“We won’t be alone for too long. By next week, they’ll have others involved. It’s why we have to get as much done as we can right now. The more involvement, the more red tape and inactivity we’ll get.” Kreed’s brow lifted, and he nodded toward a medium-size box. “You gonna hand me that box?” Kreed asked.
Aaron cringed. Crap. He’d gotten distracted by the arsenal housed in those cases and forgotten Kreed’s request. “Sorry. My bad.”
Aaron stood almost on top of Kreed, all in his personal space. The kid’s eyes shining with interest and excitement.
“This one?” Aaron bent forward, scooting the box closer, then lifted it up on the table. His new partner’s surly attitude and the back-off-keep-your-distance stance had diminished. Kreed didn’t let himself get too jazzed that maybe they might be able to coexist peacefully, because honestly, these boxes held every little boy’s dream come true. Kreed turned away, not letting himself get too worked up with Aaron’s close proximity, and smiled, making sure Aaron could see everything he unloaded from the rest of the boxes.
“Do you know how to use all that?” Aaron asked, awe in his voice.
Seeing Aaron’s excitement and knowing he was interested in digging through the spyware, Kreed picked up an empty box and shoved it toward Aaron’s chest. The guy automatically took it. Kreed grabbed the other two. Playtime would have to wait.
“Yup. Put that in the garage. We need to grab our shit and get settled. You gotta read that intel Skinner’s put together for you.”
Aaron carried the empty box to the garage as instructed. They unloaded the car, taking all the luggage and their backpacks inside the house. “Which room’s mine?”
“The master. I’ll take the study. I can keep a better eye on things if I’m in there with the surveillance gear,” Kreed said as Aaron trailed behind him.
“I only saw the one bed. The study didn’t have a bed,” Aaron said, slowing his pace as he got closer to his designated room.
“Is that your subtle way of getting me into your bed?” Kreed teased, giving him a wink as he headed for the bedroom. “If I knew the weapons were such great foreplay…”
“Definitely not that,” Aaron scoffed, the indignation creeping back into his voice. That made Kreed smile bigger. For some reason, it was comforting to have the old Aaron back. Kreed shook his head at that thought. The kid could be so adorable when annoyed.
Burning the candle at both ends was beginning to take its toll. Aaron let out a long, jaw cracking yawn as he sat in the middle of the bed in his pajama pants and T-shirt, working diligently on his laptop. Exhaustion numbed his mind. It was three-thirty in the morning, and he yawned again as he watched code fill the screen. His eyes drooped, and the moment his head fell forward, he jerked, startling himself back awake. He reached up to slap his face, forcing himself to pay attention and keep his eyes open. He had to see this through. He was almost there, close enough to the point he could shut the laptop lid, let the computer work for itself, and he’d finish the rest in the morning. The church systems were insanely easy to break into, thank God for that. He chuckled at his own little unintended joke.
With a few quick keystrokes, Aaron had placed the virus inside their systems, setting it to initiate on cue from his cellphone. The remote activation process had been harder to coordinate than breaking into the church’s system, and that said a lot for a group filled with so much hate and secrets. Not a wise call on their part.
A light rap of knuckles on the bedroom door had him looking up as Kreed cracked the door open just enough to look inside, before pushing it all the way open. “I thought you were awake. Did you read the files Skinner sent over?”
“Not yet, but I will before I head over tomorrow. I’m almost done, but this is hour twenty-seven for me. I need some shut-eye,” Aaron said as another involuntary yawn tore free.
“Make sure you read it. We need to get everyone straight. They’re a little more than I bargained for,” Kreed said, propping a shoulder against the doorframe and hooking his thumb in the direction of the church.
“Yeah, I told you they sucked,” Aaron replied, watching his screen for a second or two before he lifted his eyes. Kreed Sinacola was exceptional in every way. Ruggedly handsome, perfectly built from head to toe, but more than that, he was such an interesting mix of a man. The SpongeBob pajama bottoms and his white sleeveless undershirt announcing “I Like Dick” in big bold black letters across the chest seemed to fit his personality more than anything else could. Kreed looked vulnerable in the moment with his hair sticking out in various directions as though he’d run a frustrated hand through it repeatedly.
