Sleight of Hand by Charlie Cochet

Three

“I don’t get it.”

“Get what?” Jack said through his earpiece.

“This whole modern art bullshit,” Joker said discreetly, motioning around him at the vast gallery lined with wall-to-wall artwork. “Standing in front of a bunch of scribbles and paint splotches with a constipated expression, pretending you see something, then being all”—he put a hand to his chest and gasped—“it’s incredible. Just look at these lines, the colors. See how it represents our crumbling environment and the decimation of man brought on by our mutual propensity for self-destruction.”

“My God,” someone gasped to Joker’s right. He turned and arched an eyebrow at the tall, lanky man who sported thick square-rimmed glasses encrusted in rhinestones, a chunky knit turtleneck sleeveless sweater—the collar of which was so ginormous and fluffy it looked like it was swallowing him whole—and a pair of matching harem pants. Oh, and translucent sandals. Let’s not forget those.

“You are so insightful,” the man drawled, hand to his chest. “Do you know the artist?” He studied Joker, his eyebrows lifting when it became apparent Joker was not a guest but security. A look of distaste quickly followed. “My mistake.” He caught sight of Chip and mewled, “Aw, what a pretty puppy!”

Sweet Betty White.

The guy completely ignored the tactical vest Chip wore and the five noticeable patches with white block letters that stated: “DO NOT PET. I’M WORKING.” He took a step forward, hand out, and Joker quickly stopped him. “Sir, please do not petthe dog. He’s working.”

The man blinked at him. “But he’s just sitting there. Can I touch his ears? They’re so big!” He leaned toward Chip, and Joker sighed.

“I hope you’re a lefty.”

The man paused and blinked at him. “What?”

“I said, I hope you’re a lefty because you’re about to lose that hand.”

Chip let out a low growl, and the guy squeaked before snatching his hand back. He power-walked the hell away from them, throwing glares over his shoulder as he did.

Cackling filled Joker’s earpiece.

“Shut up,” Joker said through a grunt.

“Oh my God, I can’t breathe.”

“That back there is why murders happen. The point is, I’m right.”

“You are,” Jack replied. “Because you are so insightful.”

“And you are so dead when I get my hands on you, Constantino. And what the fuck? Just because I don’t look like a cross between Elton John and an alpaca, I don’t know art?”

“But you don’t know art,” Jack reminded him.

“Not the point, Jack-ass.”

Jack snickered.

“I don’t know how Ace does it.”

“Maybe you should ask him.”

Maybe he would.

Joker hummed as he slowly made his way around the giant room, which was several rooms with moveable walls. The Saint Gio Charity Tour had officially started. For the next month, Gio had numerous charity events, auctions, brunches, lunches, and dinner meetings in several cities across Florida. None of which was unusual for someone like Gio. Frankly, his calendar wasn’t all that different from Colton’s, but Joker didn’t work Colton’s security. That wasn’t his job. Executive protection wasn’t his job, which was why King had assigned Saint to be Gio’s executive protection. Still, entertainment and events were Joker’s job, which was why he’d agreed to be part of the security team assigned to Gio. For now, anyway.

Gio and King had spoken at length. Although Gio hadn’t decided whether he would hire a permanent security team—he seemed reluctant for some reason he wasn’t divulging—but he agreed to have security for the next month and then reassess with King after that.

Two hours into the charity art exhibit and Joker still didn’t get it. The place was crawling with people who had more money than sense and little finger foods that couldn’t fill up a hamster, some of which looked more decorative than edible. They were all dressed in outrageously expensive clothing, talking about yachts, vacation homes, private jets, celebrities, the latest this or that, portfolios and profiles, and any number of rich-people topics. Admittedly, a few conversations Joker overheard were about helping people, but those usually involved Gio.

How the hell did Ace do this? Mingle with these people, have conversations with them? What the fuck did Ace talk about? He couldn’t imagine Ace’s brand of humor going down well with this crowd. Then again, Ace could be a charming son of a bitch when he wanted to be, and if it was for Colton, Joker didn’t doubt his friend could pull it off. But didn’t it get exhausting?

