by BA Tortuga
“One day we’ll have to go to a beach together, Gianni.”
“Oh, I bet we do that while I’m still on leave.” Gianni led him to the kitchen. “How about a little bread before we go outside?”
“That sounds delicious. Seriously. Is there butter?”
“There totally is. Maria made the bread for Massimo’s arrival.”
“Maria is a goddess. Seriously. You should keep her.”
“I am. Hell, I would ask her to move in, but she has a zillion grandkids….” Gianni handed him a crusty piece of bread slathered with butter.
“Thank you.” Bonner let his teeth sink into the bread. Damn, that was fine. It tasted like that artisan stuff he never had any money for but got when a fan took him out to Panera to eat. Only better.
“Mmm… I love to watch you eat.”
He chuckled, losing a few crumbs. “Your needs are very basic, Mr. Cesare.”
“When you’re well, we’ll discuss my less basic needs, Mr. Fannin.”
“Oh ho!” Bonner knew he needed to pace himself, but this teasing made him happy, made him feel more like his usual self. He finished the bread, licking his fingers after he had the last bite.
“Come on. Let’s go outside.” Gianni took his arm and led him out into the sunshine, the outdoor kitchen busy and filled with people and food. He breathed so deep his knees went weak. God, it felt good to be outside, to feel some damn fresh air.
“Bonner! Buddy! How goes it?” Harrison walked up to them with a smile. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. Yeah, how are you? Still on medical leave?” He’d known that Kody was back with the Rangers, but Harrison was still out here at the ranch.
“More on lazy leave.” Harrison said it with a laugh, but he was still moving carefully. They’d all taken a beating. “Glad to see you up and about.”
“Thanks. I’m ready to be better.”
He headed over to a chair and sat, letting Gianni ease him down.
Someone brought him a Dr Pepper, and Gianni didn’t even yell about it, so he would take it.
It was bright and bubbly, and it tasted so good. It wasn’t a beer, but it so worked.
“Okay?” Gianni asked. When he nodded, Gianni grinned. “I’ll get us plates.”
“Thank you.”
Diana came to sit next to him. “How are you feeling, Bonner?”
“Better after my nap, thank you.” Lord this was crazy, meeting the lover’s parents. Almost as crazy as having a lover.
“Oh, good. You looked about to fall down.” She pushed her hair off her face. “Lord have mercy, it’s hot.”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re in the dog days, huh?”
“We are.” She laughed, the sound so Texas he had to smile. “We need more dogs around here. What happened to all of them, Hank?”
Hank shrugged easily. “We have the two border collies and the heeler, but Mollie and Bit are gone. Mr. Gianni still has Danes somewhere….”
“I’ve been set to taking care of them and Miz Jerilyn’s.” That was Micah, the man looking like nothing but a goofball surfer. “Dogs, horses—I’m feeding and riding.”
“Good for you, finally working,” Bonner teased.
Micah rolled his eyes. “Hey! Those dogs are like princes. They know their worth.”
Gianni handed Bonner a plate with all his favorites: brisket, potato salad, beans, and bread. “I got Maria to make some strawberry ice cream for dessert, so save some room. And my dogs are giant doofuses,” Gianni added to Micah.
“Giant is right. The poop is prodigious.”
They all cracked up at that, but Bonner was still caught by the strawberry ice cream. They’d had ice cream together once at the beach, and Gianni remembered his flavor. And had someone make it for him. His cheeks heated, pure pleasure flooding him. Gianni stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth, staring at him.
“You okay, Cesare? You choking?” Harrison sounded amused.
“Shut up, Harrison. Seriously.”
“Sorry.” Harrison stood. “Anyone need anything? Mrs. Diana?”
“I’m good.”
Mason walked out of the main kitchen, a bowl of potato salad in hand. “Doc!” Harrison called. “Where you been?”
“I was upstairs dealing with a crisis.” Mason winked broadly at Gianni. “He’s sleeping right now.”
“Oh?” Gianni’s smile widened. “How on earth did you manage that—and remember that my parents are here.”
“Well, it was a little poke, but not the kind you mean.”
