Chris hung up the phone and sighed, scrubbing fingers through his hair as he stared into space. JD was going to confront his father that night and come into work the next day, even though it was sure to be an ugly, ugly scene. Chris had dealt with Dunne’s kind before, just as Buck had, and knew that the man was out to control JD. Chris had tried to protest to Buck, but the other man had been adamant that this was what JD wanted, and so this was what would happen.
“That man’s gonna be the death of me,” Chris muttered, knowing all-too-well that tone of voice his friend had used. He’d been hoping to be wrong, knowing that one pairing on the team would be stretching things a lot, but he wasn’t. Buck was in love with JD, even if neither of them knew it yet.
“Everythin’ okay, Cowboy?”
Looking over at Vin standing in the doorway, Chris made a brief face and answered, “I’ve had better days, that’s for damn sure.”
Half-smiling, Vin agreed, “I know what you mean.”
Chris waved him in and asked, “Josiah and Nathan gone home for the night?”
“Not much else for them to do right now,” Vin confirmed. “That Buck on the phone?”
Sighing, Chris nodded. “Yeah. He and JD are going to confront Dunne tonight. On their way there now, actually.”
Vin grimaced, then offered, “You want to grab some grub?”
Chris’ mind flashed to their meal, their first date, the other night and a pleased feeling surfaced; the first all day. Nodding, he powered down his computer and said, “Definitely. I’m about to faint from hunger.”
“Yeah, you look all weak and anemic to me,” Vin teased.
Chuckling, Chris grabbed his coat and said, “Feel it, too. Where to?”
Vin flushed a little and said, “Blue Lounge was nice the other night.”
Really pleased that Vin had liked the place to want to go back, though it probably helped it was a mixed establishment, gay, straight, and bi, Chris nodded. “Blue Lounge it is. Meet you there?”
With a nod, Vin agreed, “Sounds like a plan.”
* * * *
A small, simple restaurant with
good folk and country-rock music, depending on the night of the week, the Blue
Lounge was set on the outskirts of
To his surprise, Jackie the hostess was still the hostess and she had remembered Chris the first night he and Vin had shown up. She’d fussed over him and given them a great table, doing the very same thing this second time they were there.
“So, you and her had a good break up?” Vin asked, a faint grin hovering.
Chris made a face at him and replied, mildly bewildered, “I haven’t seen Jackie since the last time I was here, she was a friend of a friend of Sarah’s. It’s not like we were even close acquaintances.”
Their waitress, a pierced young woman with colorful hair, arrived and set water down in front of them. “You two need some more time?”
“Just a burger, well done, fries, and a domestic,” Chris rattled off.
Vin nodded and echoed, “Sounds good, but make mine a cheeseburger though.”
“Short and sweet, I love guys like you,” she quipped, writing on her pad and snagging their menus before leaving.
Looking at Vin across the booth, Chris wondered if he was doing the right thing, being with the other man. If things went bad, which they could, it might cost Vin’s career. Chris didn’t care about his own, he had the horses and his land free and clear, but Vin didn’t have that luxury.
Vin returned the gaze a long moment, then observed, “Deep thoughts there, Cowboy. Want to share?”
“Just thinking that this might not be such a good idea,” Chris replied honestly. Vin’s face immediately shuttered and he hastened to finish, “I want to, Vin, God do I want to, but if the wrong person takes exception to us, your career would be over in a heartbeat. You’ve already got enemies, thanks to that IAD investigation, and I don’t want to add to your problems.”
Wry, Vin said, “The only way you could add to my problems is by giving me another heart-attack like the one you just did.”
Chris grimaced. “Sorry, partner. Just...”
The waitress arrived with their drinks and some breadsticks. “Here you go, gents. Yell if you need anything.”
Managing a nod, Chris waited until she was out of earshot before continued, “I just don’t want you to get stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“Too late,” Vin said simply, reaching out to take his hand. He twined their fingers together, then brought Chris’ hand up to his lips.
Chris stared at their joined hands, shocked at the gesture. It was the first time that Vin had touched him with intent, outside the context of work or friendship. It was definitely a bold move on the sharpshooter’s part, one that was unmistakable. It put Chris’ fears to rest that perhaps he’d pushed Vin into something he didn’t really want, but wasn’t really opposed to, either. The pale blue eyes staring at him were mesmerizing and Chris shifted his hand to cup Vin’s face, murmuring, “No matter what, you’ll never be alone again, Vin.”
