After breakfast, Declan laid a hand on Jared’s shoulder and pointed to Gideon’s desk chair. “I wasn’t kidding about Rae giving you a haircut. Sit.” When Jared objected, Declan frowned at him. “At least let her get it out of your face.”

 

“It’s not that long!” Jared protested. Okay, so maybe it was getting a bit unruly in the back, and he had to admit that when he’d been out shooting, the wind had blown his bangs into his eyes.

 

Declan whipped out a pair of scissors out from the drawer of Gideon’s desk, placing them in Rae’s palm before running upstairs to get a towel.

 

Rae shot him a sympathetic smile. “It has been awhile since I’ve cut it, Jare.” She darted into the kitchen to wash her hands.

 

Glancing around at the empty room, Reese bent down and fisted a hand in the hair at the base of Jared’s neck. “Don’t let her cut it too short,” he whispered huskily in his ear.  Jared shivered, from both from the touch and the heated gaze Reese gave him before retreating as the others filtered back into the living room.

 

“When the hell did my office turn into a damn salon?” Gideon complained as he and Iris joined them.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll sweep up.” Rae started in on Jared’s hair, scissors flying.

 

Declan sat back in the overstuffed arm chair. “What gives here, Iris?” He cut a glance towards Reese, who was lounging in one corner of the couch. “There’s a reason for your visit, and for Slater sticking around as long as he has.”

 

“Break time is up, cher. We’ve got a job.” At Declan’s eager expression, Iris held up a hand. “It’s big, and it’s dangerous. We all need to work together, hear? That means that whatever nonsense you two have going on-“ she gestured between Reese and Declan- “you best get it worked out before we hit the road. Clear?”

 

“Clear.” Declan ground out.

 

“Yes ma’am.” Reese drawled. He winked at Jared. Jared fought the urge to roll his eyes, even as a coil of heat curled in his belly at Reese’s slow, sexy stare.

 

Iris glided over to the map and put a purple pin into Jefferson City, Missouri. “Vivienne has got an Agent training compound near here. According to Blaine and Brandt, they’re also holding about a dozen rescues. A couple small factions of Agents have been delving into the human trafficking of rescues, trying to make money off of them with sexual exploitation. We think that’s why they’re being held.”

 

The noise of clipping scissors faded fast as blood rushed to Jared’s ears. He swallowed rapidly, trying to fight back chilling memories of being tackled to the ground, hands roaming over his body and twisting in his hair.

 

No. No! Don’t touch me! Let me go!

 

“I heard something about that on my last couple jobs.” Declan interjected. “I mean you hear about it in the field all the time, but it used to be more of a hypothetical, hope this doesn’t happen kind of situation. Something wicked that only the cruelest of Agents would actually carry out. But now it seems it’s more than just whispers.”

 

Jared’s hands clenched into fists.

 

Don’t touch me! Let me go!

 

Bile rose in Jared’s throat, and he lurched forward.

 

Rae gasped. “Jesus, Jare, I almost just sliced your neck open!” She squeezed his shoulder. “What the hell?” 

 

Declan rushed over to him, placing his hands on Jared’s knees. “Jared?”

 

“It wasn’t hypothetical.”

 

Reese shot up from the couch, and out from underneath bangs that Rae had yet to trim, Jared could see how tightly his fists were clenched. Light as a feather, Rae ran a hand over Jared’s back, only increasing the pressure when she was sure he wouldn’t flinch away. “Jare?”

 

Jared looked around the room, his face burning at seeing all eyes on him. Jared hunched forward, hugging his arms. He scraped the fingers of his right hand up and down his thigh, fighting the urge to palm his scar. “It wasn’t hypothetical. Agents would grab rescues all the time to...take them.” He bounced his knees up and down to let Declan know he could let go.

 

Iris lay a hand on Declan’s shoulder. “Ease up, now, cher.”

 

Jared lifted his eyes to meet Declan’s. Glacier cold rage was simmering in his brother’s steel grey eyes, and Jared forced a small smile to calm him. “They didn’t...I mean I wasn’t...I got away.” Jared suppressed a shudder. “But it happened. All the time.”

 

“Oh, Jare.” Rae bent over and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick squeeze before resuming his haircut.

 

“I will fucking kill them,” Declan growled. “Every last one.”

