Sleight of Hand by Charlie Cochet

Nine

The moment Joker stepped outside,he knew he should have declined the invite. What the hell had made him think he could play this part? Already his collar and bow tie were too tight, but he refrained from tugging at it. Thank God the weather was still cool enough in the evenings where wearing a tuxedo outdoors wasn’t a recipe for heatstroke, especially since he was already sweating, and not because of the heat.

A live orchestra played some kind of jazzy music beneath the huge white canopy decorated in twinkling white lights, while people dressed in expensive designer tuxedoes and gowns laughed and chatted with champagne glasses in their hands.

When Gio had asked him to be his date, Joker had been reluctant, but he hadn’t wanted to let Gio down. Everything with them was still so new, and he cared about Gio. A lot. He wanted to show his support, so he’d agreed to the date. Fancy parties were nothing new to Joker, but most of the time, he was at an event as part of the security, not as a guest. His job was to keep people secure, not make conversation with them. Usually, they had no idea he was there.

“Ready?” Gio asked, holding his arm out to Joker, who took it.

“Yep.”

Nope. So much nope. A big fat nope. But he’d do this. Maybe if he thought about the week they’d had before this, he’d keep in mind what things were like for them outside these events.

This past week had been fun, and Joker couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much. Gio and Chip were a hoot together, and as much as Joker pretended their antics were ridiculous, he couldn’t help how stupidly happy it made him.

Gio had taken time off, and even on the days he worked, he finished what he was doing to spend time together. He’d asked Joker to stay with him, and Joker had packed a bag and stayed pretty much every night over at Gio’s with Chip. At first he worried they’d get on Gio’s nerves, but the guy genuinely wanted to hang out with him and his dog. It seemed like the more time he spent with Joker, the more he wanted him around.

Somehow Joker wasn’t surprised Gio was a bit of a homebody. He enjoyed spending time with their friends, but he seemed to enjoy lounging around the house watching movies, streaming TV shows, swimming in the pool, or going down to the beach just as much.

They’d gone to two training sessions with Cookie where Gio took to working with the happy golden retriever as if they’d been together for years. Cookie would be coming home with Gio tomorrow, and after half an hour at this shindig, Joker knew he’d made the right choice. Gio needed Cookie. As much as Joker cared about Gio, the chances of their relationship working out was pretty slim. Love had never been in the cards for Joker, and he didn’t see that changing anytime soon. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy their time together while he could. Joker ignored the pain in his heart but accepted it for what it was. If Joker wasn’t around, he’d feel better knowing Gio had Cookie to take care of him.

“Are you okay?” Gio asked quietly as they made their way through the crowd, Saint trailing close behind in his tuxedo so he wouldn’t stand out as much. Blending in at these events could be challenging when you were over six feet tall and built like a brick wall. Tonight’s party required security to be discreet, so most of the bodyguards Joker had spotted wore tuxedos with clear earpieces in their ears.

“Yeah, I’m good. Don’t worry. You just do your thing.”

Gio nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. To his credit, he did his best to include Joker, introducing him as his boyfriend. He never volunteered information about Joker, letting Joker decide what he wanted to share. Everyone wanted to know what he did. It was usually the first question out of their mouth. “Nice to meet you. And what do you do?”

“I’m a silent partner for Four Kings Security,” Joker said in response to the man’s question. He was the owner of some country club Gio was a member of but never seemed to visit. The guy was interested in having Gio donate to a project he was putting together. Joker had already forgotten the name of the club because he didn’t give a shit. There was a reason Gio had his polite and tolerant smile on for the man, and that was all Joker needed to know.

“And what does that entail?”

“I work security for entertainment and events. Sometimes we do military contracts. I have a K9 I work with.”

Someone called Gio’s name, and he excused himself, promising he’d be back in just a moment before turning to greet a woman Joker recognized. She’d been at one of his previous events. A gorgeous woman with dark skin and a dazzling smile. The way they talked made it clear they’d known each other for a while.

“Security. That’s… interesting,” Mr. Country Club said. What the fuck did he say his name was? Joker should have been paying more attention. In his defense, he couldn’t give two fucks about Mr. Country Club.

No one ever expects security. Those who’d heard of Four Kings Security tended to offer praise and share their positive experience with the Kings. Some nodded politely, then changed the subject to something more interesting, and some people looked at him like this asshole.

“What did you do before that?”

“I was a Green Beret. Special Forces.”

