To.
The.
End.
If Ethan would turn on his goddamn phone, he’d know that because he would have talked him down. Ethan would also know that he was coming to get him.
But then again, maybe that was for the best. He tended to be a runner, after all. The last thing he needed was for him to slip through his fingers, running somewhere else.
They had to get their asses back toPhiladelphiaon Monday, so they could go back to work.
Now, it was time to collect his man, oh, and there were going to be words.
Hell!
There might even be a fight at this point.
Who knew?
It was all going to depend on Ethan. If he put up a fight, Gene was more than willing to toss him over his shoulder and drive that rental across country twenty-four-seven until they got home.
He’d handcuff Ethan to the door handle if necessary. If his partner thought he wouldn’t whip out his badge, abscond him, and tell the local authorities that he was bringing in a prisoner…
He had another thing coming.
Bet.
On.
It.
Yeah, Gene was not playing around.
As he drove onto the reservation, he knew where Ethan’s grandfather lived. They’d been there to get the older man new tires for his truck, secretly. They’d been here to drop a motorcycle off for his brother.
So, this wasn’t exactly an unfamiliar place.
With that in mind, Timothy Blackhawk’s home was the first stop.
And goddamn it, he just wanted to get this shit handled because his arm hurt like a bitch.
The aspirin Elizabeth had given him wasn’t cutting it. The metal screws were making his wrist ache.
What he wanted was to pop a pain pill, fall into bed, and take aVERYlong nap.
It felt like days since he’d gotten a decent sleep.
What he would do first was find his boyfriend and figure out how to fix all of this.
Because deep down, he didn’t believe that handing him his badge and gun would be enough.
Ethan was rattled, and that would take time. What he’d learned about the man was that during the storm, you didn’t run. You dug in, and you fought like hell for his soul. You let him be submissive as you lead the way out of the storm.
What Ethan needed was someone who could take control and let him regroup.
Because, deep down, he was worth it. There was no doubt there.
The secret to Ethan Blackhawk was to never betray him, and to hold him when he needed it. If he’d learned anything with their sex life, it was that the man who looked strong was absolutely not. What he needed was someone to make him feel safe.
