Saving Ren (Barretti Security Series, Book 3) (18 page)

“You’re not worried about this?” Ren asked.

Jagger shook his head. “Does it bother you?”

“That someone’s coming after you like this? Hell yeah, it bothers me,” Ren said angrily.

“Does it bother you that I can’t read?”

“What?” Ren asked in surprise, all thought of Jason Sutter disappearing from his mind. “No. No!” Ren grabbed Jagger’s face to make sure he couldn’t look away. “Is that what you think?”

“I never even finished high school-”

“I don’t give a shit about that,” Ren said, cutting him off. “You’re fucking perfect, do you hear me?”

He felt Jagger relax beneath him and Ren leaned down to kiss him softly. A second later he was flat on his back on the table and Jagger was braced above him. “You’re so hot when you get all protective,” Jagger whispered before he seized his lips. “What do you say we find out if this table is as strong as it looks?”

Instead of answering, Ren reached for the hem of Jagger’s shirt.

***

Ren closed the shower door so the steam wouldn’t escape and began drying himself off. He smiled as a bare ass pressed against the tempered glass but when Declan’s moans began resonating through the large bathroom, Ren felt his own cock stirring. He was half tempted to climb back into the shower but decided against it since it was his turn to cook tonight. As he quickly dried off, he saw the ass disappear and then a pair of hands was pressed against the glass. Jagger’s familiar shout of satisfaction had Ren reaching for his dick and jerking it hard as the sound of skin slapping on skin increased.

“Harder,” he heard Jagger order. Ren could tell Declan complied with the order because suddenly Jagger’s whole body was plastered up against the side of the shower and the door began rattling in its frame. Ren couldn’t stop himself from reaching for the door and pulling it open. The sight of Declan pumping into Jagger’s tight ass had Ren’s dick hard again within seconds and he matched his strokes to the deep, twisting motion of Declan’s hips. Neither man had noticed him since Jagger’s face was turned away and Declan’s was buried against Jagger’s neck. It wasn’t often that Ren got to enjoy the show and he took full advantage of watching the passion that consumed the two men. They were so very different but yet somehow perfectly matched.

“Please, Declan,” Jagger whispered as Declan’s plunges turned to long, slow glides. On every up stroke he pushed his body into Jagger’s as far as it could go and then rotated his hips fully before sliding back out until he slipped almost completely free of Jagger. Declan’s arms were wrapped around Jagger’s chest and had curled over his shoulders so that he could hold Jagger in place for his gentle assault.

“What, baby? Tell me what you want.”

“I want” – Jagger cried out as Declan flexed into him once more – “I want it to always be like this.”

“It will,” Declan whispered. “I promise.” And then Declan was kissing Jagger and increasing his pace.

“Love you, Declan,” Jagger said hoarsely. “Love you so much.” And then Jagger was screaming in pleasure and Ren felt his orgasm take him. He managed to stifle a groan and was glad he did because otherwise he would have missed Declan whispering his own words of love into Jagger’s ear just before he gave in to his release.

***

“Jagger, baby, are you here?”

“Up here Mom,” Jagger said as he glanced around the room once more.

“What are you doing?” he heard his mother ask and he looked up and saw her standing in the doorway of the bedroom. “You should have called,” she said nervously.

“I won’t be long,” he said. “Why do you keep it this way?” Jagger asked as he studied the bedroom that had once been his. It looked exactly the same as he’d left it when he was seventeen and the fact that it was completely dust free meant his mother was still cleaning it when she did the rest of the house. There was even fresh tape on some of the half-dozen fighter jet posters that had started to yellow with age.

“Because it’s your room,” his mother answered in confusion.

Jagger shook his head in frustration. “It stopped being mine the minute he came into our lives.”

“That’s not true-”

“It is, Mom. It is.”

“Jagger-”

“Did you really believe all the things he said about me or were you just too afraid of losing him?”

His mother dropped her gaze and he had his answer. He was surprised to realize that it actually hurt more to know she’d believed him but had still chosen Frank.

“You were always such a good boy,” his mother murmured. “I knew you’d be okay.”

Jagger let out a sad laugh. “You know what’s ironic? I didn’t get it until now. How being in love with someone else can consume you like that. How the idea of losing them…” The idea of a future without Ren or Declan was too disturbing for Jagger to even finish the thought.

His mother lifted her eyes. “Have you found someone, baby?”

“Two someones, actually.”

His mother looked confused but he wasn’t in the mood to clear it up for her. His sexuality wasn’t something they’d ever talked about beyond him telling her over dinner when he was sixteen that he was gay. She hadn’t condemned him or supported him – she’d simply reached for his plate and started piling more food than he could possibly eat on it and they’d never discussed it again. But since Frank had started calling him fag and queer shortly thereafter, he knew she’d talked to him about it.

“If Frank loved you, he wouldn’t hide you away, Mom. If he loved you, he’d want to spend every moment with you, share every part of his life with you. He’d accept you for who you were and he’d do anything to protect you. He’d cherish you.”

“He does love me like that. He’s just not free to show it yet.”

Jagger felt tears of frustration sting his eyes. A little part of him had always hoped he’d be able to free his mother from the hold Mitchell had on her but it was a battle he just couldn’t fight anymore.

“Here,” Jagger said as he stood and handed her the papers that he’d been holding in his hand.

“What is it?” she asked as she glanced at it.

“Citizenship papers. You’re already approved - all you have to do is fill them out and send them to the address on the bottom.”

His mother flipped through the pages. “How did you do this?” she asked in shock.

“I didn’t. One of the men who loves me did it because he knew how important it was to me,” Jagger said. He leaned down to kiss her cheek and started to leave but she grabbed his arm.

“This man – he makes you happy?”

“He does. His name is Declan.”