“The military. I see.”

Joker didn’t like the way the guy’s mouth twisted with distaste when he said the words. Don’t ask. For fuck’s sake, don’t ask. “What do you see?” Fuck, he asked.

“I suppose you feel that the government owes people like you.”

Joker’s hackles went up, but he told himself to chill. “People like me? Soldiers? Military veterans? What exactly do I feel the government owes me?” Go on, Mr. Country Club. Why don’t you tell me how I feel.

The guy shrugged and waved a hand. “Financial support for the rest of your life. Paid medical bills, rent, free education for your kids.”

Wow. Joker blinked at him. He opened his mouth, but Country Club cut him off.

“I mean, you all knew what you were getting into. You signed up for that.”

Joker balled his right hand into a fist and quickly shoved it into his pocket. Punching the douchenozzle in the middle of a high-society party and getting arrested was not a good idea. “I didn’t sign up to have half my unit—good men—blown up in front of me. Their families didn’t sign up for that.” The people around them whispered nervously to one another. One guy even tugged discreetly at his friend’s sleeve, as if trying to get him to shut up, but Country Club was just getting comfortable on his high horse.

“That’s the risk.”

“Risk is involved,” Joker agreed.

“But you believe you should be compensated for the rest of your life for the few years you voluntarily served. The government provided you with training, room and board, food, and medical treatment.”

Joker let out a humorless laugh. “Are you kidding me? How about I send you into the middle of a warzone in some godforsaken place where everyone wants to kill you, make you stay awake for days on end, with no food, minimal water, a seventy-pound dog strapped to you, and we’ll see how you do.”

“My point is, you signed up for it. You shouldn’t expect to be supported the rest of your life for it.”

“I don’t expect shit from our government. Would I like for them to treat those who fight for our country with the respect and care they deserve? Yes, I would. If you think a soldier who’s wounded in service to his country doesn’t deserve to be taken care of by said country, then I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing at a charity event. I got news for you, pal. If you think Gio is going to give you money, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Excuse me.”

Fuck that guy. He had no idea what he was talking about, but then again, there were many people like that asshole. Usually he didn’t let that sort of thing get to him. What bugged him was that the guy was here at a charity event, pretending he gave a shit and wanting Gio to give him money for his project. Un-fucking-believable.

Joker went to the bar and ordered a whiskey. He downed the expensive liquid in one gulp as Gio appeared next to him.

“I’m so sorry I left you alone with Lawrence. I’d promised Ada I’d have lunch with her and had to cancel, so I wanted to apologize to her and let her know I’d make it up to her.” Gio studied him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sacha growled. “It’s fine.”

“Yes, clearly. That was obviously a happy growl.”

“The guy’s an asshole. Not a big deal.”

“Sacha—”

Joker turned to Gio and sighed. He reined in his temper. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. The last thing he wanted was to ruin Gio’s good time or his reputation. Everyone loved and respected Gio. Joker didn’t want to fuck up any more than he had.

“Please, it’s fine,” Joker assured him, kissing his cheek. “Go on and mingle. Please.”

“Okay. Let me introduce you to Ada. She’s been dying to meet you.”

Joker arched an eyebrow but didn’t ask. He joined Gio, following him back to the woman Gio had been talking to earlier.

“Ada, this is Sacha. Sacha, this is Ada, a good friend.”

Joker took Ada’s hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ada.”

Ada’s hazel eyes glinted with delight. “Oh, you’re a keeper.”

Joker chuckled. “I certainly hope so.”

“Definitely a keeper,” Gio replied, winking at Joker.

Talking with Ada was the highlight of his evening. Joker liked her, and he was glad Gio had a friend like that in a world where so many people wanted a piece of him. From the few people Joker had been around, it was sickening how many were only interested in Gio because of his wealth. Several didn’t even attempt to hide that all they cared about was getting Gio to donate funds. Joker had never heard so many elevator pitches for projects and charities in his life. Everyone wanted something from Gio, whether it was his money, attention, connections, or time. There wasn’t oneperson Gio spoke to who didn’t have an agenda. Actually, there had been one. Ada.

Joker had no idea how Gio did this over and over again. He listened to everyone, asked questions, or politely referred them to other people who he thought would be a better fit for them. He handed out his business cards to those he was genuinely interested in hearing from, and those like Country Club Guy got a polite “call my office” type answer.

