“You still ignoring what I do?”
“I know it’s what you needed for your sanity, but for the sake of mine, yes, I’m ignoring it.”
They both chuckled, the tense mood lightening a bit, then more so when background calls of “Daddy” grew in volume.
“Duty calls,” Bobby said.“You want to talk to Josie or Ma?”
“Nah, I’ll just make them worry.Don’t say anything about this, okay?”
His brother nodded his head of dark hair, going gray at the temples.“Call me when you get back.Or during if you need me.I’m always here.”
That devotion had saved both their lives, right when they’d been on the edge of throwing their futures away for good.“Love you, brother.”
“Love you too.”
Bobby clicked off and Cam reclined in his chair, closing his eyes and tipping his face to the ceiling, card held to his chest.What would Nic think when he learned that by-the-rules Agent Byrne was a figment of Cam’s imagination?Created out of necessity but a persona nonetheless.
Sighing, he pushed to his feet, pocketed the card and wallet, and checked his bag over once more.He zipped it up just as a knock sounded at the front door.He glanced at his watch.His appointment was early.
Flicking off the lights, he pulled the hallway pocket door partway closed and crossed the living area to the front door, opening it to...not the visitor he expected.
Not that this unexpected one was unwelcome.
Nic stood on his doorstep, dressed down in slacks and rolled-up shirtsleeves, holding up a six-pack of Cam’s favorite imperial stout.“Not much of this left,” he said.“Thought you might like to share some with me.”
Cam held the door open wider.“Won’t say no to that.”
Ten
Nic strolled into the familiar house, his gait a little slower than normal.His body was confused, sore like it would be after an intense workout, stiff as if he’d sat at his desk all day, and if he turned the wrong way too fast, sore and aching would give way to a sharp stab of pain.All in all, not too bad for having been hit by a car eighteen hours ago.
Cam shut the door behind him.“They give you some good drugs?”
They’d tried; he’d refused.He’d also tried to refuse the X-rays and head CT the doctors had recommended, wanting to leave with the rest of the team once they’d finished the debrief in his hospital room.Bowers had ordered otherwise, and for once Aidan had agreed with him.
Bastard.
Hours later, he’d finally been released, but by the time he’d returned to the Federal Building, Cam had already left.After checking on Tony, calling Scott’s and Mike’s attorneys for perfunctory plea negotiations, and replenishing the caffeine and sugar stash for Lauren and Jamie, who was consulting on Cam’s cover build, Nic had left the city too, detouring by the brewery to check in with his assistant managers.From there, he should have gone home to his duplex a few blocks away, but he’d driven to Cam’s place instead.
Not the smartest idea—he was putting Cam in more jeopardy than he already was—but after being flung over a car, after the way Cam had looked at him in the hospital with those swirling black eyes, after Cam had volunteered to take point on a case that had already gone from bad to worse, Nic was getting that second kiss before it was too late.He was also getting an explanation for why Jamie didn’t want Cam on this assignment.
“Wouldn’t be here with these”—he lifted the beer bottles in their cardboard carrier—“if they had.I took worse hits in BUDs training.”Worse falls during his service too, including the one that had ended his SEAL career.He stood in the middle of the living area, glancing around.“Didn’t change much.”
“Aidan left most of the furniture, which was good since I didn’t want to haul mine cross-country.”
Cam shuffled past him, slipping the carrier from his hand.Nic stifled his gasp at the sizzle of heat that ran up his arm.If his hospital room hadn’t been packed when he’d woken this morning, would he have gotten that second kiss then?The way Cam had looked down at him, had spoken so softly, would have tempted Nic into pulling him down by the tie and forcing his tongue between his lips if they hadn’t had an audience.Cam’s tie was gone now, as was the rest of his suit, replaced with a gray FBI T-shirt and worn jeans, the view of Cam’s ass in the latter a sight Nic enjoyed immensely as he followed him into the kitchen.
Pulling free two bottles, Cam set them on the bar separating the kitchen from the dining area and shoved the rest in the fridge.Nic rooted around in the drawers for the bottle opener, and the mood was comfortable until it was shattered by a furry beast jumping onto the bar.Nic fumbled the bottle opener, the metal clanking against granite.“Jesus, fuck, it’s huge.”
Cam stepped to his side, laughing.“I wanted a dog, but with the job, a cat made more sense.”
“This is not a cat, Boston.”Nic reached out a cautious hand.The animal ducked its head, then butted his curved fingers, nuzzling for a pet.Amused by the affectionate beast, Nic smiled as he scratched behind its ears.“This is a mini mountain lion.”
“Maine Coon, actually.He acts like a dog.As close as I could manage.”
“What’s his name?”
Cam grinned.“Bird.”
