by Andrew Grey
Wes had to agree. “He took us in when we needed help, to keep us safe, and he may have saved our lives by getting us out of the house. My mom and dad are still figuring things out, and who knows when we will have a place to go back to.”
“See what I mean? Pierre, Evan, and a lot of the guys they work with are pretty awesome. You should meet some of the borough cops. Red and Carter, the rest of the guys.” Jordan leaned closer. “There is a ton of ‘family’ in both departments. There’s even a gay judge and a bunch of other people. This town is like the gay oasis in the conservative center of Pennsylvania. It’s pretty awesome. And the guys all have each other’s backs and have saved one another more than once… and that’s kind of sexy too. They stand up for one another, and they’ll stand up for you too.”
“Okay… but the waiting….” Wes swallowed hard and checked his phone once again for a nonexistent message.
“It’s part of being in their lives, I guess. They work, and we wait, hope, and sometimes pray. There are times when things are going on that we all gather and wait together. Just like now, Pierre is supporting Evan, and we all wait until it’s over and everyone is back safe.” Jordan gently touched his shoulder, though Wes felt very little. He knew if that had been Evan, his heart would have beat faster just from the contact. God, he wished he were here. “And he will be back safely.” Jordan’s words and his conviction brought Wes out of his head.
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s what you have to believe. In your heart you can’t see anything other than him walking through that door with a smile on his face, put there because he wants to see you.” Jordan pulled his hand away, and Wes nodded. He knew Jordan was right. Worrying all day hadn’t done him a bit of good.
“Would you like something to drink?” Wes got up and hurried to the kitchen. It was ostensibly to get drinks, but he also needed a few minutes alone. God, he hated this entire situation. His head went in circles, and when he closed his eyes, it didn’t fucking stop. Wes grabbed the counter and held on as he continued spinning.
Finally, after a few deep breaths and a huge glass of water, the spinning slowed and stopped. He drank another glass and then a third before bringing a tray of iced lemonade into the other room. Wes had made it from bottled juice and hoped it was okay. Jeremiah seemed to like it, so it met with kid approval. He poured some for Jordan, and Greyson climbed on his lap. Wes gave him a bottle, and he was content and would most likely fall asleep right in his arms.
“I really appreciate you coming over to stay with me.” Wes looked around and sighed a little. “It seems strange to be in Evan’s house without him.” Maybe that was part of his unease. “We only met a week ago, and….” Wes had spent much of that time trying to keep his heart from racing forward. “I’m finding it hard to believe how he’s done the things he has.”
“These men are pretty amazing.” Jordan set his glass on the tray. “They also have great instincts and have learned to trust them.”
Wes didn’t want to disabuse Jordan, but Evan had told him of at least one time that his instincts hadn’t been spot-on. Still, on the whole, he would probably agree. Evan had been right about him, and his instincts about Trey seemed to be accurate.
“Maybe I just need to learn to trust him a little more,” Wes admitted. It was hard, because trusting meant doing it for him and Greyson. His past failures with relationships told him not to trust anyone, and yet his heart wanted to leap into the deep end with Evan and was already on the diving board. All of that warred within him as he sat there… until the back door of the house opened.
“Wes.” The familiar deep voice buzzed through the house and right up his spine.
Wes carefully stood, and Jordan took Greyson, continuing to feed him with a smile. Wes hurried through the house and paused when he saw Evan. He looked like hell, his eyes ringed with black, but as soon as he saw Wes, a light shone in them and he tugged him closer, holding Wes tightly.
Wes finally felt like he could breathe for the first time since Evan had dropped him off that morning. Wes inhaled deeply and held Evan a little tighter as some of the tension leeched out of him. Evan’s fingers carded through his hair, and when Wes backed his face out of Evan’s smoky-smelling shirt, Evan kissed him hard.
“I thought about you every spare minute I had.”
“I did too.” Wes still shook as he rested his head on Evan’s shoulder. “Did you get the bad guys?”