Gio tried hard to include Joker in conversations, but there wasn’t much for Joker to say. Not many people here were interested in talking about private security, dogs, or the military, and he doubted they’d be interested in learning anything about explosions, weapons, or office pranks. He got into a couple of conversations about football, but that didn’t last long. These people had about as much in common with him as Chip did with Satan’s cat.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t have an adult conversation; he just didn’t know the first thing about hedge funds, portfolios, brokers, vintage wine, or European chalets. He had no idea who was who or what they did, couldn’t care less about any scandals, and didn’t have opinions on foreign policies he knew nothing about. He wasn’t one to talk out of his ass. If he didn’t know something, he wasn’t going to pretend he did. His job was security. That’s what he knew. Even now, he found himself watching the exits and scanning the crowd for anything out of the ordinary. He made sure Gio stayed hydrated and ate, because when Gio was mingling, he tended to forget silly things like his health. They were going to have another serious conversation about that soon.

A couple of excruciating hours later, Gio pulled him discreetly to one side. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t sound okay.”

Joker averted his gaze and tried to play it cool. “How long do these things usually go on for?”

“Ready to go?”

“No, no. You do your thing.”

“I never knew you were such a terrible liar,” Gio said, amused. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

“Gio, you don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Gio promised.

Saint brought the SUV around while Gio said his goodbyes to a few people. The moment they got in the car, Joker removed his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. Finally, he could breathe.

The ride back to the house was silent and awkward. So much so that Saint felt the need to run interference by talking about Cookie and how Gio must be excited to be bringing him home finally.

Joker was in a foul mood, and now he kind of wished he hadn’t agreed to stay at Gio’s tonight, but he’d promised to go with Gio in the morning to pick up Cookie. He needed to chill. Tonight hadn’t been Gio’s fault. When they got inside, Joker headed to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, then chugged half of it down in seconds.

“I’m going to do a perimeter check,” Joker said roughly, but Gio pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Damn it, all of Joker’s anger melted the moment Gio’s lips touched his. The softness of them, his taste, all distracting him to the point where the only thing his brain could process was Gio. Fuck, he smelled so good.

Man, he was such a sucker.

“Let Saint go,” Gio murmured against Joker’s temple. “Come upstairs with me.”

Joker nodded. How could he say no to the unspoken promises in that quiet request? He asked Saint to do the check instead and text him as soon as he was back inside. The alarm would be set afterward. Joker let Gio lead him upstairs to his bedroom, the door closing behind them. Joker waited until Saint had texted him that he was back inside and everything was as it should be. He walked over to the wall of windows, his gaze on the ocean sparkling beneath the moonlight. It was a beautiful night.

Turning, he stilled. Gio sat on the couch facing the windows, but his eyes were on Joker. The bright moonlight was enough for Joker to see every sinful, sexy inch of him. His eyes were impossibly dark, his lips slightly parted, and a curl of his pitch-black hair had fallen over his brow. The air in the room changed around them, crackling with the need and heat between them. Gio spread his legs, and Joker stepped in between them. He slowly lowered himself to his knees, his eyes never leaving Gio’s as he slid his hands up Gio’s legs to his thighs toward the bulge straining against his dress pants. He was so fucking gorgeous, Joker was getting hard just looking at him.

Gio reached out to cup Joker’s cheek. He ran a thumb over Joker’s bottom lip, the touch sending a current of need through Joker, unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Never had he wanted anyone so desperately, and for more than a fuck. He wanted to keep Gio, wanted to mean something to him. If Joker knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t let himself get caught up in the fantasy of Gio loving him. It would only lead to heartache. Instead, he’d focus on their pleasure, on the moment. Joker waited patiently for Gio to tell him what to do, knowing Gio would make the wait worth it.

“I want to feel these lips around my cock,” Gio said, his voice low and husky.

Joker sucked in a sharp breath, his pulse racing with anticipation. He kept his gaze locked on Gio’s as he removed Gio’s shoes, then his socks. He unfastened Gio’s pants, then unzipped him, a shiver going through Joker at the sight of Gio’s hard cock straining against his white boxer briefs.

Taking hold of Gio’s underwear and pants, Joker moaned when Gio lifted his hips so Joker could slide his pants and boxer briefs down, leaving him in his dress shirt and tuxedo jacket, his tie undone and hanging haphazard around his neck. Fuck, he was the sexiest thing Joker had ever seen. He dropped Gio’s pants to one side, then returned his hands to Gio’s thighs, the fine hair soft against Joker’s palms as he slid them up again, his eye on the prize, that thick, gorgeous length.

