Lounging back in his chair, JD nearly fell all the way over when Buck walked by and grabbed it. He flailed around, grabbing the other man’s arms and glared up at him. “Buck! Knock it off!”
Buck made to drop the chair altogether and JD
squawked, holding tighter. Laughing, Buck set him upright and said, “You can’t
expect me not to take advantage of that, JD! You were practically darin’ me to do something!”
There were agreeing chuckles all around the table
and JD scowled at all of his friends, which only served to make them laugh
harder. Buck’s hands lingered on his shoulders, massaging them, but JD was in
no mood to be mollified. He pulled free and got to his feet, saying, “I’m going
to bed. Night, all.”
There was a general chorus of ‘good night’ from the
group and JD walked to the saloon exit, feeling Buck right behind him. He
ignored the bigger man completely until he was yanked into a side alley and had
no choice but to notice him, pressed up against the wall as he was. Keeping an
angry look was hard, but he managed it as he demanded, “You done makin’ fun of me for tonight?”
Buck sighed and apologized, “Don’t be mad, okay? I
wasn’t meanin’ anything by it.”
“Still made me look a fool
in front of everyone!” JD exclaimed. “I mean, maybe you don’t even think about it, but I’m
still trying to earn my way, here, Buck! You makin’
me look like a ten year old ain’t helping!”
“Aw c’mon, JD, it ain’t like that! Everyone knows you’re good to have in a fight,” Buck murmured against his ear.
Damn it’s hard
to concentrate when he does that, JD thought, his posture softening despite himself.
Shaking it off, he forced himself to continue, “Don’t matter! It’s what…oh…uh,
Buck, um…”
The gentle teeth on his throat were really
distracting and then Buck slid his tongue up to that spot just behind his ear
and sucked there a bit, which stopped him talking altogether. Shivering, JD
wrapped his arms around Buck’s waist and pulled him in closer, turning his head
to give Buck more room to work.
“My room,” Buck whispered hot in his ear.
Shuddering, JD just nodded, feeling bereft when Buck
pulled away and tugged him back towards the street. They bumped into Mrs.
Wilson, there, almost literally, and JD frantically hoped that he wasn’t too
mussed from Buck pawing him in the alley.
Buck’s recovery was a lot faster than his as he
greeted, “Mrs. Wilson! What on earth are you doing out this time of night?”
“Oh, Buck, JD, you about gave me a fright!” she
exclaimed, hand to her throat. A smile surfaced on the young woman’s face and
she replied, “I just had to get something to Mrs. Travis and completely forgot.
She was working late, thankfully, so I was able to turn it in.”
“Why, you wouldn’t be lookin’
to advertise for another husband now, would you?” Buck flirted.
JD snorted and got his foot stepped on for his
opinion of that.
But Mrs. Wilson laughed softly and answered, “No,
Buck, but I’ll be sure and keep you in mind if that happens.”
“You do that, ma’am. In the meantime, can I escort
you home?” Buck offered.
She took his arm and smiled at JD. “He’s such a
gentleman.”
“Oh, Buck’s a real…”
“I’ll see you later, JD,” Buck interrupted quickly.
JD tipped his hat to Mrs. Wilson as the two of them
walked off, then sighed. He knew that it’d be at least another half-hour before
Buck was done showing Mrs. Wilson home to her irritating husband. JD still
wasn’t sure what had set them off on the wrong foot, but Mr. Wilson just rubbed
him the wrong way. So he stayed clear of the storekeeper and his wife, even
though there was nothing wrong with the missus.
Sighing again, JD turned and went towards the hotel where they kept their rooms. A smile finally quirked his lips as he thought about waiting for Buck, naked and ready. It would shock the hell out of the other man.
* * * *
Even though all Buck had wanted to do was get back
to JD, he’d forced himself to be extra polite and friendly to Mrs. Wilson on
the walk to her store. They’d passed Mrs. Potter on the way and a couple of
other folks, which would actually be a good thing. He’d been spending so much
time with JD that he could almost hear the tongues wagging. Not that the girls
would ever tell on them. No, their sleeping arrangements would never leave the
top floor of the hotel, but it didn’t take much to start a rumor.
So even though it about killed him, knowing that JD
was waiting, he made sure to take his time. The hell of it was, that it was a
grave he’d dug himself with his tomcat ways. If he’d been like Chris or Vin, no one would think twice about him ignoring a woman out
alone after dark. Well, not ignore, really, but keeping watch from a distance
and only long enough to be sure she was safely on her way.
