“Yeah. Just my brother being a stubborn ass. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“It’s fine. Can I get you anything? Food? Juice? Water?”
Casey rolled onto his side, “What I want is for you to talk to me.”
Miguel turned onto his side facing Casey, “About what?”
“Tell me why you saved me.”
Miguel’s eyes squeezed shut and there was so much agony on his face that Casey reached out to brush his fingertips over Miguel’s forehead, pushing his soft black hair away from his eyes, “It’s okay, Miguel.”
A few tears slid from the corners of Miguel’s eyes, “No it isn’t, alma.”
“Miguel?”
His eyes opened, tears shimmering in the dark brown pools, “Sí, alma?”
“I remember.”
If Casey thought he’d seen agony on Miguel’s face a moment ago, it was nothing compared to what he saw now.
He pushed away, turning to sit on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. “Pendejo,” he mumbled quietly.
Casey sat up and moved over to him. He first placed a gentle hand onto Miguel’s back, then another. Then he leaned forward until his lips were pressed against Miguel’s neck and whispered, “You are not stupid, Miguel,” then he pressed a kiss to his soft skin.
Miguel jumped up as if Casey’s lips were a flame and he spun around, “Wh-wh-what are you doing?” he said with a gasp as his hand rubbed the spot that Casey’s lips had just touched.
Casey fell back on his ass, “Oh god, I’m so sorry. I, I, I thought you wanted this. Jesus, did I misread this. I thought you were gay.”
“Alma, I am gay, I do want this. It’s you who shouldn’t”
Casey looked up at him, “Why not?”
“Because I’m the one who poisoned you, I’m the one who got you hooked on that shit! I’m the bastardo in all of this.”
“O’Toole is the bastard, not you. What happened to me was going to happen whether it was you or anyone of the hundreds of people that man employs to do his dirty work. You made it bearable, babe. You kept me warm, you kept me company, you cared for me.”
“Not at first! At first all I cared about was the diñero!”
“But it didn’t stay that way because your heart is too big. I forgive you, Miguel.”
“No! I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”
“Maybe you don’t but you’ve got it anyways.”
Miguel sighed. He put one knee on the bed and reached out to run his hand over the stubble of hair on Casey’s head, “I miss your hair. It looked so soft at first, it made my fingers itch to touch you.”
Casey blushed, “It’ll grow back.”
“Sí, and it’ll make someone very happy,” Miguel said as he looked into Casey’s eyes.
“It could make you happy if you let it.”
Miguel sighed as he pulled Casey into his chest, wrapping him tightly in his arms as he pressed a kiss to his head, “Mí hermosa muchacho. Mi alma.”
“What does that mean? Mi alma?”
“My soul.”
“I like that,” Casey whispered.
“You are my beautiful boy, you always will be. But this cannot happen.”
Miguel tightened his arms when Casey tried to move.
“It cannot happen right now, corazoncito, sweetheart,” he translated, “Because right now I need to take down that bastardo, El Diablo. To do that, I will be implicating myself in your kidnapping. I will be going to jail. I refuse to begin anything with you with that hanging over both of our heads.”
“But…”
Miguel cupped his face as he stared into Casey’s eyes, “No, bebe. The first time I kiss you, it will be with a future in front of us that we can both see. I cannot taint us with a beginning that has an ending in sight.”
“It doesn’t have to be an ending, Miguel. You might not go to jail. Or maybe you’ll only go for a short time.”
“I will not saddle you with the burden of waiting for me, mi corazón. Things can happen in prison that….”
Casey pressed a finger to Miguel’s lips, silencing him, “I know. We’ll cross that bridge if we need to. But I don’t care if you tell me not to wait for you, Miguel. I’m going to do it anyways.”
“Sounds like you’re just as stubborn as your brother, sí?”
“Ugh, don’t make me think about him anymore. I need sleep.” He glanced down at the bed, “Um…”
“What is it?”
“Will you, um, will you hold me?”
