Reese didn’t answer because that was the million-dollar question. Unlike the other two men, the Wright’s didn’t have any other property. No vacation homes or apartments. But Brantley already knew that, and clearly, the man was distracted. Enough he was not making eye contact as Reese eyed him carefully.
Something was going on, but he didn’t know what it was. Sure, he had a few ideas, but Reese refused to believe that a chasm was developing between them because of someone from his past.
Then again, Madison wasn’t exactly in his past, now was she? Just a little while ago he’d gotten a friendly text from her, telling him she hoped to see him when he was in Dallas this coming weekend for training with Sniper 1 Security. What was worse was the fact that, rather than brush her off the way he had for months, he’d told her he would see what his schedule was like.
Yeah, he blamed it on the fact that Brantley had pushed him away this afternoon, sending him off to work with Evan rather than maintaining their partnership as they had thus far. He’d been hurt and angry, and, yes, texting Madison back had been a form of punishment. One Brantley wasn’t even aware of.
When he glanced over, he saw Brantley was watching him. There was so much skepticism in his gaze it made Reese feel guiltier than he already did.
“Tesha went with Magnus,” Reese informed Brantley. “I’ll … uh … just go back and help the team.”
Brantley stared and nodded, neither broaching the subject that was quickly growing between them.
*
Magnus led Tesha around the side of the house, intending to get in his SUV and head back to Camp K-9.
As he neared the parking area, he saw a car coming up the drive. He didn’t recognize it, but he waited anyway, curious as to who else was part of this elite task force. As it approached, he noticed the small Uber sign in the front window, and a smile pulled at his mouth when he realized it was Trey getting out of the backseat.
“You think we should sneak out or say hello?” he asked Tesha, patting her head when she nudged his hand. “Yeah, I agree. Never pass up an opportunity to say hello.”
Magnus opened the rear door of his SUV, pretended to be rummaging around for something while he gave Trey time to move closer. It wouldn’t surprise him if the man chased down his ride and disappeared the same way he came. They hadn’t had much interaction this past week, aside from Magnus stopping by in the middle of the night for their usual booty call.
He turned when he heard the crunch of gravel beneath Trey’s boots, wondering if the man would even bother to say hello if Magnus didn’t get his attention first.
He got his answer in the form of Trey’s back as Trey headed toward the backyard, passing right on by without a word.
“Trey!”
The man pulled up short but didn’t turn around.
“The least you owe me is a conversation,” he said, ensuring Trey heard his disappointment.
No, maybe they didn’t have a relationship in the traditional sense, but they did have something. Magnus refused to be brushed aside and ignored as though he never existed.
Trey slowly turned, his eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses. “Last I checked, I owed you nothing.”
Magnus lifted his chin, stared the man down, waited.
He didn’t have to wait long before Trey was stalking toward him, his anger apparent in the square of his shoulders and the tense line of his neck.
Because Magnus knew there was a camera monitoring the driveway, he waited until Trey stepped behind the SUV, giving them a modicum of privacy, before he stepped up to the bigger man.
“Actually,” Magnus lowered his voice, “you owe me an orgasm.”
He felt Trey’s body harden, knew if he dropped his hand between Trey’s legs, he’d find a rock-hard ridge hidden behind the zipper of those jeans.
Magnus kept his hands to himself. He knew better than to push too hard, and here, at Trey’s brother’s house, the place where Trey worked, Magnus did not want to push his luck. While he felt no need for them to hide what was transpiring between them, he still respected Trey’s need for discretion.
“I hope you close your case soon,” Magnus told him. “Because when you do, I’m comin’ to collect.”
To his surprise Trey didn’t say a word, he simply stared, eyes still hidden by the mirrored lenses.
Taking a chance, Magnus leaned in, putting his mouth close to Trey’s. “In fact, I think I’ll collect tonight, regardless.”
This time when Trey’s body hardened, Magnus wondered if he was getting ready to snap.
*
Brantley considered calling Reese back before he headed over to the barn, but he was at a loss for words. Reese had surprised him by coming inside, and Brantley had felt guilty about the conversation he’d been having before the man showed up.
Not that he had anything to feel guilty about. He knew Reese would not fault him for looking into Dante Greenwood’s current status. Brantley had been keeping track of the man ever since he went into rehab shortly after he was caught earlier this year when he had staged his own kidnapping. His partner in crime had died during the attempted apprehension, and because of the whole his word against mine bullshit, Dante had gotten off scot-free, convincing everyone that he had been kidnapped and held against his will. It had helped that he’d lost a finger in the ordeal, which had garnered him sympathy and offered credibility to his story.
Brantley knew different. And because he hadn’t been there to protect his best friend at the time, Brantley intended to keep JJ safe from Dante going forward. He would do that by ensuring Dante was watched at all times.
However, Brantley also knew that Reese was feeling guilty about something. Hell, it was written all over his face, and it had gotten infinitely worse since Brantley had split up the team earlier. What he wanted to know was what the hell was Reese hiding. Why was he keeping secrets now, after all this time?
Brantley paced to the front of the house and looked out the window, wanting to ground himself before joining the others in the barn. He paused when he saw movement in the driveway, looked over to see…
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He shook his head.
Standing behind the dog trainer’s SUV were Trey and Magnus, looking mighty cozy as Magnus got up in Trey’s face. It didn’t look confrontational. Not in the hostile sense. It did look a bit heated, though.
Exhaling, Brantley shook his head again and stepped away. What Trey and Magnus did was none of his damn business. If they wanted to keep their relationship a secret, let them. They were grown men, quite capable of handling their own shit. They didn’t need Brantley’s warnings or his meddling.
Plus, Brantley had too much shit to deal with to worry about his brother’s love life.
Chapter Fifteen
Three hours later, and no closer to finding Cedric Hawkins or Nancy Wright, Brantley decided he needed a breather.
Baz, Evan, and JJ were still working while Luca, Elana, and Holly had gone to grab some food to bring back for them. Brantley had sent Becs and Jay home, assuring them he would call if something came up. He’d tried the same with Darius, but the man was determined to pitch in however he could. At the moment, he was running city-wide scans to see if they could catch Nancy Wright on a public camera. Charlie had returned from Lakeway a short time ago, disappointed that she hadn’t been able to meet up with Nancy. When she attempted to stay to help out, Brantley sent her home to take care of her mother. Like he had with the others, he assured her he would call if they found something. And last but not least, Brantley had instructed Trey and Slade to head out but to stick to their phones in case they were needed. Neither had argued, and Brantley couldn’t very well blame them. It had been a stressful day, and it wasn’t quite over yet.