by Lynn Stark
“Drone,” Quinn said, popping up out of nowhere and causing Jett to start in surprise. “I bet he used a drone. It could have had one of those grabber thingies to hold the letter and he just flew it over and dropped it off.”
“As wild as that sounds, it’s a possibility. He could have been close, but not so close that we would have spotted him,” Bear said, definitely sounding as displeased by this possibility as Jett felt. “Either way, he got through. What are we going to do about this jerkwad?”
“I say we take him out,” Quinn told them. “Normally I’m against violence, especially when I’ve gotten the crap beaten out of me so often, but this is one of those instances when I’m all for it.”
Snake chuckled and pulled Quinn close. “Calm down. Taking Barker out is a last resort. Remember, everybody, no one gives Quinn a gun.”
“Okay, one of you guys has to shoot him in the kneecaps. I understand that’s very painful, but survivable.”
Pit Bull laughed. “I don’t know about you guys, but when Quinn spends the night, I will be sleeping with one eye open. Now, we know Barker is a sleazeball. Where do sleazeballs hang out in a nice place like Silver? Even nice towns have sleazy places.”
Unfortunately, Pit Bull was right.
Once again Quinn spoke up. “I know where the sleazy places are. Not that I’ve ever gone there,” he added quickly. “I was just warned where not to go after I got to Silver.”
“We need to hire this guy,” Bear commented. “He’s a smart little dude.”
“Do I get a gun?”
“Fuck, no!” they said, in unison.
“Well, geez, it was only a question. Now, do you want to know where to go, or not? And I think I should go in. A nasty creep like Barker would probably be interested in a cute twink like me.”
Randy wasn’t a twink, but Quinn was onto something. Barker was a predator. He had seen how vulnerable Randy was, an addict doing whatever he needed to do for his next fix. It was the one time Randy had been able to look beyond his own need and thought of another living creature, that being Gemma.
Quinn was about the least threatening man Jett had ever met. He was small, had a vulnerable quality about him, and it didn’t hurt that he was quite attractive. He was also brave and loyal.
While Quinn was willing to try to lure Barker out, Snake wasn’t going for it. Jett understood the man’s need to protect someone he cared about. “You are not fucking doing it,” Snake told Quinn emphatically.
“You’re not the boss of me,” Quinn shot back, and danced lightly out of reach. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I wouldn’t get hurt, if I had a gun.”
“No gun.”
“Duh, it doesn’t have to be loaded. But if things got iffy, I could use it as a delaying tactic. I’m assuming, of course, that you guys have a way to listen to conversations.”
“How did you get so smart?” Pit Bull asked, with a laugh.
Because it was dark, Jett couldn’t see the eye roll. That didn’t mean Quinn didn’t do it. “Uh, I watch TV? We just have to figure out where this wire is going, because the outfit I’ll be wearing won’t allow for anything too obvious.”
Snake jumped on that. “If you don’t have a place to hide a mic, where the fuck do you think you’re going to put a gun?”
That started a whole new argument between Snake and Quinn. They went off by themselves. Jett shook his head and chuckled. “Wow, someone get a fire extinguisher.”
“Or a hose,” Bear said with a laugh.
“Yeah, that would work. I’ve got to get back to Randy. I’ve already been gone too long. Let’s work out the details tomorrow. Thanks for meeting with me.”
“No problem,” Bear said. “It’s what we do. We protect people, we protect our own, and we always have each other’s backs.”
Jett never doubted that. He had met the three men years ago and had depended upon them without question or doubt since then. That knowledge for them had saved their lives on more than one occasion. It was also why they continued to work together. Loyal and dependable friends weren’t always easy to come by.
After walking around the outside of the house, Jett went inside. He thought about Quinn’s clever suggestion of a drone being used by Barker to safely deliver the letter to Randy. The paper was being checked for fingerprints and other evidence of the sender’s identity, but they hadn’t heard anything yet. If it wasn’t Barker, then there was a new danger for Randy. It wasn’t something Jett liked to think about, but he had to.
