The Heart of Texas (15 page)

Chapter 30

So many emotions flooded Jack —anger, distrust, shock— he didn't know where to start putting them in order. He turned to Riley, because what he needed to say needed to be said to his face.

"I'm right that we would be turning down fifty percent of the billions that Hayes Oil turns over, the millions in the bank, the land, the control? Not only that, but with legal moves, we could maybe have it all?"

Riley nodded. "Hayes Oil as it stands would cease to exist, I guess."

"With secrets this big hanging over your dad, surely he must have known it was really just a matter of time?"

Riley shrugged. "He probably never realized Mom had the papers. Jack, you should do this. You should fight for what is rightfully yours. If you do, then I'll back you." Riley's eyes sparked with fire and utter determination. Jack stopped him, raising a hand and laying it over the rhythm of his husband's heart, feeling the bandage that covered his upper body.

"You just told me in the barn that money shouldn't define your life, that it shouldn't define mine," Jack said gently, seeing the denial rise in Riley and then fall away just as quickly. Jack's whole world had tilted on its axis. He didn't know how to explain it to Riley except in five simple words. "I don't want it, Riley."

"Jack—"

"No. I don't want it." Jack wanted to say other things, important things, but couldn't seem to string a sentence together. He couldn't even begin to explain why he had the absolute certainty that was his decision. He just knew in his heart it was right. Instead he pulled at Riley and cradled him in a hug that was protective, gentling, safe.

Silence followed, until Beth's words took them by surprise.—

"Is now a good time for me to say Steve has asked me to marry him?" Beth looked at each member of her family in turn. "I said, yes," she added, leaning into Steve and exchanging a soft smile. No one said a word, waiting for Donna to speak first.

Donna just smiled and held out a hand to her youngest. "Oh, baby, I'm so happy for you both." Then the dam opened, and Beth was swept up in hugs from her brothers, Jim, and Anna. They all talked at the same time, asking about plans and dates, and the room was filled with happy smiles. Sandra chose that moment to make her excuses and leave. Jack released Riley's hand so that Riley could walk his mom to her car, and he saw him pulling her in for a hug.

* * * *

Riley, for his part, didn't feel right. It was all wrong. The Campbell family should benefit from Hayes Oil. It should have been Jack with the privilege and the money, and he shouldn't have to scrape to survive. It should have been Josh at an expensive law school, and Beth with the surgeries she needed without fear of bankrupting her family. He left the room, because it was all too much for him to process. He made his farewells to his momma then he found himself in their bedroom —his and Jack's room— the windows open again and the smell of impending rain heavy in the air. Dejected, worried, upset, he slumped to the bed.

He had wanted to hug Steve to congratulate his best friend. It was what Steve had talked about for so many evenings, those evenings that Riley hadn't lost to drink and women anyway. He'd met Elizabeth Campbell at the hospital, and for Steve, befriending the young patient had quickly turned into love. He'd worried over the age difference, he'd worried over his being ill, and he'd talked and talked and talked. The only thing was, Riley hadn't really listened, not like a real friend would. He'd just learned what was useful to him and turned on his best friend. And tonight, Steve couldn't even look at him, and Riley couldn't blame Steve one little bit.

The door to the room opened, and Riley didn't look around, assuming it was Jack. "Sorry," he began. "I'm just…" He couldn't form a word of what he wanted to say past the bitter irritation at feeling so damn useless.

"Just what?" Riley twisted. Steve and Josh were in the room. Josh closed the door behind him and leaned on the door.
What the hell?

"Just—" The words still wouldn't come, still wouldn't push through the self-pity he was heaping on himself.

It was Josh who started the conversation, pushing himself away from the door, and standing feet firmly apart and fists buried deep in his jean pockets. "Did you use Beth's pregnancy to get Jack to marry you? Just so you could get what you felt you were owed from Hayes Oil? All so you could fuck with your father?"

Riley looked at Steve and then Josh, and then back again. He sighed inwardly, the guilt spiraling out of control inside him, and he knew he just wanted a clean slate. He needed for everyone to know what he was, so that he could maybe make himself a better person.

