The Terms of Release by BA Tortuga Page B

Win had to stop and clear his throat. “Do you need me to look at anything?”
    “I’m okay. I didn’t do anything.” Sage met his eyes. “I didn’t start anything.”
    “I know that. Bulldog gave me an official report.” He stared right back. “I’m not here as a cop.”
    “Oh, good.” Sage relaxed, shuffled to the kitchen, and started pouring two mugs of steaming joe. “He scared them off.”
    “He did. Rubber bullets.” That had been smart on Bulldog’s part, not using live ammo. Fewer penalties that way.
    “They didn’t say nothin’.”
    “Nothing at all that you could make out?” Win’s arms ached with tension. He wanted to reach out so bad, but Sage was stiffly separate from him.
    “Nothing at all. They just wanted to whup on me.”
    “Sage.” Win reached out, needing to feel for himself that Sage wasn’t broken.
    Sage stepped up and pushed into his hands with a soft groan. “Hell of a night.”
    “I’m sorry, babe.” He didn’t even know what for, really, except that he hadn’t been there to stop it.
    “Me too.” Sage leaned against him for a second, still and heavy.
    Win knew it shouldn’t feel so good to have Sage’s trust, but it did. He held Sage loosely, feeling the heat of bruises.
    “The pie was good tonight.”
    “Was it?” Jesus. Sage was taking this whole thing like he deserved it, like it went with coffee and dessert.
    “Yeah.” Sage took a deep breath. “Yeah, it was. I think I’m gonna hurl, honey. You just hang out here a minute.”
    Win let Sage go, knowing how damned embarrassing it was to puke in front of someone. His first DB, or dead body, had done that to him, and he’d tossed his cookies in front of two other cops.
    He put their coffee on the end table and turned on the TV. God, Sage was going to be fucking sore tomorrow. Maybe he could—hell, he didn’t know what he could do. Win sat on the couch, his hands dangling between his knees.
    Sage came back in a pair of loose shorts and a T-shirt, and came to sit beside him. “Sorry, man. I haven’t… I don’t know what to do next.”
    “I don’t either.” He shrugged, feeling oddly helpless. They were all about charting new territory, him and Sage.
    “That makes it easier, somehow.” Sage leaned against his side.
    “Does it?” He put his arm around Sage, careful not to jostle.
    “Yeah. Sometimes I’m like the only son of a bitch that’s lost on earth.”
    “Nah. We’re all wandering around in the dark.” That was true enough.
    “Can you stay a little while? Watch a movie?”
    “I can. What did you want to watch? I can put it on.” He could get more coffee, maybe a soft snack. Ice cream again.
    “ Matrix ? I have it. Momma bought it for me at the Walmart in Greenville.”
    “I like that one. Lots of leather and ducking bullets.” He could see how Sage might need a new world hero movie at the moment.
    “Yeah. Yeah, I like special effects.” Sage handed him the DVD case, and those square hands were shaking, just a little bit.
    “I’ll get some pillows and blankets, too, huh?”
    “Yeah. You want me to warm up your coffee?”
    “If you want to, babe. I don’t want you to have to get up.” No, he wanted to wrap himself around Sage and protect him.
    He got the couch set up, the movie going, and then he toed off his boots. He needed to touch, hold on.
    They got settled again, and he pulled Sage mostly onto his lap. “Is this okay? The heat will help with the soreness.”
    “It’s better than okay. Thank you for coming over.” Sage pulled the blankets around them.
    “I’m glad you’re mostly in one piece.” He kissed an unbruised bit of skin. His thoughts raced around like bumper cars in his head.
    “I think one day they’re gonna kill me. I hope they wait ’til after Daddy’s gone and Momma’s sold the ranch.”
    How the fuck could anyone talk about losing their life so fucking calmly?
    “Not if I can help it.” No, if Sage’s folks moved on, Win would think about