Colorado Fire - Colorado Heart 2 (5 page)

Michael Ward, an alias for Michael Brown, was a Canadian citizen who lived in the UK. He'd been in and out of jail since his teens. His crimes were small in nature, petty theft and minor drug possession charges. Three years ago, he cleaned up and hadn't been questioned by the police since. Shortly thereafter, he changed his name to Michael Ward and moved to England. Grant guessed the man met Craig about three years ago. That was in the middle of their relationship, right when they were getting hot and heavy and talks of forever and true love had been going on between him and Craig. Now he knew it had all been faked. His lover hadn't cared about him at all. They hadn't had a miracle romance, beating the odds and finding true love. There hadn't been anything true about it at all.

Grant used the bathroom and brushed his teeth, washing his body using the sink and paper towels. After he finished, he stared at himself in the mirror, trying to determine if anything was real. What he'd felt for Craig had been love. At least he'd thought it was love. Maybe he'd been fooling himself the entire time. Craig had told him over and over again that they were real. Now he felt like a fool. He wondered how many of the other guys suspected that what he had with Craig hadn't been real.

He drew in a deep breath and turned away from his reflection, disgusted that he cared so much about what Craig had thought about him. The man had lied time and time again, getting Grant to believe what they had was special. Now he had to contend with the fact that they weren't special, he wasn't special. They had nothing together, only lies.

The main room where he'd tied Michael was quiet. For a moment, panic filed Grant when he thought the guy had gotten away, then he saw him lying on his side, the chair Grant had placed him in was tipped over.

"Michael," Grant tapped his toe against the guy's foot, getting no response. "Hey," he called out, tapping the man's leg this time. Nothing happened. Grant bent, checking for a pulse. The guy was alive, but unconscious. Grant cut the zip strips binding Michael to the chair. Once the guy was clear, Grant rolled him over, noticing the huge lump on his forehead. He must have flipped the chair at some point, knocking himself out.

The day wasn't going to be easy if he couldn't interrogate Michael. He needed answers, not more problems. Grant could return to Craig's place, but he bet Craig had already skipped the country. He couldn’t kill Michael either. The guy was a petty criminal. Grant didn't know if this man even knew about Craig's overall scheme or the bombings. Leaving him for the police would give them someone to interrogate. Last night, he'd called in Craig's office using a payphone. He picked up Michael's phone, staring at it for a minute before dialing the cops. Disguising his voice, he stated that he'd done the bombings and gave the location of the warehouse. He gave Michael's name but hung up when they started asking questions.

After grabbing the zip strips and wiping the bathroom down, Grant left the building, leaving the Land Rover parked out front. He headed back toward the city, ducking into an alley when the cops drove past.

Once he hit his hotel, he gathered his things, hurrying before the cops came for him. He was actually surprised Craig hadn't reported him. Then again, if Craig had, it would throw suspicion on him, and Grant had more resources available to him than Craig did at the moment.

Anger and defeat left him unsettled as he took the train to London. Staying in England would be crazy. Craig would have already fled, finding another place to hole up until he felt safe again. The next time Craig stuck his head out, Grant wouldn't act so rashly. He'd come to England on a wild goose chase, hoping to get some answers. Next time, he'd make sure he got his man.

Chapter Four

Marshal hadn't slept and couldn’t eat. He'd seen Zander in the kitchen and his stomach had turned, rebelling against him. The only solution was work. The horses needed tending first then the cows. Focusing on ranch chores allowed him to ignore the issues.

When he was alone in the far pasture, no chance of running into any of the guys, he broke down. Dropping to his knees, he cried out and screamed as rage filled him. How could he have been so stupid? Being intimate with Zander had been so earthshattering he didn't know how he could face the man again. Everything he'd ever known before about loving another was dashed by the intensity he'd experienced with his best friend.

