Chapter Six
It was like the magic of the weekend followed him into Monday. That was something that never happened, but Soren had the best day. He got an unexpected bonus and a raise. Every customer had been super friendly. One woman had even given him a chocolate chip cookie recipe after mentioning she was baking them. Everything had just gone his way. He had texted Kyson he was on his way to The PlayPen, but he hadn’t heard back yet. On the way out, Wrecker handed him a box full of free donuts. Soren practically skipped to the car. He couldn’t wait to share his treats and giggle with Kyson as he told him all about the weekend. His face heated at the idea, but he was too happy. Soren couldn’t keep this to himself. He hadn’t heard from Shane, but that didn’t surprise him. Not only did Shane know Soren had to work, but they had never really texted each other like that. He wasn’t sure sex would change anything. In fact, he was more than a little nervous about seeing Shane again. He didn’t know if he could stop himself from jumping on him like a jungle gym. Happiness just completely owned him.
Soren parked and carried his donuts inside, smiling brightly at each guard he passed. His bunny ears bounced as he skipped inside. First, he would snack and then do Legos. He wanted to squeal at the top of his lungs when he spotted Shane the second he passed the check-in station. Leaned against the wall, half inside the hallway leading to Banks’ place, Soren could only see half his face. His expression was hard, but it always was when he wasn’t engaged. Shane didn’t see him.
Soren chuckled as he skipped toward him. “Hi. I have so much to tell you.” He turned the corner and froze. Beau Bosi’s cold gaze moved his way. Soren immediately took a step back. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
A smile that sent chills down Soren’s spine stretched Beau’s lips. They had never interacted in any way. The guy was scary as fuck. “Is this your little one?”
Shane never looked his way. His hard expression never wavered. He was colder than Soren had ever seen. “No. He’s Kyson’s best friend.”
The pain that slapped Soren nearly knocked him to the floor.
Shane’s empty gaze finally turned his way. “Kyson isn’t accepting visitors tonight. He’s sick and sleeping it off.”
Soren took another step back. He couldn’t think. Soren definitely didn’t know how to react. Only years of being bullied saved him. Soren managed a smile. “Oh. Okay. Sorry to bother you.” He turned away, clutching the donuts to his chest like they were the only thing keeping him from flying apart. Pride was the only thing stopping him from running for the door. Instead, he headed to an empty spot on the floor where he could reach the Legos. None of his friends were there. With it being Monday and everyone getting married, he hadn’t expected to see them. He was glad for it. Hot tears pressed at the backs of his eyes. If anyone forced him to speak, he would fall apart. He was hurt and angry. So fucking angry. At himself mostly. Why was he so dumb? He had known they were nothing. It wasn’t Shane’s fault he wasn’t as worldly as him. He just needed to harden his heart. Sex didn’t matter to men. Soren beat down the urge to cry. He had felt so wanted. He had wanted this so much.
Soren’s gaze locked on a nearby lone figure. In a cat onesie, Adan played with a car set. His head was bowed. He looked even more defeated than Soren. Soren didn’t want to feel bad for him, but he was in his feelings harder than ever before. A guy with dark eyes and an evil smile hovered over Adan.
“There’s no sense in continuing to ignore me. You know I can take care of you.” He stroked Adan’s hair.
“Please don’t.” Adan’s voice shook.
“Come on, baby boy. Don’t be like that. Just let me show you what I can do for you. I’d give you all the pretty things.”
“No, thank you.”
The guy didn’t stop.
Rage boiled inside Soren. These men. They just took and took. There was no regard here. No respect. Soren had spent years thinking he was in a safe place. It wasn’t safe here. This was the devil’s den. Soren watched the guy’s lips move, and the fury burned inside his chest. Then he saw it. A tear dropped from Adan’s chin and landed on his toy car.
Soren broke. “He said no.”
The guy looked his way. Malice danced in his empty eyes. “Stay out of it, little one. This doesn’t involve you.” He stroked Adan’s hair again.
Soren stood. His fists clenched at his sides. “He asked you not to touch him.”
The guy laughed. “I’ll do what I want.” He massaged Adan’s shoulders. “He likes it. Everyone knows it.”
Soren didn’t think. He just moved. In a flash, he had the man flipped end over end. He hovered over the man, who fought to regain his breath on the floor after Soren punched him in the throat. “He said no!”
The shout finally got the attention of security. Before Soren had time to calm down, the guy was dragged toward the door. Soren quietly returned to his Legos. Without permission, his gaze slid toward the mouth of the hallway. Shane was gone. He massaged his chest. When he looked away, he found Adan staring at him.
“I’m sorry for being mean to you.”
Soren hurt. All the way to his soul. He hurt. The memory of Adan calling him fat and unwanted was nothing compared to how Shane had broken him. “It’s okay.” He didn’t know why he said that. It wasn’t okay.
Adan swiped at the tears streaming down his face. “I wish I knew how to do that.” He motioned toward where the guy had been dragged.
“It’s not hard. I can teach you.”
Adan stood. He clutched his backpack to his chest. “I’d like that.” Quick as lightning, he shot forward and kissed Soren’s cheek. “Thank you.”
Soren’s arm shot out and snagged Adan before he got away. When Adan focused on him with scared and broken eyes, Soren only saw someone drowning, just like him. “Do you want to get out of here? I could teach you now.”
A sweet smile touched Adan’s lips and fell away just as quickly. “I’d love to, but I don’t have any money.”
