Ronin wasn't sure but he lay behind José and pulled
him into his arms. Although he was happy to stay just the way they were, Ronin soon had to kiss José's back and allow his lover to take a shower quickly before he took his.
Getting ready took no time at all and while José slept in the passenger side seat, he drove to Century in silence. Once there, the monitors revealed Mack's plane was late so he parked in the shadiest spot he could find and the two relaxed and waited.
Ronin sat on the truck's hood with his back against the windshield and his ankles crossed. They weren't allowed into the airport so they had to wait outside. José was sitting beside him with his head resting against Ronin's shoulder. Even with the sound of the street and the airport, Ronin felt at peace. A strange quiet left his heart beating rapidly and his whole body throbbing sweetly. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss to José's hair, which caused the Spaniard to look up at him. Helplessly, he bowed his head and took José's lips. He inhaled as their tongues tangled around each other.
"Let's go to Spain," Ronin whispered.
"Ro."
"Let's do it. If you're comfortable with me meeting your mother." He shifted and sat up to turn and look at José fully. "She means a lot to you, José. I saw that clearly last night when we were talking about her. And if she means
that much to you I want to meet this woman."
José laughed softly and kissed Ronin's hand.
"You're gonna regret that."
"Regret what?"
"Wanting to meet her. She's a little… outspoken."
"You mean a little like you?"
José pouted beautifully and Ronin laughed and kissed him. "So are you good with this?"
José nodded. "Yes. We can go as soon as your brother's visit is over and we finish Laird's job."
"My part is finished." Ronin lifted his chin proudly.
"I'm just waiting on you, remember?"
José slapped him playfully and Ronin simply growled and leaned in. "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"
"You're incorrigible!" José accused.
José lay silently beside Ronin, watching the doors to the airport. The sun was out but not enough so lying there would be overly hot. He felt he should say something but the peace around them was so welcome he stayed where he was, and though he knew he shouldn't, he closed his eyes. He knew now the calmness his mother spoke about a long time ago when she spoke of José's father.
"I need to tell you about my father," José said finally.
"Why?"
"Because you're trying to get to know me, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you have to know about my family."
Ronin didn't move but his shoulders rose and fell.
"All right. Tell me about your father."
"He was a good man," José began. "You would have liked him. I doubt he would have liked me."
"Why would you say that?"
"He was a cop. A very good, manly, football-watching cop. And his son being gay would be bad for business."
Ronin chuckled. "Being gay is never bad for business."
José shifted to move his head against Ronin's shoulder. Ronin took his hand and squeezed. "Anyways. He loved my mother so fiercely, I never heard him say one cross word to her. Sometimes, when I was a child, I'd sit on the steps leading up to our bedrooms and watch them sitting beside each other, clutching each other's hands without saying a word. A year after I met the Anatolis boys—I was fifteen at the time—we were at school and the principal called me into the office. I was terrified. When I got there, there was a cop and I knew what went wrong."
"What happened?" Ronin asked.
"My dad was killed in the line of duty. He made a traffic stop just outside of Eros and the guys in the car shot him in the chest when he walked up to the window."
José swallowed the lump in his throat as Ronin squeezed his hand tighter. He snuggled up closer and wrapped his free hand across Ronin's hip. "I was never so broken as I was that day. I kept asking how my mom was—
if anyone had told my mom what happened. They'd already told her and she was so distraught that my dad's partner came to tell me. For the longest while, I blamed him for what happened to my father. But it wasn't his fault. His wife was having their first child so he took the morning off to go to the hospital."
"I'm sorry."
"After that day I vowed I would make my mom's dream come true. She'd always wanted to move to Spain and open a little diner in Madrid. She wanted to go with my father and he was working really hard to make it happen for her. After he died, she spent a year just wandering around not knowing what she was going to do or what to do with herself."
"You're a good son, José."
"It wasn't hard. She's an amazing mother."
