Valor on the Move (23 page)

“Watermelon and pistachio?”

“Yep.”

“Did he surf too?”

Shane laughed softly. “No. He was okay in pools, but wasn’t a fan of the ocean. Too many variables, he said. He was a math teacher, and he liked everything in order. Neat and binary.”

Rafa squeezed Shane’s thigh. “Sounds like they were really great.”

“Yeah.” His chest was too tight, but he managed to inhale.

“I’m so sorry you lost them.”

Eyes stinging, Shane cleared his throat. “Me too. I should have been there. I would have gotten them out. They were on the second floor sleeping. It spread through the walls. Faulty electrical. The smoke was too thick. They only made it to the top of the stairs.”

“It’s not your fault.”

The lead in his chest pressed on his sternum. “I was supposed to visit. Mom’s birthday.” He still held Rafa around the shoulders, and now Rafa snaked his arm around Shane’s waist, grounding him even more in the void of the cave. “But they wanted me to work a standing post in DC. Special assignment for one of your father’s state dinners. If I’d said no, I might not have had another chance. So I went. Mom was excited for me. Said we’d have another cake when I could make it out. That it was a good excuse for cake.” His eyes burned. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I never talk about them.”

“I’m glad you are.” Rafa nuzzled Shane’s cheek. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“If I’d been there…”

“You might be dead too. Shane,
it wasn’t your fault
.”

He’d heard it plenty of times before. Tried to believe it. Yet somehow when Rafa said it with such conviction, pressed against Shane’s side and kissing his cheek so sweetly, Shane felt the long-hollow places hidden inside fill. The warmth spreading through him loosened the weight in his chest, and his lungs expanded.

Fumbling for Rafa’s mouth, he kissed him again. He memorized the bow of his lips and the slide of his tongue—tentative and eager at the same time. He tried to burn the sound of Rafa’s little sighs and gasps into his memory, wishing he could see his face to kiss his freckles and the tiny dimple from his smile.

Rafa’s breath ghosted over Shane’s lips as they parted. “Do you really think they’re going to find us? Or did you just tell me that so I won’t spend our last hours freaking out?”

Shane chuckled, although low, constant worry still tugged at him, of course. “They’re going to find us. The president’s son missing? That’s a national emergency. Every boot will be on the ground. Trust me. And if they’re not here by morning, we’ll dig our way out. But the protocol is always to ensure safety. There are still unknown variables out there. In here, you’re safe for now. We wait for backup.”

“Out there’s the ocean, and in here’s the pool?”

Shane smiled. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

“I wish we had water. Cum makes me thirsty.”

Shane couldn’t hold in the burst of laughter. “Such a dirty boy.”

Rafa laughed too. “I can’t believe I said all that stuff out loud.”

“I like it.” Imagining Rafa’s blush, Shane ran his hand over Rafa’s thigh, stroking through his chinos.

“Yeah?” Rafa swallowed audibly, and his voice got low. “What else do you like?”

“Hmm. Let’s see. Pizza’s pretty great. Beer. Old episodes of
The X-Files
on Netflix.”

Laughing, Rafa smacked his chest. “Shut up.”

“Oh, you mean what do I like about you?” Shane skirted over Rafa’s leather belt with his fingers.

“Uh-huh. No, wait. Forget it. It’s stupid.”

“What’s stupid about it?” He dragged his hand against Rafa’s cock through the cotton, teasing before stroking over his thigh again. “You try to hide, but I see you.”

“But you’re so…and I’m…”

Shane frowned. “What?”

“I’m a skinny kid, and you’re what Hollywood thinks Secret Service agents look like.”

“You might have been a skinny kid once upon a time. Not now. You’re long and lean, and mmm, that ass. Wish I could see you so I could lick your freckles.”

Rafa sputtered out a laugh. “But—but my freckles are so
ugly
.”

“Not one thing about you is ugly.”

Kissing him messily in response, Rafa moaned into Shane’s mouth. “Shane, will you—”

He grasped Rafa’s cock through his pants. Rafa arched up, panting, and Shane broke their kiss to whisper hotly in his ear, “Do you want me to suck you?”

