Chapter 14

He shouldn’t have.Shouldn’t have kissed Scotty because now Zander didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want to slow down. His need was a runaway train on the tracks—dangerously out of control.

Scotty shuddered against him, lips parting, and Zander delved in. A groan rumbled in his chest and he tightened his grip on Scotty’s throat. To hold him still. To press closer. To tongue him the fuck down. He tasted like the noodles from earlier, making little sounds that spilled onto Zander’s tongue. He lapped them up, wondering if he’d be able to find Vince’s flavor in there too.

Scotty clung to him, fingers desperate on his back, tongue slipping and sliding along Zander’s. He pressed harder against Scotty, ensuring the younger man felt him and knew the effect he had on him.

His dick hurt, he was that hard. Blood roared in his ears and Zander knew he should stop. He should back the fuck up and think. He didn’t have time for this. No time. But somehow when Scotty arched against him, sighing into his mouth, he made more time.

Hands trembling on Scotty’s skin, eyes closed, he fell into the kiss, wanting to stay in this space where the only thing on his mind was more kisses. More wanton rubs. More?—

Scotty jerked away, breaking their connection with a loud sound. He covered his wet and trembling lips with a hand as his wide, shocked eyes darted away from Zander’s and over his shoulder.

“Vince.”

Zander stiffened as Scotty ducked away from his hold and went to Vince. He faced them in time to see Scotty drop to his knees next to Vince. Vince, who had one leg thrown over the couch, his features pulled taut, deep color on his cheeks. His throat.

“I’m sorry.” Scotty touched a hand to Vince’s jaw, words shaking when he said, “I didn’t—I don’t know what…” His voice trailed off as if he’d forgotten how to speak. But he clung to Vince the way he’d just clung to Zander.

Zander was coming to suspect he might be addicted to the sight of Scotty and Vince touching. His dick throbbed watching the two of them, throbbing even more when Vince’s gaze lifted from Scotty and landed on him. What he saw in the depths of the marshal’s eyes fucked with whatever control Zander had left. The same thing that strummed through Zander’s veins darkened Vince’s eyes.

Want.

Need.

Fraying restraint.

“I’m sorry,” Scotty said again and Zander strode over to them, closing the distance in three strides.

“Stop apologizing. Vince doesn’t want an apology.” He couldn’t help the harshness of his voice. Didn’t bother apologizing for it when Scotty stared up at him with those wide fucking eyes. Fuck. How did somebody who’d been through so much give off such innocent vibes? And why was it making Zander’s dick throb?

“I don’t—I don’t want Vince to think that I’m—” Scotty cut himself off with a flush.

Zander licked his lips, lowering himself to take a knee beside Scotty, which caused that flush to deepen. God. He was perfect ruined temptation. “Let Vince tell us what he thinks.” He dragged his gaze from Scotty and focused on Vince, whose nostrils flared. A pulse beat at the base of his throat and Zander zeroed in on that.

A dead giveaway right there.

He barely held back his smirk, tension riding his shoulders when he said, “Tell us what you’re thinking, Vince.”

He felt Vince’s gaze like a tight, hot clasp on his dick when the marshal said, “I’m thinking I want to watch you kiss him again.” He paused, but only for one heartbeat before continuing. “And then I want to suck his taste off your tongue.”

Scotty gasped.

Zander almost came on himself. Had he died and somehow been sent to the wrong place? Because this felt like heaven. Smelled like it too. Lust thick in the air, drowning him. Sticking in his throat and choking him. Vince’s words had them all frozen in place for a moment. He stared into the marshal’s eyes. His enemy. This man should not be alive. Zander should have killed him the moment he’d recognized Vince.

But his gut had stayed his hand.

Now here they were and nobody could tell Zander all of it wasn’t for a reason. A reason that had nothing to do with his monster of an uncle and everything to do with them. The three of them: he and Scotty kneeling, holding their breaths, and Vince watching them with a tick in his jaw and lust pouring off his body.

They all three just might die before the sun rose.

He found he wasn’t the man he’d been when this ordeal began. Those two had been stripping him raw and he hadn’t even noticed until this moment when he couldn’t help but touch Vince, cupping his jaw. Vince shuddered at the caress, lashes lowering as he buried his face in Zander’s palm.

