Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

near anyone. "I'm going to check on Daren."
    He found Daren wriggling on the bed trying to get into his jeans. Since they were possibly going to their death or arrest, he took a final moment to linger over Daren's body. "Let me help. I got those too tight."
    "No such thing."
    He helped Daren get dressed; not rushing it but not taking too much time either. When he was done, he pulled Daren into a deep kiss. Daren all but melted into his arms as their tongues twirled around each other and their fingers tangled in each other's hair. A throat was cleared in the doorway. They broke apart, still stroking each other's faces. There was fear in Daren's blue eyes that squeezed at Sebastian's chest.
    "Sorry boys, but we don't really have time."
    Sebastian nodded and gave Daren one more peck. "I'm going to take off that splint. Your arm is probably healed up as well as it's going to be in that, and I want you to have the mobility."
    "Okay."
    Sebastian dug into the med-kit one last time for the witch-hazel wipes and unwrapped Daren's arm. It was thin from lack of use, and the skin was sickly pale from lack of sun. He cleaned it as well as possible.
    "Hold it out; see how much mobility you've got." The answer was not much but better than none. Daren winced with almost every move, stretching the tightened muscles and tendons for the first time in weeks. "At least it looks reasonably straight."
    Rachael checked her watch. "Grab a quick and light bite to eat, and then we're leaving very early for the meet, in case we need to dodge a tail as well."
    Sebastian made a quick lunch of sandwiches and cut off all the crusts.
    Daren packed up the laptop, which he had basically claimed as his own, and put it with the rest of the bags.
    "I don't want someone to find it and figure out what I've been doing."
    Rachael looked over the luggage. "That is way too much. We're on the run here."
    Sebastian reached into the duffel and pulled out his box of decorations and Daren's medical notes. He slipped them into his briefcase. "We can dump the duffel and even the laptop if needed. The briefcases are non-negotiable."
    "What's in them?"
    "Insurance."
    "Okay. Sebastian, got your passport?" He patted his pocket, which also held the drive. He'd thrown on his suit jacket to hide the Beretta. And there was no reason to get killed or arrested looking like a slacker. "Got your burners?"
    "Yes."
    "Okay, I'll go first. You follow in forty-five. I'll scout the area and send a message if we need to abort." Got it."
    Rachael grabbed a duffel of her own and headed out. As the door closed, Daren gave him a terrified smile. "If anything happens, I'm…"
    "Don't apologize."
    "Okay."
    They sat quietly on Rachael's couch and felt the seconds slowly tick by. They didn't speak. Sebastian could think of nothing to say. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Daren and just enjoyed the warmth of their bodies together.
    When forty-five minutes had passed with no message, Sebastian threw the duffel over his shoulder and grabbed the briefcases, with Daren following behind. He kept an eye out for Rachael's neighbors, but it was the middle of the day on a work day and her building seemed to be empty. He found himself sparing a quick thought for Mrs. Laramie and hoped her new neighbors, whoever they might be, were kind to her.
    Daren reached across from the passenger seat, put his hand on Sebastian's knee and gave it a tight squeeze. Sebastian took off in the opposite direction of the meet. As far as he could tell there was no tail, and he desperately hoped that Agent Kim could shake his. Daren didn't say a word the whole drive; he just kept his hand on Sebastian's leg.
    They pulled up to the edge of a park and waited. Rachael's car was parked a half dozen spaces behind him, and she was sitting on a park bench, looking like she was enjoying the sun. Not a hundred feet from them, children tried to climb up slides, and threw sand at each other, while their mothers looked on. If there was any shooting, and one of them got caught in the crossfire, Sebastian knew he'd never forgive himself. He already felt guilty using kids as basically a semi-shield. But then this location had been Rachael's call. He put his hand to Daren's head. "Keep down."
    A silver sedan with rental plates parked in front of them and waited. After a couple of minutes, Agent Kim got out and took a casual stroll to a bench near his car. Rachael watched him from a few benches down.
    Sebastian took a big breath and got