Chapter Five #2
He’d never been there, but he knew the address.
He had no idea what floor Austin lived on, but he could figure it out, and figure it out he did.
It wasn’t hard to find Austin’s name once he got there, and as he pressed the button to call up to Austin’s apartment, he prayed that Austin would answer and that this was a misunderstanding.
He couldn’t believe that Austin would’ve stood him up.
Or maybe he didn’t want to believe it. Maybe he didn’t want to believe that Austin could be anything but the man he’d been showing Caleb.
Of course, standing someone up on a date was nothing like what Sal had done, but still.
Caleb had put his hopes in this relationship, and while he’d expected Austin to fuck up eventually—just like he would—this didn’t feel like something Austin would normally do.
“Who is it?” Austin asked, the sound of his voice crackling slightly.
Caleb breathed out. “It’s Caleb. We had a date.”
There was a moment of silence, then Austin swore. “Shit. Yeah, come up. I’m on the third floor.”
Something had happened. Caleb could tell, but he didn’t ask, not yet. First, he wanted to make sure that Austin was okay. Then, he’d need details.
He rode the elevator up to the third floor. When he stepped out, one of the doors in the hallway was open, so he headed there, knocking before peeking in. Austin had been pacing, but he looked up and smiled, and Caleb told himself that everything would be fine. It had to be.
He stepped in and closed the door behind himself. For a moment, he and Austin watched each other. Austin looked a bit frantic, but he didn’t offer an explanation, which meant that Caleb had to ask.
“What happened?”
Austin raked a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I forgot we had a date.”
“I noticed when you didn’t show up at the restaurant. I’m pretty sure the people there thought you’d stood me up.”
Austin grimaced. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but it’s clear that something happened.
What’s wrong?” Caleb could think of too many things that could have gone wrong.
Maybe there had been another fire, and this time, there was a victim—although since Austin hadn’t worked today, maybe not.
Maybe something had happened to West. Caleb was pretty sure he’d know if that was the case because Jonathan would tell him, but it was a possibility.
Austin gestured at Caleb to sit on the couch. Caleb wanted to scream, but instead, he sat and watched his boyfriend. Luckily, he didn’t have to push. He might actually have screamed if Austin had wasted more time.
“I found the arsonist, or at least, I think I did.”
This wasn’t what Caleb had expected to hear.
He wasn’t sure what he had expected to hear, actually, but he was confused.
“How?” The two of them were working together.
That meant they were supposed to do the things related to the arsonist together.
It was what they’d agreed on, and knowing that Austin had done something on his own hurt, but Caleb was curious.
If Austin really had found the arsonist, Caleb might let it go, but he needed more information.
“I don’t think I mentioned noticing a firefighter behaving strangely at two of the scenes to you, did I?” Austin asked. He paused and frowned. “Actually, maybe you should go.”
Caleb was getting whiplash. “What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Maybe not, but that’s because you’re not explaining yourself. How am I supposed to understand anything when you’re so confused?”
“I’m not confused.”
“What’s happening then? And don’t tell me to go. We’re in this together, aren’t we? It’s what we agreed on.”
It was, but Caleb could see that Austin had changed his mind. It was written all over his expression and in the way he was trying not to look at Caleb.
Caleb got to his feet. He was angry, worried, and he wanted to scream.
“Look, Caleb—” Austin started.
“No. Whatever you’re going to say, you’re not going to convince me to let this go.
I deserve to know what’s going on. We agreed we’d work together, and I’m trying not to get too angry that you didn’t respect that, but you’re going to tell me what’s going on, and you’re going to do it now.
It’s the least you can do considering everything. ”
“I can’t, Caleb. Please. You have to understand.”
Caleb shook his head and stepped away. In a way, he did understand.
He was pretty sure he knew what Austin was doing, and he got it, even though it was stupid.
“I don’t have to do anything. You, on the other hand, have to tell me what’s going on.
You said you found the arsonist. You mentioned a firefighter.
Is this why you’re freaking out so badly?
Because you think the arsonist is a firefighter? ”
“I can’t involve you any further. It’s too dangerous.”
