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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: In a Week or Two Chapter 9
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Gen (literally everyone in this damn group is in this damn chapter hahaha)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,786
Summary: Zayne and the girls get together to discuss what to do about James.
Author’s Note: Nothing exciting this time around. Posting early because sharpiesgal asked ever so nicely.
Andrej set the bag of food on his kitchen counter and wondered what had possessed him to get extra hash browns. Maybe James was right, and Zayne was rubbing off on him more than he wanted to admit. He paused in his unloading of their food. The mere thought of Zayne rubbing anywhere on him caused his cheeks to flush and his fingers fly to his mouth.
His lips tingled at the memory, as foggy as it was. Zayne hadn’t made any sort of indication that he’d remembered the kiss they’d shared, but with as drunk as they’d both been, he wouldn’t be shocked if Zayne didn’t. That was both a blessing and a curse, he thought. But would Zayne let something like that go without teasing him at least once?
The real question was why he only got to kiss his friend when he was either drunk, drugged, or trying to save their asses from being made as cops. It seemed so damn unfair, honestly. Not that he expected any part of life to ever be fair but, this seemed excessively harsh, all things considered.
Sighing, he put the two breakfast sandwiches he’d gotten for Zayne into the microwave along with the hash browns. Although he knew Zayne had no issue reheating anything, he’d rather it stayed hot because his partner deserved to not have to reheat his breakfast for once. Laughing at what a mother hen he’d become, Andrej put his own food onto a plate and stared at it. Egg and cheese on a bagel with a double side of fried potatoes.
“I need some fruit.”
“Nah, you don’t need anything healthy,” Zayne said, coming into the kitchen and kissing Andrej lightly on the cheek. “You always eat healthy, shock your system for a change.”
Being kissed by Zayne – even if it was barely a brush of lips on his cheek – was enough of a shock to his system. But the look on Zayne’s face was telling him to not argue because there was something more brewing under the surface. He wasn’t sure what had his partner feeling so uncertain, but they’d get to the bottom of it later, once they were both fed and feeling a little more like themselves. “Okay, I will indulge and not cover my tracks with blueberries.”
Zayne grinned at him. “I can’t say I’ve ever covered my bad habits with blueberries,” he replied. “But then, I’ve never been much inclined to hide them in the first place.”
Andrej got Zayne’s food out of the microwave and handed the plate to him. “It is one of the things I like about you,” he admitted. “You are very much who you say you are. No hiding, no regretting.”
“Oh, I have my fair share of regrets, baby,” Zayne said, setting his plate at the kitchen table, surprising Andrej. “But that’s another story for another time. We have bigger issues right now.”
Meaning James. He didn’t want to discuss this again, but he knew that he needed to figure out what to do before the situation got any worse. If Jake was correct and Jay was starting to obsess, what happened on Friday could become a habit. Or it could get much worse.
“Hil’s bringing Hansen,” Zayne added, taking a bite of his sandwich and moaning. “God, that is so good. Just what I needed.”
He took a seat across from Zayne and made a face at his food. “Why is Hilary bringing Jake with her?”
Zayne lowered his sandwich and gave Andrej a disgusted look. “Apparently he spent the night with her.”
“You spent the night with me,” Andrej pointed out. “You have no reason to be upset with her.”
“We did not have sex,” Zayne said. Then, giving Andrej a curious glance, he amended. “We didn’t, did we?”
“No,” Andrej said, trying not to choke on his breakfast. “We did not. And she is a grown woman, Zayne, who is no longer your girlfriend.”
“I know, I know,” he muttered. “I still hate it.”
“I can understand that,” Andrej said. “But you have to let it go or you will ruin the friendship you still have with her.”
“Yeah,” Zayne groaned. “I know. I’ll do my best, but no promises because this shit hurts.”
That was also something Andrej understood all too well. “It will get better,” he lied. “And he is a nice guy, Zayne. It could be worse, no? At least you get along with Jake.”
“You mean unlike that redheaded asshole?” He took an excessively aggressive bite of his hash browns.
“Hmm, amazing how I always arrive when I’m being talked about,” James said, coming into the kitchen.
“Sorry,” Hilary said, appearing immediately behind James, looking helpless. “I tried to make him knock but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Why bother,” James asked. “It’s obvious you were already expecting these three. And they were here, so, I thought I’d just let myself in.” He looked at Zayne and took in the Texan’s bloodshot eyes, puffy face, and wet hair. “And he’s obviously been here for a bit.”
“Jay,” Andrej said, pushing his plate away. “I am not sure why you are here, but if you are going to start an argument, you can leave.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a lot of nerve after the bullshit you keep pulling,” Zayne spat.
