Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(70)

Ashby’s face was grim. “The second floor,” he said. “We’ll also go door to door.” He turned back to the group. “I’m sure he’s fine. But the real concern here is that he got outside. There’s a real blizzard gaining force out there and he’s too young to survive for long on his own. I’m sure he’s fine. But let’s get him reunited with Mr. Charles sooner rather than later.”

Kadie looked scared. “He’d know not to go outside alone, wouldn’t he?”

Trent’s dad shook his head as he hurriedly got to his feet. “He’s nothing but trouble. He’ll run out in traffic or get lost in the snow. Goddamn it.” His voice choked with worry. Trent had known all along that deep down, of course, his dad loved his new dog, no matter how naughty he was.

Trent rested his hand on his dad’s shoulder, making him pause. “We’ll find him,” he told him. “We won’t lose anyone else.”

His dad clasped his hand over Trent’s. “No,” he said determinedly. “We won’t.”

Then Trenton Sr. turned and looked directly at Ashby. For a second, Trent’s heart threatened to stop. There was probably no mistaking their body language. His dad had already intimated he knew Trent had been close to breaking Ashby’s heart. How would he react now they were actually together?

Trent’s dad clasped Ashby’s shoulder, bulky with Trent’s coat. “Thank you, son,” he said. “You boys stick together.”

Ashby blinked, then smiled. “We will, sir,” he said.

“Okay,” Maeve said loudly as they began to spread out. “Whoever finds that little scamp first, brings him back here to the bar for a spanked bottom.”

“You’re not fooling anyone,” Kadie said with a tut. “He’ll get nothing less than half a chicken and a cuddle if you find him first.”

Maeve raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said as she bustled after Trent’s dad.

“Thank you,” Trent said as they left the others and began to climb the stairs. Ashby glanced over at him, a questioning look in his eyes. “For taking charge,” Trent elaborated. “For understanding that he’s not just a dog.”

Ashby scoffed. “Of course he’s not just a dog,” he said. Like there could ever be such a thing.

“You boys aren’t talking about that adorable little fellow with the floppy ears, are you?”

Trent came to an abrupt halt with Ashby and tried not to grind his teeth too hard. They turned to see Kiefer behind them in the hallway on the second floor. No doubt he had followed them up the stairs. He must have been loitering around the bar.

For once, he wasn’t wearing his Stetson, so he became immediately that much more forgettable. Objectively speaking, he really wasn’t as handsome as Trent had first given him credit for. He was pretty plain despite his dazzling teeth and expensive clothes.

“Fuck off, Burton,” Trent growled at him.

But Ashby raised his hand up to Trent, his eyes trained on Kiefer. “Why do you ask?” he enquired sweetly.

Kiefer’s gaze swept disgustingly up and down Ashby. Trent could just imagine him undressing Ashby mentally and wanted to smack that smug look off Kiefer’s face. But then he remembered what he’d told Ashby back at his cabin and reined in his temper. He wouldn’t give Kiefer the satisfaction of seeing him lose his temper again.

“Well,” Kiefer said. He rocked on his cowboy boots and imitated concern. “Only there was a chubby pup who was awful keen to be let outside by the pool a while back. He obviously needed to do his business, so I opened the door for him. I do hope that’s not a problem?”

Trent really did almost lunge for the asshole. But Ashby was already hauling him past the slimebag, back down the stairs. “No, no problem at all,” Ashby called back. “Thank you so much, darling!”

“Why would he tell us what he did?” Trent snarled as they made it back to the first floor and ran toward the pool.

“Because he’s a sociopath who needs everyone to know how clever he is and just how much power he has over them,” Ashby said, quite succinctly considering how fast they were sprinting. “I can’t wait to deal with him. I’m going to disembowel him. It’ll be fun.”

Trent glanced at his lover as they burst out into the snowstorm, unable to stop himself smiling despite the dire circumstances. “I really do love you,” he said.

Ashby smiled bashfully back at him.





29





Ashby





The weather had rapidly deteriorated. Considering it had almost frozen Ashby’s balls off twice in the last hour, he couldn’t say he was thrilled as he and Trent stepped back out into the howling wind and thick, heavy snow.

“Merlin!” Trent bellowed.

The door to the resort slammed shut behind them. Ashby couldn’t really make anything out in the flurry. It was too early in the day for the lights to be on around the pool. The sky was a dark iron gray, hardly letting any sunshine through to help with visibility.

“Merlin!” Ashby also yelled at the top of his lungs. “Shit, Trent,” he said, trying not to become panicked. “We’re never going to find him in this weather.”