Page 45 of Becoming the Owners
His tone said he wasn’t expecting me to say yes.
“Um, no, I didn’t think anyone would believe me, but that was how I met my computer friend. I paid him a ridiculousamount of money to ruin them online.” He’d been good and he’d been nicer than I’d expected a hacker to be.
“Every time they tried to find a new partner or would post in a chat group, a message would pop up explaining what they’d done.” It’d really been an ingenuous way of fucking with them. “I hadn’t been their only victim, but I was their last. About six months later, they were arrested for trying to buy a slave on the dark web.”
I’d always expected that the FBI had been given a push in their direction, but I’d never asked because I didn’t want to know.
“God, you’ve met worse people than I have.” The shocked tone in his voice had me chuckling, so he poked his finger in my side, only making my laughter worse. “Hey, I’m being supportive here.”
Still laughing, I wrapped my arms around him and rolled us until I was stretched out over him again. “You’re wonderful, birdie.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but I also got a quick kiss, so I knew it was just drama. “Mine isn’t nearly as exciting or book worthy. Dude, yours is like dark TV movie kind of shit. I just got cornered in an alley one time. It was right before I started working construction and everything changed.”
Conner’s face was filled with anger and frustration, but he didn’t seem scared as he recounted the story. “I’d gone out back at a club I’d snuck into to get a smoke. Bad habit, I know. Don’t worry, I don’t do it anymore. So the bar, I could always get free drinks and even food sometimes and I was cute enough that they didn’t work very hard at keeping me out even though I wasn’t legal.”
Assholes.
But I didn’t interrupt, just kissed his head and listened.
“So I went out and the light was busted. These guys were out there waiting. I think they’d have jumped anyone, honestly, but it was almost pitch black and I’d always been able to talk my way out of problems, even on the streets.”
That did not surprise me.
“But they weren’t in the mood to talk, I was a slightly drunk idiot twink who couldn’t defend himself at all, and I’d have been toast if this guy I’d been flirting with earlier hadn’t followed me out. The big lug saved the day and then ended up ditching me the next day when he realized I was homeless.” Conner rolled his eyes again, seeming to be more frustrated about the idiot lug than he was about nearly being beaten to a pulp. “Dickhead.”
Understatement of the year right there.
Before I could ask him if he’d been okay or something else equally as stupid, he looked up at me and gave me a quick peck. “But aside from giving me a bit of a bigger chip to balance on my shoulder, it helped me to see beyond looks and to start searching for what really mattered.”
Giving him a soft kiss, I stroked his cheek. “And then everything changed for you and you made yourself one badass life, pretty bird.”
He tried to laugh off my comment but I could see the pleasure in his eyes. “Crazy man.”
“I think you mean then you met the best crazy man ever and knew he was the one from the first moment he brought you a sandwich.” I had to grin as he snorted.
“After he spent entirely too long ogling my ass.” As my smile widened, he gave me a look like he thought I was ridiculous.
He seemed to do that a lot, but I didn’t mind.
My birdie was spectacular no matter how silly he thought I was.
“But then you brought me food and had so many insane things to say I had to figure out if you were real.” As I tried not to laugh, he smirked and gave me another kiss. “You were.”
“Iwere.” Kissing him again, I took my time and made love to his mouth as I tried to pour everything I was feeling into him. When I finally eased back, kissing his nose and just marveling at the beautiful man here with me, I gave him another soft peck. “I love you, pretty bird.”
I knew it would take him time to really understand how much I meant those three little words, but as he hugged me tight, hope and nerves shining bright in his eyes, I knew it would never change.
“If you break my heart, I’m going to kill you.” His brows pulled together, earnest and a bit confused. “You know that, right?”
“Understood, pretty bird. Buried in a concrete tomb under a mansion. But I’m not afraid because I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine.” Kissing him again gently, I rested my forehead against his. “Forever and always, pretty bird.”
“Forever and always.” He looked up at me, some of the worry in his eyes fading. “I love you, but I’ll still kill you if you fuck this up.”
God, he was the most perfect man I’d ever met. “That’s going to be the first rule on our list, birdie. That way neither of us will ever forget.”
He snorted out a laugh, hugging me tighter. “You’re insane, Brass Man, but it’s a crazy I can live with.”
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere, pretty bird.” I’d say it as many times as he needed to hear it.