Vin swallowed convulsively and leaned into the caress, whispering, “Neither will you, Chris.”
Seeing their waitress hovering with their food, but not wanting to interrupt an intimate moment, Chris smiled at him and withdrew his hand. “Food’s here.”
“Food’s not what I want right now,” Vin muttered, looking up at him through lowered lashes.
Heat shot through Chris but he managed a pleasant smile for the waitress as she set their plates down. When Vin decided to go for something, he went all out, which didn’t really surprise Chris. Taking a long drink from his beer, Chris set the bottle aside only to find Vin’s eyes glued to his mouth. “Vin, don’t look at me like that.”
A slow grin spread over Vin’s face as he started arranging his food. “Why not? Seems the fastest way to get what I want.”
Chris groaned and forced himself to start fixing his own burger, though food really was the last thing on his mind.
* * * *
Driving back to the ranch, Chris went between blind panic that they were moving too fast and the frantic need to go even faster. Vin drove behind on that Harley of his, the deep rumble not nearly as loud or obnoxious as other bikes. It was a good twenty minutes later that they arrived at his place in the Valley. Thankfully, there was little traffic on the freeway, or it would’ve been closer to forty-five minutes to an hour. Chris parked and hopped out of his SUV as Vin stopped beside the vehicle.
Tugging off the helmet and setting it in front of him, he looked around briefly and grinned at Chris, observing, “Nice spread.”
Chris looked around at the barn, the paddock, and the 1-story house that was so common to the area, and smiled back. “Thanks. Coming in?”
“I sure hope so,” Vin teased.
Where the hell has this man come from, and what has he done with Vin Tanner? Chris wondered, not at all sorry to see some aggression from the other man. No, not aggression, that didn’t really fit. More like...confidence. As if something had happened to make Vin feel like he was the one that Chris wanted for sure. But aside from JD’s problem, nothing unusual had happened, so Chris didn’t know what had suddenly reassured Vin.
Mentally shaking his head, Chris led the way to the house and found himself crowded against the door, Vin pressing up against him from behind. Strong hands roamed his thighs as Vin whispered hot in his ear, “Need some help finding your keys?”
Shuddering in reaction at the feel of Vin’s lean body against his back, Chris managed, “I didn’t, might now, though.”
Vin chuckled and sucked on the side of his throat as one hand slid inside a pocket, moving perilously close to Chris’ hardening dick. Vin bit lightly at an exposed earlobe and murmured, “Mmm. Nothing in this one. Let’s check the other,” before doing just that. This trapped Chris with both of Vin’s arms surrounding him, hands rubbing him through his pockets. “Got ‘em, let’s go inside, Cowboy.”
And how that simple word, ‘cowboy,’ branded him with the heat of his almost-lover’s desire and love, Chris had no idea. He’d never been one for nick-names, always grateful that his parents had chosen something simple for his name. Now, though, he couldn’t wait to hear Vin call him that in heat and need, begging him with that word to take him harder. Vin rubbed against him from behind as if reading his thoughts and Chris moaned, cheek pressed against the cold wooden slat.
Then Vin was gone, hands free and holding the keys, unlocking the door while Chris regained some of his coordination. Once it was open, Chris grabbed Vin by the shirt and hauled him in for a long, deep kiss. Vin groaned into it, mouth opening in need, and they wound up against another wall, this time Vin pushed against it. Shrugging out of his jacket, Chris tugged the leather impediment off Vin and ran his hands over the firm, smooth chest hidden beneath Vin’s perpetual layers.
Chris just couldn’t get enough of the hot, wet mouth under his. Vin gave and took with strength, like always, and just a hint of shyness lingering in the pleasing touch of their tongues together. He barely managed to retain enough of his brain to get the two sets of buttons undone to find the t-shirt, and then the bare flesh ultimately underneath. Tearing his mouth from Vin’s, Chris licked his way south, desperate to taste more of him.