He was hurrying back to the hotel a lot faster than
he’d walked away from it, knowing that JD might’ve gotten in a pique, as he was
sometimes liable to do, after being teased like that. If Buck was able to
soothe whatever unintentional hurt he’d done the boy right away, there was no
trouble. But if it was left to fester, it turned into something big and he
wound up sleeping alone.
Now that he’d had JD in his bed for a regular spell,
he was real reluctant to give him up.
So when he opened the door to his room, it was with
some surprise that he found JD sound asleep and naked as a jay bird on his bed.
It was a sight for sore eyes and filled his heart with more than simple lust.
He’d been careful to let JD know this wasn’t something like a real commitment.
The boy was still young, after all, and had his whole life ahead of him. It
wasn’t likely that he’d stick around forever and Buck didn’t want him feeling trapped.
He made sure the door was locked before pulling off
his clothes and tossing them aside to crawl into bed beside JD. The young man
mumbled in his sleep and curled up around him, burrowing close. Running his
fingers through the longish-dark hair, Buck mentally poked fun at himself for
being so content just holding the boy.
Don’t get used
to it, a
mean voice whispered inside. Nothing
lasts.
Maybe not, but
it ain’t going to stop me from having this while I can, he snarled back.
JD squirmed against him, waking up enough to murmur,
“Buck?”
“Who else?” Buck teased, kissing him
the rest of the way awake.
Sighing deeply when the kiss ended, JD grinned at
him and said, “Took you long enough.”
Buck nuzzled JD’s cheek, answering, “If this is what
I get every time I’m late, I’m never going to be on time again!”
“You ain’t now,” JD pointed out, nipping at his
shoulder.
With a chuckle, Buck amended, “Well, maybe not
always.”
JD snorted.
Rolling on top, Buck stared down into JD’s eyes,
enjoying the flare of arousal that flashed in response. “Got something to say,
little man?”
A grin spread over JD’s face and he answered,
“Maybe. Why? You gonna make me tell?”
“Oh, I could.”
“No you couldn’t.”
“Yeah I could!”
“Could not!”
“Could so!”
Buck seized JD’s mouth in a hard, driving kiss,
stealing further protest, along with any extra air the younger man might’ve
had. He planted himself firmly on his lover’s body, pinning him in place and
rocking back and forth on him. JD moaned into the kiss, shuddering and wrapping
his arms right around Buck’s neck, as if afraid he was going to stop.
No chance of
that, Buck
thought vaguely.
Breaking off the kiss, his eyes lingered on JD’s dazed expression for a long moment before gently turning him over. JD moved willingly, legs spreading wantonly as his head dropped into the pillow with a muffled noise.
Grinning, Buck asked, “What?”
JD lifted his head and said querulously, “Hurry up and fuck me, damnit! I been waiting on this for four days!”
“Well, since you put it that way,” Buck teased, knowing how much it embarrassed JD to talk about sex at all, let alone ask for it.
JD groaned and buried his face again, the blush spreading down his neck to his shoulders in a delightful way that always thrilled Buck. He licked around the edges of red then continued down the spine to land in the middle of JD’s ass. Pulling the cheeks apart, he spent several minutes devouring the musky center, loving how JD shuddered under him, pushing back for more.
It didn’t take long to ready him, their encounters over the last few months accustoming JD to being taken. After slicking himself up and putting his cock at his lover’s hole, Buck pushed in slowly. He moaned at the clinging flesh around his shaft, eager to just force his way in, but keeping himself back. They’d not touched on rougher sex yet, and the end of a long day that had tired them both out, wasn’t the time to start.
JD pushed back to meet him, getting on his knees with a groan of pleasure. “C’mon, Buck, c’mon, take me, please, take me now!”
Though his thrusts started slow and easy, they didn’t stay that way; never did. JD was just too hot and tight around him to not try and get as much as he could. He wouldn’t last, knew he couldn’t, and reached under to bring JD off with him. JD’s cock was hard and leaking in his hand, and his lover gasped and jerked at the first stroke, telling him just how close to the edge JD was.
He shifted inside the willing body and hit that sweet spot inside that practically sent JD into convulsions. It set him off and JD barely managed to stifle his shout of release into the pillow, body clenching around Buck’s cock. Stifling himself with JD’s shoulder, Buck humped into the pliant flesh and came, spilling copiously in his lover.
