“What’s this?” he asked.
“Two CIA operatives didn’t happen to be riding by,” God said. “I sent a 911 message to them after Meridian gave me this phone.”
“You did.” Ruxs stared in surprise at the phone. “You can reach them?”
“I guess they wanted me to be able to,” God answered.
“Damn,” Ruxs muttered.
“That kid, Evan Martin, from the drive by—the case that we all poured our souls into and investigated for weeks, even after homicide took it over—that was Ex’s little brother,” God said.
Day added, “Free researched it. The military said he died right out of boot camp, but he didn’t. He was recruited into the Ravens program.”
God took the phone back. “Now we have friends in high places.”
“On the other side of the world,” Ruxs rumbled.
God flipped open the phone and turned it to face him as Ruxs quickly read the message.
Found your dirty cop in the precinct that leaked the safe house address.
Officer Ramon Vasquez
Let us know if you need us.
We’re only a drone strike away.
“That son of a bitch, Vasquez,” Ruxs gritted.
“So, there’s your insurance.” Day grinned.
“Can I count on my enforcers to help me get this dirty bastard once and for all or are you gonna let him get away with almost getting all of us killed, including another kid,” God said sharply.
Ruxs was still glaring at the screen. It was fucking Vasquez crawling out of his hole, again. He’d fucked with them for the last time. Ruxs glanced up when he heard light taps on the door, just before Green poked his head inside.
“I just wanted to come check on you guys.” He came all the way in and Ruxs began to feel even worse when he got a good look at his boyfriend.
Green’s eyes had dark circles under them. He appeared as though he’d lost a few pounds and his skin wasn’t as smooth and tan as it usually was. Ever since Green had left their bed, Ruxs hadn’t been able to sleep much either. He saw his partner peek around him to see if their badges were still on the table, and the slow, hesitant smile he gave Ruxs eased a small fraction of the anxiety swirling in his stomach. He glanced down when Green held out a bottle of Gatorade for him and a couple of protein bars.
“You haven’t come down for anything to drink in a while, so...” Green murmured, “There’s a ton of food. I wasn’t sure if you wanted a plate or not. I can fix you one if you do.” Green hurried to leave but Ruxs gripped him by his wrist.
“Wait,” he whispered.
God and Day slipped out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Ruxs pulled Green until he was standing against him. He ran his sore hands along the sides of his lover’s cheeks, then down to his throat. “Forgive me,” he said gravely, his throat parched and aching.
Green leaned into him, his voice sounding pained. “Why’d you shut me out?”
“I couldn’t deal,” Ruxs breathed.
“I’m still here with you, babe. Don’t treat me like I didn’t survive,” Green said.
Ruxs groaned at the deep ache in the center of his heart and wondered how long it would be there. He hugged Green so hard that he heard a few joints pop in his spine.
“I’m okay. We’re gonna be okay,” Green urged, gripping the back of his neck.
“I need to get some help, Chris,” Ruxs confessed. “Can... can you be patient?”
“Of course.” Green kissed his mouth tenderly.
“I need you to stay inside for a little while longer, okay.” Ruxs squeezed his eyes closed, hating to ask his partner to do something so cowardly, but he was hoping Green would understand. “Please. But, I promise I’ll try harder.”
Green nodded. “I’ll do whatever you need. Just talk to me.”
Ruxs accepted Green’s touches, missing him so much after only a few weeks. His breathing picked up even more as he squeezed the taut muscles along his boyfriend’s back. “I need you, Chris.”
“Anything,” Green stressed, curling into him and reaching for the hem of his nylon shorts.
Ruxs walked them backwards until Green’s back hit the door. The temperature in the room went from seventy to a hundred in seconds. Green moaned when Ruxs bit down on his shoulder, “Don’t you ever cut yourself off from me again.”
“Don’t give me a reason,” Green gasped as Ruxs yanked the back of his jeans down over his round ass.
His lover hurried, turned and widened his stance, putting both hands against the door as if he were under arrest, making Ruxs’s cock pulse eagerly with anticipation.
“You gotta be quick we have company,” Green gritted out when Ruxs rubbed his length against his tight hole.
“I want you in our bed,” Ruxs groaned. “I’ve missed you.”
Green leaned his head back against Ruxs’s shoulder while he reached around and stroked his hard dick. “It’s four o’clock and we have a house full of people. We can’t go to bed now.”