10. Levi

Sitting with one foot on his chair and his knee pressed against the table, Levi bit into a piece of toast and smiled at the man sitting across from him.

"Having a bit of trouble sitting today, are ya?" Levi asked, smirking at his friend and fellow dancer.

Isaac glanced up at Levi and gave him the finger.

"Told you to stop listening through the walls; it's all sorts of creepy, dude." Isaac grimaced as he shifted in his seat.

"Can't help if you moan like a bitch," Levi retorted.

"Hm? What's Isaac been up to this time?" Jared asked, pulling up a seat next to Levi and purposely flexing his bicep. Jared was ex-military and liked to remind the guys just how much bigger his muscles were than theirs.

"Isaac decided to give up his cherry to that Middle Eastern guy from Dubai," Levi chuckled as he took another bite of his toast.

Jared shot a glance over at Isaac, shaking his head. "Your first time, you're supposed to start off with a little English, white guy. You don't go hopping on the Godzilla of dicks! What's wrong with you?"

Isaac shifted uncomfortably in his chair again as he took a sip of his orange juice. "Can you bitches stop already. I feel like I've spent all night being fucked by a cruise missile." He grimaced again, shifting so he was sitting on one ass cheek this time.

"You need to use more lube," both Gunnar and Anders responded at the same time, doing their creepy twin thing.

The six-foot-three, blond, blue-eyed brothers were the epitome of Scandinavian beauty. They mirrored each other in every way except that one was a top and the other was a bottom.

"You know it's creepy when you do that twin Shining thing, right?" Isaac mentioned, shooting a glance over at the brothers busy devouring their food.

"What twin thing?" they responded in unison, raising their heads at the exact same moment.

Isaac shook his head.

"What's Isaac's problem? He got hemorrhoids or something?" Matteo asked as he took a seat at the head of the breakfast table.

Matteo ducked as a breakfast roll went flying by his head.

"No. Sonic here just decided it was a good idea to ride the ten-inch Arab instead of starting off in the wading pool," Jared responded, taking a bite of his eggs.

Jared and Isaac had this weird, unhealthy obsession with teasing each other and trying to get under each other's skin. Well, to be fair, it was more Isaac who did the teasing, and Jared just retaliated. A year ago, in a fit of anger, Jared called Isaac "Sonic," making fun of his blue spiky hair and constant need to move around. The name kind of stuck, and the whole house began using it whenever mocking or wanting to annoy the man.

Matteo shook his head and sat down in his usual spot.

When the weather was warm, they liked to enjoy breakfast together outside in the gardens.

This was Levi's favorite time of day. Breakfast with the family. This, right here, was the closest thing he had to a family. His mother was a stripper who ended up overdosing on heroin when he was just a boy, and his father was a raging alcoholic who basically forgot that he had a son when Levi turned thirteen.

Between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, Levi primarily took care of himself. He kept himself clothed by stealing clothing from the church bin down the street and made sure there was food on the table by stealing from the local grocer when his father forgot to go to work or got fired. Levi was pretty sure that the grocery store owner knew that he was nicking items but allowed him to get away with it for some unknown reason.

As a thank you for not saying anything or having him arrested, Levi left random envelopes of cash in the grocery store owner's mailbox every once in a while, now that the man was retired.

Matteo shot Jared a fatherly look that told him to stop teasing his younger brother. While none of them were actually related, they were basically one big found family, with the patriarch being the stern-looking Italian currently shaking his head at Jared.

"Were you at least able to get some information from Mr. Baberie regarding his business dealings with the new hotel they are building by the waterfront?" Matteo asked, adding some bacon to his plate.

Isaac turned up his eyebrows like Matteo was crazy. "I was a little too distracted by the utility pole being shoved up my ass, boss."

The guys at the table chuckled.

Matteo shot them all a glance.

"What's my number one rule?" Matteo asked, returning his attention to the food on his plate.

"Always stay focused," the guys around the table all said in unison.

