by Tatum Throne
“On a dead guy I helped fish out of the Hudson when I worked homicide in New York.”
Pain shot through Reed’s heart. That would’ve been the man who trained him to work with the NSA. Jonathan was a good man.
Heat seared through Reed’s wrist from the sudden contact. No one ever touched him. With the detective so close, Reed was seeing the faded blue of his eyes for the third time, but who was counting? He certainly shouldn’t have been taking note of the number of times their eyes fucked. Those eyes reminded Reed of long, hot nights mixed with lazy rainy days. Reed swallowed hard. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone reminded him of what home could look like. Reed frowned hard, looking away.
“Answer me.”
Reed glared. “I want a lawyer.”
Detective Stow didn’t look like the kind of officer who would listen to any bullshit story. His palms were now flat on the table. Lawyering up was his only option to protect Stow from things he didn’t need to know.
Stow paced the interrogation room. Both knew he couldn’t ask another question without violating his rights. The cop glared. This cop was so his type. Reed frowned, trying to remember the last time he had a date and flirting didn’t count. He couldn’t remember.
The door suddenly opened. The man filling the doorway was the last person on the planet Reed wanted to see. In fact, Reed hadn’t seen his father in the last five years. If he had his way, he wouldn’t see his father ever again. Reed glared and looked away. He couldn’t stand the way his father was looking at the scar on his face.
“Give us a minute.”
Detective Stow raised his brows as his gaze bounced between the two men. He left a few belated seconds later as his mind caught up to what his father had ordered.
“Sure.”
The door shut behind Stow, leaving Reed to deal with his demon from his past. Reed stared at his father as long forgotten emotions poured through his body. “You’re the last person I expected to see.”
“I thought you were dead.”
Pain shot through his father’s eyes. Reed hated how he put that wounded look on his father’s face. “I see you’ve done well for yourself. You made chief of police. I suppose you have everything you ever wanted.”
“What happened?” Anderson asked.
“Your boys arrested me. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They seemed to have fucked up,” Reed said.
“Fuck. That wasn’t what I was talking about and you know it.”
“What the fuck indeed.”
“They don’t know,” Anderson said.
“Know what?” Reed asked.
“That you’re my son.”
Chief Anderson stood, shaking his head. “Why didn’t you let us know that you were okay?”
Reed shrugged, all the while knowing that his father was disappointed that he’d gotten a gay son who loved to dress up and play military.
“I was compromised. I didn’t want to bring anything to your doorstep until I knew everything was going to be okay.”
“What are you doing in Cincinnati?”
Reed laughed. “Besides getting arrested by your men?”
Their eyes met and all the years seemed to fade away. Reed was in his early twenties again, standing in his parent’s kitchen. He’d just finished his SEAL training. All he remembered from that moment was the sunlight streaming through the window as his mother fell apart. She just couldn’t handle the fact that he was gay. Reed blinked his eyes hard, keeping himself from going back there.
“I got the call.”
Yeah, Reed knew he would. “I’m still contracted with the NSA and Secret Service. They keep tabs on me.”
“What branch are you working with?”
“Department of Defense.”
His father stepped forward, sliding Reed’s wallet across the table. “I’ll have one of my men drive you back to your hotel.”
Reed looked at his father. Hard lines wrinkled his face. There was so much Reed wanted to say but he didn’t know how.
How could he even begin to tell him how sorry he was for disappointing them? His father went to the door.
“You’re free to go.”
Reed watched his father turn his back on him for the second time in his life. The truth was that he was tired of bouncing around with contract jobs. He was ready to settle down. Reed waited until his father was gone before he got up from the table. He zipped up the hoodie all the way, pulling the hood up over his hair as he went into the hallway. Reed headed for the exit, not bothering to wait for one of his father’s officers to take him home.
* * * *
Nathan watched as Reed Anderson headed down the far hallway toward the exit. It didn’t take much for Nathan to put two and two together. Reed Anderson was obviously the Chief’s son. Nathan followed him out the door to the back parking lot.
“Hey, let me give you a ride,” Nathan said.
Reed stopped. “Sure.”
“I’m over here.”
Nathan waited to make sure Reed was going to follow him before heading to his car. Moonlight glinted off the windows as they drove toward the hotel. An autumn chill hung in the air. There were only a few months left until Christmas.
“So, you’re Chief Anderson’s son,” Reed said.
“Yeah. I wasn’t planning on seeing him tonight.”
It sounded like Reed wasn’t planning on seeing his father at all. “Are you in town long?”
Reed turned and looked at him as if considering something really important. “I’m renting a house from a friend.”
Nathan nodded. “What part of town?”
“Clifton.”
That wasn’t too far from his shitty little apartment he leased after moving down to Cincinnati from New York. All that Nathan had in his living room was an old couch and a big screen television. He just wasn’t a guy who needed a lot of things. Nathan pulled up in front of the hotel, parking the car but leaving it running. “Hey, about tonight…”
“It’s no big deal. It was just a big misunderstanding.”
“I’m still sorry about it. We were looking for a suspect and you fit the description.”
