Cowboy Gangster 02 - Gunnin' for Love (CMS) (MM) (15 page)

Clint trembled and he clung to Axel, his thrusts quickening with desperation. Axel gasped but urged him on, begging for more, keeping rhythm. “Fuck,” Clint gasped hard, voice shaking and strained as his throat tightened and eyes burned. “Oh fuck, Axel…”

The bed rocked beneath them and bumped the wall in a tap melody that kept time with their vigorous love making. Axel cried out and clawed the bed, shoving his ass up to Clint with urgency. Clint drew back and slipped an arm around Axel’s waist and lifted him to his knees, never leaving his body. He grabbed his hips and fucked him with added momentum.

Down on his elbows, Axel ducked his head between his arms and panted erratically against the sheet, his fingers digging into the mattress. “Yes…fuck me, Clint…”

Clint dropped forward, one arm supporting him above Axel’s back as his other hand went beneath him and wrapped around his hard cock. “Fuck, baby…” He pumped his fist along Axel’s pulsing shaft as he drove himself into the kid deeper, harder. “Oh fuck…fuck…yes, baby…” His jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut as he felt his orgasm tightening his balls. “
Uuuhh
! Fuck!” He stroked Axel faster, his hips slapping his ass cheeks with a frenzied urgency, rocking the boy’s body beneath him. “Axel! Fuck!
Uuuhh
! I’m gonna come! Oh fuck!”

“Oh God!” Axel cried and gouged the bed harder, his face shoving into the sheet. “Uuh! I’m-I’m gonna come! Oh fuck, Clint –
Don’t stop! Don’t stop –Make me come!
”

His breath ragged and erratic, Clint pressed his lips to Axel’s shoulder, panting hard –and stroked him to orgasm. Axel released a wrenching cry and came with staggering force, his body jerking and emptying himself on the sheets. The feel of his lover’s satisfaction coursing through his body shoved Clint over the edge. He shouted out loud and filled Axel with hot come, fucking him wildly until the orgasm released him.

The two of them collapsed on the bed as one, panting and gasping, Axel clutched in Clint’s arms. When Clint started to let go, Axel held in place, pressing Clint’s hands to his damp chest, against his pounding heart. “Stay,” he trembled. “Keep holding me.”

Clint hugged him closer, the boy’s damp back against his chest and shoved his face into his neck. His throat hurt, squeezed with an ache that wound up into his face and burned his eyes.

I won’t let anyone hurt you. I swear to God, I’ll fucking butcher anyone who even tries.

♦

Following a quick shower and a bit of
mutual
oral gratification, Axel and Clint –in a combined effort –remade the bed with clean sheets and crawled back under the blankets. Clint looked down at Jonah, fast asleep and completely content in his new bed.

“Does this mean I don’t have to worry about any more revenge pee in my spot?”

Axel shrugged and smiled. “Well, he will still want to sleep with us from time to time, so you better let him cuddle with you. Just in case.”

Clint scowled. “Only if it’s on very rare occasions.”

“You love him and you know it,” Axel rolled his eyes and laughed softly.

Rubbing his hand up Axel’s body, Clint kissed the curve of his jaw. “Maybe I do,” he whispered. Axel trembled at the soft shift of tone and the tenderness in Clint’s touch as he turned Axel’s face and kissed his lips. “He is growing on me,” he said quietly, his eyes heavy with warm passion.

Axel swallowed thickly and turned over, his chest against Clint’s. “What was it we needed to talk about?”

Shaking his head slowly, Clint ran his fingers through Axel’s damp hair and kissed his brow. “Tomorrow,” he said softly. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” His lips brushed down Axel’s face, seeking out his mouth. “I seem to recall you having a gift for me?”

Axel smiled. “Yes.” His heart pounded with nervous excitement and nagging uncertainty as he rolled over and reached into the nightstand drawer. He picked up the small box he’d found for the necklace and faced Clint again, but held onto it a moment before giving it to him. “It’s okay if you don’t like it,” he whispered, but that lie squeezed his chest –it would hurt like hell if he didn’t like it.

Clint gazed at him and held out his open palm. Axel placed the box in his hand and tried to calm the butterflies fluttering wildly in his stomach and up into his chest, quickening his heart rate.

An indecipherable look stole across Clint’s face as he opened the box and stared at the contents. Axel realized he was holding his breath, and released it slowly, trying not to show his nervousness.

Please like it.

Clint plucked the pendent from the box as the chain of the necklace fed through his fingers. His thumb rubbed over the small skull face and points of the starburst. Axel’s chest compressed, making it hard to breathe.

