Hell On Wheels

by Carol Lynne

  Chapter Five

  Cory glanced around the big open room as Tao set down two suitcases. He still couldn’t believe he’d agreed to leave his own apartment and move in with Tao until the situation with Joshua was resolved.

  “I know Lu talked to the chief already, but I think it would be best if I also spoke with him,” Tao said. He gave Cory a quick kiss before turning toward the door. “Feel free to look around, although this is pretty much it.”

  Tao left and Cory glanced down at his feet. Why hadn’t he remembered that Tao didn’t wear shoes inside? The sorry state of his socks was embarrassing. Cory frowned at the big toe peeking out from the white material.

  The hardwood floor gleamed in the lamplight. Cory walked over to a pile of colorful cushions in the corner of the room and sat down. He lifted his leg one at a time and pulled off his offensive socks.

  The room was so sparse it looked vacant, ready for someone to move in. He wondered how Tao had managed to live here for so many years without acquiring anything. He suddenly felt guilty for believing he’d needed a new couch when Tao didn’t even have one to begin with. What did Tao do with his money? Other than the small tables and lamps dotted around and the pallet in the opposite corner, the room was empty.

  Cory lay back on the pile of pillows and stared up at the beamed and thatch ceiling. His gaze focused on the two ceiling fans that stirred the air. The longer he watched them, the more tired he became. He let his eyes drift shut as he tried to imagine what he would say to Joshua when and if he got the chance to speak to him.

  * * * *

  After taking off his shoes, Tao entered his home. The sleeping man on the pile of pillows caught his attention immediately. Tao doubted Cory had slept the night before, so waking him wasn’t an option. He thought about letting him rest where he was, but the selfish part of him wanted Cory in his bed.

  Tao crossed the room and opened a small cabinet beside the kitchen sink. He pulled out his pillow and blanket and carried it to the two-inch thick mat in the corner. He wondered if Cory would have as much trouble getting comfortable on Tao’s bed as Tao had in Cory’s.

  Moving back to Cory, Tao knelt and lifted the sleeping man into his arms. He carried his lover across the room and gently placed him in bed before beginning the process of undressing him.

  Tao was thankful for Lu’s help in smoothing the way for Cory to stay with him. Although the chief didn’t seem overly thrilled with the idea, he did appear to understand the need for it. Tao tried to think of anything and everything to keep his mind off the gorgeous skin he was slowly uncovering.

  Cory stirred when Tao pulled off the last bit of clothing. Stretching his arms over his head, Cory yawned. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

  Tao pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it, along with his jeans and underwear, into the closet hamper. He lifted the thin blanket and slid in beside Cory. “Don’t worry about it. Go back to sleep.”

  Cory tucked himself under Tao’s arm and rested his cheek on Tao’s chest. “Why is your house so empty?”

  Tao knew the subject would eventually come up. “It’s the way I was raised. Material possessions get in the way of a man’s true worth.”

  Cory rolled on top of him, trapping Tao’s cock between his thighs. “Don’t pay any attention to me. It might take a day or two to get used to sitting on the floor, but that’s just because it’s new.”

  Tao ran his hands down Cory’s back to land on his ass. He was grateful for Cory’s reaction. The lifestyle he chose to live wasn’t for everyone, he knew that, but it was who he was. Hopefully Cory’s acceptance was genuine.

  There was one more thing Tao knew he needed to come clean about. Cory had been open and honest about his life before coming to Hell, and Tao owed him the same courtesy.

  “Would you like to know why I’m here?” he asked, lips brushing the top of Cory’s head.

  “It doesn’t matter to me why you’re here, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know I don’t want to be judged on the person I used to be.”

  Cory kissed Tao’s neck. “But if you want to tell me. I’ll listen.”

  “See, that’s the problem. I’m basically the same person I was before.” Tao took a deep breath. “I killed my family’s chief, and given the same set of circumstances, I’d do it again.”

  Cory sat up and positioned his ass so Tao’s erection was sandwiched between his butt cheeks. “What circumstances?”

