Without a Trace

by Lynn Hagen

  He’d been having problems with coyotes for months now, as if their population had boomed in these parts. It wasn’t the first one Lincoln had shot. A few weeks back he’d caught two trying to get at his cattle. Lincoln had even lost a cow to one of them.

  He had a shovel with him when he arrived on the four-wheeler. The coyote was lying on the grass just beyond the fence. It hadn’t turned into a human, so that meant it wasn’t a shifter.

  Thank fuck.

  He dug a deep enough hole and buried the animal. By the time he was done, the sun had fully risen and he was sweating like crazy. He sucked down two bottles of water and had hitched his shovel onto the vehicle when he heard another one approaching. Lincoln had told Adam about the coyote, and Jason had been standing close by.

  Jason parked right by Lincoln. “I see I’m too late to help.”

  Lincoln was trying to be patient with the guy. He hadn’t done anything wrong to get fired, but damn if his constant attention wasn’t confusing. Before Red had showed up, Jason hadn’t been this… Lincoln wasn’t sure what to call it. Forward? Clingy?

  Lincoln looked toward the spot where he and Red had been an hour ago. He still couldn’t believe Red had given in, had needed Lincoln that desperately, and fuck, Lincoln was ready for more.

  “Yeah, I already got the job done.” Lincoln mounted his quad. They were out there alone, and he didn’t want Jason to get the wrong idea.

  Even if Red hadn’t wandered onto his ranch a month ago, Lincoln would’ve never done anything with Jason. He didn’t believe in tangling work with personal business.

  “Wait.” Jason approached Lincoln’s four-wheeler. He was a nice-looking guy, and anyone he set his sights on would be lucky. He just wasn’t for Lincoln. He was mated and the guy’s boss.

  You’re Red’s boss, too. That was different. A hell of a lot of different. “Yes?”

  Jason rubbed his nape as he looked toward the grass. “I know you’re interested in Red, but I just wanted to let you know that—”

  “Whoa.” Lincoln held up a hand. He had to stop Jason in his tracks and set things straight. Now that he was aware that the guy had feelings for him, Lincoln had to make sure Jason knew there would never be anything between them. “Jason, you’re a nice guy, and I’m flattered, but I think we should keep things strictly professional between us.”

  “Yeah. I get it.” Jason nodded. “It won’t be a problem.”

  Lincoln watched as Jason drove away. Fuck. There had been hurt and rejection in Jason’s eyes before he’d left.

  With a sigh, Lincoln headed back to the house. There was nothing he could do about Jason. The guy would just have to accept the way things were and get over whatever feelings he had for him.

  “You need to get to the bunkhouse,” Brett said over the two-way radio Lincoln had clipped to his quad.

  “What’s going on?” Lincoln asked once he stopped and snagged the radio.

  “I have no idea, but Jason and Red are throwing punches,” Brett replied.

  Lincoln cursed, his heart thundering as he drove as fast as the four-wheeler would go. When he arrived and walked inside, Brett had Jason in a headlock.

  “Calm the fuck down,” he snarled.

  Red stood by the sink, blood dripping from his nose. His eye also looked red, telling Lincoln a bruise would form.

  “What in the fuck is going on?” Lincoln demanded.

  “Jason walked in and started swinging,” Roger said. “He attacked Red like a wild man.”

  “Release him,” Lincoln said to Brett.

  Brett shoved Jason away from him. Jason should’ve been glad as fuck Brett hadn’t used his real strength or the human would be dead. Brett was a bear shifter and could’ve snapped Jason’s neck.

  “Mind telling me why you assaulted Red?” Lincoln was trying his best to keep his anger in check. Seeing Red wounded made him want to strangle the prick.

  Jason threw his head back and laughed. “Assaulted? It was a fight, pure and simple. But of course you’re going to make it sound more than it was. I should’ve known you’d take his side.”

  Lincoln looked toward Red and stomped down the urge to pull his mate into his arms. “What happened?”

  Grabbing some paper towels and shoving them at his nose, Red looked away. Even though Red was attacked, he wasn’t going to rat Jason out.

