Quinn leaned back in his seat and pushed up his glasses so he could rub his eyes. He’d been staring at the screen for far too many hours already. After grabbing some drive-thru, they returned to Shane’s office and fell into work. A quick glance through Quinn’s pictures from the rally two days earlier revealed a picture of a figure in the same sweatshirt, ball cap, and sunglasses, standing with the protestors. He was sure that it was a woman, but they couldn’t see any additional features that would help identify her.

So he dug into researching the protestors. The words were starting to blur together…or at the very least, all the people on the Facebook group he was lurking in were starting to sound the same. But that was the problem with people operating in an echo chamber. They all started repeating each other’s message rather than introducing new ideas.

Not that he really disagreed with this particular group. It was that it had devolved into a lot of blame and anger rather than becoming a force for positive change in the community.

“Need a break?” Shane asked.

“For a few minutes.” Quinn set his glasses on the desktop and rubbed his face, then his hair. He needed to wake up. Maybe another cup of coffee would help though Shane didn’t have the creamer that he liked. He didn’t want to admit that he liked a very particular kind and that he was some kind of high-maintenance pain in the ass. He’d meant to bring some in this morning.

Shane’s chair gave a soft squeak and Quinn smiled. Without looking around, he knew that Shane had gotten up and was moving closer. After more than a week of working together in Shane’s office, he’d become attuned to all the little noises and cues to Shane’s movements and even his moods.

A few seconds later a pair of large, strong hands slid over his shoulders and squeezed as Shane leaned close to look at the computer screen. A faint whiff of his woodsy cologne drifted around Quinn, and he had to fight the urge to take a deep breath.

“What have you found so far?”

Quinn opened his mouth to reply and Shane took that time to tighten his hands, massaging tense muscles until Quinn’s eyes rolled back into his head. A low moan escaped his parted lips and Shane chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“What do you expect? You’re shutting down my brain when you do that,” Quinn said with a groan.

“It’s not the only way to shut down your brain.”

Quinn could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, and tried to gather his thoughts. He was still feeling awkward over sneaking out of Shane’s condo around three in the morning, leaving a note that he had to do some laundry before coming in to work. It wasn’t exactly a lie. He did need to do laundry because he was down to his last clean pair of pants, but it was more about the fact that he’d never stayed over at a guy’s place. He’d been afraid of how awkward things might be the next morning and whether Shane expected him to be gone when he woke despite his kind offer to make breakfast.

This was all new territory. He’d done the casual hookup, but it was with the idea that he’d never see the other person again. He worked with Shane. They shared a tiny office during the day. There was no avoiding him. Was he supposed to pretend that nothing had happened? That he didn’t know what it felt like to have Shane’s cock on his tongue or what the man tasted like? Yeah, he was never going to forget that.

But Shane just strolled in, winked, and went about work like nothing had changed. And that was the point. They’d have some fun together, get off, and go about their lives as if nothing had changed because it hadn’t. Could it really be this normal?

Another low chuckle from Shane drew Quinn from his thoughts.

“I lost you again, didn’t I?” he teased.

Quinn shook his head and sat up in his chair. God, he needed to get his daydreaming under control. He got way too lost in thought when he was around Shane.

“Sorry about that.” Grabbing his glasses, he slid them back on and blinked a couple of times to get his eyes to focus on the computer screen in front of him. He flipped over from Facebook to the spreadsheet where he’d been making notes about the groups that were harassing the mayor.

“I’ve been going through the various groups, and there are currently two big contenders for angriest when it comes to Mayor Spring. There’s Cincy Safe, which is fighting for more funding for rehab programs and stiffer penalties for drug dealers in the fight against the opiate crisis in the city. They’re angry because the mayor has delayed two separate votes that could have diverted more funds to the cause as well as established a special police task force.”

“Sounds like they’ve got a good reason to be pissed.”

Quinn shrugged. “Possibly. It’s not like I want to defend the guy, but I don’t think the problem is so simple that the mayor throwing more money at it is going to help things, but they’ve decided he’s their target and that’s all there is to it.”

“And the other?”

“Urban Progressives.”

“Don’t know them.”