A sharp new noise split the darkness, and they froze. It came again—closer now—an angry blast. Shane forced in a breath. “Dogs.” He was still cupping Rafa’s cock, and he snatched his hand away and put some inches between them. “They’d give them your scent. Standard retrieval in a wooded area.” He could picture the Malinois sniffing their way down the hillside and into the gully.

“Are you sure it’s the good guys?” Rafa whispered.

“We’ll know in a minute.”

Sure enough, he heard the familiar sounds of tactical commands as the team reached the cave, the dogs barking with clipped determination. The point man shouted back that he’d found the bodies of more hostiles.

Shane cleared his throat. “This is Agent Kendrick. Valor is secure. What took you so long?”

There was a flurry of voices, and then Brent Harris shouted, “Kendrick? Repeat, is Valor secure?”

“Affirmative. Valor is secure and unharmed. You just need to dig us out. Carefully.”

“Thank fucking Christ, Kendrick.”

“What about Pearce?” He knew the answer, but he had to ask.

“Critical.”

Shane’s heart skipped, joy swooping through him. “He’s still alive?”

“Passersby found him. He’s in rough shape. Look, hold tight and we’ll get you out.”

“Thank God,” Rafa said. “Maybe he’ll be okay.” He grasped for Shane, whispering urgently, “When will I get to see you again?”

“I don’t know.” Going up on his knees, Shane quickly hugged Rafa tightly. “But you know we can’t do this. This was only tonight.”

Rafa dug his fingers into Shane’s flesh. “I know. I…thank you. For not dying, and for saving me. And for…” Drawing back, Rafa kissed him hard. “For all of it,” he whispered.

“Okay, we’ve got some demolition guys here to examine the stability.” Harris’s voice boomed through the rocks blocking the cave entrance. “How much wiggle room do you have?”

Shane turned on his phone flashlight and relayed all the information he could. He urged Rafa behind him as far as they could go. Their eyes met as the first rocks were shifted, and Shane reached back to brush a smudge of dirt from Rafa’s cheek. He kissed him one last time for the space of a heartbeat before he took his position, shielding Rafa from harm as they rejoined the world.

The sky was brightening with the dawn as Brent and a swarm of agents led Rafa along the ravine.

“Watch your step. Can you make it up the hill? We can—”

“I’m fine!” Rafa knew they were only concerned, but he felt even more claustrophobic than he had in the cave. He took another grateful chug of the cold water a medic had given him, then craned his neck over his shoulder. “Wait, where’s Shane? Isn’t he coming?”

“There are a lot of blanks we need him to fill in,” Brent answered. “We’re going to get you to the hospital and reunite you with your family.”

“Hospital? I don’t need the hospital. I just need a shower.” Rafa stared as they passed one of the bodies of the kidnappers, which had been covered in black plastic. Flies buzzed around it, and his stomach lurched.

Up by the smoldering remains of the Suburban where dozens of agents milled around, an ambulance waited. “I really don’t need this,” he insisted, but Brent and the others just nodded and whisked him into the back.

Sighing, Rafa stretched out on the gurney, and he had to admit it felt good to lie down on something that wasn’t rock. Although he missed Shane’s thigh as a pillow. He flushed and glanced guiltily at Brent, who cocked his head. His graying dark hair was mussed, and the lines on his face stood out starkly.

“Okay?” To the medic who climbed in after them, Brent added, “Check his vitals again.”

The ambulance rumbled along the dirt road, and Rafa submitted, wincing at the cold of the stethoscope on his chest. The medic hooked him up to a bunch of little machines, and Rafa closed his eyes. “Is my family okay?”

“Aside from being out of their minds with worry, yes,” Brent said. “We’re all relieved to have you back safely, Rafa.”

He opened his eyes and smiled. “Thanks. Nice to be back. Shane saved me.”

“Seems that he did indeed. We’re so glad you’re okay.”

“Do you think Alan will be all right?”

Brent sighed. “We don’t know yet. But don’t worry about any of that.”

“Of course I’m worried about it. He got shot because of me.”

