“A friend? You told everyone about me and Will,didn’t you?”
“Nah, not everyone. Tell a piece of gossip to two or three people around here, and it will catch on like lice. You’re welcome.”
Owen forces himself to relax. He’s not violent, but he wishes he was with this horrible man. “You have any idea how much crap I’ve been getting because of you?”
“Because ofme? I’ve been warning you about him for weeks, but you didn’t listen because you were thinking with your cock. Don’t blame me for this reality check. I knew it would end up like this.”
“We weren’t going to make it public!”
Nate rolls his eyes. “Like you can keep secrets around here. It was only a matter of time. Listen, it’s not too late. Leave Will behind and let the fire die on its own.”
“Don’t tell me how to live my life.”
Nate lets out a long breath as if he’s tired of this conversation, even though he’s the one who initiated it. “I really hoped you’d make my life easier.”
“It’s not my job to do that. How about you leave me alone from now on? You obviously have some sort of obsession with Will, and I can’t help you fix it. Maybe a therapist will.”
Something dark flashes in Nate’s eyes, and Owen knows he hit a sensitive nerve. “That’s where you’re wrong, buddy. Youcanhelp me by getting out of my way.”
“So you could do what? Ask him out on a date?”
“Nah, Will and I… we roll a bit differently. Have been for a while now.”
There’s so much venom in Nate’s voice that Owen isn’t sure what to say. He’s both curious and dreading knowing.
Nate smiles. “He didn’t tell you yet? Well, it makes sense, honestly. Why would he tell his new boyfriend that he and I used to hook up so I could kick his ass? Last time was less than two weeks ago.”
A shiver trickles down Owen’s spine. “You’re sick for even coming up with that lie.”
“A lie?” Nate takes a step closer. “Remember when I asked Will to come take care of my leak?”
He does. It was strange, and Owen knew something was going on.Will didn’t want to go.He begins to remember seeing marks on Will, thinking he had a cat because of his scratches. Even when they first met at Rodie’s, Will was in some sort of pain.
“There it is,” Nate says with glee, “the look of someone who finally gets it. You thought youknewWill? No, buddy,Iknow Will. You can have sex with him as much as you want and have him sing to you while he plays his guitar—”
“How do you—?”
“—but at the end of the day, you’re just a distraction from what he really wants—for me to hurt him hard enough to atone for his sins.”
“His… sins?”
“For what he did to Joel.”
“He did nothing to Joel! The man was insane.”
Nate rolls his eyes. “Yeah, so? Will still feels guilty, and he needs yours truly to help with that. We were doing just fine until you showed up and spread your legs for him. I can’t have it, Owen. Best for you to move on before it’s too late.”
With a voice he hopes is threatening, he says, “I don’t like your tone, Nate. I’m not going anywhere, and you should find someone else to do that undercover work. I’ve already told the sheriff.”
Nate exhales and cranes his neck. “Damn, I can’t believe you’re making me go there. I hoped you’d be smarter.”
Owen tenses as Nate slips his hand into his back pocket, but he only pulls out an envelope. Nothing about an envelope should scare Owen, yet he’s scared nonetheless.
“How is Mr. Molloy doing these days? You speak with him often? I mean, you should, since he’s your probation officer.”
Owen clenches his fists as he stands very still. His lungs ache because he’s not breathing properly.
“I’m sure that you two speak every few weeks to make sure you’re still on the right track to becoming a productive member of society. The thing is, you haven’t been doing so great recently, which is a real bummer. I mean, shit, you’ve been doing drugs again, Owen! Whatthe fuck? And on private property? Jeez. I doubt Mr. Molloy would let that one slide. You skipped prison last time, right? Went straight to rehab. It likely won’t play out like that again.”