When Jett looked in on Randy he saw that he was still sleeping, curled up beneath a sheet. Gemma was beside him, stretched out on her back with her feet in the air. Smiling, Jett shook his head and backed out, closing the door softly as he did so.
Going to the room he hoped he would only use temporarily, he turned on the light and closed the door. He then went to get one of the cases that carried his most essential belongings. He took out what he needed and closed it. Then he sat down at the small table against the wall, spread out the cloth, and began the process of methodically cleaning his spare pistol. It kept him busy and helped him calm the stress he was feeling.
Jett was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to protect Randy, that in the end he would fail. Fear stabbed at him. Randy had come to mean a lot to Jett in a very short period of time.
A tap on the door ended Jett’s grim thoughts. “Come in.”
The door opened and Randy came in, modestly dressed in a blue T-shirt and gray sweats. The man looked like he was still asleep, but there was a puzzled expression on his face. He held up his cell phone. The text screen was displayed with message bubbles on it. “Why is Snake trying to tie Quinn up and no one will give him a gun?”
“You’re obviously not awake. Think about it. Haven’t you been tempted to tie Quinn up? And would you give him a gun?”
“Yes, and hell no! What idiot would even consider giving Quinn a gun?”
“No one, actually. We had a meeting tonight after you fell asleep.” Jett decided to fill Randy in on what he and the others had discussed. He quickly covered the major points, their suspicion that Barker had followed Randy from Florida, Quinn’s suggestions, including the plan they would be working on to find the man. “Considering how much help Quinn was, I believe we will be hiring him.”
“He’s really smart. He could be a lot of help, as long he doesn’t have a gun. But are you guys actually considering using him as bait?”
“If Barker’s still around, we need to draw him out. He hasn’t broken any laws. No one has seen him in Silver.” Barker had been told to stay out of Silver after the fight, having used up the opportunity of another chance. Because the town was private property, he would be prosecuted for trespassing if he returned. “Hopefully we can come up with a plan that doesn’t involve Quinn, but it’s a damn good idea.”
“I guess it is. I just don’t like the idea of Quinn putting himself in danger. I don’t know that I’m worth the risk.”
Pushing the lid shut on the gun case, automatically locking it, Jett stood up and crossed the room. Placing his hands on Randy’s shoulders, he held him firmly as they stared at each other. “I don’t want to hear you say anything thing like that again. You have as much value as any other person and more than many. You’re here in Silver because you wanted a new life, a better life. You will fail, if you don’t get rid of the idea that you’re somehow not of any value, do you understand me?”
Randy nodded vigorously, his blue eyes wide in his face. Then he was smiling and relaxing. “Okay. I get it. I only want everyone to be safe. I didn’t mean for so many people to get involved in this mess.”
“You need help and you have it. There is no way you could have dealt with this bastard on your own.”
“Are we sure it’s Barker?” Randy asked, ducking his head in what Jett guessed was shame. “I don’t actually remember what the guy from the alley looked like. It was a crappy night in more ways than on
e. All I can really remember is how cold Gemma was. She was so wet and dirty. She needed me.”
Sliding his fingers under Randy’s chin, Jett forced the love of his life to look up at him. “I don’t want you to be ashamed or embarrassed. All I want you to think about is how you have given up the drugs and changed your life. You have a job and you will be starting school in a few weeks. Focus on the positives, okay?” Randy smiled, and nodded. Bending, Jett kissed the tip of his nose. “Now, why don’t we go make a midnight snack and then get back to bed?”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Randy said, bumping against Jett as they walked together toward the kitchen.
Randy insisted on making their snack. They talked for at least an hour after they finished eating and walked Gemma before heading back to bed. Jett, weakened by the late hour and his intensifying feelings for Randy, agreed to finish out the night by sleeping together. Jett had to make Randy promise to keep his hands to himself. They were going to go slow. Randy laughed and nodded, marking an X over his heart.
