Page 73 of Sticks and Stones (FBI Romance/Thriller #65)

Interviews

Villanova College

Outside Of Philly

As Ethan drove, Gene was unwrapping the two bagels for them. After handing Ethan his, he saw the one his lover got him, and he grinned.

There was extra, extra, extra cream cheese on it, like he’d said, and that was exactly what he needed to fuel the body that morning.

He was dehydrated, sore, and so hungry his boot was starting to look appetizing.

“My man hooked me up,” Gene said, taking a bite of the toasted bagel.

Blackhawk shifted, holding his bagel on his lap as he drove them to the college.

“Well, yeah. I figured you earned it last night.”

Gene knew what he was talking about.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this amazingly stacked, cream-cheese delight,” he said. “This made my day,” Gene admitted.

Blackhawk grinned.

Well, he was glad to oblige.

“Say it with sex, Gene. That’s always how I want my thank yous.”

As soon as he said it, Gene actually choked on his bagel. There was no way his partner wanted more sex. He had to be sore.

God knew Gene was.

“Sex?” he asked, his eyes watering. “More? How?”

Ethan knew why he said that.

“Yeah, contrary to popular belief, I’m not sore enough to not want to climb all over you again. This time, though, I’d like to remember most of it.”

Gene’s dick twitched, proving he wasn’t going to say no, either.

He was honest.

“We’re whores. I’d totally have sex right now if we could.”

It made Ethan laugh.

“I tend to be one when it comes to fornication,” he admitted. “With a regular partner within arm’s reach…yeah, I’m going to want to have sex as much as I can. Also, I find you incredibly sexy.”

Honestly, Gene felt the same. Before Ethan, he’d basically had one-night stands. The last time he tried to build a relationship, it was an unmitigated disaster.

He’d been married to his job, and nothing worked out between him, and the man. All that remained was awkwardness and hurt feelings when he walked away.

As for Ethan wanting sex because he was attracted to him…

“Well, Mr. Blackhawk, I’m here if you feel the need to climb all over me. Just give me some aspirin. I have a killer headache still.”

Oh, he understood that.

“Same. That shit is vile,” he said. “Oh, I don’t mind the fucking since I knew I was safe with you, but I couldn’t imagine being dosed and at someone’s mercy. That would be terrifying to wake up and not know what happened.”

Gene felt that way too.

All last night, after the accidental dosing, he’d been scared that Ethan would hump any man he could. He’d proved to be in control for the most part.

“I was able to understand what was happening, but I only got a little on me from your face. I fought it for a while, but then it became too much.”

Ethan was honest.

“I couldn’t think. All I knew was if I didn’t have sex, I was going to die. That shit overwhelms the brain. I didn’t feel like myself. I felt ravenous for sex. That’s likely why they are sending a mule with it. I couldn’t say no, and like I said, I only have pieces of it.”

Yeah, Gene knew why they were sending a mule too—to test it out.

“We need to get this shit shut down,” Gene admitted. “What bothers me is that there are still people out there that they’ve taken. Whoever is doing this likely has someone who is next.”

Yeah, he was aware.

Would they find them alive?

They weren’t sure.

As they hit the turnoff for the college, it was a gray and blustery day out there. The campus was silent, and that was likely for the best.

They wanted to be able to redo these interviews that Corbin already handled. Doing that was going to be dependent on catching the roommates and neighbor at home.

When they parked near the set of dorm buildings that was listed in Corbin’s notes, they headed toward them. Inside, they found a bunch of co-eds.

The girls giggled and checked Ethan out, which didn’t surprise Gene all that much.

He was wearing dark denim jeans, a black sweater, Italian boots, and wearing a peacoat. His hair was down, and he looked luscious.

Hell!

He’d giggle if he saw him on the street too. On top of that, he smelled good.

Yeah, his man caught the ladies’ eyes. With those cheekbones, how could he not?

If he had a dollar for the times women checked him out, he’d be rich.

Like filthy rich.

“Ladies, can you tell me how to get to room three ten?” he asked, ignoring their looks and whispering. Honestly, Ethan wasn’t attracted to anyone, but Gene.

On top of that, they were babies. Yeah, he was only thirty, but that was way too old for a college co-ed. He had daddy issues.

He didn’t want to be anyone’s daddy.

One of the girls giggled, but another was helpful.

“Are you looking for a man, or a woman?” she asked, coquettishly.

Ethan shrugged.

“I’m looking for Derek Calloway, so a guy. Does it matter?” he asked.

The woman gave him some information.

“That half of the building is male students, and this half over here are female. You should check out this half,” she said, winking at him.

