Chapter Eight
Turned out there was no avoiding going to Haven’s house for Christmas.
It hadn’t occurred to Kace, even though it should have, but Haven was pretty much all Jamison had.
He had been raised by a single father. At eighteen, they had parted ways when Jamison joined the military.
From then on, they never really spoke again.
He had no clue why, and Kace didn’t want to push.
Seeing him joke with Joesph’s husband made him realize he never truly saw Jamison interact with people.
In theory, he knew Jamison dealt with people all the time.
He had clients. Hell, Kace had been one of those clients once upon a time.
This was different, though. He was relaxed. It was nice to see.
Joesph rolled his wheelchair to Kace’s side and parked beside him. He followed Kace’s gaze. “He looks happy. Haven says he dressed up as Santa for the children’s hospital. Did I hear that correctly?”
A smile exploded across Kace’s face. “He did.” Kace grabbed his phone. “I took pics if you want to see.”
“Absolutely.” Joesph leaned his way. He laughed as they scrolled through the images.
Kace realized he still knew Joesph’s scent, and the nostalgia was still there, but there were no feelings attached any longer beyond a deep friendship.
Joesph had once been the person he loved most in the world. It was strange.
“When Mom told me you two are dating, I’ll admit I thought it might be weird.” Joesph kept his gaze locked on Kace’s phone as he made the confession.
Guilt set in. “I guess I should’ve discussed things with you first. Honestly, things just moved so fast.”
Joesph looked up and met his stare. His eyes were Jamison’s.
It was so odd that he never saw Joesph in Jamison.
“No. It’s good seeing you both smile. Jamison hasn’t really done that and meant it in a long time.
I’m in the unique position of knowing exactly how wonderful you are, so I know he’s won the lottery.
” That was exactly why Kace had missed Joesph so much after their split.
He was just one of those people who uplifted everyone around him.
Kace still loved him, but it wasn’t the same.
It was like reconnecting with his best friend.
“I’m trying hard to take care of him.”
“What are you two over here looking so intense about?”
Joesph looked away and smiled brightly at his husband’s arrival. “Kace showed me the pictures of Jamison dressed as Santa for the children’s hospital. I was contemplating whether he had needed any stuffing for that gut.”
“Hey now.” Jamison rubbed his stomach. “Don’t insult the gas tank for the love machine.”
A loud laugh burst from Kace, nearly drowning out everyone else’s laughter.
He exchanged glances with Jamison. They had debated whether they would announce their engagement yet.
Christmas felt like a family thing they shouldn’t overshadow.
But with everyone together, they felt extremely close and real.
It was like they read each other’s mind. They shared a smile.
“By the way, guys. I asked Kace to marry me, and he shocked the shit out of me by saying yes.”
“Oh, my God. Wow!” Joesph sounded genuinely happy for them.
“Congratulations, man.” Shaw shook Jamison’s hand.
“We’ll be family.” Joesph shoulder-bumped him.
“And to think, I set you two up. I should be a professional matchmaker. I honestly think I have a knack for it.” Haven looked entirely too triumphant.
Jamison shook his head and put his arm around Haven. He squeezed her against his side. “You know, being a busybody isn’t the same as having a knack.”
She slapped his stomach.
He massaged the place where she had hit him. “Damn. I didn’t say I’m not appreciative. If you hadn’t shoved us together, Kace wouldn’t have insulted me, and I wouldn’t have realized I like being abused.”
Kace couldn’t stop laughing. He was so in love with this goofball.
Haven gave his stomach a pat. “So when is the wedding? Do you need help with planning?”
Kace’s mind screeched to a bit of a halt. He hadn’t actually thought that far ahead.
Thankfully, Jamison was good at handling things unexpectedly dropped on his head. “We have so much going on with the holidays, making plans to see everyone and whatnot. We haven’t had time to sit down and look at dates.”
Haven didn’t dim. She clapped. “I’m so happy. Let’s open the champagne I bought for New Year’s. I can buy more later.”
“Oh. We don’t want to hijack your Christmas.”
Haven waved away Kace’s words. “This is family time. No matter what we’re here for, we are together. We can celebrate more than one thing.”
Jamison met his stare. The happiness and love in his eyes had Kace captivated. They were getting married. He couldn’t believe his luck.
By the time they made it home to Kace’s place, Jamison was exhausted.
They had started the day with Kace’s family.
To his shame, that always made him a little tired.
