Death & Tequila [mxm]

17. Long Island Iced Tea

Nada. Another dead end.

They had been combing through videos and filed for three weeks with nothing to show. Toni and Jaiden had chased every lead they could think of, even the smallest thing, but I lead to nothing but more questions. How could someone commit such a horrendous crime and leave no evidence?

Cynthia Silva had been meeting her secret lover for at least five months before her death. Only Darlene knew about it but was only made aware of the fact two months ago.

After checking everything they could, they finally had to ask her husband, Danny, about it. Jaiden was the one who broke the news and had to watch the man crumble even more. He watched as Danny's shoulders shook and he sunk to the table, his strength leaving him. His sobs shook the room, and Jaiden was left helpless. He couldn't help this man or comfort him.

Jaiden had never experienced betrayal like this before. Loss, yes. But he never cared about his partner enough to feel so broken if they cheated. He never cried for them. He never pleaded. He never compromised. He simply turned and walked away with a shred of sorrow.

I thought that something was broken inside of him that made him incapable of caring. But he was starting to notice that something was changing when he was with Toni.

They had their moments together, but between work and the increasing nightmares, their intimacy has stagnated. It was like going through withdrawals because Jaiden was craving Toni. Their 12+ hour workdays combined with Jaiden practically living with Toni these last three weeks had turned into a torturous tease. Jaiden had found himself paying increasingly more attention to Toni, making him hyperaware of him.

He started to see countless aspects of Toni that made him admire him even more, like how seriously he handled his job. In truth, Toni loved his job. Solving cases wasn't about his ego, but a sincere desire to resolve a mystery.

But Jaiden was also learning Toni's habits and body language. His jaw would clench slightly when he was frustrated. He would stand taller, and his arms would flex when angry. When they thought they had a lead on the case his warm eyes would carry a spark. And the rare (but not so pure) smile that he would flash Jaiden from time to time was knee weakening.

What Jaiden truly appreciated was that he was an extremely curious soul, always trying to find an answer. Jaiden was nothing but a mystery with everything he kept inside, and he could see Toni desiring to learn more. However, he respected Jaiden enough to limit his questions and to give him time.

What Jaiden loved about this new chapter in his life was that he was starting to live again. He used to avoid everything he would do with Carlos before, like watching the sunrise and sunset. He never wanted to do it by himself because the absence of Carlos would amplify his loneliness.

But now he was finding himself sitting out on the porch with Toni watching the sunrise and marvel the sky when it exploded with colors. He now had someone to join him and admire Carlos' beloved sun.

Sometimes the smallest things were the biggest gifts.

While he was enjoying the experiences and the things he was learning about Toni, the more he felt fear. He liked the life he was living now. He liked being a part of Toni's life, but he didn't know how long it would continue. When would Toni tire of him?

However, his fears were pushed to the back of his mind this Saturday night. He was dressed in tight pants and a shirt, being led by Toni through an obnoxiously loud club.

Toni (with Nate's obnoxious prodding) suggested that they go club hopping. Jaiden immediately hated the idea, but that damn smile made him tag along.

They decided to scout the clubs that Cynthia would always disappear to. The cell towers could only triangulate the last location of a mobile phone's ping on the network. It wasn't an exact location, but if gave them an idea. Compared to older technology, it was thankfully a small radius. However, that radius meant jack shit when the street was packed with clubs and bars. There were at least five locations she could have visited.