  “In my culture, each extended family has a chief they answer to. Within my family, there were a few who opposed the greed our chief was exhibiting. When they tried to voice their concerns, the chief had them killed. One of the men who died was my favorite cousin, Ulani. When I found his body, I swore to him that I’d stop Mahal before he could kill again.”

  Tao shrugged, afraid of meeting Cory’s gaze. “I murdered the chief in broad daylight with no remorse.”

  “Were you caught? Is that how you died?” Cory asked before leaning over to give Tao a quick kiss.

  “No. Things were different, survival of the fittest, I guess. I lived to the ripe old age of ninety-three.”

  Cory’s eyes rounded. “Wow. I don’t think I know anyone who lived to be that old.”

  Cory began to move against Tao’s cock. “Did you still make love when you were old?”

  Tao reached under the edge of the mat, pulled out a tube of lube and handed it to Cory. “I had occasional lovers in my younger days. In my seventies, eighties and nineties? Hell, I was thankful to wake up each morning. An erection was an added bonus but couldn’t be counted on enough to worry about.”

  Cory gave an overly dramatic shiver. “That’s depressing. Maybe I should be thankful I was murdered in my prime.”

  Tao’s entire body froze at the new bit of information. “What?”

  Cory’s head tilted to the side. “What what?”

  “You were murdered?” Tao asked.

  Cory pulled the fingers out of his hole and began to impale himself on Tao’s quickly wilting cock. “I forgot that I hadn’t told you that part. Sorry.”

  The squeeze of Cory’s body surrounding his cock was enough to keep Tao semi-hard, but he couldn’t get the images of someone killing the kind man out of his head. “Why? How?”

  Cory swiveled his hips until Tao was fully seated before answering. “It’s not something I like to think about.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  Cory shook his head. “Not for the reason you think. When I went on trial for Joshua’s death, my lawyer managed to get me off on a technicality. I was guilty. I knew it. The cops knew it. And Joshua’s family knew it.”

  Cory braced his palms on Tao’s chest and stopped moving. “Joshua’s dad, Nelson, didn’t take it very well. He started following me wherever I went. After about two weeks, I was coming out of a gas station with a brown paper bag in my hand. It was only Coke. I was trying desperately to rid my body of the alcohol it had been pickled in for so many years.”

  Cory blew out a breath. “Nelson thought I had a bottle of booze, I guess. Anyway, he approached me before I could get into my car and pulled a gun out of his pocket. I just stared at him. I think part of me actually wanted him to end my life. The overwhelming grief on that man’s face still haunts my dreams. Even as he pulled the trigger, he cried.”

  Tao was so overcome with conflicting emotions he couldn’t speak. He pulled Cory down into his arms as he tried to get himself under control. As much as he wanted to hate Nelson, he couldn’t. The man had done what he’d done. Tao was sorry Cory had to die, but he understood Nelson’s need to do it.

  “I don’t begrudge Nelson, even now,” Cory mumbled against Tao’s neck.

  “I can understand that.” Tao tilted his head to the side as Cory began licking at his throat. “I’m sorry it had to happen though.”

  Cory scraped Tao’s Adam’s apple with his teeth. “Me, too. I wish I could go back and hand my keys over to my friend before I left the bar that night. It’s w

hy I feel so strongly about not over-serving people at Ice Water. Back then, no one was looking out for me, and an innocent teenager paid the price.”

  Tao sighed. I get it. “So despite the fact that you have multiple college degrees, you choose to work as a bartender. I’ve always wondered about that.”

  Cory rose up enough to look Tao in the eyes. “Okay. Enough of the personality dissection. Can we move on to the fucking?”

  Tao grinned. “As long as you try not to wake the neighbors when I give you the best orgasm of your life.”

  “Deal.” Cory sat up and swiveled his hips, driving Tao’s rejuvenated cock even deeper.

  Tao’s hands traveled down Cory’s chest, around his hips to cup and separate his ass. There was nothing in the world like the tight squeeze of his lover surrounding his cock. The words Tao yearned to say were on the tip of his tongue. He’d never had a life mate. He wondered if it would be too much to hope for to have one in death.

