by The Neon Gang

RATING OR WARNINGS: NC-17 for the graphic description of male-male sex.

Follows Out of the Ashes

Art by Shiloh!

Note: This fic was formerly hosted at another website and was moved to blackraptor in August 2015.

Chris Larabee walked swiftly and purposefully along the boardwalk in Four Corners. Many of the people he passed smiled or nodded at him in greeting, but he didn't really notice any of them, lost in his own worry. When he reached the batwing doors of the saloon, he shoved them open and stalked inside, glancing purposely around.

Ezra Standish was seated at his usual table, playing poker with three other men, two of whom Chris didn't recognize, and the gunslinger's eyes narrowed slightly. Crossing to the table, Larabee interrupted the gambler's small talk, asking him, "You seen Vin?"

Ezra blinked, momentarily taken aback by the abrupt interruption, but the gunslinger's tone demanded an immediate reply. "No, not since this morning, I'm afraid," he replied. "He was leaving with Mr. Sanchez; they planned to engage in odious labor on that monstrosity called a church."

"How long you been playing?"

Ezra knew what Larabee was really asking: "Have these men been here all morning?"

"Since we opened," the gambler assured him.

"Thanks," Chris said, then turned and strode out again.

Ezra watched the swinging doors for a moment, wondering what had their usually calm leader in such a state, but then turned his attention back to the other players, smiling and saying, "Well, gentlemen, where were we?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Chris headed directly to the church, where he found Josiah sitting on the roof, whitewashing the short bell tower that finally topped the newly-shingled roof. He paused, tilted his head back and shouted, "Vin here?"

The former preacher stopped his work and turned so he could look down at Chris. "Nope; left about an hour ago," he said.

"Know where he was going?"

"Left with young Thomas Carter. He busted his thumb with the hammer while he was helpin' us and Vin took him over to see Nathan. Haven't seen him since."

"Appreciate it," Chris called up.

"Anytime." Josiah watched the gunslinger disappear around the corner, then turned back to his work, humming softly under his breath.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Climbing the steps to Nathan's clinic, Chris tried to fight off the icy coldness that had settled around his heart. Something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what. Not that it really mattered. He had quickly come to trust his feelings when it came to Vin Tanner, and right now his gut was telling him his friend was in mortal danger.

Reaching the landing at the top of the stairs, Chris paused, looking out over the portion of the town he could see from the second story vantage point, but there was nothing out of place, and nothing unusual going on. Shaking his head, he turned and walked to the door of the clinic. He knocked once and stepped inside.

Nathan looked up from the medical book Ezra had given him for Christmas, concern immediately springing into his dark eyes. "Somebody hurt?" he asked, snapping the book closed and starting to stand.

Chris waved him back into his chair. "No, everybody's fine, Nathan. I'm just lookin' for Vin. Josiah said he brought Tommy Carter over here?"

The healer nodded. "Yeah, 'bout an hour ago. Thumb was bruised real good; probably lose the nail, but he didn't break any bones. I sent Tommy home with Vin."

"Know where he planned to go after that?" Chris asked, feeling the coldness squeeze his heart a little tighter, making it pound harder in his chest.

"Don't rightly know," Nathan replied, thinking. "I saw Vin headed in the direction of the jail a while ago. Buck and JD were out on the porch, arguing 'bout one thing or another."

Chris nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. Buck and JD were always arguing about one thing or another. "Thanks."

"You want me to go lookin' for him?"

"No," Larabee said, shaking his head, "I'll find him."

Nathan nodded and watched the man leave, then he opened the book again, but hesitated, considering helping out anyway, then changed his mind. Larabee didn't like them butting into his business, and whatever he wanted to see Vin about, it had the feel of personal business. He found where he'd left off and went back to reading.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It sounded like the argument Nathan had overheard earlier was still going on as Chris approached the jail, but the two peacekeepers had taken it inside the building. The tones were friendly enough, so the gunslinger knew it was most likely just Buck ribbing the younger man about something or other.

Reaching the door, Chris paused again, turning to check along the street, hoping he might spot Vin, but the tracker was nowhere to be seen. He sighed softly and willed the panic he was starting to feel to subside.

Stepping into the jail, Larabee was immediately asked, "Chris, who do you think's prettier, Norah Carson or Hattie Hawkes?"

Of course, he should have known, they were arguing about women - again. Ignoring Buck's question, Chris asked, "Know where Vin is?"

"Nope," JD replied first. "But he left here just a little while ago."

"Said something about gettin' something out of his wagon. Think it was for Josiah," Buck offered. "Something up, stud?"

"Not sure," Chris replied, his brow furrowing. He turned and left before he could be drawn into their conversation.

Back out on the boardwalk he ignored the buzz of discussion still coming from inside the jail and scanned the street again. Then, with a heavier sigh, he headed for Vin's wagon. Halfway there he realized he should have told the others to have Tanner meet him back at the saloon if they saw him, but it was too late for that now. He knew they would tell Vin that he was looking for him, and the tracker would know to check the saloon.

A few moments later the gunslinger reached the wagon, but Vin wasn't there. "Damn," Chris hissed.

He stepped up and checked the back of canvas-covered wagon, just to make sure the tracker wasn't inside, but he already knew he wasn't.

"Where the hell are you?" he asked softly.

He leaned against the rough wood, trying to convince himself that Vin was perfectly fine, just busy with whatever had taken him away from the wagon, but his gut kept telling him that wasn't true; Vin was in trouble.

As he pushed away from the wagon to leave, something caught Larabee's eye and he leaned in closer, peering at the wood. He reached out, pressing his finger into a small patch of something dark and moist. He stared at the substance on his fingertip, smearing it over his skin with his thumb. It was blood. Vin's blood, he was sure.

A chill wracked the gunslinger's body even as his heart began to pound wildly in his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. His vision narrowed, a wave of blackness trying to overtake him, but he fought it off as he turned and headed back to the jail at a jog.

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was sure someone had attacked Vin, hitting him over the head and rendering him unconscious. But why?

Storming into the jail, he barked, "Get the others and meet me at Vin's wagon. Now!"

Buck and JD exchanged worried looks, but they immediately scrambled to their feet to do as Larabee had asked.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It was no more than ten minutes before the five peacekeepers joined Larabee at the rear of Vin's wagon.

Chris showed them the blood smear, then pointed out the disturbed tracks in the dirt on the ground, suggesting a small scuffle had taken place.

"You think someone's taken Vin?" Buck asked the gunslinger, looking decidedly worried.

Chris nodded.

"Who?" JD asked him. "A bounty hunter?"

"Could be," Larabee replied.

"But you don't think so," Josiah replied, his gaze on the gunslinger intense. Larabee's tone had suggested he had another explanation in mind.

Chris shrugged. "I'm not sure what to think just yet, Josiah. I just know he's missing."

"What would you suggest we do?" Ezra asked him.

Chris hesitated a moment, then said, "We go looking for him. If we all take a different direction and get some of the local farmers who can track to help us, we ought to be able to pick up his trail pretty quickly."

"If there's one to find," Buck said. "Depends on who took him, Chris."

"Vin will leave us a trail, I'm sure of that," Larabee assured them. "Get your gear together; meet me at the livery in half an hour."

The others nodded, each hurrying away.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Riding along one of the trails leading roughly due east, Chris's gaze kept sweeping the ground, looking for some sign from Vin, but he had found nothing, and the farther east he rode, the more certain he became that this wasn't the right direction. He wasn't sure to be glad about that or not. It told him that, whoever had Vin, it wasn't a bounty hunter, taking him back to Texas to face a murder charge.

So who did have him? And where had Tanner been taken?

Chris huffed and shifted in his saddle, half-angry and half-scared, a combination he didn't enjoy in the slightest. Then, with a resolute sigh, he reined his gelding back the way he'd come and urged the horse to a lope. Someone would have news for him - they had to. He just hoped it would be in time.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Back in Four Corners, Chris sat alone in the saloon, waiting for the rest of the Seven to make it back. Buck, Nathan, and Josiah had already returned, none of them having found anything worthwhile.

