Chapter 23
Flynn
“Want another beer?”
Axel flipped open the lid of the cooler by his feet in the junkyard. The flames in the fire pit flickered across his face, casting dancing light and shadow.
It was damn cold, being mid-November, so I was glad for the fire’s warmth.
I still wasn’t sure how I’d ended up sitting around the junkyard at ten o’clock on a Friday night.
I’d walked over to talk to Axel about the shitstorm with Snake so he’d be on his guard, and Holden had brought over dinner since we’d worked so late.
His boyfriend, Shiloh, joined him, but Gray and Emory were smart enough to stay in their warm house.
“They wanted some alone time,” Shiloh said with a wink.
Holden had snorted. “When don’t they?”
“I shouldn’t keep drinking,” I told Axel. “Gotta drive home soon.” I cast a nervous look at Dalton. “Wouldn’t want to get a DUI on the way out of the parking lot.”
Axel laughed and tossed me a beer. I caught it on reflex. “Dalton’s off-duty. Right, babe?”
Dalton gave him a sloppy salute. “Sure as fuck, but you don’t have to drive. I’ll run you home.”
“Better yet, you can just crash here,” Axel said, waving a hand over his shoulder to the RV behind him. He’d been living out at the junkyard since he was a teen. “I can go home with Dalton. You’re sober, aren’t you, Sheriff?”
“Sure am,” Dalton said easily, still nursing the first and only beer he’d accepted for the night. “I’ve got plans for later.”
It was strange hanging out with a sheriff. Stranger still to see him lean over and kiss Axel in a very un-sheriff-like manner. Not that I knew how a sheriff should kiss. It’s just that my mind had never conjured such a sight. It seemed wrong on so many levels, and yet, it looked pretty right.
“It’s hard to look away, isn’t it?” Shiloh’s warm voice said from my right. “They’re just so magnetic together.”
Holden shifted on his other side. “You jealous of that?”
Shiloh laid his right hand on the arm of his chair, palm up, inviting but not demanding. Holden laced their fingers. Then lifted Shiloh’s hand to kiss his knuckles.
“Why would I be jealous?” Shiloh asked. “I’ve got everything I need.”
“Yes, you fucking do.” Holden leaned in and kissed Shiloh. Only their fingers and lips touched, but the kiss was every bit as passionate. Holden was an intense guy, a meticulous guy. I was sure when he put his mind to something, it got all his focus.
Axel whistled sharply. “You get it, Sugar Daddy!”
Holden pulled back with a chuckle. “Fuck off.”
He’d gotten the nickname because some assholes harassing Shiloh last spring had tried to claim he was just a sugar daddy, not someone Shy really loved. Of course, it was easy to tell that was a bunch of crap.
Shiloh had come to stay with Holden, and slowly over the weeks, Holden had worked on his touch aversion until they could hold hands.
I still wasn’t sure how much touching they could do.
Enough to kiss and maybe more. But above all, they had an emotional connection that anyone could see was real as fuck.
How could it not be when they had to work so hard to be together?
Loki whined and nosed at the empty pizza box at our feet, vainly trying to wish more sausage-and-cheese remnants into being.
I lowered a hand to pat his head in consolation. “Sorry, boy, the free meal’s over.”
Axel chuckled. “Such a beggar.”
His rottweiler, Sugar, lay beside his chair, serene but watchful.
She was the real guard dog around here. Oreo was off chasing the cats at the other end of the junkyard.
He tended to be the most hyper. Banshee was back at the house, cuddled up in comfort, and the Chihuahua, Taz, was asleep in my lap, one more reason I was reluctant to leave.
The little devil looked so darned cute, ears twitching in a sweet doggy dream.
What the hell? Bailey had told me he was on deadline for a project tonight. There was a good chance he wouldn’t call, and I had nothing else to do but go home to an empty house and wish he were there.