Beside him, Scotty made a sound, lost and helpless.

Fuck. Zander reached for Scotty without taking his eyes off Vince, grabbing the younger man’s hand and hauling him close until Scotty was practically draped against him. His plans, all of them, were burning to the ground with the heat generated in that room, going up in smoke.

Zander only spared those plans—now turned to ash—a thought before he rasped, “You want to watch?”

Vince’s throat worked, pupils dilated. “Yes.”

Zander released him and turned to Scotty, taking his face in both hands. Staring deep into his eyes. “You want this?” His breath whistled as he dragged air into his lungs. Control was…slipping away from him and he couldn’t grasp it; he was too busy holding on to Scotty, too busy imagining the kiss with Vince. Too busy losing his mind.

Scotty didn’t answer, but his eyes did before he tipped his head up and pressed his lips to Zander’s.

Zander moaned, opening for him, inviting Scotty in to take what he wanted. Faintly he heard deep breaths, soft groans, and recognized them as coming from Vince. He tried to focus on Vince as Scotty slipped his tongue in, touching it to Zander’s and then darting away only to do it again. Fuck, it was so good. He didn’t know what to do with it.

How to handle a good thing.

Luckily, Scotty didn’t seem to care or mind. He deepened the kiss and this time Zander followed his lead, bucking against him. Scotty slumped back against the couch and Zander followed, both knees on the floor, fingers pressed to Scotty’s face, losing his mind when Scotty’s arm encircled him, pulling him flush against him, fingers digging into his back, hips lifting to press his groin against Zander’s.

That pleasure—the most Zander had had in so fucking long—short-circuited his brain and added an urgency to the kiss. Scotty met him eagerly, easily, teeth clicking against his, shuddering, mewling. Zander could spend hours in his mouth, soaking up his warmth, but not alone. No, he wanted Vince there with them. So he released Scotty and turned to find Vince right there, breath loud and choppy, eyes glazed with lust.

Vince took his mouth before Zander even had the chance to offer.

Coming off of Scotty’s kiss, still throbbing, surrounded by Scotty’s taste and hearing his mewls in his ears, Zander had zero defenses and no preparation for Vince’s assault.

Vince kissed with a ferocity Zander hadn’t experienced before, with an urgency that snatched what remained of his breath. He did what he said he would do, sucking on Zander’s tongue with hard pulls. Zander growled, dick hard and getting wetter by the second. Blood roared in his ears, his heart thudded. He sweated, stomach contracting.

The two of them would be the end of him. Their taste, an undiluted mix on his tongue, the sweetest fucking poison. And he shuddered at the thought, a deep groan rumbling in his chest when Vince nipped his bottom lip. Zander tasted blood and almost stroked the fuck out.

Fuck them. Fuck him.

His skin felt too tight, clothes restricting. He wanted out of his clothes. Wanted naked skin and hungry hands. Wanted to be in the middle of them. He reached out blindly, his hand coming in contact with Scotty’s chest. Fisting his t-shirt, Zander pulled him in, brought him close. Forcing him to join in.

Where there’d been two there was now three.

An embarrassment of riches for someone like Zander. A warning niggled at the back of his brain, but Scotty’s tongue glided over his lips, joined by Vince’s, and Zander didn’t care about anything else.

He slid a hand down Scotty’s chest, cupping his groin, and the younger man gasped into the kiss, pushing his erection into his touch. Hands gripped Zander’s ass, fingers digging into him. He didn’t know who touched where. It didn’t matter. Not with his heart racing and his body throbbing. He was so fucking hot, so lost in the throes of this thing they generated between the three of them, that his ears rang, the sound reverberating in his gut, twisting and?—

“The phone,” Vince murmured against his lips. “Zander, the phone.”

Zander froze. The ringing— “Shit!” He broke the kiss, almost toppling onto his ass. He was off-balance, body vibrating, hands shaking. And the phone… He lifted his head, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Where was the phone?

“There.”

He followed where Scotty pointed and spotted the phone on the floor near the door.

“Fuck!” He shot to his feet, ignoring his weak knees as he raced over and grabbed the phone. Hitting the button to answer, he put it to his ear as he turned to face the other two men. “Derri.” He really hoped his ex didn’t notice the crack in his voice.

Scotty sat on the couch next to Vince, who took the younger man’s hand in his as if he were bracing for bad news.