Miguel sighed as he led them both down onto the bed, settling Casey in front of him with Casey’s back to his chest, “Nothing would make me happier, bebe. Now sleep, mi hermosa, my beautiful,” he whispered.
Thirty-Nine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caysun
He lay there listening to the quiet voices coming through the wall from the bedroom next door.
He’d been awake for a while now but was afraid to get up. He’d opened his eyes, not surprised to find the bed next to him empty….and cold.
Now he was afraid to face the very real possibility that Vaughn had not only left his bed but left him as well.
He’d faced this reality many times, more times than he could count. But this was the first time that he dreaded it, the first time that it mattered, because Vaughn mattered, so fucking much.
With a final sigh, he rolled out of bed and pulled on sweats and a t-shirt.
He felt like a dead man walking as he padded barefoot down the hall to the front door. Psyching himself up, he took one more deep breath. He pulled open the door and then felt his heart shatter as he stepped out onto the porch staring at the empty spot where Vaughn’s Mustang had been parked the night before.
Somehow, he made it the two steps to the porch railing without his knees giving out. The wood creaked as his fingers dug in. For the first time in his life, Caysun Rourke felt like crying…..over a man.
God, this fucking hurt.
“You stubborn son of a bitch,” he mumbled under his breath.
“So I’ve been told.”
Cay spun around so fast it took a second for his eyes to catch up. When they did, Vaughn Kepler sat on the porch swing staring at him. Caysun couldn’t decide if he wanted to walk over and kiss him or punch him in the face.
He kind of wanted to do both.
Instead he dug his fingers back into the railing behind him to keep him from doing either. “You’re here,” he said, because….duh.
“So it would seem.”
He wanted to ask Vaughn a million questions, wanted to ask why he’d left the bed, he wanted to ask if there was an us, a them.
Instead, “Where’s your car?” blurted out of his mouth.
“Put it in the barn out back. Don’t want O’Toole to see it if he shows up. Better to think it’s just Miguel and Casey inside.”
“Oh.”
Vaughn stared down at his hands, “I put it in there after I got back,” he mumbled.
His eyes lifted, a storm swirling in their blue depths as he looked at Caysun.
“You left,” Caysun said.
“I did. And then I came back.”
“Why?”
“Why did I leave? Or why did I come back?” Vaughn said as he pushed to his feet.
“Both.”
“I left because I’m scared,” he said as he took a step forward.
“Of what?” Caysun whispered, unable to keep the shaking from his voice.
“You. I came back because I’m terrified,” he said as he stepped up close enough that Cay could feel his warm breath on his face.
Cay swallowed hard, his heart beating an insane rhythm in his chest, “Of what?”
“Losing you,” Vaughn said as he began sliding the tip of his nose along Caysun jaw.
“What does this mean, for us?” Caysun said with a groan.
Vaughn’s nose slid over Cay’s chin and began moving up the other side, “I don’t know. Do you want to know what I do kn
ow, Caysun Rourke?”
Cay’s eyes slid shut, “Yes,” he whispered.
“Somehow I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Caysun’s hands shot out, grabbed Vaughn’s hips and pulled him so hard their bodies slammed together, “I love you too, Deputy Vaughn Kepler.”
Vaughn sighed and pressed his forehead to Caysun’s, “I’m going to fuck this up.”
Caysun snorted, “You seem to think that I have experience at this. I don’t. I’m going to fuck it up too. But when I do, I won’t run, I can promise you that.”
Vaughn sighed out a breath, “I,” he began and then he froze.
“Vaughn? You, what?”
“Shhhh, can you reach my phone? It’s in my front pocket.”
In any other situation, Caysun would’ve made a joke, but he could feel the man’s tension crackling in the air. He loosened his fingers, “Right or left?”
“My left.”
Caysun slid the phone up until it was cradled between their bodies. “Open the texts,” Vaughn whispered as he pressed his thumb to the phone to open it up, nuzzling Caysun’s neck as he did.