  “He came in and slugged Red in the face.” His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, Roger jerked his hands toward Jason. “Then they wrestled, Red threw a few punches, and then Jason threw some until Brett pulled them apart.”

  Lincoln glared at Jason. “You know my policy about fighting.”

  “Man, fuck all of you.” Jason walked toward the bunkbeds as Lincoln turned to Red.

  “You okay?” He wanted to examine Red’s face, but from the way his mate stood, that wouldn’t have been welcomed.

  “Just reliving childhood memories,” Red said. “Memory Lane is a blast. I’m not sure why I don’t do this more often.”

  Lincoln wasn’t sure if Red was joking or being serious. Had he been picked on as a kid? That thought made Lincoln’s Bengal snarl. He wanted to walk to where Jason was and kick his fucking ass.

  Jason returned, a tattered gray gym bag tossed over one shoulder. He shoved past Roger and Brett and headed toward the door. Brett snarled, and Roger balled his hands into fists. Lincoln wasn’t sure why Jason was so pissed. It wasn’t as if they’d slept together and Lincoln had spurned him. He’d never flirted with the human, had never said anything that would have led Jason on.

  But Lincoln had met men like Jason before—men who couldn’t handle rejection, as if it were a personal strike against their ego. The guy had never shown any tendency toward violence, and now Lincoln wanted to smack the fuck out of him for touching Red.

  “You quitting?” Lincoln wanted to be clear on what Jason was doing.

  Jason raised his hand, flipped them off, and stormed out.

  “I think that was a yes,” Roger said. “Unless he’s showing us he hurt his finger when he was assaulting Red.”

  To hell with Red’s “fuck off” vibe. Lincoln approached and pulled the paper towels away. “Let me take a look.”

  “It’s fine,” Red grumbled. “I’ve been hit harder. He didn’t even loosen any teeth.”

  “I’m still trying to figure out why he attacked you in the first place,” Brett said. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Sure it does.” Roger leaned against the counter, crossing his slim arms. “He’s been making snide remarks about Red being Lincoln’s pet. The guy was jealous.” Roger looked over at them. “You two got something going on?”

  One look from Lincoln made Roger curl his lips in.

  “That ain’t none of our business,” Brett said. “Come on. We got work to do, and I want to make sure Jason left the property and didn’t make a sniper’s nest in the barn.”

  The two walked out, leaving Lincoln and Red alone.

  “Okay, now that you don’t have to act all macho in front of the others, how’s your face?”

  “Macho?” Red jerked away from Lincoln’s hands. “I wasn’t acting macho. It hardly hurts. What do you want me to do, break down and cry because Jason spanked my ass?” Red grunted. “Hard pass.”

  “At least put some goddamn ice on your face.” Lincoln went to the freezer and grabbed a bag of frozen peas. “It’ll help keep the swelling down, and don’t get pissy with me.”

  Red tossed the paper towels into the trash and pressed the bag against his nose. “This is cold.”

  “Do you always whine?” Lincoln picked up overturned chairs and righted them. He went to the utility closet and grabbed a broom and dustpan to sweep the broken glass. It looked as if some dishes had been on the table when the scuffle started.

  He recalled the day the bunkhouse had been completed. Lincoln had wanted to make sure any employees he’d had were comfortable when retiring for the day. He sank a lot of money into the building and didn’t want it des
troyed.

  Adam Perry had been the first to live there, before he became foreman and Lincoln had built him his own little house on the property.

  The guy had had his jaw broken a few times before coming to work for Lincoln, but there had been a freak accident about a year ago where one of the horses had kicked Adam in the face.

  That kick should’ve killed the guy. It had taken him months to heal, and Lincoln had greatly compensated him for the accident. That was when Adam started to mumble when talking.

  Of course Lincoln had felt bad, though it hadn’t been his fault. Adam had gotten too close to an already spooked horse. The guy should’ve known better, but Lincoln hadn’t put any blame on Adam for the guy’s carelessness.

  Brett and Roger had come to work for Lincoln at the same time, about three years ago, and then Jason had been hired a month before Red.

  Lincoln had thought everything was fine, that his men got along. Never did he think Jason would attack Red.