“Chris, shit, Cowboy, that’s good,” Vin gasped when Chris shoved the t-shirt up and his mouth found a nipple, sucking hard.
Moaning his own encouragement when Vin’s hand rubbed Chris’ cock through his pants, he didn’t at first hear the ringing of his cell phone. The irritating noise didn’t stop, though, so Chris pulled away with an impatient growl. He snared his coat, yanking his cell phone out of the inside pocket. Seeing Vin panting and needy against the wall did nothing for his concentration and Chris just barely managed to focus on the caller ID.
“Fuck!” he swore, seeing that it was Mary. Taking a deep breath, knowing that she wouldn’t call at this time of night unless it was an emergency, Chris answered it with, “Mary? What’s wrong?”
Nearly hysterical, she
exclaimed, “Billy’s gone! I just went next door to talk to
“Mary, calm down,” Chris ordered.
There was a ragged, in-drawn breath before Mary whispered, “I can’t lose him too, Chris, please.”
“We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Until we arrive, I want you to calmly look in every hidey-hole that place has, okay? Check the basement, check the crawl spaces, check the garage, look everywhere and when we get there, we’ll search the neighborhood. We’ll find him, Mary, don’t worry,” Chris promised.
“Okay. Okay, you’re right. I’ll do exactly that. I wish Dad wasn’t off at a conference,” Mary sighed, voice still tense.
Remembering that the Director had been heading out that night, Chris assured her, “It’ll be fine. We’re going to find him. See you in a bit.”
Chris hung up and found Vin already buttoning his shirts. Adjusting his semi-hard cock in the confines of his pants with a frustrated grimace, Chris apologized, “I am so sorry, Vin. God knows I want to finish what we started, but...”
“It’s okay,” Vin interrupted, smiling softly. He cupped Chris’ face for a few seconds and said, “She’s an important part of your past, Cowboy, I get that. I’m not worried about it. We got time, isn’t that what you told me before?”
Unable to believe his luck, Chris nodded and confirmed, “The rest of our lives.”
Vin echoed the nod. “Then let’s go find her boy and get back to where we were.”
Grinning wolfishly, Chris agreed, “You better believe it, partner. Now where’d you put my keys?”
* * * *
Vin pulled up behind Chris’ SVU in the driveway of a quiet, suburban neighborhood; the kind that made his teeth itch, because everything looked alike. It actually reminded him of ‘The Poltergeist’ movie, except they were all 1-story homes. Shaking off the weird thought, Vin climbed off the Harley and walked up to where Mary was already talking to Chris.
“…looked
everywhere.
Chris settled a hand on her shoulder and pulled her in close, saying, “We’ll find him, Mary, don’t worry,” for about the fifth time in Vin’s hearing. He was a little surprised not to feel any jealousy at the action, but he didn’t. It all came down to trust, really, and he trusted Chris not to break his heart; well, not by screwing around on him, anyhow.
Buck’s black truck pulled into the driveway next, disgorging JD and Buck, who both strode up the driveway to join them.
Letting go of Mary, Chris introduced, “You already know Buck and Vin, that’s JD. JD, this is Mary Travis, Director Travis’ daughter-in-law. Oh, and there’s Josiah and Nathan.”
Sure enough, Nathan’s staid 4-door sedan was driving up the block and pulling into the driveway to park beside Buck. The two big men got out and walked up to the group where introductions were given once more.
“Buck, JD, I want you two to check out the park, it’s about a half mile west of here. Josiah, Nathan, I want you two to stay here with Mary. Contact us if he shows up. Vin and I’ll go up to the elementary school and check the playground. It’s a little far, a couple of miles, but if he was determined, he’d be able to get there,” Chris ordered.
Vin wasn’t surprised that Chris didn’t mention the real reason that Nathan and Josiah were staying close to the house. If someone had kidnapped the kid, then there would be professionals on hand when they called. Josiah and Nathan might not be negotiators by trade, but they’d both had dealings in those kinds of situations.
When they split up, Vin climbed into Chris’ truck and they waited for Buck to pull out behind them. “How old’s this kid?”
“Nine,” Chris answered. “But he’s stubborn and smart, just like his father. If he wanted to get somewhere that was ten miles away, he’d find a way to do it.”
