ARCH
May
“We’re done! Y’all are the best!” One by one I thanked each of my former teammates and hugged them goodbye.
“Take care, Cap!” Edgerton slapped me on the shoulder as he got ready to leave. “Have fun in Houston!”
I wished more of them had accepted my offer to join me on the new Hunter task force I was heading up, but I understood.
The ones staying behind had families here in the Hill Country.
Plus, no one in their right mind would want to leave this beautiful, natural landscape for Houston’s humid, noisy, and smelly miles of concrete.
Fortunately for me, Simpson, Kraus, Fortnell, and Lee had been willing to make the sacrifice.
Only I had to figure out which one of them was the leak.
That mission aside, and as much as I appreciated the honor of being selected for this new position, I had other reasons for moving to Houston. Two reasons.
“You should’ve gone out for drinks with your team. Surely they want to raise a glass for you.”
Oh, right. Three reasons.
“Dad, I told you. I had drinks with them last night. Tonight I’m having dinner with you.”
He scoffed, his face settling into its discontented grooves. “I’m just an old man. They’ve been keeping your ass alive. Priorities, Archer. Priorities.”
I gritted my teeth so I wouldn’t spit out my opinion about his history of using work and his own former team to avoid his family.
I’d be damned if I’d let him make me lose my temper.
I would, however, have the conversation I needed to have with him now, instead of over dinner like I’d planned.
I gave it even odds that he’d storm off, which would allow me to get on the road to Houston tonight instead of in the morning.
“Let’s go inside.” I ushered him through the door.
“I want to do one last circuit of the house to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
” The place was bare except for the air mattress I’d planned to sleep on tonight.
The guys and I had worked our asses off for the past two hours to pack the truck, and, even though I’d double-check the kitchen for my bread maker, I was sure they hadn’t left anything behind.
But I’d needed the excuse to get Dad back inside.
No sense disturbing the neighbors with his shouting.
He trailed after me as I went into the kitchen and started opening cabinets. I tried for a conversational tone. “I’m having lunch with Ellis and his mates this week.”
Dad’s face screwed up in contempt. “I don’t want to hear his name.”
I slammed the last cabinet door shut and whirled on him. “Yes, I’m aware. You think it reflects poorly on you that your son is gay.”
His scowl intensified. “It’s not right. And he’s with two men, which can’t be natural. I don’t know why you lower yourself to associate with him.”
“Because he’s my brother and I love him.
” Plus, the magic had thought Ellis’ mating with Rory and Shane was natural.
Otherwise they wouldn’t have a bond. That argument hadn’t made a dent in his brain the first five times I’d said it, so I didn’t bother.
I crossed my arms and drew myself up to my full height.
I was always gratified when I could look down on Dad. “Besides, I’m bisexual.”
His face lost its scowl in favor of a horrified expression. “You are not.”
“I am, Dad. I’m bisexual. I’ve been denying it my whole life, trying to make you proud of me. But you know what I realized?”
He didn’t respond, just stared, the scowl starting to creep back.
“Ellis is happy, Dad. He has a great life, and his mates adore him. And I compared that to my life, the one I’ve been living the way you told me to.
I’m not happy. I’m tired of hating part of myself.
And for what? No matter how hard I try to live up to your expectations, it’s never enough.
You always find something else to complain about.
” I dropped my arms so I could put my forefinger against his chest. “It ends now. I met a guy last year who I wanted to date. But I pushed him away because that’s what you would’ve wanted me to do.
I’ve regretted it every single day since, and I don’t want to live like that anymore.
I’m going to find that guy, and if I can persuade him to date me, I might get to have something close to what Ellis has. I might get to be happy.”
“You... you can’t.”
“I can, Dad. I will.”
“But you’re my son.” I’d expected him to yell, but he sounded bereft. Grieving. Too fucking bad.
“Well, Dad, that’s up to you now. If you want to have a relationship with me, you’ll have to accept me no matter who I date. Ellis too. I’m not giving him up for you again.”
He straightened his spine. “No. You’re... This is only a phase. Every man goes through this. You just have to lock those thoughts away and find a pretty girl to date.”
My mouth fell open. “What? You’re attracted to guys?”
He sneered. “I told you, every man has the errant lustful thought or two. You have to be strong and overcome them.”
Holy fuck. Well, that explained a lot.
“I won’t, Dad. I’m going to be true to myself. Why don’t you head home and think about things. I’m going to hit the road tonight and see if I can crash with Ellis.”
Dad’s face turned red. “You’ll regret this. You’re the head of a task force now. You’ll damage your reputation with Dominic and the other Hunter leaders.”
I cocked my head. Didn’t he know Dominic was pansexual? “Go home, Dad. You can contact me when you’re ready to accept me and Ellis as we are. And not before.”
I watched him drive away with little emotion except relief. Why hadn’t I gone no contact with him before now? The only thing he added to my life was stress, always criticizing me, holding me up to some macho Hunter standard he might as well have seen in a movie.
He could go stew in his superiority complex and homophobia. I had a task force to run, a brother to repair a relationship with, and a man to track down.
Good thing I was a Hunter.