If Aaron hadn’t witnessed that hard, unyielding, take-no-shit attitude first hand in the FBI’s lobby, he wouldn’t believe it was inside this guy standing before him. Aaron couldn’t help but give a slight grin at the reminder. Kreed had been prepared to take on all of those armed guards with no doubt he could handle the situation. He was clearly not someone to play with, and Deputy Sinacola was hot as hell when he was all riled-up.
With a mental headshake, Aaron quickly tried to push those images from his mind. They had a job to do, and he had to admit he was somewhat nervous. Okay, a lot nervous about going in that church. “If there really is a spawn of the devil, that pastor over there could be it.”
“Agreed. I want you to carry a weapon,” Kreed said, and his piercing eyes never strayed from Aaron. It wasn’t a question or suggestion, but more a directive as those muscular arms crossed over his broad chest, as though daring Aaron to argue.
“I’m not comfortable with that,” Aaron commented and forced his eyes down to the screen. In a matter of a second, Kreed’s easygoing manner had turned serious, making Aaron a little intimidated in this moment. He didn’t want that to show, so he pasted his irritable mask back in place to hide his response to Kreed’s tactic. It seemed the only recourse he could ever muster against the guy.
“Too bad. I can’t in good conscience send you in there unarmed,” Kreed explained.
“So Skinner’s file must be loaded with good shit about them. You didn’t know anything about their past before?” Aaron asked, dodging the weapons discussion and turning the conversation in a different direction. Regardless of whether he wore a weapon, he’d be useless with a gun. His weapons training experience didn’t go beyond a game controller aimed at a computer monitor. Somehow he didn’t think that would help much in a real life situation.
“Not really. I knew they hated homosexuals and blamed the government for cultivating the ‘fag propaganda.’” Kreed unfolded his arms to use air quotes over the last few words. “I knew they picketed military deaths and courthouses, shit like that, but I was reading their official doctrine. It’s not good,” Kreed said with a shake of his head. Aaron had nothing to add to that because he completely agreed. Walking hatemongers filled Redemption Tabernacle. To Aaron, they were the living evil.
Kreed finally shook his head again as if to dispel the silence that had taken over the conversation. Whatever information or images that flitted through his mind in that moment created a pained expression shooting across his face. “I justified their hate based on religious conviction, but hell, that’s not godly. They can’t even pretend it is. They have to know how evil they are. It’s why you have to be protected until I can get to you.”
“Well, I can’t go in there armed, Kreed.”
“Then we need to get someone else in here,” Kreed said, pushing himself off the door and making his way farther into the room. Aaron lifted his eyes, watching Kreed close the distance to the side of the bed. Kreed’s mannerisms seemed off tonight, different somehow. Something or someone had caused a worried look Aaron had never seen on his face before to show in his eyes and in the lines around his mouth. Maybe his brother? Perhaps his past? Who knew, but those protective vibes were flowing hot and heavy. Aaron felt the care, the concern, and also the apprehensive tension gathering in the air. Aaron’s eyes stayed riveted on Kreed as he sat down on the edge o
f the bed, not facing Aaron. He didn’t glance his way or say a word, but looked deep in thought as he bent forward with his elbows on his thighs. Kreed finally sighed, sat up and scrubbed his hands down his face before turning and pegging Aaron with another troubled expression.
Before Kreed could speak again, Aaron said, “Maybe we do need someone else, but that’s gonna take time—something we don’t have. It’s been too long already. These freaks don’t believe they’ll be caught and your plan has merit. It’s been months since an attack. We both know it’s time for them to act again. That deacon’s in town. I know it. I won’t take undue risk. I’ll follow the rules and I trust you. We can do this.” Aaron tried to infuse his words with positive solidarity. He lowered his laptop screen about midway and placed it on the nightstand, pushing himself up against the headboard. As much as he didn’t want to be there, they’d come too far to stop now. Besides, it wasn’t going to take long to know if they were barking up the wrong tree or if they’d landed on the mothership.
