22. Yannis
The bed shifts under me and I open my eyes to see Hale climbing in next to me. His hair is wet as if he just took a shower.
“What happened?”
He brushes his fingers over my cheek. “I’ll tell you when you wake up.”
“I’m awake.”
Hale frowns. “It was unfortunately what I suspected. Ricco Bianchi has a boss named Johnny who’s pissed off about what happened and definitely stalking the city looking for who did it.”
My heart sinks. “Great. Now what?”
“You don’t need to worry about anything, love. I’ve got it handled.”
“What does that mean? Don’t shelter me, Hale.”
A slight smile pulls at his lips. “You’re right. You’re certainly entitled to know. I found one of their soldiers, as they call themselves, and forced him to talk to me.”
“Did you kill him?”
“Almost. I made a point.”
My stomach flutters. Why does his violence turn me on? “What happens next?”
“I stopped by Yves’s place and told him so my brothers can be aware when they go out to work. As for us, we’ll keep an eye on Lair. You’re here now, so we don’t need to worry about your apartment.”
I nod, pulling his arm to my chest. “I can’t believe Dimi came here on his own. He’s just like me, I guess, reckless and stubborn.”
“You’re not either of those things.” He tickles the hair on my chest. “You’re brave and determined. Lovely qualities to have.”
I laugh softly. “You’re just into me so you can only see my good qualities.”
“Not true. I can see your very soul, and it’s pure and bright and full of love.”
His comment leaves me speechless, so I tap my lips instead. “Kiss me.”
“Happily.”
We fall into a kiss, and as Hale climbs on top of me, my cock hardens and my ass clenches, the soreness reminding me of what we did earlier. Hale is hard too, grinding his erection into mine.
“I’ll never get enough of you,” he whispers against my lips.
“I hope not.”
Our kisses slow, the grinding unhurried and sweet. Neither of us are chasing orgasms or wanting to turn this into something else. We’re just kissing, touching, holding on to each other.
“Did you get any more sleep?” he asks as he nuzzles my neck.
“Not really. I’m pissed off at my stepdad. Dimi is a good kid. He doesn’t deserve to be cut off like that.”
Hale lifts his head, balancing on his bent arm as he hovers over me. “He’s here now. We’ll take care of him.”
A flash of guilt grips me. “You didn’t sign up for this. I can barely take care of myself and now my brother’s here too.”
“Hey, don’t do that. You’re my family now, and by extension, so is Dimi. When Yves and the others found me, they took me in and nursed me back to health, no questions asked, because I’m one of them.”
“I’m not one of them.”
“Yes, you are. You’re my mate.”
My concerns melt away and I smile, pushing back the tension in my shoulders. “How did I get so lucky finding you?”
Hale smiles. “It wasn’t luck, remember? We were meant for this.”
A few hours later, after a shower, I sit on the edge of the bed ready to confront my parents. I want to know what the hell my mom is thinking letting Rich put Dimi out like this. I dial the house number, waiting several seconds as it rings.
“Hello?”
“Mom. It’s me.”
“Oh, hi, Yannis.” Her voice is cheerful. “How are you?”
“Well, Mom, I’m tired because I was woken up at three a.m. by my little brother, who had nowhere to go. Care to discuss?”
I hear the deep exhale. “It’s a good lesson for him.”
“A lesson? Come on, mom. He’s practically a kid still. How could you let Rich do that?”
“It’s better for Dimi. If he came here, Rich would be unbearable.”
“That’s so lame. A kid should feel safest at home. Instead he got on a bus and came all the way to New Onyx. Anything could’ve happened to him. Don’t you care?”
“Of course I care. Is he there now? Is he okay?”
I ignore her questions. “Where is Rich now?”
“In the garage.”
“I want to talk to him.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, honey. You know how he can get.”
“Mom. Is he drinking again?”
She’s silent for several seconds, answering the question without words.
“Uh-uh, no way. You put him on the phone or I’m coming out there and getting you.”
“Getting me? Yannis, you can’t do that. He’s doing… okay. He’s working on it.”
“He’s always working on it. Has he raised his voice to you again?”
“No. He really is doing better. He’s back in counseling and he’s in a prayer group that really seems to be helping, but I think your brother coming home might trigger an episode.”
Closing my eyes, I twist my neck back and forth. “Fine. If this is how you want it, this is what we’ll do, but you need to know that both of your kids are gonna remember you chose Rich over us.”