Evan didn’t answer, and Wes groaned to himself. “We can talk about it a little later.” Evan just held him and didn’t say anything more. “Please. I’m happy to be home, and I need a chance just to not be on edge for a while.” Evan didn’t let him go until Jeremiah and Jordan started talking, and then Evan backed away.
“Jordan and Jeremiah have been keeping me company,” Wes explained, leading Evan into the room. Greyson, who had been lying in Jordan’s arms, seemed to know that Evan was back and perked right up. Jordan put him down, and he toddled over to Evan, who picked him up.
“Tigers, huh,” Evan said with a smile, and Jordan stood.
“We should go on home.”
“Thank you for coming,” Evan said with relief, and Wes hugged Jordan.
“Yes, thank you.” Wes didn’t let Jordan go right away, and the slightly smaller man hugged him in return.
“Let me give you my number. That way if you need to talk, just call me. Maybe next week we can get together and have a partners-of-cops party or something.” Jordan backed away. “Come on, Jeremiah. You and I need to go home.”
“Okay.” He gathered his toys and said goodbye to Greyson, and they both made tiger sounds at each other. It was so cute.
Jordan put his costume back on and then grabbed the bag, and he and Jeremiah went out the back.
“I should lock the gate,” Wes said, and went out after them. He returned to find Evan sitting on the sofa, with Greyson in his lap, already half asleep. “Why don’t I take him up to bed? You can clean up, and then we can talk.”
Evan sighed. “I just want to clean up and get into bed. I don’t think I have all that much energy, but….” He paused and just breathed. “You deserve to know what’s happening….” He was so filled with what seemed like weariness that Wes was cautious to press, but there were some things he needed to know.
“Did you eat?” Wes asked.
“Not very much. I didn’t know what was in the food or where it had come from, so I picked at things and ate what was in packages, which wasn’t much.”
“There is still some pasta in the refrigerator. Let me put him in bed, and I’ll heat it up for you.” Wes took Greyson and carried him upstairs, changed him, and got him in his jammies before putting him in bed without so much as a peep. He must have been really tired.
When Wes returned, he found Evan hadn’t moved at all. Wes went into the kitchen to heat up the pasta and got Evan some of the lemonade. He set the plate and glass on the table and then, in the living room, helped Evan to his feet. “Just eat. There’s plenty there, and you’ll feel better with something in your stomach.” Wes sat across from him, prepared to feed Evan if necessary.
That didn’t seem to be an issue. Evan ate slowly at first and then picked up speed. By the time the pasta and sauce were gone, some color had returned to Evan’s cheeks, and maybe some of the exhaustion under his eyes had abated.
“Were things really bad?” Wes asked.
Evan shook his head. “No. That’s just it.” He held his head and groaned. “I know this is one of the groups involved in that shoot-out because I heard whispers and recognized people from descriptions. But I need more. They don’t trust me yet, so anything important happened out of my presence. But there were rumors. However, they swore the listening devices weren’t theirs and actually got angry that someone else had been watching me. Haven’t met the leader yet, and I don’t have anywhere near enough information to bring them down….” He drank the lemonade and sat back. “The thing is, I need information from both grou
ps, and that is going to take some time.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Wes asked.
“No. Just give me some time. I know this is hard, and I would have messaged you, but they are keeping a close eye on me. I had to hide my personal phone in case someone saw it, and I didn’t dare message anyone on the burner phone. So communication is difficult. But I will get messages to you, probably through Pierre.”
Wes nodded. “I’ll be as strong as I can.”
Evan took his hand. “You are strong, really strong.” He squeezed Wes’s fingers. “Just give me some time to get this job done.”
“I’ll try.” Pierre had told him the same thing as Evan had, and Wes believed them.
Wes took care of the dishes and then followed Evan up the stairs. Evan went into the bathroom and Wes into the bedroom, intending to wait, but he’d already done enough of that during the day and figured he’d take a little initiative of his own. Wes checked on Greyson, then went into the bathroom, stripped off the last of his clothes, and stepped into the shower behind Evan.