"Yes." Riley flinched as he said it, waiting for Steve to hold him whilst Josh whaled on him, knowing he wouldn't put up a fight, knowing he deserved it. Josh closed his eyes, hunching his shoulders. Riley thought he could see grief in Josh's face, read sadness as he opened his eyes again. "I'm sorry. I wasn't the person then that I am now. How can I…?"
How can I get my friend back? How can I say sorry to Beth? Should I tell Beth?

"You and Jack seem kind of friendly, despite the start," Steve commented drily.

Riley felt himself blush at that. What could he say? Steve was asking him to be honest, demanding honesty where none had been before. Josh tilted his head, patiently waiting for Riley to speak.

"I think I love him," Riley said quietly. It was simple in the end. So very simple.

Josh nodded, seeming to come to some sort of big brother decision in his head, and held out his hand towards Riley, which Riley took pathetically quickly.

"Okay," was all Josh said, and then turning on his heel, he left the room and pulled the door shut again.

"Steve—"

"Like Josh said," Steve interrupted swiftly. "You did what you did, for reasons I will never understand, because of a father I will never understand. It's come right in the end, and I won't hold a grudge against my best friend."

"I haven't been a very good friend," Riley offered sadly, an apology in quiet words.

"You only ever see the bad stuff in yourself, Riley. Without your encouragement, I would have given up on Beth a long time ago." Riley felt his throat tighten with emotion. It was overwhelming that Steve saw this good in him, that Steve wasn't focusing on the bad stuff that had happened. "So, we're cool?"

Riley nodded and crossed to pull Steve into a manly back-slapping hug. "We will be."

"Kitchen. Beer." Steve moved back and opened the door, waiting for Riley to follow, that stupid, inane, mischievous Steve-smile on his face, the smile that Riley had missed. Without hesitation Riley went into the kitchen after his friend, catching the tail end of an embarrassing story about Josh and a pair of red silk panties. Jack took his hand, pulled him in for a hug. He glanced at Josh and Steve and then up at his husband.

"Okay?" he asked quietly.

"Okay," Riley replied, leaning down to kiss full lips gently, pulling back and smiling. "Okay."

The conversation turned to celebrating, with Beth demanding a dinner out. Riley instantly offered to take everyone to the best restaurant in Dallas on him, and Beth quietly refusing.

"I just want to go The Rusty Nail. It's a bit of a dive but has the best steaks in town. I just want simple, just us, no fuss. I wanna call Eden, so she can meet us there."

They went in two trucks, Steve the designated driver in one with Beth curled next to him, and Josh with Anna on his lap in the back. Donna drove the second with Jim. Riley and Jack squeezed in the back, talking about what had been happening. Between them, Josh's kids chattered excitedly about what they were going to do at the babysitters.

It was just what everyone needed— air, escape, normalcy, beer. No one spoke about the decisions they'd made, just focusing on the proposal. The bar's restaurant was busy. Friday seemed to be a popular night for everyone, from couples to groups. Music was drifting from strategically placed speakers and the smell of steak and potatoes permeated the air. Josh ordered various beers, whisky chasers and wine with a softly spoken and sarcastic, "Your round, Richie Rich" in Riley's ear. He smirked, and Riley half smiled back, kind of uneasily, given he didn't know Josh all that well yet, despite their discussion earlier.

It was a mere half an hour before it started to go horribly wrong. Beth and Eden disappeared into the bathroom, Beth unable to hold the water she was sipping any longer than ten minutes.

"You slumming it, Hayes?"

Everyone looked up at the clearly inebriated guy leaning on the back of Beth's empty chair, his face twisted in a rare kind of anger.

"I'm sorry?" Riley answered, clearly confused. "Do I know you?"

The man snorted a bitter laugh. "When you paid me shit to work for your company you knew me. When you fired me with no grounds, you even knew my name! Where do you get off coming into my bar and—"

"We're just having a quiet meal here, son." Jim interrupted the flow of venom with a firm touch on the man's arm, trying to guide him away from the table. The man wrenched his arm free.

"You here with your fag husband, huh?"

Jack stood abruptly. "Why don't you just go back over to your table and shut your goddamn mouth?"

"You must be Hayes's cocksucking faggot of a husband." The man lurched forward, and Jim tried to pull him back as Jack drew himself up to his full height.

