Severe Side Winds Ahead

by Kendel Duncan

  “You said two things,” King said.

  “What?”

  “Earlier, you said you had two things to tell me.”

  “Oh, the second was, don’t call me Sir. I can’t stand that. It’s Drake or Malone, never sir, okay?”

  “You got it.”

  “I’ll email you your flight information. Talk to you soon, Fisher.”

  “Sounds good, Drake.”

  The call ended and King again stared out the window. His heart was heavy but he knew it was time to move on with his life. There was nothing here for him anymore…..at least not the one thing that he really wanted.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Kelly growled from the passenger seat as he read through the file spread out on his legs.

  “What is it, babe?” Cole said as he glanced over before putting his eyes back on the road.

  “This asshole is a real piece of work.”

  “The one you’re going to protect?”

  Kelly glanced over at him, “What? No, the one who is after the two men I’m going to protect.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. He’s some hoity-toity lawyer by day, all popular and shit, but behind closed doors he’s a fucking monster. He has a history with both of these men. One he kept as his boyfriend ten years ago until he almost killed him and Morgan rescued him from the hospital.”

  “Kept?”

  “Yeah, kept. Beat, verbally abused, raped, withheld money and outside contact for years. Kept, Cole.”

  “Jesus.”

  “Nice looking guy too. He’s been working for Morgan ever since.”

  “And the other one?”

  “I don’t have a picture of him, Morgan hasn’t found one to send yet, but he’s twenty and apparently this lawyer asshole has kept him since the guy was a kid, like fourteen or something.”

  “Holy shit. Same as the other guy?”

  Kelly shook his head, “Morgan doesn’t think so, not with everything. This guy was definitely abused, made to do certain sexual things but according to the guy, this Jesse, there was never any penetrative sex because, get this, that fucking sick-ass lawyer was waiting until they got married when Jesse turned twenty-one in a few months.”

  “But he escaped?”

  Kelly shook his head, “Nope. Morgan’s guy found him and rescued him.”

  “Wow, that’s like…wow.”

  Kelly frowned as he looked over at Cole, “Are, um, are you going to be okay being around them?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With, um, your history. You know, the, um, rape.”

  Cole’s fingers turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, “I’ll be fine,” he mumbled through his clenched jaw.

  “Did you, um, ever get counseling after what happened, babe?”

  Cole shook his head as he glared out the windshield, “I found my own version of therapy.”

  “Which was?”

  “I founded a multi-billion-dollar company and fucked any man I wanted to,” he bit out. Cole knew it was harsh….but it was the truth.

  Kelly sucked in a breath next to him and turned his head away as he whispered, “Oh.”

  Cole sighed out a breath and forced his hands to relax, “Look…”

  “No, I get it, Cole. I did that. I left and you got hurt and that was how you coped. That’s on me.”

  “No, NO!” Cole shouted as he yanked the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes.

  “Jesus,” Kelly whispered as he gripped the dash to keep from slamming into it.

  Cole shut off the car and climbed out, slamming his door then he walked around the front and off into the grass field next to them.

  Kelly slowly climbed out and leaned against the side of the car because he knew the man had some shit to work out and the last thing he needed was Kelly storming after him.

  After a few minutes, Cole’s feet stopped and he just stared off into the forest beyond them. Then his hands came up to wipe tears from his cheeks as he turned back around and stomped over to Kelly. He walked right up and got into his face, “Now you listen and you listen good because this is the last time I’m going to say this. You had nothing to do with what happened to me, nothing. Did I blame you for it? Yes. But that was because I was angry because you left me, not because I thought it was your fault. What happened,” he said as he sucked in a shaky breath, “what happened still probably would’ve happened even if you’d stayed around, except it either would’ve happened to both of us or they would’ve killed you to get to me. Both of those scenarios are completely and utterly unacceptable to me. So, I’m glad you left, Kelly,” he pressed a finger to Kelly’s lips when he opened them to protest and went on, “I’m glad. Because if you hadn’t you wouldn’t be here with me now. And that’s something I definitely wouldn’t be able to survive.”

  Kelly sighed as he put his arms on Cole’s shoulders and pressed their foreheads together, “I’m so sorry babe.”

  “Kel…”

  “No, let me say this and then we’ll move on. I’m so sorry your innocence was ripped from you like that. I’m so sorry your happiness was crushed. I’m so sorry you had to endure that ugliness. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to watch the strength of your survival. And most of all, I’m so sorry I never told you that I loved you before I left.”

  “You, you loved me? Back then?”

  “I did. And it killed me. Because I couldn’t do anything about it or my father would’ve turned his wrath on you too. I was a coward, Cole. I should’ve fought him. I should’ve stood up for you but I didn’t. I ran.”

  Cole put his hand on Kelly’s cheek, “No, you survived, Kel, just like me.”

  Kelly leaned down and pressed their lips together, “I love you…so much,” he whispered when he pulled back.

  “I love you too. Let’s get back on the road. We should be there in another twenty minutes or so.”

  Kelly caught his hand as he started to walk away, “Cole, wait. There’s, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Cole frowned, “Okay.”

  “I, shit, I know where they are.”

