by BA Tortuga
“I know you are.” He stared at the menu. It was that horrible not breakfast not lunch time. Honey chicken biscuit it was. “I just hate that you’re hurting.”
“Me too. In fact, I’m going with it totally sucks.”
He laughed, charmed into it by Dakota’s honesty. “It does. I wanted you to be able to play. I am selfish enough to be glad that you’re coming.” Jayden wanted Dakota to know that he wanted them together, wanted this weekend so bad he could feel it like another physical presence with him.
“I’ll be ready to play tomorrow. I promise.”
Part of him believed Dakota too. Part of him knew that Dakota was the toughest man he’d ever have the honor to meet.
“I told you. Napping. Then we move up to maybe floating. Can I have a chicken biscuit, hash browns, medium fries, and a chocolate shake?”
“Something to drink for you, Jayden.”
“Right. And a large Dr Pepper, no ice.”
“Sugar fiend.”
“I know. I’ll swim it off. After naps and floating.” Besides, he could drag the drink out over the next few hours, right, the whole drive?
“I don’t judge. You know how many calories are in a Whataburger shake?”
“Nope. You need it all. Every therm. Joule? K-something?”
“There’s no calories on your birthday weekend.”
“No?”
“Nope. It’s like a law. I didn’t make it.”
Jayden pulled up to the pick-up window. “Damn. If I had known that, I would have gotten cinnamon rolls.”
“I’ll buy you some, if you want.”
“Oh, honey, I’m good.” Jayden reached over to pat Dakota’s leg. “Thank you.”
Dakota squeezed his fingers. “I liked sleeping with you last night. It was….” He took a quick breath, let it go carefully. “It felt good.”
“It did.” He’d worried that he was going to hurt Dakota, but Jayden had loved being there to watch over him, to help him if he needed it. The simple act of taking care was really not a step Jayden had ever taken before. People tended to do it for him.
Christ, that was an embarrassing fucking thought, wasn’t it? Was he that shallow?
He waited behind an Escalade and watched how Dakota looked at him, watched him like he was the shit. Surely this man who read other people unlike anyone he’d ever known wouldn’t love him if he was a shithead.
The thought made him snort a little, but they moved up, which saved him from having to explain. Yeah. He was a loveable guy, and he adored Dakota. So there.
He’d bite the head off of anyone who said different.
“You’re thinking hard.”
“Hello, pot. I’m kettle.”
“Nah. I’m just too sore to talk.” Dakota laughed, petting his hand. “Seriously, what’s up?”
“I was just hoping I wasn’t a needy bastard,” Jayden said.
“Uh. How?”
“I feel as if everyone has done for me my whole life. Like, am I an entitlement whore?”
Dakota stared at him a second, and then his lips twisted. “Do you feel like everyone’s supposed to? Do for you? Do you expect it?”
“I don’t think so?” He really didn’t. Jayden was perfectly capable of going after what he wanted, whether it was Whataburger or a job. “I mean, I’m pretty good at doing for myself. Ask my mom. It distresses her on occasion.”
“Then you’re lucky. That’s cool. People want to do for you. You sorta disrespect them if you… I don’t know. If you act like it’s not cool. Is that stupid?”
“No.” No, that was totally far from stupid. “No, that makes sense.” Jayden passed his debit card through the window. “I like cooking dinner for you. Hell, I liked being able to be there to help you last night.”
“I’m glad you were there. I’m more glad that you didn’t see me and run.”
“Well, you do have that Ghost Ship look.” Jayden shook his head. “I’m all in. Right?”
“Right. Me too. I have to tell you, I don’t know if that’s very fair to you. I’m not the wisest pick for anyone’s team.” He kept on as Jayden tried to interrupt. “I’m not saying I’m not going to fight for you or that I’m not joining up. I’m saying, folks are going to grump at you.”
“I bet.” He imagined it would start with his momma. Still, Jayden found that he just didn’t care.
“Of course… I’m taking up with a shyster.”
“Yep. Man, the other ex-cons will never let you live it down.” Did he just say that?