Joker wrapped a hand around the base of Gio’s cock, loving Gio’s sharp intake of breath. With a wicked grin, Joker leaned in and lapped at the pearls of precome on the rosy tip of Gio’s cock, enjoying the way Gio groaned. He stroked Joker’s hair, murmuring sinful words of encouragement as Joker licked at Gio’s length, alternating between swirling his tongue around the head and sucking on it. Gio’s fingers tightened around a fistful of Joker’s hair, tugging when Joker swallowed Gio down to the root.

“Fuck!” Gio brought his right hand to join his left, and Joker hummed with pleasure as he sucked Gio off and fondled his balls, giving the best blow job he’d ever given to please the man he was coming to see as his. Reaching down, he unfastened his pants and hastily shoved his hand into his underwear to palm his own erection. He was painfully hard, and if he wasn’t careful, he wasn’t going to last long. Gio gasped and put a hand on Joker’s shoulder to stop him. It would seem Joker wasn’t the only one in danger of blowing his load too soon.

“I want you naked and on the bed, on your stomach.”

Joker scrambled to do as he was told. Quickly he got naked, then climbed onto the bed and lay on his stomach. Behind him, Gio moaned.

“You have no idea how stunning you are.”

Joker heard rustling behind him, and then the bed dipped. He shivered at Gio’s warm hands caressing his thighs just before Gio shoved Joker’s legs open. A deep, throaty moan came from Gio, and Joker thrust his hips against the comforter in response. He was so hard it hurt. Gio’s hands on his ass had Joker arching his back. He’d been about to beg Gio to do something when Gio parted Joker’s ass cheeks and his tongue pierced his hole.

“Holy shit!” Whatever Joker had been expecting from Gio, it hadn’t been that. “Oh God, yes. Fuck!” Gio rimmed him like a pro, using his tongue and fingers to wreck Joker and turn him into a quivering mess, begging and moaning like a porn star. Joker made noises he’d never fucking made in his life. His toes curled, and he grabbed fistfuls of the covers as Gio took him apart. Just when Joker thought he couldn’t take anymore, Gio stopped.

Sweat beaded Joker’s brow, his breath coming out in pants as Gio went to the nightstand to grab a condom and lube.

“Turn around. Head on the pillow.”

Joker got onto his back and moved up until his head was on the pillow. He drew his knees up and opened his legs wide, smiling wickedly when Gio froze in the middle of tearing through the condom packet. Gio’s eyes were so dark, it was like he could see into Joker’s soul. Removing the condom, he rolled it down his cock and kneeled between Joker’s knees. He looked like he wanted to say something, his lips parting, and Joker’s heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Whatever it was, Gio seemed to decide against it. Instead, he leaned in to kiss Joker, stealing the breath from him. He lined himself up and slowly pushed against Joker’s hole.

The burn soon gave way to delicious fullness, and Gio continued to kiss Joker as he started to move. Joker had expected Gio to pound his ass, but Gio appeared to have other ideas, moving at an unhurried pace as he made love to Joker’s mouth, their tongues dancing, embracing, savoring. Joker slipped his fingers into Gio’s hair, loving the silky softness of it. He’d never felt this raw, this open, and he didn’t know what to do with it. Holding on to Gio, praying he wouldn’t let Joker go, wouldn’t let him fall, was all he could do.

As if sensing his thoughts, Gio moved his lips to Joker’s cheek, peppering kisses along his jawline. His hips maintained a slow, steady rhythm as he brushed feathery light kisses over Joker’s face as if he were sending Joker a message, one Joker wasn’t sure he was ready to hear. Needing to feel more of him, Joker moved his hands down to Gio’s shoulders, his fingers digging into the firm muscles of his back. He thrust his hips up to meet Gio’s movement.

“Please,” Joker breathed.

Gio thrust in deep, making Joker cry out. He brushed his lips against Joker’s temples, his words so quiet Joker nearly missed them.

“Take everything. Anything you want, anything you need, is yours.”

Joker swallowed hard. If only it were that easy. Could it be that easy? Would it be so terrible if he laid himself bare to Gio? If he opened his heart and presented it to him?

