20. Nineteen

Xion had turned me into an addict. I couldn’t get enough of him. We spent most of the next day in bed, interrupted only when Ragnar brought the dogs by. I fed them and let them outside before joining Xion in bed again.

I had shit to do—notably checking in with my crew—but I just couldn’t bring myself to leave his side.

The second morning, we stayed in bed wrapped in each other for an hour past my usual wake up time before I insisted I had to get up to work. I didn’t want to let him go, nor did I want to get up, but if I stayed away much longer, Church would come to check on us, and that was an awkward conversation I didn’t want.

Showering together was a mistake, though, since I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. We wound up fucking in the shower, too. The sight of lukewarm water droplets racing down his spine while he moaned into the tile was forever burned into my memories, the most perfect thing I’d ever seen.

I was still riding that high as I dressed for the day, pulling on a pair of cargo pants and a t-shirt with the Junkyard Dogs logo on it. It was cold enough out that I’d need a coat to walk from the trailer up to the office, so I opted for two pairs of socks.

When I bent down to tie my boots, pain shot through my lower back, and I winced. I was getting too old for day-long sex marathons. It probably didn’t help that I wasn’t going easy on him either. Xion wouldn’t have that. He liked for me to be rough with him, and it was nice to have a partner who could take everything I had to give. He complained, of course, but he never stopped asking for it. He wanted me to push him, and I wanted to do it.

I threw my hair up in a loose bun and went out into the kitchen to find something to eat. Instead, what I found was a mess. The dishes needed to be washed, the trash needed to go out, and the whole place needed a good top-to-bottom cleaning. With a sigh, I rolled my sleeves up, pulled up a playlist on my phone, and started with the dishes.

I was almost done with the chore when strong arms looped around me from behind and calloused hands slid up under my shirt.

“Ah-ah, what are you doing, Pup?” I turned my head and gave Xion a scolding glance.

“Thinking about getting some breakfast,” he said and gave my cock a squeeze through my pants.

I snorted and bumped him back with my hip. “I’ve created a monster. As enticing as that offer is, I need a little time to recover. I’m starting to worry these old bones can’t keep up with you.”

“Guess I’ll settle for cereal then.” He sighed and poured himself a bowl of Marshmallow Mateys before hopping up on the kitchen counter.

I turned around to tell him to get down, but a sudden shout from outside interrupted me. I pushed aside the curtain with a frown. “Fuck. Stay here.”

The front door rattled under the weight of three heavy knocks as I reached it. I jerked open the door to find Shepherd Laskin on the other side. “What?”

I wasn’t a man who scared easily, but something about the way he looked at me always made me feel like I was looking at the grim reaper himself. He barged past me as if I weren’t even there and paused to eye the trailer with disdain. The dogs went crazy, barking and making a hell of a racket in their kennel until Shepherd glared at them. Then both of the cowards tucked their tails with a whine.

Leo jogged up the stairs and slid into the living room behind Shepherd. “Sorry, boss. I tried to stop him—”

I held up a hand. “What do you want, Shepherd?”

He continued ignoring me, buttoning the front of his coat as he turned to Xion. “Get your things. You’re coming with me.”

“The fuck I am,” Xion replied with a mouthful of cereal.

“Now wait just a goddamn minute.” I stepped between them. “You can’t just barge in here and demand he come with you.”

“I can do whatever I please,” Shepherd said, peering down his perfect nose at me. “You are in no position to stop me.”

Xion hopped down from the counter. “Fuck you. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Shepherd’s jaw flexed. “This farce has gone on long enough. We had an agreement, Boone, and you have violated that agreement. Therefore, our arrangement is void, and I am here to reclaim him.”

I gritted my teeth. “He doesn’t fucking belong to you!”

Shepherd arched an eyebrow. “Well, he certainly doesn’t belong to you.”

“Yes, I do!” Xion snatched a steak knife from the counter and held it out in front of him. “And you’re not taking me without a fight.”

“Put the knife down, Xion,” Shepherd said with a sigh. “Don’t make this difficult for yourself.”

I slipped my pocket knife free and opened it. “You lay a hand on him, I’ll gut you like a fucking pig.”

Shepherd snorted. “With that tiny knife? I think not.”

“Step away, Professor. Now.” The front door swung open a little further to reveal Church standing on the front stoop with an M16 pointed at Shepherd.

Fucking hell, how had this gotten so out of hand so quickly? If he opened fire with that in my trailer, he might hit Xion or the dogs.

Shepherd rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before he grabbed Leo and yanked him in front of him like a shield, pressing a small blade to Leo’s neck. I tensed and moved in, but even as fast as I was, I’d never be able to kill Shepherd before he slit Leo’s throat. I glanced quickly over at Church who shook his head, indicating he didn’t have a clear shot.