“Don’t you make me laugh hard!” Dakota was all grins, though, and yeah. Yeah, he’d said it, and Dakota thought it was funny.
“Shh. No hurting.” His face was gonna hurt from smiling so. He took back his card, then grabbed the bags. “Voilà. Shake and fries.”
“Thank you. Tell me what I owe you?”
“No worries, honey. You got chips and all. This is my birthday weekend, so don’t argue.”
“Why do I think I’m going to hear that a lot this weekend?”
“Because you’re a brilliant son of a bitch.”
“That I am,” Dakota said. The grimace when Dakota slurped some shake wasn’t too bad, so Jayden dug out his biscuit and headed for Dakota’s place. Then he would go grab his bag and cooler and all.
“I don’t think they’ll be waiting at the apartment. I think they probably did last night, but they wouldn’t still be there.”
“Azel strikes me as the kind to call someone if they hung around.” Maybe not the cops, but the man had friends everywhere.
“Yeah. Azel can be a bitch if he’s pushed. He has a baseball bat, and forewarned is forearmed.”
“No shit.” Lord, that biscuit was good. Hot and crispy and sticky.
He headed to Dakota’s complex first, pulling into the labyrinthine series of parking lots. Jayden wrinkled his nose a little at the run-down cars parked around, then immediately felt like an ass. People drove what they could afford.
“You want to wait here in the truck while I head upstairs, Jayden?”
“No. I can help carry, honey.” He wasn’t worried. Well, he might have been if he didn’t have an alarm, but he’d never say that out loud.
“’Kay.” They parked, and Dakota managed to get himself out of the truck and moving. God, those stairs were going to be a bitch.
Jayden hung back, figuring he’d be there if Dakota started to fall. He would also totally lend an arm, but only if Dakota needed him. Dakota went up, though, dogged and stubborn all the way up. By the time they got to the top, Dakota was drenched with sweat, T-shirt soaked through.
“Hot today,” he muttered.
“Yeah. The lake’ll feel good.” Dakota unlocked the door and let them in. “Azel? It’s me. I’m just getting my shit for the weekend. I got Jayden with me.”
“The lawyer? The one that’s trying to open your case back….” Azel rolled up, frowned at Jayden for a second before catching sight of Dakota. “What the fuck happened to you, kid?”
“Fight at work. What did you mean about Jayden?”
Jayden wanted to hear this too. He really did. He knew it was too late to be invisible, but he smiled and nodded, going for harmless.
“I got another love letter from your biggest fan saying there’s a lawyer trying to open your case. If you make any confessions, call him.”
Dakota rolled his eyes. “I’m going to grab my shit and Jayden’s present.”
“’Kay.” Azel looked at Jayden after Dakota ducked into the bedroom. “So, you’re not trying to put him back in jail?”
“No.” Jayden shook his head for emphasis. “I’m getting the rape kit tested. Also, do you have the letters? I may need them in the future.”
They were going to be important if he had to hire someone to get this guy off Dakota’s ass.
“Sure. I made copies too, so I can give you the originals if Dakota is okay with that.” Azel chuckled. “I keep everything.”
“It’s important.” Jayden k
ept looking back toward where Dakota had disappeared. “You mind if I go check on him? He’s pretty sore.”
Azel stared at Jayden a moment, his dark eyes serious, and then he nodded. “No problem. I’ll grab you some peanut butter cookies for the road.”
“That would rock, thanks.” Then he headed to knock on the door, desperately curious to see Dakota’s room.
“C’mon in.” Dakota was carefully tugging a bag out of his closet. “Sorry, I had to sit and breathe a minute. My ribs were aching after the stairs.”
The room was meticulously clean, a stack of paperback books along the floor like a baseboard. The bed was a mattress on the floor, and there was a trunk on either side. One had a lamp and a book, the other obviously held underwear and socks, because Dakota was trying to pull some out.
“What can I do?” Jayden asked, because he could almost feel the strain Dakota’s body was under.
“Can you grab me a pair of socks and some underwear? I already packed the trunks and a pair of shorts.”
“You got it.” He tugged out socks and undies. “Do you have some flip-flops or something?”
