Chapter 5: Chapter Five

“Thanks for the ride, Ramos.”

The car door clicked shut, and Luke’s gaze trailed Scott as he headed up the path to his, Pearce, and Becky’s house. Shoulders bowed, head down, Scott stepped onto the unlit porch to unlock the door. The man looked downright defeated. Not surprising, since he’d caught his boyfriend kissing another man, but that shit could be worked out.

Luke glanced over at Sebastian Ramos, his own…boyfriend? Master? Fuck the labels. He chewed on half his bottom lip, wondering if Seb would be pissed about him kissing Tyler. Probably not—hard to tell with Seb being so quiet. Luke couldn’t remember if he’d mentioned the kiss in all his drunken rambling. He did know Seb hadn’t told him to “Be silent.”

Seemed wrong. The car started moving and Luke braced himself as Seb let out a heavy sigh. This was it. Seb was gonna give him shit or lay out what his punishment would be. Not something painful—he knew Luke would like that a bit too much. He’d get creative. Orgasm denial or something equally nasty.

Wasn’t a long drive home, but Luke was still shocked when they pulled into the driveway. Didn’t move after Seb parked the car. Turned it off. Got out.

Nothing? Luke scrambled out of the car and up to the house as Seb disappeared inside. He said nothing.

“Seb?” Luke took off his jacket and hung it up between Seb’s and—whose coat was that? He shook his head, kicking off his boots and following Seb into the kitchen. The scent of bacon and beef almost shifted his attention, but he kept his eyes on Sebastian’s stiff back. The snug black shirt showed each and every hard muscle, unmoving steel locked in displeasure. And he still wasn’t talking. “Can you say something?”

“Goodnight, Luke.” Seb rolled his shoulders, then went over to the stove where Jami was flipping a few burger patties. His tone was soft as he kissed her cheek. “Don’t stay up too late, mi cielo.”

“I won’t.” Jami watched Seb leave the kitchen, then turned to Luke. He expected her to be all bitchy because he’d upset their Master, but there was some understanding in her eyes. She held her hand out, drawing him close and resting her head on his shoulder. “I made you a burger—might keep you from getting hungover if you don’t already feel sick?”

“I’m all right. Just one though… You eating too?” He frowned at the third burger. There was no throwing out food here. Wouldn’t be wasting if he fed it to his dog—he hadn’t spoiled Bear with people food in a while.

Jami nodded as she put the patties, bacon, and buns together on three plates. “Yeah, I’m starving! Becky left something for me and Casey, but I was so busy with Amia I didn’t get to sit down long enough to eat!” She laughed and got that dreamy look in her eyes that had been there a lot lately. “I think Daddy and Silver are having me watch her to scare me out of wanting my own baby, but it’s so not working. Now I know I can do it.”

“Yeah, you can, boo.” Grabbing a butter knife from the drawer, Luke slathered some mayonnaise on the inside of his bun, then squirted some barbeque sauce on the pile of bacon. He added a slice of cheese, flattened the whole thing, then took a big bite. After he finished moaning at the mouthful of heaven, he cleared his throat. “When we’re all ready though, ’kay? I’m having a good time just being a godfather and an uncle and doing all the fun stuff. I saw how hard it was for Landon to get used to leaving his baby to go on the road.”

“You don’t have Landon’s issues.” Jami licked some ketchup off her finger as she fixed up her own burger. The third one was still sitting on the plate. If it was for Seb, it was gonna get cold. Jami kept talking before he could point that out. “Anyway, you’ll have to get used to having a baby around.”

“How come? Are you pregnant? Fucking waste of condoms if you are—kinda like the idea of not needing them anymore though, and…wow. Just wow.” Luke grinned as he took another bite. He and Seb were being careful because they were still at the planning and discussing things stage, but if it happened, then it was meant to be. He reached out to touch Jami’s belly through her pale blue nightshirt, a strange warmth spreading through him. Didn’t matter who’d put the baby in her, it would be his kid. Which was pretty cool.

Screw how fun being the awesome uncle is. I’m gonna be a daddy!

Jami’s eyes went big and she looked like she was gonna cry as she threw herself into his arms. His burger hit the floor and Bear was suddenly there, all big floppy ears and wagging tail, almost tripping them both as he snatched the patty and took off.

“Hey! That’s mine, brat!” Luke laughed, knowing full well he’d never get it back. Besides, Jami was so cuddly and crying for some reason, and he had to take care of his pregnant woman. Hormones probably made her all sensitive. He squeezed her gently and kissed her hair. “It’s gonna be okay. Some of the other players are dads, so we can make it work. How far along are you? Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl? Not like I care, but—”

Bubbly laughter rose from Jami’s lips as she tipped her head back. “I’m not pregnant yet, Luke. But you’re amazing, and I love that you’d be like this if I was.”

“Oh.” He tried not to be disappointed. And to figure out how he could change Seb’s mind about trying to have a baby. Sighed as he remembered Seb was not too happy with him. Baby talk is gonna have to wait. He reached for the extra burger. “Might have softened our man up a bit. Baby news would have done it, but you’ll find another way.”