“Did I?”
Their eyes met and time seemed to spin out again. Nathan had a hard time looking at Reed without thinking about those lines of cum dripping down the mirror. Reed’s heavy lidded gaze landed on Nathan’s lips and slowly lifted back up to his eyes. Nathan felt a shiver of lust spin out through his body, landing solidly in his cock.
“Yeah, you did.”
“Thanks for the ride, Detective Stow.”
“Not a problem.” Nathan watched as Reed got out of the car. He wondered if he was ever going to see him again. “Just don’t name me in the lawsuit when you decide to sue the department.”
Reed chuckled as he leaned in through the window. The sound of his laughter brought a smile to Nathan’s lips. Reed’s gaze turned suddenly serious.
“Stay safe out there, Detective.”
“You, too.”
Reed tapped on the hood before walking away. Nathan watched him go with a sudden feeling of loss taking over. The mysterious Reed Anderson had the confident swagger of a man trained by the military. Sadness made his heart feel heavy. He was quite certain in that moment that he would never see Reed again. It took Nathan everything he had to put the car into gear and drive away.
Chapter Three
“Nice place.”
Reed froze mid-swing with the hammer. He glanced over his shoulder at his father. He was in his uniform. Chief James Anderson looked older and a bit tired of having to deal with his gay son.
Memory lane was the last place Reed wanted to be walking down, but his mind couldn’t help going there when he saw his father. Off balance, Reed stepped down off the ladder leaning against the house and looked at his father. It’d been a good solid two months since he was arrested by Detective Stow.
“How did you find me?” Reed asked.
“It wasn’t that difficult. Propert
y transfers are public record. I saw yours in the paper. I didn’t know you were planning on staying.”
He wasn’t. He’d been planning on renting but the opportunity to buy came fast. Things suddenly changed for some reason. Reed couldn’t admit that that reason had a lot to do with Nathan. Just being in the same city as Nathan was enough for him right now. Reed knew that reason was going to expire soon. He’d have to find an excuse to see Nathan again.
“What are you doing here?”
James walked around the far side of the wraparound porch. It was then that Reed saw that he wasn’t alone. Two steps behind his father was the man that was now constantly on his mind. Reed’s heart stopped beating when his gaze locked with Nathan’s. Reed let his gaze go head to toe. Detective Stow’s jeans were high end. His maroon T-shirt clung to his thick biceps. Reed was a Dom. Detective Stow shouldn’t have been his type. He was too cocky. A little too arrogant with himself. Reed loved a man with confidence. It turned him the fuck on when he broke them in as his sub.
Detective Nathan Stow was a challenge. Reed loved the challenge of a new lover. Reed didn’t even know if he was gay. That alone should’ve put the brakes on things for Reed, but they didn’t. Reed wasn’t going to stop his pursuit until he knew for sure if Nathan was gay.
It took all of Reed’s willpower to pull his gaze away from Detective Stow. He crossed his arms as he waited.
“I need your help.”
His father came closer to the porch to check Reed’s work on the trellis. It had fallen after the rainstorm the night before. Reed had wanted to put it back up before it damaged the rose bush.
“What help could I possible give you?” Reed asked.
James ran his hand through his hair. “I need to hire you. I need a tactical instructor to polish the skills of my team. Our SWAT team has gotten into some trouble lately.”
Reed went back up the ladder, taking a new nail from the pocket of his jeans. He positioned the nail and gave the hammer a good swing. “I’m not your man.”
“I’ve checked into your background. You work for the Department of Defense as an instructor. You do this all the time for the NSA and Secret Service.”
Reed hesitated. How did his father know so much about him? Who the fuck was talking when they shouldn’t have been? “That’s different.”
“How so?”
“They’re not my family.”
Silence echoed like a bomb had gone off between them. The debris from the fallout was five years overdue. He really didn’t want to do this in front of Detective Stow, but his father really didn’t need to come in here with backup. Reed was in no mood to be ambushed into something he didn’t want to do.
“I wouldn’t be asking if it weren’t important. I need your help with this.”
“It looks like you have all the help you need,” Reed said.
Reed indicated Detective Stow at his father’s side with a slight tilt of his head. Frustration ran two red lights in his father’s eyes before slamming into the back of a pickup truck. Reed knew that coming home would be stirring up old demons. Despite the coolness of the autumn sunshine raining down upon him, Reed felt a bead of sweat drip from his temple. He really didn’t want to go to work for his father. He used his shirt sleeve to wipe his brow. He stepped down off the ladder. He was out of fucking nails. He would’ve stayed up there if he had more.
“Reed…don’t do this.”
“I can recommend someone else for you. Someone more suitable.”
“Sir,” Nathan said. “Give us a minute.”
His father looked at Nathan as though maybe he’d be able to fix all that was wrong with his son.
James looked back at Reed. “I don’t want someone else. I’ve been told that you’re the best. I only hire the best. I want you teaching my team.”
“No.”
His father cursed as he walked away. Reed twisted the hammer around in his hand by the handle. “How long have you been under my father’s command?”
“A few months.”
