Promises 2 (13 page)

“No.”

“Well, I’m a terrible cook. I might can boil water, but who knows. Never had time to learn,” Cayson confessed.

“Of course, you didn’t. I couldn’t imagine that much college,” Quick admitted.

“So you want to come back to my place?” Cayson offered begrudgingly. This conversation brought up all the times he’d wanted to go out but Joe didn’t.

“I was actually hoping to take you to a little place I love downtown. It’s quaint. Nice atmosphere, terrific food, and they have live music on Friday nights. It’s a hidden gem I found a while back.” Quick ran the backs of his fingers down Cayson’s freshly shaved jaw. His eyes clouded with doubt. “What d’ya say, huh? You want to go out on the town with an uncultured ruffian like me?”

Cayson was ecstatic. Out! Out on an actual date? He kept his poker face, he refused to gush, and blush like a teenager. The way Quick worded his last question, Cayson didn’t feel right beaming in the man’s face when he looked to be doubting himself. Did Quick honestly feel he wasn’t good enough for Cayson? It was nuts, because Cayson had been thinking the opposite. It was a boost to his ego, especially after Dr. Joe had demolished it mere hours ago. “Sure. I’d love to go out with you. That sounds like a real nice place.”

“You like jazz, yes? I saw your collection, it’s impressive.”

“I do.” Cayson smiled. “I love it. The collection’s kind of a hobby.”

Quick looked at his watch. Cayson needed to go and Quick had work to do, too. “Great! I’ll pick you up at home around six. That work?”

“Perfect. Yes.” That’d give Cayson time to get home and get a little shuteye before going out. Cayson opened his door, but turned when he felt a tug on his elbow. He hid his surprised smile. Quick wanted a kiss goodbye.

This time the kiss wasn’t chaste. It was full of sensual, smoking hot promises. Quick tasted like strong coffee and Cayson slowly dragged his tongue across Quick’s moist palate, seeking his unique taste, sucking his tongue hard enough to make the big man groan. But Quick yanked back like he’d been tazed, leaving Cayson blinking and wondering. Wondering how he could get just a bit more.

“I look forward to tonight, Cays,” Quick said breathlessly, his eyes pinched closed like it’d taken a lot of willpower to end that kiss.

With his own eyes slightly hooded, Cayson nodded. “Me, too. Be careful today.”

Quick winked. “I’ll be extra careful now.”

Cayson starred at Quick for a few seconds, trying to understand what he meant. When the silence had stretched into awkwardness, Cayson gripped his bag tightly and got out the large SUV before he screamed something stupid like, “Take me here! Take me now!”

Quick

Quick pulled his court duty, but it was as annoying and probably equivalent to a police detective having to pull traffic detail. They rotated that assignment because it was cruel and unusual punishment to make one person do it every day. Whenever they returned bonded defendants to jail on a revoked bond when they hadn’t shown up for court, the bail-skipper would get another hearing, and it was necessary for the bonded agent to be there. They also had to be sure to get their money back. The only thing that helped Quick pass the time, as the judge droned through the morning docket, were his thoughts of Cayson and their upcoming date.

Finally, it was lunchtime, and thankfully, the court had gotten to his last case right before it recessed. Quick was in his leathers, ready to get this last duty fulfilled so he could finish planning his date. Vaughan gave him a few pointers on topics to discuss, foods not to order unless you wanted dragon breath, how to be a good giver not just a taker, and of course: what he should wear on his first date with a man, you know, the things a typical father and son talk about. But, as soon as Vaughan hinted at discussing sex, Quick cut him off. He had to draw the line somewhere, and sex tips from his son were miles over that line. He was on his own there… well… he still had YouTube.

Quick was in the office, waiting on the guys to get there so they could recover a perp they’d been trying to find for almost six weeks. He was a two-time loser about to get his third strike, and they all knew what that meant. So the punk went into hiding. Only, the guy didn’t know how damn good they really were, and the King brothers could find an ant in a scorpion hive. There was nowhere to hide.

