“Before they went to prison, I spent every minute I could with Jack. His mother got suspicious and even dropped by the house on the pretense of meeting the foster parents of her son’s best friend. I could tell she was confused, but my guess is some kind of real motherly instinct kicked in, and when she got back, she told me I could stay over whenever I wanted. I moved in with them after that.”

  “What did those monsters say?”

  “They couldn’t say a word, and they knew it. I just wanted to be as far away from them as possible. When the Army recruiters came to our school, I talked at length with them. I thought real hard about it. Jack had the chance to do something great with his life, but what the hell was I going to do? My grades weren’t good enough for any kind of scholarship. I had no support system other than Jack and his family, and there was only so much they could do when they weren’t my legal guardians. I wanted to do something with my life, get away from all the shit I’d grown up around. So I talked about it with Jack and told him I was going to join the Army. I never expected him to join up with me. His family wasn’t happy, but they accepted his decision.”

  The room went silent again, but this time it was a comfortable silence. Joker rubbed his cheek against Gio’s hair, wondering how the hell he’d ended up here. When had this happened? When had he gone from disliking the guy purely on principle to lying in bed with him smelling his shampoo while Chip snored at their feet?

  “I just want you to know that I’m in awe of you.”

  “Of me?” Joker frowned. “What for?”

  “You’ve been through so much hardship in your life, and you could have given up, but you didn’t. You kept going; you found yourself a new family, one worthy of you. You pushed yourself and became a Green Beret, risked your life for others, for your country, and even after everything you lost, you came home and built an amazing career for yourself. You’re an inspiration, Sacha Wilder.”

  Joker didn’t know what to say. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Yeah, life had dealt him a shit hand, but he’d done what he’d always done—survive. Though now, with Gio in his arms, he wanted more than survival, more than his career. When had he gone from being perfectly happy with sex to wanting a happy ever after?

  “Thank you for trusting me. I understand now why it’s so difficult for you to put your trust in others.”

  “It’s why I struggled with trusting you,” Joker admitted. “You seemed too good to be true.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I know you’re not perfect. Far from perfect. Very imperfect.”

  Gio chuckled. “I could have told you that.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit stubborn. I needed to see for myself.”

  “And now that you have?”

  “I guess I’m not totally opposed to you.”

  “Oh good,” Gio said, sounding amused. He shifted onto his side and propped himself on his elbow, his expression filled with affection. “Thank you for everything. For sharing your heart with me, for looking after me, for letting me be a part of your life.”

  What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Nothing. And with Gio, he didn’t feel like he had to say anything. At least not with words. Instead, he cupped Gio’s cheek and kissed him.

  Their kiss was sweet and slow, with Joker savoring the taste of him, the softness of his lips, the warmth of his mouth. He took his time in a way he never had with anyone else. With Gio, Joker was content to simply let himself get swept away by everything Gio made him feel, by the multitude of emotions coursing through him. Never had he felt like he’d go out of his mind if he didn’t touch someone, breathe in their scent, or put his mouth on them. And Gio seemed as content to just kiss Joker as if he couldn’t get enough of him.

  The distant crashing of waves provided a soothing soundtrack as they kissed unhurriedly. Joker caressed the smooth skin of Gio’s neck, his fingers trailing down to his collar while Gio’s fingers found Joker’s skin beneath his T-shirt. When was the last time he’d done anything like this? Had he ever done anything like this? No. In the past, his sexual encounters had been about that, sex, about getting off and finding release, not about taking the time to enjoy every dip and curve of his partner.

  Gio moved his lips from Joker’s, brushing them over his cheek and peppering the softest butterfly kisses over Joker’s skin. Then he lay down, his head on the same pillow as Joker. He slipped his arm around Joker and held him tight.

  “Get some rest. We’re right here,” Joker murmured, kissing Gio’s forehead. “You’re safe.”