Joker caught a glimpse of Gio in the middle of a small crowd, his smile wide as he regaled guests with some tale. They were enraptured, hanging on his every word. Shaking his head, Joker continued on his route. Annoying, that’s what it was.

No matter where in the room Gio stood, Joker was aware of his presence. While walking the perimeter, he instinctively sought the man out and found him. But then that was part of his job, wasn’t it, knowing where Gio was? Not that Saint didn’t know where his client was, but still. They were part of a team. It was all their responsibility to be vigilant.

Taking up position by the wall, Joker stood at attention as he surveyed the crowd. It became apparent who the star of the show was, and it wasn’t the art.

Gio stood surrounded by people, all vying for his attention, their smiles wide, eyes focused on his face, and hands on some part of him. The men put a hand to his shoulder or upper arm, while women touched his hand, chest, or arm. Why did he let these people touch him? Then again, Gio appeared genuinely pleased to see them. He took their hands, his handshake firm for the men or a kiss to the back of the hand for the women, his smile always bright.

They laughed at whatever he just said. Nothing about Gio came across as fake. Joker frowned. For years he’d heard stories about this man from Laz, Red, or Colton, about how great Gio was, how he’d spent most of his adult life helping people, giving away vast amounts of money to help others. He’d come off as a saint, and Joker had declared bullshit. No one was that good. Not that he thought Gio was good. Or beautiful. Okay, he needed to stop thinking about the guy.

Was it possible he’d been wrong? Joker quickly shook himself out of it. A few smiles weren’t going to sway him. For all he knew, Gio was an exceptional actor. The man exuded confidence, after all. His smile never faltered, and he seemed to know everyone who approached him.

Goddammit, he was thinking about him again. For fuck’s sake, get your shit together!

That night at Colton’s invaded his thoughts, and he found himself frowning. Gio hadn’t been acting then. Whatever he’d had a nightmare about was real. Something had happened to Gio while out there traveling the globe. Was that why he’d suddenly returned home? Laz clearly didn’t know whatever it was, and Joker had to wonder exactly how much Colton knew.

“My God, the man is gorgeous.”

Joker moved his gaze to a brunet and her male companion who’d stopped near him. They hadn’t noticed him or most likely hadn’t seen Chip at Joker’s left heel. People tended to notice the dog before they noticed the guy wearing the tactical uniform. The dog was the only reason most people didn’t lose their shit. It was the ears. Hard to freak out when faced with a dog that looked like a giant black bunny.

“I know,” the man replied with a groan. He definitely liked what he saw. The way he raked his gaze all over Gio had Joker clenching his jaw. No question what he would do to Gio, given the opportunity. “Filthy rich, handsome, and a good guy? Ugh, I’d never let him leave my bed.”

“You should go talk to him,” his friend said, nudging him.

Joker stiffened. The man undressing Gio with his eyes was stunning—tall, broad-shouldered, golden-blond, big green eyes, a chiseled jaw, and a suit that probably cost more than everything Joker owned.

“Oh, honey, I tried,” the guy lamented. “He was so damned charming when he turned me down, I wasn’t even upset about it. The man has talent.”

“I bet,” his friend purred.

“What about you? You’re a knockout. Why haven’t you snagged him?”

The guy wasn’t wrong. His friend was just as gorgeous. Her ample curves filled the slinky black cocktail dress beautifully. She brushed her big soft curls away from her slender neck and pouted plump red lips. “You think I haven’t tried? No luck either.”

“You think he has someone?”

Joker listened intently, though he knew there was no one in Gio’s life.

Except you.

Joker rolled his eyes at himself, though he couldn’t help his smirk. He lifted his gaze to the crowd at the very moment Gio looked his way. Their eyes met, and Gio’s smile turned soft.

“He never talks about his personal life,” the brunet replied and shrugged. “Who knows?”

Was it possible? All these rich, beautiful people and Gio wanted him? Why?