He was driving down tomorrow, and I couldn’t wait. But I was also nervous as hell. We planned to tell the brothers about our relationship at his birthday dinner—Bailey was banking on his big 2-0 softening them up—and I had no idea how they’d take it.
A little extra bonding over beers tonight couldn’t hurt, right?
I cracked open the can of Bud and tipped back another mouthful. “Appreciate you all feedin’-and-waterin’ me tonight.”
“Hell, you say that like you didn’t earn it,” Axel said. “You work your ass off for us.”
“Well, you pay me for that.”
“Not enough,” Holden said, surprising me. “Once you finish this Redemption trial period, we’re going to get you a raise and make it right.”
I straightened, inadvertently shifting Taz, who growled quietly. I ran my index finger over his velvety head, soothing him back to sleep.
“You, uh, want to keep me on, then?” I asked.
Holden and Axel exchanged a surprised look. “Well, yeah, Flynn. You’ve stepped up in a big way since Bailey left.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not as good as him.”
“No one can replace him,” Holden said bluntly. “But we never expected you to.”
“You’re your own man,” Axel said. “And you’ve earned your place here. Hell, you’re an honorary brother at this point.”
I blinked hard, raw emotion rising swiftly. “That means a lot to me.”
They had no idea how much, really. If they saw me like a brother, maybe I’d be good enough for Bailey in their eyes. Maybe they’d understand that regardless of my past, I only had good intentions for him.
“Did you really think we’d use you for cheap labor all this time and then just cut you loose?” Holden asked, sounding offended.
Shiloh murmured something soft I couldn’t hear. Holden nodded in response, sinking back into his seat. I hadn’t even noticed how rigid he’d gone until then. Shit, I must have insulted him.
“I’d never think that about you,” I said, throat tight. “Just…maybe I wouldn’t deserve it, you know?”
“Well, shut that shit down,” Axel said. “You’re a hard worker.”
“This hasn’t been a free ride,” Holden added. “We couldn’t have gotten through these past couple of months without you. Not to mention helping us out with those assholes giving Shiloh grief last spring.”
“I can’t ever thank you enough for that,” Shiloh said.
“It was no big deal,” I said gruffly. “I stood around.” I tugged Taz’s ear. “This guy was the real hero.”
Everyone laughed, because it was true. We’d all gone out to the edge of town to give the guys a sending-off party to ensure they knew better than to come back. But one of those assholes had made the mistake of underestimating our Chihuahua, and Taz had taken a chunk out of his hand.
“My only regret is you’re not still out at the junkyard with me,” Axel said. “You made breaking down those cars a hell of a lot easier.”
“I’m talking to Matteo about getting you a replacement,” Holden said. “Sorry it’s taken so long. With the new county contract, I’ve been busier. The money is good, but the paperwork is a nightmare.”
“Ask Matteo to send you Ghost,” I suggested. “I don’t trust Snake not to try to manipulate one of the other guys.”
“He won’t mess with Ghost?”
“No one fucks with that man,” I said. “He’s a little fucked-up. Went to prison for over twenty years. He’s still trying to adjust to the world, and working with the public isn’t great for him. Out here, though? I think he’d work hard for you all.”
“Okay, then,” Holden said. “I’ll make the call tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.”
“No, thank you for giving guys like us a chance. Ghost is tough, but then anyone would have to be after so long in prison.”
“What did he do to get such a long sentence?” Axel asked.
“No, don’t tell us,” Holden said, voice firm. “I respect that Redemption Road keeps that shit private. The point is to give you all a clean slate. You did your time, and now you’re starting over. Whatever he did, it’s in the past.”
“Fair enough,” Axel said. “My curiosity got the best of me.”
“That goes for you too,” Holden said. “Whatever you did, it’s in the past. Stop doubting your place here, all right? You’re one of us.”
My throat went so tight I could hardly speak. I nodded and tipped back my beer.
My phone rang just then, cutting through the quiet darkness. I tugged it out of my back pocket, saw Maple Grove Police Department on the Caller ID.
