end up resenting me? Will you turn on me? Will I have money to run or survive without you? I’m scared.” His voice trembled, proving how terrified July was to end up where he was now ever again.

“I know I’m asking a lot, but I’m asking you to give me a chance. Obviously, I’ve given you every reason to distrust me. I know I hurt you after I learned you’d bugged Leary’s place. Maybe there’s no defense, but I was hurt. I felt betrayed. When we were spending time together, I didn’t know you were with someone else. I thought you’d—”

July placed his fingers over Fletch’s lips, stopping him. “You were right to be mad at me. I deserved it.” He went back to holding Fletch’s hands and stared at his lap. His shoulders rose and fell as if he took a deep breath for courage. When he lifted his head, Fletch’s desire to kill Rex doubled. Looking into July’s beautiful eyes was a punch to the chest. Someone had hurt his man on the deepest of levels. Fletch wanted blood.

July squeezed his hands, pulling him back to the topic. “I don’t know what to do. It’s not that I don’t trust you. In my heart, I know you’re nothing like him. This broken body is gun-shy. I can’t imagine having no out.”

Fletch gave him a sharp nod. “So I’ll give you one.”