Chapter Twenty-one
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Three days since Christian, Luke and 'Reny' arrived,
Secret Best Friends Lodge',
Somewhere in British Columbia,
Canada,
.
"I've no idea who this guy is," Jason admitted as he read and reread Damon's file. He'd been studying it intently for the last few days, taking his time to try and think about who the man could be and if he'd served along side Jason at any point.
His face was familiar and Teddy also concurred that Damen DeMiro had been present with Stefano Esposito Jr –Slick- that night back in Liquid Knights where they had witnessed Slick putting a bullet through some poor bastard's skull. Or rather Teddy had witnessed the shooting; Jason had just witnessed Slick's presence and also the multiple gunshots being fired at himself and Teddy which would get Slick jail alone.
Reynolds nodded in sympathy and scratched the beard he'd somehow managed to develop in the last few days living in this bizarre Canadian Cabin. Everyone was looking a lot more gruff and hairier actually; Taylor's buzzcut non-existent now and instead a crop of bright ginger which rivalled that of Christian and Teddy's copper stubble and waves. Without his hair products, Luke's hair had reverted back to being fluffy and shapeless but at least he looked adorable. Reynolds just looked weird, Luke thought, as though his head was upside down since he was completely bald on top with a thick browny red beard on his chin now.
"I didn't think you'd know him to be honest, Jason," Reynolds admitted, and Luke focused back on the task in hand; pooling together everything they knew about Damon and Slick, "It was just on the off chance. I read 'Marine Corps' and my dick twitched."
"His face isn't ringing any bells from the golden days, but then when he was going through bootcamp I was already in active duty; Desert Storm," Jason explained as he tapped the date of Damon's enlistment, "What was the dishonourable discharge for?"
"I don't think he treated local women very nicely," Reynolds said delicately, "As for his criminal record sheet; it's clean. He's so protected by the Esposito that he could be found with a human head in his fridge and he'd walk away free as a bird."
"Sounds familiar," Christian said, deciding to try his hand at humour. He got a few smiles but no one had the mental energy to do more than that. Certainly, Luke wasn't up for it just now. He was sore and stiff and missed his girls badly. Being trapped out here, in a cabin with Jarhead, Dr Evil, The Boss and the Brat, was an utter sausage fest. Danni was very much missed.
He thought back to the image of his feisty little Italian bride; watching Danni brandishing an AK-47 and screaming at Esposito's goons had been a serious turn on. Well, not at the time; Luke had been trying his damned hardest to just keep his blood in his body rather than have it run to his dick. Looking back on it, however, he'd had a few sneaky wanks to the memory.
There wasn't much else to do but wank anyway, Luke thought. On the first day they'd gone to the nearest community once to send letters and gather up supplies but that was it for entertainment. Taylor had at least come back with some beers and marshmallows so they could pretend they were on a camping holiday and have smores. But Luke was pretty certain that everyone here would much rather be with their families. This was possibly the longest Grey had gone without fucking Ana, Luke realised, and he was surprised there wasn't a glory hole drilled into the wall.
"When's Welch coming?" Christian asked, Luke pulling his mind out of the gutter long enough to hear the question.
"As soon as he has the resources," Reynolds reminded him, "He's a security agency provider, not a vigilante. The fact he and his men are offering to help back us up really will tarnish his company's credibility."
"He knows you three are with me; he must do, but that letter I sent him will be the confirmation," Jason said, running a hand through his orange hair, "I need a shave. Anyone fancy running the electric razor over it?"
"I can," Teddy, out of everyone, volunteered. It took Luke back and he stared at Teddy curiously, unable to believe that the young man was offering to help anyone, least of all Jason. That was weird.
"Thanks, Ted," Jason nodded and yawned, "I'll go get it."
"Sure, T," Teddy said and stood, stretching out his skinny arms, "I'll go get us some more firewood."
"I'll come too," Reynolds volunteered and put away the file on Damen, grabbing his hoody and following Teddy outside.
What the fuck was that all about?
Christian looked just as shocked, staring after his son and Reynolds. "Did he just offer to help someone else?" he asked, looking at Luke with a risen eyebrow, "Did that just happen?"
"I…think so?" Luke admitted and sat up, "I hope so. It's about time he started thinking about others."
