Chapter Fourteen
NASH
Candy and the guys let us into an FBI safehouse in Ventura late that afternoon, leaving us after telling us to stay safe and limit our time outdoors.
The house was hidden behind a private gate and located on a bluff, built on caissons driven deep into the bedrock to keep it safe from Southern California’s frequent earthquakes.
It had remarkable west facing views from the master bedroom balcony of the single-story structure.
We’d arrived just as the sun was sinking on the horizon, casting long, golden glimmers along the cresting waves of the ocean far below.
We’d driven straight to the house after leaving the West Hollywood Collective’s cluster of shops and restaurants.
Assured by the captain that even though SAC Bradley had nothing good to say about the situation, he’d acquiesced in the end, agreeing that having Joshua join his family in WITSEC probably wasn’t a good idea.
Joshua was clearly a target, and it was obvious that Gomez’ sicarios were intent on getting to him at all costs.
Mickey and Rex showed up an hour after our arrival with a cat carrier holding a very unhappy Marvin, loudly wailing the song of his people from behind closed bars.
Rex looked distressed as he rolled up his sleeve, showing a line of scratches on his forearm.
“Fuckin’ cat,” he grumbled, setting down the bag of food and a fresh litterbox as Joshua ran to the carrier to free my favorite feline.
The second the door was open, Marvin dashed off into the bowels of the house to find a place to hide from the evil humans who’d kidnapped him.
“I’m really sorry, buddy,” I said, looking down at Rex’s arm.
“It’s fine. I just do better with dogs.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Mickey said with a grin. “You have that three-legged dog, right, Texas?”
“She has two legs,” Rex corrected.
Joshua looked up from the litter he’d been pouring into the clean tray. “You have a two-legged dog? How does she walk?”
Rex smirked. “On two feet.”
Mickey cracked up laughing as he smacked Rex on the back. He glanced at Joshua, and I smiled, knowing what was coming. “Rex’s dog has two front paws and sits his ass in a harness with wheels.”
I watched Joshua’s jaw drop open as he straightened from his task. “What?”
“It’s a wheelchair,” Rex explained. “They make ‘em for dogs with arthritis and such things.”
“It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” I said. “Show Joshua a picture.”
Rex smiled, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet.
He flipped it open and held it out for Joshua to see.
I walked over to look down at the fluffy, white poodle in her harness.
She stood proudly, smiling up at the camera, tongue lolling, wearing a pink tutu, glossy butterfly wings, and a tiara with pink bows.
Her front toenails glittered with sparkly, pink nail polish.
“Oh, my God! I love her!” Joshua cried, looking up at me with a wide grin. He smiled at me for a few seconds before turning to Rex. “What’s her name?”
“Lola.” The big Texan grinned with pride. “Lost her legs after a car ran over her, but she’s healthy now.”
“You’re kidding?”
Rex took the wallet back and looked down at the picture, smiling at it.
“Some bastard hit her and left her for dead on the side of the road. I found her on a rescue site and entered a lottery to be allowed to adopt her after the vet was forced to amputate her back legs and fix her up. They got more than a hundred applications, and I was the lucky one.”
“You’re just a big softie,” Mickey said as Rex tucked the wallet away.
“I’m an animal lover…simple as that.”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful,” Joshua said. “But who watches her while you’re away at work? It can’t be easy for her to get around on her own.”
“Most times, she’s fine on her own. Got me hardwood floors which makes it easy for her to crawl to her food and water bowls, and I have a nice yard with a special doggy door set low to the ground when she needs to go outside.
She wears a protective wrap around her waist so she don’t get all scratched up, but because she’s female, there ain’t a problem keepin’ clean when she urinates.
I take her out in the mornin’ and when I get home, I let her out again to do her other business.
Most of the time, she’s as clean as a whistle when I get home, though. She’s a good girl, my Lola.” He smiled.
“I think it’s awesome,” Joshua said, patting my friend’s thick bicep.
“Well, we’d better get going,” Mickey said, slapping Rex on the back. “Come on, animal lover.”
“Thanks for getting Marvin and bringing our stuff over,” I said, eyeing the two duffels they’d dropped on the floor in the house’s entryway.
I really hoped they’d packed up the right clothes after I gave them specific instructions on where to find everything.
