Chapter 15 #2
Emerson’s mind drifted to Dash. He was the one to keep and hold tight. “I prefer fast and loose,” he lied. “Always have.”
“You’re incorrigible.” His papa sighed. “Your father and I will see you soon. Love you, Em.”
“Love you, too.”
Emerson tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, but thoughts of Dash filled his head again.
No one to keep and hold tight. He brought the cell back over and searched his email for the background check Randall had sent him months before.
The one with Dash’s home address. After reading it over, he started the engine and drove across town.
He pulled up in front of a small family home with a well-tended lawn in a nice, older neighborhood.
The house was a plain white box with basic gray shutters and a slate roof.
There wasn’t a single flower or burst of color, just a few small, boxy shrubs that hadn’t yet filled out and taken up enough space.
It was all drab. Nondescript. It reminded Emerson of that basic boxy sedan Dash drove.
Last night had proven Dash wasn’t drab nor basic. He’d been full of fiery passion—once Emerson had pushed the right buttons. But he also understood hiding in plain sight. If that’s what Dash was trying to do, he was doing one helluva job of it.
Emerson sidled up the sidewalk and knocked, unsure if he was even home without a car in the driveway. Another call he should’ve made before just showing up—but he’d sensed he definitely would’ve gotten a no from Dash.
The door opened, and Davis stood filling up the doorway. There were few men who were taller than Emerson, and none of those were betas. Davis was a freak of nature at a little over seven-feet-tall.
“Can I help you?” Davis asked, eyes narrowing. He was giving off the same vibes as Randall—and Emerson wasn’t in the mood for a round two.
“I was hoping to speak with Dash for a moment.”
“He’s not here.”
“He go to work?” Emerson asked.
“I don’t know where he is,” Davis said, crossing his arms over his barrel chest.
Emerson leveled his gaze at the beta, sensing the guy knew exactly where Dash had gone—and was refusing to tell him. “You live here, too?”
“No.”
“Do you often hang out at your boss’s house?”
“He’s my business partner—and my best friend,” Davis spat. “I’m around on occasion.”
“And that’s all you are, right?” Emerson asked, hackles rising. “His friend and business partner?”
“Tread carefully, alpha. Before you get yourself in trouble,” Davis growled.
Emerson growled right back, taking an aggressive step forward.
“I’m going to warn you. Once. Try me. You won’t like it.”
Emerson chuckled mirthlessly. “Nor would you.”
Davis snagged him by the neck and with one swift move had Emerson pinned to a wall inside Dash’s house. Emerson roared and shoved Davis against the opposite wall, shoving his arm against the guy’s throat. Davis got a punch into Emerson’s gut but couldn’t move him.
Emerson leaned in close. “Did I tread carefully enough?”
Davis dropped his arms to his side and glared at Emerson. “I brought you inside versus having it out on the lawn for the whole neighborhood to hear.”
“Just what do you think they’re going to hear?”
“I don’t know—but if there’s even the slimmest chance they learn you and Dash are fucking, it might not go over well for either of you.”
Emerson cocked his head to the side, trying to mask his shock. Had Dash told him what they’d spent the night doing? “I think you’ve got the wrong idea.”
“I know what happened.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Emerson said.
“He didn’t have to tell me. I could see it on his happy fucking face this morning,” Davis said.
Emerson fought a smile, wrestling it from his lips before Davis saw.
“Then he made one little slip, and it was clear he’d fucked the one man he shouldn’t have.” Davis’s frown grew. “You’re a mistake he’s going to end up regretting.”
All the fight fled from Emerson’s body. He took a step back as if wounded, struggling to breathe in.
“I don’t want to be that for him. I want…
” He shoved a hand through his hair. None of this was Davis’s business.
He didn’t know what the guy really knew or if he was simply on a fishing expedition.
“I’m not supposed to…” Emerson froze before he said too much, the emotions running through him too overpowering for logic to win.
“Never mind. I never should’ve come here. ”
The anger in Davis’s face softened a bit.
“I have no intention of hurting Dash.” Emerson took a shaky breath. “Can you just tell him I stopped by? I was going to offer a ride to his car if he hadn’t gone to get it yet.”
“I’ll make sure he gets it. Don’t worry,” Davis said.
Emerson nodded. “Good. Great.” He took a steadying breath before he spun and headed for the front steps. “See ya around.”
He’d barely reached the door before Davis said, “It’s not easy on him, either, you know?”
Emerson turned to face Davis.
“After he asked you to leave his office, he struggled. Hard. He doesn’t talk about it, but he’s not been the same since he met you,” Davis said.
“You’re not making it any easier,” Emerson said.
“I came off harsh, but it’s because I care about him. I sense you do, too.”
Emerson dragged his gaze away, silent.
“If you do, you need to protect him. Even if that means you stay away from him.”
Emerson lifted his gaze to Davis. The man sauntered closer and lowered his voice.
“In a perfect world, the two of you could be together—but this world is far from perfect. The consequences of what you two do will destroy you both and ripple through a lot of lives. You need to stay away from him. After what I saw this morning, I don’t think he’s going to be strong enough to make that happen himself. ”
Emerson closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. “I tried to stay away. For months. It drove me insane, but I kept my distance because he asked me to go.”
Davis’s expression softened.
“Then fate put him back in my path again last night—and I couldn’t fight it any longer. Neither could he.”
“You were a good boy and left him alone.” Davis sighed, shaking his head. “Until you didn’t. You need to be stronger than that.”
Emerson glared at Davis. “I didn’t seek him out, nor him me. It just happened.”
