ATF Universe
As dawn slowly made its presence known, the seven made ready for the upcoming battle. Not a battle they would normally prepare for. No, this was a battle to save one of their own and to take vengeance on the one that nearly tore them apart. That was something these life-hardened men looked forward to. The anticipation was palpable."Buck, you git the charges planted?" their dark clad leader asked, leaving nothing to chance.
The normally gregarious cowboy was all business as he answered, "Yep, it's all ready. We're ready to start."
Chris nodded, following Buck and Vin into Ezra's room. "Ez, you ready?"
"Yes, let us start this show." He started to walk out the door, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning, he looked into the probing sapphire gaze of the man who had stolen his heart.
Vin was concerned. He didn't like the revision his gambler had made, not at all, and was reluctant to go along with it. "Are ya sure about this?"
Ezra gave him a devious smile and threw over his shoulder as he walked out the door to prepare for his part, "Oh, quite sure, Vin. Trust me. It will work out better this way."
The ex-bounty hunter sighed. Ezra could be a force to be reckoned with when he thought he was doing the right thing, which was just about all the time.
Chris gave his best friend a sympathetic grin. "You sure about this, cowboy? He is a handful as it is."
Buck slapped Vin on the back, nearly knocking the tracker over. "Sure he is, pard. Now, let's go see if JD and Nathan are ready for the fireworks."
Vin shook his head, smiling. "Let's jist go get this sonavabitch. I'm ready to go home and get to know Ezra better."
+ + + + + + +
Ezra's voice came across loud and clear over the listening device. Panther's smile was maniacal as he listened to the southerner drive the last person who cared for him away. He didn't think Ezra would've accepted the longhaired Texan's overture of love. Looks like he had been right. About damn time, too. He was starting to think he had lost his touch on reading people. Since Standish drove all his other playthings away, he guessed he would just have to get creative with killing the agent. He was being paid to kill him, after all, not the rest of them. Maybe he wouldn't take another job to sharpen his skills. He could sharpen them on the rest of Team 7. It was their fault; after all, he never made mistakes till this contract. Someone should be made to pay for it, why not them?
The nondescript man stood watching as Team 7 left the undercover agent alone and defenseless. He assumed that they forgot that Standish would have no way off the island. Leaving in the heat of an argument tended to make one forget the important things. He would bet that Tanner would be back in a couple of days to check on Standish, but in a few hours that point would be moot. Panther looked down at his watch. Another thirty minutes and he would start, but for now he would just listen in case the Team came back. He started to pack up his camp; he wanted to be ready to leave after he finished.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra hadn't mentioned how nervous he was about this. When he had suggested both JD and Vin leave with the rest of the Team, it had been met with some resistance, but they finally saw that it would be better this way. It had been an hour since the Team had left, and he was just waiting till his assassin came to kill him. He sat in the library, reading one of the many classics he had found. The library was floor to ceiling books, with a second floor looking over the sitting area. They had chosen this room because of the protection it offered, and the men could spread out, effectively covering the con man from all sides without giving themselves away until they were ready. The house had been filled with secret passages with most leading to different areas of the library. The room was set up to ambush unwanted guests. Since he had one coming, they would use what the host offered, to the fullest extent.
Ezra never looked up as the assassin came in and leaned against the fireplace. "So nice of you to join me, Mr. Laughon. It has been quite a while, has it not?" His voice was devoid of all emotion, just as his "poker face" was firmly in place.
Panther sighed, "So how did you know it was me, cuz?" He should really think about retiring after all these screw ups, but damn it, he just loved his work too much. He'd figure it out after he took care of this.
The southerner, never lifting his eyes from his book, made a request. "Tell me why you took this one, and I'll tell you how I knew it was you, dear cousin."
"Well, dear cousin," sarcasm apparent in the assassin's tone as he replied and, pulling his gun out, aimed it at the nonplussed agent, "I only take the contracts nobody else wants. And nobody wanted to kill an ATF agent. It was very simple; I set the price and he gets a dead ATF agent." Panther's smile was malicious, and his eyes sparkled with the untold horrors of Hell that he had planned for the southern agent. "But color me surprised when I find out that my long lost, conniving, manipulative cousin is my ATF target." His voice turned from sarcasm to dripping venom. Then, as suddenly as the hate appeared, it disappeared with an expression of curiosity. "I've answered your question. Now, how did you figure it out?" He fired a shot into the wingback chair Ezra was sitting in, missing his ear by only a fraction of an inch.
