Page 27 of Part & Parcel

Kelly snorted and glanced at his computer, where he had indeed been about to press the purchase button.

“There’s uh . . . it’s not official yet, but I’m pretty sure it will be soon, some sort of curfew while they hunt these guys.”

Kelly’s heart leapt into his throat. “You’re not . . . you’re not getting involved, are you?”

Nick was silent for an uncomfortably long moment, and Kelly’s stomach churned faster and faster as he waited. He knew how Nick felt about Boston; he would die to protect that city, and this sort of attack was exactly the type of thing that would hit Nick right in heart. It didn’t matter that he could barely walk; Nick would go to war.

“No,” Nick finally answered, voice gone flat.

Kelly breathed out a loud sigh of relief. “Ty’s there with you?”

“Yeah. He’s on the phone with Garrett.”

“As long as you’re not alone,” Kelly said. “I should have been there.”

“Kels . . .” Nick’s voice dropped to an intimate murmur. “Don’t, okay? You’re not here because we both agreed it was the best thing. I don’t . . . there’s nothing I can do here, and Boston is about to become a scary place for a while. Ty and I are going to drive out of the city so we don’t have to deal with the TSA. He’s taking the Rover on to Baltimore, I’m going to tag along to Providence, then . . . I mean, if it’s okay, I’m going to come to you. Unless . . . I mean, I can go on to Baltimore with Ty, if you—”

Kelly was nodding vigorously. “Of course it’s okay. Just get here safe,” he said before Nick could complete his ridiculous suggestion. “Let me know when to come get you.”

“You got it.”

“Nick,” Kelly said urgently, sensing that Nick was about to end the call. “I love you.”

Nick inhaled sharply, then huffed into the phone. “Foundations of gunpowder, right? Just like you told me,” he said bitterly.

“Nick,” Kelly whispered as his chest squeezed.

“I know. I love you, too. I’ll see you soon.”

Kelly stared at the phone for a long time after the call ended. He was still staring at it when a text message popped up, telling him Nick’s flight details. He had about eight hours to get his shit together and get to Denver. He lurched out of his chair and headed inside to find pants.

When Nick found Kelly at the airport, he couldn’t move fast enough to get to him. Kelly quite obviously thought about leaping at Nick when they got closer, but thankfully he kept their greeting to a less-than-gentle hug instead. Nick held on to him almost desperately, long after Kelly’s arms around his neck loosened, refusing to let go for fear that Kelly would give him thatlookand tell him they needed to talk. Nick had been dreading a call or Skype message from Kelly all week saying they needed totalk, but it would be so much worse in person.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Kelly whispered into his ear.

Nick kissed Kelly’s neck, holding him tighter as relief and even more nerves flooded him. “I’m sorry we fought. Sorry for what I said.”

Kelly patted the back of his head. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I was afraid you’d tell me to go to Baltimore,” Nick admitted, flushing at how fucking stupid and needy he sounded. Kelly had always been comfortable and familiar for him. He’d never felt awkward around him, even when they’d first met during a SERE course at Fort Rucker and huddled for warmth covered in camo paint during the resistance and escape training. This uncertainty he was suffering with now, the feeling that—for the first time since he’d laid eyes on Kelly Abbott—he might not be wanted, was nearly crippling.

Kelly’s fingers threaded through his hair, and Nick squeezed a grunt out of him.

“We’ll fix this.” Kelly’s voice was unwavering, his body firm against Nick’s. He gently extricated himself from Nick’s grasp, taking Nick’s face in his hands. He was smiling, warmth shining in his moonlight-blue eyes. “It might take us some time, but we’ll fix this.”

Nick could only nod. The relief was too much for words.

Kelly gave him a last pat on the cheek, then made to take his suitcase off him, but Nick stopped him and unzipped it, digging in it to find his cane first.

“Why didn’t you take that with you on the plane? Didn’t you have to walk a bunch?”

“Yeah, but this wouldn’t go through security,” Nick said, raising the ebony cane before leaning on it as they made their way toward the exits.

“What? Why?”

Nick grinned and bit his lip as he watched Kelly in his peripheral vision.

Kelly leaned forward to see Nick’s expression, then rolled his eyes, turning away in feigned disgust. “Oh my God, what kind of cane is that? Is it a gun? A sword?”

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