“Zayne,” Andrej warned. “I will not put up with you starting a fight either.”
Hilary put her hand on Zayne’s shoulder. He frowned at her but miraculously held his tongue.
“Have a donut,” Jake said, sitting a box down in the middle of the table. “Reyes, I’m sure you have room for one even after all you’ve already put away.”
Playfully flipping Jake off, Zayne reached for the box and retrieved a chocolate cream filled. “Thanks.”
“How do you not weigh three hundred pounds,” James asked. “I swear to god, you eat so much crap.”
“I’d answer that question,” Hilary said, scratching her head just above her ear. “But seeing as he spent the night with Andy last night, I’m not sure my commentary would be appreciated.”
Zayne snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. “That’s not funny, Hil.”
“You’re right, it’s hysterical,” Trish added with a wink.
“Jay, again, why are you here?” Andrej folded his hands together on the table in front of him to keep them from shaking. He wasn’t sure if the nerves were due to James being there or that the girls were insinuating that he and Zayne had slept together. If he thought about it, which he was trying hard not to do, it was probably a good dose of both causing him to panic. “After our conversation yesterday, I was not sure you’d want to speak to me again so soon.” Or ever.
“I had hoped to try and talk some sense into you,” James said. He pulled a chair out and sat at the end of the table, surveying the assembled group of detectives. “But since you have your posse here, I guess I’ll have a donut and go. It’s pointless to have a conversation with you when any of them are around.”
“Does that include your partner,” Andrej inquired. He motioned to where Jake sat, quietly sipping his coffee.
“Can we speak privately,” James asked, ignoring Andrej’s question. “We need to talk but I don’t want to have this conversation in front of half the damn station.”
“We’re going to eavesdrop anyway,” Trish said, pointing a finger at the redhead. “Might as well get it all out in the open.”
James narrowed his eyes at her. “You don’t even pretend, do you?”
“There is no point in that,” Andrej sighed. “They are the biggest group of gossips I have ever met. I do not know about Jake, but I am including Zayne in that description.”
Zayne had the grace to look embarrassed by the callout. “Yeah, well, can’t deny it. This is what I get for having two sisters.”
“My sisters don’t gossip like that,” James said, annoyed.
“I bet your ass they do,” Hilary said. “They’re just smart enough to not let their judgmental older brother know about it.”
Andrej felt like he was a centimeter from losing control. “Trish, Hilary, Zayne,” he glanced at James. “And you, too. Do not make me throw you all out because I will do it. And then Jake and I will sit here and eat all the donuts.”
Jake snorted, prompting a chuckle out of Zayne. “Shit,” Zayne said. “If you’re going to take the donuts away, I’ll behave.”
“If I’d known I could shut him up by threatening to take his food away, I’d have used that when we were still dating,” James said, laughing.
“It wouldn’t have worked,” Trish muttered. “It only works when Andy does it.”
“That’s because Zek’s the only one who actually feeds me,” Zayne said with a pout. “Like real, honest-to-goodness food.”
It was official, he had lost control of the situation. “James, I am going to ask one more time, why are you here?”
He folded his arms across his chest and looked around the room. Rolling his eyes, he said, “Since I see there’s zero chance they’re going to give us any privacy, I might as well get it out. You need to reconsider dating this architect. He and his company are involved in some shady shit and I don’t want you getting caught up in it.”
Andrej raked his fingers through his hair. It was the only way he could keep from screaming. “I do not know where you have gotten your information, Jay, but I found no evidence of this in any of my searching.”
“Neither did I,” Hilary admitted. She gave Andrej a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Andy, but I’m a cop, it’s what I do.”
“I am not offended as I did the same,” he said, grateful that his friends cared enough to go to those lengths for him. “Who told you he was involved?”
“It’s in all the research I did on his company,” James said, frustrated. He wiped his hands on a napkin and stood up. Pacing, he recounted all the information he’d dug up on Carter’s firm. “Four of the senior members were arrested for their part in the fraud, Andy,” he said, finishing his spiel. “I’d hurt somebody if you wound up in jail because of this prick.”
“Rosewood,” Jake said, drawing James’ attention his way. “That was two years ago. They were indicted and sentenced. Jacobsen wasn’t even a principal architect at the time. Yeah, the firm was involved in some shit, but he wasn’t a part of any of it.”
“Wait,” James said, holding a hand up. “I know what I read. Jacobsen was one of the people charged with embezzlement and fraud.”
“Jacobi,” Jake said. “He was one of the founders of the firm. Not Carter Jacobsen, Kevin Jacobi.”
James dropped into the nearest chair. “Shit. You’re fucking with me, right, Hansen? Because I’m not sure I can deal with the embarrassment if you’re serious.”
