Run This Town 03 - (Watch Me) Unmask You (4 page)

“Of course it means something,” Lucky shouted. He lurched away from Elias. “Otherwise you wouldn’t do it.”

“Don’t.” Fuck. Elias tempered his shout. “I’m not discussing this.”

“I’m your responsibility, aren’t I? A burden you can’t seem to get rid of?” Lucky said. “I just don’t know why we’re even here in this place. You and me.”

“No.” Elias grabbed him when Lucky would have moved away, yanking him against his chest. “Lucky, the last thing you are is a job, or work, or a task to fucking complete.”

“But who am I to you, and how do I know?” Lucky’s whisper burned Elias’s skin. “You won’t fucking explain. You won’t say shit. How do I know when I haven’t seen or heard from you in two years?” His fingers pressed into Elias’s wrist. “I’ve been waiting for you, waiting for you to touch me, kiss me.”

Elias’s hold on him went slack, as did his jaw. “What?” His head and his heart warred, wanting different things, both knowing what the outcome would be. “Lucky, no. You deserve someone like you, someone your age.” Someone without blood on his hands. Someone who wasn’t a killer on a leash.

“I’m twenty, old enough to know my own mind.” Lucky turned, twisting his body until his chest was pressed to Elias’s, until their thighs were brushing. “I know what I want. Who I want.” His hand skidded down Elias’s chest, slowly, torturously, trailing fire.

Elias grabbed that fucking hand before his body went up in flames. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” The trouble he was courting, Lucky didn’t know.

Lucky’s nostrils flared as he bucked into Elias. His erection was hard to miss, and Elias just knew Lucky could feel him. Feel his heat, his hard-on.

“I know what I’m doing,” Lucky murmured against Elias’s cheek. “I know you’re fighting a battle I won’t allow you to win.” And he pressed his lips to Elias’s.

Breath cut off in Elias’s lungs. He went stiff. Everywhere. Lucky’s lips were firm, and Elias tightened his hold on him, to push him away, but Lucky shoved a knee between Elias’s legs, grazing his balls and he cried out. An invitation Lucky took him up on, tongue diving in between his parted lips, licking him.

They shuddered as one. Moaned in sync.

Goddamn me.
 Elias plunged his fingers in Lucky’s hair and pulled his head back so he could take over, so he could sink in and in and lose his head, his mind. He’d regret this later, curse himself later, but right now… Right now Lucky was rubbing on him, wanton and hot, and Elias wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. Definitely not strong enough to resist this, not when he wanted it, too.

Lucky moaned. Elias would never deny the flare of pride and ownership that brought to his chest. Lucky’s tongue twisted around his, and Elias caught it, sucked hard. Lucky shuddered for him, body vibrating between his legs.

He’d spoken the truth. He slept with people when the urge got too much to be ignored. If it was the best way to get close to a target, Elias never hesitated, but they didn’t matter. Even his occasional trysts with Stavros were purely physical and meant nothing. Nothing when compared to this, Lucky in his arms, his taste so fine on Elias’s tongue.

“Mm.” Lucky tore his mouth away, eyelids heavy, pupils dilated. “I knew you would taste like this.”

“Like what?” Elias’s tone was husky, rough, and he didn’t miss the satisfaction that flashed in Lucky’s hazel eyes.

“Wild.” That dimple appeared in Lucky’s cheek and he licked his lips. “Dangerous.”

“I am.” Elias used the hand at Lucky’s nape to bring his head forward and touched their foreheads together. “Lucky, I am dangerous.”

“Yes.” Lucky’s tongue flicked out, laving Elias’s chin. “But not to me. Never to me.” He kissed Elias again, deeply, mouth hot and wet and distracting enough that Elias forgot that yes, he was most dangerous to Lucky.

He held Lucky’s head steady and plundered his mouth, imprinting his taste, his smell, his everything in his memory, to unlock and pull out later when he needed it. He was sick, he knew, wanting this so much. And maybe guilt and obligation played a part, but most of it was just plain need and fascination for the young man in his arms.

He was setting them both up for the worst kind of destruction, but Elias couldn’t stop. He held on to Lucky tighter, groaning when Lucky grabbed him just as tight. There would come a time when Lucky would let go, but they hadn’t arrived at that time yet and Elias took advantage, sinking deeper into him, raking his nails down Lucky’s back.

