Mancave (Wild Men 3)

He reaches out with his good hand, bracing himself against the wall. “You mean that?” The breath he draws is shaky. “I don’t take charity. I don’t—”

“This isn’t charity. Dammit, Evan.” I shake my head at him. “You think I wouldn’t have called you if I’d known you were looking for a job? I only just put the pieces together yesterday—the need we have for someone like you at the shop, your decision to move away from here. Just… tell me, are you interested?”

“Like you have to ask.” He gives an incredulous laugh. “I’d be in fucking St. Louis, close to my sister, to Melissa… working with you. It’s like Christmas came early this year. Jesus Christ, Matt. You don’t know what you’re offering.”

His eyes are shiny now, and I dunno what to do with that, so I clap him awkwardly on his good shoulder. “I’ll talk to Kaden tomorrow and call you, but I doubt he’ll say no. Man has been on my case to hire someone forever. Now get some sleep. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

Right?

Chapter Fourteen

Octavia

We wake up early, say a quick goodbye to a bleary-eyed Evan, and climb into the pickup truck. I’m still half-asleep, but at least Matt looks wide awake, the frown line between his dark brows deeper than ever.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as he drives down the quiet streets of Destiny, looking for the exit to the highway.

“Nothing.”

Even his voice is strained. “Matt…”

He’s quiet as he clears the little town and we speed toward the prison. I wait him out. He talks to me these days, not like when I first met him.

Eventually, he glances sideways at me. “Mary called me this morning, early. She was crying.”

I straighten in the seat where I’d slumped. “What? Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I mean…” His fingers tap a quick beat on the wheel. “She’s fine, everyone’s fine. But she’s scared.”

“Of what?”

“She won’t tell me, but she asked about you. If you’re okay.”

“Me?” I frown, not expecting this. “Was she having a bad dream?”

God knows I know all about those.

“Maybe.” He shrugs. “But that tells me something.”

“And what’s that?”

“She doesn’t feel threatened by you. You know, the stealing her dad part? I don’t think that’s what’s been bothering her.”

“What then?”

“I dunno, Tay. I told you, I’ll talk to her again as soon as we get back. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

I chance a quick look at his profile. Strong, determined. I want to save the world, he’s intent on getting it done. “We will.”

Together we’ll do our best.

* * *

The gates of the prison are tall, armed guards in sentry boxes standing on either side. As we sit in the pickup, waiting, the gates swing open and two men walk out.

I lean forward, straining to see in the gray morning light from the overcast sky. They are both shabbily dressed, in old jeans and wrinkled shirts, beaten-up duffel bags thrown over one shoulder. They’re walking close together, banded together against the rest of us, but don’t look at each other.

As they approach, I see one of them is old, the other young.