Page 26
Story: Xtasy
Hawk roared and tried to shrug Ambrose off of him. He didn’t want to stop until Blaze was dead. Nobody harmed what belonged to him.
Ambrose leaned close to Hawk’s ear and whispered, “Atlas is here, Hawk. Your boy needs you…and doesn’t need to see this.”
The bloodlust that had overtaken Hawk fled away. He shrugged Ambrose off and spun around to find Atlas standing a few feet away. He’d been beaten. Badly. He looked at Atlas, down at Blaze, and then back to Atlas. He tried for a grin but knew his lips were trembling with emotion. “That’s my boy,” he whispered as he reached for Atlas and pulled him into his arms. “I should have known you would find a way to escape him.”
Atlas snuggled as closely as he could, wincing from the pain of his cracked ribs but wanting Hawk’s touch more than anything. “Yes, you should have. I wouldn’t have even needed you guys at this point. I was on the track and swim team.” Atlas looked up at Hawk. “I would have made it to the water, and he would have never caught me. I wasn’t going to let him have you.” Atlas paused a second before saying, “You’re mine, Hawk Pentress. I’m in love with you. I think I have been since that first night when I knocked on your door. You don’t have to say anything back, I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
“I love you,” Hawk quickly countered. “How could you have ever doubted it?” Hawk drew Atlas close and kissed him. Softly. Gently, careful not to hurt Atlas damaged lips. “Move in with me. Now. Tonight. After we take you to the hospital. You can bring Megan if you want. I…I just can’t imagine my life without you in it. I’m going to be overprotective for a while. Get ready for it.”
“Oh…so you want me to stay while I recover?” Atlas asked, trying to hide his disappointment.
“Of course! You’ll stay in my bed while you recover. I never want you to leave my home, though. It’s ours. It feels empty when you aren’t there.” Hawk tucked Atlas’ head beneath his chin. “I should have already confessed my feelings. I told you I would suck at this relationship thing. I knew how I felt and didn’t tell you…almost didn’t get to tell you. Never again.”
Atlas looked toward the door. Ambrose walked out, his face deathly white. Atlas had never seen anything other than playful emotion on Ambrose’s face. His look now was despair. Atlas stepped away from Hawk and moved toward Ambrose. “I’m sorry, Ambrose. I should have never fallen for Blaze’s tricks. You’ve never been anything but good to me, and I answered that with distrust.” Atlas looked through the opened door one last time. “Were they your friends?”
Ambrose cleared his throat. “Yes. They were good men and had the same love for one another that you and Hawk share. Like them, you both have been blessed to find your soul mate.”
“Are you angry with me for believing the notes?”
“Never! It was actually a fairly good plan. I didn’t think Blaze had the brain power to think of it. Add his deviousness to the fact that you have a kind heart, and it led to where we are. I’m sorry you were hurt by anyone from my and Hawk’s life. This will weigh heavy on our hearts forever.” Trying to lighten the mood, if at all possible, considering what had happened to all of them, Ambrose said, “Your man has threatened to kill me more than once this evening.”
Unable to be away from Atlas a second longer, Hawk moved in and wrapped a protective arm around him and said, “What’s Ambrose complaining about now? That I threatened to kill him?”
“Yes. That. Exactly.” Atlas answered. “That’s rude, Hawk.”
“Yeah, well, desperate measures called for desperate rudeness. We would have been here an hour ago, but Ambrose forgot that Maxwell and Michael also had a country home.” Hawk reached around and popped Ambrose on the side of the head. “I think Ambrose must be getting old. Who could forget something like that?”
Wallace sauntered over and answered, “Maybe somebody that was being threatened with death every few minutes.” He swiped at his bloody nose. “Who has a fucking front door that opens outward? That’s just stupid.”
They were all joking around but the mood turned somber in an instant when Wallace continued talking, “I went inside, Ambrose. I’m sorry. I know they were your friends.”
Blaze chose that moment to make a moaning sound. Hawk started to kick him again, but Ambrose shook his head. “Please don’t do that, my friend. I’d appreciate him being alert for our chat. Maxwell would never forgive me if I didn’t address what Blaze did to Michael.”
Atlas’ head snapped up. “Are you going to kill him?” He swiveled around to look at Hawk. “We don’t kill do we?”
Ambrose smiled serenely. “Of course I’m not going to kill him, boy. I’m not a murderer.”
“I’m taking Atlas to the hospital,” Hawk said as he surprised his boy by picking him up and cradling him against his chest. “Do what you need to do, Ambrose. Make certain he understands to never come after us again.”
“My pleasure,” Ambrose answered. As Hawk walked away, holding Atlas gently in his arms, Ambrose turned to Wallace and said, “Give me twenty minutes and then call 911.”
