Isaac sat with his head bent, looking at his phone.
“Happy birthday” he said quietly. “I didn’t get a chance to give you this.” He placed the small square package on the bench next to Isaac.
Isaac’s blond head snapped up, those wide blue eyes on his face and a slight frown marred his handsome face.
“Happy birthday my ass!” Isaac scowled at him, but snatched up the package and clutched it to his chest.
“I wanted to give you that on your birthday, but I wasn’t going to stay where I wasn’t wanted,” he growled.
He spun and pushed past Dillon in the doorway and walked out.
Isaac
What the fuck did Zane mean, he hadn’t been wanted?
He frowned at the empty doorway for a long moment, and then with eager fingers, he untied the burlap string and tore off the brown paper.
The room swam when the title of the book was revealed and he clutched it to his chest, holding back the strangled sound.
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Dillon snarled.
“No, Look!” He held out the book and Dillon’s gaze softened.
Isaac sniffled, running his fingers over the beloved classic.
What’s your favorite childhood book?” Zane had asked, turning to face him on the couch.
Isaac smiled and then pursed his lips at the unhappy memory. He’d swallowed and gazed out the window of the small, secluded safe house.
“Tell me.” Zane brushed his fingers over his wrist.
“Call of the Wild,” he whispered. The view from the front window of the hideaway house really was stunning, but nothing compared to the man sitting by his side.
“That makes you sad.” Zane’s fingers closed around his wrist.
“When I was eight, I had the book at the table with me. Some liquid got spilled and the book was tossed away,” he shared vaguely.
He didn’t tell the truth, that his father had knocked over his mug of coffee on the table and then in a drunken rage had swiped his arm across the surface, clearing everything. The table settings, the food his mother had painstakingly prepared, and the precious book she’d gotten him a week earlier.
When he and Dillon had scrambled from the table, his father had grabbed their mother by her hair and jerked her around. He remembered Dillon shoving him into the coat closet and closing the door. Only the door hadn’t closed completely…
The slamming of a locker jerked him back to Dillon and the room. His brother’s hand was rubbing up and down his back.
“Isaac?”
“I’m okay.” He shrugged off Dillon’s hand and carefully tucked the book into his duffle bag.
“You want to talk about what happened when he kissed you?” Dillon said.
“No,” he said quietly.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” He gave his brother a rueful look and then yanked him into a quick and tight hug. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait.”
“Yeah?”
“Luke wants you to come over for dinner at our place when I get back.”
“Where you going?”
“The Colonel needs me, Ethan, and Archer to take care of a small problem. I should only be gone a few days.”
It wasn’t uncommon for a few of the unit to take smaller missions that didn’t need a whole team.
“Be safe,” he told his brother and hefted his duffle bag over one shoulder.
“I will.” They exchanged a tight hug.
It was a short ride to his place and his stomach was growling by the time he parked. He was fucking starved. Out running errands all afternoon, he hadn’t taken the time to eat.
Letting himself inside the quiet house, he locked the door and headed straight to the shower. He didn’t feel like normal until he was clean and changed into a pair of sweats and t-shirt. He ordered food to be delivered and plopped down on the couch.
A sound at the back door had him glancing toward the kitchen.
“It’s just me,” Lacy called out as she was coming out of the kitchen. She was the only one besides Dillon who had a key. They both stopped by and fed Bear when he was out of town.
“Mind if I use your dryer?” She held an armful of damp clothing. “Mine decided to quit on me.”
“Yeah sure. You eat yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I ordered Chinese, enough for an army.”
“Count me in.” She disappeared into the laundry room and he flipped on the television, finding a comedy to watch.
The doorbell rang and he jumped up. Giving the guy a tip, he toed the door closed and placed the food containers on the table.
Lacy came from the kitchen with two cans of black cherry sparkling soda. She took over and dished up a massive plate of orange chicken and noodles and presented it with a flourish.
He smiled and took the plate, digging in.
“Episode five?” Lacy nodded to the tv and plucked up a container to serve herself.
“Yep,” he nodded. They’d been watching the first two seasons of Schitt’s Creek.
“Cool.”
“Hey?”
“Yeah?” She glanced over.
“I thought you told Zane I wanted him to come back that day on my birthday.”
Lacy blinked at him in surprise. “I told Jo when I gave her her purse and jacket.” Lacy frowned. “Why? She didn’t tell Zane?”
“Apparently not. Now he thinks that he wasn’t wanted.” He sighed and poked at his chicken.
“That bitch.” She plopped on the couch cross-legged and faced him. “I’m so sorry! I should have talked to him personally instead of Jo.”
“It’s okay. Jo wants him for herself.”
“I can’t believe her!”
He shrugged. “It’s ok “
She sniffed and then gasped, her hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide.
“What?”
“Did you come back here after your errands?”
“Yeah, I grabbed my workout gear and met up with Ethan and Holden at the base.”
“I didn’t see you,” she said, distressed.
“It’s kind of hard to miss my SUV, Lacy. Why?”
“Shit! Shit! Zane came by while you were out, he said to meet him at Stars Italian place.”
“What?” His stomach felt queasy.
“I should have left a note. Fuck. Damn it, I’m so stupid.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said numbly, glancing at his watch. “What time did he come by?”
“About three.”
He would have just been coming back from errands.
