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Every move Nate made was calculated, smooth and two steps ahead of Tennessee. A feat, considering he was the reigning champion of the internal Marcosa Boxing Championship six years running. The fact that Nate had him sweating and panting, practically walking him around the ring like a show pony, spoke a lot for his abilities. Not to mention that he did it with a serious size difference. Tennessee was six inches taller and at least fifty pounds of muscle heavier, whereas Nate had a leaner figure. Not to say he wasn’t built, but you couldn’t see him from outer space like you could Tennessee.
Smaller or not, Nate fought smart and with enough passion that it felt like he had something to prove. I didn’t even have to look around to know he was doing it, too. More than once, I caught my men pausing their workouts to watch the new guy fight. They cheered on Tennessee, heckling Nate every chance they could, but I also could see the respect building. It was exactly what we needed.
Moore stood next to me, barely more than a statue. He made comments here and there about their form or things they could adjust later, but that was it. There was no easy banter about his husband’s muscles or the way Nate’s back was distracting in the best ways. No mention of work or play. Nothing. He was a blank slate, and it bothered me.
He’d been quiet since the warehouse fire, and I knew I needed to talk to him. To check in and make sure he was okay. The problem was Moore preferred to take care of his own problems without involving anyone else, especially me. He was self-contained. That meant that in order to get him to answer me, I had to approach the situation delicately. I didn’t want him to shut down on me, but I overthought every opening line I came up with. Finally, I knew I had to just go for it.
“How have things been?” I asked, immediately wincing. Not even remotely subtle. I blamed the painkillers Grey gave me. They made me a little loopy.
To his credit, Moore just laughed at me.
“I’m pissed as fuck that you got hurt,” Moore admitted. “I should have been there. I don’t know what the fuck Dominic was thinking, sending you off by yourself, but you never should have been alone.”
“We all made mistakes that day,” I said. “I knew Sabine was compromised, but I still went. The only thing that matters is that everyone made it out alive.”
Moore snorted, and I knew he didn’t agree with me. I also knew he wasn’t going to say anything where others could hear. He really was the best.
“Admittedly, I probably would have done the same thing, but I would have made sure you weren’t by yourself with her. I certainly wouldn’t have trusted somebody that I knew had ulterior motives. Your boyfriend should’ve realized it wasn’t a good move.”
“Not my boyfriend.” I didn’t bother defending it more than that. Dominic’s actions were his own, and if anyone should defend them, it needed to be him. Instead, I focused back on the ring just as Nate threw a right hook that caught Tennessee on the chin. Moore growled next to me. He was not a fan of his husband getting hurt.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I didn’t look at him, and I wouldn’t pry again. Moore was my employee second and my friend first, but I knew I had to walk a fine line with him. If I pushed him too far, he’d retreat so fast I’d never reach him again.
I had to be okay with whatever he wanted to tell me. If he wanted to answer, he would, and if he didn’t, that was okay too.
“No,” he admitted. “But I will be. As soon as we put that little pissant in the ground, I’ll be good as new.”
I smiled at Moore’s ferocity, knowing it was part of the reason Tennessee had fallen in love with him years ago. They went from partners in work to partners in everything because Tennessee realized that he wanted someone whose fierceness was tempered by affection instead of a need to hurt. He got angry for me because he loved me. The difference mattered.
Resettling on the wall we leaned on, I bumped Moore with my shoulder. “What are we going to do when the drama is over? Take a vacation?”
Moore barked a laugh, and Tennessee’s head jerked toward us just in time to get nailed with yet another punch. I winced as he swore the ceiling down. “Damn, that one’s going to bruise.”
“Good. Pay attention to the dude in front of you, you fucking idiot!” Moore yelled, turning back to me. “Hell yes, I’m taking a fucking vacation. Considering that one’s about to put my man on his ass, I think your boys can protect you for a week while I go bake in the sun.”
The idea of running off to an island sounded perfect. I was so jealous I couldn’t see straight. “I’ll pay for your tickets.”
“You’re paying for the whole goddamn thing, including a massage every single day and as much tequila as this body can hold. I’ve more than earned it.”
Considering how much Moore had been through in the last few years, I figured the least I could do was foot the bill and told him as much.
Another round of glancing blows and Nate finally caught Tennessee on the edge of the forehead, and it was lights-out. Moore grumbled to himself as the big man went down and didn’t get up.
“You going to go scrape your husband off the floor?” I asked.
“Nope. He got too cocky, and your little fuckboy put him on his knees. I figure he could use the embarrassment to knock him down a peg.”
Snickering, I moved on to business while Nate flagged down some help. “Anything I need to know?”
Moore hummed, eyes narrowed as he watched Cameron and Grey pull Tennessee out of the ring. Their eyes flitted to us and back down to their cargo, gentling their hands immediately. My eyes narrowed just as fast when Dominic wrapped his hands to replace the big man.
Can’t I get one fucking day?
The last thing I needed was him starting a pissing match with Nate like he did with Greyson. For once, I wanted some fucking unity in my household.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” Moore said with a grin that told me he was loving this. “Joaquin’s been busy. I’ve caught him sneaking back into the house in the mornings, but when I ask, he says that he’s got a new girl.”
My uncle had so many mistresses stacked throughout the city that I wasn’t shocked at him collecting a new one. It was his only hobby besides bothering me and ignoring my aunt. Thankfully for her, her friends were more than willing to satisfy the needs he didn’t care about. “You don’t believe him?”
