Page 15 of Laying Low

He gave Anthony a sideways glance and smiled a little.“He’s just glad we avoided the Frida Kahlo documentary,” he said mildly.

And suddenly Anthony absolutely needed him to know the truth.“I would have sat through the documentary for the excuse to hold your hand.”

The sideways glance turned to a full-on stare, and Reg’s mouth parted a little, and Anthony wanted to kiss him so badly his chest ached with it.

In the close space across from them, he heard twin gasps as the boys watched them have this moment, and he met Reg’s eyes grimly, spotting the exact instant when it occurred to Reg, too, that they weren’t alone.

Reg’s expression of honest regret sustained Anthony, gave him hope.

“It would have been a good date,” he said softly, and then he squeezed Anthony’s hand.

Anthony nodded and then glared at the two boys.“This,” he said firmly, “is not for you.Anybody have a game they want to—”

There was a faint rumbling, and Anthony realized with a panicky flare of claustrophobia that they could feel the vibrations of the vehicles coming over the cattle guard.

“Oh God,” Reg muttered, “I hope all the cats are in.I don’t trust those assholes not to run them over.”

“Ooh, Mr.Royal, youarewalking the wild side,” Reynaldo teased softly.

Reg scowled at the boy and was obviously going to make a retort when the rumbling stopped and an ominous silence began.

“I can’t do this,” Reg muttered.“You guys stay here.I’m going to go check on Marcus and—”

Anthony stilled him before he could make his way down the tunnel.“No,” he murmured.“If they decide to take Marcus into custody there’s nothing you can do but get arrested with him.The boys need you.”

Reg gave them an anguished look, and Anthony hated himself a little, because it was clear that making this choice between someone Reg considered family and the boys who needed his protection was absolutely ripping his soul out.After a few agonized breaths and an eternity, Reg nodded.

“Of course,” he said.“Sorry, guys.I wouldn’t leave you in the lurch like that.”

“We know you wouldn’t, Mr.Royal,” Reynaldo said loyally.“You’re solid like that.”

“Yeah, he’s solid,” Ilia said doubtfully, “but he’d still try to rescue a kitten in a tree while telling us to get out of the way ’cause the tree might fall on our heads.”

“He likes us all safe,” Reynaldo said.“It’s not a bad thing.”

Ilia blew out a breath and leaned his head against Reynaldo’s shoulder.“The thing about you and him,” he said, “is you both think that’s possible.It’s sweet.Not reality, but sweet.That’s okay.If we die tomorrow, we still got to kiss.”

Reg and Anthony met eyes then, and Anthony knew his own glance was heartbroken.How terribly, terribly sad that the boy’s first kiss with someone he really liked would be shadowed over with “if we die tomorrow.”

But Reg’s expression was older, wiser, and Anthony had to swallow.

It was clear—so very clear—from Registrar Royal’s expression that he’d lived with that shadow his entire life.What would it take, Anthony wondered, to remove that shadow, if only for the length of a kiss?

It was almost as big a goal as the kiss itself.

The conversation faded, and while they left a small electric lantern on, for a while it was just the four of them, breathing in the cool semi-darkness and hoping for the best.

Anthony wondered about Dean’s plan and hoped it was going to work.

Plans and Certainties

“YOU GUYSready to come out yet?”The voice was that of an older man, one who had grown to be familiar in the last few months since Dean had brought home Bailey and his father.

“Down here, Mr.Dodge,” Reg called.“All clear?”

“Yessir, and boy, it was a treat to watch your mother chew out those big strapping morons in the full metal jackets for being cowards.”

Reg gave a little laugh and gestured for the boys, then Anthony, to go before him.He didn’t want to tell the truth, which was he’d actuallythoughtof Julie Royal going up against ICE, and the thought had made his stomach hurt.His mother, who had treated every kid in the neighborhood as hers at one time or another, hadnottaken kindly to the military incursion of racism in her country, in her state, or in her town.