  In fact, where was Adam? Making sure his men didn’t try to kill each other was part of his job. He was in charge of the ranch workers.

  The door opened, and Mercy stepped in. “I heard about what happened.” He hurried over to Red. “Oh my god, that brute!”

  A smile formed behind the bag of frozen peas. “You missed the fight. Too bad someone didn’t record it.”

  Mercy looked at Lincoln. “What the hell happened?”

  “I went to bury that coyote, and Jason showed up.” Lincoln told his brother and Red what had transpired.

  “He kicked my ass because you rejected him?” Red asked. “Is there anyone else I should be worried about? You got a string of rejects in town?”

  “I think he’s calling you handsome.” Mercy grinned. “It’s a compliment, in case your head is too thick.”

  “I got what he said,” Lincoln snarled, though he was preening on the inside.

  “Don’t get all growly with me,” Mercy said. He looked at Red. “Come on, you’re working in the house today.”

  Red set the bag aside. “I already have work to do. I’ll be fine.”

  Lincoln was going to have Brett keep an eye on Red. He wasn’t sure if this was over with Jason, and Lincoln wasn’t taking any chances. If Jason returned, Lincoln would show him what a real ass-kicking looked like.

  * * * *

  “Here you go.” Roger handed Red a bottle of beer. They were seated on a log, a campfire crackling in front of them. Brett was stretched out in the grass, and Mercy had a stick with a marshmallow at the end, roasting it over the open flames.

  “Thanks.” Red glanced at where Lincoln was slouched in a chair, his legs parted, his face hauntingly lit by the glow of the flames. He had no idea where Adam was, and Red didn’t care. Ever since Rhinestone had returned to the stables after taking off, Adam had avoided Red, as if Red had mistreated the horse in some way.

  Brett, Roger, and Mercy were telling hilarious stories about things that had happened to them, but Red didn’t contribute. He still held his past close to the vest, still didn’t want anyone knowing anything about him.

  It had been two days since Jason’s attack, and Red had a shiner. His nose felt fine, though. He’d also noticed how Brett had been at his side, whether Red had wanted him there or not.

  He glanced at Lincoln again, this time catching the guy studying him. Lincoln gave a small, soft smile and a head nod before Red looked away.

  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what they’d done by the property fence the other morning, no matter how many times he’d tried to put that out of his mind.

  Normally Red tried to avoid Lincoln, but the past few days he hadn’t argued about the man’s company. It was as though Red craved his presence, his deep voice, his smile, and shit, everything about him.

  Now Red was sitting on a log mooning over Lincoln, dying to crawl into his lap. Lincoln was seated in a wooden Adirondack chair, seeming cozy, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and Red wanted to join him.

  He’d been attracted to Lincoln from day one, but it seemed the past few days everything had changed, and not because of Jason.

  Fucking Jason.

  It was as if their jackoff session had ignited something inside Red. He could still feel the weight of Lincoln’s cock in his hand, still feel those hot, delicious kisses along his jaw, and fuck, Red was now popping a boner and hoped no one noticed. He took a swallow of his beer as he tried to think of something that would make his cock go down.

  “I’m heading to bed.” Brett got up and stretched. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Same here,” Roger said.

  Mercy glanced at Red. “I’m going to turn in. I need my beauty sleep. You two make sure you put the fire out.”

  Was Mercy talking about the campfire or what Red felt toward Lincoln? Sometimes Mercy was cryptic as hell.

  “We’ve been abandoned,” Lincoln said after Mercy walked to the house. “I’m not ready to go in yet, are you?”

  Red shook his head. “It’s a beautiful night. I’m digging the starry sky.” He got up and grabbed another beer from the cooler. Red hadn’t finished his first one, but he’d wanted an excuse to move closer to Lincoln.

  He sat on Mercy’s vacated chair, which was right next to Lincoln’s. It might have been a transparent transition, but Red didn’t care. He tossed the twist cap into the flames and took a drink.

  “It’s gorgeous out tonight,” Lincoln said as he looked directly at Red. “Not too humid, either.”

  Were they really talking about weather? Red inwardly rolled his eyes. The attraction was there, the need, the sparks igniting and burning hotter than the fire they were seated in front of.

