Page 30 of Lane

I wasn’t just here for Alton though. I wanted Lane with us.

Breaking the kiss, I turned to find Lane floating on his back. With one hand on Alton, I reached for Lane, pulling him to us.

“Get over here where you belong,” I said.

“I was giving you two space.”

“Well, stop,” Alton told him and tugged him until Lane stood. “We want you with us.”

12

ALTON

There was a lot going on in my head. After the night I had with Raiden and Lane, I was unbelievably happy. Happier than I’d been in a long time.

We didn’t do more than kiss that night. They dropped me off at Jordan’s building so I could get my car. We shared another kiss before I left. There was a pang in my chest as I drove away. They both lived in the same place while I had to leave, not knowing what they’d do without me.

There was no talk of how this would work. If they’d be together without me, or if I’d be with one of them without the other. There were logistics to figure out.

I shook my head and walked back into my kitchen to fill my mug with coffee again. It was Saturday morning, and I didn’t have anywhere to be. It was good, and it sucked at the same point. Free time wasn’t plentiful in my line of work, especially being on call for Jordan. Yet, I couldn’t help thinking back to my time with Raiden and Lane, wondering what they were doing.

It was my own fault. I should call or text and ask them to go out. I felt unmoored like I didn’t know where I stood. We really needed to talk.

I brought my full mug to the window overlooking the street out front. In the back, I had a small yard. It wasn’t big, but it was mine—my little piece of frozen grass. It had snowed last night, and then there was a layer of ice on top of it. The streets were plowed and salted. I’d rather stay inside, where I was warm. A small part of me knew I could be warmer somewhere else. I pushed it away. If they wanted to spend time with me, they’d be here.

I still couldn’t get over finally kissing Raiden though. Lane was the catalyst we needed, but we weren’t pushing him away. He was integral. I also loved how they were different, not only in looks but personality too.

A sudden banging on my back door jolted me, my arm moving, splashing coffee over the rim onto my hand. Luckily, the creamer I put in had cooled it slightly, so it didn’t scald me.

“Shit,” I muttered and returned to the kitchen, placing it on the counter.

The banging continued. I didn’t have time to tend to my hand. Few people knew where I lived: Jordan and his men, my sister and her husband, and the people I worked with.

I rushed to the door. Then I paused. Didn’t Jordan try to drill into me that I should never open a door without a weapon? I had no peephole here, which was my own fault.

Reaching into the kitchen drawer, I pulled out a knife. It was as good as I was getting. I had a gun, but it was tucked upstairs in a safe in my bedroom.

With the knife in hand, I opened the door, ready to stab who was on the other side. Instead, I got Raiden, who held Lane up while Lane bled from the leg.

“What happened?” I asked, opening the door wider. I couldn’t let my emotions get the best of me.

“Would you believe me if I said a squirrel attacked me?” Lane asked, his voice strained.

“Did he hit an artery?” I ushered them inside, followed by Jordan, Oleander, and Vincent.

“He got shot for being a smart-ass,” Jordan bit out.

“What?” I yelled and followed them down the hall.

Off the main hallway on the first floor was a bedroom I converted into a medical space for this purpose. It wasn’t often I used it. Depending on where Jordan and his men were when they were hurt, they could be closer to me than their building. The room was equipped the same as the one Jordan had.

Flipping on the lights, I started pulling out the supplies I’d need, then washed my hands and put on gloves.

“I’ll give you that,” Lane said as Raiden helped him onto the table. “I could have been quiet, but he was being an asshole. We both knew he wasn’t going to buy from you. It was almost like he was sizing you up to see if you were really a threat.”

Jordan leaned against the wall near the door and crossed his arms. “I don’t disagree.”

Lucky for me, my neighbors had all met Jordan before, and if they saw him bringing in someone bloodied, they’d stay quiet. He’d paid them nicely before for it.

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