Chapter 13
AIDEN
I reclined on the sofa, trying not to mope while a load of laundry tumbled in the dryer. Knight had spent hours doing maintenance for the park before heading out for his weekly Redemption Road meeting.
I had nothing to do but think about how empty the place felt without him. Funny that I’d pretended for so long that I didn’t want to be around Knight when that was all I craved now. Once those floodgates opened, there was no denying the rush of desire between us.
But I couldn’t let it carry me away. Couldn’t drown in it. I’d given in to the current pulling us together—but I was determined to keep my head above water.
A knock came at the door. Who could that be? One of Knight’s friends, maybe? Or the landlord?
I rose and peeked out the window. Bailey stood on the porch, Emory and Shiloh behind him. What the heck?
I opened the door. “Hey, guys.”
“We’ve come to kidnap you,” Bailey said with a shit-eating grin.
“Yep. You’ve been in town for weeks, and we haven’t had a proper hangout,” Shiloh said. “That must be rectified.”
Emory smiled, almost apologetically. “That is, if you want to hang out. No one here will force you.”
“Except me,” Bailey said. “I’ll totally drag your ass out.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. “No violence necessary.”
I glanced down at my clothes. I’d put on snug shorts that made my ass look great—mainly for when Knight came home—and my favorite faded Thirsty U T-shirt that was growing a little too snug. I’d filled out since my freshman year there. “Should I change?”
“Nah, you look great,” Bailey said.
“Hot,” Shiloh added. “No wonder Knight was all weird around you at the cookout if he’s got to see all this every day.”
That threw me. Knight had been weird? I was the one who’d been all uptight. Clearly, neither of us were hiding our feelings as well as I’d thought.
“Uh, just let me get my things.” I stepped inside and grabbed my wallet and keys, then closed and locked the door behind me. “So, where to?”
“How do you feel about drag clubs?”
“Love them,” I said immediately. “But isn’t it kind of early for a drag show?”
“Yeah, but they do a Happy Hour special. We can grab drinks and appetizers at half price.”
“Well, I do love a bargain,” I joked.
“Perfect. Let’s go.”
Emory drove, because his Audi best fit a larger group. I fired off a text to Knight on the way there so he’d know where I was. We probably wouldn’t stay long. One or two drinks, and I’d still be home for dinner.
When I saw the sign for Glitter Balls, I choked on a laugh. “Bailey, you and Flynn totally made me think there was no place for booty shorts in Riverton!”
“Yeah, pretty much anything goes here,” Shiloh said.
As I followed them inside, I saw he was right.
There were some very pretty twinks waiting tables, most of them dressed in skimpy shorts and half-shirts that left little to the imagination.
A logo on their shirts showed two glittery disco balls positioned to look like, well, a pair of balls.
Tacky, but in a delightful, playful way.
“Why do I suddenly feel like I should hit the gym?” Shiloh said, pinching at his nonexistent fat. “I’ve let myself go since getting here.”
“Well, sure, having a sugar daddy will do that to you,” Emory said with a teasing grin.
“A sugar daddy?” I said. “Holden?”
The guys laughed at my expression.
“Not really,” Shiloh said. “Sort of an inside joke.”
“Oh.” I turned to scan the club, trying not to let the comment bother me. I wasn’t privy to inside jokes among this group because I wasn’t part of it. That was okay. Why would I be when they barely knew me?
The bar, made of glass and chrome with a strip of neon blue lighting, was at the back of the room. Two disco balls hung from the ceiling, much like the logo. Front and center, a black queen in an aquamarine wig and sparkly silver dress danced for tips on a stage.
Bailey led us toward a table that was far enough from the stage the drag queen wouldn’t taunt us, but close enough for a good view.
“We’ll tell you the whole story over drinks,” Emory said, nudging me. “You’re one of us now.”
“Am I?” I said out loud.
“Well, that’s up to you,” Shiloh said as we took our seats. “We can’t make you want to join us, but—”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry, you guys. I just…I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never really had people, you know? I had a few friends in college, but med school is competitive. It wasn’t like you guys. You’re all so close. Like family.”
“Because we are,” Bailey said.
Emory nodded. “When I started dating Gray, his brothers were still single. They were all so close. I envied them.” His voice grew a little sad. “My brother died when we were children.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
He smiled. “I struggled with that a long time. I felt guilty. Still do. I guess it never goes away.”
I nodded. I could understand that all too well.
“But the brothers folded me into their family. Gray loved me, so they loved me. And that’s what we want for you too, Aiden. I know you’ve got some baggage when it comes to family. Maybe we all do in some fashion. It’s what drew us together.”