A striking man in a flashy tuxedo stepped up behind Gio. He placed a hand to Gio’s shoulder, but instead of turning and smiling as Joker expected, Gio stiffened, his smile dropping from his face. He turned toward the man, his smile back in place, but this time it didn’t reach his eyes. Joker spotted Saint near Gio, but Saint didn’t know Gio the way Joker did. He didn’t see the rigid way Gio held himself, the subtle tension in his jaw, and the way he quickly took a step back, forcing the man’s hand off his shoulder.

Joker had been observing Gio since his return almost nine months ago in an attempt to figure the guy out. By now he was all too familiar with Gio’s quirks—when he was genuinely happy to see someone, when he was simply being polite, or when he was uncomfortable and wanted the asshole in front of him to get gone.

Gio shoved his fists into his pants pockets, something Joker had noticed Gio did when he was anxious around someone. Joker didn’t hesitate. He made his way through the crowd, and everyone moved out of his and Chip’s way. Some looked startled, as if seeing him for the first time, while others seemed amused, their smiles and gazes on Chip. Seeing Joker heading for Gio had Saint on the move, and he stood behind Gio to his right while Joker stopped behind Gio just to his left. He caught part of the quiet argument.

“The answer is still no,” Gio replied through his teeth. “And quite frankly, I can’t believe you have the gall to show up here and ask. You should have known better, William.”

“How many times do I have to apologize? Why do you always have to be so stubborn? Please. Have dinner with me. We can discuss this, and you’ll see—”

“No.”

“Goddamn you, Giovanni. Just fucking listen. I want—” William reached out to grab Gio, and Joker caught his wrist. The man stared down at him.

“He said no.” Joker let his voice go low, the warning clear.

“Who the fuck are you?” William jerked his hand out of Joker’s grip.

“Don’t be rude, William.” Gio narrowed his eyes at William before turning to put a hand on Joker’s shoulder. “Thank you, Sacha. I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Joker didn’t take his eyes off the asshole, who glared at him.

William moved his gaze to Gio, then sucked in a breath, his face draining of color. He looked like someone had punched him in the gut, and then he let out a harsh laugh that sounded somewhat unhinged.

“Oh, this is good.” William shook his head, his lip curling up in disgust. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Joker was lost. What the hell was this guy’s problem?

“This is who you replaced me with? A prepubescent mall cop?”

Joker’s eyebrows flew up near his hairline. The fuck did he just call me? He opened his mouth, but Gio placed himself between Joker and the douchenozzle.

“Sacha is a military veteran. You will show him respect.”

“That guy? Let me guess; his job was to polish the real soldiers’ boots.”

Anger flared through Joker, but it was swiftly replaced by stunned disbelief when William went stumbling back into a crowd of people and landed on the floor on his ass, his nose bloodied.

Holy fuck! Joker gaped at Gio, who shook his hand out, his murderous glare on William. Ace had joined Saint, waiting for the word.

“Gentlemen, please escort Mr. Deveaux out.”

They grabbed William and hauled him to his feet. With a snarl, he jerked his arms out of their grasp.

“You can’t be serious,” William spat. His eyes darted to Joker, and if looks could kill, Joker would have been annihilated on the spot.

“I would choose my next words very carefully if I were you, William.” The low, menacing tone was one Joker had never heard from Gio before. It was kinda hot.

“This isn’t over,” William growled, stomping toward the gallery exit. Ace and Saint grabbed him again, and Joker ordered Chip to stay with Gio. He quickly caught up and took hold of William’s elbow in a bruising grip, ignoring the man’s snarl as Joker escorted him outside. William snatched his elbow away and whirled to face Joker, who got up in his face to murmur quietly.

“If you go anywhere near him, I will end you.”

William scoffed. “You think I’m scared of you?”

Joker’s grin had William taking a quick step back. “You should be.”

“I don’t know what your angle is, but if you think giving him your ass is going to get you a rich daddy, you’re in for a disappointment. Giovanni Galanos is a frigid, selfish son of a bitch.”

