Chapter 4
Gus
“This is a one-and-a-half-pound piece of whirling wood and metal, and yet it feels more powerful,” Kane said as he held up the ax, grinning at me.
“See, I don’t think it’s smart to have beer at a place where you throw axes.”
Kane rolled his eyes. “Excuse me, I’m not drunk. I haven’t even had a sip of my beer. This is why we do this, and then we go drink. It’s what guys’ nights are for.”
Kane turned, moved into position, did exactly what our instructors told us, and tossed the ax. It whirled in the air, a perfect toss, and hit the bullseye. It landed with a satisfying thud, and Kane raised his hands and cheered.
I just shook my head. “That’s it. Next time, I’m on your team.”
“Damn straight. You never go against a Montgomery.”
“I thought his last name was Carr?” my brother Sawyer asked.
Kingston laughed. “His mom is the Montgomery, so Montgomery is his middle name. It doesn’t matter that his last name is Carr. When in the vicinity of the Montgomerys, you become one. It’s a cult.”
Sawyer gave me a wide-eyed look, and I snorted. “It’s okay. I promise I’m not in a cult.”
“I feel like that’s exactly what someone in a cult would say,” my brother said, and I laughed.
“Come on, you’re up next.”
“I don’t know. I feel like we should just go have a beer and let them win.”
“I don’t think so,” Ford said. “We have an hour and a half of practice, and then we have the tournament.”
“They have a tournament every night? How is it a tournament, then?” Sawyer asked, ever the analytical man.
“It’s like trivia night. You have a winner for the evening. And unless you’re part of a team that regularly goes against another and keeps score, it’s just for the night. I promise. It’s not insane.”
“You say that, but we’re throwing axes. When did this become a thing?”
“I’m sure some celebrity did it and then put it on social media. And here we are,” Noah said as he looked up from his phone.
“Are you texting Greer? I thought this was supposed to be a man’s night.”
“It’s a guys’ night. If you say man’s night, it sounds like we’re going to puff up our chests and compare dicks,” Kane said as he sat back down when Sawyer went to take his turn.
I snorted, grateful I hadn’t taken a sip of my drink.
“Well, I didn’t hit anyone. I’m going to count that as a win,” Sawyer said as he came back to sit next to me. I looked at the ax embedded in the wall, a foot to the left of the target.
“You did better when there were multiple targets with the ducks. You know, where you could hit the one on the left like you constantly do.”
“You’re placating me. Maybe I should go have a drink.”
“You’re welcome to it,” Ford said. “Most people are having a drink or two while out here. We never do, but only because we usually do this on work nights.”
“I guess that’s true. No one needs a hangover in your line of business.” Sawyer paused. “Or any line of business.”
“Damn straight,” I said. “Seriously, though, the tournament is soon. Are you ready?”
Ford frowned. “I feel like the training session was too quick. The group games are fun, but for a winner-take-all tournament? I’m a little worried.”
“It’s fine. We’ve got this,” I said with a laugh, though I wasn’t sure I truly believed it.
Kane and Kingston were really good at this, probably the best in the room.
But Ford and Noah were too busy texting Greer to really put their hearts into it.
Sawyer was a lost cause, and I was off my game. I just wouldn’t think about why.
“Okay, get ready, the Tournament of Teams is about to begin,” a man declared via the intercom before going over the rules.
Sawyer sighed. “I’m not ready.”
“It’s okay. Maybe you’ll do better when it counts,” Kane said kindly.
“I really don’t believe that.”
I grinned. “It’s fine. We have to hit targets for some of our qualifications. And a lot of us have experience throwing things.”
“I was a pitcher in high school,” Ford said with a grin.
“Now you pitch other things,” Noah said with a smirk, and Ford leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Shut up,” Ford grumbled, his cheeks going red.
I laughed, the others joining in.
“I did not need to know who the catcher was in that situation,” Kane said lightheartedly.
