Dax (The Theriot Family 4)

6

Travis

I ran my arm across my forehead, wiping away sweat and grime. Damn, it was hot in Beau’s shop. Couldn’t he turn the air down some more and maybe get some mosquito netting for the garage doors that were constantly open?

As much as I wanted to protest out loud, I kept my suggestions to myself and worked on cleaning the tools Beau and the other mechanics had used. Beau paid well, and I was lucky to have a job, but my last few jobs had mostly involved me sitting on my ass and ringing up the shit customers bought, occasionally breaking up a fight or surviving a robbery.

I’d avoided Dax as much as I could during the past few days. I stayed with him before moving into my own apartment. He seemed to be keeping his distance from me too. Did he regret nearly kissing me, or had I read everything wrong. Maybe he’d just meant to comfort me, and then I’d made things weird, but I’d really thought he wanted me.

No matter how many times I told myself it would be a disaster to let myself fall for him, it was already happening. If he kissed me, I would be all in. He wasn’t a man I could say no to, and ultimately, I’d end up with my heart broken. So why, when I was fighting so hard to prevent that from happening, did I feel like shit when he didn’t touch me again before I left?

My new apartment was tiny and run-down but still better than the last place I’d lived. I could walk to work, which was a plus since I didn’t have a car of my own, and I wasn’t going to ask Beau for a loaner, at least not yet. He’d been as generous as I could expect.

I’d done whatever jobs needed doing at the body shop from cleanup to basic maintenance and simple repairs. I’d never been as into cars as Beau but growing up with him and his racing friends, I’d managed to pick up plenty, even if Beau thought I never listened.

As weeks passed, Beau slowly let me do more and more. Things had remained tense between us at first, and the other employees didn’t seem to know how to react to me, but Corbin became my first true friend, and eventually, the others had followed his lead.

I hadn’t been at all sure what to expect from the youngest Theriot. He was clearly crazy in love with Beau. They seemed complete opposites, yet it was obvious Beau was just as nuts about him. It was also obvious that Corbin drove my brother crazy. I enjoyed watching that.

Much to Beau’s horror, Corbin and I started hanging out after the shop closed. He sincerely wanted to get to know me better, and I wanted to know the man who had made my brother willing to put up with just about anything.

Corbin kept insisting we go out to dinner, but I knew the sort of restaurant he’d choose, and I couldn’t afford it. When he made it clear that he’d pay, I still refused. I was not going to be a charity case. Beau convinced me by explaining that Corbin spent money on whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and he didn’t take no for an answer.

Corbin took me to Commander’s Palace where I was sure even the least experienced employee was way classier than me and probably made more money than I ever had. I didn’t count any of the money Rob let me spend. He’d controlled every cent I helped him illegally earn.

Corbin told me to order whatever I wanted. I was still uneasy with the idea of how much he was paying, but I chose turtle soup and Gulf shrimp and greens. Corbin ordered a glass of wine for himself and didn’t seem surprised when I ordered seltzer with lime. I wasn’t sure if Beau had told him I was sober or if he just took it in stride that I didn’t drink. I wouldn’t have known what kind of fancy cocktail to order anyway, and I didn’t think I could figure out all the silverware while sober; after a drink, it would have been hopeless.

Once the server had taken our order, Corbin gave me a mischievous smile. “Tell me all about all the awful things Beau did as a kid. I need shit to hold over him.”

“Is that why you wanted to take me to dinner? So I could rat out my brother without the chance of him overhearing?”

He grinned. “Maybe. But I really just want to know the funny stuff, things I can use as ammunition. I know about the darker things already.”

I’d assumed he knew about our past if he and Beau had gotten as close as they were. I doubted Beau had told anyone else, and I hoped Corbin had resisted spilling the whole story to his brothers. Dax knew because he’d witnessed some of it, though not as much as Ambrose.