“Copy that.”
EPILOGUE
Atlas growled when Hawk reached behind his head to fluff his pillow for the hundredth time that day…and it was only noon. Never in his life had anyone babied and protected him the way Hawk had since that horrible night. Atlas had spent three days in the hospital. He ended up having three cracked ribs and a broken wrist. Thankfully, the damage to his face had healed on its own—nothing too serious, although he’d looked like the walking dead for several weeks.
“Stop babying me, Hawk,” Atlas pleaded. “I know you have work you need to be doing. I’ll be perfectly safe—you’re only one floor away if I need you. Blaze is in the hospital with a guard at his door and will head straight to prison once he recovers. I’m fine. I promise.”
Hawk arched a brow. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Grinning mischievously, Atlas answered, “While you are the best and hottest nurse in the entire world, you’re pampering me so much that I’m beginning to feel useless. Bring me my laptop and I’ll catch up on some work while you finish your project.” Atlas hadn’t gone back to his apartment since the attack. Hawk had moved all Atlas belongings into his building and set Megan up in one of the guest rooms while she hunted for a new place. Neither Atlas nor Megan was interested in going back inside their old apartment—the one they’d loved so much pre-Blaze.
Over the years, any time Atlas had moved from one place to the next, beginning with when he moved from his childhood home to his first apartment, there had always been a two or three week phase where nothing felt…right. He couldn’t sleep. It would take forever for a place to feel like home. Not this time, though. As soon as Hawk had brought him home from the hospital, Atlas had snuggled into the bed they shared and had instantly known he belonged right there, with Hawk.
“I’ll go work for a bit when you say it again,” Hawk promised.
“I love you, Hawk. I love you with everything I’ve got in me.”Who would have ever thought Hawk would have any insecurities about anything? The problem was that Hawk couldn’t stop blaming himself for what happened, no matter how many times Atlas gently explained that Blaze was the only person to blame for what happened.
“I love you too, baby. I’m better with you. You’ll marry me one day, right?”
Atlas felt like his heart exploded. “Uh…yes. Definitely. I-I wasn’t certain you were going in that direction. I didn’t want to push, and I definitely didn’t want you to do something because you feel guilty over what happened.”
Hawk grinned like he’d won the lottery. “When you are healed good and proper, I’ll ask you the right way—down on one knee, looking up at you with puppy-dog eyes begging you.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Atlas whispered back and gave Hawk a kiss that promised all sorts of delights.
Ambrose leaned close to Hawk’s ear and whispered, “Atlas is here, Hawk. Your boy needs you…and doesn’t need to see this.”
The bloodlust that had overtaken Hawk fled away. He shrugged Ambrose off and spun around to find Atlas standing a few feet away. He’d been beaten. Badly. He looked at Atlas, down at Blaze, and then back to Atlas. He tried for a grin but knew his lips were trembling with emotion. “That’s my boy,” he whispered as he reached for Atlas and pulled him into his arms. “I should have known you would find a way to escape him.”
Atlas snuggled as closely as he could, wincing from the pain of his cracked ribs but wanting Hawk’s touch more than anything. “Yes, you should have. I wouldn’t have even needed you guys at this point. I was on the track and swim team.” Atlas looked up at Hawk. “I would have made it to the water, and he would have never caught me. I wasn’t going to let him have you.” Atlas paused a second before saying, “You’re mine, Hawk Pentress. I’m in love with you. I think I have been since that first night when I knocked on your door. You don’t have to say anything back, I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
“I love you,” Hawk quickly countered. “How could you have ever doubted it?” Hawk drew Atlas close and kissed him. Softly. Gently, careful not to hurt Atlas damaged lips. “Move in with me. Now. Tonight. After we take you to the hospital. You can bring Megan if you want. I…I just can’t imagine my life without you in it. I’m going to be overprotective for a while. Get ready for it.”
“Oh…so you want me to stay while I recover?” Atlas asked, trying to hide his disappointment.
“Of course! You’ll stay in my bed while you recover. I never want you to leave my home, though. It’s ours. It feels empty when you aren’t there.” Hawk tucked Atlas’ head beneath his chin. “I should have already confessed my feelings. I told you I would suck at this relationship thing. I knew how I felt and didn’t tell you…almost didn’t get to tell you. Never again.”
Atlas looked toward the door. Ambrose walked out, his face deathly white. Atlas had never seen anything other than playful emotion on Ambrose’s face. His look now was despair. Atlas stepped away from Hawk and moved toward Ambrose. “I’m sorry, Ambrose. I should have never fallen for Blaze’s tricks. You’ve never been anything but good to me, and I answered that with distrust.” Atlas looked through the opened door one last time. “Were they your friends?”
