Ashton And Justice (4 page)

He caught Bryce's gaze in the rear-view mirror, the snarky expression unmistakable even in the glass. Ashton thought back to all the ribbing he'd given over the years whenever his cousin would "fall in love" with yet another top-heavy blonde. He realized then that Bryce would be giving him some payback.

"This is my cousin, Bryce," Ashton said, as he shot Bryce a
be good or I will strangle you
glare.

When Bryce gave him a wicked smile in return Ashton knew he was screwed.

Bryce turned and waved. "Hello, Justice, we only met briefly last night, but Ashton has talked about you so much I feel as if I've known you for years."

Note to self: kill Bryce.

Ashton flashed Bryce a fake smile. "Can you drive us to Uncle Terry's, please?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to Mike's? It's a lot more fun."

"No, Terry's place will be just fine," Ashton replied tightly.

"But Mike's has the best burgers in town and the entertainment is so...well, entertaining."

Second note to self: kill Bryce in the most painful way possible.

"I don't think his place is exactly date worthy," Ashton replied as he curled his hands against the leather seat. The urge to wrap his fingers around Bryce's neck grew strong. While he usually didn't mind his cousin's teasing and smartass comments, Ashton really wanted to impress Justice.

"What kind of business does your Uncle Mike own?" Justice asked, falling right into Bryce's verbal trap.

Ashton groaned as he flashed an
I will get you back for this
look at Bryce.

"A girly strip club," Bryce informed with a huge grin.

Justice opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Yeah, I think Ashton may have a point. That really isn't my kind of place. Besides I don't have any singles and the last time I went the girls got cranky when I tried to shove quarters down their G-strings."

Bryce blinked, for once stunned silent, no doubt shocked to have his own medicine shoved down his throat while Ashton howled with laughter. Just when he thought it couldn't be possible, Justice somehow had managed to surprise him yet again.

Ashton once more met Bryce's gaze in the rear-view mirror and wasn't surprised to see the admiration flashing in his cousin's gaze.

"I think I see his appeal," Bryce admitted.

Ashton reached out to reclaim Justice's hand. "Yeah, he's pretty great."

The adorable flush came over Justice's face again. It was pretty obvious Justice hadn't been on the receiving end of too many compliments. "You keep talking like that and I'm going to get a big head."

Bryce opened his mouth to fire off another comment, but after exchanging looks with Ashton, clamped his lips together. While Bryce may come off as a bit slow sometimes, in fact he saw more than most gave him credit for. So Ashton knew that after taking in Justice's bruises and timid nature that Bryce put two and two together and came up with DA Knowl is an abusive ass.

Bryce turned the vehicle on, then pulled out onto the road. The drive was short, so they made mostly small talk the entire way. Justice confessed to being an avid fan of the Blue Jackets, so they bantered back and forth over various NHL teams and their chances in the upcoming season. The time passed quickly and Ashton was surprised to see the familiar outline of the restaurant. Bryce parked in the back, then got out to make sure nobody was watching before he came back over and opened the back door.

Justice cocked a brow. "With all this sneaking around I'm beginning to feel like I'm a secret agent man or something," he said as they climbed out from the backseat. "Maybe I should get some fancy clothes and change my name to Austin."

"I promise no evil men are trying to feed us to sharks with lasers on their heads. Although, they may try to cryogenically freeze us," Ashton quipped.

"Darn, that kind of adventure was on my bucket list, too."

"Funny, all that's on mine is bungee jumping and finally going on that Alaskan cruise."

Bryce kept his mouth shut, but he did roll his eyes at their banter. He opened the door for them, and as they entered the restaurant, Ashton allowed himself to take comfort in the familiar surroundings.

The restaurant had been in the family for years, and even after his uncle had taken over, nothing changed. Simple, yet classy with its wood walls and plank flooring, the inside was always dark no matter the time of day. Every table had drippy, wax candles as a centerpiece and they were always lit. Several photos taken over the years dotted the walls and there was even a picture of his uncle shaking hands with the last Michigan governor.

