Page 82 of Be Mine Forever

“Deuce.” Cam moved forward, grabbing the other man’s hand in that guy handshake Jo never quite got. “Man, it’s been a minute.”

Deuce looked Cam in the eye, and something passed between the two men, an understanding. A mystery that Jo immediately wanted to solve. He pulled Cam into a tight embrace. This man, who carried himself like the top of the food chain, held Cam like a brother. He pulled away, eyes straying over Cam’s shoulder to rest on Jo. His stare like a radioactive wave. Like she might need a hazmat suit to emerge uncontaminated.

“This yours?” He nodded to Jo.

He might remind her of a scorpion, poised to sting, but nobody talked to her—or about her—like that. Jo raisedoh hell noeyebrows, waiting for Cam’s response.

“She’s standing right there.” Cam caught her eyes, his smile telling her he already knew what she was thinking. “Ask her.”

Deuce turned to her. “You his?”

Jo swung her eyes back to Cam, and even in this dark alley, where danger felt like breath on her neck, she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Why don’t you ask him if he’s mine?” Jo didn’t look away from Cam even though she directed the question to Deuce.

“Ho ho ho!” Deuce stomped his foot three times and slapped Cam’s shoulder. “I heardthat. So you hers, Cam?”

Cam’s good-natured grin held, but his eyes narrowed on her.

“Yeah, I’m hers.”

Jo smiled and pulled the hoodie up over her hair to ward off the dropping temperature. “Then I’m his.”

“Aw, she’s a keeper, man.”

“Don’t I know it.” Cam grinned at her, his eyes promising complete and total possession later tonight.

“This fool giving you trouble?” Deuce jerked his head toward the other man, who had watched everything unfold without saying another word.

“See, what happened was…well, I didn’t know you knew him, Deuce.” Bobcat’s tongue tangled with the words.

“Cam’s like family.” Deuced hooked an elbow around Cam’s neck. “Go check the corner off Third and Boulevard.”

Cam was like family? He’d never mentioned anyone named Deuce. He’d never spoken about anyone from Barfield with the affection his eyes held as he and Deuce continued their conversation.

“I haven’t been back much,” Cam said. “Sorry ’bout that.”

“I’m not sorry.” Deuce’s tawny eyes darkened, hard as bars of gold, shielding emotions and thoughts Jo knew she’d never uncover. “That was the point of you getting out, right?”

Cam nodded, one side of his tiny smile bitter, the other side sweet.

“I guess so.”

“I been keeping up with you, though.” Deuce’s grin poked surprising dimples into his lean cheeks. “You doing big things. Real big things. Movies, videos. All that shit.”

“I got lucky.” Cam looked at his fingers, smeared with paint.

“This”—Deuce pointed to the scene on the wall behind them—“ain’t luck. You always had talent, and I knew it would take you far. Far from here.”

“You ever want to get far from here?” Cam’s voice traveled the distance between the two men.

“Now why would I want to do that?” Deuce slipped a guard over his smile, his eyes becoming wary.

“Because you aren’t the only one who hears things.” Cam shook his head, scowling at Deuce in the dim light. “You’re deeper in than you’ve ever been. It’s not an old man’s game.”

“Who said I wanted to live to be an old man?”

“That’s not funny.”

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