"That the best you got, Bubba? My Momma's called me worse things than that," he said clearly, turning to Donna and wincing as his mom started to protest.

"Jackson Robert Campbell, I have never—"

Eden and Beth arrived back at the table, both puzzled to see this man toe-to-toe with Jack, Jim on one side, and Riley and Josh both standing now. "Jack?"

"I see the little Hayes whore is here too. How are tricks, Princess Eden?" Eden looked at Riley blankly. She had no more idea who this man was than Riley had.

That was enough to encourage Riley forward. "That's my sister you're talking about, asshole. I don't tolerate anyone speaking to Eden that way. You really need to apologize to her and to my husband before I kick your ass." Riley then swallowed. Had he actually just said that, in a strange bar, in the middle of nowhere, with a group of buddies circling the guy looking for the fight?
Shit.
Steve moved next to him, a hand on his lower back, and Riley had never felt so relieved.

"Fuck you. I ain't doing no apologizing to no damn Hayes!" The man and his friends crowded closer. In the background, tables were being moved, people obviously used to bar brawls. Riley could see the bartender was moving bottles from the counter, taking side bets on who was gonna come out on top and dialing the cops at the same time.

Jack turned to the table. "Momma, you need to get Beth and Eden out of here. Josh, you need to stay out of this, 'cause I sure as hell am gonna need you to bail me out of jail tonight." Josh refused, standing close to his brother.

"I know good lawyers," Josh pointed out.

"Beth…" Eden sounded scared, and Beth pulled her hand as they moved away from the brothers and Riley.

"This isn't the first time they've brawled, and it won't be the last," she said clearly.

Riley looked at Steve who looked shell-shocked at the vitriol this guy was throwing at him. The man's friends stepped up to join him, which was the girls' cue to move to the door. Jack stepped forward, away from the others, talking to the first man who had the problem.

"Dude, I'm gonna let you have the first punch for free, but I want you to remember the name of the man who's gonna beat your ass— Campbell-Hayes."

The man reacted almost immediately, punching Jack in the jaw. Jack's head snapped back, and Riley moved to intervene, only stopping when Jack placed a hand in front of him, serenely righting himself, jerking his head to the side to loosen his neck, then calmly cracking his knuckles.

"It's on."

Jack's punch was a lot more accurate, and within seconds, the entire bar had erupted into a fight— Riley and Jack side by side, Steve at Riley's back, Josh well into the depths of the crowd and Jim providing left side support. It was evenly matched; every punch and hit returned with equal force, the other side mostly fuelled by liquor and anger, which gave Riley the edge he desperately needed in this new and hostile environment.

Chapter 31

Jack saw Riley pull a guy off him by literally lifting him over the bar, muscles bunching, and a knife of desire started to carve into his body. Riley had waded in with his six-four advantage, despite what had to be his incredibly sore chest. Jack tried to move to stand in front of him to shield him but was being dragged away by grabbing hands.

Riley managed one or two more swings before it became obvious the pain in his chest had started to get worse and he was faltering. Jack was never more pleased to see Steve, who had previously been behind Riley, jump into the fray. The whirling dervish of a blond took out three of Riley's opponents before they even realized he was there. Jack tried to thank him, but he was distracted by another punch, and then it was over as quickly as it had started, with the 911 call answered and the cops in the house. Donna, Beth, Eden and Anna hovered nervously as their guys limped and laughed their way to them, exchanging war stories and generally high on adrenalin and victory.

Jack looked at his suave, dignified husband in a very different way, seeing his button-down's ripped off buttons, dark sweat staining the material, and a huge grin across his face. He leaned towards him, but it was hard to string words together. He could taste the metallic tang of his own blood where his lip was split.

"You are so fucking hot," he murmured, his hand tracing the sweat path past hard nipples, the dips and highs of Riley's chest and lower to his crotch. Jack went from exuberant and horny to
holy shit
hard in less than a second as he felt his husband hard in his jeans, and he moaned low in his throat. Riley had blood on his face, his hair was flattened to his head with sweat, his jeans were torn, and his shirt hung loose about him with a tear running from neck to arm. The testosterone was swirling in them, the anger, the fear, the fight instinct pushing and shoving at politeness as Riley pushed back, his dick hard against Jack's hip.

