Page 105 of Tied Over

“I honestly haven’t decided yet—and thank you for keeping that secret. Not everyone knows.” He then clapped me on my good shoulder. “I understand Pazzi said that you got shot because he wasn’t there.”

I groaned. “Who told you?”

“Cho,” he said with a laugh. “And when I told Ian, he made sure that when you and Bodhi report to me come Thursday, Pazzi and Yamane will go to Asset Forfeiture.”

“Oh, man, that’s just mean.”

“As a marshal, you have to know when to keep your mouth shut, and if you can’t remember, then your partner has to do it for you.”

“So Ian’s giving both guys a lesson.”

“He is. Plus, you know, he enjoys sending people down there to the basement just like Kage does.”

“Power mad,” I commented.

“Without question,” Miro agreed, then cleared his throat.

I knew it was coming. “Yes? Something to say?”

“What? Me?” He cackled. “Just nice to see this finally taking off.”

“This?”

“Yes, Jed. This. You and Bodhi. I mean, Jesus Christ, if it weren’t for the last minute, huh? Or were you thinking you’d wait until his fortieth wedding anniversary?”

“Funny. You’re so funny.”

“Don’t I know it.”

We were quiet a moment.

“But really,” he said, smiling at me, “I’m proud of you. It was time.”

“It was overdue, and anyone who knows me knows it.”

“Yeah, but you sacked up, Jed. I was getting a bit worried.”

I scowled at him.

“I always knew you loved him.”

“Well, aren’t you smart.”

“That’s what people say,” he said, grinning at me.

I just shook my head.

Bodhi had gone to his place to get clean clothes and more things he needed, and called his real estate agent on the way over. Selling his place would be easy, since the area was in high demand. I told him he should keep it and rent it out, but he didn’t want to be a landlord.

“You’re making a lot of decisions really fast,” I pointed out when he returned with clothes that needed to be hung in my large closet. I was using only a quarter of it, which was great for him.

“Isn’t that how we always do things?” he asked me, grinning. He walked by the end of the bed, carrying a laundry basket filled with assorted-sized bottles into the bathroom, and then I heard him opening cabinets and putting things away.

And that was true. It was, in fact, the way we had always done things. Both of us leaped without looking as we followed the other.

“Hey,” he called out. “Tell me if you need any pain meds.”

“No, I’m good,” I said, sitting up. “But can you take this sling off me when you have a second?”