by BA Tortuga
Galen’s big hand fell on his shoulder, yanking him back. “The dogs are in the bathroom! The tools are up front. I’ll get the boards.” The wind took Galen’s voice and shredded it like paper, the sound bouncing crazily.
“You ain’t going without me!” No way. No. Fucking. Way.
Galen stared at him for maybe two seconds, but it seemed like an hour. Then he got a sharp nod, a hard, stunning kiss, and a wild grin. “Come on, darlin’! It’ll be a hell of a ride!”
His own grin answered Galen’s, without him even wanting it to, and his fingers slid into the dark hand offered over to him. Goddamn, he had lost his mind.
They made a run for it, the storm tearing at them, even Galen’s strength no match for it. They staggered to the shed, the fury of it all actually driving them to their knees once.
Soaked, sore—they just stood there, panting, dripping. “We can’t stay here. It’s getting worse.”
“I know. Don’t know how we’re gonna get the boards up. Maybe the cart? That way they’re flat down. We’ll get less resistance.” Galen was looking around, a big old bruise coming up by his eye where something had hit him.
“Drag ’em on the ground, yeah? That wind gets under the edge, we’re fucked.” He winced as glass broke, deeper in the shop. “We can’t stay here, Galen.”
“We got to go. Grab the edge of that stack and we’ll haul. Hell, if you have to, you sit on them and I’ll pull.” Nodding, Galen grabbed his side of the wood, waiting on him.
“Keep your head down.” He grabbed hold, saying a little prayer for stupid assholes and goofball dogs.
“You too.” That was it. They charged out, determined as all fuck. Jesus, she was blowing like a two-dollar whore in a back seat.
It felt like the fucking wind was biting him, taking chunks out of his arms and legs. They pulled and tugged, losing the top two boards. They had a near miss right at the back door, one of the windows bowing in against the board, then shattering out, shrapnel flying every which way. Christ.
Galen gave one last mighty heave, and the boards slid right up on the back porch. “Get the door, Shane!”
“Got it!” They got the door open and slammed shut again. “This is fucked.”
That wind wasn’t natural, damn it.
“No shit. Okay, you take the one in the kitchen that just busted out. I’ll get the bedroom.” All business suddenly. Of course, Galen hated getting all bruised. Like that was Shane’s job or something.
He headed for the kitchen, arms heavy as fuck. Jesus. He was moving to fucking Idaho.
Or Iowa.
Or some weirdassed vowel-starting state without hurricanes.
The hammer fought him, the nails flying like buzzing bees. But he finally got it, and man, two layers of boards made it easier.
When it was up, he just sat.
Hard.
There wasn’t a piece of him that didn’t fucking hurt. In fact, this piece of floor worked just fine for him, napping-wise.
“Hey, darlin’. Come on. The bedroom’s pretty safe now.” Galen lifted him gently, pulling him along.
“Huh?” He blinked, legs moving without his brain following.
“Bed. We just need to bunker down.” They moved through the hall, listening to the house groan.
“’Kay.” He nodded, a scared sickness, deep in his belly. “I wish you’d’ve stayed up north. You’d’ve been safe with that son of a bitch there.”
“No. I had to come home and find you.” Those dark eyes looked almost wild, Galen hopped up on adrenaline.
“Yeah. Yeah, I kinda get that.” Because the thought of Galen here in this alone? Sucked rocks.
Galen kissed him again, tasting like saltwater and swamp, which was kinda gross. But not, because it was Galen. “Let’s get some rest, darlin’. Like you wanted. Then we can talk.”
“Yeah.” He pulled Galen down onto the bed—gross or not—because God damn it, he needed to hold the bastard.
Needed to.
Len settled right in, holding him so tight it made him sweat. Looked like he wasn’t the only one who wanted to feel that they were right there. Together.
It wasn’t all right, but it wasn’t all wrong, and Shane took it and held tight.
Just like his heart wanted him to.
Chapter Seventeen
GALEN WOKE up to utter stillness.