“Hey,” Derri spoke in a whisper. “Your time is up. They’ve arrived. They’ll be on you in minutes.”

Ice chilled Zander’s overheated skin. He studied the two men staring at him, waiting for him. And all the things he’d been so sure he couldn’t feel bombarded him now. He exhaled deeply. “Thanks, D. I’ll be in contact.”

“What are you?—”

He hung up on Derri’s frantic question and shoved the phone into his pocket, making his way back to Vince and Scotty. He was still hard for them. Still had their combined taste on his tongue, their scent in his nostrils.

“What is it?” Scotty asked.

Vince didn’t speak. He just watched Zander steadily because he already knew…

Zander licked his lips, tasting them again, relishing the burn from where Vince had nipped him, then said, “Our time is up.”

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling,inviting death in, feeling his fetid breath on the back of your neck, and only then realizing you didn’t want to die after all.

“Our time is up.”

Those four words were a fist to the solar plexus, a bullet to the gut. Vince didn’t want to hear it. But he did. He understood. And he stared at Zander, at the darkness gathering in the killer’s eyes, thankful all that rage and intent weren’t directed at him.

Scotty’s grip on Vince’s hand was just as crushing as the reality creeping into the safety of their small space.

“What do we do?” Scotty asked. He looked to Zander for that answer and Vince wasn’t even mad about it. He didn’t have the answers; he was just as helpless as Scotty. Just as scared out of his mind.

Zander’s gaze went from Scotty to Vince and lingered. Vince couldn’t read him, couldn’t figure out what Zander was thinking. There was a retreat, a distancing happening in front of his eyes, and he couldn’t do shit about it. He knew about being powerless but this entire situation was something else entirely.

It fucked him up.

“Zander.”

As if Vince calling his name spurred him into action, Zander spun away and dropped on all fours, fingers scrambling for something on the bare floor. Vince watched him with furrowed brows, eyes bugging out of his head when Zander lifted part of the floor up.

A trapdoor.

Vince’s mouth hung open. Next to him, Scotty gasped.

Zander straightened, facing them with blank features as he pointed. “Get in.”

Vince blinked at him. “What? How did?—”

Zander huffed. “Not the time for questions. Take Scotty and get in. Now!” he snapped. When Vince didn’t budge, Zander strode over, grasping him under the arms and bringing him to his feet.

Vince gripped his shoulders. “You’ve had a trapdoor in here this whole time?” he asked.

“I always have an escape route, no matter where I am.” Zander guided him to the opening in the floor, just wide enough for one person to enter at a time.

Vince peered down. He made out a few stairs, but it all descended into inky blackness.

“Scotty, you go first,” Zander said. “We don’t have time for hesitation.”

“You’re coming with us, right?” Scotty asked. His skin was pale, eyes wide and red-rimmed. When Zander didn’t answer him, Scotty turned terrified eyes to Vince.

Fear snaked its way down Vince’s spine. “Zander.” He touched his shoulder. “You’re coming with us, right?”

Zander’s mouth twisted. “No.”

“B-but we can all go together,” Scotty stammered. “We hide and then we run away.”

Zander touched Scotty, a fleeting caress on his jaw. “The problem with running is that there’s always someone chasing.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve got unfinished business. It was always going to end this way.”

“Nothing’s ending,” Vince barked. “Nothing is ending.” But the truth was, he didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about. This was a whole new kind of helplessness. “Zander, please. Come with us.”

Zander’s lips curved and he leaned forward, brushing his lips to Vince’s. “Take care of Scotty.” Then he turned to Scotty, whose eyes were wet, his body trembling. Zander kissed him too. “Take care of Vince,” he murmured to Scotty, then he nudged him forward. “Go. Now.”

Panic flooded Scotty’s eyes but he did what Zander ordered, taking one, then two steps and descending into the darkness.

“Zander.” Vince grabbed him, both hands fisted in the other man’s t-shirt. “Don’t do this,” he begged. “If you have an escape plan then use it. Come with us.”

Zander embraced him, both hands around Vince, tight constricting bands that Vince didn’t mind one bit. “I have to deal with him,” Zander murmured in his ear. “I need answers to my questions, but I also have to get him off your back.”

Vince tipped his head back to stare up at him. “You’re doing this for me?”