They fell to the side, Buck still buried within JD, panting and gasping for air. Wrapping his arms around the smaller man, Buck nuzzled the back of his sweaty throat and breathed, “Love you.”
He froze in place the same time as JD, the moment the words registered through his sex-addled brain.
* * * *
JD swallowed hard at the barely heard words, not sure if it was just said because Buck felt real good, or if the other man had meant them. With the other man still buried so good and tight inside him, it was hard for JD to even think, let alone decipher the truth of the words. Feeling Buck’s hand start to pull back, JD grabbed it, keeping it around his waist. “Don’t, don’t, Buck. Um, I can pretend I never heard that. You don’t have to, to mean it or nothin,’ I promise.”
There was a long pause before Buck asked softly, “Did you want me to?”
“Ah hell, Buck, you know I do,” JD admitted at last. “Or you should, if you don’t. Loved you since you took that blade for me from that crazy colonel. Maybe not love like this back then, but it was still love. And now…”
Buck prompted, “Now?”
“Now it’d be like, like my heart was torn from me if I couldn’t be with you,” JD answered softly.
Instead of being flung away, as he’d half expected, Buck just sighed deep and held him tighter. After kissing his shoulder and throat a few times, Buck whispered, “Me, too, partner.”
Relief swept through JD and he gave a shaky chuckle. “Good. Means we feel the same.”
Buck nodded against his shoulder and said, “Get some sleep, little man, you got an early day tomorrow.”
Getting up so early after such a late night was never fun, but JD had the feeling that he’d be up early on his own anyhow, even if he didn’t have to spell Vin at the jail. It wasn’t often a body found out they were loved so much, after all.
* * * *
Buck woke to wet suction around his cock and moaned, instinctively thrusting deeper into it. Waking the rest of the way, he looked down to find JD enthusiastically going at it, like he always did. The sight and feel of his lover just taking him all the way down his throat, over and over, sizzled through Buck and he came fast. Morning encounters never lasted long, especially when JD woke him up with them. Buck just woke up too relaxed, no control at all. He was pretty sure that’s what JD liked so much about doing it to him.
Grinning evilly to himself, Buck closed his eyes again and murmured, “Mmm…Chris…”
JD stopped cleaning him up with his tongue and exclaimed, “What the hell!?”
Pushing up on his elbows, Buck teased, “Gotcha!”
“That wasn’t funny.”
Hearing a real hurt to JD’s voice, Buck turned serious and tugged his stiff and reluctant lover into his arms with, “I’m sorry, JD, I was just kiddin.’ Honest. Chris and I ain’t done nothin’ together since before him and Sarah.”
“So, you and Chris did mess around?” JD asked curiously, seemingly willing to get over the unintentional insult.
Buck shrugged and answered, “Didn’t do much. Just to relieve the tension when there weren’t any women around.”
Frowning, JD prompted, “But that was a long time ago, right?”
“Sure was,” Buck assured him. Nuzzling at JD’s throat, he continued, “I got me a much better lookin’ and sweeter lover than anyone could ever want. Casey don’t know what she’s missing.”
JD flushed, but looked a lot happier at the pronouncement and kissed him quickly, almost shyly. “I ain’t all that much, Buck. And now I’m runnin’ late. Gotta spell Vin so he can get some sleep. You coming?”
Tightening his arms around JD to keep him where he was, Buck took a proper kiss, delving into his lover’s mouth with lazy possession. He tasted himself there and made JD moan by seeking out the leftover seed. His hand slipped down to the hard shaft and stroked it, firm and strong and slow, just like JD liked. It was amazing how well they fit together, body to body. The smaller man jerked in his arms and JD sealed himself to Buck in his eagerness. It didn’t take long before JD gave a soft, gasping cry and came, spilling over them both.
JD panted, laying limp in Buck’s arms as he came down from orgasm to finally say, “Love that. You’re so good to me, Buck.”
“Only what you deserve, JD,” Buck answered honestly, kissing the damn temple. “It’s only want you deserve.”
Sighing happily, JD reluctantly peeled himself from Buck’s arms to clean himself off and get dressed. Stomping into his boots, he repeated, “You coming?”
Stretching out back in the bed, Buck grinned and asked, “Does it look like I’m coming?”
JD snorted and joked, “You just did.”
