The City PI and the Country Cop (25 page)

“Okay. From the size of the dressing I
believe you.”

“Thanks,” Teague said dryly.

“Hey, I just wanted to be certain.” Hoyt
grinned, making quick work of taking the shirt the rest of the way
off Teague, tossing it toward the sofa. It missed, but neither man
really cared at that point. It was obvious Hoyt had something in
mind that didn’t involve neatness and right now Teague had no
problem with that.

“You want something?” Teague asked, his lips
quirking up in a grin.

“Depends. How do you feel about my fixing us
some supper? I’m starving.”

“You know where the kitchen is. Have at it,”
Teague replied, feeling deflated.

“I will.” Hoyt started toward the kitchen,
then spun around, smirking. “Do you really think that’s what I want
to do right now?”

“You were pretty damned convincing,” Teague
grumbled as Hoyt marched back to him. Moments later they were
involved in a heated kiss while they did their best to get each
other undressed without breaking it. They succeeded, to a point.
When the kiss ended, Hoyt was still wearing his turtleneck sweater.
“Interesting look,” Teague said, trying not to laugh.

“Yeah, well, it’s hard to take off when we’re
locking lips.” Hoyt pulled it off, dropping it on the pile with the
rest of their clothes.

“I should call the hospital,” Teague said,
his voice barely above a whisper as they started toward the
bedroom.

“You should,” Hoyt agreed, not seeming the
least fazed at the sudden change of subject. “You’ll be worrying
more about Keir than what we’re doing if you don’t.”

Going back to the heap of clothes, Teague dug
his phone out of his pants pocket and dialed. When he got the right
nurse, he asked about Keir’s condition. She told him succinctly
that she couldn’t release that information unless he was a family
member. Swearing softly about bureaucracies, Teague called Mel. She
was at the hospital, having arrived as quickly as possible after
Teague had called to tell her what happened. She’d said, when
Teague had finally left, that she had no intention of leaving
herself until she knew Keir was “Out of the damned woods.”

“Any updates?” Teague asked as soon as she
answered her phone.

“He’s resting comfortably.” Mel sighed.
“Well, as comfortably as possible I guess, considering he’s got
more wires and tubes attached to him than…than…God, Teague. He has
to get through this. He
has
to.”

“He will, Mel. Look, do you want me to come
over there to wait with you?”

“Yes. No. No, I’m okay. Honest. You just take
care of yourself and catch the bastard who did this.”

“We’re going to, Mel. I promise.”

After hanging up, Teague turned to find Hoyt
standing there, half dressed. “What?”

“What am I doing? Getting dressed, and you
should, too. As much as I’d like to spend the next hour in bed with
you, we’re not going to catch Frye that way. We have to be out in
public. Like going to pick up something to eat.”

Teague shook his head in vague amusement
while pulling on his jeans. “You have a one-track mind.”

“Three track actually. You, food, but right
now mostly focusing on stopping Frye.”

Nodding, Teague made another call, to let
Jake know what they were going to do. He promised to wait until
Jake was back and in place before leaving.

* * * *

“At least it’s not snowing,” Hoyt said as he
and Teague walked down the street to a take-out place the next
block over from Teague’s building.

“Miracle of miracles,” Teague replied, all
the while checking to their left and right for any sign of Frye.
“It would make spotting Paul more difficult for Jake if it
was.”

Sliding his arm around Teague’s waist, Hoyt
murmured, “Relax. You’re too obviously looking for him.” He
chuckled softly. “For a trained investigator you seem to have
forgotten how to act as if everything is normal. Let Jake do his
job.”

“It’s hard when I know your life could be at
stake.”

“I’m wearing my vest, same as you.”

For some reason, maybe because he was so
tense, Teague found what Hoyt had said amusing. “No, I’m not
wearing your vest. I’m wearing mine.”

“Funny. Not.”

“Yeah, I guess it wasn’t but—”

Hoyt interrupted, saying, “Is this the
place?” when they came to a hole-in-the-wall oriental
restaurant.

“Yep. Believe it or not, the food is pretty
good. Especially anything Kung Pao, if you like spicy,” Teague
replied as they went inside.

Twenty minutes later they were back on the
sidewalk, each man carrying a bag of food.