“If your ass isn’t gone in the next five minutes, you’re going to learn the real meaning of frigid,” Joker warned. He left security to keep an eye on William and went back inside, hurrying to Gio, who assured guests everything was all right. They believed him and quickly went back to schmoozing. Everything might be all right, but Gio wasn’t. Joker put a hand to the small of his back and led him to one side.

“Are you okay?”

Gio inhaled deeply through his nose, then exhaled through his mouth. He smiled warmly and nodded. “Yes, thank you. I need a moment. Would you mind accompanying me?”

Joker was going to suggest Saint since he was Gio’s personal protection, but Gio looked a little pale all of a sudden. “Yeah, sure.” He turned to Saint, murmuring, “Stay close.”

Saint nodded, and they trailed behind Gio as he made his way through the crowd, assuring everyone everything was okay, smiling, excusing himself, and promising he’d be back soon. Gio picked up his pace, and Joker knew something was wrong, especially when Chip whined.

Gio headed for a door at the back of the art gallery, and when they stepped through, Joker frowned. Whatever he’d expected, it hadn’t been the small empty room with the lone couch. A large plastic bottle of water sat on the floor beside it.

“Thank you,” Gio said, sounding breathless. He turned and sat on the couch. Joker had been about to ask what the hell was going on when his pulse picked up. Chip stared up at Gio and whined.

“Shit.” Joker pressed his PTT button. “Red, I need you. Now. And bringyour bag. We’re in the room at the end of the gallery.”

“On my way,” Red replied.

Saint looked from Chip to Joker and back. “What’s going on?”

Joker quickly sat next to Gio. “Talk to me.”

The soft smile Gio gave Joker squeezed at his heart. His face had drained of color, and his brow was beaded with sweat. He shivered, but his smile remained. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay. But I’m going to pass out first. You’ll be here when I wake up, won’t you?”

Joker nodded. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” Gio closed his eyes, and Joker’s reflexes kicked in, catching him before he could fall forward. Getting up, Joker carefully laid Gio down. Red slipped into the room and hurried over.

“What happened?”

“We were out on the floor, and he suddenly went pale. He got all sweaty and shivered and told us he was going to pass out. Chip tried to tell us something was wrong. I think he knew.”

Red quickly went to work checking Gio’s vitals. “His heart rate and blood pressure have dropped, which would explain the fainting. Check his wrist.”

Frowning, Joker did as Red asked. “What am I looking for?”

“A medical alert bracelet. If Gio was prepared, it’s because this has happened enough times for him to know the signs.”

Joker checked both wrists. “No bracelet.”

“Okay. If he doesn’t come out of it in the next few—”

Gio stirred. “Sacha?” He reached out, and Joker took his hand.

“I’m here.”

Red helped Gio slowly sit up, and with a quiet “Thank you,” Gio took the water bottle Red handed to him.

“What’s going on, Gio?” Red asked, concerned.

“I’m so sorry I worried all of you. I was so busy making sure everything was perfect for tonight that I forgot to eat. I should have done better at hydrating as well. It’s not the first time, I’m afraid.”

“Drink,” Joker growled at him, exchanging discreet glances with Red as Gio quickly gulped down the water, all in one go. This was more than dehydration. Did Gio believe they were that naive? That kind of bullshit might have flown with someone else, but not with them, and certainly not with Red, who’d been a Special Forces medical sergeant.

When Gio was done, he handed Saint the empty bottle. “Thank you.” He made to stand, and Joker grabbed his arm.

“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”

“I have to get back out there.” With a warm smile, he patted Joker’s hand. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“You need to eat,” Red said. “Skipping meals is never a good idea.”

With Joker’s help, Gio stood. “I’ll grab a few hors d’oeuvres. The exhibit will be over in an hour, and then I’ll have dinner.”

Red eyed him with suspicion, and Gio laughed.

“I promise.”

“Good,” Joker said. “Because my shift will be over by then, so I can make sure of it.”

Gio’s eyebrows shot up, and Joker gave him a pointed look that dared him to refuse. The guy was exhausted. He was like the saddest panda that ever sadded, so how could Joker not make sure he ate and didn’t fucking pass out again? Gio was a smart man. This was hardly the guy’s first event. Something was going on. Clearly, Red had no clue, which meant neither did Laz.

