Recruitment: Regulators Book 1 (a Cowboy Gangster novella)

by CJ Bishop

  Once again, his initial intention—oral pleasure, this time—was thwarted by the scalding look in Kane’s eyes that pleaded—Fuck me, now.

  • • •

  Facedown on the bed, Kane clutched a plush pillow in his arms as Cochise entered him. He gasped into the pillow, moans circulating up his throat with each firm thrust of his lover’s hips.

  Cochise ran his hands up Kane’s tense back and gripped his shoulders, pumping harder, deeper, breath puffing out of him in short, stiff bursts. Kane raised his ass, meeting him thrust for thrust, his moans growing louder, sharper. Their combined intensity warned this wouldn’t last long—they’d both been wanting this since before they left the house.

  “Uuh—fuck,” Kane gasped and wrenched the pillow from beneath him, tossing it haphazardly from the bed. His forearms ground into the sleek sheets as he drew his legs further out to the side, opening himself to the Egyptian who took the cue and fucked him harder.

  Cochise draped forward over Kane’s back, his hips adopting a new rhythm, rolling and gliding against his ass.

  Oh fuck—he does that so good!

  Ecstasy burst from Kane in a cacophony of whimpers and cries. He grabbed the Egyptian’s muscled arm and dragged it around his throat, pulling the man down tighter against him. “Fuck me,” he begged. “Fuck me harder…”

  His lover growled, tightened his hold a fraction, and put his strength into giving Kane everything he asked for.

  Kane clutched his thick arm, panting heavily, his short nails digging into Cochise’s hot, slick skin. His engorged member slipped wetly against the silk sheets, ground into the mattress by the weight and force of the Egyptian’s powerful body.

  “Oh my God…” he choked, his voice winding out tighter with each syllable. “Oh fuck… I’m gonna cum… I’m gonna cum…”

  Cochise grunted and panted, determined to get him there and doing a damn good job of it.

  “Uuhh—uuhh!” Kane wailed and clawed the man’s arm. He cranked his head and bit Cochise’s forearm as the orgasm spiraled to the surface and his body locked—seizing his muscles—and he came with hard spasms, hips jerking.

  A guttural growl erupted from the Egyptian and he fucked Kane with a ferocity that very nearly brought him back to full erection—and felt his cock hardening again even as he emptied the last of his seed onto the bed. Cochise stiffened, roared, and filled Kane with cum, rocking his cock inside him until the orgasm finally released him. His firm grip around Kane’s throat eased and his body relaxed as he sank on top of his lover. He kissed Kane’s damp shoulder, his neck, his head, then lifted off him and dropped on the bed beside him, his breath erratic and rough.

  Kane slowly twisted onto his back and stared at the ceiling through bleary eyes. “Tell me… that was just the appetizer.”

  Cochise chuckled breathlessly and dragged a palm down his sweaty, flushed face. “It was.” He exhaled and looked at Kane, brushing his knuckles down the man’s warm cheek. “Disappointed yet?”

  Turning his head, Kane kissed his fingers. “Not even close.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The two men showered together, taking their time bathing one another, then returned to the bedroom suite in soft, white robes. Cochise added wine to their glasses, and they stood at one of the large windows, looking out at the city lights.

  Looking at Kane’s face now, the man appeared quite content, but that would change when it was time for Cochise to leave. Inside the hotel room, with the horrors of the world locked outside, one could almost imagine there were no horrors… that the entire planet and everyone on it was as at peace as he and Kane were right now. But the horrors were real and running rampant across the globe. Soon, he would go back out there and face them, try to fix some of them. Before he did, there were things he needed to fix with Kane.

  Cochise tapped the edge of his wineglass as he stared out into the night. “You can tell me the truth.”

  “What?” Kane frowned. “Truth about what?”

  “How you feel about me leaving.”

  “We already talked about that,” Kane murmured. “I’ll miss you, but… I know you have to go.”