The quiet was shattering, making him sit bolt upright on the bed and stare around. At the sound of the bedsprings creaking, the dogs started raising a ruckus in the bathroom, and Galen remembered them with a jolt of guilt.
After climbing carefully out of bed, Galen avoided the debris and went to let the pups out, oofing when they leaped on him.
Goob went right to the bed, back legs churning as the silly hound tried to hop up to get to Shane.
“Oh now. He’s sleeping, mutt. Let him rest.”
“Huh?” Shane groaned, patted the mattress without even waking up. “’Mon, y’all. Sleepin’.”
Oh. Bless his heart. Galen let Goob settle in, then crawled back in on his side, Khan hopping up on him. He didn’t even want to look. The storm wasn’t over; they were just in the eye.
“Mmm.” Shane cuddled into him with a happy sigh. That fucking sound gave him hope, because it meant something, that he could still make Shane feel that.
Of course, who knew? Maybe Shane thought he was Wade. Sighing, Galen tamped down on the jealous thought. Shane had come home for him and their house. Not Wade. No one could kiss him like Shane had and not care.
Doing a little snuggling of his own, Galen pondered checking the windows. Just in case.
Shane’s hand moved, slow and easy, tracing his belly, one muscle after another. Loving on him. Humming, Galen curled into the touch, letting Khan have his back. His own hand settled on Shane’s hip, fingers tracing the too-sharp hip bone.
“Mmm. Len.” Shane stretched and smiled, eyelids moving some as he tried to wake up.
“Shhh. I got you. The storm is at the halfway point. It’s okay.” He crooned it a little, jonesing on having Shane in his arms.
“We’re all here?” Shane gave each pup a scritch without opening his eyes. “Jesus, I had the worst dreams.”
“Yeah? What did you dream about? Tell me and I’ll make it go away.” God, if only it would be that easy. Maybe he hadn’t damaged them beyond repair.
“Dreamed you….” Shane frowned, eyes popping open. “I dreamed I came here and you’d gone. Are you moving up north, Len?”
“No.” That was the God’s honest truth, and Galen put it all in his voice. “No. I quit. For real. Walked right out on Frank and called my lawyer. I want to come home.”
“Why?”
“I love you, darlin’. I…. When I couldn’t get ahold of you, and then I found out what Frank did….” Galen smiled a little, shaking his head. “Well, it was a good thing we were in public, or I’d’ve wrung his neck like a turkey.”
“You love the work, Len. I know you do, else you wouldn’t… I mean, I know I’m not….” Shane sighed, shook his head. “I know I’m not all that, and I can see I’m losing it some. That’s not gonna get better. I’m not gonna get any better.”
Galen drew back, staring Shane right in the eye, his gut churning. “I did that, huh? Made you feel like you weren’t enough. I’m sorry, darlin’. I don’t love that work. I don’t. I was just….” He sighed, shaking his head again, harder. “I just agreed to do it, and then I had to do the best I could.”
“I get that.” Shane nodded, slid down out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom. The man was covered in little scratches and bruises, just like he was.
Waiting, Galen stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out how to make Shane understand. He got it now. He did. He was ready to focus all his damned need to do everything he did well on Shane.
It didn’t take long for Shane to come out, dressed in a pair of soft shorts, looking miserable. “You hungry, Len? There’s bread and peanut butter.”
“Da
rlin’….” He reached out with one hand, trying to get Shane to come sit with him. “You need some food? We could do that.”
“I hate this.” Shane looked straight at him. “I fucking hate not knowing what to do, not knowing whether I should go or stay. It makes me fucking insane.”
Galen climbed off the bed and went to Shane, hands landing on those pretty shoulders. “I love you. I want you to stay.” The hardest thing he’d ever had to say was coming up. “But I want you to do what you want, darlin’. I want you happy.”
There. He was a big old girl.
“You sound like Wade.”
Jealousy flashed again, hot as lightning, loud as thunder in his ears. “Yeah, well. I guess Wade has it just as bad for you as I do. But I ain’t willing to give you up to him, goddamn it.” He could only do selfless for so long. Galen needed Shane too damned much.
