Catch and Release

by BA Tortuga

  “Never heard of her. She didn’t last.”

  “Ah. Well, good. I’ll do some good research and send you a file. You’ll keep me in the loop?”

  “I thought you were done doing research, Mom?”

  “I’m teaching, not dead.” Once a legal eagle, always one, right?

  “I’ll keep you posted for sure. How’s Pop?”

  “Having a ball. He got a client that wants him to prove that there’s an embezzler in the company. He lives for this. Call your brother. Let him tell you he doesn’t need a fourth child and that Lizzie’s going to have him castrated.”

  “I’m on it.” He’d call Jason later, once the kids were settled for the night. “Love you.”

  “I love you, baby. Talk to you soon.”

  “Of course you will. You’ll be poking me to see where I am on the case.” He’d gotten that from her. That insistent curiosity, that need to keep learning and poking.

  “Be nice or I’ll fly down and make you take me to Kerbey Lane for queso.”

  “Anytime.” He loved that his mom would rather fly than drive the four hours down from Dallas.

  “I’ll check my schedule.”

  He hung up and leaned back in his chair, chuckling softly. Momma was on the case now. If poor Dakota Landry was innocent, he would have his reparation check by lunch tomorrow.

  Of course, then he’d have to tell Adam Winchester that there was some apologizing to do, wouldn’t he?

  That thought made him cackle before he snapped closed his laptop and grabbed his briefcase. Time for a Texadelphia steak sandwich and a beer. The rest could wait until tomorrow.

  Chapter Six

  “DAKOTA? MAN, are you ready?”

  Dakota sat on his mattress and stared at the wall, Sage’s voice ringing through the thin drywall. Ready? How the fuck was he supposed to be ready?

  He shook his head, his gorge rising. He couldn’t do this.

  A sharp knock came to his door, and then it opened. “Come on. I want Adam to meet you. Get your ass moving.”

  “But….”

  “No buts. We’re having supper with Adam and Jayden, and you’re coming. Let’s go. They’re meeting us there.”

  “Your man doesn’t like me.” He’d figured that out the one time he’d dared to call Sage, just to talk to somebody, because Azel was out and he hadn’t been alone in more than a decade. Mr. Winchester had been real clear about how Sage was busy.

  Not as clear as Sage had been, he reckoned, because Sage had shown up at the apartment an hour later with KFC and had spent the night on the sofa, but still….

  “Well, he’s going to have to suck it up. Come on.”

  Sage was all in cowboy mode—button-up white shirt, starched jeans, good boots. Dakota wore his donated interview outfit—khakis and blue shirt—and he’d washed the mud off his lace-up boots so he wouldn’t have to wear the roach stompers the reentry program gave him. Those blistered his feet.

  The walk to the front door of the apartment took hours. Decades. At least the sun was still shining, and the summer heat was enough to distract anyone from any other worries.

  “Adam and Jayden are meeting us at Amaya’s. They have the best enchiladas.”

  “I remember.” They’d gone—him and Steve-O—back before the world stopped turning.

  “Yeah? I love their gravy best.”

  “Yeah.” Dakota blinked. “Who’s Jayden? A friend of y’all’s?”

  “Adam works with him. He’s a real estate lawyer.” Sage unlocked his truck, and they both climbed inside, and Sage cranked it. “Adam asked him to look at your case, I guess.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s an asshole.” Sage took his straw hat off and put it on the dashboard. “He wanted to prove that I oughtn’t be writing letters to cons, so he was gonna get proof you were guilty.”

  “There isn’t any.” He knew that, because he hadn’t done it. “But that doesn’t matter. I’m gonna go upstairs, man. I ain’t interested in being in a family quarrel.” Shit, that was the one good thing about not having a family no more. No one telling you how bad you sucked.

  “No. You need to come to supper.”

  Something about the way Sage said it made Dakota pause, made him waver in the act of turning back.

  “Please. I want Adam to meet you. You’re a good man, and I’m your friend. I want him to see you, face-to-face.”

  “You know that’s not fair, right?”

  “Shit.” Sage snorted hard and backed out of his parking space. “Anybody tells you life is fair is a fucking liar.”