Jake shrugged and retrieved a donut from the box.
“Goddamnit,” James groaned, putting his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. How did I get them confused? This is my damn job. Fuck.”
“I’d say this happens, narco,” Zayne started, “but that’s one hell of a fuck up.”
“Stuff it, Reyes,” James shot back.
“Stop it, both of you.” Andrej slammed his hand down on the table and looked around at everyone. “Just. Stop. Now.”
Andrej got up from the table and took his plate into the kitchen to give himself a moment to parse what had just happened as well as cool the apparent hair trigger on his anger. He tossed his napkin into the trash and then began to methodically scrub his plate a little more than was necessary. Yeah, he was stalling, but he couldn’t face James right now either. James had stirred up so much drama and irritation for what?
“Andy, are you okay,” Trish asked. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Look at me.”
“I am fine,” he said, continuing to wash his plate.
“You’re going to scrub the design off your plate if you’re not careful,” she said, pulling it out of his hand and rinsing it under the water. Sticking it in the drainer, she glared at him. “What’s going on?”
“All of this,” he said, motioning towards the dining room. “All of this spectacle for nothing.” He shook his head. “I have been stressed, angry, worried, and upset over Jay’s actions and his anger and it is all because he did not pay attention.”
He leaned against the counter and covered his face with his hands. No matter how badly he wanted to, he would not cry, he promised himself. This frustration, this rage, would work itself out if he gave it enough time. Trish leaned into his side and slipped her arm across his shoulders.
“I think that, as much as an asshole as he’s been, he really was trying to help you.” She gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze. “Granted, he should have approached it all differently, like by maybe not yelling at you or accosting you in the men’s room of a fancy restaurant, but his heart was in the right place.”
“I know you are correct, but I still cannot go back out there yet.” His fury was still to close to the surface and he couldn’t trust himself to not explode.
“Hang on,” Trish said, extricating herself from his body. “I have an idea.” She grabbed a clean mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee before adding a hit of half and half. Topping it off with a slug of Kahlua from the pantry, she handed it back to him. “Have a couple sips of this before you go back out there. Even if it doesn’t help to steady your nerves, you drink enough of it and you won’t care either.”
He gave her a wary look but took the mug from her anyway. “I am going to be in rehab if I keep drinking like this.”
“We’ll get you back on track,” she said. “But that would require keeping you away from Reyes for a few weeks, I think.”
“I do not mind when Zayne drinks around me,” he said, sipping the spiked coffee. The alcohol worked its way down his throat, smoothing over all his frayed and ragged ends as it went. “He does not need to stay away.”
Trish side-eyed him for a second. “So, you two haven’t talked?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What about?”
“It’s not important,” she said, waving his concern away. “Never mind.”
She was lying, but he didn’t have enough strength to confront her about it now. He took another sip of the coffee and set the mug on the counter. “I had better go back out there before everyone follows us in.”
Andrej went into the dining room and picked up Zayne’s plate. James still sat with his elbows on the table, his head in his hands. The sight tugged at Andrej’s heart, but he refused to give in to his feelings. James had ripped him apart emotionally when they’d split up, and then again, repeatedly, over the last week. The redhead didn’t deserve his sympathy, his empathy, but he couldn’t help but feel bad because they had once meant everything to each other. He took the plate into the kitchen and handed it to Trish before returning to the dining room.
“Jay,” Andrej said, resting a hand on his ex-boyfriend’s back. “Do not beat yourself up like this. I do believe you meant no harm. That you tried to save me from trouble is appreciated.” There. That was somewhere between forgiving and being a sucker.
James looked up at him, misery etched into his features. “I totally messed this all up, Andy. I’m so damn sorry.”
“You made a mistake,” he began, speaking slowly as he gathered his thoughts. “But not anything that I would not have done in your shoes. Or any of us. You handled it badly,” he said, thinking about the incident in the bathroom on Friday, “and if you are going to apologize for anything, apologize for that. Do not be upset that you tried to keep me from harm.”
James nodded and then rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. “Thank you. So, you don’t hate me?”
“I could never hate you,” Andrej said, brushing James hair back just like he always had. He pulled his hand away, hoping no one had noticed that moment of intimacy pass between them. Some habits were hard to break. His eyes flicked over towards Zayne and then back.
“I could,” Zayne said lightly, “but not for this. However, you ever put your fucking hands on him out of anger again and I will destroy you. Understand?”
James glared at Zayne but nodded his understanding. “I can’t believe I grabbed you like that, Andy. You should have punched me. I would have punched me.”
“I’d have socked you, too,” Hilary added, looking at her nails.