Laughing a bit, Buck said complacently, “True enough, but no. I’m going to sleep ‘til I wake up. Sun’s not even up yet.”
“Gettin’ old, Buck,” JD teased, strapping on his gun belt.
Buck made a rude gesture at him and pulled the blankets back up. “Enjoy guard duty.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Grinning as he watched JD leave, Buck made a silent promise to stop teasing so much. The younger man just didn’t have the same thick skin like the rest of them did. He honestly didn’t even know when he was being kidded, sometimes.
With a yawn, Buck flipped over and resettled himself on the bed, missing the warm body that was usually in it with him. He pulled JD’s pillow in close and rested his head on it to go back to sleep.
* * * *
A pounding on the door woke Buck to sunlight streaming down on his face. Grabbing his gun, which hung in the holster over the bedpost, he shouted, “Who is it!?”
“It’s me!”
Surprised at Vin’s loud and surly reply, Buck holstered the gun and grabbed his pants, yanking them on to pad barefoot to the door. Opening it, he asked, “What?”
“Where the hell is JD?” Vin demanded, peering beyond him into the room.
Frowning, Buck answered, “He ain’t here. You tellin’ me he didn’t show up to relieve you?”
“No,” Vin said, starting to frown. “Chris only just came over to find me about five minutes ago. I figured JD had overslept, that you’d kept him up late.”
Buck shook his head, his stomach tightening in worry. Turning away, he grabbed a shirt and started dressing the rest of the way as he explained, “It was full dark when he left, Vin, he was only a few minutes late and worried about that as it was. He’d’ve hotfooted it over to see you for sure.”
Worried now himself, Vin stated, “I ain’t seen hide nor hair of him since last night.”
Belting on his gun, Buck grabbed his hat and replied tersely, “Let’s start lookin’ for him.”
Vin nodded and stepped aside to let Buck go first, following him downstairs. Outside, he suggested, “Why don’t you get the others in the saloon? I’ll take a look for him on the route to the jail. It’ll go faster if we all look for him.”
Buck hesitated, but nodded. Getting Vin to start looking with those eyes of his was only a good thing, but he wanted to look for himself, maybe be there if Vin found something. Still, he knew that what he tracker had said made good sense, so he jogged across the street to the saloon.
Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra were
all sitting at the same table eating breakfast and at first he couldn’t figure
out why Ezra was there, being that it was only just gone
“JD’s missing,” Buck announced bluntly.
Startled faces looked at him and Josiah asked, “How do you know?”
Buck didn’t even hesitate as he answered, “He never showed up to relieve Vin, but he left my room before dawn.”
They hadn’t known about him and JD, but Buck couldn’t worry about that. He was pretty sure Ezra wouldn’t care about their sleeping arrangements, and Josiah was an understanding sort, it was Nathan that he’d never been sure of. The others were on their feet immediately, which gratified Buck, but the troubled look on Nathan’s face told him that there would be words about the situation later.
Everyone accompanied him towards Vin, who was half-in and half-out of one of the alleys on the way from the hotel to the jail.
“He got taken, all right,” Vin told them grimly. Pointing at the ground, he continued, “Big ole struggle just there. I can make out three sets of prints, so it took two of them to get him.”
Buck kept a firm grip on his fury, knowing that he had to be clear-headed to help find JD. “Which way?”
Vin motioned west and said, “Tracks lead out the back to a set of horses. Three animals, so JD must’ve been tied up or unconscious over one of them.”
The fury grew, as did the
worry. Who had taken JD and why? What were they doing to him? Then he wondered,
Is he even still alive?
That last thought just about took the strength from Buck’s knees and he stayed upright by sheer force of will. Keeping his wits was the best way to get JD back. That and keeping his gun ready to kill whoever had taken his lover in the first place.
“I’ll get Chris and keep an eye on the miscreants in the jailhouse so he can go with you,” Ezra said quietly, before striding away.
Nathan offered, “I’ll get the horses.”
“I’ll go with him,” Josiah added, the two of them striding away.
Which left Buck with nothing to actually do with himself except wait; something he’d never been real good at.
“We’ll get him back,” Vin promised.
Buck looked at him helpless, unable to say anything for fear of how weak his voice would come out. JD was the best part of him, what would he do if something bad happened to the younger man?
Coming real close, Vin gripped his shoulder and repeated viciously, “We’ll get him back and kill those motherless bastards who took him in the first place, if they hurt him.”
