“Didn’t go well?”
“Oh, yeah, it went great. Totally fine. If you like train wrecks! I think it’s safe to say I’m pretty much fired.”
Gavin stared down at his feet, but Tucker knew he didn’t consider that to be much of a hardship. If he had his way, Tucker would never go back to Florida to reclaim his former life. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to, really. Of course, the murder investigation had already been solved if he could believe the evidence of his own eyes, always considering the fact that he hadn’t had a complete psychotic break, but the chief didn’t know that, and he couldn’t very well give him the information.
The SUV pulled into the lot of a gas station that had a fast food restaurant attached. Gavin turned to Tucker. “Todd and I are going inside to get us something to eat while Christian fills the tank. What do you want, honey?”
“Nothing,” Tucker said, realizing he was being sulky but was completely unable to stop himself. “I’m not hungry right now. I’m just going to make my call.”
Gavin hesitated, his lips tightening a little. “Okay, but stay close by where Christian can see you.” He turned and went into the store, along with one of the gammas. Gavin had said Todd was going with him. To Tucker both gammas were almost interchangeable, big and tanned, with regular, handsome features, usually unsmiling and stern when they happened to look at him.
Tucker glared atGavin’s back for a moment before getting out of the back seat and walking to the side of the building to find some bit of privacy for his call. He didn’t particularly give a shit if Christian could still see him or not. He was sick and tired of Gavin treating him like some not-very-bright child. Leaning against the building, hefound Bryson’s name in his contacts and listened to the ring for a few seconds before Bryson picked up.
Bryson’s first words to him let him know exactly where Bryson stood on Tucker’s decision to go with Gavin. “You stupid asshole.”
“Well, nice to hear your voice too, Bryson.”
“What the fuck are you doing, Tuck?”
Bryson’s voice was low and urgent. Tucker figured he was still at work. He sighed heavily into the phone. “Look, man, I know this is hard for you to understand…”
“No, it’s not hard to understand, Tucker. It’s fucking impossible! It may not be too late if you come back now and throw yourself on the chief’s mercy—claim temporary insanity or something. Tucker, don’t throw away your career like this!”
Tucker shuffled his feet uncomfortably and glanced back toward the SUV, where Christian was pumping gas and leaning against the back of the vehicle, staring at him. Tucker gave him the dirtiest look he could muster and turned his back on him again. “Bryson, just listen to me for a minute. One minute! This is something I have to do, and I am coming back.”
“It’ll be too late, Tucker. The chief is furious—I’ve never seen him so pissed off. He’s going to assign me a new partner, and he told me to clean out your desk.”
Tucker’s stomach clenched. He knew the chief was angry, but this was moving fast even for him. “Do what you have to do, man. Just put everything in a box and leave it in my apartment, will you? I left a key for you in your parents’ condo. I’ll be in touch soon, I promise.”
A tense silence fell and Tucker could picture him at his desk, rubbing his hands over his face like he always did when he was upset. “What about the case, Tuck? Don’t you care about what’s been happening in the least?”
A loud voice behind him calling his name made him turn to see Gavin gesturing at him, signaling him to wrap it up. Deliberately, he turned his back again and spoke urgently in the phone. “I have to go. But Bryson, please listen to me. I can’t really explain, but there won’t be any more murders. It’s over. The killer is dead.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean the killer’s dead? Do you know who the killer is? Are you in some kind of danger? Tucker, talk to me!”
“No, no, nothing like that.” A big hand fell on Tucker’s shoulder, and he turned to see Gavin standing beside him. “Look, I gotta go. I’ll explain everything when I see you, okay?”
The phone was plucked out of his hand while he was still talking and he watched in surprise as Gavin calmly ended the call and tucked the phone in his own pocket.
“What the fuck? Give me my damn phone, Gavin!”
“You said all you needed to say, and you were about to say too much.” He pushed Tucker’s hand down as he reached for the pocket with the phone. “Tucker, leave it alone. I’ll give it back to you later. For now, I think it best that I keep it.”
“Oh, you do, huh? Well fuck that. Give me my phone or I’ll knock you on your ass and take it.”
Gavin stared down at him calmly. “We both know that’s not going to happen, baby. Get in the car. We need to get back on the road.”