“Don’t fucking snap at me. Wade’s fucking been here, waiting on me to decide that I don’t love you, and I do.” Shane’s chest slapped against his, the sound surprising the fuck out of him. “I love you, you bastard, and I just kept waiting!”
“Shane.” Groaning, he pulled Shane even closer, trying to give the man a kiss that would explain how much that fucking meant to him.
Shane held back, staring at him, shaking a little. “I’m not waiting for you to decide I’m not who you want, Galen. I can’t.”
“Goddamn it, would you listen to me! I came back for you. I know I’m a fucking idiot, okay? I know I hurt you. I’m fucking sorry!” He was shouting, right into the void left by the eye of the storm, but he couldn’t stop. Desperation made him crazy.
“Good!” Shane could fucking beller, coming right up to him, shaking him but good. “You’re my fucking idiot, you asshole! And I got dick without you. Nothing but that fucking bar and those guys and those fucking parties. It ain’t real, Galen!”
“No. No, this is real. Just you and me and this, okay?” Oh, please. Please let Shane mean it. Not that he wanted Shane to think the rest of his life was shit, but Galen knew the football and the press and all the fucking investments were bullshit too.
Shane nodded, staring at him. “Yeah. You and me. This. This fucking house and the pups. I’m not what I used to be. I need this now.”
“Stop it.” Now he did grab Shane again, shaking him a little. “Neither of us is as young as we used to be. But you’re all that to me. Every fucking thing in the world.”
“I don’t have to be everything. I just need to be something.”
“Then stick around and be mine.” The lines around Shane’s mouth broke his heart. Those blue eyes just looked so lost. Galen stared into them, willing Shane to understand what he knew. He was home to stay.
Shane’s head tilted, just like Goob’s when he heard something scratching outside. “I drove into a fucking hurricane to save your fucking house, Galen. I am yours.”
Something touched off a little spark there, making him shake Shane again. “It’s our house, darlin’. Yours too. You know that, right?”
“I….” Shane looked like he’d just been whacked with a flying tree branch. Shit. Just….
The low rumble of the wind started again, Goob and Khan starting to howl.
“Jesus. Great timing.” Galen sighed, then grinned a little. “You can yell at me more in a minute. We need to check the kitchen and front room before it gets any worse.”
That got him a grin right back, Shane reaching for him, fingers squeezing his arm. “Yeah, yeah.”
They got to work, moving like the team they always had been.
There would be a hell of a lot more storm before it blew itself out. But at least now Galen figured they were ready to weather it.
Chapter Eighteen
THE THING about having a big fight and not fucking right after was the weirdness.
Shane sat and listened to the wind. Galen sat and listened to the emergency radio. The dogs tore around the house like idiots.
It was deeply fucked-up.
Really.
“You ever been in a big hurricane before?” He was a fucking bartender. He could make small talk.
“Huh?” Len glanced over, those dark eyes all but black, taking in every detail. “Once. When I was a kid.”
“With Momma?” He sorta stared, caught in that look. It didn’t matter, not even a little. He loved the man.
“Uh-huh. We had this little house on the edge of the bayou, and man, it all but blew apart. We were waiting on some feller to come get us…. Last time we waited on anyone to save us, I guess.” Galen got up and came on over to sit by him, grabbed his hand and just held on.
“No shit? I bet your momma was pissed.” He held right back, shoulder against Galen’s. “She’s looking real good. I… I want you to know that I didn’t go to her to fuck with you. I just didn’t know where else to go.”
One big thumb stroked over the back his hand. “I’m glad you felt like you could. She thinks of you as family, darlin’. Flat out.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, leaned a little harder, watching the walls breathe. “I quit being manager at the club before I left. They’ll let me back to work the bar.” He hated managing. He liked the office with the locking door, but the hours? Sucked.
“No shit?” Turning, Galen bumped noses with him, staring at him. “For real? That mean we can take a vacation?”
“I want to. I miss that.” He nodded, staring back. “I know you said I only needed a few more years, but I don’t want to do it. I’ll tend bar and work parties and shit.”
