Joker headed for the kitchen, ignoring the thin white pajama bottoms hanging low on Gio’s hips, the fabric of which left nothing to the imagination. His hair was wet from the shower, his feet bare, and the white V-neck tee he wore accentuated every muscle of his strong arms, chest, and flat stomach.

  “I better get going,” Jack said, his lips quirked in a smile. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” Gio walked him out, Chip on his heels like he was afraid Gio was going somewhere. Gio locked up after Jack, then headed back into the living room. He dropped down onto the end of the gray L-shaped sectional. Chip didn’t waste any time jumping up to sit next to Gio, making him laugh.

  “Just tell him to get down if you don’t want him on your furniture.” Joker shook his head at Chip as he came around the counter of the open-plan kitchen. “He knows better.”

  “Furniture is meant to be used,” Gio replied cheerfully as he scratched Chip behind his ears.

  “He sheds,” Joker warned him. “A lot.”

  Gio shrugged. “That’s what lint rollers are for.”

  “Mind if I use your shower?” Joker asked. He wasn’t about to ask where he’d be sleeping, but he assumed it was one of Gio’s many guest rooms. “Where’s Saint?”

  “Of course you can use my shower. And Saint’s in his room. I told him I’d be heading off to bed soon and would let him know if I needed him.” Gio sighed. “It’s strange, having a bodyguard around all the time.”

  At some point, Gio would have a whole team around him. The time for him to decide on live-in protection was coming up fast. He was simply too much of a target not to have a small team watching his six at all times, and he knew it. Someone out there wanted to get their hands on Gio, and whether it was the same men who’d kidnapped him in Sri Lanka or someone entirely different, Gio was in danger. He couldn’t afford to act like a regular guy anymore.

  “Let me show you to the bathroom.” Gio stood, and Chip jumped off the couch to trail after Gio like his furry shadow.

  Joker followed Gio up two flights of stairs to the third story with the master suite. Good God, his entire apartment could fit in here. The room was terrific, with the far wall made up of three floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the ocean. The room was painted a soft blue with white accents and looked incredibly inviting, from its lush white-and-blue bedding to the plush couch and footrest in front of the windows.

  “This is my bedroom.” Gio shifted awkwardly, his gaze on the vast king-sized bed. “I haven’t slept a full night in my bed since I bought it.”

  Joker knew the feeling well, and it squeezed his heart. “How about we sleep in it tonight?” He waited with bated breath as Gio turned to him, his eyes searching Joker’s.

  “What if I wake you up with one of my nightmares?”

  “Then you wake me up.”

  Gio looked uncertain, and Joker gently placed a hand on his arm.

  “Nothing is going to happen to you while I’m here, Gio.”

  “You’ll protect me?” Gio’s smile reached his dark eyes as he brought Joker into his embrace.

  “Pft. What do you think?”

  “I think you’d do almost anything for me.”

  Joker barked out a laugh. “Whoa, hey now. Someone’s feeling bold.” He wasn’t about to tell Gio how stupidly happy his words made him, because, yeah, he would. As terrifying as the thought was, Joker realized he was okay with it. Gio was nothing like Joker had first imagined.

  “Tell me you wouldn’t do almost anything for me.”

  Joker pretended to think about it. “I’m not eating okra for you. That’s a dealbreaker. Or eggplant. I might consider beets if the incentive is good enough.”

  “Oh, well, I mean, okra. That’s understandable. Pretty sure I can make you come around on the eggplant.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.”

  Gio brushed his lips over Joker’s. “Face it. You like me.”

  “Hm. I find you tolerable at best.”

  “Well, that’s okay, because I only want you for your dog.”

  Joker gasped. “Oh, you fucker!” He laughed. “I see how it is.”

  “I mean, you’re cute, but not Chip-cute.”

  “Ass.” Joker couldn’t help his stupidly happy smile. How could he resist a guy who seemed to love his dog almost as much as he did? Speaking of, Chip trotted past them like he owned the joint and jumped up onto the bed.

  “Excuse you,” Joker said, gaping at Chip as he circled several times in the center of the bed, then dropped down all curled up in a ball. He lifted his head and stared at Joker like, “What?”

