by Crissy Smith
Colt stiffened when he spotted the two men.
Tony and Austin were in jeans and T-shirts, heads down, blending into the crowd. Clint wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but he didn’t like it.
Tony was one of the most public faces the shifters had. If even one person recognized him, there could be a riot.
Clint straightened and moved closer to the edge of the crowd. If there was trouble he wanted to be ready.
Austin and Tony had almost reached Colt and the other men. Clint watched Tony meet Colt’s gaze. Tony was even so bold to wink.
Colt looked furious.
Austin and Tony passed by without a word to any of the men. Clint just shook his head. Man. Tony and Austin had balls of steel.
He followed their movements until they were back to their SUV and had climbed inside. He wasn’t sure what that appearance had been about, but he planned to ask later when they all met up again.
He turned his attention back to the three men he was supposed to be watching. They had settled onto a bench in the park. Clint relaxed back against the building.
Clint remained there for another hour before one of the men’s cell phone rang and he motioned the others to get up.
They started to stroll away from the crowd and Clint followed discreetly behind.
In the parking lot, they climbed into a truck. Clint ducked behind another building as they drove past him going toward the edge of town.
He called Kurt.
“They are on the move,” he told his friend.
“My three just left also. They didn’t touch the fence, just took pictures of the compound from outside. Not much they could have seen with the trees blocking the house,” Kurt informed him.
“Huh.” Clint didn’t get what that would accomplish.
“I sent one of the younger guards in wolf form to see if he can follow them. Hopefully they will stay away from town and he can see where they are meeting up,” Kurt added.
“I’ll head back to the compound then,” Clint told him. “Hey, what were Austin and Tony doing in town?”
“Tony?” Kurt questioned. “I can see Austin chancing going in town—his Pack didn’t go public so no one would recognize him—but everyone knows Tony’s face.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Clint agreed.
“Well, we’ll find out. But right now the Council is in meetings. So why don’t you head over to your Sara’s and check on her?” Kurt suggested.
Clint really wanted to see Sara and that sounded like a damn good idea. It was still early evening and he knew she had been up later than normal with him the night before.
“You know what?” he said to Kurt. “I’m gonna do that. Call me if you need anything, though.”
“Will do, man,” Kurt responded. “But get some rest. Tomorrow, if they don’t make a move on us, we’ll force their hand. We need to end this shit and get these people out of here.”
Clint couldn’t agree more. They exchanged goodbyes and Clint pocketed his phone and walked toward his truck where it was parked close to Sara’s shop’s alley.
He knew the way to her house now with no problem. Just like the night before when he’d shown up in wolf form, he parked a block away.
This time he stayed in human form and snuck around the back of Sara’s property. He was almost to the edge of her yard when he heard the low command to stop.
The cocking of a gun was loud next to his ear.
He raised his hands and turned to the guard. “Hey, Ryan.”
Ryan Bishop was one of the full-time guards at the compound. Clint and Ryan had become fast friends and he enjoyed working with him.
Ryan dropped his gun and grinned. Clint had a feeling the other man had known that it had been him he’d pulled his gun on. In fact, Ryan had probably just been waiting for the opportunity. They shook hands.
“Everything cool here?” Clint asked.
Ryan nodded. “Sara and Cecil have been inside all day. I think they have been watching movies or something. They haven’t even tried to go outside and no one’s come close to the house, although a deputy car passes by every hour.”
It didn’t surprise him that Sara’s dad would also send out a patrol to watch over his daughter.
He slapped Ryan on the back. “Well, thanks, man. I really appreciate you giving your time to watch over them.”
“I didn’t mind,” Ryan assured him quickly. “I’ve lived here a long time. I like those two.”
Clint picked up a little unease from Ryan. “You okay, man?”
Ryan nodded quickly. “Yeah. Yeah, man, I just…” Ryan actually blushed and looked away. “The kid? Cecil? He’s…”
Clint waited.
Ryan shuffled his feet. “I’ve tried to talk to him a couple times. He’s real shy. Young, you know, only twenty. I was worried about him, that’s all.”
Clint understood. “It’s okay if you’re interested in him. He’s a good guy.”
Ryan shrugged. “Yeah, I know. He’s still a good six years younger than me and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or anything.”
Clint smiled at his friend. “Six years isn’t much. Why don’t you ask him out?
“I couldn’t… I was going…” Ryan trailed off. “Don’t worry about it, man. I’m just glad I could make sure he and Sara were safe.”
Clint would let it go for now, but he hoped Ryan would make a move on Cecil…if Cecil wanted him to. Maybe he could drop some hints of his own.
He motioned to the house. “You can head out. I’ll be here unless something else happens.”
“I don’t mind sticking around for a little bit,” Ryan told him.
Clint nodded. He hadn’t expected another answer from Ryan. “Sounds good. Give me a holler if you have any problems out here.”
He walked away with a half salute sent to Ryan and pushed open the gate. All was quiet as he strolled up to the back door. He knocked and when Sara entered into view he waved.
