Chapter 11
“What the hell was that?”
Will kept his eyes on the road. “What are you talking about?”
Scott huffed. “I’m talking about the fact that you cockblocked me, man! And you were a shitty wingman tonight. Gadiel spent half of the evening clinging to you like a baby koala, and then you cockblocked me! You’re supposed to help me, not make things harder for me!”
Will didn’t look away from the road. “I was doing my job, Scott. I may have agreed to take this job for your sake, but it’s still my job, not a game. I take my responsibilities seriously.”
“Oh come on! You can find another job—”
“Do you know how easy it is to ruin one’s professional reputation in these circles?” Will said. “Rich people who hire private security are always interested in the opinions of your previous clients. Gadiel’s brother can ruin my career if he’s not satisfied with how I do my job. And sorry, I’m not ruining my career so you can get your dick wet.”
“Don’t be gross. I have, like, feelings for him. Deep feelings. I’m basically in love.”
Will scoffed.
“I’m serious, Will. Why do you always belittle and mock my love?”
“I don’t know,” Will said. “Maybe because it happened at least ten times? At some point, it gets old.”
“Come on, you agreed to help me—you can’t backtrack now!”
“I can,” Will said. In fact, he still had a lot of misgivings about Gadiel and Scott together. But after his earlier conversation with Gadiel, he didn’t have the heart to ruin it for him. It was obvious that the kid was painfully lonely and lost, starved for love and belonging. He deserved some happiness and love, no matter how brief. Will was far from convinced that Gadiel and Scott suited each other, but who was he to judge if Scott claimed to be in love with him? Scott was a good guy at heart. It might work out. “But I won’t.”
“You won’t?” Scott said hopefully.
“No,” Will said, grimacing. “The kid likes you. Don’t break his heart.”
“Of course I won’t! It’s the real thing this time, I swear.”
We’ll see , Will thought grimly.“Then stop trying to get into his pants. Take it slower with him. Get to know him beyond superficial small talk.”
“I do know him! We talked for hours when we met!”
“About what?” Will said wryly. “You?”
Scott snapped his mouth shut.
“Gadiel is pinning his hopes on you,” Will said. “Don’t let him down.”
“You sound like you like him more than you like me.”
Will chuckled, raking a hand through his hair. “I just know how passing your infatuations can be—”
“It’s not an infatuation this time!”
“Then prove it,” Will said. “Try to get to know him instead of flirting your way into his pants.”
“He doesn’t mind! Why can’t I do both?”
“He’s a horny nineteen-year-old boy,” Will said flatly. “Of course he wouldn’t mind. But you should know better. You aren’t a teenager. If you insist on dating a barely legal guy, at least try to be responsible about it.”
That shut Scott up.
“All right,” he said at last. “I’ll take it slow. I can be responsible, no matter what you think of me.” He chuckled. “Seriously, you scold me more than my parents do.”
And that’s the problem , Will nearly said. Scott had been spoiled rotten all his life. Had he been born into a normal family, he would have been more mature and responsible. It wasn’t really his fault that he had turned out this way.
Will made an effort to soften his voice when he spoke. “You know I do it because I give a damn. You’re my brother in all the ways that matter.”
Scott didn’t say anything for a moment.
And then he laughed a little. “Back at ya. Hey, let’s go get a drink or something. I need it after that terrible movie.”
“I can’t. My job is 24/7. I feel uneasy that I left Gadiel alone. I’d better return to his place.” Strictly speaking, it was still his day off, but Gadiel refused to let the other bodyguard stay inside the apartment.
Scott rolled his eyes. “You’re so damn responsible. Doesn’t it get boring to always do the right thing?”
Will’s fingers gripped the steering wheel harder.
Sometimes it did get boring.
Sometimes he wanted to shake things up. But unlike Scott, he didn’t have the luxury of doing whatever he wanted. He’d always had to do the smart thing. The safe thing. The boring thing.
It was fine. Not all people had exciting lives full of drama and romance.
Will was… content with what he had.
***
When he returned to Gadiel’s penthouse, it was nearly midnight. The apartment was dark and quiet.
Will walked over to Gadiel’s bedroom and cracked the door open, to check that his charge was safely in bed.
He was.
The kid was lying on his side, curled up around...
Frowning, Will stepped into the room to get a better look.
He smiled involuntarily when he did.
Gadiel was snuggled up with a big plush cat. It was ridiculously fat and ugly, and even in the dim light coming from the hallway it was obvious that it had seen better days.
Looking at the way Gadiel was clutching the old toy, Will was suddenly hit with an unsettling thought: had he ever been hugged by anyone? From everything Gadiel had told him, his mother had been distant and his father wasn’t any better. Although Zain seemed to care for his younger brother, he didn’t seem like the hugging type, and it was unlikely that the other brother was any different.
It was none of his business. It didn’t matter.
But the thought kept coming back even after Will left the room.And he couldn’t help but wonder why Gadiel had felt like sleeping with that old toy. What had upset him so? He’d seemed all right when Will had dropped him off. Unless it was about the upcoming family dinner. It had clearly made Gadiel anxious. He seemed—
Enough , Will snapped at himself, grimacing. What the hell was wrong with him? He spent too much time worrying and thinking about that kid. Gadiel was just his client. Nothing more.
Professional distance. He seemed to have forgotten what it was.