“Great,” Red said cheerfully. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Red,” Gio called out, his smile apologetic. “Would you mind not telling Laz about this? He’ll worry for nothing.”

Red appeared conflicted, and rightfully so. In the end, he let out a heavy sigh. “Don’t skip any more meals.”

Gio held up a hand. “I promise.”

“Okay then.”

Joker turned to Saint. “Would you mind stepping outside for a moment? I need to have a word in private with Gio.”

Saint nodded and did as Joker instructed. As soon as the door was closed behind him, Joker rounded on Gio. “What the fuck is going on? And don’t give me that bullshit about not hydrating.”

“Wasn’t it you who told me dehydration was very dangerous?”

“Your heart rate and blood pressure dropped, and it wasn’t from dehydration. What’s going on with your health, Gio? Why aren’t you wearing a medical alert bracelet, and why won’t you tell your brother?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Gio snapped, surprising Joker.

“Gio—”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just a little tired, but I promise you, I’m fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have guests to attend to.”

And Jack called him stubborn. Did Gio think Joker was oblivious? Was he simply hoping no one would figure out something was very wrong? Between the dizzy spells, the “dehydration” issues, and Gio’s nightmare the night of the barbecue, it was clear something had happened while Gio was out there traveling the globe. How long did he think he could keep this up? More importantly, how long did he think he could keep his secret from his brother?

Following Gio outside, Joker murmured to Saint, who stood by the door. “Keep a close eye on him.”

Saint nodded, and they escorted Gio back out to the party. Saint stayed close, as did Joker and Chip. When it looked like Gio was losing himself in conversation, Joker pulled him to one side and shoved a small plate of hors d’oeuvres at him.

For a moment, Joker thought Gio would argue with him, but instead, he smiled warmly and thanked him. Joker grunted and got back to his rounds. He kept an eye on Gio the entire evening, reminding him every so often to hydrate. To his credit, Gio never got annoyed at Joker’s interruptions. He seemed thankful. It should have pissed Joker off, but for some reason that he couldn’t fathom, it didn’t.

Once the exhibit was over, true to his word, Joker was there right beside Gio, waiting. Not that Gio seemed surprised by this, as if he’d trusted Joker to keep his word. He’d appeared so sure of it, Joker overheard him decline several dinner invitations. Why the hell he’d rather have dinner with Joker than his fancy friends was beyond Joker. The rest of the security team packed up and headed back to the hotel, except for Saint and Joker.

“What would you like to eat?” Gio asked Joker.

Joker blinked up at him. “Me?”

“Saint informed me he’s already eaten.”

Saint nodded his confirmation. “An hour ago, when Ace took over for me.”

“And I’m certainly not going to have dinner while you sit there watching me. I know you haven’t eaten. You must be starving. Where’s Chip?”

How did Gio know he hadn’t eaten? Had Gio been keeping an eye on him? “Chip is with Jack. I didn’t know what you’d be doing for dinner, and not all restaurants welcome dogs—service or otherwise.”

Gio frowned at that. “Well, a restaurant that doesn’t welcome Chip is a restaurant I don’t want to eat at.”

The guy was a nut. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“You’d give up eating at one of your fancy restaurants because Chip wouldn’t be allowed in?” No one had ever said anything like that to him. True, he’d never spent enough time with any of his one-night stands for them to make that kind of offer. Still, on the very few occasions where he’d met up with potential dates after work and had Chip with him, the cute-dog factor wore off as soon as they realized their choices were limited thanks to Joker’s furry companion. They were always so surprised when he picked his dog over them. As if there was any question.

“Of course. Besides, I only go to fancy restaurants for business. I like good food, and you can find that without spending a fortune. So, what are you in the mood for? There are several options close by, or I can ask Saint to take us somewhere.”

Since Gio didn’t drive and Saint provided round-the-clock executive protection, he’d been assigned one of Four Kings Security’s specialized SUVs to drive Gio around in. Typically, Gio had a chauffeur, but the guy had been given some time off until Gio decided what to do about his security on a more permanent basis.