Not fazed at all, Ezra closed the book, putting it down as he stood up and walked to lean against the other side of the fireplace. Crossing his arms in front of him, he looked at his cousin for the first time. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes, high cheekbones, olive complexion.
"You have not changed much since that summer I stayed with ya'll. You still jerk your shot to the right. You missed me, but then again you are the now infamous Panther, so you intended to miss." Making a "tsking" sound with his tongue, he shook his head.
"Percy, Percy-" A shot rang out and pain flared in his side, his head connecting with the fireplace as he fell back.
"Don't you ever FUCKING call me that, again. BASTARD!" He was losing his composure. "Nobody calls me that!" He pulled the trigger two more times. One grazed his other side and the other, his biceps. He dragged Ezra back to the chair. Taking a deep breath, he demanded, "Now, tell me how you knew it was me!"
Ezra bit back a yelp of pain when Panther dug his finger into the wound on his biceps. When Panther didn't get any flicker of emotion, he used his other hand to dig into the hole in his side. Ezra hissed at the pain of fire blazing through him, but allowed no other emotion to surface.
Panther continued as if nothing had happened. "I don't remember you as a welsher, cuz."
"I never 'welshed' on anything. I was about to say, when you decided I was in too good of condition for your liking and put a few holes into my person," Ezra said with as much dignity as one could with blood flowing freely out of one's body.
Panther relented and moved back to the fireplace with the gun still pointing at Ezra. "So talk."
"As I was about to say, Percy-" Panther shot at the southerner's calf, barely grazing it.
"As I was saying, your first mistake was predicting my reactions. I am Maude's son. I have not shown emotion since I was a child. I believe it was a few months after staying with your family that I learned never to show anything, ever. Also, the Panther never took anything even remotely like my derringer. He only took possessions of great sentimental meaning." Gritting his teeth together through the pain, he said, "No one ever had the knowledge of what it meant to me. No one but you, that is, could have possibly known that that derringer held any sentimental emotions for me. I never told anyone about the day I got that, but you were with me that day. Only you knew. Explanation enough to satisfy your morbid curiosity?"
"So Auntie Maude taught her little Ezra her game, did she?" he said in a sweetly sickening voice. "Is Auntie Maude disappointed in her little boy? Huh, Ezra? Is she? Knowing you let these so-called friends close to you. She is, isn't she?"
Ezra winced at the word "friends."
"What else would my mother be?" Ezra already knew how Maude felt, so the attempt to get a rise out of him was wasted. "How about you enlightening me on who would benefit from my contracted demise?" Ezra asked trying to coax a confession out him.
"Carson Maggiono, Jr. doesn't just want you dead; he wants you destroyed. Which worked like clockwork. The Team left you defenseless, but I'm surprised Tanner left you. Maybe after I'm through with you, I'll pay your so-called friends a visit."
The assassin had been slowly walking towards the agent as he was talking. "Maybe I'll have me some fun with that sexy longhair of yours, show him what a real man is li-" Not seeing the injured con man as a threat, he was caught off guard as the agent barreled into him.
Ezra didn't think; he only reacted to someone threatening to harm Vin. He put his full weight behind the tackle, but due to blood loss and his already weakened condition, all he managed to accomplish was knocking them to the floor and knocking the breath out of them both. Panther recovered first, rolling the enraged, but weak man under him, casually resting his forearm across Ezra's throat. With each word he increased the pressure to his cousin's throat. "As I was saying, I'm going to show Tanner what a real man is like before I kill him. Unless of course, he likes it, then I may keep him around for a while." His grin was malicious in its innuendo.
Ezra was losing consciousness fast. He had failed by not being able to get the assassin to confess everything. He gave into the darkness.
EIGHT
It had taken the Team longer to get back to the compound than they had expected. They had just entered the cave entrance to the tunnel when they heard the first shot closely followed by another. Vin, with his heart in his throat, took off. Not caring about secrecy, he switched on his light, as did the others.Chris grabbed Vin by the arm, swinging him around to face him. "Think, cowboy. We have to stick to the plan, at least until we get in there and get a handle on the situation." He could feel the barely contained rage coursing through the muscles under his hand. At Vin's nod of understanding, he turned to the others. "Josiah, take Vin's place." Josiah nodded and followed the others as they went to take their positions.
