Free Motown Showdown by K.S. Adkins

door he was up and ready to help me.
    “What’s wrong?” he asks tucking me into his side which I loved because I fit there.
    “I wanted fresh air,” I tell him as he guides me to a plastic chair and gently sets me down. “I also wanted to be near you.” Because I don’t know who I am without you …
    “Did you really wait a long time for me?”
    Blinking at him, I found myself at a loss. How did he know? “Last night, when you were falling asleep you said you’ve waited a long time for me.” Figures…
    “Six years,” I confirm. “Six very long years.”
    “I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” he says leaning against the rail. He looks casual but he’s on guard just as I was, but right now there was no threat. “You’ve done a lot for me, never said thank you and should have.”
    “You’re welcome,” I say wondering if that was his apology and then deciding it didn’t matter. I never did it for thanks. Gage didn’t smile a lot. I wasn’t sure why when he had a family that loved him but a smiley guy he was not. So when he lowers his voice, I found myself leaning forward to listen.
    “How many?” he asks. “Total. How many for me?” I knew what he was asking. How many have I terminated on his behalf.
    “Seventeen,” I tell him. “Want me to name them?”
    “Seventeen,” he mumbles. “Shit.”
    “Can I be frank with you?”
    “Are you ever not?”
    “True,” I smile. “From day one you were the guy who played by his own rules. I respected that, even if it made you sloppy.”
    “Sloppy?” He argues crossing his arms over his big chest.
    “Yes, sloppy,” I tell him. “Did you know the life span of a hitter is less than three years? They either bow out or die out. You can’t argue statistics or the importance of teamwork. I never wanted that for you, to die playing this game, I mean. Don’t get me wrong, you’re really fucking good, the best even. However, you refused to stay close to the wire choosing to flaunt your skills even if that’s not how you perceived it; that’s what you did. Current bullshit aside, that is the purpose of the wire, solidarity, security and a home base. You expose yourself. Therefore you expose anyone playing the game. I had to make sure your actions didn’t negatively impact the rest of us.” I wasn’t lying here. I was also being very kind about it when in reality his behavior did affect the rest of us as it gave newbies ideas. “That’s when I started to keep tabs on you. But quickly I saw what you were about and instead of wondering if you posed a threat, I uh…”
    “You uh, what, Camo.”
    “Fell for you, hard.”
    “Fell…” he draws out.
    “The thing is,” I say interrupting him. “The way you operate leaves you wide open. You don’t communicate with Pilgrim, you don’t question him, which obviously is good now but, it wasn’t then. You don’t participate in the wire and when you work you have a single-minded focus which is hot right? But if it hadn’t been for me, you’d be dead. You have to learn to lean.”
    “All these years I read you wrong,” he says. “Maybe it was because I knew you were right. Wasn’t going to change my game though, because it meant having you at my back.”
    “Sweet, but a dangerous way to play the game, Gage.”
    “This Digger,” he starts. “You got history with him?”
    “I do.”
    “How long has he been in the game?”
    “Six years, same as you,” I tell him.
    “How long you been fucking him?” When I don’t answer, he stands tall, places his hands on the armrests of my chair and leans in. “How long?”
    “Long enough,” I manage trying to evade his question.
    “You love him?”
    “No,” I laugh at the thought. “I barely like him.”
    “Then why…”
    “Because he’s useful,” I shrug. “Because this job is lonely, this life is lonely and you can’t trust outsiders. Because, I couldn’t have you .”
    “You chose to stay away from me,” he says in a very menacing