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Chapter One

Cade

Kincade Hayes took a deep sniff of the city smells as he walked down North Clark on his way to work. He was staying at Griff’s apartment in Boystown off West Cordelia.

He’d been staying with his friend since Ford proposed to Jax, and Cade left. It seemed to him they were at a good place in their relationship with the future they’d planned together. It was better to leave on his own terms than to be asked to leave.

When he phoned Griff that fateful night, Cade was grateful to find his friend was at home. He knew Griff spent a lot of time at Cleveland’s place, but he also knew Griff held onto the small apartment because, as he’d intimated to Cade one night when they were working together at Fairytails, he wasn’t ready to make a full commitment to the handsome bar manager.

“What’s wrong?” Griff asked when he finally picked up his cell phone. Cade was sitting at an all-night diner nursing a cup of coffee after he’d run away from the hospital. He wanted so much to be happy for Jax and Ford because they were going to get married. He’d always seen it coming. He had no place in the middle of a marriage, so his work was done.

“ I was wondering if maybe I could crash on your couch or your floor for a few days. Ford and Jax are engaged,” Cade said, trying to sound upbeat between the sobs. It was pathetic, really.

“ Oh, babe, where are you? I’ll pick you up.”

Cade told him, and Griff wasted no time rescuing him. The next day after confirming Ford was at the club and Jax was at the stadium, Cade went to the apartments and gathered his meager belongings. He rented a small U-Haul van and began moving his things, ignoring the restrictions of his lease regarding the fucking elevators. Fuck Darren. He’d never see him again.

He left the table, chairs, queen-sized bed, and black recliner in 2C and left a note on the door of 2D, enclosing his key to their place and thanking them for everything.

He stopped at the rental office and arranged to sublet his apartment, stating there was a death in the family as his reason for leaving the apartment as quickly as possible. He left his cell number in the event there was interest, and he rented a storage unit to store his things until he had a new job and could afford to get his own place again.

Cade hadn’t contacted his mother because she’d had enough on her plate. He’d reasoned that Rina had his cell in the event of an emergency, and he could figure out his problems on his own without the aid of his mother.

Griff and Cade had many discussions about what Griff had perceived to be Cade’s fatal mistake. Griff believed Jax and Ford only got their relationship on track because of Cade’s love for them. Cade, however, knew in his heart it was the right thing for him to do, leaving them to each other.

Jax and Ford had been together for a long time before Cade ever showed up, and they would have a brighter, less complicated future without him around to muddy the waters. Life would proceed as it should for all of them.

Walking down the street to the shelter where he’d taken a job as a day monitor, Cade was feeling the sadness closing in around him again. He felt it every time he went to the shelter because it made his heart hurt to think of all the lost boys with nowhere to go and nobody to care what happened to them.

It was nearly Christmas, which didn’t make his situation any more bearable, but Cade had volunteered to work at the shelter over the holidays so the other people who worked there would be able to spend time with their families since he wouldn’t be spending any time with his.

His mother had left him a message telling him she was going to New Mexico with some of her friends to spend the holidays, so he had no plans. That made him even sadder, but he hoped he could perk up for the sake of the boys at the shelter. They didn’t deserve his sour mood, what with all the problems they’d faced in their short lives.

He walked into the building to see Sam Belew, the overnight monitor, looking relieved to have him there. Hey, Sammy. What’s up?” Cade asked as he took off his messenger bag and settled it behind the counter.

“We got a new kid last night. He was scared to death and refused to sleep in one of the dorms, so I moved him into a single room. I waited to report him to Children’s Protective Services until this morning, Cade. He’s a cute little guy who can’t be more than thirteen. I couldn’t turn him away, but he doesn’t belong here,” Sam explained.

The shelter was an old youth hostel taken over by a company opening youth shelters all over the city, likely funded by a group of well-meaning rich people. The shelters operated as temporary housing for individuals aged sixteen to twenty with one shelter designated for male-identified individuals and the other for female-identified individuals. It was a safe alternative to being on the streets, even if it wasn’t a long-term option.

The people who worked at the shelter assisted the residents in finding jobs and better housing, as opposed to leaving them on the streets to fall prey to unscrupulous people who would take advantage of them or drag them into many of the temptations which usually befell street kids, namely sex work or drugs. Unfortunately, the well-meaning monitors at the shelter where Cade was working weren’t always successful at keeping the young folks from succumbing, but it didn’t keep them from trying.

The shelter had twelve sleeping rooms available, each with two beds so they could host twenty-four kids a night. There were two single rooms for the monitors who worked nights, but Cade knew Sam slept in the living room to better hear if anyone came to the front door in need of assistance.

It wasn’t a state-sponsored group home. It depended on donations trickling down from corporate headquarters, but the funding issue wasn’t Cade’s concern. He was merely a counselor/monitor. Liam, Cade’s lawyer during his mother’s yet-to-be-decided divorce case, told Cade about the opportunity, for which he was grateful.

