God turned and walked out of his home into the dark, cold night, his black trench and golden hair flowing behind him like something straight out of his fantasies. Mason leaned back against Jesse’s chest and sighed. “Why did I ever have a crush on that guy?”
Jesse slumped and released an anxious chuckle. “I agree. He’s so… he’s so mean.”
Mason turned and rubbed Jesse’s arms. For a moment he seemed to be genuinely afraid that God might do something to them. “Naw, babe. He’s not mean. He’s just really… serious.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
“Come on. We better get down to the station.” Mason grabbed his keys from where they’d fallen on the floor during their sexy scuffle.
“He talks to you like you’re on his team… or a part of it, y’know,” Jesse said as if he was just thinking out loud, but little did he know, that’s exactly how God and Day were beginning to treat him.
Mason’s mind was spinning as he helped Jesse back into his coat when Free’s voice blared through his ear device, “I think God is at your house, Mase!”
Mason hollered in surprise, scaring the shit out Jesse, who stared at him as if he was insane.
“What?” Jesse said, wild-eyed, searching around them.
Mason growled. “Ugh. Nothing.”
“I am serious!” Free said. “I went to dinner, came back, and everyone was in your area. God and Day too.”
“It’s okay, Free. Thanks, man.” Mason explained to Jesse what the hell that was all about on their way to the precinct.
Mason
“You sure you don’t want me to go inside with you, Jess? Or at least I can call for the witness advocate to sit in on your talk with your friend,” Mason asked again. They’d been going back and forth with each other for the last fifteen minutes while sitting in the south parking lot of the precinct, closest to God’s department.
Jesse smiled at him, and Mason exhaled gently. “Why are you smiling, Jess? This is for real.”
“I’m smiling because you called me Jess again.” His tone was so smooth and sexy, Mason had to fight to keep his thoughts from straying to what they didn’t get to finish earlier.
“Jesse. Detective Ronowski and probably a couple other detectives will be in there with you while you’re talking to your friend. Ro is one of the best interrogators in the country, and he’s the first officer on God’s task force.”
“So, meaning he’s pretty scary too, huh?” Jesse laughed.
“Lord help me.” Mason rubbed his forehead.
“Ellis. I want to… no… I need to take care of this on my own. You’ve done so much for me already to where I’m starting to fear that you won’t see me as your equal, or a man you’d be proud to call your own, if I have to continue to rely on you.”
Mason wanted to tell Jesse that he never once saw him as less than, but he knew he wouldn’t believe him. He had to show him. Just because Jesse was younger didn’t mean he wasn’t one of the most mature, decent, kind men Mason had ever met.
“You’ve taken me this far and pointed me in the right direction, Ellis.” Jesse took Mason’s hand from where it was clutching his steering wheel and kissed his white knuckles. “I need to walk through that door on my own. You can understand that, right?”
“Of course,” Mason conceded. “But listen to me first.”
“Okay.”
“God is a man of unlimited resources,” Mason said sternly. “If you and your best friend are concerned about staying in the city after he gives his sworn statement, God can fix that for you. You just have to ask for it.”
Jesse nodded. His playful smile was gone, and he was listening intently as if he had no problem deciphering what Mason was saying.
“If you guys need an apartment, new jobs, a clean start… he can do that too. He has the goddamn chief of police and the mayor kissing his ass, not to mention the governor bowing to his every demand. It sounds like your friend has a big name that God wants, and there’s nothing he won’t give to get drugs off the streets.”
Jesse’s knee bounced as he took in everything he said. After a few moments, he leaned over the center console and kissed Mason on his cheek, his mouth lingering there with his eyes closed. Mason caught Jesse behind his neck and brought him to his mouth and kissed him like he meant it. “I’ll be right here when you finish.”
Jesse nodded, his hot gaze simmering on Mason’s mouth. “Thank you.”
Jesse walked across the dark parking lot with his head held high and his back straight. He yanked open the precinct doors as if he didn’t give a damn what lurked beyond them. Mason’s chest swelled with pride as he reclined in his seat for the long wait.