Protecting My Heart

by David Horne

  “Protecting My Heart”

  M/M Gay Romance

  David Horne

  © 2020

  David Horne

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18.

  Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life. If you’re not sure where to start, see here: http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com/safe-sex-resources/ (courtesy of Jerry Cole).

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images and are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2020.01.13)

  http://www.DavidHorneauthor.com

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: JayBee, RB, Jenny and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Free Book “Princes of Westlake”

  Chapter One

  Zeke Mathison grunted as he examined the bags under his eyes. The bathroom mirror told no lies about the state he was in. A few extra drinks the night before and it was going to be another long day at work. Maybe he shouldn’t have done it, but there was no going back now.

  It had been a fun night, but was it really worth it? He answered his own question as soon as he asked it. “Totally worth it.”

  He paused for a moment, considering taking one of the many sick days that he had piled up, but the thought was quickly pushed aside. Zeke didn’t just lie down and give up. That wasn’t the man that he wanted to be. However, he knew better than to let anyone see him like this. He settled a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.

  “Better,” Zeke mumbled as he looked himself over once again. He’d modeled himself off of the rogue cops he’d been watching on television since he was a child. It often resulted in a gentle teasing, but he didn’t let that get him down. It was the outfit that made him feel powerful, with that old leather jacket and a black t-shirt.

  Checking his phone only took a moment on his way out the door. He had enough time to stop for coffee that wasn’t burnt in the department coffee pot. That’d have to do. “Time to go, Zeke.” He grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door.

  “Don’t want to be late,” Zeke groaned as he climbed behind the wheel of his old beat-up truck. The thing had two seats and a dent in the door. At almost twenty years old the truck had seen its share of hard times. The dark green paint was dingy and chipped.

  Zeke loved that old truck. It was the best thing he owned. Even though he could have bought something new whenever wanted to. He just couldn’t let his truck go.

  The trip to the station never took long. Zeke had moved closer to work a long time ago, well within the boundaries of the precinct he served. It worked well because he’d learned the area and knew the people who lived there. The apartment was a little more expensive than most would pay. But, a one-bedroom apartment didn’t break the bank and he was still able to afford the things he wanted. A single man didn’t have a lot of expenses these days. Especially when he spent almost every waking hour at work.

  Today was going to be no different. He was going to slog through the hangover with the help of some aspirin and caffeine and get himself working hard to keep his blood pumping in his veins.

  ***

  “You look like shit,” his partner, Jennie Steward said, laughing as he walked up to her desk.

  “It’s not that bad, is it?” Zeke feigned looking into the closest shiny surface. It happened to be a nearby computer monitor that was off because the owner of the desk was off duty.

  Jennie continued to chuckle. “Way to go, Romeo. Let’s get you moving.”

  “I am moving.” He grinned at her and sipped his coffee out of the fancy cup from the good coffee shop in town.

  “Why do you spend so much money on coffee?” she asked.

  He started to lead the way out of the precinct. “Have you tried the coffee here?”

  “It’s fine if you’re not picky.”

  “I’m not picky.” He mocked offense at her words with a wide smile. “I would never be picky.”

  “Have you ever met you?” Jennie laughed at his hand over his chest like he was some sort of fainting lady. “You’re nothing but picky.”

  “You can’t really mean that.” Zeke gasped, still grinning as they climbed into the car.

  “I do mean that. Absolutely,” Jennie said.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the truth. ‘Mr. Too Good For Station Coffee’,” Jennie replied. Then she jabbed a finger at his fancy paper coffee cup.

  “You’re just jealous because I have good coffee.”

  “Okay, maybe a little,” she said.

  “See, there’s some honesty.”

  “That’s because I’m self-aware.”

  “And I’m not?” Zeke’s eyes were glittering with laughter. This was one of the best parts of his day.

  “Nope. That’s why I have to drive,” Jennie said.

  “I can drive, you know.”

  “I know you can. After all, you can do anything that you put your mind to.”

  “And that’s what I live for. Tired old clichés that show me how amazing I am.” Zeke chuckled softly.

  “I can definitely believe that you believe that.”

  “You’re right, I absolutely do.”

  Jennie laughed as she pulled out of the parking lot. “I think there’s a reason only I can be your partner, you know that?”

  “I think my partners love me,” Zeke said with a smirk.

  Jennie shook her head, still laughing. “This one sure does.”

  “Mm-hhm. And how has your little slice of heaven been after the weekend?”

  “Doing fine. You missed Josh’s piano recital,” Jennie said.

  “Damn. I knew I forgot something,” Zeke said, shaking his head in dismay that he had forgotten.

