Page 1

He was there. Just like every day. Different booth. Same soulless stare. No matter where Beau sat, Adan ignored him. He didn’t serve him or look his way. Adan simply played a game inside his head: don’t see the daddy. Then, when his shift ended, Adan would sneak from the back door and dart up the stairs to the safety of his apartment. Unfortunately, he would be trapped inside from that point until his boss, Wrecker, gave him the all clear. The entire situation was something out of a nightmare. It was Adan’s life.

A different familiar face appeared in Adan’s section. A smile exploded across Adan’s face. He didn’t hesitate to skip to Axton’s side and slide into the booth across from him. The giant biker was one of the few people he could call his friend… maybe the only person who wasn’t faking it.

“Hey.” Adan sounded every bit as breathless as he felt.

A slow, sexy grin stretched Axton’s lips. “Hey. Will you get in trouble for taking a break?”

Adan shook his head. “We’re dead today and Wrecker is fine with some socializing, especially if it brings people back.”

Axton’s eerie light green eyes moved over Adan’s face before sliding over his shoulder. He focused on Adan again. “He’s still coming around.”

It wasn’t a question. Everyone was fully aware of Beau’s stalking. There simply wasn’t anything anyone could do. Beau was the biggest weapons dealer on the west coast. He was deadly. He was untouchable.

Adan shrugged. He tried to look unaffected. “All I can do is ignore him and hope he gets bored.”

Axton worked a hair tie from his wrist and pulled his long, platinum blond hair into a bun. Everything about him was ethereal. His features were cut and too perfect. Only his pierced bottom lip and tattoos cut through the perfection, making him look real. He wasn’t Adan’s type at all, but he would never understand why the guy was single. Adan had never met anyone who gave off such a masculine vibe—like he should be scared, but also turned on. It was odd. But he was Adan’s friend, and Adan counted himself lucky for that.

Adan fought to keep his smile. He was a bad person, and everyone knew it. He had never been sure why Axton didn’t seem to care. “I’m always happy to see you. Are you doing okay?” He had to change the subject from Beau.

Axton didn’t answer. “Meet me on the roof at eleven.”

A genuine smile hit. “Okay.” It was something they had discovered together. Well, Axton had shown up one night and, out of boredom, climbed a ladder on the backside of the building. After exploring, he had called for Adan to join him. It turned out there were lounge chairs and a table up there. Since that night, they had done a lot of stargazing together.

The door opened, and a crowd poured in. Adan blew out a sigh. “It looks like I need to get back to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

Axton dipped his chin.

Adan slid from the booth. He froze. “Oh. Can I take your order?”

A low, sexy rumble of laughter came from Axton’s chest. “You know what I like.”

With happiness and balance restored to his life, Adan bounced away to take more orders. Beau was still there. His gaze still followed Adan, but Adan wasn’t alone anymore, and he wasn’t the same child Beau had seduced. He wouldn’t go back to being Beau’s prisoner. As they say, a gilded cage is still a cage, and Beau’s love killed people.

Since his release from prison, Axton spent more and more time at The PlayPen. It was a fetish club for daddy-Little relationships. Axton wasn’t into any of that shit. He didn’t judge either. No matter his disinterest, his friends were here. Axton watched them play with toy cars and smoke laced cigars. He did whatever they dragged him along to do. All Axton felt these days was a mild… nothingness, he supposed. Everything felt tepid. Maybe he was just used up.

Before his decade locked up, Axton went hard at everything. He partied too wild. Loved too much. Hated things he shouldn’t. Ten years had given him time to reflect and see who the real ones were in his life. It was a lot fewer people than he expected, and the rest felt duty bound to stick by him.

“What are your plans tonight? Would you like to have dinner with Luca and me?”

Axton tried not to cringe at his brother’s offer. He knew Jarek tried. It wasn’t his fault Axton couldn’t connect with him. Bitterness ran deep inside him.

“I have plans with a friend.”

Jarek lasted all of two seconds. “I hope this isn’t one of those friends who landed you in prison.”

Axton didn’t respond. He simply stared at Jarek with all the ambivalence he could muster

Jarek growled and shook his head. “Never mind.”

Despite his best efforts, a hint of anger weaseled its way into his heart. He didn’t want it. His rage served no one. He just wondered sometimes why Jarek was so blind. Axton knew he saw the differences between them. Jarek had as many years as Axton had to think about why they had turned out so differently. Jarek was a lawyer and perfect in every way. Dark hair and hazel eyes. He didn’t wonder why Axton looked nothing like anyone in their family and had been treated like shit his entire life? Axton supposed he wouldn’t. He had been the golden child, after all. Why would he notice Axton?

“It must be so nice to be you.” Leaving things at that, Axton stood. He would head to Adan’s early. Adan never judged him.

“Axton.” Jarek sounded defeated. “Don’t go. I wasn’t trying to run you off. Forget I said anything.”

The saddest part was, he saw his brother trying. He knew Jarek wanted a relationship. But something had died inside Axton a long time ago, and he didn’t know how to change. Axton paused. He wished he knew what to say. It wasn’t like he didn’t want his brother. His gaze slid toward the spot where Jarek’s husband sat nearby—on the floor and playing with blocks. He was adorable and not at all who Axton pictured capturing his brother. Luca’s existence proved Jarek had a loving side. Unfortunately, no love had been extended to Axton by anyone in his so-called family, and it was too late to undo that damage.

Still, Axton cleared his throat. “It’s not you. I told Adan I would meet him.”

Jarek blinked—like Axton had slapped him. “Adan? As in Beau’s Adan?”

Axton’s hackles were all the way raised again. “He’s not Beau’s Adan. He’s just Adan. People aren’t property.”

“In this case, they absolutely are,” Jarek shot back. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Because that’s exactly where things are headed if you’re messing with Adan. Beau will definitely see you dead before he lets that guy go. Plus, what about Banks? He’s supposed to be your friend.”

“What about Banks?” Banks asked, appearing from nowhere and claiming the seat Axton abandoned.

Axton motioned Jarek’s way. “He’s angry because I’m going to meet Adan.”

“Oh.” Banks sounded completely unmoved. “Why?”

Jarek looked between them. His frustration couldn’t be missed. “Why? Adan is the reason your mother took her own life. He’s the reason your brother tried to kill himself.”

There was some new information in there for Axton.

Still, Banks looked unruffled. “No, he’s not.”

“What do you mean, he’s not?” Jarek looked more irritated by the second.

Banks shrugged. He was rarely bothered by anything. “Mom had a drug and alcohol problem. I’m sure seeing Adan with Dad didn’t help anything, but she chose her addiction until she couldn’t anymore. That’s not Adan’s fault. As far as Boone goes, it’s possible he still sees things that way, and I guess Adan had a hand in things, but I can’t believe you’d blame a child over the old man who seduced him.” The way Banks held Jarek’s stare said he expected more from Jarek. “And that’s exactly what Adan was when my father put him on his knees.” His hard voice almost made Axton take a step back. For all Banks’ carefree attitude, he could also be terrifying. His gaze swapped to Axton. “Tell Adan he’s still welcome here. I don’t know if he’s stopped coming around for our sakes or not, but it isn’t necessary.”

Without looking his brother’s way, Axton dipped his chin and headed for the door. It was a little too early to meet Adan. He straddled his Harley and fired it to life. Because he was still the same terrible person who ended up doing time, he headed for the wrong side of town. Nothing good ever happened where he was going. But he wasn’t good and there was no sense in pretending. Even his brother expected nothing less.