Road Trip, Volume 1

by BA Tortuga

  “So, here’s the deal. We got offered an enormous amount of money to grab some information and one hell of a bonus to kill you. Obviously, you’re alive. We have a bit of an issue.”

  Oh, poor Paddy. Hurt warred with confusion and heart-racing whydotheywantmedead fear. Neil reached over and took Paddy’s hand.

  “So, what do you want from us?” Neil asked.

  “We can’t stay here. We’re going on a trip. You have two choices. You can cooperate and not fuck with me and sit in the back seat with your hands bound. Or we can knock you both out and put you in the trunk.”

  Neil glanced at Sonny, concentrating hard, and he would swear those dark-dark eyes widened a little. Surely not. Of course, drug-fogged he might not be as gentle as he could be. Still, Sonny’s thoughts backed up Boomer’s offer. “Where are we going?”

  “East.” The water. The ocean. A boat. MJ needed them off the land.

  “We’ll need a decision like now,” Sonny chimed in. “You’ve got a ‘get out of death free’ pass. I say you take it.”

  “But… I need…. My home.” Poor Paddy.

  “Let it go, Rick.”

  Burned. Paddy’s flat, the compound, the entire thing had been blown up and the remainder burned to the ground.

  God. That would send Paddy into a tailspin. “Sweet, I think that if you’re supposed to be dead and you aren’t, it would go badly if you showed back up at your place of business.”

  “But…. But you’re not supposed to be. They’ll come looking for you.”

  “For me?” Oh, good God. He really didn’t want to get into his reasons for being with Paddy. “I doubt it. I imagine they think me dead too. Hmm?”

  He looked over at Boomer, meeting those stone-cold eyes.

  “I would imagine. So, you two can have a shower, get some clothes on. Eat. And we’ll go, and no one dies, right, Rick?”

  “I…. Yeah. I could use a shower.”

  “One step out of line, brother, I will blow your brains out, clear?”

  Paddy nodded, one leg vibrating.

  “That’s quite enough of that. Paddy needs the restroom. And I need some food that is not pure sugar.” Neil raised one brow at Sonny. “I’m afraid there aren’t many Ding Dongs left.”

  “Sonny makes good eggs.” MJ sighed and pushed himself away from the wall, headed over to the couch, and held Paddy’s jaw, forcing Paddy to meet his eyes and looking close. “You need a Valium, Rick. I won’t put you to sleep, but I don’t want you having a psychotic break.”

  Pure fury rose in Neil’s chest for a moment, and he wondered at himself. It was all about how Boomer touched Paddy like he was allowed to, and Neil clenched Paddy’s hand hard so he didn’t reach up and smack that hand aside. “Stop. You already drugged him, and that’s why he’s having such difficulties. Feed us, and let us bathe. He’ll be fine.”

  MJ looked over at Sonny, shrugged. “Your call, Sunshine. You’re the camp doctor.”

  Sonny came over and nudged Boomer out of the way, staring down into Paddy’s eyes. “Yeah, okay. We need to just give them a minute. Let them go take a bath. Can’t hurt.”

  Paddy nodded and stood, just about ready to bolt. “Where? Where is the bathroom?”

  Boomer pointed, and Paddy ran, feet pounding the ground.

  Poor love. Neil stood more slowly, staring MJ down. “I do thank you for not killing us.”

  “Don’t push. He was creating things to hurt people. If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else.”

  “Yes, well, I’m sure you’ve never done anything to hurt anyone, have you? No, I’d say you’re worse, because at least Paddy was all unknowing, thinking his research was simply that. Data collection. You know it when you pull the trigger, don’t you, Manning,” he said, spitting out MJ/Boomer’s real name.

  His back hit the wall, MJ in his face, one hand around his throat. “Who the fuck are you?”

  All he could do was croak, and through the buzzing in his ears, he heard Sonny drawl, “Precious, he can’t answer if you choke the life out of him. I know it would amuse you, but….”

  “You are enjoying this altogether too much, shithead. Go see if Rick’s trying to crawl through a window and quit protecting your boyfriend.”

  “Oh, you’re hurtin’ me.” But Sonny winked and wandered off, hips swinging, long legs working. Neil would have appreciated it if his eyes weren’t bugging out and his tongue wasn’t starting to turn purple.

