Destiny Calls by Samantha Wayland (best books to read for knowledge .txt) 📕

heart beat a little faster when he remembered the night at the Blue Door and how far he"d run and fast he"d fallen since.

He was in love with both of his best friends. And he was bisexual.

The label felt strange, his first foray into not being what he"d always assumed was the default. But it didn"t matter, really. What mattered what how he felt and who he wanted, regardless of gender.

That it had taken him to long to figure these things out made him an idiot. But he was a hopeful idiot.

There was still a long road ahead with Destiny, but they had a tentative truce. She couldn"t deny it was safer if they stuck together. She also knew that if she insisted on 159

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going home, one of them would have gone with her, even if he had to sit outside her door. She was practical, if nothing else.

Though, the way she"d moaned when she"d been pressed between them in Sully"s office hadn"t sounded practical at all. She still wanted them. She might not understand what exactly she wanted from them, but she did want to be with them. She wouldn"t be driving to his house right now if she didn"t.

Destiny didn"t do anything she didn"t choose to do. Over the years, he"d watched the deep scars her parents" divorce had left harden into a thick shell. Hell, his willingness to come and go from her bed probably hadn"t helped. Guilt nipped at him, realizing the role he might have unwittingly played in making it easier for Destiny to keep everyone, including himself, at what she considered a safe distance.

There was no going back to change the past. It was the future he could shape. He and Brandon could teach her to love. To commit. They just had to make those things safe for her.

She was convinced her armor was impenetrable and permanent and he knew she needed to believe that. But he"d peeked beneath the surface many times over the years.

Destiny Matthews was as tough as they come on the outside. But on the inside, she was a cream puff.

It was exactly why he loved her so damn much.

He just had to keep his mouth shut and start working on ways to climb inside that armor with her. For a time, he"d believed he"d have to peel it away, but now he knew better. To strip that away from her would leave her vulnerable and exposed. Instead, he and Brandon needed to find the cracks and wriggle their way right on underneath the shell.

Brandon had made headway on that today.

He watched Brandon"s silhouette lean over and kiss Destiny"s cheek while she drove. He hoped like hell that Brandon having worked so hard to bring Destiny home meant Brandon was planning to stick around. For the long haul.

Not that it was going to be easy if he did. Patrick knew he"d been stone-cold insane to close those blinds in Sully"s office today, no doubt setting off another round of gossip at the station, but he"d been beyond caring. He"d needed to hold them both. He"d needed to be sure he and Brandon could say or do whatever necessary to convince Destiny to return to them. Because she needed to be safe.

He knew he should be more careful, which meant keeping his distance from Brandon at work. The idea made him feel sick inside. He wished he had more options.

He wished he wasn"t afraid of the few that were available to him and what they would mean. And he really wished that he could pretend it wasn"t going to hurt Brandon at some point.

Still, Bran had fought to keep the three of them together. Would he stay forever?

Patrick honestly didn"t know, but he was encouraged when Brandon followed Des into her apartment and helped her pack up half her wardrobe. Jesus, with all the crap 160

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they lugged back down to his truck, she"d have to take over a closet in a guest room. No.

He"d move his shit to a guest room to make sure there was plenty of room for her in his room. Where she belonged.

Driving the distance between her apartment and his house, Patrick wondered if Destiny could see his huge fucking smile in her rearview mirror.

When they pulled in his driveway, Brandon and Destiny waited in her car while Patrick leapt from his truck and quietly ran up the back stairs. He and Brandon had agreed that for the time being, they took no chances. Three men had attacked Brandon the first time. Just because the Bobby Wilkinson had kicked the door in when he"d come calling, didn"t mean another one might not have more finesse and try to sneak up on them. That one of them had gotten so close to Destiny meant they had to be a hell of a lot more careful. Ready.

If Patrick had his way, searching the house would remain his job exclusively. He"d be damned if he"d let these assholes get the jump on Brandon ever again. But when he"d suggested as much to Bran, his friend had accused him of being a worrying old woman.

Patrick wouldn"t give a shit what Brandon thought of his protectiveness, as long as it got the job done, but Patrick had seen the doubt in his friend"s eyes and knew Brandon was worried that Patrick no longer trusted in his ability to take care of himself.

Which was bullshit.

Brandon"s weakened confidence was just another reason Patrick wanted to catch these assholes and kick their asses.

As soon as Patrick eased open his back door, Farley greeted him, his tail wagging, tongue lolling with happiness at having company. Patrick knew no one was in the house if the dog was so unconcerned, but they had to be certain. Letting Farley out, Patrick sent his dog to safety, watching him bound to Destiny"s car. Brandon opened his door and the big doofus dog jumped right into the front seat with them. Brandon closed the door again,