“I will not be hurt again,” Andrei whispered to the empty room.
~*~
Devin felt the heat of Fort Worth, Texas, and again asked himself why he’d come here. Somehow it seemed familiar. A suburb sat across from Lake Como. It wasn’t the first time he’d been drawn to this spot. Was Carmine telling the truth? Over the years he’d felt like something was missing, like he’d had some sort of other life he couldn’t quite reach and now he didn’t know if he would even want that life back if it was indeed true.
He and Andrei had been mere yards from Goury Lighthouse, right off the coast of France. If he’d only been able to swim a little further, they could have both been out of the water.
Andrei.
The name made his heart race and his palms sweat. He had run once he was cleared from the hospital. How could he possibly face the man he’d wanted dead for so many years? The worst part? He’d fallen in love with Andrei from the moment he’d set eyes on him. But a lie had forced those feelings into hiding and now he didn’t know if he could face Andrei. The man couldn’t love him, that was for sure. How could he? Devin had almost killed him, twice.
He sat on the bench and watched life going on in the suburb. It was a gated community and Devin could see what looked like teenagers running around. A large building sat nestled in the middle of all the houses, probably a clubhouse. Kids were yelling and laughing. Devin stood up and looked toward the sky. Movement caught his eye and he spun around to see Keegan smiling at him.
“What the hell? How did you…?” Devin watched a grin spread across Keegan’s face. Realization hit and he lifted his wrist, eyeing the tracking bracelet. Dammit. “What are you doing here?”
“Vince sent me to shoot you in the arm.” Keegan crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yeah? Where’s your gun?” Devin mirrored Keegan’s stance.
“I don’t need it. You know damn well you love Andrei. He loves you, too, Devin.”
“I can’t go back there! I almost killed the man twice over a fucking lie!”
“He loves you, Devin. The man is miserable. Shit, you think you’re the first guy to try and kill him? You think you’ll be the last?”
Devin started at that.
“Ah… I see the wheels are turning. Andrei will never be safe, Dev, not in the job he’s in. Especially not with Carmine Rizzo on the loose.” Keegan stepped forward. “And now you’ve left him vulnerable. In addition to his being…distracted over you, we have concrete proof his other enemies backed off once you came onboard.”
“What?”
“Devin Lyons - Andrei’s bodyguard?” Keegan’s brows lifted. “Come on, Dev, even you know your reputation has spread. You are just as crazy and bad as Vince and Nikolai, worse when you care. You don’t think Ruslan Borkosky will want revenge? Mikhail said he didn’t care what Andrei did to his father and we see how that turned out. There’s still a Borkosky left, Devin, and Carmine Rizzo has been poking around Andrei’s life.”
Devin ran a hand through his hair. Could he go back? Could he face Andrei after what he’d done, how he had tormented him for so long?
“Don’t think, Devin. Just go. How do you feel right now without Andrei? It only gets worse, trust me. I’ve been there. The pain you’ll feel the longer you’re away is worse than any torture.”
“I love him.” Devin said it out loud. He turned to see Keegan smiling at him. “I’m in love with him.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? I’m your friend, your partner; didn’t you think you could trust me?”
“Do you know how it’s been for me all these years? Believing that I found the man who killed my parents attractive? How fucked up is that? I mean, shit, I know I’m fucking crazy but this was too much! I was falling in love with the man I thought ruined my life!”
“But he didn’t.” Keegan stepped closer.
“No,” Devin sighed loudly. “But I was falling for him before I even knew that. What kind of person does that make me?”
“It makes you human, Devin.” Keegan tilted his head. “You were falling for him from the moment you set eyes on him. I saw it; I knew you thought he was good looking when we were doing surveillance. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why you hated him. Now I have my answer and you have yours. Andrei didn’t have anything to do with what happened to you.”
“I almost killed him twice,” Devin looked towards the sky. “And both times he let me live.”
“Because he loves you, Devin. He doesn’t think you love him, though.”
Devin’s head snapped back to Keegan. “What?”
“In the hospital; he said he loves you, but you don’t love him.”
