Rhino Ash (Saturday Barbies Book 2)

by Lindsey Black

  ‘Uh … no,’ Harris scowled at Hale. ‘Stupid runner. You shoulda shot him.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s quite procedure,’ Hale laughed at Harris, seemingly finding nothing serious about it. But he turned to explain, clearly seeing Ashley was concerned.

  ‘The guy stabbed me. He had a knife, it went in about five centimetres. There’s a little bit of muscle damage but he didn’t damage any tendons. Nicked an artery so there was a tonne of blood. It should heal fine.’

  Ashley was relieved it was apparently going to be okay, but still horrified. That wasn’t exactly a butter knife! Not that he’d thought it was, but it still sat wrong in his gut. Who would want to stab Hale? Well, with a knife … He needed his head out of the gutter.

  ‘Hey, who wants to go out for ice cream? My shout!’ Taylor appeared at the table, the expression on his face far too hopeful. He looked like he’d been given a Christmas present and was five years old, not like he was offering to spend money on sugar for everyone. Ashley went to move in to his side but Clay beat him to it, hands on his hips.

  ‘Oh no …’ Ashley looked at the ceiling right as Clay shoved his pants down to his ankles and stepped out of them. He stood there, hands on his hips, grinning, half naked as the bouncers raced over, grabbed him and his pants and hauled him bodily from the bar.

  Taylor followed them, promising they would all be really good if the bouncers would only let them back in. He was raving about his boyfriend playing piano and his brother not needing pants …

  ‘And I think we’re done,’ Harris snickered, drinking his beer quickly and hurrying after them, leaving Ashley staring wide-eyed at Hale and wondering if he really was expected to leave, since he hadn’t actually come with his brothers and had in fact been invited by Sietta, who was not being kicked out.

  ‘Uh …’

  ‘What is it with Clay and getting naked as soon as he has one too many? I mean, did something happen when he was little?’

  ‘Uh …’ Was that a trick question? Because they’d all done some stupid and crazy stuff as kids and really, most people would be considered nuts if they only told people their most embarrassing childhood memories. But at the same time, there seemed to be an awful lot of them trying to kill each other when they were kids. At the time it had seemed harmless, but now they were adults they had to wonder how any of them had survived. Loose was a good term for their parents parenting style.

  ‘Though, it would be funny if Taylor was drunk all the time. Creepy … but funny. Not sure I’d ever get used to it though …’ Hale was staring out the window, watching Taylor try to pull Clay’s pants back on while Clay tried to kick them off, Harris standing several metres away and trying to look like he didn’t know them.

  ‘I think it’s the only time they forget the bad stuff.’ Ashley was surprised when Hale immediately turned to him with shrewd, sober eyes and pondered what he’d said.

  ‘That actually makes sense.’

  Ashley had never really thought about it. He’d answered because it was expected, but having Hale agree with him made him realise it was probably true. His brothers had seen some horrible things in their time, and he’d never asked about it, but he knew they were never going to forget those things. But with alcohol they relaxed enough that they at least didn’t dwell on any of it. And maybe that was important.

  ‘How are you getting home?’

  ‘A cab, I guess?’ Hale chuckled, looking at his crutches and sighing. ‘Harris was originally my plan, but he won’t be driving. He’s drunk more than your brothers I think.’

  ‘Light weights,’ Ashley laughed and was rewarded with Hale joining in. ‘Where do you live?’ How expensive would the cab fare be?

  ‘Riverstone …’

  ‘You’re shitting me? That’ll cost a fortune!’

  ‘You know, I don’t think Harris remembers that’s where I live. I think he assumed I lived closer when he volunteered to drive me. And there is no chance of getting a train that far out at this time of night, so cab’s the only choice.’ He looked at his crutches again and sighed.

  ‘Well … it’s not the only choice.’ Ashley could feel his neck heating but pushed forward because if he didn’t take the chance then he’d never know. ‘I live about two k’s from here. You can crash with me.’

  Hale’s head whipped around so fast Ashley almost reached out to make sure he didn’t fall off the stool, but he was fine. He was staring intently at Ashley. Thinking. About what, Ashley had no idea, and it was making him nervous.