“That would have solved nothing,” Andrej said before Zayne or Trish could jump on the let’s-beat-James train. “And it likely would have only given you more reason to find something negative about Carter.”
“Maybe,” James said. He stood up, stretched. “Are you going to see him again?”
“We have a date on Friday,” Andrej answered.
“I promise not to corner you in the bathroom again,” James said, the corner of his mouth ticking up.
“How about you see his car in the parking lot, you and that shark of yours go somewhere else?”
James snorted. “That’s an appealing idea, Rollins,” he replied. He looked in Andrej’s direction. “Maybe we can talk about this more later, when I’ve had time to think about it?”
Andrej nodded. “Let me know.”
“Will do,” James said. “I should go home now before I start any more shit.”
“Isn’t that why you’re here, narco,” Zayne asked. He grinned when James shot him a nasty look. “Drive safe.”
“Yeah, thanks, Reyes,” James said. He waved goodbye and let himself out the front door.
“Well, that was anti-climactic,” Zayne deadpanned. “But at least he’ll be off your ass now, Zek.”
“I hope so,” Andrej said. He retook his seat across from Zayne and stared at the table. “I am not sure I can go through this again.”
“It’ll work out,” Jake said. “He’s really embarrassed by this, which might be good for him honestly. For someone as rational and methodical as Rosewood is, when it comes to people he cares about, he forgets about these pesky things called details and launches into protector mode.” Jake chuckled. “I’m thinking his younger siblings were glad to see him get his ass out of Utah.”
“Can you even imagine being one of his younger sisters,” Trish said. “Yikes.”
“No kidding,” Jake agreed.
“You’ll keep an eye on him,” Andrej asked Jake. “Make sure he is okay?”
Jake nodded. “And I was thinking that maybe I should go see him, just in case he needs to get more off his chest. I’ll give him a few to get home, get settled, but I think the sooner I go, the better.” He shifted his focus to Hilary. “Would you hate me if I left you here?”
Hilary laughed. “Of all the places you could abandon me, Andy’s house is my best option. He’ll feed me, he’ll do my laundry, and he’ll smack Zayne around for my amusement.” She made a shooing motion with one hand. “Go, take care of your partner. We all get how important that is.”
“Thanks,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll call you later. You, too, Zeklos.”
Jake left and Trish sighed. “So, this was pointless,” she said. “Although not a waste of time, I don’t think. Maybe the narco will get his shit together and figure out what a big ass mistake he made.”
“Or maybe,” Hilary said, catching Zayne’s eye, “Andy will find something better.”
“Maybe,” Andrej said. “However, if Carter ever gets wind of all that has happened, I am not sure he’d ever want to speak to me again.”
“I doubt that,” Hilary said. “You want to get out of here, Rollins?”
“Yup, I think it’s about time,” she said, holding out her hand to Hilary. “Help me up. I ate too many donuts.”
“You do not want to stay,” Andrej asked. “I know we no longer have anything to discuss, but you are both welcome to hang around with us.”
“Nah,” Trish said. “Zayne looks like he’s ready for a nap and I know you need to unwind a bit.”
“Take him to bed, Zayne,” Hilary teased. “And make sure he gets some rest. You both could use a siesta from the looks of it.”
“Ha, ha,” Zayne said, giving the girls a warning with his eyes. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Rollins.”
Hilary came over and gave Zayne a hug. “This would be a great time to talk to him, buster. Move it or lose it.”
Zayne kissed the side of her face. “Shut up and go away.”
Cackling, Hilary gave Andrej a hug before following Trish out of the house.
“What was all of that about,” Andrej asked once the girls had disappeared behind the closed door. “I felt like I was missing something important.”
He turned his face towards Andrej and smiled. “Nothing too important,” he said. “But they’re right. I could use a nap. Come crash with me for a bit?”
It went against everything in his nature to nap in the middle of the day, but a lot had happened over the last week and he was exhausted. “Okay,” he finally said. “Let me finish cleaning up.”
“Leave it,” Zayne said, holding his hand out. “We can clean it up later.”
He stared at Zayne’s outstretched hand and decided his partner was right. The dishes could wait. “At least we will not be surprised when we wake up together this time.”
He could have sworn Zayne blushed at that, a hint of pink along the curve of his beautiful cheekbones. But that would be the most un-Zayne-like thing he could imagine, so he must have been mistaken, Andrej thought. Taking Zayne’s hand into his own, he led his partner towards his bedroom, his heart skipping a beat at what this implied, although it was nothing of the sort. There was no doubt he was going to hate himself later, but right now, he could enjoy the comfort of having Zayne close to him, even if it was as close as they’d ever get.
