The Brick Yard (23 page)

The sharp intake of breath combined with the squeeze of Lucky’s body and the sudden warmth between them signaled Lucky’s climax. “Love me!” Lucky howled as his body continued to jerk with the force of his orgasm.

“Always,” Dray promised, driving deep several times before giving into his own desire to come. He collapsed on top of Lucky, shrugging Lucky’s legs off his shoulders as he struggled to catch his breath. They would both need to shower again, but for the moment, he wanted his softening dick to stay inside Lucky for as long as possible. He buried his face against Lucky’s neck, inhaling the scent he’d grown to associate with a sense of home and love.

* * * *

Lucky pulled at the collar on the white dress shirt Dray had insisted he buy. As uncomfortable as he was in the suit, it was nothing compared to the unease he felt as friends of Brick’s stepped up one by one to shake his hand and offer condolences. He felt like an imposter, knowing the receiving line was usually reserved for family of the deceased.

A short, middle-aged man released Dray’s hand and reached for Lucky’s. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Lucky had learned what to say from listening to Dray over and over. “Thank you. How’d you know Brick?”

“He gave me my first job, nearly thirty years ago.” The man smiled as if remembering his youth. “Brick rescued me from a group of bullies. He hauled me into The Brick Yard and taught me everything I needed to know about defending myself.”

The story made Lucky smile. “Yelling at you the entire time, no doubt.”

The man laughed. “You know it.” He glanced toward the closed casket. “I imagine he was ornery up until the last moment.”

Lucky’s smile faltered, his throat growing thick with emotion for the first time since he’d arrived. He’d purposely avoided looking at the coffin just for that reason. “Actually, at the very end, he was…”
Fuck.
He tried to get his emotions under control as he recalled his final memory of Brick. “At peace,” he finally finished.

Suddenly, he felt like the air had been sucked from the room. He offered the man an apologetic smile. “Excuse me.”

Without waiting for a response, Lucky stepped away from the line of people and pushed open the side door of the small funeral home chapel. He stopped in his tracks when he came face to face with the shiny black hearse. “Goddammit!” he screamed, as loud as his lungs would allow.

Lucky heard the door open behind him. Expecting to see Dray, he was surprised to see Jax standing behind him. “Hey.” Lucky quickly pulled out the white cotton handkerchief Dray had given him earlier in the day, and wiped his eyes.

Jax moved closer. “I know this isn’t cool, but…” He threw his arms around Lucky’s chest and hugged him.

Lucky held Jax as the two of them quietly mourned the loss of their friend. There was nothing he could say that would make Jax feel better and they both knew it, so instead, he gave the teenager the one thing he had to give.

“I wish I had a dad like him,” Jax said, his breath hitching with each word.

“Me, too,” Lucky agreed, petting Jax’s shaggy hair as he continued to hold him. “Although, I guess we’re both lucky Brick didn’t have his own family because then he wouldn’t have been available to help so many of us.”

Jax nodded.

Lucky thought of Jax and the teenagers who’d come after him, and knew which path he needed to take. “Dray wants to turn The Brick Yard into a place where kids can come if they need help.”

“Yeah?” Jax pulled back slightly and looked up at Lucky. “What do you think?”

“I think the biggest thank you we can give Brick is to continue his legacy. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him and the gym.”

“Did your dad hit you, too?” Jax asked.

“I didn’t really have a dad,” Lucky confessed, “but I had a mom who made me believe horrible things about myself.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Lucky admitted. “I’m still working through it. I doubt I’ll ever understand why she felt I wasn’t good enough, just like you’re probably trying to figure out why your dad treated you the way he did.” Lucky released Jax and wiped his face before blowing his nose. When he noticed Jax was in the same predicament, he pulled a wad of tissues out of his suit pocket and handed them over. “I’m not very good at talking about stuff, but if you need someone to listen, I’m here.”

Jax wiped his nose. “There’s a freshman at my school that I’d like to bring by the gym. I’ve never talked to him, but he has the same look in his eyes that I used to see in my own before I met you and Brick.”

To hear that he’d had even a small part in helping Jax filled Lucky with pride. “Bring him by. Dray’s going to see if he can qualify to become a foster parent. That way, he can legally keep kids safe.”

