Cowboy Gangster 02 - Gunnin' for Love (CMS) (MM) (9 page)

Kane didn’t open his eyes until the Egyptian walked out of the kitchen and he heard the click of the front door. A shaky breath caught in his throat and he stared at the kitchen ceiling.

What the fuck did you get yourself into?

He consciously chose to ignore the wetness in his eyes as he sat forward then left the kitchen and headed back to the shower.

♦

Clint entered the room with the question on his tongue before either Anthony or Angelo had a chance to greet him. “Has Cory checked in?”

“I talked to him a couple hours ago,” Anthony said. “They met with Venetti early this morning, and are going to go scope out the rendezvous spot, get their bearings before approaching the mark tonight.”

Clint stepped behind the small bar. “There was nothing off about Venetti’s behavior?” Unease continued to pinch his gut. But maybe it was just his natural distrust of the Albanian family and anyone associated with them –past or present.

“Cory said he seemed anxious, but nothing out of the norm for Carlo Venetti. He has a perpetual nervous twitch about him.”

“Mm.” Clint frowned and poured himself a drink. “I don’t know.” He sighed and raised the glass to his lips. “I should have went with him.”

“The boys will be fine,” Anthony assured. “They’re young but they’re not stupid or reckless –or inexperienced.”

Clint nodded slowly and sipped his drink. Cory had backed him up the day they caught Ray in Cole and Gabriel’s apartment. He hadn’t hesitated to “dispatch” the fucker, and he’d done it quick and efficiently. The bastard hadn’t even seen it coming until he was already dead on the floor.

The boys will be fine.

“Are they still at the motel?” Clint took out his phone.

The two older men exchanged a glance and Anthony smiled and nodded. “They should be. But they’ll be heading out soon.”

Clint stared at them as he speed dialed Cory’s number. “I’m not going soft,” he muttered and pressed the cell to his ear.

Angelo cleared his throat and chuckled. “That’s not what our Egyptian friend says.”

“What’s this about you rescuing a puppy from the alley behind the Grotto?” Anthony raised an eyebrow, inquiring.

“Fuck the redskin,” Clint scowled. Both men laughed and Clint’s scowl deepened as he stepped out from behind the bar and walked across the room.

“Hello?” The young male voice came through the phone.

“Cory?”

“No, it’s Shay. Cory’s in the shower.”

Clint cleared his throat. “Fine. I’ll talk to you then.”

“Great. Thanks. I feel so special.” Shay smirked with mock offense.

“Shut up, brat,” Clint snorted. “Tell me about your meeting with Venetti. Cory said he was acting anxious? Anxious how?”

“Just typical nervousness. Nothing to send up red flags. I got the feeling he wasn’t really comfortable with these type of jobs. But a lot of people aren’t.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Clint murmured.

“Cory said you were worried about this job. Don’t be. We’ll be in and out in a flash, and back home before you can say puppy love.”

A low growl rumbled Clint’s chest. “Don’t you start, boy. Cory needs to learn to keep that trap of his closed.”

“Ah, it’s sweet,” Shay offered with amusement.

The pup was becoming more trouble than he was worth, Clint thought sourly.

“Hey, I think Cory’s getting out of the shower, if you want to talk to him.”

Clint heard him knock on the bathroom door and holler at Cory. Moments later, Cory came on the line.

“Uncle Clint.” In the background, Shay chuckled and told Cory that Clint was checking up on them like an old papa bear. Cory laughed. “Stop worrying, Uncle Clint. We’ll be fine and back home soon. Hey, I’m gonna put you on speaker phone so I can get dressed.”

Clint smirked. “In front of Shay?”

“Oh yeah,” Cory chuckled on the open speaker. “I figure if he sees enough of this hotness, he’ll be jumping my bones by the time we get home.”

Shay laughed. “Granted, you’re hot, baby –but I don’t know if you’re hot enough to turn a straight boy queer.”

Clint shook his head and laughed softly. “You boys just be sure you’re thinking with the right heads when you go out tonight, you hear me?”

“Yes, daddy Clint,” Shay chimed.

