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“I need to head back to the city. Thank you for your time, Speed. Blake,” Beesley said as he rose and shook their hands.
“We’ll walk you out,” Blake said, offering Speed his arm. Speed almost told them to go ahead but he didn’t like the idea of Blake being alone with Beesley.
I am not jealous.
But Speed glared at the agent’s back and wondered why Sloan couldn’t have picked someone older and more malleable. And he didn’t have to be so good-looking. Speed gave Blake a nudge when he laughed at another one of Beesley’s jokes.
“You’re always welcome!” Blake said, shaking Beesley’s hand again.
“Thank you for lunch. I appreciate the warm welcome,” he said sincerely before turning to Speed. “You can call any time. The number I gave you goes directly to me and I’ll know it’s you.”
“Got it,” Speed said and tapped his brow in salute. “You drive safely.” He could feel Blake rolling his eyes but Speed turned on his heel and headed up the stairs.
“Have a safe trip back,” Blake said as he closed the door behind Beesley. He caught up with Speed and gave him his arm. “You said you were going to hear Beesley out and give him a chance.”
“Did we not just spend two hours eating tapas with Beesley? I wanted to drag him out of my house by his ear and stuff him in that cheap government issued sedan. But I promised Lavender I’d give it a chance. I did and I hated it but I’m towing the line.”
“I understand why you aren’t ready to trust Beesley but you didn’t have to be rude. I believe him when he says he wants to help and I like him,” Blake added but that just made Speed’s mood even darker. He didn’t care what Lavender said, Speed didn’t want his own Agent Sloan.
Speed managed to ease his coat off and tossed it on the foot of the bed. “I could tell and I didn’t appreciate the way he kept flirting with you.”
“What are you talking about?” Blake asked. He gave Speed’s chest a shove so he’d fall back onto the bed. “Beesley was courteous and professional. He was right about you wanting to be in control and that you’re not ready to let go but that doesn’t mean you get to shoot the messenger. And don’t take it out on me. No one blames you for wanting to protect yourself. Especially me,” he continued as he pulled off Speed’s shoes. Blake stormed over to the closet but he didn’t throw them. That wasn’t Blake. He calmly returned them to the proper shelf and scolded himself for getting frustrated. “You’d be just as bad as Francis if you didn’t feel torn up over this,” he said as he came back to help Speed with the rest of his suit. “But he’s right. You’ve got to accept that your part in this is almost over and it’s time to let him go.”
“I don’t mind when you call him Francis,” Speed realized and chuckled softly as he chased after Blake’s lips. “I think it’s because I know you’re so much better than him.”
“Stop it,” Blake said but he let Speed kiss him.
“He’s right and I’m almost ready. I just want to be sure it’s the safest move for us.”
“As long as you’re putting yourself first. Francis doesn’t give a damn about what’s best for you. He hasn’t since you were children.” Blake cupped Speed’s cheek and found his eyes. “You deserve this and he’s not worth protecting.”
“I know.” Speed kissed Blake and made a promise to himself that he would put Team Speed & Blake before Francis if push came to shove. No matter what. “I have to do this the right way or Francis will haunt me. And he can make a lot of trouble for me on the inside. People always forget that prisons are full of fucking criminals and they don’t stop committing crimes just because they’re locked up. Francis will probably get stronger when he goes in as long as no one thinks he’s a snitch.”
“That’s definitely a scary needle to thread but Agent Beesley’s the perfect solution.”
“IfI can trust him.”
“Give me two good reasons why you shouldn’t trust him,” Blake challenged.
“We don’t know him!” Speed replied, resulting in a severe look from Blake.
“You trust Paul and he’s not sending anyone into the lion’s den unless he’s sure they can go toe-to-toe with Lavender. Don’t forget that this is where Reginald lives and works too. He isn’t going to fuck up his own husband’s livelihood by sending in an agent that hasn’t been thoroughly vetted.”
“Those are all really good points—” Speed started defensively but hadn’t prepared the other side of that argument.
“Give me another reason.”
“Well… You’re going to poke holes in any argument I make.”
“Not if it’s a good one,” Blake said, widening his eyes and daring Speed to come up with something.
“It is possible to betoo competent.Have you ever considered that?”
“Now you’re being ridiculous. You just told him that all it takes is foroneagent to screw up and now you’re saying he’s too competent.”
“Go across the street and ask Lavender what it’s like working with Sloan. I guarantee that’s as much of a headache as it is helpful because guys like Sloan only bend so far and they don’t take orders. And that unholy alliance only works because they have Marston. Who’s going to make me and Agent Beesley see eye-to-eye?”
“So… You still don’t have agoodreason. Because we can’t accept ‘too competent’ as a reason,” Blake said with a snort. “I don’t know a lot about these things because I’m not a criminal but my good guy gut tells me thatyoushouldn’t be working with an agent you can walk all over.”