Something that Buck would normally be behind a hundred percent, except all he could think about was the first part: getting JD back.
Chris arrived just then, took one look at them and moved to surround Buck from the other side. Even though he was bigger than both men, Buck didn’t feel all that capable right then and was glad for their support, wordless as Chris’ was. Vin tugged him out to the street and Chris kept right behind him as they strode towards the livery.
He’d never been more grateful to have friends than right then and there.
By the time they arrived, the horses were ready and being led towards the door. Buck swung up in the saddle, trying not to see the set, disturbed cast to Nathan’s face as he did and not really succeeding. Just before they got started, Mary shouted for him. Looking her way, Buck saw her waving something in the air and growled in frustration. He wanted to be gone, searching for JD as of an hour ago, not further delayed.
“I’m so glad I caught you!” she exclaimed, stopping beside him and holding up an envelope. “This was on the newspaper door when I got there just a few minutes ago.”
Taking it, Buck saw his name on the front, along with...Urgent...printed right below. Ripping it open, he started reading and felt ice gripped his heart at the words inside.
Nice to see you again,
I know you’re wondering
who this is, so let me give you a hint...Gabriella Fredrickson.
Buck crumbled the paper in his hand, the internal conflict solidifying into a cold, hard rage.
“Buck?” Chris questioned, soft.
Meeting Chris’ eyes, Buck answered, “It’s Fredrickson. I have to go alone, or he’ll kill JD.”
Chris’ jaw set into hard lines, but he nodded. “You gonna kill him this time?”
Grim, Buck answered, “Or die trying.”
Chris held out his hand and ordered, “Kill him this time.”
A mocking smile surfaced as Buck took his oldest friend’s hand, then rapped off a sharp salute. “Yes, Sir.”
He looked around the familiar faces that had become as dear to him as Chris and said, “You can’t come. Chris’ll explain.”
Without another word, Buck
kicked his horse into action with a shout of rage and headed west to
* * * *
JD woke to the worst headache he’d ever known. His head throbbed, his stomach was nauseas, and his vision was blurred. He was on rocky ground and couldn’t move his arms or legs, which meant he was trussed up but good. Vaguely remembering being jumped by a couple of men, JD forced his eyes opened further, ignoring the stab of pain in his head as sunlight poured in.
Glancing about, he discovered
that he was lying at the top of
“Well, lookit that. The boy’s awake.”
JD blinked up into the sunlight as someone stood over him. What he could see was a tall, thin man with a scar across the forehead, right at the scalp. “What do you want? Why’d you kidnap me? Who are you?”
A foot rested on his chest as
the man answered, “Don’t matter, boy. Once I kill
JD’s heart went cold at that and he exclaimed, “Don’t you even think about hurting Buck!”
“Another innocent corrupted
by
“What in hell are you talkin’ about!?” JD demanded.
Removing his foot to crouch down beside JD, the man explained, “Buck Wilmington is the devil himself in human form. I’ve seen it happen twice before, and you make three. I’m going to save you from him, boy, and one day you’ll thank me.”
Seeing the crazy light in the pale eyes staring back at him, JD thought that maybe Vin’s lesson on playing possum would be a good idea. He’d always told JD that when the odds were too much and full-on, the best thing to do was try for surprise. Vin had also said that JD’s size was to his advantage, that people wouldn’t think he was a threat until it was too late. Reining back the anger, JD replied, “Do you, do you think that you could loosen the ropes a little maybe? They’re hurtin’ pretty bad.”
The man considered him for a long moment and JD kept his eyes as wide and innocent as possible, putting Ezra’s lessons into practice as well. Finally, the man reached over and loosened the ropes around JD’s wrists just a fraction. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Standing, his captor
announced, “Only a half-hour ‘til
I’ll be patient once your liver’s been cooked, JD thought
murderously, careful to keep his face down so his thoughts didn’t show. And if you hurt Buck, you’re gonna find out what pain’s really like, so help me God!
“Rider approachin’ from the east,” a different voice stated.
When the crazy man walked away to join his friend and stare into the east through a spyglass, JD started squirming. He ignored his throbbing head, his upset stomach, and the burn and pain from the ropes as he twisted his wrists ruthlessly, hoping that the blood would slick things up enough to slip free. JD didn’t really care who this bastard was, but he sure wasn’t going to let Buck get killed because JD was being held captive.
