The teenagers pulled up beside them and Gray cursed under his breath. He wanted to tear the fucking scarf off and breathe properly, but instead, he just kept his eyes on the road and tried to force his stomach to unknot. “This is not going to be your news story,” he said, slowing down, then shifting lanes to keep the teenagers away from another look. “And there is no way in hell I am letting them get a picture of you.”
Gray eyed the interstate entrance, two blocks up. At the next light, the teenagers landed a couple of cars ahead, and they all strained backward to point at the Subaru. Jameson ducked, burying his head between his knees, and Gray stroked his back. “Almost there,” he said soothingly. “Almost clear.”
Jameson let out a slow breath. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice a full octave higher than usual. “I think I’m pulling it together.”
Gray glanced in the rearview mirror, then cursed again. There was a cop car right behind him, and from the look on her face, the officer behind the wheel had clearly noticed the distraction the teenagers were making.
The light turned green, and everything became slow and quiet. Gray was lightning-focused on driving. He felt like there was a light shining on Jameson, and as long as he kept the car right in the middle of that light, they would be safe.
He transferred lanes one more time, and finally, the teenagers got pushed ahead with the rest of the traffic. He and Jameson didn’t say anything as he gripped the wheel and turned them onto the expressway. His stomach lurched when the cop followed, and as she stayed firmly behind him on the expressway, every second passed with the thudding of his heart in his ears and nerves tingling up his spine.
And then, at last, the police officer sped up, pulled ahead, and drove into the distance. Gray grunted, breath puffing out his nose. “Holy shit,” he said, breaking the silence. “That was close.”
Jameson pulled his head up from between his legs, then rubbed his hands over his face. “They’re all gone?”
“They’re all gone, Jameson, don’t you worry.”
“That was just like the action movies.”
“What do you mean?”
Jameson lowered himself in his seat, sinking down and away from the window. “You’d think a getaway was supposed to be fun, but when it’s actually happening, it’s not fun at all.”
The sun came out from behind the clouds, and Gray grabbed his sunglasses from behind the visor, popping them on. “Hopefully, that’s our last getaway.”
Jameson lifted the tabloid, then shook it lightly. “Now that I see where the stories went, I don’t even know if my publicist will be able to help. All she cares about is money, which works fine when you’re just trying to keep things quiet. But things are already way past quiet.”
“There might be someone else who could help us out.”
“Wherever you think,” Jameson said. “I—” He cut himself off, then nodded. “I trust your call.”
Gray nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to the lecture he was about to receive in front of Jameson, but he knew that it was past time that he reach out to Declan for help. Just like he wished Raiden and Horatio would have talked to him before they went and messed with the fentanyl dealers, sometimes, the smartest thing to do was to turn to someone smarter.
As they merged onto another expressway, a new cop car appeared behind them. Gray jolted alert, then grumbled. “Make yourself comfortable, Jameson. It’s going to be a long ride.”
Jameson
Gray’s unclelived out in Long Island, just a short walk from the beach. Kaiser Security sat in a little stretch of businesses on a quiet corner, in a squat brick building. Up above, Declan and his boyfriend had converted a few apartment units into their home, and when Jameson stepped out of the Subaru, he thought he spotted movement in the upstairs window.
“Come on,” Gray said, taking Jameson’s hand and hurrying forward. When they reached the front door, he pounded a few times with his fist. “It’s after business hours. I hope someone hears us.”
A moment later, the door flew open. An older man with a full head of silver hair and a furrowed brow stood there, squinting at them. “Get the hell inside before someone sees you,” he growled, then tugged Gray behind the door.
Jameson followed. His heart was in his throat, just like it had been all through the drive, and the man standing before him in a thermal shirt and silver necklace had fire in his eyes. Thankfully, though, Gray had prepared Jameson on the car ride and explained not to run from the bark.
“You’re lucky there aren’t reporters are around to spot your ass, you know that?” Declan led them down a hallway and to a set of stairs. “Seb did a good job hiding the trail that leads back to Kaiser Security, but with the kind of attention you’re getting, it can’t last forever.” He stomped his boots up the stairs, and Jameson scrambled behind Gray to keep up.
Declan stopped after the first flight of stairs. “You know,” he said, thrusting his finger against Gray’s chest, “you’ve caused me a hell of a lot of headaches, Gray.”
Gray frowned. “I’m sorry, Uncle Declan.” Jameson reached out to take his hand, knowing that the approval of his uncle met everything to Gray. “Things just got out of hand. But I’m safe! And so is Jameson.”
Declan looked at Jameson, nodded, and then pushed the door open. They walked into a big open loft, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that faced in the direction of the ocean. There was a strange mismatch of furniture and decorations, with an old orange armchair up next to a fancy new couch and a big old stereo with a tape collection sitting next to a sophisticated telescope, angled to the stars.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Declan grunted, then turned to Jameson. “And you.” He glanced back and forth between the two of them, and Jameson held Gray’s hand a little tighter. “Well god fucking damn it,” Declan cursed. “You’re fucking in love, aren’t you?”
Heat flamed Jameson’s cheeks. Of course the way he felt for Gray was obvious, but he hadn’t even quite said that to himself yet. And ever since Gray had seen the tabloid, his body had been tense, like a new wall had gone up. Jameson understood that he had to focus on the drive, and definitely, he was as anxious as Gray was on the way to Declan. But something still felt different, like even though Gray was touching him and holding him, there was still a distance between them.
Gray swallowed, then turned to look at Jameson. “Something like that?” There was still a glint in his eye, Jameson was glad to see, and he held Gray’s hand tighter.
