Page 18 of Exposed
“I used to mess around with Lucas.”
Kace shrugged. “Who hasn’t, apparently.”
Jamison visibly swallowed. “Is that why you two were together that night at the hospital?”
Kace rolled his eyes so hard, he nearly hurt himself. A man was about to die under this roof and Jamison worried over Kace eating in a hospital cafeteria with Lucas. “No. I told you, he was there for his sister. We ran into each other while buying food.”
“Lucas doesn’t have a sister.”
Kace’s shoulders fell. He swiped a hand across his eyes. It seemed he didn’t know anyone.
“Back when I was with Lucas, he dragged me into his bullshit.”
“What bullshit? You’re being way too vague for my temper right now.”
“Running drugs.”
With nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips, Kace sat. Thankfully, the bed was there to catch him. “You ran drugs?”
Jamison shook his head. “He broke into my phone one night while I slept and stole all the contact information for my clients. Codes to their homes, gated communities, and alarms. He used that information to get to people who owed him money. Well, Prince Noir money.”
“So the Prince is like a…”
“Crime lord, basically,” Jamison supplied. “He runs all of Atlantic City.”
Horrified was an understatement. “Does Joseph know this?”
“Of course. He can’t protect him from what he doesn’t know.”
Fuck. He really didn’t know anyone in his life. If tonight hadn’t come, none of this would’ve ever been exposed. He would have lived his life connected to a crime lord without even knowing it.
“Anyhow, I might’ve never known he had done it if I didn’t end up basically summoned to see the prince. He said he had dropped some hints to possible clients amongst the elite, telling them they should hire me. If they did, then he expected to be given all the same information on each one that Lucas had already given him on everyone else. In exchange, he would make sure no one ever suspected me, and he would stay quiet about how they were getting to these people in the middle of the night.”
“Holy shit. How did you untangle yourself from that mess?”
Jamison shrugged. “I didn’t, really. A few things just kind of went my way. First, I obviously told Lucas we were done. Then they eventually found someone with easier access to clients’ information. It’s also just risky to get that information from only one source. It wouldn’t take long for people to realize I was the common denominator in their home invasions.”
“This is completely insane. I’m surprised they didn’t kill you. Maybe that’s dramatic, but that’s how it happens in the movies. You know too much, so you have to go.”
“Joesph is apparently really good friends with Noir and not many people can say that. It would upset him if Noir killed me. Plus, he already has half the police force and all the judges in his pocket. What could I do? Who would listen to me? I’m just some crazy, PTSD-ridden veteran they could easily discredit.” Jamison held his stare. “You being Joesph’s oldest friend is really valuable right now. Don’t forget that, okay?”
He read between the lines. He shouldn’t deny their friendship. Joseph was the only thing keeping him alive.
“I’m sorry, Kace. So fucking sorry.”
The fight went out of Kace. “It’s not your fault. You heard what Ajax said. They were here for me. If I had never met Lucas, they wouldn’t know me to terrorize me.”
“It feels like my fault. Since you met me, it’s been one thing after the other. I can’t imagine how close you are to calling it quits. You’ve given everything. It feels like I’ve done nothing but bring you grief.”
Kace’s shoulders fell. He stared at the floor for a second. Kace needed a moment with his thoughts. Now that he was calm, he recognized a few things. In part, he was jealous. It was ridiculous, but this was the first time he had been confronted with Jamison having another relationship before him. He feltlike an idiot for that. Then there was the idea of anyone threatening Jamison’s life. His home had been invaded. He would likely lose a patient. There was just too much. He was overwhelmed. At the end of the day, he loved Jamison. This truly wasn’t his fault. They had both simply found themselves in the wrong circle. He couldn’t let Jamison think for a single second he would choose any existence that didn’t include him. Kace took a breath and met Jamison’s stare.
“The night you showed up at the hospital and I was with Lucas, I had just told him I had no interest in dating him. You literally showed up as soon as I said I wanted something real. I wanted a grown man who wanted to settle down and build a life. Then there you were, offering me exactly that. There couldn’t have been a bigger sign that you’re who I’ve been waiting for my whole life. If this is really forever, then it won’t always be easy, but it will be real.” Kace’s voice shook with power at the vow. “You gave me that.”
“I wanted to give you—”
The door opened, cutting off whatever Jamison had been about to say. “Blood is here.”
Kace nodded. He fucking hated this. The blood was useless. Lucas would be dead soon. “Just let me throw on some clothes.”
