Chapter Eight
Tracker woke up alone. He chose to keep his disappointment tamped down.
Nothing had changed really. Zeus still had a business to run.
Tracker needed to vet job requests. While his brothers hadn’t complained about a lack of targets, Tracker needed to at least offer them a case to vote on.
He had a feeling the guys were done with that life, but Tracker would do his part and see where it led.
Tracker dragged his feet through his shower and morning routine. He was putting off checking his phone. If he didn’t have a message from Zeus, he didn’t know how he would feel. Everything still felt so raw. Zeus turning cold on him unlocked a new fear inside him.
With a towel wrapped around his waist, Tracker made his way to the kitchen. He would start a pot of coffee first. A cup of coffee from his favorite coffee shop sat next to a stack of clothes. There was a note on top.
Put this on, enjoy your coffee, and meet me at my club.
Zeus
Bossy. Tracker smiled even as that thought hit.
Zeus’ demanding personality was one of the many things Tracker loved about him.
He took a sip from the cup. It was perfect.
As he pulled on his pants, Tracker heard a ding from the security dash.
He checked it out while still trying to dress. He had a message from Atticus.
Good morning, gorgeous. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Not talking to you last night was tough. I miss our chats. Anyhow, just get back to me whenever you can.
1CEOofGenius_ATLAS
Tracker pulled on the shirt with his attention focused on the computer.
In his distraction, it took him a second to realize he had never seen the clothes he wore before.
The pants were dark blue, and the shirt was a maroon polo style with short sleeves.
It showed too much skin. He couldn’t say the clothing didn’t fit his style.
Tracker just didn’t normally leave the property dressed like this.
Fortunately, Atticus gave him the distraction he needed.
He searched his heart as he read the message a second time.
He had hurt Zeus, but Zeus had seemed totally unbothered by that.
In fact, Zeus had spoken as if he held no grudge whatsoever.
It would be dumb for Tracker to be upset about that fight if Zeus wasn’t.
Plus, Atticus—as convoluted as it was—had shown up for him in his time of need.
That’s what friends did. There was something about Atticus.
Everyone in Tracker’s life had a terrible past and mental health issues.
It seemed almost serendipitous that they would find each other. He slid the keyboard closer.
Good morning, avenging angel. I’m happy to hear from you. How are your fists? I miss talking to you too. Two years is a lot of late nights spent chatting. Things might not be the same. We’ll probably be ships passing in the night now, but I’ll always answer your messages the minute I’m free. Okay?
1_bottomless_data_base
I accept this offer. Unfortunately, I’m at work right now, so I have to get back to it. Talk to you soon. xoxo.
1CEOofGenius_ATLAS
Okay. Have a great day.
1_bottomless_data_base
With that resolved, Tracker grabbed his Oxfords and put them on before finding his key fob and wallet.
He grabbed his coffee and headed out. Tracker owned two cars: A Lincoln Navigator and a GR86 Premium.
Toyotas were reliable cars, and Tracker appreciated that.
That was the vehicle he chose. When he pushed the button to start the car, his Bluetooth automatically connected.
The last thing he had been watching on YouTube came through the speakers.
While he couldn’t watch Deadlock Arena while driving, he liked listening to the videos in the background. He left it and headed out.
Normally, Tracker would hate following cryptic orders.
But when it came to Zeus, no rules applied.
From the very first moment he opened the door to a set of enraged light gray eyes—despite them having guns pointed at each other’s face at the time—he had been fascinated by the complexity of Zeus’ mind.
Tracker couldn’t imagine him ever getting enough.
He had been so certain Zeus only wanted to be friends that he had never looked toward the future.
Now his brain kept wanting to go there, but Tracker kept slamming the door shut.
He assumed there would be nights when they would have to sleep apart.
Zeus was very hands-on with his club. His presence kept the place hopping.
While there were nights Zeus didn’t work, most nights were late.
Between that and Tracker’s place with his brothers, he supposed they would never share the same roof.
That was typical of Tracker, though. His life had never had much hope of being normal.
Tracker chuckled. Normal. He had choreographed the slaughter of countless people over the years.