If both of those duffels were packed with nothing but my underwear and Joshua’s jockstraps, I was going to have words with my brothers.
“No problem,” Mickey said, giving me a guy clench.
He held out a hand to shake Joshua’s. I honestly wasn’t surprised when he simply threw himself into my best friend’s arms. I was learning just how touchy-feely Joshua was with people but chalked it up to how warm he seemed to be with everyone.
After he also hugged Rex, my two friends left.
Since I’d already decided he should have the master, I threw his bag into the larger of the two bedrooms after I locked up. I went into the kitchen to see what the fridge was stocked with. Even though it hadn’t been long since we’d eaten, a light salad sounded good.
I straightened after pulling out lettuce and other fixings and was surprised to find Joshua had walked right up into my personal space, crowding me back against the kitchen counter. He looked up at me, fluttering long lashes as I held the vegetables between us.
“Put those down.”
“Why?” I asked, knowing it was a stupid question.
“Because I want you to, Nash.”
I dropped my gaze to his lush lips but did as he asked, twisting to set them on the counter behind me before pivoting back to him.
“Better.” His mouth turned up at the corners as he slid his arms around my waist, forcing me to do the same as I slipped my hands around his slender body.
The impulse to lift his shirt and slide my hands up and over the naked skin of his back was almost overwhelming.
His body felt warm against me, and to my chagrin, I felt myself growing hard beneath the sweats I still wore.
I could already tell it was going to be a problem if he kept doing things like this and inwardly cursed myself for harboring feelings for a man I barely knew.
I never had feelings for guys outside of the bedroom but somehow, this man had gotten under my skin so fast, he had my head spinning.
When sadness suddenly clouded his pretty eyes, I frowned, holding him close as I looked down at him. “What is it?”
“This isn’t going to go away, is it?” he asked. “The situation isn’t going to get any better…is it, Nash?”
I sighed, staring into his eyes. “This shit is like a war, Joshua…easy to get into, and hard to get out of.” His lip quivered as tears brightened his eyes.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry.
Things are going to get better…I promise.
You just have to have faith. We’re safe here and I promise I’ll keep you safe, guard your life with my own if that’s what it takes. ”
He searched my eyes a few seconds longer before dropping his gaze to my lips.
“But will you also guard my heart, Nash?” He lifted soulful eyes to meet mine.
I slid my hand around the back of his head, curling fingers into his blond hair and tightening my grip on his body with the other as I drew him even closer. “I can’t make that kind of promise, sweetheart.”
He nodded, looking as though he’d made some kind of decision. I held my breath.
“Then for now, Nash…I’ll settle for this.” He lifted his face and pressed soft lips to mine.
I groaned, knowing that I was going to regret throwing all caution to the wind as I ducked my head and kissed him anyway.
Joshua’s body melted against mine as he opened his lips to deepen the kiss.
My heart began to race as I let him, kissing him slowly…
thoroughly, savoring the sweetness of his tongue as fire filled my veins.
I dropped both hands to his ass, pulling him hard against me.
I needed him to know what he was doing to me in case I’d misinterpreted him somehow.
His response was a low groan that felt more like a purr.
I slowly thrust against him, letting him know exactly where this was going to end and the moment I sensed his submission, I leaned forward and picked him up.
His legs wound around me as he pulled his mouth away with a gasp.
“Nash…you—”
I cut off whatever he was going to say, stopping his words with my mouth as I strode out of the kitchen and down the short hallway to his bedroom.
The weight of his body was of no consequence as I kissed him all the way into the room, bearing him down to the bed.
He unwrapped his legs, breaking our kiss for only a moment as he scooted back.
I followed him down, pinning both his hands over his head as I stretched out over him.
His eyes glittered in the low light coming from the bedside table lamp.
“There’s no going back if we start this, Joshua…no going back,” I whispered against his swollen lips. Shadows danced over his features as he nodded.
“I know.”
I leaned down and kissed him again, rocking into him as I pressed him deeper into the fresh bedding.
He lifted his sweet ass off the bed, pushing against my groin as he answered in kind, rubbing the hard ridge of his cock against mine.
His mouth grew more insistent, sucking on my tongue, and letting out soft mewling noises as my tongue tangled with his.