Yeah, no.

“Sorry, ladies, working, and I’m taken,” he admitted. “We appreciate your help.”

The girls looked vastly disappointed that he didn’t even flirt back.

The reason he didn’t?

Again, he was too old, and the person he loved, and who trusted him with his heart was right there. Ethan recalled the talk he’d had with Will, and he never wanted to hurt Gene.

Ever.

“Lucky woman,” one of them said as they were walking away.

Normally, Ethan wouldn’t comment, or react, but he knew that his man tolerated a lot. Blackhawk’s face got him lots of attention.

Why?

He had no freaking clue. He didn’t see anything special about him.

At the elevator, he knew the college girls were watching, likely checking out his ass, and he did something that was very un-Ethan like.

He slipped his hand into Gene’s to hold his hand, and he let them draw their own conclusions about which side of the building he’d choose.

It made Gene grin.

Especially when the college students stared.

“It’s lucky man,” Gene said, as the door to the elevator closed and the ladies only stared in surprise.

That amused Ethan.

“Sorry,” he said. “Sometimes, I like to remind people that they don’t have to flirt with complete strangers,” he stated.

Gene didn’t mind.

Honestly, if Gabe already knew, it didn’t matter.

Would they come out at work?

No, but this was interviews.

Who was going to call their boss and tell him that the two men were lovers?

Because he felt like it, Gene continued holding his hand in his. There was that connection, and it made him feel whole. He liked the way Ethan had blossomed into a damn good partner. When he said he was learning, there was no doubt there.

When the elevator opened, they stepped out, and headed toward the room that Corbin had in his notes.

When they knocked, the sound of it echoed down the hall.

It was deathly silent in there.

Again, he knocked, and finally, they heard mumbling from behind the door.

“I swear to god, John, if this is about me having a goddamn crockpot in my room, I’m shoving it up your ass,” someone said, yanking the door open.

Well, wasn’t he surprised when he saw it wasn’t John, but instead, two Feds holding out their badges.

The man stopped.

“Are you Derek Calloway?” Gene asked.

The man nodded as he looked back and forth in complete confusion over who was at their door.

And why.

“Did the RA call and tell you I was illegally using my crockpot?” he asked. “Because I swear I just use it to make food. I unplug it when I’m not in the room, so it’s not a fire hazard.”

Gene rolled his eyes.

“We’re not here because you’re cooking chicken in your downtime, Son. We’re here to talk to you about your once roommate, Elliot Graves.”

He looked confused.

“Oh. I told a cop all about that once. Wait? Did they find Elliot?” he asked.

They were aware that he’d talked to Corbin, but now, he was talking to them.

“That’s true, but it’s been passed off to the FBI, and we’d like to hear it again,” Ethan offered. “As for was he found, yeah, he was. Dead.”

The man blinked.

“Oh, man, that sucks. I’m sorry to hear that. Sure, I’ll help anyway I can. Come on. Don’t mind the mess. I’m a college kid,” he said, leading him in after that warning.

When the light was turned on, the room was definitely a mess.

Maybe mess was an understatement. It looked like a bomb went off in there. No wonder the resident assistant was worried about a fire.

That person should be worried about even more stuff too. Like rodents.

“I have a new roommate, but he doesn’t stay here often. Mostly, he’s with his girlfriend at her place,” he stated, sharing why there was a ton of shit all over the other man’s bed.

They moved some clothes that were tossed on the roommate’s bed to sit.

“Tell us about the day that Elliot went missing,” Gene stated.

And Derek did just that.

“He went out one night, and never came back. Elliot was a decent guy, but he was quiet and kept to himself. He didn’t talk about personal things, or share much,” Derek admitted.

Ethan was making notes—if they varied from what Corbin had learned.

“Did he have a significant other?” Gene asked, trying to cover his bases.

The kid shook his head.

“Not that I know,” he stated. “If he did, he kept it on the DL,” he added. “I know I asked, and he wasn’t interested in the ladies, if you know what I mean.”

Oh, Gene knew what he meant.

It was clear that Derek was not gay. There were more posters of women in this room per capita, and almost all were tits out.

Or ass out.

This was a horror room for him, and likely Elliot if he was, indeed, gay. Imagine waking up with some pop singer’s tits staring at you every day.

That would kill the morning wood.

For.

Damn.

Sure.

“Did he have any friends he talked about, or you knew he was seeing throughout the day?” he asked.

The kid shook his head.

So far, they were covering everything that Corbin had asked, but there were a few new things that Ethan had figured out.

Like the professor and scholarship.

Gene was curious.