  “Now, you listen to me. I don’t know who you work for or what your game is.” Those fingers loosened just enough that he didn’t black out. “But you’re going to tell me what I need to know, or I will make your life a living hell. Clear?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Yes, of course. As soon as he could breathe enough to make sounds beyond ugh and oi.

  MJ dropped him back onto the sofa, hands fisted at his sides. “Who do you work for?”

  “For Padraic’s employers, naturally.” His hand only shook the slightest bit as he massaged his sore throat. “I was supposed to protect him from people such as yourself. Sadly, you were simply not loud enough.”

  “Loud enough for what?” He could hear MJ working over that, the idea of him being a bodyguard.

  Lack of oxygen must have fogged his brain. Neil simply smiled. “For me to know you were coming. Have you any tea?”

  “Green tea.” MJ arched an eyebrow. “Sonny must have given you too much.”

  “No, I really just like tea.” What else was he supposed to say? I’m a mind reader who should have heard you coming, but Paddy drowns out everyone? Given MJ’s reaction to his real name, Neil felt it highly unlikely the truth would be well received.

  Sonny finally came back, and Neil breathed a sigh of relief. Ah, distraction.

  “He’s not trying to get out, but I think he’s horked up his small intestine,” Sonny said, coming to stand close to MJ.

  “So long as he doesn’t hang himself with it, we’re fine.” MJ kicked his ankle. “Go deal with your primary, bodyguard. He seems to be queasy.”

  Gladly. Neil leaped up like his pants were on fire, feet slapping on the ceramic tiles as he headed right into the bathroom to kneel on the floor next to Paddy. “I, for one, could use a shower. Hmm?”

  Paddy nodded, looking about as white as goat cheese. “Yeah. Yeah. I…. Yeah.”

  His Paddy was trying. It wasn’t working, exactly, but Paddy was trying.

  “Come on, love. Come on. They need us to do this sooner rather than later.” He tugged, pulling Paddy up to stand so he could turn on the water. “There. Sounds good, hmm?”

  “Yeah.” Paddy stripped off, helping him off with his sweats before stepping into the water, face turned up into the spray.

  Neil stepped right in with Paddy, hands on Paddy’s back, beginning to massage the tense muscles he found there. Poor Paddy. His thoughts seemed almost… stalled. It was as if Paddy couldn’t cope, so he’d stopped thinking altogether. Paddy’s body, though, it was responding, muscles easing under the water and his touch. Yes, Neil thought, just like that. He hummed tunelessly, moving closer, letting his body and his thoughts soothe. They were alive. They were going to stay that way. It would all be fine. Paddy leaned back against him, eyes closed. One hand reached back, sliding over his thigh, petting him.

  “Better, hmm. I always find I think better when I’m clean.” Murmuring nonsense, he leaned a little, his hands sliding around to the front so he could stroke Paddy’s belly.

  “I don’t know what to think.” Paddy liked that—liked his hands, his touch. It made Paddy feel real.

  “Well, how about we focus on the here and now. Here being right here in the shower, the now being me touching you, yeah? I like to touch you, love.” Paddy was starting to think, though, thoughts zinging about, mostly about him. It was quite a relief.

  “Good. You won’t stop, will you?” He could almost see himself through Paddy’s eyes. It felt good.

  “No, love. I won’t stop.” Resting his cheek against Paddy’s back
, Neil let himself relax too, let himself touch. He’d come close to losing his head with MJ. He’d have to be more careful.

  He could swear he heard Paddy murmur, “Need your head, Neil.”

  “Indeed. It’s one of my best attributes. You like my mouth too.” He grinned. Goodness, no one had ever heard him like Paddy. No one.

  “I do. I like your smile.” Home. Paddy wanted to go home. To the lab. To the park. To bed.

  Poor love. He let his hands wander, stroking hips and thighs, then chest and arms. “I’m sorry, sweet.”

  “Me too. This is my fault. What… I don’t know what to do.”

  “It’s not your fault. It’s the people you worked for.” He kissed one shoulder blade, luxuriating in this tiny moment to enjoy Paddy’s skin.

  “Bethy’s going to be pissed….” Paddy hummed, cuddling against him.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, she is.” They swayed, turning so he could get more of the hot water. God, that felt good. His skin felt crusted with God knew what.

  “Let me get the soap.” Paddy turned, the green bar sliding up over his belly.