The younger man gasped into his mouth and Elias drank it down, cock hardening even more. The worst kind of torture, and Elias would know. He wished he could stay where they were, in the silence, still shrouded in innocence.

That wish would never be granted.

He pulled away this time. “Lucky.” He brushed a lock of hair from Lucky’s forehead.

“Hmm?” Lucky’s dark lashes lifted. His eyes.
Jesus.

“Yes.”

Lucky blinked and licked his swollen lip. “Huh? Yes to what?”

“Yes, I thought about you.” All. The. Time. “Yes, you haunted me.” He would never know for how long.

Lucky’s eyes went saucer-wide and he touched two fingertips to Elias’s mouth. “And what are we going to do about it?” A wicked glint appeared in his eyes and he touched Elias, the front of his jeans, over his hard cock.

Elias sucked in a breath, stomach contracting at the sweetness. “No.”

Lucky bent and nuzzled his neck, biting, licking as his fingers sought out Elias’s zipper.

God. Fuck. Elias shackled Lucky’s fucking wrist. “No.” He bit out the word quickly before his mind changed it to a 
fuck, yes
.

“I want to seduce you.” Lucky bit him, teeth sinking so Goddamn deep into his skin, Elias almost came. “Let me seduce you.”

Damn it. Elias tilted his head, giving Lucky better access as he rubbed on his fingers. He was gonna lose his Goddamn mind if he didn’t stop this. “Lucky.” His voice was a hoarse mess. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Lucky, we’re not doing this today.”

Lucky stiffened then pulled away to look up at him. “Oh?” He narrowed his gaze. “Tomorrow then? Yeah, when you’ll be off wherever, to fuck whoever?”

Elias took a calming breath. Then another. In total he took about five. “You deserve better, Lucky. Find someone who can give you something better than this shit. You don’t want this.”

Lucky blanked his features, but Elias didn’t miss the heartbreak on his face, in his eyes. “Okay. Yeah.” He shrugged then moved away. “Alright, so I’m gonna go and you’ll—” He waved a hand. “Do what you’re so good at. Disappear.”

“Stay. Spend the night.”

Lucky shook his head. “I can’t— I can’t.”

“Please.” Elias went to him, took his face in his hands. “Stay with me tonight.”

Lucky bit his lip. “How long will you be gone this time?”

“I don’t know.” He wasn’t lying about that.

“Promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll come back,” Lucky whispered. “Promise me you’ll keep in touch. A postcard, a fucking homing pigeon.”

“Lucky.”

“Don’t Lucky me.” He swiped at his eyes. “I need to know you’re okay. I don’t have to know where you are or any details, but I have to know you’re alive.” He clutched Elias’s shirt and speared him with those eyes. “Promise me.”

He could do that. Elias nodded. “I promise.”

Lucky sniffed. “Okay.” He pulled out of Elias’s hold and walked to the kitchen entryway. “Well, come on then. Once again we’re spending the night together in this house.”

Elias went to him, taking Lucky’s hand. Together they walked to the air mattress. He kicked off his boots, Lucky did the same and they got on the bed together. Lucky put his head on Elias’s shoulder and he pulled the burgundy blanket up over them.

“I can’t believe you kept this,” he said softly.

“Of course I kept it,” Lucky murmured. “But, I do wash it so you don’t have to worry.”

Elias laughed. “I wasn’t worried.”

“Good.”

They fell into silence in the darkness. Comfortable, similar to that first night years ago, but different. So different. Here, Elias didn’t have to sleep with one eye open, with a gun always at the ready. Here, he had safety and Lucky.

“Tell me about Scotland,” Lucky murmured.

Elias had to force himself not to stiffen up. He managed a laugh. “The only thing I know about Scotland is that my birth certificate says I was born there.” He stared off into the distance. “I got out as soon as I could.”

“But you must remember something. What about your family?”

“I grew up in an orphanage.” Elias shrugged. “Never knew who they were. Lived on the streets until I got a better offer.” He’d thought the offer had been the best thing that could happen to someone like him, but pretty soon he figured out there was always a cost.

He should have stayed selling his ass for room and board. At least then he wouldn’t be swimming in blood.

“What else does your birth certificate say?” Lucky asked.