“That’s fine, honey.” He got a slow, light kiss. “I got some ideas on how to get your retirement fund going.” Galen held up a hand, stalling him when he opened his mouth. “It’s all stuff that someone else can handle for me. No phones. No traveling.”
“I don’t want to take your life away. I just….” He just needed Galen. “I need more of you than I was getting.” See him. See him trying to talk and shit.
Snorting, Galen leaned in, chin on his shoulder. “I was eating a bottle of Tums a day, babe.”
“That’s bad for you.” He turned his face and took a kiss. “Those people, they’re bad for you.”
He meant it too. Those rich, too-smart people, they wanted shit that wasn’t theirs to have. That never made anybody happy.
“Mmm.” Galen’s lips moved on his, slow and easy. “Yup. You were so right about Frank, darlin’. No more.”
He had to admit, it was good to hear. Len was all about extremes. If he said he’d never talk to Frank again, he never would.
“Good. He… he really pissed me off.” They were gonna have to talk about Wade too, and the partying. Sometime.
“I know.” One hand cupped his cheek, Len nodding and meeting his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well. I’ll just have to take it up with him.” The idea actually felt really fucking good. Really.
Something crashed outside, another tree coming down.
Assuming they lived.
“Shit.” Khan tried to jump over the couch, sending shit crashing down inside too, and Galen got up to grab her collar, settling her right down. He got a glinting grin. “I’d like to see you take on Frank, darlin’. You’d kick his ass.”
“I would. He’s been trying to fuck with my family.”
“Yeah.” The wind just screamed, the whole house groaning, and Shane figured that was about his opinion on Frank too.
“Where would you want to go?” They’d have to clean up and shit, but he could vacation. He so could.
“Well, I don’t want to go north….”
Shane blinked, looked over at Galen. Then the laughter started, hard and sharp and coming from somewhere deep inside him, just ringing out. Len laughed right along with him, slapping one long thigh, just hooting. Oh. Oh, they were gonna hurt something.
He rolled, arms crossed over his chest. “Jesus, I love you. I swear I do.”
Before he could even get himself upright Len was right there, kissing the rest of his breath out of
him. That was no gentle, sweet thing, that kiss. It was hard and needy and full of fire.
This time, Shane jumped at it, pushing so close that it almost hurt. His. His family. His fucking lover. His Galen.
One arm wrapped around his back like Len was trying to pull him right inside, that big hand flattening between his shoulder blades. Len’s tongue pushed into his mouth, tasting, taking his lips. The only thing to do was push right back, let Galen feel him. Let Galen know he was right fucking there.
Maybe let Galen fight for it a little.
They tumbled right off the couch, hitting the floor with a thud, Galen pressing down against him. That big body felt so damned good, all long legs and heavy muscles. He got one hand tangled in Galen’s short hair, holding their lips together. The other hand was on that ass, happy as a pig in shit.
Galen humped against him, pressing down, kissing him until he could feel the bruises pop up. “Love…. Oh, Shane. Jesus. So good.”
“Yeah. Yeah, Len. More.” Wilder than that fucking storm, Galen just took hold of him and ran with it.
His shorts slid right down under Len’s hand, and the sweats Galen had changed into went away as well. Then it was just skin and sweat and heat. He got one leg hooked around Galen, tugging them to where Galen’s cock nudged his balls, his prick rubbed on that fine belly.
“Oh fuck.” That long body heaved on top of his, Galen just moving faster and faster. “Missed you. So bad.”
Shane didn’t have anything to say to that, so he just nodded, offering all he fucking was. “Come on.”
“Uh-huh. Oh. Oh damn.” That cock slid against him one more time, Galen shuddering, sending wet come sliding all along his thighs. The smell hit him—all male and strong and reminding him of so much, so many reasons it had been good—that he shot, shoulders rolling with it.
Galen held him, kissed him, moaning happily for him. And laughing when the dogs peered down curiously at them from the couch.
“Think we made as much noise as the storm.”
“You think?” Chuckling, Galen eased down beside him, leaning all along his side. “Kinda like one of those hoodoo rituals to scare off the weather, huh?”