by Cameron Dane
Wyn Ashworth was a cop. And maybe, just maybe, Devlin could figure out a way to pick this man’s brain about how and why a person might kill one identity and become another. Not to mention why said person would then turn up in his old lover’s hometown but then act as if he didn’t know him.
Devlin’s soul screamed “Gradyn is a good man! There’s a good reason!” but his intellect did battle with millions of questions that needed answers before it could decide how to proceed.
Chapter Four
Garrick leaned the final snowflake rim up against the wall and stepped back to admire his cleaning and painting job. Each of the four shone like new and would look insanely cool when he and Maddie eventually got the rest of the Trans Am refurbished and all its parts in one gleaming finished product. That would take some time, but Devlin was absolutely going to flip when it happened.
I’d love to be here to see his face when he looks at the car for the first time.
A band tightened around Garrick’s chest, and his thoughts went back to the shock in Devlin’s voice when he heard Garrick speak yesterday and recognized him as Gradyn. Christ, the confusion and anger that had mapped the man’s beautiful face when, somehow, he saw right through the alterations in Gradyn’s appearance that had transformed him into Garrick.
You have to be Garrick now; don’t ever forget it.
Fuck, though. Garrick couldn’t stop reliving yesterday. Having to pretend not to know Devlin ... damn it, he hated himself for doing that to Devlin, even though he knew he didn’t have a choice.
He never should have come to Redemption. He’d made the choice in a heightened, panicked situation where he hadn’t had time to use anything other than his gut to make a decision, where the only thing that felt safe and real was the thought of running to Devlin Morgan and finding a way back into his arms.
Devlin, Devlin, Devlin. What am I supposed to say and do now?
Garrick tunneled his hands through his overlong hair and clasped them behind his neck. He exhaled long and low. Jesus, getting shot at hadn’t made his heart race as fast as the thought of seeing and talking to Devlin again did.
He stamped down taking his thoughts of Devlin one step further to the memories of them making love. Garrick didn’t need the twitch in his cock to become a full-on boner while at work.
The sound of a door slamming at the front end of the garage jerked Garrick’s attention in its direction, and he saw his boss pause in front of his office door and slip a hand into the pocket of his coveralls.
After withdrawing a set of keys, the stout, gray-haired man looked across the garage to Garrick. “I must go home now,” the man said, his Greek accent thick. “My son is waiting for me. Would you like me to leave you the keys? You can drop them off when you are finished working on your project.” Mr. Corsini had built his business on the same piece of land as his home, and that house was all of two hundred yards behind the garage.
Before Garrick could open his mouth, Maddie popped up from the other side of the Trans Am. “It’s okay, Mr. Corsini.” She offered the boss a big smile. “I’m still here too.”
“Ah, my darling,” the boss’s voice softened like that of a grandparent with his favorite granddaughter, “there you are. I didn’t see you hiding back there. I will take my leave then.” Garrick knew Maddie had her own set of keys. “Do not stay too late.”
“I think we’ll be right behind you,” Maddie replied with a chuckle. “Bye.”
Garrick threw in a “Have a good evening,” too, and Mr. Corsini waved as he let himself out through the front.
Maddie wiped her face with a white towel and then shoved the end into a back pocket. “What do you say, G?” She reached toward the ceiling, stretching her back and arms. “You ready to call it quits for tonight?”
“Sounds like a plan. I just finished the rims.” He jerked his head toward the wall. “So it’s a good stopping point.”
Maddie came around the car and squatted in front of Garrick’s work. “Wow.” She didn’t touch, but she ran her fingers over the air in front of one of the rims, as if she could feel its new smooth texture. “They look fantastic.” As she stood back up, she whistled. “My brother has no idea how lucky he is that you came across this junker, and that you know so much about the details that are going to make it a perfect mirror of the original.” She glanced at him and held his stare. “I really appreciate your help.”
