The Strength of His Heart

by Victoria Sue

  Vance licked his lips, and Sam took another step closer. “I think I fell in love with you all those weeks ago in Tampa when I was Angel. You blushed so beautifully, I have never been so turned on in my life.”

  Flames seemed to ignite in every nerve ending Vance had and some he didn’t know about.

  “I owe you so many apologies for that stunt in there.” He nodded to the bedroom. “You were right. I was so desperate to prove you weren’t going to control me, I turned into the exact bully I have been trying to avoid all my life.” His face burned. “I can’t believe I could have hurt you, and I won’t blame you one little bit for leaving.”

  But, Vance thought. But?

  “If you would like to stay, I want us to show how we can take care of each other.” Sam held out his hand, and Vance reached out tentatively. Sam linked his fingers in Vance’s and stepped into his space. “We both have way too many clothes on.” He lifted his face to Vance’s, and Vance cupped his cheek.

  “I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I miss your blue hair.”

  Sam’s eyes twinkled, and he turned and gently led Vance back to bed.

  They stood together, each taking off the other’s clothes, kissing each other’s newly bared skin, and delicately tracing each other’s bodies with their fingers. Vance sighed his happiness into Sam’s mouth and Sam took it, teasing and nibbling on his lower lip, his cheeks, his earlobes.

  Vance shuddered under the gentle sensations, the teasing lips and the loving tongue. In no time they were undressed and writhing on the sheets. Vance lost track of time in a rush of exquisite sensation, soft touches, and whose hands were whose. “Please,” Sam begged as he wrenched his lips away. Vance hesitated.

  “Fill me,” Sam whispered. “Fill me completely. I’ve never belonged to anyone in my life, and I need this so badly.”

  Vance thumbed the wetness from Sam’s cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “But don’t you see?” Sam wriggled invitingly and thrust his groin upward. Vance was soon slicked and gloved. He had nearly cried again as Sam’s hands put it on because Vance’s were shaking too much. “You are the one person with the power to hurt me because I have given that to you, and I know you never will. You are the strongest person I know, but I don’t mean how much you can lift or how fast you are.” Sam sighed gustily as Vance was helpless to do anything other than to slide into his perfect snug heat.

  “It isn’t the strength of your body that gives you power over me, big boy,” Sam cried out. “It’s how big your heart is and how much you love.” Sam cupped his cheek, and they kissed hungrily, only breaking apart for breath. Vance thrust harder as all the encouraging noises spilled from Sam. He loved him? He loved him. He loved him.

  When they lay in an exhausted sticky sprawl minutes later, Vance pulled Sam in to his side where he could feel him. Where he would know he was real. Where he could feel the beat of his heart in sync with another, infinitely more precious.

  “Two things,” Vance gasped out, feeling oxygen finally returning to his lungs.

  “Anything.” Sam smiled coyly at him, running his nails through the thick hair on his chest.

  “I love you. It seems a little anticlimactic after you bared your heart, but you have me—all of me—for as long as you want me.”

  “That’s forever, then.” Sam chuckled and burrowed closer.

  “I lied. Three things,” Vance qualified in case Sam thought he meant something else. “I was to tell you you’re expected at Jacob’s for a barbeque on Saturday.” Vance looked worried. “They’ll all be there. Apparently the one we missed was rained out.”

  Sam grinned and nodded. “Are the Connellys going to vet me as a prospective suitor?”

  Vance’s heart thudded, and he told himself to slow down.

  “You said three things?” Sam asked after a few seconds of silence, during which Vance was dreaming of white tuxes and gold rings.

  “Yeah,” he croaked. “For fuck’s sake, will you buy a bigger bed already?”

  Epilogue

  TO SAY Sam was nervous was the biggest understatement in the history of everything. Gregory had called them in for a meeting, and even though it was Saturday and Sam wasn’t back at work until Monday, and he had so much still to finalize for tonight, if he didn’t have Connie, who had just about taken charge, he would have never been able to pull everything off.