  Cory moaned as he moved up and down on Tao’s shaft. Maybe Tao should have shushed him, but the sounds Cory made when they made love ratcheted Tao’s passion to the next level. He removed his hands and carefully reversed their position.

  Tao planted his hands on either side of Cory’s head and hovered over him, allowing Cory to position himself for entry. As Tao pushed inside, he leaned down for a deep kiss, probing the depths of Cory’s mouth with his tongue.

  Cory cried out when Tao’s cock prodded his prostate.

  Tao chuckled and kissed his lover again. “You’re going to get us tossed out of The Village.”

  “Then you’d better keep kissing me.”

  “I can do that.” Tao’s lips returned to Cory’s. Never had he understood the joys of kissing until his first time with Cory. Growing up, sex between men may not have been frowned upon, but you were still expected to conduct yourself in the ways of a warrior. What Tao found strange was the fact he felt more like a man when he was making love to Cory than he ever had.

  Tao broke the kiss and moved to sit back on his heels. Holding Cory’s legs open by the ankles, Tao picked up speed. To Hell with The Village. At that moment, he needed to hear those sweet sounds Cory made when he was on the edge of an orgasm.

  Cory began a combination of gasps, pants and moans as his head moved side to side. “Harder.”

  Tao gave Cory what he needed, confident that Cory would let him know if he was hurting. With each thrust, Cory cried out, “Yes!”

  Tao’s gaze continually switched between Cory’s gorgeous face and the cock in his lover’s hand. Tao felt his balls draw up, signaling his climax. “Come for me, baby.”

  He bit the inside of his cheek as Cory painted his stomach with pearls of seed. The squeeze of Cory’s body tipped Tao over the edge.

  “Fuck!” Tao howled, confident that he’d woken every resident in The Village.

  He collapsed to Cory’s side and put a hand to his chest. “If I weren’t already dead that would have killed me.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Tao wanted to take them back. He rolled to his side and pulled Cory against his chest. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

  Cory placed a soft kiss on Tao’s neck. “Don’t. You shouldn’t have to watch what you say around me. I’m fine.”

  Tao rolled off the mat and retrieved a warm cloth from the bathroom. After cleaning them both, he settled Cory against his chest once again. Once Cory’s breathing evened out, Tao kissed the top of his lover’s head.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  * * * *

  Cory slung his backpack over his shoulder as he left the administration building with a smile on his face. He’d been lucky enough to get his money back on the classes he’d decided to bow out of for next semester. His new relationship with Tao was going so well, he’d decided to invest his free time in finding out how far the two of them could go.

  He jogged across the lawn to join Tao, who still sat comfortably on his motorcycle. “Good news. I got my money back.”

  Tao handed Cory the helmet. “That is good news.”

  Cory climbed onto the back of the motorcycle as he stuck the helmet on his head. “Wanna grab a burger on the way home?”

  “Sure.” Tao smiled as he snapped the chinstrap of Cory’s helmet before climbing on the bike.

  Cory wrapped himself around Tao as they pulled away from the curb. With no sign of trouble in over a week, they’d spent almost every spare moment getting to know each other. Cory found Tao’s subtle sense of humor and caring nature completely refreshing. The more time they spent together, the less he thought of Joshua.

  “Demon Dan’s,” he yelled over the roar of the motorcycle.

  Tao nodded in acknowledgment and made a right at the stoplight. Demon Dan’s was his all-time favorite pig-out joint. He loved a hamburger so greasy you had to wash not only your hands once you were finished, but your arms as well.

  They pulled to a stop between two other cars, and Cory removed his helmet. Tao got off the bike and adjusted himself in his jeans. Cory chuckled at the action and Tao grinned.

  “Told you it happens every time.”

  Cory glanced around at all the milling shoppers before gesturing to his cock. “You’re not the only one.”

  Tao lifted Cory into his arms and kissed him, taking the opportunity to rub his erection against Cory’s. “You know I could fuck you right here and no one would bat an eyelash.”

  Cory moaned and wrapped his legs around Tao’s waist. Breaking the kiss, he stared into the big brown eyes he was falling so desperately in love with. “You’d fuck me in front of all these people?”