"God, don't I know," Christian mumbled, scratching his chin and staring at Luke then, "I better go check the rabbit snares. Do you want to come with me?"
"Sure," Luke nodded, "I'm feeling more like myself now I've been sat on my arse for the last few days. Lets go get dinner."
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That evening,
Enjoying home cooked rabbit stew and lukewarm beer,
Sitting out behind the Secret Best Friends Lodge,
Somewhere in British Columbia,
Canada,
.
"Tonight would have been mine and Craig's anniversary. We had tickets for a show," Reynolds mumbled as he placed his stick out over the fire and cooked his marshmallow.
"Opera?" Dad asked, sipping his beer and roughing it in a way which Teddy had never seen his father do before. He was sitting on the ground, feet towards the fire and a plate of stewed rabbit on his lap which he was eating by piercing hunks of the meat with a knife since there was a shortage of forks. With his shaggy hair and bristling beard twinned with the pallid shirt Taylor had lent him, dad looked like a Mountain Man. Mom wouldn't recognise him whatsoever, Teddy was sure.
Yet it seemed as though it was natural to dad to sit as he was; head resting on Taylor's thigh who was sitting on the log dad was leaning against.
"Opera? How bourgeoisie," Reynolds quipped and Teddy saw his dad actually laugh. But surely Reynolds had just insulted him? After all, bourgeoisie was something to do with being super rich, right?
"Yeah, I can't stand it," Dad said, "I get dragged alone 'cause Jason likes Elina Garanca."
"Fuck, yes I do," Jason mumbled, mouthful of stew, "That voice gives me wood."
"The pair of you, honestly," Luke laughed, enjoying his own beer, "You're like some old married queer couple."
"I'm the top," dad announced and Teddy nearly choked. He was coughing and spluttering enough for Luke to slap his back manfully whilst Jason whacked dad's head.
"You fucking wish," Jason growled, stealing some of dad's rabbit as revenge.
Reynolds let out a deep sigh, shaking his head and looking up at the British Columbian starlit sky, "I could be at home, fucking my husband right now." he mumbled, catching everyone off guard with his bluntness. Teddy's jaw dropped to the ground; he'd never heard Reynolds say more than a few words in the past, let alone talking about his sex life so openly. The guy was gay too, surely he knew that talking about fucking a man was taboo in a group of hetero men, right?
"Aw, Reny, are ya horny?" Luke whistled almost gleefully, sliding off the rock he'd parked his ass on and crawling over to where the skinny bald man was stargazing, "I'm not as colourful as your husband but Danni says I've got the hot ass in the security squad."
Geez, this was too fucking odd for Teddy, watching as Luke laid his head on Reynold's chest and cosied in, Reynolds wrapping his arm around the muscular man's body.
"You've the second hottest ass," Reynolds mumbled, stroking Luke's hair, "Ryan's got the nicest. He's been training with Jason."
"What's wrong with Jason's?" Dad teased, warranting another whack from his usual CPO.
Reynolds and Luke both laughed, "Jason doesn't let anyone near his ass," Reynolds laughed, "Do you think I want to get crucified for rating his?"
"Gail likes my butt and that's enough for me, thank you very much," Jason growled uncomfortably, becoming prudish and tense unlike everyone else who appeared to remain open and joking. As if they didn't have an impending drug lord family hunting them. Maybe it was the beer and warm rabbit stew but Teddy could almost pretend that he was out camping with his father rather than hiding from the world on an improvised witness protection program. "Things come out; they never go up."
"You never had a rimjob before?" Reynolds asked bravely, Luke bursting out in laughter. Dad laughed loudly too and Teddy had to join in, watching Jason's face go from utter shock to anger.
"What do you think?" Jason scoffed, "Do I look like the kinda guy that wants their wife to do…that!?"
"But you'd do it to someone else?" dad intervened, looking up at Jason from by his feet.
"Well, yeah, but that's different," Jason scoffed.
"How is that different?!" Luke laughed loudly, "Honestly Taylor, you're my bestfriend but dude, you're so closed minded. Honestly, when all this fuckery is over, get your wife to lick your button."
"Sawyer you're getting on my last nerve," Jason warned, "Calm down."