“Uh-huh. I do. Dollar bin at the HEB. I bought blue ones and black dress ones.”
“I like it. Are the blue ones in the bag?” Jayden peered into Dakota’s bag.
“Uh-huh.” There were T-shirts and a pair of jeans, a towel and a ditty bag, a book.
“My reading lover.”
“It’s a thing. Me and the used book store have a thing on the side.”
“I would be jealous, but I love books.” Jayden read spy thrillers and serial killer books, nonfiction and biographies. He loved his Kindle. Oh, maybe he should get Dakota one. He could get tons of books for free or nearly so, and he could use gift cards too.
“I know. Handy, huh? You’re welcome to borrow any of mine.”
Dakota’s tastes leaned toward sci-fi and literary fiction, with a dash of weird-assed British cozy mysteries splashed in.
“I was thinking about that medieval mystery you were telling me about. The one with the ravens. Sounds good.”
Dakota nodded happily. “There’s a whole series. I like the main guy.”
“Cool. What else, honey? Azel says he has cookies.”
Dakota went back to the closet and pulled out a Half Price Books shopping bag. “This is for you. Happy birthday.”
He took the bag, tickled as all get-out to find a vinyl copy of London Calling. He’d mentioned loving that album as a teenager once, he thought, and the fact that Dakota remembered sent him over the moon.
Jayden gave Dakota a kiss since a big hug was probably out of the question. “Thank you. That’s awesome. I can’t wait to play it on the stereo.” He’d recently bought and refurbished a cabinet stereo from Goodwill.
“You’re welcome.” Dakota kissed him back—nothing overwhelming and wild, but a firm, direct kiss that said hello and I love you.
Jayden couldn’t stop grinning. “I love it. I can’t believe you remembered.” Hell, he didn’t remember when Dakota’s birthday even was, exactly. Wow. He should ask.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s something I didn’t think anyone else would get you.”
He wasn’t sure anyone but Patrick and his family would remember. The ex had been the type who threw parties and shit for him, but the man was doing that for his wife now. He’d also always hated Jayden’s taste in music and decor, when it came right down to it.
“Nope. It’s perfect. My mom would be like, ‘I had to live through that shit once. Do not play it for me.’”
“You can play it for me.”
“I will.” That would be so much fun. “What was your high school music? I mean, this wasn’t our time period, but I was retro guy.”
“Green Day, Matchbox 20, Pearl Jam—most of my friends were into Marilyn Manson, but he wasn’t for me.”
“Too screechy?” Marilyn Manson probably should have been right up Jayden’s alley. He wasn’t.
“Too scary. Those eyes, you know?”
“Yeah, he has weird clown mask face.”
“See? You get it.” Dakota took a breath, grimaced a little. “So did McCarthy get hold of you?”
“He called.” Jayden hadn’t wanted to tell Dakota about that, but he really ought to, he reckoned.
Dakota sighed. “I’m sorry. He wants me dead. You’ll need to be careful.”
“Well, I should tell you I was totally noncommittal. I bet he thinks I’m trying to put you back in jail.”
To his credit, Dakota didn’t question him, didn’t ask him whether it was the truth. “That’s probably safest.”
“I was just trying to keep him from having a meltdown. He’s on the edge.”
“Yeah. His daughter is fucked-up, but I didn’t do it.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with this, though. Hell, honey, no one should.”
“No. No one should, but that doesn’t matter. I still do.”
“I know.” He kissed that mouth one more time. “You ready to head out?”
“Yep. It’s time to celebrate you.”
“Cupcakes!” He dared a little dance, jerking like a weird puppet, and Dakota offered him a smattering of applause.
“Very nice. Let’s go.”
“Cool.” He carefully tucked his gift under one arm and held out the other hand. “I can take your bag.”
“It’s okay. I got it. You just make sure I don’t fall down the stairs.” Dakota’s chuckle was wry. “I’ve already fucked with your weekend enough.”
“Stop it. Aside from the fact that I can’t make a huge pass at you tonight, my plans haven’t changed.”
“You can make a pass. I just can’t say yes.”
