Page 61 of Hidden Desires
What did that mean? Something had Blade visibly upset, and he wanted to know what it was so that he could help him.
He cared about Blade and hated to see the man struggling with whatever inner demon he was battling.
“Blade throwing was something I learned from my father. Did you know that I grew up in a circus?” Blade glanced over at Ace, giving him a half smile as he caressed one of his blades.
“No. No, I didn’t. Let me guess, you were a tightrope walker? Bet you looked great in those spandex outfits.”
Blade chuckled. It was good seeing him smile once again.
“No. My father was a blade thrower. He used to dazzle audiences with his tricks and impeccable throwing skills. He used to be able to throw a knife into an apple stuffed in a man’s mouth after being spun around three times, while wearing a blindfold.” Blade chuckled. “We used to have to tie down the volunteers just so they didn’t move during the act. We claimed that it was all part of the show, but in actuality, the stunt was so dangerous that even a small movement from the volunteer could end with a very bad outcome.”
“That doesn’t sound very smart to begin with,” Ace noted, hopping up on a picnic table and taking a seat on its surface.
“Well, times were different back then, and safety standards were only a thing talked about in Yankee states.”
Blade had a point there.
“So I take it you learned your mad ninja skills from your father?” Ace asked, hoping to solicit some more youthful Blade stories. The man was a vault when it came to his childhood and past.
Blade nodded. “Yeah, my pops used to practice with me every day. Teaching me how to ‘listen to the wind and feel theatmosphere around me when becoming one with the blade.’ I used to think all that talk was bullshit, but the more I practiced, the more I realized there was truth to what the crazy bastard was saying.”
Ace watched as Blade tossed a dagger up into the air and closed his eyes before catching it behind his back by the blade.
“When my father kicked me out, for some reason, I always turned to the blades for comfort. Perhaps it was a subconscious way for me to connect back to my childhood, a time before everything went to shit and my father hated me. Who knows. But, for whatever reason, I always feel calm and relaxed when throwing my blades.”
“It’s understandable. Blade throwing is in your blood. It’s something that you and your father both shared, so even though your father might have turned his back on you, that connection you once shared continues to live on inside your subconscious,” Ace added, hoping that he was saying the right thing.
Blade smiled at him.
“I think what I was looking for all these years was a place to belong. A family to share my life with, and loyal friends who would always have my back. I’ve found that here with you guys. The Shadow Vipers are my family. You all are my family.”
Ace let out a groan. While he loved hearing that Blade considered them all family, he wasn’t sure how he felt about getting railed by someone who considered him “family.”
“What?” Blade asked, giving him a half smile.
“Can we still bone if you consider me a brother?”
Blade slid his blade into the back of his jeans and walked over to where Ace was sitting. He wrapped his arm around Ace, then gently kissed him on the head.
“We can continue to bone until your brother finds out, then shoots me in the face.”
Ace shook his head. “What is your obsession with my brother shooting you in the face?”
Blade shrugged. “Not sure. He seems like the type of guy who would hold a gun to the face of the man sticking it to his little bro and pull the trigger.”
“You’re such a dork.”
“I’m a dork who’s skilled at throwing blades,” Blade clarified, pulling the dagger out from his back pocket and whipping at the homemade bullseye without looking.
The dagger landed perfectly in the center of the target.
“I’ve never felt my dick get so hard, so fast,” Ace whispered.
Could this man become any sexier?
20
BLADE
