Chapter Ten

Jaxon had been looking at him off and on ever since the man had fallen on his ass on the patio.

For a minute there, Hayden had the insane idea that Jaxon had been close to kissing him.

Maybe he’d been hallucinating.

And if not, he wasn’t sure how he felt about it, and he wasn’t sure if he was glad the neighbor had interrupted them or not.

Didn’t Jaxon have enough names on his dating list? Yes, he did. Thinking of the list of Jaxon’s dating numbers suddenly turned Hayden’s stomach sour, but it was only because nobody should have that many people in a little black book!

The idea of burning that book of names took root, but he couldn’t do that because the list was actually on Jaxon’s phone and not paper. But he could smash the cell to pieces or delete the list completely from the cloud—he knew people with the skills to do it.

Why the hell was he getting all up in Jaxon’s business all of a sudden?

It’s just my crazy thinking,that annoying voice of reason said.

Jaxon was his best friend and he had no right to be possessive about who the guy dated. He recalled the strange look on Jaxon’s face when he’d announced he was dating Thomas, but then Jaxon had smiled, patted his shoulder, and retreated to the kitchen to cook dinner.

Right now, though, they both weren’t dating anyone.

In fact, his own lover had left rather abruptly and Hayden was fine with that. Their relationship had been a bit volatile anyway, because… well…he was a lot to handle and Thomas hadn’t liked it when he joked around or acted like his flirty, sassy self. Thomas also never liked his and Jaxon’s closeness and constantly complained about how they acted more like a married couple than best friends.

“We are not,” Hayden had scowled at Thomas.

“You fucking give him food off your plate.”

Hayden shrugged. “So? Who cares?”

“You banter constantly with stupid jokes, teasing each other.”

“Yeah? Well, we’re best friends.”

“You’re constantly pushing his hair back.”

“Well, he does tend to get it stuck in his beard,” Hayden had reasoned.

“He helps you put on your coat when you’re going on a date with me,” Thomas had snapped.

“Does he?” Hayden smiled and then sighed and changed the subject.

It hadn’t been long after that day when he and Thomas started arguing constantly. Once they’d gotten into it in front of Jaxon. When Thomas had stepped closer to growl into his face one night on the front porch, Jaxon had jerked open the door and threatened to shoot the guy. Jaxon’s words had warmed Hayden’s heart, although he did wonder why Jaxon was standing so close to the front door. Thomas had ended their relationship a few days later over a text message of all things.

A few weeks after that, Jaxon had taken that damned job in California, and Hayden had been left bewildered when the man had left without saying a word. It was several days after Jaxon left that he’d become pissed and another few days after that he’d decided to get the hell out of Cobalt Security and forge his own path.

Drastic, yes, but he felt confused at his level of hurt and anger at Jaxon’s desertion.

Now though, Jaxon had nixed up his plans by coming after him. It was as if Jaxon was making a point by letting him know that he could run but he couldn’t hide, and Hayden couldn’t deny the fact that it thrilled him that Jaxon had come for him.

They were best friends after all.

Hayden smirked and pulled on the dark tactical gear Jaxon had thoughtfully put into his bag.

Jaxon gave him a strange look, but Hayden ignored it. He tugged on his socks and dark running shoes before he stood and tucked his Sig into a holster he’d strapped on. Lifting his long hair, he pulled it tightly back and quickly put it into a bun.

Similarly, Jaxon lifted his own heavy, dark blond hair and tied it at his nape. Most of the front strands fell forward, catching in his beard when Jaxon pulled on a leather jacket over his black attire.

Damn, the man looked badass.

“What?”

“Hmm?” Hayden said with a smile and stepped forward to brush each piece of hair from Jaxon’s beard before flipping them over the man’s shoulder.

Jaxon stood still and Hayden swore the heat was rising off the guy in waves.

How odd.

Flipping his eyes up, their gazes locked and held and Hayden suddenly felt lightheaded.

“Ready?” he croaked.

Jaxon didn’t answer and took several jerking steps away, moving toward the bedroom door and Hayden stifled a grumbling sound and followed.

They had changed many times in the same room before, but now it felt different.

As if something had shifted between them.

They arrived at the halfway house a little after noon and Hayden parked Jaxon’s SUV against the curb of the street in a nicer part of town.

Jaxon frequently made him drive because the man would rather use his time buried in his phone and working than behind the wheel. However, this time, Jaxon hadn’t even pulled his phone out.

After he parked, Hayden tossed the keys to Jaxon and hopped out of the truck to close the door.

“Follow my lead,” he said, coming around the truck.

“Why?” Jaxon frowned.

“I have a plan.” Hayden pulled on his zip-up-the-front black sweatshirt and started up the walkway.

“Why do you get to have the plan?” Jaxon complained.

Hayden tossed a glance over his shoulder and caught Jaxon’s eyes on his ass. Before the man could look up, Hayden spun around and smothered a smile.

Of course, brat that he was, he put an exaggerated sway to his hips as he sauntered up the steps.

“Because I’m the brains of this operation.”

Jaxon stepped up beside him and gazed down into his face. “I thought you were the beauty?”

Why did those words send a shiver up his spine? Shaking himself, Hayden popped out a response.

“I can be both,” he promised, returning Jaxon’s smirking smile.

“That’s not the way it works.”

“Today it does.”

Jaxon’s smirk turned into a genuine smile that appeared a bit like a challenge.

What did that mean?

Hayden pursed his lips for a moment, then knocked on the door while a hundred comebacks sat on the tip of his tongue.

Right in the middle of searching for a bad guy was probably not the best time to start this strange flirting thing they had going on. It was flirting, right?

Knock it off!he silently berated himself. He did have some self-discipline after all. It might be a small amount, but it was there nonetheless.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jaxon’s whisper came hot near his ear and sent a shiver up his back just as the door opened.

“Hello.” Hayden smiled, trying to focus, when a tall, thin man with a bald head, long graying mustache, and beard answered the door.

“Mr. Dawson?”

“Yes,” the guy slowly answered.

“I’m Hayden Thorne and this is Jaxon West. We are investigating the bombing that happened at Freeman’s Deli and Coffee House. You might have seen it on the news?”

Dawson studied them both and then slowly nodded. “I saw it.”

“Mr. West and I may have been targeted by one of the people in your halfway house. And we just need you to verify if they were here.”

“Who do you suspect?”

“Richard Lundry.”

Dawson’s head tipped and he shoved the screen door open and jerked his head toward the stairs right inside near the entrance.

“He’s upstairs, first door on the left,” Dawson said, but then turned and led the way upstairs. The man pounded a fist on the closed door and then snapped it open.

Lundry sat up on the rumpled bed, hair askew, clearly having been sleeping in his clothes.

“You been off site, Lundry?”

“No.” Landry look suspiciously at the three of them.

“Lift your pant leg,” Dawson ordered.

Landry reached down and pulled up his jeans pant leg, displaying an ankle monitor.

“He can’t go more than a hundred yards away from this place.”

“Thanks.” Jaxon nodded to Dawson and pulled Hayden from the room.

“Now what?” Hayden said as soon as they were back outside and walking away from the house.

“We go back to the files,” Jaxon answered, sliding behind the wheel.

“It sounds boring…and safe.”

“I saw a Nintendo Switch in the back bedroom. I may let you win at Mario Kart.”

“Oh please…you mean I’ll let you win.”

“Lies.”

Hayden loved the sound of Jaxon’s deep teasing voice and he was loath to kill the mood so he stayed silent, but he knew what Jaxon was trying to do and it wasn’t going to work.

He wasn’t quitting Erebus nor returning to Cobalt Security.