  “You bet. Just give me the word and I’ll have you stripped and bent over the seat of the bike before you have a chance to change your mind.”

  A resounding ‘yes’ was on the tip of his tongue when he spotted him. There, across the street, stood Joshua. “Sonofabitch!”

  Before he could talk himself out of it, Cory was out of Tao’s arms and running across the street, eyes locked with Joshua’s.

  An expression of horror crossed Joshua’s face as he held his hands out in front of him, signaling Cory to stop.

  Fuck that. Cory was tired of waiting for Joshua to pop out of the shadows. He was going to meet his past head-on and deal with the consequences later.

  “No!” Joshua screamed just as Cory heard Tao yell something from behind him.

  An entirely different noise caught Cory’s attention. He turned his head towards the roar of an engine and cried out as the big black truck roared straight for him.

  In the next second, Cory was tackled from behind, landing hard on the pavement, Tao’s heavy weight on top of him. Before he had a chance to catch his breath, Tao had Cory in his arms, running toward the safety of the sidewalk. He set Cory down and took off again, this time chasing a running Joshua.

  Cory’s hand went to his abraded cheek as he tried to shake off the fall. How could Joshua…?

  “I got him,” Tao announced, leading Joshua by the back of the neck.

  For the first time, Cory was close enough to the teenager he’d killed to see the green flecks in his brown eyes.

  What should I say?

  That was the million dollar question. What did one say to the person they’d killed? I’m sorry wouldn’t cut it, not in this case. Cory didn’t know who’d been driving the truck but it obviously hadn’t been Joshua.

  “Call Lu,” Tao said.

  Cory’s attention flew to his lover. “Lu?”

  Tao nodded, his grip still firmly around the back of Joshua’s neck. “Ask him to either send a car or come down and pick us up.”

  Cory pulled out his phone and returned his attention to Joshua. He couldn’t imagine being trapped inside a teenager’s body for eternity. Maybe Lu could do something about that.

  “Lu.”

  “It’s Cory. We finally caught up with Joshua. Tao was wondering if you could pick us up in front of Demon Dave’s?”

  “Leaving now.”

  * * * *

  Cory continued to stare at Joshua. Settled on Lu’s sofa, drinking a glass of lemonade, Joshua looked so young and innocent. The others in the room sat back, allowing Cory to take the lead, but he wasn’t sure what direction to take. He had so many questions, not all of them centered on the attacks.

  “Who was driving the truck?” he finally asked.

  Joshua took a sip of his drink before setting the glass on the coffee table. “My father.”

  Cory nodded. He’d already figured as much but it was nice to have confirmation.

  “He’s not a bad man,” Joshua added.

  From beside him, Tao let out a loud snort. “Not bad? He not only murdered Cory, but beat him, trashed his home and tried to run him over.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. I was sent here to take care of something else, but…” Joshua’s eyes closed and his chin dropped to his chest. “I saw what my father was doing to you, and suddenly my reason for being here seemed inconsequential.”

  Joshua shook his head. “I wanted to warn you. I just wasn’t sure how you’d respond. I don’t want anything bad to happen to my dad. He’s suffered so much already.”

  Tao chuckled. “He’s suffered? He murdered Cory.”

  “I know, believe me I know. But he’s paid for that crime. He died in prison after serving twenty-three years. I think the upcoming anniversary of my death is pushing him over the edge once again.”

  Cory scooted to the edge of the chair and leaned forward. “Why did you really come here?”

  “A friend sent me,” he muttered, refusing to look up from the floor. “I asked him for a favor. I wanna age. I’m tired of looking like a kid.”

  Lu crossed his legs. “Which of my brothers sent you?”

  Joshua’s head snapped up to regard Lu. “How’d you know?”

  Lu grinned. “It is something only an Archangel would have the power to do.” Lu’s head tilted to the side as he tapped his lips with his finger. “Which of my brothers have you impressed to the extent he would grant you this favor?”

  “Michael,” Joshua whispered as if he was afraid of getting into trouble.

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