Page 11 of Gunner

“Do you have something to hide? Is that it?” Witter stepped back and surveyed the chaotic room. “Nah, I don’t think that’s the main reason. Looking at this dump, I’ll bet you don’t even keep a register of your members, do you?”

I clenched my hands into fists. “I’ll contact you if I have information. Get out, and don’t show up here again.”

Witter laughed, the sound low and threatening. “Mark my words, Gunner. Whatever it takes to close this case, I’ll do it. With or without you.”

“Good luck.”

“You’re such a fucking prick, you know that? I should have known better than to think you could actually be of any use to this investigation. If you can’t give an account for even your members, how the fuck you gonna run this club? You already ran it into the ground once.”

White, hot rage consumed me and turned my vision red. The click of weapons being drawn filled the room. I had my gun trained on Witter, and he had his service weapon aimed at me. His hold on the gun was steady. So many men I knew would have been shaking in their boots, but not him. From the moment I met him, he’d acted like a conceited son of a bitch.

If you’re going to ruin him, you’ll need to be patient.

I lowered my gun, slid the safety back into place, and shoved the gun into the drawer. The slam of the drawer satisfied my frustration a fraction. When I glanced up at Ben, his gun was holstered. I had the feeling it wouldn’t be the last time he would point his weapon at me.

“If I have anything to share,” I said. “I’ll get in touch.”

Ben’s footsteps retreated to the door, then stopped. “I know you hate my guts. I even understand why. Working with a scumbag like you is not very appealing to me either, but the lives of innocent children are at stake. I’m not asking you to do it for me. Take this seriously for them.”

Witter closed the door on his way out. I expelled a deep breath. Fucking cop had me so wound up all I wanted was to disappear in a drink.

A bottle of whiskey would go down nicely. I walked to the door but turned around and surveyed the room, trying to see it from Witter’s perspective. My stomach churned. How had I been living in this filth all this time? The office needed cleaning. The one window in the room was so dirty I couldn’t see through it anymore. Papers, cans, bottles, and food wrappers lay scattered on the floor. My desk was just a place where I threw everything I wanted to get rid of.

Heat flooded my face.

No wonder Mason had chosen him. The familiar anger twisted in my gut. Mason and I had fucked in secret. Then he had gone home to his partner. I should have known that was the reasonhe never stayed long. Just infrequent hookups outside of town in cheap motels where no one knew who he was. I’d cherished every bit of those stolen moments. Mason had constantly reminded me it was nothing but a fuck for old time’s sake. But when he’d told me I was still the only man he trusted to bottom for, how could I have remained indifferent to taking him to bed each time?

Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled deeply until the tightness in my chest eased. But behind my closed eyelids was stamped the image of Ben, icy-blue eyes calm and fixed on me with no fear as we squared off. I couldn’t wait to find his weak spot and hit him where it hurt. I had never expected him to find my sore spot so easily.

I’d underestimated him.

Never again.

3

BEN

Gunner's laugh echoes in my mind even when I'm holding Ben. I'm torn between two lives.

Iclimbed the steps to the porch of my neighbor’s house, the weight of another grueling day of police work lifting from my shoulders. When I approached the door, I heard paws on the other side, followed by a whining howl. I raised my hand, but the door swung open before I could knock.

“Daddy’s home, Zeus. Go to Daddy.”

My retired K-9 German shepherd bulldozed his way out of the house, tail wagging in jubilant circles as he crashed into me. Chuckling, I went down on one knee and rubbed his back the way he liked. He headbutted me as if to punish me for being away for hours, but then his tongue lashed out, and he was licking me everywhere.

“For fuck’s sake, Zeus.” I hugged him, just as relieved as him to be home. After ten hours on the job with still no lead on the baby farm, I was ready to put my feet up and relax.

“Aww, this is just the cutest thing. He’s been sitting at the door all evening.”

Shit, with Zeus’s enthusiastic greeting, I’d forgotten all about my neighbor. Asher stood in the doorway, smiling widely at me and my dog.

“Asher, I didn’t see you there.”

He waved a hand. “Who can blame you? I’d be happy being at the receiving end of Zeus’s affection too.”

“Thanks for watching him,” I said, ruffling Zeus’s fur, then getting to my feet. “Seriously, I wasn’t even thinking about my hectic schedule when I adopted Zeus. I feel so guilty for being away too much, but now it’s impossible to give him up.”

“It’s been six months, Ben,” Asher said. “You can stop telling me thanks now. It’s not like we’re strangers. I’m happy to watch Zeus anytime, since I work from home, so it’s absolutely no trouble. Besides, he’s a good boy.”

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