Ambrose cleared his throat. “Yes. They were good men and had the same love for one another that you and Hawk share. Like them, you both have been blessed to find your soul mate.”
“Are you angry with me for believing the notes?”
“Never! It was actually a fairly good plan. I didn’t think Blaze had the brain power to think of it. Add his deviousness to the fact that you have a kind heart, and it led to where we are. I’m sorry you were hurt by anyone from my and Hawk’s life. This will weigh heavy on our hearts forever.” Trying to lighten the mood, if at all possible, considering what had happened to all of them, Ambrose said, “Your man has threatened to kill me more than once this evening.”
Unable to be away from Atlas a second longer, Hawk moved in and wrapped a protective arm around him and said, “What’s Ambrose complaining about now? That I threatened to kill him?”
“Yes. That. Exactly.” Atlas answered. “That’s rude, Hawk.”
“Yeah, well, desperate measures called for desperate rudeness. We would have been here an hour ago, but Ambrose forgot that Maxwell and Michael also had a country home.” Hawk reached around and popped Ambrose on the side of the head. “I think Ambrose must be getting old. Who could forget something like that?”
Wallace sauntered over and answered, “Maybe somebody that was being threatened with death every few minutes.” He swiped at his bloody nose. “Who has a fucking front door that opens outward? That’s just stupid.”
They were all joking around but the mood turned somber in an instant when Wallace continued talking, “I went inside, Ambrose. I’m sorry. I know they were your friends.”
Blaze chose that moment to make a moaning sound. Hawk started to kick him again, but Ambrose shook his head. “Please don’t do that, my friend. I’d appreciate him being alert for our chat. Maxwell would never forgive me if I didn’t address what Blaze did to Michael.”
Atlas’ head snapped up. “Are you going to kill him?” He swiveled around to look at Hawk. “We don’t kill do we?”
Ambrose smiled serenely. “Of course I’m not going to kill him, boy. I’m not a murderer.”
“I’m taking Atlas to the hospital,” Hawk said as he surprised his boy by picking him up and cradling him against his chest. “Do what you need to do, Ambrose. Make certain he understands to never come after us again.”
“My pleasure,” Ambrose answered. As Hawk walked away, holding Atlas gently in his arms, Ambrose turned to Wallace and said, “Give me twenty minutes and then call 911.”
“Copy that.”
EPILOGUE
Atlas growled when Hawk reached behind his head to fluff his pillow for the hundredth time that day…and it was only noon. Never in his life had anyone babied and protected him the way Hawk had since that horrible night. Atlas had spent three days in the hospital. He ended up having three cracked ribs and a broken wrist. Thankfully, the damage to his face had healed on its own—nothing too serious, although he’d looked like the walking dead for several weeks.
“Stop babying me, Hawk,” Atlas pleaded. “I know you have work you need to be doing. I’ll be perfectly safe—you’re only one floor away if I need you. Blaze is in the hospital with a guard at his door and will head straight to prison once he recovers. I’m fine. I promise.”
Hawk arched a brow. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Grinning mischievously, Atlas answered, “While you are the best and hottest nurse in the entire world, you’re pampering me so much that I’m beginning to feel useless. Bring me my laptop and I’ll catch up on some work while you finish your project.” Atlas hadn’t gone back to his apartment since the attack. Hawk had moved all Atlas belongings into his building and set Megan up in one of the guest rooms while she hunted for a new place. Neither Atlas nor Megan was interested in going back inside their old apartment—the one they’d loved so much pre-Blaze.
Over the years, any time Atlas had moved from one place to the next, beginning with when he moved from his childhood home to his first apartment, there had always been a two or three week phase where nothing felt…right. He couldn’t sleep. It would take forever for a place to feel like home. Not this time, though. As soon as Hawk had brought him home from the hospital, Atlas had snuggled into the bed they shared and had instantly known he belonged right there, with Hawk.
“I’ll go work for a bit when you say it again,” Hawk promised.
“I love you, Hawk. I love you with everything I’ve got in me.”Who would have ever thought Hawk would have any insecurities about anything? The problem was that Hawk couldn’t stop blaming himself for what happened, no matter how many times Atlas gently explained that Blaze was the only person to blame for what happened.
“I love you too, baby. I’m better with you. You’ll marry me one day, right?”
Atlas felt like his heart exploded. “Uh…yes. Definitely. I-I wasn’t certain you were going in that direction. I didn’t want to push, and I definitely didn’t want you to do something because you feel guilty over what happened.”
Hawk grinned like he’d won the lottery. “When you are healed good and proper, I’ll ask you the right way—down on one knee, looking up at you with puppy-dog eyes begging you.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Atlas whispered back and gave Hawk a kiss that promised all sorts of delights.