It was a saying that they all heard a thousand times in one way or another. They were professionals. They dealt in the pleasures of the flesh but also in the collection of information.

Matteo had taught them all that their jobs were to gain the client"s trust, give them the pleasure of their life, and gather as much private information as possible. They were never told why Matteo wanted the information or what he did with it. They just knew that it was their job to get it.

The other reason they needed to stay focused was for their own safety. Matteo and his security team did what they could to screen the guys they allowed into their establishment, but no system was perfect. The companions were allowed to drink, but never to the point where their judgment or reflexes were impaired. That was a rule that Matteo strictly enforced. He wanted to keep his boys safe and his family intact.

"Sorry, M. Next time, I'll do better," Isaac apologized, lowering his head like a schoolboy being punished.

Matteo just nodded without looking up at his failed son.

"And what about you, Levi? Anything new to report on our newest guest?" Matteo asked, finally looking up at the boy who sat shirtless at the breakfast table without any manners.

Levi's cheeks flushed.

He had been so distracted this morning, wondering if Chase was still around, that he forgot about Matteo's one breakfast rule—always come to breakfast fully clothed. It was a rule that a lot of his brothers kept forgetting… or so they claimed.

He didn't seem to care if they wore underwear under those shorts, just so long as they came dressed appropriately for family breakfast.

"I didn't get much so far. He's a sweet guy, very polite. He's American and owns some sort of family ranch in Texas. I can't really get a read on the guy. He seems attracted to me but hasn't tried to get me in bed yet. He's definitely hiding something; I'm just not sure what."

Matteo didn't have to know that he brought Chase cookies the first night he arrived. He would have seen that as a squandered opportunity to seduce Chase and see what information he could gather.

He liked Chase. There was something about him that was different than the other guys he had met who came to the Maison.

Yes, the man was rough-looking, with a brooding way about him, but there was also gentleness behind those eyes. When they looked at him, they didn't see just a hot piece of ass to be used and abused—they seemed to see right through his fa?ade. That was why he had been nervous standing in front of Chase the other night. He felt exposed and seen for the first time in a long time.

Matteo stared at Levi as he chewed his breakfast. Levi could see the wheels in his boss"s head turning. The man didn't like unknowns. He liked information and predictability. He was mentally calculating.

"Okay, keep a close eye on him if he hangs around. Find out what you can about him," Matteo instructed. "Anyone else?"

"Diesel came back last night," Jared announced.

Levi's breathing hitched.

Diesel was one of their brothers. He had an addiction problem and spent the last year in and out of private rehab facilities, all courtesy of Matteo and his fat wallet. Diesel had broken Matteo's number one rule—always stay in control. And in true Matteo fashion, instead of casting the boy out on his stubborn, bad-boy ass, he insisted on trying to get him the help he needed. Diesel was one of them—he was family, and when family was in trouble, you didn't just cast them aside.

"Where is he now?" Matteo asked, eyes focused on his plate while his jaw tightened.

"He's passed out in my room. The guy came back high as fuck. I convinced him to sleep it off in my room, but I'm not sure how he will be when he wakes up," Jared replied, watching their leader mull over this new development.

Diesel had been doing a stint in a rehab facility in Belgium—a new facility Matteo hoped might work this time—but apparently, the fucker slipped past security and took off. He had been MIA for two weeks. Levi had never seen Matteo so upset.

"I'll go talk to him after breakfast." Matteo waved to one of the beefy security guards standing next to the door. "Stand guard outside Jared's room and make sure that Diesel doesn't leave before I get a chance to talk to him." He paused for a moment as if considering something. "Break his leg if he refuses to stay."

Everyone around the table looked at each other. Matteo had a scary dark side that only appeared on rare occasions but one that they all feared.

Would he actually have Diesel's leg broken if he tried to leave the chateau? They really weren't sure.

"Yes, sir," the man replied before disappearing into the house.