 

“This fight keeps goin’ the way it has, you may just get your chance for that, son.” Gideon and Iris exchanged a look. “But for now, you’ve got to rein in this anger that’s got you forgetting why we do what we do.”

 

“Keeping rescues like Jared safe is why we do what we do.” Declan paced the living room. He rounded on Gideon. “That’s why the Renegades got together in the first place, carrying out extractions and rescue jobs.”

 

“Exactly,” Iris responded. “Extraction. Rescue. Not revenge in the form of murder.”

 

“They’re upping their game,” Declan argued. “We’ll get our asses handed to us if we don’t do the same.”

 

“They’re coming at us violent.” Reese spoke up. “We need to go in smart.”

 

“Exactly.” Gideon nodded. “Blaine and Brandt sent a messenger with the compound blueprints, or at least a crude sketch of them. The plans are waiting for us downtown, so a couple of us will go pick them up today. Didn’t want anyone we didn’t know comin’ to the house. Tonight we will all familiarize ourselves with the layout. Lots of small rooms and long hallways.”

 

“Too bad there are rescues inside. Otherwise we could just throw some detonators in there and blow the shit out of it,” Declan said, pacing the living room.

 

“Amen.” Reese crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes hadn’t left Jared since Iris had mentioned human trafficking, and Jared’s skin was crackling with self-consciousness.

 

As well as something else that felt a little too much like arousal. Reese’s muscles were pulled tight, shown off even more by his current pose. A low hum of threatening violence that rumbled calm like thunder but Jared knew would be quick as lightening coiled through Reese’s body, like a snake ready to strike.

 

Jared’s pulse quickened, and when he met Reese’s mercurial gaze, his mouth went dry.

 

“You two know better than that,” Gideon said, snapping Jared’s reverie. “Last thing we need is public sympathy on their side. We need to go in quiet.”

 

“Drastic violence is an Agent’s desire, not a Renegade’s,” Iris reminded them. “Let’s remember that this is an extraction, not an execution.” Her mouth turned up, and she gave them all a wry look. “That’s not to say my heart will be broken if a few Agents get in our way.”

 

“Which means we run the very real risk of some of those rescues getting caught up in the middle of a firefight,” Gideon said somberly. “The trackers will provide cover while the runners load up the vans and get those poor rescues the hell out of there. You two,” he said, gesturing to Rae and Jared, “are our liaisons in the middle. Get the rescues out and headed in the right direction.”

 

"So we're gonna throw the two of them directly into Agent hands?" Reese asked. He glanced at Jared. "I don't like it."

 

Declan leaned forward, a resigned expression on his face. "It’s not ideal,” he agreed. “But the rescues will trust Jared as one of their own, and Rae can get out of anything if shit goes south. I will be right behind to give cover.”

 

Gideon nodded at Rae and Jared. “You both have the sweet demeanor that rescues will trust enough to get them in the hands of our runners. Thanks to your work at the shelter, you’re the most experienced of any of us at coordinating rescue efforts amidst agent raids, at least on a smaller scale."

 

Declan gave his siblings a sad smile. "That was always the part Dad had been good at, when he could do it without being found out."

 

Jared returned Declan's smile, his eyes fluttering shut at the wisps of hair falling into his face. "It's how he found me." Rae paused the scissors to give his arm a squeeze.

 

"See, you're a true Cooper. Take after your daddy." Gideon winked at him. “I’ll have your back, provide you some cover while Iris and Reese handle transportation and Declan intercepts any Agents."

 

"Still not much of a team," Rae commented as she dusted trimmed hair off of Jared’s shoulders. "Declan's a badass, and I’m sure you’re no slouch, but there's no way you and he can cover us all by yourselves."

 

Iris agreed. "Kip and Tate are meeting us in Jefferson on their way back from Pine Bluff. They can take up position next to Declan. Though Kip is more of a runner."

 

Gideon grunted. “We’re still short, though. Too many Renegades cut and run after what happened to Johnathan. We’re hitting up everyone in a thousand mile radius that might be able to lend a hand.”

 

“If those rescues are in the kind of danger you say they’re in, we’ll go in with who we've got,” Declan declared. “This is a huge chance to hit the Agents on their home turf.” He paused. “What about the twins?”

 

Gideon let out a noise of frustration. “Blaine and Brandt got their own mess up in New York. Said they’d send anyone they could, but they’re up to their eyeballs in overflowed shelters. They lost a lot of protection after…” Gideon softened his tone. “After we lost Johnathan.”