  Gio laughed and kissed Joker’s cheek. “Well, now you have to sleep in my bed.”

  “Unbelievable.” Joker shook his head at Chip as he headed for the bathroom. “Make yourself comfortable. People are going to think I didn’t teach you any manners.” Chip laid his head on his paws, his big eyes looking up at Joker. “Don’t you give me that I’m-just-a-cute-puppy face. I’m immune to that face.”

  “But I’m not,” Gio said, throwing himself on the bed and laughing when Chip rolled over onto his back and wriggled so he could attack Gio with his tongue.

  “You two are ridiculous.” Joker held back a smile. They were also going to make his heart explode. Seeing Gio rolling around the bed laughing with Chip barking and wagging his tail happily as he lavished Gio with doggie kisses was something Joker had no idea he’d been missing in his life. If he wasn’t careful, he could quickly get used to having Gio around.

  Leaving the two dorks to it, he walked into the enormous en-suite bathroom. He closed the door behind him, then dropped his bag onto the marble counter. The bathroom had a fancy shower big enough for two with one of those giant rainfall showerheads he’d seen in Colton’s house. Next to it sat a jacuzzi-style bathtub, also big enough for two, not that he was getting any ideas. Probably best not to look at it too much.

  After turning on the shower, he reached into his backpack and grabbed the toiletry bag that Jack had packed for him. Was he actually here in Gio’s house using his shower? How the hell had that happened? More importantly, had he just started a relationship with the guy? Getting into the shower, he dropped the toiletry bag onto the shelf at the far end, then stilled. Holy fuck, he was in a relationship!

  With Gio.

  He had a boyfriend. As in, he was seeing one person, sleeping with one person, and having sex with one person. Oh fuck.

  Sticking his head under the hot spray, he let the water sluice over him, relaxing his muscles. He leaned against the expensive tiled wall and willed himself to breathe. What the hell had gotten into him? Dumb question. He knew exactly what had gotten into him.

  When those masked men had shown up, a fear he’d not felt in a long time took charge. Knowing they were there to take Gio, to hurt him, sent rage flaring through him, and he’d beaten the shit out of those guys. They’d been lucky to get away from him.

  Seeing Gio taken away on a gurney, then sped away in an ambulance had his heart trying to beat out of him, so when he showed up at the hospital, and the nurse asked who Joker was to Gio, he’d said the first thing that had come to mind—that he was Gio’s boyfriend. The rest of the guys, including Laz, hadn’t arrived, and there was no way he was going to leave Gio in there all alone. The hospital didn’t care for bodyguards, so Saint had to wait outside.

  “Fuck.” Joker grabbed his shampoo and started washing his hair. The terrifying part of all this was how declaring himself in a relationship hadn’t scared him as much as it should have. He loved kissing Gio, loved the taste of him, the feel of his body against Joker’s. Loved…

  Nope. Enjoyed. He enjoyed kissing Gio. Enjoyed the taste of him and the feel of his body. No L words involved.

  Images of him on his knees for Gio flooded his mind, and he quickly pushed them down. How the hell was he supposed to sleep in the same bed with Gio after what they’d done in the club?

  “Easy,” Joker told himself. “Tonight isn’t about you, so you do whatever he needs you to do.”

  Finishing up his hair, he quickly washed and got out. After drying himself with one of the soft, fluffy white towels, he dressed in the checkered blue-and-green pajama pants and blue tee Jack had stuffed in the backpack for him.

  It was oddly quiet out in the bedroom. Could Gio have fallen asleep? Stepping out of the bathroom, Joker stilled. Gio lay on his side facing Chip, who lay stretched out on his back tucked against Gio, his face against Gio’s shoulder as Gio murmured at him and slowly rubbed his belly. Chip wasn’t just out for the count; he was snoring.

  Sensing he was there, Gio lifted his gaze, his smile stealing Joker’s breath away. This man was hazardous to his heart. He looked so soft and comfortable, so damned happy, like there was nowhere else in the world he would rather be than right here with Joker and his dog.

  “I can tell him to get off the bed,” Joker said quietly as he dropped his bag off on the couch by the window before heading toward the bed.