“You’re a bad influence on that boy, Corrigan. He used to be respectable.”

“He was just faking,” Cory insisted. “Just like he’s faking being a straight boy. I’ll get him turned around on that, too.”

A chuckle from Shay in the background. Clint sighed and grinned. “Shay, son, you better watch your back around this one –
literally
watch your back.”

“Hey!” Cory snorted. “I wouldn’t climb on without consent.” Shay busted up and Clint rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. Those boys were definitely two of a kind.

“Mm-hm,” Clint murmured skeptically then cleared his throat. “But seriously, you two be fucking careful tonight. And you call the second the job is done. The
second
it’s done –you hear me? If you slough off and worry me needlessly, I swear to God I’ll bust both your asses when you get home.”

“And enjoy every second of it,” Cory quipped.

“Corrigan…” Clint growled his warning.

“Okay,” Cory relented. “We’ll call home like good boys. Stop worrying. Go enjoy some…
fun time.
You deserve it.”

Axel’s face rose instantly in his mind, along with the vivid memory of their shower that morning…their encounter in the restroom. Clint’s body warmed to the stimulating images and his arms ached to be wrapped around Axel again.

“By the way,” Cory asked, his tone lightly amused yet strong with sincerity. “How was everything this morning? Did you sleep well? Or…did you sleep at all?”

Shay was silent and Clint could feel his curiosity to know just exactly what Cory was referencing. Cory obviously didn’t mind sharing the news about the pup, but he wouldn’t openly mention Axel or Clint’s involvement with the kid. Veiled insinuations and teasing was as far as he would go because –face it –Cory just couldn’t help himself.

“Everything is fine,” Clint muttered.

“I want details when I get back.”

“Sorry.”

Cory smirked. “Maybe I’ll just get them elsewhere.”

Clint snorted. “Good luck with that.”

“I can be very persuasive.”

“Just get done with this job and get home,” Clint ordered sternly.

“Yes, sir.” Cory chuckled, then added unexpectedly, “I love you, Uncle Clint. Don’t worry about us.”

Clint shifted. “Yeah, well…just get back in one piece. And
call
when the job’s done.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You boys be careful. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Uh…” Cory halted him. “I said
I love you
. Don’t I get an
I love you
back?”

Clint groaned. “You know I do.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t push it, boy.”

“I love you, too!” Shay piped up with a short laugh.

“God, I’m surrounded by brats,” Clint grumbled.

Cory chuckled. “Come on, Uncle Clint. Say it. Think of it as…practice.”

“Excuse me?” Clint muttered.

The strong grin on Cory’s face was evident in his voice. “You know you’re gonna want to say it one day, and you won’t know how. So…practice makes perfect. I love you. Simple. Now you say it.”

Clint shook his head, his pulse thumping as Axel’s face drifted up behind his eyes.
You’re gonna want to say it one day
. Fear poked his heart and he flinched.

“Yeah, it’s easy,” Shay joined in, clearly enjoying this. “Repeat after me…I. Love. You. Easy as pie.”

Despite the fact that the kid was as incorrigible as Cory, Clint was helpless against the affection he felt for the boy. At this moment, they both seemed so young –and in the wrong business. As good as they were at the job, Clint would feel a measure of relief if they chose a different profession.

Cory and Shay’s faces lingered in his mind alongside Axel’s. A sudden bout of emotion squeezed his throat. “I love you,” he murmured. “Now get the job done and…get home safe.”

“We love you, too,” Cory and Shay offered in unison, with genuine affection that caused a sting in Clint’s eyes. He blinked it away quickly and cleared his throat, said his goodbyes, then ended the call.

He swallowed thickly and slowly closed his phone.
Fuck
–maybe he was going soft.

♦

“Thanks for stopping.” Axel walked down the pet food aisle of the small grocery store. He looked at Angel and Dane. “All I have to feed him at my apartment is lunch meat.”

“It’s not a problem,” Dane smiled. “We’re in no rush.”

Axel glanced toward the front of the store.

