Page 5 of Deranged (Killers Inc. #3)

When Field had first moved in with Beau, he had expected things to be slightly awkward around the house.

Not for him. He couldn’t be made uncomfortable.

After all, he grew up in a crowded program of no privacy.

But he had expected the guards and whatnot to be standoffish.

Instead, everyone had been nothing but welcoming.

Normally, he ate breakfast alone in the kitchen, waking up long before anyone else.

That is, if he went to sleep at all. After a night with Henry, Field had slept like the dead until Henry had whispered something about needing to get in his morning workout before his shift.

Once the warmth of him was gone, Field was wide awake.

His late start had him sitting in the kitchen with Clay and Fabrice.

He did his usual, smiling and joking. Truthfully, he didn’t even recall what he said after he said it.

He must have kept the pair entertained because they laughed. His mind was on Henry, though.

Field doubted the encounter had been more than a one-night stand.

Henry definitely wouldn’t want anyone to know.

He seemed like a closed, private person who wouldn’t show emotion, especially in front of his co-workers.

Since he lived where he worked, that meant never being real.

Field wouldn’t be sad about it. Henry knew he was a mess.

It was probably for the best if they pretended nothing happened.

Field was good at that. He had been acting as if he didn’t have crazed episodes for years. This was just one more thing.

Clay and Fabrice glanced toward the door.

They turned serious and Field knew he was there.

He practically felt Henry at his back. Field didn’t turn to look, but his every fiber focused on the sensation of Henry moving toward him.

A strong hand gently gripped his throat before sliding upward and forcing his head back.

His eyes automatically closed just from the promise of what that hand could do.

He went hard and was more than a little thankful to be sitting at the table.

Henry’s mouth covered his. Even the odd angle did nothing to dampen the heat of their kiss.

Henry pulled away a hair, but he didn’t release Field. “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too.” The quiet exchange had him smiling so big, it hurt.

Henry stole another kiss like they were completely alone. Field felt him smile against his lips. “Pumpkin seed butter?”

Field laughed. “Fabrice makes it for me. I don’t want to somehow accidentally send Mickey into anaphylactic shock by eating peanut butter in the house.”

The entire conversation felt private, with Henry holding his head back and being over him, creating their own little world. “Mhmm. There you go. Only thinking of others.”

Henry didn’t give him time to respond. He straightened, freeing Field. “With Mickey taking his vacation time, you have a couple of choices, Clay. You can come with me to check the progress of the new buildings, or you can accompany Fabrice to handle the grocery haul.”

If Clay felt one way or the other about Henry’s display, he didn’t show it. The guy simply rolled with it. “I think I’ll go with Fabrice, if you don’t feel like you need me. I need to grab some shit from the store too.”

“You’re good. The guy Beau hired to build onto the property has turned out to be a great choice. We haven’t had any issues. That doesn’t mean I won’t check.”

“Of course.” Clay sounded matter of fact. No matter how safe, discreet, and highly recommended anyone came, they had to keep control of the situation.

Henry massaged his shoulders. “How about you, Field? I know you don’t work here, but do you want to come with me?”

Fuck yeah. Henry had him ready to do anything.

He was still shocked by the way Henry acted in front of everyone.

Still, he tried to temper his reaction. “Sure.” He slid back his chair and gathered his mess.

Field cleaned up behind himself before fully focusing on Henry.

He looked like a man who had enjoyed his night.

Even showered and dressed for the day, he looked like the guy who had blown him away last night.

Field tried not to run toward him like an over enthusiastic puppy.

Instead, he said his goodbyes and measured his pace.

The moment they were out of sight, Henry pulled him into the nearest empty room and was all over him.

Field heard himself panting, and it was out of his control.

Henry’s hands were inside Field’s shirt, massaging every place he could reach while he explored Field’s mouth.

Field was a useless mess. He wasn’t accustomed to feeling this way.

Henry chuckled against his lips. “Did you know you have beard burn?”

Field’s hands automatically went to Henry’s perfectly trimmed beard. “I don’t know how. You’re so soft.”