“It’s only me,” Wes said when Evan stiffened. He wondered if this was such a good idea until he put his hand on Evan’s tight shoulder and felt the muscle release some of its tension. He scooted closer, letting his hands slide around Evan’s side and then over his belly, closing his hands together and pressing to Evan’s back.
“Oh God,” Evan whispered.
Wes didn’t push, but he got the idea that there was something Evan had seen or heard that he hadn’t wanted to. Maybe it was his imagination running a little wild, but this kind of stress and ache didn’t come from a normal day. Sure, Evan had had to play a role today that required him to be watchful, but this was what he did. Something out of the ordinary had to have happened, and Wes wondered if he should push in order to worm it out of Evan or not.
He released his hands and simply let them wander over Evan’s skin, gently kissing his wet shoulder. It was probably best to let Evan open up in his own time and for Wes to just let him know that he was here and had his back for him.
Evan’s shoulders and his entire body shook a little, quivers running up and down him. Wes continued stroking, making no immediate sexual overture. What had started out in his mind as a way to distract Evan had turned into a way to care for him. Evan needed someone to look after him and try to let him get past whatever was bothering him.
Wes got the bar of soap from the dish, lathered his hands, and gently washed Evan’s back and shoulders. The muscles clenched under his touch and then relaxed. Evan’s back was rigid, the muscles tight, and Wes continued washing and stroking until Evan’s shoulders slumped slightly and the tightness in the muscles under his hands began to loosen.
“It’s okay. I’m just here to help you and to try to get you to relax.” Wes continued stroking, lathering his hands once again, letting them ghost over Evan’s incredible butt and then down his legs before returning to his back. “Go ahead and turn around,” he whispered, and Evan did what he asked like he was on autopilot.
“I—”
Wes soaped his hands and slid the soap over Evan’s powerful chest and down his ripped belly. “I don’t know what I can do to help you with this.”
“You’re doing it.” Evan’s leg shook, and Wes continued slicking him up, his own body growing excited, but he ignored it. There were more important things than sex, and Evan needed care at the moment. Wes let his hands slide down Evan’s hip, and Evan drew Wes closer, holding him, chests pressing together as the warm water cascaded over them. Evan released a shuddering breath and pulled him tighter.
“I’m just so very tired and worn out.”
Wes stepped back, tugged the showerhead off the holder, and used it to rinse all of the soap off him. He also shampooed and cleaned his hair, rinsed Evan one last time, and then turned off the water. Wes grabbed the towels and handed one to Evan. He did dry Evan’s back, and damned if he didn’t watch as Evan crossed the hall, his white buttcheeks flexing with each step. Wes cleaned up the bathroom and hung everything up before joining Evan under the covers.
“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Wes asked.
“No….” Evan groaned and then sighed. “I guess this shocked me on a whole bunch of levels. I’m used to groups like this being all about money, power, protecting their turf, things like that. But these guys, they all have kids and no prospects at jobs. They’re basically doing what they’re doing to try to provide for their families, such as they are. It’s wrong, but I sort of found myself identifying with them in a way. Granted, I’m sure they are involved in illegal activities, and I will get the evidence I need and then the law can deal with them as it will, but why in the hell do I always get cases like this?”
“I wish I had an answer for you.” Wes shrugged. “If you want my opinion, I don’t care why they’re selling drugs or hurting other people.” He met Evan’s gaze. “Who gives a fuck, okay? I work hard to make ends meet and to raise my brother’s son. Not that I would ever regret that, but I don’t sell drugs or put things on the street that can kill people. They’re just deluding themselves, because the ends do not justify the means.”
Evan’s eyes widened. “You’re a real hardass.”
