Chapter 12 Reid
REID
“Are you sure there’s room on that thing for the both of us?” Reid asked, staring down at the motorcycle Niko was trying to get him on. “You do know that I have a man’s ass and not a little twinky ass like your friend.”
“Who? Ace?” Niko asked, running his hand through the little hair that he had on his head, flexing his bicep in the process.
Was the man even aware that he was putting on a gun show? Biceps like those should be illegal on any man. And the dude was in his late thirties. Talk about criminal.
“No, the other one.”
“Lucas?” Niko asked, resting his ass on the seat. “Yeah, that dude’s got a pretty small ass if you ask me. Not sure how he takes all of Caden, but I’m pretty sure the guy isn’t human.”
Reid chuckled.
“Why do you say that?”
“He turned a straight man gay, he used to live in a barn, he survived a fire, and then… let’s just say he has a special relationship with reptiles.”
Okay, that last point was kind of odd.
“Fine,” Reid huffed, placing his hands on Niko’s shoulders as he hoisted himself onto the back of his bike. He felt the bike lower as he plopped his ass onto the seat.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about having a fat ass,” Niko noted, glancing over his shoulder at Reid. “Ow!” Niko gasped, no doubt caught off guard when Reid punched him in his ribs.
“It’s called a beefy butt. It’s what happens when you got muscles and know how to do a squat.”
Now it was Niko’s turn to chuckle. He started his bike and checked his mirrors.
“Still a big ass,” Niko noted. “Hold on tight.”
Reid wrapped his arms around Niko’s muscular frame and wondered how many other women had sat in this very same position. How many others had felt his thick, powerful thighs pressed between their wide-open legs?
The next thing Reid knew, they were backing down the driveway, then flooring it down the road.
Speeding ahead with nothing but the air pressed against his face felt fucking exhilarating and freeing. He finally understood why bikers loved riding the open road.
It was just you and the bike, surging past cars and trucks, not slowing down for anyone or anything. Nothing could stop them.
Reid never felt so alive.
Tightening his arms around Niko’s midsection, the cocky bastard accelerated, causing Reid to jerk back and grab onto Niko even tighter.
Bastard.
It was like Niko was trying to show off and impress him with his wild lifestyle and love of danger.
Reid had to admit, this supermacho biker look had his dick incredibly hard.
Weaving in and out of traffic, Niko maneuvered the bike with precision and ease, expertly missing every vehicle like they were nothing more than specks of dust to be avoided.
Did every ride feel this… amazing?
Turning off the main road, Niko headed toward a large compound-like facility.
“We’re here,” Niko said, pulling into a spot and killing the engine.
Reid read the large sign written in black and red paint:
Unkle John’s Axe Throw’n Spot
“Should I be concerned that the owners can’t spell?” Reid asked, throwing his leg over the bike and shaking off the motor ass currently zinging his butt.
“You don’t need to spell to buy an axe and throw it,” Niko answered, giving him a wink as he got off his bike.
“No, I guess not. But you do need to spell to set up safety and warning signs like ‘Watch out for flying axe!’ or ‘Look both ways before walking anywhere!’ Those kinds of signs just seem kind of important.”
Judging by the soft chuckle, Niko didn’t seem to be concerned.
“Come on, city boy. I’ll make sure you don’t lose a finger.”
“A finger? I’m a little more concerned about catching a flying axe to the head!”
“You Americans, always so paranoid,” Niko said in a thick Russian accent. The man liked to turn on his accent whenever it suited him or the situation.
Taking a deep breath, he followed the bulky biker into Unkle John’s compound of death.
“Welcome to Unkle John’s Axe Throw’n Spot. My name is Earl, and I’m the owner of this here fa-cil-ity.” His words were slow and drawn out, giving Reid another moment of worry.
“Umm, what happened to Uncle John?” Reid asked, cautiously looking around in case there were more Earls just waiting in the wings.
“Oh, I’m Unkle John,” the man responded, tipping his brown, brimmed hat at him.
“What?” Reid asked, wondering if perhaps he might have misunderstood the man.
“Didn’t think it was wise, calling this place Earl Johnson’s Axe Throw’n Spot, especially given the outstanding warrant for murder. Seems like sending up a bat signal to police, if you know what I mean.”
Reid’s head snapped toward Niko.
The bastard was chuckling.
“John was Earl’s uncle who passed away last fall. Earl here has a drinking problem and likes to make his customers feel uncomfortable,” Niko explained, shaking his head at the crazy old man.
“Bah, it’s no fun when your stinkin’ ass spoils the game. I didn’t even get a chance to pull out my bloody axe yet,” Earl grumbled.
Reid took a step back from the counter.
“I’ll wait for you over here,” Reid mumbled, slowly backing away from the crazy old man and making his way toward the large field in the back of the compound.
Once they were all settled, Niko passed Reid an axe and pointed him toward the target—a large wooden creature that looked like a cross between a chipmunk and an evil wizard. Whoever carved the darn thing must have really hated chipmunks.