“I’m learning so many new things. Thanks for taking me out, brother,” Sawyer said with a laugh, his eyes dancing.
“Okay, Team Montgomery, here we are,” the man over the intercom said, and Sawyer and I met gazes before bursting out laughing.
“Did we pick the team name?” Kane asked. “Because it’d be nice to use my real name for once. Just saying.”
Ford flipped him off. “I’ll have you know I’m not a Montgomery either.”
“No, you’re just living, sleeping, and going to marry one,” Noah said drily.
Ford shrugged. “Yes. And figuring out the last names for the three of us when all of us have families we actually like? That is going to be fun.”
“I don’t envy you in the least,” I put in. “Seriously, though, why change your names?”
“Because it’ll make things easier for paperwork and power of attorneys when it comes to kids,” Noah put in.
I nodded. “I guess you’re right. But maybe the power of attorney will be enough.”
“Thankfully, we know a few lawyers,” Ford said dryly. Considering his family, that made sense.
By the time I got my turn, I wanted to kick the other team’s ass. They were a bunch of jerks, glaring at Ford and Noah, and we all knew why. Homophobic assholes existed everywhere, and ax throwing while drinking beer did not cure them of that.
I tossed the ax. And hit the bullseye, the light above it going red. We all cheered as I lifted my chin at the asshole who had muttered something derogatory at Noah. The other man flipped me off before snarling something under his breath at Ford.
“Just ignore them,” Noah mumbled.
“I’m working on it,” I said. “I hate the fact that you have to deal with it.”
Noah shrugged. “You get over it. Because then you get to kick their ass in little ways. Like in this tournament.”
“Well, that means I need to step up my game,” Sawyer said with a growl. “Because there’s no way they’re going to beat us. Even if I’m the weak link.”
“Then go kick some ass,” Kane encouraged.
Sawyer rolled his shoulders back and let the ax fly. When it hit the bullseye and the alarm went off, we just stared at each other until he jumped up, his fist in the air. We all cheered.
With the tournament over, and the Montgomery team winning, of course, we sat back in the corner, beers in hand, chomping on pretzel bites with beer cheese and a pizza that looked semi-edible.
“I think this was frozen at one point,” Kane said.
I swallowed a decent bite of pizza. “True. The food isn’t great, and the beer’s slightly warm, but it’s been fun.”
Kingston looked around, his eyes narrowed. “I bet we could open one of our own.”
“What? With all the spare time you have owning a security business?” I asked, taking a sip of my beer.
Kingston shrugged. “If not me, then one of the family members.”
“So, is this an empire taking over the world, or a cult?” Sawyer asked.
I burst out laughing, shaking my head. “I think it’s both.”
Kane tilted his beer toward me, eyebrow raised. “You know none of you are wrong. But we could open something like this. Attach it to a game center for families, too. Or, I don’t know, someplace where people could have fun but not be idiots.”
I knew who he was glaring at—the guys behind us who were getting drunker by the minute. Thankfully, it seemed the owners had noticed and were coming over to talk to them. Wouldn’t that be fun when we walked out later?
“You okay?” I asked.
Noah shrugged. “We’re used to it. At least Greer isn’t here. I hate when she has to take the brunt of the looks.”
“People still weird about the poly thing?” I asked, my voice low.
Noah leaned forward. “Yeah, and while Ford and I do our best to ignore it, Greer can’t. It hits her hard. Even if she puts on a brave face.”
Ford signed. “And we can’t just go out and kick someone’s ass every time we want to.”
“Nope, but we can change the way we feel about it,” Noah added. “Though that is easier said than done.”
I nodded as I sipped my beer. “If I ever see it around me, though, I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t happen twice.”
Noah nodded. “I know. Everyone in our building knows. We have good people around. Unlike before.” A dark cloud crossed over his eyes, and I knew what he remembered. Something none of us wanted to talk about.
“But the gallery’s up, the café’s doing great, and the tattoo shop’s kicking ass with a huge waiting list. And we’re not doing too bad ourselves.”