  “Or you were just trolling for a date and didn’t find one.” Jennie was grinning across the cabin of the car.

  Zeke snickered. “Maybe. Finding a date is hard.”

  “You would have more luck if you weren’t so picky.”

  “Are we on about the picky thing again?” Zeke asked.

  “How many good guys have you just let slip through your fingers?” Jennie replied.

  Zeke shrugged. “Who kn
ows?”

  “You don’t, because you never give yourself a chance to get to know them,” Jennie said.

  “That’s not exactly fair,” Zeke said, his voice having a bit of defensiveness to it.

  Jennie smirked. “It is, and you know it is.”

  “Right. You’re right. Maybe I’m just not ready to settle down yet,” Zeke said.

  “Of course, you’re not. You’re still too much of a lone wolf,” Jennie added.

  “I prefer the term free spirit, thank you.” Zeke held his coffee cup up in a mock salute.

  Jennie laughed. “And this is why you can still get dates as a free spirit.”

  “Because I have an amazing personality.” Zeke eyes glittered in amusement.

  “Ego much?” Jennie looked at Zeke as a smirk grew on her face.

  “Quite a bit, thank you,” Zeke said, laughing.

  Jenny shook her head, still chuckling. “Someday you’re going to fall hard for someone.”

  “Maybe. I probably wouldn’t see it if it happens,” Zeke said.

  “You probably would,” Jennie replied.

  “What makes you say that?” Zeke asked.

  “Because I thought the same thing about myself,” Jennie said.

  “And then you met the love of your life and had a dozen babies,” Zeke said.

  Jennie laughed. “No babies yet, thankfully.”

  “What, you don’t want babies?”

  “Not for some time, yet. We’re enjoying just being together right now,” Jennie said.

  “That sounds like a really great place to be,” Zeke replied.

  “Maybe not for a free spirit like you,” Jennie said.

  Zeke shook his head and decided to change the subject. “What’s the plan today?”

  “Got an informant to meet with. Then, it’s just doing some canvassing.”

  “That hasn’t turned up much so far,” Zeke said.

  As he looked out the window, he heard Jennie let out a heavy sigh. “It’s just a bunch of crap, isn’t it? You’d think these people would want to help.”

  “They’re scared.” Zeke shook his head. “I can’t blame them for being scared. But it’s frustrating. We’re trying to protect them and somehow we’ve become the bad guys.”

  He brushed his hair back from his face. “There have been better days for stuff like this.”

  “There’s never a better day for stuff like this. We just have to do our job,” Jennie said.

  Zeke sighed. “It would be so much easier to just beat the information out of these people. They’re so scared.”

  He could feel the frustration welling up in him. They had been working this case for what felt like forever, with the Ocotillo Gang starting in on the protection racket. This wasn’t even mob tier work, but it had been so frustrating. The gang was doing a great job of covering their tracks.

  It had done nothing but drive them crazy. Zeke and Jennie had been chasing ghosts and running in circles. And it was starting to feel like a lost cause. Zeke knew it. And he knew that his partner was feeling it too. He could tell from the grim look on her face when Jennie wasn’t trying to be cheerful.

  It wasn’t something that either of them mentioned. Zeke and Jennie didn’t have to. They had been working together for years, and they could nearly read each other’s thoughts. It didn’t help much in keeping any sort of secret, but it helped with police work.

  Zeke and Jennie were one of the best teams on the force. They had built a solid arrest record and they had a pretty good reputation too. They didn’t break rules. At least none that would risk convictions, making them friendly to the district attorney. It worked well for them.

  However, it wasn’t working for this case. Playing by the book seemed to keep leading to nothing, one time after another.

  “This isn’t going to work.” Jennie shook her head after they had shared a long silence.

  “There has to be an in. No one covers their tracks this well,” Zeke said, breaking the silence between them.

  “Are you so sure about that?” Jennie asked.

  “We’re good cops,” Zeke answered.

  Zeke glanced out the window again at the passing street. The names of businesses were displayed for him. A bakery. A convenience store. A laundromat. A small corner grocery store. All places that he had known well since his childhood. A few new places. Places that he hadn’t been to yet. Mostly a few trendy restaurants that had popped up with the start of the gentrification of the Waldo area of Kansas City.

  “We can handle this,” Jennie said.

  “We’ve been at this for months. I’m not sure we can.”

  “We just need to find one person willing to talk to us,” she added.

  Zeke shook his head. “It isn’t a great plan, but it’s really the only one we have. We’ve talked to everyone.”

  “I know. And no one is talking,” Jennie replied.

