Part 11 (1/2)
Bull swallowed and hoped to G.o.d Zach was right.
Chapter 8.
BULL HAD HAD fallen back to sleep, and Zach watched him for a while before getting out of bed and leaving the room. Bull needed his rest, and Zach didn't want to keep him up. Thankfully, he didn't have to go to work. He had no plans for the day and he hoped Bull didn't either. Zach located the small bag he'd brought with him and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-s.h.i.+rt. fallen back to sleep, and Zach watched him for a while before getting out of bed and leaving the room. Bull needed his rest, and Zach didn't want to keep him up. Thankfully, he didn't have to go to work. He had no plans for the day and he hoped Bull didn't either. Zach located the small bag he'd brought with him and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-s.h.i.+rt.
He went to the living room and turned on Bull's television, keeping the volume low. He got comfortable and let himself become engrossed in Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland.
”What's so funny?” Bull asked, rubbing his eyes as he wandered into the room naked.
”I'm glad the curtains are closed; otherwise we'd have a stampede,” Zach said as he stood up. ”They'd want you for themselves, but I don't share.”
Bull wrapped his arms around him, and Zach hummed contentedly. ”I don't share either,” Bull growled deep and long. Zach s.h.i.+vered as Bull slid his warm hands down his back, then pushed his sweats down his hips until they pooled on the floor. Zach stepped out of them, and Bull placed his hands under Zach's b.u.t.t and hoisted him upward. Zach wrapped his legs around Bull's waist. Bull kissed him hard, turned around, and carried him back to the bedroom. Bull laid him on the bed and stilled. Zach wondered if something was wrong.
”I've been to war, looked the enemy in the eyes. I've seen things that would make most men gouge their eyes out,” Bull said. ”I'm afraid of very little, but the thought of being without you scares me to death. I can yell, scream, use my voice to stop a tank, but telling you how I feel seems impossible.”
”You don't have to say anything you aren't ready for,” Zach said, stroking Bull's cheek. ”I know how you feel about me.”
”But you deserve to hear me say it. I'm not going to be one of those guys who gets mushy all the time. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve, but you deserve to hear me say how I feel.” Bull stroked his cheek, and Zach locked his gaze onto Bull's. His heart pounded as he waited for what Bull had to say. ”I love you, Zach.”
”I love you too,” Zach said. Closing his eyes, he tugged Bull down to him. They kissed, and this time Zach took charge. Bull's lips parted, and Zach surged his tongue forward, taking possession of Bull's mouth, letting him know just how special he felt. When Bull moaned softly, Zach smiled against his lips.
”What?” Bull asked, pulling away slightly.
”I like that I can make you sound like that,” Zach said, pulling him back into a kiss.
They made love quietly and deeply. Zach loved when Bull got energetic, but he also loved slow, intimate movements. The headboard didn't bang, the bed only swayed a little, but Zach's body tingled with desire and his c.o.c.k throbbed and jumped, bouncing against his stomach as he held on as long as he possibly could. Bull held him tight as Zach plunged over the edge, and this time he felt Bull throb deep inside him.
Zach sighed and closed his eyes, holding Bull tight as afterglow flowed over him. He didn't want to move. Everything was perfect right now, and he wanted it to last. Zach s.h.i.+vered slightly when their bodies separated, but he didn't move until Bull got out of bed and gently helped him into the bathroom. He turned on the water, and they stepped into the shower. Bull took up most of the s.p.a.ce, which meant Zach had to stay close. That was fine with him. Bull faced the shower, and Zach held him around the waist, resting against him. The proximity to Bull's skin was already having an effect.
”You are a minx,” Bull said as he slowly turned around.
Zach looked down at his d.i.c.k, already pointing toward Bull, and then raised his gaze and smiled. ”Do you think that someday I might get to....” He swallowed, wondering how Bull would react. ”... do you?”
Bull pulled him close. ”It isn't something I really enjoy, or haven't in the past, but yes, I'd like you to make love to me.” Bull kissed him, and Zach moaned, the water cascading over them.
ZACH HAD HAD intended to make breakfast after their shower, but that got delayed a number of times. By the time they left the bedroom, they were both starving. Bull took him out to lunch, which was interrupted by a phone call, and then dropped him at his apartment in the afternoon. Bull had said he had some errands to run, but he followed Zach inside. intended to make breakfast after their shower, but that got delayed a number of times. By the time they left the bedroom, they were both starving. Bull took him out to lunch, which was interrupted by a phone call, and then dropped him at his apartment in the afternoon. Bull had said he had some errands to run, but he followed Zach inside.
”I thought you had things to do?” Zach asked.
”I do, but....” Bull sat down and Zach's old sofa creaked slightly. ”I have a confession to make, and I hope you aren't going to be angry with me.”
