Twice the Problems (Atlantic City’s Most Wanted #5)

Chapter One

The scent of expensive cologne wafted over Dodge before he saw him.

Salem. Wow. He was beautiful in a way Dodge hadn’t encountered before three years ago when the guy married Dodge’s dad.

Well, stepdad. Dodge’s mom had married JD when Dodge was sixteen.

His stepson from a previous marriage had already lived here.

Meeting Quest was a different story. Salem was the one who caught him totally by surprise.

Dark blond hair, slim body, and pouty lips came together to create perfection.

He supposed that was what it took to catch the eye of a ninety-year-old billionaire and be married in under a month.

Hell, JD had gone on vacation to the greyhound track in Pensacola to bet on the races.

That was how short their dating relationship had been.

Three weeks in Florida and JD had come home wearing a wedding band and smiling like a fucking idiot.

The guy had smiled like that every day until his heart gave out in under six months.

Since he left a majority of his wealth to Salem, Quest and he might have contested the will, except they had been here every day of that marriage.

Not only had JD been happier than Dodge had ever seen him, but his mind had also been sound.

JD’s money ended up exactly where he wanted it to go.

Thankfully, Salem was the greatest person—next to Quest—Dodge had ever met.

Unfortunately, the guy made Dodge feel things, and he didn’t know where to go with that.

Salem’s gorgeous smile lit the room when he spotted Dodge sprawled out on the couch. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Hi.” God, how did Salem not hear the longing, happiness, and love in every word Dodge said?

He watched Salem cross the room. His heart beat faster with every step.

Salem bent and kissed his forehead. “What’s wrong?

It’s not like you to be home this time of day.

Did they close the gym?” Salem’s laughter took the sting from the question.

He hated that was all anyone thought he was: a gym bro with nothing else to offer except a nice body.

That was probably true, but fuck. He wanted Salem to see him differently.

Dodge knew he did, but today, his thoughts were ugly.

Dodge shrugged. “I guess I’m kind of bored with life today. Why do you smell so good? Are you going somewhere? Can I come?” Damn, he really wanted Salem to make him come. Dodge wanted to slap himself. Why was he like this with Salem?

“You think I smell good? Awww. Thank you. Shaw is coming by to take me to coffee.”

Dodge nearly groaned. They had met Shaw Howe at their old roommate Tarek’s wedding. The guy was a big-time lawyer. Like everyone, Shaw eyed Salem like a starving man watching his meal cook in the microwave. The impatient hunger made Dodge want to punch him in his objectively handsome face.

Dodge rolled from the couch. “Welp, there’s my cue. I guess I’ll see if Quest wants to do something.”

Salem touched his arm, stopping him before he got away. His gaze moved over Dodge’s face, looking into his soul the way only Salem did. “What’s wrong, sweetie? You know you can talk to me about anything. Do you not like Shaw? I trust your judgment of people.”

He was so amazing. Salem was the only person other than Quest who didn’t treat him like an idiot. Dodge shook his head. He felt guilty for making Salem consider his feelings at all. “Nah. It’s not that. He’s just a lot smarter than me and I don’t know.” He shrugged.

“Don’t say things like that. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. There’s no one out there as beautiful as you, and that has nothing to do with looks.”

Dodge dipped his head. He never knew what to say when Salem said things like that. Dodge knew he was just being kind, but it still made him feel good. “Seriously. Go enjoy your date or whatever.”

Salem kissed his cheek. “It’s not a date. It’s coffee.”

Dodge forced a smile and bit his tongue. Coffee was a date, but whatever. He walked away. He couldn’t think straight when Salem stood too close. Dodge needed to find Quest. Quest understood him like no one .

Quest’s bedroom light was off, and the curtains drawn. Dodge never knocked. They were closer than a closed door.

He crawled into bed with Quest. “Why are you still sleeping?”

A throaty chuckle came from beneath Quest’s pillow. The sound made Dodge smile—the way it always did. “Hangover.”

“Ah. I’ll talk softly.”

Dodge swore he heard Quest smile. “You’re good. You know I find you soothing.”

Quest always made Dodge feel cherished. Dodge knew he wasn’t special. He was a pretty face and muscular body. Nobody wanted to hear his thoughts or asked his opinion. From the day they met, Quest had been different. Dodge couldn’t imagine life without him.

