Falling In (Only You Book 2)

by J. S. Finley

  Clay drew in a slow breath and tried to think. He couldn’t come up with anything good.

  “Do you remember the paths on this island?” Thomas asked.

  “No, not really.”

  “We circled around and came out near the kayaks. I think we could do it again. If we make it back to the boat, we could escape and leave them here. Once we get closer to civilization, we can use our cell phones and call for help.”

  Clay drew in a slow breath, forcing himself to calm. “Okay, let’s try. I think I can remember once we get moving and I see the paths.”

  Thomas led the way as they circled around, trying to be as quiet as possible. The area became more familiar as they went. Though they’d only been out here once, he felt they were on the right path.

  He could hear Newman calling his name, but he wasn’t going to give away his position. It seemed to take forever, but they made their way back to the dock. The boat had floated away, closer to where they’d beached their kayaks. Thomas lifted is brows and nodded to the area. They had to enter the water at the sandy bank to minimize sound and not draw attention their way.

  They headed to the sandy beach, but before he got in the water, Clay grabbed Thomas’ shoulder and whispered. “Alligators?”

  “Swim fast and get into the boat quickly.”

  Clay’s body stiffened, and he nodded. He didn’t have time for a freak-out. The gators were out there, but he couldn’t focus on them. He followed Thomas into the water, looking for signs of movement. Something bumped against his leg, and he almost shrieked. Thomas narrowed his eyes at Clay but didn’t say anything. Maybe he’d yelped a bit.

  They climbed into the boat, Thomas having a much easier time of it than he did. He pulled himself up, kneeling on the deck before standing beside Thomas. Newman and Banks had retrieved the gun they’d dropped. By some miracle, last week, Thomas had convinced Clay to buy a waterproof case for his phone. It made all the difference in the world in this situation. He didn’t have a signal, but they would soon.

  “What can I do?” Clay asked.

  “Hold on. I’m going to get us out of here quick. Don’t fall in. Grab a rail and stay low.”

  Clay dropped to a seat and grabbed the rail to his left then reached around and grabbed the rail to his right. Thomas checked the engine and the dials before meeting Clay’s gaze.

  “Now,” Thomas said.

  The engine cranked and roared to life. Thomas slammed the boat into gear, moving forward before he swung around and headed back the way they’d come. It all happened so fast. They were leaving the dock behind when Newman and Banks came out of the trees, shooting at them. Of course, it wasn’t like in movies, and the boat wasn’t standing still, so they were able to escape unscathed.

  When they popped out into the main waterway, he let out a whoop. Thomas didn’t slow as he made his way back to the marina where they’d come from. Clay had his phone out, dialing nine-one-one. The operator couldn’t hear him over the wind and engine noise, so he had to yell.

  After the third time yelling, the operator understood, and an officer was dispatched to the marina. Clay hung up and called Howard at the FBI. He answered on the first ring.

  “Agent Howard here.”

  “Newman came after me with Banks. They tried to kill me,” Clay yelled so he could be heard.

  Howard was silent for a few seconds. Thomas pulled to the dock and tossed the rope onto the dock. Clay helped him attach the rope to the cleat while he listened for Howard’s response. They’d been shot at but escaped. He couldn’t believe it.

  “Well shit. So much for them not knowing where you were,” Howard said.

  “The cops are on their way.” Clay’s hands had started to shake.

  “I guess I’m flying to Florida. Are you safe?”

  “Yes. They attacked, and we ended up on an island. They’re on the island now; we left them there. They could swim back, but there’s sharks and gators.”

  “Hmm.” Clay heard noise on the other end of the line then Howard chuckled. “It’s fitting them being stuck on an island. I’m glad you’re okay though. I’ll be there in a few hours. Hang tight.”

  Clay hung up right as the cops arrived. After trying to explain things for four maybe five minutes, they finally caught a break. Apparently, Howard had called the chief of police, and word worked its way down the line. Soon there was a helicopter hovering nearby, and he figured Newman and Banks would be caught quickly.

