Page 99 of Gunner

“Hey, Jamie. How are you?”

We hugged, and I patted his back. He would always be the son I never had.

“I’m great. I didn’t expect to find you here. Are you here to see Gunner about the case?”

“Well…yeah.”

Dammit, why had I lied? Luckily, Gunner wasn’t close enough to hear me disown him, but how could I tell Jamie I was with Gunner? Technically, we weren’t anything to each other now that Mason was gone. Would Jamie get distant if I had another man in my life? I didn’t want to lose that connection.

“How’s the case going?” he asked.

“Not very well.” I searched out Gunner. He poured the drink from his cup onto the ground. What was that all about? Didn’t he trust whoever had given him the drink?

“That’s a bummer,” Jamie said. “If there’s anything Daddy Grimm or I can do for you, let me know.”

I chuckled. “Grimm just allows you to offer his services like that?”

“Pretty much.”

And I believed him. The older biker was completely smitten with his boyfriend.

“I might take you up on that,” I said. “Gunner says you all have a tech guy who can work wonders.”

“Alan. He’s a genius on the computer. I can give you his contact?”

“Thanks.” Not that I planned to use it, but it couldn’t hurt. My team needed more time first to finish going through all the notes in Paddy’s notebook.

“Since you’re here already, you should stay,” Jamie said. “These BBQs are usually good. I’m so glad for Gunner. I know he’s been upset at how scanty his club’s membership was getting.”

“Maybe I’ll stick around for a bit.”

“Good. I need to go find Grimm, but I’ll see you around.”

Left alone, I lingered at the tattoo booth for a while. The tattoo artist, Rubble, the other guys had called him, worked with the steady hand of an expert. I watched him for a few minutes while keeping an eye on Gunner.

Just as before, Gunner dumped another drink. My theory that he didn’t trust drinking from others was blown out the door when he did the same thing to a beer straight from a can he’d pulled himself. Was he trying not to get drunk?

“Hey, man, you want to get inked?”

I turned to Rubble. “Who, me?”

“Yeah, you. Who else?”

I hesitated. The thought of getting a tattoo had never crossed my mind. I wasn’t squeamish or anything, but I didn’t see the point of putting myself through unnecessary pain. Though the tattoos Gunner had on his body looked amazing.

“Maybe some other time.” A tattoo wasn’t something you decided on at the last minute. Not for something that would stay on your skin forever.

“Want to get something pierced, then?”

An image flashed through my mind of Gunner’s pierced dick. Heat flushed through me, and I shook my head. “Nah, I’m fine.”

I stepped back and bumped into a firm wall of muscles. A hand was placed around my waist, and a kiss landed on the back of my neck. “You’re more than fine,” Gunner said into my ear. “I want to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“Not here. Follow me.”

Gunner grabbed my hand and dragged me through the crowd and out into the backyard. Two trucks were parked at the side of the clubhouse. The noise from all the activities was reduced to a dull hum.

---