Page 57 of Laying Low

“Okay,” the young man said, obviously pulling his courage out of his socks.“It is not my fault.But I still will not let you sit here alone and watch for my terrible family.Please.”

Anthony nodded, giving in.“Fair,” he said.“But as soon as Reg gets here, I’m alerting security.They shouldn’t be allowed to—”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door flew open and a younger man—blond and blue eyed, and with a face, as Ilia had said, like a knife blade—shouldered his way in with a weapon in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

“Lem!”he said excitedly.“I’ve found them.It’s Slovka, in Sooke Harbor.You said to watch the hospitals—”

Young, Anthony thought, his brain detaching from the rest of his body.Young and inexperienced.Somebody had given this person a semiautomatic pistol and said, “Here’s the safety, don’t shoot yourself,” with no other instructions.Anthony shoved Ilia behind and under Reynaldo’s bed and was in the process of throwing himself on top of him when their attacker went suddenly flying into the room, Reg flailing on his back.

The assailant went sprawling, gun and phone clattering on the floor, while Reg shoved a knee in his back and pinned his shoulders to the linoleum.Anthony scrambled for the gun, snagged it from Slovka’s reaching fingertips, and rolled to a crouch, holding the pistol on their young enemy while slowly pushing to his feet.

“Reg?”he squeaked in the sudden silence, and then two men in security uniforms burst in, practically trampling Reg and Slovka in their effort to get into the small room.

Anthony immediately released his grip on the gun, holding his hands forward and holding the thing from the trigger guard so the security officers could more easily claim it.

“This guy,” Reg gasped, thrusting his knee into their assailant’s lower back again.“This guy’s the one I had the nurse call you about.Thatguy is fine.I swear.Please.This guy.Putthisguy in cuffs.”

And then things got chaotic for a while.

In the middle of the hubbub, Anthony turned toward the boys and realized Reynaldo was awake and watching everything with big eyes, and Ilia was still crouched behind the bed, regarding Anthony and Reg like they were superheroes.

Anthony draped his arm around Reg—who was babbling about border patrol and his brothers and his brother’s contact and how they would get there and explain everything, andit would be all right—and had a sudden, violent wish for it to be simply the two of them, in a quiet place.

He didn’t want to be a superhero.He wanted to be Reg’s lover.He felt like there should have been an easier way, but at this point?He was just happy it was in the cards.

Resting Quietly

DEAN’S FRIEND,Lloyd Hemmer, got there first.

A tall, rangy, weathered man, Lloyd walked into the room wearing a fleece zip-up, black sweats, and a badge at his waist that Reg didn’t recognize, but that made the two security agents and the two sheriff’s deputies who’d joined them in Reynaldo’s hospital room all shut up and back away.

Their newly cuffed Bratva member hunched sullenly in the corner, glaring at everybody, but as soon as he saw the sparkle at Lloyd’s waist, his eyes went shiny with tears, and he let out an audible whimper.

Well, Reg might not know what rank Lloyd Hemmer was, but everybody else did.

And as Lloyd’s eyes swept the room, they fell on Reg, anchored to Anthony’s side, and lit up.Heapparently recognizedReg.

“You lookjustlike your brother,” he said, walking forward to extend his hand.Reg took it, shored up a little by the firmness, the confidence in his grip.He had the same sort of quality Anthony had, and that gave Reg some badly needed courage.

“Mr.Hemmer?”

“Lloyd,” the man said gently.“I’m so pleased to meet you.”He glanced around the room.“Okay then, boys, you need to take this one to the precinct jail.Take his prints, but don’t send them in yet.We need to have a talk.His group has gone out of its way to get hold of young Reynaldo here, and I’m pretty sure the only reason they didn’t shoot on sight is that the branch leader’s nephew is with him.”He leaned to the side and gave Ilia a kind smile.“Am I right there, son?”

Ilia nodded unhappily, but Lloyd gave a one-shouldered shrug.“Many points for loyalty, young man—the right kind, not the kind that’s getting this one thrown in prison for many, many years.”

Ilia swallowed and nodded, and Reg broke away from Anthony long enough to offer the young man a hand.

“He’s a friend of my brother’s,” Reg repeated.“Remember?Dean said he was going to get somebody to help us get through this.He’s the guy.It’ll be okay.”And then Reg turned his gaze beseechingly to Lloyd Hemmer.“It will, right?”he asked hesitantly.“Please, sir—they’ve been through so much.It’s scary, hauling kids through something like the last four days and telling them they’ll be at the promised land, because people used to say that about my country too.”

Lloyd nodded sadly.“Don’t fret, son.It can be that way again.But for now, let me assure you that your young friends will be treated well and protected.And so will you.How about you all sit down here, reassure your sick young man, and let me take care of the criminal.I understand your brothers are on their way, and when they get here, the three of you can find a hotel, a shower, and maybe some food.”He gave Ilia a reassuring wink.“I’ve got a couple of kids your age—I wouldn’t be surprised if you could bankrupt a buffet right now.”

Ilia gave a tremulous smile.“As long as we can bring some to Reynaldo.”

Reynaldo, who had followed the conversation with half-lidded eyes, gave a sigh.“Not so hungry right now, but once these other assholes are gone, I coulddefinitelysleep.”

Lloyd chuckled softly.“Understood.”He turned to Reg and Anthony.“You two did right by your young friends.Let us take it from here.”

TWO HOURSlater, as Reg and Anthony dozed on each other’s shoulders and Ilia slept on a cot one of the nurses had brought in, they heard a frantic woman’s voice.