Chapter Four

K erry's fist landed with a loud thud , and shock waves reverberated up his arm. Picturing Chuck's face on the punching bag suddenly wasn't enough to ease his tension. Kerry wanted a real confrontation with the man, which only added to his stress. He'd always been big for his age, so his dad had taught him alternative ways of dealing with his emotions besides getting into fights. Kerry's means of letting off steam changed over the years, depending on the circumstance. Fucking was out of the question since the only man he wanted was the one he couldn't— shouldn't —have.

Kerry had witnessed Keegan's wistful expression while watching Seth and Rueben fall in love and start a life together. It was plain that Kee wanted those deeper connections for himself, and Kerry avoided emotional entanglements like his life depended on it. But Keegan wasn't the only one caught up in the bliss radiating from the newlyweds. Kerry likened it to a toxic cloud from a chemical spill, slowly enveloping and tainting everyone within its reach. Christ, he sounded cynical as fuck, but who could blame him?

Cynthia had destroyed Kerry's family when she killed Natalie in a fit of selfish rage twenty-five years ago. He'd no longer caught his parents slow dancing in the living room after they thought he'd gone to sleep. They'd stopped reaching for one another as if pulled together by a magnetic force. Hell, they'd rarely been in the same room together after Natalie died. Graham Hart had blamed himself for the death of his only daughter and had withdrawn to someplace Lucinda and Kerry couldn't follow or weren't welcome. His big, strapping father had wasted away in front of his eyes, surrendering to his grief one minute at a time until the clock stopped ticking and Graham's broken heart stopped beating. Kerry had come home from school and found Graham in his recliner, resting peacefully for the first time since Natalie's death. And Kerry had known why before he touched his dad's cold hand. In less than a year, he'd lost his sister and his father, and Kerry's world had never looked the same again.

They hadn't known the truth of Cynthia's treachery until recently. All this time, his family had treated her as one of their own. Kerry viewed her as a sister because that's how Natalie thought of her. She joined them to celebrate Natalie's life on every birthday or memorial of her death, and Kerry hadn't fully processed her treachery yet. He acknowledged it verbally but hadn't allowed himself a healthy emotional outlet to let off steam. The lawsuit Chuck caused was another result of Kerry showing kindness to someone who didn't deserve it and only added to the pressure building inside him. So yeah, he had trust issues, but for the first time in his adult life, Kerry resented the barriers he'd constructed to protect himself. But not enough to let his guard down and let Keegan in. Getting involved with Keegan was the last thing he should do, even if it was what he wanted most. To fall into those welcoming arms and lose himself in Kee's gorgeous hazel eyes and sexy body would be—

Kerry drove his fist into the punching bag before he could finish the thought. Then he followed that up with a series of waist-high rapid jabs as if he had Chuck Dahl pinned against the ropes and was pummeling his stomach. Kerry finished the sequence with a powerful knee jab that would've finished his opponent and dropped him to the mat. Tension still rode him like a vicious jockey, so Kerry figuratively stood Chuck back up and started the cycle all over again, alternating punches, jabs, and kicks like his life depended on it. His sanity and livelihood sure as hell relied on him to keep his shit together. He could not afford to turn into a human powder keg.

Kerry had tried his best to set the pending lawsuit aside and go about his work. They'd had the usual wrecker service calls, which made up the bulk of their work. They had the equipment to assist both private passenger and commercial vehicles in all terrains, which was important in Colorado mountain towns. Hart's Creek Rescue also partnered with insurance companies to answer roadside assistance calls, handling everything from keys locked in vehicles to disabled cars and trucks. They were uniquely positioned to assist with the more dangerous rescues and recoveries where vehicles went off the roads and into ravines or worse. People treated posted speed limits and treacherous passing signs like mere suggestions, so there'd never be a shortage of calls for them to answer.

He'd earned a sterling reputation for being prompt, professional, and safe, so local and state law enforcement agencies offered him lucrative contracts to be their primary responder. And it would all be in peril if the lawsuit caused his clients to lose confidence in his work. Would Kerry have to resort to taking the bank repossession jobs he'd always refused? The idea of capitalizing on someone's financial woes had never sat right with him, and those situations could get dicey. He'd heard some awful war stories from others in the business and preferred to keep out of those situations. Kerry had been fortunate enough to afford his overhead without taking on those jobs. He'd built a state-of-the-art facility, offering his employees comfortable amenities for those working overnight shifts, including the gym where he worked off his frustrations. Would he lose it all if Bozeman won his lawsuit?

