Thank.
God.
Loopy would be an understatement.
As they were driving, Gene was looking up hotels to make a reservation for a late check-in.
A really late one. It was almost ten thirty at night.
“I’ll get us into a hotel room. We’re going to need to catch some sleep. Tomorrow isn’t going to be fun. The least fun will be the homicide captain. They are always bitches.”
That made Ethan laugh.
Yeah, he was well aware.
Honestly, he wasn’t expecting a standing ovation when they showed up. He knew better.
As they hit the road, Gene noticed that they were headed toward the reservation.
Yeah, he was confused.
“Uh, aren’t we going the wrong way?” he asked. “Isn’t the center of town back the other way? Do you need me to drive?”
Ethan shook his head.
“I’m not going to the hotel right now.”
Gene lifted a brow.
“Where are we going? Because I have about thirty minutes before I’m as high as a kite. I get giggly and handsy. I’ll be so inclined to hump you in the back seat.”
Both things Ethan didn’t mind since they were off until morning. Who didn’t like a bear humping?
He certainly did.
Blackhawk had been dwelling on their conversation before they talked to the detectives.
Gene was right.
He needed to let shit go.
“I’m going to go fix this with my brother. As usual, you know best. I have to stop running. While we’ll always have issues, I’m not leaving this like it is. That’s not fair to him, or me. Oh, and it’s not fair that you have to clean up my mess.”
Gene was genuinely surprised.
“Really?”
Ethan nodded.
“I want to start having a normal life where I’m not angry all the damn time, Gene. I’m thirty. I want to be able to smile and not hate myself. I’m not coming back here, but I can at least send some money to Timothy and stop denying that I have family.”
That was probably the healthiest thing he’d heard Ethan say in their whole dating relationship.
“So, a relationship with your brother?”
He was honest.
“I don’t know. I still feel like I need to punch him in the face for our past, but we’ll see how that goes. Maybe we’ll fix it, and maybe we’ll not, but I know at least he’s not going to betray me and try to sleep with my man.”
