that far.
Angelo fingered the buttons of Anthony’s shirt, systematically loosening one after another. Anthony trembled and kissed him harder, his resolve weakening with each button that came loose. He didn’t know just when he slipped his hands up inside Angelo’s shirt, but merely registered the heat of Angelo’s skin burning his palms.
He rubbed down Angelo’s back, his fingertips playing along his spine, lower to brush the rear waistband of his pants. The man’s skin prickled beneath Anthony’s touch, the tiny velvet hairs at the small of his back standing on end. His hips pushed wantonly against Anthony, inviting him to take what he longed for.
Anthony shuddered and groaned as Angelo’s warm, strong tongue wrapped around his own and the man’s fingers dragged down his torso, unfastening the remaining shirt buttons, raking his bare skin –to snag on the snap of Anthony’s slacks.
Angelo needed this –they both needed it. But it was too much, too soon. It wasn’t something they could just fall into. Yet his resolve wavered dangerously at the feel of Angelo’s fingers caressing his stomach just under the waistband of his pants, causing his abdomen to quiver and jump…and his arousal to swell.
“Anthony…” Angelo’s voice shook with want when their kiss broke, his lips trembling against Anthony’s mouth before gliding along Anthony’s jawline to his throat. Soft, sensual kisses dropped onto his skin, so tender and intoxicating. He had forgotten how all-consuming Angelo’s touch could be, the way it could strip the senses of all reason and doubt…and just pull a man under without resistance.
“We shouldn’t…” Anthony whimpered, echoing Angelo’s own words from moments ago.
His tender lips pressed to the swell of Anthony’s throat, Angelo whispered, “Then make me stop…because I can’t make myself.”
♦
The boy lay still, his skin like ice beneath the Egyptian’s touch as he brushed his fingertips across his brow then through his soft hair. Why the kid had taken a liking to him, Cochise had never understood. Shay had been like Cory –a cocky little shit. An irritating brat that had found much amusement in ribbing the Egyptian at every opportunity, as Cory ribbed Clint. There were times Cochise had threatened bodily harm if the boy didn’t leave him be. His threats were rarely taken seriously.
He stared at Shay’s face, so smooth and tender, as yet unmarred by the strain and hardships of life in their world. His eyes lingered on the boy’s lips…and wished to see them twist in that annoying smile just one more time.
His thumb raked lightly over the small bullet hole between his eyes, then faltered against the wound as Cochise stared at Shay –seeing the Venetti boy instead, lying dead on the floor, his young life extinguished by the Egyptian’s hand. He closed his eyes and his lips moved, repeating the mantra branded on his mind over three decades ago. “The enemy is the enemy –regardless age, gender, rank, religion or race. Do not spare for their crying –kill them all .”
He opened his eyes. He’d followed protocol. Innocence was an illusion. Had the boy been left to live, he would have become a potential future threat, a force of vengeance that could ultimately take out more lives within the Sanitini “family”. Loose ends too easily formed the noose that eventually hung a man.
Cochise slowly circled the bullet hole with the pad of his thumb. And there remained yet one more loose end that required tying up . “I’ll find the motherfucker who did this,” he whispered tightly. “And when I do…they’ll be scooping up his fucking remains in baggies.” His hand rubbed up over the dead boy’s head and he leaned down, pressing his lips to Shay’s cool brow. “I promise you.”
Cochise left the morgue and returned to the parking lot. He sat on a metal bench outside the entrance to the ER waiting room and took out his phone. He was confused by his
Angelo fingered the buttons of Anthony’s shirt, systematically loosening one after another. Anthony trembled and kissed him harder, his resolve weakening with each button that came loose. He didn’t know just when he slipped his hands up inside Angelo’s shirt, but merely registered the heat of Angelo’s skin burning his palms.
He rubbed down Angelo’s back, his fingertips playing along his spine, lower to brush the rear waistband of his pants. The man’s skin prickled beneath Anthony’s touch, the tiny velvet hairs at the small of his back standing on end. His hips pushed wantonly against Anthony, inviting him to take what he longed for.
Anthony shuddered and groaned as Angelo’s warm, strong tongue wrapped around his own and the man’s fingers dragged down his torso, unfastening the remaining shirt buttons, raking his bare skin –to snag on the snap of Anthony’s slacks.
Angelo needed this –they both needed it. But it was too much, too soon. It wasn’t something they could just fall into. Yet his resolve wavered dangerously at the feel of Angelo’s fingers caressing his stomach just under the waistband of his pants, causing his abdomen to quiver and jump…and his arousal to swell.
“Anthony…” Angelo’s voice shook with want when their kiss broke, his lips trembling against Anthony’s mouth before gliding along Anthony’s jawline to his throat. Soft, sensual kisses dropped onto his skin, so tender and intoxicating. He had forgotten how all-consuming Angelo’s touch could be, the way it could strip the senses of all reason and doubt…and just pull a man under without resistance.
“We shouldn’t…” Anthony whimpered, echoing Angelo’s own words from moments ago.
His tender lips pressed to the swell of Anthony’s throat, Angelo whispered, “Then make me stop…because I can’t make myself.”
♦
The boy lay still, his skin like ice beneath the Egyptian’s touch as he brushed his fingertips across his brow then through his soft hair. Why the kid had taken a liking to him, Cochise had never understood. Shay had been like Cory –a cocky little shit. An irritating brat that had found much amusement in ribbing the Egyptian at every opportunity, as Cory ribbed Clint. There were times Cochise had threatened bodily harm if the boy didn’t leave him be. His threats were rarely taken seriously.
He stared at Shay’s face, so smooth and tender, as yet unmarred by the strain and hardships of life in their world. His eyes lingered on the boy’s lips…and wished to see them twist in that annoying smile just one more time.
His thumb raked lightly over the small bullet hole between his eyes, then faltered against the wound as Cochise stared at Shay –seeing the Venetti boy instead, lying dead on the floor, his young life extinguished by the Egyptian’s hand. He closed his eyes and his lips moved, repeating the mantra branded on his mind over three decades ago. “The enemy is the enemy –regardless age, gender, rank, religion or race. Do not spare for their crying –kill them all .”
He opened his eyes. He’d followed protocol. Innocence was an illusion. Had the boy been left to live, he would have become a potential future threat, a force of vengeance that could ultimately take out more lives within the Sanitini “family”. Loose ends too easily formed the noose that eventually hung a man.
Cochise slowly circled the bullet hole with the pad of his thumb. And there remained yet one more loose end that required tying up . “I’ll find the motherfucker who did this,” he whispered tightly. “And when I do…they’ll be scooping up his fucking remains in baggies.” His hand rubbed up over the dead boy’s head and he leaned down, pressing his lips to Shay’s cool brow. “I promise you.”
Cochise left the morgue and returned to the parking lot. He sat on a metal bench outside the entrance to the ER waiting room and took out his phone. He was confused by his
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