by Diane Leyne
Noah shook his head to clear it. Things started to come into focus. He was in an empty stall in a barn. It could be Tanner’s, or maybe Rodgers was just trying to psych him out.
“Well, well, well. That’s one hell of a horse your boyfriend’s riding.”
Noah could hear the clip clop of Buttercup’s hooves and the sound of happy barking. Bob and Monty. As he listened, the sound faded away.
“Some guard dogs they are. They are heading for the house and so’s your boyfriend.”
“Please don’t hurt Tanner. I’ll do anything you say.”
“I know you will.” He grabbed Noah’s arm and pulled him to his feet. “Call him.”
“No. You’ll just kill him.”
“That I will. And then I’ll kill you.”
“So why should I call him? I’m going to die anyone. Just do it. I won’t let him die, too.”
“Oh, you’ll die all right, but the more trouble you give me, the more you’ll suffer before you die…and here comes the boyfriend, leading that monstrous horse with him. Maybe I’ll kill her, too.”
Noah started to struggle but Rodgers just laughed and held up his hand, a ball gag dangling from his fingers. “Your boyfriend’s pretty kinky. He has all sorts of fun toys in one of the stalls. I’d love to try some of them out on you but time’s a-wasting. No telling how soon Sorenson and Day track down their little floozy.”
After the ball gag was fastened in place, Noah tried to grunt a warning, but Rodgers hit him with the butt of his gun. Noah dropped to his knees.
“I guess there’s no way I can make this look like an accident. I guess you two lovers are just going to have a fight and one will kill the other. That’ll hold up for a little while. It doesn’t have to last long, just long enough for me to get out of the country to a place with no extradition so I can enjoy the money I’ve earned over the years.”
He smiled.
“Don’t look at me like that, kid. Being a fed pays crap. Being a bad guy pays much better. Now you stay still. I’ll be right back.” He drew back his right foot and kicked Noah in the stomach. Noah fell to one side, the tears on his face having nothing to do with the pain. His last thought before passing out was of Tanner.
* * * *
Tanner walked slowly down toward the barn. He’d stopped to lock the dogs in the house. For the first time, he regretted they were not vicious guard dogs. Bob and Monty would try to lick an intruder to death, but they’d be easy pickings for whoever it was in his barn.
He’d been coming back from his ride when he heard the car. He watched from a distance at it pulled into his yard and then parked beside his truck where it was out of sight. He’s used the site of his gun to watch the stranger. He rarely had visitors. He’d watched as a man appeared with a gun in one hand and pulling another man who appeared to have his hands bound behind him, stumbling badly as if he were hurt.
Even without the scope, he’d have recognized Noah. His heart leaped into his throat and so did his rage. Then his training kicked in. He’d casually ridden up to the house. Moving inside, he locked up the dogs. Then he made two quick calls, one to Tait and Aaron and the other to the Sheriff. Tait and Aaron were halfway to El Paso where they had word that Candy had just caught a plane to parts unknown. Dace, though, was in Kinsdale, only fifteen minutes away, but Tanner didn’t think Noah had that long.
Exiting the house, he grabbed Buttercup’s reins and started walking casually toward the barn. He didn’t take her inside. Instead he walked her over to the water trough and wrapper her reins around the saddle horn. He wanted her to be able to run if shooting started and he didn’t want her to trip over her reins and get hurt.
Unsaddling her, he picked up the saddle and carried it toward the entrance to the barn, trying to look casual. At first, he couldn’t see anything in the gloom but when he stepped forward, he could suddenly see the man with the gun. He stopped.
“They grow your kind big around here. Not big enough to go against a gun, though.”
There was a loud clicking sound. Tanner could see Buttercup entering the barn from the other end. She wanted her post-walk treat. And she didn’t want to wait. The stranger glanced over his shoulder and then looked back at Tanner.
He half turned and pointed his gun at Buttercup.
“No, please don’t hurt her. She’s harmless.” The stranger swung the gun back around to Tanner.
