Free Cole McGinnis 05 - Down and Dirty by Rhys Ford Page B

back and forth with you right now. In or out. Your choice,” Bobby muttered as he limped into the depths of the loft, leaving the door open behind him.
    The couch Bobby eased himself onto was very familiar, and Ichiro’s memory tickled with something about sliding over Bobby’s hard body and pressing into the man’s chest. Bad timing on the part of his brain, because his face flushed hot as he closed the door behind him.
    From the line of empty beer bottles on the coffee table, Ichi guessed Bobby’d crawled home from the riot’s aftermath and promptly begun to self-medicate himself and his pride.
    “Why are you here, Tokugawa?” Bobby winced a bit when he stretched forward to grab one of the unopened bottles. A twist of his fingers, and the cap popped off in his hand. Then it joined a few others on the table with a tinny clatter. “Guessing you saw my takedown. Damned little uniformed shit kneed me in the crotch when he spread my legs. If that’s what they’re teaching rookies these days, I’m glad I’m the fuck out of there.”
    “Thought I’d bring you some food,” Ichi replied, hefting the bag for Bobby to see. “Jae called to tell me Cole’s bruised up, and I thought you’d be too. So—”
    “And since I don’t have my own personal Korean love toy, you’d thought I’d go for a—” He cut himself off, weariness digging lines into the corners of his eyes and mouth. “Sorry. That was… uncalled for. Fuck, I don’t know where my head’s at. Well, I do know, ’cause the damned thing is pounding like crazy. Thanks for the food, but I don’t know if I want anything other than liquid oatmeal right now.”
    “Are you mad at me for leaving the other day?” Ichi grabbed the proverbial bull by its horns, damning himself to a fight. When he’d woken up in Bobby’s bed, he’d done a quick body and smell check to see if he’d had sex and was left more embarrassed for getting passed-out drunk on the man who’d rescued him from a family interrogation. “I probably should have left a note or something. Not like we—shit—I should have said thanks. So,” he continued, holding up the bag he still had in his hand, “this is my thank you, because everyone on God’s green earth knows you’ve had a shitty day.”
    “They teach you American sayings in one of those fancy Japanese schools you went to? I don’t think anyone under sixty says God’s green earth anymore.”
    “Shows how much you know. A rodeo guy used to say that all the time.” Ichiro padded over to a kitchen area he’d barely recalled and put the bag down on the counter. “But then I think he was from Kansas. Is it green there? I thought it was mostly gray.”
    “Some green. A few hills. Don’t really remember. I think I drove through it once.” Bobby bent forward to get up, but Ichiro shook his head.
    “Nah, don’t get up. I got some stuff to make daeji bulgogi , and I grabbed some rice, because chances of you having a rice cooker are about as good as me having one of those hamburger grill things in infomercials.”
    “Hey, I had one of those grill things. It was awesome. I think I lost it in the move.” Bobby grunted in muted pain when he shifted on the couch. “You want to do me a favor and toss me that bottle of ibuprofen? Damned ribs hurt a bit, and I think I’ve got to beat your brother to shit tomorrow morning.”
    “Really? He’s not moving too well either. You guys do that every day or just after buildings fall down on you or something? It’s like you think you’re Batman.”
    “Nah, that’s—okay, Cole can’t be Batman. He does some sick shit. He’s more Captain America or Shazam. Is he still around?” He caught Ichi’s soft lob of the pill bottle with his left hand, snatching it out of the air. “Don’t give me that look. Shazam. You know? Captain Marvel? Big lightning bolt?”
    “Nope. I don’t know who that is. Only one I know with lightning bolts is Thor.”
    “Christ, make me feel old already.