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more than a mile.  All right, but we could shit! he snapped when something banged on
his window. Chase s cursing kicked up again and they both gaped at the big older man
scowling at them through the window.
 Feebie, Chase said with a heavy dose of disgust.  Fucking Liam must have narc d!
Xavier looked at the dark suit, the red tie, the black sunglasses and short silver-grey hair and
had to agree. The man looked like a stereotype& he wondered if the guy did it on purpose.
He rapped again on the window and Xavier scowled back at him and made a shooing
motion with his hand.
The man whipped his sunglasses off and glared through the window. His peridot eyes
sparked with enough anger that Xavier was surprised he didn t burn from it. Another smack
on the window and Xavier unbuckled and shoved the door open, barrelling out of the
Porsche only to slam chest to chest with the older man. He was acutely aware of the
slamming of the other door, of footsteps pounding the pavement.
 Stay back! Xavier said, his need to protect his lover stronger than his irritation with
the asshole trying to intimidate him. He reached a hand out to his side, hoping to prevent
Chase from doing anything other than stopping. The older man tensed more then took a half-
step back. He ran his fingers through his hair and narrowed his eyes at Xavier, then Chase as
well when he reached his side.
 Are you two trying to get arrested? the man snarled.
Xavier narrowed his eyes back. He knew that gravelly voice.  I wasn t aware we were
breaking any laws. This is a public road 
 And a private facility you  he pointed at Chase  aren t supposed to be at!
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Xavier started to reply only to stop short when Chase tried to step between them.
 Shearing, right? Chase said, so calmly a smattering of goosebumps danced down his spine.
The older man nodded once.  What are you going to do, arrest us for trying to see my best
friend? You won t ever convince me James doesn t want to see me. You don t know anything
about our relationship.
 I know enough, Shearing gritted out as he glared at Chase.  You have some serious
hero worship going on, but maybe James is tired of it or unable to deal with it. Either way, it
doesn t matter. His parents have the authority to make the decisions about his visitors and
everything else in his life, and right now that includes refusing to allow you in this facility.
Xavier waited for the explosion but Chase only seemed to relax, his shoulders dropping
from their squared positioning.  And has anyone asked James if he wants to see me?
Shearing put his sunglasses back on and arched his brows.  I believe you ve asked that
and been told he said no one. That includes you.
 But he sees his parents? And you? Chase pressed, still sounding all too calm and
understanding. Xavier was almost more nervous than he d have been had Chase dived at the
man.
 His parents& only when he can t beg out of it. Shearing seemed to slump over as he
peered at the ground.  He had to sit for a couple of interviews, and I almost never got that
done. He wouldn t talk to the agents that went while I was in  Shearing stopped and
pressed a hand to his stomach. Xavier remembered then the man hadn t been out of the
hospital all that long himself, and he was glad he hadn t lost his temper and punched him.
Despite his rather robust behaviour, Shearing couldn t possibly be up to fighting form.
 Anyway, I think he only talked to me because I was there that night, and you heard how
one of those conversations went.
 Yeah, Chase said with a nod,  I did. And he lied to you. Don t you want to know
why? Xavier bit back a grin; he hadn t thought for a minute Chase was giving up just
because Shearing was trying to keep them out.
Shearing tipped his head down and looked at Chase over the top of his glasses.  Are
you trying to tell me you can get James to tell you the truth?
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 Probably. Or I can read it in his movements, the way he averts his eyes or tenses, you
know. Chase shrugged.  I know James better than you ever will, better than his parents do.
I d say I m probably your best chance at getting the truth.
Xavier hadn t missed Shearing s scowl and wondered about the man s feelings for
James. He seemed rather possessive for an FBI agent just doing his job, in Xavier s opinion.
Shearing crossed his arms over his chest, then, perhaps thinking it a defensive pose,
dropped them back to his sides before tucking his hands in his front pockets.  And how do I
know you d tell me the truth? You might try to protect James instead.
Chase shrugged again.  James is my first concern here, not you or your investigation.
Y all can t even see fit to get back what Rollins took from me; I don t see how knowing what
happened to James is going to change anything about your investigation. Rollins is dead,
James is free& sort of, though not really, and you re still hounding him about what
happened. Chase s voice dropped to a lower tone that sounded dangerous in itself.  Tell
me, why do you want to know? Why not just accept what he says and file your fucking
reports?
Shearing blanched then his cheeks flushed.  Because I want the truth in the reports, and
I want the men who helped Rollins. I want the man who took James, who beat him, and you,
and I want them to be held accountable for what they ve done.
Chase grunted and craned his neck to look at Xavier before turning back to Shearing.
 Did Liam tell you we were coming?
 No, and I should have his ass for it but I won t. Shearing looked surprised at his own
words.  I had someone else keeping an eye on things down there since I had a feeling you d
be showing up despite the conversation with James. My agent followed the two of you& all
the way here.
Xavier s stomach dipped and Chase went rigid in front of him. Shearing s smile was
only slightly evil looking.  That s right. She wanted to know if she should have the two of
you arrested last night, or should I say early this morning. Maybe I m a little pissier than I
would have been otherwise had I got any sleep at all last night. Instead I was up waiting for
each of her reports back on you two, hoping neither of you did anything criminally stupid.
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Xavier couldn t help but close his eyes and say a silent thanks to whatever whim of fate
had kept them from breaking into the Strattons last night. Had they not come
home& Chase s soft sigh told him his lover was pretty much on the same wavelength. He
peeked at Shearing and decided the smile wasn t quite so much evil as amused, and maybe a
little impressed. Xavier put a hand to Chase s hip, urging him to relax. They were safe. He
thought.  What now?
 What indeed, Shearing muttered. He rubbed at his stomach and huffed.  Let
me& let s go have some coffee, if you to think we can manage that without there being a
fight. Maybe we can figure out something that will work for us all.
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Chapter Twenty-Two
Chase tugged on the cuffs of his suit jacket then messed with his tie. He hated the damn
things, but this was for a good cause, he reminded himself. Still, it felt like a noose around his
neck.
 It ll work out fine, Xavier said as he rubbed at Chase s back. Chase tried not to glare
at him, but he was so agitated and on edge he couldn t quite manage it. Xavier narrowed his
eyes and something in those dark depths heated, passing from Xavier to Chase and coiling
low in his belly before spreading to his groin. Xavier tipped his head down and whispered in
Chase s ear.  If Shearing weren t here, I d bend you over and fuck some of that excess energy [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]