Then he'd ruined it all, telling Zander to leave him alone. He screamed again, his anger rising. Why had he allowed himself to do that with Zander? The man was good-looking and amazing, but having sex with him had been a mistake. He shivered, wondering what it would be like if they actually had sex, as in him sinking into Zander, feeling his heat around his cock. He closed his eyes and felt tears leak out, trailing down his cheeks.

This was why they didn't fuck around. Feelings for Zander wove through him. If he stayed, he'd want to be with Zander. Seeing him this morning had been painful. But being in a relationship scared the hell out of him. When Grant had chosen Craig, he'd been devastated, vowing to never love another. Being with Zander seemed to be so easy, but this was his life. If they didn't work out, he couldn’t just stuff his feelings like he had with Grant. It had taken him years to get over that, with Zander, he'd be destroyed. Zander meant more to him than Grant ever had and that scared the fuck out of him.

Even without being in a relationship with Zander, he was already shattered. Maybe he should cash it all in and leave Wild Bluff. The missions were weighing on him, and he needed a break. But would he be able to lead any other type of life? He'd been military for so long, then he'd moved to Wild Bluff, which was very similar to military just with a few added freedoms.

They trained like military—actually they trained harder. Many days were spent learning new technology and doing intense physical activities. When special missions came up, they were ready. They didn't live with downtime, not in the traditional sense. The ranch kept them sane. The cows and horses didn't care that he was wallowing in self-pity, so confused he didn't know what his next move would be. Living on the ranch allowed them the respite they all needed after dealing with the crap their real jobs brought them.

The sound of an engine caught his attention. Dust built over the rise, indicating that a vehicle was approaching. His heart quickened and he didn't know if he wanted it to be Zander or not.

The truck came into view, revealing his best friend in the driver's seat. His heart squeezed and his breath quickened. Facing Zander this morning had been too difficult, prompting him to run. Now the man had come to track him down. Anger, fear, and desire mixed together as Zander pulled to a stop beside him. Zander's face showed little emotion. Marshal didn't want to hear what he had to say but running wasn't mature. He'd have to face this man eventually, he only hoped he survived the encounter. The love he'd seen last night wasn't there, and Marshal wondered if he'd pushed too hard and even Zander didn't want him.

When Zander opened the truck door, Marshal almost bolted. Cowardice had never been something he'd seen in himself until now. This was tougher than facing the enemy on the battlefield and worse than fighting an unknown enemy. Zander had the power to crush him, destroying his soul and his spirit.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Zander closed the distance between them. Marshal was ready for anything, except the scorching kiss Zander laid on him, igniting a fire that burned hotter than he'd ever experienced. His fingers dug into Zander's shoulders as the man spun him around and pushed him against the truck. Their hips ground together, their breaths coming in gasps as they yanked at each other's shirts, pressing their chest together once the material was shoved out of the way.

After a moment, Marshal broke the kiss and gulped in air, his head spinning as he searched for words. Zander buried his head against Marshal's neck, placing sweet kisses near his collarbone.

"I'm sorry, but I can't keep my hands or lips off you. I didn't drive out here to do this. I wanted to tell you that Grant is on his way home and give you some food."

He clutched Zander's shoulders, pushing him to arms length. Just the thought of giving this man up left him dizzy with pain. "I can't lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"If you leave me, I'll be devastated." Marshal bit his lower lip, shaking his head as he bared his soul to Zander. "I can't live through falling in love with you then having you leave. I'll be destroyed."

"I'm not leaving you."

"But what if you find someone better?"

Zander cupped his cheeks and smoothed his thumbs over Marshal's face, shaking his head as he searched Marshal's eyes. "There isn't anyone better than you."

"I'm afraid."

"I know." Zander slid his arms around Marshal's waist, and held him close. "I'll keep you safe."

"How can you guarantee I won't be hurt?"

Zander dropped his hands and stepped away, putting distance between them. He wanted to draw Zander near again, but he ignored the urge and stayed still. Standing on the precipice of love, he wanted to jump—to allow love to take over and spin him and Zander on a journey that would rock their world. He questioned his sanity, wondering if he should cut his losses before the wild passions dashed him against the rocks, leaving him a broken man. Before, with women, he knew they were temporary lovers. He didn't want to be a military husband, having to leave his wife behind, so he never settled down. There were a few guys he was attracted to, but he'd fallen hard for Grant. With Zander, it was deeper than anything he had for Grant. That scared the shit out of him.