  “I know. I just—I fucked up enough. I don’t want to cause trouble.”

  “Well, I want to. Let’s kick some shit, even if it’s in a quiet way.” Sage got the radio going, some ’90s country station.

  Sage did make him laugh, even more than Azel did, and God knew, Azel could be a comedic genius when he wanted to. The traffic whizzed by, crazy as hell. He watched it, remembering how it never used to be so crazy this time of day.

  “You… do you like it here, man?”

  “Huh?”

  “Well, I never been here before we moved. I was just trying to get away from the Dallas area, and I cain’t leave Texas, so we came here.”

  Dakota shrugged and sighed. “I came from Houston. I came up here for college, but… there’s nothing for me there. Not a lot here, but it’s not nothing.”

  “Gay friendly too, huh?”

  “Friendly is a strong word, not that it matters.” He wasn’t ever doing any of the things he’d had to do again. Never. “I ain’t interested in hooking up.”

  “You’re a little young to be giving it up, ain’t you?”

  “Thirty-one. Same as you, give or take.”

  “No shit.” Sage gave him a sideways look. “Well, then. You’re definitely too young.”

  “Yeah.” Except no. “You get that horse’s hoof healed up? The one you were telling me about?”

  Let’s talk about anything other than me and my lack of give a shit, shall we?

  “She’s on the mend. Tough one, my Molly. Have you ever ridden?” Sage asked, hitting the off-ramp.

  “No. I wanted to when I was a kid, but it just isn’t a thing for my family. My mom’s people were country, and she walked away from that, you know?”

  “If you ever want to learn, I got the horses and the time.” Sage parked next to a big gray pickup, and by the way he was grinning, his man was in there.

  “Sure. I mean, I don’t know if I’d suck at it, but sure.”

  “I like to show off my babies.” Sage stepped out of the truck, waving over the mirror.

  Dakota grabbed his gimme cap and pulled the brim low, slipping out of the truck and staying on the far side. He knew where he was, and he could get a bus from here, if he had to.

  “Hey, Sage! How’s it going?” Tall, broad-shouldered, with bright blue eyes, the guy who stepped up to shake hands with Sage had to be the Jayden feller, because his smile was pleased but not special.

  “I’m good, sir. Real good. Hungry as all get-out. How’s things for you?”

  “I’m good. Great, in fact, now that I don’t worry about getting shot at every day.” The man turned to Dakota, peering at him over the hood of the truck. “Win is inside. He had to hit the head.”

  “Good deal. He’ll put us on the list. Let’s get in out of the heat, huh?” Sage started in with his weird gait that reminded Dakota markedly of a cartoon horse’s.

  Dakota followed behind without a word. The parking lot was hot enough to fry eggs on, the late sun pure deadly.

  They stepped inside, and goose bumps rose on his arms, his stomach queasy for just a few seconds with the chill air. Dakota swallowed hard, then jumped when the Jayden guy held out a hand.

  “Jayden Wilson.”

  “Dakota Landry. Pleased.” He wiped his hand on his pants real quick and shook before stealing his hand back.

  “Pleased.” Jayden stood close enough that Dakota could f
eel the enormous heat his skin threw out.

  “Well, Christ on a popsicle stick. I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t make howdies. I was focused on….” Sage’s lips quirked, one side pulling up. “Well, y’all know.”

  “What did I miss?” A wide-shouldered man with a gimme cap pulled down over a tanned face with dark eyes strode up from the back of the restaurant.

  “Me, of course.” Sage gave the guy a wink and a grin. “Adam, this is Dakota Landry. Dakota, my man, Adam Winchester.”

  “Mr. Winchester. Pleased.” He offered one hand, praying it didn’t shake.

  “Win.” Win took his hand and pumped it, and he spared Dakota the cop look, for which Dakota was grateful.

  The hostess took them to their chairs, and chips and salsa hit the table. Jayden and Win each ordered a beer; Sage and he got tea. Normal. Easy. Simple.

  He’d never once had a beer.

  He kept his head down, staring at the menu, even though he knew he’d get enchiladas. He always did, given the opportunity. He swore he could feel the eyes on him, and he did what he had for the last dozen years—he stayed still and quiet and waited to see what he needed to do next.

