He found Nick at the register, his hands full with three sandwiches, a banana, and a container of hard-boiled eggs. Brian stacked four snack cakes and a large bag of M&Ms on top, smirking at Nick’s stare. “I’m hungry.”
“Of course you are.”
They took the food out to the SUV. The one upside to smashing Betsy had been replacing her with this bigger vehicle that had room for someone his size. After downing four ibuprofens, Brian settled more comfortably in the seat and made two of the sandwiches and a good chunk of the rest disappear before asking, “Is the little girl okay? Safe?” He held his breath, the food a lump in his stomach.
“Yes.” Nick rubbed his shoulder vigorously. “Breathe. You did good. It was the ex-husband, and he didn’t hurt his daughter. Her mom’s on the way to get her— might even be there by now. Cops arrested the ex for noncustodial kidnapping.”
The rush of relief made his vision blur. “That’s good. Real good. Will I have to testify?”
“Nope. Charlie’s making up the false computer trail we ‘followed’ to find her. You know he’s good at that. Anyway, the ex will probably cop a plea. Relax. Eat more cake.” Nick put the SUV in gear and pulled out.
Brian stuffed another snack cake in his mouth, more to make Nick laugh than because he was still hungry. Although it was good cake.
He absolutely trusted Charlie. This was his seventh Find for Nick’s PI business. When he could, he brought Luger the “tracking dog” along. When that wouldn’t work, Charlie took the end result where the person was Found and worked backward to make a paper trail the cops and family would believe. Brian’s secret was safe again, at least so far. The firm of Connors & Rugo was even getting enough business to pay the guys a salary, although Lori had found another office job and they still answered their own phones.
The food and water and good drugs went a long way toward easing Brian’s headache. He glanced around with more interest, not spotting any familiar landmarks. “Where are we?”
“Ten miles past Huntington. Another five hours to home.”
“I was out seven hours?” With his new sneak-peak system, it’d been a while since he’d crashed that long.
“More like nine, by the time I was done with my report to the cops.”
“Do you want to stop somewhere? Get a motel?” He ran his gaze over Nick’s wiry body, showcased in a tight T-shirt and shorts, now that warm weather had arrived. “With a bed?”
“I could stand some sleep,” Nick admitted.
“Sleep?” Brian laid a hand on Nick’s thigh. “You must be getting soooo old.”
“Fuck you, babycakes.”
“I like that plan,” he murmured.
“You’re not too wiped out?”
“I had a long nap. Although I might have to lie back and let you do the work.”
“I can totally fucking do that.” Nick started the car. “And then sleep, because I just drove a hell of a lot of hours.”
Brian lifted his hand. “I didn’t mean to push.”
Nick grinned and grabbed his fingers, putting them back a little higher than they’d been. “Push away. I’m thrilled you’re feeling this good.”
You always make me feel good. He rubbed up and down Nick’s inseam and brushed a fingertip over naked, furry skin below the hem of the shorts, scanning the roadside for a familiar sign. After a few minutes, he spotted one. “Motel” was easy enough, even if the rest was a jumble. “There?”
Nick chuckled. “Seriously?”
“It’s a motel, right?” He frowned. His word skills were still crap, but he didn’t think he was that bad.
Nick pulled into the lot and pointed over at the front of the motel. “Read it.”
Brian squinted at the sign, blocking off one word at a time. “Big… Strat.” Dammit, one of those words with a letter jumble. He sounded the letters out silently, while Nick sat relaxed, patient, a smile curving his full lips in a way that made Brian want to kiss him. “Strag… Straight?” He blinked. “Seriously, it’s called Big Straight Motel?”
“We just passed Big Straight Road.” Nick grinned. “What do you say? Shall we show the place some big gay sex?”
Brian slid his hand higher into Nick’s crotch. “Your call.”
Nick grunted and closed his thighs to trap Brian’s fingers. “There’s a Motel 6 down the road where the manager’s less likely to be pounding on the door.”
“Works for me.”
Nick had to unclench his legs to get back on the road, and Brian teased him enough to feel the