002. The proposal

JAYCE BECKETT

"Agent Beckett, bring down Renato Marino and his family, and you'll receive a substantial bonus, one that will more than cover your nephew's medical expenses. This is a high-profile case, and success will not only be a significant feather in your cap, but also a game-changer for your career. So, what will it be?"

I let out a deep grunt as the chief's words echoed in my mind. It had been over two days since I met with the chief in his office, and even after I turned down the offer, I couldn't help but think about it over and over again.

The truth was, going undercover had never been my problem, and the fact that it was the Marino family I would be taking down made it more than enough reason for me to accept the offer. I hated that family with every fibre of my being, plus the benefits and bonus I would receive after the mission was enticing.

The Marino family was like a ghost story told to camp kids when it came to feds. They were an old crime family that ran New York, and what they were involved in was nothing short of shocking: gun shipments, drugs, illegal transactions, prostitution – you name it, they did it all.

Anyone would be happy to bring that notorious family down. But I had a kid to look after. If I were to go undercover, who would take care of my nephew?

If this offer had come three years ago, right before my sister ran away and left her sick son for me to care for, I would have jumped at the opportunity. But I had responsibilities now; Curtis looked up to me as both an uncle and a parent, and I couldn't afford to be reckless.

The Marino family wasn't stupid. What if my cover got blown? Not only would I be risking my life, but I would also be risking my nephew's life as well.

But I needed the money - desperately. I needed it to pay for Curtis's kidney transplant; medication wasn't enough, he needed a new kidney, and I couldn't afford it.

However, if I were to take the offer, I would be buying a brand new life for my nephew, but at what cost?

"Earth to Jayce Beckett!" Cole whispered into my ear, the sound startling me and jolting me back to reality, bringing me out of my reverie.

"I told you to stop doing that," I groaned, rubbing my neck as I sluggishly put the used glass in my hand into the dishwasher to rinse it.

Cole came to stand behind me, encircled his hands around my waist, pressed his large body against my back, and rested his chin on my shoulder, staring down at the glass I was rinsing over my shoulder.

"What are you not telling me, hmm?" he whispered, his breath tickling my neck. "You've been out of it for two days." He groaned, pressing a gentle kiss against my neck, sliding his hands under my shirt, and brushing his fingers over my abs.

"Is this still about the failed operation? Don't worry too much about it; Chief Strand didn't give me any grief about it." He said, his hot breath fanning the sensitive skin on my neck.

God, I was a shitty friend. I can't believe I couldn't even tell Cole about my meeting with the chief. Even though I had already turned down the offer, it was still confidential information, so I had to keep it to myself.

"It's not about the mission," I grumbled, hiding the truth behind my gritted teeth as I wiped the glass before putting it in the glass holder.

Cole let his hands drop from my stomach, but they still rested lazily on my hips.

"Then what's it about?" he asked, turning me around to face him. He slowly raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is it about Curtis?"

I let out a deep grunt, hating myself for hiding such information from Cole. He was my best friend, and he meant well, so why couldn't I trust him with that information?

"It's about my sister," I sighed, rubbing my face. "I wonder how she's doing. I miss her. The kid miss her too." It wasn't entirely a lie. I did miss my sister, but she wasn't exactly why I was like this.

"Emily?" Cole scoffed, pushing me against the counter and forcing his knee to part my legs.

He kissed my neck, his breath sending shivers down my spine. "Your sister will be fine. She's probably somewhere, getting high on drugs. She'll come home to you and the kid when she's had her fill of them. Not the first time she'll go MIA or anything."

Cole was right; this wouldn't be the first time my sister would abandon everyone and run away. Even before she got pregnant with Curtis, she had a history of disappearing. But that didn't mean I shouldn't still worry about her whereabouts, right?

"What if something happened to her?" I asked, my concern for my sister's safety momentarily distracting me from Cole's advances.

"Shit!" I cursed when I felt a searing pain on my nipple.

I stared down to see Cole sucking roughly on it. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at me, grinning as he slowly pulled away from my nipple after giving it one last bite.

