Chapter 6

This place was almost as terrifying as anyone could imagine, but also...not. Arms around strong shoulders, warmth soaking into him, Danny forgot why Trevor wanted him to come. Let himself believe, just for a moment, that he could have this for himself. His lips still tingled from Jacks’ kiss. Every touch made his head spin. The high from a handful of weed gummy bears, a standing ovation, finding the right chords for a new song with the perfect sound…

Nothing compared to the rush during his brief time alone with Jacks.

And Danny was...kinda proud of himself. Not only had he managed an actual conversation tonight, he’d gotten through the sub interrogation and managed not to climb under the desk. That dude in the office—not ‘dude’ ever—had been intimidating as fuck. Danny felt bad for the man he’d bossed around. Who wore a ring. Maybe his husband? Was that a whole new level because damn. That Matt guy must have balls of steel.

After passing by a ring where the whole fight club part of The Asylum was apparently very real, Jacks brought him to a dance club. This, Danny could deal with. The music was familiar, as was the atmosphere. But there were a lot of big guys, close dancing, kissing, heavy petting. No way would his little photo opportunities with Ashley mean anything if it got out that he’d been here.

But it was hard to care, right at that moment. And the club contract had talked a lot about privacy. Maybe that was why Jacks hadn’t freaked out when the guy at the bar mentioned Danny’s ‘girlfriend’?

He spoke quietly in Jacks’ ear. “I...I should let you know ‘officially’ I do have a girlfriend. But it’s...something my agent set up with her agent and she...she’s really nice.”

Jacks turned his head, looking at him out of the corner of his eye, then smiled. “Officially, I get you gotta do what you gotta do, and I don’t give a fuck.” Swaying to the beat of the music, he bounced Danny on his back with quick steps as he turned in a circle. “Ah! There’s the other little pop star.”

All the tension that had gathered in Danny’s chest loosened up, then immediately returned at the sight of Jamie near the D.J. booth. He looked as good as he had several years ago. Put together, larger than life, that same face that graced so many of their album covers, always up front with Trevor just a bit behind, which Danny knew had always been an issue between his two oldest friends. He’d never cared that he’d always been positioned even further.

I’m supposed to blend in.

But he couldn’t fade into the background now.

And he had no idea how Jamie was going to react to seeing him.

Dancing them over through the crowd, swaying so hard Danny’s legs swung side to side, Jacks laughed. “I think we could start a trend.” Nearing Jamie—who had one headphone pressed to his ear as he mixed a tune, eyes closed, head bouncing to the music—Jacks raised his voice. “Special delivery.”

This is it.

Danny held his breath, wishing he’d kept his hoodie. When he hung out with the crew, he had his favorite sweater with a big hood everyone seemed cool with him keeping up when he read scripts, or even if he got in the zone listening to a track before the show. They’d all hang out in a café and either be social or not. Dressed like this, he had no way to hide. It was him, under the spotlight, without enough time to know what his lines were.

Head bent, Jamie looked up from under his dark brown brows, the sweep over each eye a contrast with his shock of bleached white hair. He started to smile at Jacks, lifting a finger, then froze. His gaze locked on Danny. Jaw working, jade green eyes fans always swooned over sparked with fury.

Jacks slid Danny off his back, taking a step away, his smile slowly turning into a frown.

“Hey, Jamie.” Danny folded his arms. Then let them fall to his sides. Then tucked his thumbs into his way-too-tight pockets. “Can we talk?”

“Excuse me.” Jamie turned and went into the D.J. booth, his locking the door visible through the glass. Then, he started rummaging through files on a big computer monitor, queuing up the music.

Shoulders bowed, Danny faced Jacks. “This was a bad idea.”

“No. Nuh-uh. Trevor said Jamie asked for me to host you.” Jacks blew out a breath, coming up to the request window. “What the actual fuck, Jamie?”

Leaning over, Jamie brought his face close to the window, where anyone watching could see his very clear, “Fuck off.”

Jacks’ hands fisted by his sides.

A shadow fell over Danny and he stumbled back into Jacks as he looked up into light gray eyes that left no doubt that this was one of the men here he definitely shouldn’t be calling ‘dude’. A chill skittered down his spine as the man, who was very tall and looked kinda like he ate nails for breakfast, glanced from Jacks to Jamie.

“What the hell is going on here?” He finally spared Danny a glance. “And who are you?”

