by Andrew Grey
“We have a problem,” Mack explained.
Evan needed to make a decision on how he wanted to handle this. “And that’s my problem, because…?” He raised his eyebrows.
That was clearly the kind of answer they weren’t expecting. All of them shared looks with one another, and Evan smiled on the inside.
“You want to be part of us, you have to prove yourself.” Mack stepped forward, and Evan did the same, holding his gaze.
“I don’t need to prove myself to you or anyone. I’m good at what I do, and I don’t mess up.” Evan relaxed but refused to turn away, and eventually Mack broke the staring contest. “I think I’ll be going, and you can all talk among yourselves and figure out what it is you need. Then you can call me.” He turned and took the first steps back to his car. He half expected a shot to ring out, but nothing happened, and he got in his car, backed out of the rutted drive, and left the area.
Evan began breathing again as he headed back to town. Since he hadn’t eaten, he went through the drive-thru, then called the sheriff on his regular phone. He explained how he had handled the situation. “I swear they think I’m a real badass, and that’s good. Hopefully they aren’t going to mess with me.”
“Awesome. Let them be a little intimidated. That will work in your favor.” The sheriff paused and spoke to someone in his office. “We have the listening device ready for you. The range has been adjusted, and hopefully as long as there is a data signal, we can listen in.”
Pierre’s call was coming in on the other phone. “He’s calling.”
“Take it and get it planted as soon as you have some cover. We need to know what’s going on, and fast.” He hung up, and Evan took Pierre’s call.
“I’m heading your way,” Pierre said. “Pull into the custard stand and go inside. I’ll meet you in there and pass you what you need.” The call dropped, and Evan continued on his way.
His phone vibrated as he pulled into the stand. He expected it to be Pierre, but it was a message from Wes. “Is everything okay?”
“Chris is sick and can’t pick us up. I called Jordan, but he’s at work, and I’m at the day care, but don’t have a ride home.” He seemed super frustrated. “I suppose we could walk—”
“I’m at the custard stand right now. Just pulled in. Come on over and I’ll take you home.” With the positioning of the buildings, he could see through to where the day care was, and a few minutes later, Wes and Greyson approached him. Evan waved, and Greyson waved back, grinning as Wes carried him across the campus lawn.
Greyson reached for him as soon as they came close, and Wes handed him over, Greyson’s little hands going right around Evan’s neck. This was probably good for his cover as far as meeting with Pierre, but he didn’t like the fact that he was being seen with Wes and Greyson. “Let’s get him some ice cream, and then we can get you home.” He watched around them for Pierre’s arrival.
Wes placed an order and fed the ice cream to Greyson. Once he was done and Pierre had handed him the listening device, they all walked to the cars, and Evan took Wes and Greyson home, with Pierre promising that Jordan would be over after work.
“Do you have to go back?” Wes asked.
“Yes. There’s something I have to do, and I’ll leave as soon as Jordan gets to the house.” Evan made sure they were set and belted in before driving home and getting them inside once he’d checked out the house.
“I don’t want you to go,” Wes said once Greyson was playing on the living room floor and they were sitting on the sofa. Wes turned away, and after a few seconds, stood up and went to the door to the kitchen. “I worried about you all day.”
“I know, and I thought of you a lot all day too. But this is something I have to do. I should be back in an hour or so.” God, Evan hoped he wasn’t going to be gone all night. “There’s some information that the department needs, and I have to help them try to get it.” Evan went over to him. “Have you talked to your mom and dad?” He hoped a change of subject would make Wes a little more at ease.
“Yeah. They’re doing okay, and the insurance company found them an apartment that they can live in for a few months until they find a home of their own. It’s furnished and apparently is pretty nice.” Some of the tension left his body, and Evan hugged him.
“I know you’ve been through a lot lately and that you don’t really know me all that well, but there is nothing that I want more than to stay home with you and Greyson. But I have to go. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can. Pierre will be watching the back of the house for us, and there will be patrols going down the street on a regular basis. Most will be in unmarked cars.”
Wes’s phone rang, and he took the call. “Jordan is coming down the alley,” Wes told him, and Evan let him and Jeremiah inside, locked the gate, and saw them into the house. He then said goodbye, hurried out the front, and drove around a few blocks to ensure he wasn’t followed.
All he thought about was Wes and the disappointment in his eyes as he drove back to where he’d parked his car earlier and began his trek through the woods. He wanted to get this over with so he could get back home.
GETTING TO the house was easy. There was enough light for him to pick his way through the trees. Evan was surprised at how dark it was under the canopy even though the sun hadn’t yet set above. Still, he pressed on and finally saw the battered white siding of the house through tree trunks.
A few guys were still hanging around. Evan heard their voices from inside and one somewhere outside. He wished he knew how many guys were here and where they were. Goddammit. In his haste, he hadn’t realized just how valuable the information he’d gathered about people’s placement had been the last time he’d been here.
Evan could do little other than look and listen before creeping out of the woods and over to the window. He placed the listening device under the sill and was about to turn and go back when a crunch from around the side of the house sent him to the ground. Crouching and making himself as small as possible was his only option, and he had to hope like hell that one of the guys didn’t decide to check out that side of the house. If they did, he was a sitting duck.