Grinning a bit, Vin observed, “Sounds like someone else I know.”
Chris made a face as he backed onto the road and headed east. “I’m sure he’s just acting out because of moving again. There’s probably nothing going on at all.”
Hearing the tension in Chris’ voice, Vin agreed, “You’re probably right. No reason for anyone to go after him, really, even if he is Travis’ grandson. Not like Travis is in the line of fire anymore.”
“No, but he does oversee the whole division,” Chris pointed out.
Vin reached over and massaged the tight neck, saying, “He’s fine, Chris, don’t worry.”
They were at the school only a few minutes later, and Chris pulled up into a parking spot by the playground. Getting out of the vehicle, Vin caught the flashlight Chris tossed his way and they headed onto the damp grass. It must’ve sprinkled while they’d been at Chris’ house. Vin bit back a sigh as he remembered what this search had interrupted. Still, there was plenty of time left for them to get back to it.
God, he really, really wanted to get back to it.
“Billy! Billy, it’s Uncle Chris! Come on out, now!” Chris shouted loudly. “Billy!”
They’d reached the long end of the playground by then and faced the beginning of a canyon wall. It was a steep incline covered in trees, but fully scalable for even a novice, more of a steep hill than what people pictured a canyon wall to be. Shining the flashlight into the darkness, Vin asked, “You reckon he went up there?”
“He could’ve.”
“We’d best get to it, then.”
Falling into step again, they started climbing the hill, Chris calling out for Billy the whole time. It was a good twenty minutes and almost a mile later that they were high enough to see into the valley the school occupied.
“Nice area,” Vin commented.
Chris grinned. “If you like suburbia and conformity, sure.”
Vin was about to say something smart-mouthed back when he caught movement and shone his flashlight in that direction. Chris shifted to look and they both saw a small shape running through the dark, just out of reach of the beam.
“Billy! Don’t you move from that spot!” Chris shouted, tone hard.
The boy stopped short and waited for them to get there. Vin could almost feel sorry for the kid, the way Chris was looking just then, except for all the trouble and worry that he’d caused. They arrived a few seconds after Chris’ shout and Vin’s first sight of Billy Travis was big blue eyes and blond hair, just like his mother.
For a moment, Chris just stood there, looking down at Billy, then he sighed and crouched so that he was looking up at him. “Do you know how worried your mom and I have been about you?”
Staring at the ground, Billy nodded silently.
“Look at me, Billy,” Chris ordered softly. When the boy did so, Chris continued, “I have two other federal agents besides myself and Agent Tanner here out looking for you, and two more home with your mom. That’s how worried we were about you. Now, why’d you run away?”
Billy opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He finally just shrugged.
“That’s not an answer.”
But it was all they got from him and, a few minutes later, Chris sighed again and got to his feet. “All right. Since you won’t explain yourself, I’m sure your mother’s going to find an appropriate punishment.”
“Punishment!?” Billy exclaimed.
Looking down at him sternly, Chris prompted, “Unless you have a good reason for her not to?”
Billy glanced away again and shook his head.
“Let’s go then,” Chris ordered, holding out his hand.
Reluctantly taking it, Billy fell into step with Chris as they started walking back down the hillside. Vin took out his cell and called Josiah and Buck to let them know that they’d found the boy and would be back in about twenty minutes.
* * * *
Sitting in the living room of a pleasantly decorated, if rather bland home, Vin kept his hands in his lap with the distinct feeling that he’d break something delicate if he breathed too hard. Billy was being tucked in by Chris and Mary, so it would be a while before they came out, he was sure. They would try and get a better response from the kid, now that he was safe at home. JD and Buck occupied the love seat across the room and were acting awfully weird, even for them. Josiah and Nathan stood by the fireplace, talking quietly as they rebuilt the fire.
Chris came out at last, alone, and apologized, “Sorry for dragging you out, guys.”
There was a chorus of, “Don’t worry about it,” mixed with, “No problem,” and Chris smiled.
“So does this mean we get to sleep in tomorrow, since we were such good Samaritans?” JD asked hopefully, rubbing his eyes.
Josiah informed him, “The point of being a good Samaritan is not to expect a reward.”
