Chapter Seventeen

Jaxon sighed when the SUV pulled out of the parking lot, but that was only because he wanted to be with Hayden. It wasn’t that he and Ryder were actually going anywhere, and they could have used one of the bedrooms, but for some reason, Ryder thought the SUV would be better.

A few miles down the street, the man pulled into a drive-thru coffee house and ordered them both large cups before he parked in one of the vacant spots.

“You okay?” Ryder handed him the fresh cup of coffee and took a sip from his own before flipping off his seat belt. Jaxon did the same and reached for the lever beneath the seat to give himself more legroom.

“Yeah. No,” he grumbled, but then followed it up with, “I don’t know what’s up with Hayden.” Other than the fact that they’d slept together and he was keeping secrets.

“You mean other than getting blown up?” Ryder brought up the bombing.

Well yeah, that.

“And shot at,” Jaxon said, and nodded before he took a swallow of coffee and gazed across at his best friend. They sipped the hot brew in silence for several minutes.

“So, what are Gunner, Felix, and Brick looking for?”

“A connection between Winston Gains and the Moss crime family.”

Hayden had been removed from the group text when he’d left Cobalt Security and had yet to be added back in by Logan. With the Moss crime family’s involvement, Jaxon could see why.

Ryder squinted at him. “Didn’t that family have something to do with Hayden’s brother being killed?”

“Yeah, you saw the text from Logan,” Jaxon said and glanced out the window. “He said why he’s leaving Hayden out.”

“Yeah. I wanted to confirm it from you,” Ryder said, and Jaxon looked over. He could tell by the look in the man’s eyes he was mulling over something and that was confirmed in the next breath. “So… what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” He avoided his best friend’s all-knowing gaze.

“Have you told him?” Ryder asked after a moment.

“Told who what?” Jaxon frowned, clutching the coffee in his hand.

“Told Hayden that you like him.”

“Of course, I like him.” He rolled and cracked his neck.

“No, I mean you really like him. You want to be with him.”

“I don’t.”

He wasn’t sure why the lie came so easily out of his mouth, but the only reason he could think of was that what he had with Hayden was still so very new. Too new to share.

“Don’t fucking lie to me. I could see it before and now I can see it even more.”

Jaxon glanced away and then down at his cup. “He’s one of my best friends. I’m not sure how I feel about him.”

“Bullshit.”

A quick glance upward told him Ryder was not believing a word he’d said.

“Okay,” he said blowing out a long breath. “We had sex last night.”

“So?” His big muscular friend smirked.

“You know, that smirk doesn’t suit you.”

“Screw you.” Ryder scowled at the inked man. “You suck.”

Jaxon laughed and shoved his best friend’s shoulder. Ryder was one big son of a bitch, just like him, and when they stood next to each other, it was hard to tell who had more body mass. Jaxon liked to think that he did, but Ryder was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

“Don’t deflect, have you talked since last night?”

Jaxon paused with the cup halfway to his lips and then took a hasty swallow when he thought about earlier. He’d wanted Hayden so badly, they’d made love again in the shower. Even now, the thought of taking the man again had his jeans getting uncomfortable and his cock like iron.

“Not yet.”

“Why?”

“No time.”

“Do you even know if he wants the same thing as you?”

Jaxon blinked. Did Hayden want the same as he did? Did the guy want to be with him as more than a friend?

Of course, he does.

Doesn’t he?

Maybe the growing desire between them was a residual effect of Hayden quitting Cobalt. Or perhaps it had been the adrenaline rush from the danger, or maybe it was because they’d lived in the same house together for years.

He dismissed each reason as it came up.

No.

He didn’t want Hayden because of any of those things and he knew it as sure as he knew he’d never let him go. He wanted Hayden in his bed, life, and anywhere else he could have him. Now he just needed Hayden to confirm the same with him.

“No. I don’t know. Maybe? Shit.” He grimaced and gulped down the rest of his coffee.

“You, my man, should find out,” Ryder said with a huffing laugh and grabbed both of their empty cups before he got out of the SUV and tossed the paper into the trash.

Thank fuck Jaxon’s cell phone went off and he grabbed it like a lifeline.

“It’s Logan,” he said as Ryder slid back behind the wheel.

“Yes, sir?” Jaxon answered before the fourth ring as was protocol.

