“That’s right. They don’t fucking have him,” he said fiercely, and then grew quiet.
The silence went on for several minutes.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Vladimir lost Caleb somewhere in either Oregon or Alaska and that…” Wolf paused.
“What?” He squeezed the phone.
“Mez never got his hands on him.”
Micah
“Hey.” Micah stepped out onto the back porch. Alex turned from where he stood at the railing. The man’s face looked like something had happened.
“What?” His heart lurched.
“I just talked to Wolf.”
“And?” He searched Alex’s face.
“We were discussing the fact that Mez’s men were searching for Caleb and that’s why they had his picture. Why else do you carry around a picture of a missing person?”
“Because you’re looking for that person,” he said slowly.
“In fact, Wolf thinks Mez never had Caleb and I agree.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
Micah swallowed. He hoped that Wolf was right. That the monster never had his hands on his brother, but that still didn’t mean Caleb was alive. But fuck if he didn’t feel that tiny spark of hope. Micah moved into Alex’s arms and held him tight.
He pushed Alex into a deck chair and then pulled one over to sit on. He scooted it closer to Alex before taking his hand.
The man’s mouth moved with a small smile and Micah’s world seemed to right itself just a little bit more. He’d never be completely healed without Caleb, but now that he had Alex by his side again, things felt better. A lot fucking better than they had when he was going it alone.
“I love you.”
“I know you do.” A slight crease burrowed between the man’s eyes and Micah reached up to smooth it away.
“I love you too,” Alex murmured.
“We’ve both been looking for Caleb for what seems like forever.”
“I know, baby,” his lover whispered, gripping tightly to his hand.
“I’m so sorry I walked away. Can you forgive me?”
“I told you, I already have.”
“I needed to say it again.”
“Then yes, I forgive you and I’m sorry for driving you away.”
He shook his head. Alex hadn’t been the one to walk away.
“I did,” the man insisted. “And I’m trying like hell not to be like that any longer. I’m trying, but you’ll need to tell me. And please do it prior to the point where you feel you need to leave. Promise me.”
“I promise,” he whispered, lowering his head for a kiss.
Micah
The phone call between Wolf and Alex gave him renewed hope. Phoenix began the hunt in earnest. They were down to clearing out the last few of Vladimir’s hubs in the hunt for Mez. Micah hoped that one of the sites would produce evidence that would lead them to Caleb’s whereabouts.
So far, dead or alive, Caleb was still missing.
Even though they had hope, grief came in stages and through it all, Alex was there.
Alex grieved with him and Micah offered what comfort he could. Alex was his rock. He showed his emotions more than Alex, but that didn’t mean the man didn’t grieve, he just did it quietly. Recently, Micah had found the soldier out in the yard, watering the grass and gazing at nothing. Yeah, they both grieved, they just grieved in different ways.
Life was still hard, but day by day, he was learning to live again. He still had hope that Caleb would be found and he’d never give up looking, but he’d no longer let his grief damage what he had with Alex.
Somewhere in the house played a popular song about a red nosed reindeer, and the smell of spices and sauces drifted on the air. He placed his keys on the entry way table and then headed through the house toward the kitchen. Entering the room, he set a shoulder to the door jamb and watched the man he loved wearing a sunflower printed apron, one Mom had left, cooking at the stove. A plate of baked chicken sat on the table with two place settings.
They’d come a long way in the past two months. They spent their days and nights together again. Even through the sadness of searching for Caleb, their love was rebuilding. He felt it in every touch and every look from Alex. Sure, they still had dips in the road and life was often a struggle right now, but they’d talked through it each time.
“It’s almost ready. I’m just heating the white sauce and pasta,” Alex said and tossed him a look over one shoulder.
Micah smiled when the man’s eyes landed on the flowers in his hand.
“It smells fantastic,” he said, stepping closer.
Alex turned, wiped his hands on the apron, and walked slowly towards him. “Are those for me?”
“Yes.” Micah held out the flowers and Alex took them.
