Specters & Sparks, page 17
“Your usual?” Owen asked brightly as he rang it up but he froze as he read.
“Give it to him on the house since he’s family now,” Cace said with a gentle shove to get Owen moving.
“Right. He’s still got to pay for pastries. How about a muffin?” Owen asked but his eyes watered as they clung to Fox’s.
“I’m fine. I had breakfast at home. Just my usual,” Fox replied. Everyone was low-key and relaxed as Owen poured Fox a cup of coffee. He went to the table and wasn’t sure what to expect as he sat down. Fox was in new territory without any fixers or dossiers on local informants.
“I was thinking we should get together to plan this wedding,” Baxter announced and sighed as he tossed his paper at the table. “We all know it’s happening at Beau’s but we haven’t picked a date or decided any of the finer details.”
“True…” Beau nodded slowly. “I assumed we were doing it in my backyard but I don’t offer any planning or catering.” He looked at Cace and he hissed.
“We should do a little planning since we’re talking about a double wedding and I have no idea what Mercer’s expecting.”
“He’s expecting he’ll show up in a tuxedo wherever I tell him to,” Baxter replied with a humph and crossed his arms over his chest. “We should still include him in this. Meet at my place tonight to talk it out?”
“Sounds good. We’ll close early since it’ll probably be slow and meet you all there,” Cace agreed. Owen was pale and his eyes darted from face to face, waiting for orders.
“I’ll warn Mercer,” Baxter drawled as his newspaper flipped back up.
“I’ll have Faith cover for me. I don’t want to miss this,” Beau said.
Lorrie raised his mug in agreement but his focus was fixed on Cace and Owen. It was hard to sit next to him and remain calm even though it was Lorrie. He was usually tranquil and impossible to ruffle. Lorrie could pick up other people’s emotions like a radio picked up a signal but Fox could feel the anger and concern rolling off of him. They shared the same hostility toward anyone that would threaten their family.
“Neither do I,” Fox said as he sipped. “There’s nothing I won’t do to make sure everything’s perfect.”
Chapter 29
“Are we going to be ok?” Owen whispered and his father nodded as he turned into Baxter’s driveway. That was just vague enough, in case the car had been bugged too. Owen spent the afternoon discreetly checking under tables and counters as he wiped them down. He found both clever and bizarre ways to covertly check nearly every surface in the Bean Company and he was confident it was free of listening devices.
“Of course. I’m not even that angry with Fox anymore.” Cace shut off the engine and turned to face Owen. “I haven’t handled this well and I’m still worried but I have to get over it. All that matters is that you’re happy and he takes good care of you.” Cace’s hand closed around Owen’s and squeezed tight. They shared a long, loaded look, both afraid of whoever had bugged the loft but they were also hurt about the distance that had grown between them in just a few short weeks.
“He will, Dad,” Owen promised and let Cace pull him close so he could kiss his forehead.
“He better or he’ll have to answer to me. And Beau,” Cace said as he pushed Owen at his door with a playful ruffle of his hair. Owen laughed as he got out but they were both tense as they walked up the driveway. Cedric got the door as they climbed the porch steps. Baxter was waiting and gave Cace a warm hug. He reached for Owen’s cheek and Baxter’s eyes were fierce with worry despite the easy smile spread across his face.
“The other guest of honor,” Baxter said and gave Owen’s cheek a gentle pat. “Go find your fiancé. He’s climbing the walls in the dining room.” He stepped aside and waved them in. Beau and Lorrie were hovering in the foyer and Fox was at the sideboard in the dining room pouring himself a glass of iced tea.
“Fox!” Owen ran as soon as he spotted him. Fox opened his arms and shushed soothingly when he caught Owen. “Are you alright?” Owen asked and tightened his arms around Fox.
“I’m fine. I know he’s here now so I just have to make sure you’re safe until he’s on his way back to Turkey.” Fox rubbed Owen’s back as he kissed his hair. Owen caught Cace and Baxter watching them. Everyone else was checking their watches or phones or making small talk but Cace watched closely as Fox promised Owen they were going to be alright and that he would take every precaution.
“Who is he?” Owen asked.