“I have something I need to talk about, but I don’t know where to start. My head is kind of a mess about it.”

“Salem.”

Dodge was taken aback. He didn’t respond.

Another chuckle caressed his ears. Quest appeared from beneath the pillow and tucked it beneath his head. On his side, facing Dodge, he gave Dodge his full attention. “I know. He’s…”

“Yeah,” Dodge said, totally understanding. “You too, huh?” Dodge wasn’t surprised. He had seen the way Quest looked at Salem. They had similar tastes. Always had.

Quest’s feet brushed his. Silence grew between them. Neither of them wanted to be the first to admit how badly they wanted this.

Dodge was the first to break. “The usual rules?”

A bark of laughter burst from Quest. “We’re talking about Salem here. I think we’ll have to wing it a bit.”

They shared a smile. Dodge finally felt a hint of peace. Quest had him. Everything would be okay.

Salem thought too much about Dodge. Why had he looked so sad?

He wished Quest had been awake when he left.

Salem knew those two always had each other’s back.

For nearly a decade, they had been two peas in a pod.

Now they were three. Salem fought a smile at the idea.

Sitting alone in a booth at a coffee shop wasn’t the place to smile too much.

He didn’t want to look insane. Really, though.

Before those two, Salem hadn’t known what it was like to have anyone love him for real.

But that was just who they were, two freaking amazing people.

Of course, JD had always been a fantastic judge of character.

He had known who to keep and who to throw away.

When Quest was seven, JD had married his mom.

Ten years later, they divorced. Quest had wanted to stay with JD, the only real father he had ever known.

Since he was seventeen, the decision had been his to make, and JD loved him every bit as much as he would a biological son.

Two years later, JD married Dodge’s mom.

Dodge was seventeen and anticipated a ton of resentment and hatred from the older stepbrother who likely didn’t want him.

Instead, it was like they met their person and had been inseparable ever since.

Unfortunately, Dodge’s mom had died in a freak riding accident shortly after marrying JD, leaving Dodge nowhere else to go.

Once again, JD loved the son he had gained.

He never gave the pair a reason to leave.

Their content life was interrupted once again six years later when JD came home from vacation with a new husband, Salem.

Thankfully, Quest and Dodge were rays of light and positivity.

They had welcomed Salem with a love Salem hadn’t had before them.

Now, three years later, Salem would walk through fire for them, which circled all the way back to wondering what the hell was going on with Dodge.

A cup appeared in front of Salem. “Black coffee, as requested, since you’re obviously a masochist.” Shaw slid into the booth across from him.

It was impossible not to smile. Shaw bled charisma.

Salem imagined that made him a good lawyer.

“My grandfather always said real men only drink their coffee black.” His southern accent came out hard.

He tried reeling it in. “I don’t give a shit about any of that, of course.

It’s just that’s all he let me have. Now anything else tastes too sweet. ”

Shaw’s dark green gaze moved over Salem’s features—like studying for a test. “I forget you’re from Mississippi until that accent peeks out and reminds me.”

“Actually, I’m from Louisiana.” This time, Salem purposely allowed his accent to shine.

A sigh-worthy smile appeared. “A Louisiana boy named Salem. Did you live in New Orleans?”

Salem despised talking about his past, but he understood that was how people got to know each other.

“No. My mom was a witch. Of course, the only thing she had cooking in her cauldron was meth. That’s how I ended up in Mississippi, living with my grandfather.

He was the only relative willing to take me when CPS came calling. ”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Shaw’s sympathy made Salem want to growl.

This was why he hated these conversations.

He was no one to pity. Salem shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now.

I’m here, living my best life. Where I came from matters not at all.

” Salem knew that wasn’t true. Where he came from would always follow him, but he wasn’t weak.

“What about you? Have you always lived in this area?”

“Not too far. I was born in Pennsylvania before going to Yale. From there, my career took me all over New England until I came to work at my dad's practice here.”

Salem chuckled. “Ah. Who can resist all the wealthy criminals in this town?”

“Attorney-client privilege,” Shaw said with a sexy laugh.

Salem shrugged. “Big money is never clean money.”

Shaw’s smile never dimmed. “Except for maybe yours. JD was an honest businessman.”

