Heat Rising [Brac Village 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (7 page)

“Where are we going?” Johnny asked as he hurried along next to Spencer. “I need to let Hawk know where I’m sneaking off to.”

Spencer stopped walking so he could gape at the man. “If you tell him where we’re going, that will defeat the purpose of sneaking off to have some fun. You know as well as I do that being mated has its downside. If Hawk found out you weren’t at work, he would be all over you in seconds.”

“That sounds pretty darn good to me.” Johnny snickered. “But I see what you are saying. I swear not to text him.”

“I was thinking about going by the firehouse and borrowing Bear’s truck,” Spencer said. “That way we can have a little fun outside of town and not have to worry about anyone spotting us.”

Johnny’s blond brows furrowed. “But will he say something about you not being at work?”

“Nah, Bear won’t care.” Spencer wasn’t sure if he was speaking the truth or not, but he was about to find out. His mate was standing outside the firehouse, talking with one of his men. As soon as he spotted Spencer, his two deep dimples appeared.

God, the man was so hot.

“Hey, babe,” Bear said as Spencer drew close. “I didn’t know you had today off.”

Spencer cut his eyes toward Johnny, giving the man a warning glare. Sometimes Johnny spoke before he thought and Spencer didn’t want the human giving away their plans, or the fact that they both lied to get out of work.

Spencer leaned up and kissed his mate on his jaw. “Can I borrow your truck?”

Spencer knew it was a long shot. His mate took care of his truck with pride. If Bear said no, Spencer had already decided that he and Johnny would just go to the movies instead. Hell, he was anticipating his mate saying no. But that didn’t stop him from trying.

To his utter shock, Bear dug into his front pocket and handed the keys over to Spencer. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he made sure he kept the incredulous look off of his face. The keys felt like they were burning in Spencer’s hand as his eyes flickered over to the shiny blue truck.

“Where you fellas headed?” Bear asked as he drank from a Styrofoam cup.

“Just running some errands,” Johnny said a little too quickly and excitedly. Spencer wanted to stomp on the man’s foot to quiet him before Johnny gave them away. The guy was practically bouncing with excitement as he stood next to Spencer.

If Spencer ever lost his mind and decided to commit a crime, Johnny would not be his first choice as a crime partner. He could just see the guy throwing himself on the floor at the police station as he confessed everything.

Intending to give his mate another kiss on the jaw, Spencer leaned up, but this time Bear turned his head, capturing Spencer’s lips. He heard loud snickers behind him and didn’t care. As his mate’s tongue swept through his mouth, Spencer was wishing they were alone and naked.

When Bear pulled back, Spencer was swooning.

Johnny grabbed his arm. “Come on before you pass out.”

Bear winked at him as Johnny pulled him away. As soon as he spotted the truck, Spencer was once more focused. “He keeps his truck extremely clean. I don’t want one scratch, one drop of tea, or anything else messing this truck up.”

Johnny tossed his drink into the trashcan sitting on the sidewalk just beyond the truck. “Got it.”

Spencer slipped into the driver seat and had to readjust the seat and the mirrors. He was practically sitting on top of the steering wheel as he buckled in and started the truck. The engine roared to life, making Spencer giddy with power.

They were free!

Very slowly and carefully, Spencer backed the truck out of the parking spot. He had never driven anything this big before. He had never driven anything this damn new before either. He knew he had to be extremely careful in his mate’s truck.

Bear would have a coronary if Spencer put one scratch on it.

Johnny was bouncing in the seat beside him. “Where to? Where to?”

“Calm down,” Spencer said as he carefully steered the truck out of town. “I am trying to concentrate on driving.”

Johnny’s blue-grey eyes grew round as his fingers curled around his seat belt. “Tell me you know how to drive.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “What do you think I’m doing right now? I’ve just never driven anything this large before. Once we hit the country roads, I’ll be fine.” Spencer hoped like hell that was true. It felt strange as hell sitting so high up off the ground—in the driver seat at least. He was used to being a passenger.