Kerry landed one last blow and stepped back from the swinging punching bag, his chest heaving from the exertion. The exercise finally settled the anxiety pinballing in his brain. The tension in his body was no longer from stress but from awakening every muscle in his body. His shoulders and biceps burned, and his legs trembled, but he embraced the discomfort. He'd handled his stress in a healthy way that didn't hurt anyone, though his knuckles would probably protest since he'd barely taped his hands.

The door opened suddenly and slammed against an interior wall. Sven rushed into the room, clutching a piece of paper and looking wildly around the room. Kerry wasn't used to seeing his brother in a frantic state and immediately went on high alert. Keegan entered at a slower pace but looked just as frazzled until he caught sight of Kerry. Hazel eyes widened in surprise before roaming over Kerry's seminude body. The perusal seemed to last forever, and Kerry felt it as strongly as a physical caress. Keegan's attention seemed riveted to the myriads of tattoos decorating his skin. Kerry's body tensed and flexed under the attention as a primal yearning gripped him by the balls. When Keegan's eyes finally met his again, Kerry saw the same longing burning in his gaze.

Sven mumbled something inaudible before clearing his throat. "Should I leave you two alone, or can we figure out how we're going to shut Chuck the Fuck down?"

The question doused Kerry's desire like a bucket of ice water, but it restored his clarity and purpose. Tearing his gaze away from Keegan's, Kerry gave Sven his full attention. "What are you talking about?"

Sven marched across the gym and shoved a piece of paper at him. "I find the timing of this new venture very suspect."

Kerry looked down at the document. Most of his brain cells were still angling for time alone with Keegan, so it took a few seconds for him to compute the words on the page. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Nope," Sven said. "Keegan found it hanging up at the diner. What are you going to do about this?"

Kerry read the advertisement that boasted Chuck had the most experience in the business, which was at least true for the tri-county area they served. He hadn't proclaimed to be the safest, and he'd avoided using libelous adjectives or phrasing. It still grated on Kerry's nerves. "There's nothing I can do about this."

"Come on, Kerry," Sven argued. "This guy just happens to start a new company around the time Bozeman sues."

Kerry snapped his head up to meet Sven's fiery gaze. "You think they're in cahoots?"

Sven's eyebrows shot up. "You don't?"

Every gain he'd made from his workout disappeared. The anxiety he'd barely suppressed reared its ugly head. Only the monster had grown bigger and stronger this time with Sven's suspicions fertilizing his unrest. "I agree something smells fishy."

Sven scrunched up his face. "Smells fishy? Is this an episode of Scooby-Doo ?"

"Sven," Keegan admonished. "Be nice."

Kerry slid his gaze over to Keegan, but his little lamb was too busy checking out Kerry's chest to notice. The urge to flex his pecs like a douchebag was strong, but he resisted. Keegan must've sensed his attention because he jerked his head up and met Kerry's gaze. An adorable blush bloomed across his cheeks, and his full lips parted on a sigh.

"No," Sven snapped. " Nice is what got Kerry into this mess. We need to be vicious and go after the threat with relentless fury." He released a long, frustrated groan, but Kerry couldn't tear his gaze away from Keegan's. His discarded T-shirt hit him in the face, breaking the spell Kerry had been under. "Put that back on and dial down your pheromones."

Kerry chuckled, though nothing about his life was funny. He used Sven's comedic interlude to pull himself together. By the time he put his shirt on, Keegan had turned away to study the gym setup. "You're right," Kerry said.

"Of course I am." Sven preened for a few seconds before sobering. "About which part? You're going to unleash vicious fury?"

Kerry chuckled and shook his head. "What good would that do? A furious reaction is sloppy and a waste of time. I need to be strategic and precise. Like a surgeon."

"We're not going to neuter him," Sven argued. "Although…"

"Kerry is right."

The trio turned to see who'd interrupted them. Dominic stood in the open doorway wearing the same clothes from the previous evening and carrying his messenger bag. Either he wore the same outfit every day, or he hadn't been home yet. Kerry was going with door number two and added guilt to the cocktail of emotions burning a hole in his stomach lining.

"I'll take it from here." Dom strode across the gym with a swagger that matched his confident remark.

Sven narrowed his eyes. Kerry knew he hated being dismissed or ignored almost as much as he resented Kerry for cockblocking his attempt to seduce Dom at the Thirsty Cowboy on the same night Kerry met Keegan.

"Why should I trust Kerry's future in your hands?" Sven demanded.

Dom smirked as he joined them, staying just out of clawing range. "You sure wanted my hands all over you not that long ago."