Shiloh raised his hand. “Disowned for being too gay.”
Bailey raised his hand. “Abandoned by my mother as a toddler.”
Slowly, I raised my hand. “Beaten by my father. Watched my brother kill him…for me. Watched him get sent away…for me.”
Shiloh leaned over, slipping an arm around my shoulders. “Welcome to our fucked-up little family, Aiden.”
I laughed a little, my chest loosening. Maybe I really wasn’t alone. Maybe I could learn how to let people in, when they were the right people.
Something told me not a single one of these guys judged my brother for going to prison.
Especially not Bailey. None of them were like Tyler, who’d talked shit about my brother and refused to meet him, deciding that everything he did was wrong even though Tyler had no idea what it was like to live with my father’s hate, the way he’d lashed out at Flynn before he left then turned his fury on Mom until she’d left and it was only me.
A young server arrived, gaze skimming over us. “I got lucky with this table,” he said, his voice holding a flirty lilt. “Got me some gorgeous men today. What are we having? Is it me? Please say it’s me!”
Shiloh smiled coyly. “Well, only one of us here is single.” He nodded toward me. “And he’s a doctor.”
“Ooh,” the server crooned. “I’ll let you diagnose me anytime.”
Luckily, I could tell the flirtation was all in good fun. Knight and I were casual. There had been no talk of exclusivity. But I really had no desire for anyone else right now. I’d barely gotten a taste of him, and I was pretty sure I’d need a lot more before I satisfied that craving.
Emory picked up the drink menu. “I’ll take a Pink Banana.”
He passed the menu to Bailey, who glanced at it. “A Virgin Rim Shot.”
The server’s eyes lit up. “Virgin, huh?”
“The drink, not me,” Bailey said. “I’m counting down the days to my twenty-first birthday.”
“Aw, poor thing. Come back here. We’ll make your first time so gooood.”
He still made it sound like sex, because of course he did. He wore a small nametag that read Larkin, perched right at the edge of the tank that dipped low enough to show the upper part of his pecs.
“I’ll take a Glitterbomb,” Shiloh said, whatever the heck that was, “and…what do you guys think about getting the Orgasmic Load?”
I leaned over to peer at the menu because that sounded…dirty. It was loaded fries, with bacon, cheese, and sour cream. Tasty.
“I love eating loads,” Bailey deadpanned, making everyone crack up.
“All right, I like the way this man thinks,” Larkin said, shimmying his hips a little before turning his sights on me. “And what does the doctor order?”
“You know, I’m off the clock. Why don’t you prescribe me the best medicine this time around?”
He grinned. “All right, one Pornstar Martini coming up!”
“Oh man,” I said. “You guys totally brought me here to get me drunk, huh?”
“What better way to bond?” Emory joked.
“Besides, Bailey can drive us home,” Shiloh said with a smirk.
“Hey, that’s okay,” Bailey said. “Payback is gonna be beautiful once I turn twenty-one. You’re all going to drive my drunk ass home anytime I want.”
“Mean,” Emory said with a pout.
“Does that include me?” I asked. “Because I’ve barely gotten any use out of the Bailey DD service.”
He flipped me the bird. “Just for that, I’m going to tell you all about what Flynn and I did this morning. He picked me up. He’s so fucking strong, you know, and held me against the wall while he—”
I clamped my hands over my ears. “La-la-la! I can’t hear you.”
Everyone laughed as Larkin returned to set our drinks on the table. I picked up my Pornstar Martini and took a cautious sip. It was sweet, tasting like dragon fruit with a zing of a lime. Delicious. Maybe too delicious. I could easily imagine slurping down half a dozen and regretting it for days.
Shiloh smiled sweetly. “That’s fine, Bails. I’ll just ask Holden to pick you up when you’re too drunk to drive.”
“Oh, evil genius!” Emory said with a laugh. “Holden’s such a hardass he’d never let Bailey live it down.”
Bailey huffed. “I can’t believe I ever thought you were sweet, Shy.”
“That’s because I’m a good actor.” Shiloh grinned. “ShyGuy was my camboy name when I met Holden. I pretended to be all sweet and innocent—at least at first.”
I choked on my martini.
“Camboy?” I rasped. “Seriously?”
Shiloh shrugged, looking a little nervous. “Does that bother you?”
“No!” I took another quick gulp to soothe my throat after damn near aspirating. “Just hard to imagine Holden meeting a camboy.”
Emory snickered. “Right? We were all shocked!”
Shiloh’s smile turned naughty. “Oh, you all have no idea how dirty that man can be.”
Bailey spluttered on his drink this time. “TMI! Brother at the table here.”