  Nothing screamed guilty like chasing someone over five states and then trying to kill them. He guessed this would help his case and hurt theirs. He still couldn’t go back to working for a police department, even if it wasn’t in Virginia. His trust had been broken, but more than that, he realized he liked working with his hands.

  Hours passed before he and Thomas had a minute alone. Thomas stepped close, and he didn’t care about anyone else being around. They hugged, holding each other tight.

  “Dammit, Clay, you could have been killed today.”

  “You too. I never would have forgiven myself if you’d been hurt.”

  Thomas shuddered and kissed the side of his head. “Do you think anyone else will come after you?”

  “No, no chance in hell. I think it’s over. I don’t know if I’m ready to celebrate, but I’m happy.”

  Thomas brushed his lips over Clay’s forehead. “We’ll celebrate tonight. We survived.”

  He laughed, though he was closer to hysteria instead of feeling jovial. “We survived.”

  “I love you so freaking much, Clay.”

  “I love you too.”

  After a little while longer, the cops left, asking them to stop by the station soon. They went home. Clay was still blown away by what had happened. He guessed his suspicions about Banks had been spot on. Howard’s investigation must have turned up some hard evidence if Banks and Newman made their way here to end his life. Killing someone was risky. Maybe they thought they could dump their bodies in the ocean. But even with Newman and Banks taking precautions, they would have left evidence of some sort behind.

  Once back at Thomas’ place, they showered, and he called Dave, asking him to take the charter in the morning. Clay buzzed with happiness, knowing Thomas wanted to spend the day with him. Their celebration had to wait since Howard had gotten a flight and wanted to meet with them. Thomas wasn’t too keen on going to the station based on how they’d treated him when his boss died, but he still went with Clay to give him moral support.

  Agent Howard met them in the front lobby and shook their hands. “I’m glad you two survived. We really didn’t think they would take off to come down here. Honestly, we had someone watching their house, and until you called, we believed them to be holed up inside.”

  “So they snuck out? What assholes,” Thomas said.

  “That’s an understatement. They’ll be going away for a long time,” Howard said.

  Clay was happy to hear how serious Howard was taking this. “So any clue how they found out where I was, where I worked?”

  Howard shook his head. “Not yet. We think they had someone come down the week Clay was here. We’re searching through their computers now for evidence.”

  Clay reached for Thomas’ hand and pulled him close. Their gazes met. His body shuddered.

  “I hate this,” Clay said.

  “We can Skype later with the guys. I’m sure they’ll want to know what’s going on,” Thomas said.

  Howard met Clay’s gaze, his expression earnest. “If they came down here before, they probably have photos of you.”

  “God, this keeps getting worse and worse.” Thomas squeezed his hand and he leaned in closer to his man.

  “We’ll get through this.” Thomas’ words were sweet and made him feel better.

  “Whatever we find, we’ll keep you in the loop,” Howard said.

  Clay nodded, still overwhelmed with everything that had happened. “Thank you.”

  After another thirty minutes with Howard, they left the stati
on and headed back to Thomas’ house. They stopped by the store and picked up a pie and some meat to grill.

  Once home, they unloaded their items, and Clay headed to the bedroom. Thomas went outside to start the grill. He was glad they could finally relax. The threat was gone, and he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone coming after him.

  He headed to the kitchen then paused when he saw something weird with the vent. Oh shit, not again.

  Clay moved to the utility closet and pulled out a step stool. He moved to the vent and had the first screw off when Thomas stepped in to the kitchen.

  “What are you doing?”

  Clay started working on the next screw and stopped, meeting Thomas’ gaze. “Did you put a camera up here?”

  “No.”

  Clay finished unscrewing the second screw and removed the vent, staring at the camera which looked like the one the FBI had found in his house. “We need to call Howard.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  He shook his head, feeling guilty as heck. “Nope.”