“I’ve found further information I need you to look into,” Logan said.

“Okay…Ryder’s with me, we drove from the safe house to get coffee and talk.”

Logan blew out a breath. “You two come meet me. I’ll send you my location when you’re in flight.”

“In flight?”

“Yeah, the helicopter is waiting on the roof of the nearby building. It’s across state lines, Oklahoma City. Should take about four hours to get here.”

It didn’t surprise him that Logan knew his location; every vehicle of their team was equipped with a GPS locator their mechanic had turned on after installation. The building Logan was talking about was a high-rise next to the coffee shop.

“All right,” Jaxon answered slowly.

“And Jax?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t bring Hayden.” Logan ended the call.

Frowning, he slowly tucked his phone away. He wasn’t comfortable leaving Hayden for long even though the safe house was a fucking fortress and only Rossi’s teams and Cobalt Security knew of its existence.

He swallowed down the sudden heartburn.

“What’d he say?” Ryder sat frowning at him.

“For you and I to meet him in Oklahoma City. He’s got some information, but said not to bring Hayden.”

“Text Brick, Gunner, and Felix,” Ryder said, starting the SUV. “And let them know.”

Jaxon nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He was surprised when Ryder floored it and went back to the safe house instead of the building.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m saying goodbye to my husband,” Ryder answered, parked, and was through the safe house door. Jaxon hurried after Ryder and shut the door and set the alarm.

“We got your text,” Felix said quietly when Jaxon turned to the common room area. “Where you flying to?”

“I have no idea,” he clipped out and stalked across the room before he knocked on the closed suite door softly.

“Come in,” Hayden called out.

Opening the door, he spotted both Hayden and Harrison sitting cross-legged on the top of the bed. Hayden’s eyes were dark blue pools of something Jaxon couldn’t quite put his finger on. He wanted to stay and find out what that hot yet soft look was all about, but Logan’s tone had sounded urgent. And their boss wasn’t one to wait for anyone or anything.

“Logan called. He needs me and Ryder to meet him in Oklahoma. We’ll be gone overnight.”

“And me?”

“Logan said to stay put.” Jaxon clenched his jaw. “I don’t like it,” he growled through his teeth.

When Hayden launched off the bed and hurried to him, Jaxon automatically opened his arms and hugged the slender man close. Hayden fit perfectly in his arms as if he were made for him and he combed his fingers through his loose blond hair.

Fuck. He swallowed hard. There was something there between them that he…no, they needed to explore and when he got back, he was going to ask some questions.

Plus, he needed to give Hayden some answers and if he wanted no more secrets between them, then he needed to come clean about the man’s brother.

Ryder snaked past him and strode to the bed to pull Harrison up and into his arms.

“You weren’t in our room,” Ryder growled.

“I was keeping Hayden company.” Instead of standing, Harrison got to his knees on the bed and sank into his big, muscular husband’s arms.

Jaxon didn’t dare kiss Hayden right then and after another moment, Hayden sighed and reluctantly stepped back. He gazed down into blue worried eyes and carefully brushed the jostled strands of hair away from Hayden’s face and over his shoulder.

“I’m coming with you,” Hayden announced firmly.

“You can’t.”

Hayden’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Logan said no. And Dave already has you back reporting to Logan, so…”

Hayden blew out an annoyed-sounding breath and then slowly and begrudgingly nodded.

“Ryder and I should be back by morning. Gunner, Felix, and Brick are here as backup for you.” He put those last few words in there in case Hayden didn’t think he was capable of handling himself. “It’s just for precaution.”

“Tell them I’m in charge, I don’t want to accidentally shoot them if they get in my way,” Hayden said cheekily, and made his way back to the top of the mattress next to Harrison. Jaxon could have stood and watched the sway of those delectable hips forever, but Ryder passed him going out the door and cleared his throat.

With a nod, Jaxon closed the door, but leaned his forehead against the wood for a few seconds with his palms flat against the door. It took another few moments to get his cock and his heartbeat under control. A noise brought his head up and he spotted Ryder at the end of the hall watching him with that penetrating stare of his.

Stalking down the hallway, he stepped around the bodyguard and headed toward the door.

The sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could get back to Hayden.

He should have told Hayden the truth a long time ago.

Jaxon would later come to regret his past choices, because secrets had a way of wrapping back around and biting those who kept them in the ass.