Quinn wrinkled his nose at the screen. “Small group that believes the city isn’t investing enough in growth, gentrification of some of the other neighborhoods, and new technology to make it more pedestrian friendly. It’s like they want to make Cincy a new Silicon Valley with a hip Portland vibe.”

“Shoreditch.”

Quinn twisted in his seat to look up at Shane. “What? Was that even English?”

“Very English actually. It’s in East London. Lots of interesting pop-up restaurants, art galleries, and parties. Very eclectic and vibrant. The ‘it’ place to be in London.”

“You’ve been to London?”

“A few times. You?”

With a quick shake of his head, Quinn turned back to his computer. He didn’t have the money for exotic travel. Hell, vacation at this point was splurging on a one-day lift ticket for Perfect North Slopes for a little snowboarding with friends.

“Anyway, they’re not happy with the mayor.”

“Enough for hate messages?”

“A few.” He closed his spreadsheet and pulled up another spreadsheet. “I contacted the mayor’s assistant and had her send me all the hate mail he’s received. I also scraped off all the negative comments that I could find on his website and social media pages. I created an algorithm to run comparisons against that data and the two messages that he’d received from the hacker, trying to find some kind of match since people tend to write in a particular style and rhythm that generally can’t be masked. We can’t expect a high correlation since we have such a small sample to start with, but I thought it might give us a few leads.”

“Shit…”

Quinn twisted around quickly, expecting to see Shane looking down at his phone, but he was staring down at him. “What?”

“Where did you learn this? I mean, I didn’t fully understand everything that you said, and I can’t guess at how you did it, but that’s just amazing.”

He grinned under Shane’s praise. “Some of it was in college. A lot of it was just experimenting with coding and programming since I was a kid. And then I’ve learned a lot from Jen in the office. She’s amazing with a computer.”

“Jen? That’s the one that Rowe calls Gidget, right?”

“Yep.”

“Why the hell does he call her that?”

Quinn snorted. “I shouldn’t tell you.” He turned back around, but Shane grabbed the back of the chair and turned it so Quinn was completely facing him.

“Why?”

“They wouldn’t tell me who this Gidget was. I had to watch that stupid TV show from the ’60s. I kept thinking there would be some reference to hacking or computers.”

“But it was in the ’60s…”

“I know!”

“Then why?”

“Rowe finally admitted that he called her Gidget because Jen’s perky personality reminded him of the character. I guess he grew up on reruns of the show or something.”

“That sounds like Rowe.”

“He keeps things interesting.”

Shane grinned at Quinn and leaned closer. “I’ve got another kind of interesting tidbit for you.”

“Oh yeah?” He could be down for Shane’s brand of interesting.

“I finally nailed down where I heard Villefort and Danglars from.”

“Where? I did a search of known people in the mayor’s social circle and came up with nothing.”

“You wouldn’t. It’s The Count of Monte Cristo.”

“What? Who’s that?”

“Seriously?”

Quinn couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “What?”

“The Count of Monte Cristo is a book written by Alexandre Dumas. Same guy who wrote the Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask.”

“I think I saw that movie. Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“You’re killing me.”

Quinn could feel the flush rising in his cheeks but he pressed on. “I like movies, video games, and computers. Never been big on books.”

Shane leaned forward and snagged Quinn’s lips in a quick, hard kiss before stepping back again. “Then we’ll rent the movie so you can catch up, but a quick summary is that this innocent, naïve guy named Edmond Dantès was framed for treason and was sent to prison. After years in prison, he escapes and proceeds with an elaborate plan to destroy the lives of the four men who destroyed his life.” Shane paused, licking his bottom lip before he counted off on his fingers, “Villefort, Danglars, Caderousse, and Mondego.”

“The email said Villefort and Danglars have fallen. Who are they in real life?”

“No clue.”

“And which one of the remaining two is the mayor?”

“No clue. But Monte Cristo is a story about revenge.”

Quinn leaned back in his chair and swore softly under his breath. “This just got a lot bigger. Or this hacker is a freaking nutjob.”

“Could be a bit of both,” Shane said with a half smile, but his expression seemed shaky as if he were also feeling overwhelmed.

They remained where they were, frozen as if locked up by all the possible implications. Where did they turn next? Did they talk to the mayor and tell him their thoughts? But what if he did fuck someone over?