After a week of dead ends on the job front, Cade called William O’Malley, or Liam, the lawyer who had represented him at the deposition for his mother’s divorce case. He’d been a referral from a friend of Ford’s, but Cade was counting on the attorney-client privilege to be in place when he told Liam where he was staying. They agreed to meet at a nearby coffee shop.

“ I told you things wouldn’t work out with… no, no. I’m not gonna be that guy, okay? What can I do to help, Cade?” Cade felt him appraising his body and it made him uncomfortable, but he was at his wit’s end regarding a paying job.

“ I’m staying with a friend right now, but I can tell things between him and his boyfriend are getting more serious, so I need to be gone so they can move in together. I need a cheap place to live before I end up living in my storage locker, and I need a job.

“ I don’t have any references, but I’m a hard worker and I have a degree in business. I know my work history looks shady, okay? I mean, I graduated from college in May, and I’ve had more jobs than I’d like to mention since then. I can’t get references from my last two jobs because I need to disappear from their lives, so do you have any ideas? I mean, I’ll wash dishes, haul trash, dance. I don’t have that much pride,” he stated, feeling totally defeated and at Liam’s mercy.

“ I mean nothing sexual by this,” Liam stated before pulling him into his arms where Cade broke down. They went for a walk as Cade explained to him what had happened, seeing the man fighting within himself to make a move on him. Thankfully, Liam remained a gentleman because Cade wasn’t ready to consider another relationship, and it would be awkward to turn down Liam’s advances. Cade erred on the side of caution and made his feelings known to the lawyer to save any miscommunication or expectations of repayment for a favor.

“ Just so you know, I’m not ready to even consider any type of relationship, okay? I’m not ready to move on and I doubt I ever will be, but I could really use a friend,” he whispered to Liam. The man hugged him harder before he pulled away.

Liam inhaled a deep breath before he looked into Cade’s eyes. “Okay, platonic. I’m saying this up front… if you ever change your mind, I’ll be waiting. Now, let’s see what we can do about a job and a place to live that’s better than a storage unit.”

“What time is CPS coming by?” Cade asked Sammy as he looked at the log to see if they’d had any repeat customers sign-in overnight. Cade tried to help them find places to work where they might be able to make money away from the streets, but he knew many of the boys who filtered through the Clark Street Shelter ended up being sex workers, regardless of how often he and the other counselors tried to steer them down a different path. It was Boystown after all, and who wanted to wash dishes for a couple bucks an hour when one could earn several hundred dollars a night as a hustler.

Sam chuckled. “Any time now, I’m sure. Don’t let him leave, Cade. He’s too young and too cute to be on the streets. It’s supposed to get damn cold tonight.”

“Gotcha. I’ll put him to work in the kitchen with Bev. Take care,” Cade called as Sammy left without looking back.

Kincade checked to see his things were locked up in the drawer under the front desk before he walked to the front door to secure it so he could go back to the kitchen where he smelled Beverly’s cinnamon pancakes and bacon. He also smelled the strong coffee, which was always a temptation.

As he headed down the hallway, a large hand clamped down on Cade’s shoulder. He turned to see a repeat guest, a giant of a boy of eighteen. His name was Todd, and he’d seemed like a gentle giant the last time he’d stopped by Clark Street Shelter before Sam helped the kid get into a group home for young men with intellectual challenges. Based on the two black eyes, Cade was guessing that situation had changed for the worse.

“Hi, Todd.” Panic grew inside him as Cade scanned the entrance seeing nobody else around.

“Hi, Mr. Hayes. You look good today. I thought we could go out for coffee.” The guy squeezed Cade’s shoulder again… harder.

Cade tried to scoot out from under the iron claw the guy had on his shoulder, but Todd grabbed him around the waist and started for the front door, which Cade knew was locked.

“Todd put me down. I don’t want to kick you out, but I will if you continue to be aggressive with me. You’ll leave me no choice.”

Cade was threatening the young man, trying to exude authority to gain control of the situation. Being carried like a rag doll in another guy’s arms made it a little difficult.

When Todd laughed and flipped the dead bolt, Cade knew he was in trouble. He’d taken a few of the self-defense classes Cleveland had taught at Rainbow House, and he remembered the man’s words.

“ If your attacker tries to take you to another location, fight like hell because the chances you’ll make it out of that location alive are narrow. Use everything you have to hurt the person. Nothing is off-limits when you’re fighting for your life.”

In that moment, Cade knew his friend was dead right. He began kicking as hard as he could, trying to get the man to put him down. He even started screaming until the large kid put a hand over his mouth. Cade bit the guy and was suddenly dropped onto the ground, his ass hitting the cold sidewalk with a jolt to his spine.

His breath escaped him for a few seconds until he saw the last person he expected to see... Jackson Delacroix with his hand on the throat of the kid, pinning him to the wall. The younger man’s legs were flailing about as he clawed at Jax’s hand holding him aloft about two feet from the ground.

“Lucky, let him down. He didn’t mean any harm. He has a few challenges. Don’t hurt him, please?” Cade pleaded for the guy’s life because he knew the protective look in the football player’s eyes, and it wasn’t one of compassion. It was bloodlust.