  Cole’s frown deepened, “Who?”

  Kelly just stared at him and waited until Cole’s eyes went wide. He took a step back, “That phone call,” he whispered.

  Kelly nodded.

  Cole turned his back on Kelly with both hands on top of his head. “What do you plan on doing?” he finally whispered.

  “Making them pay.”

  Cole’s head whipped around, “You’re going to kill them?”

  Kelly shook his head, “No, but after I’m done with them they’ll wish they were dead.”

  “I, I don’t know how I feel about this, Kel. Almost everything in me says no, just let it go so we can get on with our lives. But a tiny part of me……”

  “Says yes,” Kelly finished for him.

  Cole nodded his head.

  Kelly reached for him and pulled him back into his arms, “I won’t do anything unless you tell me to, okay? It’ll kill me, but I won’t.”

  Cole nodded his head against Kelly’s chest, “Okay.”

  “You want me to drive the rest of the way?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  Just before Cole stepped away again, Kelly tightened his arms, “I’m sorry I’ve been so on edge too. This case, it’s getting to me.”

  “Why?”

  “One of the guys, that Jesse kid that’s twenty? He’s the same age as the brother I left behind. His name was Jesse too. It’s just got me thinking about my brother and wondering what happened to him after I left. I hope he’s happy somewhere, maybe in college with a girlfriend or something but I don’t know.”

  “You should try to find him after this case is over.”

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.”

  They got back into the car and Cole pulled back onto the road.

  And as they made their way up the winding mountain road – neither one of them knew that their lives were about to get turned
upside down.

  Epilogue

  Jackson read over the page in the file folder in front of him….and realized that he’d already read it at least a half dozen times. “Fuck,” he mumbled as he scrubbed his hand over his face.

  He really needed to stop fighting this – even though it felt so crazy.

  It had been a little over a month since he’d had to follow Cole up that mountain and he met Tripp Henry and even though that meeting had been brief – only twenty-four hours’ tops – he couldn’t get the man off of his mind. And not just the man – it was the connection he felt to him. He hadn’t felt that kind of connection with anyone since Bryce had died. And while that scared the shit out of him, he was getting tired of fighting it.

  But fighting what?

  That was the weird thing.

  They hadn’t fucked, they hadn’t kissed, hell, they’d barely even been close enough to each other to touch. But that didn’t seem to matter.

  His body was still yearning for the man.

  His mind was still reaching for him

  Everything in him ached for Tripp Henry – a man he barely knew.

  He sighed and picked up his phone.

  “Hey, Jackson, what’s up?” Morgan said when he answered.

  “Do you have someone else who could take the,” he glanced down at the folder, “Preston case?”

  He could hear the smile in Morgan’s voice as he said, “Why? You got plans?”

  “Don’t start, Morgan.”

  “I’m not. I’m just happy for you.”

  “Well, don’t get too happy, I haven’t talked to the man in weeks. I have no idea what kind of reception I’m going to get.”

  “I’m just happy you’re taking this step, Jack. I know how hard it is for you. And, yes, I can have Colby take the case.”

  Jackson snorted a laugh, “Colby? Are you sure his wife will let his leash out enough for him to work?”

  When silence answered him, Jackson knew something was wrong. “What happened, Morg?”

  “Stacey left Colby, Jack. Almost a month ago.”

  “Shit, why didn’t I know this? Is he doing okay?”

  “As long as he keeps working, yeah. He says he needs to keep busy though so he doesn’t spiral into a dark hole.”

  “Fuck, that’s rough. Yeah, give him my case. Tell him, tell him I’m taking some time off.”

  “Will do. Any idea how much time?”

  Jackson glanced out the window to the mountains where he knew Tripp’s house was, “Not sure yet. Hopefully at least a few weeks but I’ll be in touch to let you know. Hell, if he turns me away at the door I might be calling you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, Jack.”

  “How do you know, Morg? You haven’t even met this guy.”

  “Just call it….”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, a gut instinct. You and your damn gut instincts.”

  “Well, are they ever wrong?”

  Jackson rubbed his hand over his heart which had suddenly begun to hurt, “No, they’re not.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Uh, I’ve got to go pack before I chicken out.”

  “Okay. We’ll talk soon. And Jackson?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He wants this for you, you know he does.”

  Okay, that was why his heart was aching.

  “Yeah, I know,” he barely managed to say past the lump in his throat.

  The call ended and he sat at his table for a few minutes staring at…nothing.

  “Fuck it,” he finally mumbled as he pushed his chair back and stood up.

  He walked down the hall into his bedroom, grabbed the duffel bag from his closet and threw a few changes of clothes into it – a couple pair of jeans, some shirts, sweatpants, underwear and socks and a pair of sneakers. Then he walked into the bathroom and grabbed his body wash, razor and toothbrush and shoved them into his toiletry bag. Just before he zipped it up he glanced out to his room at his nightstand. He took a deep breath and walked over to it, pulled out the drawer and grabbed the box of condoms and bottle of lube and shoved them inside and zipped it up. Then he tossed that into his duffel.

  Then he turned and looked into the open closet. He knew what he needed to get but he couldn’t seem to make his feet move.