"Now, just a min-"
"No, Vin. You stay with me." With that, Larabee turned his back going to the door that led to the library, effectively putting a stop to any further discussion. Slipping through the door, Chris and Vin crab crawled to the end of the bookcase. Slowly rising to look through the shelving, Chris checked all positions. Everyone was in place.
The scene being played out in front of them froze their blood. Panther was digging his fingers into the freshly bleeding wounds on their southern friend. He didn't have to look at Vin's face to know it held a murderous rage, much like his own. He put his hand on the tracker to keep him from rushing into a dangerous, unpredictable situation that could get someone killed.
Vin's emotions were waging a war. Logical emotion, his mind, demanded he stay and assess the situation, then defuse it. Illogical emotion, his heart, demanded he go in and kill the threat to his Mate, now! Logic won out, for the moment, but the Panther had sealed his fate. Simple. To the point. End of Panther. End of story. The man was going to die. Painfully, very painfully. He watched, listening, but the third shot was his undoing. Chris was physically holding Vin back, but barely. He whispered frantically into the struggling man's ear, trying to calm him. Vin stopped struggling and nodded. He was in control, for now. The men listened as Ezra and the assassin talked, knowing that JD's equipment was recording everything.
They all heard the threats Panther was making against Vin and had been surprised when the injured man threw himself into the assassin's midsection, crashing both of them onto the floor. They watched as Ezra wrestled for control and lost. Chris, not watching Vin, couldn't stop the angry sharpshooter even if he had wanted to, which he didn't, but followed instead to make sure he didn't kill him.
Vin's blood boiled over as he heard the Panther's plans for him, but froze when he saw Ezra react to the threat to him. It warmed his heart to see Ezra wanting to protect him and sent a shiver of excitement through him, also. Then dread took hold as he watched.
After this, he and Ezra were going to have to have a talk about him putting himself in even greater danger just to protect him. It wasn't going to happen anymore if he had his way.
Vin's whole demeanor changed as he watched Ezra losing the battle. His protective instinct went into a primal state, sending him across the room in a flying tackle, pulling the assassin off the unconscious southerner. The air was knocked out of Panther's lungs again as he landed hard under the furious tracker.
He found himself at the mercy of the snarling, enraged man that was choking him. The look in the Texan's eyes froze his blood but not his instinct to survive. He punched Vin's head, right in the temple, but the ex-bounty hunter was too far into his rage and adrenaline for it to even faze him. Vin was sitting on the assassin's already bruised midsection, squeezing his knees together tighter till he could feel the ribs give, just as he could feel his windpipe give, yielding to the pressure that was cutting off the life giving air to the struggling assassin. His smile was menacing, and the Panther knew he had just met the Grim Reaper in the flesh.
Chris and Buck were trying to get Vin off the assassin. Nathan and Josiah were taking care of Ezra. JD couldn't decide if he wanted to help Vin kill the Panther or help the others get the Texan off him. JD sighed and knelt down next to Vin, putting his hand on the angry man's arm.
"He ain't worth it, Vin. Ez needs you right now. C'mon, let him go. Ezra needs you here, not in prison for killing this worthless bastard. You hear me, Vin? He's not worth it!" JD held his breath as he waited for Vin to make his decision.
Vin's fingers tightened, then he let go and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I hear ya, JD." He got off the Panther, watching him struggling for air, taking some pleasure in that. He went over to Ezra and knelt down beside him, holding the unconscious gambler's hand. "Nathan?"
Nathan looked at the distraught man. "He's fine. The only places are in the arm and the calf. Grazes. He hit his head. Have to wait till he wakes up to see if he has a concussion."
Seeing the doubtful look, Nathan held up a bag that was covered in red blood. "Seems Buck and JD's horror flick weekend paid off. Corn syrup and red food coloring. I knew he was paying attention." All three men burst out laughing, remembering Ezra's distaste in the movie choices that weekend.