No chance in Hell.
* * * *
Staring into the glass of whiskey, Chris tried to find the right words to explain what was going on to the four men waiting expectantly. Finally he just said bluntly, “Gary Fredrickson. Crazy walkin’ on two legs. Raped his sister and killed her, claiming that God told him she was evil and had to be cleansed. She and Buck were engaged to be married before the war.”
There was a collective hiss of anger around the table, but no one interrupted.
“Buck had a short stint as Sheriff right then. I didn’t know him at the time, but he was the law in that town where Fredrickson did his sister in. Buck got him almost all the way to the noose when the war hit, along with the Confederate army. The town was in chaos and Frederickson slipped away,” Chris continued, taking a moment to down the liquor and pour himself another.
“I met up with Buck in the war, both of us behind lines, like you know, but what neither of us told you was that Buck was really searching for Fredrickson. That’s how he got on the wrong side in the first place. When the war was over, he disappeared for a while, getting a lead on Fredrickson, but it was too late before he got there.
“A young boy was murdered this time. Little kid no more than eleven that Buck had known. The mother was a whore that Buck had been friends with. The boy was gutted, just like Fredrickson’s sister, right in public. No one saw a God damned thing. Nothing. Frederickson disappeared again, vanished into thin air and Buck came looking for me to lick his wounds in peace and quiet.”
For a few minutes, no one said a word. Then Vin spoke up, “All this time that Buck thought he was huntin’ Fredrickson, the bastard was huntin’ him?”
Chris shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe just blind luck that he spotted Buck now.”
“And you’re just going to let him ride up there alone when someone insane is waiting to kill him?” Nathan demanded angrily. “We should be there, backin’ him up!”
Downing the whiskey, Chris shook his head and answered, “Fredrickson’s crazy, but he ain’t stupid. And he was a major in the army, so he knows tactics. He picked a place that no one can sneak up on him for sure. If he sees anyone except Buck, JD’s dead.”
“How do you know he won’t just shoot Buck from a distance and then kill JD anyhow?” Josiah questioned softly.
Feeling the burning liquid hit his stomach in a very unpleasant way, Chris answered harshly, “I don’t. But it’s the only fuckin’ chance that JD has. The only one. If I thought there was any way that we could get this bastard without risking either of them...”
Vin’s hand descended on his shoulder, but Chris was too caught up in the very real possibility of losing one of his best friends to appreciate the comfort being offered.
* * * *
It felt like there was a gun trained on him the entire ride up the Pass. Buck saw the two figures on the top of the pass and the glint of sunlight off metal or glass. Rifle or spyglass, there was no way to tell from that distance. He was fairly sure that Fredrickson wouldn’t kill him from a distance. That bastard would want this to be up close and personal, not to mention as bloody and painful as possible. Knife to the gut was usually how he did it, the twisted son of a bitch.
It took some doing to ride straight up the side of the pass. There wasn’t really a good path to take, so he had to go slow and careful, negotiating over the sliding shale and soft dirt as best he could. By the time he got to the top, he was sweating with the effort to keep from moving so his horse wouldn’t have extra to balance.
Glancing around the tableau, he found Fredrickson and a stranger with their guns on him. The unfamiliar man was slight and small, only a little taller than JD, with sandy hair and dark eyes. His eyes found JD on the ground behind them, bound and gagged with a bloody temple, but essentially unhurt. Dark eyes pleaded with him to get away, but there was no way he was leaving without his lover. Relief coursed through him that JD was still alive, but he shoved it aside. He couldn’t deal with anything but the murdering nutcase in front of him.
“So you’ve got me here. What now?” Buck questioned, leaning back casually in the saddle. “Can’t be that you came all this way just to see my pretty face.”
Fredrickson snarled wordlessly and the other man ordered, “Take the guns out real slow and toss them aside.”
“That don’t hardly seem sportin,’” Buck observed, even as he obeyed.
The stranger smirked. “Don’t
rightly care. I got someone who’s gonna pay big money
for you,
Fredrickson turned an outraged look on his erstwhile partner and exclaimed, “What are you talking about!? He’s mine! You said...”
A gunshot between the eyes cut off whatever the rest of Fredrickson’s protest might have been. Buck jerked in surprise at the cold violence, but put his hands in the air when the gun swung his way again. “Easy now, I’m not doing anything here.”
“Get off the horse.”