Salem sipped his coffee before responding. “I’m not JD.” It was a test. Shaw likely knew it. Salem was used to being treated like a gold digger, but he didn’t have to spend his time with people who thought badly of him.

“I knew JD pretty well. He never chose anyone to be in his life on a whim. JD saw something in other people where no one else might. He was a hell of a judge of character. If he left everything in your hands, he had a good reason. He saw something in you.”

Every word Shaw spoke was likely bullshit. He was a lawyer, after all. But it was nice being treated like more than trash that married for money and won the lotto. “Not everything. You forget his stepsons. ”

Shaw laughed. “I doubt JD left much to them specifically. No doubt he put you in charge of their shares. There’s no way those two could handle a fortune landing on their heads.”

It was true, and Shaw was right. Basically, every dime had been left to him with a stipulation: he always care for Quest and Dodge like the puppies they were.

Still, Shaw’s words chafed. He didn’t like anyone treating his boys like they were dumb.

“They’re not stupid or incapable. They’re just too nice to be in charge of the kind of money JD had.

He knew they’d be eaten alive by ladder climbers and every other piece of shit within a thousand miles.

They have too good of hearts for this world.

” Salem heard the papa bear in his voice.

He couldn’t help it. Quest and Dodge were his. No one would insult them.

Shaw looked thoughtful. “I can’t tell if your fierce defense is fatherly or something else. Either way, they’re lucky to have you, and I meant no offense. I was just saying—badly, apparently—the same thing as you. They’re not meant for the world you and I see.”

Salem’s shoulders relaxed. He felt kind of dumb.

People loved to treat Dodge and Quest like idiots.

It enraged Salem. A guilty smile tugged at his lips.

“Sorry. Since marrying JD, I’ve run into way too many people who speak badly of his boys.

They were the light of his life. He would’ve destroyed anyone who thought about insulting them.

I suppose that’s something else he left to me. ”

Shaw’s expression took on a new dimension, as if Salem watched the powerful attorney rise to the surface. “It’s odd. If he hadn’t been a ninety-year-old billionaire, I’d say it sounds like you loved him very much.”

His hackles more than rose. They flew. “Oh, there it is. I’ll admit you made it much longer than expected. Thank you for the coffee. It’s been a pleasure.” He moved to slide from the booth.

“Did I offend you, or are you just looking to be offended?”

The question pissed him off just enough to stay to answer.

“Can’t it be both? Yes, I stay on constant guard to be treated exactly as you’re treating me now.

But yeah, I’m also highly insulted nonetheless, because despite what everyone thinks, I loved JD.

Maybe it wasn’t the way a husband loves his spouse, but I did love him.

He was a good man who took me in, loved me, and cares for me still to this day with his legacy.

Everyone in this goddamn town can think what they want, but this is exactly why I have nothing to do with any of you.

Any time any of you say shit about me, you insult him.

He knew exactly what he was doing when he left everything to me, and it didn’t have a damn thing to do with his dick.

Just because that might be all you think with, it doesn’t mean everyone is like that. ”

Shaw’s eyebrow rose. “Someone like me doesn’t get where they are by thinking with their dick.

I sure as hell didn’t get here by judging people.

In fact, I give no fucks why JD left that money to you.

I don’t even give a fuck about the money.

It’s you I want to know, but goddamn, you have a thorny personality to get past.”

Despite everything, a laugh burst from Salem. His shoulders relaxed. “You’re not wrong.” He took a breath. It was possible he overreacted. “It’s just this goddamn community. I’m a hot topic, which is fine, but I don’t care to take an active part.”

Shaw nodded. “I get it. The upper crust has a way of being incredibly intolerable. I’m only on the fringes, keeping their money safe and their asses out of jail. That’s a close enough view that I can say with certainty I have no desire to delve deeper than the edge. Because… yikes.”

Salem laughed. Damn. He felt like an idiot twice on one coffee date. “I’ll bet this entire experience has left you twice as confused about why JD wanted me.”

Shaw’s smile disappeared. Heat flared in his expression. “Not at all. I imagine he saw exactly what I do; a sexy, highly intelligent person with tons of fire and backbone. That would’ve been irresistible to him. I know it is for me.”

Well, fuck. It seemed he would be staying for coffee after all. Miracles never ceased.