“Yannis, that’s not fair. It’s not an either-or situation.”
“No? We aren’t welcome there right now so that Rich doesn’t get upset. Sounds like a choice to me.”
She falls silent again, clearly not able to defend herself.
“Cool. Okay, well I’ll take care of my brother. Don’t worry about us, Mom.” I end the call before she can say anything else.
Hale appears in the doorway, his brow creased with concern. “I’m sorry, love.”
“It’s fine. It’s always been like this. I moved out as soon as I could to get away from his overbearing presence, but I stayed close to be there for Dimi. Once he went off to college, I started thinking about moving away. None of this shocks me, but it pisses me off.”
“Understandably. I have food and coffee for you.”
“You do?”
He nods. “I went out to get it.”
“Thanks. That’s really nice.”
“I don’t know much about the proper care and feeding of mortals, but I can learn.”
I laugh at that. “You’re doing great.”
We walk out to the kitchen together, but I stop when I see the island covered in food. Pancakes, eggs, waffles, elaborate dishes with sauces, fruit, muffins, bagels, bacon, and sausage.
“Hale. This is enough food for an army.”
“I didn’t know what you liked.”
Seconds later, a sleepy looking Dimi appears. He looks like one of those cartoon characters being led by his nose as he sniffs the air. “Bacon?”
I scoff a laugh. “Yeah, buddy, we have bacon.”
“I’m starving.”
“Sit here,” Hale says, patting a barstool. “I have plates and forks. Do you drink coffee?”
“No. Do you have orange juice?”
“Yes.” He opens the fridge and pulls out a carafe, then opens several cabinets until he finds glasses. “Here we go.”
Dimi watches him with his head tilted like a confused puppy. Hale seems to notice and smiles as he sets the glass down.
“I don’t eat here much.”
Not a lie.
That seems to satisfy Dimi, who starts scooping food onto his plate. My stomach growls loudly, reminding me to feed myself too. I load up a plate and take a seat next to my brother. Hale leans against the kitchen counter, smiling as he sips from a mug. I have a feeling that isn’t coffee.
“You’re not eating?” Dimi asks between bites.
“I’m not hungry. I had a snack after you arrived.”
I practically choke on my bite of eggs, coughing to clear my throat.
“You okay?” Dimi asks.
“Totally. Swallowed wrong.”
“I’m going to Lair in a bit,” Hale says. “I need to check on things and inform the staff of some updates. You can take a few nights off to stay with your brother.”
“No,” Dimi says. “Don’t let me get in the way. It’s a nightclub, right? I could always come by too and hang out. Or do you have any openings? I could work there.”
Panicking now, I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
“You could come by,” Hale says.
I give him a hard look but he just smiles, leaning close to my ear. “Trust, love.”
I stay quiet for now, but I have no idea how I’m supposed to keep Dimi safe and in the dark if he comes to Lair.
“Cool. Can I wear jeans there? That’s all I have.”
“Jeans are fine,” Hale says.
“I’m not gonna sit around and mooch off you guys. I can get a job.”
“Don’t worry about it right now. You just got here.” I pat his back. “How far did you get in your degree?”
“Not far, and I don’t want an engineering job anyway. That’s what Dad wanted me to do.”
“What do you want to do?” Hale asks.
Dimi drops his gaze to his plate, pushing scrambled eggs around with his fork. “It’s dumb.”
“Dreams are never dumb,” Hale says, drawing my brother’s gaze up again. “What would the world be without the dreamers?”
Okay, sexy man.I practically melt as my heart flutters in my chest.
Dimi smiles shyly. “A couple of years ago I got interested in photography. I love doing portraits and capturing people candidly. I even took a class at school as an elective. The professor said I had a good eye.”
“Photography? Do you have some to show me?”
He shrugs. “I did an online portfolio just for fun.”
“Show me.”
He grabs his phone off the island, unlocking it and navigating to a website. After he hands it over, he busies himself eating.
Hale walks over and we look at the pictures together. There are only six, but they’re good. Really good. My favorite is a man standing by a bus stop. It’s raining and he has his head tilted back with a huge grin on his face as the raindrops splash down on him.
“These are amazing, Dimi. You are talented.”
He shrugs again. “Thanks. I don’t really know how to start a business or make money doing it though.”
“Maybe I can help,” Hale says. “My brothers know a lot of people in this city. They may know someone hiring or even willing to mentor.”
