Page 415 of Sticks and Stones
As he picked it up, he saw Ethan’s face on the screen, and he answered it.
“Yes?” he asked, thinking it was a trick.
Only, it wasn’t.
“Hey! I didn’t have Will’s number, and this was the only way to get a hold of you. I was hoping you’d answer if you heard it.”
He was confused.
“When did you find it?” he asked. “Did you come back here?”
Ethan explained. It was time to come clean, and own how he’d forgotten.
“No, I found it last night at the biker’s home. In the drawer right next to it is your wallet, gun, and badge. You weren’t in a good place this morning, so I didn’t bring it up. I apologize for not getting it to you sooner.”
Honestly, he was just grateful that he’d found it.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked. “I wanted to check on you. We’re on our way to meet Greyson, and then to hitBull’s.”
At his words, Corbin’s his heart was racing.
“Please don’t go there,” he whispered. “It’s dangerous.”
Ethan reassured him.
“We’re going with ten other feds, and guns. We’ll be good. I told you, Corbin, the men who did this to you are handled. We are kicking in a door, not going undercover. Breathe.”
Hearing that, Corbin calmed down.
“Okay.”
Ethan shared so he could feel like he had some control, and because the media might know more than they’d been asking, or might find out more.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Corbin did.
“Absolutely. I trust you and Gene with my life. Why? What’s going on?”
He told him about the bodies, the media on the scene, and how they were asking about a cop who got hurt. Oh, and how they had to tell Reed about what was going down.
He was silent.
“We told him you were injured. We didn’t say anything else about the assault. We kept it vague. We need an ME’s help, and ours is out of the question,” he admitted. “Trust me. We’re in control.”
He hoped so.
Because he felt out of control.
“Do you need anything?” Ethan asked.
Corbin didn’t.
“No, I’m good. Will ran out to get some things to wear while he’s taking care of me this week.”
Ethan was glad.
“There’s a spare key in that drawer with your gun. You can give it to him, or better yet, put it on your key ring. It’s next to your wallet, badge, and gun.”
