Tug of War (Legacy Book 5)

by Rain Carrington

  When he got to San Miguel de Allende, he found the cross streets easily enough, parked and waited with his gun on his thigh. The one thing they could do to double cross him would be to kill him immediately, steal the money, and claim never to have gotten it.

  Watching all around him, he saw many people passing the van, glancing at him fearfully or with curiosity, but only one man stopped in that hour he waited. A little man with a cowboy hat and western shirt went behind the van, in front of a pickup truck that had a blue fender and red hood. Gary watched him in the rearview, finger twitching on the gun, and sure enough, the man knelt down, out of Gary’s sight.

  Gary got out immediately and had his gun pointed in front of him as he rounded the back of the van, only to find the man tying his badly torn Nike high tops. When he saw Gary holding the gun on him, he stammered something in Spanish. Gary was fluent, but even he couldn’t understand him. The man’s hands went over his head and Gary saw that he was just a bystander, nothing more, so he apologized and got back in the van, embarrassed over his overreaction.

  No one else so much as slowed when they passed him. He knew why he was waiting so long. They were watching him to see if anyone from his camp had followed him.

  He assured no one had.

  When the Toyota pickup pulled up beside him, he rolled down the window, gripping the gun in his right hand. A Mexican man stared at him for a moment then jerked his head, indicating for Gary to follow him.

  He pulled out of the parking space, taking the first left after the truck had turned. They left the city altogether, rolling into a vast desert area within twenty miles. They left the dirt road they were on and moved off-road, heading into a flat valley that was partially surrounded by low hills.

  Gary knew, being a spot he’d have chosen, that was where the drop would take place and where he would die. One road in or out, surrounded by hills that would be hard, if not impossible to climb quickly. Even if he’d set something up to counter what was about to happen, it would fail.

  Stopping the van a half a klick from the other cars, Gary waited, watching the man dressed all in desert camo walking to a small Chevy pickup. He knew it was Crowley and once the pickup was starting for him, he whispered to himself, “This is it.”

  Some men came walking over to the van, with mirrors on long sticks to check under the van for tracking devices, then as they moved away, Crowley was closer in the truck.

  The noise of the truck nearing was impossibly loud, but then again, it might be the blood rushing in his ears. Then he realized, as the truck stopped in front of the van, and Crowley’s head shot upward, it was not his blood rushing. Looking in the rearview, he saw the motorcycles first, then a shocking intruder lowered over them, barely between the truck and van, a helicopter.

  Confused, Gary thought it was the cartel, and didn’t know why they’d need so much firepower just for him. That was before he saw heard the gunfire and saw Crowley getting out of the vehicle and running west.

  He turned twice and shot at the helicopter, and the men inside returned the fire. They missed, as Crowley was zigzagging like mad, and Gary snapped to the fact that whoever the hell they were, they were on his side.

  He got out of the van and screamed to the men in the chopper, “He’s mine! Get the others!”

  Taking off at a dead run, Gary started after his old colonel, the one who’d set it all up, the one who wanted him dead for a couple million dollars. After all they’d been through, having one another’s back, or so he thought, Crowley sold him out for money.

  One of the motorcycles pulled even with him and he looked once, then did a doubletake, and saw it was Diego. “What the fuck?”

  Diego stopped the bike and yelled, “Get on!”

  Gary did as he was told, getting on the back of the bike. Diego got started again, chasing a winded Crowley down, and once they were close enough, Gary had him slow enough for him to jump off and he caught up to Crowley easily, tackling him to the ground.

  One punch to his ruddy face, then another, and one more just because he was pissed. Crowley was barely hanging on to consciousness, but Gary shook him and growled, “You stay awake for this, you mother fucker.”

  “McIntyre, come on, soldier, it wasn’t for me! It was to make them happy! All the money was going to them, I swear it, and it would have saved a lot of lives!”

  After spitting in his face, watching his saliva glisten in the setting light, Gary sneered at him, warning, “One more lie, and I’ll make it hurt. Give me one more.”