“Nothing worth knowing.” He didn’t want to tell Lucky to stop with the questions, but Elias definitely wasn’t up to answering anything.

Lucky touched his stomach, palm flat against him. “Not even your last name?”

Elias grunted. “Not even that.”

Lucky went silent for so long Elias figured he’d nodded off.

“The next time you come to me, I’m seducing you,” Lucky spoke in a voice heavy with sleep. “You’re gonna let me, too.”

Elias licked his lips, pretending he didn’t hear, but his entire being screamed yes. He tightened his arms around Lucky, holding him as the other man fell asleep. Elias dozed lightly, and when the first rays of daylight crept through the blinds, he extricated himself gently from Lucky’s arms and rolled away and off the bed.

He pulled on his boots then straightened, righting his clothes, and without looking back, he walked out the house, leaving his home and his heart behind.

The rain made the ground under Lucky’s feet soft, soggy, and he sank ankle deep with every step he took. Everyone was gone now, his Uncle Jeff, too. He’d stayed behind. Not that he knew why. Felt as if he spent way too much time in cemeteries. Too much time saying goodbye to the people in his life.

His Aunt Diana was there, in the ground, freshly applied dirt shielding her coffin from the rain. She was gone now, the ovarian cancer having done its work and ravaged her mind and body.

Hands shoved into the pockets of his black coat, Lucky bowed his head. He was officially alone now. It was harder than he’d thought it would be. Even though they’d known Diana would likely end this way, Lucky still felt blindsided by her death, still felt robbed of something he hadn’t even known he’d possessed.

The rain pelted him, soaking his hair. He stood under the branches of a nearby tree, but that didn’t provide any shelter at all. He hadn’t bothered with an umbrella.

Many times over the years he’d lived with his aunt he’d wanted to be on his own, wanted to be grown, wanted to be his own man. Now? He kinda wanted her back, yelling at him for eating the leftovers in the fridge and not picking up after himself. He even missed the early years when she’d had no clue what to do with him, how to handle his grief and attitude. She’d mellowed out in her last few years or maybe Lucky had just stopped caring that she’d been so hard and harsh to him.

Uncle Jeff was just as torn as Lucky. Devastated, really. She’d been his wife. They’d been together forever. But the two of them were never particularly close, and Lucky didn’t harbor any illusions that the situation would change now. He’d go back to apprenticing at the tattoo studio, living the life he led, and his uncle would do… whatever.

So yeah, Lucky was alone.

He lifted a shoulder, brushed at the water dripping down his neck. Then just as the rain beat at him, it stopped. He became aware of a presence beside him, a familiar heat.

Lucky glanced to his right.

Elias stood there dressed in all black, his hair flowing out from under the black wool cap he wore. He held an umbrella. That, too, was the color of mourning, as were the leather gloves covering his hands. And he stood there, next to Lucky. His face forward, gaze on Diana’s grave.

Lucky’s heart sped up, his stomach knotted for an entirely different reason. “Elias.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Lucky.” So strong and sure and…

Lucky opened his mouth, to ask how and why. Did he want to know? Did he care? He held his tongue and stood next to the stranger who wasn’t quite that, not after all these years. Sure, he wanted to ask why Elias was there, how he’d even known about Diana’s passing. He also wanted to know where he’d been since he left Lucky asleep on that air mattress a year ago, this man who appeared out of nowhere whenever Lucky needed him most.

The questions would be voiced later.

Right now, Lucky remained where he was, accepting the shield from that umbrella. He imagined Elias was somewhat of a shield, too. He just couldn’t imagine what he’d be shielding Lucky from.

The rain and wind in the trees were the only sound. Lucky listened to it, and to the words Elias never seemed to speak, but Lucky heard anyway. They helped him, helped ease the tight grief in his chest.

Dusk turned to night and a car drove up to them. Elias tensed.

The windows lowered and Michael poked his head out, glancing from Lucky to Elias. “Lucky, you alright?”

Fuck no, he wasn’t. “Yeah.”

“You ready to get outta here?”

They’d broken up long ago, him and Michael. His ex went off to Boston to college, and Lucky stayed behind. Sometimes the ache for the familiar had him taking the drive to Boston, sometimes Michael was the one making the trek to Jersey. Lucky didn’t know what it was anymore. But Michael had taken the first flight out when Lucky called him about Diana, and never left him.

He’d needed that.