Nathan went over to see about the assassin; even though he'd rather just leave him there to die, he couldn't. "Josiah, go git the backboard out of the chopper, please. We need to get him to the hospital right now."
No one argued; they just followed Nathan's orders. In ten minutes, they were loaded and taking off in the chopper. JD, Buck and Vin were going to stay a few days until Ezra was fit to travel, or rather Vin thought he was fit to travel. Chris thought it would be a good idea for Vin and JD to be as far away from the assassin as possible. Until the interrogations, that is, then he would simply tell Panther he could talk or he'd leave him alone with them. Very simple choice, to his way of thinking anyway. No way in hell would he want to be at the mercy of those two. A very simple choice.
+ + + + + + +
Vin sat in the chair watching the man he loved sleep. They had put Ezra back into his room after the others had left and his wounds had been bandaged. He had enjoyed giving his southerner a sponge bath to get all the syrup off of him. Just the memory of running the wet cloth over the hard, muscular chest, down the flat defined stomach….
He stopped his runaway thoughts as he was squirmed in his chair to accommodate his ever-hardening cock. Vin changed the direction of his thoughts to be on the safe side. Chuckling to himself, Vin couldn't believe that his love had actually paid attention to the some of the horror flicks that JD had insisted on. Where else would he have gotten the idea for corn syrup and food coloring for blood? Thank God he had worn his vest or else that would have been his blood.
"And what, pray tell, do you find so humorous?" Ezra rasped out, putting his hand to his neck to feel for the damage to his aching throat.
Sitting down next to him, Vin stopped the hand from investigating any further. "Uh uh. Don't mess with it. It's going to be sore for a few days, so no unnecessary talkin'. Got it?"
"Yes… no-"
Vin put his finger on the lush lips, cutting the whispered voice off. "Didn't I jist tell ya, you couldn't talk?" He let the exasperation show in his voice and the humor in his eyes.
"No talkin' means no talkin'. Now, to answer your question, the fake blood. I was jist thinkin' that you'll be catching hell from Buck and JD, even Nathan for a long time. Not interested in horror flicks, huh?"
At Ezra's groan, Vin couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. It felt too good. The danger had passed and Ezra loved him. Life was good and about to get better. He could no longer hold back his passion for this man. He had almost lost him, and his soul was demanding a deeper connection to the owner of its other half to make them complete.
The tracker leaned down taking his lover's mouth in a hard, demanding kiss. Ezra opened his mouth to the insistent and demanding tongue. He moaned as he gave himself over to the sensations his tracker was causing in him. Ezra's moan turned into a growl when he felt Vin's hands travel down his chest, stopping at the hardening nipples, tweaking and teasing them till they were red and tender.
Sliding his hands down the taut muscles of his con man's flat stomach, feeling the ripples and spasms his touch was causing, Vin pulled back dragging in a ragged breath and resting his forehead against a breathless Ezra.
"Ezra, I want you. I want to feel you. Be inside you. But only if you feel that you are ready."
Ezra threaded his fingers through Vin's long hair. Pulling Vin's mouth to his, he stopped a hair's breadth from the luscious lips and whispered seductively, "Then by all means, Mr. Tanner, take me. I'm all yours."
How could Vin resist that invitation? He had no intentions of doing so as he took the mouth that was offered up to him.
Ezra was completely naked from the bath Vin had given him, and he felt that his lover was overdressed for the occasion. Undoing the buttons on Vin's shirt, he slipped his hands inside, moaning at the feel of his lover's warm skin. Ezra wrapped his arms around his Texan, drawing him closer. A growl was heard deep in his tracker's chest as Ezra's hand moved to the top button of his jeans. Ezra had Vin free and was holding his hard, hot, unyielding manhood in his hands within seconds. Vin threw back his head, growling at the feel of Ezra's talented fingers rippling up and down his hard shaft. Ezra couldn't take his eyes off the beautifully tanned god that was gracefully arching his back trying to push himself further into the pleasure that his hand was causing. Vin's muscles were taut with tension and begging for release. How was Ezra to refuse such an eloquent request? He just didn't have it in him to do so. Ezra did the only thing he could; he took the beautiful straining cock deep into his mouth.
Vin almost lost all control when he felt himself engulfed in the flaming heat of his heart's desire. He tried holding his emotions in check, not wanting it to be over quickly, but gave into the exquisite feel of his lover's mouth and touch.
