The words weren’t there for shock. It wasn’t said as a joke. Just…stated. There was way more to the words than Walker was prepared to crack open. At least, for now.
Walker glanced at him again, really looked this time, and wondered how a kid who smiled so easily had learned a truth like that so young. Kota’s eyes stayed on the road, calm and unblinking, like he’d already made peace with that belief a long time ago.
“In about an hour, I’m gonna pull over and get some sleep.” When Kota’s eyes went wide, he said, “I’ll just bunk down on the floor. Don’t panic.”
Kota looked him over with an intention that had his gut clenching and his dick taking notice behind his zipper. “I’m not panicking.”
Walker let his gaze roam Kota’s face. “No?”
He shook his head. “You can sleep in the bed…if you want to.”
The invitation was clear. Was it wise to sleep with someone who’d thwarted death just a few hours ago? Had Walker ever been called wise? He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to him. He wasn’t a kid, even if he had an innocence about him that made Walker want to take care of him.
“Mm,” Walker said, eyes on the road.
The moment their rig—no,therig—rolled into the massive truck stop, Kota’s stomach growled loudly, making him grimace. The smell of diesel, hot asphalt, and fried food drifted in through the vents, making his hunger sharpen into something almost painful.
Walker snickered at the rumble. “There’s a diner here. We’ll grab something to eat before we bed down for the night. Okay?”
Kota wanted to weep at the idea of a meal of any kind. How long had it been since he’d eaten? Probably not that long ago, but it felt like decades. Like his entire life before climbing into this truck had happened to someone else.
“Can I shower afterwards?” Kota asked, eyes locking on the shower sign lit up beside the large building. “Does it cost a lot?”
“I got credits,” Walker said. “We’ll shower after we get some food in you.”
Kota felt a flash of guilt over having no money to contribute. He had only a couple days’ worth of clothes, an empty wallet, and a flip phone that had likely been dead for hours. Everything he owned could fit into a backpack. It was a depressing realization.
“What time is it, anyway?” Kota asked around a yawn.
“Early,” Walker said vaguely. “Or late, I guess. Depending on your point of view.”
It had been dark when Kota had left with that Early guy. It was still dark outside. It was starting to feel like some kind of endless night in a horror movie.
Walker donned a backwards baseball cap and grinned at Kota a moment before he opened his door and hopped down from the truck, his boots scraping on asphalt. Kota could still hear the low hum of a motor. Walker must leave it on for Cake, so she doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
The thought made something warm unfurl in his chest. A professional killer who remembered to keep his cat comfortable. The contradiction should have been alarming. Instead, it was weirdly endearing.
Kota didn’t realize he’d just been sitting there until his door popped open and he almost tumbled out. Walker caught him easily, setting him on his feet with no effort.
One second, he was falling, the next he was wrapped in solid muscle and steady hands.
“I could’ve done it myself,” Kota mumbled.
Walker smirked at him. “Given your earlier exit from Early’s vehicle, I wasn’t taking any chances. You’re not exactly graceful.”
Kota flushed until his ears burned. “You’re hilarious,” he snarked.
Walker didn’t retort, just started whistling a jaunty tune. Only then did Kota have time to read the words on the cap he was wearing.
My Cat Thinks I’m Cool.
Liar.
Kota barely knew Walker or Carrot Cake, but he could say with confidence that the fat orange cat merely tolerated Walker’s presence, which was a miracle in itself given Walker’spersonality. Though, Kota wasn’t really one to talk. Nobody had ever thought he was cool, whether they walked on four legs or two.
Walker held the clear glass door of the large building open for him, arm perched high, forcing Kota to walk beneath it, like he was trying to reinforce to him just how small he was in comparison. Kota glowered at him as he passed, earning another smirk and a cheeky wink that he couldn’t help but think was Walker playing to their audience.
Still, when they brushed against each other, Kota’s whole body tingled. His skin felt overly aware of the older man’s presence, every accidental touch lingering longer than it should have. Kota had never been so instantly attracted to or entranced by another person before. Walker was like gravity, keeping Kota tethered to him.