Discomfort warmed the back of Garrick’s neck. “It’s not like I’m doing it for free.” He would have, but Maddie wouldn’t hear of it. After they were finished restoring the vehicle, and Devlin purchased it, Maddie intended to force Garrick to take a cut of the commission, as well give a piece to Mr. Corsini for allowing them the garage space to work. “Besides, it’s not such a big deal for a car junkie like me to have some knowledge about certain classic muscle cars. It’s nothing.”
She sent an eye roll his way that would have made Garrick’s own little sister proud. “Take the compliment, G. And my appreciation.”
Garrick just slipped his hands into his coverall pockets and dipped his head.
“Okay, fine.” She threw her hands in the air. “If you won’t take my thanks, how about taking me up on a meal instead?” As Maddie talked, she peeled off her coveralls and revealed a pale blue T-shirt and mile-long, tan legs in skimpy cut-off shorts. “I’m starving. My brother has a date tonight so I’m going home to a sad, tasteless microwave dinner unless you come with me and make it worth ordering a couple of pizzas. What do you say? Watch a baseball game together? The TV is high def,” she enticed with a sing-song tone, “and honking big too.”
Devlin has a date? A noise kept buzzing in Garrick’s ears, so he figured Maddie continued to speak, but he couldn’t process anything past her throwaway comment that her brother had a date tonight. If Devlin has a date, maybe he has a boyfriend too. Garrick froze against the emotional blow; it felt as if someone ran a blade right through his stomach and ripped out his guts.
“Garrick?” Maddie jabbed him in the arm. “What do you say?”
“Um, yeah, sure,” he answered, his mind still conjuring images of Devlin eating with, laughing with, confiding in, kissing and fucking--he’s mine!--another man.
“Great!” Maddie’s jubilant tone snapped Garrick out of the nightmare looping in his mind. “Get those coveralls off so we can get out of here.”
Great. Wait. What great? What question did I just answer?
Maddie jogged to the back door, slid the double bolts home, and started throwing the light switches. “Come on. Get crackin’ on those coveralls. You can wash up at my apartment.”
Her voice got him moving, even though he could think of little else except Devlin falling in love and giving his body to someone else.
What did you think would happen when you crushed his heart all those years ago, you asshole? That he would hide his perfection away from the world and wait for you to come back to him?
Intellectually, Garrick knew Devlin had probably been with any number of men in the time since their weekend in San Francisco. Knowing that in his head, though, abstractly, didn’t soften the reality of hearing that the man he’d thought about every night for five years straight might very well be involved with someone else.
Maddie pulled a curtain on a rod around the Trans Am, blocking the controlled mess of their workspace from the rest of the garage. He followed her in silence, out of the building to his own truck, and kept an eye on her vehicle as they made their way back to town.
All the while, Garrick raged at himself inside. He couldn’t be Gradyn, but he wanted Devlin to be faithful to that person he used to be. He needed Garrick to be a whole new person, with no ties to Gradyn’s past, yet he’d run to Redemption, knowing full well that Devlin lived here.
Garrick had prayed, prayed, and prayed some more that Devlin would not recognize him as that man he’d spent two scant days with so long ago; his life could depend on it. Yet something in his soul had wept and swelled yesterday when it app
eared Devlin had so immediately connected the two.
Now here Garrick was driving toward where the man lived with his sister.
Good Christ. I’m such an idiot.
Garrick had not clearly thought through relocating to Redemption. In hindsight, it was simply flat-out the dumbest move he had ever made in his life. Then again, in fairness to him, when he’d made it, he’d still had blood on his hands from killing a man.
That tended to scramble ones’ ability to make rational decisions.
* * * *
Maddie paused with her key in the lock. “Huh. That’s weird.”
Years of cautious living had Garrick pushing away from the hallway wall and scanning the empty, florescent-lit walkway. “What’s weird?”
“The bolt isn’t locked.” She pulled a funny face as she slid the key into the lock on the handle instead. “That’s not like Devlin.”
“Maddie, wait.”
Too late, she swung the door open wide. And the second Garrick looked inside, his stomach dropped with a sickening plummet, worse than the first time he’d ridden the big people roller coaster as a kid.
