"I still want to know how they found us," Micky said a couple of hours later while he and Robin drove home. "Did I do something to tip them off, somehow?"
"Best guess—and it is only a guess—it was Mackenzie's people who searched your apartment. Well, both factions probably did, but his people found something that let them know where you worked."
Micky thought about it. "Pay stubs. I kept them on file for tax purposes."
"That would do it. So, either Mackenzie had someone watching the restaurant on and off, or, more likely, he convinced someone who works there to let him know if and when you showed up."
"And I did. But why would he want me dead?"
"He figured you saw that list—which was, when you think about it, what started this whole mess."
"But I didn't know I had it, until later. And it was Darren who actually had it, until I ended up with his wallet."
"True, but either way, Mackenzie wanted it back. Then, when he found out you were responsible for getting Alex out of that whorehouse, then the kid fingered him for putting him there in the first place…" Robin smiled sourly. "Mackenzie had plenty of reason to want you dead. He probably figured he'd hit the jackpot when we walked out of the restaurant together."
"Boy was he in for a surprise," Micky replied. "Still, we got lucky."
"Yeah. It could have turned out much worse."
Micky went silent, watching the late night traffic. Eventually, as they neared home, he asked, "What will we do now?"
Robin smiled, patting Micky's leg. "In a few minutes? Or in the long term?"
Chuckling, Micky replied, "In a few minutes, you and I are going to screw until one of us passes out. And it won't be me."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. The adrenaline may have worn off but I've got my second wind. That wasn't really what I meant, though. I—we—keep talking about my being a part of what you and your brothers do. Am I really capable of it, do you think?"
"What I think doesn't count. It's how you feel about it. You've handled everything that's been thrown at you so far, and done it well."
"For a beginner," Micky muttered.
"No. Because you have what it takes. You've shown you can think on your feet, act and react the way you need to, to do what has to be done. But…" Robin pulled into the driveway and parked, then turned to look at Micky. "It takes more than that. You have to believe in yourself. To believe you have it in you to do it every time. Not because you're trying to help me, or protect me—but for all the people out there who have become victims of scum like Mackenzie and Ms Hummel and their kind."
Micky nodded. "To do what I have to for them, no matter what."
"Yes," Robin replied. "It's a hard…rule, I suppose, to live by. But if you believe, then you can."
"I do," Micky said with conviction. "Now I have to learn all the ins-and-outs."
Robin grinned. "Easy peasy. We'll start tomorrow. Tonight, however…" He got out of the car, heading toward the front door. "Tonight, we're going to see who stays awake the longest."
"And I'm as horny as a three-balled cat," Micky told him, waiting impatiently for Robin to let them into the house.
"A what?" Robin shook his head with amusement, unlocking the door and disarming the security system. "That's a new one on me."
Rather than reply, Micky pulled Robin into a tight embrace, ignoring the slight pain to his arm. Because in the long run, that's all it is. A brief reminder I can take whatever is thrown at me, just as Robin does. Then Micky kissed Robin with all the love and caring he felt for this man who had, in so many ways, changed his life forever.
The End
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