Page 7

Chapter Seven

Jason

“Well, Mom, what do you think?” It took me a few days to work up the courage to show her the plans of the new house. Sikes, Snipe, and I signed the paperwork the same day, having been sold on this immediately upon seeing the model home. We made a few tweaks, two master bedrooms and three others for the kids, but the price was…better…and the lot we wanted the shell was already erected for. But I saved the finishes for Mom to pick.

“Jase, I don’t know. This looks expensive. Where’s the price?”

“That’s already been taken care of. This is the life we live now. For the first time you won’t have to work two jobs. Hell, if you wanted to stay home full-time you could, or finally change career paths and do what you want to do instead of what you have to. This has been my plan all along, Mom. You’ve worked too hard for too long and now it’s time to let me take care of you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, you always have. I hate that you had to take on the role of father and provider when you should’ve been a kid. I’ve failed as a parent.” She was on the verge of tears and not the happy ones I’d hoped for.

“You’ve been a great mom, you always made sure we were taken care of and now it’s your turn. My career has given us a better life.” That and the fact that two others were helping out. “The, um, the reason for two master bedrooms is that Sikes and Snipe will be living there with us.”

“Oh my. Isn’t that moving a bit fast?”

“Maybe for some but when we’re on the road we pretty much live together already. Speaking of which, we head out at the end of March, but the builder said they should have the house done so we can move in before then. I left all the finishes for you to pick. You deserve a nice home full of all the things you’ve dreamed of.”

“I only ever wanted a better life for you kids.”

“We know this and now we can have it.” Well, Gabe would be the one true challenge with all of this. That kid had a huge chip on his shoulder. No clue where it came from but it was about to get knocked clean off.

“I-I don’t know what to say, Jase.”

“Actually, the first thing you can do is quit one or both of your jobs. I’ve already paid the rent for next month.”

“What? How?”

“Mom, Chaotic has finally taken off and I’m doing what I love. This family will never scrape by again, not as long as I can help it.”

Mom burst into tears. “Nicole will be thrilled. All I keep hearing about is how wonderful her Wyatt is. She’s taken ownership of that man.”

“Well, that feeling is mutual. I’m sure she will have the princess room of her dreams. The boys will get to decorate theirs the way they want them, too. Sikes and Snipe love the kids and honestly, Gabriel needs structure, and they are the perfect men for that job.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that one. I just don’t know why he’s so angry all the time.”

Mom and I were far too passive and played more nurturing roles in Gabe’s life when what he desired, whether he knew it or not, was structure and rules.

“What did I ever do to deserve you, Jase?”

“You made me the man that I am, Mom.”

“Way to make your mother cry. I won’t deny how desperate I am to get the kids out of here and out of that school. One more lockdown and I may lose my mind.”

“You and me both. Seriously, consider staying home for a while and figure out who Dana is and what Dana would like to do with her life.”

“I won’t deny how tired I am. I’ve missed so much of all your lives, and I hate that.”

“Now it’s time to change that. You deserve a better life, Mom, you just need to figure out what that entails. You’re young and beautiful and I just want you to be happy.”

“You have always been my beacon of light, Jase.” She squeezed my hand and sighed. “Sadly, I’m way past the age of modeling for sure. Maybe something along the line of fashion. Who knows. Jase, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Mom. Now start researching your dream home and figure out what we’re filling it with.”

“Love. A home is nothing without love.”

“That we have ten-fold, Mom.” Right on cue, Sikes and Snipe returned with the kids. They thought it was best to take them out for ice cream while Mom and I talked. I had a feeling it was more like their way of getting ice cream and using the kids as an excuse.

“Wyatt, Hayden. Thank you, seriously. Thank you.”

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Nicole dropped Sikes’ hand like a hot potato and ran straight toward Mom.

“These are happy tears, sweet girl. We get to move into a big house where everyone will have their own rooms thanks to Jason, Wyatt, and Hayden.” It cracked me up how Mom and Nicole both refused to call them Sikes and Snipe. Initially both Mom and Nicole mixed them up a couple of times but once they got it down they refused to call them anything else. And Nolan calling Snipe Mr. Sniper was freaking adorable.

Nicole and Nolan cheered. Gabe’s eyes widened but that was the best we’d get. I wish I knew what the disconnect was with him. Mom was very affectionate with us and because of that so were the rest of us. All except for Gabe.

“No need to thank us, ma’am,” Snipe said. “You’re family and families take care of each other.” Well, that threw her back into a fit of tears and before he realized it, he had arms full of Mom.

My Social Sinners brothers had it right—family doesn’t need blood to form a bond, it only needs to have a heart. And my family was living proof of just that.

How was it I had zero fear about this big transition in my life? Not so much moving my family to a better place but moving in with two men I’d only just started dating? But it felt right. Like bone deep, without question right. They wanted the best not only for me but for my family and that right there sealed the deal for me.

Never having been in love before, I still knew there was no way what I felt for Sikes and Snipe was anything but that. Who did that? Just jumped into the deep end and upended their life for another. Kids and mom included. I sensed nothing off key about any of this and was well aware of the extensive background checks they went through, not only within their own organization but with Masterson as well.

They were on the up and up. No bullshit, no closets with shit spilling out of it. Just good, honest, hard working men with huge hearts.

The stress of leaving Mom and the kids for months on end wasn’t as weighted as it once was, and I got the feeling she wanted to be home with the kids as much as we wanted her to be. She blamed herself for Gabe’s negative attitude but having lived the same life in the same place as him, it made no sense to me.

While Mom got the kids bathed and ready for bed, Sikes, Snipe and I headed back to the hotel.

“When do you guys return to Vegas?” I hated the thought of them leaving. We’d fallen into sharing the same bed every night and I dreaded going back to the lonely, lumpy couch. I knew it was temporary, but that still sucked.

