“We really weren’t doing anything but talking,” Aggie said.“What were you talking about?”Her opening with Eric presented itself, so she took it. “Jace’s father. How he died.”Eric glanced at Jace. “How?”“I don’t like to talk about it,” Jace said.“Do you have any other family?”“Nope. No parents. No family.”Jace wriggled to get up, but Aggie sprawled her body over his and rested her head on his shoulder. She lay there like a dead weight to keep him from avoiding this conversation.“Did you go into foster care?” Eric asked.“I was fifteen with a criminal record. No one wanted to open their home to a derelict. I stayed in a group home for almost three years.”“Did you serve jail time?”“Juvenile hall for a few months. For a couple of shoplifting charges—nothing too exciting.”“The key to being a good shoplifter is not to get caught.”“You shoplifted?”“I was a holy terror as a kid,” Eric said.Jace snorted and stopped trying to weasel out from beneath Aggie. “Nothing’s changed.”Eri
“Jace lost,” Eric said. “He came first.” He sucked a breath through his teeth. “I’m about to join him.”“If you come on me, I will kill you,” Jace said to Eric.He didn’t come on Jace. He came on Aggie’s ass. She felt his fluids hit her skin—warm and thick. “God, that’s hot,” Eric groaned and rubbed the head of his c**k in his cum to spread it over her skin.“You really need to find yourself a woman,” she said. “Preferably a p**n star.”“I’d rather share you with little man.”“Not sure why we let you participate,” Jace grumbled. “I satisfy her better on my own.”Eric flopped down on the bed beside Jace. “Because I’m your best buddy, and you don’t want me to die from a giant case of blue balls?”“I don’t think that’s fatal,” Aggie said.“Have you ever had blue balls?” Eric asked.She grinned and flipped her gaze to the ceiling. “Well…”“They’re not just for Smurfs.”Jace laughed and reached up to tug Aggie down against his chest to cuddle her against him. “Wouldn’t that be a constant c
“No, she loved you. I hated you.”“I’m sorry, Brian. I had no idea. I never meant to hurt her.”“Well, you did.” Brian considered him for a long moment. Jace wished he’d just hit him again and get it over with. Brian relaxed his stance instead. He cracked his knuckles. “God, that felt good. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to punch this Jason jerk in the face?”“Ten years?” Jace guessed.Brian laughed. “Yeah.” He thumbed the bruise forming on Jace’s chin. “You okay?”“Yeah. I’m glad you hit me. I feel better now. That secret has been eating me alive.”“We’ll never speak of this again. Got it?”Jace nodded. “Got it.”They started toward the bus. “So are you and Aggie going to tie the knot?” Brian asked unexpectedly.Tie the knot. As in marriage? Jace was so stunned by the idea he stopped walking in mid-stride. He stumbled, bumping against Brian’s shoulder. Marriage had never crossed his mind. Not once. But wasn’t that what a couple did when they were in love?“No?” Brian squeezed Jace’
“I can’t really talk about it, but Dean Taylor is still denying all fourteen counts of sexual harassment. If he was smart, he’d plea bargain. We have an incredible case against him.” She accepted half a meatball into her mouth, chewing slowly.“Do you think you’re going to get through that class you had to retake then?” Trey asked.Jessica swallowed and nodded. “Ellington and I had a long talk. She’s transferred her hatred to the appropriate party. We get along okay now.” She turned and rubbed her nose against Sed’s. He grinned, showing a pair of dimples Aggie had never realized existed. He poked the other half of the meatball in her mouth.“Eat faster,” he whispered and glanced eagerly at the bedroom door.She chewed and swallowed.“I’m glad everything is working out,” Brian said, looking ill as he watched Jessica steal Sed’s lips for a tender kiss. “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” he grumbled under his breath.Jace handed Aggie a plate full of spaghetti and meatballs. She smiled with
Jace took a deep breath. Everything was a joke with this guy. Jace pushed forward with what he had to say, even though he knew Eric would use it to make fun of him in the future. “You are the reason I am who I am today. You, Eric. You turned my life around. So if you think you don’t matter to anyone, you’re wrong. You matter to me.”Jace pushed off the side of the bus and walked back to the entrance. He blew into his hands and clenched them into fists for warmth. The tips of his ears tingled, and his butt was numb from the cold. There was a warm and willing woman waiting for him inside. He wondered why he’d stayed in the chill for this long.“Wait. Jace?” Eric called after him. “What do you mean I turned your life around?”Jace had already said too much. He lifted a hand in farewell and climbed the steps to enter the bus. He was looking forward to crawling into bed with Aggie. Or he had been, until he saw Jon sitting on the floor outside her bunk with his back pressed against the wall
“One more.”His weak arm shook uncontrollably. He felt the weight slipping. Sed’s hand hovered near the bar, but he didn’t grab it.“Focus, Jace. You can do this.”Jace couldn’t explain the feeling Sed gave him. Always gave him. It was as if he wanted Sed to be proud—such a strange ambition. It did give Jace the fortitude to lift the bar one last time as he drew on strength he didn’t know he possessed. Sed grabbed the bar at once and shifted it onto the stand. “That’s it.”Jace forced himself to sit up.“How did that feel?”“Exhausting, but great. I’m getting stronger already. Thanks for your help.”“No problem.” Sed added weights to the bar. “Spot me?”Jace tried not to grin too widely at being asked, but he couldn’t help it. No one else worked out with Sed. Just him. “Yeah, of course.”“Jessica can’t keep her hands off me. I think it’s the extra muscle. Must make sure I maintain it.”Jace figured it was her undying love, not Sed’s impressive bulk, that kept her hands on him, but Jac
Huh? Aggie glanced from one band member to the next, having no idea what they were laughing about.“Hey, the rainbow background was Jace’s idea,” Eric said.Myrna went after Eric with a paddle. She struck him twice before he managed to escape.“I have one too,” Trey said.He shucked his jeans and presented his bare ass to the bus occupants. A vibrantly bright and colorful tattoo of a fluffy calico kitten riding a galloping, majestic unicorn adorned a third of Trey’s left ass cheek. A rainbow and wispy, white clouds surrounded the mythical creature. Little girls would be ashamed to have that feminine monstrosity on their lunch boxes. Why would a guy have that tattooed on his ass? Correction—two guys.Aggie joined the laughter. Clutching his abdomen with both arms, tears pouring from his eyes, Sed was lying on the floor, rolling back and forth in the aisle as he laughed. Myrna paused and ran a hand over Trey’s flank as she inspected the “artwork” that matched her husband’s.“Son of a bi
Someone broke out more glass from the windshield. Hands struggled to release the seat belt. The heat of the flames brought Jace back to the moment. Dave, not his father, came free from the seat. Jace took a stuttering breath and followed Sed, who was carrying Dave from the burning wreckage. A safe distance away, Sed laid Dave’s limp body on the pavement. There was something unnatural about the angle of Dave’s neck.Eric listened to his chest. “He’s not breathing.” He started CPR while everyone looked on anxiously.Jace shook so hard his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees on the asphalt. Aggie appeared before him. His demon in black. No, his angel. His salvation.Her fingers stroked his hair so tenderly it made his heart swell. He didn’t understand it. What had he ever done to deserve this wonderful woman? He wrapped both arms around her waist, buried his face against her belly, and sobbed.“I’ve got you, baby,” she whispered.The pain inside was unbearable—worse than anything in h