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Gen (literally everyone in this damn group is in this damn chapter hahaha)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,786
Summary: Zayne and the girls get together to discuss what to do about James.
Author’s Note: Nothing exciting this time around. Posting early because sharpiesgal asked ever so nicely.
Andrej set the bag of food on his kitchen counter and wondered what had possessed him to get extra hash browns. Maybe James was right, and Zayne was rubbing off on him more than he wanted to admit. He paused in his unloading of their food. The mere thought of Zayne rubbing anywhere on him caused his cheeks to flush and his fingers fly to his mouth.
His lips tingled at the memory, as foggy as it was. Zayne hadn’t made any sort of indication that he’d remembered the kiss they’d shared, but with as drunk as they’d both been, he wouldn’t be shocked if Zayne didn’t. That was both a blessing and a curse, he thought. But would Zayne let something like that go without teasing him at least once?
The real question was why he only got to kiss his friend when he was either drunk, drugged, or trying to save their asses from being made as cops. It seemed so damn unfair, honestly. Not that he expected any part of life to ever be fair but, this seemed excessively harsh, all things considered.
Sighing, he put the two breakfast sandwiches he’d gotten for Zayne into the microwave along with the hash browns. Although he knew Zayne had no issue reheating anything, he’d rather it stayed hot because his partner deserved to not have to reheat his breakfast for once. Laughing at what a mother hen he’d become, Andrej put his own food onto a plate and stared at it. Egg and cheese on a bagel with a double side of fried potatoes.
“I need some fruit.”
“Nah, you don’t need anything healthy,” Zayne said, coming into the kitchen and kissing Andrej lightly on the cheek. “You always eat healthy, shock your system for a change.”
Being kissed by Zayne – even if it was barely a brush of lips on his cheek – was enough of a shock to his system. But the look on Zayne’s face was telling him to not argue because there was something more brewing under the surface. He wasn’t sure what had his partner feeling so uncertain, but they’d get to the bottom of it later, once they were both fed and feeling a little more like themselves. “Okay, I will indulge and not cover my tracks with blueberries.”
Zayne grinned at him. “I can’t say I’ve ever covered my bad habits with blueberries,” he replied. “But then, I’ve never been much inclined to hide them in the first place.”
Andrej got Zayne’s food out of the microwave and handed the plate to him. “It is one of the things I like about you,” he admitted. “You are very much who you say you are. No hiding, no regretting.”
“Oh, I have my fair share of regrets, baby,” Zayne said, setting his plate at the kitchen table, surprising Andrej. “But that’s another story for another time. We have bigger issues right now.”
Meaning James. He didn’t want to discuss this again, but he knew that he needed to figure out what to do before the situation got any worse. If Jake was correct and Jay was starting to obsess, what happened on Friday could become a habit. Or it could get much worse.
“Hil’s bringing Hansen,” Zayne added, taking a bite of his sandwich and moaning. “God, that is so good. Just what I needed.”
He took a seat across from Zayne and made a face at his food. “Why is Hilary bringing Jake with her?”
Zayne lowered his sandwich and gave Andrej a disgusted look. “Apparently he spent the night with her.”
“You spent the night with me,” Andrej pointed out. “You have no reason to be upset with her.”
“We did not have sex,” Zayne said. Then, giving Andrej a curious glance, he amended. “We didn’t, did we?”
“No,” Andrej said, trying not to choke on his breakfast. “We did not. And she is a grown woman, Zayne, who is no longer your girlfriend.”
“I know, I know,” he muttered. “I still hate it.”
“I can understand that,” Andrej said. “But you have to let it go or you will ruin the friendship you still have with her.”
“Yeah,” Zayne groaned. “I know. I’ll do my best, but no promises because this shit hurts.”
That was also something Andrej understood all too well. “It will get better,” he lied. “And he is a nice guy, Zayne. It could be worse, no? At least you get along with Jake.”
“You mean unlike that redheaded asshole?” He took an excessively aggressive bite of his hash browns.
“Hmm, amazing how I always arrive when I’m being talked about,” James said, coming into the kitchen.
“Sorry,” Hilary said, appearing immediately behind James, looking helpless. “I tried to make him knock but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Why bother,” James asked. “It’s obvious you were already expecting these three. And they were here, so, I thought I’d just let myself in.” He looked at Zayne and took in the Texan’s bloodshot eyes, puffy face, and wet hair. “And he’s obviously been here for a bit.”
“Jay,” Andrej said, pushing his plate away. “I am not sure why you are here, but if you are going to start an argument, you can leave.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a lot of nerve after the bullshit you keep pulling,” Zayne spat.
