Page 139 of Wish

“I will never deny you. I will never be ashamed of you. I will never downplay what you are to me no matter who is in the room. I’m gonna hold your hand in public. Grab your fine ass. Kiss your face. Hell, I’ll tongue-fuck you if I’m so inclined. And if anyone, anyone at all, has a problem with it, they can step to me, and I’ll put them on their ass.”

“Really?” he whispered, and God, I was pretty sure I heard the sound of his heart.

It was the only sound capable of bringing me to my knees.

“Yes, baby. I know it’s confusing, huh? To go from one extreme to the other.” Reaching down, I grabbed his hand, pushing it beneath my jacket so it could rest against my heart. “But in here, it’s always been the same.”

“People aren’t usually kind about being gay.” Then he rushed to say, “Not that you are, but sometimes people erase the whole bi thing because it includes men and—”

Holding his hand against my beating heart, I leaned in and kissed away his nervous rambling.

“The only person I care about is you.” I spoke against his lips.

“But you saw what happened to me.”

I pulled back. “Why do you think I work out so much?”

He blinked, the random question throwing him. “What?”

“My dad kicked my ass from the time I was a toddler. He used the excuse it would make me a stronger man, but all it did was make me feel weak and helpless for a long time.”

“Max.”His voice dripped with regret and hurt.

“Listen,” I said harshly, making his lips close. “And then you got attacked. I said no fucking more. No more being victims. Not only did I have myself to look after, but I had you to take care of. You to protect. All this anger and resentment and aggression inside me? I put it to good use. I know how to protect myself, Nemo. And I’ll protect you too.”

“That’s why you work out so much?” he echoed, fingers flexing against my heart. “To protect me?”

I nodded. I trained hard and not just on my own with weights. I boxed with a trainer, learned how to fight. It was something my dad never would understand. Anger didn’t make up for lack of skill. It just made you weaker. “And me too.”

His eyes began to twinkle. “What about Win?”

I scoffed. “You just saw his guns. Boy can take care of himself now.”

Wes laughed. “I still think there’s a girl.”

I grunted. There could be, but I knew Win. He wouldn’t say until he was ready, and I wouldn’t push. “You know I’d throw down for our brother too.”

Wes nodded.

“And by the way,” I said, eyes flashing, “you arenotmy brother. You’re my everything.”

“You’re my everything too,” he whispered.

Pulling his hand from beneath my coat, I looked at how they were clasped. “If you want to keep this on the down-low for a while, I’ll understand.”

A big bratty grin filled out the lower half of his face. “After you nearly tore my head off because you thought I was embarrassed by you?”

I screwed up my face. “Maybe I overreacted.” I allowed, the admission kinda painful. “But I’ll understand. You have been through a lot, and you just came out to the team. So a new relationship might feel like even more to announce.”

His hand tightened around mine to the point of pain. “Relationship?”

“I’m beginning to think the only time you understand we’re together is when my dick is in your ass.”

“Max!” he hissed, glancing around.

I laughed. Leaning in, I taunted him some more. “You knew exactly who you belonged to then, didn’t you, baby?”

His cheeks fumed, and I chuckled beneath my breath.

---