  “Kill the fucker,” Diego grunted. “Betrayal is a death sentence.”

  “Yeah. It sure is.”

  Diego handed him a bowie knife and Gary held it in his hand, setting the tip under Crowley’s eye. As much as he wanted the bastard dead, he wanted to enjoy the fear that he was trying so hard to disguise as contempt.

  “I know people, McIntyre. I know people that can get you all the money and power you could ever dream of.”

  “See, that right there, Crowley, shows you don’t know shit. I don’t dream about money and power. That’s you. I dream that I could go back in time and turn you down when you first came to me in the army all those years ago, dragging me into your death squad. I can’t have my dream, though, so I just get to start over, and avoid pieces of human garbage like you from now on.”

  Before Crowley could beg or bargain again, Gary took the blade and dragged it across his throat, slicing the artery and watching the blood flowing out of the wound like a waterfall.

  The satisfaction he got from it was knowing the man would never hurt anyone else, as well as hoping it was the last person’s life he’d ever have to take.

  Diego suddenly grabbed his upper arm and yanked him to his feet, slapping the knife from his hand. “You ever pull anything like that again, I’ll kill you myself,” he growled then attacked Gary with a hard, bruising kiss that had Gary staggering, and holding on so he wouldn’t fall to the ground on his knees.

  From the saintly man who barely raised his voice, he hadn’t expected such a violently passionate kiss, one that made him fucking dizzy and his body heat more than the desert sun could burn him.

  Diego pushed him away and nodded behind him. “Here comes Tommy. He’s pissed, but he might forgive you if you promise not to be a fucking prick for at least a few days.”

  Laughing, he reasoned, “I may be able to handle it.”

  “I doubt it, but you can try.”

  When Tommy’s feet stopped running over the sand, he was glaring hatefully at Gary, then, with all his strength, he pushed him in the chest, making Gary fall back into Diego, who barely caught him.

  “You piece of shit! Sacrificing yourself! Really? Don’t I mean anything to you?”

  “Tommy, listen-”

  “No! I won’t listen to your bullshit anymore! Either you get that I love you and that you love me back and we are going to share a life together, or you can fuck off and leave now! And if you do, don’t ever, and I mean ever, come back!”

  He needed it, and Diego gave it to him, a little push to get him going, and he grabbed a squirming Tommy into his arms and held him close until he stopped fighting. “I do love you, you little prick. I love you and I’m pretty sure I love the college boy, too. I’m not leaving again. I swear it.”

  “I mean it! I mean it, Gary, never again, or never come back.”

  His voice was becoming less venomous and he felt Diego’s hand on his shoulder. “You guys, this is a great lovefest, but there are about fifty men coming over here right now, so maybe we save it until we get back to the hacienda.”

  Gary pulled away from Tommy, giving him a nod, which was returned, and he asked them both, “How did you pull this off? How’d you find me?”

  Diego slung his arm over Tommy’s shoulders and bragged, “It was all this one. He knew you were going no matter what you tried to tell us, and he set it all up. We’ll tell you all about it later.”

  He couldn’t wait to hear it, but another man was gett
ing close, someone he hadn’t seen in years, but who had helped him a lot recently. “Vincenzo! I have you to blame for this too, huh?”

  “You know it, my friend,” the tall, muscled man said, his dark skin running with sweat. “You got good men here. They put it all together, and now, it’s starting something that these people have needed a long time.”

  Gary didn’t understand, but he was sure it would all be explained soon enough. “They are very good men, Vincenzo.”

  “They asked for a couple more weeks at the hacienda, this time for a holiday and not for hiding. Enjoy it, my friend. I’ll come by tonight with some food and tequila for you.”

  “You know me well, my friend.”

  Once he walked off, he saw people at the van, milling around. “What are they waiting for?”

  Tommy stated stubbornly, “They’re waiting for their money. Since you were so anxious to give it away, I figured we should give it to people that actually deserve it.”

  Gary kept himself from smiling at that. “Pass it out, babe. I think that’s perfect.”