“God, I do love him, so fucking much.”
Keegan took Devin’s hands. “Then go.”
Devin pulled Keegan into a hug. “Thanks, for always having my back.”
“You’re my partner, my family, Devin.”
“And you’re mine.” Devin looked over at the gated community. His life was somewhere else; with a man he’d fallen in love with.
“Let’s go.”
~*~
Andrei tried to concentrate. Two weeks. Two weeks without Devin felt like a lifetime of torture and loneliness. His eyes strained, trying to read the papers on the meeting table. They were gathering again for a meeting of the families. Now that they knew Rizzo was alive, things were getting complicated. Rizzo had been looking not only into his life but the Youngbloods’ and Greystones’ as well, accessing records. Dylan McAllister was working night and day placing firewalls on every damn program they had. Keegan had even joined in. Their personal lives were being dragged out into the open - adoption records, wedding certificates, hospital stays. It was unsettling, to say the least.
He hadn’t been sleeping well and his appetite was gone. He hadn’t even felt like this when he’d divorced Vince. To be truly, genuinely in love was a pain worse than death when it was not requited. Andrei laid his head on the table and closed his eyes. He hated this. Letting love take over his life. He was a stronger man than that. The families began showing up and Andrei straightened in the chair. He needed to pull his life together. They discussed the usual, and then the topic of Carmine Rizzo came up. Just like he knew it would. One of the family heads, Grigory Volkov, spoke up.
“You need more protection, Andrei. Carmine has been known to get past every safety protocol.”
Andrei smiled weakly. “I will be just fine, Grigory.
“Yes, he will.”
Andrei’s head shot up. Devin stood in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” Andrei stood slowly.
“Well, it seems you are constantly under some kind of threat,” Devin walked slowly toward Andrei.
“That is true,” Andrei nodded.
“What kind of guard would I be if I left you alone?” Devin came around the table. “I can’t leave you until all threats are gone.”
Andrei swallowed hard. “But, that may never happen.”
“Then I guess I can never leave.” Devin reached out; his hand hovered by Andrei’s face. “Unless you want me to.”
Andrei leaned into Devin’s hand, closing his eyes.
Ivan cleared his throat, nodding to the door. The men cleared out quietly. Ivan took one last look at the boy he’d watched grow into a man. He smiled and closed the door softly.
Devin caressed Andrei’s cheek. “I missed you.”
“I have missed you, too.” Andrei kept his eyes closed as Devin’s hands cupped his face.
“Look at me, Andrei.”
Andrei opened his eyes.
“I love you.” Devin pulled Andrei to his lips. The kiss was instantly wild as they made up for lost time. Andrei’s hands were in his hair then on his face, then gripping his chin. They were all over each other. “Tell me you feel the same way,” Devin licked at Andrei’s lips.
“I love you, Devin. I have from the moment I saw you.”
Folders flew off the table as Devin cleared a spot. H
e picked Andrei up and laid him down on the table. They devoured each other as if it had been two years since they’d seen each other, instead of two weeks. Devin pulled Andrei’s shirt off, sliding his tongue down his torso. Andrei’s whimpers drove him crazy. He freed Andrei’s hard prick and licked the head. Andrei moaned and his back arched off the table. Devin grabbed him by his thighs, yanking him down until Andrei’s ass was hanging off the table. Devin looked around the table and found something that would pass for lube. Pulling Andrei’s pants down, he slicked his dick with butter.
Andrei was grasping at his shirt, trying to get Devin closer. Devin lined up and slid in with one thrust. The table moved and Andrei cried out. Fuck. Damn if that wasn’t the sexiest noise he’d ever heard. The table moved from the force of his thrusts. He held Andrei by the shoulder, kissing him, plundering his mouth as he fucked him hard. God, but he’d missed Andrei.
“Harder,” Andrei growled. “I want to feel you for weeks.”