Shit, was Aiden in trouble? Was Bailey?
I answered the call. “Hello?”
Bailey gave a shaky breath through the line. I recognized him by his breathing alone. That was wild.
“Flynn, I fucked up.”
“Are you okay?”
“Not really,” he said, voice flat and lifeless. “Got arrested.”
“What happened? Was it a fight over pool or…”
Holden’s attention locked in on me with the intensity of a hunting dog. Shit. I should have moved away to take this call or been more careful with my words.
“Drag racing,” Bailey said.
“What?”
“I wasn’t driving,” he said quickly. “I worked on one of the cars there. I was just…spectating.”
“Bailey.”
“I know, man. I know. It was stupid to go. Can you just bail me out so Holden doesn’t find out? Please?”
I sighed. “I wish I could, but I’m hanging out with your brothers right now. They’ve overheard the call.”
“Fuck. This night just keeps getting better.”
“Sorry, ba—” I caught myself just as I was about to say baby. “Bailey.”
Holden moved over, crouching beside my chair. “Put the phone on speaker, please.”
I hit the button. “Holden wants to talk to you.”
“Of course he does,” Bailey said glumly.
“What happened?” Holden asked.
Bailey repeated what he’d told me, and Holden’s face grew tense. I could tell he had more than a few words to say, but Bailey kept talking. He also knew his brother well.
“I already know it was stupid as hell, and I’d really like Flynn to come bail me out before dawn, so could you save the lecture for later and let him leave?”
“I’ll bail you out,” Holden said.
“Oh,” Bailey said. “Okay.”
“I’ll come with him,” I said. “Hang tight, Bailey. You’re okay. We’ll be there soon.”
He exhaled. “Thanks, Flynn.”
I hit End Call, and Holden straightened. “Well, looks like it’s going to be a long night.”
Shiloh hopped up. “I’ll go make some travel cups of coffee for you two.”
Holden hadn’t drunk much, so it was good he was going. As sobering as Bailey’s call was, I probably still wasn’t legal to drive.
“I’ll go on my own,” Holden said. “Flynn doesn’t need to give up his whole night.”
“No way. I’m going with you,” I said. “Bailey called me, and he wanted me to come, so I’m coming.”
Holden didn’t look pleased by that news, but he didn’t argue.
“Want me to come too?” Axel asked.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave the junkyard unattended with this Snake character running around,” Holden said. “I’m sure Flynn and I can handle it.”
Axel nodded. “Fair point. Dalton and I can stay here, then. But call me as soon as you see him, okay? I’ll be worried.”
Dalton pulled his cell phone out. “I’ll call the police station up there. Get the lay of the land and make sure Bailey’s not in too much trouble. If he wasn’t driving, they probably don’t have much cause to charge him.”
“I sure as fuck hope not,” Holden said. “I didn’t send him to college for this bullshit.”
“You can’t control his choices,” Axel said. “Isn’t that what you were saying the last time he was here?”
Holden scoffed. “Well, yeah, but I thought I was empowering him to make good choices for himself. If these are his choices, he has more growing up to do.”
I winced, because Holden wasn’t totally wrong. Bailey had been young and foolish to do this. But if Holden was pissed about this, how would he feel about Bailey choosing me?
Was I just another bad choice of a rash young man?
I’d been looking forward to telling the brothers about me and Bailey. I wanted to be open and honest with them.
Minutes ago, they’d made me feel like family. They’d told me I’d earned my place here, that I was an honorary brother.
I’d begun to hope that they’d be okay with me being involved with Bailey. Hell, in my wildest fantasies, they were even happy. They said shit like, He chose a good man or We know you’ll take good care of him.
But now, Holden was questioning Bailey’s choices. Wondering what other mistakes he’d made.
And I had the sinking feeling that was exactly how he’d see a relationship with me.
Just another mistake made by the problem child.