Prologue

Cameron

Istared at my computer screen, a frown pulling at my lips. My fingers drummed a steady beat on the armrest of my chair, irritation swimming through my veins. How the fuck was a guy supposed to get experience somewhere when no one was willing to hire me so I could get that experience? All these jobs required a damn bachelor's degree, which I had—graduated top of my class even. But they wanted fucking experience, too. For a goddamn beginner position.

What kind of bullshit was that? How the hell did that even make sense?

I rubbed at my tired eyes before eyeing the eviction notice laying on my desk beside my laptop, a blaring red fucking reminder that my life was falling to shit. A life I'd worked hard to carve out for myself. I'd put myself through college, applying for scholarships every semester and working myself to the goddamn bone every single day just to put food in my stomach and cover my books and the tuition that scholarships didn't pay for. But when I graduated, I had to have somewhere else to live. I'd thought my three jobs could cover the rent on this place until I could get a job in my field, but nope. No amount of bartending, stocking, and serving could cover the cost of living in Seattle.

Because despite my education and working an internship, I wasn't fucking qualified.

What a load of shit.

My phone vibrated on my desk, and I leaned forward just enough to grab it before slumping back in my chair again. I frowned at the number, not recognizing it. It wasn't from the area. But just in case it was someone giving me the chance to attend an interview, I answered.

"Hello?"

A man roughly cleared his throat. "Cam?"

I blinked. Then blinked again. Because I sure as fuck couldn't be hearing things right. I hadn't heard from him in years. Not since he left the foster system and graduated high school when I was thirteen. He'd said he and Konrad had made a promise to Jax—that they'd leave and chase something better than the town we'd lived in. And I couldn't fault them, though it had made me a bit angry and upset with Jax for forcing our family apart, for leaving me and Ace to fend for ourselves.

As I got older though, I realized Jax was right. There was nothing there for any of us. So, when I'd aged out, I'd left, too… left Ace behind just as Jax, Shaw, and Konrad had left us behind. In some ways, I was no better than them.

Konrad and Shaw had deposited money into a bank account for me every month, but I hadn't touched any of it. Didn't feel right. I was independent, and I needed to make my own way. Besides… part of me was still bitter about being left behind. To fend for myself and for Ace.

Fucking Ace.

We'd all left Ace behind, but I'd been confident enough in his ability to take care of himself that I hadn't worried too much. Ace, despite being openly gay from the moment he figured he was, as he put it, "all about dick", had been a hard ass. His mouth was quick, but his hands were even faster. Ace was small, but he was deadly. He knew how to take care of himself.

"Shaw?" I rasped.

He sighed. "Yeah, Cam. It's me. I, uh, I'm in town. With Konrad. Wanted to know if you could meet up with us?"

I glanced at my computer, then at the red eviction notice, and then at the computer again. Blowing out a harsh breath, I stood and closed my laptop before moving away from my desk. Wasn't like I could magically make job listings I was qualified for appear out of thin air. If I could, I would've done it a long time ago. Fucking months ago when I graduated.

Besides… I sort of wanted to see Shaw and Konrad again, even if it was just for a little while.

"Sure," I told him. "Where at?"

"Uhm…" His voice trailed off, and I heard him quietly talking to someone—more than likely Konrad—before he came back on the line. "We've been awake for a while and could use some caffeine. You know a good coffee spot that has some baked goods?"

"Yeah," I told him, searching for my keys in the mess on my desk. "There's a little spot down the street from me—Beans and Things. I'll head there now and get us a table."

"Thanks." He paused for a moment and then grunted. I mentally fist-pumped when I found my keys. "We'll see you in about ten minutes."

I hung up the phone and shoved my feet into my old sneakers before heading down the stairs of my apartment building. The elevator had been broken when I moved in here, and despite the landlord claiming it was going to get fixed when I signed the lease, it still wasn't.

The walk to the coffee shop didn't take long, and by the time I had my coffee and was sitting down, Shaw and Konrad were walking through the door, a boy with bleached blonde hair trailing in behind them. I frowned when I saw Shaw say something to him, and when they all looked in my direction, I choked on the sip of coffee I'd just taken.

Ace.

Ace was still short and scrawny, but there was a hardness to his eyes that didn't used to be there. Sure, he'd been a hard ass little brat, but life hadn't kicked him down that badly.

Looking at him now, it was clear life had been absolute shit to him after I'd left. Guilt swirled in my gut.

I shouldn't have left. I shouldn't have abandoned him like Konrad, Shaw, and Jax had abandoned us.