  Visibly deflating, Tommy nodded curtly and walked off to the van. Diego confided to him, “He’s so angry with you, it’s going to take a lot of ass kissing to get him smiling again.”

  “Oh, I plan on doing a lot more than kissing his ass.”

  Diego grabbed a handful of Gary’s ass, and whispered, “I plan on doing the same to you.”

  “Shit…”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tommy slid onto the backseat, so Diego told Gary to get in with him while he drove. Gary didn’t mind that idea a bit, except for the fact he was in the back with a man who was pissed off at him and had weapons.

  Shyly, he asked Tommy, “If I sit back here with you, are you going to hurt me?”

  “Probably.”

  Tommy was still pissed at him, but it told him how much he was truly loved. They were hurt that he wanted to sacrifice himself to save them, but he would do it again. He loved them, both of them. Diego had gotten under his skin, and he liked it.

  As they drove, he asked, “Okay, now tell me how you pulled this off.”

  Tommy turned his head, unwilling to tell the tale, so Diego started, “It was Tommy’s idea. We both knew you were going to take the money to them, so Tommy thought on his feet and remembered a couple of motorcycles in the garage. He started working on them at the same time that, after he stole your phone, he contacted the people he needed to contact.”

  “Like Vincenzo.”

  “Like Vincenzo.”

  Gary sniped, “Can’t believe you stole my phone. I never even knew.”

  “Go ahead and bitch at me for it. I fucking dare you,” Tommy whispered menacingly.

  Gary held up his hands and reasoned, “I’m alive. I’m okay with it.”

  Looking rightfully smug, Tommy’s eyes met Diego’s in the mirror, as if letting him know to go on.

  “Anyway, Tommy also called Daniel, who spoke to the Carrillos again, letting them know Vincenzo’s idea. Vincenzo wanted to, maybe force is a harsh word…but force the locals to stick up for themselves with the cartel. Down here, the common folk are tired of all the cartels running their lives, so he took the chance that he could get enough to fight back a little.”

  “Where did the Carrillos come into it?”

  Tommy finally spoke up. “They have a compound down here in Mexico somewhere. They have a helicopter they use to transport people to and from it, and that was the helicopter you saw today. They also supplied some men and all the weapons. Good, top of the line firearms, rocket launchers, you name it. We were prepared for World War III.”

  Gary chuckled darkly. “I saw some of it. Jesus.”

  “It was being overprepared some, but better have it and not need it, like you taught me.”

  Gary loved him so much in that moment, and he knew he had so much to make up for. “Go on.”

  “Diego got the troops coordinated while I fixed the dirt bike. Vincenzo came over while you were asleep, gave us the tracker.”

  “Tracker? They searched for one when I got to the drop.”

  “Yeah. When you were parked on that street, we sent in a guy to take it off the van.”

  Gary remembered the man tying his shoes. “Fuck. Okay, how did you follow me after that?”

  Diego laughed and answered, “Lots of men driving. None followed for more than a mile, but we were all heading to the same place. We followed you on the bike, staying to the side of the road where your rear view wouldn’t see us. It wasn’t easy, but good thing you weren’t driving fast.”

  “For once,” Tommy interjected.

  “Who drives fast to their death?”

  When Diego scowled at him over his shoulder, Gary blew him a kiss.

  “This is serious, Gary,” Tommy gritted. “We were scared they’d just pop you the second you pulled up. That could have happened. This is over now, Gary. Daniel and Javi said they can give you a job that would keep you interested without risking your life.”

  As grateful as he was and as in love as he felt right then for them saving his life, Tommy was pushing it. “Tom, I don’t like to be told what to do and you know that.”

  “I’m not telling you anything else except what I already have. The mercenaries, all that, it's over because it takes you away. It’s where you run when you’re fucked up over other things. Now we are that for you.”

  Diego wasn’t saying a thing, he knew it wouldn’t help.

  The rest of the drive, which was a long one, was quiet. All the good feelings were on hold, stifled by his own stubbornness.

