Page 22 of Lane (East Dremest Mafia #5)

RAIDEN

“You’re beaming like your kid just won the science competition,” my brother said.

“I do feel like a proud parent, but I’m a proud boyfriend. You should have seen how easily Lane handled the meeting.”

Barrett padded into the living room on bare feet. “Everyone gets to have fun but me.” He dropped onto the couch.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. “Don’t like being in PR?”

“Don’t make me hurt you, Raiden.”

I laughed. It was so much fun to rile him up.

“I’m still jealous,” he pouted. “I enjoy helping people, but the damn legwork can be so boring.”

“It’s not like Reghan and I are living it up. We’re sitting in the living room with you.”

“That makes me feel a little better. Hey, I heard you met Alton’s sister.”

I nodded. “And her husband. He tried to threaten Lane and me, saying we better treat Alton well, like I’d do anything else.”

“Alton seemed happy when he left yesterday morning,” Barrett said. We’d run into him in the hallway.

Grinning, I replied, “Of course, he was.”

Reghan and I had been close all our lives.

When he started seeing Barrett, I knew things would change.

I also knew it was time for me to get off my ass and do something about Lane and Alton.

If only it had been that easy for me to do so.

Reghan was moving forward with his life.

I had to do the same. I still had the hurdle of making Alton feel included.

Jealousy was a feeling I understood. I couldn’t stand the thought of Lane and Alton fooling around without me, so it was all or none of us. Alton’s feelings were different. He thought he didn’t belong. I’d wanted him for years, but the sting of rejection festered inside of me.

“Hey,” Reghan said as he nudged my foot with his. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t hesitate to answer him. Whatever I said would stay in this room.

“Alton’s worried he doesn’t fit with us because Lane and I are here, and he’s not.

With me guarding Lane now, that means we’re together more.

I told Alton that’s work, and he knows how seriously I take my job.

We want him here whenever he can be. Jordan has no issue with him.

Alton has access. I’m not sure what to do until he understands we desire him as much as we do each other. ”

Barrett leaned against my brother’s other side.

It was a good thing they had a sectional so we could easily fit.

“I don’t think your words are enough. You have to show him.

He probably thinks you two are spending quality time together during the day.

The reality is much less glamorous. Not what I experience daily out in the city making sure people love and appreciate Jordan. ”

I tried hard not to laugh. Poor Barrett wanted in on the action.

Reghan put his arm around Barrett’s shoulders. “Jordan told you he’d use your skills when need be.”

“Great, I can’t wait for six months to go by before I hold a gun for something other than keeping my skills sharp. Yippee,” he deadpanned.

“I like knowing you’re safe.”

“Ditto, yet I can’t be there to watch your back.”

They kept talking, while I was glad I was in the position I was.

Lane would have me to protect him every time he left the building.

Right now, he was upstairs meeting with Jordan.

There was no wondering if Lane was safe when he went out.

I knew firsthand, but Alton didn’t. He had no way of seeing or understanding what we did.

It was confidential and we couldn’t and wouldn’t break Jordan’s trust.

Lifting my phone from the couch cushion, I took a quick photo of my brother and Barrett and sent it to Alton.

Me: Where I am. How about you?

He texted back a photo of the view outside his office in his practice. It was of his vehicle and others in the parking lot.

Alton: You win.

This was the least I could do—include him in our day. It also showed I didn’t spend all of my free time with Lane.

Alton: Where’s Lane?

Me: Upstairs with the boss.

Alton: I have more patients to see. Tonight?

Me: We’ll be waiting.

I swore my mom had fucking radar because she texted me right after I messaged Alton. It was as if she knew the phone was in my hand.

Mom: It’s your father's birthday this weekend. We’re having a party. I expect you there with your boyfriends.

I put the phone down and glared at my brother, but he only had eyes for Barrett, so I kicked Reghan.

“What the fuck?” He shoved my shoulder.

“You told her.”

“I told who what?”

“Mom about Lane and Alton.”

“The hell I did. That was up to you.”

I handed him my phone so he could see the message. Meanwhile, Barrett sank lower on the couch.

“Bear?” My brother had a bit of a growl in his voice.

“It might have slipped out when she called earlier. You can’t be angry though.” He turned to face us. “My mom was an asshole. I can’t help that I let it slip when she brought you up.”

I lunged at him but didn’t get past my brother.

His hard eyes held mine. “Don’t.” He faced Barrett. “You don’t tell my mom shit that’s not your business. Ray would have gotten there. He’s still making sure Alton feels included. Jesus, Bear.”

“Oh, so they get eased into a meet-the-family while I was ambushed?”