Gio removed his phone from his pocket and stifled a yawn. “Excuse me.” He looked exhausted. Sometime in the last couple of hours, the circles under his eyes had darkened.

“Or,” Joker prompted, “we can order room service.”

Gio clearly hadn’t expected the suggestion. “Room service?”

“It’s been a long-ass, eventful day. How about you treat me to some expensive hotel food and a beer since…” He checked his watch. “I’m officially off the clock.”

The smile that split Gio’s face could have lit up the entire Florida power grid, as if Joker had given him some fantastic gift and not the suggestion of room service. Not a big deal.

“That sounds perfect.” Gio turned to Saint. “Do you mind driving us back to the hotel?”

Saint shook his head in amusement. “You don’t need to ask me. It’s my job, remember?”

“I know, I know,” Gio said, waving a hand. “But you’re my bodyguard, not my chauffeur. I’m still getting used to it.”

“Okay. Come on. Let’s get the car from valet.”

In less than twenty minutes, the three of them were back at the hotel. The place was expensive, with all marble floors and pillars, sparkling chandeliers, and gold accents. They took the elevator up to the top floor, where Gio had booked the penthouse suite.

Two of their security agents stood at attention outside the double doors, and they nodded a greeting as they approached. Since Gio’s suite was the only room on the top floor, along with a hospitality suite and conference room—both of which they’d made sure weren’t booked during Gio’s stay—Gio agreed to let Saint stay in the second bedroom attached to his huge suite. The agents outside the door would rotate throughout the night, so there were always two agents posted outside Gio’s room, while Saint remained close to Gio.

When they stepped into the suite, Joker whistled. His entire apartment would fit inside the living room area. The spacious suite included a kitchen and what looked like two bedrooms, everything decorated tastefully in neutral colors. “Nice.”

“Thank you.” Gio removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of one of the pristine cream-colored couches. “The menu’s just there on the coffee table. Order whatever you like.”

Joker snatched up the menu and plopped himself down onto the couch with a flourish, making Gio laugh. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Saint headed for his room. “Let me know if you need anything,” he told Gio, who nodded his thanks.

As Joker scanned the menu, he sneaked glances in Gio’s direction, noticing how he closed his eyes and rubbed at the back of his neck. If these events took this much out of him, why did he do them? Then again, Gio didn’t strike him as the kind of guy to let a little thing like his health get in the way of his do-goodery.

Gio removed his shoes and took a seat on the couch opposite Joker. “Anything look particularly good?”

“There’s a couple of steaks with potential.”

“Wonderful. I’ll have whatever you’re having. Medium, please.”

Joker snickered. “You’re gonna want to rethink that. I might not look it, but I eat a lot.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Hm. And why’s that?” Joker braced himself for some flirting.

“You need a lot of energy to keep up with Chip.”

Well, that was unexpected. “Um, yeah. Malinois are high-energy dogs. They like to be challenged.” He stood and walked over to the phone to put in their order. “What do you want to drink? They’ve got all kinds of fancy wine and cocktails.”

“I don’t drink alcohol.”

Joker had suspected as much. Since Gio’s return, anytime they were in the same place, he’d never seen Gio drink alcohol, raising another red flag. There were many reasons why Gio might not consume alcohol, but with everything he’d seen so far, his gut told him it was connected to whatever the hell was going on with Gio’s health.

Once he’d put the order in, Joker returned to the couch. Only then did it occur to him that he and Gio were alone. Together. He hadn’t considered that when inviting himself to dinner. They were rarely alone, and when they were, it was usually a few minutes. He rested his right ankle on his left knee and tapped his fingers on his boot.

“You didn’t have to punch that guy, you know. I’m used to guys like that underestimating me.”

Gio’s expression darkened. “No one disrespects you in my presence.” Joker opened his mouth, and Gio shook his head. “No one.”