His mother nodded slowly. “And there is another man?”

“Ren.”

He was surprised to see his mother start to cry and he mentally prepared himself for the rebuke he knew was coming. But instead, his mother leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him. “You’ll bring them both to dinner sometime?”

“Lucia!”

Jagger flinched as he heard Mitchell’s voice bellowing from downstairs and his mother tensed in his arms.

“You here honey? I only have half an hour.”

Jagger clenched his fists and he stepped back from his mother as he heard footsteps on the stairs.

“Jagger, please don’t,” his mother whispered.

Mitchell froze when he saw them and then sneered. But to Jagger’s surprise, the man didn’t say anything.

“Bye, Mom,” Jagger said as he left the bedroom and forced himself to brush past Mitchell without wrapping his hands around his throat and squeezing the life out of him. He wasn’t surprised when he heard Mitchell mutter something to his mother that included the word “faggot” but he didn’t stick around long enough to see how his mother would respond.

***

Jagger fumbled with the key as his dick tightened with anticipation. He’d seen Declan’s car parked on the side of the street in front of his townhouse but he had no idea if Ren had returned from his appointment yet since the garage door was closed. They’d decided to have Ren park his GTO in the garage since the distinctive car would be recognizable on the off chance that Vin or Dom dropped by unexpectedly. It was getting harder and harder to keep the truth from the two brothers, especially now that Jagger had returned to work, but hopefully it would just a be a few more days until the deception was over. He’d learned from Declan that Rafe had started doing some consulting around the office though he hadn’t seen the young man himself. But whatever was happening between Rafe and his brothers seemed to be a good thing because he’d finally seen some of the life returning to Vin and Dom’s eyes. If all went as planned, they’d have more reason to celebrate with Ren’s reappearance. He just hoped like hell that Dom and Vin would forgive him and Declan and that they’d accept them as being a part of Ren’s life…and that Ren would forgive them for keeping the truth about Rafe from him for so long.

Jagger finally managed to get the door open and hurried inside. Even if Ren wasn’t home, he and Declan could start without him and let him catch up. Maybe he’d bend Declan over the kitchen table so that would be the first thing Ren saw when he walked in the door. Jagger was so preoccupied with the image that he didn’t even notice Declan or the man sitting across from him at the table until he was almost on top of them.

“What the fuck?” Jagger snarled when he recognized Zane.

Zane’s green eyes flashed with amusement as Declan immediately got up and placed his body between Jagger and Zane.

“Jagger-”

Jagger tried to push past Declan. Seeing Declan’s former lover sitting at
their
kitchen table – the very one he’d been contemplating making love to Declan on – had him seething with rage. The idea that this man had used Declan when he’d been vulnerable…

“Get the fuck out of our house!” Jagger snarled.

“Jagger, stop it!” Declan ordered. “I asked him to come here.”

“Why?” God, did Declan want Zane back? Had he not meant it when he’d told Jagger he loved him?

Declan’s hand came out to close over Jagger’s cheek and Jagger allowed him to draw his gaze away from Zane. “Don’t you dare think it! I love
you
.”

Jagger forced himself to draw in a breath and then another one. He finally nodded and relaxed as Declan drew him down for a quick kiss.

“Why is he here?” Jagger asked stonily.

“I asked him to take a look at Sutter’s lawsuit,” Declan said.

Jagger hadn’t given the lawsuit much thought since he’d been forced to ask Ren to read it to him. He’d mentioned it to Declan that night but hadn’t considered how to deal with it.

“It’s bogus.”

“I assure you Mr. Varos, it’s very real,” he heard Zane say. Jagger forced himself to release Declan and focus on Zane.

“Are you saying he has a case?” Jagger asked.

Zane stood. “I’m saying you need a plan of attack. Declan tells me the Barrettis terminated their contract with Lionel Sutter because of you and your friend.”

“Connor.”

“Lionel Sutter doesn’t enjoy losing and from what Declan tells me about what Jason did to your friend, his kid doesn’t like it much either. This” – Zane held up the document outlining the suit – “is two bullies trying to get their power back.”

“Can you fix it?” Jagger asked.

Zane eyed him for a moment. “Yes,” he said simply. God, the guy was arrogant. “With your permission, I’ll start drawing up a countersuit.”

Jagger nodded briefly. He didn’t like the guy but he trusted Declan and if Declan thought Zane was the best man to take care of the shit with Sutter, then so be it.

“Declan, I’ll need the police reports like we discussed,” Zane said crisply as he reached out a hand. Even the sight of Declan touching the other man had Jagger’s blood boiling but he managed to remain where he was. Zane was smart enough not to try to shake his hand and it took just moments for Declan to show him out.

“I don’t like him,” Jagger snapped as he tossed his keys on counter.

“I think the feeling is mutual,” Declan said. “How did things go with your mom?”

Jagger shook his head. He was still too raw from the conversation with his mother to share the details just yet so he said, “Mitchell showed up.”

Declan’s anger was instantaneous. “Did he say anything to you?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Jagger said. “At least not to my face anyway.”

“Good,” Declan said in satisfaction.

When Declan turned to go towards the bedroom, Jagger reached out and pulled him back. “Want to tell me how you got him off my back exactly? Or how you managed to get those papers for my mother?”

Declan remained mute and Jagger felt his insides jump at the unspoken challenge. He used his arms to cage Declan between his body and the kitchen counter and leaned down to run his tongue over Declan’s lips. Declan instantly opened for him but Jagger pulled back. He let one of his hands close over Declan’s cock and smiled when Declan’s eyes closed and his body shuddered.

“How’d you do it, Declan?” Jagger whispered as he ghosted another kiss over Declan’s lips. Declan tried to follow his mouth when Jagger pulled away but a hard tug on Declan’s cock had him biting back a moan.