Sven snorted. "As if. You would've been lucky to make it past first base."

"Oh my god!" Keegan turned big hazel eyes on Sven. "He's the lion from the Thirsty Cowboy."

"Mmhmm." Sven's eyes flashed with irritation when he looked at Kerry. Clearly, his brother still held a grudge about his interference.

"Lion?" Dom asked.

Keegan recapped the story of Rueben's playful narrations, and Dom seemed to get a kick out of the comparison. He raked his gaze over Sven and said, "A gazelle, huh?"

"Graceful and beautiful," Sven said smugly.

"And still shopping in the twink department," Dom said. "Aren't you a little old for crop tops?"

Sven's cobalt eyes shimmered with wicked delight, and his mouth twisted into a smirk. He was about to unleash one hell of a snappy comeback, and Kerry was certain it would contain details from their encounter that he didn't want to know.

"Whoa!" Kerry said, stepping between them. "Let's not hit below the belt," he told his friend.

Dom held up his hand. "Sorry, Stevie. Maybe I'm just jealous because my midsection has gone to hell while your body is banging." He cut his eyes to Kerry and grimaced. "Sorry."

Sven normally would've been pissed at anyone calling him Stevie beyond the age of twelve, but the compliment seemed to soothe his ruffled feathers. "I'm sorry too. There's no one better than you to have Kerry's back at a time like this."

Kerry was on the verge of patting himself on the back when Dom turned his full attention to Keegan with a spark of interest in his gaze.

"I don't believe we've met," Dom said, a seductive smile curving his lips.

Keegan had been watching Dom and Sven's byplay like a tennis match. His gaze widened when he realized he'd gained the lion's attention. "Hi. I'm—"

Sven slapped his hand against Keegan's shoulder. "Time to go. Dom and Kerry don't need our help." Sven propelled Keegan toward the door.

"You could at least introduce me to your friend," Dom called after them. His lips curved into a smile until he turned his head and met Kerry's gaze.

"Don't," he growled.

Dom's eyes widened. "What?"

"Keegan isn't for you." Kerry dropped his gaze to avoid the knowing look in his friend's eyes. He went to work, removing the tape from his hands instead.

"Man, I didn't realize you were dating him. Sorry. I just flirted with Keegan to irritate Sven."

Kerry had congratulated himself for preventing what he'd been certain was a mistake eighteen months ago. Dom and Sven hadn't seen each other for several years and hadn't recognized one another. Dom had been in the middle of a nasty divorce and wasn't in the right headspace. The situation had "recipe for disaster" written all over it, and Kerry had put a stop to it before things advanced too far. Now, he suspected he'd only created an unresolved sexual tension situation between them. He pulled the last bit of tape off and dropped it into the trash can. He flexed his fingers to get the blood circulating freely and met Dom's curious gaze. "We're not dating. It's just…" His voice trailed off as he considered what to say. Declaring Keegan as vulnerable felt like betrayal, and Kerry couldn't form the words. "Just don't, man."

Dom held up his hands in surrender. "I hear you." He cocked his head to the side as he lowered his arms. "That snarly growl you used sounds pretty possessive. Pretty sure at least some part of you has staked a claim on that cutie."

Kerry didn't dignify the comment with a remark. He thrust Chuck's flyer at him instead. "Sven thinks Chuck and Keith Bozeman are working together to ruin my company."

"Yeah, I overheard most of your conversation. You were too busy gawking at the guy you don't date to notice I'd entered the gym."

"Why are you provoking me?" Kerry asked.

Dom chuckled and shook his head. "I'm only speaking the truth. That's never bothered you in the past."

Kerry almost didn't recognize himself lately. He wasn't used to feeling possessive over a guy, but he'd snarled at that Ken from the bar and then treated Dom's harmless observations as threats. He cycled through a deep breath as he thought about his options. Maybe his problem was that he didn't have a single person in his life he could talk to about Keegan without them getting matchmaking ideas. "Fine. I want him. I want Keegan more than my next breath, but I can't have him."

"Why?"

Kerry shook his head. "You didn't come here to talk about my shitty love life."

Dom's brow shot up. "Since when do you have a love life?"

"Sex life," Kerry amended. "Same thing."

"A person can have sex without love, as you damn well know," Dom said. He settled his big hand on Kerry's shoulder. "Seems like you need to get something off your chest. You can trust me, Ker."

"I know." And he did, but Kerry couldn't talk about what he didn't yet fully understand. "Right now, winning my lawsuit and preventing Chuck from stealing all my business has to take precedence."