  “Sage says you’re doing construction, Dakota.” Win was the one who said it, and Dakota tried not to wince. Small talk. Ack.

  “Yessir, I am. Jim likes my work, so he keeps bringing me back.”

  “Well, good deal.” Sage beamed at him. “I know Azel raves about you.”

  What did he say to that? “He’s a good roommate.”

  “Relax, Dakota.” That was the other guy, the fancy one with the smooth voice. “Win’s nowhere near as scary as he likes to pretend.”

  “No?” He raised his eyes to look into that blue gaze. “Because he was a cop. That means he thinks I’m no good.”

  Jayden laughed out loud. “Well, his natural inclination is suspicion, for sure.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not looking to fuck with Sage. He’s just a nice guy.” There. He said it again. He was going to keep saying it. He hadn’t done it.

  Jayden and Win exchanged glances, but Jayden just nodded easily. “Sage is remarkably capable of taking care of himself.”

  Right. Because he wasn’t capable of being a decent man on his own. “Yessir, he is.”

  God, he didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to go home and sleep until Monday morning.

  “I just meant you don’t have to worry about me growling at you on his behalf. Now, Win growls at everyone who looks sideways at Sage.”

  “Y’all just be nice, now. This is supposed to be fun, not painful. Enchiladas. Guacamole. Christ, y’all.” Sage poked Win in the chest. “Be good or your ass is grass, comprendes?”

  “You got it, babe.” Win rolled his eyes, but the man did grin, didn’t he? “I owe you an apology for the other night on the phone. I don’t know you from Adam, and you haven’t done a goddamn thing to warrant ugliness.”

  Dakota stared for a moment but then just shrugged. “I get it. You don’t want anyone hurting someone you care about.” Once upon a time, he would have given anything to feel that way. Now he just wanted to keep his head above water.

  The waitress came by, and they all ordered beef enchiladas. Then the guys all started bullshitting. Dakota tried to focus, to really listen for a while, but what did he have to share? So he sat and let the conversation flow around him. He learned that Win worked for politicians and high-dollar folks. He learned that Jayden was a high-dollar folk, which was no surprise. Jayden carried himself like someone who expected to be listened to, like he’d never been cowed in his life.

  Dakota thought it should piss him off, but Jayden seemed to be a decent guy. He guessed it was just luck and genetics.

  He had to be a throwback to his momma’s humble beginnings. His father was a thoroughbred, and it hadn’t passed to Dakota at all. He was more a donkey, for all intents and purposes.

  “You want to split a fried ice cream, Dakota?” Jayden asked, which snapped him right out of his rabbiting thoughts.

  “Yes, sir. That sounds just fine.” He hadn’t even finished his enchiladas yet, but he could take home what he didn’t eat.

  “Cool. I know Sage and Win here will get sopapillas, but I have a hankering for something cold.”

  He nodded, looked up into bright blue eyes, then glanced away, weirdly unnerved. “I’ve never tried that here.”

  “The ice cream delight,” Jayden told the waitress. “And sopapillas for two.”

  Win’s phone rang just as the waitress left, and he scowled. “Be right back, y’all. I have to take this.”

  Sage frowned after Win, then sighed, a fond grin on his face. “Twenty bucks I am alone for the weekend again.”

  “He is a busy man. He’s good at what he does.” Jayden chuckled. “You end up by yourself, holler. I’ll bring chicken and sauce if you grill.”

  “It’s a deal. You know how I feel about my grill. Do you like grilling out, Dakota?”

  “Not much call for it at the apartment.” Dad had never let him touch the grill, and he’d never had the opportunity to try.

  “Oh, man meet fire is the best thing.” Jayden’s smile kept catching his eye, and he wanted to shrug it off.

  He couldn’t quite do it.

  What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Nod? Nodding was safe, right?

  God, he was so fucking tired.

  Sage leaned toward him. “You okay, man? You look wore to the bone.”

  “I’m fine.” Just trying not to screw up. “It was hot today, and I was on a roof all day.”