Caysun shivered, “Who?”
“Tegan.”
Cay pressed his forehead to Vaughn’s shoulder, “Say?”
“911”
Caysun hissed in a breath but he sent the text and slid the phone back into Vaughn’s pocket. Vaughn kissed his ear, “Step back with me, we need to try to get inside, like fast. This place is about to light the fuck up.”
Vaughn tried to turn them so he could shield Caysun with his body but Cay refused to budge, “No you don’t, babe. You’re trained for this kind of shit. Casey needs you.”
Vaughn growled because he knew the man was right. Didn’t make putting Caysun out there like a fucking target any easier.
He wrapped his big beefy arms around Cay, trying to provide what little protection he could and then he started walking backwards.
The red light of a laser glowed through the trees at the same moment that the door behind him got tugged open.
“Down!” he shouted as he fell to the floor and rolled away from the open door with Caysun. Cade shoved a weapon into Vaughn’s hands as he kicked the door shut with his booted foot. “I’m going out the side door to cover Teeg!” he yelled as all hell broke out around their heads. “Bolt that fucking door when they stop to reload. Any idea how many?”
“I only saw one, but I’m sure there are more,” he yelled.
The shooting stopped suddenly, “Bolt the door!” Cade shouted as he crawled over to the door next to the pantry.
He pushed to his feet, his gun pointed down at the floor, held with both hands. He pressed a finger to the bluetooth in his ear, “Say again, Teeg?”
He listened and then said, “The shooter is down. Teeg is flanking, searching for more. Keep them safe,” Cade said and then he disappeared out the door.
Vaughn turned to Caysun, “You good? Can you crawl?”
Caysun winced, “Yeah, I’m good.”
Vaughn frowned.
“Dude, I’m fine. Just having you tackle me onto a hardwood floor is crossed off my list of fantasies and put into the sounded like a hot idea but wasn’t pile,” Caysun said with a grunt, “Not good for the ribcage, or the legs.”
“Noted. You go first in case someone breaks down the door,” Vaughn said.
Cay began moving, “Fine, but don’t get that ass shot. I kinda like it.”
Vaughn actually chuckled for a second until he heard shouting outside.
“Move!”
He and Caysun slid down the hall as fast as they could into the room they had slept in, “Miguel? Casey?” Vaughn called as soon as they were inside.
The bathroom door opened, and Miguel stuck his head out, “We’re in here.”
“Good, keep him in there. Do you have a backdoor in this place?”
“Sí, it’s in here.”
Vaughn frowned, “In the bathroom?”
“Sí. I had the bathroom enlarged. Added that stand in shower and the soaking tub and a hidden door that leads out to the hot tub.”
Vaughn grabbed his weapons bag and turned back to face Miguel, “Show me.”
Vaughn grabbed Caysun’s arm and pushed him into the bathroom. He locked both access doors and then turned to where Miguel was standing next to the wall.
“There’s a hidden access panel, here,” he said as he opened it to reveal an electronic lock.
“Does the door open out or in?” Vaughn said.
“Neither. It slides. Like a, um, pocket door I think they called it?”
“Perfect. Get in the tub.”
“What?” Casey said at the same time that Miguel mumbled, “Que?”
Vaughn pointed, “You’ve got corner windows there, dude. Both of you lay down in the tub and keep your heads down. We’ll be here against the door.”
“But, won’t they try to shoot us through it?” Caysun said.
“Why? They don’t know it’s a door. They think this is foot-thick logs. I’m not going to set them straight until I absolutely have to. What’s the code?”
Miguel told him and then he helped Casey into the tub. Vaughn watched as the man turned on his side, cradling Casey in his arms while at the same time trying to shield him.
Vaughn looked at Caysun. The man looked pale, too pale. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Caysun’s fingers trembled as he brought his hand up to his hair, “I, yeah, I’m just a little shaky. Probably adrenaline drop.”
Vaughn frowned, “Yeah. What hurt when I landed on you?”
