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Yeah, that s right, Cullen said, his gaze sliding away from Oggie s.
It didn t take a genius to know Cullen wasn t telling the truth. Do you mind if I ask
how you ended up on the street?
Just did. Cullen closed his eyes. If you don t mind, I d like to sleep now.
Oggie glanced at the small digital clock beside the bed. We should be in Cattle Valley
in about two and a half hours. There s a button there on the table. Push it if you need
something before we get there.
Sure.
Oggie stood and walked to the door.
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What happened to Willy? It was the first time Cullen had asked about his pimp.
The police are still looking for him. Don t worry, they ll find him. I have a feeling
Joseph will be bugging them until they do.
What ll happen to him if they find him?
He s wanted for assault and attempted murder. There ll be a trial. You ll probably
have to go back at some point and testify.
Will Joseph be there?
I m sure he will. He cares about you ya know that, right? You re like a son to him.
Yeah, I know how he feels about me, Cullen whispered before rolling to his side,
away from Oggie.
With a shake of his head, Oggie left the room. He walked passed Drake and Mandy and
entered the small galley. His suspicions about Cullen s true feelings for Joseph had been
confirmed. Crap. Not only would Cullen need help mending a broken body and spirit, but
he d also need help to mend his broken heart.
Everything okay? Drake asked, wrapping his arms around Oggie from behind.
Oggie leant back against the solid wall of Drake s chest. I think Cullen s lying about
his age.
Drake kissed Oggie s neck. What makes you think that?
Without proof, Oggie hated to say too much. I just don t believe he was selling his ass
when he was thirteen.
What re you saying? Drake turned Oggie around to face him. If you don t trust him
it s a mistake to take him home with you.
Oggie shook his head. I m not saying he s a bad person, but I don t think he s telling
the truth about his age.
Why would he do that?
Good question. Could have something to do with the fact that he s in love with
Joseph.
Drake leaned in and kissed Oggie. I ll see if I can dig up information on him.
No. I think trust doesn t come easy to Cullen. If he finds out we ve been digging in his
past, it ll only make matters worse.
Yeah, well, I m not about to let you put yourself in danger for some hustler.
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Let me? Oggie stepped away from Drake and held up his right arm. I know this
throws people, but I was a damn good cop for years. I don t need you or anyone else
protecting me from a hooker who barely weighs a hundred and twenty fucking pounds.
Drake shoved his hands into his front pockets. Forgive me for being concerned.
Oggie watched Drake stomp down the aisle to a seat towards the back of the plane.
Shit, he said under his breath, afraid he d screwed up the best thing to happen to him in
years.
Swallowing his pride, Oggie grabbed a bottle of juice out of the fridge before moving to
stand in front of Drake. Thank you for worrying.
Offering a silent invitation, Drake moved his legs so Oggie could slide in beside him.
Not good enough, Oggie thought, straddling Drake s lap. He glanced over his shoulder to
make sure Mandy wasn t watching before he started to grind against Drake. Knowing he had
to apologise, Oggie tried to find the words to express how he felt.
I need you to see me as an equal, not an invalid.
Your goddamn hand has nothing to do with this, so stop using it as a crutch. Drake
stilled Oggie s hips.
Really? So why re you trying to protect me? Don t you think I can take care of
myself?
Drake pushed at Oggie until he had no choice but to stand or get dumped on the floor.
Don t try to corner me. You ll lose.
Who s trying& Was Drake trying to find an excuse to push him away? You re just
like all the others, Oggie said before walking away.
* * * *
The private plane landed during Cattle Valley s first snowfall of the season. It wasn t a
bad storm, thankfully. Drake couldn t imagine spending another minute on the plane
trapped with Oggie. Still, he helped Oggie get Cullen and Mandy to his pickup. He regretted
the earlier scene, but knew it was probably for the best that they went their separate ways.
Call if you need anything, he told the teenagers.
Thanks, Mandy replied while Cullen continued to shut everyone out.
Drake stared at Oggie over the hood of the truck. Guess I ll see ya around.
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Yeah, sure. Oggie finished scraping the windshield before getting in.
Standing at the edge of the runway, Drake watched Oggie drive away. Part of him
wanted to run after him, cling to him and beg for forgiveness, but he stood his ground as the
snow continued to fall.
Drake wasn t sure how long he stood there. Long enough for the pickup s tire tracks to
be covered, wiping away any trace that Oggie had been there. With a final nod, Drake
shouldered his duffle and made his way to Montgomery Enterprises. It would feel good to
get back to his own private space.
He tapped in the code and pressed his cold palm against the scanner on the backside of
the building. The locks disengaged and he stepped back into real life. There was a note taped
to his door to see Shane when he got in.
Staring at the door to his apartment, Drake had no desire to go inside. It was a first, and
he knew Oggie was the reason. Dammit!
Drake turned and strode towards Shane s office without bothering to toss his bag
inside. He d bury himself in his job. It had always worked in the past.
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Chapter Five
True to his word, Asa had outfitted the interior of the dormitory in its entirety. A sense
of pride filled Oggie when he led Mandy and Cullen through the door. This is it.
Mandy s jaw dropped. It? As in where we re gonna get to stay?
Yep. There re two bedrooms on this floor and another five upstairs. For now you ll get
your own, but as we bring more people in, you ll have to double up. It would probably be
best if you both stayed downstairs for now. The house has zone heating, so we ll be able to
turn down the thermostat upstairs. We ll need to save money whenever we can so Asa
continues to help fund us.
Which room do you want me in? Cullen looked like he was ready to drop even
though he d slept the majority of the flight.
Whichever they re identical in size, although they could be decorated differently.
Oggie shrugged. All this stuff is as new to me as it is to you.
Mandy dropped down onto one of the expensive-looking leather sofas. So I m the first
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