Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Aidan was soaking in the oversize tub when Jamie entered the dimly lit bathroom. "Everything good out there?"

"I modeled the Chevy on my tablet," Jamie said as he stripped off his T-shirt and jeans, his athletic grace never ceasing to amaze him. All those long limbs and he rarely got caught in his clothes like Aidan often did. Often got caught in Jamie's too, his husband leaving them strewn everywhere. "Also downloaded all the manuals I could find and called Celia for a list of potential modifications. Should keep him busy." He tapped Aidan's shoulder, and Aidan scooted forward, making room for Jamie to sink in behind him. "And he's got his best friend back." He wrapped himself around Aidan, arms over his torso and calves over his shins. "You did good out there today."

The tight hold buttressed Aidan against the shudder-inducing memory of what they'd found at Deidra's place.

"You want to talk about it?" Jamie asked.

The instinct was there to close his eyes and hide, but that would only bring the mental replay into sharper focus— dirty dishes piled on every surface, trash cans overflowing with food wrappers and takeout boxes, soiled clothes in a pile by the laundry room, and ashtrays full of cigarette butts. Flies in the stale nicotine-tinged air and a rat scurrying out of the kitchen and down the short hall toward where they'd found Bev camped out in a closet, the only neat and clean place in the entire house.

Aidan focused instead on his husband's hands splayed across his chest, Jamie's knuckles knobby from the hacking and basketball, the band on his left ring finger safely in place, just like Jamie kept him. "We hear stories when we're working cases with fosters or when we interact with the kids at the Madigan shelters. I knew here"—he tapped his temple—"what some foster kids go through, but actually seeing it..." He scooted back against Jamie, trying and failing to disappear into him. "I was lucky to have the family I did."

"So was I," Jamie said. "So is Angel."

Crossing his arms, he clasped Jamie's biceps around him. "You did good today too, getting Angel more comfortable and talking."

"He's a good kid. He was just trying to do what was right to help his friend. Kind of like his dad."

The thought had swirled around in the back of Aidan's head all day, ever since they'd discovered Beverly Kildare and Angel's connection to her. Tom had done the wrong thing too, but he'd done it to help Isabella's grandmother, to protect his family. Did Aidan wish Tom—and Gabe, for that matter—had gone about things differently? Yes. Could he continue to hold on to those last vestiges of hurt and blame that occasionally haunted him? He'd forgiven Gabe, but not Tom, and maybe that was part of the reason he'd let Isabella push him away too, the pain of betrayal from the man who'd sworn to have his back still too fresh. Holding on to it still wasn't going to bring Izzy and Angel back into his life. And he wanted that; no question after the last few days.

With a long, slow breath, Aidan let the ghosts go, once and for all.

Behind him, Jamie chuckled. "How long have you needed to do that?"

"Too long." He rested his head back on Jamie's shoulder, breathing with him and letting the warmth chase away the day's chills. Letting each swipe of the washcloth Jamie made over his skin relax him further.

He couldn't say how much time had passed when Jamie spoke again. "How long do we have Bev for?"

Aidan smiled, liking the way that sounded. For the time being, he and Jamie could give her a safe, clean place to stay, which Aidan suspected she hadn't had for some time. "She's technically a witness in protective custody. Rooster will want to question her. Maybe she overheard something, like who White is working for or who Angel was supposed to deliver those diamonds to. She didn't mention either in her initial statement, but we didn't dig too deep. It was more about the immediate circumstances."

"Understandably. I'll help finalize the protective custody paperwork tomorrow."

"I'm hoping Rick has it filled out by the time we get in." He lifted his hands, fingers spread wide. "Jazz Hands for the win."

Laughing, Jamie laced their fingers together and crossed their arms back over Aidan's chest. "What about social services? "

"I'm sure they'll be by the office tomorrow."

"Do you think they'll place her back with Deidra?"

"They better never place another kid with that person. She was harboring a felon who'd violated parole, and the condition of that place..." He shook his head, dislodging the visions. "We took pictures. Plenty of documentation."

"You brought them both in?"

He nodded. "Matt took White to holding. Berat took the sister to County."

"Good," Jamie said as he lazily brushed their joined hands over his torso, lulling Aidan back into the jelly-limbed place. "Izzy has a flight tomorrow. She's trying to get out of it, but they're short-staffed and the pay is double."

"The kids can stay here." There was a delay between the words that had come out of his mouth and the presumptions that belatedly registered in his brain. Once they did, Aidan rotated half around in Jamie's arms, hand over the tattoo on his chest, the place it automatically went to after years together. "If that's okay with you? We have the place for the week, right?"

"We do," he said, covering Aidan's hand and giving it a squeeze. And if that wasn't reassurance enough, the soft kiss he laid on Aidan's lips quieted his spike of overstepping anxiety. "I was hoping you'd say that, though I think it would be good for both of them to get back to school tomorrow, assuming Rooster agrees. Under guard, of course."

"Agreed." Aidan settled his weight on Jamie's chest and smiled against his lips. "Is this what it would be like?"

"Soon, I hope," Jamie said with a grin, clearly following his train of thought. "Though if our future involves spending more time with Izzy and Angel, we gotta get 'em back to the Bay Area. I can't with the Lakers and Dodgers fans here."

"Not to mention the true-blue UCLA of it all."

Jamie lunged, splashing water. "Shut your filthy mouth." He proceeded to do just that, swallowing Aidan's laughter as their lips met again, then his moans as their kisses grew more heated. Ratcheted hotter when Jamie reached beneath the water and palmed Aidan's sac, stiffening his half-hard cock the rest of the way to erect. "Maybe we should practice that whole having to be quiet thing."

"We should," Aidan said. "Because after seven years, we both know you're pretty fucking terrible at it."

"Me?" Jamie squawked, proving his point, and Aidan shifted again, the one to silence him this time. He captured Jamie's lips and aligned their cocks, taking them both in hand and stroking. Jamie groaned against his lips. "Fuck, Irish." He rolled his hips, all of that big, gorgeous body grinding up against Aidan's. Hungry, same as Aidan was for him, for the comfort and peace only Jamie could give him.

"I know, baby, I know," he whispered as he pumped them faster, the water sloshing, waves that mimicked the heat rushing in Aidan's veins. He braced himself with his free hand against the side of the tub behind Jamie's head, getting more leverage and a good look at his whole world straining with pleasure beneath him. Head thrown back, Jamie panted and bit back his moans, his chest heaving, his nails digging into Aidan's sides to urge him faster. Harder. Could Aidan ask for more than this perfection? He wanted to. "Can we do this, Whiskey? Can we have it all? "

Jamie locked his lust-darkened gaze on his. "We can do anything, Irish. Together."

Which was how they came, erupting over Aidan's fist and swallowing each other's moans.

Quiet.

Proof they could do this much.

And with Jamie by his side, Aidan was hopeful about the rest too. Was starting to believe that yes, maybe they could have it all.