Page 17 of A Reluctant Boy Toy
“They say wolves are dangerous. Hell, they say veterans are dangerous,” I said angrily. “Half the time it’s baseless prejudice, and the other half it's lies. I don’t take anyone’s word. I find out for myself.”
“Not about this, you don’t. Stay away from Keye. Are you suddenly into barely legal boys?”
“Of course not. What the fuck, Deacon?”
“Craig said you’re cleared to go.”
“Okay,” I was used to Deacon blowing hot and cold but this was weird, even for him.
“Thanks for doing everything, bro. I know being here was outside your comfort zone, but everyone appreciates your hard work.”
“Thanks, Deacon. I’m glad we got a chance to see each other again.”
“You too, man. Don’t be a stranger.”
“If you’re ever in my corner of Colorado—”
“You’ll be the first person I call.”
As I disconnected the call, I wondered what to make of what Deacon had said. Was it true? Being with these people, the money they threw around, and the worship they enjoyed, I could actually imagine a spoiled teen idol shoving a girl into a poison oak plant if he wanted an excuse to play hooky and the plant happened to be there. It would be the work of a moment, and he’d probably regret it later, but I could see somebody doing it.
I just couldn’t seeSebastiandoing such a thing, and because of that, I waited for him rather than leave as Deacon had told me to. I stayed because I was an old soldier, who—in the past—could have looked at a man and known how he’d behave, whether it be in battle or in a bar on leave. I hated to think my judgment was gone, along with my job and my family and my eye.
If I'd lost that, it was through neglect. The time I’d spent licking my wounds in an isolated cabin at the wolf sanctuary didn’t give me a lot of chances to practice sizing strangers up.
Did Sebastian have anything to do with Maddie Ling’s unfortunate brush with thoseleaves of three?
I see you little wolf.
Wolves were often blamed for things their natural instincts drove them to do. But they were often blamed for things they’d had nothing to do with.
Which category, I wondered, did Maddie Ling’s current misery fall into.
Chapter Six
Bast
Goddamn Maddie Lingand her little clique of prep school spotlight seekers. Did no one ever tell her to watch where she put things down in the woods?
I went back to my RV and stripped down to my boxer briefs. Molly wore gloves when she bagged up my clothes. I didn’t get a rash, but two cast members were blistered enough to require some quick first aid. My travel kit contained alcohol wipes, antihistamines, and a cortisone lotion that would help to control their rashes, but they’d get better treatment as soon as they saw the on-call doctor.
The end result was an angry director, a livid AD, and a messed-up shooting schedule. My scene with Maddie was out of the question for the next few days at least.
In the midst of all the excitement, I texted Stone and told him our dinner plans could be back on if he still wanted me to stop by. When he agreed, I asked Deacon Caine for a map to Stone’s rig.
Caine scowled hard. This level of disdain was nothing new. Rather than ask what it meant, I held my phone up.
“The map?”
“I’ll text it to you, but call ahead. I told him he’s done here, so he might have already taken off.”
“Will do.”
“Look, Keye, I don’t know what your angle is, but Stone Wilder is one of the finest men I know. If you even think about fucking him over, I’ll break you.”
“You’ll break me?” I’d heard that once or twice before, and I’d always wondered what it meant. “That’s pretty scary, Deacon. Can you be more specific?”
“Aw, fuck off. You don’t come on my set and play your mind games, kid.” His lips twisted. “That’s all I’m saying. I’m watching you.”