She smiled. Such a beautiful welcome. Sara hurried to the door and turned the deadbolt to let him in.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Their lips met and he kissed her with all the passion he felt.
She moaned and he settled her against his chest as he slowed down his lips.
Aware that Ryan could probably see them, he backed off and looked down at her.
“Everything okay here?” he asked her.
She nodded. “Yeah.” She ran her hands over his chest. “Cecil and I spent the afternoon watching movies. I was just about to start dinner. Can you stay a little while?”
“Yes, I’ll be hanging around if you think you can stand it,” he teased.
She slid her hand down his stomach to cup his erection. He couldn’t stop the thrust up into her hold.
“I think I can more than stand it,” she assured him.
The wicked look in her eye almost burst his tight control. Knowing Ryan was outside and Cecil was just in the other room was the only thing that stopped him from lifting Sara onto the counter and having his way with her.
He cleared his throat and stepped back.
She laughed, a soft, musical sound that made his cock twitch where it was trapped in his jeans.
“Bad girl,” he kidded.
“Oh, I’ll show you later just how bad of a girl I can be,” she promised.
Clint dropped his head back and groaned. “Trying to kill me.”
Sara shook her head and scooted around behind the kitchen counter. She pulled out a pan before turning to the fridge. “Chicken okay?”
Clint nodded. “Sounds great.”
She grabbed a bottle of beer and waved it at him.
He made a give me motion with his hand and she passed it over to him.
“Is it safe to come inside?” Cecil called from the other room.
Clint smirked at Sara as she blushed. “Yeah!” he hollered back at the younger man.
Cecil stepped into the kitchen. “I really can go home,�
� he said once he was close by. “I’m sure no one will try anything. I don’t want to be in the way.”
Sara raised the knife she was using to cut the chicken into cubes. “You are not in the way! And you are staying the night.”
Cecil’s shoulders dropped and he nodded. Clint glanced out of the kitchen window and wondered if Ryan was watching the boy.
“She’s right, man. We don’t know what these people are capable of and we’d feel better having you safe and secure for the night,” Clint assured Cecil.
“If you’re sure,” Cecil replied and sat on a stool next to Clint.
Sara set a can of Coke down in front of him.
“Besides I’d like to get to know you too,” Clint said. He took a long pull of his brew and smiled.
“Me?” Cecil asked, surprised.
Clint nodded. “Yeah, man. You’re like Sara’s family so we have to get to know each other.”
Cecil beamed, clearly pleased.
“So tell me about school,” he requested.
Cecil started talking about the courses he was taking at the local community college while Sara cooked. It was nice, the sounds and smells of the kitchen in the background while he sipped on a beer and talked with a very interesting man. Sara moved gracefully in the kitchen adding a few comments to the conversation but mainly letting the two men talk.
He looked up and caught her eye, and Clint knew he was in love.
Sara was what he had been searching for without even knowing he was looking. She just fit with him.
She must have seen something in his expression because she moved around the counter and cupped his face to give him a sweet kiss before going back to her cooking.
Cecil was grinning at him when he glanced over.
“It’s so good to see her so happy. She always takes care of everyone and…” Cecil paused and shrugged. “Just thanks. Thanks for making her happy.”
Clint patted Cecil on his back. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Anyone who has caught your eye?” Clint hadn’t planned on asking so soon, but the subject had been brought up.
Cecil stiffened and bit his lip.
Sara stilled with her back to them.
“I… I’m not…” Cecil dropped his head.
Sara turned around and Clint frowned.
“I’m gay,” Cecil confessed in a low whisper.
Well, Clint had hoped the Cecil was since he was pretty damn sure that Ryan was interested.
“So are you seeing anyone?” Clint asked again. “Got your eye on someone maybe?”
Cecil looked up with an expression of shock. Clint just smiled and dipped his head to show he wanted an answer.
Cecil shook his head. “No, no one here would…”
Clint shrugged. “You never know. You might want to keep your eyes open just in case.”
Sara had her lips pressed together and was watching him. He winked and her lips twitched. She’d understood what he meant.
“You don’t mind?” Cecil’s next question caught him off guard.
“That you’re gay?” Clint clarified.
Cecil’s head bobbed.
“Nah, man,” Clint said easily. He hoped Cecil would relax again. He hadn’t meant to cause him any stress, he had figured the kid had been out. “Got a couple friends in relationships with men. In fact, Kurt’s brother is newly mated to his partner. Know a lot of damn good men that like other men.”
Cecil licked his bottom lip nervously but did smile. “Cool.”
Sara returned to her stove and started pulling the pans off the fire. She took out plates from the cabinet and pointed to the kitchen table.
“It’s ready,” she declared.
Cecil jumped up and started to grab silverware and napkins while Sara filled plates. Within a couple of minutes, they were all seated at the table with plates full of chicken, pasta and vegetables.