  “Mmm. Oh, love, you’re good to me.” Neil hooked one arm around Paddy’s neck, pulling him in to kiss him. There. Yes. That was absolutely necessary. Paddy loved him. He heard it, felt it, clear as a bell on a cold morning. Loved him. Neil nodded against Paddy’s chin, squeezing them together as hard as he could. “I love you too, sweet. I love you too.”

  It was going to be okay. They would get out on the road and have an opportunity to run. Then Neil would take Paddy, and they’d find somewhere to light. Somewhere remote.

  It was unfortunate, but Neil believed Boomer wasn’t the biggest of the sharks that were swimming and looking for Paddy’s tail.

  Not the biggest at all.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  ON THE road again.

  Sonny hummed under his breath, happy as a pig in shit to be back in his car and headed home. Even if the two very nervous-looking passengers in the back seat were kinda cramping his style.

  There had been no roadside blowjobs or obscene Ding Dong or Twinkie eating tricks at all. He was getting a little buggy.

  “Everyone all right?” he asked the car at large.

  MJ was sprawled, feet up on the dash, book in his lap. “I’m cool, Sunshine. You want a beer?”

  “I thought it was illegal to drink beer and drive” came from the back seat, the prim and proper British accent making him laugh.

  “It is. But I’ll take one anyway, thanks, Precious.” MJ chuckled and stretched, plucked a cold one out for him. Tweedledee and Tweedledum were both riot-cuffed and looking a bit pissy about it. He winked in the rearview mirror before he took the beer MJ popped open for him. “Y’all need a pit stop, you let me know. We can pull over.”

  They’d given the little one half a Valium before they’d started, and the jitters and shit had faded. Neil, though? Shit. It was too fun to needle MJ with that one to drug him.

  “I imagine you’ll need one before we do,” Neil said, his tone arch as could be. Sonny’s momma had been able to talk like that, though her accent had been heavy South.

  “You are a snide fuck for a man who protects a man that creates weapons for a living.” MJ arched one eyebrow, needling Neil right back.

  “I protect Paddy. Period. And you know, for someone who blows things up, thus ruining acres of land that might have been reclaimed by forest, or oceans that are now soiled with tanker run-off, you have no bloody room to talk.”

  Oh, man. Sonny had said something like that to MJ more than once. It always ended in violence.

  “I only do controlled explosions, you ill-educated shithead.” MJ’s hand clenched, the knuckles creaking.

  “Were you in the one at school? Were you even there?” Rick blinked up, frowning. “People missed you. They shut everything down after you left, sent us all out to internships.”

  “Internships, my ass.” MJ snorted. “Of course I wasn’t there, Rick. I had to get the hell out.”

  “He’s a clever one, MJ.” Sonny put the beer in the hand he was using to steer and rubbed MJ’s leg with the other, trying to calm him down. Oh, man. That thigh was hard as a rock, muscles like cords under his hand.

  “You didn’t like school?”

  “Jesus, Rick. You can’t be that naive. They were using us.”

  “Stop. Stop the car and stop pushing him. It’s bad enough you keep plying him with drugs.” Neil sounded pissy.

  Sonny looked back in the rearview. “Only if you really have to piss.”

  “Or unless you want to be shoved in the trunk.” MJ looked almost gleeful.

  “Now, Precious, don’t be mean to the nice man.” He let his fingers do the walking, slipping right up to MJ’s zipper placket.

  “There’s a nice man?” MJ scooted a little, rubbing against his touch. “Where?”

  “Right here, MJ. I’m always nice to you, huh?”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Neil said. “Would you like me to urinate in your car?”

  “Sonny might rip your cock off for that. Blood is okay, but piss and puke? Not in the car.” MJ grinned, pushed Sonny’s fingers down against those sweet, soft balls.

  God, he wanted to stop the car, put the passengers in the trunk, and fuck like bunnies. Sonny sighed. That just wasn’t logistically possible. “I’ll pull off at the next exit. Y’all promise to behave, we can even get food.”

  “Oh.” Rick nodded, almost bouncing. Yeah, after all the puking, the poor guy probably was starving.

  “That would be lovely.”

  He could just see Neil leaning into Paddy, cheek rubbing on the little guy’s shoulder. It was kind of cute. But it wasn’t as good as the feel of MJ pushing his hand rhythmically against that hardening cock.