But here Elias was.

“I’m—” He shook his head. “Yes. I’m ready.” He didn’t look at Elias. But he felt that gaze. Lucky didn’t think he’d ever 
not
 feel that gaze.

“Lucky.”

“Thank you for coming.” Lucky returned his gaze to Diana’s gravesite. “You should leave now.”

“Look at me, damn it.”

He stiffened at the sharp command then tilted his chin, meeting Elias’s fierce gaze with narrowed eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say, but Lucky swallowed it all. Just stared at Elias as the redhead stared back. His face was tanned, the lines sharper. The beard was thick and unkempt, making him appear homeless. Why Lucky liked that look on him, he had no idea. Elias’s frame was the same hulking mass, hard and imposing.

He looked impossible to touch, to hold. A statue in black, topped off with a hint of scarlet.

They did that thing, long stares, speaking without words, until Elias sighed and shook his head. He pushed something into Lucky’s pocket, a business card it looked like. “If you need me, Lucky—” He nodded to that pocket. “That’s where I’ll be.” He lifted a hand, touched Lucky’s chin with a gloved finger. So smooth.

Impersonal.

But it was more than Lucky’d had from him in years. Greedy bastard that he was, he yearned for more. But this was Elias, who was already dropping his hand, turning his back, striding off.

Lucky would never have more.

****

“Talk to me.”

Michael had been repeating that phrase since Lucky had gotten into the car. He had nothing to say. At least not to Michael. He cleared his throat and took the beer Michael held out to him. His ex sank next to him on the couch, shoulders brushing.

“I’m fine.” He said it, but fuck if Lucky believed it. Michael didn’t either, not with the way he held Lucky’s gaze and reached for him.

Lucky didn’t pull away, but he saw on Michael’s face that he knew Lucky wanted to. Wanted to escape the slight grip on his chin.

“You ever gonna stop lying to me?” Michael asked.

The answer to that would be no. He was good looking, Michael. Skin smooth and pale, his eyes an arresting shade of brown, lips amazing to kiss. They’d done more than that. And while Lucky had had others, Michael was the one he allowed close enough for more than one night.

Still, Michael wasn’t… 
him
.

Elias.

Which was how Lucky knew he was crazy. Off his fucking rocker.

“I’m sorry,” he told Michael. “I can’t do this.”

“We don’t have to do anything,” Michael said. “Just, let me be here for you, Lucky. You don’t always have to be strong. You don’t always have to go it alone. I’m here.” He took a breath. Lucky braced. “I want to be here. Always.”

Lucky got to his feet and started pacing. “I can’t do this,” he said again. “Any of it. I’m sorry.” He grabbed his coat from the rack near the door. He had to get away from there. Felt as if he was stifling, slowly blacking out from a lack of oxygen.

“Lucky, don’t leave. Jesus.” Michael was coming at him, and Lucky was running from him, out the door.

In the street he pulled his collar up, a futile obstacle against the rain. He didn’t know where he was going. Didn’t know what he wanted. He stood in the doorway of a store, a short reprieve from the rain. Hands in his coat pockets, he shuffled from foot to foot then stopped.

A business card.

In his pocket.

He pulled it out. Held it up to read in the streetlight. A hotel. Elias was staying at a hotel in Jersey City. Lucky’s feet were already moving.

A cab ride later, he was drenched, teeth chattering, pounding on the door until it was yanked open and Elias was there. In jeans and a t-shirt, hair loose, feet bare.

“Lucky. Fuck.” He grabbed him, a large hand around Lucky’s arm and pulled him into the room before slamming the door shut. “What the hell? Are you okay?” He was moving around, searching for something. A towel that he brought to Lucky and started drying his hair.

Lucky’s limbs had locked in place, so he could do nothing but stand there while Elias rubbed the towel over his face and throat then tore away the coat. His hands. On Lucky.

Knuckles scraping against his neck, fingers brushing his throat.

A lit match tossed carelessly onto a situation already soaked with accelerant.

Lucky snatched at him, his wrist, stopping Elias’s movements. When the other man lifted worried eyes to him, Lucky pushed him, both hands against that broad chest. He stumbled back and Lucky advanced on him.

“Fuck you.” Another shove.

A muscle began a rapid tick-tick-ticking under Elias’s left eye. “Lucky.”