“I will not. You’re gonna fix this yourself, stud. But not tonight.” Jami poked the center of his chest before spinning around with his replacement burger in hand. “Give him some time to cool off.”

“He seems cool enough. Be better if he’d yell at me.”

“You know he won’t. He’s a little too calm though. I wouldn’t want to be you.” She spun again at a sound from the doorway and her eyes lit up. “Good! It fits! You hungry?”

A cupboard door opened and closed. Luke didn’t turn. He had a very, very bad feeling, but wasn’t sure why. He was forgetting something that had happened around the car going through the garage door. Before the cops showed up.

Crunching. A familiar voice. “Starving, but the shower made me feel a lot better. Thank you so much, Jami. You’ve been awesome.”

Sam. His half-sister. The little punk was here?

Eyes narrowed, he looked over his shoulder at her.

There was a box of Keebler Chips Deluxe in one of her hands. Open. And she was eating them!

“Those are mine.” He took a step forward. Jami tugged him back. He grunted and leaned against the counter, grumbling. “Well, they are.”

“That’s all you’ve gotta say after not seeing your sister in years? Seriously?” Jami brought his burger to the table, gesturing for the punk to sit. “Don’t mind him, he got drunk and in trouble and he’s grumpy.”

“It’s all right.” The punk didn’t look at him. Just finished the cookie and started eating his burger. She spoke around a mouthful of his delicious bacon and juicy Angus beef. “I caught you all at a bad time.”

Really? He stared at her, her blonde hair all wet and tangled, looking bloodstained with those streaks. She was wearing one of Jami’s cute little nightgowns—the one with the cherries on it. He’d broken the strap the last time he’d taken it off Jami—she’d only fixed it recently. Seeing the punk wearing the nightgown was weird. He shuddered and looked away. She could keep it now.

Jami rubbed his sister’s arm, then glared at him. “You’re not really this pissed about the cookies, are you?”

“No. I’m just tired. And hungry.” He went to the fridge to get a frozen patty. Wouldn’t be as good as the fresh ones Jami had made, but he had to eat or he’d never be able to get through practice in the morning. “Sorry, Punk.”

“It’s fine, Bro-ha.” Sam gave him a hesitant smile. “Umm…how’s your mom doing?”

Damn. He put the patty back in the box. Slammed the freezer door. “She’s fine. Did you ever manage to pay her back?”

The punk’s face went red. “Luke, I—”

“Yeah. Didn’t think so.” He breathed in and out real slow to calm down. Went over to kiss Jami and let her know who she was dealing with before his sister fooled her like she did everyone else. “You might want to hide your purse, boo. I’ll make sure the alarm’s on so she doesn’t sneak out with any of Seb’s silverware. I’m gonna crash in the guest room.”

Jami took a step back. Glanced from him to his sister. “I don’t understand what—Samantha’s staying in the guest room. Why don’t you sleep in your own bed with me and Sebastian?”

“All you need to understand is my sweet little sister is a liar and a thief. She’s here, so she can stay the night, but I want her out of here tomorrow.” That settled, he kissed Jami again so she’d know he didn’t blame her for not knowing about the punk. He hadn’t known until pretty recently, when he’d asked his mom why Sam didn’t visit anymore. Mom had always treated his sister well, even though she was the result of an affair, wanting him to be close to her.

That had turned out to be a huge mistake.

“Can I ask you something before you storm out, big brother? Just curious, since you’re so perfect.” The punk’s tone was sharp, her lips white as he turned to face her. Her brows lifted slightly. “What were you arrested for again?”

“Not for stealing from a woman who gave me everything and loved me my whole life, that’s for sure.”

“That was years ago!”

“Uh-huh. And you made it right when you visited while she was sick—no, wait, pretty sure you never even called.” Luke held up his hand before she could say anything else. “Tomorrow you are gone.”

“I’m in trouble, Luke. Please—”

“I don’t fucking care, Sam.” He swallowed hard, getting the fuck out of the room before she could try to make him feel sorry for her. She was good at that. Jami was probably going to be mad at him too now for not being all nice to his little sister. He dropped onto the sofa in the living room and brought a throw cushion up over his head to smother the angry shout he couldn’t hold in anymore.

How could one night—especially a night after a win—go so damn wrong?

Seemed like a long time before Jami and his sister went to bed. The house was quiet with him just lying there in the dark. Bear had curled up on his legs, stinking up the air with a fart, reminding Luke why he didn’t let his dog eat people food.

Heavy footsteps crossed the room. Luke held his breath, sensing Seb standing over him, not sure whether he should pretend to be asleep or see if Seb wanted to talk. Maybe it would be better to leave the talking to tomorrow rather than tonight when everything just kept getting worse.

Seb slid his hand around the back of Luke’s neck, speaking in a low voice that made Luke shiver. “Get up, niño.”

Luke sat up. Opened his mouth. Then shut it when Seb’s grip on his neck tightened.