“I want it all,” Joker whispered, his heart beating in his ears and his pulse racing. He pressed his lips to Gio’s shoulder, smiling when Gio cursed under his breath and snapped his hips forward, his thrusts growing deeper and quicker. Joker threw his head back, his eyes closed, and pleasure rippled through him as an incendiary heat flared, threatening to set him ablaze. The more Gio gave him, the more he wanted.

“Sacha…”

Joker’s name was a whispered plea on Gio’s lips.

“Yes,” Joker said through a moan. “For you… yes. The answer is always yes.” He didn’t know what the fuck had gotten into him. Bullshit, he did know. Opening his eyes, he met Gio’s gaze. He wrapped his arms around Gio’s neck and met every one of his thrusts with a thrust of his own until the bed moved beneath them. Their panting breaths, moans, and curses filled the room, sweat beading both their brows as they moved together as one, their thrusts growing more erratic as they chased their orgasms.

Gio reached down between them and wrapped a hand around Joker’s leaking cock. “Come for me, baby.”

“Oh fuck!” The endearment caught Joker off guard, and his orgasm slammed into him, his body shaking from head to toe as he cried out Gio’s name, hot come spurting onto his stomach and all over Gio’s hand. Gio growled and cried out, his muscles tensing, glorious heat filling Joker as Gio came inside the condom. He thrust his hips erratically as he chased the last of his release, then collapsed on Joker, arms around Joker’s head, fingers in his hair. Joker smiled softly as he held Gio to him. He placed a sweet kiss on Gio’s bare shoulder, wincing briefly as Gio reached between them to hold the condom and carefully pull out of him.

Gio tossed the condom into the little wastebasket to the side of the bed, then returned to lay half sprawled on Joker, one arm thrown over his chest and one leg around Joker’s, as if he were afraid Joker might try to slip away.

Joker had no intention of going anywhere. At least not this very second.

Thoughts of earlier in the evening attempted to invade his bliss, and Joker quickly pushed them aside. He was going to enjoy this right here, right now. With a kiss to Gio’s brow, Joker closed his eyes and basked in the moment, squirreling away every detail. He brushed his fingers through Gio’s hair, cataloging how soft it was, inhaling the intoxicating scent of Gio’s musk mixed with his shower gel and their sex.

With a quiet sigh, Joker stroked Gio’s arm, taking note of the soft hair on his arm, the firm corded muscles, the weight of Gio’s leg on his, the warmth of his body pressed against his side. It shouldn’t have felt as right as it did. As if they’d been doing this for so much longer when their relationship had been so different only a few months ago. Then again, even during the times when Joker had been grumbling about Gio, the guy had been on his mind. Was it possible his head had been raging one war and his heart another?

When Joker woke the following day, it was in Gio’s arms. At some point in the night, he must have plastered himself against Gio. It struck him then that Gio hadn’t woken up. Was it possible he hadn’t had any nightmares last night? Not that Joker believed Gio had been cured, but it was a good sign. Gio had agreed to talk to Red’s therapist, and they had an appointment for a chat to see if they’d make a good fit. At least Gio was on the road to healing.

Gio stirred and turned with a hum, his arm tightening around Joker and a smile spreading on his face. He opened his eyes and brushed a kiss over Joker’s brow.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

“That’s me,” Joker mumbled through a grunt. “A bright little ray of sunshine.” This guy.

Gio chuckled and rolled him onto his back. He pressed his lips to Joker’s, not in the least bit concerned about morning breath. Joker shook his head.

“I need to brush my teeth.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve kissed me after I’ve come in your mouth. You think a little morning breath is going to bother me?”

“Charming.”

Gio got up and playfully smacked Joker’s flank. “Come on. Let’s shower. We’re picking up my new furry partner in crime today.”

Joker laughed at Gio’s excitement. He was like a little kid at Christmas who’d just gotten a new puppy. They kissed in the shower but didn’t get to fool around. Gio was too excited about bringing Cookie home, and Joker couldn’t blame him. His life was about to change.

Jack had dropped Chip off on his way to work. Since they’d been in the shower, Chip had settled on the couch with Saint, which was where they found him when they came downstairs. Chip barked excitedly, his butt wiggling as he pranced around Gio and Joker.

“We’re going to pick up your new friend,” Gio told Chip. He grinned at Joker. “So you know, there’s an epic level of boxes arriving. I’ve pretty much bought stock in lint rollers since I’m now buying them in bulk.”

Joker snickered. “Did some research on golden retrievers, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Welcome to the wonderful world of dog glitter.”