  “Something good and greasy, Sunshine, where people won’t take notice of us.” And where MJ could get them out without mass murder if need be.

  “Got it.” That meant no fast food. Teenagers were too damned curious for their own good. And it meant no homegrown diners. They needed a small Denny’s or something.

  “Mm-hmm….” MJ’s hips rolled, just a bit, that heavy cock nudging him. “Not yet.”

  “No?” Sonny teased, pushing and prodding. “You sure? I mean, we might have your Rick expire of hunger, and if the Brit pees in my car, I might blow a vein.”

  “No more company on road trips, Sunshine. They cramp our style.”

  “I know.” He grabbed the tab of MJ’s jeans, giving Precious no more warning than that before he yanked it down. He grabbed that sweet cock, pulling at it a little awkwardly but determined. “We got time for you to have a quick one.”

  “Boomer!”

  “Shut up, Rick. I’m busy.” MJ arched, hips pumping, helping. That was his man.

  God, Precious was adorable. Sonny ignored the shocked noises from the back seat and went to town, really giving MJ what for. Damn, yeah. Hot and smooth, MJ’s prick leaped in his hand, just making his mouth water.

  “The shit I want to do once you get us home….” MJ’s head rolled, one hand joining his to pump that pretty cock.

  His own cock ached, but he had to focus on the road, not dropping the beer, and MJ’s pleasure. “Come on, Precious. Come on.”

  “Uh-huh….” MJ grunted, one knee coming up as spunk sprayed over his hand. Oh hell yes. Just like that.

  “Oh. My. God.”

  The outrage in Neil’s voice made Sonny just roar as he looked over at MJ, watching that flushed face settle into slack postorgasm relaxation. “I think we offended someone.”

  “Yeah? Go us. I’d hate to get out of practice, man.” MJ licked his lips, grinned like a fool. “Wait ’til I blow you while you’re driving. They’ll love that.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Oh, I think not. Is it possible to stop now?”

  Well, hey, the guy could achieve full volume. Sonny sucked down the last of his beer and handed the empty to MJ, ruefully noting that he should have licked his hand
clean. “Sure, English. Keep your pants on.”

  “I,” Neil countered, “am not the one with them undone.”

  MJ chuckled. “Well, if you’re a very good asshole, maybe we’ll undo them on the next leg, and Rick can help you out.”

  “Boomer!”

  Sonny just loved that man. He really did. There. He saw a sign for a Village Inn and pulled into the right lane so he could hit the off-ramp. “We’ll stop and pee and eat, but I swear, one false move and I’ll let Precious here have at you.”

  “You’ll have to cut us loose. People will notice if we eat like squirrels.”

  That must’ve tickled MJ, because Rick got a laugh. “Maybe. Maybe not. Still, I’ll snip you.”

  “Snippy is what Mr. Blond and British does, Precious.” They coasted on up the off-ramp, turned left, and headed right on into the parking lot of the restaurant. It was a good time of day to stop, between lunch and supper rushes. It would be slow, maybe one waitress on, and at this hour, she’d be more interested in having a smoke out back than looking at their odd bunch.

  “Yep. We could turn him in to INS.” MJ leaned over the back and cut Neil’s cuffs, and Sonny heard MJ whisper, “Do not fuck this up, man. I will make you sorry if you do.”

  Man, there was nothing sexier than MJ threatening people. Except MJ with a gun. Or MJ with a knife, though that tended to be painful for him.

  “We won’t. We just need food and a bathroom, Boomer. Honest.”

  Boomer. He loved it.

  Sonny rummaged and got a bag, then cleaned up beer bottles and peanut butter cheese cracker wrappers. “Come on, you two. Boomer,” he added as he got out of the car.

  “Don’t make me kill you, Sonny.” MJ pulled on a loose jacket to hide his holster. “You’re terribly cute.”

  “I know. It saves my ass over and over. That and you like to fuck it.” Bingo. He was right on the money. No hostess; the waitress seated them, and she hardly had time to look at them. Her boyfriend was in there. “Okay, MJ. You take Rick here to the potty.”

  “Goodie.” MJ chuckled and stood, hand on Rick’s elbow, steering the guy.

  “Stay there,” he said, when Neil would have followed. “You and I go next.”