Page 31 of Wild Card (Foster Bro Code #2)

Axel reached for a slice of bacon, flashing that tattoo I’d noticed on the underside of his wrist: an infinity sign with Bro in one loop and Code in the other.

Gray had it too, and a sweep of Bailey and Holden confirmed they all wore the same tat. A promise, maybe, to always be brothers?

Their closeness made me aware that Bodie was waiting to hang out today. He’d looked up to me for a long time, but especially since his dad left.

The hero worship made me a little uncomfortable because I didn’t deserve it. But the kid needed me, so I’d have to get over myself.

Axel walked me to the door after I said my goodbyes.

“My brothers are a lot. Sorry.”

“Your brothers are great,” I said. “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I’ve got a few chores to do at my folks’ place, and my nephew wants me to swing by his football practice.”

“Get going, then.”

“You miss me already, huh?” I teased.

“Not even close,” he said, but he followed it up with a kiss that said otherwise.

I was still grinning over it while I watched Bodie at practice a few hours later and then gave him a lift home. My sister zeroed in on it like a shark smelling blood in the water.

“What’s the goofy smile about?”

“He’s just impressed by my amazing moves on the field,” Bodie joked as he dropped back, raising his arms overhead. “Perkins goes long! The throw is high. Can he catch it? Oh, he can! He’s got magic hands!”

My sister snorted a laugh at him, but I couldn’t leave the kid hanging. He was too dang proud of himself. He’d lit up like a sun when he saw me on the sidelines and he’d been floating high ever since.

I put out my fist. “Good work out there today.”

“I’m going to make it to state by my senior year,” he said, “just like you did.”

“I don’t doubt it, man, but you gotta play for yourself, okay? Nobody else.”

He nodded, his eyes serious. “I do, Uncle Dalton. I just think it’s cool we have this in common.”

I smiled. “Yeah, me too, kid.”

“I’m thirsty. I’m gonna grab a Gatorade. You want one?”

“Nah, go ahead.”

As soon as he was out of the room, Camille shook her head. “That boy worships you.”

“I wish he didn’t.”

“Better you than his father,” she said, making a face. “As long as he doesn’t decide to be a cop. I worry enough about you. I don’t want to sit here wondering if my kid is gonna get shot.”

“No,” I said quietly. “Me either.”

She froze, looking horrified. “I didn’t think. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” My chest tightened. “It’s true. Shane died too young. I should have done more to protect him.”

“You can’t think like that,” she said. “He signed up for the job, same as you.”

“I was his partner,” I said. “It was my job to keep him alive.”

“Shit, Dalt, I should have kept my mouth shut. You were so happy when you came in.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay. I never really forget.”

Axel had been a good distraction lately, but there was a reason I hadn’t stepped up as soon as the mayor asked. I didn’t know if I could trust myself with that kind of power over my colleagues’ lives again.

“Tell me what you were smiling about before I ruined it, at least. Is work getting better?” She paused, examining me. “No. You met someone!”

“How do you do that?” I complained.

“When do we get to meet him?”

“Who?” Bodie asked, returning with a half-drunk neon blue Gatorade in his hand.

“Your uncle has a boyfriend,” Camille teased with a grin.

“Seriously? Wait till Grandma and Grandpa hear!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said quickly. “I’ve barely got him to agree we’re dating. You’d all send him running for the hills.”

“Tell us what he’s like, then.”

“Well, he’s gorgeous,” I said. “He’s full of life, he’s bold and confident, and he loves animals. He takes in a lot of strays.”

“Aw, he sounds so sweet.”

He did, didn’t he? Of course, I’d left out the bar fights, illegal gambling, and offering to blow me to get out of a ticket. Not like he’d been wrong about my attraction, though.

Everything I’d told them was true, and it was just as valid. More even. Axel’s love for his animals and his brothers was stronger than any wild streak, but I liked that side of him too. He was charismatic and spontaneous. Put to a good use, Axel could own any room he walked into.

Just like he owned me.

My phone rang. It was the station, so I picked up. “Harvey here.”

“Harvey,” the sheriff bellowed, “get your ass to work.”

“But it’s my day off. I’m in Granville.”

“Not anymore. I sent out a changed schedule. You’re late.”

“But—”

“Just get in here, Harvey. You play shitty games with me, you get shitty prizes.” He paused. “Unless you want to turn in your badge and save us both a headache.”

So that was how it was going to be. Sheriff Hale was getting his petty retribution.

If he fired me, it would raise questions.

Especially with the mayor favoring me for a sheriff run.

Hale was too much of a politician to risk the fallout from that.

Instead, he’d try to bully me with the power he held over me.

But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of running me off.

“I’ll be right there,” I gritted out.

“Good. You’re on call tonight, too.”

“Looking forward to it,” I lied, keeping my voice level.

He huffed. “Hurry up, then!”

Hale hung up before I could respond. Anything to get the last word.

Well, so much for grabbing a beer with Hunter later. I had to wade back into the cesspit.

“Work really isn’t better, then,” Camille said, forehead creased with a frown.

“Your boss sounds like a jerk,” Bodie added.

I chuckled grimly. “You’re not wrong.”

Camille gave me a searching look. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“That’s what I have to decide.”

My mind turned it over and over, but when I got back to Riverton, I still didn’t know. My instinct to fix the problem warred with my fear that I could fail Chloe and the others the way I did Shane.

How could I live with that?