Dane chuckled. “He’ll be fine in the car alone for a few minutes. He was asleep. He probably won’t even know you were gone.”

“I think it wore him out being at the club,” Angel laughed softly. “It wears me out sometimes.”

“I think it was Cole and Gabe,” Dane suggested. “They can exhaust anyone.”

Axel smiled when Angel bumped Dane’s arm. “You’re not much better.”

“Hey,” Dane’s face pinched. “No need to be mean.”

Groaning, Angel rolled his eyes and laughed, his hand tucked into Dane’s grasp. It was evident to Axel that Angel enjoyed every second with Dane, taking nothing for granted. After the hell he lived through, surely all the little things in life that others didn’t even think about –were like tiny golden nuggets to Angel. They were to Axel. He wanted to believe that he and Clint would one day be this at ease in public. At the club, though still mildly self-conscious, Axel was comfortable enough because he was surrounded by gay men. But what about out here in the world where people judged and criticized? Would his aversion kick back in? He couldn’t imagine not being willing to show affection to Clint wherever they were…but what if he couldn’t? Would Clint even feel comfortable with public display of affection?

Don’t worry about it right now. It’s something you both have to get used to and give yourselves time to become comfortable with.

Axel dismissed the shadow of anxiety and let himself savor what he had gained with Clint.
Home
. A small smile formed, his heartbeat quickening.
I’ll be home soon.
He hadn’t said he would be back at
Axel’s
apartment soon, but…home.

“You might want this, as well,” Dane grinned and held up the item.

“A pooper-scooper?” Angel laughed.

“Beats picking it up by hand,” Dane grimaced.

Axel nodded. “I agree,” he smiled. “Then maybe Clint would be more willing to take Jonah out.”

The notion struck Dane funny and he shook his head, laughing. “Clint? Yeah, I can see that.”

Axel shrugged and grinned. “Yeah, well…he may refuse to compromise on that –even with a pooper scooper.”

“Shit,” Dane chuckled and cleared his throat. “I’m thinking you should probably be prepared to perform that chore yourself.”

Angel and Dane made light of him and Clint being together, but curiosity burned bright in their eyes. It was a safe bet they never expected to see Clint in this kind of a relationship. That was understandable. Axel hadn’t known him nearly as long as they had, and he himself was shocked by the passion and tenderness in the cowboy…and how open he could be at times. Axel had no explanation for it, and certainly didn’t know why Clint had chosen him.

“So?” Dane held up the scooper and plucked another item off the shelf. “Pooper scooper or plastic bags?”

“The pooper scooper, for sure,” Axel made an ‘ick’ face at the plastic bags and Angel laughed. “I’m not a fan of handling it either.”

“Pooper scooper it is.” Dane replaced the bags and carried the scooper for Axel, slipping his other arm around Angel’s shoulders.

Axel picked out a collar, leash and small plastic dish with double compartments for food and water, then moved on to the dog food. He picked up five pound bag of Puppy Chow. “This should hold him for a while, don’t you think?” He glanced at Angel and Dane.

“Should be plenty,” Dane nodded. “He isn’t very big yet. He isn’t going to eat too much right now.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” He looked over the other items along the aisle. “I should probably get him his own bed.” He smiled and glanced up. “You know…so he don’t pee in Clint’s spot again.”

“Might be a good idea,” Angel agreed.

Axel chose a soft, inexpensive pad and tucked it under his arm. He absently brushed a stray strand off his cheek and noticed Angel gazing at his face.

“Axel…” Angel hesitated then went on. “What…happened to your cheek?” The words were barely out when Dane nudged him, drawing Angel’s attention. Dane shook his head slowly. A frown pinched Angel’s brow as he glanced at Axel uncertainly.

Shifting his eyes away, Axel fingered an item on the shelf. Clint had told the other guys what had happened, that much was evident.

“I’m sorry,” Angel murmured. “It’s none of my business.”

Axel cast him a quick glance. “No, it’s…its okay.” He licked his lips, his stomach suddenly knotted, churning with anxiety at the memory. “A couple nights ago, I…I was jumped, on my way home from work.”