Larabee slowly turned the glass holding his whiskey in circles on the tabletop, but he didn't drink it. Instead, he stared into the dark amber liquid, trying to divine Vin's location by sheer stubbornness alone. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Chris looked up when the doors swung inward and Ezra stepped inside, chasing the trail dust off his fancy red jacket with the edge of his hand.

"Ezra!" the gunslinger snapped.

The man jumped slightly, his head snapping up. "Ah, Mr. Larabee. News."

"You found a trail?"

"I believe so, yes." The gambler walked forward as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wadded up piece of cloth. When he reached the table, he shook it out. It was Vin's bandanna.

"Where did you find it?" Chris demanded, his gaze locked on the piece of material, the icy grip of fear squeezing his heart again.

"Near the trail to Eagle Bend," Ezra said.

"Eagle Bend?" Buck echoed. "But that don't make no sense. A bounty hunter or a lawman's gonna take him east, back to Texas."

"Perhaps they determined Mr. Tanner would be too disagreeable on the trail and plan to hand him over to the sheriff," Ezra offered reasonably.

"Red Rock would be closer," Josiah countered, Buck and Nathan nodding their agreement.

Chris pushed his drink away and stood. "I'm headin' for Eagle Bend. You boys wait for the others to get back. If anyone found anything, follow up on it. If not, give me three days and meet me in Eagle Bend."

The peacekeepers nodded and watched as Chris stalked out of the saloon.

"This situation has our Mr. Larabee exceedingly upset," Ezra noted a little curiously.

"A friend is missing," Josiah replied softly, his own concern clear, "that's reason enough to worry."

"Indeed, it is, Mr. Sanchez," the gambler agreed. "However, I'm unaccustomed to such a display of mental anguish from our Mr. Larabee."

Buck nodded his agreement, but then added quietly, "Vin's filled up a part of Chris I didn't could get filled; made him more of a whole man again. I hope we can find him. A man shouldn't have t' face loss like that more than once in his life."

"Amen, brother," Josiah agreed, reaching out to capture the abandoned glass of whiskey and tossing back the contents.

"A lot can happen in three days," Nathan said casually, but he looked at each of the men pointedly.

"Which is why we'll be leavin' in two," Buck told him.

The others grinned and nodded their approval.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

On the trail to Eagle Bend, Chris allowed his mind to wander, even as his gaze continually scanned the hilltops and the tree lines for any signs of potential trouble. He had a feeling he was being watched, followed, but he hadn't caught sight of whoever it might be.

His thoughts drifted to Vin, and whenever he thought about the bounty hunter, he almost always remembered the moment they had first met, gazes locking across the dusty street in Four Corners. In that silent moment, Chris knew he'd found a man who would become his friend. What he hadn't known at the time was that Vin would become much more than just his friend. He wasn't at all sure he could describe their relationship with words, but he knew his feelings for Vin were closer to his feelings for Sarah than they were for, say, Buck, whom he also counted as a close friend.

His relationship with Vin really made no sense to him, so Chris never stayed with the thought for long. But he did know that, since Vin had entered his life, a part of himself the gunslinger had thought long dead had come back to life. He had learned, once more, how it felt to be truly happy. And that was one hell of a feat as far as Larabee was concerned.

It was as if his feelings had been a parched, dead field, and Vin's arrival was nothing less than a long-awaited spring rain that healed the land of his soul and finally allowed it to grow again. And for that he would be forever grateful to the man.

Vin, where the hell are you? he wondered.

Ella, was the almost immediate reply, echoing reply in his mind.

Chris jerked back on the rains with surprise, bringing the black gelding to an abrupt stop. The horse tossed his head, air puffing from his nostrils in irritation, but Larabee didn't even hear it.

Ella. Ella Gains had Vin?

"That bitch," he breathed softly, jaw tightening. Tapping his heels to the horse's flanks, he urged the black into a fast lope, determined to reach Eagle Bend as quickly as possible.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Riding down the dusty main street in Eagle Bend, Chris's gaze shifted from one side of the town to the other, looking for the woman who'd had his wife and son killed, and who, he was sure, now held his closest friend hostage.

The locals quickly scurried out of the gunslinger's path, his narrowed eyes and angry expression more than enough to frighten even the most stalwart among them.

Chris pulled up at the saloon and swung down, wrapping his reins around the hitching post. Stepping into the dimly lit room, he quickly scanned the patrons and then stalked to the bar. "Whiskey," he said.

The bartender gave him a quick once-over, then poured him a drink, asking as he set it down in front of him, "You be Chris Larabee?"

"Depends," he replied evenly, but he felt his chest tighten in the now-familiar cold grip of fear.

The man turned, pulling an envelope free from where it had been tucked under the edge of the large mirror hanging on the wall behind the bar. When he turned back to face the gunslinger he said, "If'n ya are, then this is for you." He sat the envelope down on the bartop and slid it over in front of Chris, who reached for it, but the bartender didn't release it. Their eyes met.

"I'm Larabee," the gunslinger stated darkly, the threat in his eyes earnest.

The bartender held his gaze for a moment, then nodded and released the letter.

Chris picked up the envelope, his hands trembling just slightly as he opened it and removed the letter he found inside. He carefully unfolded the paper. Before he read a single word, he knew it was from Ella - the look of her handwriting had been burned into his memory by her last letter.

Chris,

I know you might be angry with me right now, but I know once we have had a chance to talk, I can make you understand how much I love you. Everything I have done, I have done for us. For our love, which means more to me than I can possibly say.

I dream of the day we will be together again. I long to hold you in my arms, and to lose myself in your passion. I dream of that moment each night, and long for you.

Our love was meant to be, Chris. It is a gift from God, and you cannot deny it forever. I know. I tried myself, but I could not.

Go out to the ranch. You will find what you need there.

Just remember, Chris, I do love you, so very, very much. And I am doing this is for us. I cannot lose you again.

Forever Yours,

Ella Gains Larabee

Chris reread the letter, then folded it up and returned it to the envelope. He stuck that inside his pocket and reached the whiskey, downing it in a single gulp.

He set the glass down with a bang, then fished into his pocket and paid the bartender. Without another word, he turned and left.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It was just after nightfall when Chris reached the large, two-story ranch house. He stopped along the side of the road, staring at the darkened house for several minutes before he urged his horse forward.

He dismounted at the front porch and secured the black to the railing before walking to the door and reaching for the knob, but he stopped before he grabbed the brass handle, a cold chill snaking its way down his back. He breath came faster and felt the sweat beginning to run down his sides.

He had lain with Ella in this house . . . had found the horrible evidence of her madness . . . had ended up getting shot . . . and later, while he was still healing from that wound, he had returned here, with Vin, and they had fueled each others' passions in the same bed he had lain in with her. He wasn't sure if he hated this place or not, but regardless, he knew he had to enter.

Gripping the knob, he turned it, the door opening. He stepped inside, his gun in his hand, just in case.

Stopping in the darkness, he listened, but there were no sounds to warn him that someone was there, waiting for him. Inching farther into the room, he found the small table with the lamp he remembered. He lit the wick and peered around the room, still expecting someone to appear, but there was no one there.

The lamp in one hand, his Colt in the other, he carefully searched the first floor of the house, and then climbed the stairs to the second floor. He checked each of the rooms there as well, one by one, leaving Ella's bedroom for the last.

In the small closet where he had found the photograph of Sarah, he paused. The space was empty, cleaned out by Ella, he guessed.

He'd known she would return to the house at some point, but he couldn't stay and wait for her, nor could he spare one of the others to keep watch, so they had left, and she had come, taking her mementos away with her. He sighed, shaking his head. As much as he hated her for what she had done, there was some part of him that felt pity for the mad woman. But that pity wouldn't stop him from killing the bitch when he found her.

