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Levi’s cheeks flushed.
He had been so distracted this morning, wondering if Chase was still around, that he forgot about Matteo’s one breakfast rule—always come to breakfast fully clothed. It was a rule that a lot of his brothers kept forgetting… or so they claimed.
He didn’t seem to care if they wore underwear under those shorts, just so long as they came dressed appropriately for family breakfast.
“I didn’t get much so far. He’s a sweet guy, very polite. He’s American and owns some sort of family ranch in Texas. I can’t really get a read on the guy. He seems attracted to me but hasn’t tried to get me in bed yet. He’s definitely hiding something; I’m just not sure what.”
Matteo didn’t have to know that he brought Chase cookies the first night he arrived. He would have seen that as a squandered opportunity to seduce Chase and see what information he could gather.
He liked Chase. There was something about him that was different than the other guys he had met who came to the Maison.
Yes, the man was rough-looking, with a brooding way about him, but there was also gentleness behind those eyes. When they looked at him, they didn’t see just a hot piece of ass to be used and abused—they seemed to see right through his façade. That was why he had been nervous standing in front of Chase the other night. He felt exposed and seen for the first time in a long time.
Matteo stared at Levi as he chewed his breakfast. Levi could see the wheels in his boss's head turning. The man didn’t like unknowns. He liked information and predictability. He was mentally calculating.
“Okay, keep a close eye on him if he hangs around. Find out what you can about him,” Matteo instructed. “Anyone else?”
“Diesel came back last night,” Jared announced.
Levi’s breathing hitched.
Diesel was one of their brothers. He had an addiction problem and spent the last year in and out of private rehab facilities, all courtesy of Matteo and his fat wallet. Diesel had broken Matteo’s number one rule—always stay in control. And in true Matteo fashion, instead of casting the boy out on his stubborn, bad-boy ass, he insisted on trying to get him the help he needed. Diesel was one of them—he was family, and when family was in trouble, you didn’t just cast them aside.
“Where is he now?” Matteo asked, eyes focused on his plate while his jaw tightened.
“He’s passed out in my room. The guy came back high as fuck. I convinced him to sleep it off in my room, but I’m not sure how he will be when he wakes up,” Jared replied, watching their leader mull over this new development.
Diesel had been doing a stint in a rehab facility in Belgium—a new facility Matteo hoped might work this time—but apparently, the fucker slipped past security and took off. He had been MIA for two weeks. Levi had never seen Matteo so upset.
“I’ll go talk to him after breakfast.” Matteo waved to one of the beefy security guards standing next to the door. “Stand guard outside Jared’s room and make sure that Diesel doesn’t leave before I get a chance to talk to him.” He paused for a moment as if considering something. “Break his leg if he refuses to stay.”
Everyone around the table looked at each other. Matteo had a scary dark side that only appeared on rare occasions but one that they all feared.
Would he actually have Diesel’s leg broken if he tried to leave the château? They really weren’t sure.
“Yes, sir,” the man replied before disappearing into the house.
Levi resumed eating his breakfast, wondering what condition Diesel would be in when he saw him. Levi understood pain and heartache, and he understood the need to dull one’s senses. But he had found a healthy way to cope with his baggage. He hoped in time, Diesel would do the same. All they could do was be there to support him and give him whatever help he needed.
“Hey, look who I found lurking inside the Grande Room,” Shawn, one of the bartenders, said as he walked out into the gardens with Chase in tow.
The man was dressed in a tight pair of running shorts, no doubt left for him by one of Matteo’s minions, and a sleeveless shirt that looked like the arms had been torn off. No doubt, another item generously donated by the Matteo Foundation.
Levi licked his lower lip as he watched the sexiest man alive strut toward him. The tight shorts showed off his muscular thick thighs, and his exposed arms showed off an array of tattoos, including a thick string of barbwire running around his bulging left bicep.
“Good morning,” Matteo welcomed. “Why don’t you come join us for breakfast?” he said, pointing at the empty seat next to Levi.
The move was bold and unexpected. Breakfast was a time for just Matteo and the guys. It was a time for them to bond and just relax and be themselves. They didn’t have to put on their pretend faces and smile behind the fake personas that they had all created. Guests who stayed the night ate breakfast in the large dining area inside the mansion.
Inviting Chase to join them for breakfast was unprecedented.
The other guys looked at one another, presumably wondering the same thing.
“Hi,” Chase nodded as he pulled out the chair next to Levi. “You look nice this morning.”
Levi felt his cheeks flush. He wasn’t expecting the compliment, especially when he was just lounging in a pair of sweats and hadn’t even done his hair yet.
“Umm, thanks,” Levi responded. “Love your outfit as well. Shows off all your best… assets.” Levi was well aware that he sounded horny as hell. Truthfully, he was. He hadn’t busted a load last night, hoping that Chase would sneak into his room, but around two a.m., when the man still hadn’t come knocking on his door, he decided to call it a night and stop waiting.