Alex filled the vase with water and stuck the flowers inside before sitting the vase on the table.
Micah glanced around the roomy kitchen. They both couldn’t bear to live in the house they’d shared with Caleb.
They’d put the old house on the market and it sold in a week. They’d found this one in a gated and guarded community and bought it the week after that. After so many weeks away and handling everything via phone, they had finally moved in a month ago.
“Gimme a kiss,” Alex husked against his neck.
“I can do one better,” he promised. After making sure the burners were off, he tugged Alex down the hallway and into the newly designed bedroom and the massive king sized bed.
He untied the man’s apron and tugged it up and over Alex’s head. Their clothes fell away. Alex drew him close and Micah wrapped his arms up around his neck, fisting a hand in the hair at the nape of his neck. The man’s head dipped down and Micah lifted on his toes, and their mouths met in an open-mouthed kiss. His cock ached and bumped Alex’s hip and he sent his own hips grinding against his lover.
“Marry me,” Alex rasped against his lips.
“Oh, baby, yes,” he whispered, returning the rough kiss, and then the bed rose to meet his back. With desperate hands, he pulled the man down and twisted against him, grinding in his need to feel every fucking inch of Alex.
“Mine,” Alex growled against his swollen mouth.
“Yes.” Micah slipped hands along the man’s legs, coarse hair scratched his palms and his fingers dug into the muscled ass cheeks that flexed beneath his touch. His mouth roughly taken, he bit at Alex’s lips and sucked the bottom one into his mouth as precum seeped from his dick. He could barely hold still when greased fingers slipped along his crack and probed at his entrance.
“Oh, fuck,” he groaned when one thick finger breached him and slid in slow and deep. He cocked his legs apart and lifted his knees. Alex scooted to his knees and slipped in another finger with the first. Micah let his back bow off the bed, then he reached up with his own hands and pinched his own nipples before Alex’s mouth was pushing one hand away and latching onto the sensitive nub while he finger fucked him.
“Nnnnnnh, fuck yessss,” he moaned. “Oh baby, yes.”
Alex groaned softly against his skin. “I love how vocal you are.”
“Alex, please,” he moaned.
Alex lifted upward. Micah felt the thick, blunt head of the man’s cock finding his entrance and then pushing forward. Alex didn’t take his time, he pushed through the resistance and Micah moaned.
“Just like that,” he breathed, and then groaned when pleasure spiraled from his ass into his cock and balls. Wildly, he clamped his arms and legs around Alex and hung on when the man started up a hard pounding in his ass.
“What you do to me,” Alex muttered against his sweat-drenched forehead.
He sputtered and gasped, arching. “I’m going to come!”
“Hold it,” Alex ordered.
The order drew his balls up and his back from the bed. Alex’s cock pegged his prostate with every pounding thrust.
“I can’t!”
“Just a few mo
re seconds!”
He felt like a wire stretched to the max!
“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck,” he yelled, gasping, and snapped, his body convulsing over and over.
Alex roared near his ear and released with a shudder.
Micah clung to the heaving man as his release shot between them. Pulsing beats of fire swam from his groin into his stomach and then shuddered through his whole body. Ropes of cum streamed up his chest and hit the bottom of his chin. After several moments, Alex dipped his head to lick at them.
Micah shuddered, finally easing his frantic grip. “Oh fuck.”
“Mmhmm,” his lover agreed, tracing his tongue over his skin. “We always blow a gasket.”
Words failed him. He nestled into Alex’s arms and held him tightly. This man was his future, his once in a lifetime love. He vowed silently then and there that he’d work his damnedest to show Alex how much he cared, every single day for the rest of his life.
Micah
A week later, they attended the end of the year holiday party at Mac and Noah’s place. It was kind of a tradition for Phoenix. He’d missed the last one, but he was here now.
Roscoe was in the middle of telling a story. Micah smiled, stepping from inside the house and farther into the party room to listen.
