Free Wiseguys: Blast From the Past by Aaron Michaels Page B

now?
    Sewell waited until Tony looked him in the eye. "Think about what I said. If any of the people you care about get hurt because of you, if that little girl across the street gets so much as a hangnail because of you, you won't be walking out of a place like this until you're old and gray."
    Tony didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say.
    After a moment, the sheriff opened the door. Carter stood up from the bench seat where he'd been waiting, looked between Tony and the sheriff, but didn't ask how it went. The fact that Tony wasn't in handcuffs spoke volumes.
    "Keep your noses clean," the sheriff said again, then he shut the door, leaving Tony and Carter alone.
    Carter took Tony's hand, held it gently. "You ready to go?"
    "Beyond ready." He didn't look back at the closed door. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
     

Chapter Nine
    Tony slept for what felt like days.
    When he woke up, the sun was shining, brilliant hot light outside the bedroom window. They were back in a suite at Bess' bed and breakfast. The house they rented was a crime scene. They wouldn't be able to go back until the sheriff's people released the place. Given how the sheriff felt about them, Tony had no idea when that might be.
    He blinked until his eyes focused, then he looked at the bedside clock. Nearly eleven in the morning. They should have been at the deli four hours ago.
    He'd taken his pain pills before he'd finally climbed into bed just as the sky was turning pale pink in the east. The pills had put him out like a light. Now every muscle in his body felt stiff and sore. When he sat up, his abused side protested. The skin felt tight where he had stitches, but at least he didn't have the hot, cotton-headed feeling of a fever.
    He must have made some sort of noise, because before he got his feet on the floor, Carter appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Hey, sleepyhead," Carter said, grinning. "'Bout time you woke up."
    "Fuck you," Tony said, managing a small grin. "How come you're not at work?"
    "Figured we could use a day off, so I made an executive decision. We're taking a holiday."
    "Holiday?"
    "Yeah. The first annual Tony and Carter Kicked the Bad Guys' Collective Asses Day."
    "Catchy name."
    "Think Hallmark will put out a card?"
    Tony snorted. "Hate to imagine what'd be on the front of it."
    The floors in the suite were hardwood. Bess had put a few throw rugs here and there - hardwood was fucking cold in the middle of an Idaho winter - but now the cool wood felt good beneath Tony's feet. He shuffled his way into the tiny bathroom. The tub wasn't as big as the one in their house, but it was big enough.
    "I need a bath," he said to Carter when he was done with the toilet and brushing his teeth. "Want to join me?"
    "No bath." Carter handed him a mug of coffee. The suites at Bess' came complete with kitchens. From the smell, Carter had put this one to good use. "Not 'til those bandages come off."
    "I stink."
    Carter leaned in and kissed him. "I don't mind."
    Tony let himself enjoy the kiss. Carter hadn't shaved yet, and the stubble of his beard felt rough and wonderful against Tony's face. "I need a shave, too," Tony said.
    "You need a sponge bath, a shampoo, and a shave."
    "Fucking sponge bath?" Sponge baths were for old shits who couldn't get themselves out of bed.
    "Doctor's orders."
    "Yeah?"
    Carter grinned and grabbed a washcloth. "Dr. Carter." He closed the lid on the toilet. "Now sit down and let me get to work."
    Tony sat.
    He'd worn a simple, white tee-shirt to bed along with a loose pair of boxers. Carter turned the tap on in the sink, and while he waited for the water to heat up, he helped Tony off with the tee-shirt.
    "Hurt much?" Carter asked when Tony lifted his arms and winced.
    "Not so much as if he'd gotten a better shot at me."
    "If he'd gotten a better shot at you, we wouldn't be talking now."
    No, they wouldn't. They'd gotten lucky, both yesterday afternoon and last night. Tony knew it, and so did Carter.
    Tony peered