  “They have to be using some pretty big threats to keep everyone quiet,” Zeke said.

  “The threats don’t have to be big. These guys are just normal people trying to support themselves,” Jennie said.

  Zeke rubbed his face. “It’s not easy. It probably never will be. I can’t blame them for being terrified.”

  “I know. But damn it. If they just knew that we’re going to actually stop this, they’d be able to trust us.” Jennie slammed her palm into the steering wheel and then grunted.

  “If it hurts, don’t do that,” Zeke pointed out.

  “No duh,” Jennie said, rolling her eyes.

  “What are you, like thirteen?” Zeke said and laughed.

  “I don’t know if there’s really a way to solve this,” Jennie responded again.

  “I don’t think anyone knows of a good way to solve this,” Zeke said, sighing in frustration.

  Zeke frowned, the humor of the moment before was lost. They were stuck back in a weird situation. The impossible to solve crime that they couldn’t find proof of. But that they knew was going on. They just had to prove it, but that wasn’t coming easily.

  Chapter Two

  Tristan leaned over the counter. There was a spot where someone had spilled a cup of coffee. He hadn’t noticed it until a regular customer, Kevin, pointed it out to him. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll get that taken care of.”

  Kevin offered a smile. “Not a problem. Figured nobody wants the insurance hit from that.”

  “Always taking care of me,” Tristan said.

  Kevin laughed loudly. “It’s my job to take care of you. To make sure that you’re doing all right.”

  “Don’t act like that’s actually your job now. It’s my job to keep your pregnant wife, Lydia, in all the deserts she wants.”

  “She always sends me here.” Kevin said, laughing.

  “Yeah. I make sure Lydia gets the best of the best that I have to offer.” Tristan nodded and handed over the box of cupcakes. “Don’t eat them all at once, now.”

  Kevin reached out and took the box of cupcakes from Tristan. “I’ll try my hardest, but I can’t promise anything,” Kevin said.

  “Remember. They’re for your wife. Don’t piss off the pregnant woman,” Tristian said, tsking and shaking a finger at Kevin.

  Kevin laughed. “That’s not so bad.”

  “It’s not?” Tristan cocked his head curiously. “My dad says that pregnant women are the most beautiful and impossible women to deal with.”

  Kevin laughed again. He was about Tristan’s age but didn’t share Kevin’s dark hair and eyes. Tristan stood taller and more fit than Kevin, which often came as a surprise to people. Tristan spent a lot of time in the gym to make up for all of the cupcakes that surrounded him. “She is beautiful. You ever thought about having kids?”

  “I’d have to settle down first, I guess. If I find the right guy, maybe,” Tristan said.

  “You never did, huh?”

  “It’s always a little harder than it looks, isn’t it?” Tristan replied.

  “I guess so. I just alwa
ys thought you and Zeke would end up together.”

  “That ship has long since sailed. I’d rather talk about Lydia if I’m honest,” Tristan

  Kevin laughed. “I can’t blame you for that.”

  “Go on and brag about her.” Tristan made the offer. He loved to hear about his customer’s happiness. It thrilled him to no end. Lydia was a regular that he’d known for years. So was her husband. It had been a love story that he had seen unfold.

  “She’s a great woman. I love her to death. It’s not her fault she’s having a little trouble.”

  Tristan smiled. “And she’s lucky to have you too.”

  “I mean, wouldn’t you do the same thing for the mother of your child?”

  “I guess I would,” Tristan said.

  Kevin had a smile that wouldn’t leave his face for any reason. Tristan couldn’t blame him for it at all. Kevin and Lydia had been coming to the bakery since they were children. Loyal customers that had pretty much become an extension of their family in the meantime.

  “I’m glad for you then,” Tristan said. He grinned across the counter. “I hope she likes them. I made sure they were the freshest we have.”

  “She deserves the best,” Kevin said.

  “I still remember sitting at that table over there doing my homework, when your parents would bring you guys in after school,” Tristan said.

  “We have been in love since then. Inseparable. Always at one house or the other.”

  “I knew you two were close. It’s nice to see how everyone has grown.”

  “I love the fact that you’re keeping this place in your family. You guys are a big part of this community,” Kevin added.

  “Thanks. I wouldn’t leave this place. This is my home.” Tristan smiled. “This is the place I grew up. And I’ve still got people like you guys that I grew up with and who love this place too. But enough about that. How about your wife. You sure she’s doing all right?”

  “She’s doing fine. My mother has been staying with her during the day while I work.” Kevin said.

  “She was always so independent. It’s hard to imagine,” Tristan said.