“Is this one?” Jake shouted.
Justin picked up his pace so he could see what Jake was holding in his dirty fingers. They’d found all manner of rocks and even some fossilized shells, but no arrowheads. Not that he was even sure any were to be found in the area, but it gave them something to do that afternoon.
Justin looked closely at the rock and gave a shake of his head. “Nope. Just a rock.”
Jake dropped it back on the ground and continued walking with Justin. He picked up a stick and both dogs started going crazy, jumping and barking. A giggle escaped Jake right before he threw it as hard as he could. Both dogs were off like a shot, jumping through the underbrush. There was only a fifty percent chance they’d actually find the right stick. Half the time when playing with Justin, they simply brought back the biggest branch they could find, even if it was a giant fallen log.
“Hey Jake, can I ask you a question?” Justin inquired.
The little boy looked up at him, still smiling. “Sure.”
“Why do you call Devlin ‘Dev’ and not ‘Dad’ or ‘Daddy’?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I called my other dad ‘Daddy.’ Well, before he died. And well…‘Dev’ sounds like ‘Dad,’ so it was just easier to call him that. Dev and Daddy.” He paused and shot Justin a wide grin. “I couldn’t call them both ‘Dad,’ or they wouldn’t know who I was talking to.”
He should have known it would be something simple and logical. He grinned at Jake, feeling at ease with the little boy. Far more so than he ever thought he would. Usually on jobs, he would be spending all his time behind a computer, researching and hacking, creating profiles. He still had programs and algorithms running to hunt down the likeliest people to want to harm Devlin, but he wasn’t needed to sit there and watch over the programs. His time was better spent hanging out with Jake, keeping the little boy occupied so he wasn’t distracting his father from his work.
On their many walks through the woods, they’d talked about fossils, arrowheads, and tried to identify the various animal tracks that they saw. They watched little bunnies, deer, and hawks. Jake asked hundreds of questions, and Justin answered them as best as he could. Most nights, he found himself googling some random bit of knowledge he’d lacked when chatting with Jake earlier that day.
But the most surprising thing from their rambles through the woods was that Justin suddenly found himself wondering what it would be like for him and Gabriel to have a child of their own. What if it was his own son walking beside him, talking his ear off, as they went looking for fossils or arrowheads?
Or daughter…
He could almost see her in overall shorts, a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and pigtail braids on either side of her head. Justin’s heart gave a funny little beat at the thought. That trusting, loving face smiling back up at him, sitting at the dinner table, the bedroom messy with toys.
In danger.
This time his heart thumped with fear.
They couldn’t continue in the line of work they were in with a child. He and Gabriel would have to finally leave it all behind as they had originally agreed. No more being Robin Hood and helping people. It was one thing to put their life on the line for adventure and justice, but to do it knowing a child was waiting at home for them? That if something went horribly wrong, that child would be lost. Orphaned and alone? He couldn’t do that. It wasn’t fair to their son or daughter. They deserved to come first.
But what would they do with themselves?
Maybe it was too early to even think like this. He and Gabriel had made this insane leap forward together. They’d gone from wanting to kill each other to willing to kill for each other in the blink of an eye. There was so much they didn’t know about their pasts or even what they enjoyed now.
But even as that thought occurred to him, his brain flashed back to the previous night in bed and his knees went a little weak. Well, they might not know details of each other’s past, but Gabriel proved so damn well last night that he knew his soul. Knew exactly what it took to make him unravel right before his eyes. Justin had never felt so exposed in all his life and yet so protected, so cared for. He felt it every time Gabriel kissed him or touched him. Gabriel loved him, would kill for him. And he would do the same for Gabriel.
To hell with this “too soon” bullshit.
Who was to say what was too soon? They knew the important things about each other. The rest was just useless details. Justin had never been so happy in his life, felt so complete. And now they had a house together, were building a life together. It would all figure itself out.