“You weren’t ambushed,” I said. “You showed up where we were eating dinner.”

“Whatever. I wasn’t prepared to meet anyone’s parents.”

“So you want my boyfriends to suffer because you did? Fuck you. Also, there’s a family gathering this weekend. You both aren’t missing it after this shit. Arrange coverage.” I’d be damned if I had to introduce Alton and Lane to my parents without Reghan and Barrett there. I needed a buffer.

My brother lifted his phone. “She didn’t text me.”

I shot off a quick message to my mom.

Me: Reghan and Barrett will be there too.

Fuck them. They were going down with me.

I loved my parents and would do anything for them, but the thought of Lane and Alton meeting them made me nervous. For them, not my parents. This was a big deal.

I smirked at Barrett and Reghan. “I just RSVP’d for you. You’re welcome.”

“Jordan won’t care if I’m not here,” Barrett said. “If he does, he can find someone else to sing his praises for a day. And I love your mother. She calls me once a week to see how I am.” That wasn’t surprising. My parents had big hearts. Mom would treat Barrett like family.

“I’ll go talk to Barry,” I said and got to my feet. I had to text Lane and Alton too, or wait until later when we were all in the same room.

“Don’t mention us yet,” Reghan said. “We have to clear it with Jordan.”

I nodded and walked to the door. I forgot I didn’t wear shoes over here. After stepping into my apartment to put them on, I took the stairs down to the fourth floor where the security command center was.

A keypad beside the door lit up when I punched in the code. Inside the room, screens lined the wall showing various parts of the building and property. They flickered every now and then, switching to another area where movement triggered the cameras.

Barry sat at the desk with a guard he was training to man the monitors. With the way guards were shuffling around, it made sense to have more support in here.

Turning, Barry asked, “Ray, what’s going on?”

“I have family plans Saturday afternoon and evening. Lane will be with me.” Even though he was the only one I protected now, I still needed to report in when I took time off.

“I appreciate it. I’m assuming Reghan and Barrett will be attending as well?” Right, I probably shouldn’t have said it was for family.

“Hopefully, but don’t mention anything yet. Reghan has to talk to Jordan first.”

He nodded. “No worries. It will be the weekend, which means Jordan will most likely stay in. It’s easier to juggle. I’ll see who’s free and who will be on call for backup. This way when Reghan tells me I’m prepared.”

“Sounds good. Thank you.” I exited the room and stopped right before I ran into someone.

“Hi.” Lane grinned.

“How did you know I was down here?” I wasn’t even gone ten minutes.

“I know everything now. Plus, your brother told me.”

“Any plans this weekend?”

“You mean besides having you or Alton fucking me or me fucking one of you? No.”

“It’s my dad’s birthday, which I forgot. They’re having a party and want us all to go.”

“By us all, you mean…”

“You, Al, Reghan, Barrett, and me.”

His eyes widened. “Wow, meeting two families in one week. At least we’ll get it out of the way.”

I wasn’t worried about what my parents would think of Lane and Alton. I didn’t like Barrett telling them before I had a chance to, but I’d already confronted him about that.

“Do you think Al will be good with it?” I asked.

“Why wouldn’t he be? He’s great with people.”

“I’m still worried he’s not completely comfortable with us yet. He’s fine when we’re together, but he withdraws when we’re not. I need to be better about texting him during the day. We should let him know we’re thinking about him.”

Lane took my hand in his. “Al’s unsure, yes, but he’s not going anywhere. Not only has he been waiting a long time to be with you, but when you and I are together, he can’t resist us.”

“I can’t lose either of you.” The thought sent a stab of pain into my chest.

“No one’s going anywhere. You can’t get rid of me. Literally. We live in the same building and you watch my ass. There’s no escaping me.”

My arms went around him. “I’m never letting you go.”

“Is that a promise?” His voice was barely a whisper. The vulnerability he tried to hide bled through. Lane was confident here and slowly growing more so with the responsibility Jordan gave him. Being in a relationship with Alton and me was new.

“It is,” I told him.

Looking into his eyes, I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was falling for him. With Alton, I started falling years ago, even when I thought he didn’t want me. I couldn’t turn my feelings off.

I brushed my fingers along Lane’s forehead, sweeping his hair aside. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Me?” he scoffed. “Have you looked in a mirror? You’re all hard edges with a sinful tongue and a cock that was made to wreck my ass. If anyone’s beautiful, it’s you.”

Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. The guard who was in the security room must have been leaving, but he heard the end of our conversation. With his eyes on the floor, he slowly retreated into the room and shut the door.

Lane and I couldn’t hold our laughter in.