“Fuck that and fuck you! I’ve changed my mind, and I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not getting back in that car, so you can just…”
Tucker’s mouth fell open as Gavin swept him up in his arms and began walking with him back toward the SUV, which quickly backed up toward them. He held Tucker’s arms clamped down by his sides so tightly there was no getting away. His face flaming, he saw a few people looking at them curiously, and he opened his mouth to yell when Gavin shut him up by placing his warm lips over his mouth and pressing down firmly, startling him and muffling any sound that tried to come out. The door to the SUV opened beside them and Gavin tossed him inside, the dark glass on the vehicle hiding Tucker’s efforts to escape by crawling out the other side. Gavin hauled him back and held him tight to his side as the SUV made its sedate and unhurried exit from the parking lot.
The two men in the front seat never so much as turned their heads as a brief but vicious struggle in the back seat ensued, with Tucker doing his best to bring his knee up to plant it in Gavin’s groin. He was able to deliver a couple of savage kicks, but Gavin overpowered him so quickly, it was over almost before it got started and Tucker wound up lying acrossGavin’s lap, his hands held behind him in a tight grip, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Gavin, by contrast, wasn’t even winded. He bent over to put his mouth to Tucker’s ear. “Calm down, Tucker, please. We still have a long way to go, and I’m not fighting you all the way home. Why are you acting like this?”
“Me?” Tucker yelled. “You promised me you wouldn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. Was that just one more of your bullshit lies?”
Tucker couldn’t see Gavin’s face from his position face down on his lap, but there was a sudden silence and then slowly Gavin released Tucker’s hands. Tucker scrambled off his lap and sat silent for several miles, backed up against the door, still trying to catch his breath. He jumped a little when Gavin spoke up quietly beside him, “Christian, pull off at the next exit.”
Christian nodded, his eyes dark and cold in the rear view mirror as he gazed at Tucker, but he dutifully took the next exit off the interstate and pulled off on the side of the road, stopping the car. Tight-lipped, Gavin got out of the car and motioned for Tucker to follow him, then walked to the back of the vehicle and leaned against it, crossing his legs and staring down at the roadway for a few seconds. “You’re right, Tucker. I overreacted, and I shouldn’t have taken your phone.” He pulled it from his pocket and handed it over. Tucker snatched it ungraciously from his hand and waited to see what he would say next. He was beginning to feel sick at his stomach, afraid he’d made a terrible mistake in coming with Gavin so rashly.
Gavin looked up at him, his eyes clouded. “I’m sorry. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, baby. If that’s back home, then that’s where I’ll take you. But Ihope you’ll decide to come to Tennessee with me. I love you, Tucker, and I only want to keep you safe. I know I’ve gone about this all wrong right from the start, but it’s my job to look out for you. Every time I try to take care of you, you push me away.”
“That’s because I’m a grown man, Gavin, and I can take care of myself. I can make my own damn decisions. Don’t try to make this about me.”
Gavin regarded him for a moment before he nodded his head. “All right, Tucker. Then make a decision. Do I take you back or do you continue on with me to Tennessee?”
Tucker stuck both hands in his pockets, and stared off down the road. He wanted to stay with Gavin, no use denying it, but he wouldn’t stand for being treated like this. He needed to make that clear once and for all.
“I’ll go with you to see my father, but I won’t make any promises other than that. You say you love me, but I think it’s impossible for you to know something like that so soon. You just met me! Ifeel like you’re pressuring me and rushing me into something I’m not ready for, and it has to stop.”
“All right.”
“All right, just like that?” He glanced over at Gavin, suspicious that he’d given in so easily.
He shrugged. “If you feel like I’m pressuring you, then I’ll back off. I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.” His eyes met Tucker’s solemnly and gave him a tiny smile.
When he looked at Tucker like that, Tucker could feel his heart do a little flip in his chest. He shook his head. He was in this far—might as well see this through. “Okay then. Let’s go. But stop treating me like I’m a child.” He pointed his finger in Gavin’s face. “I won’t stand for it any longer.” He turned to walk back to the car when he felt Gavin’s hand on his arm and lifted his face to him.
“You’re wrong, though, about one thing. I do love you. So much. And I knew it from the first moment I saw you. You mean everything to me.” He dropped his hand and stepped past Tucker to hold the door for him. Tucker walked slowly back to the car, his fingers falling to tanglebriefly with Gavin’s before he lowered himself into the seat.