“That thing is creepy,” Reid said, tossing the axe around a few times in his hand.
“You think that’s bad? Check out the one over there.”
Standing in the next section was a giant wooden carving of a pigeon, its wings spread out as it loomed menacingly over a bunch of children it had apparently just taken a shit on.
The detail in the carving was astounding.
Reid let out a chuckle.
“Now that’s one creature that I wouldn’t mind cutting the head off of,” Reid laughed.
“I’ve been hacking at it for years. The damn thing just won’t die,” Nokolai explained, giving the flying rat an evil eye.
Turning his attention back to his target, Reid wondered about his buddy's life since he left New York.
“So when did you first join the Shadow Vipers?” Reid asked.
“Umm, it was about six months after I left New York.”
Reid lined up his throw before launching it toward the mocking target.
Argh!
The back of the axe struck the side of the chipmunk’s evil grin before bouncing off and landing on the ground with a soul-crushing thud.
“Guess I wouldn’t make a great axe-throwing murderer,” Reid huffed, watching as Niko jogged to retrieve the sad-looking axe.
“Nah, it just takes time and practice.”
Niko returned with the axe, then stepped behind him.
“You see, the trick is to keep your eye on the spot that you want to hit.” He grabbed Reid’s hand and lifted it, with the axe back and above his head. “Then you need to listen for the wind.”
Reid tried not to laugh. “Why yes, wise Yoda,” Reid mocked, trying to do his best impression of Master Yoda’s voice.
Niko pinched Reid’s side, causing him to jerk and let out a high-pitched screech.
“Very manly of you,” Niko joked, letting out a snort of his own.
“I’m about to chop off evil Alvin the Chipmunk’s head with an axe. How much more manly can you get?”
Niko chuckled as he adjusted Reid’s arm and stance.
“Once the air around you is calm, then you pull back your arm before throwing the axe at your target. Make sure you never take your eye off the target. That’s key.”
Staring at the target, Reid tried to ignore the rough hands wrapped around his own and the axe. It was hard to concentrate with Nikolai practically wrapped around his body.
He could feel Nikolai’s breath on the back of his neck, all warm and controlled. The man never seemed stressed or anxious.
Reid felt his dick begin to thicken. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed his old friend. These next few days were going to be torture.
But he had a job to do and people who were counting on him. He didn’t have time to worry about his dick or the inevitable heartache he would face when it came time for him to leave.
“Just relax and concentrate,” Niko whispered into his ear one last time.
Reid took another breath, focusing on the target, not the huge stud standing right up against him. Letting out his breath, he launched the axe at the menacing target and prayed for the best.
This time, the axe did find its intended target and stuck!
Okay, fine. He managed to impale the chipmunk on his large left toe, but still. It was better than hitting the ground once again. If anyone asked, he was clipping the rodent’s toenails.
“You did it!” Niko shouted, throwing his arms up into the air in triumph, making him feel like he had just won the World Series.
God, he missed that sound of excitement. It warmed his heart and made him feel like he was the most talented man in the world.
Reid joined in the celebration, throwing his arms up in the air and flexing his muscles like he was Hercules himself.
Niko ran to retrieve the axe. He tossed it in the air a few times, catching each one by the wooden handle.
“Show-off,” Reid teased, watching Niko smirk before lining up his shot. "So, what made you decide to join the Shadow Vipers?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Niko never took his eyes off the target as he lined up his shot.
The man was definitely a regular, judging by the way he handled the weapon.
“It was Marcus and the guys. One night, I was drinking at a bar in Santa Fe when these three dudes decided to start shit with me. I went out to the parking lot to bust in their faces when Marcus and his boys came riding in. They stood around the lot and watched as I took on all three mouthy assholes—basically getting my ass handed to me. Then, out of nowhere, Marcus and his crew jumped in and started helping me fight. After a few minutes, the assholes were on the ground bleeding, and Marcus was inviting me to join them for a drink. That night, I learned what brotherhood was and decided to follow Marcus back to Baton and join his crew. To be honest, Marcus kinda reminded me of you.”
“Of me?” Reid asked, his heart stopping in his chest.
“Yeah. You always had my back, no matter what. With you, I always knew I had someone in my corner. No matter what trouble I was in, or how bad things got, you were always there, standing beside me, arms up and ready to kick some ass.”
Damn, if he didn’t already love the guy, that speech would have done it.
“So that’s why I joined the Shadow Vipers. They’re the brothers you and I were to each other.” Niko launched his axe, nailing the demon munk right between the eyes. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“Always so humble,” Reid responded.
“What can I say? I’m the best… at everything.”
That cockiness was one of the things that made Niko so popular with his clients. Yes, Niko was gorgeous and sexy as hell, but he also had this confidence and powerful way about him that made women wet and men hard in their drawers.
Being around Niko these next few days was going to be a challenge, one he wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive.
Their time together was limited.
What would happen when it came time for him to leave?