It was late when Darius woke up. The boys were asleep, Niko had retired to the guest cabin, leftovers had been boxed up, and Gray had just made a pot of coffee and heated up some cookies. Despite the cold, he liked to bundle up and sit on the porch in the evening when everything was quiet and peaceful.
“What happened to three hours?” Darius grumbled.
He was a sight, wearing only jeans and sleep lines.
“They came and went.” Gray bussed a kiss to his cheek and then grabbed two oil lamps from the entryway. “How’re you feeling?”
Darius caught on, figuring they were heading outside, and slipped his feet into his boots. “Like I’ve been on a three-day bender.”
No wonder.
Darius didn’t bother running upstairs to put on a shirt. He settled for his jacket. Then, while he went outside with the lamps, Gray got more cookies and poured another cup of coffee.
“Did you fix the door, baby?” Darius asked.
“Yeah.” Gray stepped outside and joined Darius at the table. “Niko helped me get the tire swing ready too. Justin’s a big fan.”
“Damn. You’ve been busy.” Darius pushed back his chair enough so he could lift his injured leg to rest it on the table. He winced but seemed to find a good position once the leg was elevated.
Gray couldn’t help but worry. “How are you feeling? Fuck—I already asked. Sorry.” He handed Darius a cup of coffee.
Darius grunted and tried to reach the table. “Cookies…”
That made Gray grin, and he extended two chocolate chip cookies as well.
No more words were said until Darius had dipped a cookie in his coffee and crammed it into his mouth. It was so easy to tell that this was what he’d been looking forward to. Being back home on his porch, having coffee and cookies, enjoying the peace and quiet.
“You’re happy now, aren’t you?” Gray murmured.
“You have no idea, knucklehead.” Darius leaned back and got comfortable, and he took a sip of his coffee. “I’ve missed your coffee. I thought no one could brew a better pot than me, but this—nothing beats this.”
The secret was just a tiny splash of a hazelnut-dark chocolate syrup that Mom had at the inn, for the breakfast buffet. But it was labeled vegan and organic, so Gray didn’t wanna show it to Darius.
“Did I miss any news?” Darius asked.
Gray shook his head. “Nothing more than that they haven’t made the connection between the compound explosion and the Langes yet. But I’m guessing the Feds have their suspicions.”
“Aye. Shouldn’t be too long now.” Darius dunked another cookie into his coffee. “Ryan and I have a bet going on. He thinks they’ll track down one of the drivers first—who will lead the Feds to the compound—and I think it’ll be when they identify AJ or Alfred.”
Gray chewed on the inside of his cheek, making his own calculations. AJ was well-known in his field, and he’d been reported missing twenty-four hours after he didn’t show up for work on time. Once they identified him, the rest would follow. At least his own parents.
“I guess the question is how smart the drivers are,” Gray said. “The Feds know who they are. Willow even sent photos, didn’t she?”
Darius inclined his head.
Right. So for the drivers to get away, they would have to remain hidden at all times—for the rest of their lives. Were they clever enough to make it to Mexico? Or maybe Canada. Gray imagined that border wasn’t as heavily guarded.
“Canada extradites to the US, right?” he asked next.
Darius smirked a little and nodded. “Oh yeah. They’re dumber than they look if they head north. On the other hand, we have an extradition treaty with Mexico too, but…”
But, yeah. It was easier to disappear in Mexico, not to mention reach countries in South America.
“It’s weird getting closure from watching the news,” Gray admitted. “I’ve gotten so used to confirmations through Willow.”
Darius chuckled quietly. “True. But it’s nice. For once, we can sit back and let the authorities do their job. And this part, they’re good at.”
As evidence showed. Gray had lost track of all the arrests that’d been made.
“By the way, Casey and Boone scored big at AJ’s place,” Darius said. “Looks like there’ll be a payday for everyone involved despite it all.”
“Really?”
Darius nodded. “Casey handed over a big portion of it before we left Vegas. I hid it in the floor compartment under the cargo bed in the truck.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I figure, we square all the expenses and compensate Willow for everything she’s done, and then we put the rest to good use. I spoke to Reese on the way home, and he mentioned you suggested a trauma care fund for survivors.”
That gave Gray a lot of comfort. “It was just an idea, but…is it possible? I mean, it has to be anonymous, and we gotta make sure the money goes to the right people.”