 

“An Agent compound is no small job.” Declan glanced sideways at Reese. “I don’t suppose you know of any runners that we’ve missed?

 

Reese unfolded his arms. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ve got at least one more contact that’s already near Jefferson. I’ll see who else we can round up.” Jared found it curious that he didn't mention a name, but Gideon spoke up before Jared could inquire about it.

 

Gideon marked another spot on the map. “Lara Cassidy lives in Kansas. Best damn runner I’ve ever worked with, besides Reese. I’ll see if she can join up, help Jared and Rae with the extraction."

 

Reese nodded his agreement. "I've worked with her. Keeps her head under pressure. Good shot, too."

 

Rae swept a hand over Jared’s hair, then tapped his shoulder to let him know she was done. “If we’re as outnumbered on this job as you say we are, why the hell aren’t we heading out now? The group of us, at least. Can’t we get the extraction started early?”

 

Gideon shook his head. “We will have a limited time window to make our move. Can’t afford to drag it out.”

 

“Guard change,” Declan guessed.

 

Iris nodded. “We will head in just before dawn, when the night time guards are sleepiest and the new shift hasn’t come on yet. Should give us a good window in between to slip inside and get to where we need to be.”

 

“So when do we leave?” Jared asked, whipping the towel from around his neck and shaking off the loose hairs.

 

“Tomorrow night, late. We will get into Jefferson around 0600. Meet up with the others, and head inside at 0645.” Gideon said. “That way if we do get caught, the two shifts won’t be able to double team us. Guard change is at 0700 so if we work it right, we will be done just before that and can get out before the fresh shift takes up patrol.”

 

Iris looked at Reese. “Logan and Lila Brissett, two former trackers, will be stationed at a safe house about ten miles from the compound.” Iris said. “There aren’t any nearby shelters to the training facility, for obvious reasons. Might be a bit of a drive after the raid, to get these rescues far enough away to keep them safe from another Agent round up.”

 

“You thinking Kansas City?” Reese asked.

 

Iris nodded. “It’s a huge sanctuary city, one Vivienne hasn’t yet touched.” She and Gideon exchanged a look. “Logan and Lila can keep everyone safe until we are all back in the same place. Depending on how many rescues we get out, some of us might be taking a little road trip to Kansas City, once everyone is accounted for.” 

 

“We also need to supply each vehicle, pick up rations for at least twenty rescues,” Gideon said.  “I’ve got a guy downtown who can help us out with that. Two of you can get the blueprints while the other two grab supplies. When we aren’t on a job or at a safe house, I don’t want too many of us in the same place at the same time. No need to draw attention.” He looked around the room. “This is it, kids. Anyone’s got any reservations, speak up now.”

 

No one said a word.

 

“Alright then.” Gideon turned to Jared and Rae. “You two head upstairs, take stock of the closet in my bathroom. Inventory the medical and toiletry supplies and let me know what we need to last twenty potentially injured or malnourished rescues for twenty-four hours.”

 

Rae jumped up. “Finally. About time we got back to work.”

 

“Don’t get too excited yet,” Gideon cautioned. “This is gonna be a tough one. And from the looks of it, we’re gonna be even more outnumbered there than Reese was down in Salt Lake.”  He shared a look with Reese and Declan. “You guys get everyone’s guns cleaned and ready. I’m gonna make some calls.”

 

“Uh,” Rae raised her hand, then gestured to her brother and Reese. “You sure you want the two of them handling weapons together, unsupervised?”

 

Gideon paused, a comical expression on his face like he didn't know whether to take her seriously or not. “You might be right.”

 

“Nah, we’ll be fine, right Slater?” Declan drawled. “Gives us a chance to get to know each other.”

 

“Sure thing,” Reese agreed, his voice as smooth as silk.

 

“You remember what I told you,” Iris warned.

 

“I ain’t cleanin’ up no blood, so keep it civil!” Gideon shouted after Reese and Declan, as they all retreated to the various corners of the house. Jared had barely reached the top of the landing with Rae when he heard Gideon mutter, “Damn kids.”

 

 

“So,” Rae said ten minutes later as she and Jared sat on Gideon’s bathroom floor, conducting inventory of the contents of Gideon’s supply closet. “Reese is pretty sexy, huh?”

