Chapter 11
NICO
Me: If I ask you for a dick pic, will you send it?
Ican almost hear Declan’s scoff as I watch the dots dance at the bottom of my phone screen.
Declan: Don’t you have an asshole to guard?
I chuckle to myself. Kai and Declan are more alike than either of them would admit. If they weren’t born to hate each other, I think they’d realize that. But both of them are stubborn and would never make the first move to bridge the gap between them.
What happened after Charlie’s funeral sure didn’t help matters.
When we were gathered at Charlie’s house after his funeral, Declan overheard one of the Charlie’s most loyal men plotting to kill Carter and leave Kai widowed. Declan confronted the guy and when that didn’t work, killed him to make sure he didn’t have a chance to fulfill his plans.
Carter and Kai only saw the killing part, not giving Declan a chance to explain because of his reputation. We didn’t find out until a few days later that he was justified in his actions. They just called him reckless and kicked him out.
That’s what I mean about Declan figuring shit out himself, then letting everyone else know. Then again, the situation would have ended up the same, so in my opinion, he did what needed to be done.
But it caused a divide between Kai and Declan because Carter took his husband’s side in the argument.
That was months ago, though. They should probably talk that shit out and leave it in the past.
Shaking my head, I go back to my text thread.
Me: He’s not that bad. No worse than you. Hell, y’all would get along if you sat down to talk.
Declan: Pass. I’m not sending you a dick pic.
Me: You’re no fun.
Kai looks over at me, eyebrow raised. “You wanna keep this going or you wanna make heart eyes at your fucking phone?”
I stick my middle finger up at him as I put my phone down and guzzle some water.
We’re in our home gym, getting a workout in.
Kai rarely has the opportunity to work out with me, but when he does, we usually spar instead of doing our own thing.
After the run in he had when some dickheads that gave him a concussion, he likes to stay on top of his hand-to-hand, even though he’s lethal with the knife he always keeps on him.
I stride back over to Kai and put my hands up in a fighting position. “Let’s go. I’ll have your ass on the mat in no time.”
Kai grins and rushes at me. We trade blows—careful not to strike too hard—but in the end, I do what I said and get Kai on the ground, my hand around his throat.
“You’re moving slower today,” I say as I ease off him. “Tired?”
“Nah. Got a lot on my mind, is all. Carter is worried about Declan, and his worry makes me worry.”
My stomach clenches at hearing Declan’s name, but I keep my face blank. “Carter ain’t his dad. He’s too overprotective.”
“He just doesn’t want anything to happen to him. He wants him to grow old.”
I give Kai a long look. “You know that’s not guaranteed, no matter what job you work. In this life, it’s almost unheard of. He can’t protect him from everything.”
“I know. It’s nice that someone has his back. We never had that.”
“We had it with each other.”
Kai grins and throws an arm around my shoulder. “Yeah, always had each other’s back. Now I have Carter. When will you get someone?”
I smirk. It would be so easy to tell him that maybe the other Whitlock brother will have my back, but I won’t give up our secret. What me and Declan have—casual as it is—is between us. If or when he decides to say something will be his choice.
“Maybe one day,” I say, shrugging his sweaty arm off me. “You good or you wanna go another round?”
“I’m good. I think I’ll hit the treadmill before I have to go to work. The casino drafts are almost done. You sure you don’t want that job? After that shit with Paolo, I don’t know who Carter and I will tap to run it.”
“Why not get someone like Percy? He’s affiliated, but he’s not a soldier. He might be your best bet.”
Kai rests his hands on his hips and looks off into space as if he’s thinking.
After a few beats, he nods. “Yeah, someone like Percy, but not Percy himself. He’s too valuable to my company.
Kid is a wiz with how he organizes my shit and keeps the books clean, even with all the dirty money flowing.
” He meets my gaze. “Did you really feel like I was trying to get rid of you?”
I shrug, a lance of pain flashing over me. After what happened when those bastards jumped Kai outside the club, and then the night Charlie died, I felt like he would stop trusting me, like his life wasn’t safe in my hands. Bringing up the casino only drove that knife in deeper.
He walks over and claps me on the shoulder. “I’m not. There’s no one I trust more than you.”
I shoot him a small grin. “Not even Carter?”
“He’s my husband. I love him and I trust him, but I’ve had your love, trust, and loyalty from day one. It didn’t have to grow like with him. I trust you more than anyone. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Thanks. Same for me.”
Kai squeezes my shoulder once more, then heads over to the treadmill. I clean down the mat, give him a salute, and head upstairs.
Like at Carter’s old house, the gym is in the basement, with top-of-the-line equipment, a bathroom with a large shower, lockers, and a panic room that leads to a tunnel system.
When the Fensters destroyed Carter’s old house, the tunnel system saved most of us.
It was a no brainer to have another built.
When I push open the door into the foyer, I almost run chest first into Carter.
