Mateo held Rileyclose to him; seeing his husband hurtingdid not go over wellwith him. He looked up at James. “Put me onthe first flight out to Italy.”
“You’re goingafter Markov?”James asked.
“I’mgoingto make himsee just what he’s lost, ifit kills me,”Mateo snarled. “Or him.”
“I’monit,”James said. ~~
Vince had just come out ofthe shower and was goingto his dresser whenhe felt a presence inhis room; he reached for the gun onhis dresser, onlyto find it gone. He wheeled around and came face to face with Mateo Esposito.
“What the fuck? How the helldid you get inhere?”Vince shouted.
“I’mMateo,”Mateo smiled wide, winking. “I cando anything.”
“Give me mygun, we work together now.”Vince put his hand out.
“Do youknow what you’ve done to Keegan? He doesn’t evencare about his own life anymore; he’s runninginto buildings without evencheckingto see who or what is waitingfor him.”
Vince tried to containhis worryat those words. He bit his lip and met Mateo’s eyes.
“Not myproblem. Keegancando what he wants, I don’t care about him.”
“Really?”Mateo squeezed the trigger and a shot went off.
Vince felt a heat so explosive he almost cried out. The bullet had gone through the meat ofhis bicep and the painwas horrendous. He looked up at Mateo withwide eyes.
“You shot me!”
“Yeah? Does it hurt?”Mateo asked witha grin.
“Ofcourse it does, youasshole!” Vince shouted. He stopped and looked at his arm. It hurt… his armwas inserious pain. He looked up at Mateo. “It hurts.”
Mateo nodded. “It does hurt to get shot doesn’t it? But someone who had never felt painwouldn’t know that, would he? Someone who could never love or feelpainor anythingelse wouldn’t know what painfelt like.”Mateo threw the gunonthe bed; he looked at Vince’s arm. “It’llbe fine, went throughand through. I called Reece to come over and take care ofit.”
“Youplanned to shoot me?!”Vince growled.
“I planned to do whatever it took to make yourealize that youare inlove with Keegan. Your life as youknew it willnever be the same. Once youhave a love like that it’s impossible to go back. Trust me, I know from experience. I was where youare a while back. Never wanted to feelanythingfor anyone. ThenI met Rileyand mywhole world tipped upside down. I don’t ever want to know what it feels like to lose him.”
Vince closed his eyes, lettinga loud sighescape him. “It’s like you’re drowning and no matter how hard youkick and scream youcan’t get air. I do love Keegan, I’ve loved himprobablyfromthe minute I set eyes on him, but I can’t put himindanger—”
“Youdon’t have to; he’s doinga prettygood job ofthat allonhis own,”Mateo said, crossinghis arms. “No more excuses Vince. I think you’re scared.”
“I’mnot scared ofanything!”Vince snapped.
“Youare whenit comes to love. Look at you, youlook like shit. I bet youdon’t sleep and whenyoudo allyousee is Keegan’s face, hear his giggle —”
“Remember what it was like to hold himinmyarms, the wayhe smells,”Vince closed his eyes. “God, I miss himso much.”
“Thenwhyare youstillhere?”Mateo grinned.
“Because I’mbleedingallover my Persianrugbecause some asshole shot me,” Vince narrowed his eyes.
“Is it safe to come in?”Reece poked his head around the door.
“Yup, I’mdone shooting; he’s all yours, Reece.”Mateo put his hand out; he looked up to see Vince’s scowland took his good hand, shakingit. “I expect to see you and Keeganverysoon, myhouse, BBQ, next month.”
“And ifI don’t come?”Vince asked.
Mateo shrugged. “I’llshoot youinthe other arm.”Mateo winked and left the room.
Reece put his bagdownand looked at the gunshot wound. “Wow, nice shot. It went allthe waythrough.”
“Youknew he was goingto shoot me?”Vince asked.
“Yup,”Reece cleaned the wound out, hearingVince hiss. He stopped withthe cotton ballinhis fingers. “Youfelt that?”
“Yeah, I did,”Vince grinned.
“Youfeelpain?”Reece stood up, lookinginVince’s eyes.
Vince nodded. “I do, please hurryup and fixme; I’ve got to go find Keegan.”
“So it worked. Jesus, it took a bullet,” Reece smiled, gettingback to work. “You’re goingto tellhimyoulove him.”
“I’mgoingto do that and so much more,”Vince said.
