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“You should definitely try it with milk, then,” I said

Aleks leaned back against the wall and slowly closed up the box He seemed both relaxed and tense at the same time

“What are you thinking?” I asked

“I’uys find Gio”

It wasn’t a topic I was expecting

“I’ed

“Yes, you are,” he said softly as his eyesyou out too, James”

The use ofjust out of curiosity

“You’re not going to go ho to stay in,” he ventured

I dropped my eyes because I hadn’t expected him to be so up front about it I wondered where the show of strength had co the focus of it was a bit disconcerting, especially since he was bringing up a topic that I hadn’t thought through much yet

“There’s no way to stop it, Aleks Kids, women, even men – they’ll continue to be forced into a life they can’t escape Not everyone has friends or fa for them, and even if they do, most don’t have the resources to find them You were lucky in that you had a brother who both wouldn’t give up and who had the skills to find you Gio has an entire faet him out” I shookto help as many as I can”

“And your family?”

I sighed and looked at hiet back on the road tomorrow”

I expected him to ask me to where – it was a question I didn’t have an answer to – but instead, he leaned his head against the

“Where’s home for you, James?”

I alht o back to bed”

It wasn’t a lie He did look sleepy His lids were drooping and he was hugging the box of cereal to his chest I could see an e next to him There was also a half-empty bottle of some kind of sports drink

I kneed that last one to Con

I got up and helped Aleks to his feet, taking the box frorabbed the sports drink and took it with us as I led him back to the bed When IAleks settled under the covers, his fingers reached out to grab mine

“Stay with me,” he said softly “Easier to sleep next to you”

That had been my plan anyway, but for him to actually ask me and to make that physical contact with me was new

My heart thumped in my chest and my dick reacted with anticipation