  ‘With you,’ Hale clarified quietly, but very seriously.

  ‘Uh … well, I’ve a couch you can crash on, or…’

  ‘Or?’ Was that the start of a smirk? Why was that so hot? Ashley was fixated on the man’s mouth.

  ‘Or … I’ve got a bed. My bed. Obviously, I only have one bed, I mean I don’t own two. We don’t have a spare room, I mean, and my housemates share their bed, so I’ve only got the one, but it’s a king size, so it’s big enough …’ Someone please shut him up.

  Hale was still staring at him, watching the heat rise from his neck up his cheeks, infusing him with an unnatural rosy hue. He was pretty sure he would glow in the dark soon. Or spontaneously combust.

  ‘Thank you,’ Hale finally said, sipping his beer and hiding a faint smile behind it. Ashley sat there, staring and wondering what the hell that meant. Did that mean he was going home with him, or going home in a way overpriced taxi? What the hell was going on?

  ‘You’re welcome?’ Why was he being polite instead of asking what the plan was?

  Hale finally laughed outright, drinking his beer down and gripping the edge of the table, taking a few deep steadying breaths before standing on his good leg and reaching for the crutches. Ashley immediately moved to help, grabbing the crutches and handing them over, helping him get balanced and then following him out onto the street. It was blissfully quiet, his brothers apparently having made their way elsewhere.

  ‘I can’t believe they left you,’ Ashley muttered, looking up and down the street, as if they might actually still be there, hiding somewhere. He knew they weren’t, but he felt bad being related to them knowing they’d left their injured comrade at the bar. What happened to leave no man behind?

  ‘I doubt they remember I was with them,’ Hale lamented. He looked amused and stood there, leaning on his crutches, waiting.

  ‘Um …’

  ‘You gonna lead the way, or are we standing here ‘til Sietta’s gig finishes?’

  Shit. Hale was coming home with him.

  Holy shit!

  ‘This way,’ Ashley pointed in the right direction and started walking. ‘But it’s only a few blocks, we can get a cab?’

  ‘No!’ Hale interrupted him before he could try and hail one, smiling up at Ashley and shaking his head. ‘Really, it doesn’t hurt that bad, and I’d like the walk. Just … go slow, okay? I’m not my fastest right now.’

  ‘Meaning I might be able to keep up with you,’ Ashley laughed, starting out slow and checking that Hale could keep up. He seemed fine on the crutches and kept the weight off his injured leg with ease.

  ‘Congratulations on Louisa. I’m sure she was very happy.’

  ‘I think she was worried I was going to cook and eat her duck …’

  Hale laughed so hard there were tears in his eyes.

  ‘No, seriously. I was carrying it all wrong and it was flapping all over the place, and when we got outside Hayley freaked and it made Louisa freak and I’m pretty sure she was convinced I was just saving it for dinner.’ Hale was laughing harder, and it made Ashley laugh too, happy that he could make the man laugh.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want to get a cab?’ Ashley asked again when the laughing had settled to a low chuckle. Hale stopped in the street, turning to stare at him until Ashley stopped and looked down at him. Hale reached out and grabbed the collar of Ashley’s shirt, pulling him in close until Ashley could feel the soft pants of his breath against his lips. His heart was
beating so hard he thought it would fall out of his chest, or that Hale would at least see it, pumping blood too rapidly through his veins until he felt like he would explode.

  ‘No, Ash, I don’t want to get a cab. I want to walk you home. And then I want to share your bed.’ He let go of Ashley’s collar and his fingers stroked up Ashley’s throat, over his jaw and settled on his cheek. His hand stayed there, warm and gentle until he applied more pressure and slid it around the back of Ash’s neck, pulling him closer until their lips brushed, not quite a kiss but definitely touching.

  ‘Is that okay?’

  ‘Fuck, yes.’

  5

  Chicken and broccoli

  His head was reeling. Ashley kept stealing glances at Hale, falling into the rhythm of his steps to make sure he didn’t go too fast, but that was as much concentration as he seemed able to muster. Finn Hale was walking him home. Hobbling him home? He didn’t care, he couldn’t figure out how it had happened, except his brothers were involved and that made all the sense it was ever going to.

