Chapter Seven
When Atticus and Archer were finally onthe road just before noon, with a little less than two hundred miles in front of them, Atticus was able to relax a bit.From the time he got to HQ after leaving Slade’s that morning, he’d been waiting for the man to show up and start in on him again.As it was, he’d had to turn his phone on vibrate a few minutes ago because the text messages had started.From both Slade and Carson.If Atticus had to guess, Slade had told Carson that Atticus was cheating, and now Carson wanted to know what was going on.
They would have to wait.
“Do you know Brantley’s cousin?”
Archer’s question pulled Atticus out of his thoughts, his focus returning where it was needed.
“Travis?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t.You?”
“Only met him once before.Simon’s talked to him a couple of times, I think.I can’t quite figure him out.”
Atticus kept his eyes on the road.“I’m sure this has to be hard on him.I mean, what would you do if someone told you someone you thought was dead might be alive?Someone you loved, at that.”
“As much as I’d like to say I wouldn’t get my hopes up… I’m not sure it’s even possible.”
Atticus understood that to a degree.“I’m not an expert on losin’ people.Or loving someone, for that matter.The closest I’ve got to family is the task force and well…” He let the sentence trail off.
“That’s one thing I like about the team,” Archer said, relaxed in the passenger seat, his big arm draped on the center console, other elbow propped on the door.“Y’all are a close-knit group.”
“I haven’t been a part of it long,” he admitted.“Came on board in May, so not even six months.”
“You wouldn’t know it.”
Atticus tried to see things from Archer’s perspective.From the outside, yeah, he could see that the task force appeared to be close.When it came to work, they definitely were.Regarding their personal lives, some of the team kept to themselves, while others were more interactive.No matter what, they had each other’s backs.And sure, Atticus was part of that.They’d been far more welcoming to him than he had expected, so he couldn’t complain.
They drove in silence for a few miles; the only sound was the random buzz of an incoming text on his cell phone.He was going to have to turn it off if Slade kept this up.Neither of them acknowledged that stupid buzz, but it was growing more annoying by the minute.Then, for some unforeseen reason, Atticus felt compelled to warn Archer.
“Slade doesn’t want me partnering up with you.”
Atticus kept his eyes on the road, unable to so much as glance Archer’s way.He could only imagine how immature that sounded, and he hated that the words had tumbled right out of his mouth.
“What about you?”Archer prompted.
“What about me?”
“Would you prefer to change it up?”
“No,” he blurted a little too quickly.Taking a deep breath, he said, “No.I’m lookin’ forward to workin’ with you.”
“Likewise.”
“It’s just…”
Archer chuckled when Atticus trailed off.“It’s okay.Spill.We’ve got a pact.As partners.You get to blow your verbal vomit all over the table, and I do, too, remember?”
Atticus snorted.Oh, yeah.He definitely remembered the conversation they’d had the night before.He’d found himself apologizing profusely after rambling incessantly about his fucked-up relationship with Carson and Slade.
“Shit.I really am sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.If we’re partners, we’ll pick on things in each other’s lives.It’s natural.”
“Yeah?”