~~
It had takenalmost twentyfour hours for Vince to get to Phoenix, Arizona, the perks ofhavinga jet onstandby. He’d already gone to Keegan’s apartment inGlendale and hadn’t found him. He had called Pruitt and gottenKeegan’s mom’s address. It was worth a shot. The apartment buildinglooked like it had survived a nuclear blast, barely. Bricks were fallingout ofmortar and graffitiwas all over the building. The building’s door was half offits hinges and Vince walked right in. No securityanywhere. He scowled and took the stairs to the unit that Keira Ripleyoccupied. The door was warped and cracking; he could have pushed it openwithone hand and cracked the dead bolt off.
Vince knocked and waited patiently. He heard shufflinginside and thena woman who looked older thanher actualyears answered the door, a bagofice onher head. Keegan’s green-greyeyes were lookingat him and Vince tried to hold it together.
“Mrs. Ripley?”Vince asked.
“Holyshit, you’re Vince Markov,” Keira whispered. “I don’t know shit, asswipe; youcanjust killme now.”
Vince was impressed and he grinned. “Um, not whyI’mhere. I’mactuallylooking for Keegan.”
“Why?”Keira tilted her head to the side.
“I have somethingto tellhim.”Vince looked at the door. “MayI come in?”
Keira snorted, takingthe gunfromher robe. “Bullshit. You’re goingto killmysonfor some reason. I’llbe happyto take youout first, Markov,”Keira coughed.
Vince sighed; he reallydidn’t want to get shot twice inless thantwentyfour hours. He heard Keira’s wheeze and looked at her face again. “You’re sick. How bad is it?”
“What the fuck do youcare?”Keira snapped. “Youcansave the bullet youhad for me; I’mnot goingto last muchlonger. But I willtellmysonto runlike hell.”
“I’minlove withyour son, Mrs. Ripley.”Vince waited; Keira looked like she might fallover. “Do youmind ifI…?”Vince walked inslowly, shuttingthe door behind him and takingKeira to the kitchen. The freezer door was wide open, but the kitchenfelt like the ovenwas onbroil. Infact the whole apartment was swelteringhot.
Vince sat Keegan’s mother downand checked the thermostat. It was over a hundred degrees inthe apartment. “Does the air not work?”Vince flicked the thermostat switch.
“Super hasn’t fixed it,”Keira said absentmindedly. Keira blinked and stood up. “Wait, what did yousay?”
Vince came back into the kitchenwith a frown. “That’s not right; youshould at least have air conditioning.”
“Answer me, Markov.”Keira put her hands onher hips.
“Whichpart?”Vince grinned.
Keira felt a smile forming. “My husband was right about you, youdo have a heart.”
“I didn’t,”Vince sat downat the table, claspinghis hands. “ThenI had Nikolaiand thenI met your son. I’minlove withyour son. Do youknow where he is?”
“He didn’t tellme where he was going, just said he needed to face realityby revisitinga fantasy?”
Vince’s brows pinched inthought. He looked up quickly. “I know where he went.”
“You…hurt him, didn’t you?”Keira’s face fell. “That’s whyhe’s changed so much. Youwere the assignment.”
“I wanted to keep himsafe; I know he’llbe indanger just beingwithme.”
Keira took Vince’s hand. “Love is a gamble either way. He could get hit crossing the street or get sick and die. Spend every wakingmoment withthe one youlove because younever know whenit could be taken away.”
Vince looked around the apartment. �
��Youneed to get the hellout ofhere; is there anywhere you’d like to live inparticular?”
Keira sat back inshock. “What?” Vince took a card out ofhis wallet.
“This is myrealestate agent. Callhim and tellhimwhere you’d like to move.”Vince took another card out. “This is mylawyer; I’ll have youlooked at todaybya doctor. Wait for this man’s call.”
Vince sat back lookingat Keegan’s mother. “Youlook like youneed a vacation, how’s Italysound?”
“Are youfor real?”Keira’s jaw dropped.
“I’mas realas it gets. I figured out that Keegan’s struggled for most ofhis life. He has me now, you have me now. So by tomorrow I want a phone callfroma doctor sayinghe’s seenyouand what course of treatment we need to go with. Now, pack your bag, because you’re goingto a hoteluntil youfigure out where youwant to live.”
“Are youleavingright now? To find Keegan?”
Vince grinned. “I think I’mgoingto make one stop first.”
Keira took Vince’s hands into her own. “I don’t know what happened between the two ofyou, allI know is mysonis inpain. I can’t stand to see himlike that, Mr. Markov.”