Spooning behind Randy for the first time might have been the most perfect moment Jett had experienced to date. He closed his eyes and inhaled the man’s scent as they nestled close beneath the blanket. Randy’s hand found Jett’s and they interlaced their fingers.
“Good night, honey,” Jett whispered, kissing the back of Randy’s head.
“Good night, Dragon. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Ten
Waking up having his nipples kissed, licked, and sucked was the perfect way to start his day. Moaning, Randy opened his eyes and looked down to see Jett lavishing his nipples with his own brand of attention.
Jett lifted his head, almost causing Randy to swear in disappointment since he didn’t want him to stop—he’d only awoken seconds before and didn’t have time to fully enjoy what was happening. Randy knew he whined. His lower lip poked out as Jett stared at him with a smoldering dark gaze. It was no surprise to realize his cock was as hard as a steel rod. Nope, he had a hard-on like he had never experienced before. Normally he wouldn’t look for someplace to put it. He had been a bottom from the beginning, but knew he would fuck a knothole in the wall to get some relief.
“Jett,” Randy whispered, hitching his hips slightly beneath the tangle of the sheet and blanket. He didn’t know how he felt yet about the possibility of being fucked, but he did know he wouldn’t refuse a hand or blow job. “I need some relief here.”
Randy watched as Jett pushed up on his elbow. Jett pulled the sheet and blanket from between them and down to Randy’s knees. Jett then lowered his head and licked along the edge of his sleep pants. It was pure torture. Another moan turned into more whimpers as the tip of Jett’s tongue slid over his skin, lingering in the trail of dark hair that ran from below his belly button to disappear beneath the sleep pants, and then moving on. When Randy began to move, his hips bucking upward, strong hands pinned him gently to the bed. Jett licked over one hipbone and then across his lower abdomen to the other.
“In case you don’t know. You’re making it worse.” One of Jett’s large hands slid upward to cover the rigid length of Randy’s cock. His hips shot upward. “Oh, holy hell!” he yelled.
The world spun as Randy fought for control. He stared at the ceiling as he tried to maintain that control. He didn’t want to come yet. Not yet, not when things were just getting interesting.
Holding his breath as the front of his sleep pants were pulled down, Randy waited. His heart thumped and his blood began to flow like liquid fire through his veins. Soft breath caressed his skin. Pre-cum dripped from the slit in the head of his cock. Jett was there to lick it away. Randy watched with his heart in his throat as his newly acquired boyfriend ran the tip of his tongue around the head and returned to the play with the slit again. He was fascinated by how the skin on the head of his dick got all shiny when Jett licked it. Randy also liked the way Jett was playing with his balls, rubbing them, tugging gently, before they began to tighten against his body. It wouldn’t be long and he would come.
“It won’t be long,” Randy warned Jett.
Jett chuckled but said nothing as he took Randy’s cock into his mouth, sliding down the shaft until the head hit the back of his throat. He had been watching Randy’s reactions, until he stopped. Then his eyes closed and began to suck gently. Randy’s balls tightened more and his asshole clenched. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This was all worth committing to memory, so he could relive it later.
Randy had been certain he hadn’t wanted this kind of intimacy with a man ever again. He had to admit to himself, however, that he had never experienced this with anyone before. Sure, when he had been a teenager exploring his sexuality with other teens, there had been excitement, a thrill of the unknown, even a certain kind of sweetness for the innocence they had shared with one another. He had even had a couple of boyfriends. That hadn’t lasted as the drugs took hold and he needed a way to get them. Then his entire life changed and anything good was forgotten.
Now the good was being restored, along with hope. Jett had insisted they go slow.
The slide of Jett’s mouth on his aching flesh sent wild thrills through Randy. They were increasing in intensity. His fingers curled into the sheet and he held on as his hips began to rise and fall. Jett did a hard suck slide on Randy’s cock, causing him to moan as his head thrashed back and forth on the pillow.
“So close,” he whispered. He had been at this point before, but Jett seemed to know how to control Randy and how he responded to what was happening between them.
