Page 197 of The Wild Charge

“Yeah.” Tenny braced a knee on the bed and moved to help him.

Reese huffed a quiet protest, but Tenny still slipped an arm behind his shoulders and levered him up to a sitting position, all too conscious of the little facial twitches that betrayed the pain offivebroken ribs, even with opioids in his system.

“You don’t have to help me so much.” But it was a complaint said fondly.

Tenny didn’t look at his face, afraid of seeing another smile. “But I’m going to. Here’s your jacket.” He draped it over his shoulders, and turned away to gather up both their bags.

“You can’t carry them both with your bad shoulder.”

“It’s fine.” It most certainly was not fine; it hurt like a bitch. Abe, Walsh, Albie, and even that traitor Fox had all tried to coerce him into wearing a sling, which he’d refused. How could he help Reese one-handed?

They went next door to the main suite, where everyone was jammed together in the sitting room. The TV was on, yet another local news story about Waverly and his ilk, more debate about culprits and motives and the dead parties’ proclaimed guilt. Tenny snatched the remote up off the coffee table and turned it off.

“Thank you,” Toly muttered.

Fox noted them with a mild glance. “You’re here? Good. Time to go.” He was toying with a set of keys with his good hand, and Albie made a reach for them.

“Nuh-uh. You’re not driving all the way back to Knoxville one-handed.”

Fox drew the keys farther back. “And when was the last time you drove an American pickup truck, hm? Approximately never?”

Albie made an exasperated sound, and another reach. “Don’t be stubborn. Axelle and I are taking both cars back.”

“Says you.”

“Says me.” Walsh snatched the keys away on Fox’s other side with a put-upon sigh. “I’ll drive the truck back. Albie, ride with your girlfriend. Fox, you go back in the jet with the rest of the walking wounded.” He glanced between both of his frowning brothers. “Say ‘yes, Daddy.’”

“Fuck off, Daddy,” Fox said with a feral grin.

Albie frowned.

But Walsh pocketed the keys and glanced across the room at Tenny. “You two are ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Cars are downstairs, roll out.”

Tenny had heard all the others saying their goodbyes. Thanking Maverick and his crew, talking about the weeks to come. Tenny knew that he would inevitably be a part of the plan to dismantle what remained of Abacus, but he’d skipped out on all the debriefing here. He wanted to leave – almost as badly as he didn’t want to think about what things would be like when they got back to Tennessee – and so he headed now for the door, steering Reese ahead of him. He had no sentimentality to spare on long-winded goodbyes. The NYC Dogs had been a help, yes, but that was their job; their commitment to the club. He wasn’t friends with any of them.

A hand touched his elbow, though, when they were out in the hall.

Ian. Who spoke to Reese. “Mind if I steal him for a moment? It won’t be long.”

Reese, who’d been downright dopey with his medicated smiles, actually frowned. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. But he nodded. “I’ll wait at the elevator.”

Tenny ghosted a hand along the small of his back as he stepped away. “I’ll only be a second.”

“Hm.”

“He doesn’t like me much,” Ian said with a chuckle, when they’d reached the far end of the hall, and the seating alcove there that overlooked the park. Backlit by bright morning sunlight, the trees beyond the glass going orange and gold as a stunning backdrop to Ian’s blue suit, he looked a little bit resplendent. Tenny knew he liked Knoxville, and its quiet, but the bustle and grandeur of New York made all his effortless glamor really shine.

Caught in a moment of admiration, it took him a beat to register what Ian said. Then it was his turn to frown. “What? That’s not true.”

“Oh, it is. Though maybe it’s less to do with liking and more to do with jealousy. Worried I’ll steal you away.”

Tenny snorted. “Well,that’snot going to happen.”

“Agreed.” Ian titled his head, studying him. “I wanted to check, before you left, that you were okay.”

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