Ronin kissed José's head. "My father passed away too. He and my mother died a couple of years ago in a boating accident in Mexico."
"I'm sorry."
"It's all right. Mack took it harder than I did. He and dad were really close. I was more of my mother's son. But they were good parents. When I came out, my mom looked at me and said '
as long as I get grandkids
'." He laughed softly. "They were supportive parents."
"And you."
Ronin laughed. "I don't know."
"Yes they would have been. You served your country and you've made a wonderful life for yourself.
They are your parents and they will always be proud of you."
"Now, I want you to take your own advice." Ronin
laughed.
José pouted and lifted his face to look at Ronin.
"Touché."
When Mack stepped out, Ronin didn't have to tell José. He was the spitting image of his brother. The only difference was Mack had no facial hair. Mack McCall had no hair at all, completely shaved, with a beefy neck. He wore a pair of blue jeans, a graphic T-shirt that peeked out each time he moved, and a suit jacket—to hide his gun no doubt. The thought of having a weapon anywhere near him scared the daylights out of José. Still, he nudged Ronin with his elbow.
"Are you and Mack twins?"
"Oh God, no. I'm the good-looking one." Ronin laughed. "Why?"
"He's here." José pointed.
Ronin sat up and José slipped off the side of the truck to his feet. He smoothed his hands over his hair as Ronin waved to get Mack's attention. José stood at the front of the truck while the two brothers hugged and Ronin took the suitcase.
"Mack, this is José DeLuz. José, this is my brother Mack."
José stepped forward and shook Mack's hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you," he said, not sure if he should
say what he was to Ronin or not.
"Ah yes, the boyfriend," Mack exclaimed happily.
"It's great to finally put a face to the name."
José's heart did a happy dance and he laughed.
"Come on, we should get you back home before rush hour starts in Century."
"José, my friend, I live in New York… the capital of all traffic jams," Mack explained. "But you're right. They do suck."
The three piled into the truck. José opted to sit in the back after Ronin chucked the suitcase in. José picked up the package beside him, leaned forward, and handed it to Mack. "We thought you might be hungry. Airplane food is not the best for anyone's health."
Mack took it. "Thanks." He laughed. "I like him already, Ro, he feeds me."
"One thing you need to know about my brother, José. The best way to make him your friend is to feed him,"
Ronin said.
Mack stuck a sausage into his mouth. "I resent that!" he exclaimed but he was laughing nonetheless.
José sat back and looked out the window. He remained silent, giving the brothers a chance to talk as they drove back into Eros. The scenic route was always beautiful to him and he doubted he could find his way
through the back roads if he tried. He always loved driving along the ocean and feeling the salty air dance over his face and through his hair. He wound down the window and stuck a hand out, allowing the wind to flow through his fingers and over his flesh. There was nothing better.
"José, you coming home with us?" Ronin asked.
José inhaled and pulled his hand in. "No. Drop me off at my place? I want to give you two time to catch up."
"You all right?" Ronin asked.
"I'm fine, baby. I have some work to finish if we're going to go see my mother. I've been procrastinating so while you're with Mack, I'll have to do it, right?"
Mack laughed. "Man, so glad I'm the cure for procrastination."
"If you're sure," Ronin replied, making the left turn.
José reached to kiss the back of Ronin's head. "I'm sure."
At his home, he said his good-byes and was walking toward the front door when Ronin called him. He turned around and watched Ronin walk up to him. He was exhilarated when Ronin took him in his arms and kissed him so soundly his knees wobbled. There was a pride that went into being claimed by such a strong man and it turned José on. He knew then that Ronin wasn't ashamed of him.
Ronin wanted others to know. When they eased back, José
smiled. "I'll see you later."
"I'd better." Ronin's voice was soft but heated.
Chuckling, José tapped Ronin on the ass and stepped out of his arms. "Go."
* * * *
Back in the truck the air was silent. Ronin knew his brother was staring at him. Taking a breath, he glanced over at Mack. The man had a smirk on his lips and Ronin shook his head.