There, in the apartment, emerging from what looked like a balcony, stood Devlin.
With a cop.
Oh shit. Garrick pulled from every acting reserve he possessed and schooled his response to bland. As he stood in Devlin’s doorway, his mouth went drier than a drought-ridden California summer, and his heart beat so fast he swore he could feel it throbbing all the way up in his throat.
Why the hell does he have a cop in his home?
“I thought you had a date,” Maddie said, answering that question for Garrick. He now knew Devlin wasn’t dating this cop. “Is Darren out for good?” Her focus flicked to the guy in uniform, and Garrick couldn’t miss the way her left hand clenched into a tight fist. “Are you switching teams, Ashworth? Did you run out of women to date?”
The dark-haired cop smiled in a way that made him look like a wolf baring its teeth. “Not quite all of them, little girl. Could still be one or two.”
A blond-haired man came up behind the guy in uniform and smacked him on the back of his head. “Quit being an ass, Wyn. And you,” he looked up and winked at Maddie as he crossed the apartment to her side, “stop baiting him.”
One glance at the blond, and Maddie’s entire face lit up. “Hey, Ethan.” She lifted up and accepted a kiss from him. After that, she tugged Garrick inside and shut the door. “Let me introduce you, G,” she pulled Garrick to her brother, “you’ve already met Dev.”
Garrick took a breath and braced himself for the contact. He lifted his gaze and found a silvery-gray one waiting for him. One stare from Devlin washed over Garrick in a flood, drenching him in remembered intimacy.
“Y-yes,” Garrick said. Goddamn it; he’d been less nervous approaching Devlin in that bar when they were absolute strangers. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. “I remember.”
Shit. Of course you remember. It happened yesterday. Damn it, man, you’re a professional liar. Pull your shit together.
After another deep breath, Garrick thrust his hand out to Devlin. “It’s good to see you again.” He focused with every fiber of his being and made sure his arm remained steady as a rock.
Devlin left Garrick’s hand hanging between them, unshaken, and didn’t say a word for what was probably only a few seconds but felt like an eternity. He didn’t blink or look away, and although they weren’t touching physically, Garrick remembered what Devlin’s hands felt like on his body. His skin heated right where he stood as he relived those fingers digging into his flesh, leaving bruises, as Devlin had taken him with that first rough fucking.
As if he could read Garrick’s thoughts, Devlin’s pupils flared, drowning out the silver. He abruptly reached out and engulfed Garrick’s hand in his, and the jolt of first contact sucked the air right out of Garrick’s lungs.
“I remember too,” Devlin murmured. He said nothing more, but he held Garrick to him with a firm grip--his touch strong, safe and sure--and it terrified Garrick down to his marrow.
He’s not confused or uncertain. He has no doubt. He knows it’s me.
“Dude.” Wyn nudged Devlin. “Are you okay?”
Devlin released Garrick’s hand and shifted to his friend, his smile predatory. “Oh, I’m fantastic.” He crossed his arms and rocked back on the heels of his bare feet. “Never better.”
“Whatever,” Maddie said. She dragged Garrick from Devlin to the blond man, and Garrick started breathing again. “G, this is Ethan. He’s my brother Aidan’s partner. And that’s Ethan’s brother Wyn.” She barely gave a flick of her finger in the officer’s direction. “Everybody, this is Garrick. He works at the garage.”
Three sets of eyes--one knowing, slate-colored one, one possibly puzzled, curious blue one, and a third one dark with fire--watched Garrick, clearly waiting for him to say something. Meanwhile, the imprint of Devlin’s fingers surrounding his during that prolonged handshake continued to tingle over Garrick’s sensitized skin, leaving him unsteady in front of a very intelligent audience.
Say something, damn it.
Ignoring the phantom sensations licking across his palm, Garrick forced his mouth to move. “I’ve heard good things about all of you from Maddie. It’s nice to put some faces with the names.”
Ethan was the only one to return Garrick’s smile. He offered a “Nice to meet you too,” then backed up to the open balcony door and moved into the waning sunlight slanting shadows across the brick floor and glass door.