“It’s…” he swallowed hard and tried to clear his throat of a forming knot. “It’s a…locket.” He reached out tentatively and turned it over in Clint’s palm. “I thought maybe you could…maybe keep the lock of my hair in it.” His fingertips trembled as they lingered against Clint’s hand. “But…but if it isn’t your style or you don’t like it-”

Clint’s kiss snatched away his words and he was suddenly wrapped up tight in the man’s arms, crushed against his body as the kiss deepened with passion, drowning him. Axel curled his arms and legs around the cowboy and drank him in, gasping and shaking when the kiss finally broke.

“So…so you like it?” Axel trembled.

“No.” Clint kissed the curve of his throat, sensually sucking his tender skin as one arm hugged Axel’s head. “I
love
it.” He finally released him and leaned back, studying the necklace.

“It isn’t new, and it’s…it’s a little tarnished, but…”

“It’s perfect.” Clint’s eyes churned with emotions that caused Axel’s heart to beat harder and faster. Placing the necklace on the pillow, Clint left the bed and retrieved his wallet from his Wranglers. In bed again, he opened the wallet and carefully removed the plastic encased lock of hair from a secure slot then set the wallet aside. He took the necklace and opened the locket, gently extracted the strand of hair from the plastic and coiled it around the tip of his finger before inserting it into the tiny compartment and snapping it closed. He raised his eyes to Axel’s face. “Perfect.”

Axel smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Love it,” Clint corrected.

Axel’s smile grew. “Love it.”

Rubbing his thumb down Axel’s cheek, Clint kissed him softly. “Put it on me.”

His heart racing faster, Axel unfastened the chain and wrapped it around Clint’s neck as the man hovered over him, gazing into his eyes –and refastened it. His fingers splayed up the back of Clint’s head and drew him into another kiss.

“I’ll never take it off,” Clint whispered, then smiled and tugged at Axel’s lips. “Well, except when we shower…don’t want the lock of hair getting wet.” He kissed him strong. “But otherwise, it stays. If anyone wants it, they’ll have to extract it from my cold, dead body.”

Axel ducked his head and pressed his face to Clint’s throat. “Don’t say that.”

“Don’t worry, baby,” he said quietly and lifted Axel’s chin. “God won’t have me, and the devil don’t want me.” He kissed him again. “So I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”

Axel sighed and smiled. “I can live with that arrangement.”

“Good,” Clint groaned, laid Axel back and kissed his chest. “Now,” he murmured against his warm skin. “We need to christen your gift.”

Axel frowned then smiled. “How?”

Raising his head, Clint kissed his mouth. “By wearing it while we make love.”

♦

The cries of passion and whispers of affection had faded, leaving Clint awake alone. Axel cuddled up to his body, head on his chest, fast asleep from sheer exhaustion. Clint slowly traced his fingertips up and down Axel’s spine as he stared at the bedroom ceiling. The curtains were closed, repelling most of the city lights, but enough pushed through to prevent the room from being pitch black. Clint was thankful. He wasn’t one to be afraid of the dark by any means, but after today…it felt as if threats were lurking closer than ever, hiding in the shadows.

He looked at the digital clock on the stand. It was nearly midnight. His phone lay next to the clock along with the Beretta and his knife –scrubbed clean of Ryder’s blood.

Almost midnight. His stomach twisted into knots. Why the fuck hadn’t Cory called in yet? Having learned that Axel’s assault wasn’t a random act seemed to intensify Clint’s uneasiness about the Venetti job. He just needed his boys to fucking call already and ease his mind.

Axel shifted and tightened his arm around Clint’s waist, his leg hooking over Clint’s thigh. Clint touched the pendant resting against his collarbone. The kid had been so afraid he wouldn’t like the gift, it had been evident in Axel’s eyes. Clint wasn’t used to receiving personal, intimate gifts and didn’t know how to properly display his gratitude. He supposed he did all right this time, as Axel seemed thoroughly happy by his response and his suggestion that they
christen
the necklace. Axel’s enthusiasm during sex this last time around assured Clint he had made the kid quite “joyful” in his reaction to the gift.

Coming home to Axel this evening was like passing between two dimensions…switching identities, in a sense. In Axel’s arms, he didn’t feel like the same man who had spent the afternoon with Ryder and Tucker. Behind closed door, alone with Axel, it was almost possible to imagine a somewhat normal life with the kid.

There’s no hope of him having a normal life as long as he’s with you. He will always be leverage to your enemies. You can never let down your guard.

Clint pushed the thought away and pressed his lips to Axel’s hair, his arm wrapping around Axel’s shoulders and drawing him closer. He didn’t want to consider that this might all be temporary…or that he was doing Axel more harm than good by being in his life.

What do you fucking think? Because of you –someone is gunning for his life!

Clint squeezed his eyes shut. His chest tightened.
I don’t know that yet.

Like fuck you don’t. You know it –you just don’t want to admit that you’ve put him in danger.

Clint opened his eyes and felt the wetness. “I can protect him,” he whispered thickly. “I
will
protect him.”

