On the Rocks: An MM Gay Contemporary Romance Read online

  I left later in the evening after tucking Adam in, and I was on my way home when I called Cal. “Set up the meeting if you can, Cal. I think I am going to have to take it.”

  Cal was surprised, but didn’t give me any drama about it. I knew that he was going to want details of why, but he didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell. I was only doing this for my family. I didn’t want to lose Adam to a move states away. I had finally found my price and whether I liked it or not, at least now I knew that there was one. Something that I had never imagined before.

  Chapter 3

  Jack

  “I hear good things about you, Jack. Very good things. Your old partner has worked with me for years, and Cal had nothing but good things to say about you. That is rare in this world. Loyalty is even rarer, and it is a must. We tried to pull you into it back then, but he told me you weren’t ready. You are now?”

  I didn’t know what exactly I was supposed to be ready for, but I had a feeling that he was talking about me going to the dark side. It was exactly what it felt like to me, and even though I knew that I wasn’t ready, I was going to have to be for Adam’s sake. I didn’t want to be thrust into a world that Nick was the boss of, but I had no choice. I had to be ready.

  “I don’t know what Cal has told you.”

  “He told me about how you were as a partner and how you are always there to act. That is what I need around here. I have a problem, and I don’t know who to trust. That is why I can’t trust one of my own to do what is needed. My men are dropping like flies, and it must be someone on the inside giving up information so that their whereabouts are known. That is why I thought you would be a good fit. I need to know that the man I hire won’t take a pay off from someone and turn the other way. Or that you have a beef with me and are causing the problem. I need an outsider like you, Jack.”

  “What kind of problems are you having?” It was hard to think of anything getting to Nick. He was a legend in this area and most likely in the whole country. If Nick called it a problem, it meant that it was a big problem, and I needed to know what it was that I was getting myself into.

  “We have someone, an enemy or another family, trying to take out my guys. I have already had two enforcers come up missing, and then someone shot at my right-hand guy. They know where we are supposed to be. I know it is an inside job, and that is why I need to bring someone in that doesn’t know anyone. That is why I wanted to call you in. Cal said you had an eye for things and were aggressive when needed. That is exactly what I need. You keep your eyes open for anything amiss. and keep my boy safe.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Nick.”

  Nick leaned back in his seat. The tanned arms were hairy, and the dark black hair was everywhere on him. The man’s black eyes were like pits of nothing. While he was most likely twenty years older than I was, he didn’t look it. The man was in great shape, and his eyes were sharp and saw everything.

  “I know what you are capable of Jack, and I want that behind me right now. I need more than muscle. I need smart muscle.”

  I had a feeling that Cal had told Nick more than I would have liked him to about me. I have done many things that I am not particularly proud of, and I had a violent streak when I first started out with the force. I had temper problems that still reared their ugly heads from time to time. It was a dangerous idea to think that someone wanted to hire me for those failures of my character, but it was wrong to suggest that they weren’t there. It was a part of me, and it helped things go smoother.

  “I am ready and willing, sir. Who do you need protection for?”

  “My son.”

  I didn’t know he had a son, and even when I was trying to find a way to put him in jail, I had never known about his son. I knew he had a beautiful wife, but never was a son documented. I figured because of that, he must have been young like mine.

  “I don’t do well with kids.”

  “Me either. Tommy isn’t a kid. He is a grown man, though sometimes you wouldn’t think so. He isn’t like me. He takes after his mother, and I know that he is an easy target. He is also my only kid, so the family business is in line to go to him. He is a perfect target, and I have a feeling that he is going to be next on the list. I need to protect my family, no matter how frustrating my son can be sometimes. It is too much for me to do all the time and run the family. I need to focus on finding out who is doing this, and I can’t worry about Tommy right now.”

  “I can do that.” I still wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I had a feeling that it was going to be a mess. As long as it paid the bills though and kept Adam from having to leave, it was worth it. It wasn’t hard to get behind a man that just wanted to take care of his family. We had a lot of differences, but that was something that we had in common. I would do anything for my son, anything, even if that meant working with a guy like Nick.

  “Good! The sooner you can start the better. I have to go out of town on business, and I need to make sure that he is in good hands before I leave.”

  “Not a problem. When do you want me to start?”

  “I can have you meet him tomorrow at the family bar. He isn’t going to be happy about all of this, but I don’t care. It is what is necessary, and you are the right man for the job.”

  Again, I was surprised that he seemed so at ease with hiring a cop and sharing such information with a former police officer, but in a way, it just reminded me how corrupt the police force was here. If a man like Nick could move around without any fear, it said a lot about all the people who were supposed to serve and protect others from guys like Nick. Nick was above it all, even the law.

  I left the meeting with a sense of doom in the pit of my stomach, but I knew that a beer when I got home was going to wash it all down. I just had to remember why I was doing this. I didn’t have many details on Tommy, and I hoped that I would figure them out tomorrow when we finally met up. I was nervous about tomorrow, but when Annika called to ask me how the new job was going, I told her that it was going great.