Uncle Terry approached, his arms already stretched out for a hug. Ashton returned the embrace, his arms struggling to reach across Terry's girth. His uncle liked to call himself a
bit fluffy around the middle.
Most others would say he was overweight. To Ashton, he was just simply his favorite uncle.

As his father's youngest brother, Terry shared a lot of the same traits. He had the trademark Garner dark hair and eyes. Unlike Carter, Terry possessed a gentle heart. He always had a kind word and good advice. It was no wonder Ashton felt closer to Terry than his own father.

Justice lingered behind, almost as if he wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible. His shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders hunched as he studied his shoes. Ashton pulled out of his uncle's embrace and took Justice's hand.

"This is--"

Terry cut him off, "DA Knowl's youngest son, Justice. I remember from all the newspaper articles."

Ashton smiled, while Justice stiffened. The reaction didn't come as a surprise. While Ashton knew his uncle would never betray their trust, Justice had never met the man before. Also, Ashton had a sneaking suspicion that Justice never had the luxury of being able to confide in any family members.

"Don't worry. My uncle won't say anything," Ashton assured, giving Justice's hand a squeeze.

Gone was the Justice who'd been throwing around teasing comments just moments before. Instead, Ashton found himself confronted by someone who looked two seconds away from diving under the closest table and curling into a fetal position. Ashton grinned, hoping to ease some of the tension away, but failed miserably. Justice gave a weak smile in return as he plucked at the drawstrings of his sweatshirt. His eyes were slightly wide and his fingers trembled just a bit. His tongue darted out to lick his lip, only to retreat when it passed over the injured area. Ashton didn't know whether to hug the guy or offer him some ice, since the wound looked like it still smarted. Meanwhile he continued to dart glances to both the front and rear door, almost as if he expected a monster to pop through at any moment, so he needed to measure the quickest exit.

Damn, did Justice always have this lost, kicked-too-many-times look about him? How often did he walk around with fat lips and bruises? Did he live every second of his life in fear of being attacked? The thought that Justice might have to constantly exist under a shield of hate made Ashton want to hold the other guy in a tight embrace, just so he could know that not the whole world was so hard and cruel.

Ashton vowed at that moment that no matter how long it took, he'd show Justice that life didn't have to be about fear, degradation and cruelty. Justice would come to learn that real families cared about each other and didn't seek to harm one another. Most of all, Ashton became determined to make it so the smiling, joking Justice who'd been out in the car, would become a permanent fixture.

All in all, Justice thought he was doing a great job of not showing his nerves. While his heart pounded like mad and a heavy dose of panic screamed through his body, he maintained a smile.

Ashton studied him closely for several moments before giving his hand another squeeze. "It's okay, Justice. You're safe here."

Shame flooded Justice as he realized that maybe he hadn't been fooling anyone. Even Ashton's uncle had a sympathetic look on his face. The older man cleared his throat before saying, "Come on, let me show you to your table."

Justice trailed after Ashton, but they continued to hold hands. Despite the flurry of emotions battling inside him, Justice found a bit of comfort from that touch. Silly really, that something so simple from somebody he just met should feel so right, but it did. So much so, that when they reached their table, Justice found himself reluctant to let go.

He did though, sliding into the chair opposite of Ashton. True to Ashton's promise, they were the only ones in this area of the restaurant. If it weren't for the dim sounds of conversation, doors opening and silverware clinking against dishes, Justice would think they had the whole place to themselves.

He took the menu with a murmured thanks and opened it, not really seeing the words inside. Terry disappeared, so it left just Ashton and Justice in the room. Justice tried to concentrate on the menu, but failed miserably. Instead his gaze kept drifting to Ashton.

Justice still couldn't understand what the guy saw in some dorky loser like him. Ashton had everything going for him. He was hot, rich and had a great personality. The high-end blue sweater and designer jeans probably cost more than Justice's entire wardrobe combined. Plus, he exuded confidence while Justice bumbled his way through life. Moreover it looked as if Ashton's family could actually stand to be around him. Something Justice never experienced.

