“Christopher Buckley,” the Sheriff murmured as he came to a stop in front of us, his dark eyes looking Tate over quickly before settling on me. I didn’t miss the way his fingers reflexively closedaround his gun and I was innately pleased to know he instinctively knew I was a potential threat. Even with my gun stashed under the front seat of my truck, I could still take this man down in seconds. And I would have enjoyed doing it considering what he’d done to Tate years ago.
“What brings you back to town?” the sheriff asked, his eyes remaining on me.
“That an official business question?” I asked before Tate could answer.
The sheriff didn’t respond, but I could see the tension in his jaw as he chewed whatever he had in his mouth. Chewing tobacco as far as I could tell from the smell.
“Chris, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” the guy asked smoothly as his eyes finally shifted to Tate who’d gone very quiet. We were standing close enough that I could feel a slight tremor in his body. I reached down to curl my fingers around his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. He clamped down on my hand with a brutally tight hold and his palm was cold and clammy against mine.
“You can call me Hawke,” I said coolly, not bothering to offer my hand. “Chris’s boyfriend.”
The sheriff actually took a step back, the repulsion in his eyes clear as day. “And you are?” I asked.
The man finally seemed to remember he’d been trying to intimidate us and he puffed out his chest. “Sheriff Graham Holden.”
“Well, Sheriff Holden, to answer your question, Chris and I stopped by to get something he left behind when he got out of this piece of shit town of yours two years ago,” I drawled.
The sheriff’s jaw hardened and his gaze went back to Tate. “Seems I remember him leaving with something that wasn’t his. His father was real sorry to see it and Chris go.”
Tate tightened his hand on mine even more and I gently eased him forward past the sheriff. “Well, if you happen to see his father anytime soon, you tell him I’m going to stop by and see him real soon.”
The sheriff’s eyes widened for a moment and then held mine forseveral long seconds before he turned to enter the bank. I could tell Tate was barely holding it together so I quickly pulled him past the sheriff’s patrol car and got him settled into my truck. The second I got behind the wheel, I reached for his hand and gently tugged him towards me until I could snag my other hand around the back of his neck.
“Tate, look at me,” I said gently.
Tate was struggling to control his breathing and he shook his head. But a second later, he drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“For what?” I asked as I gently began massaging his skin with my fingers. The move seemed to help him relax somewhat.
“I wasn’t prepared,” he said. “I was for Reggie, but not him.”
I knew he was talking about the sheriff. I leaned in and brushed my lips over his. “You did great,” I said.
Tate shook his head. “I froze,” he said. “I saw him and I was that scared sixteen-year-old kid again.”
“You were fucking amazing,” I said and then I dragged him to me and kissed him hard. Tate let out a rush of air as soon as I released his mouth, and then he was seeking me out for another kiss. I gave it to him and then gently pulled away from him. “Let’s get going.”
Tate leaned back in his seat and searched out his seat belt. “Laredo’s only a few hours away. We can get there before it gets dark.”
“No,” I said. “We’re heading back to the motel.”
“It’s still early-” Tate began to say.
“We’re done,” I said as I started up the truck. I looked at Tate and quietly repeated, “We’re done.” I put the truck in gear and forced myself not to look at Tate again when I said, “It’s time for you to go home.”
Chapter 18
TATE
Hawke’s declarationshould have excited me. Even though it had only been a few days since I’d left Matty, I ached to see him again, to feel his little body in my arms. But it wasn’t what Hawke had said that was bothering me so much.
It was what he hadn’t said.
“You’re going after them, aren’t you?” I whispered as I pressed my hand to my stomach to stem the physical pain I was feeling.
When Hawke didn’t answer me, I closed my eyes and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Everything inside of me had turned numb when Reggie had said Buck and Denny had teamed up with a drug lord and I’d feared this exact moment. Because Hawke would never stop hunting the men who’d stolen his entire life from him. But when it had been just Buck and Denny, he’d stood a chance of walking away.
“Hawke-”
