Page 66 of Jackrabbit

“Get in the truck,” Beau snapped as he glared down at Colt. “Right the fuck now, boy.”

Colt’s chest ached as he picked up his bag and did as he was told. He slid into the truck and put his bag on his lap before getting his seatbelt on.

Beau got in after him and turned on the truck, his shoulders tense, his jaw working.

“Beau, I—”

“Don’t.”

Colt’s eyes burned, and he stared down at his bag as he twisted the handle between his fingers. He hadn't heard Beau talk to him like this since that first day, and he hadn't realized quite how much of Beau’s warmth he was given until he was sitting there with it fully gone.

But he wouldn't fucking cry. He wouldn't.

That guy deserved it. He'd been on Colt’s ass since day one for no goddamn reason, and he'd just implied Beau was a fucking predator. Colt would hit him again in a heartbeat.

He turned to look out the window and rubbed his eye on his shoulder as Beau drove them out of the track and onto the dirt road that would lead to the interstate.

Chapter 34

Ten minutes into their drive, Colt’s leg was bouncing a mile a minute. Streetlights flooded the cab, and he risked a look over at Beau, whose knuckles were straining from how hard he was gripping the wheel.

Colt sniffed. “This is bullshit.”

“No,” Beau growled. “What you did back there was bullshit.”

“Excuse me?” Colt’s eyes weren’t burning anymore. “He said—”

“I don’t give a flyin’ fuck what he said.” Beau kept his eyes firmly on the road. “No one ever teach you about sticks and stones?”

“I’m not five, and this wasn’t Ricky Franklin calling me a booger face,” Colt snapped, throwing his hands up. “Don’t minimize me like that. I’m not a kid.”

“Oh, yeah?” Beau finally looked at him, and Colt wished he hadn’t. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Colt’s mouth went slack, and he bluescreened for one long second before anger seeped into every single one of his pores. “Howdareyou? How—fuck you, Beau!”

Beau flinched and flipped on the turn signal. He pulled off the interstate down an empty road, driving right off it and into the desert, where he pulled himself out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. Immediately, Colt threw his bag on the floor and scrambled out himself, his shoes squelching in mud as he hurried over to Beau and grabbed his arm.

Beau spun around. “Do you have any idea what you did?”

“Yeah, I defended you from a bigoted asshole who wanted to paint you as a fucking predator.” Colt's voice was rising, but he couldn't help it. His world was tilting sideways and he had no idea what to do. “He deserved it!”

“All you accomplished by hittin’ him was puttin’ a bigger target on your back.” Beau was yelling too, gravel-rough and loud in a way Colt hadn't ever heard from him. “You gave himammo! Why can't you see that?”

“Who cares?” Colt’s body urged him to step back. He knew Beau would never hurt him, but the man was a fuckingmountain. He crossed his arms and walked forward instead. “What does it matter?”

“It matters because now he's not just gonna say it toyou. By tomorrow morning, everyone in that circuit is going to think that you—that I—” Beau's chest was heaving, his eyes bright in the moonlight filtering in through the clouds. “This could ruineverythingfor you.”

“You mean for you.” Colt jabbed a finger at Beau’s chest, and a tear slipped down his cheek. “The whole track could think you're fucking some dumbass rookie you wouldn't take a second look at, and, what? That's embarrassing for you? Fuck, Beau.”

“What?” Beau shook his head, and he wasn't yelling now. He sounded pained. “Colt, I—”

“I get it, alright?” Colt took that step back, glaring up at Beau, and his crossed arms felt more like protection than defiance. “I get that you'd never—but I don't get why it's so fucking shameful for people to justthinkyou might want me as much as I want you.”

“You think I don't want you?” Beau snarled, stepping closer, and Colt’s eyes snapped to his so fast it made Colt’s head spin. “Of course I want you, you goddamn idiot. That's the whole fucking problem! I know what it does to you when I tell you you're good. I know, and I like it, and it's so goddamn messed up because I'm—”

Colt lunged across the space between them and surged up on his toes, grabbed Beau by the neck and shoulders, and yanked him down so he couldpress his lips against his. Beau made a deep, wanting sound and wrapped his arms around Colt’s lower back, pushed into the kiss and opened his mouth, moving them until he had Colt’s back pressed against the door of the truck, and Colt was going to fucking die, oh shit.

He dug one of his hands into Beau’s thick hair, and Beau ran his tongue along Colt’s lips just as he wrapped one huge, callused hand around Colt’s whole throat. Beau used the grip to move Colt’s head to a better angle, and Colt whined—needy and pathetic—and it didn’t matter because Beau’s tongue slid into his mouth. Colt pushed his upper back into the truck and lifted himself. Beau grabbed his ass with his free hand and helped, and Colt wrapped his legs around Beau’s thick body. Panting into Beau’s open mouth, Colt clawed at one broad shoulder.