Hearing Tanner’s voice, she nickered and started walking toward him. She got as far as the stranger and stopped, rubbing her head against him. He patted her once and then pushed her away and she snorted, offended, but backed away.
“You are lucky I’m an animal lover. I’ve been thinking how to stage this. I think that after you beat the little queer half to death, he shoots you. Unfortunately, he then dies of his injuries. Too bad, so sad.”
The stranger laughed. “No, your little buddy’s not dead yet. I’ll take care of you first and then take my time with him. I’m going to enjoy making him suffer for all the trouble he’s caused me. There weren’t supposed to be any witnesses. And then he agreed to testify. He should have been too afraid. But no, I have to risk my neck to track him down and take care of him. He’s going to pay for causing me so much trouble. I had a sweet deal going on, and he put it in jeopardy.”
“And that’s his fault? Wasn’t he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“Like I care!” Rodgers voice was rising. “I was supposed make it possible for one of their people to care of him in Chicago when he was in protective custody. I had it all set up, but then Day and Aaronson whisked him out of town before he could be taken care off. Do you know what kind of pressure I’m under because of that little shit? The only way to get back in the good graces of my employer is to kill him myself and prove my loyalty.”
Buttercup moved again, nudging the stranger once more, determined to get past his and get to her treats. Tanner took the opportunity of the brief distraction and threw down the saddle, reaching behind him to grab his own gun.
The stranger was faster. He pushed away Buttercup and raised his own gun. She bumped him against just as Noah ran from one of the stalls. His arm jerked just as he fired. The sound of the gun was deafening and Noah dropped to the ground.
Chapter Seven
Tanner had his own weapon out, but there was no need. Buttercup reared up onto her hind legs and came down hard, knocking the stranger to the ground. He screamed as her full weight landed on his gun hand.
Just then, in the background, he could hear Dace’s siren.
To be safe, Tanner grabbed the stranger’s gun, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d cracked his head on the side of the stall when he’d fallen and his hand and arm were crushed.
Tanner turned away from him and hurried back to Noah, who was starting to stir. He could see some blood, but less than he’d expected from a point-blank shot. It was lower, too.
Tanner could see a tear in the crotch of Noah’s pants and then a streak of blood across the left side of his hip. He tore open his lover’s pants and pushed then down. It was a flesh wound. Probably wouldn’t even require stitches. But how?
Then he leaned down close and realized what happened. The jailbird. Reaching down, he touched it. He pulled the key from his pocket and unfastened it. He removed it and then held it up to the light, examining it closely. Then he started laughing and didn’t stop even when the tears started running down his face.
“I’m glad you find my near castration to be funny.”
Tanner looked down and saw Noah looking up at him. “Does it hurt much?”
“You take a ricochet off your cock sometime and let me know how it feels.”
“Poor baby. Let me kiss it better.” He leaned down and gave Noah’s cock a quick kiss before pulling his pants closed. “Dace should be here any minute now. You started getting hard the second my lips touched your dick, so I’d say it’s not seriously damaged.”
“Let me repeat. Shot. Cock.”
“Yes
, well, I’ll make it up to you. In the meantime, I’m going to let Dace know that we’re in here and everything’s okay.”
He stood and then dropped back to his knees again. “I thought he was going to kill you when I saw him drag you into the barn. And then I thought you were dead when you hit the ground. Don’t you ever scare me like that again! You understand me? Try that again and I’ll tan your ass black and blue and you’ll be wearing the jailbird permanently!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“No arguments?”
“None.”
“I love you, you know.”
“I know, Tanner.”
Then he could hear Dace’s voice and the moment was over.
“We haven’t finished this conversation, you know, Noah.”
“I know, Tanner.”
“They are going to take you to the hospital to get you checked out.”
“Yes, Tanner.”
“And I’m coming with you.”
“You are.”
“And when they let you out, Noah, you aren’t going back to your place. You are coming home with me. Understand?”
