Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga Read Free Book Online Page B

it out loud so I’m not the only one. They should have been smarter, more careful.”
    “Yeah.” His shoulders slumped. “I mean, sure they were young, but damn it, you’re the same age as Landon, and I’m only three years older than Adelaide. They had a baby, for fuck’s sake.” He kept his voice low so he didn’t upset Chloe again.
    “They said they were just going to take it up for a little while. Just a spin, to keep in practice, get their flight hours.”
    He wanted to hit something, but even without the baby he held, Lachlan didn’t want to hit Holden. Somehow he felt like they were in this together. They were kindred souls in many ways.
    “There was nothing any of us could do. The EMTs said they were dead before the fire started, that it was fast.”
    A lump lodged in his throat, and he tried to push it down again.
    “Do you not want to know?” Holden asked.
    “No. I want everything. I do.” He could take it. Hell, Lachlan needed to know so he could control what his parents heard.
    “They hit some weird wind hiccup in the sky, like a microburst. There wasn’t any smoke in their lungs. They didn’t die in the fire. It was before. I identified the bodies.”
    “Christ.” Lachlan squeezed his eyes shut. Fuck. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”
    “Me too, but it was me or Daddy. I took one for the team.”
    A crack of thunder got Chloe going again, and Maria came bustling in with a tray. “ Té . Let me take her, hmm? The storm worries her.”
    “You sure, Mama ?” Holden asked, and she popped him.
    “I take care of both of you your whole lives. I take care of her too. Come, mi’ija . Come and we’ll sing.”
    Holden watched Maria wander out, and he sat hard. “She made you tea, man. Drink up.”
    “You should try a cup.” There was a pot and everything, and it smelled so good. Bless Maria.
    “Sure thing. What is it that Miss Addie said? You play mother?”
    “Yeah.” He grinned and sat next to Holden on the couch thing so he could pour out.
    The rain started going, slamming down so hard that Lachlan worried about the windows. Fuck, look at that. Reminded him of home, of the howlers that swept through the outback.
    He handed Holden a cup of tea, their fingers touching, making his eyes widen. Maybe it was what Holden’s mum had said about wanting to sleep with him, but Lachlan was maybe three or four times more aware of the man now. He had been informed that there were no gay cowboys in Texas.
    Apparently he was as wrong about that as he’d been about being the only one in Queensland.
    Holden glanced at him from under his lashes, then nodded his thanks. “Smells good.”
    “Liar. Try it, though.”
    “Hey, I would drink tea with Addie. Sometimes.”
    “Do you want milk? Maria didn’t bring any.”
    “Nope. I like lemon. You need some?”
    “That would be fine.” Lachlan tried for a smile.
    “Uh. What does that mean? You need milk?”
    “No, lemon. Addie liked milk.” He wasn’t making sense.
    “She did.” Holden looked over at him, touched his arm. “If it wasn’t raining, I’d say we could go outside and beat the shit out of each other. We’d feel better.”
    All of a sudden he just wanted to touch someone, and he pushed the tea aside to grab Holden for a backbreaking hug. “Thanks, mate.”
    Holden nodded, the little body shaking in his arms. They didn’t say a word, just held on, two blokes comforting each other.
    Lachlan didn’t know if he’d ever needed just that so much as he did right now.
    He closed his eyes. No one knew how he felt but this man right here. Holden understood. Holden got it, had lost a twin, for fuck’s sake.
    Holden’s heart thundered against his ribs, the storm raging on outside, and he had a wild urge to throw Holden down and—well, do naughty things. Work out some of his stress.
    Lachlan knew it was totally inappropriate, but his cock filled, his belly going tight.
    When Holden caught his breath, Lachlan knew he was being too damned