“It’s Vince, and I’mabout to change allthat.”
~~ Vince took the stairs back downand knocked onthe super’s door. He could hear the TV onand cold air was seepingout from under the door. Vince knocked again. No answer.
“Openthe fuckingdoor before I put a gapinghole init!”Vince snarled.
“Go away!”
Vince kicked the door downand stalked into the apartment. A manwho had to weighless thana nickelwas sittingina recliner infront ofanair conditioningunit. The apartment was like a freezer.
“Get outta myunit!”the man
bellowed.
Vince leaned in, grabbingthe manby his shirt and liftinghimoffthe floor.
“Fixthe fuckingair conditioningor I’ll put a gunup your ass and blow shit into your brain.”Vince smiled, as the man’s eyes went wide as saucers.
“Holyshit… you’re… you’re…”
“Uhhuh,”Vince nodded. “And you know what happens to people whentheypiss me off?”The mannodded slowlyand Vince put himback down. “Fixit, fixall ofit, or I swear I’llleave your bodyparts allover Phoenix.”Vince took his knife fromits sheath.
“Okay! Okay!”
“Good, we have anunderstanding then.”Vince walked to the air conditioningunit and shoved his knife allthe waythroughit, twistingit. “There, now youcanfeelwhat everyone else inthis buildingfeels like.”
Vince grabbed a cab and called his realestate agent onthe wayto the airport. He told himto find apartments inPhoenixand move allthe residents fromKeira’s building into the new ones and to make sure the rent was comparable to what theywere paying now. Ifnot, he’d buythe whole building. His realestate agent, as always, asked no questions and did what he was told.
“Oh, and one more thing, ifKeira Ripleydoesn’t callyouwithinthe next hour youcallher, got it?”
“Yes sir, Mr. Markov.”
Vince hungup and called Nikolai; he answered immediatelytalkinga mile a minute.
“Where are you? Reece said that Esposito guyshot you!”
“He did,”Vince grinned. “Hurt like hell, too.”Vince waited for the informationto sink in, and he wasn’t disappointed.
“You… felt pain?”Nikolaisat down onthe floor before he fellover fromthe shock.
“I did, Nik, and it was the best feeling,”Vince smiled, thinkingabout Keegan. “Keegangave me that.”
“Oh, Pops,”Nikolaiwiped his eyes, lookingaround to make sure no one could see himcrying.
“Youread the file onKeegan, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I need youto tellme everything.”
~~ Keeganwalked around the room, it was dark and smelled like piss and some other shit he didn’t want to think about. Blood stained the walls and floor. A chair sat inthe middle ofthe room; metalhandcuffs hungfrom botharmrests. He closed his eyes; it was like it had happened yesterday. Nardozziwas in his face, askinghimagainand againwhere the childrenwere. Thenthe painwould come, searinghot paininhis back and thighs and all the while, Nardozziwould cackle inthe corner.
Keeganwalked to the opposite wall, the wallthat Spence had died against. He ran his fingers over the blood that stillcolored the concrete. Keeganclosed his eyes again, restinghis hand onthe spot where his best friend had beenshot. Theyhad looked ineach other’s eyes and Spence had shakenhis head, remindingKeeganto stayquiet. Thenthe gun had gone off. Keeganfelt the bile rising.
“It should have beenme,”he
whispered. The mansionwas abandoned now; anyoperative who worked withNardozzihad fled after the news ofwhat Vince Markovhad done to himhad gottenout. No one was readyto come face to face withVince. The message had gottenout loud and clear, accordingto the operatives who had turned themselves in, askingfor protection. You touched Agent KeeganRipleyand youwere a dead man. Keeganwalked back to the chair and sat down, closinghis eyes. Vince’s face filled his mind inaninstant and he felt the tears coming. God he hated crying, it made himfeel like allhis tormentors were right. He was a pussy. Fuck it, he missed Vince. Keegan leaned over and wrapped his arms around his legs lettingthe tears come. He was inlove and that would never change.
“God help me, I can’t stop loving him,”Keeganchoked back a sob.
“I can’t stop lovingyou, either.”
Keegansat up straight inthe chair; his eyes flew to the door. Vince stood inthe open doorway. “What are youdoinghere?”
“Lookingfor myfiancé.”Vince walked in, lookingaround. “So this is it?”
“Please, it was alla joke.”Keegan stood up, straighteninghis shirt.
“Maybe, at first.”Vince walked around the roomslowly. “But now, I want it to be true.”Vince stopped and looked right at Keegan. “WhenI said it to Nardozziinthe cave, I meant it then. That’s how I thought of youthen, as mine. That’s how I think ofyou now.”
