Page 54 of Sticks and Stones
He’d dwelled on it as he was tossed naked into a dumpster.
Oh, and he thought about it when he dragged his broken body to the mouth of the alley after somehow getting out of the dumpster.
Corbin had done nothing but think about how he could have done this differently. The whole time, he’d been praying that he’d see them again.
Will.
Gene and Ethan.
What he’d learned the last months working with Gene and Ethan was that one of them was hiding behind a gruff exterior.
That someone was Gene.
He was mushy and sweet under that crankiness, and Corbin was grateful that he didn’t lose this moment. So, he told him how he felt.
“I love you, Gene. I know you’re angry with me now, and I own it, but I want you to know that when I was dying, I regretted my choices because it was going to take me away from my family. I knew it was on me that I’d never get to find out if you married Ethan, or if you stayed inPhilly.”
That broke Gene.
He knew that Corbin would never be the same again, even if they got him justice. He knew that this would change him, and it could go either way.
Would he be able to fight back?
Or would this take him down?
Time would tell.
Corbin watched as tears filled his eyes. When he turned his head, their gazes met.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” Gene said. “You and Ethan. If this city doesn’t kill me, I’ll be shocked as shit,” he said, as the blue Mustang pulled up to the door.
Luckily for Gene, it was time to go.
But he had one thing he had to say.
“I love you too, Corbin. We both do. No matter what happens from this moment out, know that we both feel that for you.”
Oh, he was aware.
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have shown up at the hospital for him.
This was a bond they’d always have, and Corbin wouldALWAYSshow up for them going forward.
When Ethan beeped, signaling that the coast was clear, they made their move.
“Hold onto me,” he said, hauling ass to the doors to hopefully not be stopped by anyone coming inside.
Once through the glass, Ethan was there with the door open, and the seat forward.
They needed to move fast.
The goal was to get back to the condo, tuck Corbin away, and then figure out how to unravel this mess—all before Alice showed up.
Oh, and that’s what this whole situation was.
A clusterfuck.
Gently, Gene helped Corbin get inside and to the back where he could lounge across the whole seat, so he wasn’t uncomfortable.
