Chapter Twenty-Nine

Link

Did his badass lover even know that he oozed with protectiveness?

He suspected Eagle didn’t realize how possessive he became when it came to Link, and it was clear to Link that it now included Tyler. They had plenty of love to give to a lost boy and Link knew in his heart they could provide the stability Tyler needed to heal and perhaps even thrive.

First, though, they needed to come up with a plan.

“I need to call Dave,” Link whispered, easing out of Eagle’s hold.

Eagle urged Tyler into the XL SUV and Link climbed inside. The rest of the unit loaded up into the other vehicles. Link held out a t-shirt for Tyler. It was a spare one from someone and hung on the tall, thin boy, but it was better than the damned blanket.

One SUV would stay with Dalton, who was giving his statement to the local PD and would take care of the motel for all of them. Since SWAT and Detective Wall had been involved in the case, very little explanation was needed to the local PD. In fact, they were glad for Pegasus’ assistance and promised to call on the team when needed in the future.

Mason and Owen climbed in and with Jordan driving, they hit the road.

Once situated, Link pulled out his cell phone and dialed the former SecDef.

“Link? What’s the matter?” Dave answered the phone on the first ring.

“I should be pissed at you that you sent Eagle,” Link said conversationally.

“Oh…” Dave sighed. “Yeah, about that.”

“Mhmm.” Link snorted on a laugh. “Where are you?”

“At my California home,” Dave said slowly.

“Stay put,” Link said and hung up.

“You feel like a trip to Santa Barbara?” Link glanced at Eagle after he ended the call.

Eagle slanted him a glance. “What about Tyler?”

“He can come with,” Link said. If they planned on keeping Tyler, and Link was pretty sure they did, Tyler would need to fit into their world. Which might not be the safest place on earth, but it was a fuck ton safer than where Tyler had been.

“You feel like taking a drive with us?” Eagle asked, and the boy gave a quick nod.

When Mason leaned across the space and offered Tyler a piece of jerky, the boy stared at it like a starving wolf. Link’s heart squeezed. It was only when Eagle nudged Tyler with his shoulder that the boy snatched the food and tore off a huge bite.

“Thank you.” Tyler’s mouth was full and the words were garbled, but Mason smiled with a nod.

“Just let me know if you want more. I have a whole bag and some apples,” Mason said over the rumble of the vehicle.

Tyler nodded and then tears spurted out of the boy’s eyes before he ducked his head, holding on to the jerky like a fucking life-saving device.

“Jordan? Head to the address I sent to your phone,” Link said.

Jordan nodded and took the freeway. It’d take some two and a half hours to get to Santa Barbara from Bakersfield.

“Here, let me do that for you,” Owen said, climbing into the empty passenger seat and reaching for Jordan’s phone.

Jordan snorted. “I got it.”

“Let me help,” Owen insisted.

“Fine, you can think of things to keep me awake,” Jordan said and handed over his phone.

Owen grinned and Jordan rolled his eyes.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“The more you get to know me, you’ll realize that I’m full of ideas.”

“Pullllease.” Jordan shook his head, but even from where Link sat, he could see the smile on the younger man’s lips.

Dave’s house sat behind an iron gate and guard house, and they passed right through the slowly opening gate.

“I’m going to stay out here and catch some sleep,” Mason said and stretched out on the bench seat before pulling a rough gray blanket over his head.

“I need to fill out some reports online,” Jordan said when Link glanced at the techie.

“And I’m going to help him…fill the papers out,” Owen called out. “Just in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t,” Link laughed.

Walking up to the former SecDef’s door wasn’t like visiting a friend. The security detail on Dave was extensive and Link was surprised to see a familiar face.

“What are you doing here?” Link asked Stone.

“Hanging around,” the tall, dark-haired, good-looking man said with a shrug.

“Does Dave know?”

“No, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Won’t they tell?” Link waved a hand at the plethora of guards.

“Not if they value their jobs.”

“So, Dave has no idea that you’re out here guarding him?”

“No,” Stone said with a growl.

“Why are you?”

“That’s on a need-to-know basis.”

Link smirked. “Yeah, okay, we cleared?”

Stone jerked his head at the guard and the man stepped back and opened the door. They were met by a woman who wore an apron and ushered them into a large library off to the side of the entryway.

He came face-to-face with none other than Jaxon West.

“Hey…”

“Hey Link, Eagle,” Jaxon said and glanced at the boy.

“This is Tyler.”

“Hello,” Tyler said shyly, gazing at Jaxon in awe. Link couldn’t blame him, Jaxon commanded attention. The badass bodyguard was ripped, smoking hot, and wore leather—a living fantasy. What really drew attention, though, was Jaxon’s brown-blond hair caught at the back of his head, long lighter strands fell forward and a few caught in the man’s beard. Yeah, the guy was one sexy motherfucker.

Link slipped an arm around Eagle’s waist and the bigger man startled from his touch before sliding one massive arm along his shoulders. When Eagle pulled him closer, Link went.

“What are you doing here?” Link asked.

“I’m not.” Jaxon twisted his lips and tossed back the amber drink in the glass he was holding.

“Ah, okay.” Must be Erebus business. Jaxon was a former assassin turned bodyguard, but Dave seemed to bring the man in when shit went south.

“Link, Eagle.” Dave entered the room. The man wore a dark power suit that went well with his dark hair. He had to be in his late fifties, but only a few threads of gray swept through the strands. Dave’s face was shaved, but a dark shadow lingered on his squared jaw. Gold cufflinks winked on the cuffs of his pristine white shirt.

“And who’s this?” Dave’s gaze landed on Tyler.

“This is Tyler, and he’s the reason we are here.” Link quickly explained the situation about the previous foster care and what had happened tonight. He glossed over the rape, saying Tyler had recently been to the hospital for evidence collection. Dave caught on immediately and his face went still. The man took abuse very fucking seriously.

“So, with all that said, I need you to make a call and have Tyler placed in our custody,” Link finished.

Dave blinked and his head swiveled from him to Eagle and then back to him.

“So, you two…figured your shit out?”

“Not yet.” Link laughed. “Believe it or not, we haven’t even talked.”

“Why not?” Dave frowned, and Link gazed up at Eagle, who cleared his throat.

“Because in the end? Our shit doesn’t matter all that much. We’re no longer going to let it get between what we want.”

“Yeah,” Link said softly, holding Eagle’s heated smoky gaze.

“Well it’s about damned time,” Dave said.

Link shot the man a sharp look. “You sound relieved. How much did you have riding on this?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit,” Eagle barked, and Link’s grin widened.

“We know about the bet. Every fucking couple in Phoenix and Pegasus had some kind of bet behind the scenes riding on whether or not someone would get together with someone,” Link admonished through a chuckle.

“Okay, I may have placed a small one.” Dave held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.

Jaxon snorted, drawing Link’s gaze, but the man was moving toward the door. When Jaxon reached for the handle, he turned and held Dave’s eyes across the distance.

“We good?”

“Yeah, I’ll be in touch,” Dave said, and Jaxon left the room.

“What was that about?” Link said.

“Things you don’t want to know.”

It had to be Erebus and Dave was right, Link wanted no part of that fucked-up side of Dave’s business. The assassins were batshit crazy.

“So? Can you help us out?” Eagle asked.

Dave smiled and lifted the phone.