Promises Part 1 (Bounty Hunters 1)

Vaughan’s medical leave was up and he was scheduled to report to his new job on Monday. Quick wasn’t sure he’d see him before then since he’d been practically living with Duke. His son and best friends were lovers… that was still going to take some getting used to. Even though Vaughan had told him years ago about his feelings for Duke, Quick honestly thought he would find someone else before he finished law school and came back.

He couldn’t have been more wrong. His son was even more in love. When he’d first learned about it, Quick had called it a puppy love or infatuation. Duke was a good-looking man. All testosterone and muscles. At first he’d thought he’d been attracted to Duke but when they got to know each other more, Quick realized it would never work. There were only a few men that Quick had ever been attracted to, but it never amounted to anything, so why tell his best friend?

Quick never considered himself gay. He’d never been with a man. Didn’t even crave it actually. But lately there had been a stirring in his gut that he couldn’t shake. It hurt. And as much as Quick wanted to pretend he didn’t understand why, he was too smart to play dumb. He thought about Dr. Cayson Chauncey again. Replayed the argument they’d had in his office. Over and over. He’d hurt the sexy doctor. Sexy?

This wasn’t good. He knew it. But every part of him screamed at him to do something. Make all the negative feelings he had go away. However, he simply couldn’t bring himself to call him, not even to apologize. It wasn’t necessarily his pride that prevented him from doing it; it was the assumption that Dr. Chauncey would probably slam the door in his face or tell him to fuck off. He could imagine the proper man all pissed and angry. Those blue eyes blazing with pent up rage and lust.

Oh, fuck. The way that man had looked at Quick when he came in dressed in his gear. It made his chest constrict remembering the want and need he saw in the sweet doctor. But for all of that to be displayed in front of Duke and his son was too much. He was a private man. His personal life was just that… personal. Yes, he had friends, but they were grown men. They didn’t discuss their romps anymore. This wasn’t junior high.

Maybe it was best to leave it alone. He didn’t need to see the doctor anymore. Duke didn’t need an escort with him to his doctor’s appointments. He was more active than Quick had been over the past week. His friend went to work out daily and then god only knew how active his nights were. Quick shivered. He didn’t want to picture any of that.

It was time for him to move on with his life. He and Vaughan had an amazing relationship. He still found plenty of time for the old man and it made him feel much better that all of them were getting back to normal again, but he couldn’t expect Vaughan to stay with him until the end of his days and keep him company. Quick needed to find his own company to ease the loneliness of the long nights. That were getting lonelier and lonelier. But his son had his own life to live.

Just call him.

No.

He won’t be mean. He’s too sweet to be mean.

Yes he will. He hates me now. Legitimately so.

You saw how he looked at you. Have you ever seen so much desire in anyone’s eyes?

Well if it was there, it’s damn sure gone now.

Instead of sitting there and listening to the devil and angel on his shoulders argue back and forth, Quick got up to get himself something a little stronger to drown out the noise. He didn’t want to hear it. No matter what, he wasn’t going to pursue the doctor. He wouldn’t know how, anyway. The man deserved so much better than a roughneck with only a high school education. The doctor—surgeon and lifesaver—was out of his league. It didn’t matter either way, because Quick had blown it, and for no good reason.

Standing there propped against his counter, he was lost in the quietness when his business phone rang. He moved as quickly as his inebriated legs would carry him and grabbed his cell from the patio table.

“Quick,” he answered tiredly.

“We got him,” Judge said with no preamble, getting right to the point.

“Who?” Quick said, sitting down before he lost balance. His head was swimming and the floorboards of his deck felt like they were rolling back and forth under his ass. Yeah, he was drunk.

“That bastard that got Duke—Aaron Williams. The bounty that had almost killed him. I’ve had my guys on his last known acquaintances for a while. And you won’t believe it, but the overconfident motherfucker is still in Atlanta.”