  He was seriously worried that he was cramming too much into one evening, and it was too soon, but the more he had seen his gorgeous partner the last few days, even though they had barely been apart, the more he was convinced he was doing the right thing. It had started with a conversation at the cute apartment quite close to Vance’s mom and dad’s. Sam had wanted Vance to come and see it with him, and it was gorgeous. Exactly perfect for him, Vance, and Luis. Daniel had even turned up to see it because he was thinking of renting a place pretty close, which had stunned everyone. It didn’t look like Daniel was going back to Washington.

  Last Wednesday, Sam had stood near the patio door of the ground floor apartment, watching Vance run after Luis while they investigated the backyard. “He doesn’t seem excited,” Sam said, half to himself.

  “Who, Vance?” Daniel asked, coming to look.

  Sam flushed a little, embarrassed that Daniel had heard him. “Yeah.”

  Daniel watched his brother, then turned to Sam. “Are you serious?”

  “About this place? Of course.” It was perfect, and Sam had just been relieved he had gotten his finger out of his ass quick enough to smell the roses, or whatever else the saying was. Unfortunately, that immediately reminded him of something else, and his own ass clenched in heated memory.

  “No, I mean about you and him.”

  Sam’s jaw dropped. “What?” Alarm plucked at him with too tight fingers. “Has he said anything?” Had he been wrong?

  Daniel chuckled. “No, and that’s not what I mean.” A couple of beats went by while Sam tried to regulate his breathing. “I mean—shit, if you tell him….”

  “No, I promise. What is it?”

  Daniel watched Luis howl with laughter when Vance swung him up. “He’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “Meaning?” Sam pushed.

  “I mean all Vance has wanted all his life is what Mom and Dad have. Well, maybe not quite so many kids.” He grinned.

  “White picket fence,” Sam murmured in understanding.

  Daniel nodded. “It’s just gonna take him a long time to be sure it isn’t gonna be ripped away, and I guess he’s worried about getting excited about something he thinks isn’t gonna last. Just give him time.”

  But how much? Would Vance doubt him for another month, six months, a year? When he’d moved to Chicago, their apartment was above a produce store, a tiny shop you could barely swing a melon in, and old Mrs. Hermann wanted a sign painted for when she got a delivery. He’d offered to do it immediately, but the piece of wood she gave him to paint was bigger than him. When he’d questioned if it was too large she’d shrugged and trotted out one of her favorite sayings. “Boy, you gotta go large in this town or you might as well go home.”

  And that was why he was here sitting in panic in the field office because he had a million things he needed to do, and despite Jacob promising and Connie reassuring him and Chris going to the jewelers, anything could go wrong. He still wasn’t sure if it would work, but he couldn’t live like this, and more importantly, neither could Vance.

  White picket fence. It was funny how something you’d always run from suddenly sounded so perfect if you were behind it with the right person.

  “Thank you for coming in, gentlemen. I won’t keep you, but I have some quite startling news that affects the team.” Gregory looked up from an open file he held, and everyone paid attention.

  “As of midnight last night, the TPD have officially disbanded the ENu.” There was a moment of complete stunned silence.

  “This impacts us, as I am sure you are aware
, because I have been authorized to create three Human and Enhanced teams based on the model we have currently been piloting to cover the three Tampa districts. I am not completely sure how this is going to work, but I have been asked to discuss the disbanding of this team initially.”

  “Disbanding?” Sawyer echoed.

  “The fact is,” Talon took over, “the people with the most experience are all sitting around this table. It is only one scenario, but the three of us with partners, myself and Finn, Gael and Jake, and Vance and Sam, are to be asked to see if the quickest way of getting everyone up to speed is by each of us taking a district. Whether that would be a permanent arrangement or just while initial setup is worked out, we don’t know.”

  Sam felt Vance squeeze his hand under the table and met Vance’s worried gaze. He would hate this. He would feel like his family was splitting apart.