Jake bounded over that last bit of underbrush and cleared the trees to the clear, grassy area around the lake. They were starting to turn back toward the house. At their current rate, it would take them about half an hour to get there. Just in time for a drink and a snack. Maybe even fall asleep in front of the TV for an hour or so watching some cartoons.
Justin and Gabriel had quickly discovered that Jake was not a fan of the afternoon nap, even though it enabled him to make it through dinner without an exhausted meltdown. However, if they returned to the house shortly after lunch for a snack and some cartoons, the little boy tended to fall asleep in front of the TV for a couple of hours.
And Justin wasn’t too proud to admit that he was happy to also fall asleep watching cartoons. Twice now, he’d woken on the couch to find a throw blanket gently laid over him and Jake, while the TV volume had been turned low. He was pretty damn sure Gabriel had passed through on one of his checks of the house and taken care of them. He seriously didn’t know what he’d do without that man.
The dogs had been running ahead and then leaping back toward Jake in a fit of endless energy, but as they started to pass by the lake, they both stopped next to the little boy, their heads up and entire bodies tense. Justin felt the hairs on his own arms stand up at the sight of their rigid frames and hackles rising. They’d heard and or smelled something on the slight breeze.
Justin hurried to Jake’s side and grabbed the little boy’s hand. He wasn’t sure if the dogs had spotted a predator in human or animal form. They weren’t likely to react to something small like a deer or rabbit in this manner. Those were little more than playthings that they could run after, happily barking.
This was something else. Something bigger and deadlier. A hunter could have edged onto their property. Or maybe a mountain lion had gotten too close. Their noise usually worked to scare them off, but it could have been coming down to the lake for a drink.
But Justin feared it was something else.
Devlin and Jake had been at their home for a week. That was plenty of time for someone to locate them, no matter how hard they tried to keep the two hidden. Time was not on their side.
A low growl rumbled from Pete and was almost immediately picked up by Repeat as they stared into the woods they had just emerged from.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, his hand tightening in Justin’s.
“I think they smell or hear something.” Justin stood next to Jake, putting his larger body between the little boy and the woods while turning his back on the lake. They were as far from the safety of the house as they could get and still be on his property. “We should start for the house.”
The handgun he kept in a holster on his belt suddenly felt heavier. Every day before they went for their walks, Justin grabbed it. He always kept it hidden under his T-shirt though, not wanting to upset Jake or do anything to remind him that his father was in trouble. But the gun was there as a backup in case they ran into trouble.
Justin started pulling Jake in the direction of the house, putting as much distance between them and the woods where the dogs were still growling. He could see nothing but green leaves, tree limbs, and thin bushes covering the forest floor. There was no movement. No sounds out of the ordinary that he heard, but he trusted the dogs’ senses implicitly. If they said something was watching them from the tree line, then he believed them.
He was just about to whistle for t
hem to accompany him and Jake, when Pete barked viciously and launched himself for the woods. Repeat was half a step behind his brother, their powerful bodies racing for the trees. Justin didn’t hesitate. He scooped up Jake’s slim form, tucking him in tight and close, as he started to run for the house. Even with Jake’s added forty pounds on him, Justin was pretty sure he could make it to the safety of the house in less than ten minutes.
Jake wrapped his arms tightly around Justin’s neck and his legs around his waist like a little monkey clinging to its mother. Growls and barks still rose up from the woods, followed by a single shot of a gun. One of the dogs gave a pained yelp that froze Justin’s blood. He couldn’t help it. He stopped running and turned to look at the woods, but there was no sign of where the dogs disappeared or who they were attacking, and it was most definitely a who now.
Everything within his body screamed to go and save the dog that had been shot, but he couldn’t. Their job was to keep Jake and his father safe. They’d gotten the dogs to act as defense, but they’d almost instantly become so much more. They were family. They were their children. And he couldn’t leave one alone, hurt and possibly dying.
Swallowing past the lump that was threatening to choke him, Justin resumed his run toward the house. He could still hear one of the dogs barking and growling, but the other was silent.