No movement. Evan stayed still, not even daring to look up and see what was going on. He listened intently and heard nothing more. Then a soft sigh and a stream of liquid, followed by the familiar acrid scent. Someone was relieving themselves nearby. Evan prayed that they went back the way they came, and as the tinkle on the dry dirt and grass subsided and the scent dissipated, footsteps faded into the distance. Only then did Evan chance looking up, and when the coast was clear, made for the cover of the trees as silently as he could. His hope was that there was a strong enough signal for them to hear anything, but that was out of his hands now.
Evan was shocked at how different the woods were, how much darker than even ten minutes ago. Thorns and bushes he’d easily been able to avoid were nearly impossible to see now, and it was only getting darker. He didn’t dare turn on his phone light in case he was spotted. Evan stopped and looked around, but saw very little. The last of the sun’s light was fading, and all he could do was go on.
Chapter 10
WES CHECKED the clock again, hoping like hell that Evan got back soon. Evan had told him he’d be back in an hour or so, but that was four hours ago and it was approaching midnight. Greyson had been in bed for a while, and Jeremiah was sleeping under a blanket in the family room. Wes and Jordan watched television, and Wes swore he jumped at every noise. He checked the back of the house because he felt he needed to do something and left the lights on in the yard.
“He’ll be here,” Jordan said as he sent messages on his phone.
“Are you getting any more information from Pierre?” Wes asked, but Jordan shook his head.
“I asked him to call when he can.”
Wes jumped at a noise from in back. He tensed until he heard the key in the lock and rushed to the door. Evan came in, his clothes torn, his arms and legs scratched all to hell—even his face had a
little blood on it. Pierre followed him inside.
“What did you do? Get in a fight with a clowder of cats?” Wes got Evan to a chair and grabbed a clean cloth to wipe at the scratches.
Pierre answered for him. “He got a little lost in the woods when it got dark.”
“I knew my way,” Evan growled.
“Okay. He ended up going through every bramble patch there was on his way back to the car, and a log or two might have reached out to get him.”
“Yeah… yeah…,” Evan groused. “But is it working?” He hissed as Wes cleaned a deeper scratch.
Wes went upstairs and returned with some disinfectant from Evan’s bathroom, which only had Evan swearing under his breath. Still, he needed to clean the wounds.
Pierre and Evan were still talking. “They aren’t saying anything useful, mostly telling stories about women.” He shook his head. “These guys are real pigs.”
Evan nodded and groaned softly. “I’d hoped we’d get more.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Pierre said. “We’ll monitor it all night and see what we get. The battery is only going to last for twenty-four hours anyway. We can send someone to pick it up afterward.”
“Thanks.” Evan sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping.
“You’re welcome.” Pierre left the room and returned with a sleeping Jeremiah in his arms, his head resting on Pierre’s shoulder.
Jordan gave him a hug and gently patted his back before they left, and Wes locked the door.
“Did you eat?” Wes asked, and Evan shook his head. Wes opened the refrigerator and pulled out sandwich fixings.
Evan inhaled the sandwich. He must have been starving, and Wes got him some fruit and juice, which he gulped down.
“Do you want to go to bed?” Wes asked after he took care of the dishes.
Evan took Wes’s hand, guiding him down to the table. “Look, I know what I promised you, and I can’t do it.” His raspy voice ached with hurt. “The entire time I was stuck in that damned forest trying to find my way out, all I could think of was you. Maybe that’s why I got lost. I don’t know.”
“Me?” Wes asked, attempting to figure out what Evan was telling him.
“Yeah.” Evan smiled weirdly and kept his eyes down at the table. “I made you a promise, and I can’t keep it. I promised I would try to keep your brother out of this, but I can’t. I know that now. Maybe I always did but was too chicken to tell you.” He raised his gaze. “Trey is involved. He got himself involved, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.”
Wes released Evan’s hand and pulled it back into his lap.
“You have to know I did what I could.” Evan looked like hell, and Wes wondered what was with him. “I heard him with my own ears.”
Wes put up his hand. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. I always knew there was the possibility that Trey was beyond help.” Wes stood, walked behind Evan, and put his arms around his shoulders. “You aren’t responsible for him.”
“No, I’m not,” Evan breathed. “And neither are you.” He raised his head. “I’m sorry.”
Wes swallowed hard and was half afraid to ask the next question. “How bad is it?”
Evan shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”
Wes released Evan and sat back down, right across from him. “I know you think I’m not capable of understanding or dealing with the truth—”
“No, I don’t,” Evan interrupted. “I don’t want you involved. You need to stay the hell away from this… far away, you understand? Things could get really ugly, and I don’t want you as any part of the collateral damage.” His eyes blazed for a few seconds, and then weariness took over once again.