  Gregory suddenly focused on Adam. “And congratulations, Adam, or should I say Agent Mackenzie. Your ankle bracelet can now be removed, and you are now a probationary member of this team with full agent status.” Everyone crowded around a red-faced but obviously delighted Adam.

  “And we have sergeants from New York and Atlanta who want to discuss setting this up in their own districts.”

  Finn straightened up from hugging his friend. “Would the units still be part of the FBI, or are you wanting to give control to the TPD?”

  Gregory looked at Talon. “We haven’t decided, to be honest. There are advantages of having federal backing, but this development has taken us all by surprise.” He smiled. “And if you want someone to blame, you had better look to Agent Connelly, because it was his actions and reputation that made this possible.”

  “Way to go, Vance.” Eli leaned forward and smiled at Vance.

  “Oh, and Agent Stuart, I am delighted to announce your partnership.” Eli turned to Gregory, looking shocked. Gregory nodded at Daniel. “I am sure you are all pleased to learn that Agent Daniel Connelly has left Washington and is now a member of our team and Eli’s partner.”

  More congratulations were given, but Daniel looked stunned. He must have applied for the job… but then Sam understood as he caught sight of Eli’s equally surprised reaction. It was the partnership that was a surprise, then. That figured, he supposed. Vance had told him Gregory liked to do this sort of thing. “And that concludes everything, gentlemen. I will see you all bright and early on Monday morning to decide how we are going to do this. Have a good weekend.”

  “Daniel,” Vance exclaimed, shaking his hand, “I can’t believe you kept that quiet.”

  Daniel grinned. “I only got it confirmed this morning. I didn’t want to jinx it.” He glanced over at Eli and nodded. Eli made no move to go near him, and soon Daniel was swallowed up by another round of handshakes. Sam looked at the clock on the wall and caught Daniel’s eye. They had to go. Daniel had promised he would get Vance out of the way for him.

  FIVE HOURS later the party at Jacob’s was in full swing. Sam loved Jacob’s house. It was almost a small farm, and they kept chickens and had an old donkey that had a very grand three-acre paddock but had been moved out of the way for the evening to a friend who had a large garden.

  Because landing a helicopter might have given the donkey a heart attack.

  Daniel walked over and passed him a beer. “I think you need one.” Sam nodded and took a huge gulp.

  “You looked surprised when Gregory named your partnership,” Sam nudged gently.

  Daniel heaved a sigh. “Obvious, huh?”

  “A little.”

  Daniel glanced over to where Eli was standing quietly behind a group including Jake and Sawyer and not talking to anyone.

  “I left Washington because I wanted to forget something,” Daniel admitted. “And something tells me Eli is going to be a constant reminder.” Daniel looked up at the sky. “Shouldn’t you be getting on with something?”

  Sam jumped. Daniel was right. He caught Jacob’s eye, and he bent and whispered to Liam. Liam was in charge of rounding up all the kids. They all had strict instructions and responsibilities, Luis included.

  Luis grinned at Sam and then walked up to Vance, who was chatting to Finn and Connie. He slipped his hand into Vance’s and waited until Vance realized he actually wanted something. Vance grinned down at him. “Hey, buddy, you want a soda?”

  Luis shook his head solemnly. “I need to ask you something, and I need you to come over here.”

  “Sure,” Vance replied and took a couple of steps, only faltering when the music died and he realized everyone had stopped talking. His eyes immediately sought out Sam, who was standing in an empty patch of garden. “Sam wants you,” Luis encouraged, and Vance started walking again, only to glance around as every child there fanned out in a circle around him.

  Every child.

  Enhanced. Regular. Somehow Marie was there with her mom and dad. Connie had roped Marie’s mom into helping with the enhanced support group she ran, and even Aaron had managed to come with the other kids from Pete’s. Paul was sticking to Aaron like glue because his dad had gotten a visit from children and family services, and Aaron was back in Tampa for good.

  Vance seemed baffled as he was surrounded by kids until he grew close to Sam, and Sam took his hand while Luis kept hold of the other one, and Sam went down on one knee.

  And everyone awwed.