“If it helps, I can do that.” He waved at Azel, who came to bring them a box of cookies.
“Peanut butter. Be careful, kiddo, okay? You look like hammered shit.”
“Yeah?” Dakota grinned. “Then I look better than I feel.”
Azel cackled like a big blackbird, and they left the apartment, the sun feeling good on his face. Jayden slipped his sunglasses into place, then helped Dakota down the stairs.
A shadow hit the steps as they headed down, and Dakota looked up, head tilting. “If you’re going to shoot me, do it quick. I got plans.”
A wiry little Mexican guy stood there, and Jayden grabbed his phone, ready to dial 911.
“He don’t pay enough to kill you.”
“Then get the fuck out of my way, Jorge. I ain’t scared.”
No? Because Jayden was, some. Maybe a lot, the way his heart pounded against his ribs.
Jorge moved, shrugging elaborately. “That gringo hates you, vato. Be careful.”
“I didn’t hurt anybody. I didn’t do it. No amount of bullshit’s gonna change that.”
“I want my job back.”
“Don’t get caught moonlighting as an asshole, then.” Dakota just stood there like… like something made of stone.
“I’ll own up, tell Jim what I done.” Jorge spat on the steps. “Square?”
“You touch me again and I swear to God, I’ll make you sorry. That was your one free fucking pass.”
Jorge’s face split into a wide white grin, surprising Jayden.
“I believe you, vaquero. I will see you Monday.”
“I’ll be there.” Dakota watched him go, never looking away, never flinching.
Jayden would be lying if he said he wasn’t turned on. Dakota held firm until Jorge disappeared like smoke, and they stood there for a few moments, not moving a muscle, either of them.
“Okay, you ready?”
“Hell, yes.” He forced himself not to glance over his shoulder. He knew once you had the upper hand with guys like Jorge, you didn’t give it up even a little.
God, he wanted to get Dakota in the truck and get the fuck out of this goddamn apartment complex.
Out, out, out. Jayden didn’t breathe easy until they were a mile down the road. “You were amazing, Dakota.”
; “I’m just tired of taking shit, man, and I’ll be goddamned if I let anyone hurt you.”
“Well, you rock.” Was that lame? Jayden hoped not. His belly felt like he’d swallowed concrete, and his hands shook a little.
“Do you want me to…?” Dakota stared out the windshield, or at least that was what Jayden thought he was doing. “If you want me not to come this weekend, I’ll be pissed, but I’ll get it.”
“Why would I want that?” Genuinely surprised, Jayden glanced over, brows raised.
“I hope you don’t, but it seemed like I should offer.”
“Well, you did, and I politely refused. Are my hash browns still in the bag?”
“Yeah. Oh, they gave you two.”
“You want one? Or is it too crunchy?” Jayden didn’t know what to say, what to do.
“I’m going to try, I think.” Dakota reached out, touched his leg, surprising the fuck out of him. “It’s okay to be mad.”
“I’m not mad at you.” That popped out, and Jayden realized he was actually furious. “It pisses me off that people think it’s okay to hurt you, that someone would hire people to do it and not even have a twinge of conscience.”
“Good.”
“What?”
“I want someone to be mad about that. I want someone to think it’s wrong, not because it’s just generally fucked-up, but because it’s me.”
“I am. I am mightily unhappy, honey.” He was going to have to contact McCarthy too, because Jayden was a witness now and knew someone involved in the beating. He needed the old man to know he could face severe penalties.
“I am too.”
But he thought that maybe Dakota sounded… sure? Was that it? Sure? Confident? Proud? Something. Something new, and he approved.
“Good. You need to be grumpy about it.” They munched on hash browns, and he thought maybe adrenaline had relieved Dakota’s pain a little. That would fade fast, but Dakota could sleep all the way to the lake. He just needed a quick stop.
“Your house next, huh? Do we need to go to the HEB?”
“Nope. I have everything but the cold stuff in bags, and the rest I just need to grab out of the fridge back in the pantry. I have ice too.” Jayden was ready. Prepared.
“Tell the truth, did you have your secretary buy everything for you?”
