Chapter 19
Nate
“There’s no reason for him to start this crap all over again. We had enough of that last time, thank you very much.”
“He should just pack his shit and leave town.”
“He isn’t about to do that with his sister and all.”
Nate listens quietly to the exchange at Rodie’s. He is the one who started this storm by casually asking some people if they had heard about Will and Owen. The rumor ignited within hours, and it’s still the talk of the town three days later.
Once he hears enough, he walks back to his dim corner of the bar, knowing that neither Will nor Owen will dare show their faces around here.
Will can pretend to be brave all he wants, but walking into this minefield is plain insanity.
Nate wonders if his talk with Owen last night was effective.
There’s no way in hell he would risk going to prison for Will, right?
Nate drinks his beer. So far, he’s been executing his plan perfectly.
A bit more, and Owen will be out of his way, maybe even out of town.
That doesn’t mean Will is going to fall back into Nate’s arms, but it will make it a whole lot easier.
He’ll give the man some time to lick his wounds, then it’s back to hunting season.
“I know what you’ve been doing.”
Nate tenses at the sound of the voice behind him. “I’m drinking beer and enjoying the music.”
“You’ve been talking about Will and Owen, turning people against them.”
Nate puts down his glass and turns on his stool to face Bradley. “That’s a serious accusation.”
“Are you denying it?”
“Nope.”
Bradley turns red, which isn’t hard with his ginger complexion. “Will has been through enough. You and the other fuckers around here should leave him alone.”
Nate shrugs. “I think it’s mighty high of you to tell people what they should and should not do. After what happened to poor Joel, you would think Will has learned his lesson.”
Bradley shakes his head. “You and I both know the truth is more complicated than that.” He leans closer, making Nate tense and wonder if he’s about to be attacked.
“I saw you, Nate. All those nights you spent sitting here quietly… spying on Will. This has nothing to do with Joel and has everything to do with your crush on him.”
A crush? Nate snorts. A crush sounds cute and innocent. What he feels toward Will is anything but those things, and he’ll be the first to admit it.
“Excuse me if seeing the man who drove my best friend to take his own life catches my attention.” Nate cocks his head. “Maybe it’s you with the crush, Bradley. You and Will sometimes work alone out there in the woods, don’t you?”
“Watch your mouth. I’m a married man, and Will’s my best friend.”
Nate shrugs. “Hey, I’m not one to judge. What happens in the woods, stays in the woods. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Bradley grunts and walks away.
Nate glances at his watch. It’s getting late, and although he doesn’t work tomorrow, he rented a new slasher he’s been dying to watch. They better make the blood seem real. He’s sensitive about these things.
*
He parks in front of his house. It’s a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of town, and like most neighborhoods in this county, there are woods everywhere.
He used to be afraid of ghosts that hide between the dark trees, so his poor excuse of a mom, who had enough of his nightmares, dragged him outside in the middle of the night and into the nearby forest. He must have cried for hours until the sun came up and she finally returned to take him home.
That didn’t stop his nightmares, only made him keep them to himself, which was likely her whole point.
He turns on the light on his porch and fishes for the keys in his pocket.
“Nate.”
“Jesus!” He spins around, automatically reaching for his gun. “Fuck, you scared me.”
“Sorry.”
Once his heart slows down, Nate moves his hand from his holster. “Where’s your truck?”
“Not far. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” Nate crosses his arms. “What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“About?”
“You know about what.”
He still needs Will to say it, since you can never tell how much someone knows. “Use your words, Will. I’m not into guessing.”
“I’m here because of what you have on Owen.”
“Which is?”
Will takes a breath. “Those photos of him taking drugs.”
“Oh, right. Those. Junkies on probation shouldn’t take illegal substances. Don’t you think?”
Will looks away, his jaw tight.
“Don’t you think so, Will?”
“Yes. He was an idiot, but he doesn’t deserve to go to prison.”
“Of course he doesn’t. He’s a cool guy. I like him. That’s why I won’t say a word—I told him that.”
“That’s not all you told him.”
“Hmm, remind me. What else did I tell him?” Nate is starting to enjoy this. Now that his initial surprise has passed, he realizes how much he had waited for this moment, and he’s going to squeeze it till the last drop.
“You told him to cut ties with me.”
“Owen’s a big boy. He can do what the hell he wants. I simply gave him a choice, which was the decent thing to do.” He waits for Will to lash out, but he remains composed, even though there’s tension radiating from him.
