From Blood to Roses

by Laurin Kelly

  They hadn't had each other in days, so it was a good thing they were in a hurry. The edge was approaching fast for both of them, even faster than usual. As their orgasms drew near, so did the realization that this was truly the beginning of their new life together. It washed over both men, the emotional pleasure adding to the physical, and suddenly they were there. Kelan came first with a muffled cry, and Rob's hands worked his come over their cocks until they were both coated and slippery with it. Rob followed shortly, unable to keep Kelan's name from escaping his lips. They thrust more gently against each other, Rob's heavy grip loosening as they softened. Tiny wisps of steam rose from their combined come into the frigid night air. Rob finally let go, wiping his messy hands on his shirt.

  "Mmmmm... " hummed Kelan, happily. "Come here and kiss me."

  Rob obliged, kissing Kelan tenderly on the lips, then on the side of his nose. Kelan's face was glowing, completely blissed out and almost sleepy. Kelan's gorgeous post-coital face was becoming familiar to him, and Rob loved to see it on his pillow or arm. And now he'd be able to see it every day for the rest of his life. The thought filled him with such overwhelming happiness he feared he might burst from it. There were no words to describe what it was like to feel so much for another person after years of nothing, with only the promise of more of the same to come. It was like a cool glass of water after years of thirst, or a warm blanket after endless shivering in the cold. But looking into Kelan's deeply satisfied, blue eyes, he knew that if there was a word for it, there was no question for him what it was.

  "I love you," he said, trying the words on his tongue for the first time in his life.

  There was a dead man behind them just a few feet away, jizz was smeared all over Rob's shirt, and pretty soon they were going to be the most wanted men in the country. Not the usual setting for a declaration of love, but then again, they were about as far from usual as a couple could get. Somehow it was just perfectly them.

  Kelan smiled and huffed out a laugh. "I love you, too." Kelan peeled himself off the bumper, wincing a little. He reached for Rob's hand and tugged him in for another kiss. "We should get going."

  "Yeah, we should." Still holding hands, they started down the road to their getaway vehicle.

  Epilogue

  The sun was starting to creep towards the horizon, palm trees becoming shadowed as a warm tropical breeze rustled their leaves. Rob was relaxing in his wicker chair enjoying the view when he heard the creaking of footsteps behind him.

  "I could set my watch by you," he said, smiling and twisting around. Kelan, was standing there in cargo shorts and a black tank top, holding a glass of white wine in each hand.

  "Are you saying I've become too predictable?" Kelan grinned and handed over a glass. He sat in the second wicker porch chair, crossing one leg over the other.

  "Well, it has been three years." When Kelan turned his head and sniffed, pretending to be offended, Rob brushed his fingers over the back of Kelan's hand where it rested on the chair arm. He picked it up and pressed a small kiss into it, which made Kelan turn his head back to him, biting back a smile. "But no. I don't think you're capable of boring me, Kelan."

  "I should think not," said Kelan airily, before dropping the pretense and settling back in his chair. He took a sip of wine and sighed happily. "Did you get the ladies milked?"

  "Yep, and everyone's got fresh straw, feed, and are all settled in for the night." He looked out over the vibrant green grass of their ranch's pasture. "Nothing left to do but sit back and enjoy the spoils."

  The spoils were Kelan and Rob's 250 acre ranch just outside the village of Salvaterra, on Ilha de Marajo, a Brazilian island at the mouth of the Amazon River. It was the perfect place for two men who wanted to disappear; the island was only accessible via a three-and-a-half hour ferry ride from Belem, across the Baia de Marajo. Technically it was considered a tourist destination, but only the most adventurous and hardy travelers visited the area. Accommodations tended towards the rustic, and transportation consisted of a few scattered taxicabs, bicycles, and water-buffalo drawn carts. The water buffalo, which densely populated the entire island, were part of everyday life in Salvaterra. Kelan and Rob owned ten of the enormous, surprisingly docile beasts themselves. But the limited tourists who did visit provided the need for some of the nicer hotels and restaurants in town to stock a decent supply of wine, beer, and foodstuffs. Kelan and Rob made arrangements to directly purchase these items for their own use, and when added to their large garden of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, Kelan was able to prepare whatever delicious meals he wanted. In addition to the small water buffalo herd, their ranch housed a bustling chicken coop that provided plenty of fresh eggs and two beautiful, strong horses for transportation around the ranch and to town.