Jesus.
Jack wanted him now, his hand clutching at torn material, his eyes drawn to Riley's lips, imagining them wrapped around his dick, imagining him on his knees on the floor, sucking Jack down and—
Shit.

"If you agree to pay for the damage, Riley, we are free to go. Turns out no one wants to arrest a Hayes." Josh's voice broke through Jack's fantasy, but he didn't move, his hands gripping harder, only blinking as Josh leaned in and half whispered, "Take it home, guys. Me an' Jim will sort the girls out."

The drive home was too long, neither man speaking, the tension in the car so thick Jack could feel it wrapping around them, the night inviting all sorts of fantasies and wants. They made it to the room in seconds, pulling the door closed and locking it. Jack ripped at the remains of Riley's shirt, dropping clothing on the floor, and Riley bit kisses into Jack's throat and moaned his appreciation.

"I want you to fuck me," Jack growled in his best porn voice, "’til I don't remember my name." He swallowed any protest in a biting, hurting kiss, pushing and pulling until he was on all fours on the bed naked, thrusting slick into Riley's hands and demanding Riley start now.

* * * *

Riley swallowed. How could he even think of turning Jack down, naked, waiting for him, begging for it? He squeezed too much slick on his fingers. He knew it was too much but didn't care. He just slipped a finger into Jack, his lover arching and keening at the pressure inside. It was quickly joined by a second, then a third, scissoring, locating his prostate and gently smoothing his fingers over it on every other pass.

"Riley, now, for God's sake," Jack pleaded. "Get inside me, Riley, now!" Riley lined up, and began to slowly push into Jack, but Jack wasn't having any of it. He drove himself back on Riley's dick.

"Jack, slow down. Fuck, I'm not gonna—"

Jack slowed for a minute, looking back over his shoulder at Riley, his eyes bright with lust, his lips parted, his breathing ragged. "Riley, hard."

Riley swallowed nervously, his instinct not to hurt being decimated by his need to just bury himself in Jack, harder and harder. Drawing on every reserve, listening to the wanton noises of the man beneath him, he set a fast, deep pace, sweat soon dripping off him onto Jack's back as he lost himself in Jack's heat.

Jack whined, demanding more. He said it wasn't enough, and he pushed back harder, a gasp of pain escaping his mouth.

"All of you, Riley, harder, all of you. Fuck!"

With a growl, Riley pulled out, forcing Jack onto his back, the muscles in his arms bunching with the exertion. He wanted to see Jack's face. "Are you sure?"

"Riley!" was Jack's only reply, and taking a deep breath, trying to center himself, trying not to lose it there and then, Riley pushed back in. He had always wondered what this would be like, to have a lover he could let go with, to not have to hold back his strength. It was overwhelming, and looking down at his sexy lover, it seemed Jack was into it the same as Riley was. Jack's eyes were dark and wide, his gaze never leaving Riley, his fingers gripping the sheets so tightly they almost ripped the material. He was repeating words over and over again, "More— more— harder— I love you,"and it made Riley feel ten feet tall.

He was close, so close, trying to hold back, but he needed Jack's mouth, needed Jack's tongue in his mouth. As they kissed, Jack started to whimper in pleasure, his arms going around Riley's broad shoulders. Riley could feel Jack tightening up, and he groaned as Jack pulled Riley's head down to his shoulder and began to focus on the juncture of neck and throat, sucking and biting hard on warm skin, tasting salt, tasting blood.

Jack lost it, coming so hard, clenching around him and only a few thrusts later, Riley shouted his own release, lost in sensation and rocking into the orgasm. They kissed, the taste of the blood there again, a small moan of contentment exchanged with heavy breaths and lazy tongues.

Slowly Riley eased out, Jack almost whimpering as Riley pulled free, both feeling weak as newborn kittens as Riley used the sheet to wipe them clean. Finally they just lay there, exhausted, happy, sated.

"So fucking sexy, Riley. When I looked up and saw you fighting right next to me, it was the hottest thing I'd ever seen.
You
were the sexiest man I'd ever seen." Jack's voice was thick with emotion and exhaustion, and he was asleep before Riley could even answer. His last conscious thought as he drifted off to sleep himself was,
If that's what got Jack this turned on, we are so gonna have to get into fights more often…