“Only for you, chére.” The big redhead tossed Todd to the ground. Cade noticed the concern in Jax’s eyes.

The football player walked over and examined his body, finally commenting, “What the fuck are you doing working here? Why…? We’ve been looking for you for months, Kincade. We want you to come home.” Jax gently held Cade’s hand.

Cade chuckled. “I, uh, I need to deal with this situation. He needs to leave the shelter, but I’ve got to let him get his things. I don’t want to call the police because I don’t think locking him up in jail is the best thing for him.”

Jax nodded. “You’re too fuckin’ trusting. Come on, let’s go get his stuff.” He grabbed the cowering teenager and dragged him back inside the shelter.

“Get your shit and get out. Don’t you dare ever come back here, you hear me?” Jax threatened. Cade was pretty sure the kid pissed his pants, but when he ran off, he couldn’t be sure.

Later, after Todd was off the premises, Cade turned to Jax. “How’d you find me?”

Jax took a seat on the stool behind the desk and pulled Cade into him. The younger man could have sworn the big man smelled his hair. The man was shaking, so Cade wrapped his arms around Jackson, the “Ragin’ Cajun”. He was one of the most badass defensive linemen for Chicago, and why he was sobbing was truly a mystery.

He held Jax tightly and swayed with him, trying to offer comfort. “It’s okay. I’m okay, Lucky.” He ran his fingers through the locks of red hair. It was as soft as Ford had promised him, months ago.

“Oh, um. Sorry,” he heard behind him. He pulled away from Jax enough to see a cute boy with light-brown hair and bright blue eyes standing at the desk.

The boy had to be the one Sammy had told him about. “Hi, I’m Cade. What can I help you with?” Cade moved in front of Jax.

The boy smiled. “I just wanted to settle my bill before I leave.” The young man handed over a twenty.

Cade looked at the money and looked at the boy. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Ash. Thanks for letting me spend the night. I need to get going.” The boy’s eyes darted around the room while avoiding Cade’s stare.

“What’s your hurry?” There was a familiarity about the boy, giving Cade an uncomfortable knot in his gut.

“The night guy called the cops before he took off. Look, I’m not looking for trouble, okay? I just need to go.” The young man hurried out the door.

Cade looked at Jax. “Don’t sit there! Go bring him back. I have a feeling I know who he is. Go get him, please! ”

Jax didn’t hesitate as he hurried out the door, much lighter on his feet than Cade expected him to be. Last game he’d watched, Jax had been less than effective on the line, such that he was benched in the second half. Watching the line take the field to Crazy Train without Jax leading it had broken his heart.

When Jax came back towing the boy by the back of his coat collar, Cade giggled. The kid was pissed, but Jax had a huge grin on his face.

“Thank you, Jackson.” Cade gave him a smile.

“Get this fuckin’ gorilla off me. I know you’ve got a social worker coming, and I don’t intend to stick around. I’ll tell ’em you two were gonna molest me. That’ll get me outta here. They won’t put up with that shit.” The kid’s expression was serious.

Jax chuckled. “Sorry, little dude, but we’ve both had extensive background checks, so they won’t buy it. What’s your last name?”

“Nunya.” The boy stared at Jax, who still held him by his jacket in front of the desk.

“Is that Greek or something?” Jax stared at Cade, who couldn’t hold the laugh before he looked up at one of the loves of his life.

“It’s smart-ass teenager if I recall correctly. Where’s your husband?” Cade asked.

“The wedding is on hold because we lost an important element. We bought a house. You’ll love it. Please, chére, come home. You left before we got to the best part of it.”

The door opened and Roberta Stubbe, the social worker with whom Cade had dealt the most, walked in to survey the situation.

“Hello, Kincade. Who are these two?” She pointed at Jax and the boy he had by the collar.

Jax released Ash, not before anchoring the kid to his front with a large arm over the kid’s shoulder. “I’m Jackson Delacroix, ma’am. I’m one of the donors sponsoring this shelter. This is our friend, Ash, who refuses to tell us his last name.”

Jax’s comment surprised Cade. “You own it?”

“Not really own , but I donated, along with a lot of guys from the Breeze, to sponsor it. You remember Stan Adams, my agent? Well, Sam is his husband. He’s into the philanthropy thing like you.” Jax grinned.

“Did you…” Kincade began his protest.

Jax stepped forward, taking Cade’s hand. “ No! This was underway as soon as I signed with Sam, okay? After he negotiated my new contract, I wanted to give something back, and he presented me with this opportunity. I talked to some other guys, and they got involved. Rainbow House is great, but this place keeps these kids off the street at night by giving them a place to sleep aside from a cardboard box.

“Anyway, Ash, you might as well tell this nice lady your name because she’s not gonna let you walk outta here without knowing it.” Jax chuckled.

Cade took a deep breath. “I believe his name is Ashton Hayes. He’s my half-brother.”

Stunned faces all around.