“You wanna know if I enjoy it, don’t you?”
Those brown eyes glittered as they narrowed.
“I do, Reese. It gives me a chance to live out my fantasies.”
“Fantasies?”
Cyrus’s car door slammed shut and Brantley knew he was heading toward them.
“Yeah. Because when I’m with him, it’s your mouth I imagine wrapped around my dick.” He dropped his voice another octave. “It’s you I’m fuckin’, Reese. Every. Goddamn. Night.”
Reese’s sharp inhale was drowned out by Cyrus’s greeting just as Brantley was stepping back, putting space between them. Brantley turned to face his friend, gave him a friendly smile.
“What brings you by?” he asked, ensuring his tone lacked any of the hunger he had for the man behind him.
“I heard what was goin’ on.” Cyrus glanced between them. “With Travis. Thought I’d stop by, see if I could help.”
“I appreciate it.” He glanced back at Reese. “You stayin’ or you headin’ out?”
Reese’s eyes had hardened, and Brantley fully expected him to bow out. He’d understand because what had just transpired between them had been spurred by something out of their control. He wasn’t going to hold this over Reese and he prayed like hell Reese would do the same. Last thing he wanted was to lose a friendship over some misguided emotion.
“I think I’ll stay.”
Surprised but not disappointed, Brantley offered a small smile. “I was thinkin’ I’d order pizza. You hungry?”
“Starving,” Cyrus replied, evidently thinking the question had been directed at him.
“Good. I need to check on JJ first. Then I’ll place the order. Go on in. I’ll be there in a few.”
He could tell Reese didn’t care to go in without him, but Brantley didn’t give a shit. Right now he needed a minute to pull himself together. He was reeling from his admission, pissed at himself for letting Reese push him that far. What the man was up to, he had no idea, but he didn’t like this shit. He wasn’t interested in games and clearly Reese was maneuvering chess pieces to suit himself.
By the time he reached the barn, he had managed to calm down. When he found JJ sitting in front of the monitors, on a trash can she’d overturned, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“You owe me a neck rub,” she said easily, her eyes still on the screen in front of her as she hooked her hand over her neck as though it ached.
“Me?”
“Yeah.” JJ huffed, peered up at him. “The least you could do is get appropriate seating in here.”
“It’s a work in progress,” he said defensively. “Find anything else out?”
Her disappointment rang out when she said, “No.”
When she hung her head, Brantley walked around behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbed firmly. She let out a soft moan, dropped her head forward to allow his hands to move over the tense muscles.
“Do the police have anything yet?” she asked.
“No. We stopped by Travis’s, showed them the picture. No one recognizes her.”
“I didn’t figure they would. Her face is too obscured. I’m tryin’ to clean it up but…”
“We’re not expectin’ you to be a miracle worker, JJ.”
“Maybe not, but I’ve got to do somethin’.”
Brantley understood her desire to solve this, because he felt the same.
“You know who’s also a whiz on the computer?” JJ prompted, lifting her head and shrugging her shoulders.
Releasing her, Brantley took a step back. “Who?”
“Cyrus.”
It was true. Cyrus was a software engineer, had skills to rival JJ’s and a different sort of experience.
“Are you suggestin’ he work with you?”
“I’ll take anything right now, Brantley. Anything that’ll give me a thread to pull.”
Understanding, he nodded. “Well, why don’t you take a break. I’ll order pizza, you can toss your ideas at Cyrus. See what he thinks.”
“Cyrus is here?” she asked, grinning.
“He is.”
“And Reese?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“And you’re not worried about that dynamic duo?”
Brantley frowned. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“Oh, come on, B. I know Cyrus as well as you do.” She stood, grinned. “Okay, maybe not quite as well, but I know he’s got a mischievous side.”
“So?”
“You don’t see it, do you?”
“See what, JJ?”
“This thing with Reese.”
“There’s no thing with Reese.”
“Isn’t there?”
Frustrated with the circuitous route of this conversation, Brantley motioned for her to head to the door. “No, there’s not.”
“Then you’re blind. But whatever.” She headed for the door. “But we both know Cyrus likes to fuck with people and he’s gonna pick up on Reese’s fascination with you sooner or later, if he hasn’t already. And you know what that means, don’t you?”
“Right now, JJ, I don’t know a fuckin’ thing. You’re twistin’ my brain in knots with this shit.”
“As soon as Cyrus realizes he can get a rise outta Reese, he’s gonna go for the jugular. You know there’s nothin’ serious with Cyrus, and Cyrus knows there’s nothin’ serious, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play it up for the audience.”
“Well, he’d be wastin’ his time with Reese. The guy’s a friend.” He would’ve said a straight friend up until ten minutes ago. Now he wasn’t so sure.
