Page 2 of Entangled in Them

I raked a hand through my hair and pressed my lips together, my nostrils flaring. “How long am I going to have to wait?”

Frankie gave me a smug smile. “Oh, it’ll be soon.”

“Fine.”

There was nothing more I could say or do, but I didn’t like the idea of the money being brought to the apartment either. If Ryan or Kodee were also there, they’d ask questions, and I’d been hoping I could do this without things getting awkward. They’d demand to know what the Capellos were doing turning up on our doorstep, and I’d been hoping to avoid any conversations like that. At some point, I realized they’d have wanted to know where the money had come from, and I’d been hoping I’d be able to tell them the truth then. By that point, I figured, everything would have gone smoothly, and they’d have nothing to get angry about. Problem was that right now it didn’t feel like everything was going smoothly at all.

Ryan, Kodee, and I were business partners, but we were also more than that. What went on behind closed doors was no one else’s business, and we were careful to make sure no one else found out about how we liked to spend our private time. We were under no illusions that people would think differently of us if they knew. We were protecting ourselves and our business.

Frankie Capello narrowed his eyes in my direction. “Was there anything else?”

I looked between him and his brother and the three other men surrounding me. They all wore matching expressions of cool amusement. I had the feeling this had all been a horrible mistake. The last thing I wanted was them coming to the apartment, especially when Ryan and Kodee were home, but I couldn’t tell Frankie Capello to keep his money either. I needed that money.

“No, that’s it.”

The smirk widened. “We’ll see you later, then.”

I ducked my head and shoved my hands in my pockets and quickly spun away from the Capellos, toward the door of the warehouse. I had to pass one of the Capellos’ men, and he made sure to step into my path to shoulder barge me as I walked past. The others laughed, and I was suddenly thrown back into memories of bullies at high school. My hands itched to swing a punch at the guy who’d shoved me, but deep down I knew I was lucky to be making it out of this with only a bruised cheek. How the fuck was I going to explain that to the guys as well? I’d have to make up a story and hope I’d get away with it. I didn’t like lying to them, but I was doing it for their benefit as much as my own.

I pushed open the door to the warehouse, conscious of the stares of the Capellos’ crew as I left. My motorcycle was sitting at the curb, exactly where I’d left it, my helmet hanging from the handlebar. I lifted my hand to touch my bruised cheek. I should have kept the helmet on when I’d gone inside—it would have protected my face from the goon’s fist. I smirked to myself at what their reaction would have been if I’d even tried it. I didn’t need to be a fortune teller to know it wouldn’t have gone down well.

Picking up my helmet from where I’d left it, I jammed it down over my head. I winced as the bottom bumped my injury. I swung my leg over the bike, put the gear into neutral, and started the engine. We lived on the other side of the city, and the bike was the best way to get there. New York traffic was a nightmare at any time of the day.

I wove easily between the crawling cars, leaning with the motion of the bike, enjoying the freedom and rush I always experienced when I was riding. The only time it was better was when one of the guys was on the back with me. Even if they didn’t want to be obvious by wrapping their arms around my waist or pressing their face to my back, they always made sure they sat far enough forward that I felt a hard cock jammed against the point where my lower back met my arse. It was almost more fun that way—a secret that could be displayed in public, with no one being any the wiser. I wasn’t the only one who got a kick out of it, either. The other two might not be as reckless as I was, but they enjoyed a hot thrill just as much as the next man.

It took me less than thirty minutes to make the drive across the city. Because of our work, we were able to afford the penthouse apartment in our building. It was the sort of place where no one knew their neighbor, and everyone minded their own business. That worked perfectly for us. We didn’t want people asking too many questions, either about our private or our work lives.

I reached the entrance to the parking garage, which was below our building, and slowed the bike to a crawl. I had a card I was supposed to swipe for the barrier to lift, but I didn’t bother, and instead maneuvered the vehicle around the side of the barrier. Picking up speed again, I rode across the lot and finally pulled the bike up at the spot closest to the elevator, beside Ryan’s modified Ford. There was the option of stairs as well, but since we were in the penthouse, the elevator was always going to be my first choice. For once, however, I wasn’t eager to get home. The guys were bound to ask what had happened to my face, and I didn’t want to tell them. They would be seriously pissed if they found out what I’d been doing, and I didn’t want to ignite the wrath of either Ryan or Kodee. Ryan had a cold, hard temper, while Kodee had the ability to make me feel like the most irresponsible person in the world—like he was the adult and I was some sort of kid, despite being twenty-five years old. I wasn’t even the youngest of the three of us, and I was probably the most irresponsible, but he didn’t always have to go out of his way to make me feel it.

I swung my leg to climb off the bike and then hung my helmet back on the bars. I didn’t expect anyone to try to steal it. There were security cameras covering much of the underground garage.

Using my key card for the elevator, I stepped inside. We needed another card to get to the penthouse—a little extra security on our part. We also had a twenty-four-hour doorman who would vet anyone coming in from the street. Security was important to us. While we were careful to protect our work from any outside influence, we couldn’t have strangers wandering into our domain.

The elevator rose. It came to a smooth halt, and the door slid open. Even though there was only our apartment on this floor, there was still a small corridor which contained both the elevator and the stairwell, in case of emergencies.

I hesitated outside the door to our apartment and sucked in a breath. I still hadn’t fully decided what I was going to say when the others asked me what had happened to my cheek. Was there any chance I could keep my involvement with the Capello brothers a secret?

Knowing there was no point in lurking in the hallway, I let myself inside. We worked as well as lived here. It was really no surprise that we ended up mixing business with pleasure.

The front door led straight onto our open-plan living space.

Kodee was sitting at his desk, the top button of his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up to expose his smooth brown forearms.

“Where have you been?” he asked, not looking up from his computer.

I crossed over to where he was sitting and moved in behind him. Frustrated that he didn’t even look at me—I had thought he’d have clocked my bruised cheek by now and would have been full of questions—I ducked my head to kiss the side of his neck from behind, and then gave him a little nip. The scent of his aftershave filled my senses. His head was smooth at the moment, shaven of his afro hair.

“Hey,” he growled, but I knew he wasn’t really protesting. “I’m trying to work.”

I nuzzled him again. “Where’s Ryan?” I asked against the scruff of his stubble.

“He just took a shower.”

“Alone?” I said, acting surprised. “That’s not like you.”

“He wanted some space. You know how he can get.”

I did. Ryan had some issues, that was for sure. It had only been six months since he’d left the Army after getting caught up in an explosion in Iraq. He’d struggled to settle into civilian life, and was haunted by what had happened while he’d been away. Nightmares plagued his sleep, and he often seemed on the edge.

---