“Oh, by the way,” Saint said, turning to Joker, “Jack brought your Jeep over.”

“Great. Thanks. I need to stop by the apartment later and pick up a few things,” Joker said as he headed for the front door, Chip at his heels.

They got into the SUV and headed over to Kendra’s place. When they got there and she brought Cookie out, Joker couldn’t tell who was more excited, the dog or Gio. They were ridiculously adorable together. Gio had already ordered more dog stuff than any dog needed. Cookie was going to be spoiled rotten. When they got back to the house, Gio took Cookie on a tour, showing him his new luxury dog bed inside Gio’s bedroom, though Joker had no idea who Gio was trying to kid. The only place Cookie would be sleeping was on the bed with Gio.

Joker left Chip with Saint and Gio so he could quickly drop by his place and pick up some more clothes and drop off his dirty laundry. He’d taken the day off today but had to check some emails and put through a few invoices. It had been a while since he’d worked overtime, preferring to be with Gio. He was looking forward to the first whole weekend they had together. Maybe they could take the dogs somewhere.

It was nice, sitting in Gio’s living room with his laptop, doing some work while Gio played with Cookie and Chip. Never in a million years would Joker have believed he’d enjoy just lounging around doing close to nothing with someone else. He’d always wondered how Jack and Fitz did it, spent so much time at home together. What did they do when they weren’t having sex? Not that he thought about his brother and Fitz having sex, because yikes, but he wondered how the hell they cohabited. Sounded boring as fuck.

Gio’s loud laugh made Joker smile, and he glanced up to find him on the floor with the two furry beasts attacking him with their tongues. Joker shook his head at them.

“Oh, I have a meeting with King on Thursday to discuss a permanent security team,” Gio said, sitting up.

“That’s great.” Joker reminded himself he needed to talk to King about that. Until the threat to Gio’s life was over, he wanted to be working those events, but he wasn’t sure how King would feel about that, considering Joker and Gio were now involved.

Joker’s email client pinged, and an email came through with what looked like an updated schedule. Gio’s updated schedule. Was it terrible that Joker hoped Gio had canceled an event or two? He opened the attached spreadsheet and frowned. “I thought you said you were cutting back on the number of events you were doing?”

“I am.”

Joker’s heart thundered as he looked over the schedule. Chill. Do not overreact. But the more he studied the schedule, the more pissed off he got. “You added seven new events to your schedule, Gio. And that’s just across the next two weeks.” He glowered at the sheet in front of him. “You’re working the whole weekend, and you don’t have a day off next week.”

“I know it’s a little tight, but I’d forgotten a couple of commitments I’d made and had to move things around. Next week was the only week I could fit them in that worked for the organizers.”

“Gio, you can’t work seven days a week.” He pointed at the screen. “For fuck’s sake. You have three days of back-to-back meetings. You didn’t even schedule time for lunch.”

“I’ll grab something quick in between.” Gio took a seat on the couch across from him, his brows drawn together in a scowl. “It’ll be fine.”

“Really? Is that supposed to happen in the five minutes between your morning and afternoon meetings?”

“I’ve done it before.”

“Yeah, and that’s worked out so well for your health.” As soon as the words were out, Joker regretted them.

Gio folded his arms over his chest. “Now, wait a minute. That’s not fair.”

“You’re right. It’s not. I’ll give you that.”

“Not exactly an apology,” Gio muttered, one eyebrow arched.

Joker closed his laptop a little more forcefully than he’d meant to. “Fair enough. I’m sorry for the dick comment, but I’m not sorry for calling you on your bullshit. You promised you’d start taking better care of your health. I don’t know what you think that looks like, but it’s not this.”

“Connecting with people at events is part of my job.”

“And you can’t do that without going to a party?” When would it end? They’d talked about this. For fuck’s sake, did Gio not realize the changes he’d have to make were permanent?

“Of course I can, but it’s not the same as connecting with someone in person in that kind of setting. It’s more than champagne and tuxedos. It’s looking people in the eye, hearing their stories, and working through solutions. I can’t do that through an email or a phone call.”

“Can’t or won’t? What happens next month when someone approaches you with more commitments you can’t let pass. You can’t save everyone, Gio.”

Gio jumped to his feet. “I know that,” he growled. “You think I don’t know that?”

“I don’t think you do,” Joker said, standing. He loved that Gio helped people, loved how selfless he was, always giving, but when did it become too much? “When will it be enough?”