“That’s a good question,” Baxter said as he guided everyone to the dining room. Cedric was there to oversee dinner. Everything had been laid out buffet style but no one seemed interested in eating. Beau and Lorrie were nursing tumblers of whiskey or scotch and Baxter looked like he’d been pacing. His coat was gone, his sleeves were rolled up, his hair was a wild mess, as if he’d been running his hands through it.
“You’re sure it’s safe to talk here?” Fox asked and Mercer chuckled dryly as he joined them. He was wearing solid black and had taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves as well but was relaxed as he sipped from his tumbler and wandered over to the sideboard.
“I work from home and am here most of the day. But no one’s getting in this house and leaving as much as a footprint under Cedric’s watch.” He selected a grape from one of the platters and popped it into his mouth. “And you can trust Cedric to mind his business and keep his mouth shut because he doesn’t give a damn about anything outside of this house.”
“We can trust him,” Baxter said and Fox nodded. He rubbed his hands together and his cheeks puffed out as he rocked on his heels, as if he was mentally sifting through files and memories.
“About four years ago, I was in Iraq on a joint mission with the Kurds. I was hundreds of miles away from the Turkish border but I recognized a man I knew as Colonel Kemal Sükan coming out of a mosque with a known high-level ISIS commander. I was providing surveillance assistance and pretending to be a journalist when Sükan and I spotted each other. I helped train Sükan in Ankara at Etimesgut when he was a junior officer but he’d been promoted to colonel and had a promising political future ahead of him. I wasn’t in that much trouble because I was in Iraq on a sanctioned mission but Sükan shouldn’t have been there. I had no choice but to call it in and burn him.”
“What happened to Sükan after he was burned?” Baxter asked and Fox held up his hands.
“He ran as soon as he saw me and he was never heard from again. Turkish intelligence made him their top priority and he’s wanted for treason. Every intelligence agency and Interpol has been told to keep an eye out and to detain and return him immediately if he’s apprehended. He’s a dead man if the Turks get a hold of him,” he explained. Beau grimaced and gave his head a shake.
“Sounds like he’s got a reason to come after you but he’d have to be a fool.”
“Sure, he’s got a reason,” Fox said but he hissed as he scrubbed the back of his neck. “But it wasn’t my fault he was there and why risk getting caught now? He made himself vanish four years ago and he’s safer staying hidden.”
“Because you’ve got something worth taking now,” Baxter guessed and stared hard at Fox over his glass as he drank. “You’re about to start a new life with your daughter and our…Owen. He couldn’t hurt you before but now you’ve got weaknesses.”
“Fuck!” Fox gasped and looked at Owen. “There were rumors about a woman and that Sükan might have had a lover. But they were just rumors and we could never confirm them enough to get a name.”
“That wasn’t your fault either!” Owen said but Fox winced.
“It wasn’t but that might explain why he’d take such a foolish risk for absolutely no gain. He could have tracked me down a lot easier in Iraq or any number of places in the Middle East over the last four years. I was so sure he would and spent the whole time looking over my shoulder. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw him here.”
“I’ve heard of veterans with PTSD having similar hallucinations,” Baxter murmured and made a thoughtful sound as he wandered over to the sideboard to refill his drink. Owen threw Fox a worried look but he waved it off.
“I’ve kept my therapist updated but I was fine until I started seeing Sükan. I wasn’t even thinking about any of that, I was so preoccupied with settling in here and avoiding my feelings for Owen. The whole Owen thing had me so stressed out, I barely looked for a place for me and Juniper. I wasn’t worried about the past, I was too busy blowing up my future,” he said with a disgusted laugh. He looked at Cace and snorted. “I bet you’re even more thrilled about this,” he said sarcastically. Owen was ready to jump to Fox’s defense but Cace shook his head and raised a shoulder.
“You were doing your job and you had no reason to believe he’d follow you here,” he said, surprising Owen. And probably everyone else. Cace rolled his eyes and threw a hand at Fox and Owen. “And I can see that you love him and I’m going to trust you to take good care of him,” he said and Owen laughed as he reached for Cace.
“Thanks, Dad! I hated not being able to talk to you about this.”
