Guns n' Boys: Swamp Blood (Book 3) (gay dark mafia erotic romance)

by K. A. Merikan

  Domenico stopped next to him and leaned against the car. He knocked on the closed window. “The thing’s fucked,” he said, not commenting on the source of Seth’s anguish, which made sense. What was he to say? He was stuck with Seth for better or for worse. Five languages, excellent marksman, great in bed, well-traveled, and stuck with the most boring man on the planet, who made an average-to-good pizza and struggled with keeping himself alive. Oh, and Dom also excelled at fucking ballroom dancing, whereas Seth couldn’t even properly deepthroat.

  Seth groaned and kicked the tire. Something needed to change.

  Domenico sighed and scratched his head. “Is your phone working at least?”

  Seth patted his jeans. The phone was gone. He started searching in his bag, but he was pretty sure he’d had it in his jeans before, so it was a search for show. He was getting redder by the second.

  Domenico groaned and bumped his forehead against the car. “For fuck’s sake... what else? Will there be an earthquake with the epicenter at our shack?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s just go. Do we take him, or what, sir?”

  Domenico scowled. “Oh, fuck you. That’s the last fucking thing I need right now. If I wanted a sex slave, I wouldn’t go for a hothead like you.”

  Seth squinted at him. “Who’d you go for? A priest maybe? All nice and kind and obedient?”

  Domenico grabbed Seth by the neck and pushed him against the car. He stepped so close that his warm breath tickled Seth’s lips as if it were his tongue. “You’re questioning my choices?”

  Seth groaned but didn’t fight the touch, as Dom wasn’t choking him. “I’m saying I don’t know how any of this will look like in two years. I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.” He spread his arms despite Dom’s grasp.

  Domenico smirked and let him go, putting the shotgun over his shoulder. “You think I know any of that shit? I want to keep us alive. And have a good life, that’s all I can ask for.”

  “You claim to always have a plan. And we don’t even know when we’re going to Mexico. We’ve been putting it off for weeks. You haven’t even told me what town we’re going to!”

  Domenico shrugged. “I don’t know either. We’ll figure it out. Stop worrying.” He leaned closer to Seth, and his warm hand cupped the side of Seth’s face, running his fingers over the new smoothness of his skin. “If you can’t find a purpose in life, just think about me like I think about you.”

  “How do you think about me?” Seth couldn’t fight the warmth crawling into his chest at the touch.

  Domenico shrugged in the darkness and pulled Seth down the road, toward their hut. Even without anything to light their way now, Seth felt confident Dom wouldn’t let him fall and hurt his already injured leg further.

  “I gave up on my plans to be with you. Whatever I do know, you are a vital part of those plans.”

  Seth swallowed and his hand found Dom’s, cradling its warmth as anger evaporated. “What if I bore you, because I’m proficient at so little? I can’t even go study anything right now...”

  “You will never bore me. I told you already,” said Dom, and his grip became stronger around Seth’s arm when Seth’s sore leg made him stumble a bit. “You are my purpose. Can’t I be yours?”

  Breath caught in Seth’s throat at the thought. The concept was so simple yet slightly scary. It was something everyone always sneered at, defining yourself through a relationship, losing yourself in it. But with the life they led, wasn’t Seth lost in it already? It wasn’t as if he was about to do media studies, or start a food blog. Domenico was all he had, and it would have to do. Even thinking that had him embarrassed. It wouldn’t do. It was everything and more. A core to his being. Wherever they would go, whatever they would lose on the way, they would be there for each other. One constant in a life that kept changing from hour to hour.

  “Can being the best I can be for you be a purpose?” Seth whispered, embarrassed by how needy it sounded.

  Domenico laughed and led Seth on, down the dark, dark road that smelled of wet leaves and dirt. “You are already the best for me, Seth.”

  “I’ll try and be a better boyfriend.” Seth sighed. “Listen to you and all that shit. I kinda see how it could have ended badly tonight.”

  Domenico rested his head on Seth’s shoulder for a moment. “Well... there is always room for improvement, I suppose.”

