"Mom, it's okay," Seb assured her, then gave the top of her head a kiss. "Promise."
She pressed her lips together, putting one hand to Seb's cheek and the other to Hudson's. "Such good boys."
"We'll be back in no time," Seb promised.
Hudson gave her cheek a kiss before following Seb to the front door, where Seb picked up his keys and wallet. He took Hudson's jacket from the coatrack and held it out to him with a wink.
"Such a gentleman," Hudson cooed, slipping his arms into the sleeves before turning to kiss Seb's lips. The most wonderful sigh escaped Seb, and when Hudson made to move away, Seb took hold of his chin and kissed him again. Hudson chuckled against his lips. "Your mother is waiting for us, Sebastian."
"Right," Seb said with a breathy laugh. He put on his jacket and opened the door for Hudson, followed him out, and locked the door behind them. They took Seb's red-and-black Dodge Ram Rebel. Hudson thanked Seb for opening the passenger-side door for him, and he took Seb's hand when he offered to help Hudson up. It was a beast of a machine, but then Seb had always driven large trucks, Destructive Delta's BearCat being one of them. Seb had loved the damn thing. The Hobbs brothers had a natural talent for maneuvering starship-sized vehicles, and they had a habit of driving said vehicles as if they were competing in the Daytona 500.
Seb's favorite supermarket was on West 37th Street. It had the feel of an old-fashioned grocer but sold organic fresh foods along with gourmet options. It offered Therian-sized cuts of meat, with a deli that made Hudson's mouth water. Plants hung from the awning, and fresh flowers in an array of colors and bouquets were on offer to the right of the entrance, while fresh fruits were displayed to the left. Hudson couldn't help his smile. It had been so long since he'd been here, he forgot how much he enjoyed his trips with Seb.
They received a cheerful greeting from several of the employees when they walked in. The store was as bustling and filled with customers as Hudson remembered. As they headed for the deli, Seb bumped him playfully.
"Hey, you want me to grab some chips and that organic salsa you love? You're going to be hungry like an hour after dinner."
Hudson arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you insinuating that I eat a lot?"
"Not insinuating. Next to Dex and Cael, you have the biggest appetite I've ever seen in a guy your size. It's all those smarts you got up there," Seb said with a wink, tapping Hudson's head. "Burns a lot of calories."
Hudson wrinkled his nose. "You're lucky you're pretty to look at, Sebastian."
Seb gasped in mock horror. "Are you saying you only love me for my body?"
"Well...." Hudson pretended to give it some thought, laughing when Seb poked Hudson's side right where he was ticklish.
"Dr. Colbourn?"
Hudson's heart stopped. He knew that voice. How could he forget it? It haunted his nightmares.
"Mrs. Palmer?" Instinctively Hudson straightened, and he felt Seb stiffen beside him. "How are you?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Her jaw muscles clenched, and her gaze dropped to Hudson's hand in Seb's before moving on to Seb. Tears welled in her big blue eyes. Anger soon followed.
"As well as you can imagine. Kurt would have started high school this week."
"I'm sorry," Hudson said, his voice rough. "I'm so sorry."
"Your apology means as much now as it did then. It won't bring my son back, Dr. Colbourn."
"Mrs. Palmer," Seb began gently, only to have her put a finger up.
"Don't you dare. There is nothing left for you to say to me. Had you done your job, my son would still be alive." She shook her head, tears spilling over to roll down her cheeks, her bottom lip trembling. Hudson took a step forward only to have her recoil from him. "Stay away from me," she snapped. The anguish and loathing in her eyes made Hudson wince. What could he do? What could he possibly say to ease her pain? Her son's blood was on his hands, just as it had been the day he was killed.
HUDSON COULD recall the incident in detail, from what he had for breakfast to everything that happened after. He remembered the conversation he had with Nina that morning in his office over tea and coffee before they were called out. Nina had driven since it was the van and not the mobile command center. She hated driving the massive vehicle. He recalled the scene clearly. Recalled crouching beside Nina, inspecting the body of a man gunned down in a residential neighborhood not far from Central Park. The area was sealed off before their arrival, no traffic coming in or out, while THIRDS agents maintained the perimeter, keeping watch.
Hudson inspected the man's wounds with his gloved hands while Nina checked the man's pockets for identification. "Three gunshot wounds to the chest." He had carefully rolled the deceased onto his side when a familiar scent hit his nose. Hudson smiled.
"Good morning, Sebastian."
Seb crouched down beside him, his smile wide and his voice low. "Morning, sunshine. Tell me you're as sore as I am."
Hudson shushed him. "You're going to give Nina the wrong impression of me."
"Please, like I buy this whole prim-and-proper act of yours," Nina teased. She elbowed Seb playfully. "I bet he's all wild and freaky in bed."
"Nina," Hudson hissed. "Honestly." He motioned down to the body on the ground.
"What?" Nina blinked innocently. "He's not going to tell anyone."