Part 12 (1/2)

”I can live with that,” Zach said, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the warmth of Bull's embrace. ”When do you need to go to work? I know you can't stay home tonight. It's busy and not fair to Harry.”

”I need to leave in a few hours, but I don't want to leave you alone.” Zach opened his mouth to protest, but Bull silenced him with a finger. ”I'll spend the entire night worrying about you.”

”I could call the guys and see if they want to go to the club?” Zach asked and then yawned. ”Maybe that isn't such a good idea.” He hadn't slept well, and he needed to get up for work in the morning.

”Call your friends and see if some of them can come over. I know you should be fine, but sometimes people beat the system, and if your uncle is released on bail, I want you safe.”

”Okay. I'll call them,” Zach said. He sighed and reached for his phone to make the calls. The guys were excited to get together. Jeremy invited everyone over to his place at seven, so Zach had a few hours with Bull before he needed to get ready to leave and Bull had to go to work.

Bull sat on the sofa, and once Zach was done with his calls, he straddled Bull's legs and sat on his lap. Bull tugged Zach's s.h.i.+rt out of his pants and pulled it up and over his head. ”I need to see you're okay.”

Zach s.h.i.+vered as Bull checked him over using his lips and tongue. ”You taste the same,” Bull mumbled against his belly. Zach giggled slightly, but that soon morphed into a soft groan. ”You really are okay,” Bull said.

”Yes, and feeling better all the time.” Zach groaned as Bull sucked a nipple. He leaned back, feeling safe cradled in Bull's hands.

”I think we should take this... examination... into the other room,” Bull suggested. Zach climbed off his lap, and Bull took his hand and led him to his bedroom. Bull stepped inside, took one look at his small bed, and turned back to him. ”I'm afraid we'll break it. Either that or we'll end up on the floor.” Bull led him back to the living room. He pulled the curtains and then pressed Zach back onto the cus.h.i.+ons.

He proceeded to strip Zach naked, then tasted and sucked him until Zach could barely see or think. By the time they were done, Zach lay on top of Bull's sprawled body. The coffee table had been pushed to the other side of the room, the old rug on the floor was askew, the entire room smelled of s.e.x, and there were pillows and cus.h.i.+ons strewn everywhere. Zach was sore in the best way possible. He groaned softly, s.h.i.+fting on his warm cus.h.i.+on.

”As much as I want to stay here with you forever, I need to get to the club,” Bull whispered.

”And I need to get to Jeremy's or they'll rib me all night.” Zach s.h.i.+fted to the floor and slowly got to his feet. ”Not that they won't already. It seems my s.e.x life has become quite the topic of conversation.” Bull huffed softly. ”Yeah, well, they keep wondering if Bull is a nickname or a description.” Zach giggled. ”I haven't had the heart to tell them it's both. Besides, they'd be jealous and try to steal you away.” He chuckled again. ”Not that they aren't already jealous.” He began picking up his clothes. ”Would you care to tell me how my pants made it onto the curtain rod?”

”I got a little energetic,” Bull quipped and then smiled. ”So sue me.”

Zach jumped to grab the leg of his pants. He managed to hook them and pull them down. ”Next time, get energetic with your own pants.” Zach hurried back to the bathroom and cleaned up quickly. Then he got dressed and joined Bull in the living room.

”I'll stop at home and clean up before I go to work.” Bull sniffed slightly. ”I smell like you, and while that's a nice thing, I don't need to spend the night at work smelling like s.e.x.”

”There are worse things,” Zach said as he grabbed his wallet and keys. He followed Bull out and locked the door before happily descending the stairs, watching Bull's b.u.t.t in his jeans. He didn't hide his smile when Bull looked over his shoulder, and he didn't s.h.i.+ft his gaze from Bull's meaty posterior. ”You watch mine all the time,” Zach said before pus.h.i.+ng through the door.

Before separating to go to their cars, Bull kissed him lightly and extracted a promise that he'd call when he got to Jeremy's and and he'd call when he got home. Zach rolled his eyes, but promised anyway before getting in his car and heading right over to Jeremy's. he'd call when he got home. Zach rolled his eyes, but promised anyway before getting in his car and heading right over to Jeremy's.

”SO WHY WHY is there a bruise on your wrist?” Tristan said as they sat around the living room of the apartment Jeremy and Tristan shared. ”Did Bull do that?” is there a bruise on your wrist?” Tristan said as they sat around the living room of the apartment Jeremy and Tristan shared. ”Did Bull do that?”

Zach checked both wrists, shocked to see that one was indeed turning purple. It hurt, too, but he hadn't noticed it. ”No. My uncle showed up.”

”Are you okay?” Kevin asked, shoving away the bowl of Cheetos.

”Yeah,” Zach said and gave them the condensed version of what happened. ”He grabbed my wrist, and I laid him out.” Zach smiled. ”Then I kicked his a.s.s.”

”Yeah, right,” Tristan said.

”I did. He came at me, and I went postal. I beat the c.r.a.p out of him. Bull held me to calm me down. It was awesome.” He truly felt free. The ghost of his uncle was gone, put to rest forever. He didn't tell his friends about his parents. He wasn't ready to talk about that yet, but he'd tell them eventually. ”So let's celebrate.

”What, you kicking an old guy's a.s.s?” Kevin joked as he reached for his beer.