Once they cleared town, Spencer pressed his foot harder on the gas pedal. The truck sped up. He could see now why Bear loved his truck so much. The thing was awesome! Spencer felt practically giddy as he let the window down, the warm breeze filling the interior of the truck.

Johnny reached over and turned the radio on, country music blaring away. “I like country music, but Hawk hates the stuff. I rarely get to listen to it.” Johnny began to bounce around as he sang along with the artist.

“Hey, Johnny, who sings this song?”

“Blake Shelton,” Johnny said before he continued to sing.

“Then let him sing it,” Spencer teased. Johnny stuck his tongue out at Spencer and then continued to belt out the lyrics, uncaring how off-key he sounded. Spencer watched him, seeing the bright innocence that lived inside the man’s eyes.

He loved having Johnny as a friend, pink outerwear and all. Spencer settled back his seat, letting the hum of the road relax him.

* * * *

“How is Spencer feeling?” Priest asked as Bear looked over the order board. He furrowed his brows as he glanced over at the human. The question caught him off guard. What in the hell was Priest talking about?

If the guy was asking about Bear claiming the little impala, Bear was about to give the man an earful. He didn’t share intimate details with anyone. If Spencer had been talking about what had happened between them last night, he was going to have a long talk with his mate.

“I’m not sure that’s an appropriate question,” Bear answered, his face turning granite.

Priest paused in what he was doing as he cocked his head to the side. “I think it is a very appropriate question when someone is feeling ill.”

Ill? What the hell was the man talking about? It slowly dawned on Bear that his mate had played hooky from work.
The little devil.
He could’ve at least told Bear so he wouldn’t blow his mate’s cover.

“He’s at home resting.” Bear gave the only answer he could think of. He wasn’t sure what Spencer had told his boss. Did he say he had the flu, a migraine, or just wasn't feeling well? He did not like being caught in this predicament.

“Well, tell him I said I hope he feels better.”

Bear nodded. Now that he knew that his mate had lied to Priest, Bear was wondering exactly where Spencer had gone with this truck. Did he really have errands to run? Oh, his little impala was in such deep trouble.

Once he got his food, Bear walked out of The Pit, pulling his cell phone free and calling Spencer. He had borrowed Reno’s truck to get some lunch. Bear didn’t mind loaning his vehicle to Spencer, but not if his mate was lying to everyone. He then wondered if Hawk knew what Johnny was up to. He wasn’t about the rat the man out, but Bear wanted to know where his mate and truck were.

Spencer didn’t answer.

Bear ground his back molars as he climbed into Reno’s truck and drove back to work. Someone was going to get their ass paddled tonight. Bear didn’t care about the man playing hooky, but he did care about his mate lying to him.

“You okay, boss?” Reno asked when Bear shoved the keys into the man’s hand.

“Fine,” he snapped, taking his lunch into his office. He slammed the door behind him and tossed his lunch on his desk. He was too damn angry now to eat.

Where in the fuck was his truck?

* * * *

Spencer eased Bear’s truck into the gas station and parked it. He and Johnny had been riding around all morning, just soaking up the nice day and laughing the entire time. But Spencer had noticed they were low on gas.

Unsure of what grade of gasoline Bear used, Spencer went for the high-quality stuff. He went inside to pay for the gas, Johnny going to the cooler to get them something to drink. Spencer didn’t feel the least bit guilty about calling off of work. He was having a great time, driving a fantastic truck, and laughing with a good friend.

What was there to regret?

Just as Johnny walked to the counter with two drinks, a big bag of chips, and two sandwiches wrapped in clear plastic, a man walked through the door. Spencer glanced at the guy, but didn’t give him a second thought.

“You can’t eat that in the truck,” Spencer reminded Johnny. “I don’t want any crumbs spilling all over the place.”

