Jake and Kane looked at them and then burst into laughter. Wild looked like he wanted to grill him on how and when Mac had previously been shot, but that would need to wait for another time.
“Together, huh?” Jake waggled his brows at Mac.
“Yes,” Mac said decisively, making Noah laugh. “What?” Mac looked like his feelings were hurt, so Noah approached the bed and kissed the man.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Noah murmured.
Mac
“Your aunt called the nurse’s station,” Jake told him from the door.
Mac looked at his partner. The man looked tired. “I’ll call her when I get out of here.”
Getting shot hurt like a bitch. Mac swung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed upright. The room swam, so he braced his hands flat on the bed on either side to steady himself.
“What are you doing?” Jake asked, placing a hand on his uninjured shoulder. Mac knew his partner was worried, but he wasn’t staying in the hospital.
“He’s not staying here,” Noah said as if reading his mind. Mac jerked a quick look at Noah, and after a moment where he held those blazing golden eyes, Mac pushed up from the bed. Noah, having just come back from seeing his teammate out, was there in a heartbeat, slipping in front of Jake and taking charge. He was curious about the man who was part of Noah’s team, but he was way more curious about Noah than anything else, so questions about Wild and the rest of the bunch would need to wait.
“You sure you should be leaving here yet?” Kane asked worriedly after he looked out of the room’s door for the third time.
Mac winced as Noah eased the shirt over his shoulder. “Yeah, I can’t stay here.”
“Well, you can’t go home or to a WITSEC house,” Jake pointed out, reminding them all of the leak.
“He’s coming with me,” Noah said quietly and held Mac’s pant leg out one at a time so he could finish dressing. The room remained silent, and Mac saw Noah’s jaw clench. It suddenly dawned on Mac that nobody in the room had or would dare to argue with Noah. There was just something quietly intimidating about the guy.
“I’m going with Noah,” Mac said to Jake and smiled. Noah hadn’t backed down about Mac taking more pain meds. The drugs the nurse had given him were definitely taking the edge off of things. The heat between him and Noah was off the fucking Richter scale, and he wanted another taste of Noah’s mouth. Kicking himself in the ass for waiting so long, he wanted to beg Noah for forgiveness.
“Mac?” the sexy man said.
Noah had pulled on Mac’s socks and boots. Wow, what a guy, touching his smelly socks. Noah was a keeper!
“Mac?” Noah repeated, quirking an eyebrow.
He loved Noah’s eyebrows; he wanted to lick them. “Huh?” Mac asked softly, gazing soulfully into Noah’s warm gaze. Flecks of gold spiraled from the center outward, and Mac thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful.
“Ready?” Noah frowned and Mac suddenly wanted to kiss the lines away, so he did. Leaning forward, he kissed Noah’s forehead, then eyes, then nose…
“Okay, okay, Romeo,” Noah teased, and then stood to help Mac up.
Jake snickered behind them.
“Oh for crying out loud,” Kane complained from near the door.
“Damn right, I’m your Romeo.” Mac nodded, stumbling, but Noah was there to help keep him standing. The man gave him a very strange look, but Mac felt too good to care…at least he was saying what he really felt for the first time in years, and it felt fucking great! He wanted Noah. Mac squeezed Noah’s ass cheek, and the operative whirled on him.
Mac blinked innocently. Noah shook his head and steered him toward the door Kane held open. Jake stepped up and took his other arm.
Awww, his guys were all worried about him.
The room was light when Mac fumbled awake. His mouth tasted like…well, like ass, and he smacked his lips together like a dog chewing a mouth full of peanut butter. Foggy didn’t begin to explain the state of his brain when he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
“Holy hell,” he croaked, pressing his face into his hands. Then he grabbed his bicep when it instantly ached. He felt a hand gently caressing his back and dared a peek through his fingers. Noah’s tousled head was tipped to the side trying to see his face, and Mac dropped his hand.
“How’s the arm feel?” Noah asked, never missing a beat with the warm and surprisingly strong caress. Mac liked it. He liked Noah touching him. Too bad he couldn’t remember a damn thing that had happened after they’d left the hospital earlier today, no wait… was it yesterday?