 

Jared fumbled with the first aid kit he’d been sorting, dropping a bottle of antiseptic onto the tile.

 

Rae belted out a laugh. “Oh man. I’ll take that as a yes.” She leaned over and handed Jared bottle cap that had rolled to her side of the bathroom. Gideon’s master bathroom was huge, and the floor to ceiling closet was packed full of weeks worth of medical supplies. Jared was counting antiseptic and antibiotic bottles while Rae put together the list, in preparation of their interception in Jefferson. “That reckless hair, and those brown eyes…”

 

“They’re blue,” Jared corrected, putting the counted bottles back on the shelf. At Rae’s melodious giggle realized he had been caught. “Dammit.” He smiled and threw a pack of gauze pads at her.

 

“As the freaking ocean,” Rae agreed. She settled back against the cabinets beneath the sink, propping the notepad on her knees. “He seems to have a hard time taking those eyes off of you,” she observed.

 

A rush of warmth filled Jared, and his mind flooded with images of Reese; the way his eyes had pierced him the first time Reese had whipped off his sunglasses, the curve of his mouth when he smiled underneath his permanent three-day stubble, the way his broad shoulders filled out the black tee shirts he was so fond of wearing.

 

The feel of his hard muscles shaking under Jared’s hands when Jared had taken him into his mouth.

 

Jared shook his head and resumed counting, reciting the products and how many they had out loud so Rae could note it down. He rose to his knees to start on the third shelf up. Tapping his fingers against the lip of the shelf, he blurted, “He kissed me.”

 

Rae’s mouth dropped open. “What? When?”

 

Jared counted off five rolls of medical tape. “The day he left for Salt Lake. Uh, and again when he got back.” And then some, Jared thought.

 

Rae smacked him on the shoulder with her notepad. “And you didn't tell me?”

 

“I wasn't, I mean...”  Jared looked down at the floor. “For awhile I wasn't sure if it was real.”

 

“Oh, Jare.” Rae put down her pen. “It’s not like he’s the first guy to want you.”

 

Jared could feel his cheeks heat. “He’s…different.”

 

Rae studied him, then nodded. “He is.” She turned sideways so she was facing him, her eyes sparkling conspiratorially. “So? How did he do it? The first time I mean.”

 

Jared laughed. “Come on, RaeRae, it’s not like you haven't been kissed before.” He gave her a saucy look. “And a whole lot more.”

 

“Well yeah, but not by him.” She grinned. “Besides, talking about him clearly makes you happy. So come on. Spill.”

 

“He, I don’t know, just kind of went for it. I was asking him about the Salt Lake job and he just kept putting me off, and then he just leaned in and.” Jared moved a hand closer to her face to demonstrate how slowly Reese had kissed him, then pulled it back. “Yeah. And then he kind of, you know, did it again, like that, and then last night, and um, this morning, he…yeah.”

 

“Well.” Rae clapped her hands together. “Seeing as how you can’t even string together a full sentence, I’m guessing it was pretty damn good.”

 

It felt good to finally tell someone that Reese had kissed him. Truth be told, Jared had really been missing his sister these last few months. Rae was his best friend, besides Declan, though obviously there were some things Declan was better off not knowing. Rae was different though, her excitement was catching, and it made Jared want to tell her everything.

 

Jared still couldn't believe how bold he’d been earlier, out on the porch with Reese, and then again in the lake, reaching for him like he actually had a right to take what he wanted. Reese was so sure of himself, so confident, and when Jared was around him and the rest of the world fell away, he felt like he could be confident too.

 

He wasn’t quite ready to share all of that, though.

 

Rae picked up her pen, and gestured for him to keep counting. “Wanna know what I think?”

 

Jared smirked. “Since when do you ask?”

 

“Shut up.” Rae tossed the gauze pads back at him. “I think since you can’t even be coherent when talking about your time together, you should probably keep spending time together.” Her mouth curved. “You know, for practice.”

 

Jared took the full bag she handed him and stacked it with the others. “If he even wants to.”

 

Rae rolled her eyes. “Oh, for shit’s sake, Jare, the two of you were playing freaking footsie at dinner last night.” She grinned and held up a hand. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’m the only one who noticed. And if his eyes had been his hands, you would have been stripped down naked right there at the table. And don’t think I didn’t notice those looks you two were sharing while Gideon and Iris gave us the low down today. Trust me, he wants to.”