“Frye takes a shot at us now, I’m killing
him. After smelling what I ordered, I’m past hungry and on to
starving,” Hoyt said, earning him a laugh from Teague.

Switching his bag to his left hand, Teague
took ahold of Hoyt’s hand as they started home. “Dinner and then
bed?”

Hoyt nodded. “You bet. I’m guessing our
friend isn’t around since he’s had ample opportunity to try to take
me out by now. He’s probably lying low until things cool down a
little. He has to know the cops are looking for him.”

“Yeah,” Teague said sourly. “Hell, if it was
me, I’d wait a couple of weeks, hoping we figured he’d given up,
and then come after us.”

“Let’s trust that’s not the case. You’ll be a
ragged bundle of nerves by then.”

“I’m fine. Honest,” Teague replied. “Tense,
yeah. The idea of seeing you shot, even though you’ll survive with
just a badly bruised chest, doesn’t exactly sit well with me.”

“Me neither,” Hoyt told him. He smiled when
Teague pulled him closer. Then swore violently when a shot rang out
and a bullet barely missed him.

“Get the fuck down,” Teague ordered even as
he dropped his bag and reached for the gun holstered at the back of
his waist. Thankfully, as far as he was concerned, Hoyt didn’t
argue as he sank to one knee then rolled into the deep shadows of
the building they were passing.

Teague, gun in hand now, turned slowly,
trying to find the source of the shot. He spotted something moving
in a doorway across the street and homed in on it. Before he could
fire, he saw Jake come out of the dark, sprinting toward his
target. There was a shout of surprise, then Jake dragged Frye into
view and wrestled a pistol from his hand before knocking Frye out
with a hard punch to his jaw.

Hoyt was on his feet seconds later, following
as Teague dashed across the street. Jake was kneeling beside Frye,
handcuffing his hands behind his back while Teague called 911.
Teague explained to the dispatcher who he was and what had gone
down, nodded, and hung up. “They’re sending a squad car to pick him
up.”

“I’ll admit, I’m actually surprised he acted
so soon after shooting Keir,” Hoyt said. “Glad, but still…”

“Hatred and insanity driving him,” Jake
commented, finally getting to his feet. “I should have stopped to
him before he fired, damn it, but I was checking doorways on your
side of the street when it happened. Figured he’d be more
confrontational this time than he was when he shot Keir.”

“He’d probably have shown his face once he
knew he’d hit Hoyt.”

“I suspect so. Damned good thing he fired
just as you pulled Hoyt closer to you. Not—” Jake tapped Hoyt’s
chest, “—that there would have been any damage done, since you’re
wearing the vest.”

Hoyt barely smiled. “Still, I’m just as glad
my guardian angel was watching over me. He could have missed and
hit something vital, like my head.”

“It’s too hard. You’d barely have noticed
it,” Teague responded, hugging Hoyt tightly.

“Gee, thanks. I rescind the guardian angel
comment. You’re really a pain in the ass.”

“Actually,” Teague whispered, his mouth
against Hoyt’s ear, “I
intend
to be in your ass as soon as
we get finished at the police station. I think we both need to get
rid of some tension.”

“I can’t think of any better way to do that,”
Hoyt said so softly Teague barely heard him. Then he grinned.
“Maybe we can let Jake handle making a statement and vanish before
the cops show up?”

“Good idea, but too late,” Teague replied as
a squad car pulled up and two officers got out.

* * * *

By the time Teague and Hoyt finally got back
to the condo, both men were exhausted. They had spent over two
hours at the police station, much of it waiting to be interviewed
by the detective in charge of the case involving the attack on
Keir.

While they waited, Teague called Mike Frye,
Paul’s oldest brother, to let him know that Paul had been arrested.
Mike had accepted the information stoically, saying, “I’ll arrange
for him to have a lawyer. Not that he deserves one.”

“Paul’s sick, Mike,” Teague had replied.

Angrily, Mike had agreed. “No thanks to our
damned aunts. I knew that before the memorial service. He…” Mike
puffed out a breath. “I tried then to make him see you weren’t to
blame for what happened to Chris. He didn’t listen. Then when you
were involved in catching that man who killed those two boys
in…wherever it was…”

“Faircrest.”