  Finally he took one step forward…..and sank his ass down onto the bed when his knees gave out.

  His fingers gripped the edge of the bed as he stared.

  He thought about giving up.

  He thought about just staying home and being this empty shell of a man for the rest of his days.

  But then he thought about him.

  And that got him pushing back up to his feet and walking across his hard wood floors and straight into the back of his walk-in closet. He rooted around behind a few boxes and then felt his fingers brush over that smooth leather. He closed his hand around the tops and pulled those boots out so he could see them.

  Beautiful, tan, smooth, shiny, soft…..just like Bryce’s skin had been. Bryce loved these cowboy boots. They were custom made and fit him like a glove and just like the man himself…they were perfect.

  Luckily, they both had the same size feet and calves.

  Because Jackson knew he needed to wear them. He had to. It’s what Bryce would’ve worn if they were going up to this ranch together.

  And even though Jack was going up there to see another man, he needed to have a part of Bryce with him – pushing him, guiding him, giving him strength – and not just the part that was permanently embedded in his heart.

  He needed more.

  His hands closed over the closet rod and then he slipped his feet inside, one at a time, slowly forcing them down into the tight leather until they closed over his calves and feet like a second skin.

  Then he just stared.

  Until the tears came.

  “Fuck, babe, I miss you so much,” he whispered in that confined space.

  He allowed himself a moment to cry and then took a few deep breaths as he brushed those tears away.

  “Thanks for helping me do this, babe,” he whispered then he turned, grabbed his duffel bag off of the bed and walked out of his house.

  Forty minutes later, after almost turning around at least ten times, he turned into the driveway that led to Tripp’s house.

  And he wasn’t a bit surprised when he saw the man leaning on his porch rails, watching his approach….like he had been expecting him.

  Tripp’s piercing eyes tracked the movement of his car as he pulled up, parked it and shut it off. His eyes stayed on him as Jackson climbed out of his car and walked back to the trunk.

  Jack saw Tripp’s eyes dart down to his boots and his own gaze followed. He hoped, prayed, that Tripp didn’t ask about them, not yet, because if he did, Jack would probably burst into tears, jump in his car and leave, never to return.

  But Tripp didn’t say a word.

  So, Jackson let his eyes drift back up to lock with Tripp’s. Tripp dipped his chin in a nod of approval then said, “Come on inside, I’ve got stew cooking,” then he turned, pulled open the screen and disappeared into the house.

  Jackson let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding, opened his trunk, grabbed his bag…….and started walking towards a future that he never thought was possible.

  The End.

  Read on forsneak peeks of:

  Blackbird Fly Home

  Doyle Global Securities #1

  and

  Thunderstorms on the Horizon

  Black Ops Heroes #9

  Thunderstorms on the Horizon

  Black Ops Heroes #9

  Prologue

  “Can I get you anything else to drink?”

  Rowan’s eyes left the window on the plane and he looked up into the eyes of the flight attendant, the really hot flight attendant, the one who had made it very clear that he wanted Rowan…bad.

  In another life, at another time…maybe. But not today, Row realized with a sad sigh.
<
br />   “No, I’m good, thanks, Chad.”

  The guy’s face lit up when Rowan said his name, like he was just so incredibly happy that Rowan had remembered it.

  “Um, are you staying in DC?” Chad mumbled.

  A small smile lifted the corners of Row’s mouth, “Nope, heading to Virginia.”

  “Oh, pity,” Chad said.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Can you two get your gay on somewhere else?” the man in the seat next to Rowan said.

  Rowan’s head snapped around to glare at him, “Why? Because you’re afraid you’ll catch it?” he snapped.

  The guy opened his eyes and pinned his own glared on Rowan’s face, “No. Because I hate flying and I really, really hate landing, so I’m trying not to throw up.”

  “Oh. Sorry,” he mumbled, feeling like an ass for assuming the guy was a homophobe.

  “S’okay,” the man mumbled as he re-closed his eyes and tipped his head back.

  Chad thrust his hand at Rowan and when Row opened his hand, Chad slid a slip of paper into it. Then he held his hand up to his ear and mouth, call me, before he turned to make his way to the front of the plane so he could strap in for their landing.

  Row stared at those digits for a while and then quietly leaned forward to tuck the piece of paper inside the outer pocket of laptop bag under the seat in front of the man next to him.

  “You’re breaking his heart,” the man said and when Row looked at him, his eyes were still closed but he had a smirk on his face.

  “Yeah, well, he’ll get over it,” Rowan said as he snapped his seatbelt back into place.

  “He will. ‘Cause I’m going to make him forget all about you.”

  Rowan snorted a laugh.

  Once they had taxied up to the gate, Rowan unbuckled and waited for his turn to grab his bag from the overhead bin. One duffel bag and one suitcase – that was all he had to his name. How pathetic was that?

  But when he’d gotten the call from one JD Preston to fly out and interview for their team, he decided that Vegas was not a place he had any desire to return to so, after telling JD to just send him a one-way ticket, he packed up his belongings into those two bags, called his boss to tell him he was quitting and walked into the Las Vegas airport, hopefully for the last time.