  Running the ranch kept both of them quite busy. While neither Kelan nor Rob had any rural farming or ranching experience, they learned the ropes on the job and mastered them quickly. In what spare time they had they read or watched a DVD from their small collection, as there was no internet access on the island. But many times they chose to just sit and talk about a million insignificant things, or retire to their bedroom to make love for hours. Lying nude on their bed in the afterglow, their perspiration damp bodies cooled by the soft island breeze from the open window, they reveled in the paradise that they had found in their home and with each other.

  "Do you think they'll ever find us?" Kelan asked quietly.

  When they'd first moved to Salvaterra, the question had been frequently discussed, but as months and then years passed, it came up less and less often. Rob wondered if there would ever be a time when they wouldn't feel the need to bring it up, but he doubted it. He and Kelan cherished what they’d built too much to ever completely erase the fear that it could be taken from them.

  Rob could smell the ripe mangoes hanging heavy on the trees, hear the distinctive whoot whoot call of the scarlet ibis, and feel the warm breeze on his face. "At times like this? Seems like the answer is no. It's been a long time without a whiff of trouble. We're pretty good at tying up loose ends."

  "Maybe not as good as you think we are. We never did find out who had the Dwyer will."

  "My guess? It never existed in the first place. Think about it, it's the ultimate mind-fuck. He planted that seed knowing there would never be any relief or closure for his son. It would eat away at him for the rest of his life, which was exactly what the old man wanted."

  "And the photos?"

  "We would have found out who took them eventually if we hadn't gotten so distracted by each other, and then changed course to taking out McLennan."

  Kelan didn't seem convinced. His knuckles were white where they gripped the stem of his wine glass.

  "I'm sure the Feds are still looking," said Rob soothingly. "But I'm willing to bet the public outcry over McLennan's loss has dwindled substantially. And every day our trail just gets colder and colder." Rob stood up and reached for Kelan, pulling him out of his chair and in front of him, so his chest was against Kelan's back. He looped his arms around Kelan's waist and kissed his smooth, soft cheek. "It's unlikely, but they could still come for us. Someday."

  "Maybe after all we've done, and the lives we've taken? Maybe we don't deserve all of this. All this perfection."

  "There are never any guarantees, Kelan. Not even for regular people who have led the most harmless of lives. You know that better than anyone."

  Kelan didn't stiffen at Rob's words. The past three years had greatly healed the pain from losing his family, to the point where he could now talk about them for hours with Rob laughing over the good times. Rob loved hearing about Kelan's memories; both because they made his lover happy, and because Kelan's storytelling skills made him almost feel as if he was there sharing the warmth and love that had been missing from his own childhood.

  "All we can do is make the most of every single day," said Rob. "Whether it's one more or thousands."

  Kelan turned in Rob's arms and brushed a kiss across h
is lips. In the end, it didn't really matter. They would live out the rest of their lives on the ranch, one way or the other. They didn't have the type of weaponry that they'd had in the past, but every rancher had a few guns and ammunition on hand for hunting and defending their livestock from predators. From the moment they arrived in Salverterra, they had both agreed that they would never leave their new home no matter what the future held.

  "I love you." Kelan sucked in a shuddering breath.

  "And I love you." It was almost ridiculous how quickly he had become used to expressing his love for Kelan in every way; through words, endearments, and with the worship of his body in their bed.

  "Are you ready for dinner? I made Moqueca de Siri." Kelan had prided himself on expanding his cooking to include some of the local cuisine, and the stew made from small soft-shelled crabs, coconut milk, pepper, and onions was one of their favorites.

  "You don't have to ask me twice."

  They both picked up their glasses of wine in one hand and entwined the fingers of their free ones with the other. Together, they walked into their home as the sun finally disappeared from the horizon.

  FIN

  About the Author

  Laurin Kelly is somewhat of a late bloomer – she began writing fanfiction in her early 40’s in 2010 and transitioned over to original fiction in 2013. Her debut novel Under the Knife was released by Less Than Three Press in June 2016 and she has never looked back.

  In December 2016, Under the Knife won second place for Best Gay Debut Book, and was a runner up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and Best Gay Book in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

  In her non-writing life, Laurin has been married to her husband for over 20 years and is the mother of a college-aged daughter. Her family is her number one cheering squad and source of unending support and love. Laurin has worked day jobs in advertising, IT, accounting and logistics, as well as having a side career for over 10 years as a professional Belly Dance teacher and instructor.

  Follow Laurin on twitter at https://twitter.com/laurin_kelly or check out her website at www.laurinkelly.com.