Unraveling Malcolm (Rebels and Nerds Book 2)

by R. Cayden

  He laughed. “Malcolm likes it, though. He’s into having fun with me.”

  “Of course he is. But if you’re the one pulling him out of his shell, you have to take care of him, too. If you make the wrong choice, he could be the one to pay the price.”

  Gunner sighed, tapping his hand on the wheel. “I still can’t think of a date, though.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” I said, then noticed the highway again. “Take this next exit and then an immediate right.”

  Once I finished guiding Gunner through the nearly empty streets that ran through block after block of large industrial buildings, we pulled up near a brick building down a side road. Taking up half the block, it had a few nondescript businesses operating out of the first floor and a sign advertising office space for rent.

  “This is my uncle’s,” I said. I hadn’t seen it in years, not since the time Declan and I had robbed the place.

  “What are we going to do?” Gunner asked.

  “We’re just scouting the place out for now,” I said. “Making sure nothing has changed.”

  “Does it look the same?”

  I nodded slowly. “It sure does,” I said. We sat there in silence for a minute while I studied the building and battled down memories I’d rather bury. “You see that blue door on the side? Behind the chain-link fence?”

  “Yeah, I see it,” Gunner said.

  “And can you see that gigantic pile of cigarette butts on the ground?”

  “Kind of.”

  I placed my hand on my chin and rubbed my thumb across my jaw, feeling the stubble. “My uncle comes out that door every thirty minutes when he’s at the office. He has a cigarette, he stares at the sky, and then he throws the butt on the ground.”

  Gunner squinted at me across the truck. “Okay,” he said hesitantly, not sure where I was going.

  “And,” I continued, “never once in his entire life has my uncle locked that damn door. Maybe he doesn’t worry because all the office doors inside are locked, but it doesn’t take more than two minutes to pick those locks. On top of that, to keep the business running, my uncle requires paper records, not being a fan of computers or new technology. Those printouts are all we’ll really need.”

  “So what?” Gunner asked. “We just walk in there and take whatever we want?”

  “Not exactly,” I said, pointing to the other corner of the building. “Look.”

  A large man in a plain blue jacket wandered around the corner. Folding his hands behind his back, he made a slow circle around the front of the building, then wandered back where he came from.

  “There is almost always security on the place, not to mention a good handful of lowlifes who treat it like a social club. But every other Sunday afternoon, the boys have their card game across town, and the building is quiet.”

  Gunner pounded his hand on the dashboard, grinning. “Fuck yeah,” he said. “Let’s break in there and ruin their business! No one messes with Malcolm.”

  I grabbed his arm, stilling him. “Close,” I said. “But your job is actually just to sit on the corner here.”

  He blinked a few times. “What? You’re making me the lookout?”

  I nodded. “The only way things could go wrong would be if someone came into the place while I was still inside and got a jump on me. You’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” I patted his shoulder a couple of times, then gave it a squeeze. “You up for that?”

  He turned back to me, a glint in his eyes, and squeezed my knee. “Maddox,” he said, “I’m up for whatever you want.”

  I chuckled despite myself, actually caught a little off guard by his flirtation for once. “All right, Gunner. But don’t forget, I’m paying you to help me out. I told you this was a job, and when someone does work for you, you need to pay them fairly.”

  “Really?” he said. “I thought you just meant, like, a job.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to make a fortune. But we always gave our lookouts 250. That sound good to you?”

  In all honesty, I cared less about the way that my old colleagues did things and more about passing on some knowledge to Gunner. I saw the man that he was becoming, and I fully expected him to rise to the occasion. Treating the people who worked for you right was a part of that.

  “It sounds great,” he said.

  “250 it is,” I said, buckling up again. “Now let’s go pick up your boyfriend. I’ve got a couple of questions for him.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Malcolm

  I pulled out my phone to check the address Gunner had texted to me and make sure I was in the right spot. While I was there, I scrolled back quickly to a sexy pic he had sent me and felt a warm flush come up my neck.

  Damn.

  Right address, anyway. And I wasn’t surprised to see a row of motorcycles lined up outside the diner. Probably Maddox’s choice. Hopping out of the car, I wondered if my button-up shirt was going to look too formal inside and then a saw a woman push her way through the front door. In a bright red dress and with tattoos covering her arms, she looked stunning.

  “Come on in, sweetie,” she said. “Everything is good except for the meatloaf.”

  I smiled. “Thanks!” I said, then walked into the restaurant.

  The place was so spacious, it didn’t look crowded once I was inside. Most people kept to themselves, and a few older waitresses flew around the room, cracking jokes and chatting with the diners. I quickly found Gunner and Maddox, across from each other at a booth in the back.

  As I approached, the vision of Maddox standing above us the week before came rushing back to mind. It was like I could feel the rhythmic strokes of his fist up and down his shaft, beating as steadily as my heartbeat.

  Shaking my head, I slid into the booth beside Gunner. We smiled to each other. Then he leaned forward, kissing me quickly and giving me a nibble on the lip.

  “Hi,” I said softly, suddenly very aware of the other people in the diner. Although neither Maddox or Gunner seemed to mind. I would have thought the kind of customers in the diner were a little less friendly to gay people, but if that were the case, Maddox and Gunner weren’t bowing to the pressure any.