Joker nodded but didn’t respond to that, which was probably for the best. Although he wouldn’t have allowed William to continue his verbal attack, he’d restrained himself for Gio’s sake. Of course, had Joker not been in the middle of a job, things would have turned out a little differently. He recalled William’s words about Gio being frigid and selfish.

“Who was that asshole anyway?”

“William and I were together for three years.”

The words hit Joker harder than he’d expected, and he shifted in his seat. What the fuck? Why did he care if Gio had dated that asshole? Gio had probably dated plenty of people. Hell, Joker had fucked his way through most of St. Augustine, so who was he to judge?

“It ended almost two years ago. We met in Paris during a charity summit. He was everything I thought I wanted in a life partner. It turns out I was very wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“It took me three years to discover he was nothing but a sycophant. The only reason he was with me was for my money and connections. He’s a real estate financial broker, and when we met, he’d just opened his own business and started operating internationally. In the beginning, he refused to let me help him, stating he wanted to get ahead on his own and didn’t want to take advantage, but as time went on, he started throwing hints.” Gio loosened his tie, then slid it out from around his shirt collar. Joker shifted in his seat again, his pants suddenly feeling a little constricting.

“I wanted to help him, so I connected him to several wealthy acquaintances who were looking for someone with William’s skills. For over a year, everything was lovely. We traveled together, even had fun. Then one day he asked me to meet new clients of his. A couple of brothers he strongly believed my charity should help.”

“Uh-oh.”

Gio hummed. He absently unbuttoned the top two buttons of his white dress shirt, and Joker’s mouth went dry. The guy needed to stop undressing, or Joker could not pay attention. That would be better. He really shouldn’t find the divot of Gio’s collar enticing, or the expanse of tanned skin he’d exposed below it.

“The brothers had a business proposal to breathe life back into their little coastal village in France. On paper, everything looked great. They were buying up abandoned properties and had plans to revive tourism.” Gio unfastened his left cufflink, then started to roll up his sleeve. Oh, for fuck’s sake. This was not happening. He wasn’t attracted to Gio.

“However, William should have known better. My charity never blindly agrees to anything,” Gio continued, unaware of Joker shifting in his seat again. “That’s not how it works, especially when something feels off. I’ve always been good at trusting my instincts. So I traveled to the village, and sure enough, there were several abandoned homes and businesses, but as I spent more time there and earned the trust of the villagers, I discovered something alarming.”

Gio rolled up his other sleeve, and Joker also discovered something alarming.

He was attracted to Gio.

Fuck.

Not only that, he’d been attracted to Gio for months.

Double fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck. This was not happening.

“The brothers weren’t buying abandoned properties. They were forcing villagers out of their homes, terrorizing them, and forcing them to sign over their homes.”

That had Joker sitting up. “Wait, what? Did they not go to the authorities?”

“The brothers had the local authorities in their pockets. If that wasn’t bad enough, William was brokering the deals between the brothers and the foreign investors they’d acquired to buy these properties at obscene amounts with the promise of turning the village into the latest must-visit tourist destination.”

“So they were stealing these properties and selling them at a fortune. But then why did they need you and your charity?”

“Because the purchase of the properties was based on the shiny ‘new’ vacation villas, shops, and restaurants. Meaning someone needed to pay for the restorations and renovations.”

Joker shook his head in disbelief. “And William believed that would be your charity?”

Gio pursed his lips and nodded. “When he found out I’d flown out there, he showed up at my hotel, furious. Accused me of betraying him, lying to him about our relationship, and not trusting him.”

“What a fucking asshole.”

“Yes, well, I ended it. He pleaded with me. I refused. And then…” Gio sighed. “He broke my arm.”

Joker jumped to his feet, his fists at his sides. “He what?” The no-good son of a bitch! Granted, Joker had pretty much hated the guy the moment he’d laid a hand on Gio, but now he wished William was in front of him. He’d show the guy what a real soldier could do.

“It was so unexpected I was dumbstruck. I hadn’t anticipated him to come at me, much less when my back was turned. Fighting isn’t exactly my area of expertise, so I managed to fracture my wrist when I punched him, which led to him breaking my arm. I was able to fend him off long enough to call the authorities. Not that it helped. By the time I was out of the hospital, the charges I’d pressed had disappeared, and so had William.”

