Page 60 of Throw Down
But reality was always lurking at the edges of the perfect illusion he’d created, and he couldn’t keep it away forever.
They were curled up together in Derek’s bed one morning when the crunch of tires on gravel intruded into the silence.
Derek’s eyes snapped open. Briar, attuned to his rapid shift, was already pulling out of his arms and sitting up.Derek regretted the loss of his warmth, but he was too focused on the approaching vehicle to acknowledge it.He recognized the ninety-hertz dominant frequency of a six-cylinder engine, and the familiar aggressive snarl from the exhaust tuning James had asked him to do on his F-150.
“James,” Derek grunted, answering the apprehension in Briar’s face.He swung out of bed and reached for a pair of sweatpants on the floor.
“Oh, shit!” Briar leaped out of bed like a coiled spring, even faster than Derek, and fumbled with his clothes.
Derek kept calm, elbowing his way into a t-shirt in a few efficient moves, but his stomach cramped with anxiety.James wasn’t stupid; he knew Derek would never invite someone to his home this early in the morning.Especially not someone like Briar.
“What’s he doing here so early?” Briar hissed.His voice was just an edge away from full panic.He managed to slip his shirt on backwards in his haste, wrestling with the fabric to set it right.
Derek shot a quick glance out the window, noting the way James’ truck was backing with purpose toward the garage, and said, “He’s picking something up.”
“What?”
Derek shrugged. “Dunno. Equipment, I guess.”
Briar paused, shirt half-twisted, hair a wild thatch on top of his head, and asked, “Can you handle it?Without him coming in here, I mean?”
The fear in Briar’s eyes cooled Derek’s own panic.Briar wasn’t worried about himself; he was afraid Derek was about to be forced to face something he wasn’t ready for.
“I’ll take care of it,” Derek assured him, projecting a confidence he didn’t feel.He moved to the door, then paused to look back at Briar, his expression softening.“Just give me a minute to talk to him outside.Stay here.”
Briar nodded, smoothing down his hair with a shaky laugh.“Just let me know if you need me to jump out the window.”
Derek cracked a half-smile. He crossed the room, pressing a quick, firm kiss to Briar’s forehead, and whispered, “Hang tight.”
Then he stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him.He took a deep breath before he opened the front door, schooling his features into an expression that he hoped looked natural.His brother annoyed him on a good day, so there wasn’t anything unusual about scowling down at him.
James was already out of the truck, clipboard in hand and ballcap pulled low to shield his eyes from the morning sun.A man on a mission. He glanced up at Derek and grinned broadly.
“Morning!" he shouted. "Did I wake you?”
“What are you doing here?” Derek demanded, stepping out onto the porch.The wooden slats were rough and cool against his bare feet.
“What’s it look like?” James tapped a pen against his clipboard.
“Looks like a doofus interrupting the first full day off I’ve had all month.”
“Ouch.” James’ grin slipped and he lowered his voice, “Sorry, bro.I got roped into setting up the sound system for the Fish Fry this weekend.I needed to borrow some equipment.You got a snake cable laying around?”
Derek nodded toward the garage.“You know where to find it.”
“…and a quarter inch cable, platform ladder, portable generator, and a box truss if you've got one.Oh, and that impact driver West gave you for Christmas.Mine crapped out on me.”
Derek growled.
His brother grinned cheerfully, ignoring his displeasure, and said, “Hey, don’t blame me.This isn’t how I planned on spending my weekend either.Mom’s the one who told the church ladies I’d do it.Besides, I’m not even the first one here.” He jerked a thumb toward the Jeep Derek had given Briar.“Who’s that?”
Derek didn’t flinch. He folded his arms across his chest and said stoically, “None of your business.”
James laughed. “I just want to know where you buried the body.Who’s stupid enough to come out here uninvited?Besides me?”
“Who says they’re uninvited?” Derek knew he was being perverse, but he resented the way his brother assumed he knew everything about him.
“I mean…your phone’s been turned off all night.” James raised his eyebrows.“That’s why I couldn’t call first.You’ve been ignoring everyone lately, bro.What’s up with that? Mom’s about to lose her shit.”