  “Call him. Might as well get this over and done with now.”

  Clay got his phone and called Howard. The agent answered on the first ring.

  “Agent Howard here.”

  “It's Clay. There’s some recording devices in Thomas’ house.”

  “Well shit.”

  He moved to the den and stared up at the grate. “I just found them.”

  Howard sighed heavily. “I’ll be over with a team.”

  “Okay.” Clay hung up the phone. He felt like they’d sunk into a pit, but Thomas was there with them, and maybe they could help get each other out. “There are probably other devices. They were watching us. I’m so sorry I brought this into your house.”

  Thomas shook his head. “No, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. They had to have broken in and placed the cameras when we were at the rental house or one day when we were out on the boat working. It’s not your fault; it’s on them.”

  “God, it kills me thinking of you walking around here with these cameras recording your every move. It pisses me off.”

  “I’m angry they might have gotten us having sex. I don’t care about them seeing me. I care about them seeing you.”

  Thomas pulled Clay into a hug and kissed his forehead. He couldn’t believe this had followed him.

  Howard showed up with four agents who swept through the house and found five other recording devices. Thomas said he wasn’t upset at him, but Clay couldn’t help but feel guilty. They had caught them in the nude, having sex, and hanging out. They’d done naked dining and so much more.

  Howard stopped by after the other men packed up and headed outside. “Obviously, we underestimated how deep they were willing to go.”

  “Totally an understatement,” Thomas said.

  “I’m sorry. I guess we should have put you in one of our safe houses,” Howard said.

  Clay shrugged. “They would have infiltrated the safe house. They were determined, so I don’t think they would have cared where I was, they would have found me. And they were probably already filming Thomas, so they might have gone after him. They know it would have killed me if anything happened to him.”

  Howard nodded. “Why do you think they wanted you dead?”

  “Money,” Clay said. “If my suspicions are right and they killed those two guys like I thought, then who knows what else they’ve done.

  “Well, you’ve caused a shakeup. Thank you for risking everything. You may have saved a few good guys,” Howard said.

  “We were taken by surprise this morning,” Thomas said. “We’ll be more aware from here on out.”

  Howard pulled out his phone and checked something. “Everyone who made bail is now being brought back in. I think we’re going to leave a few agents in your neighborhood and active down here. This is one of the biggest corruption scandals we’ve seen in a police department. I’m glad you two are fine. I’ll be flying back to DC in the morning. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “Thank you, Agent Howard.” Clay reached out to shake Howard's hand, but the FBI agent pulled him into a hug.

  “You two make a good couple. I hope you make it.”

  Clay’s face warmed, and he stole a glance at Thomas. “He makes me happy.”

  “That’s good. I travel too much, and it’s not fun. I can’t keep a relationship going. I sometimes think I’ve given too much.”

  “I know about giving too much,” Clay said. “Even before this happened, I was thinking about quitting to be with this man. I can do anything down here, but I can’t find another guy like this one.”

  Thomas pulled him close and kissed his forehead. “You’re the best, Clay.”

  He warmed from Thomas’ praise. They would watch their backs, but he really didn’t think the group would try to take him down again. There was already too much evidence stacked up against them.

  Howard pocketed his phone and said goodbye. They were finally alone, and he melted into Thomas’ arms. Their kiss was light at first but heated, turning molten as they tugged at each other’s clothes. He was naked in no time flat, his back pressed against the front door as Thomas ground against him. Their cocks were trapped between them as they rocked together, gasping for air between kisses.

  He couldn’t worry about what they’d seen before, but he damn sure was going to be careful from here on out. At the moment, there were no recording devices in their house, so he didn’t hold back. He was going to come soon, all he needed was a few more pumps. Thomas held him against the door and stepped away.

  “Wait,” Clay complained.

  “I want you in bed, and I want you in me.”