His cell buzzed and Clint flinched, grabbing up his phone. He glanced at the display –
Cory
–and opened it in a hurry. “God dammit, boy, I should whip your ass for making me worry-”

“Uncle Clint…”
Weak. Barely audible.

Clint slipped out from under Axel’s arm and left the bed, his heart suddenly pounding. “Cory, what’s wrong?” He scooped up his jeans and stepped out of the bedroom. “Corrigan?” A broken hitch to the boy’s breath riddled Clint with fear. “Cory, talk to me! What the fuck is going on?”

“Help me…Uncle Clint…I can’t…I can’t move…I can’t…breathe…”

“Cory…” Clint was shaking. Keep it together. He had to keep it together. “Son, what happened? Is shay with you?”

A heavy silence pushed through the phone and panic clawed at Clint’s heart and mind.

“Cory, come on, talk to me, stay alert. Where are you? Tell me where you’re at and I’ll come and get you.”

The boy mumbled weakly, his words barely decipherable as he gave Clint his location.

“Cory, where is Shay?”

A broken sob –and Clint’s heart came apart. No…no-no-no.

“Shay…”
Quiet sobs choked him.
“Help us…I’m scared…Shay, he’s…so cold…I can’t…I can’t get him warm.”

The tears were dripping from Clint’s face before he knew they were falling. “Cory, I’m coming, son. You just hang on, you hear me?” His voice broke and he swallowed hard trying to even it out. “I’m going to call the paramedics, they’ll come and get you to the hospital and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

“He was…he was going to build me a house…”
Cory mumbled through his sobs.
“…and marry me…at forty…we were…”
he broke down.
“…we were going to…to grow old together…”

“Cory?” He wasn’t making any sense. Clint swiped at his face as more tears streamed down –he was speaking of Shay in the
past tense
. “Stay on the line, Cory. I’m going to grab Axel’s phone and call 911.” His voice trembled. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I…I loved him…”

Clint fumbled into his jeans one-handed while he held the cell to his ear, not bothering to fasten them as he rushed back into the bedroom and turned on the light, searching for Axel’s phone. He jerked open the nightstand drawer and rummaged through the contents. “Fuck!” he hissed when he came up empty. He spoke into his cell. “Cory? Stay with me, son.” He shook Axel. “Axel, wake up.”

The kid stirred and rolled over toward him, his eyes closed. “Hmm?”

“Axel!” Clint shook him again. “Wake up! Where’s your phone?”

Axel opened his eyes heavily, and frowned. “Huh?” he blinked as sleep clung to his senses.

“Uncle Clint-”
The phone went dead.

“Cory?” Clint straightened, panic surging through him. “Cory!
Corrigan!
” But he was gone –the call lost.

♦

“Fuck!” Clint choked and began stabbing at the small keypad on his cell. “
God dammit!
” He shoved the phone to his ear as he rushed around the bedroom, grabbing up his shirt and boots.

Axel stared at him in shock –was this some kind of nightmare? Tears coursed down Clint’s strained face, fear etched across his brow as he fed information into the phone. Axel realized he was calling for an
ambulance
.

“Clint…” Axel quickly crawled out of bed. “Clint…what is it? What’s wrong? What’s…what’s going on?”

As soon as Clint ended the call, he shoved the phone at Axel. “Speed dial number two.” He shrugged into his shirt and left it open as he dropped on the edge of the bed and stuffed his feet into his boots. He shot Axel a hard look. “Now!”

Swallowing thickly, Axel made the call, his hands shaking. He held the phone to his ear as tears began to well up at the sight of Clint in a panic. What the fuck was wrong? “There’s…there’s no answer,” he choked.

“
Fuck.
” Real fear churned in Clint’s eyes as he took the phone back and made another call as he haphazardly stuffed the hem of his shirt into his pants. It was still unbuttoned and Axel stepped over to him quickly and began fastening his buttons. Clint swallowed hard and stared at him, fresh tears forming and draining down his face. He blinked and glanced away. “Answer, dammit,” he hissed.

Axel wiped a shaky hand across his face, smearing a stream of tears, then zipped and buttoned Clint’s jeans.

“Thank you,” Clint said low, his voice raw and thick. Someone came on the line and Clint focused. “Meet me out front. I’ll be there in ten.” A slight pause as he grabbed his gun off the nightstand. “It’s Cory,” he said, his voice adopting a harsh tremor. “We have to go –now!” He shook his head. “I don’t have fucking time to explain! Just be ready to go.” He ended the call and glanced at Axel. “My jacket.” He motioned toward the denim coat.

Axel handed him the jacket and Clint slipped it on and tucked his weapon away. “Clint…” Axel trembled. “What’s going on? Where are you going?” He licked his lips anxiously. “Who…who is Cory? What happened?”