He stepped out of the closet and closed the door behind him. Turning, he walked slowly to her bedroom. He paused at the closed door, remembering he and Vin in her bed and the happiness he'd felt, the hope that had filled his soul. But right now hope and happiness had been replaced by despair and fear.

He forced himself to open the door and step inside, but what he saw lying on the bed brought him up short and he froze, his gaze fixed on the sight.

Vin's pants and hide jacket had been carefully laid out on the bedspread. And next to them, one arm and one leg lying on top of Tanner's clothes, was the fancy suit Ella had had made for the gunslinger. It was as if the bodies that should fill the two sets of clothes were lying here, intimately entwined.

Chris sucked in a sharp breath, a loud rushing sound filling his ears as icy pinpricks assaulted his skin. He staggered forward to the bed and collapsed onto it, gulping for air. She knew. Somehow she knew about him and Vin, but how?

She was here that day, he realized. She saw us. . . . And in that instant he knew Vin was in more danger than he'd ever guessed; more than any bounty hunter or lawman could ever pose. If Ella saw Vin as a rival for his affections, then Tanner was as good as dead. And somehow Chris knew it wouldn't be a quick or a painless death.

He returned his gun to his holster and set the lamp on the bedside table. Then, reaching out, hands shaking, he folded back the fancy suit so he could get a better look at Vin's clothes. Thankfully, there were no bloodstains.

Under his hide coat he found the tracker's shirt, socks, and long underwear. Vin's hat hung from the far bedpost.

Under the rest of the tracker's clothes he found another piece of paper. He picked it up, suddenly aware of the sweat rolling off his face and dripping onto the bed. He unfolded the page and found a map. And at the bottom Ella had added:

Chris, if you want him back alive, come alone before the 10th. If you come later than that, all that will be left is feed for the scavengers. We have to talk, Chris. I have to make you understand our love is too important to be tossed aside. And believe me, this Nancy-boy cannot give you what I can. Still Forever Yours,

Ella Gains Larabee

Chris studied the map, trying to decide how long it was going to take him to reach the indicated site. He decided on two, maybe three days, if he wanted his horse in any condition for a fast retreat. But that would still put him there a day or two ahead of Ella's deadline - hopefully enough time for him to come up with a plan to get Vin out alive and in one piece.

Pushing past the fear that knotted in his gut, he stood. There were several things he needed to do before he tried to grab a few hours sleep, and then he would head out again at first light. First, he gathered up Vin's clothes and fastened them into a bundle he could tie onto his saddle. Then he went out and took care of his gelding, giving him some extra grain from the stores still in the barn.

Going back inside the house, he searched the place until he found paper, pen and ink. He copied the map and left a note for whoever rode out to check the ranch house, and he knew one of the other peacekeepers would when they reached Eagle Bend, and maybe even before.

Then, just to be sure they got the news, he copied the map again and wrote a second letter, a duplicate of the first. He left the first copy nailed to the front door, but he folded the second copy up and slipped it into an envelope. He would take it back to town and leave it with the sheriff. The lawman would remember him, and the others, and he would be sure to pass it along.

All that was left was him to find something to eat, if there was anything, and then he'd try to get some rest. He immediately rejected the idea of using the bed upstairs, deciding instead on one of the sofas downstairs.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

He was standing in Ella's bedroom again, his body trembling in nervous anticipation.

"Hey, Cowboy, I was just thinkin' 'bout you."

He looked up, finding Vin lying naked on the bed. The arm of the fancy suit was draped over the tracker's chest, and one pant leg was bent at the knee and lay over the man's hip and groin, but it did little to hide the erection that tented the material and sent a shot of desire straight through the gunslinger's heart.

Chris glanced around, not sure why they were there, or why he was so worried about getting caught. Ella was gone, although he couldn't remember why.

"What are y' waitin' fer?"

"Huh?"

Vin grinned, the look in his eyes drawing Larabee over to the edge of the bed like a thirsty man to water. Chris glanced down at the younger man and licked his lips in anticipation. Without thinking, he reached up and began to unbutton his shirt, that and the rest of his clothing quickly joining Vin's in a pile on the floor.

He climbed onto the bed next to the tracker. Reaching out, he carefully pulled the jacket of the fancy suit away, the sleeve sliding over Tanner's skin, leaving behind two hard nubs just waiting to be kissed. And he wasted no time attending to one, and then the other, Vin moaning softly under his loving assault.

Then, reaching out, Chris pulled the pant leg off his friend's body, exposing Vin's cock, which was hard and full, pointing straight up along his belly. The younger man moaned softly and closed his eyes.

Chris smiled at the sight, then leaned over and gently kissed the man's parted lips while he reached down and wrapped his hand around the throbbing member.

Vin pushed his hips up, pressing himself tightly into Chris's palm as his tongue brushed the gunslinger's lips. Chris's fingers squeezed in reply, and he deepened the kiss, grinding his lips against the younger man's. He felt the first dew of Vin's pleasure and captured it on his palm, rubbing it over his own straining cock, mixing it with his own arousal on his skin.

When he was slick, he broke the kiss and whispered thickly, "Turn over."

Vin grinned wickedly, but quickly did as he'd been asked, spreading his legs at the same time. Chris climbed between them.

Reaching out, the gunslinger lifted the man's hips to meet his own. He reached down, grabbing the base of his cock with one hand while he spit on the fingers of his free hand, smearing that over the tracker's quivering opening. Then, positioning himself, he pulled his foreskin back and pressed the flared crown of his cock against the wet opening. Vin groaned softly and leaned back, forcing himself onto the head of Chris's cock.

The gunslinger gasped, the incredibly tight heat that enveloped him always coming as a shock.

"Yes," Vin hissed, humping back again and again, trying to impale himself on Larabee's cock.

Chris grabbed the tracker's hips and thrust forward, sinking himself deeper into the man's molten core. Another thrust and he was buried to the root, his balls mashed tight against Vin's body.

Still holding onto the younger man's hips, Chris began to pump his own hips, pulling out almost all the way and then plunging back in all the way, over and over, picking up speed and power as he went along.

Vin shoved back to meet each thrust, forcing Chris in as far as he could go with each stroke, and grinding his ass against the gunslinger's balls.

It only took a few minutes before Chris felt the tension building in his balls, filling him with a need that quickly exploded down his shaft, erupting in shot after shot of hot seed that filled Vin's insides.

Moments later, he was bent over the tracker's back, panting for breath while his seed continued to ooze from his cock, which was still embedded in Vin's chute. He knew the younger man hadn't found his own release yet and carefully pulled himself free, a flood of his own seed dribbling out with him.

Chris captured some of the fluid and touched Vin's shoulder, which was all he needed to tell the man to turn back over. The tracker rolled over, his engorged cock springing up painfully.

Wrapping his slick hand around the man's shaft, Chris began to jerk him to completion even as he leaned over, sucking and licking the closest nipple.

Vin whimpered, his hips thrusting off the bed in short, frantic jerks. When Chris's hand slid up, his fingers curling around the exposed crown and squeezing, the tracker cried out and shot his own seed into the air, the stringy strands falling back over Chris's hand and his own belly.

The gunslinger squeezed and pumped until the flow of seed finally ceased, and Vin's cock slowly began to turn soft in his palm.

The tracker looked up at Chris and smiled. "Y' make me feel s' good."

Chris nodded. "I could say the same."

"Looks like I got some more work left t' do," Vin said, nodding to Larabee's new erection.

He sat up and reached out for Chris, but before he could touch him, Ella stood up beside the bed. She was holding a long-bladed knife over her head and she plunged it down, striking Vin in the center of his back. The tracker arched, his shoulder blades pinching, his expression contorting with pain.

Ella pulled the blade free and struck a second time, this time sinking the blade into Vin's chest. The man's blue eyes went wide, his pain-filled gaze locked on the gunslinger's.

