Wood (A True Lover's Story #2) - A.E. Via Page 0,125

anyway.”

Trent’s eyes widened along with the others who were standing around listening, as realization settled in. These guys must’ve taken turns with him, and now they were actually shaming him for not being allowed to get more… Damn, that’s fucked-up. Trent glanced in Rayne’s direction, and it was as if someone had slung a dark cloud over his head and a hailstorm had begun to rain down on him. A pool of water formed in his pretty eyes, his peach lips trembling from the humiliation. Trent recognized that kind of beaten-down spirit … he’d had it himself long ago. Before he knew it, he was getting pissed as he balled his fists at his sides and let the wave of anger wash over him like toxic fumes.

“Chill out,” Bishop mumbled. “Dad’s got this one.”

Mike’s muscles in his forearm bulged as he stared down each of the men. It’d been a long time since Trent had seen Mike respond this way, and it was all for this unique stranger. Mike’s voice was sharper than the blade he held. “He asked you nicely to leave. Now I’m telling you to get the fuck out.” As if they realized this was no longer a game, they slowly began to reverse their steps. “And if one of you trifling motherfuckers even looks back at him… I’m gonna change your fuckin’ lives forever.”

The men hauled ass out of the shop, and Trent would be damned if a single one glanced in Rayne’s direction. With the situation diffused, everyone exhaled some form of breath, gaping at each other crazily and wondering if that’d really just happened.

Rayne seemed to notice he was still holding on to Mike and vice versa. He stepped away, not meeting their eyes as he inched closer to Wood. “I’m sorry to bring this trouble to you. I was just coming to tell you congratulations. I’ve seen your ads for this place all over the boardwalk.”

“Yeah, El’s a bit overzealous with advertising,” Wood said lightly as if trying to make the guy smile.

“I’ll see you around,” Rayne murmured and waved his hand scantily in the others direction as he moved toward the front door.

“Wait,” Wood and Mike said in unison. Trent’s frown matched Rayne’s as he spun and stared at them both.

Mike appeared stunned that he’d blurted the single word, then seemed to scurry to come up with something more to say. “You should wait a few minutes and make sure they’re not lingering around out there. I can walk you to your car,” Mike said boldly.

“I don’t have a car,” Rayne said. “I caught the bus down here.”

“You need a ride home?” Wood asked.

“I um.” Rayne noticed all eyes were on him, and while he didn’t seem uncomfortable in the spotlight, as if he was used to it, he looked more hesitant with what he was about to say.

“El, make sure you watch the front of the shop, all right,” Wood said and ushered Rayne back to his station and pulled the curtain closed.

Mike stood with his feet shoulder-width apart and his thick arms crossed over his broad chest as if he was suddenly this guy’s bodyguard. Sure Rayne looked good and was pulling off the whole damsel in distress thing, but Trent thought they were going a bit overboard. The bad guys were gone—the man was fine now.

“Trent, will you get Rayne some water?” Wood asked, gesturing for the young guy to sit in his client chair.

Oh for fuck’s sake. For real?

Bishop chuckled somewhere behind him, and Mike turned and glared hotly. “Move it, bighead. Get the damn water.”

Trent gritted his teeth but begrudgingly went and got Rayne some water from the minifridge because that always helped anyone in a stressful situation. Trent handed him the bottle of Dasani, and Rayne’s voice was soft when he told him, “Thank you.”

Yes, thank goodness you have water now. Trent rolled his eyes in his mind. Sure, okay, the guy was fine—erotic was maybe a better word—but that didn’t explain Mike’s reaction.

“Are you still staying with your uncle?” Wood asked.

Rayne gulped some of the water before he answered, and Trent watched Mike become fixated on the man’s Adam’s apple as it bobbed with each dramatic swallow. Rayne sighed, his pink tongue peeking out and catching the lingering droplets on his thick bottom lip. “No. He turned out to be the creepy uncle that shouldn’t be allowed around the kids at a family reunion.”

“Oh dang.” Wood frowned. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s all right. I stunned his ass too.” Rayne shook his head. “Who knew saying no all the time would cause this much trouble. It’s easier to just say yes and do it. What does it matter if I abstain a few months anyway? I’ll always be known as ‘the tramp.’”

Wood gently touched Rayne’s shoulder. “And I’ll always be the alcoholic. But there’s a big difference, Rayne. I’m a recovering alcoholic. And you’re a recovering addict. You knew it wouldn’t be easy, but don’t let those idiots rob you of what you deserve. Your abstinence is important to you.”

“I’m trying so hard,” Rayne said wearily, and Trent was beginning to put the scattered pieces of the puzzle together. “I got a job at Walmart, and my supervisor is nice. She lets me crash on her couch a few times a week. I can’t move in though. It’s probably all my damn luggage that scares her.”

“You and those clothes.” Wood smirked, then slowly sobered. “Do you need a place to stay for a little while?”

“I can’t ask that,” Rayne said, glancing up with what looked like a spark of hope in his light eyes. “I don’t want you to get into any shit with your boyfriend.”

“Me,” Trent scoffed, confused.

“Boyfriends and girlfriends don’t like me around very much,” Rayne said sadly.

Understandably. Hell, erase the guy’s history and the man was still walking, talking sex. But Trent was confident he was the only one that would have Wood’s heart now and forever. “I’m not that insecure,” Trent assured. “I don’t mind helping you out.”

Wood looked damn proud and relieved.

“Don’t you rent? Are you sure your landlord won’t mind?” Rayne whispered, that silky voice holding all of them entranced.

Four sets of eyes landed on Mike, and when he tried to answer, his voice sounded so rough that he had to clear his throat to be understood. “No. No, I don’t mind at all.”

The End.

Rayne: A True Lover’s Story

will be coming next…

Acknowledgments

Thank you my amazing readers and my fierce Alpha-Team fan group. You guys are rock stars and you give me encouragement to keep doing this every day.

Jay Aheer this cover truly captured Trent’s inner struggles. Thank you for another amazing one.

This was my first time working with Sandra Dee as an editor and it was a wonderful first experience. I loved our back and forth banter and thank you for teaching me a few things I didn’t know.

Carra Saigh. I continue to trust your judgment with the content of my stories. I sincerely appreciate your honesty. Love you.

Rachel and Lisa, thank you for the amazing graphics on this one too! I love having the two of you on my team.

Author Bio

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for six years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her.

Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

She’s currently writing her 23rd book, and is kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peek at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

Also by A.E. Via