 

Jared pulled her into a hug, telling her how much he’d missed her with a tight, playful squeeze. He let her go, then said quietly, “Declan doesn’t like him.”

 

“Declan doesn’t like anybody,” Rae patted his arm. “Now come on, finish up so we can keep our brother from murdering your boyfriend.”

 

Jared blushed, feeling silly at the way the childish term sounded, and refusing to admit to himself that he liked it. He knew that was far from the truth, he barely even knew the man, but Jared would be lying if he said there wasn't something in him that wanted to learn everything there was to know about Reese Slater.

 

He rattled off the last few items and then followed his sister downstairs, thinking of nothing but Reese’s hard body and soft touch.

 

 

Half an hour into sitting across the table from Declan Cooper, cleaning weapons and taking stock of ammo inventory, and neither he nor Reese had yet to utter a word.

 

Reese was about to break the silence, poke Declan for his preference for pale ale over stout just to get a rise out of him, when Declan spoke.

 

“When we go into Jefferson, I’ll take point. Who knows how many Agents will be swarming around there. Jared’s a hell of a shot, but he will do better helping you get the rescues into the vans than he will in a showdown, so I’ll send him out first. Rae and I will cover.”

 

Reese agreed with his plan, but he couldn't give it to Cooper that easy. He’d been watching them all train since he’d returned from Salt Lake, and he couldn't find any fault with their skills. Loathe as he may be to admit it, Declan was a born leader.

 

Declan’s overprotectiveness was grating, but damned if Reese didn't feel the same way. There was something different about Jared, something that made Reese want to keep him locked away and safe from anything that could cause him further pain. But he also noticed a strength there, hidden beneath that shaky facade, and Reese wanted to do all he could to prove to Jared he was just as strong as everyone said.

 

“You don’t seem to think much of your brother,” Reese observed. 

 

“I think the world of my brother.” Declan set the last of the weapons on top of the coffee table and fixed him with a look. “That’s why I don’t want him sleeping with someone like you.”

 

Reese hummed, appreciating the directness too much to take offense. “You mean that’s why you’ve kept him sheltered his whole life. Why you think you can make better decisions than he can. Why you think he’s safer with you than with me.”

 

Declan’s eyes glinted. “He is safer with me.”

 

“I think Jared knows how to stay safe all on his own.”

 

“Which just shows how much you don’t know about our family.”

 

“I know stubbornness sure seems to run in it.”

 

Declan shoved away from the table. “You know what else runs in it? Loyalty. And that’s something I’m not sure you have yet. To the right side, anyway.”

 

Reese placed his pistol on the table, and leaned back in his seat. “Working with Hatch for ten years isn’t enough of a vouch, I suppose.”

 

“We lost our dad to the Agents. Since then, there’s been a lot of shakeups. You’ll understand if I’m not jumping to believe you after just a week.”

 

Reese stood and faced off with Declan. “You can believe what you want. But you might try taking in some other opinions.” He waved a hand. “You know, broaden your world view.”

 

“My world consists of my brother and sister.”

 

“Then maybe you should listen to them more often.”

 

“Don’t tell me-“

 

“Declan?” They both swung their heads around at Jared’s voice. “Everything okay?” Jared asked,  coming into the living room with Rae following close behind.

 

“Yeah, Jare.” Declan assured him, his posture relaxing. “Everything’s fine.”

 

Reese snorted.

 

“Well, the house is still intact and I don’t see any blood, so that’s good.” Rae took in the neat pile of guns and ammo laid out on the side table. She waved a list at Declan. “We’ve got some shit to stock up on. You want to drive, or should I?”

 

“I’m not done-“

 

“Declan.”

 

“Fine.” Reese didn’t budge an inch when Declan got into his face. “Watch it. And remember what I said.”

 

Reese defensively held up his hands. “Your issues to work through, not mine, brother.”

 

“Don’t ever call me that again,” Declan replied, pointing a finger at him.

 

Reese smirked as Declan stalked away, hurrying Rae out the door.

 

“What was that about?” Jared asked, wandering over to the map on Gideon’s wall.

 

“Nothing.” Reese finished gathered up the rest of the weapons, packing the extras in their cases. “Your brother is a laugh and a half, isn’t he?”

