by CJ Bishop
“Who’s your friend?” Clint asked, eyes narrowed, studying the boy.
“Callum.”
“Why are you following us?” Clint asked the kid.
Callum glanced anxiously at Axel then back to the cowboy. “I…I want to talk to Adrian.”
Cochise frowned. “How do you know Adrian?”
Shaking his head, Callum mumbled, “I’ll only talk to Adrian. I-I don’t care what you do to me. I’m not telling you anything until I see Adrian.”
Clint nodded. “Then we’ll go see Adrian.”
♦
“Cal!” Jules leaped off the chair, abandoning his lunch on the kitchen table, and raced over to the young man standing between Clint and Cochise. “You’re here!” He hopped up and down excitedly until Callum smiled and picked him up.
“Hey, Jules. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too!” Jules hugged his neck hard, then suddenly scrambled out of his arms. “I got a puppy! You wanna see him?” Jules ran out of the kitchen before the young man could reply, hollering for his pup.
“You know Jules?” Axel looked at Callum, then glanced uncertainly at Clint and Cochise.
The kid nodded but offered no more.
Clint ushered the boy to the table and motioned for him to sit. He seemed harmless enough, but looks could be deceiving; Clint left nothing to chance. He would let Adrian address the young man and in turn, determine if he was a threat.
“Go find Adrian and the others,” Clint told Axel. “Tell him he has a guest-”
Adrian appeared just then and paused in the doorway, startled eyes locking on the kid. “Callum?”
Jules burst back into the kitchen with his pup on his heels and ran over to Callum. “This is Cowboy,” he said excitedly. “Uncle Adrian, Papa Jo, and daddy Tony got him for me.”
“Wow,” Callum smiled. “He’s totally awesome.”
Hoisting the heavy pup in his arms, Jules set him on Callum’s lap while the men watched in silence. “He likes to be held,” Jules explained. He crawled onto Callum’s knee. “Are you gonna stay with us?”
“Jules.” Adrian entered the kitchen. “Why don’t you take Cowboy and go play. I need to talk to Callum.”
“Is he gonna stay?” Jules pressed.
“Just go play,” Adrian insisted.
“Listen to your uncle.” Anthony stepped through the doorway with Angelo.
Jules nodded and galloped out of the kitchen, his mini cowboy boots clicking against the tile as his pup scrambled after him.
Eyeing the newcomer, Anthony approached Adrian. “Who is our guest?”
“Callum,” Adrian answered with a murmur. “He was a member of Tazz’s motorcycle gang.” He stared at Callum with a look Clint couldn’t readily interpret; not distrust, but wary nonetheless. “What’re you doing here, Callum?”
The kid fidgeted beneath the heavy, cagey stares of the gangsters. “I…” he swallowed and took a deep breath, focusing on Adrian. “I left Tazz’s gang. I didn’t know where to go. I’d overheard Tazz and Blade talking about you being in New York City, mixed up with some mobsters…” he hesitated and glanced at the others. “I thought maybe if I could find you, that you’d let me stay with you until I could get a job or something.”
Clint narrowed his eyes. “Why were you following us? Why not just approach Adrian directly?”
“I might be young,” he said. “But I’m not stupid. I’m not gonna just walk up to the front gates of the home of a mob family. I was just trying to get a feel for you guys, see if it was safe to approach you.”
“Why did you run from me in the restroom?” Cochise muttered.
Callum stared at him incredulously. “Are you serious? You’re fucking scary. You practically threatened me.”
Clint caught the small smile that touched Axel’s lips; few would dispute that the Egyptian was fucking scary.
“Does Tazz know you left?” Adrian adopted an uneasy edge that put Clint on alert as well. “He isn’t known for just letting members walk away, especially ones who have been there as long as you.”
Callum shook his head. “I know. I left in the middle of the night. I knew he wouldn’t let me leave if I told him. And he’d probably beat the fuck out of me, too. So, I just took off.”
“Why now, after all this time?”
His eyes drifting between the men, Callum murmured, “Because he’s getting worse. Meaner. Him and Blade both. They…they almost killed a guy…just because he hit on Tazz’s woman. He was new to the gang, hadn’t yet understood all the rules. He was kind of a mouth and Tazz didn’t like that, either. He and Blade got drunk and…and almost beat him to death.” Callum rubbed his mouth. “It freaked me out. I just wanted to get away before they did the same to me. They’ve never liked me very much.”