  Maddox pointed at the menu. “Best chicken and waffles in the city,” he said. “It’s a biker secret.”

  I turned to Gunner, who shrugged. “I mentioned that you said you liked chicken and waffles.”

  It felt good just to imagine them talking about me, and I immediately relaxed a little. Even when a very large man sat at the table right next to us, I still didn’t tense up. Knowing both Maddox and Gunner were looking out for me made me feel protected.

  The waitress came and took our orders and brought the guys each a beer. I knew that we were there to talk about the business with my landlord, but I still enjoyed pretending Maddox was actually taking Gunner and me on a date.

  “Did you figure out whatever you needed to figure out this afternoon?” I asked.

  Maddox nodded. “It all looked set. I’ll keep the story short, but by next week, we should have a stack of files proving my uncle’s been using illegal tactics to pressure you. That will be enough to keep your apartment and to cause him one massive headache.” He fished a piece of paper out of his pocket, then slid it to me. “I do want you to glance at these names. Let me know if you remember talking to any of those people, getting mail from them, stuff like that.”

  “Anything to worry about?” I asked, folding the paper and placing it in my pocket so I could check it against my mail later.

  He shook his head. “Just due diligence. Keeping tabs on who might be around.”

  “Well, thanks again for doing all that for me,” I said, feeling warm from their attention. “And sorry that your uncle is awful.”

  “Don’t get me started,” Maddox said, his voice rumbling in his chest. I remembered how he had avoided talking about his family when I asked about his house and wondered if there might be some connection between it all.

>   Gunner told me about the scouting trip they had been on, and Maddox sat across the booth, a grin pulling up the corner of his mouth when Gunner got excited or started bragging. In no time, the waitress was sliding big plates of food onto the table. While Gunner grabbed the little bottles of condiments, I spread a pat of butter around on the waffles. I felt ravenous, and as soon as I started eating, I was practically groaning, the food was so good.

  “You like it?” Maddox asked, cutting up his own waffle.

  “Amazing,” I answered.

  Gunner threw his arm over my shoulder. “You’ll probably want to lick the syrup off his lips later,” he said to Maddox. I squirmed beneath him a little, laughing despite myself, but kept my eyes on Maddox.

  His gaze was like hot coals, and when he looked straight into Gunner’s eyes, I took in a sharp breath of air. Blood rushed to my cock as Gunner traced his finger along my arm.

  Maddox leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on the table. “You keep promising things,” he said, “one of these times, I’m going to cash in on it.”

  I felt like I was about to explode and turn into a hundred horny butterflies, all flying through the diner.

  Gunner kept his arm hanging loosely across my shoulders while we ate. “I’m just glad to have a chance to stick it to some scumbag who really deserves it,” he said. “I don’t even mind that I’m stuck being lookout. Most people who do shit like that just get away with it. I see it all the time on the demolition crew. My boss is good, but there are some real assholes up the ladder.”

  Maddox turned to look at me. “I’m guessing you don’t have too much of that at the library.”

  I laughed, thinking of some of our ornery regulars. “No, not really. Most people are at the library for a good reason.”

  Maddox nodded. “That’s good. It’s a smart place to build a life for yourself.”

  I smiled. “Thanks. But yeah, I’m glad you all are able to actually do something. I was practically ready to move into a motel.”

  Gunner pushed his foot against mine, rubbing our ankles up together. “We’ll take care of you,” he said confidently.

  “Is that Maddox?” a voice boomed from across the room. Startled out of our little bubble, I turned to see a guy about Maddox’s age, walking across the diner. His long, dark hair was held back by a pair of sunglasses, and he had a silver chain hanging around his neck. “Shit, man, I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  Maddox grinned, standing from the booth. “Hey, Connor,” he said, slapping the other man on the back. “How you doing, man?” He turned to face us, resting his hand on the table. “Sorry, guys. Just an old friend.”

  Connor put his hand on Maddox’s shoulder, squeezing it just the way Maddox was always squeezing Gunner’s shoulder. “I was just telling the story the other day about when you stole that horse from Ricky’s crew.”

  Maddox waved his hand in the air. “No, man. I rescued that horse from Ricky. That man wasn’t treating his animal right.”

  Connor laughed, slapping his leg. “And you gave it to his ex-wife and her kid! Classic move. You and Declan used to get up to some real trouble, man.”

  “Anyway, no need for those kinds of stories now,” Maddox said, glancing at us in the booth.

  Connor followed his eyes. “Oh, you on a date?” He leaned closer to the booth. “You know, Maddox usually went for older guys when he was your age. Funny that he switches it around now.”

  I felt blood rush to my cheeks and tried not to panic about how loud he was being. Maddox clasped him on the shoulder a couple of more times and promised to meet up for a beer sometime, then returned to our dinner.

  “So, you used to date older guys, huh?” Gunner teased.

  Maddox pointed his thumb toward his friend, now walking away. “That guy’s a liar,” he joked back. “Don’t believe a word he said.”

