Page 27

T he air was thick with tension, almost crackling with the strain as they waited for a response, any response.

“Don’t mind if I do. See ya, cuz,” Fierce snarled, gave a one-fingered salute, and spun on his heel to stalk back inside the barracks.

“You okay?” Rip turned to Boston, and the boy nodded with a grin.

“Of course,” Boston said, hanging on to Rip’s muscled arm.

Freedom ran after Fierce, disappearing into the barracks.

“I can fight my own damn battles,” Freedom shouted and then slammed the barracks door with him and Fierce inside.

Will turned the horse and gave her a nudge. She broke out into a slow walk. He had hoped that Fierce would fit in here and settle down, but that wasn’t going to be the case.

Fierce had a rage that was embedded so deeply that it might be impossible to domesticate his cousin. They were first cousins, actually. Their mothers were sisters.

He made a mental note to call Levi. Their second cousin was close to Fierce, closer than anyone other than Freedom. Levi also worked within Aries, another covert ops team he ran, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to get Levi to come out to the ranch.

After all, Will would need way more men if what Titus planned ever came to fruition.

On horseback, his guards tucked in behind him. Will turned his mind to the time he had left to relax.

Which equated to about twelve more hours.

He’d take it.

“God knows I need it,” he whispered and urged the mare into a gallop.

Real stalked over to Azrael and didn’t give the slender assassin a chance to react. He tossed the boy over his shoulder and walked across the dusty paddock.

“Put me the fuck down! Put me down, Real. Let me go or so help me, I will cut you!”

Real smiled at that, but he didn’t release the wildly fighting young assassin until they reached the cabin and he booted the door open and then dumped Azrael on the floor.

Azrael sprang to his feet, spitting mad. Real blocked the door and locked it, but Azrael darted to the window. Real launched and thank fuck, the space between them was small enough that he could catch him.

He wrapped his arms around Azrael from behind. Like a wild thing, Azrael wiggled, shouted all kinds of foul language at him, and fought like his life was at stake.

Real waited him out.

Azrael needed to get this out of his system before the boy would settle down and talk with him.

Real bent his head and nuzzled into the back of Azrael’s hair. He ghosted his lips over the skin at the boy’s nape.

Azrael froze and made a low, hungry sound.

That was okay with Real, he’d give them both what they needed.

Talking could wait until later, because afterwards?

He wasn’t leaving this time.

Several hours later, Azrael groaned and rolled over on the mattress. He came up against a hard, muscled form that jolted him to a stop.

Groggily, he blinked his eyes and found Real sprawled on his back, asleep in the bed beside him.

Just wait until he wakes up, he thought, and grimaced. It would be a whole other story and he’d be faced with the back of Real’s ass in no time flat.

Screw that.

Azrael shoved back the blankets, but before he could jump from the bed, he was caught by strong arms. The same arms that had held him hours earlier. Arms that had caught him close to a body that had taken him hard.

Azrael shivered at the memory.

“Where you goin’?” Real mumbled into his hair.

What the hell?

His heart stopped and then pounded in his chest as hope bloomed.

“Nowhere,” Azrael croaked out the lie as he eased back into Real’s muscled chest. A chest he had earlier licked and sucked and scratched.

His scratches marking Real’s chest would be there for the world to see.

Azrael’s face heated and his breath caught. It wasn’t like the rest of the guys didn’t know that they screwed, but he still felt shy about it, and that shyness stemmed from being unsure of Real.

Was he just a casual fuck or something more?

Real nuzzled at him.

“I…I thought you didn’t want this…” Azrael breathed.

“I want you more than anything in the world.”

Real’s gruffly spoken words brought a sting to Azrael’s eyes, but he fought it back and shoved and scooted around until he faced Real.

He gazed into the man’s sleep-filled face. “Are you sure?” He needed a firm commitment or this wasn’t going to work.

“I’m sure. Just make sure if anything ever changes, you tell me,” Real said.

“You mean if I suddenly want to get fucked because of hero-worshipping you?”

Real grimaced and dropped his head. Azrael combed his fingers through the thick strands at the top.

Lifting his head, Real searched his eyes.

“That’s not going to happen. I’m not that guy,” Azrael said.

He may have done and still did a lot of shitty things, but fucking for gratitude was not one of them.

Real smirked and Azrael grew fascinated at the tilt of the man’s lips and leaned in to kiss him on the mouth.

That led to other things, and they didn’t get out of the cabin until it was dark and a few hours after dinner time.

That it was dark in Nevada meant it was after 7:30 PM, and dinner was typically between 5 and 6.

Being so late didn’t stop the mess hall from being packed, and most of the men stopped talking when they walked through the door.

Then the catcalls started.

The whistling and laughter grew louder.

“You all suck,” Azrael shouted with a glare and then marched over to grab an empty plate.

Real’s deep chuckle followed him.

Apparently, what Real had said was true, he wanted this between them.

And apparently, the rest of the ranch knew exactly what was going on between them.

Azrael couldn’t stop his goofy smile.