Clint kept his focus on Adrian and took his cues by Adrian’s reaction as to the kid’s sincerity and truthfulness. Adrian wasn’t immediately jumping on board with Callum’s story but appeared to be weighing the facts and details. The man was neither impulsive nor stupid.
♦
On the one hand, Adrian empathized with the kid. As a young teen boy, Callum had strived to please Tazz, to no avail. Tazz had treated the kid like shit, said he looked like a fag and probably was one. Adrian knew different and hadn’t witnessed any “gayness” in Callum at all. But because he was quite lean, Tazz saw it as a feminine, queer appearance. Still, Callum had done his damnedest to win Tazz’s approval.
Had the young man finally come to his senses and realized that he didn’t need validation from someone like Tazz? That he was, indeed, better than Tazz and Blade?
Adrian wanted to believe so, because if Callum was lying and Tazz had sent him here…
Dismissing the unpleasant thought, for now, Adrian asked, “Tazz knows where I am?”
“Yes.”
Adrian wasn’t too surprised, but it put him on edge nonetheless. Tazz and Blade both were vindictive men. He was certain that Tazz never intended to let Jules go, intent on keeping him purely out of spite. Adrian felt sick at the thought of Jules in Tazz’s “care”, especially when he and Blade now knew that Jules was not Blade’s son. It wasn’t beneath them to abuse Jules for his mother’s sins.
“Have they spoken of Jules?” Adrian asked.
Callum fidgeted and mumbled, “They said his mother took him and ran away. That she had no right to take him away from his father.”
His heart thumping with pain and anger, Adrian forced his voice to remain calm. “She didn’t just run away,” he said with a rasp. “She was running for her life. Jules isn’t Blade’s son, and when they found out…” he swallowed thickly, eyes stinging. “…they beat her nearly to death.”
“What…” Callum stared at him, eyes wide with shock.
“She managed to take Jules and run, but…” Adrian shook his head, vision blurring. “She didn’t survive the beating.” He looked hard at the young man. “They killed my sister, Callum.” Adrian stepped closer, eyes burning. “So, you had better hope for your sake that you’re telling us the truth about why you’re here. Because if you’re still with Tazz…” He glanced at the five men standing with him. “You’re going to be in a world of fucking hurt.”
CHAPTER 3
“What do you think?” Clint asked. “Do you trust him?”
Adrian had sent the kid to the living room while the men discussed the matter. Callum had insisted he was telling the truth and wasn’t there under false pretenses. Clint sensed a lingering hesitation in Adrian.
“I think he’s being honest,” Adrian deduced, yet there remained that hesitation.
“What is it?” Angelo asked.
“I don’t know.” Adrian frowned, brow pinched thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen Callum in a while. But when I was with Tazz’s gang, Callum was constantly trying to measure up in Tazz’s eyes. Tazz didn’t like him, but kept him around and used him as a slave, having him do all the menial shit that no one else wanted to do. Callum did it eagerly, thinking
it would gain him favor. It didn’t.”
“And now?” Anthony asked.
Adrian shook his head, uncertainty on his face.
“Do you think he’s here checking things out for Tazz?” Cochise asked.
“I don’t know,” Adrian admitted. “I want to believe otherwise.”
“Maybe we should let him stay for now,” Anthony said. “Keep an eye on him for a while; a close eye.”
Sighing, Adrian nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. My first and main concern is for Jules. I have this gut feeling that Tazz is just biding his time, figuring out a strategy to try and take Jules back. It’s a constant anxiety, and I don’t think I’ll be able to fully relax until I deal with him.”
Angelo hugged him from behind and kissed his shoulder. “Until we deal with him.”
Clint nodded. “You’re not in this alone. Jules is a part of all of us. Anyone tries to take him from us, and they’ll find themselves separated from protruding parts of their body.”
“Is it even a question of whether or not they try to take the boy?” Cochise stared at Adrian. “They killed your sister. Why are you waiting for the fuckers to come to you? You should be hunting down their fucking asses and dealing with them once and for all.”
Clint agreed; beating Jules’ mother to death should be enough to seal their fate. But it was Adrian’s call to make.
