Joshua returned moments later; pie balanced carefully alongside two steaming mugs of coffee. As he sat beside Colin, the silence stretched comfortably between them, punctuated only by the soft clink of forks and whispered sips of coffee.
Finally, Joshua glanced sideways. “How did it go with the meeting?”
Colin hesitated, then set down his mug. “Federal’s taking the lead, but it’s a joint prosecution. I’ll handle the local charges. We’re moving soon—raids, warrants, the whole nine yards.”
Joshua studied him closely. “And the young victims?”
“Your plans for shelters and therapy were approved,” Colin said quietly. “Everything’s ready. You saved me hours of work.”
Joshua smiled. “Good. Those kids are going to need us.” He reached for Colin’s hand. “And speaking of that, I saw Alex today at the clinic,” he said, speaking of Alex Mayfield, a young man they had met and grown close to when Joshua ran a summer camp for LGBTQ+ young men.
Colin smiled, and his fingers tightened on Joshua’s. “Is he OK?”
“Wondering why he hasn’t heard from us lately,” he replied, and Colin winced. They had grown close to the young man, and in the chaos that followed the threats to their lives, they’d inadvertently lost touch with someone who mattered a great deal.
“Damn! I meant to call him,” Colin murmured. “We both did.”
Joshua nodded. “I told him we’ve been… dealing with a lot. I explained some of the situation, and he understood, but I could tell he missed us. You especially.”
A shadow flickered across Colin’s face, guilt tightening his jaw. “We can’t let him think we’ve forgotten him.”
Joshua squeezed his hand. “He knows we haven’t. But maybe we should prove it. Have him out here. Remind him—and ourselves—that we’re still… us.”
Colin looked down at their clasped hands, then back up at Joshua. “Yeah. I’d like that. I think we both need it.”
They fell into silence again, Joshua’s presence a warm anchor. Eventually, his voice broke the quiet, gentle and tentative. “Listen… David and Nate invited us to the cabin this weekend. Said something about walks by the lake, a fire pit, and gallons of Murphy’s Irish Stout.”
Colin smiled. “God, that sounds perfect. I could use some time away.”
Joshua’s smile widened, relief shining in his eyes. “Then it’s settled. Two days of peace.”
Colin slid his arm around Joshua’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Exactly what we need.”
Joshua shifted beside him, his voice low. “What’s Moreno really like, Colin?”
Colin sighed, wrinkling his nose in thought. “I’ve never met him face-to-face, but… from everything I know? Calculating. Ruthless. But…” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I honestly think he’s glad we’re taking down the sex trafficking ring. His disgust with it seemed genuine. That was Lexi’s operation, not Elias’s. None of Elias’s operationseverinvolved minors. And honestly?” He smirked. “I get the feeling Elias isn’t overly fond of his whiny little brother.”
Joshua rested his head against Colin’s shoulder, studying him. “Can you trust him?”
Colin stared into the darkened room, shadows creeping across the floor. “I trust his self-interest. That’s it. He’ll never be on our side—but if helping us helpshim, he’ll follow through.”He shook his head slightly. “And if he eventhinksabout stepping out of line, Esther will drop a federal RICO case on his head sohugethat his whole family will wish they’d gone legit twenty years ago.”
Joshua gave a soft chuckle, then squeezed Colin’s hand. “I know you’ll keep your guard up.” His voice grew even softer. “How many youngsters do you expect to find?”
Colin sighed and lowered his head, silent for a long moment. “Moreno’s intel points to at least fifteen—maybe more.” He turned, meeting Joshua’s eyes. “The therapists you recommended are ready. They’ll be standing by to help them.”
Joshua nodded, his hand pressing Colin’s arm, grounding him. “Don’t worry. Once they’re medically cleared, the trauma-focused therapy teams are ready. We won’t just help them survive, Colin. We’ll help them reclaim their lives.”
Colin exhaled hard. “I’m so fucking tired of this. Every time we think we’ve made a dent, there’s a hundred more kids we’ll never reach. It feels endless.”
Joshua’s hand tightened on his. “Baby, we can’t save them all,” he said, his voice steady despite the heaviness in the room. “But tonight—for fifteen kids—we are the difference between life and death.”
He leaned in, pressing his forehead against Colin’s. “And that matters, Colin. It matters more than you’ll ever know.” He closed his eyes, leaning into his husband, their breathing slowly falling into the same steady rhythm.
Colin nodded and turned to kiss his hair. “I know, babe. Every one of those kids matters. But,Jesus!” He shook his head in frustrated disgust, then, after a moment, he leaned back, pulling Joshua gently against him, eyes drifting closed. For a moment, at least, the weight felt a bit lighter, shared rather than carried alone. Tomorrow, they’d face it all again. But tonight, inJoshua’s warmth, Colin allowed himself the simple comfort of hope.
CHAPTER TEN
CONVERSATIONS AT THE CABIN