  “Look, about the other day…” Lincoln started.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Red said. “You’re not responsible for his actions.”

  “Yeah, but you shouldn’t have been caught up in all that.” Lincoln scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Had I known what he would do when he drove away from me, I would’ve stopped him.”

  To Red’s disappointment, Lincoln got up. “I think we should turn in. Like Brett said, it’s been a long day.”

  Red stood, bringing them closer together.

  “I want to kiss you, Red.”

  Red moved closer, feeling daring. He unsnapped his jeans, and Lincoln didn’t hesitate to slide his hands between Red’s underwear and body.

  Lincoln leaned forward, sucking at Red’s neck as his large fingers wrapped around Red’s erection. The dual sensations shot his brain into orbit. Red was losing his mind, and Lincoln had barely touched him.

  “God, you’re fucking sexy.”

  Red squeezed his eyes shut as Lincoln’s deep voice rumbled right down through his body and wrapped around his cock, bringing it to full attention. Oh god, he just might be able to come from that sound alone.

  Red opened his eyes when he felt a finger tug on a loose tendril of hair that lay against his cheek. He didn’t know what to say to Lincoln, not with the intense way the guy was looking at him. He suddenly felt like they were the only two people in the entire world.

  When Lincoln’s fingers slid sensually over his bare arm, Red knew he was lost. He would give Lincoln anything he wanted. He felt Lincoln’s large, wonderful hand stroke down the middle of his back. Red pushed into the muscular man, a low, rumbling sound falling from his lips. Lincoln’s hands felt so damn good against his skin. Red could feel the heat inside of him everywhere that Lincoln touched.

  When Lincoln’s fingers trailed between his ass cheeks and stroked across his tight hole, Red groaned and wiggled back, trying to impale himself on the thick digits, as his nerve endings came alive.

  Red’s entire body was primed just for this man, coming awake at the lightest touch. It had been several months, not including the other morning. Red had a lot of lost time to make up for.

  “Come inside with me,” Lincoln whispered against Red’s lips. “Please don’t say no.”

  Red jumped, and Lincol
n caught him with one arm, curling it around Red as he wrapped his legs around Lincoln’s waist. “Yes.”

  Lincoln’s smile was like liquid sunshine as he walked them quickly to the house. Red looked around but didn’t see Mercy anywhere

  Thank fuck.

  They ascended the stairs, and Lincoln took Red to his bedroom. A magnificent bedroom with masculine colors, dark wood, and wow, there was even a skylight above.

  Red was momentarily struck by how beautiful the night sky was, but Lincoln still had a powerful arm around him, had Red hooked to his body, crushing them together as his head descended, and Red was rocked by the exhilarating feeling.

  Lincoln swept him up in a bold, sensual kiss that scorched Red from the inside out. The guy’s muscles were rock-hard under Red’s palms, his skin hot, and his lips even hotter.

  Red’s mind was whirling as Lincoln kissed the very breath from him, tied Red into knots that made him feel again, feel something beyond the pain of what had happened to him, the pain of hiding who he was because he was afraid of the world now.

  Afraid because of what those bastards had done to him.

  Lincoln slid his hand under Red’s shirt, up his chest, and pressed his palm over Red’s heart. The heat of that touch, the strength, had Red whimpering into Lincoln’s mouth.

  “Gonna take care of you, baby.” Lincoln slipped Red’s shirt up and over, tossing it aside. His hand went back to Red’s chest, now covering the two puckered holes that should’ve ended his life.

  But Red didn’t think about that, not when he had Lincoln’s strength against him, curling around him, walking him slowly toward the bed.

  Those fucking eyes, so intense, concentrating on Red with such focus. Lincoln’s forehead was pressed against Red’s, making the situation much more intimate.

  That wasn’t what Red wanted. Fast and dirty, slow and sensual, either way suited him, but not this. Not the look of a man who could make this much more personal than it needed to be.

  Red pulled back and sat on the large bed, tugging his shoes off and letting them hit the floor. It was time to get the show on the road, not stare dreamily into each other’s eyes.