Chapter Eight
C row rolled from the bed later that same day, showered, and trimmed the hair on his face. Leaving the bathroom, he pulled on a clean t-shirt, jeans, and boots.
He ordered food to be delivered and then scooted the desk away to receive the cartons of egg and sausage sandwiches and juice from a local fast food place that served breakfast all day. Putting the food on the desk, he slid the desk back to block the door.
Glancing at the bed, he found Rebel awake and glaring at him. It had to be uncomfortable sleeping with his arm raised like that, but Crow couldn’t take the chance that the kid would kill him while he slept.
And he had no doubts Rebel would have found a way to end his life last night.
I fucking hate you.
The words came back to him and he sighed. He didn’t want to garner hate in the kid, but rather friendship. Crow would bet money that Rebel didn’t have a friend in the world.
But then it wasn’t uncommon for people in their profession to be friendless. He didn’t have friends outside of Genesis or Erebus. Standing with his back to Rebel, Crow got the syringe of the sedative out of his pack and palmed it before he turned.
“I’m going to cut you loose so you can eat, but I want your word you won’t try and hit me or run for the door.”
“Yeah okay, hurry. I have to take a piss.”
Crow smirked at the whine in the younger man’s tone and approached the bed. He clipped through the zip-tie.
If this worked out and Rebel behaved, then they could eat something before hitting the road. Rebel bounced up and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door.
Crow hid the syringe beneath a pillow on the spare bed and grabbed one of the bags.
Rebel emerged from the bathroom and snatched the other bag from the desk. This time, the kid sat cross-legged on the opposite bed and devoured the food, chugging the juice between bites.
“I want you to come back to the ranch,” Crow said, gaining Rebel’s attention.
“No can do,” Rebel said around his food.
“Why?”
“I don’t need a reason, I just don’t.”
“You can get more training,” Crow said.
Rebel glared at him. “I don’t need no fucking training.”
“If that were true, I wouldn’t have been able to get you here and tie you up,” Crow drawled the words out.
Man, oh man Rebel didn’t trust a fucking soul and Crow aimed to fix that, but first he had to get Rebel back to the ranch where he couldn’t take off. And if he did take off, there was a massive desert around the place, which would mean Rebel couldn’t get far.
Crow had been in the Nevada desert many times and it wasn’t pleasant if a person were unprepared.
“You were in the military, weren’t you?”
Crow nodded, hiding his satisfaction. If Rebel was asking questions about him, then that meant they were on the right track.
“I was Army Special Forces.”
“Just how old are you?”
Crow snorted. “Not that old.”
“How old?”
“Thirty.”
“That’s hella old, dude.”
Crow squinted at the cocky little fucker and Rebel laughed. It was a giggle, husky and choppy, but it had been a laugh.
The sound was so unexpected that Crow could only stare and then found his words.
“Laugh all you want, but if you come back to the ranch with me, we can train you, make you an expert in the field.”
“What do you want?” Rebel scoffed, tossing the empty plate to the floor.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing comes for free.”
“That’s not true,” Crow said, getting up with the clippers. He crossed the small distance and clipped Rebel’s wrist free before continuing. “Sometimes people do things because it’s the right thing to do.”
“But most of the time they do bad things,” Rebel said calmly and that was the only warning Crow got before he found himself pushed flat on the bed with Rebel hovering over him.
“You sure you don’t want me?”
The husky words were so out of place that Crow could only blink. Rebel licked his lips and Crow realized they were lush. The man’s body was slender for sure, but it was also ripped, like he took care of himself. The curly dark hair fell over his forehead into his deep brown eyes.
Crow’s cock tightened painfully in his jeans and that was the reason he didn’t see Rebel’s next move coming.
Quick as a snake, Rebel snatched the radio from the end table and smashed it into his face. Crow knocked the kid’s arms away. With both hands, Rebel lifted the radio again and Crow patted around for the syringe.
The syringe came out, but the knee that Rebel had been aiming at his crotch, for a while now, found its mark.
The slam was hard, sending pain through his junk and bile coated Crow’s tongue.
Rebel saw the needle in his hand just as Crow doubled over. Rebel snatched at the syringe and Crow swung, hitting the kid in the cheek. Hoping to knock him out so that he could get his fucking bearings.
It didn’t work out that way.
Rebel took the hit and the syringe and then plunged it into Crow’s thigh.
“There you go, motherfucker,” Rebel spat, rolled away, and tossed the syringe across the room.
Crow fell back onto the bed.
His chest heaved. He could just hear the guys back at the ranch laughing their asses off when he got back.
A former military assassin was taken down by a teenager.
The room whirled and Crow closed his eyes.
Rebel took his time going through the guy’s wallet and backpack. He found some candy bars in there and took them. There wasn’t any cash because people didn’t use cash anymore, they’d rather use apps and shit to get what they needed.
What he also took from Crow’s pack was his fucking knife because that was his. He’d earned that!
He glanced at Crow on the bed and then at the keys on the coffee counter.
No, he wouldn’t take the guy’s vehicle because it more than likely had a locator on it. Rebel was tempted to take the man’s weapon, but didn’t have anywhere to carry it.
“See?” Rebel told the passed-out man as he tucked his knife away. “I do know my stuff.”
Walking over, he lifted Crow’s legs from hanging off the bed and placed them on the mattress.
Finding a pen and paper in the drawer, he left a note.
Shoving hard, he pushed the desk away from the door and gazed back at the man on the bed. In a way, he was sorry to go, the guy was oh so sexy. On the other hand, Rebel was glad to get the fuck out of there.
Nobody, but nobody would ever again make him do something he didn’t want to do.
Ever.
The door closed quietly when Rebel walked out.