18. Jared

18

JARED

D iesel insisted that they stay the night in Dublin. He had never been to Ireland, he claimed, yet somehow knew where all the best pubs were located. For a recovering addict, Jared wasn't so sure if hitting the local pubs was such a great idea. But Malik didn't seem to mind, and Isaac seemed a little withdrawn. Perhaps one night to get settled would do them all some good.

Jared poured himself another pint of beer as Diesel slipped back into the booth right next to him.

"Feel better?" Jared asked, picking up Diesel's empty glass and refilling it.

"It's amazing how good a piss feels when your tonsils are swimmin'." Diesel's choice of words was always colorful, especially when he'd been drinking.

"Where's Isaac?" Jared asked, wondering why two men left for the loo, but only one returned.

"He said he's going to clear his head for a bit."

What? Why would the man go for a walk alone at this time of night?

Jared shook his head, annoyed. He knew that Isaac told Diesel and not him because Jared would have said no and sat on the guy if he tried to get up and leave.

"Relax. Give the guy some space to breathe," Diesel commented, no doubt sensing Jared's growing irritation. "You can't keep your little bird caged up all the time, or it will never learn how to fly on its own."

Not believing the words leaving the man's mouth, Jared turned to face the guy.

"Since when did you become all philosophical and shit?"

Diesel shrugged and brought his beer to his lips and took a sip. "It was probably that professor who I blew in the bathroom earlier. Did you know that in ancient Greece, they used to believe that knowledge could be transferred to young men by swallowing older dude's loads?"

Now he knew the man was joking. "No fucking way."

"No, I'm serious. Saw it on the tele one night."

Jared would have to look that one up later. When it came to Diesel, you always had to double-check facts and info. He always said things with such confidence, even though he was blowing shit out his ass. He would have made a great politician.

Propping his leg up on the bench in front of him, Diesel pushed his long hair back and flung his arm over his knee.

"Okay. Spill. What's going on with you and the blue-haired demon?"

Jared shrugged. "Nothing, man. The usual. The guy annoys the fuck out of me." He picked up his beer and hoped that was the end of the inquisition.

It wasn't.

Shaking his head, Diesel continued his quest to cut through Jared's bullshit. "Nope. Fuck that shit. Spill."

Jared never could get past Diesel's perceptive nature. When the guy wasn't doing lines inside a bathroom stall and wasn't high as a kite, he was pretty damn on point with things.

Glancing around the room, Jared scanned the crowd to make sure that Isaac wasn't within earshot.

When he'd confirmed that the coast was clear, he turned his attention back to the man sitting next to him.

"I don't know. His little games aren't annoying me as much lately, and I'm starting to see another side to him."

Diesel shook his head. "That's bullshit. You've had a hard-on for that boy since he came to live at the house."

Diesel and Jared had been living at the house long before Isaac and even Levi had joined. Over the years, Jared and Diesel had become close friends, often confiding in one another. When Isaac first came to live at the house, Jared couldn't bring himself to admit that he had the hots for the bratty little skater punk who couldn't sit still. The boy clearly had ADHD, but no one around them seemed willing to acknowledge it.

Whether they didn't want to know or just didn't care, Jared still kept an eye out for the boy—making sure that the energetic goofball stayed out of dangerous places and kept all his fingers and toes.

"The truth is, I found out recently that Isaac's been sneaking into my room at night whenever he hears me having one of my nightmares. I had no idea, but the guy's been cuddling me until I calm down and my nightmare finishes. He's been sneaking back into his room before I wake up so that I wouldn't find out and, I guess, realize he has a soul or something?" Jared shrugged his shoulders, remembering the selfless act of love Isaac had shown him.

Next to him, Diesel's face lit up. "That right there is someone you need to hold on to."

Jared couldn't agree more. But could they make it work? There were so many factors working against them. Matteo and the family being one, and the nature of their jobs being the other.

They were paid to flirt with men, get naked, and even sleep with them if they so desired. Both Jared and Isaac were two of the more popular guys at La Maison, and the money they both brought in was more than they would ever make working a regular nine-to-five job. But could he stand back and watch as Isaac went down on another guy or let another guy fuck him?

That was a question that was becoming harder and harder to answer as the months passed by.

"I should go find the little punk before he gets himself into trouble. Meet you back at the hotel later?"

Diesel nodded, already busy making eye contact with a rough-looking biker dude across the bar.

"Go gentle on the guy," Jared added, sliding his ass out of the booth.

"Judging by those thick thighs, I'm sure the man can handle his own."