"What?" Ronin questioned, turning to the road once more.
"You love him."
Ronin smiled but shook his head. "I don't know what I feel for him for sure. What I do know is there's this hunger I have for him that I have never felt for any other man. It's too early to talk love."
"Time? Bah."
"Now you're starting to sound like Captain Estrella.
What does that even mean?"
Mack laughed. "Please. I'm sure José doesn't want you to profess your undying love yet. But as long as you don't take him for granted, and you show him how your body and heart feel, you'll both be happy for now."
"Yeah… I am fighting for this to work, Mack. You would not believe how hard."
"I can believe it. The way you held him just now—
that said something. You look happy, Ro."
Ronin smiled. "Did you know he spent the night?
And this morning I woke up and he was gone. I thought he'd left. When I went downstairs he'd made breakfast, had one of our friends drive over fresh strawberries, and thought you may be hungry after your flight. Who does that?"
"A man who cares."
"Yes. We're making plans to go to Spain."
"Spain? Why?"
"His mother lives there."
"You're planning on meeting his family?"
Ronin smirked as he thought of the Anatolis brothers and their men. "I think I already met half of his family," Ronin explained. He pulled over and stopped.
"You see that restaurant over there?"
Mack nodded.
"Anatolis—any relations to Jamal Kendricks?"
"Yes. Savaro Anatolis is Jamal Kendricks's husband. Savaro has two brothers, Laird and Rajan. Then there's Race and Xavier… they are family to José.
Anything he wants they are there for him. When I came
here, on the first day, they took me in and fed me. Then they got me a major contract with José's company."
"Wow… Are you sure they're real?"
Ronin laughed. "Yeah, they're real. They're just good people. My point is, I have to meet the mother. I've met the rest of José's family."
Mack nodded again. "I'm happy for you, Ro."
"Wanna come back to Anatolis for dinner?" Ronin asked, checking his mirrors before pulling back on the road.
"I have a hankering for something sweet…" Mack licked his lips.
"Then I have the perfect suggestion from Anatolis!"
"I'm happy José found you," Gabriella DeLuz said, sticking her hands into the bowl of peeled potatoes and smiling. She moved them around then handed the bowl to Ronin.
Ronin smiled. "Why is that?" He poured the water off in the sink then dropped the potatoes into the pot of boiling water. He added some salt to the pot, covered it, and turned to face her. She was a beautiful woman, with long hair, slightly greying. Her brown eyes twinkled mischievously at him.
"José is a good son," Gabriella replied. She was chopping up some carrots and green peppers now. Finally she stopped and put the knife down to face him. "But I always thought he kept looking for love in all the wrong places. He's never brought a man home before, you know that?"
Ronin couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and love. "Is that so?"
"
Es verdad
. I was beginning to worry. The only thing a parent truly wants is to know their children are happy and healthy. José has been healthy all his life but
after his father died I never thought he'd be happy again."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Oh you helped all right. I heard the two of you last night."
Ronin's cheeks heated up. He turned from her to grab a large jug of lemonade and a glass. "I'm sorry about that."
"Oh gosh, please. You guys are grown men. Just—
try to keep the noise down at night, huh?"
Ronin laughed softly as he lifted the glass to his lips to cool down the sudden heat he felt on his face. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good," she said. She came over to him, pressed a kiss to his chin, and walked to the door. "I have to run down to the diner for a bit. Keep an eye on the potatoes. If they're done before I get back, just take them off the stove and pour the water off."
"I will," Ronin promised.
The potatoes were long since cooked, and Ronin climbed the stairs to the bedroom he shared with José.
When he walked into the room José was still sleeping.
After climbing into the bed, he wrapped his arms around José and pulled in close. He felt weak with the sheer power José had over him. Ronin kissed the back of José's head through his dark hair. He inhaled and moaned at the strong
scent of his man.
"Ro?"
"Mmm?"
"Are you all right?"