“Deuce is in Vegas now checking out apartments. We let Fizzbo know about the house, so I think we’ll book at an extended-stay hotel until it closes.” Sikes turned into the parking garage.

“Fizzbo will figure all that out,” Snipe added. “Are you gonna stay with us when we get back?”

“What if I, um, what if I tagged along to Vegas and helped you pack up?” Selfish much? Maybe, but just having found my partners, I wasn’t about to relent. Not even for a few days.

“Works for me.” The timing across the board couldn’t have gone better if we planned it.

Life was great.

“I see a lot of myself in Gabe.” Snipe’s words shocked the hell out of me. We’d just slid into the hotel jacuzzi after they’d worked out. I rode the treadmill for a bit but that was the extent of my muscle mania.

“How so?”

“He’s got a lot of anger. Did he know his dad?”

“Nah, none of us did. I remember him, though. He was an asshole. When Mom told him she was pregnant he decided to use her as a human punching bag. Blamed her for everything. Said she dressed like a slut and was one. I called the cops, and he got hauled off, but we never heard from him again. Thank fuck.”

“Damn, you must’ve been what, fourteen?” Sikes asked.

“Yeah, but I’ve been working since I was twelve. Babysat for some of the parents in the complex.”

“Yet you always see the positive in everything. I grew up bouncing around between foster homes. Some of those parents must’ve went to the same school Gabe’s dad did.” Snipe shook his head. “I was an angry fucker. Never knew my folks or anything about them.”

“Sorry, babe.” I’d yet to call them anything sweet but when Snipe leaned over and kissed me I knew I’d chosen the right moment. “I try to see the positive and make sure I’m as upbeat as possible in front of the kids. It’s hard for Mom and I know she just wants us to be happy. After the twins she stopped dating altogether. I had a feeling she had been searching for the perfect father for us but dumpster diving ain’t gonna land that.” It’d been years since she’d been on a date, and I hoped like hell she’d take this gift the three of us were giving her in the form of time to find herself and realize she didn’t need a man. She was more than enough on her own. “She was too damn young when she had me.”

“Well, we aren’t their dads, but we’d like to be a positive role model in the kids’ lives. Plus, I have a great time playing with them.”

“You and your little princess,” Snipe teased Sikes, though I know he secretly loved the way they’d taken to each other.

“What can I say? It’s the best of both worlds. Having kids without really having them. I just hope we caught the anger bug in Gabe quick enough. Lead by example is one of many things Fizzbo’s drilled into us and I plan to do just that with them.” Sikes was a smart fucker, and that tactic was what the kids needed most.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys. I know I’ve said it before but every day you amaze me. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear you were sent from heaven.”

Snipe nearly choked. “Trust me. Heaven doesn’t want us, and hell doesn’t want the challenge. We’ve done and seen things no human should ever endure. We’ve been to hell and back and bear the scars to prove it.”

“Amen, brother.”

“Fuck, Sikes, that sounds incestuous as hell.” Snipe did not enjoy Sikes’ turn of phrase. Took a minute to sink in and when it hit I lost it. “Laugh your ass off now, Jase, but he’ll get you too one day. That man uses the worst metaphors at the worst time.”

“Fuck you very much.”

“And there you have it. But I love the dumb fucker just as I love you.”

“You love me?” Did Snipe just seriously throw those words out?

“I do.”

“We both do, Jason.” Sikes and Snipe leaned in and kissed me. “Snipe and I’ve felt it for a while. The draw to you was for a reason, our hearts already felt what our minds took longer to understand.”

“Fuck, guys. You gut me. Watching you with the kids it hit me how far gone I was. But will it always be this easy?” There had to be speed bumps along the way, right? This fell into place at lightning speed, but I’d seen no reason to hit the brakes. “I’ve always been a go with the flow kind of guy and with us it was no different and I’m glad I hadn’t overthought it.”

“I know we moved fast but Snipe and I only know one speed. We learned the hard way that if you want something bad enough you go after it. We felt that way with each other and we felt that way again, with you.”

For two guys who claim words aren’t their friends, they sure had no problem saying the right ones to me.

“So, we haven’t had the sex conversation yet.”

“Well, when three men love each other,” Snipe began, though the jackass couldn’t keep a straight face.

Sikes cracked up and I shook my head. “Cute. I was headed more down the condom or no condom road. We get tested every six months and I haven’t hooked up since the last tour.” Got home, got busy, lost all track of time.

Unsaid words passed between them through a glance. I hoped to someday share that brain with them.

“We get tested, too, but we’ve only been with each other for the past twenty years.” Sikes’ reply made me wonder why Fizzbo would continue to test them then. Maybe other guards had strayed? Who knew. “And just for the record, while we don’t have any condoms, only lube, I’d run and get them if you wanted us to use them.”

Why did this feel like a bigger step than moving in was? I’d never gone bare, but I’d also never hooked up with the same guy twice. “Given I haven’t been with anyone since the last test I’d, um, I’d like for us to go without them. Unless you feel otherwise, of course.”

“I’d prefer no barrier between any of us,” Snipe kissed my shoulder while Sikes focused on my lips.

Why was that so freaking hot? One to the back, one to the front. This was the shit porn was made of.

While I loved their hands and lips all over me, the hotel hot tub was not a discreet location for what my body craved. “Guys, I think we, um…oh yeah, that’s the spot. We-we need to move this upstairs.” My ability to walk was questionable with all the blood rushed to my dick. Hell, I was thankful I’d managed to get those few words out.

I almost protested when they got out until I remembered I’d asked for it.

They helped me out and handed me a towel. We dried just enough not to leave a trail of drips behind us and were in the elevator seconds later.

I couldn’t wait to be marked by both my men.