Hard to Handle (Caine Cousins #2)(84)
35
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Two days later
“This the news report you mentioned?” Gage asked.
Travis peered up at his husband as he stepped into Travis’s office. “Yeah. Looks like Max has been a busy man.”
Leaning back in his chair, Travis hit the button to turn up the volume. Gage came around to stand behind him, his hand warm on Travis’s shoulder.
Stay tuned for a breaking news report…
We’re following up on the disappearance of Houston police chief Kelly Jackson. As we previously reported, Chief Jackson has been missing for at least two days, and there are still no leads on his whereabouts.
The Houston police chief seems to have vanished into thin air. Our sources tell us that during a well-check visit to Chief Jackson’s home on Thursday morning, some disturbing things were uncovered. While investigators were searching for evidence of possible foul play, they found some items that have raised some questions as to what is really going on here.
Our sources have told us that there were detailed journals found on the man’s home computer, outlining in horrific detail a sordid history of abuse to Jackson’s two deceased wives. Although investigators aren’t sure exactly where Jackson is, they are working with the families of both women to have the bodies exhumed and autopsies performed to determine whether or not foul play was involved.
It has also been stated that there are questions regarding embezzlement of city funds by Jackson. When we have more details on this, we will pass them along. And the Houston Police Department is asking that if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Chief Jackson, please contact the non-emergency hotline. Any and all leads will be followed. We have also been advised that, until further investigations prove otherwise, Chief Jackson is to be considered armed and dangerous.
“Journals?” Gage asked, coming around and leaning against Travis’s desk. “The man really kept journals?”
Gage’s disbelief rang as loudly as Travis’s had when he first heard the story.
Travis stared up at the man. “I’m sure that’s Max’s doing.”
“Ah, well. That makes sense. Especially considering there was no mention of…”
Amy.
“Nope. And there won’t be,” Travis assured him.
Ensuring there was nothing that tied Amy back to Kelly Jackson probably hadn’t been easy. However, Travis didn’t question how Max had taken care of business. He didn’t want to know.
“Like I said before,” Gage stated, smiling, “I’m not sure how I feel about you havin’ mob ties. But if that man wants to play superhero and save the girl, then who am I to argue?”
Travis got to his feet. “I’m sure that’s not the first time Max has played superhero.” He leaned over and kissed Gage. “And I seriously doubt it’ll be the last.”
Gage hooked his fingers in Travis’s belt loops. “Probably not. But what d’ya say we sit the next one out?”
Travis chuckled, then leaned in and kissed his husband once more. “I’ll do my best. But I’m not makin’ any promises.”
Epilogue
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Three months later
December
“Come on! Cut the ribbon, would ya?” Wolfe shouted, needling Reagan as she stood on the front porch of the new bar. “We’ve been waitin’ a long damn time for this.”
Reagan laughed, as Wolfe had expected her to.
Beside her, his cousin watched Reagan closely. The man was so far gone it was amusing. Or rather it would’ve been if Wolfe didn’t know exactly how the man felt.
These past few months had been … well, amazing was one way to put it. Although that was probably an understatement.
“Y’all ready for this?” Reagan asked the crowd that had gathered in the parking lot.
Wolfe was pretty sure half the town was there despite the fact that it was unusually cold for winter in Texas.
A chorus of cheers erupted.
“You sure?” Reagan asked, cocking her head to the side.
Lynx laughed, then moved closer to his woman.
Wolfe waited along with everyone else.
Finally, Reagan leaned down and snipped the ribbon that was tied between two cedar posts that supported the overhang covering the wraparound porch. Lynx had mentioned that Reagan had always wanted a wraparound porch, so it had been added at the last minute. Wolfe knew his cousin would go to any lengths to make that woman happy.
Lynx gave a whistle and everyone cheered.
It had taken them three months to get the bar built, and the day had finally come to open the place. Granted, it probably would’ve been built even sooner than that had his cousin not decided that he wanted to start building his own damn house while they were in the process of erecting the damn bar.
It seemed to have worked out for everyone though.
Well, maybe not everyone.
There were still a couple of pissy people, but as Lynx said, you couldn’t please everyone all the time. Wolfe had to agree. Truth was, it didn’t fucking matter if everyone else was happy. Decisions were made, lives were changed, and people were smiling. All was right in their world and those who didn’t like it could fuck off.
Glancing around, Wolfe set his sights on the two people he’d been waiting for.