“Where is he?” Cort demanded.

Sebastian, jogging into the airport from the blazing-hot tarmac alongside him, shook his head. “I don’t see any of them.”

The airport on this small island was a tiny building, hardly more than a rain shelter, and today, the place was packed with law enforcement personnel - local police, international investigators, and even a few people wearing FBI jackets who were here in an ‘unofficial’ capacity.

“If it hadn’t taken so long to get here…” Cort fumed, running a hand through his hair.

Sebastian glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Hardly my fault, Kendrick, that almost every plane in the hangar was damaged by the wash from Shaw’s engine.”

“What good are your billions if you can’t get us a plane in less than five hours?” Cort scoffed. “People from the States are here already.”

As it was, they’d had to co-opt another pilot staying on the island to fly them over in his tiny prop-plane, only big enough for two passengers. Cort had never been particularly frightened of air travel, and even he’d had to fight the urge to puke.

“You could’ve stuck with Senator Shaw and Lucy,” Sebastian said, a hard edge to his voice.

Cort noticed he’d immediately dropped the Uncle, and winced. As hard as this day had been for him, it had to have been even harder for Sebastian, knowing someone he’d trusted had betrayed him so acutely.

“Yeah, no thank you,” Cort said. “Fortunately, the yacht will take another few hours to get here.”

Once Bas had relayed the message that Jack had taken off with Cain, Cam, and Damon as hostages, Shaw had been beside himself. As soon as Drew informed him his plane had touched down on St. Michel, Shaw had insisted on taking one of the yachts docked on St. Brigitte and traveling to St. Michel by boat, rather than waiting for a plane as Cort and Bas had. It turned out not to have been a wise decision.

Cort turned in a wide circle, searching for Cam, when a hand reached out to clasp him on the shoulder.

“Cort,” Sean Cook said, and Cort caught him up in a hug.

“Thank you so much for getting here,” he told his former boss.

Sean pounded him on the back, obviously taken aback. “Kid, I’m just glad you called me,” he said. “Derrick and Nat are so pissed I didn’t let them come, but there was no time.”

“You kept things on the QT?” Cort asked, already knowing the answer but wanting it confirmed.

“Yeah. I haven’t said anything about the senator possibly being involved.” Sean blew out a breath. “Good luck to you with proving that.” He glanced at Bas, and Cort belatedly introduced them.

“Well, we apprehended the guy who arranged the incident,” Cort reminded him, as Sean and Bas shook hands. “But Senator Shaw’s not much of a flight risk. I don’t think you need to take him into custody until we get our guy to turn him in.”

“Jack Peabody?” Sean’s head tilted to the side and he looked at Cort appraisingly. “I dunno if it’s gonna be as straightforward as you think. He’s clammed up. Not a word since we got here. Locals were already on the ground waiting for them when they landed, brought him out on a stretcher because he was knocked out cold, apparently by your boyfriend.” Sean didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “I like him, by the way.”

Bas rolled his eyes, but Cort didn’t give a shit what Sebastian thought. As long as Cam would have him, that’s where he’d be. Speaking of which… “Where is Cam?” he asked Sean.

“Outside. Come on, I’ll show you.” He walked them to the front of the small building, pointing to a closed door as they passed. “That’s the manager’s office, where we’re keeping Peabody for now. He woke up pretty quick after they got him inside. No lasting damage. But now he’s looking for an attorney. Not a big surprise, but don’t start thinking you’ve got an easy case,” Sean warned.

“Yeah, but from what Damon said when he called from the plane…”

Sean stopped still. “Who?” he demanded. “Sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name. Certainly no one who was on the plane. Both Cain Shaw and Camden Seaver have stated for the record it was only the pair of them, along with Jack. And… anyone else… was already gone by the time I got here.” He smiled at Cort. “Apparently he said to tell you he’d call. Soon.”

Sebastian’s head went back, a small smile lifting his lips. “Well done,” he said.

“Incredible,” Cort corrected, shaking his head in gratitude.

“Incredible? I’ll take it as a compliment from the guy who carried a thumb drive of hardcore porn in his pocket, just when he knew Porter was gonna go looking for it.” He rolled his eyes, and Cort felt a flush spread across his cheeks.

In retrospect, perhaps not his wisest choice. “You, ah… figured it out?”