To Teddy's surprise, Luke did just that. He stopped acting up and, instead of continuing to piss Jason off, went back to getting the back of his neck massaged by Reynolds.
"I'd rather have my face smooshed up in vagina right about now anyways," Luke mumbled, Reynolds gently running his hand through the man's fluffy hair still. To Teddy's horror, Luke stared at him now, "You ever gone down on a lady before, Ted?"
"No," Teddy said far too quickly, catching Dad's eye for a brief second. Dad smirked and tipped his bottle of beer back and took a hearty gulp. But it wasn't dad's eyes he was fearful of; it was Taylor's.
"He said that fast," Reynolds observed.
"Who was she?" Luke pressed, "Come on, Tedster. You're hanging with the boys tonight. Tell us a sexy story."
Teddy gulped and chewed on his piece of rabbit, "I've been with one woman. For real. Like, I've had blowjobs and things but I've only been with one girl completely."
"Was she hot?" Dad asked.
"Yeah-I mean no, she wasn't," Teddy winced, then saw Taylor glare.
"What was wrong with her?" he asked pointedly, stabbing a piece of rabbit with a knife and ramming it between his teeth aggressively.
"She wasn't hot; she was beautiful," Teddy shrugged, "Like the poet Robinson Jeffries says, 'The greatest beauty is organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe'. That's what I saw in her. Wholeness."
There was silence from the other men at that and Teddy worried that he'd done something wrong or even said something he wasn't supposed to. Taylor knew that Teddy had slept with his daughter so he needed to remain respectful; but had that bullshit been too respectful? Did he just make himself seem like some sort of fag for being poetic? What the hell was he thinking 'sunrise personified'. What a fucking fruit cake. He should have made up a lie, told them he fucked her in the ass or something more manful; fuck Taylor and his feelings right now-
"He gets his poetic side from his mother," Dad said, winking at Teddy.
"Ted, you're gonna start writing out my birthday cards for Danni," Luke laughed then, "Geez man. That was deep. Where'd you learn poetry?"
"Mom and Gail used to talk a lot about it when I used to colour," Teddy explained, "Some of it just stuck."
"Well it was beautiful," Dad promised, Teddy seeing that Jason was nodding in agreement as though Teddy had passed a test of some sort.
"But…did you lick her wholeness?" Luke smirked.
"I don't want to spoil the memory. It was my first time and she made it special," Teddy said, remembering with staggering clarity how Soph had felt, how she tasted, how she smelled. She'd been everything he'd ever dreamt about and more. They'd spent the night together and laughed between intervals of sex, trying to share Teddy's broken double bed comfortably.
"You're a better man than me then, Ted," Luke whistled, "Cause I'd rather go down on my wife than I would get a blowjob. Her pussy tastes so fucking good."
"Fuck off," Reynolds laughed, "I've had both organs in my mouth and I can assure you that pussy tastes amazing."
"No, I believe Sawyer," Dad agreed, handing Taylor his leftover rabbit which, of course, the big bear ate without hesitation, "It's the best."
"Second best if you're Taylor. Everyone knows about his foot fetish." Luke teased.
"Oh ha ha ha," Taylor grumbled with a roll of his eyes, giving Luke the finger, "Fuck off, Sawyer, before I ram my own fucking foot up your ass."
"Thought you weren't into ass play, big boy?" Luke challenged, ducking when a beer bottle was thrown in his direction which nearly wiped out poor Reynolds.
"Hey!" Reynolds snapped, "Fuck; that nearly whacked me, T."
"Stop taking the piss then," Jason snorted, shaking his head firmly, "This is why I miss Ryan being around; he stands up for me."
"Of course he does; he thinks you're his dad," Luke snapped, "Take a joke, bro."
Teddy looked at his dad and saw that he was finding the sudden change in tension hilarious. Teddy was about to comment on it himself when he heard a twig snap behind him.
Instantly, Jason, Reynolds, Luke and dad pulled guns out from under their jackets, aiming them in various directions, all joking and banter evaporating instantly.
"Teddy, stick with Jason," Luke ordered and Teddy did just as he was told, walking over to Jason where he received a small pistol like weapon.
This was it, Teddy realised, he was about to die.