 

Jared ran his fingers over several of the pins. He smiled. “He’s a good guy. You two just really seem to clash.”

 

“Yeah, wonder why,” Reese muttered.

 

“What’s that?” Jared seemed only half-tuned in, most of his focus on that damned map.

 

“Nothing.”

 

Reese spent some time committing their ammo inventory to memory, doing a mental check of what else they would need to take with them. When he was satisfied at the notes he had, he looked up to see Jared make a few notes on the paper in his hand. “What are you doing?” Reese inquired.

 

“I heard Gideon talking on the phone earlier. It sounds like the compound is on the outskirts of Jefferson City.” Jared looked at him then. “I’ve never been to Missouri, so I’m trying to get an idea of where we are going.”

 

Reese watched Jared’s eyes and hands move along the map, his lips moving to some inner monologue Reese couldn't hear. He leaned sideways against the wall, letting his shoulder prop him up as he tucked his hands beneath the opposite armpits. Reese took advantage of Jared’s focus on the map and let his eyes wander. 

 

He raked his teeth over his bottom lip at the sight of Jared’s long legs encased in dark jeans, his slim hips with the slight dips on either side that Reese’s thumbs fit into perfectly. Jared’s stomach was flat and lean, and his arms, though not as heavily muscled as Declan’s or his own, showed their strength even through the soft blue sweater that covered them. Jared’s mouth was still twitching in time to the words inside his head, and his eyes slid over to Reese’s just as Reese was imagining taking those lips with his own again. “What?”

 

Reese stared at him in wonder. “You're gorgeous, you know that? Every damn thing about you is something I can't seem to look away from.” Jared blushed, shifting on his feet. Reese almost felt guilty at making him uncomfortable, but Jared was just so damn cute to watch when he was flustered. Not to mention Reese wanted his hands on that body again, wanted to press Jared into the wall behind him and take him right there in Gideon’s study.

 

Clearing his throat, Reese asked something he had been wondering ever since he’d returned from Salt Lake. “When did you learn to read?” He didn't know how long Jared had been a Cooper, but it had clearly been quite some time judging by the rapport all the siblings had with each other.

 

Jared stilled. “Rae taught me, about a month or so after Johnathan brought me home.”

 

Reese dug a little deeper, wanting to know how long Jared had fended for himself before being adopted by Johnathan Cooper. He glanced down at the bracelet on Jared’s wrist, a thick brown band standing out against his skin below his rolled up sleeve. “Did you go to school? I mean, since, you know.” Reese gestured to Jared’s wrist, frustrated at being at a loss for words. He wanted Jared underneath him, begging for mercy and pleading for pleasure, but Reese also wanted to know what made him smile, what made him mad. What had made him become the man he was today, the man Reese could tell he still was trying to become.

 

“Since I’ve got the mark on my arm?” Jared pulled his sweater sleeves down, his fingers bunching inside the cuffs in a nervous gesture Reese was quickly coming to recognize.

 

Reese shook his head. “I didn't mean-“ He hated himself for saying anything that made Jared upset, but every minute he spent with Jared only made Reese more curious about what lay within the soul that gave life to this sweet, nervous rescue.

 

“Forget it. I’m sorry.” Jared perched his hips on the edge of Gideon’s desk, and hunched over into himself. “I never went to school. We lived in a pretty open-minded place, I think, but my dad was afraid of what would happen if I went. Between that and his job, it was just better to keep me at home.”

 

“So what did you do?” Reese held up a hand. “I just ask because you are so damn smart. Hell, you talk better than anyone else in this house. Except maybe your sister.” Reese smiled at him, hoping for one in return.

 

Jared didn't disappoint, and his dimples were so damn adorable. “Rae taught me most of it. She used to come home and make me do my own copy of her homework right alongside her.” Jared cupped his elbows, hugging his arms into his chest. “Declan did a lot too. He used to read to me, actually.”

 

Reese raised an eyebrow. “From what, the latest issue of my way or the highway?”

 

Jared’s smile softened. “Old books they had around their house. I guess, uh, I guess their mom had been a pretty avid reader. She had a lot of different stories. I think reading them made Declan feel like he knew her.”

 

“Did he? Know her, I mean.”

 

Jared shook his head. “No. Not to any point that he can remember, anyway. Rae certainly can’t.”

 

“That’s rough. I’m sorry,” Reese said, meaning it.

