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JJ caught my fist. “You don’t want to swing at X. He’ll knock you out with one punch.”
“I don’t care. No one calls me that.”
Xaiden cocked his head. “Why?”
I ground my teeth together. “My asshole father had the same name. He fucking beat me for the fun of it. I hate my name. It makes me want to swing if I hear it.” What I left out was, I swung back at my father when he came for me. I had stopped taking the hits lying down. Now when I heard my name, it was instinct to lash out because all I saw was him.
Xaiden’s eyes widened. He probably didn’t think I’d tell him that. I didn’t sugarcoat anything. My past was in my rearview. I tried to keep it there but times like this made it come roaring to the front. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Now you do.”
JJ released me, letting me drop my arm back to my side. Releasing my fist, I flexed my fingers. It wouldn’t have been smart to hit Xaiden. I still would have done it.
It was Xaiden who surprised me though. “You can call me Xaiden. Only you.” His light ocean-blue eyes met JJ’s before focusing on me again. “I respect your boundaries and won’t call you your full name again. Mine, it’s personal to me so don’t abuse it.” He glanced away but not before I caught a bit of hurt in his eyes.
“Val, do you think you can finish up on your own and I’ll take care of X?” JJ asked.
“Yeah.” I turned, giving them my back. Neither of them would jump me so I was comfortable doing so. I’d learned a long time ago not to turn away from someone who could be a threat.
The sounds of the shop soothed me while I finished the repairs I needed to make. Luckily, I got parts at cost through JJ.
The bay door next to mine opened. The soft rumble of the Jag starting and pulling inside was my kind of symphony. He had to have an aftermarket exhaust on it. I’d look once JJ got it on the lift.
Of course, I had to get nosy and ask, “Why don’t you take it to the dealer to do this? You had to have gotten a service plan with it so you wouldn’t pay a dime for an oil change.”
“I could, but JJ’s not there and I don’t trust many with my car.”
“Pretty soon I’ll have a setup at home and can do this there,” JJ said. He was outfitting one of the garage bays where he lived with Dexen and Greer to do work at home. It was more extensive than they planned. JJ would have been fine with the bare minimum, but Dexen was tearing out part of the upstairs over the garage to fit a vehicle lift in. People with money did crazy shit.
“Then I can bother you, my brother, and Greer all at the same time. I’ll make you breakfast.”
JJ chuckled. “Dex will feign sleep, so he won’t have to eat it.”
I paused what I was doing to look at Xaiden. “What’s wrong with your cooking?”
“Nothing. I eat healthy and Dex isn’t a fan.”
“That’s because X puts in vegetables and other stuff that’s good for him,” JJ added. “You should see Dex’s face when X makes egg white omelets or smoothies. You’ll never see Dex frown as much as he does when he stares at that food, debating how hungry he is, and if he should eat it.”
I gave Xaiden a quick once-over. “Well, you’re doing something right. Though your brother doesn’t look bad either.” I shrugged and went back to my car.
“Val, if you were anyone else, I’d remind you who Dex belongs to,” JJ said.
“My dick doesn’t have an interest in Dex or Greer. You know I wouldn’t do that to you, Jay.”
He gave me a crooked grin. “I know.” I liked seeing him happy. JJ had a shitty life for a long time. His father was the local mafia boss and ran the eastern side of the city, the one we were currently standing in.
Now, if JJ were to ask me about Xaiden, I’d say my dick very much had an interest in him. I needed to have sex. Maybe then I’d feel better. No amount of jerking off could sate the feeling in me. I was a virgin standing near a very hot man. One I’d fantasized about more than once since the last time I saw him.
I hadn’t said I was gay to anyone, outside of JJ, since my father overheard me talking to a school friend when I was younger. Of course, I got beat for it. I got beat if there was dust on the TV too.
Shaking those thoughts away, I tried to focus again. I didn’t want to think about the asshole who was now six feet under. The only reason he got a burial was because I needed to see his body go into the ground to know with finality he was gone. It was the most basic burial and took almost all of the money I had saved, but the closure was worth it. Thanks to working for JJ at both PJS—Perry, Jordan, & Sons Auto—and here at the shop, my savings account looked good again.
Xaiden and JJ talked while I finished my car and lowered it down, making sure the lift arms were out from under it once it was on the ground.
“Is this your car?” Xaiden asked, coming closer to me.
I nodded. “She’s not much to look at but she gets the job done.”
