Page 45 of Hidden Desires
“Western badasses in a saloon,” Blade answered, nodding over his shoulder toward the picture hanging on the wall.
The man nodded. “Perfect choice for you two. I totally get that bad-boy vibe from you both. Right this way.”
The man began pulling items from racks and holding them up against Ace and Blade, sometimes nodding, sometimes shivering in disgust. Everything needed to be perfect. Every prop, every item of clothing.
Ace and Blade exchanged laughs as each of them took turns throwing on the items being hurled at them. The man was an artist, recreating a moment that had somehow been lost in time.
That was the magic of the old-time photos. They brought to life a fantasy that had somehow been lost over the ages.
Once they were dressed, the older man tugged each of them into position. They stood back-to-back, guns raised, staring menacingly into the camera’s lens.
Even with their height difference, the two fit perfectly together.
“Now, sneer into the camera and tell the world that they will never take you down!” the man shouted, pointing a finger at them and glancing into his camera.
Behind him, he could feel Ace’s body press up against his as they leaned on each other for support.
His heart rate quickened. This, right here, felt perfect.
Laughing, playing around, and being…together.
This felt right.
This was what he wanted.
But what about Marcus? What about the rest of the crew? You know Marcus will kill you, probably kick you out of the crew, and never talk to you again.
The light from the camera flashed, startling Blade out of his growing panic.
What was he doing? He couldn’t come out. He couldn’t be with the boss’s little bro.
He would lose everything.
He would lose his family. His friends. His… Ace.
“Can we see it?” Ace asked the owner, stepping around the camera and glancing at the digital screen.
Blade swallowed down his anxiety. He had no idea what to do.
He wanted Ace. He craved Ace. But he also craved family. Brotherhood. A place where he finally belonged.
He was terrified that if he pursued something with Ace, he would lose everything else.
He had no idea what to do.
For now, he would check out the picture with Ace and then take the man out for dinner.
He was a stinking rich man now, after all. He was practically a Kardashian.
Bile entered his mouth. Gross. Even he couldn’t stomach the idea of ever becoming one of those…
Staring at the image of him and the man he had been subconsciously pining over for all these years, he smiled.
Damn, they looked sexy as fuck together. Looking at Ace, he realized that he was setting himself up for nothing but heartache.
Fuck you, Cupid.
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