  Vance just looked completely stunned. He swallowed. “Sam?”

  GO BIG or go home. Sam very solemnly pulled off a ring he had hooked onto his little finger, and then, terrified he would lose it because the ring would probably have gone around Sam’s wrist, he kept his hand in his pocket. Well, maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration, but the gold band seriously had to be large.

  He held his hand out, palm flat, the ring obvious, and looked into Vance’s huge brown eyes, hearing the sound of a helicopter in the distance. “I could say all sorts of deep and meaningful words, but I think we’d better keep it short in case we miss our ride.”

  “Our ride?” The engine was a little more obvious by now, and Vance squinted into the sky as the helicopter came into view. “You didn’t,” he breathed.

  “Yep.” Sam raised his voice, as it was getting seriously loud. He might have left this a bit too late. The helicopter whirred and then dipped and landed with perfect precision in the field next to Jacob’s house.

  “What did he say?” Daniel shouted as the noise from the engines dimmed. “We didn’t hear you.”

  Sam turned bright red. “Give me a minute. I didn’t ask him yet.” And everyone laughed.

  Luis yanked on Vance’s hand. “He wants to know if you’re gonna marry him.”

  Sam rolled his eyes and stood up, gripping the ring. “You did not just say that.”

  Vance chuckled. “Why, did he get it wrong?”

  Sam let himself be tugged up to a very hard chest.

  “Eww.” Luis turned away and ran to Liam. “You didn’t say they were gonna be doing kissy stuff,” he yelled, clearly traumatized. People were already cheering and whistling.

  Vance leaned down and Sam huffed. “I’m gonna need a stool.” But Vance grinned and hoisted him up, and Sam decided Vance was actually the perfect height. When the catcalls started, Sam broke away. “You still haven’t answered me.”

  Vance’s eyes danced. “You never asked me a question, and Luis is far too young to get married. Besides which”—Vance leaned in—“I’m in love with his older brother.”

  Sam’s eyes suddenly swam, and he had to blink a few times. Vance let him gently down to the ground, and Sam carefully slid on the ring. “Will you let me love you for the rest of my life?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Vance murmured and bent his head to catch Sam’s lips.

  “Sam?” Jacob shouted. “Are you two going or what?”

  Vance gazed in awe at the helicopter. “I can’t believe you did this. I can’t believe it’s allowed.”

  Sam chuckled, took Vance’s hand, and led him into the
next field. “What they gonna do? Half the people in charge of security for the people of Tampa are in this garden.” Sam slid his arm around his soon-to-be husband and hung on, glancing at the helicopter and the look of adoration on Vance’s face.

  He had a feeling he was in for the ride of his life.

  More from Victoria Sue

  Enhanced World: Book One

  Talon Valdez knew when he transformed into an enhanced human, his life and his dreams were finished. Reviled, mistrusted, and often locked away, the enhanced were viewed as monsters, despised by the public, and never trusted to serve in the military or any law enforcement agency.

  Years later he gets a chance to set up a task force of enhanced to serve in the FBI, but with one proviso: each enhanced must partner with a regular human.

  Finn Mayer dreamed of joining the FBI from the time he was fourteen and made every possible sacrifice to make it happen, including living with his selfish mother and bullying, homophobic brother and never having a boyfriend. But his undiagnosed dyslexia stopped his aspirations dead in their tracks. His last chance is to partner with Talon, an enhanced with deadly abilities who doesn’t trust regular humans with their secrets and wants Finn to fail.

  Four weeks to prove himself to the team. Four weeks for the team to prove itself to the public. And when another group threatens their success—and their lives—four weeks for them to survive.

  Enhanced World: Book Two

  Talon’s deadly abilities are spiraling out of control. Desperate to keep Finn safe, Talon struggles to protect the man he loves with all his heart and not become the greatest risk to Finn’s life.

  Finn has no choice but to offer himself as bait for the evil forces kidnapping enhanced children, facing danger he is untrained and unprepared for, and he will have to do it alone.