19. Lucky
Lucky
Lucky woke up in Antonio’s bed feeling stiff but finally well rested. For the first time in days, his head felt clear of the constant fog. A plan brewed in his head. There was a list of things forming, but for now he was happy to luxuriate in his own happiness.
Pressing his hands to his cheeks, he let out a little squeal. Antonio loved him. Loved him.
He wriggled a bit and stretched, starfishing across the bed that Antonio was nowhere to be found in. That mystery was solved by the sound of a shower. He needed one too. He needed one even before he arrived, the bath only helped so much… And now, he was sticky in ways that made his cheeks burn.
Rolling his way out of bed, Lucky didn’t bother looking for clothes. He slipped into the steamy bathroom. Antonio stood under the spray in the fancy disconnected shower stall. His hands were braced on the wall, head fully under the spray.
Antonio jumped when he tapped on the glass, “Mind if I join you?”
Stepping out of the spray and running a hand over his face, Lucky was certain he caught a soft “Dios mío,” before Antonio slid the shower door open, “As if I would ever say no, but next time don’t scare me half to death, yes?”
“The big, intimidating captain of SAR is startled by a tap on the glass?” Lucky teased, stepping into the warm shower. He laughed as Antonio wrapped him up in a hug, arms curling around his middle. The alpha buried his face in his shoulder, growling playfully.
“Sneaking up on someone in the shower is just terrifying.” Antonio squeezed him tight.
“I’ll keep that in mind for when I really want to give you a fright.” He was pushed under the spray, the warm water chasing away the chill. Antonio reached over his head to adjust the showerhead, pulling it over both of them on the extender until it felt like standing in a downpour.
They didn’t need words. Antonio grabbed a cloth and some body wash, taking his time rubbing him down while Lucky focused on washing his own hair.
Lucky thought he might be awkward after the confessions the night before.
But, in Antonio’s hands, he felt safe and adored. There was nothing to worry about.
After the shower, they dressed quietly. Lucky wore one of Antonio’s shirts and no underwear just to torture the alpha. Antonio wore a pair of sleep pants and nothing else.
Breakfast was fruit and yogurt and some frozen waffles Antonio put in the toaster. Somewhere between bickering about the best waffle topping and sitting down at the kitchen table like he belonged there, Lucky settled on a plan.
“I’m going to start a petition.” Lucky announced around a mouthful of breakfast.
Antonio swallowed first, taking a sip of hot coffee. “A signature campaign could be quite effective. Do you know how much time remains before the official sale?”
“No, but there is a town hall coming up.” Lucky furrowed his brow, “Two weeks, maybe a little less, it’ll be tight, but I can get it done. I’ve got friends to call.”
“Let me know what I can do to help.” Antonio reached across the table, catching Lucky’s hand. Lucky flipped his hand over, so they were palm to palm.
“Well…” Lucky looked around, “What would you say if I asked to borrow your living room?”
Antonio smiled, taking another long sip of coffee. “I’d say, what’s mine is yours, mi amor.”
“Then I have some calls to make.” Lucky grinned, swinging his feet under the table.
It started with Jack. His brother showed up an hour later with an overnight bag for Lucky, brimming with clothes and toiletries.
“Anyone want to help pull groceries out of dad’s truck?
I’m pretty sure we’re expecting an army.
” Jack batted his lashes and had Antonio hauling bags while Lucky finally changed into a real outfit.
Second to join them was Serena. Her blond hair was hiked into a ponytail and wearing a bikini top with shorts.
She showed up with art supplies and three printers she borrowed from friends and family.
“So, you’re the boyfriend I’ve been waiting to meet!
” She looked Antonio up and down before hip-checking Lucky, “You sure know how to pick ‘em.”
“I didn’t know Lucky was friends with professional surfers.” Antonio smiled, helping with moving the heavy printers.
Serena’s smile was impossibly wide, “And you have good taste in sports? Well, I’m sold.”
Lucky just rolled his eyes and continued his texting campaign as the couch began to fill up with all his favorite people.
When the bell rang for a third time, Lucky was positively bouncing with excitement. “Antonio, come meet my favorite people!” He shouted.
Aurora Keel pulled him into a hug as soon as the door opened.
Lucky smiled, laughing as she squeezed him and practically lifted him off his feet.
“Sounds like we’re getting ready for a fight.
You sure you’re ready, Lucky?” She asked as soon as she released him, sweeping a waterfall of electric blue braids over her shoulder.
“Always.” Lucky grinned. “Aurora, meet Antonio Saavedra, my partner.” His cheeks burned, still ridiculously happy.
“We’ve met.” Aurora folded her arms, giving Antonio a once over. She was almost as tall as the alpha with rich sepia skin and deep brown eyes that gave nothing away. Her poker face was legendary, and Lucky could tell she was using every bit of it to make Antonio sweat.
“We have.” Antonio squeezed Lucky’s shoulder.
“Really?” Lucky looked between them, curious.
Behind Aurora came a beanpole of a man, taller than all of them with long limbs and a slim frame. “Aurora did some mechanic work for the SAR team. She knows the captain. But… Knowing him and approving are two different things.”