“Yes, my love.”
“What did you say?”
“My love.”
“It’s about time you admitted that!” Tanner’s voice softened. “I love you, too.”
* * * *
It was three days before they let Noah leave the hospital. He didn’t need stitches, but his cock was a bit bruised. He’d laughed as Tanner had handed over the jailbird to the doctors who’d scolded him about removing it without a medico present, but no harm, no foul. Noah was fine and everyone was determined to keep him that way, so his room was under twenty-four-hour guard.
It was Wednesday afternoon when he realized that his guard was gone. Noah was sitting in a chair reading some of the many cards he’d received from the people of Satisfaction when Tanner walked in with the sheriff and another man Noah recognized as Quin Redekker, who used to work for SSP with Tait and Aaron. He was now retired from the security business and living in Satisfaction.
“It’s over,” Tanner announced.
“Over?”
“After word got out that Rodgers had failed and was in custody, someone took out the Hammer in jail. He’s dead.”
“You mean I don’t have to testify?”
Quin shook his head. “There’s been a shakeup with the families. Rodgers is spilling his guts in exchange for immunity.”
“Immunity? After he tried to kill Noah?”
“And Tanner.”
“He’s got the goods on dozens of wise guys in the Chicago area and the whole Midwest,” Quin continued. “I’ve been thoroughly briefed since Tait and Aaron are still out of the country. His information is valuable and he’ll be dishing it out in small doses for the next few years, which makes him public enemy number one to the families. You aren’t even a footnote for them. I’d say you were safe. To be on the safe side, I wouldn’t recommend Nathaniel Hawthorne coming back to life, but I’m pretty sure that Nathan Grainger can live safely. Or if you still want another identify, they’ll arrange that, too. They owe you for letting Rodgers get that close to you.”
“But what if Rodgers wasn’t the only one? He could have told someone else or he could in the future,” Tanner protested.
“It’s been made clear to him that if anything happens to Nathan, we’re going to lock him up with Buttercup until he has another accident. He’s assured us that no one else knew about Nathan. He wanted to be a hero. And now with his disability, he needs our help. His right arm had to be amputated and his left was injured in the fall. It’s usable, to a point. He needs our help. Besides, we’ve already confiscated all of his ill-gotten gains. He’s broke. He’s not going to do anything to jeopardize our protection.”
“Then it’s over? For real?” Noah could barely let himself believe it. “I’m free. I can go anywhere, be anyone I want to be.”
He felt Tanner reach down and take his hand. He could hardly believe it, but Tanner’s hand was shaking. He looked up at the man he loved and waited until Tanner looked down at him.
“I’m just so happy you are safe. If you want to change your name and move someplace else, I’ll come with you, if you want me to. Maybe you can pick a state where we can get married…”
Noah grinned. “I do want to change my name, but just the last one. I never liked Grainger. I think that Noah Aronofsky has a nice ring to it. What do you think?”
“Are you proposing?”
“I thought you were? Unless you’ve changed your mind already. Sixty seconds and you are already jilting me.” Noah flopped back in his chair, pouting. “I took a bullet to the cock to protect you and this is my thanks?”
He watched as Tanner grinned and dropped to one knee while Quin waved and made a quick exit. Then they both turned serious.
“Noah Grainger, Nathaniel Hawthorne, or whatever you want to go by in the future, I love you. I think I fell in love the first time I met you. I thought I was too old for you and so I waited. Hell, I waited so long I could have lost you. I don’t want to ever be apart again.” Noah watched as Tanner dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “Noah Grainger, will you do me the great honor of becoming my husband?”
* * * *
In the end, they decided to fly to Canada and honeymoon at Niagara Falls. “If we’re getting married, I want it to be as traditional as possible,” Nathan had declared, and Tanner had been determined to give him everything he wanted.
He still stood firm on taking Tanner’s last name, and they’d both cried when the justice of the peace had declared them wed. The only shadow on their nuptials was the absence of Candy and her men. She’d left the country and they were still chasing after her. But they did confirm that she was well, and they weren’t coming back without her.