Ezra built and stoked the fire that was Vin, until he came. He drank down all of Vin's essence, loving the flavor that was uniquely Vin. He held Vin to him. "You are beautiful, my lover. I loved seeing your face as you came. Vin, you are truly a gift from God, and I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone."
With tears in his eyes, Vin captured his southerner's lips in a soft, soulful kiss tasting himself as he deepened the kiss. Ezra moaned as the soft kiss turned aggressive, and Vin took possession of his mouth and his body. Vin's callused hands were ecstasy against his ultra-sensitive skin. He gasped as Vin slowly nipped and sucked his already tender nipples. Ezra threaded his fingers through Vin's long sienna locks as his Texan took his achingly hard, steel rod into the intense heat of his mouth.
Vin was thrilled that his lover was so vocal. He found the moans and growls extremely sexy. Vin took him all, massaging the silky shaft with his throat muscles till he felt Ezra coming and chanting his name as he sucked and milked the softening cock dry, not leaving a single drop untasted. Then he kissed his way up the smaller man's compact body stopping at the sweet mouth as he settled on his side next to Ezra.
Resting his head in his hand, he gently brushed the chestnut curls off his gambler's forehead. "You're my Soul, my Spirit, Ezra. You're the very air I breathe. I could not go on without you, nor would I want to. I need you in my life, in my heart, in my soul." Looking at Ezra with a roguish grin, Vin said, before stealing a kiss, "And in my bed."
Ezra didn't even try to hold the laughter back at Vin's playfulness, saying in a still hoarse voice, "Mr. Tanner, I do believe I love you."
"Ez, Love, can't ya call me Vin?" Vin gave his lover an imploring and pained look.
"For you, love, I'll make an exception." He held a slight smile on his face but could do nothing about keeping the mischievous glint out of his eye.
Vin's eyes narrowed at his southerner. "Oh really? An exception, huh?" Vin's hand snaked out and started to tickle his gambler into surrendering.
"Okayokayokay… Okayokay... I… gi- I give." Ezra had never had to be the one to surrender but with Vin that didn't matter in the least. In fact, he liked it a lot.
Laughing, Ezra said, "I give, Vin. You win. At least this time." Pouting, he added, "I am at an unfair advantage, Vin. I'm injured." Looking at the pouting lips, Vin couldn't help but lean over and nibble at the bottom lip, both moaning as the teasing kiss deepened.
A knock on the door broke them apart. "What do ya want?" Vin groaned out.
Buck yelled through the door, "Sorry to bother you lovebirds, but Chris just called. He needs us back on the double. I'll explain after we load the boat."
Vin looked at Ezra. Seeing a guilty frown, he asked softly, "What's wrong, Ez?"
Ezra felt horrible. "I didn't even inquire as to how the others were. I... we.... Aw hell!"
Vin couldn't help the feeling of relief that swept over him. Putting a comforting hand on his distressed lover's face, he said, "Ez, ya had something else on yer mind at the time, and I would've told ya if someone had been hurt. Okay?"
Ezra nodded but still felt bad for not asking about the others.
"C'mon let's get going." Vin gave Ezra a last, fierce kiss before they got up to get dressed.
NINE
Buck and JD had the boat loaded by the time the two lovers had come downstairs. Both agents were relieved to see their southern brother up and moving. They had heard the laughing upstairs but had decided that the two needed time alone. Seeing him up and moving was a big improvement over the last two weeks."Hey Ez, good to see ya, and you're welcome." JD grinned. He had ammo for future blackmail, and he wasn't afraid to use it.
Ezra raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "And what are you referring to that I should be thanking you for, Mr. Dunn?"
Buck came up beside him and put his arm over Ezra's shoulder. "Why, for saving your life, of course. Iff'n it hadn't been for those horror movies we showed that weekend, you wouldn't have had that idea for the fake blood. So we saved your life."
Vin tried to contain his laughter but lost the battle when he saw Ezra's smug grin. His con man was about to pull a con.
"Of course, the fact that I spent a year undercover in a Hollywood F/X make-up studio would have no bearing on this at all," was the cocky southerner's reply. Of course, this was a con. No way in hell would he do something like that. That stuff was too messy for his liking, but that wasn't something they needed to know.
