Gage’s hands gripped Travis’s wrists as they were lost in the sensations together, this time the emotions were a tidal wave that took them both under. When Gage cried out, his orgasm triggered Travis’s, dragging another ragged moan from him.
And when it was over, the only thing Travis could do was roll to his side, holding the man he loved as the tears broke free once again.
It would never be the same. They both knew it. What they had … without Kylie … even that was different. And they would have to figure out how to make it work for them.
Travis considered mentioning it to Gage, but he didn’t get the chance. A few minutes later, Gage pulled away, then got out of the bed. Without a word, he picked up his discarded clothes, pulled them on, then slipped out of the room, leaving Travis staring after him.
Travis hadn’t thought the hole in his chest could get any bigger, but right then it did. With Gage pulling away, the chasm widened, making him feel empty and cold.
As he lay there, he prayed that Gage would find a way to forgive him, because Travis wasn’t sure he could go on without him. He knew one thing for sure: he damn sure didn’t want to find out.
*
Brantley stood on the upper deck that extended off the back of his house, hands in his pockets as he observed his surroundings. To his left, above the barn, he could see the lights of downtown Austin in the far distance. To the right, his cousins’ house. A few months back, Kaden and Keegan had bought the ranch and had been working to fix it up.
He found he enjoyed coming out here, listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Every now and then, a donkey would make his presence known. Sometimes a cow. But tonight he didn’t hear any of that. Tonight, his thoughts were far too loud for him to enjoy the solitude.
“You okay out here?”
Brantley glanced back briefly, silently acknowledging Reese. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay again.”
He exhaled when Reese came to stand behind him, those strong arms sliding around, his palms flattening on his chest. In return, Brantley pressed his hands to the backs of Reese’s, relishing the warmth and the strength.
“I know I’m not responsible for Kylie’s death,” he told Reese. “Rationally, I’m well aware that Juliet is to blame. She was the one behind the wheel. She’s the one who made a conscious effort to hurt an innocent woman.”
Reese’s arms tightened.
“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I could’ve done somethin’ to stop it.”
Reese’s chin rested on his shoulder as he leaned in. “Maybe we could’ve,” he said softly. “In hindsight, it’s always easy to see a better way of doin’ things.”
True.
“But if that’s the case,” Reese continued, “how did she manage to vanish? If we could’ve done something differently before, surely we could’ve done something after this tragedy. Yet she’s completely off the grid.”
She was. Gone.
Although the sheriff’s department hadn’t been able to track her from the scene, they had managed to trace her steps afterward. Thanks to the BOLO on the car, they’d been able to recover the blue Mustang at a motel right down the road. And because the manager of the motel had reported her car stolen, they knew Juliet had gotten away in it.
Unfortunately, they weren’t sure what she’d done after that. Based on traffic camera footage that Sniper 1 Security had combed through, Juliet Prince had not left the area, and she had abandoned the Chevy Cruze in a Target parking lot. Which meant she could be anywhere. If she’d stolen another car, they didn’t know what they were looking for. And if she was hiding out, they didn’t know where.
And that was something Brantley hadn’t yet told Travis or Gage. As much as he wanted to keep them updated on the hunt, they had all agreed they would refrain until absolutely necessary. Preferably until they had Juliet Prince in a cage where she belonged, because they weren’t giving up until they found her.
Brantley shifted, forcing Reese to drop his arms. When he turned around, he drew Reese back to him.
“I am gonna find her,” he stated, allowing Reese to hear his conviction. “I won’t stop until I do.”
Reese nodded. “That’s exactly what I told RT when I talked to him earlier.”
“Is that what y’all were chattin’ about after the funeral?”
“Among other things.”
Brantley cocked an eyebrow, waited for Reese to explain.
“RT has given us the full backing of Sniper 1’s resources. They will do whatever’s necessary to help us find her. Even dedicate people to come down here for the search.”
“For how long?”
Reese shrugged one shoulder. “Until we find her. He wants us to hand select a team to assist with her apprehension.”
Although his pride told him to reject the offer, to do this on his own and prove himself capable of completing what he’d set out to do, Brantley didn’t care how they took Juliet Prince down. She’d caused more damage than anyone thought possible, and the only thing that mattered was ensuring she was stopped.
One way or the other.
“When do we start?”
“Whenever you’re ready.” Reese stepped back, canted his head to the side.
“I’m not doin’ anything tonight,” he said with a solemn sigh. “I don’t think my head’s in it.”
Reese nodded his understanding, then took Brantley’s hand, tugged. “No. Tonight’s not good for me either.”
“No?”
Reese shook his head as he led the way into the house. “No. Right now, I think we need a little alone time.”
Yeah. Brantley couldn’t argue with that. After having witnessed so much sadness, so much loss, Brantley wanted nothing more than to remember the good things he had. A reminder to never take anything for granted.
After all, it could so quickly be gone tomorrow.
Chapter Nine
Friday, January 15, 2021
The day after the funeral, Brantley found himself up early, brimming with restless energy. Even the ten-mile run he took with Reese and Tesha did little to settle him. The eggs and bacon Reese made refueled him, and the coffee left him edgy.
And the phone call from the governor was not doing a damn thing to help his nerves.
“I understand, sir. I will,” he said politely before disconnecting the call.
Taking a deep breath, he walked back into the barn.
What had recently been dubbed HQ now appeared to have been transformed into a conference room for Sniper 1 Security. He skimmed the faces as he kept to the perimeter, heading directly for the kitchen. Before he could sit in on another one of these brainstorming sessions, he needed more coffee. Edginess be damned.
He had no idea what they could have left to discuss since they’d been at it since early this morning when a handful of Sniper 1 Security personnel arrived at Brantley and Reese’s doorstep to join RT and Z, who’d taken over not only their guest room but also their offices and their barn.
Sure, it was one thing to gather for a sitrep—an update on a current military situation—but Brantley was learning that in the private sector, they gathered for damn near everything. Initially he’d been opposed to the idea, urging Reese to understand they’d serve more purpose if they were out in the field. Unfortunately, Reese seemed to agree with RT, Z, Hunter, Trace, and the rest of the S1S crew.