“I’ve been doing this for far longer than I’ve known you. I know what I’m doing.”

Joker narrowed his eyes at Gio. “If you did, you wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital.”

“Again, you’re going to throw that in my face?”

“No, I’m reminding you. I can’t be at all your events making sure you stay hydrated and eat.”

Gio lifted his chin, his haughty expression getting Joker’s hackles up. He’d never looked at Joker that way. “From your display last night, it’s obvious you can’t even make it through one.”

The words were like a punch to the gut, and Joker stared at Gio, regret written all over Gio’s expression. His eyes were wide, his face flushed. When he spoke, his words were a whisper.

“I’m sorry.”

Joker shook his head. “No, it’s the truth. Let’s face it. You don’t want me. You never did.”

“How can you say that?” Gio took a step forward, and Joker took one back.

“You had an idea of me. You clearly know what you want, and I can tell you right now, I don’t fit that mold. I’m not Ace. I’m not the guy who hangs on your arm and makes polite conversation over finger foods. Even if I was, I won’t stand on the sidelines and watch you work yourself into the ground. We were kidding ourselves.”

“Stop,” Gio snapped. He shook his head. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what? Speak the truth?” Joker shook his head. “We were just kidding ourselves, Gio, and you know it as much as I do. We don’t fit. Better to walk away now than down the line.”

“I can’t believe you’re not even going to give us a chance.” Gio shook his head in disbelief. “There are so many things I’ve thought about where you’re concerned, but the one thing I never thought was that you were a coward.”

Joker flinched. “Fuck you, Gio.” He grabbed his laptop and shoved it into his backpack. Then he called Chip and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck this, and fuck Giovanni Galanos. He threw his shit into the back of the Jeep, then opened the door for Chip, who whined. He sat on his haunches, his big brown eyes staring worriedly up at Joker.

“Get in the fucking car!”

Chip’s ears flattened, and Joker cursed under his breath. Great. Now he was being an asshole to his dog. He leaned in and kissed the top of Chip’s head. He scratched him behind the ears, murmuring at him.

“I’m sorry.” He patted the passenger seat, and Chip jumped in. Joker got in behind the wheel, then closed the door and hesitated. Glancing up at the house, his heart splintered into hundreds of tiny pieces. He wasn’t a coward; he was a realist. The truth had come out. As sorry as Gio was, or as much as he regretted his words, the truth had been there. Joker couldn’t be what Gio needed him to be, and neither could change who they were deep down.

After turning the engine on, Joker hesitated for another heartbeat, then drove off. He wrinkled his nose, refusing to give in to his emotions. Yeah, it hurt like a son of a bitch, but somewhere between Gio returning home for good and now, Joker had invested far more of his heart than he’d planned to in them. He hadn’t meant for his heart to get involved. It was supposed to have been a little fun, some hot sex, fooling around, and an eventual progression to being friends. It wasn’t supposed to hurt.

Chip whined again, and Joker shook his head. “We’re gonna be fine. Just you and me, buddy. We don’t need him.” Chip gave him the side-eye, and Joker couldn’t help his chuckle. “Yeah, I know.”

This was better for both of them, and maybe in time, they could be friends. When he got home, Chip sensed something was off, and he was having none of it. He howled and barked at Joker until Joker was forced to tell him to lie down, which Chip did, with his back to Joker.

“Oh, so now you’re going to be pissed at me too?”

Chip huffed but didn’t so much as look at him—little shit.

The doorbell rang, and with a grunt, Joker got up, his heart pounding with stupid hope. He opened the door, his heart sinking when he found a package instead. Picking it up, he frowned at the label. An auction? He hadn’t bought anything—

Oh, wait.

Heading back inside, he locked the door behind him and hurried into the kitchen. The box was extremely well packaged, and inside was another box, this one made of wood and old-looking. There was a little card on top of it dated the night of the auction. The night they’d first kissed. Joker opened the note and read.

It doesn’t matter what it cost. You’re both worth every penny.

Love, Gio.

Opening the box,Joker let out a watery laugh, tears in his eyes. “That fucker.”

What had Gio spent an obscene amount of money on at the auction? Jewelry? No. An old firearm or celebrity trinket? No. Furniture? Nope. A fucking dog food bowl from the late 1920s that belonged to Rin Tin Tin, the famous German shepherd. Fucking Gio had paid who knew how many thousands of dollars on a food bowl for Joker’s dog.

