The sigh Nick couldn’t hold back was echoed on both sides of him. “Fuckin’ Damon Kerr.” He had to say it.
“He’s not the Kerr you’re fucking,” Charlie pointed out.
“Carlson,” Brian said. “Now what do we do about the car?”
Nick turned to him, reaching out, pulling him close, burying his face in the side of Brian’s neck, fear-sweat and lingering smoke and all. He had the adrenaline shakes, and tried hard not to hurt Brian with the tightness of his grip. “You’re really okay?”
“I think so. My nose hurts and my chest hurts, and other stuff, but nothing awful.”
Nick eased back enough to run gentle fingers over Brian’s nose. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
“The airbag punched me.”
He turned to look at his car. “Probably a good thing.” Jesus, you could’ve died. He wrapped Brian tight in his arms again, hugging him until Brian grunted. He’s sore. Let go. It took a moment to unlock his muscles.
Charlie was staring tactfully at the car. “Let’s check that out, see if it’ll run.”
“I smooshed it kinda hard.” Brian led the way back across the road.
From the ditch side, the answer was obviously no. Nick stared at the scrapes and crumpled metal all along the driver’s side, the dented back door, canted wheel, and crushed fender. “Jesus. You really hit it.”
Brian laughed, with a little sob at the end. “On purpose this time.”
He had to turn, had to cup Brian’s face between his hands for the touch of his live skin, and stare into his eyes. “You did fucking amazing! We’ll tell ’em it was a deer on the road and a screw-up, but you know what? Guy in the back seat with a gun? For a novice driver, you belong in the hall of fame. Well done. And thank you!”
“For wrecking your car?”
“For saving your own life. For having the guts and the nerve to do it, so I didn’t come home to find you dead, or gone.”
“Oh.” Slowly, a real smile curved Brian’s battered lips. “Yeah.”
Nick stood on tiptoe to brush a featherlight kiss across that mouth, careful not to bump the bloody nose. “What a hell of a night, huh? But we’re here. That’s all that matters.”
“A hell of a night. Yeah.” Brian turned back to the car. “We really have to call the fucking cops again, don’t we? Fuck.”
Charlie laughed and caught his breath. “Or at least a tow truck. Fuck!”
Brian’s grin split his lip but didn’t dim his eyes. “Fuck, yeah, that would work. Fuck!”
Nick laughed too, hugging his middle, dizzy with adrenaline and relief until he had to sit on the gravel and watch his best friend and his safe, crazy boyfriend wear out his favorite fucking word.
****
Brian blinked slowly, waking to bright morning light. He felt rested and warm, and sore— hip, shoulder, chest, nose, lip. He ached pretty much everywhere, but none of it was a sharp pain. His stomach rumbled, normal hunger, not demanding post-Finding cramps.
I’m okay.
It took a moment to remember why that surprised him. Jesus, that was one crazy day. All that Finding and death, kidnapping and car crash. By rights, he should’ve still been unconscious, instead of waking up feeling normal at— He rolled up on one elbow with a groan to look at his phone. Eleven-thirty!
“Work!” He pushed up to sitting. “Ouch.”
A low woof was followed by Luger surging to his feet beside the bed, chin on the mattress as he stared at Brian. Brian rubbed the dog’s ears with stiff fingers. “What, Luug?”
Nick appeared in the doorway, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, his feet bare. “There you are. How do you feel?”
“Sore.” Swinging his legs out of bed brought that home. He rubbed his shoulder. “Hungry.”
“No headache? Dizzy? Double vision?”
He crossed his eyes briefly, because two Nicks was a cool idea, but it made his nose hurt worse. The headache was bearable. “No. I’m okay.”
“You stay put and I’ll bring you some breakfast.”
“I need to pee anyway.” He pushed to his feet. Luger glued himself to his left knee, and Nick hurried to put an arm around him from the other side. That was nice, even if not necessary. He leaned on Nick and shivered at the chill floor under his feet.
“You’re cold.” Nick snagged a sweatshirt off the dresser. “Here, let’s put this on.”
The flash of pain when he raised his left arm cut off his protest about how he could dress himself, and he let Nick ease the fleece over him. When Nick slid