Maya smacked him in the gut, hard. Jesus that girl had a hell of an arm. “Watch it, Gentry. And Gallagher, what the fuck?”
Jake laughed from his seat, careful to keep out of Maya’s reach. “Your ass jiggles nicely when I’m fucking you from behind and my hands are gripping you. You have enough meat on your bones that I can get a nice handful. Just wait until I’m fucking that ass. You’ll jiggle around my cock, and I’m going to come harder than I ever have.”
Border groaned and had to adjust himself in his jeans. “Thanks, asshole. Now I have a pipe in my jeans, and we’re almost there.”
Maya sucked in a breath. “If you call me jiggly ass again, I won’t let you fuck my ass. Now, let’s stop talking about fucking because I have to walk into the center and pick up my brother. And if I look like I need to come, I’m not going to be happy.”
“Just trying to cut the tension,” Jake said mildly. “And we’re here for you, Maya. No matter what.”
Border’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “No matter what.”
Maya sighed softly. “I know. I never doubted that. Thank you.”
They drove the next few minutes in silence before pulling up to the center. Maya let out a little whine before taking off her seatbelt and opening her door before Border had even turned off the engine.
“Maya, hold up.”
“He’s outside,” Maya said. “My baby brother, you guys. That’s my baby brother.” And with that, she jumped out of the SUV and walked slowly toward the tall man in a flannel shirt and worn jeans leaning against the brick surface of the building. He had a duffle bag at his feet and a camera bag sitting on top of it.
Border looked over his shoulder at Jake and met the other man’s gaze. “You ready?”
“Nothing to be ready for. This is Alex,” Jake said simply and got out of the vehicle to join Maya.
Border knew that was a lie. This was Alex. A broken man and an addict. He only knew what people had told him about the other man, but he understood that no matter what, Maya would never give up on him. Border just prayed she didn’t get hurt in the process. He knew he was putting his own family shit in the middle of how he felt about the man who had hurt the Montgomerys, and Border needed to get over that. He didn’t know why Alex had turned to alcohol, and it wasn’t any of his business. But if Maya needed Border, he’d be there because there was no other choice when you cared about someone.
Border got out of the vehicle and made his way to the trio. Maya had her arms around her brother, and Alex was hugging her back, if a little reluctantly.
Maya pulled back and smiled at Alex. She wasn’t crying, and Border knew that was more about Alex than her. She was being strong for him, and he admired her for it.
“It’s good to see you,” Maya said, her voice soft.
“Yeah.” Alex cleared his throat. “Yeah, it’s good to see you.” He nodded at Jake. “You too, man.” He looked at Border and frowned slightly. “I…uh…don’t know you, do I?” He shook his head. “If I met you towards the tail end there, I’m sorry. I wasn’t all there.”
Border shook his head before holding out his hand. Fuck, what must it be like to not know if you’ve met someone before because of booze, rather than just a passing memory? Not everyone remembered every single person they met over a lifetime, but the fact that Alex immediately blamed it on the booze told Border a lot about the man. That Alex could even talk about it spoke volumes, as well. This man was different from Border’s father in so many ways, it wasn’t even funny. Alex was already taking responsibility for what he’d done, where Border’s father wouldn’t have even taken responsibility for pouring his own drink.
“This is the first time,” Border sent gently. “I thought I’d help Maya and Jake with the ride.
Alex’s shoulders relaxed marginally. “Good, that’s good. Nice to meet you.” He winced. “Well, you know, in general. Probably not the best place to meet someone.” Alex’s eyes went a little dark as if he were thinking about something only he would know, but then he seemed to shake it off. “So, you’re Maya’s friend?”
Border met Maya’s gaze, and she smiled. “Border, Jake, and I are dating,” she answered simply, though it wasn’t simple at all. “I figured it would be best to just tell you rather than keep it secret, you know.”
Alex blinked at the three of them before nodding slowly. “Okay, then. You mind if we stop for a burger or something? I’m a little hungry. I think I was too nervous to really eat lunch.”
Border snorted. “We can get you a burger, man.” His stomach rumbled. “And, apparently, I could use one or two, as well.”
He reached down to pick up Alex’s bags, but the other man reached them first. “I’ve got them,” Alex said quickly. “I’ve got them.”