  Gio hummed softly, and within several heartbeats, his breath evened out. He had a peaceful expression on his face, the lines on his forehead smoothed out, his lips slightly parted. Joker’s thoughts went back to their conversation in the hospital, and a low, thrumming white-hot rage flowed through him at the knowledge someone had kidnapped him. Gio had been extremely lucky. Joker guessed they’d been after money. They’d discovered who Gio was, and most people in Gio’s position had some kind of kidnap insurance. They would have collected the money, and Gio would have ended up dead.

  For all of Gio’s talk of being in awe of Joker, he had no idea how inspiring he was. Gio wasn’t a Green Beret. He had no training, not even self-defense training, and yet he’d fought for his life. Twice. The man had no fear, going off into unknown territories to help others have a better life. After the death of their father, he’d raised his little brother and worked several jobs to send his brother to college and provide for him. He’d made smart investments, worked damn hard for his fortune, and what did he do with it? He gave it away. The more money he made, the more he gave away.

  For years Joker had heard about Gio from Laz, Red, and the others, but Joker had made up his mind about the guy without even meeting him, believing no one could be so selfless or perfect. He’d been convinced something was up, and technically, he’d been right. Gio wasn’t perfect. No one was. But Gio’s imperfections didn’t make him sinister; they made him human. He was a regular guy who happened to have a shit ton of money and wanted to do something good with it.

  One of these days, he’d ask Gio why. That was one question he’d yet to figure out—why Gio did what he did. For now, he’d enjoy the man. Enjoy the warm closeness that came from being with someone he trusted.

  Not long after Joker fell asleep, he was woken up by a jolt in the bed. Gio was having another nightmare. It didn’t appear to be as bad as the one he’d had the night at Colton’s, but his brow was beaded with sweat, his eyebrows drawn together, and his lips pressed tight. He shivered and moaned. Joker didn’t move. He didn’t have to.

  Chip crawled up the bed and stuck his nose against Gio’s cheek. When Gio didn’t wake up, Chip licked his face and nudged him under his chin. Gio groaned and opened his eyes; he blinked at Chip, and then a slow smile spread across his face. With a soft chuckle, he scratched Chip behind the ear. Another doggie kiss later and Chip wedged himself between Gio and Joker, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep. Gio met Joker’s gaze, his smile reaching his eyes. He mouthed, “Thank you,” and Joker nodded. When Gio closed his eyes and fell back asleep, Joker knew what he needed to do. It scared the hell out of him, but it was the right thing to do, and he couldn’t think of anyone else more deserving.

  EIGHT

  He could get used to this.

  Gio lay on his side, his gaze on the beautifully sleep-rumpled man in front of him. Sacha was still asleep, Chip snoring softly on his back between them. Last night Gio had another nightmare, and instead of being woken up by Joker, he’d woken up to doggie kisses. The moment he’d opened his eyes, he’d smiled. His heart rate slowed far quicker than it had in the past, and a sense of safety and peace he’d never felt before washed over him. He’d never fallen asleep so quickly after one of his nightmares before, and usually when he did end up falling asleep, another nightmare often followed, but not this time.

  For the first time in forever, Gio almost felt… rested.

  Chip was the first to wake up. He stretched his neck out and licked at Sacha’s chin. Gio was forced to press his lips together to keep from laughing at Sacha’s scrunched-up nose. He moved his face, but every time he moved, Chip managed to get him somewhere else.

  “Ah fuck,” Sacha groaned when Chip got him in the nose. “Stop trying to shove your tongue up my nose.”

  Gio couldn’t help it, he laughed. Sacha opened his eyes, then narrowed them at Gio.

  “Laugh it up. Wait until he does it to you. That thing has terrifying accuracy. He’s gotten me in the ear, the eyeball, inside my mouth, and up my nose.”

  Gio rolled onto his back and laughed some more. He could just imagine the cursing Sacha had done after getting tongued by his dog.

  “Chip, kiss Gio.”

  Chip rolled onto his belly and launched himself at Gio, who yelped as he was assaulted by a doggie tongue, Chip’s heavy weight crawling all over him.