“Joe!” Lucky smiled wide, “I thought you’d be busy helping dad.”
Joe tilted his head. “As if Aurora wouldn’t drag me along. Besides, Teague is off snorkeling. Something about wanting to observe bull sharks hunting.”
“Teague was happy to give Joe the day off once he heard we’d be crafting a petition.” Aurora shrugged. “You have great timing anyway, I was just thinking it was time to take these braids down. Do we want red or green for the town hall?”
Lucky led the way to them into the living room. “Could do half and half? Show our anger and represent the turtles.”
“That would make it seem more Christmasy than protesty.” Jack waved at Aurora.
“I think the green would look great, and we could coordinate outfits.” Joe tacked on, “Showing a united front and utilizing the Marine Center’s branded t-shirts can’t hurt. We want them to take us seriously.”
“We could just go full swashbuckling and go with swords.” Serena chimed in, “But I second the green. Maybe I should get some temporary dye…”
“If we’re doing this, we should do it all the way. Coordinated petition sheets, digital and physical copies, hit all the major thorough fares—there isn’t a lot of time and there’s a lot to get done.” Aurora sat cross-legged on the couch, toying with the sapphire pendant around her neck.
“That’s why I brought printers.” Serena nodded, “Not just the petitions, but we want fliers. We want people to show up for the town hall, not just their names but bodies.”
“Yeah, we need to be able to post things, hand them out when people sign. The university can be our starting point. Local libraries, the marinas, restaurants, cafes…” Lucky ran through locations in his head, places they could split up and tackle.
“I’ll get this added to the Marine Center website, and I’ll reach out to a few contacts at the museums and art galleries.” Jack jumped in.
Antonio raised his hand, drawing attention, “The SAR squad is having our quarterly BBQ next week. I’m sure the team would love to sign, and we’ll all show up of course. We can even join the green theme.”
Lucky smiled, reaching out to squeeze Antonio’s hand. “Green it is, Aurora. And I think we’ll put that on the flier, too. Try to encourage everyone on the island to match.”
“We should finalize the fliers as soon as possible.” Jack chimed in, “We want to make sure all the handouts are ready once we get people to sign. I’ll do a blast on socials, too, cute graphics and the like. We’ve got a little less than two weeks, we’ve got this.”
It was funny how easily they banished his fears.
Everyone was talking, pulling out laptops, and breaking into the snacks.
They came together for him. A bubble of excitement and determination rose within him.
It nestled in his chest, pressing against his ribs until a pleasant ache pulsed through him.
He pinched his own thigh just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“Lucky, can I speak with you for a moment?” Antonio asked softly, smiling.
The words could bloom anxiety, but when Antonio curled an arm around his shoulders, it was hard to be worried.
He let Antonio guide him through the kitchen and out into the back yard.
There was a covered deck with a grill, comfortable seating, and stairs that led to the pool area. And what a pool it was.
“Oh!” Lucky breathed in, smiling wide. The view was incredible. Beyond the pool, Antonio’s house looked out over the cliffs and out to sea. “Jack is gonna be hard to extricate from this pool once he sees it.”
“He’s welcome as often as he wants. As are you and all your friends.” Antonio chuckled, “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk about. You need a base of operations and I’m happy to loan you my home, but that means you should be able to enter even while I’m at work.”
Lucky’s breath caught in his throat as Antonio pulled a key from his pocket. “Antonio…”
The alpha pressed the key into Lucky’s hand, curling his fingers around it before pressing a kiss to Lucky’s knuckles. “It’s not entirely altruistic. I’d love for you to come over at any time, just to see you.”
“I’ll be sure to let you know when we’ve taken over the house.” Lucky smiled, “And… if it’s just me, well, maybe I’ll surprise you.”
Antonio tipped his head back with a prayer on his lips, “You’re going to kill me.”
“I’ll try not to.” Lucky teased, stepping into Antonio’s arms. “So, you mentioned a BBQ…?” He prompted, looking up as Antonio pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Yes, yes… The quarterly BBQ. That is my other conversation topic. Will you come with me? I want to introduce you to the team. Not just for the petition, though everyone will be happy to sign, I am sure.” Antonio hesitated a moment, “I have never been with someone long enough or intensely enough to introduce them at the squad BBQ. SAR is… they are my family, and it would mean a lot to have you there.”
Lucky brushed his fingers along Antonio’s cheek. The man looked so nervous, almost vulnerable as he asked for Lucky to join him. Swallowing past a lump in his throat, Lucky nodded. “Of course I will. It would be my pleasure.”
He didn’t need to be a mind reader to see what it meant to Antonio. The alpha kissed him soundly, unbothered by their guests.
Their fears remained. Even now, with his friends on the battlefield and Antonio’s reassurances, there was every reason to fear this would come to nothing.
Lyrica Beach’s land sale had been unstoppable.
But Lucky felt ready for the fight now that his feet were on steady ground.
He wouldn’t let this end in failure. No matter what, he’d change the tide of battle—one signature at a time.