Kreed didn’t respond right away. He stretched out, grabbing one of the pillows next to Aaron and hugged it against that big chest of his as he rested his head in the hand of his bent arm. He scrutinized the bedspread, picking at a thread with his fingers. The weird vibes radiating from Kreed had Aaron narrowing his eyes, trying again to decipher this mood.
Something was really off with Kreed, which was completely out of character from what he’d come to expect. Aaron was far better at reading between the lines in online chatting than reading real people, in real situations. Maybe it was too soon for Kreed to be back in the field in such a high-stakes case, especially since the guy had been secretly leading this case since they’d all been back together.
“I want you wired at all times. You get out of there if anything looks or even feels funky,” Kreed finally said, looking up at him.
“Yeah, no problem there. That’s pretty much my game plan, but if I can get in there, get their system feeding information back to the bureau, and just be around if something falls through in that connection, I should be fine, right?” Aaron asked.
“In theory, yes.”
“You know I trust you or I wouldn’t be here,” Aaron confessed, wanting to reassure him.
“How much longer do you have?” Kreed didn’t respond to that statement. Instead, he changed the subject and pointed to the computer on the nightstand.
“I’m done. I was waiting for the virus to load. I’ll test it in the morning, but I think I’m ready.”
“Then get some sleep. You need to be sharp.” Kreed pushed up and off the bed, tossing the pillow in his direction. Silence fell between them as Kreed stood at the end of the bed, staring down at him. Neither spoke, but Kreed’s eyes held a seriousness to them he had only seen at the bureau. Aaron swore something passed between them. He held his breath, waiting for Kreed to make some kind of lewd suggestion, anything to ease the tension, but he never did. Kreed just turned away, padded across the room, and quietly shut the door behind him. Was Aaron disappointed? Had he wanted Kreed to say something more?
A smile bloomed across Aaron’s face. Aaron’s heart sped up a few beats as he realized how much he liked seeing all the sides of Kreed, and he suspected he might be part of a small select few who got to see the true man. Kreed put value on Aaron’s participation in this case—made even stronger since the deputy marshal had hand-picked him to be his temporary partner. Kreed didn’t want Aaron getting caught in the crossfire and that care and concern was sexy as hell.
Aaron lifted his T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. He reached for a pillow then tugged at the covers, wrapping them around his body as he lay down. Aaron tried to forget about the tenderness in Kreed’s voice, focus only on what had been said and what all of this could mean, but he couldn’t pull his mind away from Kreed. For the first time, Kreed hadn’t made references to getting inside his pants, but instead he’d been truly concerned. How long had it been since anyone worried about his welfare?
Aaron’s body warmed as he let that thought settle on him. Kreed truly did seem to care about him. The look in his eyes told him that much. Aaron curled himself around the pillow Kreed had hugged, and Kreed’s scent hit him like a sledgehammer. He buried his nose in the pillow and inhaled the intoxicating aroma as he toyed with his nipple ring, twisting and tweaking the metal loop as he thought about Kreed. All the blood in his brain rushed to his dick. He should focus on getting sleep, but his dick demanded attention and he was too far gone to stop.
Aaron gave in, rolled to his back, and kicked the blanket off his body. He slid his hands down his stomach and into his flannels to fist his cock. His eyes closed and his head filled with images of Kreed, the ones he’d tried so hard to push away. Aaron tightened his fingers. He was hard as a fucking steel pole and leaking like a faucet. It didn’t matter that Kreed was in the next room and could possibly hear him or come through that door at any moment. The possibility of Kreed walking in only spurred his excitement and heightened the ache in his balls. All he could concentrate on was easing the need churning through him.