”No. The fact that the old guy who beat me and lorded over my family and the rest of the people I knew growing up is finally getting his.” Zach raised his soda can. He'd already had a beer and he was going to have to drive later. They clinked their cans and beer bottles before drinking.

With that out of the way, the conversation descended to their usual topics: comics, television, and, of course, guys. They talked of going to the club so Bull could let them in, but they all had to work the next day. They ended up watching television and gabbing until it was time to leave. He drove home and walked through his empty apartment. Zach called Bull and left a message when the call went to voice mail. He ended up packing a bag and leaving again, this time driving over to Bull's. He smiled as he used the key Bull had given him and let himself in. He set his bag in the bedroom, then went back to the living room and turned on the television. The club closed early on Sunday nights, and he figured he'd wait up for Bull, but ended up falling asleep.

He started awake when Bull kissed him.

”I wasn't expecting you to be here,” Bull whispered.

”I missed you,” Zach explained, barely opening his eyes. Bull gathered him into his arms, lifted Zach off the sofa, and carried him through the house and into the bedroom, where he placed him on the bed. Zach pulled off his s.h.i.+rt and scrambled under the covers. He felt Bull remove his shoes and pants. Bull joined him a few minutes later, and Zach snuggled up to him, falling back to sleep almost instantly.

Chapter 9.

BULL WOKE WOKE. The room was still dark, and he glanced at the clock beside the bed. Something was wrong. Instantly he knew someone else was in the house. Bull got up and pulled on jeans, then grabbed his gun from his dresser drawer and tucked it in the back of his jeans. He took a quick look at Zach and quietly left the bedroom. He walked silently through the house, avoiding every place on the floor that made a creak. The room was still dark, and he glanced at the clock beside the bed. Something was wrong. Instantly he knew someone else was in the house. Bull got up and pulled on jeans, then grabbed his gun from his dresser drawer and tucked it in the back of his jeans. He took a quick look at Zach and quietly left the bedroom. He walked silently through the house, avoiding every place on the floor that made a creak.

”What the h.e.l.l is it with you coming in my house?” Bull asked when he got to the kitchen, staring at Spook, who was sitting at his table. He relaxed slightly.

”We have a little unfinished business,” Spook said, standing up and pointing a gun at him. Bull groaned at his mistake, set his gun on the floor, and slowly moved to the center of the room. Bull shook his head and glared at the smaller man. ”This was supposed to be an easy job. I get you to do the work for my client, and I get paid. It's that simple. Only you're too stubborn to take what was offered. I don't get paid, so I figure you need to pay me.”

”Bulls.h.i.+t. I'm not giving you anything,” Bull said. ”Now get out of my house and don't come back. I've had it with everyone deciding what I'm going to do, and if you were dumb enough to take a job without getting paid up front, then you're the one who's stupid, not me.”

”The deal was too good to pa.s.s up, and now I get nothing,” Spook said, coming closer. ”So just make it easy on both of us and pay up.”

”No. Go back to Rashad and get the money from him. He has piles of it.” Out of the corner of his eye, Bull saw movement down the hall. s.h.i.+t, Zach was awake. Bull slowly worked his way toward the other side of the room, trying to get Spook's back to Zach. ”I'm not going to give you anything. You should know my reputation as well.” He continued moving, and Spook turned along with him. ”I'm stubborn as h.e.l.l and never do anything I don't want to do. You should have known that before you accepted the job.” He kept moving. Bull hoped Zach would see or hear what was going on and hole up in the bedroom until Bull could take care of Spook.

”Yeah, yeah,” Spook said. ”You think I really care now? All I want is my money, and I'll take what I want out of you or the little piece you have in the bedroom. Either way, I won't be leaving with nothing.”

”I'm afraid you will,” Bull said. Sirens sounded in the distance.

”Like I said, I don't think so.”

Spook raised the gun, and Bull glanced around, trying to figure out his options. Suddenly, Spook went flying, hit the counter, and then crumpled to the floor, Zach a blur of movement from behind him. A shot rang out, and Bull hit the floor as well before lunging toward Spook as he tried to get up. ”Kick the gun away,” Bull told Zach, who now stood naked in the kitchen doorway. He did as Bull asked and stared at them.

”I called the police,” Zach said, breathing hard and shaking a little.

”Good idea. I've got him. I suggest you go put some clothes on,” Bull said. Zach looked down, squeaked, and hurried back toward the bedroom.

”What the h.e.l.l happened?” Spook groaned as Bull held his hands behind his back.

”Doesn't matter, dumba.s.s. But it seems Zach laid you out. The police are on their way, and you can explain to them why you were here and what you thought you were doing, or you can get the h.e.l.l out of here and forget about me, because if I ever see you again, I'll speak to all of my contacts. You won't be able to get a job doing anything after that. No one will trust you for anything. I might be out of the game, but you know I can make your life difficult. So make your choice-you've got just a few seconds.”

”Fine,” Spook said. Bull lifted him to his feet, not really caring if Spook was in pain or not. ”Get out and gone.” Bull opened the door to the backyard and shoved Spook out into the night. He really didn't want to have to explain to the police about his background or about Spook. It was doubtful they'd see Spook again. He'd been beaten, and that was something Spook wouldn't want to get around.

”Where'd he go?” Zach asked as he approached the kitchen in Bull's robe. It looked huge on him.

”He got away,” Bull said.