Parker and I talked out the PI job and then rang Vi to confirm more shit about it. Once we told her I was also on board, she got excited and told us she’d just found the perfect place to set up the second business. She was going to get Warden to send us the details so we could take a look, along with the information we needed to get our own PI licenses. Though Parker had already looked into it. It would take at least between four to six months to gain our certificates; we would have to do forty hours of class time with the rest online.

A change seemed scary, but it wouldn’t be too big of a change already. Really, it’d be for the better and make our lives a little safer. I was just damn happy I’d be making such a big leap with a person I trusted without question to have my back.

After the call, we would check out the place, get a feel for it, and then head to the compound to tell Dodge about the change. I also had to call Sarge to tell him I’d be giving my four weeks’ notice. Which meant I might have to go back to work for a couple of weeks before my long service leave ended. He’d be pissed, but I knew that once we told him our next move, he’d support us. The guy was solid.

The best part about the morning was that Parker and I were normal around each other. We were back to our old selves, despite him having his dick in my arse.

Fuck. Cue my damn boner.

“The place looks good,” Parker said from the driver seat of his car. He went on to say something about perimeters. I nodded, my other head doing the thinking for me.

Right, that was what we were doing, examining our new office not thinking about how good it was to have Parker fucking me after Easton had finished, or how I goddamn loved watching Parker wank over watching Easton fuck me.

Christ, I’d never get over the look of lust in his eyes as his cock slid in and out of me, nor how he’d watched me come over my gut, keeping his eyes between us as he entered and exited me.

“Lan?”

I nodded. “Sounds good.” What would be better was to know how soon Easton, Parker, and I could get naked again. Maybe the next time could lead to Parker sucking either one of us off. Hell, I’d love to see that. His lips wrapped around either of our dicks. I wasn’t fussy over who, because one way or another, I knew I’d get off.

“Lan!” Parker barked.

My whole body jumped and I glanced around at him. “What?” I snapped, pissed he’d dragged me away from a good thought and, of course, my eyes zoomed in on his lips.

“Now I know where your head’s at.” He smirked.

I pulled my eyes up to meet his amused ones. “Huh?”

“What were your thoughts?” he asked, his chin tipping up towards the building.

“Yeah, good. We’ll need cameras outside though.”

Parker snorted. “Sure,” he deadpanned.

“What?”

“I said that already. Jesus, man, get your head outta the gutter and into the now.”

I glared and started to lie, “I wasn’t—”

“Don’t even fuckin’ try it.” He chuckled.

“Shit, okay.” I moved my gaze back to the building and pushed my filthy, thrilling thoughts aside and got back to business. “We’ll get Dodge, if Warden can’t make it here, to put in the security system. It’s good the place next to it is just storage units and takes up a lot of space. Means we could tap into their camera feed for extra protection. We’d just have to keep an eye on the shops on the other side since they’re all selling,” I said while wondering why the three shops on the other side of the building Vi was looking at were for sale when the area was a good one. Should even be a popular one. I’d have to look into it.

“Something we could look into before we give Vi the go-ahead on the place. Though, the properties could be something Hawks’ll want to invest in later.”

I nodded. “Could be. We’ll bring it up with Dodge and then check out the real estate agent.”

At the compound, hanging in the common room with Dodge, Knife, Beast, and Vicious, the place was pretty quiet.

“I’ll get Gamer onto the properties. Texas is currently settin’ his goals towards tattooing. He’ll need a place to set up eventually, and I like the area already.”

“Plus, Nary and Josie are gonna set up a place soon for abused women to get some help at. If it’s near a PI place and has brothers close by, it’d be better,” Vicious suggested. “How many shops you say were up for sale?”

“Three,” Parker told him.

“If it works out, we could look at connectin’ two of the buildings. It’d help if Nary and Josie get women with families needin’ someplace to stay until they find them other places.”

“Until we fuck over the dicks who messed with them in the first place,” Dodge muttered.

Vicious smirked, and it wasn’t a nice one. “Or that.”

Knife announced, “Just sent Gamer an email to get onto it.”

Beast snorted. He grinned as his hands moved around and signed, That’s if he’ll be alive long enough.

“What’s that about?” Parker asked. He leaned into the bar beside me.

“Wildcat told Talon that Gamer tried to get in with Nancy. It didn’t go down well with Talon. Even though Rich has been gone three years, he thought highly of the guy and doesn’t like to think of Nance as dateable,” Dodge said. “Gamer’s layin’ low.”

“Even though Talon’s in Ballarat?” I asked.

Beast chuckled and nodded, signing, However, I caught the guy texting Nancy.

I snorted. “Did she respond?” My hand shot up. “Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know what Nancy gets up to. She’s been like a mother figure to a lot of us.”

Parker grinned. “So you don’t want to know if she’s bonin’ someone my age?”

I glowered at him, then put my hand on his shoulder ready to warn him I didn’t want to hear another word when he froze under my hand. Panic drowned out the amusement, and he shrugged off my hold.

He faked a laugh. “Guess Gamer is up for some trouble if he’s still reaching out to Nancy.”