“My ribs, my elbow and the back of my thigh.”
“Your thigh?”
“Yeah, I figured I must’ve landed on a splinter or glass,” he mumbled as his knee buckled.
Vaughn grabbed for him and pulled him close, “Easy there, babe.”
“Vaughn?” Casey whispered.
Vaughn looked over his shoulder until he met his brother’s eyes. Casey’s gaze dropped so Vaughn peered down Caysun’s back to find, “Motherfucker,” he mumbled.
The sweats on the back of Caysun’s left thigh were soaked with blood.
Forty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sylas
He wasn’t sure what would happen when they got to their destination. His fingers fidgeted on his leg and he bit his lower lip as he climbed into the passenger seat.
“Hey,” Grainger said, placing his hand on Sy’s cheek. He used his thumb to pull Sy’s lip from between his teeth, “I kind of like this lip.” He leaned forward to press their lips together.
“You do?” Sylas said with a smile against Grainger’s lips.
“Yeah, I do. Are you okay?”
Sylas could try to hide what he was feeling, god knew he’d done that many times in the past while trying to impress some guy.
But Grainger wasn’t just some guy.
Grainger was THE guy.
“I’m nervous,” he whispered.
Instead of laughing it off or effectively belittling his feelings by telling Sy he shouldn’t be nervous or was being silly, Grainger just looked into Sylas’ eyes and said, “We don’t have to do this, Sy. We can go back inside, and I can rustle up something for breakfast.”
Sylas reached his hand up to cover the one that was still on his cheek. He sighed and closed his eyes and he kinda felt like the grinch with his heart growing three sizes. He could do this. This man made him feel like he could do anything.
“I think I’d prefer baked goods to what you Brits call breakfast,” he said with a smile.
Grainger chuckled, “Don’t knock beans on toast until you’ve tried it, luv,” he said as he pulled the seatbelt around Sy and buckled it.
Just before he stepped away to close the door, Sylas grabbed his wrist, “Thank you.”
When Grainger frowned in confusion, Sy continued, “For not forcing me or making me feel…..broken.”
“You are not broken, Sy. You are a piece of clay
that you are molding and carving into something stunning, like the statue of David.”
Sy closed his eyes and hummed, “Mmmm, with a bigger dick, I hope.”
Grainger threw his head back and laughed, “Definitely with a bigger dick, babe. But the ancient Greeks did consider a small penis a sign of intelligence.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” Grainger said as he closed the door.
He walked around to the driver’s side and climbed inside.
“How long did it take you to get used to that?”
“Used to what?”
“The driver’s side being on the left?”
“Oh, that. Not long. But I may or may not have embarrassed myself on a date when I climbed into the passenger side and reached for a steering wheel that wasn’t there,” he said with a smile and a wink.
Sylas giggled in the seat next to him as he started the engine and backed out of the open garage.
Sylas’ nerves came roaring back when Grainger parked in front of a quaint coffee shop a few minutes later.
He worried about how Grainger would act around him.
He worried about doing something stupid to embarrass Grainger.
He worried about people judging him.
He worried about……..
Grainger opened his door and slid his fingers into Sy’s hand, “I can’t wait until JoJo meets you,” he said with a look filled with so much adoration and pride that Sylas couldn’t help but feel bathed in it too.
He stepped out of the car and got folded into Grainger’s strong embrace while the man closed his door behind him. He pressed a kiss to Sy’s forehead and then looked into his eyes, “Ready?”
Sylas took a deep breath and then nodded his head, “Ready.”
The bell jingled over the door as they walked inside and the woman behind the counter lit up with a smile, “Grainger, honey, we’ve missed you!”
“Hey Marley. Is your Mum around?”
Marley clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes, “Like she’d ever be anywhere else. Mom, Grainger’s here!”
A grey-haired woman pushed out through the door from the kitchen, “What did I tell you, young man, about staying away so…...oh,” she said when she caught sight of Sylas.
Whiteout Conditions Page 16