“You bastard.”

He was not going to be one of those assholes who cried after a breakup. No fucking way. Son of a bitch, he was one of those assholes. The tears sprung free, and Joker quickly wiped them away. He returned the stainless-steel bowl to its box and carried it into his bedroom. Chip followed him in, whining at him, and Joker dropped onto the end of the bed.

“You and I both knew we’d end up here one way or another,” Joker told Chip. “His life isn’t our life.”

Chip disappeared under the bed, and a heartbeat later, crawled back out, Jack’s baseball cap in his mouth.

“Guess we know who’s the real brains around here,” Joker muttered. “Come on. Let’s go see Uncle Jack.”

A few minutes later, they stood outside Jack and Fitz’s door. When had he turned into such a sucker? Fuck it. He hated this. Hated feeling like shit, hated the fact he missed Gio already, that he didn’t want to go home to his empty bed tonight. He laughed without humor. When had he become such a clingy, needy fuck?

The door swung open, and Jack stood there, a huge grin on his face and his mouth open, ready to say something teasing until he took in the sight of Joker. His smile fell away.

“What happened?”

“It’s over,” Joker replied quietly just as Fitz appeared beside Jack.

Fitz gasped softly and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight hug. As much as Joker wanted to fight Fitz on this, he didn’t have the energy, so he just wrapped his arms around Fitz and sighed heavily.

“What happened?” Fitz asked softly, leading Joker inside toward the living room. He pulled Joker down with him as he folded himself onto the couch.

“What was always going to happen. He wanted me to be something I wasn’t.”

“I don’t understand.” Jack took a seat in the armchair.

Was he really going to sit here bitching and moaning about his failed relationship? Not like it hadn’t happened before. Of course, it never hurt this fucking much before.

“He asked me to be his date to one of his fancy galas. It was fucking excruciating. I got into an argument with some asshole. I’ve never felt so shit in all my life. Then today, his updated schedule came through, and he’d added all these events. He promised me he’d take better care of himself, but obviously, that was bullshit, or he was just placating me. We got into an argument over it, and we both said some shitty things. I can’t be what he wants me to be.”

“What did he say he wanted you to be?”

Joker blinked at Jack. “What do you mean?”

“What exactly did he say he wanted from you?”

“Well, he didn’t literally say he wanted me to be anything, but he did. He said I couldn’t even make it through one event. It obviously bothered him since he threw it in my face. Why else would he ask me to go with him?”

Fitz shrugged. “There are a million reasons he might have asked you. Maybe he thought you’d feel left out if he didn’t invite you, or that you’d think he was embarrassed by you, or that you’d want to go because you were dating, or that you might enjoy a party since you work entertainment events, or—”

“Okay, yeah, smarty-pants, I get it.” Fuck. Was it possible Gio had asked him for a completely different reason than Joker had thought? What if he’d told Gio he didn’t want to go to his events?

“What exactly did you think he wanted from you?” Jack asked.

“I thought he wanted what Colton has. You know, how Ace goes with him to all his parties and events, charms the pants off the guests, shows his support.”

“And you thought the only way to show your support was to force yourself to be Ace?” Fitz patted his arm. “Oh, honey, think about that. No one in their right mind expects anyone to be Ace. I’m pretty sure Ace doesn’t expect half the shit he does or says.”

Joker snickered. “You’re not wrong.” Was it possible he’d gotten it all wrong? “Maybe he doesn’t expect me to be Ace or go to all his events; I’ll give you that. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not serious about taking care of his health, and I can’t be at every event to make sure he does. He’s not taking his health seriously despite the fact he’s on medication now and has a fucking service dog.”

“He got a service dog?” Fitz asked, a hand going to his chest.

“I, uh, well, I got him a service dog. Cookie. He was trained for Gio’s type of condition but lost his owner a while back. He’s a two-year-old golden retriever.” Joker couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “The two of them are a couple of big dorks together. They really hit it off.”

Jack stared at him. “You got Gio a service dog?”

Heat crawled into Joker’s cheeks, and he nodded.

Jack’s expression softened, his words quiet when he spoke. “You’re in love with him.”

No fucking way. Joker was ready to deny everything. He opened his mouth to tell his best friend to fuck off, but instead something else came out.

“Yeah, I think I am.”

Fuck. He was in love with Gio.

Joker met his friend’s gaze, his heart in his throat. “I love him.”