"Marshal, I can't promise that you'll never be hurt, but I can promise that I'll try hard not to hurt you."

"I feel so much when I'm with you."

"Can we give it a try?"

"What if it destroys us both?"

Zander shook his head and Marshal thought he was going to give up, saying that he wasn't worth the effort. Then Zander's gaze connected with his and the intensity coming from the man shocked him.

"I care so much for you. Let me show you how much."

"I don't want the other guys to know yet."

"I'm okay with that."

Marshal stood a little taller, wondering if it would actually be this easy. "What if they ask?"

"Get real, if they wonder if we're sleeping together, they'll investigate. You do know who we live with."

"Yeah, but you know, what if someone sees something and then asks?"

"Then we'll tell them the truth."

Marshal bit his lip, worry weaving through him. "What is the truth?"

Zander smiled and stepped close. "Hmm, maybe that we're together and that's all we're going to say."

"Are we, you know, together?"

"I hope so. I want to be with you."

"Why?" Marshal couldn't believe that anyone wanted him. Grant hadn't, and that had colored how he thought of himself since.

"Marsh, you're my best friend, the one man I can count on for anything. Loving you will be easy."

"Loving?"

"Yeah, loving. We'll take it slow, but I have some rather intense feelings for you."

"Intense?"

Zander reached out and grabbed Marshal's shirt, tugging him close, stealing his breath with a hot kiss that ended up being way too short for Marshal's taste. "Very intense," Zander growled before trapping Marshal's hands at his sides. They were pressed together, Zander grinding hard against him, their faces only millimeters away from each other. "I allowed you to lead last time so I didn't overwhelm you, but babe, I'm going to show you very soon exactly how I feel and what I want. I have plans for your body that will leave little doubt how deeply I care about you. But right now, we need to get back to the ranch house. Grant will be home soon and we need to see if we can figure out where Craig went after he fled England."

Marshal closed his eyes and tried to think of something other than fucking Zander. "I guess Grant didn't get his man?"

"No, he didn't." Zander separated from Marshal and he felt the loss immediately. He followed behind him as he moved to his truck and grabbed a bag out of the front seat. "I didn't know if you would talk to me or not."

"Of course I'll always talk to you."

"Yeah, but you pushed me away last night and this morning you ran before you ate anything."

Marshal shook his head as regret washed over him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. Just promise that you'll come to me if something bugs you."

Marshal looked at the ground and nodded. "Yeah, I will."

"Good." Zander handed him the bag. "Eat this on your way back to the ranch. Duff is expecting us. The other guys will probably be working when we get back."

Marshal blew out a breath and shook his head. The frequency of their missions seemed to be increasing. He couldn't leave these guys hanging, but he needed a breather.

"Hey." Zander placed his hand on Marshal's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Duff you need a break. He won't be mad."

"I can't leave you hanging."

"No, but you can't keep going at the rate you've been going. You've been on too many missions this year. Take a break. The other guys are itching to go on missions."

He pulled out the sandwich Zander had made and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. "I know that, but there are times I don't get the break I need. There are a lot of missions that require my expertise."

"Yes, but all of the guys are good. They all know how to run a mission and you don't need to take on that much responsibility."

Marshal took another bite, thinking about the last four years. "I brought it on myself. When Craig and Grant got together, I started requesting more missions."

"Then it is time you told Duff that you needed a break. Really, he'd be more than happy to have you stick around here for a while."

"Yeah, but I'll feel so useless."

Zander laughed, his smile reaching his eyes, making them sparkle. "Marsh, you are the most useful man I've ever known. Don't discount yourself. None, and I mean not one of them, sees you as useless. You are amazing and everyone respects you. They also know you take a lot upon yourself."