“I didn’t plan on letting them walk away from that,” Adrian murmured, a smidge of defensiveness in his tone. “But I’m not going to rush in blindly, guns blazing or whatever, and maybe get someone else I care about killed.”
Cochise held his stare, then cleared his throat. “I wasn’t suggesting you act recklessly,” he spoke low. “But we’re all here to help you. And if you give the word, we will do this, and no one will get hurt.” He chuffed. “No one on our side, anyway.”
The defensiveness was gone from Adrian’s voice when he replied, “I know you’ve all got my back and that means everything to me. And until this is taken care of, I don’t think Shannon’s memory will rest in peace.” He looked at the men. “If Callum is telling the truth, then he should be willing to inform us about Tazz’s activities and the structure of his current home base, any back ways in, all escape routes. When we do this…I don’t want to leave anything to chance. And I sure as fuck don’t want any surprises.”
Clint nodded. “We will thoroughly scout the premises before we make a single move. Maybe bring in Cruz and some of his guys for backup, just in case. We’ll keep the odds in our favor, don’t you worry about that.”
Lowering his eyes, Adrian murmured with an edge, “I want them to go through the same hell Shannon experienced.” He looked up, and tears were in his eyes. “Maybe to some, that makes me the same as them, but I don’t care. Shannon was the most important person in my life, a beautiful soul…and they broke her, ripped her life away when she still had so much of it left to live.” His throat worked, and jaw knotted. “They don’t get the mercy of a bullet. I want them fucking beat to death.”
♦
“So…what’s up?” Axel followed Clint into the house and slipped off his jacket.
“What do you mean?”
Axel shrugged. “Well, you were awful quiet on the way home.” His lips pursed in a smile. “That’s so unlike you.”
Scowling, Clint muttered, “Smart ass.”
Axel chuckled. “I am. But even so, something’s churning in that handsome head of yours.” He walked over to Clint and slowly peeled off his denim jacket, tossing it over the back of the sofa. “Want to talk about it?”
Clint stared down at him, the brim of his hat casting a shadow across his face. “No.” He removed Axel’s hat and chucked it aside. “I want to give you what’s coming to you.”
“Yeah?” Axel smiled and slid his tongue through the hollow of his throat. “Kicking ass…that really turn you on?” He nuzzled Clint’s neck, nipping his skin, and plucked loose the top buttons of his shirt. “Were your jeans steaming?”
“Burning like fucking lava.”
“Mm.” Axel pushed against him and slipped his hands inside Clint’s shirt, caressing his warm muscles. “Still hot?”
A low, deep chuckle rumbled Clint’s chest, and he smacked both hands on Axel’s ass, squeezing hard. He jerked Axel tighter against him, grinding their crotches. “Hot enough to burn your ass, baby.”
His cock hardening, Axel raked his fingers down Clint’s back. “You gonna burn my ass right here—or in the bedroom?”
Clint’s jade eyes narrowed with scorching hunger, and he hoisted Axel over his shoulder like a bag of grain, strong arm cinched tight around the back of Axel’s thighs as he packed him into the bedroom. Clint bit his ass then threw him down on the bed and proceeded to strip before Axel. Cowboy hat, Wranglers, and cowboy boots went in all directions, followed by Clint’s open shirt and beautifully snug briefs.
Heart racing wildly, Axel hurriedly kicked off his boots and fumbled with his jeans. He hardly got his pants unfastened when Clint grabbed the cuffs and yanked them down his legs, sailing them off to some indeterminate spot in the room.
“Fuck, yeah,” Axel panted and stripped his shirt off as Clint quickly removed his briefs. “I should definitely kick ass more often if this is my reward.”
Clint crushed him to the bed and kissed him hard, his strong body grinding Axel into the mattress, steel-hard cock raking Axel’s stiff erection.
“Fuck,” Axel gasped, a fierce shiver racing through him from hairline to the tip of his toes. Clint shoved down his body, teeth raking his heated skin. Axel yelled out sharply as the cowboy swallowed his cock in one go, sucking hard and with mind-shattering force. “Uuuh!” Axel’s hips arched and he grabbed Clint’s head, clawing his short strands. “Fuuck!”