“Told you before, Cortland. You don’t have any tricks I don’t know about. Cam Seaver and Cain Shaw plan to say Jack flew the plane in, and they clocked him after they’d landed, when he attempted to kill them.” Sean gave them a quick wink. “Just FYI. And between their testimony and the interview footage from after the accident, I think they’re going to have a solid case against the guy without involving your brother at all unless he wants to come forward.”

“Thank you,” Cort told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “I’m really glad I called you.”

“Don’t thank me, kiddo,” Sean said, shaking his head. “I’m fucking glad you realized you should call. Like something I said finally penetrated that hard head of yours.”

Cort smiled. Someone had gotten through to him, alright, but it had nothing to do with Sean’s words.

They resumed walking until they got to the front entrance of the airport. Outside, the setting sun reflected off the windows of a few cars, and tall palm trees swayed in the hot breeze. Off to one side, there was a small seating area and a picnic table with benches on either side. Cain Shaw was curled up awkwardly on one of the wooden chairs, his weight on one side. When he saw the men appear in the doorway, he stood up slowly and began walking towards them, clearly hurt.

Cam sat on the far side of the picnic table, facing away from them. He was hunched over, elbows-on-knees, staring into the distance. He was so real and so alive, Cort had to stop himself from jogging over and wrapping him up in a hug.

You’re gonna have to do some convincing, he reminded himself. But it would be worth it.

He put a restraining hand on Sebastian’s arm. “Hey, can I?” he said, nodding at Cam.

Bas looked at Cort grimly. Cort bristled as he prepared for some sort of threat or warning which, frankly, the guy didn’t deserve to be handing out. But Bas surprised him. “Hold him tight,” was all he said. He looked over at his brother sadly, then clapped Cort on the shoulder. “And don’t fuck up.”

He turned and walked back into the airport.

Cort took a deep breath, walked toward Cam, his feet moving faster and faster, until he was full-out running. Cam turned as soon as he heard someone approaching, and stood with a bright smile on his face as Cort crashed into him, throwing his arms around his man and picking him up off the ground.

“Hey,” Cam said.

“I was so fucking scared.” Cort spoke the words into Cam’s thick hair. It wasn’t what he’d intended to say, but then nothing seemed to go according to plan when he was with Cam. He’d learn to just enjoy the ride. “And I love you,” he blurted out. “Not… not because I was scared, okay? Just… I should have said it before. I knew it yesterday… hell, I probably knew it last week, and I was just too afraid to tell you.”

He set Cam back on his feet and pulled away slightly so he could see his face - the liquid blue eyes, the constellation of freckles, the blush Cort loved to put on his cheeks. “I know this has all been my fault Cam. It was my fault you weren’t standing beside me in the hangar. Hell, my fault you were on the fucking island in the first place. I lied to you, and took the easy way out.”

Cam shook his head and Cort panicked. Be more convincing, Cortland.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I know this is deja vu, me convincing you to give me another chance. What am I on now, my fourth? My fifth?” He winced. “And it’s not like I can say this is gonna be the last chance I need, either. I mean, I’m probably gonna need six more before we get back to Boston. But I learn from my mistakes, Cam.” He swallowed. “I just need you to trust me.”

“You called the FBI,” Cam said, when Cort finally gave him a chance to speak.

Cort frowned. Oookay. Not quite the return declaration he’d been hoping for. He let his hands drop from Cam’s waist.

“Yeah, of course. I called Sean Cook,” he said, hooking a thumb towards the building. “The second you guys took off. I was scared to death. I had no idea what else to do.”

“No, Cort,” Cam said, his own arms still wrapped around Cort’s neck. “You called the FBI. You called your team to come and save us, even though you knew it might get Damon in trouble.” He grinned. “I’d already figured out you loved me. I promised myself if we landed safely, I would tie you up and force you to tell me.”

Cort’s chin went back. “Is that so?”

“Yup. Maybe I still will.” His gaze was teasing, and Cort became lost in it. “But when we landed and the authorities were here, that’s when I knew. There was no way you’d risk Damon unless… unless you already realized you loved me, too.”

Cort shook his head. “I couldn’t let anything happen to you. I love Damon, but you… you’ve become everything somehow. It’s crazy, huh?”

Cam’s smile was bright as the sun. “Yeah. Totally illogical. But this really smart guy once told me, the most illogical things are sometimes the truest.”

Cort leaned forward and gently took Cam’s mouth with his, nibbling at the gorgeous lower lip that had fascinated him from the very beginning. “We’ll see who ties up who, badass,” he warned Cam. And then he leaned forward and claimed the laughing mouth with his own - slow and easy and forever.