Aaron stroked himself, imagining Kreed’s smart mouth and big hands pleasuring, teasing, and torturing him. He imagined he could still smell Kreed’s lingering scent in the air. He moved his hand faster, arched his hips, to give his dick more friction. His ass clenched, wanting to be filled. Aaron shoved his pajama bottoms down and out of the way in order to spread his legs, only in his mind it was Kreed’s thick legs that held him open wide. Using his other hand, Aaron fondled his aching balls, tugging and rolling them like he wanted Kreed to do. Aaron needed more to push him over the edge. He was on the cusp, hanging in limbo, and he desperately wanted to come.
He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them between his lips before shifting both digits to his ass. He toyed with the sensitive skin around his rim before forcefully pushing inside his channel. Fuck! The sweet initial burn tightened his balls and made his dick weep with delight. He always liked the feeling of being breached. He screwed his eyes shut tighter and worked his fist and fingers faster. Dark eyes danced behind his, full lips tempted him with that ever-present smirk. Holy damn, he wanted those lips stretched around his dick. Kreed’s mouth sucked him… Kreed’s fingers in him, working him… The orgasm swamped him, pleasure crashed down on him in breath-stealing waves.
“Kreed.” Aaron gasped, calling out the handsome deputy’s name as his release painted his chest and chin with thick ropes of creamy warmth. He sucked in air, trying to level out his breathing. Completely spent, he relaxed against the bed, but his body still buzzed with endorphins.
Aaron opened his eyes as his body came back online and his heart quit pounding in his ears. It was so quiet in the house. He stayed frozen, not moving as the last few minutes came into focus. Had he called out Kreed’s name?
Fuck!
Embarrassment heated his already hot skin. He removed the fingers from his ass and rolled his body just enough that he could grab a dirty shirt from the floor to wipe the come off his chest and chin. Damn it!
He hadn’t considered the fact that the security wall mount could be used as a camera. How in the hell was he going to explain that one? Yeah, he could see that playing out right now. Kreed would never let him live it down.
That sated after-sex feeling took over, pushing the fear aside. Aaron snuggled deeper into the warmth of the covers, hugging the pillow that smelled like Kreed tightly against his chest. If anyone heard…well, there was nothing he could do about it now. What was done was done. He’d worry about that if anyone brought it up, which was technically his entire life’s motto. Aaron yawned and closed his eyes with Kreed right there in his mind as he fell asleep.
Chapter 13
“Something smells incredible,” Aaron said as he came around the corner toward the kitchen. He’d slept later than they had planned. It was already close to eight in the morning. That would mean Aaron had gone approximately twelve hours without eating. Based on the little knowledg
e he had on smart boy, Kreed didn’t figure that happened too many times. As if to validate that thought, Kreed heard Aaron’s stomach growl and grumble from across the kitchen. He’d bet the smell of sizzling bacon had Aaron finally rising when he did.
“They hooked us up,” Kreed said, reaching for a second coffee cup, refilling his before pouring one for Aaron.
“SpongeBob? I missed my opportunity to give you shit last night. I must’ve been really tired.”
Kreed looked down at his pants as he slid the cup to Aaron across the bar.
“Why? They’re comfortable. I bought several pair. I like these because whatever the fabric, they don’t shrink and SpongeBob’s fucking funny.” Kreed picked up his coffee mug and headed back to the stove.
“The ink’s impressive,” Aaron said as Kreed turned each piece of bacon. Kreed reached up and scratched his bare chest, looking down at the ram’s head tattooed there. There was no real story to that particular tattoo, unlike the ones on his arms. He’d started getting the tatts years ago, way before it was the cool, trendy thing to do. After all this time, they were as much a part of him as his extremities.
“Some’s fading, I should probably get ’em refreshed,” Kreed said, lifting the cup, taking a long drink.
“You have them all over?” Aaron asked as Kreed pulled the crispy pieces from the pan.
“Yeah. I wasn’t too smart in placing them strategically. I thought I’d be career military and where I was didn’t matter about the ink,” Kreed replied with as much detail as he was willing to share. He never, ever talked about his military days, and he refused to let his mind go back to those years. Showing the darkness during that time of his life exposed too much about himself and the lengths he’d go to protect what he loved. The past needed to remain where it belonged—better for everyone that way.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 85