“What about you?” Jax asked. “Don’t you want to become a foster parent?”

Lucky shoved his hands in his pants’ pockets. “I’m a mess. I wouldn’t be a good mentor for anyone.”

“Are you shittin’ me?”

Lucky fingered the row of stitches on his forehead. He couldn’t tell Jax about all the ways he’d punished himself over the years because he didn’t want to admit just how screwed up he was. “No. Like I said, my past is too fucked up.”

Jax dipped his head and stared down at the parking lot. “If all that happened when you were my age and you’re still fucked up, what chance do I have?” He glanced up at Lucky. “Will I always be fucked up, too?”

A noise drew his attention, and Lucky caught sight of Dray. He stared at Dray, still trying to figure out what Dray saw in him that he didn’t see in himself. How could he try to help the kids that came into The Brick Yard if he couldn’t help himself?

“Not if you talk to someone,” Dray said, answering Jax’s question.

Jax spun around to face Dray. “Can you find someone for Lucky to talk to, too?”

Dray shrugged. “That’s up to Lucky.”

Lucky couldn’t take his eyes off Dray because in that moment, he knew he’d fallen hopelessly in love. He knew he owed it to Dray to become a man worthy of the love Dray gave. He’d always felt talking to someone about his past would make him weak, but he knew in that moment it would be the hardest thing he’d ever done. “I could maybe talk to someone,” he agreed.

Jax looked back at Lucky. “Really?”

Lucky nodded. “Yeah. Really.”

Jax hugged Lucky again, and Lucky watched as Dray mouthed the words, “I love you.”

* * * *

Dray tossed the magazine back onto the waiting room table and got to his feet. His stomach in knots, he began to pace the small space. What if pushing Lucky into the appointment had been the wrong thing to do? What if digging up the past ended up hurting the man he loved even more?

The phone in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled it out and swiped his finger across the glass before putting it to his ear. “Hey.”

“How’d it go?” Mac asked.

“I don’t know yet. He’s still in there.” Dray blew out a breath. “I’m worried though.”

“Don’t be. He’s where he needs to be.”

“I hope so.” Dray glanced at his watch. “Is that the only reason you called?”

“No. That gal from the state was by, asked me a million and one questions and had me fill out some paperwork. I had no idea giving you a reference for your application would be so damn complicated. I thought I could tell them you were a good guy despite your fucked up tattoos and call it good.”

Dray chuckled. The application process hadn’t been an easy one and he still had twenty-four hours of training left, but becoming a foster parent to Jax would be worth it.

The door leading to the psychiatrist’s office opened and a puffy-eyed Lucky walked out. “He’s done. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for talking to Mrs Gaines for me.”

“No problem,” Mac replied before hanging up.

Dray shoved his phone back into his pocket. “You okay?”

Lucky nodded. “He wants to see me a couple times a week for now.”

“Okay. Did you already make another appointment?” Dray asked.

Lucky nodded again. “He’s a smart man.”

“Oh yeah? That’s good.” Dray led Lucky to the door with a hand on his back.

“Yeah, he told me I’m a lucky man to have someone like you who loves me so much.” Lucky grinned at Dray over his shoulder. “I told you, smart man.”

Crossing the parking lot toward Dray’s truck, Lucky cleared his throat. “Do you still have your tattoo supplies with you?”

“At the apartment,” Dray confirmed. “Why? You finally figure out what you want?”

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I want to do something for Brick, but I haven’t been able to figure out what.” Lucky dug a piece of paper out of his pocket but held it clutched in his hand. “I talked to Dr Sherman about it, and how I wanted to honor Brick with something as beautiful as he was. Dr Sherman asked me a bunch of questions and then recited this quote to me.” He shrugged before handing the paper to Dray. “I knew as soon as I heard it, it would be a fitting tribute.”

Dray stopped beside the pickup and unfolded the paper. “When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the paths of men.” He nodded, knowing it truly did fit Brick. “That’s beautiful. Who wrote it?”

“That’s the best part. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote it, so people will read it and think I’m smart. It’s a win-win for me.”

Laughing, Dray leaned in and gave Lucky a deep kiss. “I’m surprised you’re in such a good mood. I thought the session might be hard on you.”