  “I give!” Gio laughed. The more he tried to cover his face, the more determined Chip was. Suddenly he found himself flailing, and he let out a very manly yelp as he hit the carpet with a thud. Chip, of course, landed on his feet and continued his assault while Gio curled up in a ball as he attempted to fend off the slobbery attack. Above him on the bed, Sacha was in tears from laughing so hard. “I’m up! I’m up!” Gio pushed himself to his feet. He shook his head at Sacha. “Thanks for not saving me.”

  Sacha let out an indelicate snort. “I’d say I was sorry, but I’m not. That was the funniest shit I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’m glad I amuse you. How about some breakfast? I usually go for a run after.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Sacha rolled out of bed and grabbed his phone before they headed downstairs with Chip.

  Saint was already up and in the living room, working on his laptop.

  “Hey, man,” Joker said, nodding at Saint. “Any word from HQ about last night?”

  Saint shook his head. “Jack’s team has been scraping surveillance all over the place. King said to call him when you got up.”

  “I’ll get breakfast going,” Gio said while Sacha put in a call to King.

  “You’re on speaker,” Sacha said. “Gio and Saint are here.”

  “Good. I’ve got an update, but it’s not much. We’ve established that the men sent to kidnap Gio last night were professionals.”

  “Can’t be that professional if I kicked their asses,” Sacha replied, taking a seat on one of the chairs at the kitchen counter.

  “Yeah, well, my guess is they didn’t expect to come up against someone like you. Whoever sent them didn’t do their homework. After what happened, Jack’s team found someone trying to hack into our system. They were looking for information on you and Saint. The team traced the hack, but when our team got there, they were gone. They underestimated us once. It’s unlikely they’re going to do so again.”

  “Any connection between these guys and the ones from Sri Lanka?”

  Gio jolted. “You think it’s the same people?”

  “We don’t know. Jack’s team is still gathering intel on the kidnappers from Sri Lanka. The team’s looking into kidnap activity in the area, as well as any possible witnesses, but so far, no luck. It’s been a little over a year since the incident, so it’s going to take time. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, I’m putting a second team on you, Gio. I’m also going to send someone else to back up Saint. These guys aren’t just going to walk away from this. They’re going to regroup and try again.”

  Sacha glanced up, and Gio nodded. He let out a shaky breath. As much as he hated the idea of more security, it was the right thing to do.

  “Okay. Thanks,” Sacha said before hanging up. He got up and sat next to Saint on the couch.

  While the two discussed King’s idea to up Gio’s security, Gio got to work on cooking the three of them breakfast. It was nice having people over. His big house didn’t seem so empty. Maybe he should think about having a barbecue or something, let everyone know they were always welcome in his home. His thoughts went back to Sri Lanka. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that what happened back then could be connected to all of this. If it was, why now? Why wait almost a year to make another attempt? He needed to stop thinking about this. Without any real information, he’d just be grasping at straws.

  Gio made plenty of scrambled eggs for the three of them, along with bacon. Chip stared up at him with those big brown eyes, his tail wagging. Darting a glance at Sacha, Gio slipped Chip a piece of bacon, whispering, “Don’t tell Daddy.”

  “I like that you think I don’t know what you’re up to.”

  Gio startled, a hand flying to his chest. “Christ!” He turned to glare at Sacha. “Where the hell did you come from?”

  Sacha laughed. “You were too busy conspiring with the furry troublemaker to realize I’d gotten up.” He arched an eyebrow at Gio. “Did you think you were going to cook bacon and get away with him not trying to fleece you?”

  “It was just one little piece.” One little piece that Chip seemed to have swallowed whole. “I’m not sure he chewed, though.”

  “Yeah, bacon isn’t meant to be chewed, only sucked in like a vacuum. Also, you’re a pushover, so I’m here to make sure you don’t give him any more.”

  Chip whined, and Gio looked from Sacha to Chip and back. Sacha planted his hands on his hips.

  “Listen here, you two. This is not a democracy. You’re not cute, and you’re not as sneaky as you think you are.”

