“This is just great,” Will said.
“Hands up! Throw down your weapon!” The officerusing the bullhorn wore a white cowboy hat. Clearly one of the goodguys.
Taylor nodded, stooped to lay his pistol on theblacktop. He rose and locked his hands behind his head.
The sheriffs rushed forward.
* * * * *
“I still can’t believe you shot me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. It is just a flesh wound.The crack on your head needed more stitches.”
“That doesn’t exactly make it better.” Will wasscowling, although he permitted Taylor to hold his hand as heperched on the edge of Will’s hospital bed. Will looked rakishlyhandsome with the white square of bandage on his forehead and thedark five o’clock — make that eight o’clock — shadow on hisjaw.
Taylor lifted Will’s hand in both of his and kissedit.
“It hurts like hell.”
Taylor nuzzled Will’s knuckles. He kissed eachfinger with a tiny, sucking kiss.
“Hmmph.” Slightly mollified, Will said, “The baby’sokay?”
“Small but healthy. Six pounds, nine ounces. WilliamTaylor Hedwig.”
“Christ.”
Taylor laughed.
“And what did Cooper have to say?”
“Ah. Apparently Hedwig — Kelila — was telling thetruth. She was working voluntarily with the DEA.”
“What happened?”
“She uncovered a connection between Bashnakov and aDEA deputy administrator.”
“Ted Bell.”
“Yeah.” Taylor was surprised. “How did you knowthat?”
“Kelila and I had a chat earlier.”
Taylor raised his brows. “Well, around the time hercontact at the DEA suffered a mysterious and fatal accident, Kelilarealized she was pregnant. She decided to get out while she could.She got in touch with one of our people working in liaison with theDEA, and he put her in contact with Henry Torres. The DS was goingto take on the internal investigation of the DEA, but then Torreswas killed and Kelila was framed for his murder.”
“So…?”
“So it turns out our new AFOD was working fromTorres’ notes and files to try and nail Ted Bell, which is why wewere sent to retrieve Kelila. Cooper needs her as a witness. Hiscase rests on her.”
Will’s face stilled. “Oh.”
Taylor grimaced. “Of course he couldn’t tell us thatbecause there was obviously a leak somewhere.”
“What happens to Kelila now?”
“After Cooper’s got what he needs, she and the kidgo into the Witness Protection Program.”
“And what happens to us for going off thereservation?”
“We got her back safely; that’s the main thing.Cooper’s flying out tonight to get her deposition.”
Will’s blue eyes watched him closely. “Good. Whataren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. Everything’s good.” Taylor took a deepbreath. “You have to make your mind up about the Paris assignment.They…need an answer. Cooper’s going to ask for your decision whenhe gets here.”
Will’s eyes closed then. His hand tightened onTaylor’s fingers, bruising them.
“It’s okay. I already know.” Taylor said it socalmly, he almost believed it himself.
When Will opened his eyes, they were wet. “I…”
“You don’t have to say anything.” That much was thetruth. He couldn’t handle seeing Will tear himself up over this.“We’ll be okay. It’s like you said. Time flies when you’re havingfun.”
Will pulled him forward, wrestling him into a kindof bear hug where they could hang on tight and neither had to seethe other’s expression. Taylor rested his face in the bare, warmcurve of Will’s uninjured shoulder and listened to the shudderysounds of Will fighting his feelings. He could hear the slow, heavypound of Will’s heart, and though he was not much for poetry, hesuddenly remembered lines from some forgotten time and place — allhis times and places having led, it seemed, to this moment.
The bleeding to death of time in slow heartbeats,
Wakeful they lie.
About the Author
A distinct voice in gay fiction,multi-award-winning author JOSH LANYON has been writing gaymystery, adventure and romance for over a decade. In addition tonumerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author ofthe critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The HellYou Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction.Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda LiteraryAward finalist.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Thank you for buying this book. It is onlybecause readers like you continue purchase fiction that writers canstill afford to write.
~ Josh Lanyon ~