“I know and I’m sorry that I was so hardheaded about this. I trust you and you’re a hell of a lot smarter than I was at your age.” Cace squeezed Owen and kissed his hair as he looked at Baxter. “What are we going to do?”
“About Sükan? I’m not sure yet but I might have half a plan. I have a plan for Owen, though,” Baxter said as he pointed at Owen with his drink.
“Me?” Owen frowned as he looked at Baxter, then at Fox. “What about Juniper? And what about you?”
“I’ll be fine and Juniper’s in the safest place she can possibly be. Base security has been alerted and Jules would take Sükan apart with her bare hands if he tried to take Juniper from her. You, on the other hand, are a soft target. You work in an easily accessible place, serving mostly tourists. Everyone knows you so it’s easy to learn your life story and your routine. There’s a good chance you’ve already met him and served him coffee,” he added. Fox’s nostrils flared as he looked at Baxter. “What’s your plan for Owen?”
“Hadley and Kieran will be at the coffee shop as soon as it opens. Kieran’s taken a few days off so he can stick with Owen until this is over. When Beau’s not helping us with Sükan, he’s at the coffee shop and his truck’s parked in front with his shotgun.” Baxter glanced at Beau and he tapped his brow in agreement.
“We’ve got cameras at the coffee shop,” Cace said and Fox’s brows jumped.
“You might have recorded him,” he said. Cace nodded as he held up his phone.
“I can check it at any time with this and I’ve got the last few days saved on my computer at home.”
“Great. Can you send them to me? I’ll go through them tonight and hopefully have a current picture of him for us tomorrow,” Fox said and he grinned at Baxter. “All I’ve gotta do is draw him out so we can hand him over to the sheriff. The CIA and the Turkish embassy will take over within a few hours and no one will ever see or hear from Sükan again.” His nose wrinkled as he looked around. “If I know Jules, she’s already tipped off MİT, Turkish Intelligence. I couldn’t because he’s watching and listening to everything I do at the loft. But they’re going to move in carefully and avoid calling attention to themselves. If possible, they’ll let the locals bring him in because it’s neater. He’s already embarrassed them enough.”
“So we need to find a way to call him out and box him in until the sheriff can pick him up,” Baxter agreed and smiled at Beau. “What do you suggest?” He asked and it only took Beau a moment before he smiled back.
“Peddler’s Alley. We can clear everyone out and blend in while Fox waits to meet Sükan. Once Sükan’s inside, we can literally lock him in with us until the sheriff or the Turks come to get him. Though I know what I’d like to do with him once we’ve got him locked in Peddler’s Alley with us,” he said. Fox looked a little confused so Owen raised a hand.
“It’s that alley off of Main Street with the little street market and the cafe. There’s gates at both ends and they keep it locked up overnight.”
“Right,” Fox said and nodded. “I like it. He’ll expect me to pick someplace that lets me see him coming and has two exits.”
“I’ll hang out in the cafe. I usually stop by in the evenings since it’s just a few doors down from my place. I’ll tell Jeff to let me keep an eye on it for a while,” Lorrie offered and Baxter held up a thumb.
“Perfect. We’ll get as many of our people set up in the alley as we can and quietly warn everyone else to keep clear.” Baxter checked with Fox and he nodded.
“Sounds good. I have a pretty good idea of the layout but I’ll feel better with you all there.”
“You’re seriously going to stick me in the coffee shop while Fox uses himself as bait?” Owen asked loudly.
“Yes!” Everyone responded and Owen leaned back. Fox’s lips pursed as he held up a finger.
“We know you’re not a child but you’re probably his primary target. I want to flush him out before he tries something. He won’t be expecting that if we can play it cool for just another day,” he said and reached for Owen’s hand. “Then we can focus on us and getting the loft ready for Juniper.”
“I guess I can go along with that,” Owen conceded and everyone relaxed. Owen told himself to relax and be grateful that his dad and Baxter were getting along with Fox. Well. As much as one could relax when a disgraced Turkish spy was bent on getting revenge against the man you loved.
Chapter 30
“Your alarm’s about to go off,” Fox whispered in Owen’s ear. His eyes snapped open and for just a few moments, Owen didn’t think about Sükan. It was late when they returned home from Baxter’s. They pretended they were too tired and that Fox was too drunk to do anything but go straight to bed. He planned to nurse a faux hangover, hoping Sükan would think his guard was down.
