Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25958 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Anurak’s eyes widened, fear glinting in his eyes. Ace nodded, and as soon as Gunner released him, Ace tugged Anurak close, cuddling him like they’d known each other for years rather than a matter of days. “It’s okay, little bunny. I consent to his punishments.”
Anurak’s face paled at the word punishments. I stepped forward to comfort him and assure him I would never punish him, but Ace beat me to it. “Your Papi would never put his hands on you like that,” Ace assured him, his normally bratty tone soft and sweet for my boy. Yeah… the feelings thing was already happening. There would be no stopping it, not that I wanted to. Anurak needed people outside of me, even if I didn’t want to share him. With time, I knew I’d come around. “You had it rough, huh?”
I blew out a breath and sat on the couch. Gunner took the other end, and I leaned forward, pouring us each a cup of coffee. Leaning back, I looked over at Gunner as he grabbed his mug. “You’re good for him. I’m glad that he’s found somewhere to belong.”
Gunner shrugged. “Knew he was mine from the moment I laid my eyes on him.” His lips quirked. “Seems to be the same for you.”
I grunted. “I slaughtered a room full of men just to keep him as mine.”
Gunner snorted, amusement bleeding into his blue eyes. “I get it,” he told me simply. And I knew he did. He’d done the same for Ace when Ace had been kidnapped. I was still pissed about that, but I knew that blame didn’t lie with him. It lay with FAME, the president of the Ghost Born MC. He’d sent Ace out on his own to gather intel, and it had almost cost Ace his life.
I turned on a soccer game, and Gunner and I remained quiet, watching the game as our boys formed a bond with each other on the living room floor. An hour into the game, Anurak looked up at me. “Papi?” I tore my eyes from the TV to look down at him. He stood to his feet. “I’m hungry.”
Bento appeared at that moment with sandwiches and water for the boys. Silently, he set it on the floor. Anurak beamed at him. “Thank you, Bento.”
“Of course,” Bento told him quietly before looking at me. “Do you need anything, boss?”
“Nah,” I said, waving him off. He nodded once and left the room. Ace and Anurak dug into the lunch Bento had prepared, talking quietly as they ate. I focused back on the game, one ear trained for my boy and the other listening to the television.
When silence suddenly rang from the floor, I looked down at them and chuckled. They were cuddled into each other, Ace’s arms wrapped tightly around my puppy, and Anurak’s face was buried in Ace’s chest. Both of them were asleep, their bellies full. Gunner grunted and shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips.
“Just a warning—Ace has latched onto Anurak,” Gunner told me quietly. “And he will be sticking to him like glue.”
I shrugged. “Anurak needs someone like Ace, so I don’t mind.” The game ended, and another was already being announced. I looked at Gunner. “Looks like you’re here for a while. You up for another game?”
He nodded. “Always down to watch a game. You got beer?”
“Yeah,” I told him. Niran, who had been sitting in on the loveseat working on his tablet, silently set the device aside before standing and heading toward the kitchen. I grabbed Anurak’s throw blanket off the back of the couch and stood, draping it over the boys. Gunner kneeled beside them and gently tugged Ace’s shoes off his feet.
I pressed a kiss to the top of Anurak’s head, smiling at him. I was too selfish to take him places to possibly make his own friends, but I had a feeling Ace would be one of the best things to happen for him.
Ace would love and protect my boy with the same prejudice I did, and that was damn good enough in my book.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Anurak
Ace: You down for some shopping? Winter’s getting ready to roll in, and I need a new wardrobe.
Isnorted, shaking my head as I typed out a response. Anurak always needed something, whether it was makeup, hair color, clothes, shoes, or even new cologne.
Anurak: Don’t you already have winter clothes?
Ace: Oh, honey. My winter clothes from last year are no longer trendy.
I blinked at his message. Ace, while I adored him, was a total diva. But it was kind of fun. I liked that he wore makeup and colored his hair and liked dressing up in feminine clothes sometimes. He wasn’t afraid to be him, and he made me feel so comfortable in my own skin as I explored some of those things with his guidance.