Average wasn’t a thing in his world. But he would like to think he had found a comfortable way to exist in safety.
Unfortunately, he doubted that included a permanent place with Zeus.
They had found different paths to survival.
He couldn’t see a place down the road where those two paths permanently merged into one.
With that said, Tracker already had more than he could dream.
He wasn’t disappointed in this new life.
As he pulled into a parking spot close to Affinity’s door, he saw a yellow note taped on the glass. Tracker’s curiosity deepened as he made his way toward it.
I put a key in your wallet. Let yourself in.
Tracker shook his head and dug out his wallet.
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed it was bulkier than usual.
Tracker unlocked the door and put the key back in his wallet.
He would add it to his fob later. Once inside, he locked the door behind him and headed down the stairs.
The place was quiet. The hallway smelled heavily of disinfectant.
Each room was open, clean, and empty. Tracker made his way to the club doors and went inside.
The dance floor was every bit as clean as the playrooms, except it wasn’t empty.
In the center of the room, a table sat with an entire buffet of food beside it. A smile snapped to Tracker’s lips.
Zeus stood when he spotted Tracker. He popped an orange slice in his mouth as he met Tracker halfway. “You’re here.” He stole a quick kiss. Zeus took Tracker’s hand and dragged him toward the table like an excited kid. “Just in time too. I just finished cooking.”
Tracker eyed the wide variety of lunch items. “Wow. You cooked all of this?”
“Yeah. I can’t let my angel go hungry.”
Tracker blinked at the massive amount of food. “Damn. Everything looks delicious, but a lot of this will go to waste. I know you have a huge appetite and fucked-up sugar levels, but still.”
Zeus grabbed a plate and handed it to Tracker. “I have to eat a lot to keep my strength up.” He winked. “I never know when you plan to jump me.”
Tracker huffed but didn’t argue.
Zeus chuckled. “This food won’t go to waste.
The playrooms open in just over an hour, and I do this every Tuesday for the homeless.
I’ll unlock the back doors in a little while.
They know they can come inside and grab something to eat.
I’ll stay open until five before the cleaning crew will come back and take care of all this.
If there’s food left over, they’ll box it up and give away as many meals as they can for people to take with them.
It’s only once a week, but at least I know they’re eating at some point during the week. ”
Tracker was blown away. “Why didn’t I know you did this?”
Zeus shrugged and put food on his plate. He didn’t meet Tracker’s stare. “You never really came here until recently. Plus, you’re not homeless. Why would you know?”
The entire situation was so Zeus. He would do anything to help others.
Zeus never boasted. No one bothered to look beyond his beautiful veneer.
If they did, they would see an equally flawless soul.
Unfortunately, Tracker realized, maybe he wasn’t as good as Zeus.
Zeus was right. Tracker hadn’t come here or looked at Zeus’ life beyond Zeus’ place in his life.
More often than not, Tracker wondered why Zeus chose him.
Tracker wasn’t sure he had been that great of a friend.
“You’re the best person I know.”
Zeus chuckled and flashed him a bright smile. “Actually, I’m pretty sure that title goes to Field. He had me beating the shit out of him all the time just to hang on for you guys. Making other people happy is all he lives for.”
Tracker growled. While it was true Tracker’s brother Field was beyond wonderful, Zeus deserved praise too. “Just take the compliment, Zeus.”
The way Zeus chuckled again made Tracker want to kick him in the shin. “Now, I take it back.”
A bark of loud laughter escaped Zeus. His eyes swam with mirth. The heavy bruising on his face did nothing to detract from his sexiness. “That’s the spirit.”
Tracker shook his head at Zeus’ antics. “I love you.” The words sounded every bit as exasperated as he felt. Tracker had no idea why he wanted this insanity for the rest of his life, but he did.
With lunch consumed and left warming on the buffet table, Tracker trailed through the club. Zeus followed on his heels, studying him. He never knew what Tracker was thinking, but he looked baffled.
“This place feels strange with no one here. Like the building is holding its breath or something.”
Zeus got it. Without the building’s usual characters, it was just that. A building. But somehow the place also felt like it was a living entity waiting for sound and emotions to fill it.