Read Online Bad Behavior (Bad in Baltimore) by K.A. Mitchell - Free Book Online Page B

fight they’d ever had. I know all that. But he’s here now. It’s my life, Tai. My decision.
    And the worst of it was, Josh was taking care of them. Tai couldn’t argue with a solid brick detached three-bedroom in the suburbs and a yard big enough for a swing set and cousins to chase around, and grandparents and aunts and uncles at the picnic table.
    “Hey.”
    Tai blinked and Gina was there, planted in front of him as if she knew how slippery his grip on his temper was.
    “Hey.” He shifted his beer to his other hand but didn’t drink any.
    “Want me to introduce you around?”
    Tai was sure the whole fucked-up story had already made the rounds of Josh’s family. “I’m good.”
    “Uh-huh.” Gina nodded. “Anything new in your life?”
    Any one she meant. Gina knew, of course. Knew before the party of rum and bad decisions, knew before Tai had worked up enough nerve to confess it. But back then he’d had his head, heart and soul set on an NFL career, and gay guys didn’t get drafted, didn’t get signed. Maybe a kicker someday, but not a defensive end. Two-time All-American or not.
    With that question hanging between them, his phone took on a little extra weight, as if from the voicemail he hadn’t listened to but hadn’t deleted either. “Same old, same old.”
    “How’s your mom?”
    “She’s good.” Tai grabbed the escape handed to him and ran with it. “She and Phillip are doing the barbecue thing in Woodlawn. I think I’ll stop up there and say hi.”
    “Don’t forget to say goodbye to Sammie.”
    Tai never made it out to Woodlawn to see Mom and Phillip the Pharmacist. A trip to Harris Teeter outfitted him with ribs and beer. The ribs weren’t half as good as the smell from Josh’s grill, but the Flying Dog Pale Ale—and the lack of certain company—made up for it. He spent the evening mindlessly clicking through the nothing on cable until a quick triple knock bounced off the apartment door.
    Jez raised her head, tipped it for a couple seconds, then stood up with a stretch. That usually meant someone she knew.
    Tai patted her head, setting down his beer and discovering with surprise it had four empty companions lined up across the coffee table. He wasn’t lit, he noticed when he stood up, but he was feeling it.
    Jez stuck to her training and sat in the living room doorway as Tai went to the door and opened it.
    A completely naked David Beauchamp knelt in the hall.

Chapter Five
    Stark fucking naked. In front of Tai’s apartment. Where the nice family in 2B might find him on their way home from the fireworks. Maybe Beauchamp would be better off in the hands of the Office of Mental Health rather than Corrections.
    A yank, a drag, a shove and a slam got Beauchamp behind the closed door and inside the apartment.
    Tai leaned on the door for an instant, drawing in a deep breath of air-conditioning to cool his head before he turned around.
    Beauchamp crouched against the wall near the kitchen door where Tai had flung him, petting Jez’s head as she nuzzled his jaw and neck.
    “Jez.” His tone was too sharp, and she shrank into as tiny a space as she could get on the floor, head lowered. Tai took another deep breath. “Good girl.” He patted her head, felt her shaking. “Good girl. Come on. Bed.”
    She sprang up to head for her crate. Tai shot a glare at the man in his kitchen doorway. “You. St—” Stay would only confuse Jez more. “Don’t move.”
    Jez chomped on a fuzzy chew toy from her basket and carried it with her as she hopped in to curl up on her blanket, staring up at Tai out of watchful eyes that still had too much white in them.
    Holding his hand near the door to the crate, he murmured, “I’m sorry, girl. You’re not in trouble.”
    She sniffed and offered a quick lick to his wrist.
    “Good girl. Bed.” He thought of shutting the crate door, but she’d stay until he called her. He shut his bedroom door though.
    Beauchamp was still in the space next to the