Dom grinned wickedly. "Do you know what's better than winning a lawsuit?"

"Building a time machine so I can go back and prevent this clusterfuck from happening?" Hell, if Dom could do that, Kerry would go back twenty-five years and save his sister and father. But then he couldn't imagine his life without Steven and Sven in it. He couldn't go back and change one thing without impacting dozens or possibly hundreds of others. Had he not learned anything from watching Back to the Future ? A wiser man would reference complex theories and multiple concurrent universes, but there was a reason people complimented Kerry on his looks and physique. He relied on a different kind of intelligence that rarely let him down. But when it did, he ended up getting sued.

"I can't procure a time machine, but I think it might be the next best thing," Dom replied.

"Consider me intrigued. Let's take this to my office."

Dom followed him out of the gym and down the long corridor. The doors to the left and right opened to private spaces for his overnight crew to use between calls. Some questioned the expense and extravagance of keeping the rescue staffed twenty-four hours a day, but those people had likely never found themselves in a perilous situation where minutes mattered. Yes, he could've hired a dispatch service to field the calls and alert the responders on call, but that meant his crew would either have to take their service trucks home, or they'd have to drive to the station, pick up their rigs, and then proceed to the accident. No one wanted to be trapped in a disabled vehicle for a minute longer than they had to, especially if that vehicle was in a perilous spot. He'd invested time and money to provide the best environment for his employees and offer an incomparable service to the community. The desire to protect everything he'd built surged to the forefront of Kerry's mind, enabling him to push away thoughts of anything else.

Kerry opened his office door at the end of the hall and switched on the light. Something about the space had always brought him peace, even on the most stressful days. Maybe it was the family photographs hanging on the wall or tucked into the gaps in his bookshelves. Perhaps the cool tones of the slate-blue paint color soothed his nerves. Kerry figured it had more to do with the pride he felt every time he stepped into his office. This was something he'd built through grit and determination. He gestured toward the coffeepot and minifridge. "Care for something to drink?"

"I've far exceeded my caffeine limit, but I'll take a bottle of water if you have one," Dom said.

Kerry retrieved two bottles and handed one to Dom before sitting behind his desk. Dom sipped his water and perused the photographs on the shelves for a few moments before pointing to a photo of them from their youth football days.

"Who are these studs?" Dom asked.

Kerry chuckled. "We thought we were big shit, didn't we?"

Dom nodded and stared at the photograph again. Lucinda had taken the image right after they'd won the Super Bowl game for their age group. Dom and Kerry, the two football captains, hoisted the trophy between them, their grins stretching from ear to ear. Those innocent boys didn't have a care in the world. All their youthful dreams had come true on the gridiron, and they couldn't imagine the cruel twists ahead of them. "We thought we'd go pro." And one of them nearly had.

Dom had entered their junior year as one of the top-rated high school quarterback prospects in the country. All the top colleges had been vying for his attention, but Dom hadn't let the attention go to his head. His singular focus had been winning games because the rest would fall into place. He hadn't partied or even dated. The one time he'd made an exception to partying after a game had resulted in the end of his dream. A vehicle went left of center, and Dom swerved to miss it. The other car clipped his bumper and spun him out on rain-slick roads. Dom's car went off the side of the road and traveled down a steep embankment. A tree limb smashed through the windshield and impaled Dom's shoulder, pinning him to the seat until a rescue crew could extricate him from the vehicle.

The car that caused the accident hadn't stopped, so Dom's wasn't found until his missed curfew triggered a search party. He'd sat in the car for hours and lost a lot of blood. He'd had multiple surgeries on his shoulder to improve its function, but his throwing arm was never the same. His football career ended, and so had his dream of playing professional ball. If Dom was resentful, he'd never let on. But the way he kept staring at the photo made it clear the hurt was still there.

Dom turned suddenly and dropped into a seat in front of Kerry's desk. He set the bottle of water down and removed his laptop from his messenger bag. Dom opened the computer and started typing. "I won't say the information I've uncovered so far will guarantee Bozeman will drop the lawsuit, but it's enough to make him reconsider. I'm emailing the file to you now, and you'll want to forward this to your attorney." Dom pushed a button on his keyboard and grinned evilly. "I still have more avenues I can explore if they think it's necessary."

Kerry's spirits lifted as his desktop pinged with an inbox alert. "What's in the file?"

Dom's grin grew impossibly more wicked. "I started with a search of his financials because it tells you a lot about a person."

"But how'd you do that? I only gave you his name?"