“Painful, but I’ll live,” Mac said, clearing a frog from his throat. “Where are we?”
“A place that is only known to a few people, and I’m one of them.” Noah moved from sitting beside him and crouched in front of him. The man’s worried gaze caught and held his.
“What day is it?” Mac asked just to keep those plump lips moving and the focus of this man solely on him. He was selfish, but right then he didn’t give a fuck.
“Wednesday,” Noah said gently.
“I lost a whole day?” Mac blinked.
“Yeah, you ran a fever yesterday,” Noah murmured.
Mac reached out and lifted the man’s chin. He gazed into molten eyes. “I’m sorry I worried you,” Mac said, and he knew he had. He could see it in the tightness around Noah’s mouth.
Noah shrugged, then quirked a half smile. “There’s toothpaste and a towel in the bathroom.” Mac stood and realized he was wearing a pair of boxer briefs.
“Kane brought you a bag to the hospital,” Noah said in response to his questioning look. “There’s more clothes.” Noah pointed at the duffle sitting on a chair in the small bedroom.
The moment Noah stepped out of the room, Mac grabbed his cell phone.
Relief swelled when a familiar voice answered the phone.
“Robert!” His auntie’s voice sounded relieved.
“Auntie, I can’t talk long, but I’m going to send US marshals to your house. I need you to go with them.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked worriedly.
“Not really. I had an attempt made on my life, and I need to know you’re safe.” Mac rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
“Are you hurt?!”
“I’m okay, Auntie, I promise. I just need to know you’re safe so I can take care of things.”
“As in bad guys kind of things?”
“Yes,” He smiled. He could hear the anger in his feisty aunt’s voice.
“Okay, Robert, I’ll pack a bag.”
Freshly showered and wearing his own clothes, the smell of food drew him out of the bathroom and toward the kitchen. The place was massive. Each room was designed to bring in maximum light. Walls were a light sand color, rugs light gray or white, and a sectional of medium brushed gray took up the living room with accenting upholstered white chairs. The kitchen was the same. Light wood cabinets with white Italian tile on the floor.
Noah, standing at the stove with a spatula in hand, brought a smile to Mac’s lips. The man turned and grinned, then waived the utensil at him.
“You get to set the table,” Noah said. “Paper plates in there.” He pointed to the drawer near the counter.
“Where are we?” Mac asked. He couldn’t figure out where they were by looking out the wide, picturesque window. All he saw was white frosted trees beyond the snow-covered lawn. He carefully lifted out two paper plates and found some utensils, then grabbed some paper towels and took a seat on one of the stools that sat in front of the bar-like counter.
“We’re not in California,” Noah said, tossing him a look before piling the plates high with cheesy eggs and fresh bacon. A coffee pot sat on a hot plate, and Mac filled both of the cups.
Before he could take his seat, he had an arm full of Noah. The sexy man slipped his arms around his neck, and Mac curled his good arm around Noah’s waist. Jesus, it felt good to hold him. The weird tension eased in a heartbeat. “
I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”
“Never,” Noah breathed, lips brushing against his jaw before they moved over his lips.
Mac dropped his mouth to Noah’s and kissed him hard, then softer. Lingering, stretching the kiss out until they were both hard and panting. “Love your mouth,” Mac murmured.
Noah seemed to be in agreement. The man swept his tongue between Mac’s lips and Mac intensified the kiss until they finally came up for air.
“I suppose we should eat,” Noah said quietly, but not moving.
Mac laughed and released the man. “Yeah, before all your hard work gets cold.”
They sat and dug into the meal for a few minutes. There was so much to talk about, so much Mac wanted to say. He suddenly remembered parts of an ambulance ride, and then a plane ride after that.
“Where are we if we’re not in California?” Mac asked curiously.
“Kalispell, Montana,” Noah said a bit smugly, and at his confused look, added, “Glacier National Park area.”
“No shit?” Mac paused, fork to his mouth, blinked, and then took the bite. “I’ve always wanted to see Montana.”