“Besides which, you have class and the rest of us have work to do,” Chris said firmly. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
The rest of the group left the house in a mass exodus amidst a crop of good-byes, but Vin only stood and waited for them to leave. When the door closed behind Nathan, he smiled at Chris, who gave him a weary one in return.
“I am sorry about how tonight turned out, Vin,” Chris apologized.
Waving it off, Vin said, “We can try it again tomorrow. If you’re up to two late nights in a row, that is?”
Chris smirked and drifted closer. “I think I could manage it.”
“You sure? You’re gettin’ up there in age, you know,” Vin teased, reaching out and brushing his knuckles over Chris’ stomach.
Hissing in reaction, Chris leaned in and said softly, “All the better to show you things that will leave you unable to even think, let alone move, partner.”
Vin swallowed against a suddenly dry throat, the tables turned as arousal heated through his body.
“He’s all tucked in,” Mary announced, entering the living room.
Chris turned casually and smiled at her, blocking Vin’s somewhat shell-shocked expression from view until he composed himself, and asked, “Any luck?”
“No,” she sighed. “I just don’t know what’s wrong. Ever since we were at the other day, he’s been acting out, not himself.”
“Something happen there?” Vin questioned.
Mary held up helpless hands. “Not that I saw, and he was with me the whole time. I honestly don’t know what to make of it.”
Chris hesitated, then offered, “You want me to stick around?”
“Would you mind? Maybe seeing you here in the morning will be a stabilizing influence,” she sighed.
After giving Chris a brief smile to show that he didn’t mind, Vin said, “I’m going to mosey out now. It was good to see you again, Mrs. Travis.”
She smiled and said, “Please, call me Mary.”
“Ah, yes, ma’am,” Vin agreed. “Chris, I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”
Chris nodded and Vin felt the heavy gaze on his back the whole time as he let himself out.
* * * *
“They all seemed like really good men, Chris,” Mary observed over coffee, a short time later.
Chris half-smiled and answered, “Wouldn’t be on my team if they weren’t.”
Sipping from her cup, Mary said, “True enough.”
There was a brief silence as Chris wondered why the hell he’d agreed to stay when he could have been home, in bed with Vin, doing many, many things, of which sleep played the least part.
Mary interrupted his thoughts by saying softly, “I’m glad you stayed, Chris. It makes me feel better too, not just Billy, with Dad away on business.”
Frowning a bit, not remembering her being that timid, Chris took a closer look at her and replied, “Well, it’s no big thing. I’m glad to help out.”
She shrugged and said, “It’s a big thing to me and I appreciate it. Especially since you have absolutely no reason to ever want to see me again.”
Chris stiffened. “I’d rather not talk about it, Mary.”
“Please, Chris, just hear me out?” Mary pleaded, setting her cup down. When he didn’t protest further, she continued, “When, when I said all those horrible things, I was filled with guilt and grief and anger. I couldn’t believe that Steve was gone and took it all out on you and I never, ever should have done that.”
You’re a lying coward and if you’d been any sort of man you’d have been
with Steve when this happened! You’d have backed him up and he’d still be
alive!
Chris silenced the vicious, remembered words through long practice, but it was more difficult with Mary sitting directly across from him.
“I never told you how sorry I was about Sarah and Adam, too afraid that Steve would see something in how I acted around you, and that was unforgivable. She was my friend and I betrayed her with you and then betrayed our fr-friendship by cutting you down like that and cutting you out of our lives when you needed someone most.”
Don’t you ever come near us again or so help me, I’m going to tell the
world what a faithless, lying bastard you are, Chris Larabee!
Carefully setting the mug on the table, Chris stood and said, “I’m going to make up the couch now. I’ll see you in the morning, Mary.”
But she stood and intercepted him, putting her hands on his chest with a beseeching look as she whispered, “I am so sorry, Chris. Please, please forgive me?”
He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips, offering a sad smile as he replied gently, “It’s forgiven, Mary, honest. Neither of us were ourselves in those days. Just ask Buck what kind of bastard I was after...Anyhow. I’m going to turn in. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night, Mary.”
And thank God the bathroom was only a short distance away so he could close the door between them and collapse on the toilet, shaking as too vivid memories came crashing down.