  ‘You keep staring, I’m gonna trip,’ Hale said softly, but he looked up from the pavement and grinned, clearly amused by whatever Ashley was doing. Staring. Fawning. Whatever.

  ‘Sorry, I … This is a bit surreal.’ To say the least. Dave was going to freak. Freya was going to want details and all he would be able to tell her was he couldn’t stop staring.

  ‘Because I work with your brothers?’ Hale looked nervous suddenly, less like the Riot Squad officer he was and more like a man walking a guy home.

  ‘No, it’s got nothing to do with them.’ Ashley hadn’t really considered that at all. He probably should have been freaking out that his brothers would somehow find out, but they had no way of knowing Hale was going home with him, and were too drunk to do anything about it if they did. Besides, he didn’t actually care if they knew. They could give him shit about it all they wanted. He was still taking Finn Hale home, and that was worth any amount of ribbing.

  ‘Just nervous, then?’ Hale was watching him as if trying to figure out where a piece fit in a puzzle. Ashley knew the feeling well, mostly because his family were insane and he never had any clue as to how he ended up doing things like taking his nephew and niece to Sunday school. But also because he was somehow walking home with Finn Hale.

  ‘Yeah,’ Ashley shrugged, sure that was obvious, letting out a nervous sigh and grinning, because nervous or not he was ridiculously happy.

  ‘Dammit.’ Hale snagged a corner of the cement pavement and stumbled, catching himself on Ashley’s arm and struggling to get the crutch back under him. Ashley helped, waiting until he was sure everything was okay before resuming the walk.

  ‘Sorry,’ Ashley said softly, though he wasn’t sure it had anything to do with him.

  ‘Don’t be,’ Hale laughed, and those damned dimples appeared again. ‘I … you look ridiculous when you smile.’

  ‘Sorry?’ He didn’t know if he should be affronted or heartbroken. Both? Insulted, maybe?

  ‘Hot! Sexy as hell! Incredibly attractive!’ Hale gave up, looking away as his cheeks turned a dark red while Ashley’s mind stalled, stuck on a loop, replaying over and over until finally his mouth engaged. Not insulted, then.

  ‘You think … I’m hot.’

  ‘Bloody hell.’ Hale looked up at the sky as if hoping it might open up and pour some rain on them to complete his day. It made Ashley grin, stepping ahead of Hale and leaning down until they were nose to nose.

  ‘You think I’m hot.’

  ‘Clearly.’

  Ashley needed no more permission than that. His hands cupped Hale’s face, pulling him in those last few inches so he could press his lips firmly to Hale’s, enjoying the soft warmth and the subtle scratch of his five o’clock shadow against his cheek. His lips were dry and soft and fuller than Ashley’s. His tongue flicked against the corner of Hale’s mouth and Hale opened immediately, the wet heat of their breath colliding before Ashley felt the tentative swipe of another’s tongue against the roof of his mouth and groaned. He wanted more, so much more and he wanted it right now. He pushed forward, caught his foot on something and shoved it out of the way.

  ‘Ah, crap!’

  Hale fell backward, the crutches went in opposite directions and Ashley tumbled down after him, barely catching himself before he landed on Hale’s injured thigh, realising too late that he’d kicked Hale’s crutch out from under him.

  ‘Shit! Sorry!’ He scrambled quickly to his knees and looked down at Hale sprawled out on the pavement, taking in the way his face was scrunched and his breathing was suddenly erratic. He felt all kinds of awful, and yet still noticed that Hale’s shirt had ridden up on his abdomen, revealing a lightly tanned set of abs and the curve of one hipbone.

  Hale drew his breathing under control and ran a tentative hand over his thigh before sighing and reaching for his crutches.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Ashley couldn’t believe he’d been so clumsy.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Hale assured him, putting his hand on Ashley’s shoulder and leaning all his weight onto it. ‘Now help me up.’

  Far more carefully than he could recall being with anything in a while, Ashley helped Hale to his feet and worked the crutches back under him. He was about to apologise again when Hale reached out to grab hold of the vee of his vest and hauled him in close, kissing him hard and demanding, completely different to the slow tentative first kiss of a moment before. Startled, all Ashley could do was hold on.

