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“Put the weapon down!” the man in the car yelled. “Put it-”
Vincent shot out the front driver’s side tire before the man could even finish talking.
“Jesus, fuck, Vincent,” Everett yelled and then he was pushing between Vincent and the gate. I reached Vincent’s other side and grabbed his arm, not caring what he’d likely do to me, considering how he normally reacted anytime I touched him.
“Don’t,” I said softly.
He didn’t take his eyes off the man in the car who’d at least had the sense to put his hands up. But he also didn’t throw off my hand.
“Get the fuck out of the car, Nash,” Everett snapped and then he went to the side of the gate. I finally noticed he had a watch just like mine and Vincent’s. He waved his wrist against a small metal panel on the gate post and it slid open. The car door slowly opened and the man got out. His arms were no longer raised, but he was careful about where he put his hands since Vincent hadn’t lowered his gun.
The easygoing Everett I’d met just moments ago was gone, and in his place was the man I’d watched countless times on television as he’d talked to the American people. A man I’d hoped to be just like someday.
“Did or did Grady not explain to you who this man is?” Everett pointed to Vincent who had yet to take the gun off the man. Everett seemed completely unconcerned that the weapon was essentially now pointed at him.
“He did,” Agent Nash said, his voice steady and even as his eyes remained on Vincent.
“And is it your habit to disrespect a man who is more of a brother to me than my own fucking flesh and blood?”
“No, sir,” the man responded coolly.
“Yet you come onto this man’s property, knowing what you know,” – Everett’s voice ticked up as he spoke – “knowing I’m safer with him than I am with ten of the likes of you, and you don’t show him or me the courtesy of respecting his wishes. Do I have that correct, Agent?”
I was stunned when, instead of cowering, the man stepped forward, getting into Everett’s face. “With all due respect, I am not Grady, and contrary to what you and everyone else thinks, I’m here to do my job and that includes keeping you safe from any threat.” The man’s eyes shifted briefly to Vincent, but he seemed unfazed that the gun was still trained on him. “If you’d shown me even an ounce of the very respect you’re demanding, you would have allowed me to accompany you this evening instead of running off like an errant child, and I would have been given the opportunity to meet Mr. St. James under more appropriate circumstances. And only once I’d made sure you were safe in his care would I have respected his ridiculous rule about leaving all of my weapons in my trunk.”
Agent Nash shifted his focus to Vincent. “If you care about him so much, you would let me do my damn job and keep him safe. Just because he’s with you doesn’t mean I’m off the clock,” the man bit out. “I don’t know what your deal about federal officials coming onto your property armed is, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m here to do my job and I’ll damn well do it, no matter how many of my fucking tires you blow out.”
Vincent’s jaw ticked a few times and then he lowered the weapon. “You get five minutes with me while I explain the perimeter’s security, and you can wait out here until Everett is ready to leave. But you will not come armed into my house, and I will not be showing you the interior security.”
Agent Nash held Vincent’s gaze a moment before nodding. Everett was noticeably quiet, and I couldn’t help but think that he seemed lost in thought as his eyes followed Agent Nash as he walked through the gate towards Vincent. I fully expected Vincent to comment on the fact that the man was still armed, since I could see a pistol sticking out from beneath his jacket in some kind of shoulder holster, but Vincent remained silent. I guessed Agent Nash to be a few years older than me. His hair was coal black and his skin had a slightly olive tone to it. Italian heritage maybe. He was almost as tall as Vincent and had a similar build, but whereas Vincent had a certain hardness about him, Agent Nash seemed stiffer. Like he was always on point.
Everett stopped by my side as we watched the men begin walking along the fence line. I noticed that Vincent kept his finger near the trigger of the rifle and while he wasn’t holding it on Agent Nash, it wasn’t exactly in a non-threatening position either.