“So, there we were, trying to creep up on the perp, and then we hear from this guy over here, ‘US Marshals,’ at the top of his lungs,” Roscoe said, jerking a thumb at Mac.
“Yeah, like some friggin’ signature call,” Frost added.
“Signature call?” Wild asked.
“You know, like Tarzan?”
Everyone listening erupted with laughter.
“You guys wish you sounded as badass,” Mac smirked, crossing his arms against his chest.
“I love the way it sounds,” Noah assured his husband and wrapped him up tight.
“Saps.” Storm smirked.
Seth noticed him and Alex where they stood with Alex’s mom and waved. The people at the party turned and spotted them.
“Hey!” the whole yard cheered when they arrived.
“About damned time, Storm is starving!” Wild said, and chuckled at Storm’s thundercloud expression.
“Leave the love birds alone,” Seth said, coming to their defense.
Mac cleared his throat and tapped a spoon along his glass until everyone turned in the marshal’s direction.
“As you all know by now, I’m not one to make big speeches, but I promised Noah I’d say something,” Mac said.
“Something!” someone from the back yelled.
“Okay, smart ass,” Mac grumbled and the crowd laughed.
“This seems to be a yearly thing with us. Having you all here at the end of year is very special to us. We couldn’t ask for a better group of people in our lives.” Mac lifted his glass and the crowd followed suit. “So here’s to family and friends. May our journeys of happiness be long and our travels of sadness be short. Noah and I want each and every one of you to know that you are always welcome in our home,” Mac finished. The crowd erupted with good cheer and conversation.
Micah swallowed around the tight lump in his throat. Maria squeezed his arm and he smiled down at her. Alex’s arm slipped around his waist. He leaned against the man and then took the drink Alex presented.
“Try it, it’s good.”
He took a taste and nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
“Stay here.” Alex gave him a sexy smile. “I’ll be right back. Want one, Mom?”
“No, Mijo, I’m going to mingle.”
“I’ll introduce you to the group,” a voice said, and Micah turned and found Betty Mae.
“Betty Mae, this is Alex’s mother, Maria. Mom, this is Betty Mae, she’s a family friend and also runs a tight ship at the Phoenix office.”
“Oh, go on, you,” Betty Mae said and took Maria’s arm to pull her away.
Micah smiled after them and then trailed his eyes over the area. The place was a newly designed game room. Mac and Noah had just finished remodeling it or so he’d been told. He was of half a mind to copy the couple’s design, they’d done an outstanding job. It had everything including a big barbecue out the far back door where they currently grilled food. The only thing the room didn’t have was a restroom. Noah had assured them there were plenty inside the house.
Alex came back with his drink and they wandered the party speaking with couples and meeting new people.
Rossi and Alex got into a conversation about the details of Alex’s employment and Micah turned when Maria approached him.
“Having fun?” Alex’s mom had been caught up in a conversation with Betty Mae and Aunt Leslie for the better part of an hour.
“I am!” She smiled and patted his cheek.
Alex’s phone buzzed and the man stepped away to answer. After a few moments, Alex turned back.
Micah glanced over to smile, but the expression on Alex’s face had his smile vanishing.
Micah lifted his hand to cover his mouth.
Oh god no.
The party dropped into silence even though people were laughing and talking. He couldn’t hear a thing over the white noise that pounded against his ear drums. His eyes stayed riveted on Alex’s face as the hand he held to his mouth pressed so hard, he almost drew blood.
He took a step, or tried to, but his feet were frozen.
Alex shook his head and then the man smiled at him.
Micah gasped as if he’d been running. Every bit of sound rushed into play and the noise of the party surrounded him again. Alex held out a hand and Micah was finally able to close the distance.
“Here.” Alex handed him the phone.
With tears edging at the corners of his eyes, he held Alex’s gaze as he lifted the phone to his ear.
“Micah!” Caleb said, crying his name.
“Caleb… Caleb, oh my god.” His words came in huge gasps. Alex slid a warm hand on his back. The party grew quiet around him.