Soren grabbed his donuts and stood. “You don’t need money, silly. I can teach you at my place. Here.” He passed the donuts to Adan. “Take these. I don’t think I can enjoy them now.”
Adan opened the box, and a smile snapped to his lips. “Yum. Thank you.” The way he snatched one from the box and crammed it in his mouth made Soren wonder how long it had been since he had last eaten.
A lightness carried away some of the pain. He wasn’t useless. He wasn’t unwanted. Maybe he had let Shane use him and maybe he was letting Adan use him now, but he would be damned if he let Shane break his spirit and ruin the things he actually liked about himself—like being kind.
“Don’t judge my car or apartment,” Soren said as he walked Adan to his car.
Adan spoke around his second donut. “I can’t judge. I don’t have either. In fact, I don’t even know how to drive… or get an apartment.”
The claim confused Soren. “Where do you live?”
Adan’s gaze slid away. “If I tell you, you can’t tell, okay?”
Soren stopped next to the passenger door of his twenty-year-old Camry. “Cross my heart.”
Adan took a deep breath. “I’ve been staying here. Right before closing, I sneak into the bathroom and hide until everyone leaves. Please don’t tell,” he said again, sounding desperate. “Banks will probably catch me someday, but I don’t know what else to do. Daddy kicked me out with nothing.” He looked so defeated, Soren didn’t know what to say. Soren had a ton of questions, but they all felt incredibly intrusive. He might not know what to say, but Soren knew what to do. He would help however he could. If he got burned, then it wasn’t the worst thing to happen to him today.
It had been a long time since Shane had been this irritated. But this was exactly the problem with his life. Beau was free to just show up whenever he liked and derail Shane’s plans. Soren had looked so happy to see him earlier. The way his face had fallen wouldn’t stop eating at the back of Shane’s brain. He couldn’t let Beau catch sight of Soren. If Soren was only Kyson’s best friend, then Beau would forget him. If he belonged to Shane, then he belonged to the family.
Shane ambled through Beau’s enormous estate, checking windows and doors. He hated it here. Always had. Beau told him to come back, so here he was. Too many men had gotten bold and defied Beau since his wife’s suicide. They turned a blind eye to a lot, but the way he had driven her to the grave wasn’t one. Too many enemies saw him as weak now. Beau had to show his vicious side. He had to get his iron grip back on this town. So Shane was a soldier once again. His chest hurt.
Several times, he texted Soren on the sly, just to check in. His messages went unread. Shane couldn’t blame him. Still, it had his mood spiraling, even though he knew it was for the best. Soren was smart to turn his back on Shane. Fuck. His chest hurt.
Shane headed for his old bedroom. Nothing had changed. Nothing ever changed here. Beau had an army of housekeepers who kept each room fresh. The familiarity of every detail only highlighted how trapped Shane was and how permanent his sentence was. His upstairs room had a balcony. Shane stepped outside and took a breath, as if fresh air made him any less of a prisoner. He wondered what Soren was doing tonight. Shane prayed it wasn’t sitting around hating him.
He ambled back inside, trying to force his mind to be quiet. All the inner raging in the world wouldn’t change a thing. He grabbed his overnight bag. How fucking hopeful he had been when he had only packed for a few days. Shane wasn’t stupid. He knew this was forever now. It was like dying. The bedroom door burst open.
Banks stood in the doorway looking possessed. “Go get in the fucking car.”
Sometimes, Shane wondered who was guarding who. Banks scared the hell out of him, especially when he looked the way he did now. “Are you sure? Your dad—”
“I said go get in the motherfucking car.” The growl to his voice had Shane scrambling to obey. He held his backpack tightly and jogged down the steps. The guards by the front door avoided his gaze as Shane headed out. Banks’ Lamborghini sat running in the circular driveway at the bottom of the front steps. Usually, Shane drove them around, but only in the SUV. It was a rare occasion for Shane to drive the Lambo and then only to service appointments and whatnot. He climbed into the passenger seat. His mind raced while he waited. What had happened? Did they know about the way he had hurt Soren?
Finally, Banks made his way out, looking like the devil. His expression was hard, and his eyes were terrifying. He climbed behind the wheel.
His murderous gaze turned Shane’s way. “Don’t you ever let that man come into my space and take you away. Do you understand?”
Shane swallowed. “I can’t disobey Beau.”
“You don’t work for Dad. You work for me, and I promise you don’t want to disobey me. His wrath is nothing compared to mine.”
Shane knew that. Even Beau never crossed Banks. “Yeah, okay.”
Banks didn’t immediately drive away. He spent a moment visibly fuming, as if trying to calm himself.
“I didn’t want to come here.” Shane didn’t know why he couldn’t be quiet. He just needed Banks to know this hadn’t been his decision.
Banks looked his way. His face softened. “I know. This was my dad’s way of forcing me to speak to him.” Banks looked away and put the car into gear. “We spoke,” he said as he steered from the driveway. Blood ran from Banks’ knuckles. A laugh that sent chills down Shane’s spine filled the car. “He won’t make that mistake again.”
Shane swallowed and stared straight ahead. Yeah. He wouldn’t leave with Beau again. Shane had way more to fear from Banks. Still. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
Banks squeezed his knee. “You’re part of my family. Not his, and I don’t care if that doesn’t make sense because I know you get it. Plus, Kyson was crushed to learn you were gone. That’s not happening on my watch.”
Shane’s shoulders eased. Banks was scary, but he was on Shane’s side. They were like brothers. Sometimes he forgot that. But at the end of the day, he knew Banks always had his back.