Ethan.Not Zane.
“Needhelp?”
Beaustumbled forward, barely catching himself before he face-planted into the sideof the truck. “Where’s Zane?” Wow, that was a stupid question, but at least heknew his voice worked.
“Hehad to meet with Travis.”
Figures.
Notthat Beau was complaining at all. The fact that Ethan was standing just a fewfeet away, looking hot as sin, wasn’t going to make the task of getting histools loaded on the truck any easier, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he washappy to see him, even if the circumstances weren’t what he would’ve hoped for.
“Here,hand me that,” Ethan instructed, nodding toward the tie strap in Beau’s hand.“I’ll get it ready while you connect the winch.”
Withouthesitation, Beau handed the strap to Ethan and then moved around to the back ofthe truck. For the next few minutes, Ethan and Beau worked side by side, payingattention to nothing except getting their task completed. Once they had thetoolbox on the bed, strapped down tight, Beau made his way back into the shop,grabbing the last of his things before returning to where Ethan was standing onthe far side of the truck, double checking everything.
“Hey!”Ricky exclaimed as he came out of the open bay door. “That ain’t Zane!”
CaptainObvious, Ricky was today.
Beauturned to look at Ricky, their eyes meeting across several feet of concrete.
“That’sthat fucking faggot,” Ricky said with a snarl, pointing toward Ethan, who wasnow making his way around to the front of the truck. “Hey Beau, did you getyour girlfriend to come pick you up?”
Ablind rage began churning inside of Beau, a whirlwind of both anger and fearmixing together to form a storm so powerful, he wasn’t even sure what washappening. The next thing he knew, Beau had erased the gap between him andRicky, lifted the scrawny little fucker right off of his feet, and was holdinghim at least a foot off the ground by his shirt.
Someonewas yelling at him. He could barely hear the voice over the roar of his ownblood in his ears and the screeching noise that Ricky was making.
“Puthim down, Beau. Goddammit! Put. Him. Down!”
Thecommand was unmistakable. The voice reassuring as it continued to demand him todrop the son of a bitch. Releasing Ricky’s shirt, Beau watched as he dropped tohis feet, and once he’d righted himself, a smug look on his ugly fucking face,Beau used all of his strength and shoved him. Shoved him so hard, Ricky flewback several feet, stumbling but unable to keep himself upright before hecrashed into one of the diagnostic machines and landed flat on his ass.
“Let’sgo,” Ethan said rigidly, wrapping his strong fingers around Beau’s bicep. Whenhe didn’t move immediately, Ethan yanked on his arm, causing him to move hisfeet or fall on his ass. “I said let’s fucking go.”
Beauturned to look at Ethan, noticing how calm he was on the outside, but he couldsee the rage swimming in his stormy blue eyes.
“Getin your truck, Beau. I’ll follow you home.”
“Yeah!You heard him. Go home with yourgirlfriend!” Ricky yelled from hisperch on the floor, sounding like an adolescent bully. “Told you he was aqueer, Ralph.”
BeforeBeau could make Ricky eat his fucking words, Ethan had grabbed him again,forcing him back several more feet. As calm and unruffled as Ethan appeared,Beau was satisfied to see he was flipping Ricky off as he walked away.
Unableto say a word, his body still a maelstrom of anger and outrage, Beau managed tonod his head and allowed Ethan to steer him toward his truck. Once inside thecab, it took him two tries to get the key in the ignition because his handswere shaking, but once he did, the sound of the radio blaring and the roar ofthe engine pulled him from the trance he’d been in. Glaring out the window, hesaw Ralph helping Ricky to his feet.
Beauhad to wait for the wrecker to pull out before he could follow, and while hewaited, he contemplated getting out of his truck and beating the shit out ofthe little bastard just because he could.
Ahorn blared, startling Beau. He looked out the front windshield to see Ethanwaving a hand in his direction. Stomping his foot on the gas, Beau let thetruck’s oversized engine roar as he bolted out of the parking lot, the backwheels losing traction as he slid onto the main road before he easily got thetruck back under control.
Forcinghimself to calm down, Beau let off the gas a little as he headed back down MainStreet. His apartment wasn’t far from the shop, so it didn’t take long for himto get home and obviously Ethan didn’t have any issues keeping up with him.
Oncehis truck was parked, he sat with his hands gripping the steering wheel, hismind settling as the adrenaline drained from his body. God he was tired all ofa sudden.
Atap on the window had him slowly turning his head. Ethan was standing outsidethe truck, the wind gusting around him. He made a motion for Beau to roll downthe window, but Beau opened the door instead. Rather than getting out, heturned slightly to face Ethan, another shot of adrenaline tearing through hisalready emotionally drained body.
Ethan.
Hewas there. Not two feet away from him. The man’s calm mask was solidly inplace, but Beau could sense the tension in his body. He had to wonder whetherhe was the reason for the way Ethan’s shoulders bulged against the black buttondown shirt he had on over a dark gray t-shirt. Or maybe Ethan was still riledfrom Ricky’s foul mouth.
“Where’reyou gonna put this?” Ethan asked, looking around as though he were trying tofind the secret place Beau might stash a fully stocked mechanic’s toolbox.
