"You don't have the power. I'm lead agent on this case."
"I have a whole lot more power than you can imagine. And so far, the only thing you're leading is the 'stupid parade.' The damn autopsy report out of Georgia is right in front of you. And Quinn Anders will alibi Nathan. I'm sure others will as well. If not, run the damn GPS on his truck. But you better get a court order to do it. And if one more gay joke comes up, I'll slam you with a sexual harassment suit that will tie you up for the next five years." Drew left Nathan leaning against the wall, aware of those powerful eyes on him while he confronted Morgan. "Are you charging Captain Truman?"
"Not today," Morgan answered quickly, his eyes going from wide to narrow as he looked past Drew to the man standing behind him. "Tomorrow when he comes in here, he'd better be dressed appropriately and ready to answer questions. And I'd like some damn cooperation from this department. So far all I'm getting is the cold shoulder."
"I'm on vacation. If you want me here tomorrow, you'd damn well better have a good reason or a court order. Otherwise, I'm going down to Key West tonight with Quinn."
"I'll need to speak with Quinn Anders before I can allow you to leave town. I'd like to speak with your father and sister as well." The agent practically bit his tongue in two, but the words came in the form of a request, not a demand.
"Mr. Truman is in Florida with his wife and granddaughter. I can call Natalie and if you would like, the plant foreman, Alonzo Ortiz. I'm sure they'll be happy to answer questions on a Saturday. It's up to Nathan if you call in Quinn Anders for questioning," Drew answered for Nathan. "And it will be in an office, not in the damned interrogation rooms. Quinn isn't someone to mess with, especially when it comes to Nathan. He'll see to it you won't have a job if you put one foot out of line."
"You know, Walker, I think you might be a little too involved."
"Probably. Nathan and I go back to Bosnia. Where the hell were you when we were crawling through the mud at Paris Island? Junior High? What branch of the military did you matriculate from?"
"I'm not military."
"Don't mess with Marines, Morgan. Especially one with a goddamned Medal of Honor." Drew cut his eyes to where Nathan stood leaning against the wall. "I'll back him over you any day."
"Even if you're wrong?"
"I'm not wrong." Drew looked over at Nathan, his face was drawn up in that inscrutable way that sent chills down Drew's back. "You're free to go, Captain Truman. Please don't leave town until we clear up this misunderstanding."
Chapter Eleven
Standing knee-deep in the frigid water of the little lake he'd grown up swimming in, Nathan let his anger seep out of him. By now Quinn and Natalie would be sitting in one of the cold offices answering questions that were completely insane. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes hoping to ward off the headache that he felt ratcheting up. Funny, he didn't have headaches before the concussion.
He heard the engine before he saw the SUV pull into the clearing. The gravel crunching under the tires as Drew came to a stop. Shit, Drew. He could still feel the power in his shoulders when he had pushed him against the wall. He hadn't expected that much strength from him and had hit the wall pretty hard. Of course he wasn't about to entertain the idea that the rough contact and the man's sweet whispered breath on his neck had turned him to complete jelly. He threw the stick he'd been swatting the water with hard and fast into the center of the lake.
"Nice throw," Drew said from the bank. He'd changed clothes before he came looking for him. Dressed now in a t-shirt and a pair of long cut-off jean shorts, he looked ten years younger. "This is the last place I thought I'd find you."
Nathan trudged out of the water and onto the bank to sit on the lichen-covered concrete picnic table. He drew his knees up in front of him, facing away from the new construction further back in the clearing.
"I sold it back to Dad. Mom wanted a new cabin." He shrugged, not answering the unspoken question. Yeah, it bothered him. But not as much as it did this time last year. "For summer use … now that we have Emma. And for the day Natalie has kids."
"It's a beautiful place. It's a shame to let it go to waste." Drew leaned against the table, his hip just touching Nathan's leg. He jerked at the contact, stepping away, hesitation and maybe a touch of fear in his eyes.
"It is. I come here sometimes when I need to think." Nathan snaked his leg out and wrapped it around the back of Drew's thighs and pulled him closer. He didn't mean to. In fact, the surprise on Drew's face probably mirrored his own.