Quinn’s ringing cell phone made them both suddenly jerk. For a heartbeat, he thought about ignoring it, but then he recognized the special ring he’d assigned to the number.

“Fuck,” he swore, snatching up his phone. He rolled to his feet, pacing away from Shane but not leaving the office. These calls were never good. He had to swipe the screen of his phone twice to get it to answer the call. “H-hello?”

“Hi, Quinn. It’s Elaine.”

He was surprised that she even bothered to introduce herself anymore. He’d know Elaine’s soft, patient voice anywhere. She was the nurse on duty who usually called him when there was a problem with his mom.

“What’s up?” Inwardly he hated his clipped tone, but panic was starting to build as his mind frantically cycled through all the possible scenarios for the call. Had the last payment not gone through? Were they kicking his mom out? Did she have another stroke? Fall? Break a bone?

“There’s been a small incident, and Dr. Carmichael is wondering if you could come in for a brief consultation.”

“What happened? Is my mom all right?”

“She’s fine. We had to give her a sedative. She became a little excited this afternoon and attacked one of the orderlies. I believe the doctor is looking to change her medication, but he needs to have a quick chat with you. Will you be able to come in?”

Quinn stumbled back a step, shoving his free hand through his hair as he swore under his breath. His mom attacked someone? That didn’t make any sense. His mom…she was the sweetest, gentlest person in the world. She would never hurt anyone. He struggled to reconcile his memories of his mom with the person she was now.

“Is she okay? And the orderly?”

“Both are fine. The doctor will be able to explain more. Can you come in?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I-I can be there in about thirty minutes. Is that okay?”

“It’s perfect. I’ll tell the doctor.”

“Thanks.”

“Quinn, your mom is okay. I promise,” Elaine said evenly and Quinn grasped on to the firmness of her voice. He needed her to be right. He didn’t know what he’d do if she wasn’t.

He heard Elaine end the call and he lowered the phone from his ear, but he couldn’t move. His eyes locked on the smartphone tightly clasped in his hand as if it were some foreign object while his brain became an endless flickering reel of memories of his mom. She was just young and laughing and sweet. So sweet. She gave him everything. Encouraged him. Believed in him even when he was rounded up by the feds for hacking through the stupid firewall around the Federal Reserve.

Her life shouldn’t be like this. She should be happy and living in her own home and doing the things that she would have enjoyed. Not this life. Why…

The sound of Shane moving quickly around the office finally got him to look up to watch Shane hurry around his desk to grab his jacket from the back of his chair and his keys from the desktop.

“I can drive you,” Shane announced, but Quinn still wasn’t following. His brain just couldn’t keep up. He was still stuck on his mom attacking an orderly…his mom attacking anyone.

“Why? I can…I can do this…”

Shane’s large hand landed on his shoulder again and gently squeezed, but this touch was so different from just two minutes ago. God, had it really been just two minutes? Shane’s touch helped to ground him back in the here and now.

“Quinn, let me help you.” He bent down the few inches that he had over Quinn, putting them at the same eye level. “You’re not thinking clearly enough to drive.”

“But the case. You can—”

“I’m your friend and friends come first.”

Quinn could only nod. He didn’t want to drive. Didn’t want to think. Not yet. He’d have to do that when they got to the home.

When Shane heard Quinn’s half of the phone conversation, he naturally assumed that something had happened to his mom and they were going to the hospital. He couldn’t have been more mistaken when Quinn gave him directions to the Wellington Hills Estate. Just by the fact that Quinn hadn’t hesitated or looked at his phone meant that he’d driven there plenty of times to have it memorized. He also had his driver’s license ready when they pulled up to the enormous and elegant iron gate out front. They both handed off their IDs and the guard made a quick note on his clipboard before opening the gate.

From there, it was another two-minute drive along rolling, green hills and maple trees in bright red, orange, and yellow leaves. Everything about the place screamed money and luxury, which was more than a little stunning because nothing about Quinn had ever given the impression that he’d grown up with money or that he’d had a particularly privileged upbringing. The place didn’t even give a hint that it might be a nursing home.