Buck snorted, "Ezra Standish, there is no way on God's green earth you would ever work at a place like that. 'Member ya don't like to get your hands dirty."
Ezra gave them a brilliant smile. It felt too good to know that he was and always would be part of this very special family. Another first for him, stopping the con. "All right, I do owe you a debt for those horrible movies I sat through. I did get the idea from them."
Buck crowed knowing what Ezra had just done. JD laughed a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Great, Ez. The next time it's a Scream marathon."
Ezra threw his hands up in surrender. "I think I'll pass."
Vin came up behind his lover and put his arms around his waist. Resting his chin on Ezra's shoulder next to his ear, he said, "C'mon Ez, it's a great date movie and having all three together, that's a major snuggle session."
Ezra couldn't believe what he was hearing. It almost sounded like Vin was begging, and what was this about a date movie? Maybe he wasn't as well as he thought he was. To cover for the confusion he was feeling, he redirected their attention, "Gentlemen, why are the others not here? Why is our presence being requested back on the mainland?"
Vin sighed and tightened his hold on Ezra. "They had to take the Panther to the hospital, and Chris thought it would be safer for the assassin if JD and I were someplace else."
"And why would our esteemed leader think that?" Ezra was not sure he really wanted to know the answer.
JD sighed heavily. "Because, damn it, he almost killed you, and I would love to tear his heart out for what he has done to our family." His voice got steadily louder as he continued, "And I owe him for Dustin."
Ezra pulled out of Vin's embrace to stand in front of JD. He put his hands on his shoulders. "JD, look at me." The soulful amber eyes were full of hatred and fire. "Panther will pay. I promise. But he brought us closer. He gave me the knowledge of what a real family is. The trust, safety, love, and the total acceptance of a family. Son, for that I would not trade this horrid experience for anything in this world." He pulled JD into a hug. "He gave me all my brothers and Vin. For that gift, he has my forgiveness. For what he has done to your friend and to others, he will pay." Ezra pulled back to look into his youngest brother's eyes. He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears. "You, my brother, are worth everything we went through, as are the others."
Hand still around JD's shoulder, he turned to the other two men. "Now, one of you gentlemen care to tell me what injuries the assassin acquired to need emergency care?"
Buck smiled at the southerner. "Well hell, Ez, he only had his ribs broken and his windpipe crushed to where he'll never talk again," Vin discreetly coughed into his hand, hoping to shut up the gregarious cowboy. No such luck. "Yep, ol' Vin here went Old Testament on his ass, with moves he must have learned in the Rangers. Never seen nothin' like that before."
"Ezra, I stood there and watched him shoot you, and when you tackled 'im and he was chokin' you…." Ezra moved to Vin, resting his hand on the stubbled cheek as Vin continued, "I couldn't stop myself. I wanted him dead so bad. He would be too iff'n it hadn't been for JD."
Vin pulled Ezra into a tight embrace, just needing the contact, not being able to get the picture of the assassin shooting and then choking his Spirit Mate out of his head.
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Not letting Ezra out of his protective embrace, he asked, "Buck, why does Chris want us back? Somethin' happen?"
"Well, it seems that Panther was the one that called, pretendin' to be a warden, telling us that Maggiono had been released early. When the Judge called to get more information, he found out that Maggiono hadn't been released, but his parole hearing is tomorrow. Chris said that we had to get you there, Ezra, in time for the hearing, so you can testify against his release again. That's one of the reasons he wanted you dead so badly."
Grabbing the bag that Ezra had dropped, Buck made his way down to the docks. Ezra and Vin sat on the backbench as JD cast them off then settled down in the co-captain's chair with he and Buck arguing about which one should be driving.
Vin smiled down at his lover's upturned face soaking up the sun. He leaned down capturing the sun-kissed lips in a lazy, sensual kiss. He broke the kiss, looking into the deep emerald pools and whispered, "I love you."
"And I, you." was Ezra's breathless reply.
+ + + + + + +
Two men and two women sat at a long conference table that faced two smaller tables. At one table, sat D. A. Colt Chandler going through a file, hoping that Agent Standish made it soon.
"Mrs. Chandler, could we please get on with this?" the parole board chairperson asked.