Joker dropped back onto the couch. “And he had the fucking balls to show up tonight?” This guy was officially on Joker’s shit list.

“He was trying to convince me to have dinner with him and discuss the proposal. My guess is things with his business partners aren’t going well.” Gio’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “What a surprise, he hasn’t been able to find any more investors.”

“Talk about a piece of work.” Joker shook his head at the nerve on the guy. Then again, he knew little about the investment world. Just enough to know where money was concerned, it could get ugly.

“Knowing William, he’s spent money that’s not his and doesn’t know what he’s going to do to get it back. I don’t doubt he’ll find a way, though. He’s resourceful like that.”

If William knew what was good for him, he’d get resourceful somewhere else. The guy had already assaulted Gio once. No way was Joker letting William anywhere near Gio again.

“What are you thinking?” Gio asked.

“I think we need to teach you some self-defense.”

“Are you going to teach me how to throw someone over my shoulder?”

“You want me to teach you?”

Gio looked confused. “Why not? You may not be my bodyguard, but you were a Green Beret, same as the others. You’re a big part of Four Kings Security, same as the others. I trust you.”

Joker refused to acknowledge how those words made him feel. “Yeah, okay,” he replied, his voice rough. He was often overlooked when in the company of his brothers-in-arms. When faced with the Kings, all of whom were muscled and over six feet tall, no one ever questioned them being Green Berets, and for the most part Jack, but most looked skeptical when Joker was included. Gio had never treated him as anything but equal to his brothers. A lump formed in his throat, and he quickly pushed it down.

“I’m sorry,” Joker muttered.

“For what?”

Joker shrugged. “That you had to go through all that shit with William. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Thank you.”

A knock sounded on the front door, and Joker stood to answer it. “Yeah?”

“Mr. Wilder,” one of their security agents called in. “Room service is here.”

Joker motioned for Gio to stay seated. He went over to the doors and greeted the waiter as he wheeled in a cart carrying several dishes covered with big silver domes. Everything was set up on the dining table, and Gio thanked the man as he signed the receipt.

Once the waiter was gone and the doors were closed, Joker dropped down into his chair. “Thanks for dinner.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Gio’s smile did something weird to Joker’s stomach, but he chose to ignore it. He was still trying to wrap his brain around his earlier revelation of finding Gio attractive. Not just attractive, but hot. Really fucking hot. Not that he planned to do anything about that. It was only an observation. He’d found plenty of people attractive or hot as fuck over the years. It didn’t mean he pursued them.

Even if Joker was wrong about Gio, which wasn’t outside the realm of possibility—he could be wrong on occasion—nothing would come of it. Outside of his brothers-in-arms and now the Boyfriend Collective, Joker didn’t do attachments. Romantic relationships were nothing but a pain in the ass, and in the end, they always turned ugly. They always wanted to change him, turn him into someone he wasn’t. When their expectations didn’t match up with reality, they bailed.

Joker lifted his gaze to Gio, who sat with him in comfortable silence as he ate, his mind seeming to be preoccupied. Would Gio try to change him, like so many of the others? Of course he would. How else would Joker fit into Gio’s world? Maybe not at first when things were new and the heat was all they could think about, but eventually he would, and unlike the others, who Joker had dropped and left without so much as a phone call, leaving Gio would be… complicated, and that was without considering their family circle.

Nope. The best thing for both of them would be to ignore the attraction and carry on as they were. They were finally getting along, so why rock the boat? Should be simple enough.

Gio sat back and ran a hand through his tidy hair, loosening the curls so they fell roguishly over his brow. His evening stubble had grown in, and he smiled at Joker, the corners of his eyes creasing, making him look so fucking happy. Like just being here with Joker made him happy. No. Nope. This couldn’t—can’t…

“I’m glad you’re here,” Gio said quietly, his near-black eyes intense. “No one has ever made me feel as safe as you.”

Well, shit.

Joker was fucked.