There was no holding back when Jett suddenly swooped down on Randy’s cock again. His world exploded around him. He came hard, cum pumping from his balls and into Jett’s mouth.
Randy tried not to shout the house down, but the pleasure was so intense that he screamed as his back arched off the bed and his throbbing dick slid down Jett’s throat.
A sigh escaped him as he melted into the mattress. Randy smiled as he evaluated his boneless body. Sunshine, a bed, and a boyfriend who seemed to care for him, made the entire experience completely wonderful.
It was a weird thing to think, but Randy felt as if he could tell he was healing. He was giving himself a chance to have more than a job and friends in his life.
Jett moved to Randy’s side, giving Randy a grin and a wink as he settled there, his hand on Randy’s hip. He would need to get up, but he wasn’t in any rush to end the moment. His gaze slid from Jett’s handsome face, downward, then back up.
“I’m fine,” Jett told him, kissing his nose.
Relaxing, Randy nodded. They both knew he hadn’t been ready for a sexual relationship. But things were changing between them. Hell, Jett had just given him a blow job and Randy had let him. That was sex, wasn’t it? It was probably reasonable to think that they could give mutual blow jobs and be happy enough with that for a while. Still, he was beginning to feel as if he wanted more. There was an ache deep inside him. He wanted the love and the physical closeness Jett could give him. Randy could probably do it. Maybe.
No, he wasn’t ready yet. Randy felt the tears sting his eyes.
Strong fingers slid up the side of Randy’s face, preventing him from turning away. He wanted to hide his tears from Jett, although he had already cried like a baby in front the man.
“Hey, I don’t want you to be upset about not being ready for more. I knew it, now you have to accept it yourself. Can you do that?”
It took a moment, but Randy finally nodded. He sniffed and gave Jett a wobbly smile. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly. Turning his head on the pillow, he looked at Jett. Their faces were close. “That was a pretty good way to wake up.”
“I told you it would be risky to share the same bed.”
Rolling onto his side, Randy, feeling bold, rubbed noses with Jett. “I knew that. And I kept my promise, too. I kept my hands to myself.”
“You did. You showed admirable restraint. Now, it’s time for us to g
et up and get moving.”
Randy didn’t want to get up yet. Despite his distress a few moments before, he didn’t want to leave the bed. Staring boldly into Jett’s eyes, Randy pleaded softly, “Make love to me, Jett.”
Shock replaced the tender expression on Jett’s handsome face. He stared hard at Randy for several seconds. So much so that Randy began to question his decision. All thoughts of changing his mind yet again scattered as Jett rolled Randy onto his back and captured his mouth in a fierce, soul-searing kiss. Jett ground his cock against Randy, moaning as he did so. The guy’s cock was huge. The sheer size caused Randy to tremble as he lifted his hands to place them on Jett’s back.
When strong hands began to pull at clothes, Randy pulled away and helped rid their bodies of them. His first sight of Jett’s naked body caused Randy’s blood to run hot. The man was extremely sexy. The evaluation startled him. It had been so long since he had had a lover. When selling his body, Randy had shut his brain down. Sexy hadn’t been a requirement to getting what he wanted.
“Stop. Come back to me,” Jett commanded almost roughly, an edge to his voice. He wasn’t pleased that Randy had allowed his past memories to intrude on what they were sharing.
Relaxing, smiling, Randy nodded. “We need lube and a condom. I have the lube.” He knew he was blushing. He could feel the heat in his skin. “You wouldn’t happen to have a condom, would you?”
“As it happens, I do.” A large hand patted his bare hip. Randy moved away and watched as Jett left the bed and the room, Gemma following. He was back a moment later, closing the door so Gemma couldn’t get back inside. In his hand was a condom. He tore the foil and extracted the latex disc. Randy watched as he rolled it down the length of his impressive flesh. “I want you to ride me, hon,” Jett told him as he stretched out on the bed. “First, though, I want to prepare you. Will you let me?”
It was Jett asking permission that really did it for Randy. When was the last time someone had asked him for it?