  When I hung up I wasn’t so sure that I had made the right decision, but the decision was made. I was going to have to figure this out one way or another. I had a new boss, and it was a little hard to wrap my head around the fact that it was Nick Corrello that I was working for. He was a criminal, and now I was the one that was going to keep his next head-of-the-family safe. What a turn of events this day had turned out to be.

  I went home and washed all the nerves away. It wasn’t long before I was thinking about it all again, trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do. I was just going to watch some young punk. It couldn’t be that bad. I had certainly arrested some of the worst, so nothing that Nick Corrello didcould be much worse, right?

  Chapter 4

  Tommy

  “I can’t believe that Dad is making me get a bodyguard. I don’t need one. I never had one before, and everything is fine. Just because a couple of people got whacked, I don’t see why I have to get strapped with someone following me everywhere I go.”

  Tony grimaced at the use of the word whacked. “Your father worries about anything happening to you. With Bruno getting shot three times last week, he is not going to take a chance on something like that happening to you. It is for your own safety, Tommy, nothing more. It’s going to be okay. I know you are worried, but it is all going to be fine. We are going to find out who is doing this and take them out. Then you will be free to do what it is that you do.”

  I snorted loudly. There was no way that Dad cared that much. If he did, he wouldn’t treat me and Mom so crappy all these years. He was a horrible husband and a shitty father, so I didn’t think that this had anything to with me. It had to do with his pride and his business, not the son that could never live up to his expectations. This was part of the reason why Tony was telling me about this and not my own dad. My dad didn’t even care enough to introduce me or explain anything. This is what he did. He gave orders and expected everyone to follow them to the lett
er.

  Tony worked for my father, had for years, and I remember several times when it was my birthday, it was Tony that would make sure that I had something for a present. My dad would forget, but Tony never did. He was always thoughtful like that and would try to make excuses for my dad. I always wondered why he was that way with me, when everyone else in the family was just like Nick.

  Tony didn’t have any kids of his own, and maybe that was the reason. Whatever it was, I don’t know if I would have been able to survive in the Corrello family without him. I wanted to thank him for his help, but there was a bigger part of me that was far more worried about looking weak. Tony was the only one that didn’t treat me like I was a weakling that didn’t deserve my own name.

  “Don’t be like that, Tommy. You know your father cares. It is just hard for him.”

  “Yeah, I bet. I know that he wants me to be someone that I am not. I just can’t do it, and this is just another way for him to control me.”

  “Let’s not worry about that, Tommy. The guy’s name is Jack, and he is going to take good care of you and make sure you are safe. I know that you don’t think anything is going to happen to you, Tommy. You act like you are bullet-proof, but you aren’t. Your mother would be devastated if anything happened to you. This much I can promise you. She would be wrecked.”

  I will never know why Tony was so protective of me, but I had a feeling that it was more for my mother than for me. There had always been something between the two of them, the way they acted in each other’s company, but I never did understand what it was. One way or another, Tony was family, and I was going to listen to him. I still didn’t think I was in any danger, but if this got everyone off my back, I had no other choice but to go with it. I had about as much of a choice as everyone else that had to live by my father’s iron fist.

  “Nothing is going to happen to me, Tony, but I will let the guy follow me around if I have to. I will make the best of it, as I always do. I just wish it was someone that I knew. Do you know anything about him? There really is no telling who my father hired for the job. You know how he can be, and I worry that this one will be like Dinal.”

  “I do know he can have questionable decision-making when he is angry, but I hear good things about this guy. From what I have heard, Jack is an ex-cop, and Nick knows his old partner. I think he was hand-picked to watch out for you.”

  That didn’t make me feel any better or put me at ease at all. From what I understood, that just meant that the guy was going to be extra gung-ho like my dad. It didn’t mean that it was going to keep me safe or anything like that.

  “Well then, he will be just like him, great. And what the hell is Dad thinking bringing a cop in? Sometimes I think he doesn’t realize what we do is illegal.”

  Tony just shook his head and made an exasperated sound. “Your father knows what he is doing. He has been running this family for over twenty years since his father gave it to him. You and Nick are not that much different”

  I made a snorting sound. “We are nothing alike.”

  “Suit yourself kid, but this is a good thing. The guy will be here in a little while, and I want you to be on your best behavior. Let the guy get to know the real you before you start all kinds of drama for him.”

  I smiled at Tony, sure that he knew me too well. “I will be on my best behavior, Tony, don’t you worry.”

  Tony walked away, but he looked worried. He knew me way too well and even though I knew he was just trying to help, I was sick of being told how I should be normal. I didn’t want to be normal, not if this is what it looked like. I wanted a better life, one that didn’t include the family. I wanted to branch out on my own and never look back. There were just several people in the way of that.

