Page 110 of The Long Game

Only Bull himself offered any real information. “That asshole’s been around, trying to horn in on the trade, but no one is giving him the time of day.”

Grady felt oddly proud of his little city. Even the drug dealers thought Babcock was trash.

After that mess, which took hours to clean up, Grady was more than happy to head home for the day. Walking into the apartment, he found Jack and Colton at the stove and Sam chopping tomatoes on the island. The air was rife with cumin and a hint of chili, and Grady sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. All the tension from a bullshit day was erased.

God, it was good to be home. And even better to come home to people who were happy to see him. Sam immediately hugged him, and Colton bumped his shoulder when Grady bent to give Jack a kiss on the cheek.

He had no idea heaven on earth would be so fucking…domestic.

His gaze lingered on the shiny expresso machine on the counter, which hadn’t been there that morning when he’d left for work, and his heart accelerated. He wasn’t even embarrassed. He’d accepted his new kink.

Jack chuckled and brushed a hand over Grady’s butt. “I originally brought it so Colton wouldn’t singlehandedly keep the Dipsy Doodle Dangle in business while bankrupting you, but Sam got the job.”

Grady tore his eyes away from the appliance he was sure was sexy, by anybody’s standards. “He did?”

“Starts tomorrow, in fact.”

“Great,” Grady said, his eyes straying back to the machine. “I’m glad you brought it anyway. It looks great there.”

Jack’s hand brushed Grady’s ass again. “You can thank me later,” he said with a wink.

Fucking hell.Grady should get some kind of award for not dragging Jack into the bedroom that instant. He sounded choked when he asked, “What can I do to help with dinner?”

Laughter danced in Jack’s eyes. “You can change out of your work clothes, then set the table—or, island, as the case may be. Tacos should be ready in five minutes.”

“Thank you,” Grady said, pressing another kiss to Jack’s cheek before ducking into the bedroom.

He was smiling like a loon again. He now lived in a world where he got to come home to Jack Chevalier and give him kisses and flirt. And not in a boring apartment, but in a home. With a family.Hisfamily.

He’d been so certain he not only couldn’t have those things, but that he didn’t want them. He’dneededto believe that after losing all he’d thought was secure and certain in his world. It was shocking, all these years later, to find his hopes for the future weren’t all that different than what they’d been before his family had disowned him.

He was never going to allow the Assholes of Alberta, as Colton had taken to calling them, nor anyone else to take this away from him, Jack, Colton, or Sam.

If any of them thought it was weird Grady hugged them all before dinner, they kept it to themselves. The tacos were a treat, and not just because they were one of those foods that didn’t do well when delivered. When they’d all inhaled an alarming number of them, Colton listed the—woefully small—ice cream selection.

Colton was serving it up when Sam’s phone chimed and Colton’s phone buzzed in unison. Grady knew the moment they looked at their screens that something was wrong.

“Oh, shit,” Sam murmured as he started scrolling. His phone chimed almost continually as more messages came in.

“Everything okay?” Jack asked from the stool beside them.

Colton nodded while Sam shook his head.

Grady tried a more direct approach. “What’s going on?”

“Hannah ran away,” Colton said, eyebrows pinched tight. When Grady tried to remember, Colton added, “She’s Leah and Donovan Jacob’s only daughter. She’s my age, so you were away at university most of the time from when she was born until…”

When Colton trailed off, Grady put an arm around his shoulders. “Okay, I remember her. Tell me what you know,” Grady said. “Have either of you heard from her?”

Both boys shook their heads. Sam waved his phone. “These messages are from one of her brothers, Braedon Abel.”

Jack snorted. “Jesus, just when I thought the names couldn’t get any weirder.”

Colton nodded. “Brae’s cool, though. He’s tried to stay in touch on Facebook all along.”

“He says they’re in Toronto for a family vacation,” Sam continued, his finger sliding over his screen as he gave them a summary. “Yesterday they went to the Hockey Hall of Fame and she disappeared. They searched, brought in security and the police. Security has video of her leaving and getting in a cab by herself.” Sam looked up. “I’m surprised she even knew how to hail one.”

Grady understood that. There sure as shit weren’t any cabs back home. “TV, maybe. At least it indicates she’s resourceful.”

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