Page 81 of Besties
Eric’s scowl deepened and Gary had a sense of déjà vu. He could almost feel the disapproval pouring out of Eric, heaping onto Gary’s shoulders.
So what if he had skinny shoulders? They could take the weight.
“Listen to me, Cross.” The words came out as a growl. “Why the fuck would you think it’s okay to pull me from this detail?”
Detail?
Oh yeah. They were there to do a job.
The US had a vested interest in trying to bring the local clans together to fight... something. They were supposed to be guarding a summit between several of the smaller factions that dotted the sparse area. Their commander had insisted it would go a long way toward stabilizing the area, thereby reducing problems they experienced with thefts from their junk heaps. He’d also claimed that getting these people to work together would give them another ally in their fight. Everyone agreed, but no one believed it.
Most people thought it foolish to even try.
“I’m sorry, what?” That arrogant glare, the one Gary always found hella hot, now seemed more sad than anything. Gary couldn’t understand why Eric would be angry. It made no sense. “Why are you so upset?”
Eric’s blue eyes went wide. “Are you for fuckingreal? You tried to cut me out of this operation. How the hell did youexpectmeto react?”
He had? It was so hard to remember.
It was then he noticed the buzzing. It was what his men referred to as his Spidey Sense. They had teased him about them, but each time he’d felt that clench in the pit of his stomach, he’d spoken up. Eventually they came to regard his feelings as a barometer of sorts, and it saved them a lot of grief.
That tingling could have been a reaction to the stifling air fraught with tension, but it had been that way ever since the conference began. Hardly a surprise. No trust existed between them, and each had accused the other of harboring operatives of Al-Qaeda. How anyone thought these people could come together and cooperate, Gary had no clue.
Eric had already torn him a new one in their commander’s office, but the situation hadn’t improved. How the hell could Gary explain the fear in his gut, the terror that became more real every time Eric turned those soft blue eyes in his direction.
Build a fucking bridge between you.
HeneededEric.
Gary reached out to him. “Eric….” His voice was soft.
Eric shoved Gary’s hand away, a pained expression on his face. “Fuck you!” He took several steps away, and each one tore Gary’s heart out a little more. “I can’t believe you’d do that shit to me. What the fuck, man? Bad enough you’d do it to any member of your squad, but to do it tome? That shit ain’t right.”
Eric’s anger and hurt lanced into Gary’s heart like shards of glass. “I know. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you. Should have explained why. It’s just… I’ve got a bad feeling. Something is going to happen.”
That buzzing was getting worse.
Eric’s irritated gaze softened slightly. “Which is why you need me. Tell me I’m not the best you’ve got.”
He couldn’t argue that fact. Eric consistently scored higher than the rest of them in every aspect. Hand to hand, firearms, and more. Eric Bowman was the man you’d want at your back if everything went to shit. If it hadn’t been for the attitude that erupted all the damn time, he probably would have been in charge instead of Gary.
Gary struggled to find the words to explain why he’d done it. “That’s not it at all.”
Eric stalked closer and jabbed a finger into Gary’s chest. “Bullshit. I’m not some dainty little flower, Cross.” He leaned in close, licked Gary’s ear, and whispered in a husky voice, “If memory serves, it’syouon the bottom.”
Gary’s cheeks burned at the comment. He loved the feeling of Eric taking him, making him know that he held Gary’s body, as well as his heart. And now the bastard was using it against him and grinning about it.
Fucker.
“Still want to start a business when we get out?” Gary asked.
Eric blinked. “How fucking random is that?”
Anything to change the goddamn subject. “That’s not an answer.”
Eric stared out at the shimmering sand. “Of course. It’s the one thought that keeps me marking off days on the calendar. Four months and twelve days until we’re free men.” He cast a glance in Gary’s direction, a slight smile playing on his face. “And don’t think I don’t know you’re hoping I’ll forget why I’m mad at you, because that’s not happening.”
“How can I make it up to you?” Gary whispered, pitching his voice low. He always knew how to pluck Eric’s strings. The offer of a blow job, or Gary giving up his ass, would always drag his fierce, protective warrior back to the here and now.
