2. Reghan
2
REGHAN
There was a cake with candles on top. I wasn’t about to count them. All I knew was there wasn’t thirty-seven of them, which was how old my brother and I were today. Vail made the cake for us. My twin brother and I agreed on most things, including what kind of cake we wanted. Chocolate with sweet vanilla icing. Of course, Vail took that and ran with it. What we got could have been a wedding cake or one more fit for someone with a lot of money with how beautiful it was.
It was a three-layer sheet cake. The white icing was smoothed to the point that there wasn’t a single wrinkle. Silver piping adorned the edges. And because Hartley had something to do with the cake, little edible guns decorated the entire perimeter of the bottom on top of the piping. Hartley said it was because we lived a life of crime, and since the party was in Jordan’s building, where my brother and I lived too, it had to be mafia themed.
The best part was the little German shepherd mix Vail had crafted and put on top next to Happy Birthday spelled out in paw prints. Tahoe was the dog in charge around here now that Jordan had bought puppies for Hartley, Vail, and Ava. I thought it was because my brother and I loved on all the dogs. Also, because Jordan and his partners didn’t know much about our lives outside of here, they couldn’t make it overly personal in design. That was our fault. My brother and I didn’t share much about ourselves.
Hartley was our resident fashion designer, and a damn good one at that. He had a Rottweiler puppy named Duchess that followed him around like he was the only person on the planet. It was cute. Duchess went with him to work and tried to crawl into bed with them at night, which Jordan wouldn’t allow.
Then there was Vail. He was a chef and made the best food I’d ever eaten. He worked part-time at Untouchable, a club on the other side of the city. He wasn’t there often any longer. He’d found he loved to cook for everyone in the building instead. And Jordan enjoyed knowing Vail was safe here. In addition to Tahoe, who Vail brought with him when he moved in with Jordan and Hartley, Vail had a German shepherd puppy named Aspen, who stayed with Vail during the day since that was also where Tahoe was lately. At night, the two dogs curled up together in a bed on the floor in the bedroom.
Ava, who Vail was granted guardianship of, chose a Belgian Malinois puppy she named Morgan. The puppy was high-energy, and she was with her once Ava was home from school every weekday. They ran together, visited the park, and did whatever Ava wanted. Julia, Ava’s guard, was always with Ava during the day. If Ava left the building at night, another guard was assigned to her. Being part of Jordan’s family meant protection was needed. Not just for her, but for Vail and Hartley too.
There was a trainer for all the dogs and another person who walked them regularly to make sure they got the exercise they needed. They were working breeds and needed to stay active.
My brother and I were here for protection. Although we worked for the boss himself, we worked in shifts most of the time, so Jordan was always covered. Even in his home, on the top floor of the building he owned, one of us was there unless he told us we could go.
In order for someone to get to the floor the home was on; they’d have to go through a hell of a lot of men with a hell of a lot of firepower.
The sound of singing floated to me, pulling me from my thoughts. Raiden side-eyed me to ensure I was paying attention. My brother and I looked alike with our dark hair and eyes. The difference was Raiden had a scar through his right eyebrow. That was how most people told us apart.
“Make a wish,” Hartley said with a smile when they finished singing.
Raiden and I leaned over and blew out the candles in unison.
There wasn’t a lot I wanted to wish for. My parents were healthy, and so were my brother and me. We had more than we could ever need. I worried about Raiden’s safety just as I was certain he did mine, but that was why we trained often. The better we were at our jobs, the more likely we would see our beds at the end of every shift.
My wish, as cheesy as it sounded, was for love. Being around Jordan, Hartley, and Vail and watching the love they shared, I wanted that. I knew Raiden did too. At least my brother’s current objects of his affection weren’t as bad as mine. Although, neither of us had done a damn thing about it, except long for them in silence.
Our profession didn’t lend itself to relationships. Not with the hours we worked and how we were on call for Jordan.
While my brother had a doctor and the not-biological son of Jordan’s dead rival in his sights, I desired a cop—a detective, to be precise.
Barrett North was everything I wanted but shouldn’t. He worked for the enemy. Most wouldn’t see cops that way, and not all police in East Dremest were. But there were plenty who would take any chance they had to go after Jordan. There were some cops who Jordan had in his pocket because he paid them for information. He also had enough dirt on them should they ever turn on him, they’d be in for a world of hate. They’d wind up in prison right beside him.
Barrett fell somewhere in the middle. He didn’t love his job—that much was obvious every time I saw him—but he enjoyed helping. He was the guy you wanted rushing to your side when there was an emergency.