“Dev, how about getting those steaks started?” Ethan asked. “I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.”
“Sure.” Devlin kept looking right into Garrick’s eyes as he answered, his gaze hard and piercing. Right when Garrick thought his knees might fold under him, Devlin blinked and turned to Ethan. “I’ll get everything and be there in a second.”
Devlin joined his sister in the open kitchen, and Garrick let out an unsteady breath.
“Garrick?” Wyn tapped Garrick on the shoulder, and Garrick jerked his head up to find an obsidian stare scrutinizing him. A sensation of exposure tickled its fingers across Garrick’s neck, but he managed to only raise a brow at the cop.
Wyn walked backward toward the balcony. “It’s a nice night. You want to join us outside?”
“Yeah, sure.” Garrick dipped his head. “Be right there.”
Wyn stopped at the open door and gave Garrick a second good hard look--one that re-raised the hackles on Garrick’s neck and shot them all the way down his spine before finally nodding and moving outside to his brother.
Good Christ. I have to get out of here.
Forget sitting at a table with Devlin and acting as if he didn’t possess more intimate details about the man than any other person in this room did--a task Garrick found he hadn’t adequately prepared himself for at all. Forget that nightmare scenario. Garrick’s mind raced with one piece of information: Devlin has a cop friend who is practically related to him! Garrick more than had to get himself out of this apartment. He had to get the hell out of Redemption. He could not have a police officer poking into his life. Not when Devlin could offer Wyn enough information about who Garrick used to be, enough to light up all kinds red flags to people who wanted Garrick dead.
I never should have given Devlin my real name in San Francisco.
Garrick’s mind and body raged with denial the second a thought of tarnishing that weekend with outright lies entered his psyche.
“Hey, G.” Maddie pulled his attention to where she stood in the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Listen,” Garrick rushed to Maddie and pulled her aside, “I appreciate the invite, but I’m more beat than I thought I was.” He kept his voice low and half his attention on the men gathered out on the balcony. “You ended up having plenty of company tonight anyway, so you don’t need me for pizza and a game. I’m gonna go ahead and get out of here.” Forever.
“Are you sure?” Maddie
held onto his hand. “My brother is actually really good with the grill. There are more than enough steaks to go around.”
“I’m bushed. Detailing all those cars from top to bottom today on my own? Killer.” He pressed his hand into the small of his back and grimaced. “I just want a shower and a bed.”
Maddie immediately furrowed her brow and frowned. “And then I made you stay and help me with the Trans Am.”
“No,” Garrick shot back quickly, “you didn’t make me do anything. I wanted to do that.” Shit, running his hands over that car had almost made Garrick feel as if he was touching Devlin.
Stop thinking that way. It’s over now. For a second time.
“I’m just tired tonight.” Garrick put the mask back on and flashed a wry smile. “I’m gettin’ old.”
“Doubtful.” Maddie snorted and then punched him in the arm. “But if I can’t talk you into staying, I’ll walk you out.”
“Not necessary.” Garrick walked to the door and wrapped his hand around the knob. “I can find my way to my truck on my own.” With one turn of the knob, he let himself outside, nearly to freedom. “Relax and enjoy your meal.”
“All right.” Maddie leaned against the doorframe. “I’ll see you Monday then.”
Damn it, he would miss this vibrant young woman. Dipping down, Garrick bussed a fast kiss to her temple and pushed some strands of loose hair behind her ear. “Have a good night.” He waved one last time and then turned away so he didn’t have to see her shut the door.
As soon as the soft click reverberated in his ears, and put a fisting clamp of finality on his heart, Garrick slumped against the wall.
That had been close.
Too close.
Time to go.
Garrick rolled his back against the wall until his forehead came to rest on the white painted door. The clearly close-knit group of people on the other side--with Devlin smack in the middle of it--called to Garrick and the desperate loneliness slowly crushing him inside. Keeping all these secrets could drive a man insane faster than a steady diet of psychotropic drugs.
