Page 18 of Slam Dunk
Quince opened his door. “Show me where this sensor is. I can probably figure it out.”
Jathan flashed him a smile. “My Jack of all trades.” He popped the hood.
They climbed from the car.
Side by side, they stood staring down at the inner workings of another extremely expensive car. Quince tried not to drool and be practical. He waited for Jathan to point out the sensor. When Jathan didn’t, he looked over to find Jathan looking even more confused.
“What?”
“It’s gone.”
Quince’s blood went cold. “Show me where it’s supposed to be.”
Jathan pointed to an area where there was no way it could have fallen off. He saw immediately how it would be installed to get power. It had to have been taken off the car by force.
“I think it’s time for you to hire a bodyguard.”
Jathan closed the hood. “I have you.”
Quince fought a growl. “Seriously, Jathan. This is very likely how that person got in your garage. How long has it been since this car has been driven?”
Jathan shrugged. “I don’t know. Months.”
“Did the door open when you came home then?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t take it out. There’s a guy who does that on rotation, so the cars don’t just sit.”
Quince massaged his forehead. Someone could have been coming in for literal months and Jathan didn’t want security. He dropped his hand. Quince had a bad feeling this wasn’t the first thing Jathan chose to ignore.
“Were those flowers the first?”
Jathan shifted from foot to foot, making Quince’s heart sink. “Well, I mean. That’s the first time anyone has ever gotten inside, but I’ve had gifts left elsewhere. That’s pretty common.”
“Have you filed reports? Made a paper trail?”
Jathan shifted from foot to foot again.
Quince threw his arms up. “Damn it, Jathan. People are nuts. Are you trying to end up hurt? Even if this wasn’t happening, what about crazed fans who want to take you out of the game to ensure their team wins? You’re so much bigger than you realize.”
Jathan grabbed his overnight bag from the car without responding.
Quince crowded his space before he got away. “I can’t be with you all the time. Why would you make me worry like this?” Quince tried to become as pitiful as possible. “Are you trying to break my heart?” He kissed Jathan’s neck. “Don’t do this to me.”
Jathan laughed at his over-the-top ridiculous tone. “Okay. I’ll think about it. I’ll ask around. See if anyone has any recommendations.”
At the end of the day, that was all Quince could ask. He couldn’t force Jathan to hire someone. Quince hugged him tightly against his chest. His throat swelled. “I’ve seen this, and I can’t live it twice.”
Jathan melted into him. “No fair. You know I’d never hurt you.”
Quince didn’t give a shit if he played dirty. He had all the feels for Jathan. If anything happened to him, Quince might not survive it. Sometimes there wasn’t enough therapy in the world.
He took a step back. “Now. Remind me again what all we have to do before game time.”
Jathan took his hand and headed for the door. “A ton of shit, actually. With it being the deciding game, I have to get to the stadium early for interviews and all that. You’ll probably be bored off your ass to…” Jathan froze inside the doorway.
Out of pure instinct, Quince yanked Jathan out of the doorway and shoved him behind him. His entire kitchen counter was filled with gifts and flowers.
Jathan kissed his nape and tugged him backward against his chest. “It’s okay. I was just caught off guard after yesterday. I forgot my management team was scheduled to come by. It always looks this way after they’ve vetted and approved my fan mail.”