“There’s ketamine in the medical room in the barn,” Gianni’s momma said brightly.
“Mamma!”
Bonner cackled. Oh good Lord and butter. She was a firecracker.
“What? I’ve met Colt, son. He’s high-strung.”
Mason hooted, then freed one hand to shake Diana’s. “You’re so right, ma’am.”
Diana’s phone buzzed; then Gianni’s went as Bonner’s began to ring. Bri.
“Hey, Sister.”
“Bubba? My water broke.”
Well, shit.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
GIANNI WATCHED Bonner make an extraordinary face, and he was about to ask what was going on when Mason pulled out his phone. “Chris is here.”
“Oh, excellent. I’ll be right back, Bonner.” He headed out with Mason, grabbing his phone when it buzzed. Luis.
heading to the hospital with the ladies. Babies imminent
Holy shit. Well, that had to be who Bonner was talking to.
He hit the front door just in time to hear Chris bitching at Xavvy. “I can walk!”
“Shut up, asshole.” Xavvy plopped Chris in a wheelchair.
Mason chuckled softly. “Lord, those two. Can’t we lock them in a room together for a month until they’ve decided they’re in love?”
“I’ll let you if you tell me about you and Colt.” He stepped down to meet the lovebirds. “Hey. There’s a ramp around on the side.”
“I don’t need a wheelchair,” Chris roared.
“Shut up, Sheriff.” Xavvy ran him up the ramp.
“You keep screaming like that, you’ll bust all they fixed,” Mason snapped, following. “Be good, or I’ll send your ass to a recovery center.”
“You couldn’t.” Chris stared, shocked.
“Watch me.”
“He just drugged Colt with horse tranquilizers.” This was hysterical. “Come on. Your suite is down here.”
Xavvy frowned. “Do I smell brisket?”
He nodded. “Massimo and Mamma are cooking. There are steaks too.”
“And chicken with barbecue sauce,” Mason said with a moan. “It comes off the grill in moments, so let’s get this shit done.”
“You are a stone-cold bastard,” Xavvy said. He sounded admiring rather than resentful.
“You know it. I adore you too.” Mason opened the front door, and a bright light filled the air, a sharp bang knocking him to his knees.
“Down!” Mason shouted it, and Gianni thought Xavvy threw himself across Chris.
He obeyed, going all the way to the floor, rolling away from the door.
Fuck. Fuck, he couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear, but he had to get moving. Get armed.
Clearly they were under attack. No one used a flash-bang grenade as a fucking joke.
He shook his head to clear it, knowing his best bet was to get to the suite his parents used, the one he’d set up for Chris. Massimo had firearms stored in the closet.
The sound of gunfire came from the back of the house, where his parents where, where Bonner was.
“Goddammit!”
Mason hoisted him up. “Where?”
“Right. Down the hall to the suite.” He got a shove.
“Go. I’ll bring the patient,” Mason snarled.
Gianni staggered off, trusting Mason’s assessment that he could rise and run.
God, he hoped Mason was right.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“YOU WHAT?�
��
“My water broke. We’re heading to the hospital now. They’re going to admit me and do a C-section. We should have babies sometime today, I hope.”
“Oh, honey. Yay. I wish I could be there, but I can barely get out of bed.” He hated not providing and protecting. She was his sister.
“I think with Luis and Jerilyn here, we’ll have a bunch. I’ll have Jerilyn send pictures.”
“She’s real excited, huh?” He kept an eye out for Gianni, who he knew was worried about Chris.
“She is. I need to go, Bubba.”
“No….” He frowned as Greg stumbled back, hands clutching his throat. “What the fuck?”
He grabbed Miz Diana and started moving without even thinking.
“Massimo?” Her high-pitched yell spoke volumes. Her husband was a prime target, right there at the big U-shaped grill.
“Come on, lady. In. You got to get armed.” He didn’t question for a second that Miz Diana didn’t know where the weapons were or how to use them.
“The bedroom,” she gasped. “It’s just down the hall from the kitchen the back way.” She stopped fighting him and motivated.