“But, yousaid—”Keeganstarted.
“I know what I said, and God please forgive me for hurtingyou. I wanted youto be safe, Keegan, I didn’t want youto spend the rest ofyour life worryingand lookingover your shoulder just because youwere withme. I had to make youbelieve I didn’t care.” Vince walked slowlytowards Keegan. “AllI want to know is canyouforgive me? Do you stillwant me?”
Keeganlooked at the chair, reminding himselfthat this was reality. Vince was standinginfront ofhim.
“Tellme, sayit again.”
Vince took Keegan’s hand; the fingers had healed and the nailhad grownback.
“I’mgoingto put a ringonthis finger, KeeganRipley, because I love you. I’min love withyouand I can’t live without you.”
The damburst wide openand Keegan threw his arms around Vince, openlycryingin Vince’s neck. “I love you, too.”Keeganheard a soft hiss, as he moved his hand down Vince’s bicep. “What is it?”
“Esposito shot me,”Vince grinned.
“Mateo… he what?”Keeganpicked up Vince’s shirt sleeve. “He shot you?”Thenit hit. “Wait… youhissed… did that…?”
Vince nodded. “I felt pain, I felt it whenhe shot me and I felt it whenI left you. I need youso much, Keegan. Whenwe were apart, it hurt to breathe.”
Vince closed his eyes as Keegan’s hand caressed his face, his heart pounded like wild horses. Vince’s eyes flew open. He had love. Warmlips touched his softlyand Vince pulled Keeganto himcloser.
“Love youso much,”he moaned into Keegan’s mouth.
“I love you, too,”Keeganbreathed. “Please, don’t ever leave me.”
Damon’s words came back to Vince, and he smiled, palmingKeegan’s face. “Wild horses couldn’t dragme away.”
~~
The ride back to Keegan’s hotel seemed to take forever. Vince couldn’t take his eyes offofKeegan, he looked so damn beautiful. He threaded their fingers together and almost cried whenKeegansmiled at him. He missed that smile, those lips, that face. Theypulled up to the front ofthe hoteland Vince got out, hel
pingKeeganout ofthe cab. Everyhead inthe hotelturned as Vince walked throughholdingKeegan’s hand. Whispers and gasps surrounded themas Vince took Keeganinhis arms, kissinghimin the lobby. Theywalked backwards, lips still attached, as Vince hit the buttononthe elevator. Keeganwhimpered as Vince pulled himincloser. The doors opened and four people looked at them, mouths open.
“Get out ofthe elevator,”Vince growled.
Keegangiggled, hidinghis face in Vince’s neck as the four people basicallyran off. “Vince…”
“What?”Vince grinned, pulling Keeganinto the elevator. “Please tellme your roomisn’t at the end ofthe hotel.”
“Nope, about four doors down.” Keeganclosed his eyes as Vince’s warm hands caressed his face.
“God, I missed this face,”Vince whispered. “I missed holdingyou, kissing you.”
“I missed you, too.”Keeganopened his eyes, smilingat Vince’s face. “Youlook good; I heard yougrew a beard.”
“Huh?”Vince arched a brow.
“Nikolaitalks to Troy,”Keegan smiled, his hands exploringVince’s soft face. “Youshaved.”
“I stillhave a little stubble; I did shave right before I went to see your mom.”
Keegan’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, hell.”
“She’s one feistywoman, let me tell you,”Vince said.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Keeganlooked at Vince. “Youwent to see mymom?”
“Well, yes… I needed to know where youwent.”
“OhGod, I have got to have youright now.”Keeganjerked Vince out ofthe elevator. Theypracticallyranto Keegan’s suite and Keeganthrew the door open, draggingVince inside. The door shut and he slammed Vince up against it, kissinghimhard.
“OhGod…”Vince gripped the door, as Keegan’s hand slid downto his dick.
“I want you.”Keeganfellto his knees, his fingers workingquickly; he pulled the zipper downonVince’s jeans, freeingthe hardened prick inside. He ranhis thumb over the stickyhead, lickingthe slit and moaningat the taste ofVince.
“Onthe bed.”Vince picked Keegan up, walkingthemover to the massive bed. He lowered Keeganonto it and took his pants off the rest ofthe way, kickingtheminto the corner. Lookingat Keeganonthe bed, he licked his lips. “I want youto make love to me.”
Russian Prey Page 16