With his boots propped up on his desk, he enjoyed the peace and quiet while he surfed the web. First, he made reservations for his date, even though the woman who answered the phone at The Foxhole said it wasn’t necessary. But Quick wanted a certain table, so: yes, it was. Then he’d shock the shit out of his date with a very special outing after dinner. Sure, it’d been Vaughan’s idea, and Quick was nervous as hell to execute it perfectly. He’d certainly give it his all. He just hoped he wasn’t being too presumptuous. This was getting so exciting that he fought to drop the persistent smile which had been affixed to his face since he’d made the final preparation for their night out.

Quick craned his head back and looked out the window into the small parking lot to see if anyone had pulled up yet. With nervousness flittering in his stomach, he opened his YouTube app and typed in “gay sex,” his eyes widening to twice their size as soon as the results popped up. All varieties and flavors right there at the tips of his fingers. Taking another glance out at the parking lot, the coast still clear, he clicked on “hottest alpha males sex.” That directed him to a whole new site.

Quick didn’t feel like he had a specific type, but he knew enough to know he liked a man who behaved like one. Quick wanted a partner, not a headache, and certainly not a passive lover. While Cayson was intelligent and strikingly handsome, he was a tad timid, but Quick had noticed over the course of the time that he’d known Cayson, that the man had straightened his backbone significantly. And Quick found it very attractive. The way he stood up to that pretentious doctor, even though the man had delivered a brutal blow to Cayson’s pride. His doctor held his head high. Confidence was an important trait for him to see in someone when dating. He didn’t want to have to constantly build someone up, not at his age, anyway. That’s why he loathed this Dr. Joe character.

His gulp was audible when he saw the models for the alpha males site. Big men fucking other really big men. They were all so damn handsome and strong. Like him. Like his sweet doctor. Cayson may not be bulky, but he wasn’t small. It was obvious he took care of himself. His golden brown hair was cut in a sexy, but conservative, style. Enough on the top for Quick to run his fingers through. Quick groaned when he thought of Cayson naked and spread out for him like one of the models in the picture he’d clicked on. The video played for three erotic minutes before a pop-up appeared on his screen. If he wanted to see more, he had to put in some personal information. There was a seven-day free trial before they would charge his credit card twenty-five bucks. He should be able to get a sense of technique within seven days. He’d learn what to do to please Cayson if it killed him. 

“What you working on so seriously, Quick?”

Quick startled so hard at Ford’s deep voice that he’d comically wind-milled in his chair to keep it from falling completely backwards when he tried to clear the screen before the brothers could make their way to him. How the hell hadn’t he heard the door open? Kicking himself for being so stupid, he vowed to use his home computer for research from now own. The backlash he’d get would be nonstop if any of his team found out he was trying to learn how to fuck online. If Ford or Brian saw what he was looking at, he’d be the object of their ridicule for the next six damn months.

Ford paused at Quick’s theatrics, raising one thick brow in question. Quick tried to wave it off as nothing, diverting his eyes back to his computer, feigning deep concentration. He blinked, noticing he was staring at the blank screen. “Um, just research on that um… um… you know what case. The case.”

Ford continued to stare Quick down, Brian’s Special Forces-trained eye twitched like he sensed something was off. Quick glanced up and noticed him smirking while signing something to his brother that looked like a crude gesture. Fuck. Brian couldn’t’ve seen what Quick was looking at, his computer monitor faced away from the back door.

“Maybe so,” Ford confirmed. He and his brother were clearly sharing a private joke at Quick’s expense.

Brian suffered from a unique form of PTSD and had difficulty communicating with anyone other than his brother. While he was physically able to speak, he mentally could not. It was a sad story. One that was littered with words which were mostly military acronyms for something horrible: MIA, POW, AWOL. Frightening words that we, as free Americans can’t fathom, but nonetheless, it’s Brian’s story and only his to tell when he’s ready to do so.