  “I’ll try. But it’s hard to hold back when I’m thinking you could be somewhere out there, shot, or dead…” He squeezed Dom’s hand harder.

  Domenico snorted and squeezed Seth’s hand as they walked in the darkness. With him, even the menacing shadows seemed like nothing. “Me? I’m Domenico Acerbi. I’m invincible.”

  Seth pushed his elbow into Dom’s ribs. “You’re so full of yourself.” Truth was though, that Seth kind of wanted to think of Dom as indestructible and their relationship as one to last forever. He could be the one to fuel the fire to keep it going, but Dom would be the wall between them and the world.

  They kissed, just before entering the clearing by the shack, to the background music of Mark and Dana bickering like a bunch of kids. With the moon high up in the sky, it was rather bright out here, and Dana spotted them immediately from the rocking chair on the porch.

  She raised her hand in greeting and slowly moved through the now-clear patch of land, which during Seth’s absence had been weeded.

  A few oil lamps illuminated the house, one right next to Dana. Seth wasn’t sure whether he should start explaining what had happened on the road, so he left that to Dom.

  Dana’s face was hidden in the shadow as she approached. “Did the car break down?” she asked, stopping with her hands on her hips.

  Domenico exhaled and pulled Seth closer, playing with the hairs on Seth’s arm. “We need to go. Again. They sent a fucking scout after us, and he busted the back tires. There’s only one spare at the back.”

  Mark burst through the front door with his curly hair in an unruly nest. “Why didn’t you tell me they’re back?”

  “Are we going back for the guy?” Seth asked.

  Domenico sighed. “He’s not going anywhere. I think we should gather all the important provisions and go tonight. We still have the bike and Dana’s car.”

  Dana nodded, and Seth noticed her smirk when Mark spread his arms.

  “What can I do?” Mark complained. “And move now? Seth hasn’t even seen how I cleaned inside.”

  Seth snorted. “Dom made you clean?”

  Mark crossed his arms across his chest. “I mean—I wanted to. You need a clean place if you’re wounded.”

  Domenico laughed and led Seth to the shack. “Told you he has potential to become an actual human.”

  Seth smiled at the sight inside covered in warm, yellow light. The place was as spotless as a swamp shack could be, equipped with two new chairs and two futons on the floor. Seth looked out to the terrace over the water and raised his eyebrows at the construction made out of rope, water containers, and a watering can.

  Mark followed him there, all bright-eyed. “It’s a bit like a shower. I made it,” he was quick to say, and explained how the thing worked. Now Seth was regretting not being able to stay here for even one night.

  “Dom’s been using it?”

  Domenico laughed. “I have. It’s pretty good, actually. He’s one smart boy for someone who didn’t even finish high school yet,” he said and ruffled Mark’s hair, as if the boy were a dog.

  Dana leaned against the doorframe. “We should have at least two hours to spare. They will be waiting for the scout to return.”

  Domenico nodded. “Pack the most important things: weapons, some snacks, your documents...”

  Dana went off, along with Dom, but when Seth wanted to follow, Mark grabbed his arm.

  “Seth? Can you stay a moment?”

  Seth stopped and had a better look at Mark. “Sure, what is it?”

  The kid glanced back nervously, as if checking if no one was eavesdropping on the
m and looked up with his huge, dark eyes. “I never got to thank you for saving me from the alligator. You could have died, but you came for me. Dom told us to get rid of the gator’s body, but I saved this for you.” The boy reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He was smiling, but it felt different from when they had met and he kept trying to flirt with Seth and Dom.

  Mark presented Seth with a large alligator tooth fastened on a piece of leather string. “No one’s ever risked themselves like that for me. Thank you.”

  Seth put on the pendant and leaned down to hug him with a wide smile. “You’re welcome, Mark. Just never throw Cheetos at baby alligators again.”

  Domenico popped in his head. “Are you two done making out? There’s work to do,” he said calmly, and Seth was ashamed that he’d felt jealous of Mark earlier that night. Of course, Domenico wouldn’t consider Mark a threat, especially with the number of times he called Mark out on being a stupid kid.