“It was for a while, but after I told Dr Sherman a bunch of my shit, he said he believes he can help me.” Lucky opened the truck door. “It gave me hope, and that’s what I came here for.”

Dray climbed behind the steering wheel and started the engine. “I’m proud of you.”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Lucky argued.

“Yes you have.” Dray reached over and squeezed Lucky’s hand. “You’ve just taken the first step in bringing a gym full of troubled teens hope.”

Epilogue

Four Years Later

In his usual booth, Lucky leaned back against the wall and shook his head at Briley. “Haven’t you figured out yet what causes that?”

Briley looked down at her pregnant stomach. “Evidently not.”

Lucky loved spending time with Briley, her husband and their two kids, but damn. Three kids in less than four years was insane. “Tell me you’re gonna name this one after me.”

“Uhhh, that would be a no.” Briley threw the paper wrapper from her straw at him before opening her notebook. “So I wanted to go over the final details for the fundraiser with you.”

“Okay.” Fundraisers were Lucky’s least favorite thing, but they were unavoidable. Like several people in their neighborhood, Briley had stepped forward to offer her help once The Brick Yard had officially became a youth center. Not only did she tutor at the center twice a week, but she also helped with the yearly citywide fundraiser that had become quite a popular charity with local musicians.

“So, the tickets have already sold out,” she said.

“That’s great.” Lucky didn’t understand why Briley didn’t look happy. At two hundred bucks a ticket, he couldn’t have asked for more. He’d thought Briley and the other volunteers were crazy when they’d suggested upping the price of the concert tickets, but they’d assured him that with the lineup they’d secured, two hundred bucks was a steal.

“Well, yes and no. I’ve been looking, and I’ve found a bigger venue that we can get. The only problem is it’s downtown.”

“No.” Lucky shook his head. “We’ve always had the concert at The Brick Yard. It won’t be the same anywhere else.” Since expanding the gym to include the space between the original gym and Mac’s Diner, there was plenty of room to hold the fifteen-hundred spots they’d allowed for.

“I know, but we could sell more tickets if we moved to a bigger venue. The important thing is raising money.”

“No, the important thing is letting those kids know they matter to this city. Seeing those musicians come to their little neighborhood goes a long way in showing them that.” Lucky crossed his arms. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but some things are more important than money.”

Briley sighed. “You’re so goddamn stubborn.”

“You’re right, I am—something else I inherited from Brick.” He grinned and took a sip of his milkshake. “What’s next?”

“The bar area. On the diagram, you have it clear in the back, but it needs to be closer to the stage.”

“Why? The kids stand in front of the stage. It’s bad enough that we have to have alcohol at all at this thing, but putting it right next to a crowd of teenagers is a recipe for disaster.” Again, Lucky understood that grown-ups didn’t want to spend a fortune on a concert without enjoying a beer or two, but if the gym didn’t need the new roof and central air unit so badly, he would have put a stop to it.

“How about a compromise.” Briley pointed her pencil at the gym layout and tapped a section near the middle of the open space. “What about along this wall? It should be behind the space reserved for the kids, while still being close enough that the paying customers can get to it easily.”

Lucky lifted his hand. “Whatever.”

Briley’s eyebrows shot up. “Dang. That was easy enough. You’re getting soft.”

“Am not,” Lucky argued. “Just tired of this shit. Jax should be showing up any time, and I want to be next door to welcome him home.”

Briley’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Is he home for the whole summer?”

“He’s here for good. He’s decided to transfer to the University of Chicago.” Lucky was so fucking proud of Jax and happy that after two years away, Jax had finally decided to come back to Chicago.

“What? Is he tired of all that California sunshine?” Briley asked.

Lucky shrugged. “I don’t know what changed his mind, but he said most of his credits would transfer and he was ready to be home.” He didn’t care why Jax was returning, just that he’d have the kid back. “We done here?”

“Yeah.” Briley closed her binder. “Don’t forget, pre-concert mixer with the bands and press at six on Friday.”

Lucky slid out of the booth. “I’ll be there, but I’m not wearing a goddamn suit like you made me wear last year. I looked like an idiot.”