He looks at me and dips his chin, that tough exterior he usually has not as hard.
Maybe it’s because he’s home and doesn’t have to put up a front, or maybe it’s because he’s starting to like me just a little.
I don’t care either way. I treat him the same as I always have—with respect, but I’m not exactly warm toward him.
Standing beside Carter is Declan, a scowl on his face as he looks at me. I grin and up nod him. “Hey. This a family reunion?”
Carter’s lip twitches. “No. I just wanted to see my brother, that’s all.”
“Even if it were, it’s none of your business,” Declan follows up.
“Yikes,” I say. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”
“Chill,” Carter says to his brother when he opens his mouth to retort. “You two always go at it when you see each other. I thought after he took you home last week, you’d at least pretend to like him.”
Heat flares in Declan’s eyes, but I don’t think Carter catches it. Yeah, Declan showed me just how much he likes me when he fucked me over his kitchen island. My cock throbs at the memory. I can’t wait for a repeat. Or a flip fuck. I’m not opposed to either.
Declan grunts. “Fine, I’ll be civil.”
“Sweet of you,” I say, my hand over my heart as if I’m touched.
He rolls his eyes. “Why are you all sweaty?”
I look down at my shirt that’s sticking to my chest and abs. “I was sparring with Kai and hitting the bag. Wanna join next time?”
“Hitting the bag because the bag doesn’t hit back,” Declan grumbles.
“You wanna try to hit me?” I taunt.
Carter chuckles. “This I wanna see.”
Declan looks back and forth between us, then removes his suit jacket and his gun holster, handing them to his brother. “Don’t write a check your ass can’t cash.”
Grinning, I set my water on the stairs. “Yeah, yeah. Show me what you got.”
Declan walks further into the foyer, so we have space to move around. His face is set in a blank mask, though there is a flicker of something when his eyes roam down my chest. My dick chubs up and I have to think of every disgusting thing on the planet to get it to chill the fuck out.
“We can always go downstairs,” I tell him as I check out his form. “There are mats. Don’t want to mess up that pretty face.”
His eyes flicker, but he covers it with a scowl. “Stop talking.”
“You don’t like my voice?” I ask, a call back from our time at the club.
Declan shoots me a sarcastic grin. “I can’t wait to shut that big mouth of yours.”
It takes effort for me not to tell him to fill it with his cock instead.
Before I can think of a witty—and PG-13—retort, Declan throws out a left hook, then a right cross.
If I didn’t see his face change just a fraction, he would have connected.
But I dance out of the way faster than he expected, duck behind him, and grab one of his arms. I push him back, making him slide a few inches across the floor.
“Not bad,” I say. “But you’re too uncoordinated. Hands up higher and drop your shoulders.”
Declan doesn’t listen, coming at me with the same berserker energy he had when he threw the first punches. I let him think he’s getting close, then duck and slap him across the face. Not hard, but with enough force to get his attention.
“Too sloppy. Hands up, shoulders back.”
He lets out a growl of frustration and comes at me again. This time, I grab his arm and spin him around so his back is to my front. Then I shove him against the door, jacking his arm to the middle of his back. He hisses and tries to buck me off, but I put my weight against his back.
Leaning to his ear, I whisper, “If your brother wasn’t here, I’d have you on your knees with my dick down your throat until you learn to listen to instructions.”
I don’t give him a chance to respond. I simply push off him and pull my shirt down to cover my semi. “That was…passable,” I tell him, loving the angry sneer on his face. “Come over some mornings and I’ll help you.”
Declan shakes out his arms as he glares at me. “I don’t need your help, Nico.”
“After what I just saw, I think you do.” I wink at him, then head toward the stairs.
Carter gives me a weird look but doesn’t say anything as I pass him.
Collecting my water bottle, I jog up the stairs to my room, my dick thickening with each step. Declan’s ass against me felt good. Too fucking good.
Needless to say, when I get under the shower spray, my dick is in my hand, and I’m jerking hard and fast to thoughts of Declan under me, fighting me as I push inside him, his nails digging into my back, his heated gaze pinned on mine.
I come in no time, a strangled groan filling the air.
Fuck, Declan and I need to get together soon. My balls are too heavy, too full without his tight ass to spill inside.
When I walk into my room, a towel around my waist, I scoop up my phone and open our text thread again.
Me: If you come spar with me, we can discuss what’s going on with whoever is trying to extort you without it looking suspicious.
He doesn’t answer right away, so I head to my closet to grab a suit, a gun, and a holster.
As I’m fitting my Glock into its cradle, my phone buzzes on my nightstand. Grinning, I scoop it up, heat blooming over my skin when I see Declan’s name on my screen.
Declan: Is that a ploy so you can touch me?
Me: I don’t need a ploy. You belong to me, so I can touch you when I want. But we’ll save it for tonight.
I don’t have to wait long to get his response.
Declan: Eleven o’clock. Don’t be late or I’ll start without you.