"Chris," he gasped, his eyes begging Larabee to help him.

But Chris was frozen, unable to move to stop the attack. He watched as the spark slowly left Vin's eyes. The tracker's lifeless body fell over his lap, covering Chris's shriveled manhood.

He looked up at Ella, who was smiling at him. "Why?" he managed to ask her.

"I love you, Chris," she said, reaching out to gently caress his cheek, the bloody knife still dripping in her other hand. . . .

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Chris woke with a half-stifled yell, his hand groping for his gun. When his fingers closed around the butt, he realized it had been a dream, just a dream. He was sitting on the sofa, panting for breath. They weren't in Ella's bedroom, she hadn't returned, there was no blood. Vin wasn't dead.

He reached up and ran a shaking hand over his face, then swiped the sweat off on his pant leg. When he caught his breath he reached down and cupped himself through the material of his pants. His clothes were wet, his dream climax, if nothing else, real.

He cursed softly under his breath. He hadn't done that since he'd been a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn. Glancing at the window, he checked for the first hint of dawn, but it was still dark.

At least he had time to clean himself up before he had to leave.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Two days later Chris knew the map had been purposefully deceptive. The terrain through which he traveled was rough and treacherous, making his progress slower than he'd estimated. And, to add to his annoyance, he was now positive someone was shadowing him, although whenever he tried to force the man to reveal himself, it never worked. But he could feel the stare on the back of his neck as he rode along.

Ella must have had someone watching him all along. So when had she written the note he'd found at the ranch house? he wondered. While he was in Eagle Bend?

She had to have known he'd head straight out to the house once he received her letter, and that he'd leave the next morning for the location she'd marked out. But she knew better than he did how long it would take him to reach the spot, and it wasn't going to be two days - definitely three, if not a little longer.

He fumed silently. She wasn't going to give him an opportunity to arrive early, sneak in, and free Vin. She was holding all the cards, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it.

For a crazy woman, she was damned clever. And that, along with the way he'd found the clothes laid out on the bed, scared him more than anything he could remember. Because, he knew, he really had no idea how he was going to find Vin when he reached the spot marked on the map, but however it was, he was certain he wasn't going to like it.

He just prayed that the man was still alive.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It was nearing dusk on the 9th when Chris arrived at the designated location. He dismounted and tied the black's reins to a low tree bough, then moved closer to the small cabin for a better look.

Lying on the top of a short rise, hidden in the darkness and the low-hanging boughs of the pine trees that grew up to the edge, he stared down into the small clearing where a cabin and barn stood. The structures were old enough that the sun and weather had darkened the grain of the wood and warped some of the planks making up the cabin's front porch.

In the clearing, a large fire burned in a pit dug into the ground, casting dark orange shadows over the buildings, and the one person he could see: Vin Tanner.

The tracker was naked and dirty, but several large bruises on the man's arms, ribs, and legs were still visible in the light cast by the flames. There was also what appeared to be dried blood - or maybe mud, Chris hoped - on the man's chin. His wrists were shackled, as were his ankles, although Chris could see that a length of chain, attached at one ankle and secured to a stake, gave him enough slack to move around the open space. At the moment, however, Vin was lying on his side, on the grass-covered ground, probably trying to sleep, but it was so cold Larabee doubted that would be possible for the naked man. The fire was probably all that had saved his life the last couple of nights, if he'd been staked out then like he was now.

Chris cursed silently.

As he watched, the tracker sat up and inched as close to the flames as he could safely get. Then, he turned his back to the heat and Chris got a good look at the welts on the man's skin. The gunslinger felt his gut knot at the sight.

What else had she done to Vin? But given Ella's madness, he wasn't really sure he wanted to know.

At least he appeared to be whole, and relatively unharmed.

Getting Tanner free, however, was going to be even more difficult than he'd expected. There was no way he could reach the man without being seen, and if he was right about someone following him, then Ella and whoever was helping her might already know he was there.

He sighed softly, wishing he had brought one of the others along. With a diversion he might be able to go in and get Vin free, but it was too late to worry about that now; he was on his own. Frustration caused his fingers to curl into the cold, damp needles that padded the ground beneath the trees, and a sharp edge bit into his skin. He jerked his hand back, then dug into the needles and pulled out a small pine cone. He smiled.

Crawling out from under the boughs, he rose onto his knees and lobed the pinecone into the clearing. It hit the ground next to the fire and rolled to a stop just past Vin's foot. The tracker had no outward reaction, but a few moments later he scooted around to face the flames again.

Chris dug through the needles until he found another cone and lobed that one at Tanner as well. It landed in the flames, cracking and popping.

Vin's chin lifted and Larabee saw one of the tracker's eyes had also been blackened, and the corners of his mouth were torn. So it was dried blood in his chin. Ella hadn't done that, or inflicted the bruises on the tracker's body, Chris guessed, so she definitely had some help, but how many?

Tanner's gaze swept the ridge behind and above the cabin, but Chris knew the tracker couldn't see him. A moment later, however, Vin's gaze seemed to pin him, and he raised his shackled hands to touch the brim of an invisible hat. Larabee shivered. How the hell could he see him? At least anyone watching him from the cabin would think Vin had done nothing more than push the hair off his forehead. Chris offered a grin, just in case the man could actually see him. It wasn't much, but at least Vin knew someone was out there now, and Chris was sure the tracker would know it was him.

Larabee forced his attention away from the captive and studied the cabin and nearby barn, trying to determine if anyone was watching, waiting for him to try and free the tracker. Several minutes later he saw the flare of a match being lit just inside the barn door and, a moment later, the glow on the end of a cheroot. Someone was definitely there watching Vin, who had laid down again. Or were they waiting for him to make a move? He wasn't sure, and it didn't matter. With guards that close, he didn't dare try to sneak into the small clearing.

And, if someone was watching from inside the barn, then it was a good bet someone else was watching from the cabin as well, but, if they were, they weren't being as careless.

Like he'd guessed, Ella was holding all the cards. There was nothing he could do now except wait for dawn and see what she had planned for them.

With a sigh, he turned up the collar of his jacket and settled back against the trunk of the pine tree to try and get some sleep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Chris. Chris, I know you're out there, darlin'."

Larabee jerked awake. Turning from where he'd been leaning against the trunk of one of the pine trees, he stared down into the clearing. The fire was out, and a wagon had been rolled out from the barn and positioned in the middle of the clearing.

Vin stood at the back of the wagon, his legs spread wide. Chris saw the setup in profile, but from what he could tell from this side, he knew the tracker was still shackled, but the chains leading to his ankles were now secured to the rear wheels of the wagon. Vin himself was bent over the end of the wagon, his arms stretched out toward the seat at the front, and held taut by ropes that were secured to his wrists. If the wagon should start to roll, the tracker would be pulled in half but, thankfully, it wasn't hitched.

Ella stood behind the naked man, a brass-handled quirt in her hand, the braided-leather lash dangling menacingly.

"Chris?" she called again, gently lifting and laying the lash across Vin's already tortured back.

Larabee held his tongue, his heart beginning to pound wildly in his chest. Did she intend to beat the man to death while he watched?

She flicked the quirk, the lash biting into Vin's skin with a sharp snap! The tracker grunted and jerked, but he was held too tightly to fight.

"I know you're out there, Chris. Let's not make this too hard on your- . . . well, you know."

She waited a moment for him to answer, then the lash snapped a second time, making Vin jerk again and raising another fresh welt among the others.

The gunslinger lay motionless, frantically studying the area. He could see three men now, one in the barn, another at one of the cabin windows, and a third standing near three trees that grew between the two buildings. They were each holding rifles.

"Chris, please, don't make me kill him, and I will kill him, if I have to - if you force me to. You know how much I love you, don't you, Chris? You know what I'll do in order to have you in my life forever?"