Devin slammed into Andrei; he grabbed Andrei’s thighs as he pounded into him. Andrei was jacking himself off furiously as Devin rocked the conference table halfway across the room. Andrei let out a loud strangled cry and cum raced from his slit, coating his abs and chest. Devin pounded his way home. His fingers were leaving marks on Andrei’s thighs as he fucked him hard and fast. His orgasm hit him and Devin let out a loud, animalistic cry. His hips bucked into Andrei, shooting last spurts of cum. Devin slumped over, his face hit Andrei’s chest and he felt cooling cum on his cheek. He licked Andrei’s chest slowly, savoring the taste of the man he loved.
They both were breathing hard, Devin from exhaustion. His legs shook and he climbed up on the table, settling in next to an equally exhausted Andrei. He pulled Andrei into his arms and kissed him.
“Say it again,” Andrei whispered.
“I’m in love with you, Andrei. I have loved you for a long time. I didn’t want to, at first I thought it was just lust, but when I saw you at the hospital in Arizona, I couldn’t deny it anymore. It killed me to have feelings for the man who I thought shot me in the back, the man who killed my parents. I wanted to hate you and for the longest time, I thought I’d convinced myself I did.”
“The way you snarled at me,” Andrei shivered. “I was instantly aroused. I’d never felt that way before and I wanted you. I will always want you.”
Devin kissed Andrei’s eyelids. “You love me.”
“I am in love with you.”
Devin looked around the room. Papers littered the floor and the table was almost to the door. Devin chuckled. “We should clean this place up and then take a shower.”
“You are staying with me?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“I told you. I’m never leaving.”
~*~
Devin woke up and felt soft breaths on his neck. Andrei was nestled into his side, one arm thrown over Devin’s chest and his nose pressed into Devin’s throat. It was actually comfortable. Devin smiled, playing with wisps of Andrei’s hair. A soft sigh escaped into his neck and he pulled Andrei closer, kissing his forehead. They had made love again last night, this time in the bed. It had almost been a religious experience. Devin chuckled, remembering Andrei on his hands and knees, white-knuckling the headboard. Andrei had not only sucked his cock until Devin thought he’d scream, but then rimmed him until he’d almost passed out. The man was voracious in bed. Andrei sighed again and stretched out; his eyes opened and Devin caressed his cheek.
“Morning.”
“It was not a dream?” Andrei blinked rapidly, staring at Devin’s face.
“Nope, I fucked you hard and well.” Devin grinned as Andrei’s cheeks flushed. “Why Andrei Panchenko, are you blushing?”
“No.” Andrei hid under the comforter.
Devin propped himself up on his elbow and smiled. “You know, it’s hard to believe you’re a ruthless man when you do things like that.”
Andrei pulled the comforter down to right under his nose and glared at Devin. Devin pulled it lower and leaned over to kiss Andrei softly.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
“I could say the same for you,” Andrei breathed, as Devin’s lips brushed against his. “You are crazy.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Devin chuckled.
“I am sorry, Devin. You had a chance to know everything, and you chose to save me instead.”
Devin ran his fingertip over Andrei’s lips. “I don’t believe Rizzo anyway. He was trying to save his own ass.”
“But what if it was true? Don’t you want to know?”
Devin cupped Andrei’s face in his hands. “What I know right now is that I love you. I’ll call James today and make this permanent.”
“You are staying in Russia?”
“Well, you kind of live here,” Devin chuckled. He sobered and looked into Andrei’s eyes. “My reasons for hating Russia are no longer important. You are more important. What you do here for these people, that’s what matters. The funny part is that I’ve seen some of your handiwork; you are one of the most ruthless men I’ve ever seen. Then there’s the Andrei I saw at the orphanage and I wonder - which one are you?”
“I am both. Can you live with that?”
Devin grinned. “Oh, yeah.”
Andrei took Devin’s face in his hands. “Thank you, for saving me.”
“Nobody fucks with my man,” Devin winked.
Andrei’s stomach growled and he smiled at Devin’s raised brows.
“I am hungry.”
“I’ll get us some coffee and food.” Devin leaned over, pressing his forehead to Andrei’s. “You look edible in the morning.”
“Not at night?”
