Chapter Thirty

It was late in the afternoon the next day when Vargas got the news he’d been trying to prepare himself for ever since he told Seth that he’d cancel the surveillance.

“It’s been taken care of. Everyone left their posts two hours ago.”

“Good,” Vargas replied into the phone as he sat back on the couch in his office. Despite his verbal approval, he couldn’t fend off the blast of anxiety at Tucker’s words. For the first time in the past two years, Prescott’s victims had no one watching over them.

As if sensing Vargas’s thoughts, Tucker asked, “You sure about this?”

“I am. I promised Seth.” He looked toward the window that overlooked the dark first floor of the Haven. Seth wasn’t going to be happy with him for closing down the club for the night, which was yet another reason for his members to be pissed off, but he’d made the right call. He wanted to make the night special, cook some of Seth’s favorite foods, and take their time having a candlelit dinner in the Haven’s dining room without his staff rushing around them as they got ready for the night.

He smiled at his reflection in the dark window and then refocused on the conversation with Tucker. “I think the threat with Prescott might be over. I’m hoping he won’t have anyone on the outside helping him now.”

On his last word, he spotted Seth leaning in the open doorway. He had his arms casually folded across his chest, a grin on his lips. He wore jeans and a short-sleeve T-shirt. It was great to see him less concerned about covering up his arms. His hair was sticking up all over, a result of the two-hour nap he’d awoken from.

They had worked all morning, but after lunch, while they’d been loading the dishes into the dishwasher, things had turned physical between them, and they’d spent the afternoon in bed again.

“Listen,” Vargas told Tucker. “I’ve got to run. Thanks for the update.”

“Sure thing.”

They exchanged goodbyes, and as soon as Vargas hung up, Seth came forward. He didn’t have his cane with him this time.

“You sleep okay?”

“Yeah.” Seth leaned in and propped himself over Vargas with a hand on the arm of the couch. He gave him a kiss. “You canceled the surveillance?”

“I did.”

“Thank you.”

Vargas scoffed. “I don’t deserve that. I’m sorry I kept it from you for so long.”

“You won’t keep anything else from me.”

He wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement, but he offered his truth anyway. “I won’t.”

Seth moved to sit beside him. “Then I have a question. Was someone watching me after I came to stay here with you?”

“Yes. When you were in the apartment, they waited in the Haven’s security office and watched the monitors. They couldn’t see inside the apartment, but they kept an eye on the hall outside and the rest of the club.” Vargas hesitated, but he was done holding back. “When you left the apartment, whoever was on duty followed you.”

Seth nodded like he’d been expecting that. He didn’t seem angry. More thoughtful. “So someone was still watching me when I took Charlie for a walk?”

“Yeah. I hadn’t called anyone about it yet.”

“You said you were going to make us dinner?”

“Thought I’d cook here in the apartment, and then we’ll eat downstairs. I closed the club for the night, so we can take our time.”

Seth seemed to be considering that, but he didn’t offer anything about Vargas’s decision not to open the Haven. Instead he said, “I was thinking, while you get the food ready, I’m going to go for a walk to that 7-Eleven two blocks north of here. I’d like a pack of gum.”

“Okay.”

“But this time, no cane, no Charlie, no cell phone. No one watching me.” He eyed Vargas as if waiting for an argument. “I need to know I can do it without any backup.”

Vargas turned toward him on the couch. He reached for Seth and brought him forward as he lay down so Seth was stretched out on top of him. “Then you do it.”

“You’re not worried?”

“I’ll always worry about you to some degree. I think that’s a part of loving someone.”

“That’s true.” Seth kissed him.

“Your back okay like this?”

“Yeah. I feel really good. A little twinge now and then but not much at all.” He laughed and snuggled in against Vargas, resting his head on his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good or been this happy.”

Vargas lowered his eyelids and replayed those words in his head.

* * * * *

For the third time in the past five minutes, Vargas caught himself grinning like a fool at the onions and peppers he chopped. He just couldn’t help it. He hadn’t felt this light, this deliriously happy since two years ago when he’d first learned that employees and members of his club had disappeared.

He halted the chopping and stared at the cutting board. Hell, he’d never felt this way before. The same as Seth had said to him.

And that was the point, really. What Seth was feeling directly influenced how he felt. Was that what it meant to love someone? That you hurt when they hurt? That you could only truly be happy when they were too?

Charlie let out a single bark from where he sat beside Vargas.

“Yeah, I miss him already too. But he won’t be long. It’s only two blocks.” He went to the sink and washed his hands. Then leaned down and gave Charlie some love behind his ears. “How would you feel about living here, huh? Think you could stand that?”

Vargas straightened. Could Seth? Despite what Seth had said about wanting to live there with him, could he ever call this place home? The building where Prescott had attacked him and Henderson had beaten him? Or was that asking too much?

Vargas’s cell rang, interrupting his thoughts. He went to get the phone from where he’d left it lying on the kitchen table. Call it instinct or intuition, but he knew before he was across the room that something was wrong.

He grabbed the phone and checked the display. Not Seth. Which of course made sense. Seth had left his phone behind while he’d walked to the store.

The call was from Walter.

Vargas answered. “What’s up?”

“Prescott’s escaped.”