The reports were opened on his desk, and it was all bullshit. The deceased Sheriff Thorpe was as big a pain in the ass dead as when the bastard was alive. The files weren’t really meant for him, but he’d called in a few favors when he’d heard there was activity out at the old Thorpe place which was butted up to Joker Webb’s property. All of it was out in the middle of bumfuck, nowhere. Miles and miles of woods to search. He’d kept this shit quiet as long as he could, but he needed backup, and the only team he trusted was Trenton Security.

Also, Linus and his crew typically skirted the law, and he wanted to be prepared if they needed to run an operation off the books. Human Trafficking was a scourge and one that he didn’t see them ever eradicating completely. Yet every little bit helped, and if it was one or fifty, he’d call it a semi-win.

“Why is it when I think everything is going pretty damn good, you call with bad fucking news?”

He looked up to find Linus standing in his doorway.

“If I didn’t have to call, I wouldn’t have.”

“I know. I had Hunter run the information before I left the office. Turns out Thorpe had more partners than we knew about. When he died, it was our fuck up not to check that his accounts were quickly emptied and closed. Where the money went, my guess is it disappeared into the ether.”

“I don’t know if they’re using Thorpe’s property as a weigh station and transferring from there or a lay low point.”

“My guess, they’re too cocky and think no one will be out there checking shit out.”

“Probably, but, man—”

“You don’t trust your old team or someone connected to them.”

“Shit just wasn’t adding up before I left. It wasn’t that the guys got flashy with the shit. They weren’t taking extravagant vacations, didn’t show up with new cars, but my team is smart. They’ve been taking down corrupt cops for years. It’s what our unit was designed for. If anyone knows how to hide their dirty dealings, it’s them.”

“They can only hide so much. My team doesn’t play by the rules and we sure as fuck don’t stand down when told. Everyone’s in. I called in Raul, and Gage is ready to make us look good if this falls through. Not to mention Peaches called in a few favors.”

“Peaches? The last guy Peaches had me talk to terrified even me. I felt like I should’ve been at the meeting with riot gear on.”

“Vinnie was a sweetheart.” Peaches peeked around Linus.

She stepped into his office. She wore a fitted three-piece suit, and her hair was in a conservative twist. It hid her thread wraps and the tiny bells in her blond curls.

“Vinnie had mafia written all over him.”

“Come on. He just had some youthful indiscretions.”

To Peaches, the law wasn’t black and white—she lived in the gray areas. He couldn’t fault her for it. It made her one of the best defense attorneys in the country. She worked her ass off to rehabilitate her clients and the ones she couldn’t. They made perfect allies down the road.

“He ran guns.”

“Everyone needs to eat, Camden.” She took one of the chairs in front of his desk and crossed her legs, and then she leaned back to smile at him serenely.

“And why am I not surprised you said that?”

“Because you’re an exceptionally brilliant man, who has two young men waiting for him at home and you’re in the office.”

“I did hire on as a Sheriff after you tracked me down and told me I was taking the job, which means I’m here to work.”

“You’re going to go home to your men.”

He swore the crew ladies thought they were his only bosses and knew way too much about his life. If he didn’t adore his men so much, he’d run back to Atlanta and the state police in a second.

“And how do you know they’re at my house?”

“I’m their landlord and live across the street. They haven’t been home.”

“Do you often stalk your tenants?”

“Only the ones I’ve adopted. Also, that neighbor of theirs is a nightmare. You should really do something about her.”

“I barely pay attention to her complaints and how did we get off the subject of human traffickers and onto my love life?”

“Because we already set up a meeting at Trenton Headquarters for Friday. So that’s taken care of. Now, you need to take care of your men. I don’t want to deal with two sweet brokenhearted boys when they realize how much of an asshole their boyfriend is.”

“I’m not an asshole.”

“You are, and you need those boys to love you before they realize it. You’re not all that pretty, Camden, I mean, yeah, you’re handsome and have your charm, but really, do you think—”

“They’re mine, Peaches.”

“Then fucking act like it.”

“I take them out. I don’t hide we’re together in public. I’m doing everything I can to let them know I care about them. Aren’t you going to help me out here, Trenton?”

He glared at Linus who was smugly grinning at him from beside the door. When did his life come down to nosy as fuck friends and mother figures who thought he was an unworthy asshole who couldn’t get his men to love him? These people were going to start making him drink and not socially.

“Oh no, you’re on your own, we depend on her to keep us out of jail. She has more authority than you do.”

“Then what the hell do you suppose I do?”

“Maybe sex, because as uptight are you are, I swear you ain’t getting any. Do you need some, you know, get-it-up pills? Because they’re easy enough to get. I can make an appointment with a doctor for you. It’s not something to be ashamed of, a man of your age and all that and with two twenty-something young men. They have needs, Camden.”

He clenched his jaw at Peaches’ innocent, motherly expression like she wasn’t talking about his supposed impotence. It wasn’t helping Linus was about to piss himself or have a heart attack from his laughter. He was rethinking this whole new life and friends thing. He’d rather be shot at every day.

“Nothing is wrong with my dick. It works just fine.”

“From your crankiness, I very much doubt it.”

“I’m going the fuck home.”