He wasn’t innocent though. He’d done things for Jordan that could put him behind bars too. Even the thought of that had me grinding my teeth.
Raiden elbowed me in the side and lifted an eyebrow. I shook my head in reply. It wasn’t the time or place to talk about my latest source of irritation. Or recurrent source since it had to do with Barrett.
He knew how to push every one of my buttons until I wanted to fucking choke the life out of him. In those moments when I did get to put my hand on his throat or my fist in his shirt, I saw desire swim in his eyes. That desire called to the very base need of mine to bury myself inside him.
“These are for you,” Jordan said, a gift in each hand, both wrapped in blue paper with balloons printed on it and white bows on top.
“Thank you, sir,” I said.
“Yes, thank you, sir,” my brother echoed.
This might have been the first time we ever received a gift from him that wasn’t money. Jordan wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type, except when it came to his partners. They were able to break down his walls, and in the process, he treated us guards kinder—well, kinder than he used to. I wouldn’t call Jordan the nicest man, but it was an improvement. Even in the moments when he wasn’t friendly, I still preferred working for him to doing any other job.
Raiden and I stood there with our gifts in hand. Did we open them now or wait until later? I was still shocked we were each handed a wrapped gift.
Vail gave us a warm smile. “Open them.”
My brother and I carefully opened the paper on the small boxes. Lifting the lid, I revealed a gold door key. I took it from the box and held it up, then noticed my brother had one too. We both turned to look at Jordan, sharing similar looks of confusion.
“We’re going downstairs, just one floor,” Jordan said. Instead of taking the elevator, we descended a flight of stairs.
This was the floor Raiden and I would stay on when Jordan wanted privacy in his home. It was also the floor where Jordan’s one-time assistant had an office. We currently lived on the eighth floor. Jordan and his family had the tenth, which was technically higher than that. He had stairs to a second level in his home.
Jordan stopped in front of two identical doors. Each had a red bow on it.
Facing us, Jordan said, “Welcome home.”
I stared and tried to form words. My brother didn’t have the same problem.
“But we live downstairs,” Raiden said, stating the obvious.
“You did, but given all you do for me and how you’re two of my best and most trusted guards?—”
“And friends,” Vail added.
“And friends,” Jordan said with a little edge to his voice. Jordan didn’t want nor need friends, unlike Vail and Hartley. “You deserve an upgrade. Spaces of your own but still next to each other.”
“We know how close you two are,” Hartley added. He was right. Raiden and I got along well and liked being together. We had shared an apartment since we started working for Jordan.
“Open them,” Vail told us, placing his hands on our backs to usher us forward.
Jordan moved aside so my brother and I could open the doors, with me being on the right.
There was a keypad with a code needed and an actual keyhole below it. Hartley and Vail stepped forward to punch in the codes for us. Once the lock disengaged, I swung the door open and stepped into the apartment of my dreams.
Dark wooden floors, nearly black in color. The walls were a muted beige, bringing some light in. To my right was a kitchen fully outfitted with new stainless steel appliances and a stone counter that had bar seating. It was open to the dining room with an oval table and chairs. Beyond that was the living room which had a curved sectional with cupholders and recliners. It was the really plush kind I remembered seeing in Romeo’s home, but bigger. Romeo was a close friend of Jordan’s and someone Jordan made sure was always taken care of.
A large TV was mounted on the wall. Below it was a sleek black cabinet with a remote and multiple gaming systems. In front of me were large sliding doors that opened to a balcony where the sounds of East Dremest filtered in with the crisp afternoon air.
I turned to find Vail grinning as he watched me. “Go check out the bedrooms.”
Down a hall were two large bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed done in light gray wood with matching nightstands and dressers. There was an attached bathroom that rivaled something I’d find in a fancy hotel. The other bedroom was bare but had a large walk-in closet and the same hardwood flooring.
“You can make this room whatever you want,” Vail said.
There was a second bathroom in the hall. It was not as grand as the en suite but still well-appointed. I passed a closet in the hall that housed a brand-new washer and dryer.
Back in the living room, I spun in a circle still in shock. “I can’t believe this is mine.”
“It is,” Jordan said, entering the apartment. “You and Raiden go above and beyond for me. It was time you were rewarded. You protect me and my family, always sacrificing your time for us. I want you to know how grateful I am.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s beautiful.” I couldn’t find any other words to describe it. Even that didn’t seem to do it justice.
“You’re welcome. When you’re ready, there are people waiting to help you pack and move your things. I didn’t want to have that done for you and invade your privacy.”
I nodded. This was more than I could have ever asked for, and at the same time, part of me wished for that person to love and wanted to see them in this space with me.