Zander rolled his eyes, though his lips quirked. “Get over yourself, Fed.”

“But this is my fight,” Vince reminded him. “He’s here for me.”

“Yes, which is why I need to do this. I have the element of surprise. He’s not expecting me.” Zander blew out a breath. “No matter what happens, I need you and Scotty to be safe. There’s a tunnel that leads to a parking garage a block over.” He pulled something from his pocket—a key that he shoved into the front pocket of Vince’s jeans. “The key is for a black Dodge Charger. There’s a bag with money and untraceable phones in the trunk; do what you have to do.”

He’d meant what he’d said then; he always had an escape plan. Vince shook his head. “I should be here with you. I can help.”

“You can’t,” Zander told him bluntly. “You can’t and neither can Scotty. I can do this. I was made for this.” His expression turned almost sad then. “I’m glad I held you captive.”

Vince swallowed, heart constricting. “Don’t do that.” He wasn’t ready for anything that remotely sounded like goodbye. It was all unfair and he wanted to smash something because Zander was right. Vince couldn’t do anything to help him, not with a bullet wound. And Scotty needed protecting; this wasn’t his world.

As if he heard Vince’s thoughts, Zander nodded. “Go to him.”

“Will you come to us?” Vince asked. “After you’ve dealt with your uncle, will you come to us?” Because that was what he wanted. And he refused to envision any other outcome than one where Zander got his answers and made Murray DuBois pay for all his evil deeds.

“Yes.”

Vince stared at him, falling into his serious brown eyes. A car door slammed somewhere outside and his heart dropped, fear rising. “I’m holding you to that yes,” he whispered. And that was it, nothing more to say as Zander helped him down the cellar stairs. Then Scotty was there to take Vince’s hand, to guide him the rest of the way into the darkness. He didn’t even notice when Zander released him, but the sliver of light from above disappeared with a thump of the floor settling into place above their heads and Vince froze halfway down the stairs.

Zander was one man against an army. How was he supposed to survive what was to come? Why hadn’t Vince pushed harder for Zander to join them?

“Vince?” Scotty’s voice trembled in the darkness that was so thick, Vince couldn’t see an inch in front of him.

“Shh.” Scotty’s hand was clammy and shaking, and Vince squeezed him, offering a comfort he couldn’t feel himself as he strained to make out what, if anything, was happening above them.

There was only silence. A silence in which he could hear his heart racing and Scotty’s gulping breaths. He inched closer to that sound and wrapped his arms around Scotty. The younger man shuddered, burying his face in Vince’s neck, shaking like a leaf. Vince clung to him, listening still. There were no voices. No footsteps.

Nothing.

What was happening?

As much as he wanted to stay, to ensure Zander was all right, they had to leave. It felt like a betrayal, like giving up, like leaving Zander to his death, but they couldn’t stay. Zander didn’t want that. He was sacrificing for them, fighting for them, and the fucking least Vince could do was grant his wish. Besides, he didn’t want Scotty to experience what was likely to come. He wanted them as far away from their current location as possible.

“Let’s go,” he murmured against Scotty’s temple. “There should be a tunnel.” But he couldn’t see shit. Still holding on to Scotty, he shuffled them forward. Scotty stumbled the rest of the way down the stairs and Vince tightened his grip on him as a dim light flickered on.

He blinked.

The floor was evenly paved, with disc lights—they appeared to be motion sensitive—strategically placed around the space that was just wide and high enough for three grown men. Vince spotted a door to his left, so he released Scotty and went to it, pulling it open. It was a crawlspace, but beyond it, a lit tunnel waited.

He inhaled deeply, releasing it before turning to Scotty. “We go this way.”

Scotty shook his head. “No, we can’t leave him.”

He wasn’t saying anything Vince didn’t feel, but they would only serve as a liability and a distraction if they stayed and were discovered. “This is what he wants,” he muttered. “Let’s go.”

Scotty looked as if he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. Instead, he crawled through the space and Vince followed closely behind him. The tunnel was narrow but lit with the same lights as the cellar. He pulled the key Zander had given him from his pocket and motioned for Scotty to lead.

He didn’t know what they would do once they emerged on the other side, but he did know they wouldn’t be whole, or safe, until Zander made good on his promise. Until he joined them.