Chapter Twelve
“ H ow about dinner tonight?” Wrath caught Rogue’s hand before the man could step out of his front door.
He’d been worried about Rogue and the nightmare last night, but after asking a few times, Rogue had refused to mention what it was about. Wrath could only imagine the horror.
Right then, though, Rogue stood indecisive about his dinner invitation. And pressuring the guy was the last thing Wrath wanted so he released Rogue’s hand and stepped away.
“It’s cool. I’ll see you when I see you.”
Rogue wrapped a big hand around his bicep and yanked him closer.
“I have a job tonight,” the big assassin said and pressed their foreheads together. “I’ve already texted Azrael to reschedule his training.”
“Need a hand with the job?” His lips twitched.
“I’ll pick you up at dusk,” Rogue murmured and stole a kiss from him before walking down the steps.
Wrath stayed in the doorway gazing after Rogue’s beat up pickup truck long after the man drove out of sight.
If the job was tonight, why couldn’t they spend the day together?
Wrath sighed, shut the front door, and wandered through his empty house. Pouring another cup of coffee in the kitchen, he stepped out of the back door and took a seat on his patio.
The ocean waves crashed against the shore and light had begun to fill the horizon. He lived on the West Coast, so if he ever wanted to see a sunrise, he’d have to travel up into the mountains to catch a glimpse.
He didn’t mind, the sunsets off the Santa Barbara coastline were fantastic. He wanted to enjoy them with Rogue, and he’d had that in mind when he’d bought this home.
He’d never had a boyfriend before. Sure, he’d dated a guy once for about seven dates, but that didn’t count as a boyfriend.
And even though he and Rogue weren’t officially dating, he figured that would come in time. A real boyfriend was something he’d never even contemplated until he’d met Rogue.
He remembered the first time he’d seen Rogue in Solomon’s office. The younger assassin stood closed off to the world with cold gray eyes.
It had taken him time to gain Rogue’s trust, which hadn’t been easy at all.
The first time he’d run into the guy alone had been on a job. He was supposed to do the hit by himself, but Rogue had shown up.
Just outside of Palmdale, he had entered a trashy apartment to search for his mark when he discovered Rogue tailing him.
“What are you doing here?” He squinted.
“Careful, there’s garbage,” Rogue said and gripped his bicep tightly.
Wrath snorted. As if he’d fall. The touch had surprised him.
Most people didn’t touch him because his reputation preceded him, but Rogue didn’t seem intimidated by him at all.
For some reason, he hadn’t pulled away from the younger man’s touch. Later, he figured that had been the moment for him. That first spark of awareness that had bloomed into a fire.
“I can see.” He smirked even though he wore a mask and Rogue wouldn’t see it.
Rogue grunted and slowly slid his gloved hand away.
“So? Why are you here?” Wrath whispered, keeping his voice low.
Rogue appeared startled by the question and stared at him in the darkness.
With a soft chuckle, Wrath let it go and melted into the pitch black to take care of a drug pusher supplying junior high school kids with meth. Rogue was right on his ass every step of the way but stood back and watched as he slit the guy’s throat.
They took the back exit via the fire escape and moved in sync down the back alley.
Once clear of the scene, Wrath pulled off his hooded mask and tucked it away. Rogue did the same and they walked side by side for several more blocks. Wrath was going back to his vehicle; he didn’t know where Rogue was heading.
Maybe the guy needed a ride? He could do that. He could also do more than a vehicle ride if Rogue wanted.
His fucking toe caught a lifted piece of concrete in the sidewalk and like a dope, he tripped. Rogue latched onto his bicep and kept him upright.
Wrath ended up pressed up against the man’s chest. When he tried to step back, Rogue’s arms tightened, and Wrath gazed into the man’s face.
There beneath the overhead streetlight had been the first time he’d seen Rogue’s facial expression change from cold to slightly confused.
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to slide his arms around the bulky assassin’s neck, so he did.
Rogue pressed his forehead to his. The man had a way of doing that, just quietly pressing them together. Wrath waited for Rogue to make a move, but after several moments, Rogue shoved him away.
He was left on the sidewalk watching Rogue’s big back disappear.
“We will have our day,” he murmured and continued to his truck.
It had continued like that for the next year. Rogue would find him on jobs and sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, he’d do the forehead press thing. Once, Wrath had moved in to press their lips together, but Rogue had dodged him.
Maybe that was why the kiss in the hospital had shocked the hell out of him. Their first real fucking kiss and then last night had been out of this world.
He smiled remembering how over time, Rogue’s eyes had gone from cold gray to a storm cloud color.
Much like the clouds filling today’s morning.
Seagulls fought over something on the sand, and he swept his gaze up and down the deserted beach.
A light drizzle began, and he shoved to his feet. He needed to kill time until he could see Rogue again.
“You might as well sell your place and move in here,” Justice said, opening the door at his knock.
“I need my privacy,” he said with a grin and stepped inside and out of the rain.
He shot Rogue a text message saying good morning and that he was over at Justice and Fisher’s place, but he assured the man he would be home around dusk.
Wrath tucked his phone away and Justice led him to the kitchen.