“Zayne,” Andrej warned. “I will not put up with you starting a fight either.”
Hilary put her hand on Zayne’s shoulder. He frowned at her but miraculously held his tongue.
“Have a donut,” Jake said, sitting a box down in the middle of the table. “Reyes, I’m sure you have room for one even after all you’ve already put away.”
Playfully flipping Jake off, Zayne reached for the box and retrieved a chocolate cream filled. “Thanks.”
“How do you not weigh three hundred pounds,” James asked. “I swear to god, you eat so much crap.”
“I’d answer that question,” Hilary said, scratching her head just above her ear. “But seeing as he spent the night with Andy last night, I’m not sure my commentary would be appreciated.”
Zayne snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. “That’s not funny, Hil.”
“You’re right, it’s hysterical,” Trish added with a wink.
“Jay, again, why are you here?” Andrej folded his hands together on the table in front of him to keep them from shaking. He wasn’t sure if the nerves were due to James being there or that the girls were insinuating that he and Zayne had slept together. If he thought about it, which he was trying hard not to do, it was probably a good dose of both causing him to panic. “After our conversation yesterday, I was not sure you’d want to speak to me again so soon.” Or ever.
“I had hoped to try and talk some sense into you,” James said. He pulled a chair out and sat at the end of the table, surveying the assembled group of detectives. “But since you have your posse here, I guess I’ll have a donut and go. It’s pointless to have a conversation with you when any of them are around.”
“Does that include your partner,” Andrej inquired. He motioned to where Jake sat, quietly sipping his coffee.
“Can we speak privately,” James asked, ignoring Andrej’s question. “We need to talk but I don’t want to have this conversation in front of half the damn station.”
“We’re going to eavesdrop anyway,” Trish said, pointing a finger at the redhead. “Might as well get it all out in the open.”
James narrowed his eyes at her. “You don’t even pretend, do you?”
“There is no point in that,” Andrej sighed. “They are the biggest group of gossips I have ever met. I do not know about Jake, but I am including Zayne in that description.”
Zayne had the grace to look embarrassed by the callout. “Yeah, well, can’t deny it. This is what I get for having two sisters.”
“My sisters don’t gossip like that,” James said, annoyed.
“I bet your ass they do,” Hilary said. “They’re just smart enough to not let their judgmental older brother know about it.”
Andrej felt like he was a centimeter from losing control. “Trish, Hilary, Zayne,” he glanced at James. “And you, too. Do not make me throw you all out because I will do it. And then Jake and I will sit here and eat all the donuts.”
Jake snorted, prompting a chuckle out of Zayne. “Shit,” Zayne said. “If you’re going to take the donuts away, I’ll behave.”
“If I’d known I could shut him up by threatening to take his food away, I’d have used that when we were still dating,” James said, laughing.
“It wouldn’t have worked,” Trish muttered. “It only works when Andy does it.”
“That’s because Zek’s the only one who actually feeds me,” Zayne said with a pout. “Like real, honest-to-goodness food.”
It was official, he had lost control of the situation. “James, I am going to ask one more time, why are you here?”
He folded his arms across his chest and looked around the room. Rolling his eyes, he said, “Since I see there’s zero chance they’re going to give us any privacy, I might as well get it out. You need to reconsider dating this architect. He and his company are involved in some shady shit and I don’t want you getting caught up in it.”
Andrej raked his fingers through his hair. It was the only way he could keep from screaming. “I do not know where you have gotten your information, Jay, but I found no evidence of this in any of my searching.”
“Neither did I,” Hilary admitted. She gave Andrej a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Andy, but I’m a cop, it’s what I do.”
“I am not offended as I did the same,” he said, grateful that his friends cared enough to go to those lengths for him. “Who told you he was involved?”
“It’s in all the research I did on his company,” James said, frustrated. He wiped his hands on a napkin and stood up. Pacing, he recounted all the information he’d dug up on Carter’s firm. “Four of the senior members were arrested for their part in the fraud, Andy,” he said, finishing his spiel. “I’d hurt somebody if you wound up in jail because of this prick.”
“Rosewood,” Jake said, drawing James’ attention his way. “That was two years ago. They were indicted and sentenced. Jacobsen wasn’t even a principal architect at the time. Yeah, the firm was involved in some shit, but he wasn’t a part of any of it.”
“Wait,” James said, holding a hand up. “I know what I read. Jacobsen was one of the people charged with embezzlement and fraud.”
“Jacobi,” Jake said. “He was one of the founders of the firm. Not Carter Jacobsen, Kevin Jacobi.”
James dropped into the nearest chair. “Shit. You’re fucking with me, right, Hansen? Because I’m not sure I can deal with the embarrassment if you’re serious.”
