Ex Meridian (Nothing Special 7)

Slade killed the engine and looked back at them, frowning when he saw the mask. “You gonna rob them?”

Neither of them answered Slade’s stupid question. These guys could sell drugs from there to the West Coast and back and they’d never have as much money as him and Meridian. He wanted nothing from these assholes. And he now knew why Meridian had brought him there. Why fuck up his own shit in his little cabin when he could fuck up someone else’s? Someone who didn’t deserve it and who hadn’t earned it.

Ex left his rear door open as Meridian came around the other side of the vehicle to join him. His gaze tracked up and down his partner’s tall frame as he approached him with those two lethal weapons at his sides. What they were about to do was reckless and completely based on revenge. Ex inhaled a sharp breath when Meridian narrowed his eyes at him and raised both weapons and began firing at the windows on the right side of the front of the house... and it only took a second for Ex to aim for the left.

Ex had shot so many weapons he was considered an expert marksman in his field, which wasn’t easy. They’d all made him feel the same when he fired them—nothing. But, the formidable gun Meridian had assembled for this specific reason released an explosion of sensations inside of him like he’d never felt before. He squeezed the trigger and the jolts from the recoil of firing an impressive eight hundred and fifty rounds per minute pulsated through his body as if he was holding a live wire. The brilliant muzzle flashes lit up the darkness better than fireworks on the Fourth. As his rhythm naturally melded into his partner’s, their bullets fell in sync and the ear-splitting bangs pierced the silent chaos churning inside of him.

All went quiet at the same moment as they paused to reload. The acrid scent of burnt gunpowder seeped into his nostrils and the sound of Meridian clicking another full magazine into the receiver continued to stimulate his sensitive nerves. All the good ones that he liked.

Fucking yes. Ex clenched his teeth as he surveyed the damage he’d done so far. It looked like he felt. It was disastrous, and crumbling. There were no windows intact on the first or second floor and the bricks around the arched doorway had sustained considerable damage. The nice heather-gray siding was hanging everywhere, and he and Meridian concentrated on those areas as they let another round go, aiming to really fuck shit up on the inside. Ex wanted there to be nothing salvageable—like his and his brother’s severed relationship.

He wanted to do this all night. But the sound of machine guns in this neighborhood wasn’t common, so they needed to get moving. When he was finished he didn’t go for another gun, instead he stood there gaping at what they’d done. They were the best trained assassins the country had ever made, and they’d reduced themselves to vandalizing private property... for kicks.

“I hope they’re insured,” Meridian deadpanned from close behind him.

Ex huffed, as he once again felt that unfamiliar tug in the corners of his mouth, as if he wanted to smile.

“Let’s go,” Meridian hissed when they heard police sirens in the distance. He gripped him by his bicep and pulled him towards the SUV. Once they were inside the security of the dark truck, and back on the interstate, Ex had an overwhelming sensation to climb onto his partner’s lap... fuck... and thank him. He was strong enough to tamp down that urge, but he needed some form of contact.

Ex slid his hand to the center of the leather cushion between them where Meridian’s hand rested close to his hip. He inched over until their fingertips touched, and just that faint contact sent a spark of electricity to the void in his chest.

“If you see anyone coming, and I mean anyone.” Meridian glared at Slade. “You lay on that horn then you get the hell out of here. Get to the rendezvous point within twenty.”

“I know. I got it.” Slade nodded. “But how would y’all get to the backup point if—”

“That’s not for you to concern yourself with,” Meridian said as he put a few pieces of equipment into the concealed pockets of his suede trench. He had his beanie on, but they’d left off the face masks. They weren’t needed for this part.

Ex and Meridian got out of the SUV around the corner from where Slade had said the Stewart brothers were hiding out with a couple of other not-so-good guys. They had very little intel on this location as far as who or what else could possibly be in there. They were damn near blind, trusting the other to watch his back, should anything transpire. It was so unlike any mission they’d ever been on—they had no detailed mission report, no rules, no instructions. Which meant Ex and Meridian were their own counsel.