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He laughed. “Your men and friends will be safe, at least from me. I can’t control whoever is breaking into Dexen’s home unless you want me involved, which you don’t. So, you’re going to have to figure it out. If you love these men, protect them.”
Nodding, I said, “I will.”
25
DEXEN
Being chased from my home was taking the coward’s way out. If I stayed, Greer and JJ would be there with me, and the thought of them potentially getting injured made me sick to my stomach. So, I was staying at the fortress with them. It wasn’t ideal considering the three other men who lived there, but we made do.
The door to my office at the club was open, the bass from the music pumping through the speakers, down the hall to me. Thursday night meant Dominic was our star attraction. He hadn’t gone on yet. On stage now was a man who used the name Romeo. It also happened to be his real name. He had nearly black hair that went to his shoulders and piercing light-blue eyes that almost looked clear. At only twenty-one he was our youngest dancer, but damn could he move. I put him on right before Dominic to see how he’d handle the competition.
I’d already seen him audition so I didn’t need to watch him on stage. Plus, I was thinking about offering Dominic a bigger role here. Lately, he’d been coaching a few of the other dancers in an unofficial capacity. I didn’t currently have someone to manage the dancers specifically, just a club manager on every shift who oversaw it all.
Romeo needed a friendly face to guide him. He seemed haunted. His eyes would dart around the room looking for what, I had no clue. He was skittish, jumped easily. Put music on, he was in his element. We had to calm his nerves though, make sure he realized he was safe here. He saw me as a boss, but Dominic swooped in without having to be asked and pulled him aside to speak with him. I even saw Dominic help him with his makeup in his dressing room.
Instead of watching his first performance, I came back to my office and let Dominic do it. I asked him to see me after his dance since he was up next.
The music slowly faded, the deejay’s voice came over the speakers, and Dominic was up, sliding into his persona as Ocean.
I tapped away at my keyboard while the music served as background noise. Work was difficult considering I kept going back to a person breaking into my home and going through my shit. Nothing was missing, at least not that I could tell. Whoever it was had something in mind they were hoping to find. What? Who the fuck knew?
It was screwing with my head though. My concentration was terrible. Not just me but Greer and JJ too. They were edgy, texting me off and on while they were at work. At night they didn’t text as much since they knew the club was busiest at this time.
My phone rang, my mom’s photo popping up on the screen.
“How’s St. Croix?” I asked in greeting. They owned a home on the water.
“It’s beautiful. I wish you’d visit us. Bring Greer and JJ with you.” I’d told my parents about them when the three of us decided to go all in. I wouldn’t hide them, ever. My mom and dad were supportive. Hell, they were probably some of the most open-minded people on the planet. They knew I owned this club and had been here countless times to see me and what I’d created.
“Maybe next time. You’ll be home in a month or so though, right?”
“Yes. I’m not looking forward to the cold.”
“Hopefully we’ll have a mild winter.” I didn’t fool myself into thinking every month would be calm, but Pennsylvania weather was unpredictable at best. We weren’t near Lake Erie, so we didn’t get the lake effect snow. We weren’t more north in the mountains where it could pile up during winter. Since we were closer to New Jersey, we tended to be hit or miss with whether we got a lot of snow or not. The nor’easters were no joke, but they were few and far between.
“How’s Xaiden? I called him earlier, but he didn’t answer.”
“He had a plumbing issue to handle at the gym. Luckily, it got fixed quickly. I’m sure he’ll call you later or tomorrow.”
“How’s he really doing, Dexen?” My mom always worried about Xaiden. She was his mother so of course she would, but this was different. He hadn’t been the same after Sasha died so long ago. The happy man we knew disappeared, and in his place was a fighter who wanted to take the world on. He’d gotten better but still wasn’t the same. He might never be and that was okay. I longed to see him happy though.
Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “He’s been coming around more, spending time with me.” I was not telling her about the break-ins at my house. She and my dad would fly back here and demand the police do everything they could to solve it. “I got him to go to dinner at the Lynxes’ when Luann was in town. He was happy, Mom. I wish you could have seen him.”
“It didn’t last long though, did it?” She sounded sad. I hated hearing it. My parents, my brother, they deserved happiness, joy, peace.
“No, but for a moment, it was great to witness.”
“I’m glad you two are close. I don’t think he would have survived all these years if you weren’t. I’ve heard from friends of ours how their children don’t get along. They would drift apart over the years, fight, or don’t talk at all. But you and Xaiden, you’ve always been this way. I was grateful for it when you were younger. Now that you’re both older, I’m glad you’ve carried that bond with you.”
“He’s my brother. I’d do anything for him.”
“You’re a good man.”
We spoke for a little longer. A knock on my door brought my head up to see Dominic standing there.
“I have to go but we’ll talk again soon, okay?”
“Of course. We love you, Dexen.”