“You do realize what happens if you two are caught, right?”
Emerson clenched his jaw. “You know I do.”
“Yet you came here anyway, exposing both of you to more danger. What did you hope would happen if Dash was here?”
Emerson eyed Davis. “I don’t know.”
“You do know,” Davis said, lowering his voice to an angry whisper. “You wanted in his bed again.”
“I just wanted to see him,” Emerson said. “I just…” He shook his head, not willing to expose the wound Randall had left behind. “It’s been a shit day.”
“He can’t be the soft spot you land on after a bad day, Emerson. Go find another man to seek comfort in.”
Anger swept through Emerson. “Are you really trying to protect him? Or is this more about what you stand to lose?”
Davis eyed him, his expression an emotionless mask. “What do you think I stand to lose?”
“Him,” Emerson said. “No man would fight this hard if he didn’t have feelings.”
Rage bloomed on Davis’s face. He swiftly closed the gap between them, his fists closed.
Emerson lifted his chin, refusing to back down.
Davis trembled with fury, seemingly struggling himself. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he searched Emerson’s face, blinking. After a couple of seconds, he took a step back. “You’re the second person today who’s insinuated that I’m jealous. Let me be clear. I’m not. Dash is my friend.”
Emerson searched Davis’s face, sensing a bit of doubt from the man. Even so, it rang true to some degree, too.
“Dash and I have been through a lot of shit. I don’t know if you’re aware, but we were on the same team at the Guard. I’ve always been the one to pull his ass out of the fire,” Davis said. “I’m the one he calls because he knows I’ll always be there.”
“Is that the problem? There was a fire last night and he didn’t call you.”
Davis didn’t reply, but from the look on his face, Emerson sensed he might’ve hit close to the mark.
“Maybe it is,” Davis finally said after a few seconds. “But don’t confuse that with me wanting him. He’s like a brother, and I protect those I consider family.”
“If that’s truly all it is, then I get the concern,” Emerson said.
“I am also worried about our business. I think I have a right to be. Those ripples I mentioned? We employ sixteen people. They’d lose their jobs, their income, their security net.
Their families rely on them and that paycheck they get each week.
This isn’t me being selfish. It’s an entire company of men Dash has handpicked, trained, put his trust into…
and they trust him to keep the fucking lights on. Being with you threatens that.”
Emerson hadn’t considered them in his desire to have Dash in his bed. He’d been too short-sighted to think outside the space of his cabin and the two of them inside it.
“But the worst part is Dash goes to prison when you two are caught. Him and you both. You’d really let that happen to him?”
“If we got caught,” Emerson said.
Davis chuckled, sarcasm rife in the sound. “If… Every man sitting in prison thought the same thing.”
Emerson drew in a ragged breath.
“I’ve never seen anyone throw Dash off as much as you do—and trust me, that man needs someone to throw him off balance. He takes life way too seriously. But I also understand why he takes things too seriously. He has to. So do you.”
Emerson struggled to breathe. Davis was right.
Maybe his family was right about him, too. He was the irresponsible twin after all.
“I’m sure a hotshot alpha firefighter is used to taking risks. Just be careful who ends up burned here, Walker. Don’t let it be Dash.”
Emerson stared at Davis, hating that the man was right. He couldn’t let Dash be the one burned—even if that meant they never saw one another again.
“Do me a favor. Don’t tell him I was here,” Emerson said before he spun and stalked towards his truck, feeling like retching.
Emerson had always known he’d end up alone, but seeing fate hand him the perfect man—a man he could never truly be with—was an even bigger slap in the fucking face.
He tore through town, speeding through city streets, careening through intersections, and nearly sideswiping another vehicle. He didn’t slow. He didn’t stop.
Not until he reached the farthest outer wall to the north.
Emerson screeched to a halt in front of a doorway built into the smooth stone. He used the fire department code to enter the service corridor into the ten-foot-thick barrier and climbed the metal stairs to the very top. Once on the ledge outside, the wind blew hard off the nearby mountains.
He looked out to the wilderness below. The soil was too sloped and rocky to make good farmland, so the ancient forest endured.
It was quiet. The two nearest Guard towers were far enough away he wouldn’t have company for a while—not until someone noticed his code use and sent someone to check it out.
It wasn’t his first time going up there to think.
To contemplate his life and the emptiness of it. How many times had he stormed up there with thoughts of walking out into No Man’s Land and leaving Fort Seattle behind? He wasn’t sure he’d survive it if he left, but he wasn’t sure he’d survive inside the walls, either.
Especially now.
There was no way he could live the rest of his life knowing Dash was within reach but not be allowed to touch the man. It was too cruel. Yet—how could he be responsible for Dash losing everything—and ending up in a locked cell?
Emerson walked a bit closer to the edge and looked up at the soaring pines, most much taller than the thirty-foot-wall he stood on. He chuckled mirthlessly, once again realizing the absurdity of their world and the supposed safety the walls provided.
If a group of Wildlings wanted to get in, they’d have a relatively easy time of it.
Cut down a massive Ponderosa pine or two and use them to scale over.
Immediately below, there was a wide swath of ground where the trees had been cleared away to prevent that from happening, as if the trees outside that containment area couldn’t be moved into place.
Their whole society was built on the concept of it being safer inside. Structures were in place. Rules for the way they lived.
And rules for the way they loved.
It was all utter bullshit.
Emerson inched closer to the edge, staring down at the blank void that had once been full of trees, the wind whipping his hair and shirt around. He held out his arms and leaned in, allowing the gust to buffet him.
If only he could fly.