“No. He got shot doing his job.” Brent patted Rafa’s arm. “You rest up.”

Rafa closed his eyes again, and soon enough the swaying of the vehicle had him dozing off, even with the sirens and the poking and prodding from the medic. He thought of Shane, and when he’d see him again. The cave already seemed like a dream. But no, it had happened. Shane had held him and kissed him and
wanted
him. Touched him and made him feel so good. There were so many more things Rafa wanted to say. Things he longed to do…

When they arrived at the hospital in DC a couple of hours later, a cacophony of shouts and noise filled the air, but he could only see black draping that had been set up to block the media and agents in suits lining the corridor as they wheeled him inside. The ER had apparently been shut down, and behind another wall of agents, Rafa glimpsed his family. He sat up, and the medic tried to ease him back down.

“I’m fine, I told you. Let me up.”

“Rafa?” His mother rushed toward him, and he swung his legs over the gurney. Then he was in her arms, smelling faded lavender and pressing his face against her neck.

“Mom, I’m okay. I swear.” He rubbed her back and looked at his father, standing a few feet away.

Standing there
crying
.

Rafa’s heart thumped. “Dad? I’m okay. See?”

His chin wobbling, Ramon closed the distance between them and yanked Rafa and Camila into his arms. “
Dios mio.
My boy.”

Aside from his family, the room was filled with at least twenty agents, who all stared into the distance as if they weren’t there hearing and seeing everything. Over his father’s shoulder, Rafa blinked at Chris, Hadley, Adriana, and Matthew, who all wiped their eyes. None of them looked as if they’d slept, and Rafa realized they were still wearing the same clothes as they’d been for the aborted photoshoot. When Rafa stepped back from his parents, he smoothed down the wrinkled skirt of his mother’s purple dress.

“You guys, I’m fine. See?”

Adriana and his brothers streamed forward and took turns hugging him. Hadley pressed a kiss to Rafa’s cheek and smiled tremulously as she rubbed Chris’s back.

Ramon was still crying, and he took Rafa’s face in his hands. “There are so many things we should have done differently.”

His mother nodded. “We’ll talk about it all once you’re rested. Oh, sweetheart.” Her eyes were dry, but they shone with concern. “We were so afraid we’d lost you. Our dear boy. Did they hurt you?” Her gaze roved over him. “Are you hurt?”

“Shane saved me. I’m okay.”

A woman in scrubs approached. “Rafael, I’m Doctor Kadikar. We should get you checked out, and then you can head on home.”

“Okay.” He followed her to an exam room, Brent and other agents in tow. At the door he turned back to his family. “I love you guys too. You know that, right?”

They nodded, and his father cleared his throat. “We know, Rafalito.”

He hadn’t heard that little nickname in so many years, and tears stung Rafa’s eyes. There was so much he wanted to say, but he supposed it would have to wait.
 

Rafa stared at the framed poster of Kelly Slater emerging from the curl of a wave, the sun glistening on the water. It had only been twenty-four hours since he’d last been in his room, but it felt like a hundred years. He wasn’t sure a hot shower had ever felt so good, or his terrycloth bathrobe so soft and soothing. His hair was getting the pillow wet, but he didn’t care. Moving would take too much energy.

His phone was long gone—probably tossed out the van window thanks to his kidnappers. But he checked iMessage again on his tablet. Still nothing from Ashleigh, which worried him. There was so much he needed to tell her, and he just wanted to hear her voice again. Closing his eyes, he let a wave of nausea and fear pass over him.

I’m safe now. I’m okay.

More than anything, he needed to see Shane again. Touch him and kiss him, and burrow into his arms. But Rafa knew he couldn’t, and the loss already made him ache.

There was a soft knock at his door. “Yeah?” he called.

Chris stuck his head in. His hair was damp, and he was freshly shaven. “Doing okay?”

“Yeah. I just need to chill. Mom and Dad practically followed me into the shower.”

Chris smiled as he closed the door behind him and came through the little entry hall to lean a shoulder against the wall. “You’re lucky we’re all not in here with you. Don’t want to let you out of our sight.”

Warmth flowed through him. “I’m fine. I really am.”