“Sure, I’ll wait.” Tucking the phone against his chest, Galen said, “He’s checking some database?—”
Cal went cold all over. If it was bad before, it had gotten worse because Preston was now in the spotlight in the exact way he never wanted to be. Anyone involved would be on his shit list, starting with Cal. He could never run fast enough to get away from Preston’s rage for that.
Galen held the cell phone hard to his ear, squinting as if that would make the conversation he was having more clear. “What’s a BOLO?” He pulled the phone away and looked at all of them. “What the hell’s a BOLO?”
Behind him, his team shifted because obviously it was something to do with criminals and every single parolee knew the answer to that. Toby even raised his hand.
Cal even knew what BOLO meant:Be on the lookout.
Still, it was a shock to hear Galen say out loud as he raised his head, “He’s on a wanted list. Something about embezzlement?”
With a gasp, Cal knew exactly why Preston had a BOLO out for him. Preston had urged Cal to steal from the people he was helping online. Preston had taken a single glance at Cal’s computer and told him to sweep up logins and passwords—and to steal.
Preston had known how to do it, which meant that he’dbeendoing it. Which was where all the fine things Preston had owned come from. Web designers only made so much, even in Denver. Certainly not enough to afford that lovely townhome.
Cal had been stupid not to see it before now, but he’d been too overwhelmed by his own miseries to understand what Preston had been up to.
Zeke looked at Cal. “Embezzlement?” he asked.
“I had no idea. I didn’t.” Cal shifted closer. “I do now.”
He knew so much more than he did the day he’d figured out how to remove himself from Preston’s orbit. That this was better, Zeke and him. Anything with Zeke would be better. Even if he had to go to jail again because he’d been the unwitting recipient of embezzled money.
Galen listened to the sheriff on the other end of the line, his eyebrows going up into his hairline. Then, with a small snort of astonishment, he ended the call.
“It’s out of our hands,” he said. “Embezzlement tops trespassing and assault.”
He and Bede looked at each other like they wanted to make a joke out of the whole thing, as was their way, but Cal never felt less like laughing.
He took the rifle from Zeke’s hands and handed it to Galen, then flung his arms around Zeke, tight, like he meant never to let go.
He might have to go to court and testify, but that mattered less than that moment. His arms went around Zeke, and in front of witnesses, Zeke’s arms came around him.
Zeke was hot, like he was cooling down from almost pulling the trigger. And maybe he was shy about demonstrating how he felt about Cal in front of other men, but he did not let go, either.
Then Zeke pulled back and cupped Cal’s face in his hands and kissed him, a slow, careful kiss. With witnesses.
Cal flung his arms around Zeke’s neck and hugged him hard, then let go with a little laugh.
“Now everybody knows,” he said. “Hope that’s okay.”
“I reckon it is,” said Zeke. “I reckon it is.”
Chapter 30
Zeke
Zeke could feel the sweat all over his body as it cooled, sending shivers down his spine. He sat on a boulder at the edge of the gravel parking lot. As he rubbed his left thigh, he remembered this was the exact same boulder he’d sat on to wait for Cal to arrive in the white prison van.
The memory was made even better when Cal followed him into the shade and stood there for a moment, hesitating as if asking for permission to come closer. Not because he was afraid of Zeke, Zeke knew that. But because he was giving Zeke the choice. And he would wait forever, it seemed, as long as Zeke needed it.
The inside of Zeke’s palm felt bruised from gripping the rifle so tightly. His shoulder felt worn and sore from where he’d braced the butt of the rifle.
He knew enough about rifles to scare away wild animals from livestock, to scare off bears from a herd of mustangs. To protect Cal. But he’d never pointed a weapon at a man before. Never felt the impulse to hurt another human being like that.
But Preston had been hurtingCal. The bruises around Cal’s neck, as Zeke looked up at him, were darkening as he watched.
Nobody deserved to be treated that way, especially not Cal, and all over again Zeke felt the rage rise up in his heart, taking him over so fast, he felt like he was turning into a dark version of himself. A horrible version when he wanted to be the best version of himself—for Cal.