"Get whatever you want," Ashton urged.

"Huh?" Justice started, embarrassed at being caught ogling.

"I said for you to order whatever you want," Ashton replied, a sexy, lopsided smile coming over his handsome face.

Justice tilted his face downward, both to hide the bruises and the heat coming over his cheeks. God, what in the hell had ever possessed him to agree to go out on an actual date? It would probably take Ashton ten minutes tops to realize what a lost cause he had on his hands. Justice would be lucky if he didn't find himself taking a taxi home. He nervously licked his lips, wincing in pain as he was once again reminded of his split lip.

"What's good here?" he asked.

"A lot of people love the steak, but my personal favorite is the lasagna."

"Okay, then I'll go with that."

"Are you sure?"

"I trust you."

Ashton's smile faltered for moment as he began to fiddle with his silverware. When the silence stretched, Justice began to worry if he'd said something wrong. An apology was forming on his lips, when Ashton looked up and said, "Nobody aside from Bryce has ever trusted me with anything before, not even with something as small as ordering a meal for them."

"Why not? Even though we've just met, I can tell you're great."

Now it was Justice who glanced down as he realized he'd come off as some kind of gushing stalker.

"You're the only one who's ever thought that. Most people turn their back on me once they hear what my last name is."

Outraged, Justice looked back up. "Why the hell would they do that? You're nothing like your father."

A rueful smile twisted Ashton's lips. "How do you know that?"

Justice paused as he fought for an answer. In truth, he
really
couldn't, not since they'd just met the night before. Yet, there was something inside Justice that screamed he could trust Ashton, that while he may share the same blood as his father, they were cast from a different mold.

"Do you think I'm like Craig and my father?" Justice challenged by way of answer.

Ashton slowly shook his head. "You're everything they pretend to be."

A warm feeling pooled in Justice's gut at those words. "And how do you know that?"

"Like you, I just have a feeling. Besides, I asked around about you."

Justice cocked his head to the side. "Really? Who did you ask?"

"Don't worry, I was very discreet about it. I mostly talked to Paula Chase."

"Oh, no," Justice groaned. "I can only imagine all the embarrassing stories she told you."

Best friends since junior high, Paula had seen Justice at his best and worst. He had no doubt she shared all of the stories from both categories.

A waiter came and took their order. Ashton waited until he left before answering. "She said that you were sweet, generous and too forgiving for your own good."

"Don't let her fool you. She's only saying all that stuff to get on my good side. She borrowed my car last week and put a dent in it and she's afraid that I'm still mad at her."

"Are you? Mad at her that is?"

The waiter came and delivered breadsticks and salads, amazing Justice with the speed of service. Must be one of the benefits of being the nephew of the owner. Justice took a couple of bites, being careful of his cut lip, before answering, "No, she didn't mean it and I know how bad she feels about the whole thing."

"So is your car at least drivable?"

"Yes and no. It's not severely damaged, but my dad took if away from me for not taking better care of it."

As soon as that admission slipped out, Justice winced. The bruises already labeled him a victim and he didn't want to add to it, by sharing any more facts about his father's abuse. Justice cleared his throat before abruptly changing the subject, "This bread is awesome."

Ashton studied him for a few moments before replying, "Thanks, it's the same recipe they've been using for years."

"So are you going to go into the family business after you graduate?" Justice's face burned as he realized how that question could be taken in the wrong way. "What I meant is, are you going to work in the restaurant, not the other thing."

"Don't worry. I have no aspirations of following in my father's criminal footsteps," Ashton replied, his voice strained.

Justice shocked himself by reaching across to hold Ashton's hand. "I know. I'm sorry my question came out so wrong. Whenever I get around someone I get a bit clumsy at times."

Ashton curled their fingers together, his touch warm and soft. Tingles of pleasure danced up Justice's arm as he found his gaze transfixed on the man's full lips. He wondered what it would be like if they kissed. Not a light, barely there number like in the library, but a real knock you on your ass lip lock.