  “That’s just you saying what you think I need to hear.” He ran his hands through Kane’s damp strands and cupped the back of his head. “Tell me how you really feel.”

  A pained look came over Kane’s face and he looked away.

  “I can handle it,” Cochise said quietly. “I assure you, I can.”

  Kane walked away from the window and set his wineglass on the table, then stood with his back to the Egyptian. “I can’t say it out loud,” he whispered with a catch in his voice.

  “You can… to me.”

  “No, I can’t.” Kane turned around and there were tears in his eyes. “Besides the fact that it would make me sound… selfish… I don’t want to get in your head and distract you when you’re out there.” He came closer and pressed his hands to the front of Cochise’s robe. “I want you focused—on the job—so you’ll stay safe and come home.”

  Cochise gently gripped his head. “Why would it make you sound selfish?”

  “Because I don’t want you to go.” He trembled. “I want to beg you to stay home, with us… with me.” He swallowed thickly. “I missed you so much the last time. And then you barely get home before you turn around and leave again? Everything inside of me wants to ask you to stay—but I know I can’t.” His chin trembled. “You have to go, and I know why you have to, and I can’t be the one to tell you not—or ask you not to.” He stepped back and faced the window, tension in his body. “I know you already feel bad for having to leave so soon—that’s why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to put this on you or… or get in your head and distract you when you need to be thinking about other more important things—like staying alive.”

  Cochise grasped Kane’s robe and pulled the man to him, kissing him long on the mouth. “It’s having you in my head,” he whispered against his lips, “that keeps me focused.” He wrapped his arms around Kane’s shoulders, hugging his head to his own. “Nothing you say or feel puts me at risk out there. Knowing how much you want me at home with you… that is not a bad thing to have in my head, I promise you.”

  Kane hugged him and buried his face in his neck. “Sometimes… sometimes I worry that you’ll start to think it’s too hard to do your job and have a family, too. And that, maybe one day, you just won’t come home.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “I don’t…” Kane sniffed, lifting his head. “I don’t think I do… but the thought still scares me.”

  Holding his face in his hands, Cochise asked, “Do you believe I’m a man of my word?”

  “Of course.”

  “So, if I made you a promise—you would know I’m good for it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even though I promised I wouldn’t leave again?”

  “That isn’t what you promised,” Kane said. “You promised that you would never disappear on us again. And you’re not.”

  Cochise stared at him knowingly.

  “What?”

  “I promised I would never disappear on you again… yet you’re scared I’ll just walk away without a word to you?”

  Kane hung his head, sagging against the Egyptian. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Clearly not.” He raised Kane’s face and kissed him. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. You made a promise as well—to marry me. And I’ll be damned if I don’t hold you to that.” Cochise smiled. “Who else in this world would marry an ugly cuss like me?”

  “Ugly.” Kane laughed softly. “If you ever retire from gangster life—you could be a comedian.”

  Cochise chuckled and dropped his hands to the front of Kane’s robe, slowly untying the belt. “Are you ready for the main course… now that we’ve had the appetizer?”

  “Mm.” Kane proceeded to unfasten the Egyptian’s robe as well, allowing it to fall open, revealing
his nude muscular body and powerful arousal. “I do believe I’m quite famished.”

  • • •

  “Is Luke asleep?” Clint was already undressed and in bed, Hope asleep in her crib.

  “No, not yet.” Axel began shedding his clothes. “But he’s listening to music in his headphones.”

  “Good.” The cowboy watched with great interest as Axel became naked before him. Where he usually focused on the young man’s lower region when he was feeling this frisky—his focus abruptly jumped to the scars marring Axel’s torso. To some degree, he’d learned to look past the scars and avoid being dragged back into that nightmare portion of his past every time Axel took off his shirt. But not tonight. He hadn’t been thinking about it at all today, yet suddenly he was propelled into that abandoned house… into that room… Axel’s screams splitting his mind and ushering him to the edge of insanity as he was helpless to save him.

  “Clint?” Axel crawled beneath the blankets, concern on his face. “You okay?”