Because of that, Nathan had insisted on heading home after a three-day honeymoon so he could reopen the diner and keep things going until Candy returned. They got home on Saturday morning, but Tanner had convinced him he could wait until Monday to reopen, so they had two more days and nights of their honeymoon to enjoy.
They got home just after lunch and then Tanner had disappeared down toward the stable. Nathan assumed he was greeting Buttercup. She wouldn’t be happy to have been left that long, but Quin had looked in on the animals and made sure they were fed and happy.
He gave his husband an hour and then headed down to see what was taking so long. Husband. He looked down at the ring on his finger. Husband. He smiled as he walked into the stable.
“Where are you, my love? I’m getting lonely up at the house by myself.”
“Just getting a surprise ready for you. Give me two minutes and then come down to the special stall. I’m sure you know which one.”
Noah did know which one Tanner meant. It was the one with the chains and winch and straps and…he had to force himself to wait the full two minutes, but as soon as the second hand finished its second sweep, he hurried to his love.
Tanner was wearing a pair of jeans and nothing else. Noah’s cock ached.
“Strip!”
If he weren’t already hard, being commanded in that voice would have done it. He pulled off his T-shirt and then pulled down his pants. Unfortunately, he’d been so eager that he’d forgotten to take off his track shoes, gotten all tangled and had fallen hard on his ass.
Tanner had laughed and knelt to help him. By the time he was naked, they were both breathless. Tanner had kissed him with his usual thoroughness. Noah’s heart soared. Every time they kissed, it was as exciting as the very first time. He leaned back on the floor of the stall and tried to distract Tanner, but he was the one who was distracted and before he realized it, Tanner had locked him in another jailbird.
Or was it the original? He frowned.
As if reading his mind, Tanner advised, “The original has the place of honor on the mantle. This is a brand new one. Now, up you get.” He helped Noah to stand and then wrapped soft leather cuffs around his wris
ts before attaching them to chains that were hanging from the ceiling.
“You nearly scared me to death when I saw that man dragging you into the barn. And you lied to me about your name. And well, just because I want to I’m going to redden your ass before I fuck it. And by the time we are done, you are going to know that I’m not just your husband, I’m your Master, and you’ll never, ever keep anything important from me again. Ever.”
“Yes, Sir,” Nathan answered meekly, but he didn’t feel meek. He felt loved and desired and accepted. He felt like he belonged in Satisfaction, and he belonged to Tanner. But he knew that now wasn’t the time to say so. For so long, Nathan had felt out of control at the mercy of the legal system. Now it was Tanner who still felt out of control having come so close to losing Noah. He needed to take control again and Nathan understood that. He’d even let Tanner use one of those straps on his ass if it made him feel better.
He watched as Tanner picked up a riding crop. He ran it up and down Noah’s erect cock, then he slapped the head lightly. Noah could feel his cock bob back against his stomach and he groaned from the slight stinging sensation.
“So what do you have to say for yourself, husband?” He slapped Noah’s cock again.
Noah groaned in pain and pleasure. “I love you and I’m sorry.”
“And you’ll never lie to me again?” Slap.
“No, husband.”
Now Tanner was behind him. “You’d better not!” And now the blows rained down one after the other, and they hurt. Soon he could feel the tears coming down, but he was determined not to make a sound and let Tanner work out his fear.
Suddenly the blows stopped and Tanner moved behind him and pulled him close. “I could have lost you! I nearly lost you! I was so afraid when you were shot. I wanted to die. I wanted to kill Rodgers with my bare hands.”
“I know, but I’m alive, and I’m safe and free, and we’ve found each other, husband.”
Tanner moved around in front of Noah. He had tears streaming down his face. Tenderly he leaned in to kiss Noah on the lips before kissing his way down his chest and until he was on his knees in front of Noah’s cock. Leaning in, he kissed it between the wire of the jailbird.