Page 34 of Possession

“Oh, really?”

Vinnie rolled his eyes. “A big, hunky Latino wearing a leather jacket in the middle of fucking winter? Yeah, in this town, that was pretty much a dead giveaway.”

Tomas laughed. “I suppose you’re right, though the town isn’t quite as bad as you’re making it out to be. There’s a bit more diversity than people realize.”

Vinnie shrugged and didn’t say anything, obviously disagreeing.

Tomas studied him for a long moment and then turned to Mason. “Did he tell you about his flat tire?”

Mason shook his head, glancing at Vinnie, but when he seemed like he wasn’t eager to jump in, he turned back to Tomas. “I only just got back a few minutes ago and found out he was here. He said he had some car trouble but didn’t elaborate.”

“I found him a couple of miles from here on the side of the road with a flat and helped him change it. That’s how we know each other.”

Mason craned his head around to stare at Vinnie. “You changed a tire?”

Vinnie scowled right back at him. “I know how to do things.”

“Yeah, like order other people around.”

“That’s not true,” Vinnie argued, sitting up straighter. “I have skills. I can do things. I changed the oil in my car that time.”

Mason laughed. “Yeah, and then I had to take it and get it redone because you forgot to drain the old oil out first.”

Vinnie’s face flushed. He opened his mouth, but before he could retaliate, Tomas spoke up. “That’s enough.”

The glare he turned on him had Mason swallowing, a little nervous for Tomas, and then Vinnie focused it on him. He’d never liked being embarrassed, never wanted anyone to see him as less than competent.

“I could have changed it on my own.”

Tomas cocked his head before pushing off his desk. He took one large step forward until he was looming over Vinnie, then leaned down slowly, planting his hands on the arms of his chair. They were face-to-face, Vinnie’s head tipped back, chin jutting out obstinately, and Tomas smiled at him from inches away.

“I’m sure you would’ve figured it out if you had to, but there’s nothing wrong with preferring to have someone else take care of things like that for you.”

It wasn’t what Mason was expecting him to say. He’d thought maybe Tomas would scold him for being a brat or tell him that he needed to watch his tone. Instead, he’s said the exact thing Mason was sure Vinnie needed to hear, even if he couldn’t hear it yet.

Vinnie didn’t say anything, but some of the anger left his face, his expression softening.

From where Mason was sitting, he could see the moment Tomas’s eyes dropped to his lips, and he held his breath, both wanting to see them kiss and also wishing he would have the chance to kiss Tomas too. Maybe be first. It only seemed fair. He had met him first.

But Tomas didn’t close the distance between their faces. He stood up straight and moved back to lean against the desk once more.

Leaving it alone for a minute, Mason gestured at his face. “What happened to you?”

He could tell Tomas almost didn’t tell him, started to brush it off like he had out in the main area with Six and Vinnie, but he was prepared to push, and that must have been clear on his face because Tomas sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. That’s when Mason saw the knuckles on his left hand were busted and bleeding.

“Marv and I went to a hearing at the courthouse today for a nice young woman who was attempting to get a restraining order against her soon-to-be ex-husband.”

A lead balloon filled Mason’s gut. He leaned forward in his chair. “Did he do that to you?”

“Him and a couple of his friends. He didn’t bother showing up for the hearing itself, so the PPO was granted without him there to contest it. But after Marv and I got her into her car and she took off, they showed up. He was quite upset we’d ruined his marriage.”

“Youruined his marriage,” Vinnie said, anger etched on his face. “What a piece of shit.”

Tomas grunted. “True. Luckily, where we were in the parking lot was a little bit out of the way, so the nice deputies didn’t see us.”

“Don’t you want to press charges?” Mason asked.

Tomas shook his head and touched the split in his lip with the tip of his tongue and grimaced. “It’s not worth it. It’s better that we stay under the radar as much as we can.”

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