Reed nodded. “That’s not a long time.”
Nathan sighed, running his hand through his hair. “This is about more than just you.”
Reed raised his left brow, waiting for Nathan to go on. Complications had a way of multiplying when they landed in his front yard.
“My job is on the line with the Risk Assessment Team. I failed my latest evaluation. I’m on probation for your arrest. I need to go through more training. I need more tactical training.”
All the air in Reed’s lungs seemed to suddenly contract. He didn’t want to be the reason why this man lost his job. His heart started to pound again in a funny way. “Do you have a family to provide for? Wife? Kids?”
“No. I’m single.”
Single, but that didn’t necessarily mean gay. “Your job is on the line?”
“Yes. Our RAT division plays Monday morning quarterback to SWAT and Vice squad. I was called out for your arrest. You’re my only chance. I don’t have anyone on the inside to help me.”
Reed stepped closer to Detective Stow, purposely lowering his voice so that he could just hear what Reed was saying. Their eyes locked. “I’ll do this for you on one condition and one condition only.”
“What condition?”
A blush started on Nathan’s neck and slowly crept higher. “You do everything I say, when I say it. That’s the only way you’ll be able to keep your job. I’ve done this several times for Secret Service agents. Do you have a problem with that?”
Nathan’s gaze moved over Reed’s face, landing on his lips. Reed felt his cock kick out hard against the fly of his jeans. He was suddenly regretting the fact that he didn’t bother to put boxers on that morning. Most days he didn’t bother wearing anything anyway, but a little extra layer between him and the man who was suddenly the focus of his wild imagination would’ve been good to have.
“No, I don’t.”
“Good.”
“You’ll need a few weeks of training. Tops.”
“I understand.”
“By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be ready for anything you encounter in the field. Do you trust me?”
“Without question.”
Reed felt a zing of lust spiral through his blood, flooding his cock. He turned away from Detective Stow before he could see the bulge of his cock pressing against his fly.
“Get Chief Anderson.”
Detective Stow turned away, heading back to the unmarked car he had driven up in. It was then that Reed realized that they had driven separately. Reed closed his eyes, trying to get control of his raging cock. He usually didn’t take orders from his disobedient cock. He was the one who was always in control. Reed thought about work. It was the only thing that managed to get his prick to obey. He took a deep breath.
He had his contract work through the DOD, but he wanted something more stable. Reed was not about to tell his father that. The truth was that he wanted something more every day. He wanted the steady humdrum of punching a clock eight to four. Not to mention, he wanted the everyday that came from getting to know people and people getting to know him. A few months wasn’t exactly what he was looking for, but it would do until he got the job he wanted. By the time his father came back to the porch, he was ready to get to work. He looked at his father and not Detective Stow.
“When do you want me to start?” Reed asked.
Surprise lifted his father’s brows. “Tomorrow. We have a tactical training event scheduled for the morning. I want you to be part of that. I also want you mentoring Detective Stow through this too. Are okay with that?”
Reed checked the trellis. It was perfect. Kind of like Detective Stow. He stepped down from the ladder, tossing the hammer back into the toolbox. “I’ll give him advice. What time do I need to be there and where do you want me to meet you?”
“District Four headquarters. Be there by eight in the morning.”
Sunlight glinted in Reed’s eyes, making it difficult to see his father�
��s shadowed face clearly. He thought about asking Chief Anderson about his brother, but he couldn’t go there. His twin, David, never accepted the fact that someone with the exact same DNA could be gay.
* * * *
Nathan couldn’t stop staring at Reed. He was beautiful. He was the chief’s son. That made him absolutely off limits. Nathan felt completely off balance as he stood there looking at him in the sunshine. Reed Anderson was almost perfect. Had that nasty scar not twisted down his face, he would’ve been. That scar was one of the things that attracted Nathan to Reed. Then again Nathan had always been a sucker for wounded men. There was something really hot about a guy that was damn near perfect physically but completely scarred outwardly. Nathan knew he was crushing hard on Reed Anderson. Crushes didn’t last. They burned fast and hard. By the time this training was over, Nathan was positive Reed Anderson would be out of his system for good.
“Detective Stow has some information for you. Thank you for doing this, Reed. It means a lot to my men and my department,” James said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
A flash of pain twinkled through Reed’s eyes before he closed it off, but he said nothing to his father as he walked away. “I’ll get you the training books we’ll be using tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” Reed said.
Nathan went back to his sedan, popping the trunk. He took out the four training books that the Tactical Defense Team liked to use for their workshops. He headed back down the long driveway. Reed was no longer on the porch, but his front door was hanging open.
“Come on in,” Reed said.
The lights were off inside Reed’s house. Nathan took a moment to look around. Reed’s place was empty. There was no living room furniture or dining. Nathan headed into the kitchen where a small old drop leaf table sat. Nathan set the training books on the table.
“This is our current curriculum,” Nathan said.
“I’ll go through it later on tonight.”
Their eyes met. Nathan’s heart started to pound. He let his gaze drop to Reed’s lips and felt his cock punch hard against his fly.