  “Only take what you can carry,” said Dom, but then his eyes lingered on Mark. “You’re going too. If they find you here, it’s gonna get ugly.”

  Mark’s smile widened even more, as if this weren’t a life or death situation, but his face fell the moment something that seemed like background buzz turned into a roar. They all froze in place, and even Domenico’s face seemed to lose some color when it became clear what they heard was an ever-louder symphony of engines.

  Seth looked over the railing and into the alligator-infested water. There was nowhere to run.

  Domenico’s blood trembled to the tune of the engines, and he pushed Seth down, covering his head as he did so. There weren’t many items that could provide them with protection, so he knocked over the table, uncaring about the sound of breaking glass as he pushed Seth behind the makeshift barrier.

  “Switch off the lights!” he yelled, pulling the safety off his Beretta. Just the weight of it in his hand made him feel much more confident. Why were the bikers here already? Did the scout inform them exactly which way he was going before the showdown in the gully? His and Seth’s walk couldn’t have taken more than twenty minutes, so the bikers must have been on the way here already, without waiting for intel. Clearly, the fuckers didn’t work with as much caution as the organizations Dom was used to, and while he considered that crazy, surprising the enemy had its merits.

  He squeezed Seth’s shoulder and pushed their foreheads together, breathing in Seth’s panting. “Promise me to listen this time,” he uttered, staring into his lover’s wide, dark eyes as the revving engines became much louder. The bikers were almost here, but Domenico wouldn’t run.

  “Only if you don’t get yourself killed,” Seth whispered and stole a kiss. “You better sort this shit out. If you die, I will go and get myself killed.”

  Domenico blinked and wanted to protest, but it hit him that he wouldn’t act any differently, and it warmed his heart to see just how much he and Seth were on the same page sometimes.

  He pressed a quick kiss to Seth’s mouth and started crawling along the wall, wary of getting a splinter in his hand from the raw wooden planks. The gas lamps inside the house were off, but he cursed, noticing a bright glow on the porch. All of a sudden, the shadows moved as bright white light slipped into the room, making all cracks in the wood painfully obvious.

  The sound of engines was now at its peak, and it wasn’t moving anymore. It was a choir of revving, meaty and low enough to give him a visceral shiver. He knew the science behind using sound to intimidate your enemy, and he hated that it still made his body react with disproportional agitation. No wonder those people used it to their advantage. Dana was ahead of him, by the window close to the exit, and Domenico sought out Mark, just to make sure the boy wouldn’t do anything stupid.

  “Do you need backup? What can I do?” Dana whispered, with her gun in hand. “I can stay here. Whistle if you need me.”

  Domenico exhaled, and his breath burned when the roars came to a halt, leaving only a silence that clawed into his heart. Would they try to break in through the back? “Keep the remote control ready to use,” was all he said before a loud, tubal voice broke through their whispering.

  “We’ve got you surrounded, and you’re outnumbered. Come out now, and keep your hands where we can see them!”

  A warning shot broke something on the porch, and the heat in the shack was becoming too much to bear. Dom took one more glance at Seth, to make sure he was where he was told to stay, and got up, leaving his Beretta next to Dana’s feet.

  “I’m coming out unarmed. Don’t shoot!” he yelled and crawled to the door. Very slowly, he pulled himself up and pressed on the handle while standing against the wall, just in case. As much experience as he had, most of his missions involved stealth and combat in close quarters. Little as the bikers had to gain from just shooting him on sight, they were still a group of dumb fucks who came here like a horde of mules ready to trample whatever they encountered, without a proper plan. Could he trust them not to do anything stupid? No.

  But they didn’t shoot at the door, and so he pushed it open and slid outside, making sure it shut behind him. The bright headlights blinded him so badly that it was impossible to tell how many men were there. He raised his hands and stepped forward, squinting to get at least some visual cues.

  “Where’s the rest of you fuckers?” yelled the same thick voice as before, not Ryder’s or Jed’s. The man got off the bike and into a puddle that splashed around his boots. He was big and quite overweight for someone who apparently led a party of fighting men. Silver-haired under an eggshell-shaped helmet, the man sported a thick horseshoe moustache worthy of an eighties porn star.