I immediately stood up, and Ace walked over to me. He frowned at me for a moment, and when I reached forward to hug him, he flinched away. My fingers curled into fists as I dropped my arms back to my sides, my gut churning. Ace used to be such a cuddler, and now…

Now he looked like my touch might make him vomit.

"I don't like being touched," he bluntly told me before taking a seat at the table. I tried to ignore the pang in my chest as I took my seat again, studying him. He arched a brow at me. "What? Do you have a staring problem, Cam?"

I snickered, relaxing. At least his snarkiness was still there. "Still a brat, I see."

He rolled his eyes. "Fuck off," he grumbled, grabbing a napkin and ripping it into tiny pieces for something to do.

Konrad and Shaw appeared at the table. Shaw set a coffee in front of Ace, being careful not to touch him, before sitting down as well. I drummed my fingers against my coffee. "So, not that I'm not happy to see you guys," I mused, "but why the sudden visit after all these fucking years? Nine, right?"

Konrad grimaced. "Jax reached out to me. He was concerned for Ace."

"Jax?" I asked, unable to hide the incredulity from my voice. Jax hadn't allowed any of us to see him once he went in. In fact, he'd cut off all contact with all five of us—at least from what I was aware.

Shaw nodded. "Jax is out." I blinked in surprise. "Apparently, he kept in touch with Ace over the years." I scoffed because of course, he fucking did. Ace was the baby out of the group of us and got everything. I couldn't fault him; we all loved Ace. But I couldn't deny he got shit the rest of us didn't. "Ace was on the verge of being re-homed—possibly across the state. Jax called and asked me to get him."

"You got custody of him?" I asked Shaw.

Shaw shook his head. "Konrad did." I glanced at Konrad, who was sipping at his coffee. He just met my flat stare over the lid of his coffee cup. "We came to see if you wanted to come home."

I looked back at Shaw, my muscles tightening. "No," I told him immediately.

Konrad sighed, setting his coffee down with a calmness that was eerie—like the calm before a storm. "Cameron, we know you don't have many options." I glared at him. The fuck did he know? He went into the military—took the easy route out. I'd fought to get where I was. "It wasn't hard to find out you had an eviction notice filed against you despite us sending money that you, apparently, refuse to touch." The tight grip around the Styrofoam cup of coffee in my hand threatened to make it burst. "I know you're down to your last dollar and that you're not having any luck finding a job. You should come home with us."

I snarled and shoved back from the table. I didn't like being ambushed and this? This was a fucking ambush. Was that their plan? Corner me in a fucking coffee shop to make me bend to their will because they thought I wouldn't make a scene? Newsflash for them—I didn't give two single fucks about making a scene.

"All of you can go fuck yourselves," I snarled, slamming my coffee down on the table so hard, the Styrofoam busted and steaming hot coffee spilled all over the table. They all jumped back. Other patrons were staring, but I didn't give a single shit about any of them. "Don't come here trying to make me feel like shit just to get what you goddamn want."

Shaw grabbed my wrist, and I shoved him off. Konrad growled and gripped the front of my shirt, pulling me close. I glared at him, my hands shaking. "Don't be a fucking dick, Cam."

"Me? Be a dick?" I sneered. "You're the ones who came here belittling me about my fucking situation to try to make me fall in line. I'm not one of your pussy ass soldiers, Konrad."

His glare was so cold, it probably should've killed me. Instead, I met his glare with one of my own, neither of us backing down.

Not until Ace tentatively wrapped his long, slender fingers around my wrist. I looked over at him, my cold gaze never falling. He sighed. "Cam, please come home," he softly begged. "Please."

I stared at him for a moment before looking at Konrad, using my free hand to knock his hand aside. When he didn't budge, I growled, "Fucking let go of me." When he did, I stepped back. Ace still kept his fingers locked around my wrist. It was as if he knew he was the only reason I wasn't flipping a table and throwing a chair at Konrad and Shaw. I pointed a finger at Konrad. "I'll come home. For Ace," I told him. "But if you and Shaw ever try to fucking manipulate me again, I'll fuck you both up."

Konrad opened his mouth, fury flashing in his eyes, but Shaw gripped his shoulder, nodding once at me. "Okay," Shaw told me.

Ace released me, and I straightened out my shirt before glowering at the two men in front of me. "Text me the address. I'll get there on my own fucking time."

With that, I marched out of the coffee shop, wishing I could've slammed the fucking door behind me and that it wasn't controlled by a hydraulic arm.