“We can sit outside and eat it,” Johnny said. “There’s a patch of grass on the side of the station. It’s a perfect picnic spot.”

Spencer glanced down at the sandwiches in Johnny’s hand. “Okay, but I don’t want a sandwich. Don’t they have any salads?”

Johnny scrunched his nose. “You eat that rabbit food?”

Grabbing the sandwich from Johnny’s hand, Spencer walked back to the cooler. He spotted yogurt and carrot sticks with ranch dipping. He opted for those choices instead. Spencer wasn’t on a diet. He just didn’t want to eat anything filling that would make him too tired on the drive back.

Spencer walked back up the aisle with items in hand. “I’m just going to eat these instead, Johnny.”

He scowled when he saw Johnny standing there with his hands up in the air. What the devil was that man doing? Spencer’s eyes flickered over to the cashier. The guy was grabbing all of the money out of the register and putting it in a plastic bag.

Spencer’s heart started pounding in his chest when he spotted the guy who had just walked in moments before. He was holding a gun at the cashier.

Holy fucking hell!
The guy was robbing the place.

“Get over here where I can see you,” the robber yelled at Spencer, waving his gun toward Spencer and then at the counter. “Now!”

Although his legs felt like they were about to give out, Spencer moved forward until he was standing right next to Johnny.

“I want all those lottery tickets too,” the man yelled. “Throw them in the bag with the money.”

Spencer had never worked in a store before, but even he knew that the tickets were no good unless they were scanned. Was he going to tell the robber that? Absolutely not. If he wasn’t busted right now, when he tried to cash a winner in, hopefully he would be caught then.

He began to wonder why he was even thinking about that crap right now. The only thing that concerned Spencer was that nobody got hurt.

“Hurry the hell up!” the robber yelled as he shoved the gun into the cashier’s cheek. “If you’re stalling, I’ll shoot you.”

“Leave him alone!” Johnny yelled. “He’s doing exactly what you told him to do!”

Spencer jumped in front of Johnny when the man raised the gun and slammed the butt down on his head, hard. It was true. People really did see stars when they got hit on the head. He felt straining arms grabbing him as Spencer crumpled to the floor.

“My mate is going to kick your butt!” Johnny shouted as he ran his hand over Spencer’s head. Spencer winced when Johnny’s fingers touched the goose egg he was now sporting.

Spencer reached up and slammed his hand over Johnny’s mouth. As brave as his friend was being, he was going to get them both shot if he didn’t calm down.

Johnny wrapped his arms around Spencer’s midsection, holding on tight as the man grabbed the bag from the counter, and then raised his gun. As hurt as Spencer was, he threw himself over Johnny when the gunshot rang out in the store.

“Give me your fucking keys!” the robber yelled.

Without hesitation, Spencer dug them out of his pocket and threw them at the man. He prayed like hell that he wasn’t about to be shot as well. As soon as the guy ran from the store, Spencer pushed to his feet, swayed, and then ran behind the counter.

“Call an ambulance!” Spencer shouted at Johnny as he dropped to his knees and pressed his hands into the wound at the man’s shoulder. As Johnny began to yell into the phone, Spencer could hear the tires screeching on Bear’s truck.

He was so fucked.

When Bear and Hawk pulled into the gas station, he saw his mate standing outside, talking with the police. Bear’s heart was caught in his throat when he saw the blood all over his mate’s hands and shirtfront.

Before Hawk stopped the truck, Bear was jumping out, racing toward his mate. Spencer had a thin, grey blanket wrapped around his slim shoulders and was shaking uncontrollably. Bear couldn’t get to Spencer fast enough.

It had taken him and Hawk an hour to get here. He wasn’t sure why Spencer and Johnny were this far from Brac Village, but at the moment, he didn’t care. All he wanted was to make sure his mate was safe.

“The cashier didn’t do anything wrong,” Spencer was saying right before Bear pulled the man into his arms.

“Are you hurt?” Bear asked as he ran his hands over Spencer’s chest.