  Domenico narrowed his eyes farther, quickly counting human-shaped shadows around. There were ten of them. Ten men against four, only half of whom were proficient at fighting. It did not look good at first glance. “They’re civilians. It’s me who you have a grudge against.”

  The biker took a few steps closer and pulled out his gun. “You don’t disrespect the Coffin Nails in their town and get to leave with a slap to the wrist, you dumb fuck!”

  Domenico took a deep breath but made sure for it to be drawn out, so that none of the men knew that having a huge chunk of steel and gunpowder pointed at his forehead did in fact affect him.

  “I meant no disrespect,” he said calmly, looking into the man’s pale eyes, hidden behind a pair of simple glasses. “As you can hear, I’m not from here.” He was assessing the situation as well as he could. Rarely had he been forced to play a submissive role in a confrontation, but he was unarmed, and he didn’t want to end up having his teeth knocked out with a gun. Or shot. His sense of decorum demanded a cleaner end to this confrontation, and from what he knew of biker gangs, they could be negotiated with, provided one had the right arguments.

  “Are you fucked in the head? Who are you to be taking down two of my men? Not to mention you knocked out my Prospect. Ryder, come over.”

  Domenico watched Ryder dismount his bike and appear from the shadows behind the lights of the motorcycles. He pulled out a gun as well and walked up to Domenico with a grim expression. “You think you can pull out a gun on my brother? Accuse me of fucking your fag boyfriend?” Ryder hissed, and his words were followed by a few laughs.

  Domenico looked at him, and this time he got slightly worried. For this guy, it was more personal. There was no room for negotiation. “I know this looks very bad for me, but I have been here for a long time, and I’m prepared for uninvited guests,” he said, looking straight into the eyes of the leader.

  The man with the ‘President’ patch on his leather vest laughed. “Is that so? You have snipers around? Somehow, I doubt that.”

  “Where’s the kid?” grumbled a voice still behind the blinding lights. Jed.

  Domenico was sweating like a pig in the heat that his body produced, but he kept as calm as possible. He thought about Seth, hidden behind a table that couldn’t possibly withstand much enemy fire. “No snipers. Bombs.”

  T
he bikers started laughing.

  “That’s a good one. A nobody from nowhere has bombs?” the president asked with a smirk under the thick moustache.

  “Any more bluffs?” Ryder took the safety off his gun.

  Domenico straightened but stared at the president, just as seriously as before. He started counting. “Ten. Nine. Eight—” and he hoped that Dana would get the cue.

  When the shack door slammed open, Dom’s heart dropped, and he was sure he’d see Seth, but it was Mark who burst out like a little idiot.

  “Jed? You better call off your fucking dogs!” he yelled, as if he were in a class C action movie, and approached them quickly. “Yeah, I stole your fucking phone! And I still have it! I will tell—”

  Domenico spun around, hardly breathing when he noticed Jed raising his gun, eyes open like those of a deer in the headlights. He grabbed Mark’s face and pulled him against his chest. “Shut the fuck up,” he whispered, staring back at the bikers now that he knew both their lives hung by a thread. “Now!”

  An explosion to their side ripped through the ground, covering them in a rain of mud as the earth shook beneath their feet. Chaos erupted in the group of bikers as they dropped to the ground for cover. The first explosive had been placed far away, as a show of Dom not bluffing. More were closer to the house. Once they were detonated, arms and legs would fly.

  Mark whimpered and pushed into Dom’s body, and Domenico held him, standing his ground even as he mentally examined his whole body. Did someone shoot after all? Sometimes, adrenaline would make it impossible to feel pain at first.

  “I am not bluffing,” he said as soon as he knew he could keep his voice completely steady, and this time, no one laughed. He hardly suppressed a snort of his own and pushed Mark away. “Go back to the house. It’s just grownups talking.”

  The president got up from the ground, as well as Ryder, and Mark looked like he wanted to say something but shut his mouth and ran back to the shack.