Xposed

“No way not to drink if you live in my world.” Hollister answered. “I quit the drugs, though. Only booze. Here, let me help with that.”

Indi smacked Hollister’s hand away and growled, “I don’t need anybody’s fucking help…with anything.”

“Yeah, Levi said that was your weakness. Pride. He thinks you’re running because you’re afraid to stand still long enough to face reality. That’s how he knew you’d do the drug run—not to save me but to prove you could.” Hollister paused, giving Indi time for those annoying words to settle. “Again, how did you do it? We’re both dying to know.” Indi felt Hollister’s hand touch his knee before the younger man added, “I know you would have done it to protect me, as well. Levi is simply too untrustworthy of people.”

Indi tossed back his first shot, knowing many more would probably follow. “No, tell me why you trust a cop that would let people use your body that way. Then maybe I’ll consider revealing my drug mule secrets.”

Indi heard Hollister pour his own shot and swallow it down before answering. “Oh, trust me, I got in serious trouble for that one. Levi nearly ruptured one of those veins that pops out on his forehead when he gets really angry about something. He would never approve of me doing something like that.” Hollister made a huffing sound. “I had to listen to an hour-long lecture about Levi’s opinion of what happened between me and Leonard.”

“Why did you do it then?” Indi asked in disbelief. “The guy is clearly a closeted son of a bitch. He threatened to kill you, for fuck’s sake.” Hollister didn’t sound stupid, but Indi was really beginning to question the guy’s mental capacities. Even blind, Indi could tell Leonard was a jackass.

“Tell me how you smuggled the drugs in, and I’ll tell you why I let Leonard fuck me.” Hollister countered.

Indi poured another shot and knocked it back. “Swallowed them and then made myself throw them back up in the bathroom. Simple enough. Made myself a drug mule on a very small scale. No biggie.” It was a biggie—the bags could have burst, and Indi could have died. Still, knowing that, he’d done it anyway. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he’d had something to prove…that he wasn’t totally useless.

Hollister whistled. “See Levi was wrong. Your weakness is pride but it’s also adrenaline rushes. You liked it, didn’t you?”

Indi felt himself blush. Damn, he hated when that happened. “Maybe.”

“Well, just like Levi said your weakness was pride, he told me mine was trust. I trust people too much. I trusted Leonard when he said he cared about me. Much to Levi’s dismay, I’ve trusted you since the first time we met. He’s kept me on a tight leash around you but after today, I think you’ve earned the truth. Don’t shit on my trust like Leonard did.” Hollister giggled like a schoolgirl. “Plus, Leonard is really hot—just needs a ball gag in his mouth at all times.”

“Levi sure does think he’s good at picking out people’s weaknesses, doesn’t he? What’s his?”

They both said asshole at the same time. The Tequila was starting to make Indi feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. He rarely drank anymore. He hadn’t realized how much he missed it until that very moment. Indi poured another shot.

“Wait. Hold your hand still. I want to clink glasses and make a toast to our asshole!” Hollister suggested in a wickedly naughty tone.

Indi did what Hollister asked, but it felt like an ice bucket dumped on his head when Hollister unwillingly reminded him of just how helpless he was. He couldn’t even clink fucking shot glasses together.

“Hey…what did I do wrong? Your face went all…sad.”

“Nothing,” Indi growled, refusing to let Hollister know just how inadequate he felt. “Why was asshole trying to get me arrested? That doesn’t seem like good drug business to me, fake or real.”

“He planned on having you arrested and then moved to a safe house. When the Leonard thing happened, he became worried about retaliation. He didn’t want to risk his cover with the Doctor, so he thought having you arrested and then relocated would be the best strategy. Clearly, he was mistaken. You swallowed bags of blow? That ain’t smart, man. If they had opened…”

“They didn’t. Stop fretting over it.” Angrily, Indi added, “I’m not as helpless as I look.”

“Only you think you’re helpless, Judas. I’ve seen you in action, and you’re the opposite of helpless. Levi doesn’t think so either. He thought you were way too aggressive not to get involved and that’s why he needed you relocated. I don’t want to bring up the whole blind thing, but if you could have seen the look of horror on Levi’s face when you got involved, it would make you feel happy to know you’d scared him so badly. To be honest, I’ve never seen him scared—only arrogant, serious, cocky, and mad…oh, and asshole-ish.”