“Yeah. Anyway, Paul called me, ranting about
how that man was only doing the Lord’s work and he should be given
a medal, not put in jail. Damn it, Teague, I should have made him
get help.”

“I doubt he would have let you do that,
Mike,” Teague told him.

“And now it’s too late.”

“Perhaps not. With a good lawyer who’ll
convince Paul to plead insanity, he’ll get the help he needs.”

“Can you recommend one there?”

Teague did, giving him two names and numbers.
After Mike thanked him, they ended the call.

Once Teague, Hoyt, and Jake had been
interviewed by the detective, they were allowed to leave. Jake
suggested strongly that Teague should get some sleep. “It’s been
one hell of a day for you,” he said, clapping his hand on Teague’s
shoulder.

“It feels like it’s been a week,” Teague
admitted, vaguely surprised when he realized that Keir’s shooting
had happened just a little over fourteen hours ago.

“I’m sure,” Jake responded. “Hoyt, make sure
he gets right to bed, and—” Jake grinned evilly, “—sleeps. No
hanky-panky.”

Hoyt snorted. “I don’t think either of us has
the energy for that.”

They didn’t. They undressed silently when
they got to Teague’s bedroom, washed up, and then collapsed into
bed.

Only then did Teague say, “It’s over.”

Hoyt drew him into a tight embrace. “It is.
You can finally rest easy. Probably for the first time since you
found out what really happened to Chris. If he’s hanging around
somewhere watching, he’d be proud of you.” He kissed Teague’s
temple. “I know I am.”

“If it hadn’t been for you…”

“I helped, but it was your dedication that
brought closure for his death.”

“If only he’d listened to me.”

“Teague, you were
kids
. It’s time to
stop beating yourself up about something you had no control over.
You weren’t responsible for Chris’s detestable aunt, any more than
Paul was responsible for her and the other one teaching him to
hate. Or,” Hoyt added dryly, “my being the reason for my father’s
dislike of gays. Chris, and any other kid who has died because
their family didn’t like what they were—they were innocents in a
world full of hateful people.”

“Not a world. Just a few…misguided
people.”

“True. Thank God.”

Teague gazed at Hoyt smiling softly. “You’re
good for me, I think.”

“You better believe it because like it or
not, you’re stuck with me.” Hoyt chortled. “Or you will be when I
get my stuff moved out here.”

“Are you really going to get an
apartment?”

“Do you have a better idea?”

Teague kissed him quickly before replying.
“Move in with me?”

With a straight face, after looking as if he
was thinking about the offer, Hoyt replied, “I guess that would
work.” Then he grinned, returning Teague’s kiss quite
enthusiastically. “In fact I know it would. Will.”

Teague grinned back, albeit tiredly.
“Fantastic. We’ll seal the bargain in the morning. Right now
however.”

“We need to get some sleep.”

“Exactly.”

“Night, my love,” Hoyt murmured.

“Good night, my love,” Teague replied. He
would have said more, but sleep overcame him. His last coherent
thought was,
I don’t deserve you, love, but I’ll be damned if
I’ll ever let you go.

* * * *

“Welcome back!” Teague said when Keir walked
into his office two months after he’d been shot.

“Thanks. I was beginning to wonder if my doc
was
ever
going to give me permission to do anything but sit
around the house,” Keir replied ruefully.

Teague waggled a finger at him. “You’re still
going to be sitting, at least for another month. I don’t want you
in the field until I’m certain you’re physically able to handle
it.”

Keir groaned. “Background checks. Right?”

“That and talking to new clients. Getting
details once Jake or I have decided we’ll take their case.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“I know. You’ll probably learn more from them
than I would. You’ve got that knack about you. It’s what makes you
good for undercover work.”

“Thanks.” Keir finally sat, looking a bit
pale in Teague’s estimation.

“Are you sure you really are ready to be out
and about?”

“Jeez. You and Mel. I won’t break, I promise.
I just have to take things easy for a bit longer.” Keir looked at
Teague, not even cracking a smile as he added, “I think it was the
running from my place to here that’s getting to me at the
moment.”

“You…Okay, now I know you’re practically back
to normal. There’s that famous Keir wit coming to the fore.”

“Gotta keep you entertained. Speaking of
which, how’s Hoyt doing? Working out I hope.”