Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 132962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 665(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Chapter 5
Mitch drove the quiet streets of the Preston Hollow neighborhood amazed at the sizes of the homes. This part of Dallas reeked of money, but he had no idea places like this were tucked inside the city limits. The moonlight guided his path as he started slowing down to better read the addresses on the mailboxes. When he found his destination, he pulled in, his eyebrows lifting as he drove through a security gate into a circle driveway to one of the most beautiful homes he’d ever seen.
Not really sure what to do, Mitch parked the rental in the middle of the drive and grabbed his bags from the backseat. Colt opened the front door before he’d made it halfway up the stone walkway.
“Hey, man, I’m glad you called us. You should’ve just planned on staying here to begin with,” Colt said, opening the door wider for Mitch to come inside.
“Thanks for taking me in.” Mitch stood in the foyer, admiring the high vaulted ceilings, large chandelier, and curved stairwell.
“Come in,” Colt said, drawing Mitch farther into the house.
“Who’d have thought so many police officers could leave their post to come party in big D? Nice place, man. I didn’t know cheerleading paid so well,” Mitch teased, smirking at Colt. Jace had become the primary breadwinner for their little family since Colt’s retirement from the NFL, something Colt had taken to amazingly well.
“Yeah, neither did I. You should see the wedding gift Jace bought me. It’s a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. I have her parked in the garage in a special place of honor,” Colt announced, slapping Mitch hard on the back as he bragged.
“Fuck, man, I ended up in the wrong business from the looks of it.” Mitch gave Colt a grin.
“Yeah, you and me both. I spent all those years getting knocked in the head to make a buck. Who would have thought cheerleading was the ticket? Jace has done real well. My neighbor, a few houses over, just happens to be President Bush. He hasn’t invited us over for dinner yet, but I feel sure it’s just a matter of time.” That had Mitch laughing.
“Well, you might have had a chance if you hadn’t played for New York. No hard-core Dallas fan would ever rub elbows with the likes of a New York Panther,” Jace added loudly as he descended the stairs. “Good to see you, Mitch.”
“Great to see you, buddy.” For old times’ sake, Mitch waited for Jace to reach the bottom step and grabbed him before giving him a tight hug. Jace made a humming sound and Mitch couldn’t resist the urge to waggle his eyebrows at Colt.
“Jace, do you really have to encourage him?” Colt asked as Jace stepped back from the embrace. Mitch couldn’t help but laugh when Colt moved in and slid an arm around his husband, drawing him close to his side. Even after all this time, Colt felt the need to radiate his possessiveness. The grin Jace gave his lover made Colt’s frown widen. “You’re too good-looking to have Mitch stay here. I think he needs to sleep in his car tonight. It’s nice out this time of year. It’ll be like a campout.”
“No, he’s not sleeping in his car. Come on, Mitch. I just changed the sheets in the guest bedroom. Have you had anything to eat?” Jace asked, motioning for Colt to grab the duffel by the front door. Mitch let Colt carry the bag as he brought up the rear while Jace led them to the guestroom.
It never ceased to amaze Mitch how Jace and Colt fit so well together. They had an easy way about them. The way Colt looked at Jace as if he were the only thing that mattered in the whole world, and the way Jace always knew exactly how to handle his man. Like normal, when he spent time with the two of them, Mitch felt a twinge of something pulling at his heart. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on whenever he watched them together. Was he jealous? Fuck yeah, he was, and that had him doing a mental shake to his overactive brain, quickly tamping the feeling down.
“Are you still vegan?” Mitch asked, changing the subject in his head. And that got a snicker from Colt.
“Of course, are you hungry?” Jace asked as they climbed the stairs.
“I grabbed a burger on the way.”
“I get bacon for breakfast,” Colt added, as if that proved he was still in charge of his own eating. Uh, yeah right. Mitch had to smile at that thought because he had firsthand experience watching Jace fuss over Colt’s eating habits. No way the guy ate much meat. The only meat Colt got was the big fat cut of prime beef Jace slipped him every night, lucky guy.
“Here, this is your room,” Jace stopped at the first doorway upstairs. He flipped on the lights, illuminating a large, gorgeous room with a huge king-size bed and a fifty inch flat-panel television. This was so much better than any hotel in the DFW area.
“Stay as long as you need,” Jace offered as Colt dumped the duffel bag on the bed. Mitch turned in a slow circle. This guest bedroom was decorated better than his entire house.
“There’s a bathroom through here,” Colt said, walking over to the connecting door and turning on that light switch. “Make yourself at home. Jace leaves early in the mornings. Do I need to get you up at a certain time tomorrow?” Colt asked.
“Nah, I’ve got it, I’m good. By the way, this place is great. Looks like I’ll be sleeping like a king tonight. I’m really sorry I woke you guys up.”
“The remote’s in the drawer. The Wi-Fi code is on the back,” Colt said as he pulled Jace from the room, not waiting for Mitch to respond.
“It’s all good. Let us know if you need anything,” Jace spoke up as he was dragged away.
“Or don’t,” Colt called out, and Mitch laughed. He grabbed his laptop and sat at the head of the bed, putting his feet up as he booted up his computer and pulled the remote from the drawer. His gut told him Dallas had just become the safest place on the planet. What bad guy in his right mind would show up here this weekend? And why hadn’t anyone figured that out before now? In a few keystrokes, he logged into his computer to check the status on the case.