The petite woman in a gray pinstripe suit stood up, hopefully keeping the irritation out of her Texas accent. "Madam Chairperson, if we could only hold out a little longer, I'm sure that Agent Standish will be here soon."
"We have already delayed for an hour; the man is not going to show." Maggiono's attorney stood up. He had better things to do than waste his time here. "My client has been in prison for over fifteen years. He has been a model prisoner. He started several educational workshops. He will make a valuable member of society."
"We should take this at face value? What about the many attempts he has made to kill Agent Standish?" Colt had a bad feeling as she saw the smug grin on Maggiono's face grow. Colt knew something had to have delayed Standish; he had never missed a hearing, deep cover or not. He always made it. Her thoughts were interrupted as a guard brought in a message for her. Colt let a smug smile of her own cross her face as she read the note, but no one was the wiser as the burgundy mass of her curls blocked their view.
Putting her game face on, she said, "Madam Chairperson, if we are to believe that Mr. Maggiono has indeed reformed, I would like to hear from him on what it is he would do if he ever got out."
The Chairwoman nodded her consent. "That is an excellent suggestion. Mr. Maggiono, would you please tell us, in your own words, what it is you feel you can contribute to the outside?"
Carson Maggiono, Jr. stood at 6' 4", his hulking form, solid muscle. He had brown hair that was streaked with silver, having aged faster in the hard prison environment. But it was his steel gray eyes that held your attention. They were full of hatred and disdain for the people in this room. He had Standish killed, maybe he should add these people to that list, especially that bitch D. A. She had made his life just as miserable as Standish had.
Smiling at the members of the board, he said, "Thank you for giving me a chance to speak on my behalf." He did remember some of what his father had taught him at least. "On the outside, I would like to start a center for runaways and-"
Maggiono started at a Southern drawl. "How noble. Would that be so you can train your own assassins?"
Maggiono had not heard anyone enter the room and was surprised to see six men surrounding Standish. A very alive and healthy Standish.
Ezra strolled up to where Colt was standing and addressed the Board, "Please forgive my tardiness. I was delayed due to someone trying to assassinate me." Surprised gasps came from everyone but Maggiono and the six men that stood protectively around the agent and D. A.
Ezra moved within a foot of Maggiono, flanked by Vin and Chris. "It would seem that you are still an incompetent Neanderthal, Jr., and I'm still here to keep my promise to The Sr."
Maggiono lunged for Ezra as he turned his back on the secured prisoner, but that's what Ezra had anticipated. Allowing himself to be turned back around, he threw an uppercut to the surprised man's jaw, sending him into the prison guards' waiting arms.
Straightening his tie and jacket, he flashed a smile at the astonished men's and women's faces. Well, except for Vin and Colt. They had not been surprised at all. Vin knew Ezra could take care of himself.
"Damn, Standish. It feel as good as we thought?" Colt's low whistle and envious grin told everyone that she was serious. She gave Ezra a hug and kiss on the cheek. After introductions were made, she said, "Now, what say we take this celebration someplace else, gentlemen?"
Buck offered his arm to Colt. "That would be a pleasure, my dear, and you can tell us some stories about ol' Ez here that we don't know about."
Colt winked at Ezra as she took Buck's arm. "Has he ever told you about the first time we met?"
Everyone laughed at Ezra's dramatic groan. "She is going to be the ruination of me. I just know it."
Vin put his arm over his shoulder and, following the others out of the room, whispered huskily, "I'll protect ya, lover."
Ezra's blush spoke for him.
+ + + + + + +
Vin had snuck out of the office while Ezra had been in conference with Chris, Colt and the Judge. He wanted to get his surprise set up before his lover got home. He had candles lit all around the bedroom, along with red roses. White satin sheets. Rose petals leading from the front door into the bathroom. He had just finished putting the finishing touches on everything when he heard the front door open. Vin slipped into the shadows not wanting to miss the look on his lover's face.
Ezra followed the petals into his room, stopping at the door. He was so surprised at the trouble his tracker went to for him. This would be their first night alone. No interruptions. He could see that Vin had wanted to make this a special night for them. His smile was blinding with its brilliance. He felt Vin's presence behind him. His eyes slid shut of their own violation as Vin divested him of his clothes. Ezra moaned as he felt Vin slowly kissing and nipping at his ear before whispering, "Come with me, but keep yer eyes closed."