“How are you feeling?” Owen asked and twisted so they were nose-to-nose and he searched Fox’s face. He was wide awake and Owen could tell by the dark shadows around his dry, red eyes that Fox hadn’t slept.
“Pretty good, all things considered,” Fox said as he looped an arm around Owen and pulled him close. He was hard and Owen gasped as Fox bucked against him.
“I can’t believe you—” He started but Fox stopped him by sucking on Owen’s tongue.
“I always want you, Owen. Even when I’ve barely slept and I’m hungover,” Fox rumbled and Owen yelped as his asscheek was squeezed.
“Fox!” He laughed nervously but it turned into a shiver as Fox’s hand pushed into the back of Owen’s pajama pants. His warm, clever fingers found Owen’s hole and he mouthed a scream at Fox. Now? He couldn’t believe that Fox would want to do that if there was a chance Sükan could hear them. Fox laughed softly as he nuzzled Owen’s neck and nibbled on his earlobe.
“Pretend it’s just us. Or pretend he’s listening if that helps,” he huffed faintly in Owen’s ear. “Personally, I’ve always liked when I knew they were watching or listening,” he added and there was another lazy rumble as Fox ground his erection against Owen’s. He bit into the side of Owen’s neck and sucked before he raised his head and rose on an elbow over him. “Remember that thing I wanted to try with you?” He asked as he reached under his pillow and held up Owen’s Fleshlight. “I sent your dad a text and let him know you’d be a little late.”
“That’s what you wanted to try?” Owen asked. He wasn’t at all disappointed but a small voice had whispered that it could have been something really weird like an audience of dolls or hats with propellers.
“I’d also like to bottom, if you feel like being on top. I thought this was a good way to warm you up,” Fox explained and Owen nodded quickly.
“Sure… Sure, sure, sure…”
“Unless you don’t want to,” Fox replied cautiously as he took the Fleshlight away.
“No! I definitely do!” Owen said in a rush and grabbed the flashlight-shaped toy. “I just didn’t realize you bottomed,” he whispered and gave Fox a very pointed look. Was he comfortable admitting that with Sükan listening? Fox hummed silkily as he fell onto his side and pulled Owen on top of him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You really enjoy getting fucked and I like being on top. Most of the time,” Fox added nonchalantly with a wiggle of his brows, daring Owen to play along. Owen decided to give Sükan a special tutorial on…advanced Fleshlight techniques. There was something Owen had always wanted to try…
“Hand me the lube,” Owen said as he pushed off of Fox’s chest. He straddled Fox’s thighs and Owen was blushing but he got a little more aroused at the thought of someone listening to them. He bit his lip and shivered as he scooted forward until his hard-on and his sac were pressed against Fox’s. Owen filled his palm with lube and had to bite back a moan as he coated their cocks. He picked up the Fleshlight and watched Fox’s eyes as he placed the soft silicone mouth around his own cock. The toy had lost its charm now that he had a real partner to play with. But Owen licked his lips and hissed as Fox watched him stroke his cock with the toy. He was so hard but it was the fierce look in Fox’s eyes that made Owen purr his name and pinch his nipples.
“Don’t stop!” Fox urged. His voice was gravelly and his hands clawed at Owen’s thighs and hips desperately. Owen got the cool, spongey core of the toy slick and hot and pulled it off his shaft. He gripped Fox’s length so he could guide the toy’s soft pink lips to the head and savored his ecstatic cry. Owen mashed his balls against Fox’s as he jerked the Fleshlight shallow and fast. “Jesus, Owen! That’s…” Fox’s head tossed from side-to-side as he gnashed his teeth and swore. “Please, Owen!”
“Wow!” Owen whispered, suddenly enthralled at the thought of making Fox beg for his cock. “Not yet,” he said with far more bravado than he possessed. Owen slid the Fleshlight off of Fox’s length and spun it around in his grip. He quickly loosened it so he could take out the silicone insert and tossed the plastic sleeve at his pillows. Owen braced his hand on the bed and pressed his pelvis against Fox’s so he could guide the sleeve over their erections.