  “Oh, Lord.” Jayden’s expression scrunched up with sympathy. “My dad made me work construction one summer when I bitched about how boring school was. I thought I was gonna die the one week I was assigned to roofing.”

  “Bet you never said that again, huh?” He chuckled. That he got. He’d been forced into every weird fat camp slash athletic program slash physical work that his folks could imagine.

  “Not once. At least not to Momma and Pop. I looked great, though.” Jayden made a muscle and struck a pose.

  Sage hooted, and Dakota felt like he could laugh along. Jayden was a little fascinating, and Dakota had to force himself not to stare.

  When he was a teenager, he’d fantasized about men like this—confident and strong, self-sure and studly. Lord, he was older, but maybe not any wiser. Certainly more cautious.

  Sage kept looking outside, eyes searching for Win, but from where Dakota was, he couldn’t see anything.

  The ice cream arrived, and Jayden waited for him to grab a spoon, polite as could be. There was a crispy fried hard shell on the ice cream, all cornflakes and sugar.

  He took a little bite, making sure to get a bit of chocolate sauce and whipped cream, both. He loved whipped cream in a can. Jayden started in on the other side, and it hit Dakota how weird it was to share dessert, oddly intimate.

  He put his spoon down and picked his tea up. God. One day things would feel easy again, right? One day he wouldn’t feel so lost?

  “Here.” Jayden took up an unused steak knife from Win’s fajitas and cut the ice cream in half. “Better?” So easy. Not worried at all.

  “I—I’m sorry. Thank you.” Dakota started to sweat, his nerves just making him shiver.

  “No worries,” Jayden said, but it was Sage who pushed his water toward him.

  “Breathe. Have some water. Not at the same time.”

  “Yeah, that would be weird.” He rolled his eyes at Sage. Way to point out that he was a psycho.

  “You looked freaked-out.” Sage was grinning, but his hazel eyes held more than one shadow.

  “I’m going for cool and collected.”

  “How’s that working out for you?” Jayden murmured.

  “Oh, I’m a master at it, obviously. A champ.”

  “I noticed that right off.”

  They were laughing along with him, Dakota realized. Not at him. So he grabbed his spoon a
nd ate more. Ice cream would just melt. The enchiladas in the box would keep.

  “Is Win all right, Sage?” Jayden asked. “It’s hot to be standing out there talking.”

  “Let me go check on him.” Sage pushed away and left him sitting there with the lawyer.

  With ice cream.

  Chapter Seven

  JAYDEN WATCHED Dakota eat ice cream and pondered what he knew. The careful, stiff posture spoke of defeat, not defiance, which made the absolute denial that Dakota had done the crime all the more believable. Dakota’s words hadn’t been the rote denial of a hardened criminal.

  More than that, while Jayden could see this guy having a lot of internalized rage, he couldn’t imagine Dakota tying someone down and cutting them up. That kind of violence would never even occur to this man.

  Maybe he was just internalizing himself, but Jayden trusted his gut.

  This man would roll over at the slightest pressure. This was not a violent person.

  He realized he was staring and cleared his throat. “So. At the risk of making you more nervous, I used to be a prosecutor. If you didn’t do it, why did you end up in jail for it?”

  “She said I did it, and I didn’t have any proof that I didn’t.”

  But that wasn’t how it was supposed to work. It was supposed to be the onus of the prosecution to prove guilt.

  Jayden leaned his elbows on the table. “Okay, you and I both know it never works like it’s supposed to, but why you? Why were you not innocent until proven guilty? I mean it too. I’m not playing smack the piñata.”

  “She said I did it. Her people own a thousand acres. How many fat, ugly assholes in Star Trek T-shirts without an alibi could it be?”

  “You tell me,” Jayden said. He watched spots of color rise on Dakota’s cheeks, those dark-dark brown eyes refusing to meet his.

  “There had to be another one, because I didn’t hurt her. She was in my biology lab. I didn’t even stay at the party.” Dakota took a slow calming breath. “It doesn’t matter. I did the time, and I’m out now.”

  “It matters to me.” Jayden shrugged when that netted him a surprised look. “If you didn’t do it, someone else did, and how many other lives has he ruined besides yours and the girl’s?”