  ‘Yes, Ashley Jameson, I think you are very fucking hot,’ Hale mumbled against his lips while he caught his breath. Then he released him and started hobbling down the street again while Ashley stared after him, mouth agape, lips buzzing, wondering if he hadn’t maybe been hit on the head during his last fire and was in fact in a coma somewhere dreaming this all up. Or he was dead, and this was heaven. Which meant his brothers were equally as crazy in Heaven, but that made sense, he couldn’t imagine them any other way.

  ‘Are you coming?’ Hale called out. ‘I don’t actually know where I’m going …’

  Ashley ran to catch up, falling into step beside Hale, unable to stop grinning.

  ‘I’m going to assume you like what we just did, if you keep grinning like that.’

  Ashley grinned harder and Hale laughed at him, which was absolutely fine.

  ‘This place looks like a fire hazard,’ Hale said sternly, staring up at the large red brick and cream rendered building, frowning. It was one of the older blocks in the suburb and most people were willing to pay fifty bucks more to live in a newer place, but the owners had renovated their apartment and were friends of Freya’s parents, so their rent was affordable and on the inside the place was nicer than you would expect.

  ‘Looks can be deceiving,’ Ashley rolled his eyes, wondering what Hale’s place looked like, and if he’d ever get a chance to find out. Maybe if he stopped kicking the guy’s temporary legs out from under him.

  ‘Not so deceiving,’ Hale countered, and the way he was staring Ashley got his point. He didn’t think he was easy to read, but no one seemed to miss what he was saying, ever, so maybe he was.

  ‘Come on.’ He self-consciously led the way to the elevator, because no way was Hale walking upstairs if he didn’t have to. He thought the elevator would be awkward, but he leaned against the back wall railing and Hale came in, stepped immediately into his space, leaned in against his chest and inhaled deeply, his head resting on one broad shoulder as he sighed deeply.

  ‘You always smell slightly smoky.’ Hale inhaled deeply. ‘Reminds me of the gun range.’

  That was not something anyone had told him before. Smelling like smoke, yes, but the gun range … that was new. It was also a startling reminder that Finn Hale was deadly. For whatever reason, Taylor thought the man was frightening. Ashley had asked a few times over the years where the terror stemmed from, but whatever event had led to Taylor’s deep-seated respect of Finn Hale, it was something none of them spoke of, and eventuall
y Ashley had given up trying. All he knew was that Hale was the best shot in the squad, and Taylor respected the hell out of him.

  His hands came up of their own accord, gripping tight to Hale’s upper arms, holding him in place while he nuzzled the soft hair at his temple and inhaled the scent of his shampoo, a mellow mix of soap and fruit.

  The elevator doors opened and he waited for Hale to exit before moving to his side and showing the way down a short corridor to his door with the number 56 clearly marked.

  ‘Home sweet home,’ he chanted, unlocking and peeking inside, sighing in relief when the lights were off. Either Dave was asleep, or he’d gone to find Freya. Either way, Ashley was grateful he wouldn’t have to answer any questions until tomorrow. He switched on a light, enough for Hale to see, and led the way through to his room at the back.

  It was a simple layout; small foyer with a door off to the main bedroom and ensuite at the front, a large kitchen and dining area in the middle with a bathroom and laundry attached, leading to a small outdoor entertaining balcony and the second bedroom at the back. Freya and Dave shared, so they had the master bedroom, which was fine by Ashley because he got the view out the back. Overlooking another building, a small park and a road, but it was still a view. It beat the front corridor.

  ‘This is nice,’ Hale remarked, looking around with wide eyes and a surprised expression even in the dark. And it was; all white with exposed wooden beam accents and the occasional panel of open red brick, with a stainless steel kitchen and plain furniture Freya had chosen with bright colourful accents. Ashley had little to do with it, but he loved living there, and if he ever got his own place he was asking Freya to decorate because he couldn’t imagine living any other way.

  His room was simple, a decent size with a large heavy dark wood frame king size bed, a simple bedside table with a stainless steel lamp and a wall of mirrored robes. The back wall was all glass, leading to the balcony, with heavy white blackout curtains to keep the streetlights at bay.

  ‘I’m guessing your roommate does the decorating,’ Hale noted.