Jake shrugged and retrieved a donut from the box.
“Goddamnit,” James groaned, putting his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. How did I get them confused? This is my damn job. Fuck.”
“I’d say this happens, narco,” Zayne started, “but that’s one hell of a fuck up.”
“Stuff it, Reyes,” James shot back.
“Stop it, both of you.” Andrej slammed his hand down on the table and looked around at everyone. “Just. Stop. Now.”
Andrej got up from the table and took his plate into the kitchen to give himself a moment to parse what had just happened as well as cool the apparent hair trigger on his anger. He tossed his napkin into the trash and then began to methodically scrub his plate a little more than was necessary. Yeah, he was stalling, but he couldn’t face James right now either. James had stirred up so much drama and irritation for what?
“Andy, are you okay,” Trish asked. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Look at me.”
“I am fine,” he said, continuing to wash his plate.
“You’re going to scrub the design off your plate if you’re not careful,” she said, pulling it out of his hand and rinsing it under the water. Sticking it in the drainer, she glared at him. “What’s going on?”
“All of this,” he said, motioning towards the dining room. “All of this spectacle for nothing.” He shook his head. “I have been stressed, angry, worried, and upset over Jay’s actions and his anger and it is all because he did not pay attention.”
He leaned against the counter and covered his face with his hands. No matter how badly he wanted to, he would not cry, he promised himself. This frustration, this rage, would work itself out if he gave it enough time. Trish leaned into his side and slipped her arm across his shoulders.
“I think that, as much as an asshole as he’s been, he really was trying to help you.” She gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze. “Granted, he should have approached it all differently, like by maybe not yelling at you or accosting you in the men’s room of a fancy restaurant, but his heart was in the right place.”
“I know you are correct, but I still cannot go back out there yet.” His fury was still to close to the surface and he couldn’t trust himself to not explode.
“Hang on,” Trish said, extricating herself from his body. “I have an idea.” She grabbed a clean mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee before adding a hit of half and half. Topping it off with a slug of Kahlua from the pantry, she handed it back to him. “Have a couple sips of this before you go back out there. Even if it doesn’t help to steady your nerves, you drink enough of it and you won’t care either.”
He gave her a wary look but took the mug from her anyway. “I am going to be in rehab if I keep drinking like this.”
“We’ll get you back on track,” she said. “But that would require keeping you away from Reyes for a few weeks, I think.”
“I do not mind when Zayne drinks around me,” he said, sipping the spiked coffee. The alcohol worked its way down his throat, smoothing over all his frayed and ragged ends as it went. “He does not need to stay away.”
Trish side-eyed him for a second. “So, you two haven’t talked?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What about?”
“It’s not important,” she said, waving his concern away. “Never mind.”
She was lying, but he didn’t have enough strength to confront her about it now. He took another sip of the coffee and set the mug on the counter. “I had better go back out there before everyone follows us in.”
Andrej went into the dining room and picked up Zayne’s plate. James still sat with his elbows on the table, his head in his hands. The sight tugged at Andrej’s heart, but he refused to give in to his feelings. James had ripped him apart emotionally when they’d split up, and then again, repeatedly, over the last week. The redhead didn’t deserve his sympathy, his empathy, but he couldn’t help but feel bad because they had once meant everything to each other. He took the plate into the kitchen and handed it to Trish before returning to the dining room.
“Jay,” Andrej said, resting a hand on his ex-boyfriend’s back. “Do not beat yourself up like this. I do believe you meant no harm. That you tried to save me from trouble is appreciated.” There. That was somewhere between forgiving and being a sucker.
James looked up at him, misery etched into his features. “I totally messed this all up, Andy. I’m so damn sorry.”
“You made a mistake,” he began, speaking slowly as he gathered his thoughts. “But not anything that I would not have done in your shoes. Or any of us. You handled it badly,” he said, thinking about the incident in the bathroom on Friday, “and if you are going to apologize for anything, apologize for that. Do not be upset that you tried to keep me from harm.”
James nodded and then rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. “Thank you. So, you don’t hate me?”
“I could never hate you,” Andrej said, brushing James hair back just like he always had. He pulled his hand away, hoping no one had noticed that moment of intimacy pass between them. Some habits were hard to break. His eyes flicked over towards Zayne and then back.
“I could,” Zayne said lightly, “but not for this. However, you ever put your fucking hands on him out of anger again and I will destroy you. Understand?”
James glared at Zayne but nodded his understanding. “I can’t believe I grabbed you like that, Andy. You should have punched me. I would have punched me.”
“I’d have socked you, too,” Hilary added, looking at her nails.