“He did what you wanted,” Will says.
Nate stands a bit straighter. “Did he now? And are you here to fight?”
“I’m here to let you know that you should stop blackmailing him.”
Nate waves his hand. “No need for that if he’s done what he’s told. I’m a man of my word. Besides, you’re better off without him. He came here to get his shit together. Van Buren was always supposed to be just a stop on his way.”
Will gives a single nod. There’s something dark in his eyes that makes Nate think he should stop pushing. If Will is telling the truth, then he was just dumped by someone he cared about.
“If you’re here to make sure Owen is off the hook, you can relax. Assuming he really did do his part.”
Will nods. “He did.”
“And is there another reason for your visit?” He doesn’t dare to hope. In every path he had planned in his head, Will needed time and convincing before he returned to Nate.
“I need you to promise me you’ll never use what you have on him.”
“I don’t think you’re in a place to ask me that after the way you treated me.”
Will opens his mouth as if to argue, but he shuts it quickly, avoiding Nate’s gaze. He’s clearly not looking for a fight; otherwise, they would have had it already.
Should I push my luck? Nate takes a step closer. “I never got an apology from you. You attacked me when all I wanted was to do what both of us agreed to. Look at me. We started something special, and we never agreed for you to end it whenever you feel like it. Do you understand that?”
Nate holds his breath, thinking he might have gone too far.
“I’m sorry.”
Nate clears his throat. “Afraid I didn’t catch that.”
Will meets his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Unless Nate is delusional, he can spot the sweet glint of submission in Will’s eyes. “I appreciate your apology, but I think it will be more convincing if you say it from the ground.”
Will shuts his eyes and takes a breath while Nate holds his. Then, slowly, Will goes down to his knees, his face level with Nate’s crotch.
Still hesitant, Nate reaches out to stroke Will’s cheek and that soft beard. The sense of accomplishment is sweet and addicting; Nate soaks it in like oxygen.
“Doesn’t it feel right?” he whispers. They’re far enough from other houses to likely not be seen, but even if a snoopy neighbor is peeping from their window, Nate doesn’t care. Let them see the man I tamed. “I asked, doesn’t it feel right?” He brushes his thumb against Will’s soft lips.
“Yes.”
“It was so sad to see you trying to act like you no longer needed me. We both know that the evil in you won’t get itself out.” He runs a finger over Will’s gums, where teeth and wet flesh meet. He feels like he’s high. He slips two fingers into Will’s mouth, reaching his throat.
“We’re going inside now,” Nate says, slipping his fingers in and out. “I’ll have to go hard on you; you need to remember how things work between us.”
Will nods, and Nate tells him to stand. He unlocks his front door, thinking that the first thing he’ll need to do is get Will naked. Then handcuffs? Ropes? Duct tape? Decisions, decisions.
He turns on the light and waits for Will to enter. The man seems wound up like a spring, but Nate will soon make him more relaxed with alcohol and weed.
He locks the door and turns to Will, who has taken off his jacket. Fuck, I missed those strong shoulders. “Alright now. Let’s get the party started. Clothes off.”
Will moves his hands to unbutton his flannel shirt, but Nate is struck by the look in his eyes. The submission that was there moments ago has passed, and what is burning now instead scares the living shit out of him. He moves his hand toward his holster, but he’s not fast enough.
His head explodes with a sharp pain, making him see stars and slam against the door. With his vision blurry, he feels Will pulling out the gun from his holster and the taser from the other side of his belt.
“You aren’t gonna shoot—” Pain explodes in his stomach when Will kicks him.
He slumps on his knees, struggling to breathe.
This isn’t like last time when they had a fight.
Through the storm of pain and nausea, he hears Will walking around the house.
He returns seconds later with duct tape, crouching behind Nate and tying his hands.
Nate grimaces. “You’re going down so hard for this. Ahh!” Will drags him by the hair across the floor until he’s sitting on the couch with Nate at his feet.
“Look at me.”
Nate cracks open his eyes, glaring at Will who is looking both furious and composed. He’s starting to fear he’s about to die in his own house. He should have known better than to trust Will’s speedy change of heart.
“Where are the photos and the recording you have of Owen?”
“In my nightstand.” He’ll get hit if he tries to play it tough. He needs to survive this so he can get revenge, and being a smartass is not the way to go about it.