She turned the quirt around and, holding the brass handle where it joined the leather lash and slowly ran the knob at the end down Vin's spine, stopping just above the crack of the tracker's butt.

"What does it feel like, Chris?" she asked him. "Is it better than when you loved me?"

Chris watched as she slipped the brass handle between Vin's cheeks, the tracker fighting as best he could, but there was nothing he could do to stop her.

The gunslinger saw her twist the short metal rod and knew exactly what she was doing. He saw Vin's head snap back, his lips pulling back off his teeth in a feral snarl.

"Ella!" he called, standing, his gun in his hand. "Stop."

She looked up and smiled, but she kept the handle embedded where it was. "Oh, Chris, it's so good to see you again. I've missed you so much. But you've been spending your time with this. . ." She shoved the handle in a little farther. ". . . this thing."

"Leave him alone," Chris said, his gaze locked on hers.

"Come down, Chris, please," she replied. "There's so much we need to talk about."

"We have nothing to talk about!" Chris yelled at her as she working the handle of the quirt.

Ella looked up at him, her expression pained. She twisted the handle of the quirt again, burying it deeper inside Vin, making him spasm and twitch.

"Ella!"

She stopped, then roughly jerked the handle free and threw the quirt into the dirt. Stepping up to the helpless man, she reached between Vin's legs, her fingers closing on his fear-shrunken penis and balls like claws. Chris heard Vin's pain-filled groan when she squeezed mercilessly.

"Chris!" she wailed at him. "I love you! Don't you understand? I love you! But you- You loved that whore more than you did me! And now this, this abomination! What are you?" she screeched. "Do you really want this? Instead of me? This?"

Her fingers tightened and Vin finally moaned, then cried out, his knees buckling, dropping his belly to the bed of the wagon, his legs beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"No!" Chris cried. "No, Ella, stop. Please."

She looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks, but she released Vin. Reaching out, she stroked her fingers down his back like she was petting a large cat. "We were meant to be together, Chris. Don't you understand that? You and me, forever."

"No," he admitted, fighting to keep his anger and hatred in check. "No, I don't understand," he said, starting down the hill toward the clearing. "But I'm willing to talk. Just, let him go."

Ella looked down at the tracker, who was still collapsed on the wagon bed, gulping air like a landed fish. "I saw you," she snarled, this time raking her fingernails down the tracker's back, making him jerk in anguish, "with him. In my bed! Mine! We made love in that bed, Chris! How could you soil what we had like that?"

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, moving closer, his gun still ready. "But he's no threat to you, Ella."

She looked from Vin to Chris and back again. She spat on the tracker, then looked up at Chris as he walked over to stand next to the wagon.

Larabee glanced down at Vin, their gazes locking for a brief moment. Vin's was full of fear, but it wasn't for himself, it was for Chris, and the gunslinger knew it.

"You said you wanted to talk to me," he said to Ella, still managing to keep his voice gentle. "Well, I'm here. Let him go and we'll talk."

The three men who had been covering him stepped out from their hiding places, their rifles trained on him. Chris's gaze flickered to each of the three. Two hung back a short ways, but the third, the biggest, came up behind Ella and glowered at the gunslinger over her head.

Ella glanced over her shoulder at the man and then looked back to the gunslinger. "I told you, Chris, we were meant to be together. Ever since we met that first time, it was destined. I want you to love me . . . now."

Chris swallowed, his mouth going dry. Ella saw the hesitation and the revulsion in Larabee's eyes and her own eyes narrowed dangerously. She turned, reaching to the man standing behind her and pulling him up next to her.

Larabee tried not to glower at the man, but he could feel the danger radiating from him, even if he didn't know what form it was to take.

Ella pressed herself along the man's side, her hand reaching up to stroke across his chest, then it dropped to cup his hidden manhood in her palm. "James is such a good man," she purred. "He's taken very good care of me - like you should have, Chris. But he knows what to do with your Nancy-boy. Would you like him to show you?"

Chris's heart pounded in his chest. "Ella, let Vin go. We'll go inside and talk, or whatever you want."

Still clinging to James, she reached out and lightly stroked Vin's buttocks. "James is a big man, Chris, why, I think he might just tear your Nancy-boy in half when he takes him." She laughed.

Chris saw the man's growing arousal, and the way he leered at Vin. He couldn't let the man rape the tracker, but he wasn't at all sure how to go about stopping it either. Larabee glanced quickly at the other two hired guns, but they still had their rifles held at the ready. There was no way he could kill both of them, and James, before one of them killed him, or Vin.

He met the woman's gaze. "Ella, please, let him go - for us."

Her eyes gleamed and she stepped away from James, moving back to the tracker and leaning over his back, pressing her groin against his naked ass. "For us?" she asked hopefully.

Larabee nodded, unable to trust his voice not to betray his true feelings. She smiled and reached down to fondle Vin, who whimpered softly, his body starting to shudder in revulsion. "If I let him go, you'll stay with me?"

"Chris, no," Vin wheezed.

Ella's fingers curled tightly, forcing another low whine from the tracker.

"Back off," Chris snarled at Ella.

She smiled at Larabee, but took a step back. "Show Mr. Larabee what a stallion you are, James," she purred, her gaze on Chris.

The big man grinned and laid his rifle down in the back of the wagon. Then he unbuckled his belt and opened his pants. Reaching in, he freed himself, his long, thick cock jutting like a ramrod straight out from his body. He was huge.

"Do you want to see what I saw, Chris? Do you want to watch James fuck your Nancy-boy?"

The burning pleasure in the big man's eyes increased as he stepped up behind Vin, then reached out and squeezed the tracker's ass.

"Ella, for God's sake, don't do this," Chris pleaded.

James grabbed hold of his cock and rubbed it up and down along the crack of Vin's ass. The tracker tried to jerk away, but tied as tightly as he was, there was no place for him to go and his movement only seemed to excite the big man.

Ella smiled as she glanced over to watch James continue to rub himself on the smaller man, then the big man began to bounce his cockhead against the man's cheeks, leaving behind wet marks as his prick began to leak. Her gaze remained on James and Vin as she asked, "And what will you give me, Chris? To stop this?"

"Whatever you want," he replied immediately.

"Chris, no!" Vin growled.

James grabbed the tracker's cheeks and pulled them roughly apart, shoving his cock against the man's tightly-clenched pucker.

"Anything?" she asked, still watching James' cock as it pushed against Vin's hole.

"Yes!" he replied. "Just stop this - now!"

James had reached down and grabbed his shaft, trying to force himself into Vin's body.

"James," she snapped.

The big man grunted and looked at her.

"Stop."

For a moment it looked like he might not listen to her, but then he grunted again and took a step back, his hand jerking up and down on his cock a few times before he was shooting, the long, stringy white strands landing on Vin's back and ass. When he was through, James tucked himself back into his pants, buttoned them up and grabbed his gun.

"Take Vin into the cabin," Ella directed the man.

James cut the tracker's hands free, then unlocked the shackles from the wheels of the wagon. Tanner slumped against the wagon bed until James reached out to grab his arm, but then he jerked up and away from the man, ready to attack, but the two rifles trained on him and Chris forced him to allow the big man to grab his arm again and lead him to the cabin.

"Now, put your gun down," Ella commanded and Chris obeyed. Once he was unarmed, she stepped up next to him and pressed herself along the side of his body. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

Chris walked with her to the cabin. Inside, he saw that James had tied Vin into a chair. And when he finished securing the tracker's hands behind him, the big man reached out and savagely twisted one of Vin's nipples, making the tracker groan.

"Leave him alone," Chris snarled, green eyes flashing dangerously.

James started to reach for the other nipple, but Ella shook her head. He backed away.

"Take your clothes off," Ella directed Chris.

Larabee looked at her and saw she was doing the same. He swallowed hard but forced himself to undress.

"Get on the bed," she told him next.

"I thought you said you wanted to talk to me," he replied, trying to buy time as he climbed onto the bed.