“What about Pete and Repeat?” Jake cried.
“I’m going back for them. I promise,” Justin said raggedly. “I have to get you safe first.”
“We can’t leave them!”
“We’re not. They’re gonna be safe.” Justin said the words as much for himself as he did for Jake. He had a gun on him, but if one of the dogs was wounded, he wouldn’t be able to get the dog and Jake out quickly. The little boy came first. He just never seriously thought about what it would be like to have to choose between Jake and his own pups.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and told it to call G Love. The damn thing didn’t always recognize when he said “Gabriel” but for some reason it always got “G Love” right, much to Gabriel’s amusement and mild annoyance.
“Hey,” Gabriel greeted. “Are you—”
“Shot fired. One of the dogs was hit,” Justin interrupted.
“Where are you?” Gabriel demanded, his tone instantly hardening to the no-nonsense one that Justin had come to rely so heavily on.
“From the lake. Be back there in less than ten.”
“I’m coming,” Gabriel said and ended the call.
Justin had wanted to argue that he needed to keep Devlin safe, but he knew that there would be no persuading Gabriel from whatever course of action he decided. He would keep Devlin safe even if it meant dragging the man to them. Their priority needed to be protecting Devlin and Jake, but the sound of the dog’s wounded yelp kept replaying in his head. He didn’t know which one it was, didn’t know if the dog was still alive.
He could feel Jake’s slender body shaking against him while silent tears slid down his cheeks to soak into Justin’s T-shirt. Justin tightened his arms around Jake, wishing he could say something that would reassure them both, but he needed to save his breath for running.
The muscles in his thighs were just beginning to burn when the house came into sight. Sweat drenched his shirt, causing it to stick to his frame.
Gabriel suddenly came into view, a rifle in his hands and couple of other guns strapped to his waist. “Devlin is in the panic room. Armed. Where?” he barked at Justin as soon as he was close enough.
It wasn’t easy, but Justin pulled Jake off his body and thrust him at Gabriel, who accepted the little boy, pulling him in so that he attached himself to his slender frame in the same way. Justin then grabbed the rifle, using the strap to sling it across his shoulders. “Protect them. I’m going back.”
He risked only a glance, but it was enough to see Gabriel’s mutinous expression. Not a word left his lover’s lips, but Justin knew that Gabriel wanted to come with him. He hated allowing Justin to leave his sight, and he didn’t blame him. If their roles were reversed, Justin wasn’t sure that he’d be able to keep his mouth shut in the same manner. They both knew it was the right thing to do. Jake and Devlin couldn’t be left alone and relatively defenseless.
Justin barely caught Gabriel’s nod before he turned and started running toward the lake and where the two dogs had disappeared into the woods. Armed and free of worry about Jake, Justin clung to the rage that was now pumping in his veins. He was going to kill whoever had hurt his dog.
Minutes ticked by and he was where he’d been standing near the lake with Jake, but it felt like three times that long had passed. He could still hear one of the dogs barking and growling, but the sound wasn’t constant. There was also a low, pained whine. The other dog was still alive. Justin choked back a sob of relief as he ran toward the sound. He pulled the rifle from his shoulders and lifted it to a ready position as he entered the woods, swinging the sight back and forth as he swept the immediate area for their attacker. He wanted to whistle to call the other dog to him, but if he was keeping the attacker at bay, then he didn’t want to call him off.
Justin moved slowly through the woods, hating that he couldn’t increase his speed. He didn’t know who was out there, where, or how many. Sweat trickled down his spine, and the woods were silent except for the dog’s barking. He kept moving steadily in that direction, getting closer to its location.
He moved around a large tree and finally spotted Pete as he snarled and barked. All his hackles were raised like a furry fin and strings of spittle hung from his muzzle. Justin followed his line of sight, but he didn’t see anyone. He had a feeling that the dogs scared off whoever had been watching them. The attacker probably got off one lucky shot to slow down or stop the dog that had gotten too close.