Keeping his movements slow, Buck did as ordered and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Call me Bill.”
“Okay Bill,” Buck replied, facing the man. “What say you tell me what’s really going on here?”
Dark eyes emotionless, Bill tossed a set of manacles at Buck and commanded, “Put them on.”
Buck hesitated, still trying to get a measure of the man in front of him. When the gun turned on JD, even though Bill’s eyes didn’t leave his, he exclaimed, “Okay! Don’t do anything rash, I’m putting them on.”
The only reaction the man gave was a grimace of distaste, as if Buck’s very feelings were disgusting to him.
Which they probably are, Buck thought, locking the iron cuffs around his wrists. It was awkward, but he managed it, then caught another set.
“On the ankles.”
Shit, he thought. I’ll never
get free if I can’t use my legs!
But there was no choice because that gun was still aimed at JD and Bill showed no sign that killing the younger man would be a problem for him. Yanking off his boots, Buck attached the manacles around his feet and straightened back up. He wouldn’t be able to get the boots back on and sure as hell wouldn’t be able to ride, so this trip was going to take place walking.
Keeping his distance from Buck, and leaving his gun on JD, Bill gathered his horse and mounted up. “Start walkin’ north.”
“Can’t I at least say goodbye?” Buck demanded.
Bill’s lips quirked without humor and he replied, “Say it, but do it from where you are.”
Buck looked over at JD and found him shaking his head and making a ruckus behind his gag. “JD, quiet down, now. Chris and the others will find you later today or tomorrow, so just stay quiet and save your strength. It’s going to be okay.”
The desperation in JD’s dark eyes astounded Buck. He wanted nothing more than to go to JD and pull him close for a kiss, but didn’t dare move in his lover’s direction even an inch. Not with that all too-steady gun still aimed at JD.
“That’s a good point,” Bill said, meeting Buck’s startled gaze.
Buck had a second to realize what was going to happen before it did, but not near enough time to prevent it. The gun went off and blood blossomed on JD’s shirt, the other man instantly going limp. Screaming in rage, Buck ran to JD and put his hands on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. He tore his shirt off, and packed the wound as best he could, pressing down on it.
There was a sound behind him and then a sharp pain in his head and the world went black.
* * * *
Pain was something JD was starting to get used to, but he wasn’t all that sure that was a good thing. He played possum for sure when the man named Bill clocked Buck over the head. It wasn’t difficult since even breathing was an effort.
“You’re gonna live, so don’t worry. I don’t want no kid’s death on my conscience, not even a funny cowboy like you,” the stranger told him. “Just aiming to slow you and your friends down some. Enough to confuse the trail and trust me, ain’t no one going to be able to find us once I get started.”
JD didn’t waste time as Bill got one of the horses to kneel down so Buck could be loaded on its back. While the man was struggling with Buck’s weight and getting him settled so as not to keep falling off, JD finally managed to get his hands loose. Moaning softly in pain as the movement jostled the wound, JD took a few seconds to breathe deep and work his way through the white flashes in front of his eyes.
When he was nearly okay again, JD waited for his moment, knowing there would only be one. Pushing aside everything...the pain, the hot sun, the weakness losing all that blood brought, the fear that Buck was seriously hurt...like Chris had taught him, JD concentrated only on what had to be done. There was a sick feeling inside that if he lost sight of Buck now, he’d never lay eyes on his lover again.
No chance in Hell, he thought for the second time, keeping his fury
up. It fed him strength, was about the only thing that did, his control over
the pain and darkness from inside fading fast.
His chance came when the man mounted on the horse and rode towards him to get to the proper path, the reins to Buck’s horse in his hands. He wasn’t holding his gun anymore, clearly not viewing JD as a threat. Just a few more seconds and the horse was in range. Gathering his legs under him, he launched himself at the animal, stabbing hard into its soft belly with the knife in his boot. The one Nathan had taught him to always keep hidden.
The horse screamed in pain and reared up, losing its rider. JD was on the man in a second, plunging the knife into the man’s heart at an angle and shoving it sideways to make sure, just like Josiah had told him to do if there was only one chance to do something to save his life, or the lives of others.
Within moments, the eyes were dead and glazed, hopefully staring into the abyss of hell from the other side.