"Oh, we'll talk, Chris, but after I show you what love is supposed to be - between a man and a woman." She nodded and James stepped up, holding four short pieces of rope.

"There's no need for that," Chris assured her. "Besides, I can do so much more if I'm free."

She smiled. "That's what I'm afraid of, darlin'."

"I give you my word," he told her.

Ella considered that a moment and then nodded. "All right, Chris, but if you try anything, I'll give your Nancy-boy to James, and I promise you, when James is through with him, there won't be enough left to bother burying."

Chris nodded his understanding.

"Leave us," Ella instructed the big man. "You and the other keep watch for their friends."

James nodded, then, with a final leer at Vin, he turned and left.

Ella, now naked herself, walked over to the tracker's chair, standing behind him. Reaching out, she ran her fingers through his hair, then over his shoulders, her fingertips seeking out his nipples and rubbing them lightly. "I can't believe you really want him as much as you wanted me."

Her hands returned to Vin's long hair and, wrapping her fingers in it, she jerked his head back and forced a kiss on his lips. He shook his head, forcing her mouth away. She laughed and eased around the side of the chair to sit down on his lap.

"I thought you wanted me," Chris challenged her.

"Oh, I do, darlin'," Ella replied, grinding her ass against Vin's cock. "But I just wanted to see if he was anything of a man at all." She stood and looked down at the tracker's still-shrunken penis and laughed. "No, I didn't think so. He's no man."

Strutting to the bed, she climbed between Chris's legs, then leaned over and rubbed her breasts over his chest until their lips finally met for a long, grinding kiss. When they finally broke apart, she smiled and reached down to stroke his erection. "You, on the other hand, are more than enough man for me."

Chris smiled back at her. "Glad you think so." He reached up to grab her slender waist, but she raised her hand to stop him

"Remember what'll happen to your Nancy-boy if you try anything."

Chris grinned at her. "I just wanted to show you what a real man can do."

She smiled and nodded.

He grabbed her waist, lifting her off him and pulling her down next to him. Then he rolled up on his elbow so he was above her and leaned over to kiss her again, one of his hands stroking her breasts as he did.

Ella moaned with pleasure, her hips making small circles against the bed.

Chris continued to kiss her, but his hand swept down from her peaked nipples to stroke the heated flesh between her thighs. She opened her legs for him, knowing that Vin would be able to see her, see what Chris was doing to her.

Larabee's fingers teased her, slipped inside of her, played with her button of pleasure until she was writhing under him. Then he broke the kiss, his lips coming down on one of her nipples, suckling her as his fingers sank into her moist heat over and over again, making her body jerk mightily as wave after wave of pleasure broke over her.

Before the pleasure subsided, he was straddling her chest, her arms pinned under his knees, and his hands were around her throat, squeezing.

She tried to call for James, but the words were trapped in her constricted throat. Her eyes rounded with fear for a moment, then glazed with pleasure and she was climaxing again, her body jerking even as she lost consciousness.

"She dead?" Vin asked when Chris jerked his hands away from the woman and hastily climbed off the bed, staggering over to him.

"I hope so," was the gunslinger's only reply as he untied Vin, then dressed. "You okay?"

"I'll live," was the tracker's reply. "How we gonna get out of here?"

"Not sure yet."

Vin quickly searched the cabin, but the only clothes he found were Ella's. "Damnation," he breathed.

"Looks like they're gettin' curious, or nervous," Chris said from where he was watching the three men from the corner of a window.

"This might help y' with a plan," Vin said, pressing a small Derringer into Chris's hand.

Larabee grinned. "It might at that."

"This might, too," the tracker said, showing the gunslinger the knife he'd found as well.

"We need to get one or two of them inside."

"Well, if they's curious, let's give 'em somethin' t' come see."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Damn it, Ella, what the hell are you doing?" the guards heard Chris bellow.

The three men exchanged glances, snickering under their breaths. A loud howl from Vin caught James' attention and he took a step toward the cabin.

"Ya know the rules, Jim," one of the others said, reaching out to stop him.

"Can't help it," he replied, shaking off the man's grasp. "That little fella makes my blood run hot. Gotta see what she's doin' to him."

The other two men shook their heads as James started for the cabin.

At the door he paused to listen, and as soon as he heard another loud moan from Vin he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He froze at the sight that met him. The tracker was still tied where he'd put him, but Ella was sitting on his lap, her knees hooked over the arms of the chair, her arms wrapped around his neck, fucking him if the way his hips were pounding up off the seat of the chair was any indication. He grinned, hoping he was still going to get his time with the man.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Chris waited until the big man's gaze was locked on Vin and Ella, then he brought the Derringer up and fired, striking him just behind the ear.

James grunted and dropped to his knees, the rifle falling from his lifeless hands.

Vin threw Ella's limp body to the floor and lunged for the fallen rifle, scooping it up just as the other two men burst through the door. Larabee shot one of the men with the second and last round in the tiny gun, Vin killing the third, but not before the man got off a shot that struck the tracker, knocking him back onto the floor, his hand clutching at his side as he cursed.

"Vin!"

Chris quickly checked the three men, kicking their weapons away before he scrambled to the tracker's side. "Let me see," he snapped.

Vin let the gunslinger pull his hands away from the wound.

"Just a graze," Chris told him. "You were lucky."

"Still hurts like hellfire," Vin gasped.

"Yeah, I remember," Larabee replied dryly. He turned to the bed, intending to use the sheet to bind Vin's wound, but he stopped, his knees beginning to shake. "No!" he cried. "Damn it!"

Vin struggled to sit up and turn around, dragging the rifle along with him. "What?"

"She's gone! The goddamned bitch is gone!"

Vin trembled, but he struggled to his feet and shuffled over to stand next to Chris, looking down at the empty floor where he'd dumped her. "Bitch has more lives 'n a damn cat," he said, then his knees buckled and only Larabee's arms around him kept him from hitting the floor.

"Whoa easy, pard," Chris said, half-carrying the sagging tracker to the bed and helping him in under the covers.

The tracker shivered violently, his teeth chattering, and Chris hurried to bolt the cabin door, then grabbed one of the men's Colts and a rifle, carrying them back to the bed and leaving them within easy reach.

He quickly rummaged through the dresser drawers, deciding to use one of Ella's shirts to bind Vin's wound. That finished a few minutes later, Chris stripped his clothes off but left his long johns on and climbed in with the still shivering man, pulling him close and holding him tightly until his body ceased trembling.

"It's all right, I've got you," he soothed, feeling Vin's muscles go slack as he warmed up.

"Thanks, Cowboy," Vin said as he fell into a light sleep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

When Vin awoke next, he was still lying in the bed, his side bound up. He glanced around the cabin, finding Chris standing at the wood stove, stirring a pot of something that smelled wonderful.

"About time you woke up," Larabee said.

"How long I been sleepin'?"

"Almost two days."

"Two days?" Vin sat up, but the immediate stitch of agony in his side forced him to lie right back down again.

"Hey, you stay right there. You're going to ruin all of Nathan's work."

"Nathan?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, the rest of them got here yesterday. Like usual, they didn't do what I told them and came after me a day early. Nathan cleaned and stitched your wound and left me some powder you need to take three times a day."

"Ain't drinkin' nothin' that tastes worse 'n horse piss."

"You'll drink this, goddamn it, if I have to sit on you and hold your nose 'til you open your mouth," Chris warned him.

Vin glowered for a moment, then sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. After a moment he asked, "Where's the rest of 'em?"

"I sent them back to Four Corners."

"What about Ella?"

Chris shook his head. "No sign."

"Damn," Vin breathed.

"The other three are dead and buried."

Vin nodded. He would have expected no less. "We headin' out now?"

Chris shook his head. "Nathan said you need to rest for a few days, let that wound drain and start to knit closed. He and Buck are staying in Bent Copper, about half a day's ride northeast of here. He'll be back tomorrow to take a look."