* * * *
Vin frowned when Chris showed up ten minutes late the next morning, but it wasn’t because the other man was late, that he frowned. It was the dark circles under his eyes and the haggard expression on his face. Whatever had happened at the Travis’ house last night, it sure as hell hadn’t been restful, or peaceful, to Chris’ frame of mind. He was going to follow Chris into his office and find out what had happened, but got a sharp jerk of the head when he started to stand.
The frown increased, but Vin stayed where he was, as ordered. He was glad when Buck showed up a few minutes later and he could say honestly, “Chris is in a mood.” It was tattling, but hell, if it helped Chris, Vin didn’t really care.
Buck looked sharply at the closed office door and muttered, “Cover me, I’m goin’ in.”
Grinning with dark humor, Vin said, “Right behind ya.”
“Uh huh,” Buck agreed, grinning back.
Vin watched without shame as Buck and Chris argued for a good twenty minutes, voices occasionally getting loud, but not loud enough to make out what was being said. Josiah and Nathan showed up halfway through.
“What’s going on?” Nathan asked curiously.
Shrugging, Vin answered, “No idea. Chris showed up pissy and Buck decided to stick his nose in it.”
“That’s a good way to get it cut off,” Josiah observed.
Vin shrewdly didn’t mention that he’d been the one to point Buck’s nose in its current direction.
Ezra showed up just then, took in the fight behind closed doors and asked, “What’d I miss?”
Nathan and Josiah exchanged a look and the black man shrugged. Vin did the same when the ex-preacher looked his way, so Josiah finally said, “JD’s abusive father showed up which sent him into an emotional tailspin, as did Director Travis’ daughter-in-law and grandson, with whom Chris apparently has a past. Last night the boy ran away and we found him and brought him home. Chris spent the night and, wait, Chris did spend the night, right Vin?”
Vin nodded.
“And came in this morning in a mood like a bear with a thorn in his paw,” Josiah finished.
Ezra took the information in stride, merely observing, “I should go away more often, as it makes things so much more interesting when I return.”
Buck exited the office just then and said, “You’re up, Vin.”
“Ah, what?” Vin asked, doing his best not to look like Judas Iscariot. “Me?”
Grinning almost meanly, Buck repeated, “Yep. Chris wants to see you. Now.”
Damn, Vin thought, sighing. He stood and walked over to the office, closing the door and taking up the two feet of space in front of Chris’ desk.
* * * *
Chris could see how nervous Vin was for having set Buck on him and enjoyed letting him squirm a few more moments. He finally let the younger man off the hook with, “Next time, just come in and tell me to get my head out of my ass.”
A relieved smile blossomed on Vin’s face and he answered, “Wasn’t rightly sure how you’d take it, coming from me.”
“I’d take it with a kindness, coming from you,” Chris replied softly. “And I tend to think you’d be a little more delicate than my old pal Bucklin.”
Vin half-shrugged and said, “Might be delicate wasn’t what you needed.”
“Might be that it was,” Chris countered.
There was a brief silence before Vin asked, “You okay, Cowboy?”
Letting loose a shaky breath, Chris answered, “Not really sure, Vin. Last night...staying there brought up a lot of memories, more than I thought it would. You mind if we stay in tonight?”
Clearly surprised that they were getting together at all, given the previous rough night Chris had just experienced, Vin nodded and agreed, “Sure can. I been known to make a pretty mean stew and biscuits that’d go with a cold night.”
“And I’ve got a fireplace,” Chris said, soft.
Their eyes met and Vin gave him a slow, gentle smile as he said, “Don’t rightly think we’ll be needin’ any extra heat, but it’ll sure be pretty on your skin.”
Chris flushed at the hot words, silently damning his pale skin for showing so much. “I think you’d best get back to work before I throw you over my desk, here and now.”
The grin was pure wickedness this time and Vin replied, “But it’d surely be educational for them all. Except maybe Buck.”
“Out, Tanner!” Chris ordered loudly, unable to keep the stupid grin from his face. “Now!”
Smirking, Vin all but sauntered out of the office, leaving the door open and a perfect view of his ass in sight until he turned towards his own desk.
Chris exhaled forcefully and
thought, Damn, but that boy’s gonna kill
me before we even get to bed...but hell if I care.