  “Uh… yeah.” He pulled Axel to him. “Just drifting, I guess. Gettin’ old.”

  Axel smiled. “Nah. You’re just coming into your prime.” Axel snuggled closer and nuzzled Clint’s neck as his hand snaked lower, sliding between Clint’s legs, his fingertips fluttering along the cowboy’s stiffening shaft. “I’m so glad I’m going with you this time,” Axel moaned through the soft, sultry kisses he dropped on Clint’s throat. “I couldn’t take being away from you again… not so soon after last time.”

  Clint swallowed, his throat suddenly barren as Axel sucked his neck and curled his fingers around his cock, gently working his fist up and down the hardened muscle. His heart thumped faster, heat pouring out through his body. The kid knew his stuff. It was hard to imagine that just months ago, Axel had frantically resisted this side of himself. He was a natural at pleasuring men. No other man would ever discover that—if they tried, Clint would bury them… in pieces.

  A shuddering breath escaped Axel as he dragged his lips lower to Clint’s chest, his touch ultra-sensual tonight. “Sometimes,” he whispered around Clint’s left nipple, tracing the stiff bud with his tongue, “it blows my mind how much I love you.” He raised his head. “I didn’t know one person could love another this much. I didn’t know that was possible… until I met you.” He kissed the cowboy’s lips and gazed into his eyes. “Sometimes it scares me… to care so much for another human being… but I would never wish away what we have just so I didn’t have to be scared.” He smiled small. “Did any of that make sense?”

  A shaky breath of his own slipped out of Clint. His arms wrapped Axel’s warm, naked body. “Perfect sense.” Passion swelled between them in the form of a kiss. “It’s terrifying to love someone—or many someones—so much.” He caressed Axel’s back as he drew the young man on top of him. “It’s easier to be alone, to only look out for yourself… but it’s fucking lonely.”

  Axel pushed up to a sitting position, straddling Clint’s body. He wet the cowboy’s erection with saliva and took him inside. Clint shuddered and rested his palms tensely on Axel’s thighs, lightly squeezing the firm muscles. Again, his focus was pulled to the scars. His hands shifted from the thighs as his fingertips tentatively traced the scars.

  “Is it worth it?” Axel whispered.

  When Clint looked up, he found tears in Axel’s eyes. “Is what worth it?”

  Axel covered Clint’s hands, pressing them to his scars. “The cost of loving me.” His throat worked and he drew Clint forward, pulling him up close. “He used me… to hurt you.” Axel hugged Clint’s head to his chest and pressed his lips to his hair as tears thickened his words. “You loving me was his leverage.” He held Clint tighter, his voice trembling. “At that moment… did you wish you’d never met me… never loved me?”

  Leaning back, Clint met his tear-filled eyes. “Did you?”

  “What?”

  Clint swallowed hard, his vision swimming. “Wish away us… so you didn’t have to be there?”

  “No,” Axel answered without pause. Tears rolled down his face. “I knew what he would do to me when I turned myself over to him. The physical pain was nothing compared to the pain inside—knowing what it was doing to you.”

  Clint realized he was shaking as he clung to Axel and reality set in; he was about to take Axel into a war zone. Cory’s fears and anxieties permeated the cowboy now, seizing his heart muscle, squeezing his chest. Out on the open road, threats could come from any direction, at any time… day or night. Shay was just inches from Cory when Vincent took him out. Their closeness didn’t protect him—didn’t save him. That was the point Cory was trying to make… and he was right.

  Wrapping Axel tightly in his arms, Clint laid him down on the bed, their bodies curled around one another as words ceased and they began to make love. An intensity forged with their passion and they clung to each other. Clint fought the horrifying scenarios struggling to play out in his head as he surrendered to Axel’s love, the heat of his body, the sanctuary of his arms.

  While in the deep recesses of his mind, his heart cried out in fear—What have you done?

  …COMING SOON…

  “Refuge”

  (Regulators Book 2)