“Good lady. I’ll get your man.” He ran back out. Harrison was down, so was Greg, and Micah and Massimo were fighting with a pair of assholes. Bonner picked up the closest thing, which was a tubular metal chair. He hit the first man as hard as he could, which was pretty damn hard, as mad as he was. “Fuck off!”
The chair broke, and he could only hope something inside the bastard snapped too. The way the motherfucker howled, he thought it had worked. Massimo roared, slamming his fists against the other guy’s ears, boxing them so hard the man dropped like a stone. “Where is my wife?”
“I got her inside.” He swung again, hitting at the same time as Micah did, and number two went flying. “Micah, call 911. Massimo, come on.”
“Massimo!” Diana’s scream had them both running, Massimo’s boots slapping on the fancy-assed tile.
“Hall closet, son.” That was Mr. Franklin, panting and wild around the eyes, but mobile. “There’s a .22.”
“Good deal. Someone needs to find Gianni and Doc. Greg’s hurt bad.” He wrenched open the closet door, his back screaming at him.
“I’ll get help.” Mr. Franklin got right down on hands and knees and crawled back out of the kitchen. Bless his heart. Micah bounded in behind him, damn near running up his ass. “Closet.” Bonner yanked out towels and extra sheets, finding a .22 and a shotgun. Hallelujah. He passed Micah the shotgun. “Y’all go find Gianni. I’m going for the Cesares.”
“Got it.” Micah’s face was set in grim lines.
Bonner headed for the bedroom, only to be met by a man in a mask pointing a pistol at his chest.
It went off with a bang, and the world went dark.
GIANNI RAN smack into his mamma in the master suite, and she looked damn crazed. “Your father. Still out there!”
What the fuck was going on here?
“You need better security, son,” Massimo growled in Italian as he cocked a shotgun. So, Papà was in here too.
“You’re telling me. Mason?”
“Two perps locked out in the hall.” Mason jerked his head to indicate Chris and Xavvy. “We’re all neatly corralled. They’ll get in here soon.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know. Fuck. At least we’re armed.”
Another shot rang out, right outside the bedroom door. “Shit. Are there more guns, Papà?”
“Sì. In the cupboard.”
He moved to the closet, which was as big as a hotel room, and found the gun safe. Yeah. He grabbed another rifle and a handgun. Both were loaded. He tossed the rifle to Mason. “Okay. Plan. Quick.”
“My guys are on the way,” Chris muttered.
“Two of your men have been shot outside. Bonner brought your mamma inside, then came for me.” Massimo looked grim, but he’d done his military service. He could handle this.
Knowing he had men down made rage bubble up. Luckily, that had a way of clearing Gianni’s mind. “Okay. We know there are perps out toward the front. What about behind us?”
“Bonner. His cowboy friend.” Massimo sounded pretty sure.
“Fuck. Okay.” They couldn’t leave Bonner and Micah out there. Not with God knew how many armed assholes wandering around like they owned the place.
He headed for the door that led to the back hall and the kitchen. He listened closely, but all he heard was distant gunfire. He jerked his head at Mason, who cocked the rifle with a delicious ease, then backed off enough to use it.
Okay. He wrapped his fingers around the door handle and yanked it open.
Chapter Forty
BONNER COULD hear noises coming from somewhere. Hear people talking, smell… meat burning. Come on. Come on, man. Think. He touched cold tile. Not an arena.
No cow shit here. Okay. Up. Get up. His back screamed at him when he tried to move, but he climbed to his feet. There was a .22 at his feet, so he picked it up. Come on, Bonner. You know what you got to do. You got to help. You got to help Gianni.
He grunted, gritting his teeth. No, that was the kitchen. He turned around. The bedroom. Right.
Or left. What the fuck ever.
He felt like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, dragging his ass down the hall. His breath kept trying to hitch, but the back brace kept him upright, so he moved on. One of the bad guys stepped in front of the bedroom door, and he eased into the shadow. He didn’t know who was behind the door, and he sure wasn’t a sharpshooter. Not in this state. So he just reversed the gun and charged, swinging like a rusty gate and screaming to distract the guy.