“I think it’s great for Nancy,” Knife said. They went on to talk about other shit, but I couldn’t help notice Parker had gone silent. A scowl marred his features. The way he’d acted and now how he was lost in his thoughts told me he wasn’t ready for people to know about the change between us. I got it. I really did. I understood it more than anyone, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Hell, it wasn’t like I was holding his hand, groping him or any other type of public display of affection. Fuck me, we weren’t even at the level in private where I’d think I could show him I cared by kissing him or reaching out to touch him, or fucking hug him. So of course I knew he wouldn’t be down for it in public.

How-fucking-ever, I only placed my hand on his shoulder.

One simple touch and he reacted like I had rabies.

Shit, now he was probably thinking about getting out of the whole situation between the three of us. I’d gone and fucked it all up without even knowing a hand to the shoulder could do it.

Jesus bloody Christ.

My gut spun before it dropped to my feet.

How was I supposed to know one touch could cause him to freak?

“Parker,” Knife called, only it grabbed my attention too.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“You good, brother?”

“Fine.” He straightened. “Just gotta get someplace.” He turned to me without even looking at me. “You good to get home?”

Hurt slashed across my chest.

“I’ll be good. Sure Beast’ll give me a lift.”

Beast nodded.

“Good, later guys.” He gave a chin lift before walking out of the common room.

It was after he’d gone, Dodge said, “Thought he’d been in a better mood today, guess I was wrong.”

I’d been wrong too, apparently.

Maybe this with Parker, me, and Easton wouldn’t work out after all.

After Beast dropped me off, I’d headed into Easton’s to feed the dogs and sat on the back porch drinking a beer while I threw multiple toys around for the crazier dogs. The three calm, lazier ones sat on the porch with me watching the others with a bored expression.

I glanced down to Nero, sure he was glaring at the others, thinking they were nuts for being excited over toys. Nero was a favourite of mine, had been ever since he came barrelling into my room that first day and scared the fuckers away. I was sure he kind of knew it too. He lifted his head to stare up at me. As if he sensed my mood wasn’t the best, he got to his feet and came over, resting his head on my thigh.

A smile tugged up my mouth, even though I didn’t feel like it, and I patted his head. Parker hadn’t come back to the compound. I’d waited like a pathetic idiot with tension radiating out of me, and a lot of the brothers gave me a wide berth or strange looks as I helped them in the garage so it didn’t look like I was waiting.

I was at a loss.

I didn’t know what to fucking think or do about Parker Wilding. I felt like shit for putting him in that situation, then angry because it wasn’t really a situation in the goddamn first place.

Fuck it, I’d stick with anger.

A hand on the damned shoulder was nothing. Fucking hell, no one would have got the information he’d been screwing me the previous night from one single hand on his shoulder.

Grumbling, I gulped back the rest of the beer. I wanted another and then another. Maybe a drunk brain could figure out what went wrong with Parker or I could just forget about it altogether.

However, the kitchen was too far away and Nero was enjoying the attention I gave him. Until he lifted and turned his head with a snarl pulling back his upper lip.

Parker stepped around the side of the house. Nero stopped growling and settled to the floor beside me with a grunt.

Christ, now I wished I had a full beer, or ten, to drink.

I shifted my gaze away from his approach and out onto the land. Did I honestly have a right to be shitty? This was all new to him. I’d freaked out with Easton, and that led me to lose him for ten fucking years.

“It’s fine,” I offered before standing and walking towards the glass door. “I get it. You freaked, wondering if they knew we screwed, but I can tell you they can’t read it over an innocent touch.” Goddamn it. “Fuck, that sounded judgy. I didn’t mean it.” I stood at the glass door, my hand on the handle to pull it open. I could see his reflection, where he stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at me with his jaw clenching. “It’s all good.” I nodded. “Maybe we can catch up tomorrow?” I didn’t wait for an answer. I slid the door across and then pulled it shut after I’d stepped in. I made a beeline for the fridge to grab those ten beers.

I felt the need to apologise to Easton again for what I did those years ago.

Fuck, I’d been a cunt. I wanted to punch myself for it once more. What I didn’t want was to talk to Parker about any of it because I just wasn’t in the mood, and I didn’t want to hear he’d made a mistake.

But then I heard the door sliding open and shut. I grabbed a beer and unscrewed it before flicking the top in the sink. I turned, leaned against the counter, and stared at Parker while taking a pull from the bottle. He stood on the other side of the counter, his hands landing on the top of it, and then he lifted one to brush back his hair.

“Man, I said I understand, and I do. I reacted worse with East those years ago, and he didn’t even do anything but show at my place unannounced when I had friends over. I knew I was bi, but I hadn’t told anyone. No one knew until East came back into my life.” I sighed, glanced out the kitchen window and then back to him. “What I’m gettin’ at is that I know why you reacted that way. It’s all good, but it’s gettin’ late, and I’m about to hit the bed. You’d better head off.”

There was his out. He could take it or not. I didn’t know what he’d pick, and I’d like to say I didn’t care, but I fucking did.