  Gio stared at him. “Where would he sleep?”

  “Um, the floor?” Joker tried not to laugh at Gio’s scandalized expression, as if he’d suggested Chip sleep out in the cold rain or something.

  “Absolutely not. He’ll sleep here with us. I’m assuming he sleeps with you on your bed?”

  “Yeah, though I need to warn you to be careful when you go to the bathroom, because if he gets hot, he likes to lie down on the tiles to cool off, so just look for the big hairy black blob on the floor.”

  Gio chuckled, and Chip wriggled, twisting his body so he could see Joker approaching the bed, some of his teeth visible, making Joker laugh.

  “You’re such a butt.”

  Chip’s tail thumped against the comforter in response.

  “All right, move your big furry ass. This is my spot.” Joker tugged at the covers, and Chip grumbled his displeasure. “Don’t make me move you.” With a huff, Chip rolled over and pushed himself to his paws, then gave himself a good shake, nearly whacking Joker in the face with his tail. He took his sweet-ass time on his way to the foot of the bed, then dropped himself down with the most dramatic sigh to ever come from a dog. Gio pouted at Joker.

  “Oh my God, you’re such a sucker.” Joker climbed into bed with a laugh. “He’s got you smitten.”

  “He’s not the only one,” Gio said softly, his dark eyes filled with affection and… something else as he met Joker’s gaze. Thankfully, Gio didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he got up to turn off the bedroom lights. “Will that bother you? Because I can close the blinds.” He motioned to the windows at the end of the room overlooking the beach where the ocean and night sky seemed to stretch on forever. “You can’t see in from outside. I made sure to have a special film installed for privacy.”

  “I’m good with it if you are. It’s quite the view.”

  “I love the ocean,” Gio admitted, climbing into bed. “There’s something so calming about it; even when a storm is raging, it’s soothing somehow.”

  “I get that. It’s why we all decided to move to St. Augustine Beach, to be near the water. Well, Red’s therapist suggested it, so the rest of us joined him. It definitely helps.”

  Gio turned onto his side, facing Joker. “Thank you for staying here with me.”

  “It’s not exactly a hardship.”

  “Have you always been so brutally honest?”

  “Yep.” Joker thought about it. “Actually, not always.” He rubbed at his chest over his heart. Fuck. He was not going to get all sentimental and sappy.

  “Oh?”

  “I used to be quiet and shy.”

  Gio stared at him, and Joker laughed.

  “I’m serious. When I was little, I barely spoke.” His smile faded at the hazy memory. It was a lifetime ago. “I was too scared to talk.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I couldn’t speak English.”

  “What?”

  Joker nodded. “I spoke Russian. I was told no parents would ever want a Commie kid. If I wanted to get adopted, I needed to speak English without an accent.” His heart warmed at Gio’s horrified expression.

  “That’s outrageous!”

  “Yeah, well, it was the eighties, and I was an orphan, so…” Joker shrugged. “Anyway, for some reason, they kept Sacha, but they changed my last name. They taught me to speak English, had me work on getting rid of the accent. It took a while, but I did it.” No trace of his heritage remained, but then what heritage could he have salvaged when he’d been so young and had no idea where he’d come from?

  “How old were you?”

  “Almost four. All I know is that my mother fled to the US when I was a baby. I barely remember her. When I was old enough to ask about my parents, they told me my mother was dead and they had no idea who my father was. Years later, I found out my father had died in some Russian prison, and an asshole boyfriend had killed my mother. The neighbors heard a kid screaming nonstop and called the cops.” Joker wrinkled his nose. “He was long gone by then.”

  “He just left you there?”

  “Yeah, but then again, he was a murderer, so, you know, probably not the best babysitter.”

  Gio brushed his fingers down Joker’s jaw. “I’m sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago. I remember being alone in a tiny room, maybe a closet? There was a lot of screaming somewhere, then silence. I don’t remember much of it, which is probably a good thing.”

  “Did you get adopted?”

  Joker shook his head. “I spent a lot of time in foster homes. By the time I was seven, I wasn’t all that quiet and shy anymore. My accent was long gone, and I was angry. I was a cute kid but small, so I got picked on a lot. Plus, my name was Sacha. You can imagine how well that went down with the other kids.”

