??
Beauwatched Ethan disappear inside the shop, but he didn’t make a move to go afterhim. Not with Zane standing just a couple of feet away.
“What’sgoing on?” Zane asked, clearly picking up on the tension.
“Nothing,”Beau said, obviously too abruptly because Zane’s dark eyebrows launched uptoward his hairline as he looked back at him skeptically.
Theheavy duty bay door opened, revealing the wrecker and his toolbox stillstrapped down. “You keeping that here?”
“Fornow. I didn’t have anywhere else to store it.” Beau wasn’t sure whether Ethanwas still going to let him work for him, so he tried to sound as nonchalant ashe could.
“Youcould’ve called me,” Zane told him.
“Itried.”
Asthough he didn’t believe him, Zane grabbed his phone, thumbing through thescreens. “Sorry, at that point, I was probably trying to dislodge Travis’ bootfrom my ass. It wasn’t pretty, and the rest of the day sucked ass,” Zaneanswered with a frown. Glancing over at the truck and then back to him, Zaneasked, “Need help getting that down?”
No.“Yeah.”
Beaufell into step with Zane, trying to pretend that nothing had happened betweenhim and Ethan. It wasn’t like he had to try hard since Ethan had managed todisappear entirely. Looking around as he moved to the control panel on thewrecker, Beau finally spotted Ethan when he walked around the side of thetruck. Ethan’s muscled legs were sticking out from beneath one of the WalkerDemo trucks parked inside.
“Whathappened at Dillinger’s?” Zane asked as he climbed up onto the truck to work ongetting the tie straps unhooked from the bed.
“Workslowed down. They let me go.”
Beaucertainly didn’t want to let Zane know that he’d nearly ripped Ricky’s head offbecause the guy was a spineless dickhead.
“Whatthe hell are they gonna do now?” Zane asked, the exasperation evident in hisstatement. “It ain’t like Ricky’s gonna pick up the slack.”
“Whoknows,” he answered easily. “Ralph said Ricky wasn’t working because he didn’thave anything to do.”
“Riiiiggghhht.And I hear right now there’re subzero temps in hell.”
Beaulaughed. That’s what he loved about Zane. They’d been friends for so long, andthe conversations were easy between them. Even if Beau wasn’t big on talking tomost people, he found he could talk to Zane. Hell, he’d even managed toconfront Zane after they had…
Shit.Beaudidn’t want to think about that. Not right now. Not with Ethan just a few feetaway.
Makinghis way around to the rear of the wrecker, Beau gently nudged Ethan’s foot ashe passed him by, wanting desperately to regain that connection they’d sharedjust a little while ago. He knew Ethan didn’t want his brothers knowing hisbusiness, but Beau was at a point in his life, he was tired of pretending to besomeone he wasn’t.
Ifthere was even the remote possibility that he would find what others around himhad been finding lately, Beau didn’t give a shit what other people thought ofhim. And he knew that Zane would support him. At least he’d like to think he would.The only issue he could imagine Zane having would be if Beau went and fell inlove with his brother. And it wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact thatBeau fell in love with a man.
Heknew Zane loved his brother, but Zane had made the comment that he thoughtEthan was a player. That he was cold. Beau knew better. Sure, from the outsidelooking in, that’s the picture Ethan painted for everyone else, but in recentdays, Beau had noticed a different side to Ethan. One that he knew most peoplenever had the opportunity to see. Even his own family.
Beauand Zane made quick work of getting the toolbox down from the truck. Afterpushing it over into one of the far corners and out of the way, Beau relocatedthe wrecker back to its parking spot outside. When he returned, he found Zanecrouching down at Ethan’s side, a disturbing scowl on his face.
Beforethey realized he was back, Beau eased outside again, listening to theconversation that seemed to be escalating at a rapid pace.
“Mindyour own fucking business,” Ethan growled, the sound of the backboard he usedto ease under the trucks rolling across the concrete floor.
“Heismy business,” Zane disputed.
“Youdon’t even know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Ethan bit out, his voicesounding louder. Beau figured he was probably standing face to face with Zaneright about then, but he had backed up just enough that he couldn’t see inside.
“Look,I don’t give a damn what you do, or what Beau does for that matter, but I dofucking care if you’re playing with him.”
Thesilence that followed Zane’s statement was deafening.
“Backthe fuck off,” Ethan finally said, his words low and intimidating.