“Camden, I said this wasn’t something to be ashamed of. You’re a man of a certain age, and sometimes things no longer work like they’re supposed to, and it’s perfectly natural.”

“How has Gib stayed married to you as long as he has?”

“The sex is amazing. He’s never had—” She leaned in and whispered, “—your problem, but I’m sure he wouldn’t—”

“Get out!” He stormed around the desk, gently lifted Peaches from the chair and ushered her out his office door. Not too gently, he shoved the braying, red-faced Linus out behind her.

“If you need to talk about your problem I’m only—”

He slammed the door and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. He needed new friends, maybe a new job in Antarctica. He’d heard Elijah had looked into running away. Maybe he still had the info.

He wanted sex with his boys, but they’d both been treated harshly by men in the past—one who wouldn’t take no for an answer and another who didn’t take the time to love on Eric the way he should’ve. Being your lover’s first was an honor and should be treated as such.

He checked the time, and it was already later than he’d planned. He’d texted Ellison almost two hours ago that he’d be home after his meeting. The meeting hadn’t gone as he expected and ended with his ability to please his boys questioned. After he grabbed his keys and leather jacket, he strode toward the door and hoped like hell Peaches and Linus were gone. He couldn’t deal with round two.

He wanted to take his boys on a real date. He’d had them to the house for dinner and bought them dinner at the diner, but they deserved one at a fancy restaurant or maybe a night out of Powers. Trouble and Brody had this place they went to, and it sounded perfect.

On his way to his vehicle, he pulled out his phone and scrolled for Trouble’s number.

“I didn’t do it.”

He chuckled at Trouble’s voice. The man had to be one of the normal ones which really wasn’t saying much. He thought about the group of people he’d met since moving there.

Landon and Zerk were crazy, and embarrassment ensued when he was trapped somewhere with them. Scary, Elijah, and Tank were close to being booked for indecent exposure. He’d caught them one too many times with Elijah bent over one of their bikes. He didn’t know how the man put up with Scary and Tank, well, more Scary.

Lucky and Priest might be weird, but at least when they were together, they were completely focused on each other. Crave and poor Twitch…he didn’t know how Twitch could walk. Psycho and Ben, those two were a weird little family with Psycho’s ex-wife and her current wife, and their three kids were out there. He couldn’t deny everyone loved each other unconditionally.

“You’re one of the only ones I haven’t thought about busting. No, you and Brody were talking about some bed and breakfast. I wanted to do something nice for Eric and Ellison.”

“You want a romantic place?”

“Yeah, and since you two go, I thought it would be gay couple friendly.”

“It’s definitely that. Brody found it, and some of the other guys have taken their men there too. Scary and Tank even took Elijah a few times. So, triads aren’t an issue. Want me to text you the details? They’re great about making it romantic. I’m not so great about that shit.”

“You seem to keep your man happy.”

“Brody and Princess are my everything, man. He took a chance, and I’ll never be able to let him know how much I appreciate that.”

He smiled at the obvious love Trouble had for his husband of seven years. All the stories he’d heard about Trouble and Brody, Trouble had gone all-out on making Brody his. It was almost like one of those romance novels. A story you sure as fuck never believed was true. It was that way with all his friends and their partners.

“I’m sure he knows, he’s stuck with you for seven years.”

“I know right. Fuck, I didn’t think I’d get one date and when he said yes…no fucking way I was screwing that up.”

“Just text me all the info. I better get home to Eric and Ellison.”

“So it’s true, you got them out at your place. The rumors have been flying about the Sheriff and his pretty boys. Strange for someone who avoided Sin and Saint like the plague.”

“I had a few things to work through.”

“No problem, man. I’m just glad it worked out for you. You gotta come out for our next run. We keep asking.”

“I know, maybe one Sunday soon.”

“Don’t make me send Princess and Juvie after you. They can be kinda terrifying.”

“I get that. No need to sic the Crew Hellions on me.”

He loved the kids. He saw them as guests of his jail one day, but they were the Crew’s kids, so that wasn’t too surprising.

“I better get home. They probably expected me an hour ago or more.”

“I’ll get you the details here shortly.”

“I appreciate it, Trouble.”

“Not a problem. Got to keep our partners happy.”

“Exactly.” He disconnected the call and got into his vehicle. Since Eric and Ellison had started staying with him, he hadn’t been going to bed or getting up as early as he typically did. His life didn’t revolve around his job, but he knew that he might be giving them mixed signals. If there were things he needed to fix, that was the biggest one.

What he felt for them was more than he had for anyone in the past and he needed them to understand that. This was so far out of his comfort zone he was lost. That wasn’t going to keep his boys happy, and he wanted nothing more than to have them with him. He needed a better balance in his life. It wasn’t about just his job anymore.

He turned onto his drive and pulled up to his house. The porch light was on, and the place looked bright, welcoming, and that was because the twins were inside waiting for him. He loved coming home to them there, and when he’d texted earlier saying they didn’t have to come over, he’d hoped they would. He needed to know they wanted to be there. He turned off the engine just as the front door opened.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth at the sight of Ellison and Eric waiting for him. He hopped out and jogged up to the house. When he neared them, he pulled them into his arms. He hugged them close as he walked them back into the house. He wanted to get used to that feeling, and he wasn’t giving it up no matter how many doubts filled his head.