A thousand nosy questions danced on the tip of his tongue, but he bit every last one of them back. Quinn stared off into space, completely silent the entire drive other than to give directions. His fingers twitched and picked at his jeans as if he was desperate for something to do. As they pulled up to the parking area, he reached over and grabbed Quinn’s hand.

“You’ve got this,” he said, giving his hand a quick squeeze before releasing it so he could put the car in park.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to do this, but I really appreciate it. My mom…she’s not like this. She’s not herself. She hasn’t been since the accident. It’s not her fault.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain to me or anyone.” Fuck, his heart hurt for Quinn. He looked like he was holding it all together by a thread.

Quinn gave a quick, jerky nod before getting out of the car. Shane hesitated for only a heartbeat before he was following Quinn. He felt like Quinn needed someone at his back, and he was happy to be there for him. If Quinn didn’t want him there, he’d have to say the words.

As they walked through the lobby with shining marble floors and warm yellow walls, Shane looked over the numerous vases filled with fresh flowers and the scenic framed art. The entire place had an overwhelming sense of hushed peace and repose. He had a feeling that excitement was a runaway bingo ball or misplaced spectacles.

Quinn stepped up to the receptionist’s desk and gave his name, but before the middle-aged woman could reply, another woman stepped out of a side room and briskly walked over to Quinn.

“Elaine,” Quinn said on a sigh, his shoulders slumping a little.

“Hi, Quinn. Thanks for getting here so fast.” She turned her attention to Shane standing just behind Quinn’s shoulder, a polite but questioning smile on her lips.

“This is my friend, Shane. He came with me.”

Shane reached around Quinn with his right hand. “Shane Stephens.”

“Elaine. I’m one of the nurses on duty in Charlotte’s village.” Releasing Shane’s hand, she turned her attention back to Quinn. “Dr. Carmichael is just finishing up with his rounds and will be available to talk to you soon.”

“Will I be able to see her after I speak to the doctor?”

“Yes, I think we can arrange that. If you’ll both just sign in, I can take you to a private consultation room.”

Moving like it was a familiar practice, Quinn pulled his ID out of his pocket again and handed it over to the receptionist while signing the log. The receptionist smiled at Quinn before entering his information into the computer. It was good to see that they took security so seriously at the nursing home. Shane pulled his ID out as well, but Quinn covered his hand over it before he could pass it over.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“If there’s something you don’t want me to hear, I’ll leave. I don’t mind. But I’m not here out of obligation. I’m here because I want to be. For you.”

“ ’Kay. Thanks.” He released Shane’s hand and took a step back as he slid his own ID back into his wallet.

A couple of minutes later, they were seated in a small room with a love seat and two chairs. Shane sat in the chair, while Quinn sat on the love seat, just to give him a little space. But when Quinn started bouncing his leg and pulling at his fingers, he moved to the love seat. Grabbing one of his hands, he twined the fingers of his left hand with Quinn’s right.

“Can I ask what happened to your mom?”

“Elaine said she freaked. Attacked an orderly. Attacked someone!” Quinn ran his free hand through his hair and pulled at it in his frustration. “That’s not my mom.”

“You said that before. Do you think they aren’t treating your mom well?”

Quinn’s head popped up and he looked stunned by the idea. “No. Not at all. They’re great to my mom here.” He relaxed, a frown pulling at his lips as he continued to stare at Shane. There was no missing the weariness in his blue eyes or the bone-deep sadness. “What I meant was that she’s not the mom I remember from when I was a kid. She would never have done that…when she was well.”

“What happened?”

“Car accident.”

“When?”

“While I was in college. Five years ago. It was late—she was driving in the middle of the night. Some drunk jackass crossed the median and hit her head on, then a second car T-boned her. She was buckled and the airbag deployed, but it wasn’t enough. She suffered spinal damage along with brain damage.”

“Shit. I’m so sorry.”

“She was in the hospital for about a year to recover and then another year of physical and occupational therapy. I tried to keep her home with me and have a nurse there during the hours I was working, but the brain damage caused something like dementia. She gets confused easily and forgetful. Her moods swing violently at times. I had to bring her here. And she’s usually happy.”

Shane cleared his throat against the lump that had grown in there and forced a smile. “Everyone has bad days.”