“Well, we won’t be able to get to the glaciers because of the snow,” Noah said.
“Bummer.” Mac felt only a small amount of disappointment. Being snowed in with Noah was just about the best thing he could think of happening.
“But we can drive as far as we can. There’s a little town out that way called Whitefish that has a steak house,” Noah added, shoveling another bite of food.
“Really?” Mac loved the idea and smiled.
“Sure,” the man said. Noah’s eyes softened and he smiled back. “We’ll head out after we eat and hit the steakhouse on the way back.”
The drive was gorgeous. Mac couldn’t get over how majestic it all looked. It reminded him of the time he’d spent in Arkansas, but not quite because Montana had snow-capped mountains that stood much taller than the Ozarks. Snow rested on wide patches, along fences, roof tops, and mailboxes, giving the place a hallmark feel even though the roads were dirty mush left in the wake of snowplows and cars.
They didn’t make it very far. Going to the Sun Road was definitely closed, but they made it as far as McDonald Lake. Snow lay crusted around the edge of the icy water, and the lake was so clear, multicolored rocks could be seen beneath the surface.
Mac picked up a smooth rock to skip across the surface, but his arm hurt too much to attempt it. Therefore, he relinquished the rock into Noah’s outstretched hand, and Noah threw the rock for him with a smile. It skipped once and then plunked, and Mac laughed at the face Noah made.
Finding a footbridge, they stood side by side soaking in the quiet of nature. Chilly in the November wind, he felt warm beneath the down jacket Noah had insisted he wear. The sun shone brightly, and Mac thought he could stay there forever with Noah. The reality of their situation seemed far away and California a distant place.
“How long were you in the service?” Noah asked after a moment of silence. That was out of the blue, and Mac glanced at Noah curiously, but the man continued to look out over the lake.
“Just over five years,” Mac answered. “Until a shrapnel injury took me out of active duty for a short time.” He traced a finger along the scar. “When I got better, I decided not to reenlist.” Truth be told, he’d been ready. After so many years in the service, he’d come to the conclusion that he didn’t want to renew for another tour, and neither had Ben after his very first tour. The attack on their Hummer during their last tour hadn’t been part of Mac’s plan. Mac becoming disfigured hadn’t been part of Ben’s plan.
“That sucks.”
Mac shrugged. “It only bothers me when I look in the mirror.”
“Hey,” Noah said, frowning. “There’s nothing wrong with your looks, Mac. In fact, I think the scar makes you look sexy as fuck.” The man smiled and slid closer.
Mac snorted. His dick was happy, though, and plumped in his sweats when Noah stepped closer. Thankfully, the heavy coat covered that part.
“Is that right?”
“Yep.” Noah grinned at him, slipping his arms around his waist. “If it bothers you so much, why don’t you get plastic surgery?”
Mac shrugged, reaching a hand up to trace Noah’s lips. How could he explain that he kept the scar as a reminder not to get attached to people? Ben’s desertion showed how trite his love had been. At the first sign of Mac’s damaged face, Ben had taken off. Sure, the guy came back when he ran out of money, but by then it had been too late. Mac was done. He met Noah’s gaze. Noah wouldn’t leave like that. No, Mac suspected Noah would stay for the long haul.
“You’re something else, you know that?” Mac reached out and brushed the back of his knuckles against the trimmed hairs along Noah’s jaw.
“I got my arm broken once, set all weird until the doctor had a look at it,” Noah said. Easing back, he pulled back the sleeve of his shirt.
“Oh yeah? How’d that happen?” Mac established touch again by reaching out and tracing the scar along Noah’s arm. He’d noticed the scar many years ago but hadn’t asked. He hadn’t asked because even back then, he wanted to kiss every single scar and then kill every person responsible for those scars.
“The story goes, I fell down some stairs,” Noah grumbled, gazing at the lake.
“Stairs, huh…” Mac stared at Noah’s profile. Jesus, the man was stunning.
“So they say.” Noah nodded.