Collapsing on the ground beside the lifeless body, JD panted and crawled over to where Buck had landed haphazardly on the ground when his own horse had reared up and bolted in reaction to the first animal’s injury. Pressing his hand to Buck’s throat, he sagged at finding a strong pulse. Tears escaped now that the danger was past, and JD half-sobbed in relief and pain. Even knowing that he was still bleeding, he just couldn’t find it in himself to do more than curl up around Buck and hold fast, listening to the heart beating steady under his ear.
* * * *
Buck bolted awake with JD’s name on his lips and fear surrounding his very soul.
“He’s okay,” Nathan’s strong voice said softly. “It was close, he lost a lot of blood, but he’s going to be fine.”
Blinking in surprise to find himself in the clinic, Buck looked beside him and found JD sleeping there. He looked a lot better than the time that he’d been shot by Mattie, but that wasn’t saying much. Brushing his fingers over the stubble-covered chin, drinking in the sight, Buck sighed shakily and asked, “How long?”
“You both been out for a couple of days. Truth to tell, I was more worried about you when you didn’t wake up. Head injuries can be funny,” Nathan answered.
Buck nodded absently, still engrossed in making sure that JD was all right for himself by sliding his hand over his lover’s chest. He stopped at JD’s heart and lay back down, pressing close to JD, nuzzling at his throat, not caring if it caused a problem with Nathan. He needed so bad to be close to his lover, to know in his bones that JD was alive and going to stay that way. “What happened? How’d you get us free?”
Nathan snorted. “We didn’t.
When you didn’t come back by three, Chris decided it was time to ride out. We
figured it would be either
Flinching at the news that JD had killed for him, Buck whispered, “He shouldn’t have.”
“Well he did, and there ain’t nothin’ you can do about it now,” Nathan replied philosophically. “Best thing you can do, is be there for him when the nightmares come.”
Buck finally looked over at Nathan and observed, “You seem a mite bit more comfortable with us now, than before.”
That familiar, troubled expression surfaced on Nathan’s dark face as he replied, “Nothing like almost losin’ two people who are like brothers to you, to straighten out what’s important.”
Dredging up a brief smile, Buck said, “Thanks, Nathan.”
“I’m going to tell the others that you woke up, but I’ll keep them at bay ‘til JD’s back with us,” Nathan announced, shifting away from the thanks, as was his custom.
Buck didn’t bother to watch him go, just turned his attention back to the sleeping JD. He’d gone there to save JD from his past, and wound up being saved instead. As Josiah would say, talk about the ironies of life. Injured and bleeding, JD had somehow found the strength to take on a stone cold killer and come out the better.
Sighing again, Buck kissed the bare skin of JD’s shoulder and whispered, “You need to come on back to me now, JD. I gotta see you open them eyes and say something, okay?”
There wasn’t any answer, but Buck hadn’t really expected one. He settled in carefully, putting his arm down low over JD’s stomach so as not to jostle the shoulder wound as he curled up around his lover. Resting his head on JD’s good shoulder, Buck breathed slow and easy, drowsing, but not really sleeping, attuned to the slightest movement his lover might make.
He wasn’t sure how much later it was, but Nathan had come and gone twice, that JD finally stirred. It was full dark out when JD groaned and turned his head, burrowing against Buck’s throat with a pained, “Buck?”
Exhaling sharply, Buck gathered him close, knowing that was what JD needed, despite the pain it might cause his injury. JD held tight to him, shaking, and all Buck could do was whisper soothing words and kiss him gently.
When JD at last got beyond that, he choked out, “I almost lost you. Can’t think of how I’d survive without you, Buck, don’t ever leave me, okay?”
Buck had thought all of that emotion was because of killing someone, but it had been because of him. A little awed at the extent of JD’s love for him, Buck moved back only far enough to take his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. When he pulled away a bit, JD was calmer and managed to smile at him, dark eyes open and loving. Even with the pained lines etched into the younger man’s face, he was the most beautiful sight Buck had seen in a long, long time. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, JD. Go on and get some more sleep. You need to rest up so we can get out of here. I doubt Nathan’d approve of us usin’ this bed for anythin’ more than sleeping.”
JD laughed, then groaned and complained, “Don’t make me laugh, Buck!”
Grinning broadly, Buck kissed him again and resettled them so the pressure was off JD’s wound. It wasn’t long before JD was so much deadweight in his arms, snoring softly, and Buck smiled fit to break his face as he closed his own eyes. There was still trouble out there with his name on it, but with a partner like JD and friends like he had, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it would have been, not knowing these men.