Chapter 44

The fallout followingSpencer's arrest was almost immediate, and for a few days, it seemed there was always something new to read, to watch, to listen to…. Chalmers kept CrossBow in the loop as to what was going on. Spencer's company's assets were seized, all files were confiscated, and each employee was brought in and questioned. Most of them spoke in glowing terms about having Spencer as a boss, but a few said he had a vibe that was a little too intense.

Josh had snorted at that. Yeah, having a psychopath for a boss might have that effect.

Spencer's arraignment had been nothing short of a media circus. There had been protests from his followers about the length of time between the FBI taking him into custody and him entering a plea, rumors spreading like wildfire that they hadn't arraigned him right away because the FBI were busy fabricating evidence.

Josh had his own theory about that. The process had taken that long because the FBI wanted to make sure their evidence was airtight before making a move.

Spencer made bail, not that anyone had ever doubted he would, but he was told to remain in DC and his jet was impounded. Josh had expected a flurry of interviews, with Spencer making huge declarations of innocence, but he'd gone suspiciously quiet.

No one else did, however.

The talk shows paraded a never-ending stream of guests who claimed to know the truth, but mostly spouted things that had already been disproven—such as Josh being responsible for the horrendous events. Not that it stopped the media from really playing up that angle, which whipped the Spencer camp into a frenzy. Like he'd told Dixon, Josh was consigned to the fact that he was now stuck in a prison of his own making. However, he made good use of the downtime by making plans to open a business of his own, just in case Gary and Michael decided having him around was too much of a distraction.

I couldn't really blame them for that.

The best thing about the whole debacle was that Josh and Gary were out of the safe house and back at CrossBow with the men who loved them.

But will Dixon be willing to step out of his comfort zone?

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Dixon laced their fingers together and gave a gentle squeeze.

No time like the present.

Josh didn't look at Dixon. "If I have to go, would you leave with me?"

"Yes."

The lack of hesitation staggered him for a moment. "Why?" He glanced at Dixon, and was rewarded with an eye-roll.

"Because we're a team, moron. Where you go, I go."

Okay, that was one question answered.

He knew he'd have to talk to Gary and Michael eventually, but he was putting it off because the thought of them regarding him gravely, nodding, and saying his departure from CrossBow would be for the best left him feeling cold and hollow.

Don't think about that.

It might not come to that.

Yeah, he wasn't that hopeful.

"Carson and his family all moved out?"

Dixon nodded. "Yeah, but they're under guard. Gary said they'd have protection until they deemed it wasn't necessary anymore. My guess is that'll be after the trial, and knowing how things go, that'll be a long time coming."

"Did I tell you Carson said I'd be called in to testify?"

Dixon gave his hand another squeeze. "Yeah, you did. Twice."

"He said he'd try to make it so I could give my evidence from here so I wouldn't have to see Spencer—or his people—face-to-face. Not the best solution, but I think it's a good idea."

"Yeah, it is." Dixon scowled. "I don't want you anywhere near that lunatic."

Josh sighed. "This is going to be my life from now on, isn't it? Sitting here on the couch, worrying about my future."

Warm lips brushed his cheek. "We'll figure this out, Doc. You have my word."

That sounded nice—in theory—but Josh knew better.

Let him have his happy space until the shit hits the fan.

He sank deeper into the couch. "So what happened with Kathy?" He'd kinda switched off where she was concerned.

"Carson's people came to collect her. She's going to be in their custody while a safe place is worked out for her. I know it sucks that she's gonna walk, but I think she's going to have to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, jumping at every shadow. And if I'm honest, it couldn't happen to a more deserving person."

That was a sentiment Josh could agree with. The fact that someone so horrible would be walking around when so many decent people had died didn't sit right with him, but Spencer was the greater threat, so as evil as she was, it was still the lesser evil.

Dixon leaned into him. "I do have video of her being hauled out in cuffs, if that'll make you feel any better. She wasn't exactly quiet when they escorted her to the car. If you want, I'll make you some lunch, and you can watch it while you eat."

The suggestion had a taint of pettiness that robbed Josh of his appetite. "I'm not hungry." He'd be happy if he never got to see Kathy ever again, but the idea of finding her exit entertaining?

Yeah, he wasn't at that point, and he was sort of surprised to find Dixon was. Then he reconsidered. Dixon sees the woman who was happy to stand by while Spencer laid the blame at my doorstep.

Screw her.