“My sub.” Jacks made a cutting motion that told Danny under no circumstances was he to speak. “And a guest in my home at your boy’s request.” Turning fully, he jerked his chin toward Jamie. “Who just told me to ‘fuck off’?” Standing taller, Jacks lost the sunshine in his eyes. “So yes. What the hell is going on here, Noah?”

Jaw ticking, the man, Noah, caught Jamie’s eye and motioned him out. “There better be a very, very good explanation. Which won’t excuse the way you spoke to another Dom but may keep the punishments from piling up.”

For a second, Jamie seemed to contemplate testing the sturdiness of the booth door by staying behind it, going red the way he did when an argument was brewing in his head. It didn’t always come out, but their manager’d often said the look reminded him of a little volcano ready to blow its top.

Coming out of the booth, hands jammed in his pockets, Jamie stood well out of arm’s reach. “I didn’t invite them.”

“Who is ‘them’ exactly?” Noah seemed to have dismissed Danny altogether. His focus was entirely on Jamie and Jacks.

Which seemed much, much safer. Maybe if Danny stayed really quiet, he could actually disappear. Slip away like he did during a scene change, bringing a few props with him. Maybe a table to hide under?

Jabbing his finger in Danny’s direction, Jamie growled. “Him.” Looking around, like he expected Trevor to pop out of the woodwork, he cut his gaze back to Noah. “And Trevor.”

Ironic laughter fell from Jacks’ perfectly formed lips, jerking Noah’s attention away from Danny again, an instant before that glare would’ve no doubt incinerated him. Or turned him to stone. Maybe both.

The man is my hero.

“You didn’t invite them? Ri-ight.” Raking his fingers through his hair, Jacks looked to the ceiling in frustration. “And that’s why there’s a Rodeo Drive boutique’s worth of glitzy clothing all over my bedroom right now. Why they both traveled to east bumblefuck to see you, Jamie. Sure. Nice. Go ahead. Throw me under the bus because you don’t want to get into trouble with your Dom.”

Jamie’s mouth worked like words were bait he tried to hook with his lips and failed.

Expression hard, Noah moved closer to Jamie’s side. “Jamie hasn’t spoken to either of them since they let the press tear his life apart. Did you miss all that, Jacks? For some reason, my boy still considers you a friend, but I’m seriously wondering why, if you’re willing to stay in touch with the men who hurt him.”

Tossing his head back, every ounce the prima donna, Jamie looked up at Noah. “I want Danny out of here. Trevor too—wherever he’s lurking.”

“Trevor’s not here.” Danny’s throat tightened. He knew Jacks didn’t want him to talk, but he couldn’t just stand by and let him take all the heat. This wasn’t fair. He took a deep breath. “I...I’ll go if you want me to, but I just wanted to see you. It’s been a long time and Trevor said you weren’t sure about the reunion anymore. And after you told him all about this place it seemed like...a good place for me to come see you. We have...some things in common.”

Damn it, he wasn’t even sure being this open with Jamie was safe, not with his reactions, but…

At this point, what else do I have to lose?

If Trevor didn’t lash out at him for failing at this, Jamie would.

I’m screwed either way.

“I haven’t talked to Trevor. At all. I haven’t texted him. Nothing. So, how I could be unsure about something that was a non-starter is laughable. Even if Noah gave me permission, I wouldn’t do it.” Leaning in, nose-to-nose with Danny, Jamie curled his lip. “So you can tell Trevor, whatever delusions he’s harboring, I found much nicer ways to be fucked than he ever offered.”

“You don’t want to own up to it, Jamie? Fine” Jacks shook his head, disgust in his hard gaze as he drew Danny a bit behind him, shielding him from Jamie. “But Danny is a member. Lawson vetted him. He’s my sub. He stays.” A cold smile curved his lips. “And you owe me an apology. Him too. Since when do you cuss out anyone here?”

Gaze darkening, Noah tugged Jamie away from Jacks. “Like hell he does. You don’t spring something like this on him and try to use his reaction against him. If your new ‘sub’ isn’t doing it for you, find another one. Actually, why don’t you do that anyway? I want him out. Now.”

“Now the rules don’t apply to him? To you?” Huffing in contempt, Jacks shook his head. “I guess I was wrong when I defended you both to the other members.” The weight of Jacks’ hand settled on Danny’s shoulder as the Dom glanced at Jamie. “You don’t have to worry. I would have taken the words. If they’d been worth anything.”