Carefully, Justin pulled his gaze back to Pete and the surrounding area. Just a few feet away was Repeat lying in a pile of dried leaves. The sweet dog looked at him and whined pitifully, breaking his heart all over again. His hind leg was matted with blood from where he’d been shot, but otherwise he looked okay.
Shouldering the rifle again, Justin kneeled down in front of Repeat. The dog gave a happy whine and licked his hand as he reached out to gently rub his head. The other dog hurried over to Justin, whining as well. Ducking his head, Pete rubbed against Justin, cuddling close while wagging his tail. Yes, he’d come for them. He’d always come for them the same way that he’d always be right there to protect Gabriel. They were family, even if they were of the furry and slobbery variety.
“Hey guys, I’m here. Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered, hating the way his voice shook. He knew Repeat’s wound could have been so much worse, but they still needed to get him to an emergency vet as quickly as possible.
Clenching his teeth, Justin looked around. When he picked the dog up, he wouldn’t be able to hold a gun. He’d be defenseless and he hated that. But he couldn’t wait any longer. He could only hope the dogs had scared off whoever had been watching them.
“Watch our back,” Justin told Pete while carefully sliding his hands under Repeat’s heavy body. He grunted and the dog whined again but stayed still in Justin’s arms. Damn dog was heavier than the kid.
He slowly made his way out of the woods and to the path he’d already traveled with Jake. But this time, he was only halfway to the house when he encountered a pale and sweaty Gabriel. Pete ran ahead of him barking and jumping at Gabriel, happy to have their other father there to look over his brother. Justin’s arms trembled and he could feel the lump returning to his throat. Something in his brain was finally saying that he wasn’t alone any longer, that he didn’t have to hold it together quite so tightly because Gabriel was there. Gabriel could help fix this. Help save their baby.
“Someone shot him,” Justin said, his voice cracking. “Someone shot him!” It was all he could say. The idea was lodged in his brain as an impossibility. How could anyone shoot their dog?
Gabriel swo
oped in, his face expressionless. He rubbed one hand over Repeat’s head in a reassuring caress before he looked at the wound. “I don’t think it’s too bad. The vet can fix him up.” He looked up at Justin and those dark eyes softened. “He’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Justin gave a jerky nod and blinked back tears that still managed to streak down his face. He didn’t give a shit what Gabriel thought. This was his dog. He and Gabriel had picked out the brothers. Trained them. Loved them.
“Let me have him. You’ve got to be exhausted.”
Justin wanted to argue with him, but his arms were shaking so badly that he was afraid of dropping Repeat. He carefully moved Repeat into Gabriel’s strong arms, and they resumed their trek to the house.
“What about Jake and Devlin?” Justin demanded as he roughly wiped away the tears.
“Both in the panic room and armed. They know not to come out until one of us is there with them. They’re watching the monitors in the room,” Gabriel said evenly, keeping a brisk pace back to the house.
“Did you see anything on the cameras?”
“Didn’t have time to look. We can review them later. When you called, I just grabbed Devlin and shoved him in the room.”
“Thank you,” Justin whispered. “You’re a better man than me.” Self-loathing ran through him and he had to look away from Gabriel.
“What—”
“I hesitated,” he admitted, nearly choking on the word. “I had Jake in my arms and we were heading for the house, but when I heard the shot…and Repeat yelped.” His voice wobbled again and he had to clear it to continue. “I hesitated. I should have kept running for the house. A good person…”
“Justin, stop! Don’t you dare question whether you’re a good person. You’re the best person I know.”
“But—”
“You care about Jake and Devlin, but you love these dogs. They are our family and you didn’t want to abandon them. There’s nothing wrong with that. I nearly said to hell with Devlin so that I could help you and our dogs. I didn’t take care of Devlin because it was the right thing. I did it because I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.”
The Exit Strategy Bundle Page 59