  Gio batted his lashes at Sacha and pointed at Chip, who licked Gio’s finger. “But that face.”

  Unimpressed, Sacha pointed at his face. “This face. This is the face you need to be concerned about. I know he’s got you wrapped around his paw, but you need to be stronger than this. Give him an inch and he’ll—”

  Chip barked, spun around, then dropped onto his side in the middle of the kitchen. Gio gasped.

  “Oh my God, what happened? What’s wrong with him?”

  Chip barked and howled as he twisted and turned, paws waving as he flopped about.

  “What happened is he sensed your weakness, and now he’s throwing a temper tantrum.”

  Gio stared down at Chip. He’d never seen a dog throw a temper tantrum before. “That’s hilarious.”

  “Yeah, real fun when you’re in the middle of the supermarket.”

  “Should I—”

  “Ignore him? Yes. This will be a common occurrence if you give in, so just step over him and carry on. When he sees you’re not going to give in, he’ll get up.”

  So much personality. Somehow Gio wasn’t surprised. He was Sacha’s dog, after all. Doing his best to resist Chip and his epic side-eye, Gio placed plates filled with breakfast on the counter. The three of them ate, and as Sacha predicted, when Chip saw he wasn’t going to be given any extra bacon, he got up and headed into the living room; his huff when he lay on the couch could be heard several counties over. They laughed, much to Chip’s displeasure.

  Once they’d eaten and the dishes were in the dishwasher, they went to change into running clothes. Saint would be accompanying them. It was still before seven in the morning, so there was still a nice breeze, and the humidity wasn’t so bad when they got outside. Chip trotted alongside Sacha as they headed for the beach.

  “A pink house?” Sacha asked, one thick brow poking up from behind his sunglasses.

  Gio shrugged. “I like the color. Plus, it had a very soothing quality to it. You don’t like it?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Sacha grumbled, making Gio smile.

  Once they were on firmer sand, they started jogging. Chip bolted off ahead to chase the waves as they crashed against the shore. A flock of seagulls screeched their displeasure at being run off the beach by the big black fur ball. Tongue lolling, Chip trotted back toward them, head lifted proudly, as if he’d just defeated a great threat for them.

  “Why do you do it?”

  “Do what?” Gio asked.

  “The charity stuff. Did you wake up one morning and say, ‘I think I’m gonna be rich and give away loads of money’?”

  “Exactly that,” Gio teased, earning himself a playful shove from Sacha. “My father inspired me. I always wanted to help people, but what happened to my father changed my life.”

  “He died of cancer, right?”

  “Yes. Lung cancer.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.” Gio slowed to a walk, Sacha following his lead. “When I came out as bisexual, my parents’ families were outraged, but when Laz came out as gay, they turned against my father, blaming him for our ‘perversion.’”

  “What? That’s fucking stupid.”

  “Agreed. When my father was diagnosed, I called my grandmother for help. She wouldn’t even take my call. Even while he lay in that hospital bed dying, they refused to acknowledge we existed. I applied for as much financial help as I could, but the best treatments, the ones that might give him at least a bit more time with us, were out of our reach.”

  Sacha stopped and turned to him, his eyes filled with heartache. “His family just let him die?”

  “Laz and I were the only ones at his funeral.” Gio swallowed hard, his gaze focused on the horizon. The water seemed to stretch on forever. “I promised I would do everything I could to make sure those I loved would never be denied treatment or anything essential because of a lack of funds. I studied and researched my ass off, made good investments, and decided I would help those who had nowhere else to turn. Good people who deserved better.”

  The ocean breeze felt good against his skin, but not nearly as amazing as Sacha’s arms wrapping around him and squeezing him tight.

  “You’re a good guy,” Sacha said, his voice rough.

  “Thank you.”

  They continued to jog, and Gio smiled. He could get used to this. He enjoyed early morning jogs, though he tended to get up earlier for his runs. Having Sacha at his side made all the difference, and of course, having Chip as well. Gio couldn’t remember the last time he laughed so much.