On a deep inhalation, Axel was suddenly flipped over, his face landing against the soft pillows, then pulled up onto his hands and knees with strong, urgent hands. He yelped in start when Clint smacked his ass, causing a pleasant sting to zip through his ass cheek and tingle his hole. His shaft instantly stretched and thickened, a powerful throb pulsing up and down his cock. He reached forward and grabbed the headboard rail, anchoring himself as the cowboy latched onto his ass, fingertips squeezing his flesh, gouging into his hips.
Axel shuddered with anticipation, every nerve in his body surfacing and his heart pounding harder and faster with each ragged puff of breath from Clint. Another raspy yelp leaped from his lips as the cowboy spanked his ass a second time. Axel imagined the lingering red handprint burning into his cheek and shuddered again, his entrance flexing, eager to be rammed full of his cowboy’s big dick.
“Oh fuck…” Axel swallowed thickly, chest heaving. “Oh, my God, Clint…fuck me…” He trembled as his ass cheeks were spread wide and flinched pleasantly when spit hit his hole. “Fuck, yes…fuck me, baby…” he pressed his damp brow against the headrail, gripping tight, and readied himself for the welcome invasion.
Clint slicked his cock with saliva then plunged in; one strong thrust taking him in balls deep.
“Fuck!” Axel clenched the headrail, choking on a staggered breath. “Yes!Fuck me…” He gasped hard as Clint pulled back and thrust in again with increased force. “Oh, my God…yes…give it to me, baby.”
A stiff grunt burst from Clint as he let loose on Axel’s ass, hands clutching, fingers gouging, as he slammed Axel back onto his cock, again and again, pounding him deep and hard.
“Holy…fuuuck!” Axel cried out in blinding ecstasy and clung to the headrail, fucking his cowboy wildly. The bed squeaked and shook beneath them, bumping the nightstand, rattling the lamp. “Oh, my God—fuck me harder—harder!” His pleas and cries tumbled off his lips in ragged puffs of breath as sweat beaded his brow and trickled down his face. His body slicked beneath Clint’s hands as the cowboy’s grip began to slip and slide against his wet, hot skin.
“Fuck yeah,” Clint growled, his thick cock pumping furiously in and out of Axel’s tight ass. He slapped his ass again
, the sting more brilliant as his palm connected with his sweat-slick cheek.
“Uuh!” Axel gasped and grinned even as his eyes watered from the burning sensation spreading through his cheek. “Again,” he shuddered and drove his ass back to his cowboy lover.
Clint obliged and smacked his other cheek, the audible slap, along with the biting sting, sending sweet chilling shivers careening through Axel’s body. His dick throbbed, the rigid shaft tapping the pillows, saturating them with cum juice as his balls tightened with a rising orgasm. Axel was convinced that Clint could spank him to orgasm, because each time his hand connected with his ass, it shoved Axel a little closer to that edge.
“Fuck, baby,” Clint grunted and curled a strong arm around Axel’s waist, cinching their bodies tighter together, and fucked him with renewed urgency. His mouth pressed against Axel’s shoulder, hot breath surging across his wet skin. He gripped Axel’s left hand, squeezing around the headrail, his pelvis furiously tapping Axel’s ass.
“Fuck-fuck-uuhh!” Axel clenched his jaw, breath hissing between his clamped teeth as Clint systematically drove him closer and closer to the wall, nailing him to the headboard. Axel lost all ability to speak as Clint’s powerful, hungry body beat against his in a furious, erratic rhythm, assaulting his prostate mercilessly. He cried out as Clint’s fist was suddenly wrapped around his cock, whipping up and down his shaft as the man fucked him relentlessly. “Uuuh-uuh-fuuuck—fuuuhhh!” Cum gushed up his shaft and shot all over the wall. He choked on a strangled cry as Clint squeezed his dick and kept stroking, pumping his balls dry.
“Fuck!” Clint grabbed onto Axel with both arms, crushing him in his embrace, and pounded his ass wildly. His hips jerked, and he emptied his massive load deep inside Axel, filling him up. “Ahhh fuck…fuck yeah…” Clint continued to fuck him and come until his juices began to seep back out of Axel’s body, wetting his balls and draining down Axel’s heavy cock. Clint administered one more hard thrust then backed off him, dragging Axel down onto the bed with him.