As he handed him the‘gift’, Ethan’s eyes went huge.
There, in his hand, was his Glock and FBI badge. How could this be? How did this man get them back for him when he knew Gabe wouldn’t bend or relent?
Ethan couldn’t imagine what had to be done in order for this to happen.
Then, it hit him.
“It didn’t cost you your badge, did it?” he asked.
Because if it did, he couldn’t go back. For fuck’s sake, Ethan couldn’t survive without this man.
He was sure of it.
He’d be on a one-way trip to self-destruction-ville. He’d out-Cowboy any other rogue agent.
Gene knew the truth.
Oh, he’d been willing to take that route for Ethan. He would have gladly offered up his badge and gun so that Ethan could continue his dream.
The FBI to him was a job, but to his lover, it was his one mission in life. As his partner, that meant making sure he got it. Gene’s dream was to marry Ethan and have a life, not climb a ladder he couldn’t give a shit about.
Work paid the bills.
It didn’t feed the soul.
“No. We’re both good, and we need to be back inPhillyby Monday. Gabe backed off,” he said, leaving it at that. He didn’t need to elaborate on the how behind it.
Gene had done what needed to be done.
He stood up to the bully, and this time, he’d won.
Oh, and he was sending LaRue a bunch of fucking flowers every year on this date.
Bet.
On.
It.
“Really?” he asked. “How?”
Gene paused, not sure if he should tell him, but with Ethan, it was best to address things and clean up after the fact. The last thing he wanted was for him to feel guilty about anything.
They’d been planning to use the information they’d found out about Daphne Carmichael for when it was dire.
To Gene, this had been dire.
“Well, let’s just say we used up our Sasha Harper card. He was shocked as shit that we figured it out. He’s off our asses now, but he’s likely never going to help bail us out. We’re on our own now.”
Ethan blinked, and that hurt his heart.
“Gene.”
His man stopped him.
“Don’t feel guilty. We used it because it was worth getting you your job back. Don’t let that demon pull you down.”
Slowly, Ethan closed his mouth, doing what Gene told him to do. Yeah, this was why he needed him. Gene helped him regulate that fight or flight.