Mac grunted and flexed his good hand into a fist. Too bad Stevenson was dead. He would have liked to have a go at the man. Manning wasn’t dead, though, and if Mac ever got his hands on Terrance Manning, let’s just say, the guy would be hurting by the time Mac was finished.
“I have some explaining to do,” he admitted, and when Noah turned, Mac lifted the man’s hand and linked their fingers. “I’m sorry I left like I did. I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t have done the same thing if given the same circumstances. But I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said softly, earnestly, needing Noah to know how much he regretted walking away and losing touch.
“I know,” Noah said, tipping his head to the side, the man’s blond hair brushing a lean shoulder. “I knew you had your reasons. After Jenny died and with Jake shot, I knew you had shit to take care of.”
Mac drew in a deep breath and released it. “It took me awhile to find my way back,” he admitted. He’d been hurting back then, guilt weighing heavily. He had failed his partner and a young girl had died. He had been no good to anyone and knew without a doubt, he would have hurt Noah with his anger.
“But now you’re here.” Noah brought a hand up and cupped his cheek.
“Yes.” Mac lowered his forehead to rest against Noah’s.
Mac
The drive back to the large house was peaceful. It felt good not dodging bullets or worrying about where Noah was. The house really was beautiful with the white-capped mountain view from the front room.
“Whose home is this?” Mac asked, walking through the bright living room.
“It’s a friend’s, I told you that,” Noah said evasively.
Mac wondered what kind of friend would lend Noah a house. The thought of the friend being of the intimate kind didn’t sit well with Mac.
“How long can we stay here?”
“As long as we want, but I still need to find Manning,” Noah answered, heading toward the kitchen.
“Let’s let the Marshals office handle Manning,” Mac said, following Noah. He didn’t want Noah anywhere near Manning.
“It has to be me.” Noah shook his head.
“Why?” Mac asked, feeling his anger rise. “Why does it have to be you?” Why the hell did Noah have to take down Manning?
“Because Manning was there,” Noah admitted, lifting his burning gaze to Mac’s.
“What? Manning was where?” Mac asked, confused.
“Manning helped Stevenson kill my mother.”
“And you were there,” Mac guessed, and by the
look on Noah’s face, he was correct. Mac had no idea Noah had physically witnessed the murder of his mother. Something tight filled his chest.
“Yeah.”
“Jesus, Noah,” he said, then pulled the man into his arms. “I found out about the fire and how it was a cover up for your mother’s murder, but why didn’t you tell me you saw the whole thing?”
“I meant to. We covered a lot of stuff back then.”
“I’m sorry.” Mac brushed his lips against Noah’s temple.
“It was a long time ago,” Noah said. “But he will pay.”
Noah pressed his lips to Mac’s neck and began to kiss him there. Mac’s pulse hammered. There was something he needed to come clean with Noah about, just in case the man hadn’t already figured out Mac knew who his father was.
“How about we talk?” Mac eased back and cupped Noah’s face, running his thumb over the man’s plump bottom lip.
After a quick frown, Noah said, “Okay.”
They ended up on the couch, Noah stretched out along one end. He lifted Noah’s feet, settling them in his lap before massaging one arch. He took a deep breath, wondering where to begin.
“There’s something that I never told you,” Noah said before Mac could speak.
“What’s that?” Mac blinked, his mind on his own confession. He couldn’t imagine what Noah had to confess. The man’s gaze was so serious, it worried him. His hand tightened around Noah’s ankle. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“When I was thirteen, Manning raped me with a gun.”
Mac felt the world spin, whiten out, and then go fuzzy and dark around the edges. Of all the things he’d thought Noah would say, this wasn’t one of them. Because Noah had never breathed a word, Mac had never asked. How in the hell had he thought someone as beautiful as Noah would escape unscathed sexually from that hellhole? It just showed how much he’d been in denial.
“God, baby, I’m so sorry.” His heart hurt and his lungs felt like bursting with rage. It was all he could do to stay put, hands gently caressing the skin along Noah’s calf.
Ricochet (Out for Justice Book 1) Page 18
