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“Fuck me, I think I do.”
That wasn’t what I expected him to say. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I grabbed the paper so I could take it with me. Romeo gently took it from my fingers. He folded it, took the napkins too, and walked to the garbage to throw it away.
Standing in front of me again, he said, “I have a feeling you won’t need to look for a place to live anymore.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I have a big home with only me living in it.”
“But… But…”
“Tristan?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m a mess of a human. A serious fucking disaster, but when I saw the look on your face after you thought you hurt me, then when Bruno loomed over you, I wanted to protect you. Add in the messages between you and Dash… I can’t explain it. I’m notthat guy. I’m the one who stays away from everyone to protect myself and my secrets. Yet I’m standing in front of you, wanting to open myself up to you instead. It could be a foolish move but the thought of not being there for you, of not protecting you, doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I don’t need protecting though,” I said it far too meekly. I didn’t see myself as weak, only the person others walked over. It didn’t feel that way with Romeo. He was like a magnet, and I was helpless to the pull. The same thing happened when I was with Dash. This undeniable energy I couldn’t ignore.
“Can I see your phone?”
I handed it to him and watched as he typed an address in the message to Dash and hit send.
7
DASH
What utopian dream was I walking into? I’d been invited to Romeo’s house where Tristan currently was. They knew each other. The two men I couldn’t get out of my head nor figure out how I was going to sate these crushes. Even when a bug flew into my mouth on my ride over, I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. I coughed, spit at a stoplight, but kept smiling.
The exhaust was loud on my Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 as I rode through the busy streets of East Dremest. Romeo lived on the side of the city ruled by a man I’d never met and had zero desire to. I knew his son. He was cool as hell. Jordan Sr.? Hard pass.
To get to Romeo’s building, I had to ride past Jordan’s. Anyone who lived in and around the city knew where Jordan laid his head at night. It was a heavily guarded tall building in the heart of East Dremest.
As I slowed at the building with the number on the front that Tristan told me, I realized Romeo lived very close to the mafia boss. Worry coursed through me. Did he realize they were practically neighbors? I didn’t think Romeo was the type to get wrapped up in that world, but what the hell did I know? I’d only met the gorgeous dancer once.
On-street parking spots were nonexistent, so as I circled the block for the second time, I noticed a small alleyway along the side of Romeo’s home. There was also a three-car garage around the back, but I wasn’t sure if it was his or not. Parking in the alleyway, I didn’t block anyone in.
I shut off my bike and pocketed the keys. Dremest wasn’t a crime-ridden city, but I wasn’t about to leave the keys to my bike for anyone to take. I had the Harley heavily modified to what I wanted on it. Recreating it on a new bike would be a pain in the ass.
The outside of the building was a light gray stone with a tall, wide window on the front that rounded at the top with black and gold scrollwork trim. There were multiple panes within the window, splitting it into smaller pieces, which all came together for the beauty of the complete piece. It was the end unit and four stories high. The window easily stretched two of those. There were smaller windows at ground level on the other side of the building. A door with similar trim sat to the left of the large window. Brushed copper lights which looked like lanterns were on either side of the door. I couldn’t see inside because of the reflective film on the windowpanes.
There was a buzzer, which I pressed, next to the door. I had no idea what I was walking into. All my dreams could be about to come true, or it was a trap, and I was an idiot. What kind of trap? Not a clue. My mind was working overtime to come up with odd scenarios where the door would open and a butler would be there or the mafia boss himself, because why did they want me to come here? I didn’t think I was that lucky to get to explore things with them.
What I got was Romeo himself when the door opened. Gorgeous, sinful Romeo. Even in a pair of black shorts and a black T-shirt, he was still an angel. I missed the makeup, but without it, I could see his eyes more clearly.
A smile curved my lips. “Hello again.”
“Are you always this charming or am I special?”
“You’re special.”
“And Tristan?” he asked.
“He’s special too.”
“What about Diesel?”
I cocked my head. “Who?”