Zach lowered himself in a chair, wondering what was wrong.
”A few weeks ago, after I met your uncle, I called a few people from my unit who are now in law enforcement.”
”Bull,” Zach said, his stomach roiling. ”What did you do?”
”I didn't do anything other than ask them to take a look into your uncle's behavior. He isn't normal. That call I got at lunch, when I stepped away from the table, was from one of my contacts. I didn't tell you then because I thought it better that you hear this in private.” Bull paused, and Zach leaned forward, wis.h.i.+ng he'd just tell him. ”They've built a case, and your uncle is going to be arrested.”
”Oh,” Zach said. ”I guess I wasn't the only person he beat when they displeased him.”
Bull leaned forward and reached out to touch Zach's leg. ”Your uncle is being arrested primarily for arson and murder.”
”I don't....” Zach gasped. ”Are you saying...?” Zach stilled as his heart beat in his ears. ”Is this because of my parents?”
”Yes. The story you told me about the way your parents died rubbed me the wrong way. It was too simplistic and convenient. So I pa.s.sed your story on to some friends with keen investigative skills. It seems your uncle had a lot of ways to keep people from leaving his sphere of influence. He coerced people, beat them like he did you, and G.o.d knows what else. But none of those things were working on your parents. It's all coming out now, but it seems your parents were getting ready to leave, and your uncle couldn't have that. If his relatives left, then others would as well.”
”So he burned down their house with them in it?” Zach could barely speak as the grief he'd carried for so long welled back to the surface.
”It appears so. I don't have any details because it's an open case, and some of what I just told you I shouldn't even know. But this is too important for me to keep quiet about.” Bull knelt next to Zach's chair, and Zach reached out, throwing himself at him.
”What am I going to do?”
”Answer the agents' questions and testify at your uncle's trial regarding how you were treated. I know this is hard, but at least you know now. There had to be some suspicion in the back of your mind just from the way you told me the story. Now you know the truth.”
Zach blinked. ”The b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” he swore. ”He took everything away from me, even them!” He clenched his fists tightly.
”I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I didn't know that anything would come of it.” Bull held him tightly. ”I do love you.”
”I know,” Zach whispered.
”I hope it helps,” Bull said.
Zach held him tighter. ”It helps a lot,” he croaked and then buried his head against Bull's shoulder and cried. How long he stayed that way, he wasn't sure. The tears eventually dried, but he held Bull anyway, needing to be close to him. ”It seems stupid to be grieving over all this again. They've been gone for a while, and I've moved on.”
”No, it's not-thinking your folks died in an accident is very different from knowing they were deliberately hurt,” Bull told him. ”I've seen a lot of people die in my life. I've killed people. It was war, and that was my job. Sometimes I can see the people I've killed in my sleep. But I've never hurt anyone who wasn't out to hurt me first. I know it might not be much of a distinction, but....”
”It is. It means you're the man I fell in love with,” Zach said, closing his eyes and hugging Bull tighter. After a while he straightened up, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. ”I'm sorry. You had things you needed to do.”
”I can do them later,” Bull said.
”No, it's okay. I need some time alone to think. Go run your errands-just come back when you're done.” Zach swallowed and Bull stood up. ”I'll be fine.”
”You're sure? I can always get Harry to do them for me,” Bull said.
Zach shook his head. ”Go on. I'll be fine.”
Bull gave him a gentle kiss and slowly went to the door, looking back to him one last time before he left the apartment. Zach smiled and made ”scoot” motions with his hands. Bull closed the door, and Zach sat alone, staring at the blank television screen.
His mind raced. Bull was right: he'd had suspicions about his uncle, but he hadn't wanted to believe or even contemplate them. Who wanted to think a relative, someone he'd known all his life, was a murderer? Zach curled up on the sofa, resting his head on the arm. He'd told his uncle he was free and he'd meant it. But his freedom had come at a high cost. His family, friends, and now his parents' deaths-all of it was linked to his quest to get away and live his own life. ”I'm sorry,” Zach said quietly into the empty room. He wasn't expecting a response and didn't get one. Thank goodness, or otherwise he'd be nuts.
Zach sat unmoving on the sofa and eventually closed his eyes. Being alone like this probably wasn't a good idea. Yeah, it gave him time to think, but what ran though his mind were things it was probably best he didn't think about all at once. But everything-guilt, second-guessed decisions, insisting his parents simply come with him-all of it rolled over in his mind again and again. He wondered what Bull would tell him, what sort of advice the former soldier and mercenary would give him to deal with the guilt.
He reached over to the coffee table, grabbed the remote, and turned on the television for some company. He watched some sitcom reruns and soon his attention wavered. He closed his eyes and willed everything to go away. Not that it worked, but he eventually relaxed enough to doze off.