  “Is that why you don’t like to be called by your name?”

  Joker shrugged. “It reminds me of who I used to be, as opposed to who I became when I found my real family.”

  “I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. I can stop calling you Sacha.”

  Joker thought about it. At first it had bugged him, but now it was different. He didn’t mind it so much. And it wasn’t all bad. Jack still occasionally called him by his real name. “No, don’t stop.” It occurred to him that he liked Gio calling him by his name. Like he was somehow helping Joker reclaim something of his that had been lost. “I like it when you say it.”

  Gio’s smile was beautiful. “Okay. Back to you being shy.”

  “Yeah, well, that didn’t last long. I learned real quick how to hold my own, but I hated everyone, so I got into a lot of fights. Then when I was eleven, I ended up with the perfect family. They were like one of those TV families from back in the day. Everyone was good-looking with perfect hair and perfect smiles. They dressed in fancy labeled polo shirts and drove expensive cars. Magnolia was a former beauty queen; Thatcher was a college professor.” His jaw muscles tightened, and he sighed. Jack was the only one he’d ever talked to about his past. Jack and the therapist Joker had seen when he and what was left of his brothers-in-arms came home for good.

  “I’m not going to like this, am I?” Gio whispered, his eyes filled with heartache for Joker. The moonlight that filtered in from the wall of windows was enough to cast an ethereal glow across the bed, making it easy for Joker to make out the softness of Gio’s face.

  “When I started high school, I was the smallest kid in school. I thought my foster parents would yell at me, hit me, whatever, for all the fights I got into, but they never did. I couldn’t help but be suspicious. No one could be that perfect, certainly no one who wanted me.

  “But the more I tried to find something wrong, the more I couldn’t. I had my own room with my own stuff. They fed me, bought me clothes, equipment, gadgets, took me to the movies and county fairs, introduced me to all their country club friends. I started wondering if it felt too good to be true because I’d never had a real family. When I met Jack’s family, I realized there were good people out there. His family wasn’t perfect by any means, but they loved one another. Maybe if I stopped trying to find what was wrong with my foster parents, I’d discover I’d found a good thing.”

  Joker rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “I thought I’d put them to the test, so I came out to them when I was thirteen. I told them I didn’t just like girls and boys, but everyone. They hugged me and said they didn’t care. For the first time in my life, I started thinking maybe I’d finally found a home and people who loved me.” He felt Gio’s hand in his hair, and Joker closed his eyes. “When I turned sixteen, I discovered I’d been right the first time.”

  “What happened?” Gio’s voice was hushed and shaky, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  “When I was sixteen, Magnolia climbed into bed with me one night and tried to have sex with me while Thatcher masturbated. I managed to shove her off the bed, grab my backpack, and run the hell out of there. It wasn’t until I got to Jack’s house that I realized I wasn’t wearing any shoes.”

  The room filled with silence, and Joker opened his eyes. He turned his head, staring at Gio, who was deadly still. He opened his mouth to say something when Gio shot up out of bed. Joker bolted upright.

  “Gio?”

  “Where are they now? I will fucking murder them!”

  “As sweet as your offer to commit homicide on my behalf is, they got what they deserved. Someone hacked into a storage facility where they happened to have a unit. It was shortly broken into, and that very night the cops got an anonymous tip about the child porn Magnolia and Thatcher were hiding.”

  Gio turned, his fists balled at his sides and his eyes narrowed. “I have connections, you know. Accidents happen.”

  “All right there, Punisher.” Joker patted the mattress. “Get back here.”

  With a grumble, Gio climbed back under the covers. He was practically thrumming with unsettled energy. Considering how calm and collected Gio always was, Joker was pretty positive that if he asked Gio to rain down retribution on his behalf, Gio wouldn’t so much as hesitate. He’d be on his fancy phone, calling in all kinds of favors like he was some kind of mafia don. Who knew Gio had a dark side to him? Wanting to ease Gio’s anger, Joker tugged him close, smiling when Gio shifted and moved down so he could lay his head on Joker’s shoulder.