"Hell, Chris, I c'n ride."

"You stayin' right there, Tanner."

"Gotta get up; got things that need tendin' to."

Chris grinned and nodded. "That's different. Go do it."

Vin climbed gingerly from the bed and shuffled to the chamber pot to relieved himself. When he was back in bed, he asked, "Whatcha cookin'?"

"Stew."

"Smells good."

"Hope so."

And a few minutes later they were both eating.

Chris glanced over at the tracker between bites and asked, "You all right?"

Vin nodded. "Sore, but I'll live."

"I didn't know she'd seen us."

"Neither did I."

"I never thought she'd come after you," Chris said, his tone apologetic.

"Even if we had known, wouldn't've changed a thing."

"She'll try again," Chris warned him. "And now that she knows about you-"

"She'll be comin' after the both of us. We'll just have t' be more careful."

Chris nodded and set his bowl aside, moving to sit on the bed. Reaching out, he gently cupped the side of Vin's face in his hand. "I can't lose you like I lost Sarah. I just can't do it."

"Ain't dead yet, Cowboy."

The gunslinger grinned, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm startin' to think you're just too damned stubborn to die."

Tanner nodded his agreement, but before he could say anything more, Chris leaned over and kissed him. It was tender and careful, but it said more than words ever could about how he felt.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Three days later Chris walked Nathan out to his waiting horse.

"He's doin' good, real good," the healer said. "Give him a couple more days, then he oughta be able to make it back to Four Corners without bringing on a fever. Take it slow on the way, ya hear?"

Chris nodded. "Thank you, Nathan."

The black man grinned. "It's gettin' to be a full time job, takin' care of all of you. But don't you worry none, he's gonna be fine. The infection's gone and the wound's knittin' up real good."

"What about-? . . . You know."

Nathan nodded. He was the only one of the peacekeepers who had heard about everything that had happened to Vin. "He's still got a little blood in his piss, but it's almost gone now. When it is, he might wanna stop and maybe try a night with a pretty little gal. If it don't work, ain't sure what can be done, but I'll check that medical book when I get back."

Chris nodded. "I'd appreciate it you kept the details to yourself, Nathan."

"Planned to," the healer said sincerely.

Larabee nodded and patted the man's shoulder. "You're a good man, Nathan. A good friend."

"I'll see ya both back in Four Corners." And with that he swung up into his saddle and headed back to Bent Copper, hoping he could locate Buck before he found another lady to seduce. He was ready to head back home.

Chris watched him go, then turned and headed back inside to see how Vin was doing.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"It's still early, we don't gotta stop in Eagle Bend," Vin offered several days later as they rode through the countryside to avoid Ella's old ranch house.

On their way back to Four Corners at last, Chris had been sure to keep the pace slow over the past several days, but the tracker was getting stronger each day and he was in a hurry to get home.

The gunslinger snorted softly. "Home." He'd never thought he'd use that word again, but he had to admit he'd come to think of Four Corners as home, as long as Vin was there with him. In fact, anywhere he was with the tracker felt like home these days.

"I don't mind," he said softly. "Besides, Nathan said as soon as your piss cleared up you should try spending the night with a pretty little gal . . . to see if it works like it ought to."

"A pretty little gal?" Vin echoed, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Well, I suppose we could find you someone else . . . if we look real hard."

"Hope it's hard, Cowboy."

Chris grinned and chuckled, shaking his head.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The two men rode into Eagle Bend, stopping first for a meal, then heading to the hotel where they took a room and ordered a bath sent up. While that was being done, they walked across the street to the saloon for a drink.

While they were working on their whiskeys, the sheriff found them. "One of your men asked me to keep my ears open for any word on Ella Gains," he said as soon as he reached them.

Chris and Vin both looked up.

"What've you heard, Sheriff?" Larabee asked as casually as he could.

"Seems she just got married up Tucson way, to a Spanish nobleman, of all things, and that after he'd just met her."

Chris snorted and nodded. "Well, I hope she's happy."

"Be hard for her not to be. I hear the man's got more land and money than he knows what to do with. Anyway, just thought you'd want t' hear." With that the lawman turned and left.

The two men finished their drinks, then walked back to the hotel and climbed the stairs to their room. The tub was waiting for them, steam curling off the surface of the hot water.

"You go first," Vin offered.

"No, I think you'd better go first. It'll be cleaner, and Nathan said you need to keep that wound clean for a few more days."

The tracker nodded and carefully removed his clothes. Once he was naked, he climbed into the hot water and carefully lowered himself down, sucking in a sharp breath when the stitched wound finally got wet. But once he was seated, he wasted no time scrubbing with the soap that had been left for them, even lathering his hair and dipping his head under the water to rinse it. When he was done, he sat for a few minutes, letting the hot water ease his still-sore muscles, then climbed out and grabbed a towel, drying himself off while Chris stripped and climbed into the water himself.

Larabee sighed loudly, sinking down to his chin and just soaking in the still-hot water for a few minutes before he set to work, lathering himself up and washing his hair as well. But, as he did, he also watched Vin, who was standing at the dresser, using Chris's razor to shave the short beard that had grown out since he'd been kidnapped. The tracker still carried the last shadows of the bruises on his skin, and his back was still crisscrossed with pale red welts, but overall he'd healed up quickly. The graze had closed, and besides the scar that was sure to be left behind, it was almost healed now as well. The man's resilience was nothing short of amazing, but a cold chill of doubt snaked down Larabee's spine, settling deep in his guts. Vin had been through so much, would he ever want them to be intimate again?

He fervently hoped so, but he was too afraid to ask. Still, the earlier teasing seemed hopeful and there was nothing he could do but wait and see what happened next.

Rinsing, he climbed out of the water, grabbed a towel of his own, and quickly dried off. When he was done, he reached for his clothes, but Vin stopped him, taking hold of his arm.

Chris looked back at the younger man. "Something wrong?"

Vin dipped his head, his cheeks going a little rosy. "Thought we's gonna see if I's healed up."

Chris smiled at the younger man's embarrassment and the softness of his voice. "True enough. We ought to see to that." Stepping up to Vin, he folded him into his arms, holding him close for a long moment before he asked, "You sure you wanna do this? With me?"

Vin nodded, his arms sliding around the gunslinger, and pulling him tight against his chest. "Don't wanna try with no one else."

Together they moved to the bed and climbed on, Vin ending up on his back, Chris stretching out alongside him. Larabee leaned over and kissed the tracker's lips tenderly, their tongues touching lightly.

Their eyes closed, both men allowing themselves to become lost in the kiss. And, while their tongues danced gently, Chris's hand roamed freely over Vin's chest, caressing his skin and lightly teasing at the hard nubs he found. It drifted lower, brushing over the light brown hair at the tracker's groin before he delicately cupped the tracker's semi-erect cock, stroking it lovingly.

Meanwhile, Vin's hand moved over Chris's back, dropping down to lightly squeeze his ass and tickle at the backs of his thighs. Then he rose up, pushing the gunslinger over onto his back and kissing a trail from neck to navel, then across the man's tight stomach to his cock.

"I thought we were going to see how you were doing," Chris gasped as Vin's lips brushed over his cockhead.

"Will, but right now 'm busy."

The tracker's lips closed on Chris's cock, which was warm to the point of almost being hot. He wrapped his hand around the base as he sucked on the head.

Larabee grunted and thrust his hips up, sliding a little deeper into the man's warm mouth.

Vin took a deep breath and opened the back of his throat so he could take more of Chris. Going slowly, he tightened his lips around the shaft and licked it as he swallowed more of it.

"Oh, shit," Chris moaned softly. "Don't make me come too fast, please."

Tanner pulled back, a grin on his face. He sucked one of the gunslinger's balls into his mouth, then the other, making him squirm on the bed, his fingers curling into the spread.