Gianni opened the door into the son of a bitch’s muzzle, and Bonner slammed the gun and his arm down so the shot hit the doorframe and not his lover. Then he swung again, catching the guy on the jaw. Gianni finished the guy off with a well-placed shot. “Inside, caro.”
“I got to get outside to the others. Y’all stay in here.” They had two down.
“No way. Massimo and Mason can take this situation. I’m coming with you.”
“We got this,” Xavier called. He thought the guy was Xavier. The fake biker. He tried to stare Gianni down, but he was leaking energy like a bad battery. “Come on. Micah’s coming around the front.”
“Good deal. You hear that, Mason?”
“Clear as a bell.”
“Son….”
“No, Papà. Stay here.” Gianni followed him, the door closing behind them. “You okay, caro?”
“Fine. Let’s do this.”
Gianni nodded. He had his game face on, the one Bonner figured Gianni wore at work, and the fact that he didn’t argue said this was pretty damn dire. Together they moved through the house, finding Micah first, pale and sweating, a man dead in front of him.
“I shot him. Bonner, man. I shot him.”
“You had to. Cowboy up, buddy.” He snapped the words, and Micah nodded grimly. “How many more?”
“I think one, but they’re all wearing the same bandanas.”
“Okay. Okay, we can do this together.”
“Identify yourself before you shoot. The Rangers have been keeping watch. They’ll show up soon.” Gianni led the way toward the front door as they made a big circle. “Someone called 911.” Bonner knew it; he just couldn’t remember who.
“I did,” Micah said.
Gianni cursed when he peered out the sidelight window. “Three more out there.”
“Okay, what do we do? Just wait? Greg and Harrison are on the back porch.”
“No, we can’t just wait. Those boys need medical.” Gianni checked the pistol he held and tsked. “Any loose firepower from anyone we downed?”
Micah nodded. “The guy back there; he had a piece.”
“I’ll go get it.” Dammit.
“No, I got it. If those guys get in out there, you’re the ones who know what to do.” Micah ran off, leaving them looking at the front door, which was already busted out at the lock.
“I don’
t like this, Gianni. I vote you make these fuckers leave you alone.”
“I agree, baby.” Gianni laughed, the sound humorless. “Dead or alive, this will give us enough of them to destroy the whole fucking organization.”
“Fair enough.” He was all over that.
“Okay. I have to go after those guys. We have to clear the scene so we can get help for the team.” Gianni moved to the other side of the door quickly, so it would shield him some when he went out, Bonner thought. That was what they did in Westerns.
That was when a muzzle pressed to the side of Gianni’s head.
Well, fuck-a-doodle-doo.
Chapter Forty-One
“CALL OFF your dogs, Italy.”
Gianni froze, cold rage filling him with ice. “I beg your pardon?”
“Call off your dogs. All of them. Or I kill Mami and Papi and castrate your dago ass.”
The urge to tell the bastard to fuck off was strong. “Drop it, Bonner.”
“Fuck you.” Bonner stared the man down.
“Didn’t I shoot you already?”
“Possibly twice. I lost count.”
Gianni winced. Gesú. “Well, I’ll do it in the head this time.” The guy was just foaming.
“Can you do it faster than I can shoot you?”
“You motherfucker!” The guy’s jaw clenched hard, and he pressed the muzzle against Gianni’s temple. “I will smear his brains all over the wall, cowboy.”
“Make sure you get your shit down, because I’m fixin’ to make you hurt.” Bonner sounded cold as ice.
“You’re in a brace, vato.”
“Yessir.”
Gianni lunged, lashing out with the gun he still held. He didn’t dare take a wild shot and hit Bonner. The guy hit Gianni across his right temple, which sent him sprawling.
“It doesn’t work that way. I’m taking your old man and your pretty momma. Then you’re going to send me all the money you’ve cost us.”
A gunshot rang out, sharp and clear, and Gianni tensed, trying to feel where he’d been hit.
“I don’t think so, motherfucker. He’s mine.” Bonner stood there, pistol smoking in his hand.