“Again, Montgomerys taking over the world,” Kane said with a grin.
“And, apparently, you’re adding an ax shop to it,” I added.
“Or at least something with better food,” Kingston mumbled, taking notes.
I didn’t know which would be better: notes for the job, or perhaps actual plans for taking over the world.
Suddenly, he smiled softly, and I realized it wasn’t any of that.
It was a woman. Interesting. I hadn’t known he was seeing anyone.
From the curious look on Kane’s face, he hadn’t known either.
“So, you ever going to tell us what happened between you and Jennifer?” Kane asked out of the blue, startling me.
Sawyer leaned forward. “Jennifer? The woman he works with and never stops talking about? That Jennifer?” my brother asked.
I flipped him off. “Subtle. Real subtle.”
“Yes, I’d like to know, too,” Noah added.
“We’re friends. We’re coworkers. It would get messy if it was anything more.”
Both Noah and Ford looked at each other, then at me. “Yes. It gets messy. But as long as it’s consensual and doesn’t bleed into work, it wouldn’t be a problem. We honestly don’t care as long as you don’t hurt anyone. That’s our goal with anything,” Noah said.
I swallowed hard. “Just friends. That’s all we want.”
“Are you sure about that?” Kane asked. I glared at him, but thankfully our check came.
We pushed the subject to the side, though I knew my brother and my coworkers would bring it up again later. And I’d have to find a real answer for them.
We all headed out, my brother leaving first since he had an early morning. As we made it to the cars, Noah cursed under his breath.
“I knew they hadn’t left quietly,” Noah mumbled.
I turned around and cursed right along with him. “Well, hell.”
“Aren’t we too old for this?” Kingston asked.
“Hey, assholes. You really think you can get us kicked out of our favorite joint?” one of the guys slurred.
“I’m pretty sure you did that yourself,” I put in.
“Let’s not get them any angrier than they already are. I’m not in the mood to deal with the cops tonight,” Noah said.
“It would be nice to kick their asses, though. Again,” Ford said.
“Fuck you.” The man leered at Ford and then said a word that made me want to kick his ass to make sure he never said it again.
He staggered forward, fist out. Ford easily ducked, and I moved quickly, taking the man’s wrist and twisting his arm behind his back.
I bent him over so he couldn’t try to hit anyone again.
“You’re going to want to stop doing that.”
“Fuck you. Get your hands off me.”
“Don’t you dare touch my friend!” the other drunk guy slurred as he came forward, fists moving quickly toward the guys.
The group was drunk, ignorant, and made of dumbasses, especially going against people who were highly trained and could deescalate without violence. So, we did. We moved, pinning them to their cars.
Ford sighed. “It would’ve been nice to punch the asshole in the face, but no, we’re going to deal with it like adults.”
When the owner of the ax-throwing place stormed out, he took one look at us and rolled his eyes.
“I should have known you’d take care of it. I’m sorry. I thought they left. They moved their cars around to the side where I couldn’t see.”
“You want us to call the authorities?” Noah asked. When the owner sighed and nodded, I knew it would be a long night.
“I don’t want them out there drinking and driving. Or hurting somebody because they’re pissed off.”
“Fuck you. They’re the ones hurting us,” the guy I was holding snapped.
“We both know that’s not the case, Chris.” The owner sighed again and ran his hands over his hair for the umpteenth time.
It had been a good night until this. We’d played, and I’d hung out with my brother, which I rarely did these days, And I had totally lied about only wanting Jennifer to be my friend.
Things were going great.
When the cops arrived, I let the guy go.
I pulled out my phone to check the time, definitely not looking for a text.
Or a call. We didn’t really do that. We used to text, flirt, joke.
But things had changed. That fire had sizzled out.
At least, that’s what I told myself. It’s what I had to tell myself.
I hadn’t realized how quickly I’d fallen for Jennifer. My friend.
But she wasn’t mine, and I had to remember that.
Even if it was getting harder to do each day.