“My brother is one of those people. He’ll tell you anything he thinks he needs to in order to get you on his side, and he’s the king of justification.” Wes crossed his arms over his chest. “That is a cop-out, and you don’t need to feel anything for them other than contempt. They say they’re trying to provide for kids and… whatever else, but they’re hurting other people’s kids.” Wes snorted. “Sounds like a Robin Hood complex to me.”
Evan snorted. “Come on….”
“It’s a real thing. And this sounds like a good example of it. They think breaking the law for the right reason is okay, but it’s not.” Wes leaned closer. “But you have to go along with them because you need to be accepted.”
“I know. I just let myself get too deep into the role I was supposed to be playing.” Evan shook his head and felt a little better, and his color was much closer to normal. “Why do you see through it so easily?”
“I’ve had to listen to my brother justify his bad behavior for years, and it’s gotten to the point that I can smell bullshit a mile away. And that’s what this is.” Wes stroked Evan’s arm. “And you would have seen through that if you weren’t so danged tired and worn out.”
“You’re mad?” Evan asked.
“Yes. But not at you. I know you’ve slept for shit for the last three days. You never stop working even when you’re here at home.” Wes continued his light massage, and finally Evan’s expression evened out and his breathing became more regular and soft. Wes climbed out of the bed, turned out the lights, and went to check on Greyson, who was sound asleep. Then he got back into the bed and did his best to try to go to sleep himself.
Chapter 9
ALL NIGHT long, Evan had the weirdest dreams where he was living in a forest with a bunch of men. Thankfully there were no tights in sight and the guys were modern, but this whole Robin Hood thing must have really worked its way into his subconscious. He woke with a start, gasping for air, looking around in the darkness, expecting Alan Rickman to morph out of the gloom at any second. But he was in his own bed.
“Evan, it’s okay. I’m right here.”
He nodded and tried to figure out what had woken him up. Something wasn’t right, but he had no idea what it was. Evan listened and heard nothing. He couldn’t shake the feeling, so he got out of bed and pulled on boxers and some running shorts, as well as a T-shirt. “Go back to sleep,” he told Wes softly, kissing his forehead before leaving the room. Evan passed Greyson’s room, where he was still sound asleep. Evan was grateful that he hadn’t woken him and left, quietly descending the stairs.
The house was silent, with only the sound of the occasional car passing in front of it to break up the peace of the night. He couldn’t seem to figure out what was bothering him. Evan went to the back of t
he house, leaving the lights off, and peered out into the yard. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but movement pulled his eye toward the gate.
Evan sat down in the back room, out of direct sight of the windows, and turned on the lights in the yard. He was too damned tired to go out chasing people. He stayed hidden and figured they might think the lights were motion sensors. Evan left them on as the sound of the garden gate closing reached his ears. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Pierre and the sheriff, and received a response that a patrol would make its way in his direction and handle anyone caught loitering in the area. Leaving the lights on, Evan checked the back door to make sure it was locked, then headed back upstairs and did his best to try to fall back to sleep. His phone vibrated with a message that three men had been seen heading away, and they were in quite a hurry.
Did you get descriptions?
Yes. Will send in the morning, Pierre answered.
Evan sent a thank-you and put his phone on the table next to the bed. He pulled up the covers and rolled them up over his shoulders.
“You need to try to rest. It isn’t going to get better if you can’t get some sleep.”
Evan decided not to tell Wes about what he’d seen. He didn’t want him to worry more than he already was, and the house was being watched. That was what counted. They would be safe, and tomorrow he had places he had to be.
EVENTUALLY EVAN fell asleep, and his phone remained still for the rest of the night. When he rolled his tired body out of bed, he found it empty. He dressed and followed the sound of childish laughter through the rooms to the kitchen.
“Are you going to take us in this morning?”
“Yes.” Evan poured a mug of coffee and leaned over to kiss Wes gently. “I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Do you know what time you’re supposed to meet the guys?” Wes asked.
“Probably in a few hours. I want to make some phone calls first, so I’ll come back here once I drop you off.” Evan sighed, wishing he could climb right back into bed.
