I couldn’t stop crying, and he just wanted to lay out anyone who so much as looked at him. The fights he, Red, Ace, and Lucky got into were scary. I shut down. Locked myself up in my room, scared the shit out of King. He was afraid I’d do something to hurt myself, or worse.”
“Would you have?” Fitz asked softly.
“I thought about it. A lot. We were all in therapy, but some of us were on the verge of quitting, feeling it wasn’t helping. Then King lost his shit and dragged us all out of the house, like literally dragged Ace and carried Sacha. He took us to Pip’s house. He was our other medical sergeant, the youngest of our group, and the one who gave everyone their nicknames. It’s like something inside all of us snapped. We started talking to each other, started trying harder at therapy, and visited the families of our fallen brothers. They needed us just as much as we needed them. The more time we spent around them, the more we wanted to help. That’s when King proposed the idea of opening a private security company owned by all of us, equal partners.”
“Wait, you mean King isn’t the boss?” Fitz teased. It was no secret that the rest of the Kings, Jack, and Joker were more than happy to let King steer the ship.
“We were used to following his orders, and we were happy to keep doing it. I mean, someone has to be the responsible adult, right?”
“Right.”
Jack grew silent long enough for Fitz to shift so he could look up at Jack. “You’ve gone quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m waiting for you to decide you want off this crazy train.”
He was so cute. Fitz sat up, and Jack followed him, his legs to either side of Fitz so Fitz’s back was pressed to Jack’s chest. He wrapped his arms around Fitz, who let his hands rest on Jack’s, smiling when Jack laid his chin on Fitz’s shoulder.
“Or maybe you’d like to join me on this little adventure. See where it takes us?”
Fitz hummed and pretended to think about it. “On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You don’t go anywhere near my espresso machine.”
Jack threw his head back and laughed. “You got it.”
Fitz stood and Jack followed, turning Fitz so he could kiss him. Their tongues danced as Fitz melted into Jack, loving the intimate and gentle way Jack held him, caressed him, made him feel like he couldn’t get enough of Fitz. “I should go,” Jack said against Fitz’s lips. He took a step back. “Even though I don’t want to.” With a groan, he pulled Fitz back into his arms, making Fitz smile. “One more kiss. For the road.”
“For the road,” Fitz agreed, cupping his face and kissing the breath out of him.
“Wow. Yeah, that… that doesn’t give me incentive to leave,” Jack said with a pout.
“Aw, sorry not sorry.”
Jack shook his head in amusement. He walked backward toward the door, and Fitz was amazed he didn’t bump into anything.
“Jack?”
“Yes?”
“You’re forgetting something.”
“I haven’t forgotten about our date,” Jack assured him, reaching back for the doorknob. How did he know he’d already reached it?
“That, and you’re forgetting your laptop.”
“Oh shit. I need that.” Jack hurried back in, and Fitz put a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing. The guy had no idea how damned adorable he was. Jack shut his laptop, shoved it into his backpack, zipped it up, and then pulled Fitz in for another kiss. “Last one.”
“God, I hope not,” Fitz said, smiling at Jack’s chuckle.
“I meant for now. Last one for this second.” Jack kissed him again. “Tell me to go.”
“Go.”
“Okay.” After a quick kiss on the lips, he jogged to the door. “I’ll call you.” He paused with the door open. “Do you want me to call you? I can text instead.”
“Either’s fine,” Fitz said, the butterflies in his stomach going crazy.
“Okay. Now I’m really going. This is me gone.” He walked out, then poked his head in, a big grin stretching across his handsome face. Of course he had a dimple. “Bye, Fitz.”
“Bye, Jack.” The door closed, and Fitz turned when his phone went off. With a smile he could barely contain, he picked it up and answered the call. “Hi, Jack.”
“I don’t have a car.”
Fitz barked out a laugh.
“I mean, I have a car. It’s just not here. I was dropped off. Why am I telling you this? Tell me to shut up.”
“Never.”
“Ooh, you’re trouble. Don’t encourage me.”
Fitz couldn’t remember ever