When the Dead Speak, Bailey Bradford [new ebook reader .TXT] 📗

a panicked look in his eyes. “Last time I went out there, she was… She wanted… God!” A shudder ripped through him. Laine couldn’t blame him—Mrs. Hawkins was a few decades older than either of them and had always been, from what everyone told him, persistent and horny, two things that would frighten the bravest of men when it came to her.

“And you”—Laine pointed at Rich, who was barely keeping in his laughter—“I will toss your ass in jail if you provoke my deputy. Got it?” Laine watched the laughter seep out of his former partner as the man realized he wasn’t joking. “I’ve got enough shit going on that I don’t need this from either of you. You want to help, stay. You want to goad each other and irritate me in the process, get out right now. Are we clear?” Two nods and a ‘yes, sir’ from Matt, and Laine let go of his mad.

“All right then. Rich”—Laine gestured to the chair beside Matt—“what are you doing here?”

Rich pulled the chair right up to Laine’s desk just as Matt had done earlier. “Would you believe me if I told you I’m here because I needed to be?”

Laine and Rich both ignored the noise Matt made at that. Laine tipped his head. “Yeah, surprisingly, I would.” Rich’s smile turned his face from attractive to drop-dead gorgeous.

“Good, because that’s the only reason I can figure that I requested two weeks off and drove up here. I thought maybe…” Rich glanced over at Matt, then back at Laine, who nodded once again, letting Rich know he was free to say whatever he needed to. “I thought maybe it’d help us both, and I’ll admit, Laine, that I’ve missed you, okay? I kinda got used to you being my partner, and then you just left. I understand why—” Rich put up his hand when Laine started to speak. “I do, and I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing, but it… Well, I have some ideas that I didn’t want to share over the phone.”

That got Matt’s attention as well as Laine’s. Rich tapped the desk and his stomach growled. “You think we could maybe go grab a bite after we talk? I kinda skipped dinner last night.”

“I can do you one better. Still like your eggs sunny side up?” At Rich’s confirmation, Laine buzzed Doreen. “Doreen, would you call Virginia’s and have her send over breakfast for all of us, yourself included? Yes, thank you, Doreen.” Laine gave her their order and thanked Doreen again before disconnecting.

“Now, let’s get down to business.” Laine stood and hung his Stetson on the hat rack before returning to his seat. He nodded at Matt. “I need to fill you in on what happened three years ago, then we’re going to eat and listen to what brought Rich to McKinton—without being dicks, you got it? Because your egos don’t mean shit, and I want this fucker caught.”

* * * *

“So…”

Zeke stood hit a shoulder propped against one of the posts on the porch, a booted foot lifted to rest on a planter filled with ivy as he studied Sev. Brendon was watching him as well from where he was perched beside his lover. Neither of them looked particularly happy. Was this where he got grilled on his intentions regarding Laine again? Judging by the frowns on both men’s faces, Sev kind of thought it must be. His stomach felt fluttery as he tried to think of how he would answer such questions. Sev squirmed in his chair before he could stop himself and twisted the silver necklace with his fingers. God, he wished one of them would just speak! He sent a pleading look to Brendon—the softer looking of the two men who were visually pinning him in his seat.

Brendon tapped the railing then nodded. “Okay. I feel like my dad grilling one of my dates here, but…” That brought a smile to the man’s lips and eased a little of the tension coiling in Sev. “I guess we just want to know if you’re worth Laine risking everything, because he is, and if you’re planning on hanging around…” Brendon shrugged, Zeke’s frown deepened, and Sev felt a burst of anger that had him rising out of his seat.

“What? Do I have ‘good time only’ stamped on my head? Or maybe a relationship expiration date on me that I don’t know about?” Sev gestured wildly, as if he could work out some of his anger through his arms and hands. “Or maybe you think I’m having such a ‘good time’,” Sev curled his fingers in the air as he said the last two words, surprised at how much he hated them. “Nearly freezing to death, running from a sociopath, and worrying about whether I will get taken out by a small-town lynch mob, and those are the reasons I’m hanging around?”

“Hey—” Zeke’s foot dropped to the porch floor as Sev came closer. Brendon put a hand on Zeke’s chest, to hold him back or reassure him, Sev didn’t know and didn’t care.

“I just meant—”

“I know what you meant, Brendon!” Sev was so angry now that his chest hurt with it. “You meant y’all are worried that I’m just a fuck and Laine is the poor sucker who’s going to end up with his heart broken and lose his job and… What are you saying about him? That he’s an idiot being led around by his dick?” The idea made Sev laugh, although it was a bitter sound in his own ears. “You should know your friend better than that. So you don’t know me, and okay, I haven’t had any serious relationships.” That took some of his anger away, drained it out as quickly as it had overtaken him. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want one, that I won’t do everything I can to make it work.”

Sev turned away and walked to the door, pulling it open before he glanced