  I took Maddox’s appearance in again, noticing the scar that ran right through his arm tattoos and the creases in the corners of his eyes. He had obviously been through a lot. “You don’t have to hide your past,” I said. “I’m not bothered that you had some wild times.”

  I’m not sure what gave me the confidence to say that, but I felt comfortable enough with the guys that it came out before I could think better.

  “You’re just hearing the fun stories,” he said. “Anyway, what makes you so sure you can trust me?” Maddox asked.

  I smiled and popped the last bite of waffle in my mouth. “I’m a librarian, Maddox. I’m good at paying attention to the details.”

  He barked out a laugh and then finished off his beer. “I can’t argue with that,” he said.

  Gunner pulled his arm from around my shoulder, then leaned forward on the booth. “How about another beer, Maddox?” he asked. From the way his eyes were flashing, I knew he was nervous about Maddox taking off.

  “Another beer? I don’t think so. Aren’t we done here?”

  I looked over to Gunner, frowning. I tried to think of a reason to ask Maddox to stay, but I could imagine he might want to get back to the mountains or maybe to meet up with his friend. He was already doing so much for us.

  “I guess so,” Gunner said reluctantly.

  “Great,” Maddox replied. “I’ll pay the bill up front. Let’s get going.” He rose to his feet, then pointed at Gunner. “I want to check out your place.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Gunner

  I pushed open my front door and flicked on the light. “My place is kind of a dump,” I said but made sure not to sound like I was apologizing for it.

  It was my apartment, after all. I worked hard to pay for it, and I always figured if someone had a problem with my home, then they could just leave.

  Except now that Malcolm and Maddox were both standing in my living room, I really wanted them to stick around. “Let me grab you a beer, Maddox. You want anything, Malcolm?”

  “Just water,” he said.

  When I came back, they were still standing together near the door. Malcolm had his hands deep in his pockets and that gentle look on his face. Maddox stood beside him, his stubble looking fuller than usual next to Malcolm’s light beard.

  Fucking hell… two hotties in my apartment. I felt like I had won the damn lottery.

  Maddox rested his hand on Malcolm’s chin and tilted his head up to face him. “You really get yourself in some situations, huh, kid?”

  Malcolm laughed, holding his eye. “It’s Gunner’s fault,” he said.

  “You can thank me later,” I said, handing them their drinks. My mind was already racing with fantasies of what might happen next. With Maddox towering over us, however, I knew he was going to be calling the shots. He knew things I didn’t, and the more time we spent together, the more I wanted to learn from him.

  The more I wanted him to teach me.

  Maddox took a drink from his bottle, then set it down on the small coffee table in my living room. “Do you boys know what you’re getting into?” he asked, his face scrunched up with concern. “You’ve got a special thing going. Are you certain you want some old guy like me stepping in?”

  Malcolm stepped by my side, and I instinctively threw my arm over his shoulder. “I know exactly what I want,” I answered, holding Maddox’s eye.

  “Me, too,” Malcolm added. “Or, at least, I’m starting to figure it out.”

  “That’s good,” Maddox said. “But I need to be clear about what I’m offering, too. You know I have my life out in the mountains, and I’m trying to keep my head down. That means I’m not going to be coming down to the city every weekend or sweeping you two off your feet.”

  “We get it,” I said, letting my hand trail down from Malcolm’s shoulder to his hip. “It’s a one-time thing.”

  Maddox scoffed, then took another drink of his beer. “I didn’t say that,” he answered coolly.

  My heartbeat quickened. “If you want to stick around,” Malcolm said, “we’ll have you.”

  I liked the way he said that. We. />
  Maddox studied us with his eyes, devouring every inch of our bodies. I tried to read the expression on his face. He looked strained, almost sad, but there was still that fire in his eyes, the flames of a man who was used to getting what he wanted.

  He stepped forward. “This is tonight,” he said, then stepped closer once again. “This is one evening, but I need you to know, nothing changes between us. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you. No matter what you decide you want or don’t want, I’m still going to follow through on our commitments. I’m still going to do what I can to help you.”

  I heard Malcolm swallow behind me and felt his trembles against my side. I pulled my hand from his hip to the firm globes of his backside, squeezing. “Trust me,” I said. “We’ve already decided what we want. And it’s you.”

  Maddox’s lips turned up the corners of his mouth in a sly smile as he crossed the last distance between us. “And I know what I want, too,” he said.

  Malcolm whimpered, and Maddox laid his hands on the back of our heads. We stood there for a moment, feeling the heat between us. I inhaled Maddox’s woodsy scent, the pheromones not quite overpowering the sweet taste of Malcolm, rich in the air. With my cock rapidly hardening, Maddox turned my face toward Malcolm’s, and we began to kiss.

  My hand grabbed his ass, squeezing harder, and he wriggled against me as our tongues met and our lips caressed. Maddox kept his hand on the back of my head, like he was guiding me as I embraced Malcolm. I pulled him closer with every flick of my tongue or nibble on his lip.

  When we came up for air, Maddox’s gaze was burning into us. “Good,” he said. “Good.”

  Malcolm adjusted his glasses, panting a little to catch his breath.

  “Bedroom?” I asked, my cock already achingly hard.