Teasing more, Vin slid his tongue up and down the length of the shaft, pumping Chris's cock with his hand at the same time.

"Stop," Larabee panted. "I'm close, too close."

Vin stopped for a moment, but Chris groaned, letting the tracker know he really did need the pleasure he was so close to experiencing. In one swift move, Tanner gobbled the gunslinger's cock, sucking it into his mouth and lapping along the sensitive underside.

"Awww," Chris moaned, beginning to heave and thrust, "here it comes . . . here it comes."

And it came, shot after shot of his hot, bittersweet seed poured down the tracker's throat. And, when he was done, Chris collapsed back against the bed, panting.

Vin chuckled, prompting Larabee to open his eyes. "What's so damn funny?"

"Nothin'," Vin replied. "Y' just look tuckered."

"I'll show you tuckered," Chris half-growled, rising up and swinging around faster than Vin expected. A moment later, the tracker was flat on his back again, and Larabee was swallowing his still only semi-hard cock, tongue rolling around the exposed head, exploring, while one hand came up to carefully cup Vin's balls and gently roll them between his fingers. He released the man's cock just long enough to say, "You tell me if anything hurts."

Vin nodded and panted, "Don't hurt none yet."

Chris grinned and went back to kissing, licking and sucking until, finally, Vin's cock grew full and hard and his hips began to thrust slowly, carefully, pressing himself into the gunslinger's warm mouth.

Chris let him go a little while like that, then broke contact and crawled up so he was lying next to the man. "I picked up something back in Cottonwood."

He rolled off the bed and went to his saddlebags, coming back with a small bottle of sweet-smelling oil. He handed it to Vin, saying, "Don't guess you're ready for me to- But I thought you could."

The tracker looked from the bottle to Chris. "She didn't hurt me much," he said softly. "I'm healed up." He handed the oil back. "Do it."

Chris trembled, his knees threatening to give way, but he poured some of the oil out into his palm and slicked himself with it, then he set the bottle on the bedside table and climbed back onto the bed and picked up where he'd left off, sucking Vin's cock back into his mouth.

His hand slid up between the cheeks of the tracker's ass, his oil-slicked finger starting to rub around the knotted pucker, teasing it. Vin responded, rocking his hips faster, and Chris's writhing tongue urged him on while he carefully slipped one finger inside the man.

Vin grunted his hips stopping and Chris looked up. "You all right?"

The tracker nodded, then his eyes closed and he sighed contentedly as he eased himself down on Chris's finger, but his hips bucked back up again when the gunslinger sucked him back into his mouth.

And then, with a strangled cry, Vin was shooting his seed into Chris's mouth, his hips bucking wildly. He collapsed back onto the bed and ground his ass onto the gunslinger's finger.

"Wanna feel y' inside me," he panted.

Getting up on his knees, Chris gently pushed Vin's legs apart, then slipped between his thighs as he stroked his own oiled cock, which was once again hard. Vin watched for a few moments, then licked his lips, closed his eyes, and dropped his head back.

Larabee found his hole again and started massaging it slowly. A low moan escaped from the tracker and he brought his hands up to his nipples and started pinching them gently.

Chris smiled. Lifting Vin's legs, he pressed the head of his cock against the man's hole and starting moving his hips back and forth in a leisurely fashion. He wasn't using enough pressure to force his way in, just enough for Vin to feel it, and want it. Then, bending forward, he took one of the tracker's nipples in his mouth and swirled his tongue over it, nipping at it lightly with his teeth.

Vin moaned and lifted his hips up.

Chris grabbed his shaft and slipped the head of his cock inside, but stopped when Tanner's eyes shot open as he gasped. "Vin?"

"Wait," he hissed.

Chris stayed still, waiting to feel the tracker's muscles relax and accept the invasion, and as soon as he felt the first give he started moving his hips gently side to side, feeling the man loosen just a little more. He began licking and nibbling on the tracker's nipple again.

Vin reached in and gripped his own cock, stroking it slowly.

Chris eased his own in a little farther.

"Oh, yeah," the tracker moaned, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes fluttered open, then closed again.

Chris began making a circular movement with his hips, feeling the resistance inside starting to give more. He sank in a little farther.

Vin's entire body was relaxing now.

A little farther.

Chris lifted the tracker's legs so they rested over his shoulders. He could tell Vin wanted him, and he drove in deeper with a quick thrust, but Tanner wasn't ready for the sudden onslaught. His eyes popped open and he moaned. Chris stopped moving and let his friend's body adjust again.

"Ohgod-ohgod-ohgod. . ." Vin's eyes locked on Chris's. "Fuck me," he groaned. "Fuck me hard."

Chris didn't move.

"Please," Vin begged.

"I'll never fuck you, Vin," Chris promised him, "but I will love you - always."

Vin's smile was angelic. "Love me then," he said, adding, "hard as y' can."

Chris began pulling out of him, withdrawing in a slow, steady motion. Vin's eyes closed again.

When the head was all that was left inside, Larabee plunged in fast and hard, and this time he got all the way in. Chris flexed his ass, trying to force in everything he could.

"Oh yeah," Vin breathed, reveling in the feeling of being filled up by the man he loved.

The gunslinger started moving his hips, circling at first, he starting to pump.

"Yes," Vin hissed, rocking as best he could to meet the thrusts.

Sliding his arms under Vin's back, Chris clamped his hands on the man's shoulders and pulled the tracker down securely on his cock, locking him in place. Then he came up on his knees a little, and started thrusting into Vin's ass, deep and fast. If Vin wanted it hard, he was going to get it hard.

Chris drilled deep into Vin's chute, wishing he could do it for hours, but he was so heated up he knew he couldn't last much longer. And neither could Vin. The tracker was already panting and moaning, his body trembling uncontrollably as his hand jerked on his dripping, engorged erection.

Chris pushed with his feet, bringing Vin's ass up off the bed, and leaned forward, driving his cock into the tracker's chute all the way to the hilt.

Vin came with a cry of pure ecstasy, his body trembling and convulsing as his cock erupted, the first shot hitting Chris in the face, the next two landing on his chest, and still he kept firing, hitting Chris's belly, his arm. He was trembling and convulsing, gasping with each load that escaped.

"Oh, Chris," he moaned. "Oh, Chris." I love ya, Cowboy.

And the sound of Vin's voice in his ears, and in his mind, pushed Larabee over the edge. He grunted, his hips jerking, wildly out of control, until he was spilling his own seed, filling Vin's insides up with it while he rasped out the tracker's name, over and over again.

When he finally had no more to give, his hips slowed and finally stilled, but he continued to hold Vin tight while he waited for his cock to soften. A few minutes later it slipped free from the hot chute, his seed dribbling out behind it.

They slowly untangled themselves, but immediately slid into each other's arms, each holding and being held.

"Guess I healed up just fine," Vin finally said once they had both caught their breaths.

Chris chuckled softly. "I'd say you did at that." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "I'd like it fine if you'd do that to me."

"Now?"

The gunslinger laughed again at the panicked tone of the tracker's voice. "No, not now. Just before we get back to Four Corners."

"Give me a day or two, an' I might be ready t' give it a try."

"Take all the time you need," Chris said softly, reaching up to stroke the man's long hair.

When they had rested for a few minutes, the two men got up and used the water in the tub to clean themselves. Then they dressed and went back to the restaurant for another meal.

Returning to their room, they found the tub was gone. They undressed and climbed into bed.

Lying in the darkness, Chris asked, "She didn't-? Before I got there?"

"No," Vin assured him, "just had her friends work me over some."

"He didn't-?"

"No."

"Good."

"She ain't gonna let this go, Chris, even married."

"I know."

"She's gonna know y' tried t' kill her."

"Yep."

"Could get damned ugly."

"I expect it will," Chris agreed.

"Just have t' be ready."

"We'll be ready."

Continues in Part 2 of the Ashes Trilogy: Ashes to Ashes…

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