“I am disappointed in you. We will not speak of it tonight, but one thing has not changed.” Seb trapped Luke with his hard gaze as Luke stood. His lip quirked a little at the edge when Luke swallowed hard. “No matter what happens, you belong with me.”

Pressing his eyes shut, overwhelmed with relief and regret all muddled together, Luke nodded. “Yes, Sir. But I have to tell you—”

“Not a word.”

Right. Luke nodded again and let Seb lead him to their bedroom. He smiled a little as he climbed into bed and Jami immediately snuggled up to his side. She usually slept in the middle when she stayed over, but Seb had made it clear that’s where he wanted Luke right now.

Which was really weird because he’d managed to get in the doghouse with both of them. If not the sofa, he should probably be sleeping on the floor. Or at the foot of the bed with Bear who’d hopped up and circled a few times before flopping down and passing out.

Tipping his head to the side so his cheek rested on Seb’s shoulder, Luke spoke quietly. “Can I ask you one thing, Sir?”

Seb chuckled, stretching his arm out behind Luke to smooth his hand over Jami’s hair. “If you must.”

“You’re mad at me, so I don’t get why you’d want me in here.”

“I’ve explained that already, niño.” Seb closed his eyes. And said it again, the one thing that let Luke know everything was gonna be okay. “This is where you belong.”

* * * *

The sandpaper scraping against the soft wood was damn therapeutic. Scott blew away the sawdust and ran his hand over the leg of the rocking horse he was making for Landon’s baby. There were a lot of small details in the design, and he’d been working on it for a while between projects. Amia was still a bit too young for it, but she’d enjoy it for years and he wanted to make sure it was perfect.

He needed to make it perfect. To focus on the wood and the design and not on seeing Zach and Zovko kissing. He hauled in air and the sawdust floating around him, blinking fast because all that dust irritated his eyes. And tightened his throat.

And he was full of shit.

Fuck! He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and punched his worktable. The pain reverberated up his arm. What the hell was he supposed to do? Zach and Becky were married and she wasn’t going to divorce him over a kiss.

Do you want her to?

He didn’t. Despite what had happened, he still loved Zach and didn’t want him going anywhere. But did Zach want to stay—no, wait. That wasn’t really the question, was it? He’d dealt with Zach doing scenes with others in the past, but only because he wasn’t threatened by the people Zach played with. Zovko was a different story.

Zovko fits here so much better than I do.

Dropping the sandpaper, he combed both fingers through his hair. Damn it, he wanted another drink. Only he wouldn’t drink here, wouldn’t be like that with Casey in the house. He wouldn’t have come home if he hadn’t sobered up enough. And he tried never to be stupid enough to need to make that choice. He had been the one to tell Zach they should be home for Casey in the morning. He’d almost fucked that up.

But you’re here.

Yeah, but for how long? The issue wasn’t Zach’s past with another man. Scott had thought about that a lot and knew it wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t so fucking scared about how easily he could be replaced.

He and Zach had talked about Zovko. Zach insisted there was nothing there, but the way he’d kissed the man… That wasn’t nothing.

“Scott?”

In the doorway from the garage to the kitchen, Zach stood in his blue plaid pajama pants, bare chested, bare footed, looking all sexy and tired.

The bastard. Would be so much easier to put some distance between them if Scott could look at his lover without wanting him. But he couldn’t, so he went back to sanding. “What do you want, Zach?”

“Come to bed. We’ve got practice in the morning, but we’ll have time to discuss this after Casey goes to school.” Zach walked down the three steps below the door. From the corner of his eye, Scott saw him hook his thumbs to the waist of his pajama pants. “On the drive maybe?”

Scott shook his head. “I’m taking my own car. But thanks for the offer.”

“We have to talk.”

“Then talk.”

“Not while you’re still drunk and being unreasonable.”

I’m gonna fucking punch him. Scott hissed in a breath through his gritted teeth. He wouldn’t shout. Wanted to, but he wouldn’t risk waking Casey up. “I’m being unreasonable? Guess I was drunk and seeing things, right? You weren’t actually kissing your ex-boyfriend?”

“It’s not what you think. Christ, Scott, this could destroy your career with the Cobras! If Raif hadn’t dropped the charges—”

“Yeah, I’m grateful. Guess I should let him have you so we’ll be even.”

“Don’t be like that. I’m not the one who stole his fucking car.” Zach made an irritated sound as Scott started sanding again. He latched on to Scott’s arm. “Will you stop and look at me? I told you that I don’t want him.”

Jerking away, Scott crumpled the sandpaper in his hand and stared at Zach. Something inside him had gone still and cold. Maybe it was acceptance. “Yes. And you showed me I can’t believe you.”

When Zach went back into the house, Scott got out a finer grained sandpaper. And went back to doing the one thing he could without doubting the results. The things he made turned out beautiful and solid and would last a lifetime.

Everything else…he bowed his head, laughing as a single tear slipped from his chin and dropped on a small pile of sawdust. Everything else he found some way to fuck up.