  The door to the bar opened, and a tall, muscular man walked in. My attention was immediately adverted to him. The guy was older and had this rugged look on his face. I didn’t know who he was, but he certainly got my attention in more than one way. I looked over to Tony, and he made a motion to tell me that this was the guy that I was supposed to be meeting. This guy was going to be my new bodyguard, and I can’t say that I was too mad at the old man for it. Jack was better looking than I could have imagined. It looked like for once, my father did the right thing even though he had no idea what he was gifting me when he brought Jack in.

  I met the man’s smoky green eyes, but he didn’t seem to look at me that long. It told me that the guy didn’t know who I was, even though it was clear to me who he was. I smiled before he turned away, and I watched him scan the crowd. He had no idea who he was waiting for, so I wanted to have a little fun with him before he found out. Then I was sure everything would change. No one wants to piss my dad off.

  “Would you like a seat?”

  Jack looked down at me sitting as he passed by. “No, I am looking for someone.”

  “Well, look no further. I am here for you. Come sit down, and I will sit on your lap. I will help you find what it is you are looking for.”

  Jack didn’t know what to say to me, and if I was to say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the look on his face, I would have been lying. This man didn’t know what to say to someone like me, but I also saw a hint in his eyes that told me he wasn’t completely appalled. That changed everything in my mind, and I smiled at him even bigger. This man was going to do more for me than he realized. I was going to rope him in. I was sure that I was going to be able to. I just needed a little time, that’s all. He was down for the taking.

  “I think you have me mistaken for someone else who might be looking for something else.”

  Jack moved away, and I grabbed his arm before I thought better of it. He had this look on his face as he yanked his arm away that made me shirk back just a little bit. I had made him mad when all I was trying to do was turn him on. This wasn’t a good start.

  “I am who you are looking for, Jack, and I assure you that I know exactly what you are looking for.”

  Chapter 5

  Jack

  This kid, while hot, was starting to aggravate the hell out of me. I ripped my arm away from his grasp and almost hit him when I realized that he was attracting unwanted attention toward us. It was what every part of my body told me to do and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became. This guy had been messing with me since I got in here, and the last thing I was worried about right now was some punk. He was cute in his own way, and if it were another time, maybe I would have been interested, but not right now.

  “I guarantee that you are not who I am looking for. I am here on business so back off. I don’t have time for this sort of nonsense.”

  “That’s too bad. You should always leave time for a little nonsense. No one is that busy.”

  The younger man kind of pouted, and for some reason that bothered me even more. His dark eyes were deep and black. They reminded me of someone’s that I had seen before, but I couldn’t place where I had seen those dark eyes. They were haunting, and I almost felt bad about getting snippy, which in turn frustrated me even more. I couldn’t be seen as a weakling right now. I was supposed to be showing strength, especially since I was in the lion’s den.

  “You would be surprised, Jack.”

  Again, he was calling me by my name.

  “How do you know my name?”

  The young man didn’t answer, just shrugged. “I don’t know, you look like a Jack. I bet you are some kind of cop or something; you have that look about you. I wonder if you know where you are right now, Jack. This isn’t the place for a guy like you. It could be dangerous. If you come over here, I will make sure nothing happens to you.”

  Now I was getting alarmed. He was talking louder, and he was getting me noticed, something that I didn’t want at this moment. It was bad enough that I had agreed to it. No one else needed to know who I was working for, and none of the men here in the bar needed to know who I had worked for in the past. I didn’t want to be publicly associated with any of this, and this smart-mouthed kid was going to
ruin it all.

  “Jack Klings?”

  The big, older Italian was walking up to me, and he looked a lot like Nick. They had the same dark, scary eyes. It wasn’t the physical attributes as much, but the set of his chin and the expression on his face. Guys like him were powerhouses that didn’t miss much. They were like coiled-up vipers, ready to strike at any minute, and he was yelling my name way too loud across the bar If nobody was unsure of who I was a minute ago, that had all changed now.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good, Nick said you would be here. Let me take you to the back to introduce you two. My name is Tony, and I am doing the hand-off.”

  I could feel eyes on me as I was walking back with Tony. I turned to look and saw that it was the young man that had been hitting on me that was pulling my attention away. His dark eyes followed me, and I felt all the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up on end.

  It was hard to deny that I found the man attractive. He was tall and slim and had a look to him that made me want to throw him down and have my way with him. But this was certainly not the place, nor the time to be letting my desires get in the way of work. I didn’t think that information about my sexual preference would help make things any easier or give me anymore rep with guys like Nick and Tony. Guys like me had to hold it all in and hope that no one noticed. I used to fear that there would be some way for them to tell that I liked the company of men.

  Pulling my attention back to the guy in front of me that was leading the way to the small office space that we were entering, I was able to catch a glimpse of a couple of guys at the end of the hall. They looked like they were there for the meeting, and I had to wonder who else I was going to see. Before when I had met the boss, it was just me and him. Why was there so much security right now?