Quinn looked at him with such gratitude and desperation that Shane nearly pulled him into his lap and kissed him. Anything to take the pain away. But he was saved from doing something embarrassing and impulsive by the arrival of the doctor. To his credit, the older man didn’t look twice at their joined hands, and Shane wasn’t about to let go of Quinn unless Quinn forced him to.

After a quick greeting, the doctor launched into a bland description of Charlotte Lake’s overall health and her current mental state. He talked about drug resistance and waning efficacy due to extended use. He explained their new medication regime and potential side effects that Charlotte could suffer.

Quinn hung on every word the doctor said, asking probing questions at every turn. He was making damn sure that the doctor was truly doing the right thing by his mother and not just writing another quick script so he could move on to his next appointment. He couldn’t take his eyes off Quinn. It was becoming obvious that the guy put everything into taking care of his mother—at the cost of neglecting himself. It put Quinn into a whole new light, and Shane had the strongest urge to make sure he was okay. Even beyond this.

A few minutes later, they were walking down a long hallway painted a pale mint green. Each hallway had signs that looked like street signs and the numbers beside the door looked like numbers you’d see on a house. There was even a doorbell. Everything to give the feel that the resident was in an apartment or a condo rather than a nursing home.

Stopping outside of a partially opened door, Quinn raised his hand to knock but froze like he was afraid to move forward.

“She’s already had a rough day. You can always come back and check on her when she’s had time to adjust to the new medication,” Shane whispered in Quinn’s ear. He crowded close, using his larger body as a barrier against the rest of the world. To his surprise, Quinn leaned into him and sighed softly.

“No, I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t at least look in on her.”

Shane stepped back as Quinn straightened and lightly knocked on the door. A couple of seconds later, a soft, sleepy voice responded. Shane followed Quinn into the simply decorated room. On a floral-patterned couch, they found a tiny woman stretched out under a crocheted zigzag afghan.

“Hey,” Quinn said softly with a little wave. He sounded so unsure and he hung back toward the door as if he was waiting for her to start shouting at him.

The older woman blinked owlish blue eyes at him behind thick glass before her face broke into a wide, slow grin. “Quinn! I didn’t know you were visiting today.” Her words were slightly slurred, but her joy was evident in every word. She looked so much like Quinn, Shane’s heart lurched.

Quinn relaxed and quickly closed the distance so that he could sit on the edge of the couch. He carefully wrapped his arms around her slender frame, holding her tightly against him for several seconds. Shane hung back, uncertain whether he should leave Quinn alone with his mom or stay for support. Charlotte Lake solved the problem for him.

“Who’s this handsome man with you?” she asked as soon as Quinn released her.

Quinn blushed and looked at Shane over his shoulder, seeming a little more like himself now. “That’s Shane Stephens. We’re working on a project together.”

Shane walked over and shook her hand with a grin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lake.”

“This project…you’re being a good boy, aren’t you Quinn?”

“I promise, Mom. I’m good.”

“Have you asked him out yet?” she prodded, lowering her voice to a whisper as Shane stepped back away from the couch.

“No, he hasn’t,” Shane answered as Quinn rolled his eyes. “And I really wish he would.”

Charlotte patted her son on the chest and smiled. “He’s a good boy, but he’s shy.” Her eyes closed for a moment and Shane wondered if she was drifting off to sleep, but they immediately popped back open. “And smart. You’ll never meet anyone smarter with computers than my Quinn.”

“He’s amazing,” Shane agreed and he meant it.

“Mom, it’s almost five. They’re going to be delivering your dinner soon.”

“Are you sure?” She looked around, her movements growing more sluggish. “I thought I ate already.”

“Nope. Not yet. Why don’t you get some rest before they deliver your food?”

“Are you going to stay?”

He shook his head. “Gotta grab dinner myself and do laundry, but I’ll be back soon for a longer visit.”

“I like this plan.” Opening her arms, she let Quinn move in close for another tight hug that lasted longer than the first. “You go use that big brain and big heart of yours for something amazing.”

Quinn nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek before backing out of the room with Shane. It looked like she was asleep before they even made it to the door.

