REBEL

Chapter Eight

Rebel usually floated through his life. He didn't really need to do much but follow orders and look good and sound good.

Rebel, do your concert dates.

Rebel, show up and be funny but not too funny on Jimmy Fallon.

Rebel, you can't just write your usual check for the charity. They want you to perform at your A level best.

Rebel, don't wear makeup outside the house. Remember your image

Rebel, sign the autographs with a smile and perky good cheer.

He didn't mind. Not really. It was good to have others thinking for him. After all his own mother had told him thinking wasn't his strongest quality.

( " Ricky Joe, you never gonna amount to anything if you don't stop humming, daydreaming and fiddling around taking in worthless strays all the time ! " Sallie snapped. " And stop shoveling food in your face constantly! You look like a fat hog already! " )

But for the first time in a long time he actually felt something. From the moment he opened that door and saw the tall enormous gorgeous Mountain Man standing there he had felt it. That thick mass of greying black hair. Those penetrating dark eyes. That devastating face with the jagged scar across his left cheek. When he saw Dom he felt alive. And of course he had embarrassed himself by opening the door in his damn PJs. By laughing at the man. By talking about sexual stuff. What an idiot he was , he thought as he sat on the sofa patting Rafe who looked at Dom with adoring eyes. No wonder he called Rebel ignorant. He was ignorant.

" Who was that? "

How many people were going to be parading through his home? Most would be surprised but Rebel was a very private person. He was jealous of his free time which was so rare. The only places he could be himself was here and the farm. Although for some reason he didn't mind this man being here. Not really. Dom seemed to make him feel secure and protected.

" My brother. Your fan girl's husband. We all work with..... for our mother. Except for the youngest of us all. Vincent works for the.... government. "

Rebel smiled. He tried to picture the type of big family this man came from. His voice had had love in it as he spoke to his brother. Rebel had never had that. If he had he couldn't remember it.

" The government? CIA or FBI ? ," he teased wryly.

Dom's mouth fell open in surprise. " CIA. He's in Japan but I suspect really Syria. How did you know? "

Rebel flushed. " I'm psychic," he mumbled. " Didn't The Spy tell you that? "

Dom burst out laughing. The sound flowed over Rebel like a fine bottle of twenty year old Scotch. It was soon contagious because Rebel joined him in laughing.

" I don't read that trash. You're not psychic. Insane maybe. "

Rebel's eyes twinkled. " Shhh ! Bailey doesn't want it to get out. Bad PR, you know. "

Dom's eyes twinkled back at him and Rebel nearly stopped breathing.

" Well , Rock God , we can't have that. Gaines Investigation specializes in avoiding bad PR especially for important clients. "

" I'm not that important. "

Dom leaned forward and to his amazement lifted up his chin slightly with one of his big rugged looking hands. Was he going to kiss him? Then Rebel mentally slapped himself. Nobody ever kissed him. Ever. Not even the fake dates Imagine arranged for him. Not even the rent a dicks that visited him once a month. It was by choice. He didn't want nor need to be kissed. But this man. He wanted this man to kiss him.

" I like him," Ricky Joe said.

" You're important to the world, Rock God. "

" What does the world know? "

Dom moved closer. Rebel swallowed deeply. Then the call box next to his front door buzzed. Rebel went over and pressed the response button saying," Yes ? "

The doorman Jonah said regally," Sir , there is another..... gentleman down here who insists he knows the other one. He's very rude and loud. Name is Anthony Gaines. He looks very unseemly. Shall I escort him out? "

Rebel smiled wryly. If Anthony was as big as Dom Jonah didn't stand a chance escorting him anywhere. " No. Send him up. "

" Apparently your brother is here. That was fast. He fly? "

Dom chuckled. " Nah. Tony has a Harley. People tend to get out his way. Once you read the letters we can discuss the pesky details of this assignment. Like where I sleep. "

Rebel blinked his eyes at him in amazement. " What? You sleep where you live. "

Dom sighed. " Well , see throughout this current assignment this is where I live. Your manager demanded twenty four seven round the clock protection. Means I stay. "

Rebel wanted to strangle Bailey. No. He wanted to fire that bastard. He was always overstepping. Maybe he would get rid of that pencil pushing control freak. Bailey was not that necessary.

" Yes , he is ," Ricky Joe said.

" No. Impossible. You are not staying in my home. No. That's my final word. "