Caleb really was going to scream. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m the one who decides whether or not I want to be put in danger, not you.”
“I just need you to tell me if you know anyone in law enforcement who could take care of this.”
Once again, that wasn’t what Caleb had expected. “You mean if I know a cop?”
“Or anyone else who could take care of the arsonist.”
Caleb blinked. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, had he?
He’d been so focused on finding the arsonist that he hadn’t wondered what would happen next.
They couldn’t exactly hand the person over to the cops.
They were targeting shifter-owned businesses, which meant they knew about shifters, but most humans didn’t, and things needed to stay that way.
That wouldn’t be the case if the arsonist was arrested.
If Caleb had to guess, they probably despised shifters enough to turn them in to the human authorities, which would be a problem.
“I do know a few shifter cops,” he confirmed. “It comes with the territory when you’re a journalist. I’m not giving you names until you tell me what’s going on, though.”
“I can’t put you in danger that way. I protect people, remember? I’m protecting you, too.”
Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t need you to protect me. Nothing will happen to me if you tell me what’s going on. I promise not to go after the guy if that’s what you want me to say, but I wasn’t lying when I said we were doing this together.” Unlike Austin, clearly.
Austin looked a bit offended. “I wasn’t lying, either. I really meant for us to do this together, and I still do.”
“Yet you’re pushing me out of it.”
“I’m trying to protect you, Caleb.”
“It’s not your place.”
“Isn’t it? You’re my boyfriend. If it’s not my place to protect you, whose place is it?”
“You can’t protect me against my will. You also can’t go back on your word.”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything once this guy has been taken care of. You can still have your story.”
“You think I’m angry because I won’t have my story?
” It was true that Austin didn’t know Caleb well, but still.
It was offensive. “I don’t care about my story.
I care about this asshole being stopped.
I care about him not hurting anyone else ever again.
Fuck my story, and fuck you for thinking that of me. ”
Fuck. This was what Caleb got for letting someone in after so many years. He should’ve thought things through better, shouldn’t he?
* * * *
AUSTIN DIDN’T WANT to lose Caleb. He didn’t want them to break up, but he also didn’t want anything to happen to Caleb.
He didn’t know what Eric Tate was capable of, but the guy had burned down five different businesses, including the community center.
There had been people in there, both shifters and humans.
There had been kids in the building, one of which Austin had carried to safety.
The little girl could have died because of Eric Tate, and Austin wanted the guy to pay.
But he was scared. He couldn’t go to the authorities, which was why he hoped that Caleb would give him the name of a police officer he could talk to.
It was clear that Caleb wasn’t going to do that as long as Austin kept him out of the loop, but Austin wasn’t sure he could include him.
He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Caleb because he’d told him the truth.
“I never said you were in this only for your story,” he tried.
“Good, because that’s not the case. Do I want people to know about this?
Yes, of course. Do I care about recognition?
A little. It’s nice to know that people read my stuff.
In this situation, though, the only thing I care about is stopping the arsonist.” He shook his head.
“I can’t believe you’re changing your mind about doing this together. ”
“Please, Caleb.” There was a good reason Austin had changed his mind. Surely, Caleb had to see that.
But he was already walking toward the door. Austin reached for him, but Caleb shook him off. He didn’t even look back. He opened the door and stepped out, and even though Austin called for him, he closed the door behind himself.
Austin stared at it. He could go after Caleb and beg him to forgive him, but it wouldn’t change anything, would it?
He wasn’t planning on telling Caleb about Eric Tate because knowing about the guy would put Caleb in danger.
If Tate didn’t hesitate to hurt children, he wouldn’t think twice about hurting Caleb.
Austin had been trying to protect Caleb because he was terrified of losing him, but it looked like he might have lost him anyway.
He’d pushed Caleb hard enough that he’d left, and he didn’t have to ask to know that Caleb wasn’t going to drop this.
No, he would continue to investigate, especially now that Austin had mentioned a firefighter being involved.
Caleb was probably as angry as Austin about that, and he’d want Tate to pay for what he’d done.
Austin did, too. He was just terrified.