Shane remained silent as they wound their way back out of Wellington Hills Estate. They paused long enough at the reception desk to sign back out and then they were outside. As they reached Shane’s car, he finally gave in to the impulse that had been building in him since Quinn had received the nurse’s phone call.

Grabbing him by the elbow, he jerked Quinn to him until their chests collided. Quinn looked up at him, his lips parted in surprise, and Shane took it as an invitation. He sealed his lips over Quinn’s, licking deep into his mouth again and again until Quinn melted against him. Fingers dug into his sides as Quinn eagerly kissed him back.

This wasn’t the same fire they’d had before. Shane knew his own emotions were a tangled mess and he was potentially crossing a line with Quinn, but he told himself that he’d clear his head later. That he’d be able to put this afternoon with Quinn and his mom behind him, put the man he was kissing like he was the key to his everything firmly back into friends-only territory.

But for now, this was heaven and he needed it. They both deserved it.

Reluctantly, Shane broke off the kiss but rested his forehead against Quinn’s.

“Whoa…” Quinn panted. “What was that for?”

“Because I’m proud of you. Proud to know you. You’re a good person and you take great care of your mother.”

“I’m also pretty good at blowjobs,” Quinn said and Shane threw back his head in surprised laughter.

“Yeah, I’ll give you that too. Get in the car.”

They rode for several minutes in companionable silence, Shane’s mind still working through everything that he’d learned about Quinn and the endless questions that ran through his head. Quinn looked exhausted and emotionally strung out from the ordeal as he lounged in the passenger seat, but notably more relaxed than he had been.

“So, do you really need to get laundry done, or is it just your go-to excuse when you need to escape?”

Quinn groaned and sank a little deep in his seat. “I really do need to get my laundry done.”

There was more to it, but Shane let it go.

“How about we swing by your place and pick up your laundry? I’ve got machines at my place. You can do a few loads and we can order in some food. We could do a little more work. Then maybe I can show you a fun way to relax.”

“Only if you let me pay for the food.”

“Hell, no. Dutch.”

“No way. I gotta thank you for all this shit today.”

Shane made a pfftt sound at Quinn’s comment. “You can thank me by letting me dump all your dirty underwear on my bed so I can roll in it.”

Quinn’s loud laughter filled the car, and Shane felt like they were finally getting back to normal. He’d started to miss that sound. “You’re insane.”

“And I love how you smell. Makes me hard.”

A soft snort escaped Quinn, and Shane could see him, out of the corner of his eye, shake his head. “Still…thanks for today. My mom means a lot to me. There are days, bad days, when she has trouble remembering me. I know eventually she’s going to forget me, but while I’ve still got her, I want to see her as often as possible. Want her to be happy. It’s all she ever wanted for me.”

“My mom left when I was fifteen.” The words were out of Shane’s mouth before he could stop them. He was as shocked as Quinn that he’d even spoken. And now that he was talking about his mom, he had trouble stopping. Maybe it was seeing Quinn and his mom that stirred up old feelings. Or maybe it was just that he trusted Quinn.

“She was really vibrant and always trying new things or wanting to go to new places. And my dad loved her completely. He’d give in to her every whim regardless of whether we could actually afford it. He bought her a new car and put in a swimming pool. He got her painting classes and tennis lessons and yoga classes. When she was done draining the family bank account and my dad’s business bank account, she left. We just weren’t interesting enough for her.”

“Fuck, Shane.”

He shrugged because he was suddenly feeling pathetic. “It’s okay. Broke my dad’s heart. Took him years to get over her.” He didn’t mention that he spent several years resenting his dad for giving her everything, letting her waste all the money that he worked hard for. For not being enough to keep her. But he got over that with the help of time. Now he just strived to be indifferent toward the memory of his mom.

“I’m sorry.”

“I heard that she passed away years ago. Dad’s better now. He and I are close. We usually meet up once or twice a week for a beer.”

“That’s cool. I never knew my dad. He left when I was a baby.”

“Got any latent daddy issues to match my mommy issues?”

“Nope,” Quinn said and flashed him a wide grin. “It’s hard to give a shit about someone you never met when you nearly lose the person you’ve loved your entire life.”

Shane chuckled. “Good point.”

He had his dad. And right now, he had Quinn. It was a good place to be.