“I’m already involved. I take care of my brother’s child. That makes me involved. And I happen to care so very much for you—that involves me too. I spend day after fucking day worrying about you—that makes me involved too.” Wes jumped back up, sending the wooden chair tipping backward. “Do you really think that you can just go to work, into danger, and that doesn’t affect me? That I’m not involved in whatever you’re doing? I am.” He leaned over the table. His heart beat hard enough that his ears rang. “Is that what I’m supposed to be? The little guy sitting at home, waiting for you… to be protected and wrapped in bubble wrap? You said I was strong. Was that just a lie to get me in bed?”
Evan gasped. “Is that what you think?” He pushed the chair back.
“No. It’s not what I thought, but it’s how you’re acting. You told me who you were and what you did when you probably didn’t need to, back in the diner, remember? Why did you do that?”
Evan nodded and reached for his hands. “Because I thought I could trust you.” He sounded scratchy.
“Then trust me now and tell me what’s happening.” Wes had to press. Evan looked like shit. This was beyond some scratches. It seemed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“There are two groups. We know that from the shoot-out.” Evan spoke slowly, as though he were weighing every word. Wes nodded. That wasn’t a surprise. “I found out where the group your brother has become a part of hangs out. They wanted me to prove my worth, but I figured out a way to get out and left. Afterward, I snuck back through the woods. I heard your brother. They’re planning a war, and he’s taken his side.” Evan’s eyes seemed to grow heavy as he slowly closed them. “There is nothing I or anyone can do for him if he takes part. Innocent people could and likely will get hurt.”
“Is that why you went back?”
Evan nodded. “I have to find out where they’re meeting. The department is listening in, gathering evidence, but you heard what Pierre said. Even when I was there, they skirted around the location. I know it’s at seven tomorrow and that’s it.”
“You could track Trey’s phone,” Wes offered.
“Excuse me?” Evan asked.
“His phone is on my parents’ account.”
Evan shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. He’d have to have an app installed to allow that to happen, and I doubt your brother would allow that.”
Wes began to think. “Maybe we can get him to tell us.”
“Do you really think so? He’s in deep and out for revenge. The other group took away his home and hurt his family. He isn’t thinking clearly, and—” Evan held up his hand as soon as Wes began to protest. “If I tip my hand and he doesn’t go for it, everything is over. They’ll know they’ve been infiltrated, and they’ll either move on or go to ground again, and it will be harder than hell to find them. There’s just too much at risk.”
“The real risk is doing nothing,” Wes countered. “But we don’t need to make any decisions tonight. It’s late, and thank God tomorrow is Saturday and I don’t have to work.” That was the one good thing. “We can talk things over in the morning and figure out what we’re going to do.”
Evan stood. “Umm. This is my job and—”
Wes poked Evan in the chest with his finger. “If you think I’m going to sit this one out and wait for you again, you’re fucking crazy. We’re going to do this together, and if we can get Trey to cooperate, then maybe, just maybe, he can get credit for helping or something.”
Evan tugged him closer. “You don’t give up, do you? Not even on your brother.”
“Nope.” Wes flashed a smile.
Evan shook his head before leaving the kitchen. Wes turned out the lights and followed him upstairs, where they showered together and then fell into bed. Not that Wes thought he was going to sleep more than a few minutes, no matter how tired he was. There had to be a way for things to work, and he was going to have to figure it out.
WES ROLLED over for the millionth time and thought he might as well get out of bed so he didn’t disturb Evan.
“You obviously can’t sleep,” Evan said as he rolled over, the light through the windows casting a soft glow on his chest.
Wes came nearer, wrapping his arms around Evan’s waist. “Nope. I keep thinking about Trey.”
“Is it helping?” Evan asked, putting an arm around his shoulders.
“No. Yes. I don’t know. I keep going in circles about how I can get Trey to tell me what you need to know, and every time….” Wes closed his eyes. “Maybe I’m overthinking this. It’s Trey, after all.”
“What are you saying?”
Wes straightened up. “Maybe I can just ask him.” An idea formed in his mind. “Trey can lie, but he isn’t really good at it. Mostly he evades what he doesn’t want to say. But… if we know what time this is supposed to take place, then maybe I can ask him where he’s going to be tonight. I could call him in the morning….” He gasped. “That’s it. I can tell him that Greyson has been looking for him and see if he can meet for dinner, at say… seven.”
“Damn, that’s clever. He’ll have to give you some excuse, and maybe you’ll get something useful out of him.” Evan grinned and tugged him closer. “That’s a good idea. He isn’t going to suspect anything from you, and if you get nothing….”
“No harm, no foul.” Wes drew nearer.
“That’s pretty good.”
Wes rolled over, leaning against Evan. “I think I deserve a reward.” He ran his hands along Evan’s side and down to where the covers pooled at his waist. Evan chuckled slightly, but Wes decided it was time for him to do a little exploring and slipped his fingers under the covers and over Evan’s hard cock. Wes lifted his face to kiss Evan as he brought him closer and slid downward until they were both prone. Wes shifted on top of Evan, straddling him as he pressed them together.
Evan pushed the covers away and deepened the kiss as his hands explored Wes’s back, stroking gently up to his shoulders and down across the curve of Wes’s butt. Tendrils of excitement wound around him, and Wes gasped and thrust his hips lightly, excitement building within seconds.
“Sweetheart,” Evan whispered into his ear. “What is it you want?”