"Want some macaroni and cheese?" Dixon asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.

Damnbut Dixon knew which buttons to push, and for a brief moment, Josh was tempted. "No, thank you, though."

Dixon sighed. "Don't think I haven't noticed."

"Noticed what?"

"You haven't been eating." Dixon stood. "So I'm going to make it, and you're gonna eat it." He chuckled. "And it won't even be out of the little blue box. I'm gonna make you my famous homemade stuff that'll give you a happy tummy."

"Dixon, I'm not really?—"

He was treated to the most adorable puppy eyes. "For me. Please? I know you've got a lot going on in your head, but your body and brain need fuel. And you also need sleep. So, how about we have something for lunch, and then we take a nap?"

"Won't they need you?" It was way too easy in moments like this to forget Dixon had a job. Responsibilities.

"Not today." Dixon tilted his head. "Hey, did I tell you I accepted a promotion?"

"What? No! When was this? And how come I missed it?"

Dixon laughed. "Relax. It only happened this morning."

"Congratulations. What are you doing now?"

He buffed his nails on his shirt. "Special Projects Manager."

Josh had never heard of that position. "What's that?"

"Oh, well it's where I'm responsible for one of the singular most important things in CrossBow."

Josh frowned. "I don't understand."

That earned him another eye-roll. "You, doof. With everything that's been going on, Michael and Gary have decided you need a full-time bodyguard." He grinned. "So that's me. I'm no longer Operations Manager."

Oh God, this was terrible. "So you're no longer in charge?"

"I am, just not of daily stuff." His eyes sparkled. "My sole responsibility now is you."

Hell no. Hell to the freaking no.

"That's garbage." The words came out as a bellow. "I don't want you to give up your job, especially since you're so good at it."

Dixon squeezed his fingers again. "I appreciate that, really. But I gotta be honest. I wouldn't be able to focus on my job if I was here worrying about you." He gave a shrug. "So I accepted, and as of now, I'm your permanent bodyguard. In fact, Michael declared that today is ‘Take Care of Doc' day and I'm responsible for it, so you'd better shut up and let me do my job."

Despite his misgivings, Josh couldn't suppress his chuckle. It was hard to stay in a bad mood when you had a cat playing with your shoelaces and a man who wanted to take care of you.

"Okay, I'll eat." He really was starting to get hungry. Then he batted his eyes. "And if you happen to have a grilled cheese, I'll love you forever."

Dixon snorted. "You're a shitty actor." His gaze softened. "But you got it."

He moved into the kitchen, and Josh enjoyed watching him walk. The swagger was enticing. Maybe he could talk Dixon into doing a little more than napping. Or maybe they could have the nap after. His doctor had cleared him for more strenuous activity, after all. He had to admit, having the clinic inside CrossBow was a great idea.

"So tell me something," Dixon called from the kitchen. "What do you think is going to happen with Spencer?"

That had been plaguing Josh since the day they'd hauled him in. Spencer's army of lawyers were already busy filing motions to dismiss, claiming improper procedure. Each had been turned down by all the judges thus far, but Josh figured they'd find one eventually who agreed with Spencer or his ideals, or was in one of Spencer's many deep pockets.

"They'll dismiss most of the charges, but the ones for all the deaths? He'll be spending a very long time in prison. Hopefully."

"You don't sound too hopeful.

Josh pulled a face. "That's because we have a two-tier justice system in this country. The wealthy, who can afford the best lawyers, usually get off or receive a slap on the wrist. Those who can't afford counsel usually end up behind bars or with fines so stiff, they're ruined."

Dixon paused before asking another question. "Do you think any of Spencer's plan had merit?"

That was an easy one. "No. No one person, no matter how noble or well-intentioned, should hold that kind of power. They say power corrupts for a reason. Of course, it's even worse when the person who holds it is corrupt in the first place."

Silence fell while Dixon finished cooking, broken only by the occasional noise from Coby, who had declared war on Josh's shoelaces and was demanding their complete surrender. When Dixon brought a plate over to Josh, he had to admit it looked delicious. That first bite was pretty sublime too.

"You missed your calling," Josh announced. "You would be a great cook at almost any restaurant."

"I'll let you in on a secret. This is about the only thing I can cook, and I had to learn to do it, just in case I ever got the chance to impress CrossBow's resident genius."

A lump appeared in Josh's throat, but he swallowed it down. How could anyone not love Dixon? He had the whole vibe of being strong and tough, but he was also tender and caring. And if he hadn't persevered, Josh would have missed those qualities.