He looked at Dad one last time, ready and prepared to fight for Teddy's safety alongside his security guards. They were no longer prioritising Dad's life either now; their first thought was to get both Teddy and Jason to safety so that they could live long enough to testify in court against Esposito.
Reynolds kicked out the miniature bonfire, leaving nothing but smouldering embers and burnt wood.
"T, I need you to run the minute I give the command," Luke insisted, "Reynolds and I can hold them off. You get Ted and Grey out of here."
"Understood," Jason whispered lowly.
Another twig.
A curse.
Footsteps.
"T?" Luke whispered, "Get ready to-"
"Hello?" their intruder called out, "Jason? Luke? You guys out there?"
"I'm sure I heard voices," another intruder mumbled, "And I smell camp fire too."
"We can go back to the lodge and wait for them," a third, more familiar voice to Teddy, announced.
Luke laughed, "Welch you son of a bitch we're all out here," he called, picking up an emergency torch and flashing it through the trees. Sure enough, Teddy spotted Welch and two other burly men on either side of him who looked worn and tired.
"Well what the fuck are you guys doing out here?" Welch demanded in his thick Bostonian accent, "We thought you had all been caught by those Esposito pricks and were a bunch of goners."
He walked over to Jason and embraced the bear like man, "Good to see you've not strangled Teddy," he mumbled.
"It's been tough," Jason joked, catching Teddy's eye as they both relived the memory of Jason physically prepared to strangle Teddy to death if it meant getting home to Gail sooner, "Where's this army you promised?"
"You're looking at it," Welch grumbled, waving towards his two men behind him, "We've got a lot of catching up to do. You guys finished playing brokeback mountain so we can head back to the lodge and have a little chat?"
.
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Meanwhile,
Hidden in the bushes,
Looking over the 'Secret Best Friends Lodge',
Somewhere in British Columbia,
.
Damen was cold and miserable as sin, hiding high up on a hill, overlooking the small wooden lodge which Target Jason Taylor had taken Target Theodore Raymond Grey to. They'd done well to evade them so far, but it had really only been a matter of time before Damen and his men knew where they'd scuttled away to.
'Eyes on targets," Damen whispered into his walkie talkie, watching as the entire gang made their way back to the lodge, using night vision binoculars to better see the party from his vantage point; a hill a mile away from them, hidden in foliage.
'Are they all there?' Slick replied.
'I can confirm, Taylor, Grey and Grey junior, Sawyer and Reynolds are all present, as is Welch and two unknown men," Damen confirmed, "I've not got a clear shot with the sniper; they're in the lodge now."
'I told you not to engage. I want to kill Teddy myself,' Slick snapped.
The kid was being driven by his rage which was dangerous; that's when mistakes were made. Slick wouldn't listen to anyone, however. He was a wanted man; the SPD wanted to have him arrested now that they'd enough time to organise an evidence filled court case. Teddy Grey and Jason Taylor were now the only two people who stood in the way of Slick and his freedom, and Slick trusted no one but himself to kill the witnesses.
Or maybe it was revenge which was driving him to kill Theodore Grey himself; Teddy Grey had caused the police to issue warrants for his arrest. His own father was deleting him from all the family accounts for fear he'd be found guilty and their assets explored by the authorities. It was a desperate time for Slick and killing Teddy himself would be reassurance to both himself and his father that he could continue to be a part of the family business.
"Understood, sir," Damen repeated and sat up once they group had entered the lodge. He began to pack up his sniper and his binoculars, trying to decide if it was worth Slick's rage if he were to just camp up here and take the first headshot he could to neutralise Teddy and Jason himself, without the drama which Slick so clearly craved to create.
'We'll smoke them out tomorrow. Get back to the hotel and we'll finish talking tactics," Slick announced and then the frequency went dead.
Damen rolled his eyes, grabbed his bags, and headed down this steep hill, towards his car and then back to the local village he and Slick's last remaining goons were occupying. He'd maybe be able to get a few hours sleep tonight if he was lucky, maybe manage to phone his girl and see how many more dogs she'd adopted in Damen's absence.
One thing was for certain just now, however, and that was that the coming dawn was going to bring a bloodbath down upon Theodore Grey and his friends and family.