Kace came from money and his family was a pretentious bunch.
It was obvious they never would have chosen Jamison.
All he could do was smile and pour on the charm.
He wasn’t sure it was working. Their trip to Haven’s—while better—was also draining.
Maybe Jamison just wasn’t that family-oriented.
He didn’t know. His dad hadn’t put much stock in family—never taking him to any family gatherings.
The only time he saw Joesph and Haven growing up was when Haven picked him up for weekend visits.
So, Jamison never knew what was expected of him.
He just showed up when invited. But Kace had been at his side every minute and that made everything better. Still, he was glad to be home.
“I can’t wait to take a hot shower, put on my pjs, and do nothing all day tomorrow.”
That sounded like heaven to Jamison. “Amen. In fact, I think that should be our Christmas day tradition.”
They toed off their shoes and unpacked the gifts they had gotten. Jamison pulled out a funny coffee mug from someone in Kace’s family. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. It was always like they shared one brain.
Kace broke first. “You should just leave it here, don’t you think?”
While they hadn’t talked about it, it seemed obvious he would live with Kace. Kace owned his house while Jamison rented. Not to mention, Kace lived in a gorgeous house in an upscale neighborhood. They just hadn’t discussed any details since their engagement.
Jamison nodded. “That makes the most sense. All my things will be here, eventually.”
They didn’t look away from each other.
Kace didn’t stop holding his stare. “Maybe all your things should be here sooner rather than later.”
Jamison wasn’t afraid of moving too fast. He was scared as hell of the hope Kace brought to his life. There was no one like Kace. No one would want him through sickness and his mental health the way Kace did. If he took his love and acceptance away, it might kill Jamison.
“Maybe so. I mean, I’m always here anyhow.”
Kace nodded. “We’re getting married.”
The happiness in Kace’s voice and expression made Jamison bold. “Hopefully, soon.”
A smile exploded across Kace’s face. “I’d like that.”
The excitement made him impatient. “How about next—”
A banging on the front door followed swiftly by a nonstop doorbell ring had them turning toward the door. They exchanged a confused glance.
Jamison set the mug aside and waved for Kace to take a step back. The banging didn’t stop. He checked the peephole. Horror raced through him.
“Who is it?” Kace’s stage whisper cut through his shock.
“It’s Lucas—”
Before Jamison could finish his sentence, Kace stormed toward the door and ripped it open like he planned to tear off Lucas’ head. He, too, froze in horror. “What—”
Kace was shoved aside as two men helped Lucas inside. Blood covered nearly every inch of his clothing. Ajax and Hektor—two royal guards Jamison had hoped never to see again—dumped Lucas on the floor.
Ajax motioned toward him. “Fix him.”
Kace looked horrified. “What the fuck? He needs a hospital.”
“No hospital.” He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Jamison. His steely gaze never wavered from Kace. “You fix Lucas, or I kill your man.”
Kace took turns looking at everyone. He looked pale. Kace dropped to his knees at Lucas’ side. “Yeah. All right. What happened to you?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just work!” The barked words didn’t cow Kace the way Ajax obviously hoped. He leveled a furious stare at Ajax. “I can’t fucking fix things if I don’t ask questions. So why don’t you try shutting the fuck up and let me do my job?”
Ajax gave him a sharp nod.
Kace went back to Lucas. “I have to open this shirt. Tell me what I’m dealing with. Hold on.” He looked Jamison’s way. “I need my medical bag, plenty of towels, and lots of hot water.”
Ajax shook his gun, obviously trying to remind Kace he was still in charge. “This one stays.”
Kace could have frozen water into ice with the look he turned toward Ajax. “He knows where everything is, so he can get it the quickest. I’m starting to think you want your friend to die.”
Jamison didn’t wait for Ajax’s permission.
He jogged toward the hallway to grab Kace’s things.
Ajax wouldn’t defy Kace. Kace wasn’t weak.
He would let Lucas die if Ajax hurt anyone.
Jamison gathered as much as he could carry and dumped it at Kace’s side before jetting into the kitchen to fill bowls with scalding hot water.
He had no clue if Kace actually needed any of this or if he just bought time.
Maybe he freed Jamison to call the police.
He couldn’t do that. Lucas ran drugs for the biggest crime lord in Atlantic City.
His boss had everyone in his pockets. Considering that boss was a prince of The Republic of Serveno, he was untouchable. They were on their own.