“That would have solved nothing,” Andrej said before Zayne or Trish could jump on the let’s-beat-James train. “And it likely would have only given you more reason to find something negative about Carter.”
“Maybe,” James said. He stood up, stretched. “Are you going to see him again?”
“We have a date on Friday,” Andrej answered.
“I promise not to corner you in the bathroom again,” James said, the corner of his mouth ticking up.
“How about you see his car in the parking lot, you and that shark of yours go somewhere else?”
James snorted. “That’s an appealing idea, Rollins,” he replied. He looked in Andrej’s direction. “Maybe we can talk about this more later, when I’ve had time to think about it?”
Andrej nodded. “Let me know.”
“Will do,” James said. “I should go home now before I start any more shit.”
“Isn’t that why you’re here, narco,” Zayne asked. He grinned when James shot him a nasty look. “Drive safe.”
“Yeah, thanks, Reyes,” James said. He waved goodbye and let himself out the front door.
“Well, that was anti-climactic,” Zayne deadpanned. “But at least he’ll be off your ass now, Zek.”
“I hope so,” Andrej said. He retook his seat across from Zayne and stared at the table. “I am not sure I can go through this again.”
“It’ll work out,” Jake said. “He’s really embarrassed by this, which might be good for him honestly. For someone as rational and methodical as Rosewood is, when it comes to people he cares about, he forgets about these pesky things called details and launches into protector mode.” Jake chuckled. “I’m thinking his younger siblings were glad to see him get his ass out of Utah.”
“Can you even imagine being one of his younger sisters,” Trish said. “Yikes.”
“No kidding,” Jake agreed.
“You’ll keep an eye on him,” Andrej asked Jake. “Make sure he is okay?”
Jake nodded. “And I was thinking that maybe I should go see him, just in case he needs to get more off his chest. I’ll give him a few to get home, get settled, but I think the sooner I go, the better.” He shifted his focus to Hilary. “Would you hate me if I left you here?”
Hilary laughed. “Of all the places you could abandon me, Andy’s house is my best option. He’ll feed me, he’ll do my laundry, and he’ll smack Zayne around for my amusement.” She made a shooing motion with one hand. “Go, take care of your partner. We all get how important that is.”
“Thanks,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll call you later. You, too, Zeklos.”
Jake left and Trish sighed. “So, this was pointless,” she said. “Although not a waste of time, I don’t think. Maybe the narco will get his shit together and figure out what a big ass mistake he made.”
“Or maybe,” Hilary said, catching Zayne’s eye, “Andy will find something better.”
“Maybe,” Andrej said. “However, if Carter ever gets wind of all that has happened, I am not sure he’d ever want to speak to me again.”
“I doubt that,” Hilary said. “You want to get out of here, Rollins?”
“Yup, I think it’s about time,” she said, holding out her hand to Hilary. “Help me up. I ate too many donuts.”
“You do not want to stay,” Andrej asked. “I know we no longer have anything to discuss, but you are both welcome to hang around with us.”
“Nah,” Trish said. “Zayne looks like he’s ready for a nap and I know you need to unwind a bit.”
“Take him to bed, Zayne,” Hilary teased. “And make sure he gets some rest. You both could use a siesta from the looks of it.”
“Ha, ha,” Zayne said, giving the girls a warning with his eyes. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Rollins.”
Hilary came over and gave Zayne a hug. “This would be a great time to talk to him, buster. Move it or lose it.”
Zayne kissed the side of her face. “Shut up and go away.”
Cackling, Hilary gave Andrej a hug before following Trish out of the house.
“What was all of that about,” Andrej asked once the girls had disappeared behind the closed door. “I felt like I was missing something important.”
He turned his face towards Andrej and smiled. “Nothing too important,” he said. “But they’re right. I could use a nap. Come crash with me for a bit?”
It went against everything in his nature to nap in the middle of the day, but a lot had happened over the last week and he was exhausted. “Okay,” he finally said. “Let me finish cleaning up.”
“Leave it,” Zayne said, holding his hand out. “We can clean it up later.”
He stared at Zayne’s outstretched hand and decided his partner was right. The dishes could wait. “At least we will not be surprised when we wake up together this time.”
He could have sworn Zayne blushed at that, a hint of pink along the curve of his beautiful cheekbones. But that would be the most un-Zayne-like thing he could imagine, so he must have been mistaken, Andrej thought. Taking Zayne’s hand into his own, he led his partner towards his bedroom, his heart skipping a beat at what this implied, although it was nothing of the sort. There was no doubt he was going to hate himself later, but right now, he could enjoy the comfort of having Zayne close to him, even if it was as close as they’d ever get.