"It's my business to find the things people don't want you to know," Dom replied. "Don't worry. I get my information legally. Once I have his name and address, it's easy to find the other information I need to run a credit check." He let out a whistle. "Bozeman is a bozo with his finances. His negative equity is in the mid-six figures. I'm talking maxed-out credit cards, overextended lines of credit, a mortgage teetering on foreclosure, and a car that got repossessed just this morning." Dom nodded toward Kerry's computer. "I've included photographs of him literally chasing the tow truck in his bathrobe." Dom grimaced and fidgeted in his chair. "Dude needs to learn to cinch his belt tighter. Anyone in his neighborhood who was awake at six this morning got to see Bozeman's cock and balls bouncing as he sprinted down the middle of the street."

Kerry had been reaching for his mouse to open his email, but he recoiled. "Dude! I don't want to see naked pictures of Keith Bozeman."

Dom chuckled at his distress. "The mad dash down the road was enough to question Bozeman's claims of diminished physical activity." The downright devilish gleam in Dom's green eyes did nothing to erase the ick factor. Kerry was a big fan of cock and balls, but not those belonging to the man suing him. He had standards and wasn't that hard up, for fuck's sake. "And those weren't the first nude shots I took of Mr. Can No Longer Please His Partner."

Kerry had called Dom after he and Steven thoroughly reviewed the lawsuit paperwork. His friend had sounded amused at the time, but Kerry's spiraling mind hadn't let him linger on the reaction and ask questions. This time, Kerry scooted his chair back from his desk.

Dom cackled, leaned back in his chair, and regaled Kerry with everything that he'd witnessed during his stakeout. "His frolicking began in the hot tub and ended up on the patio table. And I got crystal clear pictures since the moon was full." Dom paused for effect with a cheeky grin. "And I mean both the one in the sky and the white ass pounding away at the girlfriend who'd supposedly broken up with him when he couldn't get an erection after the accident."

"Yeah, I figured out what you meant." The rest of Dom's statement registered, and Kerry sat up straighter. "Wait. How do you know the woman he was with was the same girlfriend who supposedly dumped him?"

Dom snorted. "Any amateur sleuth with a Facebook account could've figured that out. There are thousands of photos of them together going back nearly five years. I captured screenshots before they could delete the evidence of what they'd been up to since the accident."

"Which was?"

"Ski trips, mountain hikes, and skydiving, to name a few," Dom replied. "These two are very active." He wiggled his brows suggestively. Kerry didn't want his thoughts to go there, but Dom's mouth was moving before Kerry could stop him. "She has an OnlyFans account for their more intimate moments on the trips. Bozeman has a thing for water. Bet he gets aroused just firing up the dishwasher."

"Gross," Kerry said.

"I'm not out to harm the woman's reputation, so I applied a filter in the photographs on the videos. No one will see her private bits, but you'll definitely get a gist of what's going on." Dom snickered and shook his head. "I also documented her loading the trunk of her car with her belongings from Bozeman's house this morning. If anyone inspected the house, it's doubtful they'd see any sign of her existence. My photographs and the recent lease agreement I located should take care of proving they had not broken up, as Bozo claimed."

Kerry's hope soared. "You've got proof that his biggest claims are bullshit. That should force Bozeman to drop the suit and accept the settlement my insurance company offered him. I can't believe he thinks he can get away with this."

Dom didn't react to his remark with equal enthusiasm, which tempered Kerry's excitement. "Desperate men do stupid things. Bozeman probably thinks you'll be quick with a settlement offer to make it all go away. Most civil cases never reach a courtroom. I don't know what will happen when your attorney reveals what you know. Stay alert and watch what you do and say. Bozeman might have someone keeping an eye on you too, which is how they knew where to serve your papers."

"I rarely go to the Thirsty Cowboy anymore," Kerry said. "Last night was a fluke." Kerry's gaze landed on the flyer Sven had given him. Or someone with outdated information tipped Bozeman off about Kerry. He leaned forward and tapped the piece of paper. "About this…"

Dom snatched the ad off the desk and tucked it into his messenger bag with his laptop before getting to his feet. "I'll see what I can find out." He nodded toward Kerry's computer. "Let me know what your lawyer says on Monday."

Kerry stood up, rounded the desk, and hugged his friend. "Thanks, brother. I owe you."

Dom saluted him with two fingers and headed for the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Ker. Stop living in emotional purgatory and take a chance on the cute guy that makes you all growly."

Kerry's heart skipped a beat. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Dom sighed, shook his head, and left Kerry to his own thoughts, which unsurprisingly turned toward the hazel-eyed hottie who'd enthralled him from the jump.