Dammit!

“Let him go!” I shouted. “Let him fucking go!”

“I’m not leaving without what I came for,” Shepherd said calmly. Too calmly. “Give him to me, and I’ll free your man.”

“You hurt him, you’re fucking dead,” Church growled.

Shepherd looked at him coldly. “Don’t miss. I won’t.”

Xion lunged forward out of nowhere, knife in hand. I tried to stop him, but I was too slow. Shepherd turned at the last second and tensed, but Xion was too close. He couldn’t stop him. The knife went into the meat of Shepherd’s upper arm once, twice…

Before Xion could plunge it in a third time, Shepherd released Leo and turned to face the bigger threat, grabbing Xion by the throat as if that would stop him from stabbing. He just brandished the knife more wildly until Shepherd flung him into the sofa.

I stepped in during the chaos and pressed my knife straight to Shepherd’s spine. “Your next step is your last. His knife might not have been sharp enough to cut bone, but mine is. I promise you.”

Shepherd stood perfectly still. Blood raced down his slashed arm to pool in the carpet. The only sound in the room was our labored breathing for a moment.

“He’ll kill you,” Shepherd said eventually. “The man behind this bounty won’t just let him go, even if you kill me.”

“He has to find us first,” I said.

“He already has.”

As if I didn’t know that already. The spy devices we’d been finding all around the junkyard probably belonged to whoever had put out the bounty on Xion and his brothers, which meant he knew exactly where we were and had chosen not to make a move. So far.

But my team and I knew better than most how to disappear when we didn’t want to be found, and we were taking Xion with us.

Shepherd twisted. There was murder in his eyes as he met my gaze. “You’re a dead man, Boone, but the rest of your men don’t have to die. You’re signing their death warrants with this.”

“Let me kill him, Boone,” Church pleaded.

“You?” Leo rubbed his neck and frowned at the blood on his palm. He’d gotten away with barely a scratch. “I’m the one he cut.”

“He’s mine!” Xion snarled from the edge of the couch.

“Nobody’s killing anybody today,” I shouted.

A chorus of disappointed mumbling followed.

I ignored it in favor of addressing Shepherd. “In about ten seconds, I’m going to remove my knife from your spine. Then I’m going to have Church escort you back to your car, and you’re going to leave like the good little monster you are.”

Shepherd’s lip curled in response.

I pushed the knife in just enough to break skin. “Or I can kill you, dismember your corpse, and feed you to some farmer’s pigs. Your choice.”

Shepherd twisted free of my grip and spun, choosing to give Church his back rather than me. He held his little knife out like it was a threat, but it was Xion he addressed. “This is a mistake, boy. You’re letting Boone die for nothing. Come with me, Xion. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Xion stood, fists clenched. Splashes of Shepherd’s blood colored his creamy white skin and stained his t-shirt, making it cling tightly to his body. Fuck, why was it so hot seeing him covered in someone else’s blood?

“The last time I willingly went somewhere with a Laskin, he traded me like property,” Xion said. “You only want to do the same. I don’t give a fuck about whatever you were promised in exchange for me. I’m done being passed around for other people’s profit! Leave me the fuck alone!”

“Xion…” Shepherd started.

Xion roared and surged forward to shove Shepherd toward the door. “Get out! And if I ever see you again, I’ll fucking kill you!”

Shepherd glared at Xion. For a minute, I thought we’d have a real fight on our hands, but he was smarter than I gave him credit for. Shepherd closed his hand around his upper arm and winced, turning to the door. I should’ve offered him some bandages or at least let Wattson take a look, but after he tossed Xion like that, I didn’t give a damn if he bled out.

Church fell into step with Shepherd once they were outside. “Come on. Straight to the parking lot.”

“Xion.” I closed my knife and went to look him over. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” he said, obviously still furious. “It’s not my blood.”

“I’m fine too, by the way,” Leo said behind me.

I arched an eyebrow at him.

He sighed. “So what now? You think he was serious? That whoever’s put out this bounty is going to finally make their move?”

I went to the kitchen to wet some dish towels, tossing one to Leo. The other I brought back to clean up Xion. “We haven’t given him much choice but to expose himself now.”

Xion flinched away. “Shepherd said they’d kill you.”

“A lot of men have tried and failed, Pup. This ain’t my first rodeo. Don’t you worry. Whoever he sends after us, we’ll be ready for ‘em. You’re safe here.”

He caught my arm. “What about Xander and Xavier?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, Pup. They’re on their own.”

The Laskins would have to look after themselves for once. It wasn’t like they were helpless, even if they didn’t have the tools and training my guys did. Still, I had no doubts that if someone came after those boys, there’d be hell to pay.