Dinner conversation was light. They talked about the town and the winter festival that would take place next month. As Sara and Cecil described the different attractions, Clint looked forward to seeing them. He’d attended a few when he was a young boy, but from the sound of it, the festival had grown a lot over the years. Clint would make sure that he took Sara so they could experience the festival together.
Once they’d finished one of the best chicken dishes he’d ever tasted, Cecil jumped up and gathered the plates.
“I’ll clean up!” he said. “Why don’t you two go relax? I’m going to take a shower and I have some studying to do in the guest room.”
Sara rose and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, hon.”
Clint trailed after her and they settled onto the couch. Unlike the night before, the fire was lit. Clint settled back against the corner of the couch and pulled Sara into his arms.
She lifted her head and they kissed. Soft and sweet since there was someone else in the house, but he was hyper aware of what would happen once Cecil called it a night.
Sara must have felt the same thing since she was whispering very suggestive comments in his ear as she kissed his neck.
Clint’s hands shook and his cock pulsed painfully. He really wanted to be inside her.
As soon as Cecil called goodnight, Sara turned to Clint and straddled his lap. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”
He moaned and dropped his head back when she rocked against him.
“I want to taste you tonight,” she said, trailing her hands up and down his chest.
His shirt bunched under her hands and together they removed the garment.
She traveled lower, licking and tasting his skin. She lapped at the tattoo over his heart while undoing his pants. Kneeling between his legs, she tugged his jeans down and he lifted enough to have her get them off. He shivered when she lowered her head and licked the pre-cum from the tip of his cock.
“Oh, yeah,” he moaned.
She looked up, gaze locked with his and oh so slowly started to engulf him.
He hissed, the feeling amazing. “Please,” he actually whined.
She hummed and started to suck him down. She bobbed her head, played with his balls and had gasps escaping from his throat.
Clint had to fist his hands to keep from grabbing her head and start fucking her mouth. Damn, this may be the shortest blow job in all of history.
Just a touch of her tongue at the bottom of his cock head and he forgot all pretense of control. He buried his fingers into her hair and plunged into her. He had enough sense to not just force his entire length inside.
Sara wasn’t complaining, though. She encouraged him with her hands on his hips and tilted her head back to take more.
He howled his completion, not able to tone down the sound.
Sara rocked back onto her heels grinning. “I could do that every night.”
Clint planted a hand on his chest feeling his heart beating hard enough to worry it might burst through his chest. He didn’t think he would survive that every night.
She laughed and he couldn’t have that. He pushed forward and followed her down onto the floor until she was sprawled on her back with him on top.
“Your turn,” he said and started yanking at her clothes. “Although next time we really need to try to make it to your room first.”
“Need you now,” she demanded, pulling his head down.
They wrestled until they were both naked and wrapped around one another.
He pushed inside and took her hard and fast right there in the middle of the living room floor.
His knees ached and he knew there would be rug burns the next day, but damn, Sara was hot.
Chapter Nine
Clint looked between Austin and Tony and laughed. “That…that was a really good test.”
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t figured it out for himself. Of course if the Church members had been entirely protesting the shifters, they would have been paying attention to what the shifters were doing.
Not just one, but several of them w
ould have recognized Tony.
“So what does it mean?” he asked.
“The protesters, we feel like they are only here as a distraction. If we are worried about them then we might let our guard down around here. Spread us thin so we don’t have the same security,” Gage answered. “The protesters are just pawns being used by Dan Carter and Perry Costa.”
“They could also be used as insurance that we won’t attack while there are so many residents around, along with the media.”
“Then the same could be said about them attacking us,” Clint said.
“Unless they can show they attacked in self-defense,” Gage responded.
“What if they want us to a retreat into the compound so they can take us all down at once?”
Tony shook his head. “Colt doesn’t think so. Perry Costa is not making a move against the compound. He wants you two.”
Clint exchanged a look with Kurt. “Because of what happened before?”
Kurt shook his head. “I just don’t know.”
They sat for a few minutes contemplating it before Gage spoke up, “So do we wait for them or do we force their hand?”
Without pause both Clint and Kurt answered together. “Force their hand.”
The other men nodded.
It took a little longer than Clint would have liked to come up with an outline that everyone would agree on. He didn’t agree with Kurt being the target. It had always been his job to take care of his best friend. Putting Kurt in danger went against every bit of training he had.
“Come on, man.” Kurt slapped his shoulder as they changed into their jogging gear. “It makes sense. By going after me, they have fewer complications.”
Clint knew that—really, he did—but it bothered him.
They stretched their muscles in preparation for their run inside the gate to the compound before nodding at the guards on duty and the plan went into play.
Clint and Kurt would jog into town like before. They hadn’t kept with their schedule over the last few days, but they would act like things were back to normal.
Once inside the coffee shop, they would split up. Clint would pretend he was staying around with Sara, and Kurt would head back toward the compound alone.
That would give anyone watching the chance to intercept Kurt and hopefully try to take him.
