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.Bad words.Lots and lots of bad words.Cane didn't help matters by muttering to Matthew via the rolling green hills middleman his attention was still latched onto, “You're supposed to be in bed.”Matthew laughed.“Although that is a clever change of subject, I think I'll sidestep it for the time being.There are more important things to be discussing than my sleeping habits.”“I don't know about that,” Cane mumbled to a passing bluebird.“Like, for instance,” Matthew said, “just off the top of my soon-to-be-steaming head, the gash notched out of your left eye socket.” Matthew pointed to the hemorrhaging wound.“It's nothing.” Cane shrugged.“It's bleeding.”Cane blinked and looked up at his partner.“But so is the other guy, so mission accomplished.” Now that Cane was aiming that steely-eyed gaze at him, Matthew could feel the residual anger still charging through the air.Reaching out, Matthew thumbed his lover's gash, putting on an “I told you so” face when Cane winced.He needed to tone down the tension floating around before one or both of them did one of those spontaneous combustion tricks everybody read about in the tabloids.“So just how much of your brain leaked out before I got here?”“Not enough,” Cane said.“I'm still planning on marrying you.”“Ha, fucking ha.” While Matthew certainly appreciated the effort, he really wasn't in the mood for a round of lighthearted banter just yet.“Please tell me this was May.It just might be worth all of your non-whining, tough guy, I'm a soldier shit, if it finally gives me a reason to slug the thistle.”Cane shook his head.“Jefferson.”Matthew scrubbed a weary hand through his hair and counted to ten a few dozen times.He finally found words enough to comment, “I'm wearing my shocked face, aren't I?”“Just leave it alone, Matthew.” Cane stood up and tried unsuccessfully to hide the little wobble.“I handled it.”A quick look at the bloody knuckles Cane was trying to stuff down his pants pockets confirmed Matthew's initial suspicions.“I'm sure you did.I'm just going to handle it some more.”The locked jaw and throbbing vein were back.“Damn it, Matthew!”“Fuck you, Cane!” Matthew roared.He had had just about enough of this crap.If Cane was too stubborn-headed to see where this was going, Matthew would happily enlighten him.“Jefferson Shaw could have killed you.Blows to your head can be lethal.You may not like it, but you know it, I know it, and most importantly that shit-for-brains Jefferson knew it.” This was a matter of life and death.Couldn't Cane see that?“So what? You're going to handle the big bad bully for me? Put him in his place while you put me in mine?”Matthew didn't know what hurt more: the rage in Cane's eyes or the pain.Either way this had to be fixed.Now.“You don't think that,” he said, refusing to believe Cane had so little faith in himself or the man he was about to marry.Finally abandoning the anger that had been holding him up, Cane sank back down to the rock and sighed.He just looked so damned hurt.“No, I don't.” He reached out and grabbed a hold of the thighs of Matthew's jeans and yanked his lover down to his level.The rage might be gone but Cane Summerfield was not playing.“But whether you like it or not, New York, there are people other than us and our screwed-up logic.All they're going to see is you protecting me like some kind of wilting flower.I am not a fucking marigold, Matthew.” Taking a deep breath, he continued with a touch more calm, “I know you don't think that.I understand you.You understand me.A little caveman, but great.But you get your ass hauled off to jail for shoving Jefferson's head up his ass, and we're going to have to rely on the county, this very county that spawned Hellesgate, on deciding whether or not to let you out for the ‘I damn do’ part.” Cane deflated a little and rubbed gingerly at his head.“You really think that would go well?”Still kneeling in front of the most infuriating man God had ever had the good sense to wrought, Matthew rocked back and sat his butt on his ankles.He needed to make this sound good and honest and all that other crap people say when they know things are going to get worse before they get better.“It's not going to come to that,” Matthew lied like a real trooper.Cane laughed, right in his shit-for-truth face.“Oh? Hoping to bump it up to a federal trial? Going to drag him across state lines before you beat the fuck out of him? I'm sure the federal government will love the shark of Manhattan real estate as much as the Shaws.”Matthew dropped his head and groaned.He never really thought he'd have to say this to this man.The irony of this was just too damn funny.“Are you done yapping?”Cane looked, well, gob-smacked.“Did you just—”“Yeah, I did.Role reversal, my friend.I get to be the tough guy sometimes.” Matthew pulled himself back up to his feet.“You've had your shot.Let me have mine.”Cane lunged to his feet.Matthew, however, didn't give him the opportunity to say even one word.“If we don't put an end to this soon, Jefferson's going to escalate it.” Taking a step closer to the soul he loved more than any other, Matthew warned him of the one thing he was trying so damned hard to avoid.“Neither one of us want his blood on our hands.It's got to stop.Today.”Cane closed his eyes.It looked as if he was carrying the whole weight of the world on his strong but over-taxed shoulders.Matthew reached up and gently cradled Cane's jaw in his palm.“This is not your fault.”Cane's eyes shot open.His glare burned through right to Matthew's soul.“Fine.Then don't give me any more guilt to deal with, Archer.” The meaning was clear.Cane didn't want another dead man to have to carry around on his shoulders.Matthew just nodded once before turning and walking back to the motorcycle.As the engine roared to life under him, Matthew could feel an end was near.* * * *Matthew didn't let loose on the gas until he was down the rise, through the still-rushing riverbed, and right in front of the man Matthew was most likely about to kill.Jefferson Shaw didn't even flinch.Ralston had the good graces at least to cough at the dust Matthew had just dug from the earth's crust.Once the hacking had stopped, Dunne's face took on a look of real concern.“Everything all right with Sahara?” It was a reasonable question.Why else would Matthew be riding around these hills like a devil with its tail on fire if there wasn't some kind of emergency?“She's fine.This isn't about her or you.” Damn.Matthew wished he was alone with Jefferson.He didn't want to bring anybody else into this clusterfuck.He didn't really have a choice, however.This had been put off too long already.Relieved, Ralston backed away, hands in the air.“I am officially staying out of this.”The look Jefferson gave Ralston wasn't pretty.The bastard even had the nerve to smile [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]