Order (Tattoos and Ties Duet #2)(8)

“Who the fuck cares what you see? He likes me. I like him. And he thinks I’m the hottest guy on this planet.” The smile was back on his face. Alec had been told countless times he was easy on the eyes, but because Key had said those exact words, it made Alec feel so special.

“Shows how little of the world he’s seen. You’re not the hottest guy on the planet,” Blaine said with all authority.

“Thanks. You know, you should consider fucking inspirational speaking as possible employment,” Alec quipped, increasing his speed, mentally running Blaine over in the process.

Blaine completely ignored him. “Clearly, you’re spending lots of time with him. The biker’s coming out in you.”

Since Janice had mentioned his frequent use of more colorful language, he suspected that was probably true. Key used the word fuck as a verb, noun, adjective, and adverb, sometimes all in the same sentence.

“So if his club gets taken down by the feds, are you an accomplice?”

“You’re a douche. I’m hanging up.”

He didn’t have to justify his decisions to Blaine or to anyone. Alec reached to end the call.

“Because, honestly, I don’t think orange should be your new black.”

Alec hung up while laughing at his friend’s absurdity. Blaine never quit and had always been there for him when needed. He honestly didn’t see that changing, but one thing was for sure, Blaine needed to get used to Key being in his life.

As Alec turned on West Davis Street, he thought about calling Rosa Daly to let her know of his success this morning, but decided to wait as he saw the approaching tire shop. His heart picked up a beat, staring at the sign in the distance as he came to another red light. In all their time together, Alec hadn’t gone back to the tire shop, not since he’d had his tires changed the day after meeting Key.

This seemed like a breach of his and Key’s vow to stay hidden. Maybe he shouldn’t do this.

No, driving down a street was a normal act. Hell, he could be having lunch in the Bishop Arts district. That was something he’d wanted to do since he’d driven there his first time.

The light turned green as his phone rang again. He looked down for a second to see Janice’s name appear on the screen. He answered while slowing his speed on the approach to the tire shop.

“Hey, can you have lunch today?” Janice asked.

“Sure, I’m in the Bishop Arts area. Come here?” Alec asked.

“Oh, good choice. How about Gloria’s? I’m fifteen minutes away.”

“See you then.” Alec ended the call as he slowly drove past Tires. To his relief, Key was outside, standing in the partially filled parking lot. Alec’s gaze locked on Key, who became the only thing he saw. His heart leaped at the sight of his man and the innate connection they shared seemed to hold as Key looked over at the street as he passed by. For a brief few seconds, Alec was filled with unbelievable joy that instantly faded as Key left his view. Alec took a deep breath, absorbing the sudden rush of such a high, then the immediate low as the shop disappeared behind him. That was all right. He got his fix. That would be enough for now.

=?=

Hound, a patched brother of the Disciples of Havoc, came to a stop directly in front of Keyes. He then took a half step to the left, purposefully blocking Keyes’s view of his father who sat dutifully in the passenger side of a club-owned tow truck with a car loaded in the rear. Keyes gave Hound props for trying to shield him from his old man, but he should have rolled up the truck’s windows because nothing could drown out the vitriol spewing from his father’s hateful mouth.

“Ignore him,” Hound said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder toward the tow truck. “We’re slammed today. I got another tow waitin’. I didn’t have a choice but to bring him along. I told him to keep his fuckin’ mouth shut. You see how that worked out.”

Keyes nodded, knowing even though he tuned his old man out, his current customers waiting in the parking lot for their tire changes could certainly hear every disparaging word coming from the cab of the truck. Whatever Hound wanted, it needed to get done as fast as humanly possible.

“Mack asked if you could get these tires changed. It’s all the customer needs. He’ll handle the payment.”

“Sure,” he said, and with a cock of his head, he nodded Hound toward the truck. As he started them that direction, a weird tug at his heart made Keyes slow. The feeling was instinctual more than anything tangible. Whatever it was had him turning toward the road. Keyes’s heart skipped a beat when the shiny flash of red and chrome caught his attention. His forward steps halted as he recognized Alec’s sports car rolling past. In that ten or so seconds, everything faded away. Keyes’s anxiety eased, his face softened, and a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. He didn’t know what Alec was doing on this side of town and didn’t care. He had needed the mental boost Alec always brought. Keyes had to check his urge to lift his hand in greeting.

As quickly as Alec had come, he left, and Keyes’s world rushed back in around him. Keyes’s gaze swept the parking lot, watching his staff dart around like a seasoned pit crew. The sounds of impact wrenches and his father’s shouted insults filled the peaceful place Alec had momentarily created. He turned toward the tow truck to see Hound several steps ahead of him, staring at him as if he lost his mind. Technically, he probably had, but he finished his steps and his thought as he headed around the rear of the truck.