“What did he say?” Quick growled at Ford, only making the brothers laugh harder.

“Ahh, nothing. Brian said you look like you just got caught jerking off to porn.”

Quick rolled his eyes and threw up his middle finger at Brian. He didn’t know sign language, but he knew the universal sign for fuck you. That’s all he needed to say to the enigmatic man. Quick continued to try to appear unfazed, but goddamn those perceptive ass military men. Just when Ford’s eyes bulged at the truthfulness of his brother’s signed words, Duke barged through door with Dana behind him. Phew, saved.

“Everyone set?” Duke said. They all began to check their weapons as soon as Duke spoke. “We go in ten, brothers. Be ready.”

Duke closed himself in his office while they suited up. Wearing leathers was hot and a little uncomfortable, even in the winter, but it was a necessity. Quick sure appreciated them when he was rolling around on asphalt. They prepared themselves in silence. No one talked or joked. A retrieval was serious business. All a person had to do to be able imagine the danger of a bounty hunter’s job, was picture how hard you’d be willing to fight to keep your freedom. That’s the type of aggression and desperation they faced every single time they went out.

They all knew their roles. Duke and Quick remained together and were the lead. Brian and Ford stayed on their six, making sure no one snuck up on them from behind, and of course, provided plenty of extra muscle. Before they’d hired the brothers, Quick and Duke used to fight back to back, but with the huge King brothers protecting them, Quick could concentrate on threats in front of them, knowing their asses were covered. Dana was the watch hunter. He was to keep communication open and alert them to any immediate or potential threats coming from the outside. He was a good hunter and a skilled marksman. They’d come to trust Dana over time, he was a solid addition to the group. As soon as they got to their location, Dana would take up a perch somewhere outside or in, depending on where they were.

Quick locked up his computer since he wouldn’t be coming back to the office. After the seize he planned to drop Duke off at home and continue to his place to handle a few tasks before it was time for his date. Quick triple checked his 9mm handguns before he holstered his weapons at his sides. He had a blade in his boot and one hooked to his belt. Both were necessary and had saved his life on more than one occasion. His utility vest held a silencer in one pocket, lock picking tools, police-issue pepper spray, and a couple other cool gadgets Ford had gotten from his military contacts. The grenades, they left locked in the safe at the office. Quick never laughed as hard when he saw Duke’s reaction when Ford opened up the box, revealing three real military hand grenades. “When the hell are we going to have to use those, Ford?” Duke hollered, shaking his head frantically. It was quite a sight. Duke threatened Ford’s life if he got them in trouble for possessing illegal military contraband. However, there was a seize in Buckhead about four months ago where one of those grenades would’ve come in handy.

Standing in their spacious building, each of them reflected on what was important to them as they prepared not just their weapons, but their minds. They were a band of brothers, an army. When together, their defense was impenetrable.

After their final moments of silence, Ford asked for everyone’s attention while he unlocked the bottom cabinet of his own desk and pulled out something that looked like a storage box for cigars.
Oh, boy. Here we go. What is it today?
Live mines to put around the building, perhaps? When Quick moved in closer, he noticed what was in the box. Eight of them. Masculine identical wrist watches. Quick didn’t know why, but they looked rare and expensive. They were similar to any higher-end sports watch, but there was no brand name.

“These are military grade. Can’t get them anywhere,” Ford said proudly.

“You got them.” Quick smirked.

Ford was a man of few words. He responded by methodically lifting the cover like the contents were poisonous and held out one of the watches to Quick. He took it, shaking his head. “I like my own watch.”

“I’m sure you do. But this one can save your life.”

Quick was more interested now. “How so? Does it shoot poisonous darts?”

Ignoring him, Ford pushed a button on the side, and the face glowed bright orange. It had all the important components of a regular watch, including the crown for adjusting the time, but there were three buttons on the opposite side that didn’t belong.