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This was right. Being with his men felt good. If he had Lucas and Nash, then he could go back Vegas. He could face his past. He was doing this no matter how hard it ended up being.
* * * * *
Lucas
The hotel room was nice.
Very nice.
Lucas would never been able to afford a suite in the middle of the Strip at the newly constructed hotel and casino that was the talk of the industry on his own. He’d used a connection that Lucas had made years ago. Or one that Trick had reminded him of actually.
He met a lot of people in his line of business. Before he’d moved the shop to Rocky Lake, their L.A. parlor had been patronized by all kinds of people from all levels of society. That was where he’d met a young man who’d just sold his first million-dollar home and was celebrating by getting his first ink.
That had been the first time that Lucas had tattooed Jesse Lambert, but he and his twin brother had become regulars very quickly.
Jesse Lambert’s success hadn’t been a surprise to Lucas. Jesse had been determined to pull himself and his brother out of the poverty they’d been born into. Jesse had been an intense guy but smarter than anyone Lucas had ever met. Jordan Lambert had been Jesse’s complete opposite. They might have been twins but looks was where any similarities ended. Jordan had been quiet and soft.
Jesse owning and operating the most successful casinos and hotels in Vegas made sense. Lucas thought he remembered that Jordan was a professor in a small college town on the coast of California.
Setting the bags in the master bedroom to one side of the suite, he looked around and was suitably impressed. He’d hoped that Trick would be able to get them a king-size hotel room, but this was so much more. He was sort of intimidated.
Nash and Adam were checking out the rest of the suite and Lucas hurried to catch up with his boys.
“This is too much,” Nash said as he entered from the balcony. “This is an unofficial investigation. We’re not going to be reimbursed for all of this.”
“Hey!” Lucas said. “I told you this was covered. We don’t have anything to worry about.”
Adam entered from another room. “Maverick is going to freak out seeing that room. Are you sure it’s okay for him to stay with us?”
“It’s fine, baby.” Lucas opened his arms. Adam hurried over before hugging Lucas hard. Lucas glanced at Nash. “This is fine. I know the owner. Did all the ink he’s had. He’s even flown me and the crew out to various locations when he wanted a tattoo or piercing and couldn’t get away.” Jesse Lambert was a bit eccentric, but Lucas liked his vibe.
“I’ll be working a lot,” Nash argued. He waved his hand around. “We don’t need all this.”
“And that office/ conference room has plenty of space for you, Lincoln, and Carson to work.” It was perfect for them.
Lincoln and Carson had also reserved rooms at the same hotel although they’d chosen single bedrooms. It might be selfish, but Lucas knew if the detectives were working out of their suite, he’d be able to keep a better eye on Nash. Nash was already working hard, and he was still trying to recover from his injury. Even now Nash limped and rubbed his knee.
“I just—” Nash rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t pay you back for this.”
“You don’t have to.” He motioned Nash forward.
With obvious reluctance, Nash hobbled until Lucas could touch him. Lucas carefully pulled Nash into his arms.
“This is for all of us,” Lucas said. “Our first vacation together. And I didn’t pay for this suite. I’ll offer Jesse a tattoo or something, but we’ve been friends a long time.” Just two men in their early twenties fighting to rise above their beginnings way back then. Now that they were more established and gotten hopefully wiser they didn’t see each other as much but when they got together it was just like old times.
“Not that we’ll get to enjoy it much,” Nash muttered.
“I don’t know about that. Sure, you’ll be working but I’ll also have you in my arms every night. I’ll take Adam for walks around the Strip. We’ll do some Christmas shopping. It won’t be bad.”
“They even have a coffee shop downstairs. I saw it when we were checking in,” Adam said. “I can still get you your green tea.”
Nash sighed. “I don’t know what I did to deserve either of you.”
Lucas chuckled. “You just need to be yourself. We like you just the way you are.” There were times that Lucas could still see the doubt and fear in Nash’s eyes. Like he or Adam would disappear.
Tilting his head back, Nash had a huge smile on his face. “The L.T. told us to take a couple of hours to settle in as he caught up with his old team.”
“Oh yeah.” That sounded good to Lucas. It was only about a four-hour drive but Lucas hated to be stuck in a vehicle for long extended periods of time. He was just too big. Even in his own truck.
