Reece scoffed. “Nice try. But if I were giving up the location of my secret empath lair, it’d be to takeyouprisoner. And I’d have the courtesy not to throw you in some dungeon; I’d just keep you chained naked to a bed.”
“I’m sure Alex would be thrilled with that,” Grayson said dryly.
That drew a huff from Reece, edged with something that was almost a laugh. He leaned on the rail next to Grayson, close enough that their arms pressed together. It was better up here. He could block out all sensations from other passengers, the crisp fresh air and the quiet settling the corruption enough he could ignore its hunger.
“We could go back to the studio apartment,” Reece said. “And I could try to fuck you over to the dark side.”
“I should not be tempted by that,” Grayson muttered. “Maybe I should try to fuck the bad out ofyou.”
Reece shivered as a frisson of desire went through him. “You’re more than welcome to try,” he said meaningfully. “And if at first you don’t succeed, you can try and try again.”
Grayson snorted. He pressed his shoulder and arm more firmly against Reece and then didn’t pull away. “You cold?” Reece asked.
“Yeah,” Grayson said. “But you’re warm.”
They stood together at the rail, watching as Seattle came closer, sprawled out in front of them and getting bigger with every passing minute.
Eventually Grayson nudged him. “I wouldn’t put you in a dungeon.”
Reece glanced up at him. “No?”
“No.” Grayson was still watching Seattle. “I mean, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you. But then, I’ve never known what to do with you, so why should that change now?”
The corner of Reece’s mouth turned up, but then the trace of a smile slipped off his face. “Nothing else has changed either. We’re still enemies.”
Grayson turned his head toward him. “No chance of that changing?”
The black lightning sent warning sparks across Reece. “You’re the one who’s always believed corruption is permanent,” Reecepointed out. “And even if there somehow had been a trace of my pacifism left, I’m pretty sure it’s gone after my stunt in that laboratory.”
“You were savingme—”
“Next time I might not be,” Reece warned. “Corruption isn’t just a bad mood, Evan, and it’s got its hands on my throat—” He broke it off with an angry shake of his head. “I’m dangerous to you and everyone else in Seattle. I don’t believe that’s going to change—and I don’t believe you’re going to give up being the Dead Man.”
Grayson’s gaze darted to Seattle, then back to Reece. “No,” he admitted. “I’m not.”
Reece wrapped his hands around the railing, feeling the cold under his bare palms. “You’re an empath hunter. I’m a corrupted empath. And we’re going to have to say goodbye, just like we always do.”
Grayson nodded slowly. They fell quiet again, the space between them filled with the rumble of the ferry’s engine. The air was wet, the cold droplets occasionally dotting Reece’s face.
Grayson finally spoke. “Keep the truck for now. I’ll walk off the ferry.”
“I get the truck?” Reece frowned. “You heard me say I’m still corrupted, right? You’re not getting me mixed up with your Care Bear again?”
“It’s not a mix-up.” Grayson folded his arms on the rail. “You keep telling me you’re not the same empath, but I don’t see your dark side and your light side as separate. You’reReece. All of you.” He turned his head toward Reece. “And I might have a bullet scar, but you gave up more than that for me. Maybe you’re dangerous as hell now, but you’re never ever gonna hurtme.”
Reece tightened his hands on the railing.
Grayson shrugged. “So maybe we just need to tweak the name. Do you think Danger Bear has kind of a ring to it?”
Reece huffed again, and this time it sounded even more like a laugh. “Evan.”
“Beware Bear.”
“Evan.”
And Grayson leaned down just as Reece stretched up on his toes, and they were kissing at the ferry railing in the shadow of Seattle, the skyline and their inevitable goodbye looming ahead of them.
Too soon, there was a chime that echoed through the ferry. “We will soon be arriving at Colman Dock, Pier 52. Drivers, please make your way to your vehicles.”