Dimi’s face lights up. “Really? That would be cool.”
“I’ll ask around.” He smiles. “Finish eating. I’m going to Lair.”
“Okay.”
Hale exits the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone. I know I need to tell Dimi the truth, and now is as good a time as ever.
“So, um, Hale is my boss.”
Dimi looks up, nodding. “Mm hmm.”
“And…” I shrug. “We’re dating.”
A grin spreads across his face. “No shit?”
“No shit. It just happened. I met him and I was instantly into him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It happened fast, and I was planning on it. I was waiting to make sure it was more than a passing crush.”
“And it is?”
Nodding, I smile. “I might be falling for him.” I laugh. “I guess. I don’t know what that feels like, but I want to be with him all the time, and I can see a future with him. That hasn’t happened to me before.”
Still smiling, Dimi says, “Welcome to the dick side,” then he laughs like a villain in a superhero movie.
I laugh too, shaking my head. “Good one.”
“He seems nice. Kind of intense.”
“He’s both of those things.” I wish I could tell him the rest, but how do I say that with a straight face?
“You guys have done it?”
“Dude.”
“What? It’s a reasonable question.”
I roll my eyes but answer anyway. “Yeah.”
He grins, doing a little dance with his shoulders. “And? You like it?”
“Yeah.” I feel my cheeks burning. “He’s awesome.”
“Are you the top or the bottom? Or… wait, are you vers?”
“I think that’s enough brotherly bonding for now.”
“Bottom. Got it. I’m vers, but I lean bottom.”
“Great.”
Dimi chuckles, pushing my arm. “Don’t be shy. I’m happy for you. Honestly, I was worried about you.”
“Why?”
“You have a big heart. I always hoped you’d find someone who got it, but you never seemed to click with people.”
“True.”
“Hey, maybe you’re demi.”
“Demi what?”
“Sexual. Remember when I suggested you might be asexual?”
“Yeah.”
“But Hale is the first man you’ve been into, so maybe it’s because you connected on a different level.”
“Yeah, maybe. I don’t really care. I just know I like Hale.”
“Fair. Labels aren’t for everyone. I’m like ninety-eight percent gay but two percent bi.”
“Two percent?”
“Recent discovery. I had a crush on my roommate’s sister. She’s so hot.”
“I’ve never heard you say that about a woman.”
“Never have, but Rachel, whew. I’m telling you, Yann. She’s something else. Wouldn’t give me the time of day, but that didn’t stop me from having some thoughts.”
“That’s funny.”
“In my opinion, it’s all a shifting spectrum. Some people hang out in the same spot forever, while others move around.”
“Makes sense. Maybe I’m bi too. Once I got here and spent some time at Lair, I found myself admiring men more. Not wanting to do anything, but noticing their attractiveness or other appealing qualities. It wasn’t until I met Hale that it shifted to something else.”
“Well, he’s hot, so that makes sense.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
“Fire. Is he younger than you?”
“No.” To say the least. “He just looks young.”
“I can tell you’re important to him. The way he looks at you is how we all want someone to look at us.”
“He’s pretty serious about me, but he’s letting me go slow. It’s my first time in a major relationship.”
“So he’s respectful too. Sounds like you hit the motherlode.”
“I think so, yeah.”
“And I crashed it.” Dimi scrunches his nose, setting his fork down. “Sorry.”
“You didn’t crash anything, and I’m glad you came.”
“Thanks, Yann. I guess it’s time for me to grow up, huh? No more relying on my folks and living on campus. I need to make my own way like you did.”
“But you don’t have to do anything alone. I got your back.”
“I know.” He leans back, patting his belly. “I won’t have to eat for a week.”
“Good. You look a little skinny. Spending all your money on beer?”
“Nah, I don’t like beer. Mostly weed. It helps my stress and my ADHD.”
“I’m sure Hale or one of his brothers knows where to get it safely.”
“How many brothers does he have and are they as hot as he is?”
“Settle down, horn dog. I don’t know how many, but they all have mates, uh, boyfriends.”
“Mates? Are we in England now?”
I laugh off my mistake. “Help me clean this up.”
“Sure thing.”
He slides off the stool and the two of us find containers to pack the leftovers in, then we load the dishwasher. It all feels weirdly domestic, but it’s nice having Dimi here.
I still don’t know how he’s gonna be at Lair without finding out what everyone is, but Hale told me to trust him, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that it’s something I can definitely do.