"So, how about that video?" Josh asked.

Dixon slipped his phone from his belt and put it down in front of Josh. The nice thing about the cameras in CrossBow was they were all initially top of the line, and then Josh had tinkered with them to improve them. Now the cameras were good enough to be able to see a flea jump, with a microphone sensitive enough to hear a fly fart. Okay, maybe not that good, but the thought did make Josh snicker.

He watched as Kathy was walked briskly to the door by three agents, except that she was fighting them all the way and it looked more like they were dragging her.

"I was promised protection!" she shrieked.

"Not our problem anymore," Dixon told her, opening the door so the FBI could finally get her from the building. "And you were told that your safety was contingent on your continued cooperation. Right now, it doesn't seem to me like they're getting a lot of that."

"I helped you protect those people. And Malone."

"Because your life was threatened. Don't ever pretend like it was something noble and decent, because from where I sit, those qualities don't exist for you. Lives could have been saved if you'd found your conscience earlier. And yeah, I know, people have disappointed you your whole life, but that doesn't mean you need to be like them."

The door closed, and Josh couldn't hear anything else as they put her into the car. He imagined it would take a while for the realization to sink in that her life was no longer her own but belonged to the US government, and it wasn't likely they would be as considerate as CrossBow had been.

At least, Josh hoped not.

He ate the last of his sandwich, then dug into his macaroni and cheese. Damn, that was full of yum. He still liked the powdered cheese sauce, but this probably nudged ahead just a bit. When he finished, he realized Dixon was right. His tummy was happier than it had been in a while.

"Thank you for that," he said. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."

Dixon took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them out, then placed them in the dishwasher. When he came back to the table, he took a seat across from Josh.

"So, what did you think about my idea of taking a nap?"

It sounded amazing, but Josh had other ideas, ones that had been fermenting ever since his last checkup. "You know what I really want?"

"No, but tell me and I'll try to make sure you get it."

"You, me, naked in a big bed, with a bottle of lube within reach."

Dixon grinned, wide and lascivious. "Ooh, tell me more."

Josh arched his eyebrows. "Why tell when I can show?"

It had been several weeks since they'd had sex, and right now, Josh was feeling needy. It wasn't that he was necessarily horny—more a case of wanting the closeness, to feel the heat pouring off Dixon's body, to hear his pants and gasped breaths. Josh needed a reminder that he was alive, and that Dixon would make sure to keep him that way.

Dixon stood and held out a hand to Josh. "Let's go take care of that, okay? And then we'll both nap."

That sounded just perfect to Josh.

Dix watchedas Doc stripped off his clothes. As he suspected, the man wasn't eating well at all. He made a mental note to work on making Josh good, healthy meals. Of course, that would mean calling his mom for recipes. But Doc was worth it.

He slipped out of his clothes as Doc slid into the bed. It was so hard to believe this was reality, because Dix had been having these dreams since he met the guy.

"On your stomach," Dix said. Doc flipped over without a word. Dix opened the drawer and drew out a bottle of oil, but not the lube kind. Yes, Doc said he wanted sex, probably as much as Dix longed to be buried in him again, but what he really needed was sleep, and that was something Dix could help with. He put some oil on his hands, then crawled over Doc's legs and put his hands on the slender back.

"Hey, lube doesn't go there," Doc protested, but then he yawned.

"Hush. Rest. Sleep for me."

"But—"

"Sleep, Doc."

His eyes drifted closed as Dix pressed the palms of his hands into the muscles tight with tension. When Doc moaned, Dix knew he'd made the right choice. He leaned in and sang his favorite song from when he was younger, "You and Me" by Lifehouse.

"I didn't know you could sing," Doc murmured, his voice cutting out.

"That's because I don't do it all that often."

"It's pretty. You got a nice voice. You should do it more."

The praise warmed Dix's heart, as did the snores that followed a moment later. He got up, washed his hands, then went back to the bed and slid under the covers beside Doc.

There would be problems tomorrow, but for tonight, there would be sleep.

When his phone vibrated on the nightstand, Dix knew he should ignore it, but response was too deeply ingrained. He grabbed it and peered at the screen, his hear sinking when he read Michael's message.

I don't think you've seen this. Spencer's gone AWOL. They have no idea where he is.

Shit.

He debated waking Doc, but decided against it.

Bad news was always better when received in daylight.