Devin growled and nipped Andrei’s bottom lip. “Twenty four/seven, Panchenko.”
“Go get us some coffee. I shall join you.”
Devin ground his hard cock on Andrei’s hip. “Mmm…I don’t know if I want to go now.”
“I am liking this very much,” Andrei grinned, arching his back and meeting Devin’s hard-on with his own.
“Damn, you are insatiable. I fucking love it.” Devin captured Andrei’s lips and kissed him slowly. A loud grumbling had him chuckling into Andrei’s mouth. “Food, right.”
~*~
Devin snuck down the hall to the kitchen and peeked in. It was clear. He grabbed two coffee mugs and filled them. He was pouring sugar into one when he heard a throat clear. He wrapped Andrei’s robe around himself and turned to see Nikolai leaning against the wall, ankles crossed, arms crossed as well. His eyebrows were raised.
“Nikolai,” Devin nodded.
“Morning. Where’s my dad?”
“In bed.” Devin realized what that sounded like and backtracked. “I mean he’s in his bed, where he slept alone.”
Nikolai chuckled.
“Yeah, right.”
Nikolai moved to the table and sat down. He motioned to the chair next to him and Devin sighed. He put the coffee cup down and went to sit next to Nikolai.
“Okay, let me just get this out. I’m with your father now. I’ll never hurt him and I’ll protect him with my life.”
“Oh, I know that.” Nikolai sat back and regarded Devin Lyons. “I could tell you had feelings for him in Alaska.”
“What?” Devin spluttered.
“You two were constantly pulled into each other’s orbits. You sought each other out. I knew my dad had feelings for you as well. It’s not often someone treats him the way you do. He loves it.” Nikolai tilted his head and smiled at Devin. “You love him, like, life-altering love.”
Devin nodded slowly. “Yeah. You okay with that?”
Nikolai chuckled. “Oh, Chance owes me so much money.”
“I don’t follow,” Devin frowned.
“I told him I was looking at my stepfather that day in Alaska, at Chance’s birthday.”
Devin knew his face was coloring. “I don’t even know if your father wants to get married again.”
&nbs
p; “Oh, I do.”
Devin spun around in his chair to see Andrei leaned against the kitchen doorframe.
“I-I…” Devin stammered. “I was going to bring you coffee.”
Andrei grinned. “Do not worry; I did not say today Agent Lyons.”
Nikolai looked from his father to Agent Lyons and grinned. “You guys are so cute already.”
Andrei walked to the counter and finished adding the sugar to the coffees Devin had started. He took them to the table and sat down next to Devin.
“How are you Nikolai? You did not go see Colin?”
Nikolai fidgeted in the chair. “No, not yet. I’m on my way to visit Landon and the guys first.”
Devin’s brows furrowed. “Landon?”
“Reynolds,” Andrei provided. “Jay and Greg’s son.”
“Jay…?”
“Rambo-looking one,” Andrei smiled. “You really should meet our friends, Devin.”
Devin searched his brain for Jay Reynolds. He remembered looking through Keegan’s files and seeing Jay and Greg? Was that the husband’s name?
“Greg Farelli, right?”
“Yes. Greg went to high school with Jay. He became,” Andrei tilted his head in thought, “sort of a protector for Jay, since he was older. Jay was much smaller then.”
“Hard to believe it when you look at him now,” Nikolai scoffed.
“Yes, well, Jay grew into his full height and weight.” Andrei sipped his coffee.
“But Greg has an older brother, right? Kyle?” Devin asked.
Andrei nodded. “Kyle Farelli is married to Dante Russo.”
“And Dante is friends with Jake Greco, who is married to Parker Townsend,” Nikolai added.
Devin’s head spun. “Okay, slow down. I’m going to need more coffee – and maybe a notebook – if I’m going to hear all this.”
Andrei lifted a brow. “You want to know?”
“Well I’m going to guess that you want me to meet all your friends. It makes sense that I would know a little about them all before that happens.”
“I will not make you,” Andrei grinned. “They are a lot to take in.”
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