stil get that same look, D. Brings you right back.”
“I’m okay.”
“Don’t let it fuck with Tanner…with you.”
Damon didn’t answer him, because hel , it already had. He waited until LC began his deep, even breathing again and
headed back to his loft. He wasn’t surprised to find the door halfway open and the alarm at the bottom of the stairs turned
off.
He’d practical y pushed Tanner out the door. Couldn’t have been more effective if he’d physical y escorted the man
out the door himself.
Tanner had no car here. The fear settled in Damon’s throat then lodged itself in his heart until he felt his insides
shredding from worry.
He doubted a cab would come to get Tanner in the middle of the ice storm—and unless he stole Damon’s truck, the
only way home for Tanner was on foot. Damon didn’t doubt Tanner was stubborn enough to make it home like that.
He shoved a coat on and got into his Range Rover, heard the tires crunch on the ice that coated the driveway and
final y found Tanner much farther along than he’d expected.
He must’ve left right after Damon went downstairs. He wore the sweatshirt and jeans and boots he’d had on when he
got to Damon’s, no doubt stil damp from earlier and doing him no good in the storm.
He pul ed up alongside of Tanner, opened the window. “Tanner, get in the damned truck.”
Tanner had heard him coming—Damon could tel . But the boy was stubborn enough not to turn around, instead cal
ing,
“Fuck you,” above the roar of the wind.
His lips were already tinged blue, but he was moving at a light jog.
“After you get into the car,” Damon told him and Tanner gave him the finger and kept going. Final y, Damon pul ed the
truck across his path and got out.
Tanner’s cheeks flushed and he cocked his head in a way that made Damon expect a right hook, at the least. But
none came. “Why the hel are you doing this to me? I didn’t fucking ask for this. I didn’t want to lose Jesse any more than
you did.”
Damon didn’t know what else to say except, “Get into the fucking car, now!”
“I don’t owe you anything. I kept my part of the promise. I’m staying in the goddamned military and I’m not your fucking
sub,” Tanner shouted.
“Is that what you want?”
Tanner’s mouth opened and closed, because he hadn’t been expecting that. Damon hadn’t either.
“I don’t want to be your sub,” Tanner said slowly. “But I didn’t expect to want you the way I do, al right? I never wanted
that.”
When he’d thought that Tanner wasn’t ready for him, he’d been damned wrong. He was the one who wasn’t ready for
Tanner…and he might never be.
When will you stop punishing yourself? LC would ask.
When hell freezes over , Damon had told him. And it looked like that might’ve just happened.
Tanner walked past Damon then and got into the passenger’s seat of the truck. Damon fol owed, and they sat in
silence for a long moment until Damon said, “It was my fault.” Again. It would probably always be his fault.
“Just take me home.”
“No.”
Tanner muttered something through his shivering, punched the inside of the truck door lightly but didn’t protest further.
Damon wisely didn’t say anything else as he let the truck’s four-wheel drive grind them back to the club and the
private garage.
“LC was in trouble—he needed me. And he’s my family.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“This has nothing to do with you…and everything. I should never have left that quickly. Should’ve told you to stay in my
bed and sleep and wait for me.”
“But you didn’t,” Tanner said quietly.
“There have been some attacks at the club,” Damon started. “LC’s pretty upset about them. I’ve known him since I
was fourteen. He was in pain.” Damon got out of the truck and Tanner hesitated before fol owing him. “Please, Tanner—I
want you to come upstairs. I know you could’ve made it home. I didn’t come after
“I’m okay.”
“Don’t let it fuck with Tanner…with you.”
Damon didn’t answer him, because hel , it already had. He waited until LC began his deep, even breathing again and
headed back to his loft. He wasn’t surprised to find the door halfway open and the alarm at the bottom of the stairs turned
off.
He’d practical y pushed Tanner out the door. Couldn’t have been more effective if he’d physical y escorted the man
out the door himself.
Tanner had no car here. The fear settled in Damon’s throat then lodged itself in his heart until he felt his insides
shredding from worry.
He doubted a cab would come to get Tanner in the middle of the ice storm—and unless he stole Damon’s truck, the
only way home for Tanner was on foot. Damon didn’t doubt Tanner was stubborn enough to make it home like that.
He shoved a coat on and got into his Range Rover, heard the tires crunch on the ice that coated the driveway and
final y found Tanner much farther along than he’d expected.
He must’ve left right after Damon went downstairs. He wore the sweatshirt and jeans and boots he’d had on when he
got to Damon’s, no doubt stil damp from earlier and doing him no good in the storm.
He pul ed up alongside of Tanner, opened the window. “Tanner, get in the damned truck.”
Tanner had heard him coming—Damon could tel . But the boy was stubborn enough not to turn around, instead cal
ing,
“Fuck you,” above the roar of the wind.
His lips were already tinged blue, but he was moving at a light jog.
“After you get into the car,” Damon told him and Tanner gave him the finger and kept going. Final y, Damon pul ed the
truck across his path and got out.
Tanner’s cheeks flushed and he cocked his head in a way that made Damon expect a right hook, at the least. But
none came. “Why the hel are you doing this to me? I didn’t fucking ask for this. I didn’t want to lose Jesse any more than
you did.”
Damon didn’t know what else to say except, “Get into the fucking car, now!”
“I don’t owe you anything. I kept my part of the promise. I’m staying in the goddamned military and I’m not your fucking
sub,” Tanner shouted.
“Is that what you want?”
Tanner’s mouth opened and closed, because he hadn’t been expecting that. Damon hadn’t either.
“I don’t want to be your sub,” Tanner said slowly. “But I didn’t expect to want you the way I do, al right? I never wanted
that.”
When he’d thought that Tanner wasn’t ready for him, he’d been damned wrong. He was the one who wasn’t ready for
Tanner…and he might never be.
When will you stop punishing yourself? LC would ask.
When hell freezes over , Damon had told him. And it looked like that might’ve just happened.
Tanner walked past Damon then and got into the passenger’s seat of the truck. Damon fol owed, and they sat in
silence for a long moment until Damon said, “It was my fault.” Again. It would probably always be his fault.
“Just take me home.”
“No.”
Tanner muttered something through his shivering, punched the inside of the truck door lightly but didn’t protest further.
Damon wisely didn’t say anything else as he let the truck’s four-wheel drive grind them back to the club and the
private garage.
“LC was in trouble—he needed me. And he’s my family.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“This has nothing to do with you…and everything. I should never have left that quickly. Should’ve told you to stay in my
bed and sleep and wait for me.”
“But you didn’t,” Tanner said quietly.
“There have been some attacks at the club,” Damon started. “LC’s pretty upset about them. I’ve known him since I
was fourteen. He was in pain.” Damon got out of the truck and Tanner hesitated before fol owing him. “Please, Tanner—I
want you to come upstairs. I know you could’ve made it home. I didn’t come after
Similar Books
