Elliot, on the other hand, had a transverse fracture and several months of recuperation to look forward to.
And Tucker. He had Tucker to look forward to. He wasn’t going to forget that very brief moment when he’d regained consciousness to find Tucker leaning over him—his face bone white beneath the freckles and blue eyes wet and glittering with ferocious emotion.
“If you even try to die, I’ll kill you myself,” Tucker had said in a choky voice.
He needed to work on his romantic technique. Elliot planned to help him with that. He smiled to himself, remembering, and said, “For the record, I’m not living in Seattle. No way.”
“I already worked that out. That’s fine. I like your island fortress, if that’s what you want.” Tucker’s mouth covered his in a warm, moist kiss. “Whatever you want.”
Elliot gave a half laugh. This uncharacteristic acquiescence wasn’t going to last, but he would enjoy it while it did.
Tucker raised his head and said, “You know, you’re the one who really cracked this thing wide open. If you did want to rethink that desk job—”
Elliot shook his head. “No. I’ve come to terms with it.” He brushed his freshly retaped bad knee with his fingertips. “That part of my life is over.”
Tomorrow he had to tell Zahra Lyle that Gordie’s body had been the most recent addition to Corian’s boneyard. Officially they were still waiting for fingerprint results, but until his lawyer had showed up, Corian had been happy to discuss his “work.” Tucker had been right about that. Nine victims turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Corian had begun his search for “models” in Seattle ten years earlier.
“Don’t worry,” Tucker reassured, seeming to follow Elliot’s thoughts. “He’s not going to cop an insanity plea. Corian knew exactly what he was doing. He just happens to believe he had a right to do it.”
Very few serial killers were technically insane. In that sense, Corian was pretty much run of the mill. But the long ranging effects of his actions would be anything but ordinary for the families of his victims.
“I have to face Zahra Lyle tomorrow.”
“No, you don’t,” Tucker said. “I can handle it. This is why they pay me the big bucks.”
Elliot eyed him thoughtfully. That wasn’t a random comment. Tucker knew Elliot had been struggling to come to terms with their changed roles and that how well he succeeded was going to determine whether they had any kind of a future together.
He said, “I think I owe it to Zahra to be the one to break the news to her. But from here on out we’re a one superhero family.”
Tucker was watching him alertly—and with that unexpected tenderness.
“I’m okay with it,” Elliot assured him. “The truth is, I like teaching.”
“And you’re okay with me…?”
“I’m okay with you.” Elliot’s smile was wry. “If you’re okay with me.”
“I’m okay, you’re okay,” Tucker said lightly. Less lightly, he added, “I love you.”
It was difficult to look away from Tucker’s gaze. Elliot found he didn’t want to. He managed at last, “There’s a lot of that going around right now.”
Tucker’s face was transformed by his grin. He said quite mildly, “So when are you bringing me home to meet your father? Just once I’d like to face him when he wasn’t snarling at me for doing you harm.”
Elliot had missed most of the festivities in the underground parking lot and then later at the hospital. Duty had ensured that Tucker hadn’t been able to stay long, and Roland had been the one who had eventually driven Elliot back to Tucker’s apartment. He had not been flattering on the subject of Tucker Lance.
“You have to swear you won’t talk politics.”
“I swear. Anyway, we don’t talk politics.”
“True.”
“Besides, there’s one thing your father and I agree on.”
“What’s that?”
Tucker leaned forward. His breath warm against Elliot’s face, his lips a kiss away, he whispered, “Make love, not war.”
About the Author
A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author Josh Lanyon has been writing gay mystery and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USA Book News award for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an EPIC Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Josh is also the author of the definitive M/M writing guide Man, Oh Man! Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks & Ca$h. To learn more about Josh, please visit www.joshlanyon.com or join his mailing list at groups.yahoo.com/group/JoshLanyon.
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9045-1
Copyright © 2010 by Josh Lanyon
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