"Shit, Cole?" The words rushed out of my mouth as I stared up at Cole, who was only a foot taller than me. My pulse quickened when I heard the soft footsteps of my nephew approaching. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Having a little fun." Cole laughed as he pressed up against me. He reached between us and I felt the snap of my jeans as they came undone.

My breath hitched when the footsteps suddenly stopped, and I realized my nephew was standing in the living room, just a few steps away from us.

I sucked in a breath. "Cole."

"Hmm?"

"I—I... Not here." I stuttered, holding my breath.

This wasn't the first time I would hook up with my commander, my bestfriend, but we never did it in my apartment, where my nephew could easily walk in on us. That was the rule we both agreed on. Not to cross the lines of having my nephew sees this thing we were doing.

But what the fuck had gotten into Cole now? What had he suddenly lost control of, and just... Shit!

"Curtis..." I groaned out, planted my hands on his shoulders and tried pushing him off. "Curtis is right there in the living room. We can't... Fuck. Stop, Cole."

Words wouldn't come as he opened my jeans and pushed his hand into my boxers. His fingertips grazed my lower belly, stroking the curly, black hairs that decorated my flesh. He pushed down, and I sank a bit as he touched my cock.

"Cole, wait." I tried again to find my voice. "This is wrong. Curtis is over there, we can't⁠—"

"We can," he muttered, his mouth against my neck, so that the words vibrated on my skin. "We both know the kid doesn't like coming into the kitchen; he won't see us. I promise."

The idea was tempting. I tried to think of a million reasons to make him stop, but the truth was that I didn't want to.

It had been a while since we'd hooked up, and if not Cole, I didn't have anyone else to hook up with. Not like I had a lot of free time on my hands to go to any gay bar and snag a random man to hook up with.

It had always been Cole.

Cole exposed my cock, and I sucked in a sharp breath. He did the same, opening his jeans and revealing his length. The pale, pink flesh, slightly curved to the left, was a sight to behold.

I was drawn in by the veins that ran up his dick, the way it pulsed in his palm. Fuck! I fucking loved it when his cock did that.

"Fine." I caved, throwing my head back.

His grin grew. "You say fine like I'm a pain in the ass, but I can see you want it too. We both want it. Every time I touch you, your hips jerk toward me."

I watched as my body did just that. Groaning, I tried to ignore the way he laughed at me, but it was pretty damn funny.

I had been straight all my life until that night I caught Cole watching a gay p**n by mistake, and well, I got curious and we made out. I never went back to seeing girls the same ever since that day.

I might be bisexual but I doubted it. Maybe I had been gay all along and I didn't know until that night.

"Hold this," Cole said as he passed me the lube.

Cole reached back into his pocket and pulled out a condom. He tugged it on for me, rolling it down the length of my cock before he looked up at me and gestured for the lube.

I was more than bewildered.

"Do you have to come prepared everytime we're meeting up?" I chuckled, watching as he pressed two fingers into his hole, trying to loosen himself up for me.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "It is hard to do it at work, and I had to, you know, make do with the little time we have outside of the station."

"Stop. Talking." I hissed, we were already taking too long. We had to get down at it before Curtis started looking for me.

Cole's laughter made me moan harder as he continued to touch himself. Every pass of his hand over his skin made goosebumps travel over my arms.

I kept my mouth snapped shut for as long as possible before a pant fell from my lips. I writhed against him, needing and wanting him.

His fingers picked up speed and the laughter slowly fell away until he was moaning. I was about to yanked him to me to take him right then and there but there was a loud crashed in the living room, making my erection sagged almost immediately.

"Shit, Curtis!" I gasped, my trembling fingers reaching for my jeans as I quickly pulled them up and zipped them.

I rushed to the living room to check what was happening. "Fucking hell!" I yelled when I saw Curtis on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Shit! He's having a seizure!" Cole yelled behind me, rushing to pick Curtis up from the floor.

Guess I'm taking the chief up on his offer, after all. Curtis can't continue living like this.