“For leaving.” Lucky pushed him. Again Elias stumbled. He didn’t doubt Elias was allowing the manhandling, but Lucky didn’t care. “Fuck you,” he snarled. “For always fucking leaving.”

“Mijn schat.” 
Elias cupped his cheek.

And Lucky didn’t know what those two words meant, but they fucking rocked him. “Fuck you more,” he said, soft, so soft. “For coming back.” And bringing hope with him each and every time.

Elias fisted the front of Lucky’s shirt and pulled him forward, violent, hard, into his chest. Lucky went, all too willing. And Elias kissed him.

Mouth on mouth, bruising, biting, snarling.

A kiss that flattened Lucky, had him stroking out, clutching, scratching to get closer and closer. Fighting to get more. Elias’s tongue barged into his mouth, taking him over, bringing him under. He held Lucky’s face, both hands now, tight on his cheeks, holding him up, swallowing him down.

Lucky tasted nothing like it before. Felt nothing like it. Just anger and violence and need, so much fucking need. It coursed through him, crashing, crashing up against his spine, splintering him. He crawled in closer, hand fisted in that red hair, pulling on it in lieu of begging for more and more and 
everything
.

Then Elias was yanking himself away, a loud growl making Lucky tremble. Fear.

He held up a hand, a motion for Lucky to stay when he took a step forward, his head shaking, his eyes wild, mouth, that mouth shining from Lucky’s kiss.

“No.”

But Lucky was too far gone to heed that warning. Not now. He lunged at Elias, grabbed the front of his jeans, a fistful of that hard cock throbbing for him. “Don’t fucking say no to me.”

Elias shook. Face red, arousal had him looking like big snarling beast. Lucky loved that, wanted all that on him, concentrated on him. He unbuttoned him and dipped a hand inside, grasping that hot length without looking away from Elias. He watched that blue gaze widen, watched the pupils get larger and larger with each stroke and when he touched a finger to the wet, slippery crown, he watched the frost melt from those blue eyes.

“Lucky, you don’t know what you’re doing.” The tendons in his neck were on display, his jaw ticking when he tipped his head back, eyes closed.

“I know what I’m doing.” Lucky kissed him, licked at his mouth. A rude gesture. Carnal. He liked it and when Elias shivered, Lucky did it again. Flattened his tongue and licked him, from his bearded chin to his nose.

He removed his hand from Elias’s cock and brought it up, to his mouth, sucking away the pre-cum as Elias watched. His nostrils flared.

He wasn’t a kid. Hadn’t been one for a very long time, and Elias needed to see that. Needed to understand what it meant.

“I want to see you crawl for me, scarlet.” Fucking gravel, his voice. “Before you walk away, because let’s face it, you will.” He unbuckled his belt and tossed it somewhere across the room before unbuttoning and tugging his pants down and off. “You’re giving me what I want tonight.”

Elias made a sound, a low, rumbling thing deep in his chest. “Goddamn it.” Then they were chest to chest, mouth to mouth. He kissed like he wanted to gorge on Lucky, as if he wanted to drink him down, get drunk. Lucky moaned at the thought, rubbing, grinding against Elias’s hard-on.

Needing to get at that itch, scratch it over and over until he was high. Floating.

Elias dropped to his knees.

Lucky forgot to breathe right about then. His mouth opened then closed, and Elias gazed up at him, waiting for something. What? Elias touched him, cupped his balls and Lucky wobbled, staggering back a few steps.

Elias came to him. On his knees.

Crawling.

God. God. Who was this man? Lucky moved again, two steps back and Elias kept advancing, crawling to him.

“Fuck.”

Elias reached him, cupped him again, squeezed his nuts through his briefs. Lucky widened his stance, hips rolling, and sank his fingers into Elias’s shoulders, head thrown back.

Yes. Yes. All of that. All of it. All over him.

“Lucky. Lucky.” His name was a chant, a mantra, falling from Elias’s lips pressed to his hip. He dipped a large hand into Lucky’s underwear, pulled his cock out and stroked him, fist rough and tight and hot.

Perfection, so Lucky fucked it, that fist. Groaning, grunting, he shoved his cock into that hold again and again. He was burning up, combusting, and he hadn’t even had it yet. Elias’s lips moved from his hip, and he was licking, kissing, and biting Lucky’s inner thigh.