He felt Henry’s laughter. His eyes danced with it. Field was caught. He was fascinated. Henry didn’t act like this. All of this was for him, because of him. Field couldn’t look away.

“You’re beautiful.”

Henry swiped his lips across Field’s again. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.” With a regret-filled sigh, Henry pulled away. “We should head out before I change my mind and take you upstairs, and make these guys think they can slack.”

“We can’t have that.”

Henry’s smile didn’t dim. He continued shocking Field by taking his hand and holding it all the way to the garage. Field wondered if he felt stiff to Henry. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy. This just wasn’t the life he was accustomed to, and it didn’t feel real.

Once that thought took hold, Field fought the demons.

What if it wasn’t real? Had he vanished inside his mind again?

Did his body do horrible things while he currently lived in a dream world?

Hyperventilating looked like a real possibility.

Field intentionally hit himself in the shin with the door to the car Henry chose.

The pain stopped his silent panic attack.

This was real. He was here. In the U.S. With his brothers and Henry now too, it seemed. That was wild.

Henry put one foot in the door and immediately pulled it back out again.

“Shit. I’ll be right back. I forgot to give Fabrice a list from Kylo.

” He closed the door, leaving Field alone inside the car.

Field watched Henry walk away. He swore he didn’t even blink.

Admittedly, Field had teased Henry for months, begging him to be his daddy.

There was a reason for that. The guy was just hot.

He owned every space he was in. The way he walked made Field hungry.

Plus, he had a delicious ass. His phone buzzed, distracting him. He dug out the device.

Shadow: What are you doing today?

Field: I’m headed to check out the new construction on the property with Henry.

Shadow: LOL! That guy will end up killing you one of these days.

Field chuckled. It didn’t look like the house was full of gossips. He was kind of grateful for that. Field wanted to see where this was headed. Right now, they were just two guys who had fucked.

Field: Did you need me for something? I can make time.

Shadow: Nah. I’m good. Have fun. I was just checking in.

Field was so focused on his phone, he didn’t see Henry return until the trunk slammed closed and he climbed inside.

Henry nodded toward the phone Field held. “You still good to go?”

“Yeah.” Field shoved the phone back in his pocket. “Shadow was just checking in on me.”

“You seem closer to him than the rest.” Henry backed from the garage. He sounded like he only made conversation, which was good. No one, no matter how sexy, came between Shadow and him. Since Field wanted to know Henry, he stuck to the topic.

“Yeah. I suppose.” Field really hated talking about himself.

Nothing about him was pretty. “He’s the only one who isn’t scared of me.

So he doesn’t back away when I fall apart.

He still shows up. I think—besides Mickey and him—everyone else has given up on me.

Obviously, that’s cool. I can’t blame them. ”

Henry cocked his head to one side as if thinking things over. “I’ve seen you with just about everyone in that house. They all love you.”

A wave of sadness he didn’t want consumed him.

“Loving me and expecting I’ll make it are two different things.

What about you? Despite working for Beau, you two seem really close.

Did you used to date or something?” Field infused as much humor in his voice as he could, hoping to distract Henry from talking about him anymore.

“No. Actually, he was my neighbor in Italy. We grew up together. Best friends our entire lives. I got bullied a lot for being poor and neglected. So I got into a lot of fights. Beau was always right there with me, except he knew how to destroy people mentally. Then Beau’s girlfriend got pregnant when they were sixteen.

Their parents made them marry and then kicked them out to fend for themselves.

Now, I should mention I’m two years younger than Beau.

So, at fourteen and around the same time, I got fed up with getting beaten at home and I killed my dad.

To this day, I don’t understand how, but Beau made some backroom deals that kept me from even being arrested.

He started making money and going places so fast, it was head spinning.

But he kept me right there with him and I made sure no one touched him.

” Henry shrugged. “Since then, I’ve had a ton of training.

I’ve done whatever it takes to keep us safe.

That’s how it’ll be until I die. Through good times and bad.

” He flashed Field a laughing smile. “A marriage created in Hell.”