Levi resumed eating his breakfast, wondering what condition Diesel would be in when he saw him. Levi understood pain and heartache, and he understood the need to dull one's senses. But he had found a healthy way to cope with his baggage. He hoped in time, Diesel would do the same. All they could do was be there to support him and give him whatever help he needed.

"Hey, look who I found lurking inside the Grande Room," Shawn, one of the bartenders, said as he walked out into the gardens with Chase in tow.

The man was dressed in a tight pair of running shorts, no doubt left for him by one of Matteo's minions, and a sleeveless shirt that looked like the arms had been torn off. No doubt, another item generously donated by the Matteo Foundation.

Levi licked his lower lip as he watched the sexiest man alive strut toward him. The tight shorts showed off his muscular thick thighs, and his exposed arms showed off an array of tattoos, including a thick string of barbwire running around his bulging left bicep.

"Good morning," Matteo welcomed. "Why don't you come join us for breakfast?" he said, pointing at the empty seat next to Levi.

The move was bold and unexpected. Breakfast was a time for just Matteo and the guys. It was a time for them to bond and just relax and be themselves. They didn't have to put on their pretend faces and smile behind the fake personas that they had all created. Guests who stayed the night ate breakfast in the large dining area inside the mansion.

Inviting Chase to join them for breakfast was unprecedented.

The other guys looked at one another, presumably wondering the same thing.

"Hi," Chase nodded as he pulled out the chair next to Levi. "You look nice this morning."

Levi felt his cheeks flush. He wasn't expecting the compliment, especially when he was just lounging in a pair of sweats and hadn't even done his hair yet.

"Umm, thanks," Levi responded. "Love your outfit as well. Shows off all your best… assets." Levi was well aware that he sounded horny as hell. Truthfully, he was. He hadn't busted a load last night, hoping that Chase would sneak into his room, but around two a.m., when the man still hadn't come knocking on his door, he decided to call it a night and stop waiting.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting family breakfast. Your guy here found me admiring some pictures in your fancy room and insisted that I come outside and join you all," Chase explained, looking over at Matteo.

Matteo watched Shawn as he sat down at the table and filled up his plate with some eggs and fruit.

"I'm glad he did. We always like to get to know our new guests on a more personal level. Tell me, how are you enjoying yourself so far?"

Levi poured Chase a cup of coffee and slid it over to him.

"Thanks," Chase acknowledged. "I'm having a fantastic time. This place you've got here is something special. All of you guys," Chase looked around the table, "should be extremely proud. You're all so talented."

Isaac turned to Levi. "You need to take this sweet man upstairs and suck his dick before I steal him away from you and do it myself."

The guys all laughed.

Levi tossed a bun at Isaac. The boy may be his best friend, but sometimes he really annoyed the shit out of him.

"Stop being an idiot," Levi said before turning back to Chase. "That's Isaac; we call him Sonic because of his spiky blue hair and the fact that he moves too fast. Take last night as an example—the man decided to conquer Mount Everest instead of starting off on a bunny hill." Everyone laughed as Isaac sunk down in his chair.

Chase looked at Isaac, confused. "I don't get it."

"Pay no attention to these idiots. They act like children sometimes," Matteo interrupted the sea of laughter. "So, do you have plans for today, Mr. Harwick?"

Chase looked up from his food, startled. "Um, actually, I was going to head into the city and do some sightseeing."

Matteo smiled. "Well, how about I send Levi here with you to act as your own private tour guide? He knows all the great spots and speaks fluent French, so you will have no trouble navigating the city."

Chase appeared to hesitate.

Levi wasn't so sure that this was a good idea. Perhaps Chase had other plans and was just trying to be polite.

"Um, well… that would be nice. That is, if Levi doesn't mind spending a day with me?"

Chase looked over at him with those bright blue eyes and that dangerous smile. Fuck, he wanted to climb into Chase's lap and impale himself on his dick.

Levi placed his hand on Chase's thick thigh and gave it a squeeze. "I'd love to."