It was early yet, but Fisher was already cooking. Bacon smell drifted in the air and eggs were piled high. Fisher tossed a smile over his shoulder and turned back to another frying pan on the stove.
“Whatcha making?” Wrath asked, moving closer.
“It’s pancakes, please tell me it’s pancakes,” Echo said, coming down the hallway with Ice in tow.
“You guys live here?” Wrath snickered and stole a piece of bacon.
Fisher smacked at his hand with the spatula, but Wrath was too quick.
“Nah, we just had a poker game that went late last night,” Ice said, roaming over and pouring two cups of hot coffee before handing Echo one of them.
“It’s a good thing your place has room to spare,” Wrath told his brother.
Justice snorted. “There aren’t any spare rooms at the moment.”
“Who else stayed?” Wrath tried for another bacon, but Fisher snagged the plate out of reach and glared at him.
“Don’t piss off my man,” Justice advised him and handed him a freshly poured coffee instead.
“Fisher likes me,” Wrath said.
“In your dreams,” Fisher smirked and rolled his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Wrath,” Stone said, coming from the hallway. “I like ya.”
“Oh, well, that’s comforting.” Wrath gazed past Stone to see if Dave would follow, but the hallway stayed empty.
Justice opened the back sliding door to the large, covered patio and followed his brother outside. Stone came with them, and they sat around one of the metal patio tables.
The rain poured as they sat protected by the awning. The sides dripped like rivers.
Wrath glanced at Stone. Normally, he didn’t see the guy without Dave and vice versa, so he wondered about it but didn’t pry.
Apollo and Cash came out the door, along with Beck. All the boys wore swim trunks and the three walked out into the rain and jumped into the steaming warm water of the swimming pool.
“You run a halfway house,” Wrath snickered, sipping at his coffee.
Justice nodded, watching the boys swim. “Yeah, the boys came over for the weekend and stayed since they don’t have classes today. Beck will finally start high school next Monday.”
“He’s been out a long time. Did he take a test to get in?” Wrath asked, sipping at his coffee. Beck had been a rescue from Tanis and to Wrath’s knowledge had no formal education.
“Yeah, he had some personal issues he worked through with a therapist. Plus, the move from Dave’s place. He did well on the test though. He’ll be a grade behind his age, but he’s smart, he’ll catch up.”
“Did he give a reason for leaving Dave’s?”
“Beck says this is the ‘cool’ house,” Justice smirked. “I think he just wanted to be with me and Fisher.”
“I’m glad you took him in,” Wrath said with a chuckle.
“Me too.” Justice gazed toward the house. “Fisher is a natural father, more so than me.”
“I doubt that, bro. You were the one who took care of Rip.”
“That was only because you were older and working part-time jobs. I had to help mom.”
Wrath nodded. Rip was their baby brother who had disappeared after leaving the military.
Justice hadn’t seen Rip since they were teenagers.
He, on the other hand, had received a tip that his brother had joined the Marines and was soon to be discharged. Wrath had flown out to the base to try and catch Rip, but all he had gotten was a glimpse of Rip getting into a vehicle and driving away.
That had been two years ago and while he now had a current mental picture of Rip to go by, Justice did not.
Wrath remembered how pissed Justice had been that he hadn’t said a word about it during the past two years. But Justice had been in the military at the time, so Justice couldn’t have gone with him to try and see Rip if he had wanted to.
And it was during that time that he and Justice had briefly lost touch with each other. In the end, Justice forgave him because that was what brothers did. From that day on, they promised no more secrets.
They also kept a constant search for Rip, but it was difficult because they didn’t know where their brother had ended up and no matter how much they searched for him, they had found no trace.
Fisher came out of the house with two plates piled high.
Stepping out of the door behind Fisher came Rogue along with Echo, carrying several more plates of food.
Wrath stared at Rogue.
The corner of the man’s mouth twitched. Was that a smirk or the beginning of a smile?
What the hell?
Had Rogue not wanted to drive here with him? Did he not want their family or friends to know about them?
Wrath squinted, turned his face toward the swimming pool, and ignored the guy.
Somehow, and he wasn’t quite sure how, but Rogue arranged it so they were sitting together at the crowded table. Wrath’s irritation took a back seat, and he fought back a smile of satisfaction.
Wrath reached for bacon and Fisher snagged the plate before he could take a piece.
“You had yours,” Fisher scolded.
“Wait…one piece?” Wrath’s mouth gaped.
Rogue grunted, took the plate from Fisher, and slid four pieces of bacon onto Wrath’s plate. Wrath glanced down at the bacon, smirked at Fisher, and started munching away.
Fisher squinted suspiciously at Rogue. “You guys a thing now?”
“No,” Wrath said with a slight laugh at the word, not wanting to embarrass Rogue.
“Yes,” Rogue countered, and Wrath was left gaping at the man.
Rogue ignored him and proceeded to load both their plates up with food.
“What now?” Justice said.
“You have got to be shitting me,” Echo said and slapped Rogue on the back.
Rather than fire off his own plethora of questions, Wrath swallowed them back and just let the moment unfold.
And enjoyed the hell out of their family and friends razzing the hell out of them both.