  “Yes,” Clay hissed. He had no doubt that sinking into Thomas would be the best thing he’d experienced other than Thomas being inside him. Love was a funny thing; it made Clay want to show Thomas how much he meant to him. Sex had always been something he did, but this was something more. He’d waited a lifetime to experience a relationship this special. And without a doubt, Thomas was worth the wait.

  He followed Thomas to their bedroom and grabbed the lube. Thomas cupped his cheek and stepped close.

  “You’re all I want, all I need. I don’t care how they try to shame us, they have photos and videos, but babe, none of that matters. I love you. They can’t make me feel bad about our relationship. They can’t make me stop loving you.”

  “You’re the best. Thank you,” Clay choked out, as his gaze searched Thomas’. They fell into bed, Thomas pushing him to the mattress before settling above him. His emotions were riding high, and he knew this was the one person he wanted for the rest of his life.

  Thomas spread lube over Clay’s dick and then moved into position. He lowered closer to Clay before he grunted as Clay slid in.

  The breath Clay drew in was sharp, desperate. His mind blanked for a moment.

  Thomas rocked above him, riding him like a pro. His chest displayed, his head thrown back like he was close to coming. It was so freaking sexy to watch Thomas get off on him.

  Thomas rocked his hips, and his body swayed as he opened his mouth and gasped. The way his eyes rolled up and the passion on his face was enough to make Clay come close to orgasm. He never would have guessed he was so into doing guys, but Thomas did it for him.

  Thomas glanced down, his gaze connecting with Clay’s. They were going to come together. Sex with Thomas was better than with anyone else. It wasn’t just the physical act, it was the way they connected. He knew how Thomas would react with just a touch.

  He reached for Thomas’ cock and began stroking him, his fingers gliding over his man’s hard cock. He loved the feel of Thomas’ cock in his hand. He wanted to spend more time worshiping Thomas and his cock, but right now, they were so close and he couldn’t slow down.

  Sweat trickled down Thomas’ chest, leaving a sheen on his skin. Clay pumped up, his feet digging into the mattress as he heated even more. All restraint was released as a feral growl escaped his li
ps.

  “Thomas,” he cried out as passion filled him. He came, his body clenching as he shot his load into his lover.

  Cum sprayed from Thomas’ cock, landing on Clay’s belly. They were both panting as they recovered. He reached up and cupped Thomas’ face, staring into his eyes.

  “Us, I like us. You make me happy. Thank you for taking me in.”

  “I’m not just taking you in; I’m taking you as mine. Clay, you’re everything. Those nights we spent hunkered down, not knowing if we’d live another day, showed me I have to act when I find something good. You’re the one. I want you forever.”

  Their lips met with a promise he knew he could keep. He wasn’t squatting overnight or for a few days, he was moving in with Thomas for the rest of their lives. He hadn’t settled because he needed a place to stay; no, this was so much more than that. Together had never felt so good.

  20

  Thomas set up a Skype call with the guys two days after the incident on the island. He hoped none of them freaked out too much. Howard had assured Clay everything would be taken care of. The charges of attempted murder, the murder, on top of the corruption, were enough to clear him. Since Banks and Newman had tried to kill Clay, more people inside the department were helping with the FBI’s investigation.

  It looked like there were eight primary players who were taking bribes, stealing drugs from the evidence room and selling them, and that’s what led to the two officers dying. Those involved weren’t only losing their pensions, they were looking at losing their freedom for a long time.

  He and Clay were planning on flying into Virginia next week to pack Clay’s apartment. They’d already arranged for a mover to bring his stuff south. It was really happening.

  Clay came in from the kitchen with a plate of cheese and crackers and two glasses of wine. They had been quiet about everything so far, but it was time to inform the guys that Clay was down here and why. He knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. Their guys were a protective group.

  His computer chimed, and he accepted Brent and Jake into the conversation.

  “Hey, Thomas, Clay. What are you two doing?” Jake asked.