Page 164 of Allegiance

“You have your gear, right?” Gene asked.

Tommy held his hand.

“Yes. Maura had Jagger get me fitted. It’s in the room and ready to go.”

Yeah, Tommy could feel the tension.

It would take an idiot not to see that his partner, and soon-to-be husband, was concerned.

He wasn’t saying anything to him, but his face said it all.

You’d have to be blind not to see it.

And Tommy did.

He understood why Gene was hovering, worried, and concerned.

Oh, and he got it.

This was no game.

They weren’t going to be carrying guns with fake bullets. This was like being a rookie cop, and they were waiting to see if he could hold his own.

This was literally the first time The Hunters planned on letting him go out with the team. There was no doubt in his mind that that took trust.

Trust he’d have to earn.

There was also no shock that he was being paired up with Gene. That way if he jacked this up, Gene would be there to cover his ass.

They all knew that Gene was protective beyond what was necessary.

He was the hover fiancé.

And that was expected.

While he was, technically, over Preston’s death, and his heart was healing, the man was still twitchy.

Tommy knew he needed to reassure him.

Really.

He’d be fine.

Tommy was a cop, and while he wasn’t as big and scary as Gene appeared, if it came down to saving himself or his partner, he’d pull that trigger every time.

New Orleans was becoming the Wild, Wild West, and he was getting his ass to that altar if he had to carry him over his shoulders.

He wasn’t playing.

“I’m going to be fine,” Tommy reassured, promising the man so he could calm down.

Once the door to the room closed, Gene became that caged tiger.

He paced.

“Talk to me, Gene. We’re partners in this, and I can see you’re not handling this well.”

He wasn’t.