  Back at the hacienda, Tommy retreated to the chapel, like he’d been doing a lot of late, and Gary got out of the car, stomping into the house, Diego on his heels.

  “Lecture, bitch, do whatever. I don’t like being told what to do, and I sure as hell am not used to it either.”

  Diego shoved him over to the couch and asked him in an overly polite way to sit.

  “Lord, lecture or bitch, it would be better than you being nice.”

  Diego sat next to him and sighed, “I have to be nice. I promised myself to be nice until I shouldn’t be nice. I did terrible things, Gary. Like you, I’ve tried to run from them, but they’re there, haunting me.

  “When I was in the militia, I tried my best. I became the best at everything I was told to do, driven by the need to impress the people around me and prove to myself that I could be better than anyone else.

  “They hated everyone. They claimed religion, but went against the bible in that they didn’t love their neighbors, hated anyone they thought was an immigrant, even if the people’s families had been in this country for generations. Only white people that were Christians passed their strict laws of who should live and die.”

  Diego was clenching his jaw at the memories he had crowding him, and Gary knew that feeling. When he let them in, the faces of those he’d hurt were there, tears in their eyes or fury, following him wherever he tried to hide.

  “I knew I was gay, but I’d never admit it. They wanted me and the others to hurt people. Anyone they didn’t like was a target, so we went out hunting. Who we found was a guy coming out of a gay bar.”

  “Fuck,” Gary growled, knowing where it was going.

  “Yeah. When I was beating this guy, I realized I was beating myself as well. I hated myself for being different, for being wrong. I was beating myself, and then I stopped. I stopped, and knew what was happening. It ate at me. I had to live with what I’d done, and I thought about killing myself sometimes, just to get away from that memory. Then I knew, I didn’t have to kill all of me, I had to kill the part of me that would do that. So, I did. I changed.

  “That’s why I’m nice. That’s why I find ways to make others happy. I sent all the money I made to that guy I beat. I wanted to make up for it, but I can’t. I can’t go back and stop myself from doing it. I can only go forward and not do that shit again.”

  Gary know what he was saying. “You’re right about me
running. It’s easy, it’s what I’m good at. I don’t have to feel things. It’s like being on drugs, it’s an escape.”

  “Maybe it’s time to let those feelings in. If you lose him, you’ll regret that more than anything else in your life.”

  Gary turned his head and confessed, “Not just him.”

  “He’s giving you an order, sure, but it comes from his heart. It’s not to hurt you or control you. That’s not Tommy, as you have seen. He’s submissive, giving the guy he loves everything. I don’t think this one thing is too much for him to demand.”

  “You’re right,” Gary sighed. “I’m a stupid fuck, I know that. He…when we were together, it wasn’t all that long, sure, but every second of it was the best time of my life. Seeing him, it quieted all kinds of screaming in my head.”

  Diego took his hand and said, “It’s time for the screaming to stop, don’t you think?”

  Knowing he was right, Gary tried to answer, but all he could do was nod.

  “Tommy needs you. It’s not just that he wants you, Gary. He’s been thrown away too many times in his life. He needs someone to hold on.”

  “You’ve held on.”

  “Yeah, and I was also the one pushing him to choose. I let him know if he chose you, I’d walk away. I didn’t fight for him. Now I think it’s time we both fight. He’s hurting, he’s pissed, and he needs the two of us. Maybe each of us gives him something he needs. Did you think of that? Soft and tender, rough and demanding. Tommy hasn’t been put first with anyone in his entire life, and now we could do that for him.”

  “The chaos and the peace.”

  “Yeah.”

  Gary leaned over and pulled him in at the same time, kissing Diego like he’d wanted to for days. Diego wasn’t Tommy, wasn’t submissive at all, and he kissed back just as roughly, grabbing a handful of Gary’s hair to pull him away and stop the kiss. “Later. I’m going to fuck you tonight, big bad top or not.”

  “Haven’t been fucked in years. You may have a fight on your hands.”