‘It’s me! I’m safe. I’m okay!” Caleb sobbed, the words coming thickly. His brother sounded older, his voice had deepened, but he’d know that voice anywhere.
“How?” He sucked in a quick breath, the residual of his sobs catching.
“Wolf saved me.”
“Where are you? We’ll come get you!” he said, glancing at Alex, who nodded.
“Wait. Here’s Wolf,” Caleb said, and a brushing and crackle sounded.
“Micah?”
“Wolf. I owe you my life,” he husked into the phone, wiping at his face with the back of his hand.
“It’s… shh. It’s okay. We’re thirty minutes from boarding a plane from Alaska to San Francisco,” Wolf assured him. “We’ll be home before you know it,” the man finished.
“Okay.” He could barely speak.
“Can I speak with Alex, and then I’ll put Caleb back on the phone?”
Micah spun and held the phone out for Alex. “It’s Wolf.”
Alex took the phone.
Micah spun to Maria and pulled her into a tight hug. She was sobbing into his chest as he turned to the crowd and said,
“Wolf has Caleb. They are boarding a plane in thirty minutes. It’s a six hour flight home from Alaska.”
Micah held Rossi’s eyes and the older man’s grew bright. He reached out and gripped Rossi’s shoulder. The whole crowd yelled with shouts of excitement and congratulations.
“I’ll drive you to the airport!” Seth yelled, laughing and crying. When Maria stepped back, Seth flung his arms around him. He squeezed Seth tightly.
“Oh my god.” Allison was there hugging him, and then everyone crushed in with hugs and back pats.
“We’ll go to the airport in a damned convoy!” Wild choked out.
He caught Alex’s happy smile over the team’s heads and then the man was cutting in, handing him the phone back.
Micah turned into Alex’s arms amid cheers and laughter and the sound of joy.
He lifted the phone to his ear and his little brother was t
alking a mile a minute.
Alex
The exuberance was astounding. The unit celebrated as one of their own was found and a madman had been thwarted. Oh, they’d catch up with Mez eventually, of that he had no doubt, but right now, they’d celebrate the return of Caleb. And he’d make damned sure that his family was safe.
Wolf couldn’t go into much details over the air waves, but the man assured him he’d get a full report when they landed. He didn’t know how his friend had found Caleb, but he owed that man a great debt.
He glanced at his watch, they’d be leaving for the airport in four hours.
Alex glanced over when a familiar tall figure stepped out of the back door. Behind the tall figure was a shorter one but recognizable.
Quick Jameson glanced around and then turned to motion to the man behind him. Wyatt Jagger Hughes slowly came through the door looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but there.
Quick placed a hand on Jagger’s shoulder and guided the man across the room.
“Hey, what brings you here?” He smiled, gripping Quick’s hand, and then shook Jagger’s hand.
The good looking man smiled and shook his and then Micah’s hand. “I got a call from Chief Rossi.” Quick tossed a glance at Jagger. “I found this one on the porch. It seems we both got a call.”
“Oh, I see,” Micah said with a grin. “He’s trying to recruit you two into Phoenix, just like he did Fear!”
“He’s already hired the both of us,” Quick answered with a laugh.
Alex could certainly believe it. Quick’s connections with several agencies would come in handy.
As for why Quick felt he had owed Micah, Alex had finally heard the story. Micah met Quick on a mission during his early years in Phoenix. The mission they’d been on had gone wrong. Micah had barely managed to escape. Quick had been captured. Micah had gone back in for Quick. The pair of them had fought their way out of a sticky situation and a camp of enemies to make it back to the States. When Caleb went missing, Quick had jumped at the chance to pay his friend back.
He glanced at Jagger. The man was ex-CIA. When Jagger asked for help to find his sister, the agency had stalled. Now that he had closure with his little sister’s death, Jagger told the CIA he was through. The man gladly accepted Rossi’s offer.
Destruction Page 23