 

Jared shrugged. “I heard Declan talk about her a couple times, and I know missing her is hard for him, but really the whole concept of having a mom is foreign to me.”

 

Reese’s eyes widened in wonder, at the reminder of just how different this boy- no, man, he corrected. He had to stop doing that. Gideon had said something about Jared being just a few years shy of thirty, though no one was exactly sure. The reminder of how far apart their lives had been struck a chord with Reese, and it made him want to personally slit the throats of each and every bastard who had ever given Jared a hard time growing up.

 

He had heard the stories, of how much society had changed after The Ravaging. How though it had occurred almost a hundred years ago, some families had come out of it faring far better than others. Reese’s own upbringing had been pretty standard, at least as far as he knew. Two loving parents, a sister, and a fairly well rebuilt school system had launched Reese into a decent chance of going to one of the remaining colleges and getting out into the world with a degree in his hand.

 

But during Reese’s senior year of high school, Agents had conducted a surprise raid just a few miles from their home, and Reese’s life had changed forever.

 

“Reese?” Jared waved a hand in front of his face, bringing him back to the present moment, and without thinking, Reese caught it in his own.

 

Reese cursed as his phone rang. He pulled away from Jared and strode across the room. "Yeah?" He answered brusquely.

 

"Can you talk?"

 

"No."

 

"Can anyone hear me?"

 

Reese clicked his volume all the way down. He turned, watching Jared run his fingers back over the map, his back to Reese. "No."

 

"Alright, then just listen. The camp isn't in Jefferson, it’s about twelve miles east. Tucked in front of a patch of woodlands on the banks of the Missouri." He rattled off the exact location.

 

Reese walked back over to the map, looking over Jared’s shoulder at the location he had just heard. "Sorry, man, I think you've got the wrong number."

 

"Call me when you can."

 

Reese clicked off and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

 

"Everything good?" Jared asked, and Reese hated that he was the one to make Jared's voice sound that tentative. He raked his eyes over Jared’s hair, down his perfect nose to lips that Reese needed another taste of. Reese looked into those beautiful golden eyes and felt a surge of anger swell within him, that he was keeping secrets from someone who was starting to trust him too damned much.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said fiercely, pushing away from the wall. Jared looked up at him, wide-eyed, as Reese reached down for his hands again. “I’m sorry you grew up different, that for any length of time you knew what it was like not to be wanted.” Even with all the shit has family had gone through after the raid that took his sister, Reese never had to know what it felt like not to be loved. He wrapped his fingers firmly around Jared’s. “Your dad was a good man. And Gideon, your siblings…I’m glad you’ve found a family that’s been good to you.”

 

Jared’s body tensed, and Reese knew he should give him space but nothing could make him move away. Jared twitched his head nervously, tossing his now shorter bangs to the side. “Even Declan?” He asked lightly, and Reese wanted to kiss the crap out of him for injecting, however awkwardly, a note of levity after Reese’s outburst.

 

“Yeah,” Reese huffed out a laugh, reaching over to brush Jared’s hair out of his face. “Even Declan.” Jared leaned into his touch, and Reese pulled on the hand that was still wrapped in his own, tugging Jared close. “You deserve it. You deserve a family, a home, and everything good that this shitty world has to offer.”

 

Jared shook his head. “I don’t deserve any more than anyone else.”

 

“The hell you don’t,” Reese swore. He’d give Jared anything and everything, just to keep him from ever having to hurt ever again. Cupping his hand around the side of Jared’s face, Reese dipped his mouth towards Jared’s.

 

His head flew up at the sound of the back door off the kitchen sliding open. Reese chuckled at Jared’s quiet groan of frustration as Iris and Gideon’s voices filled the house. The sexy little pout on Jared’s face at having been interrupted had Reese bending down to give him a quick peck on the lips.

 

He smiled against Jared’s mouth. “Sorry, sweetheart. But so it goes that before and during a job, privacy is a luxury none of us Renegades can afford.” He winked at Jared as he backed away.

 

“You boys are getting ready to go into town for those blueprints, hmm?” Iris hinted, watching them from the kitchen. She looked at Reese, trying to keep a smile off her face.

 

Reese grinned at her and caught the truck keys that Gideon tossed him. “Yes ma’am. On our way out.”

 

He grabbed his gun, and Jared’s hand, and headed off on their errand.