Page 73 of Hard Rain
Boone checked in twice over the radio. Grady’s team hadn’t found anything.
Another dead end.
Typical.
The closer they got to Fern, the more traffic disappeared until it was just them again.
Whip turned onto the familiar county road leading toward his place.
Home.
Funny how quickly it’d started feeling like that.
The Jeep rolled to a stop beside the porch.
Axel reached for the door handle.
Didn’t pull it.
The engine ticked quietly beneath the hood.
Neither of them said anything.
They had sat like this after plenty of long days.
Talking.
Arguing.
Eating takeout.
Listening to Boone chew somebody’s ass over the radio.
Today felt…
Different.
Whip reached for the keys.
“You coming?”
Axel looked over.
The late afternoon sun spilled through the windshield, catching strands of Whip’s blond hair. He looked tired.
Content.
Safe.
Axel’s chest tightened.
“In a minute.”
Except he didn’t move.
Whip didn’t question it.
Of course he didn’t.