Ezra's answer was cut off as his Texan lightly traced his lower lip with his tongue, retreating when it came into contact with Ezra's. Taking his lover's hand, Vin led him to the bathroom. He tested the water before he helped Ezra into the warm bath. His southerner's sigh of pleasure earned him a sensual kiss.
Vin was enjoying Ezra's obvious pleasure with his seduction. "Keep your eyes closed, Ez. I'll tell ya when to open them."
The husky Texas drawl sent shivers of anticipation down his spine. "Why don't you join me, lover?"
"I don't think so, Ez. Jist sit back and enjoy it. Let your other senses take over for you." As he said this, he trailed his fingers lightly down the relaxed man's torso. He picked up a washcloth and, dipping it in the water scented with sandalwood, ran it over every inch of his gambler's body.
"Okay, Ez, stand up." Ezra did so quietly holding Vin's hand as he got out of the bath. He stood still moaning as Vin dried him off. His skin was energized, his cock aching and sensitive from the bath, and the atmosphere electrically charged.
Vin, kneeling down in front of his gambler's weeping cock, slowly blew on it. He grinned at the sharp intake of breath and the low moan of pleasure as his tongue flicked at the rich, savory pearl drops. Touching Ezra with only his tongue, he swirled the tip, then taking just the tip into his mouth, he lightly sucked on it. Vin knew his lover was getting close and needed relief. He engulfed the hard, straining cock deep in his throat, just as his gambler came. Swallowing every last drop, he then rose up gracefully in front of Ezra, taking and plundering the mouth of his very satisfied lover.
Vin gazed down lovingly at the upturned face with its eyes still closed. He whispered seductively, "Open your eyes for me."
Ezra looked into the intense, sparkling sapphire liquid pools of his lover and drowned in the passion he saw burning in them. Taking Vin's hand and leading him to the bed, emerald gaze never leaving sapphire, he gently pushed his tracker down on the white satin sheets. A shiver of excitement shot through him, seeing the contrast of the tanned nude body of his lover against the shimmering white satin sheets. Ezra kissed the instep of his Texan's foot and slowly worked his way up to the back his knee. He repeated his actions on the other leg, but didn't stop at the knee. Vin growled when Ezra completely ignored his weeping hard-on, slowly moving up his body. Vin arched his back into the sensation when he felt the slick tongue dip into his navel.
Ezra moved up to Vin's ear, his whispering southern drawl causing his lover to moan and shiver. "Tell me, Vin. Tell me what you want."
Vin growled, "You."
Then he attacked his con man's mouth, ravaging it as his hand reached for the lubricant he had laid out earlier. He then trailed his fingers lightly down the hard, silky rod, accepting his gambler's wanton invitation as he spread his legs for the slick and questing fingers. Vin slowly prepared his lover, taking immense pleasure in the moans his southerner was making.
Ezra pulled his knees to his chest, letting Vin know he wanted to see his face as they made love. Emerald fire connected with indigo fire as the Texan slowly entered his southern mate.
Vin took his time, leisurely building the pleasure until he could no longer hold his own passion back. He wrapped his fingers around his gambler's hard-as-steel cock and, at the same time, found the hard little nub of his prostate, stroking both simultaneously. Ezra gave into the sensations and howled Vin's name as he came all over his tracker's hand and chest. Vin lost his control when he felt Ezra's muscles clench around him. He yelled Ezra's name coming deep inside his lover's body.
Ezra held his lover close to him as he regained his breath. Cuddling him to his side, he said, "I love you, Vin, more than life itself. You filled the empty void that served as my heart. You made me believe in something I never dreamed I could have - love and family. For that, you'll always have my love, my faith, and my belief in us and our family. I'll never doubt you again."
Vin had watched the sincere and honest emotion that showed clearly on his lover's face knowing Ezra would never hide his emotions from him again. He kissed Ezra lightly. His voice rough with love and emotion, he said, "Your trust, faith, love and honesty are all I've ever wanted." With that, the two lovers feel asleep in each other's arms knowing they were safe and, most importantly, where destiny wanted them. Together.
fini
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