Hammer shrugged. “Other people are afraid to go all the way with their actions. But not us, hm?” he asked and took a sip from his cup of coffee. Dex grinned, nodding with his mouth full, but the sadness passing over his face earlier came back to Hammer, and he cleared his throat. “I say some nasty things to you when we fuck. Just want to make sure you know it’s pretend. I’m not doing it to humiliate you like the douchebags who spread gossip about you. I just get off on the dirty talk and seeing you all messed up.”
Dex nodded, lowering his gaze. “It’s hot. I… feel safe losing control with you. And I am okay being a slut. I just hate it being used against me. But when we’re having sex, and you say that I’m nasty, greedy, that I want dick all the time… that really turns me on. I like how you take charge of things. I’m happy to take the initiative too, and I’m not shy, but I feel really wanted when you go for it.”
Hammer put his free hand on Dex’s thigh and squeezed it as emotion passed through him in a rapid wave. “I really want you,” he whispered, capturing Dex’s gaze. “And you can trust me to keep you safe, whether we’re alone or with other people.”
Dex flashed him a giddy smile. “And the prospect thing… It’s so hot. For it to be my duty, for me to be used by you, but it’s not real, right? The other bikers won’t askthatof me?”
Hammer was certain Dex would have liked thefantasyof being used by a bunch of hot bikers, but sex and work rarely blended well in real life. “If any of them tries, just because you’re gay, tell him I’m gonna break every finger in his gun hand if he touches you.”
If Dex had had a tail, he would have wagged it. “Right, you’re the enforcer. Speaking of which. Where do we go from here? How far away is Ryker?”
“Quite far,” Hammer said and opened the maps app on his phone. He’d already put in the coordinates of the cabin where Ryker was staying, according to Lion, but as he analyzed the shortest route, blood drained from his face. “And it’s gonna be a trip down memory lane. We’ll be passing through my hometown.”
Dex’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. Will I get to meet your parents? Let’s see your parents!”
Hammer stared at him. He would not go out of his way to meet two people who’d pretty much erased him from their lives. “Over my dead body.”
Chapter 20 – Dex
Hammer’sparentswererich.
Dex had expected to see a normal house somewhere in the suburbs, much like the one where he’d grown up in, but the building in front of them could have fit four of those. Maybe more, if the Italianate villa sprawled to the back the same way it did to the sides. It had a flattish roof covered with ceramic tiles, a garage that could fit three cars, and fancy sash windows with mini-balconies and wooden shutters. To top that off, two of those narrow and tall trees one often saw in pictures of Italy grew at some distance from the grand entrance that had the shape of a vault and was framed by lanterns looking like ones Dex had seen on a historical building he’d visited during a school trip.
As a fish out of water, Dex was at a disadvantage, but he’d do his best to help Hammer reconnect with his family. Maybe there was still something to salvage from their former relationship? Dex had lost touch with his own, apart from Frank, who was the other black sheep, but Hammer could still show his family he’d grown up to be an upstanding man.
“Maybe we could stay the night if we play our cards right,” Dex said to Hammer, all excited. “I bet they have guest rooms. Do they?”
Hammer stared at the building, his face still as a statue’s. “You think?”
“I don’t know what kind of rooms rich people need in their homes. In movies they always have a cinema, a wine cellar, a music room—”
“Yeah, they do have guest rooms, but I’m not sure they’re gonna be happy seeing us out of the blue. Mom always wanted to move to a gated community. For all I know, they might not even live here anymore,” Hammer said and blew a strand of dark hair out of his eyes.
Dex unzipped his jacket and checked his T-shirt for stains. He needed to make a good impression in front of Hammer’s parents. He took off the sling to avoid questions about his accident and vowed to himself he'd pretend his arm was fine even if it hurt like a motherfucker. Nothing more pain killers couldn't help with. Sadly, Hammer was timing him on those and wouldn't let him take more than two at a time.
“Only one way to find out if they're inside.” He grinned and rang the doorbell, which sounded like some classy jazz tune.
Hammer’s arm rose, but it was too late, so he let it drop and pulled on the front of his leather jacket, adjusting it. His hair was still messy from wearing a helmet though, and Dex stepped in, combing it with his fingers.
“Just remember it was your idea,” Hammer said.
Dex shrugged. “Yeah, and you’ll see it was a good one. It never hurts to have family on your side.” Which was a bitter reminder that he’d overdone it when arguing with Frank and needed to make amends, but that could wait when the here and now needed to be taken care of.
Hammer inhaled, and his eyes met Dex’s as if he wanted to say something but then the door unlocked, and a woman in a simple black dress emerged, staring at them as if she’d just seen a ghost. She looked ready for a night out, with perfectly styled mid-length hair the same shade as Hammer’s, and a touch of lipstick on her mouth.
“Florian?”
Dex stilled, as if he were a printer and his thoughts—paper jammed in his brain.Florian? Hammer’s real name was Florian? He’d laugh if it wasn’t disrespectful to Hammer’s mother.
“We’re sorry to arrive so late, but… Florian told me this was his home town, and one thing led to another, so here we are. I’m Dex, by the way.” He extended his hand in greeting, but she didn’t take it, going pale under her makeup.
“Peter?” she called out, folding her hands on her chest and ignoring Dex in favor of Hammer, who eventually took a step forward and nodded.
“I know. I should have let you know. But I thought that since we’re family—”
“What is it, honey?” a man asked, emerging from the depths of the white corridor in a brown woolen sweater. He had thinning gray hair, but his face bore a striking resemblance to the man standing at Dex’s side. He too stalled when he saw them, only to hurry to the door with eyes pinned to Hammer. “What—”
“It’s fine, we can leave,” Hammer said, already stepping back, but his mother shook her head, still in a state of shock.