My Brother's Keeper (8 page)

Jon’s hands became fists. Ellis grabbed him by the arm. “Don’t.” Jon didn’t back up. “Please, don’t.”

Lenny mocked Ellis in a high pitched voice. “Yeah, better listen to your girlfriend, Jonny boy. Would hate for you to wind up in jail for assault. Then Queer Boy would be all alone.”

“You motherfucker.” Jon dragged Ellis a few steps.

Ellis got in front of him. “Jon, he’s right. You start a fight, they’ll take you to jail.” In jail, Jon would be defenseless against abuse. They could put him in a room like they did Rudy. Or worse.

Rudy took Jon by the hand. “Let’s go home. I want to go home. Please.” He hiccoughed. “Please, Jon. We can play Go Fish and you can win. I’ll give you baseball cards. Don’t fight. Please don’t fight.”

The heat in Jon’s expression cooled and he let Ellis pull him away. He petted Jon’s back not caring who saw them. They were almost to the end of the eating area when Lenny said, “I’m curious, Mr. Marshal. Did your brother off himself because he was a faggot like you?”

In a sweep of muscle and rage, Jon tore away from Ellis and went right for Lenny. He scrambled back only to land on his ass on the picnic bench. Jon stopped inches from Lenny’s face and planted his large hands on the picnic table on either side of him. Lenny’s gaze went to his two companions, but they had backed up.

Ellis grabbed Jon’s arm. Tall and moderately built, Jon was not a massive muscle bound man, but, in that moment, he felt made of stone, and the look on his face was inhuman.

On the back of a growl, Jon said, “You listen here, you redneck, white trash, maggot. You come anywhere near my family and I won’t just kill you. I will destroy you.”

Lenny’s smile went cocky again. “You talk big for a man with such small balls.”

Jon pushed himself away from the table and Ellis walked with him back to Rudy. Jon shouldered his way through the gathering crowd, never letting go of Ellis’s hand. He held onto Rudy.

Confused expressions and whispers followed them on the lips of onlookers. They broke out of the thickest part of the crowd. Jon herded Rudy and Ellis in front of him and onto the walkway between the booths.

They stopped at the car and Jon opened the back door. Rudy got in and buckled up. Ellis started to open the passenger door, but Jon stopped him by turning him around.

He was still scared of what he’d see, but he made himself lift his head. There was fury in Jon’s expression, yet there was a softness to his eyes. Jon cupped Ellis’s cheek and kissed him. It was just a soft press of lips, but when he pulled away, the warmth of contact lingered.

A few people stared as the walked past. Ellis tried to follow them with his eyes, but Jon wouldn’t let him.

“They don’t matter. Not them, not Lenny.”

Ellis nodded.

“I swear to you, I will not let him hurt you.”

There were so many things Ellis wanted to say, but they were all stuck in his throat. Jon kissed him on the forehead, then opened the car door.

Ellis got in.

The rage turned Jon into the junkyard dog straining at the end of his chain.

Lenny’s words, his asshole smirk, the knowledge of being powerless to put him in his place. In public, all Jon could do was bare his teeth and that bastard knew it.

Lenny only fantasized he was a hard case when, in truth, he was nothing but a bully.

That’s what worried Jon. Professional killers had a purpose. They didn’t act on impulse. They planned, and they had a set of rules. The rules might be theirs, but they followed them. Bullies had no purpose and they had no rules. People like Lenny were infected with a type of emotional rabies, fueled by fear.

It left them reacting in unpredictable ways.

Driven by delusions of grandeur, they went after their victims, thinking they were untouchable and, because they were untouchable, they could do anything.

That, inherently, made Lenny more dangerous than any stone cold killer.

Jon stood outside Rudy’s door. Ellis’s voice was too low for his words to carry, but occasionally Rudy would ask Ellis if he was mad. And, every time he asked, there would be a waver in his voice.

Jon’s heart ached.

It went quiet and Ellis stepped out of Rudy’s room. He pulled the door shut behind him.

“How’s he doing?”

Ellis shrugged. “As good as can be expected, I guess.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m scared shitless. He threatened to kill us.” Shadows haunted Ellis’s eyes. “He meant it. He really meant it.”

“Not going to happen because I won’t let it happen.”

“I don’t understand it. Why does he keep getting away with this? Why does he do it in the first place? I don’t deserve this and Rudy sure as hell doesn’t.”

“Shh—”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“How?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just know that I won’t let anything happen to you or Rudy.”

Ellis dropped his head against Jon’s chest and he shielded Ellis with his body. “How did such a good day turn so shitty?”

Jon petted Ellis down his back. His muscles were tight under Jon’s palms. “Let’s go take a shower.”

“I think I just want to go lay down.”

Jon steered him to the bathroom. “Shower. You’ll never be able to sleep all knotted up.”

“Then you can rub my back.”

“I plan on it.”

The size of the bathroom suggested it began life as an extra room, especially since the farmhouse was old enough that plumbing was likely an addition. Strange how such a simple space could hold so many warm memories.

Ellis stood on the thick mat next to the tub and started to unbutton his shirt.

Jon brushed Ellis’s hands away. “Let me.”

“I can take off my clothes.”

“I know you can.” Jon removed the shirt then peppered soft kisses across the golden freckles on his shoulders. Ellis lolled his head to the side and Jon nipped the line of his jaw all the way to his ear.

Jon dug his fingertips into the tight muscles of Ellis’s back. He groaned and leaned into the contact. Jon moved to Ellis’s other shoulder, kissing him there as well.

“Did you mean it when you called us your family?” Ellis wrapped his arms around Jon’s ribs.

“I did.”

Ellis sighed. That one sound conveyed so much—happiness, peace, contentedness, trust.

Jon finished undressing Ellis and stripped while the water heated up. When Ellis got in, Jon followed.

Under the spray Ellis’s hair, went from gold to brown. He picked up the soap and washcloth.

Jon took it away. “You relax.” He adjusted the water temperature, making it hot enough to steam.

Ellis hissed. “You trying to cook us?”

“It’s not that hot. Give it a few seconds and you’ll get used to it.” Jon washed Ellis’s neck, shoulders, arms, and fingertips, working up a lather by making small circles with the washcloth.

When he reached Ellis’s armpits, he jerked and laughed.

“Sorry, I forgot you’re ticklish.”

“You’re not sorry and you didn’t forget.”

No, but it got a smile out of Ellis and that was all that mattered. He dropped his chin to his chest. His serious expression returned.

“You don’t have to worry all the time,” Jon said.

“I feel like I don’t have a choice.”

“Let me carry the worry tonight.” He knelt and his bad knee popped.

Ellis opened his eyes. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine.” He leaned on his good one.

“What are you doing down there?”

“Washing you.” To make a point Jon swept the washcloth over Ellis’s thigh then around to his butt cheek. Jon pressed his face to the top of Ellis’s thigh holding him as much as washing him. He’d lost so many people in his life and survived, but he would not survive if he lost Ellis. His unconditional love was the glue holding Jon together.

He ran the cloth down the narrow line of hair going from the middle of Ellis’s stomach until it widened at the base of his cock. Soap bubbles clung to the dark hairs.

“Spread your legs some.”

“Why?”

“So I can get between them.” Ellis did and Jon switched the washcloth to his other hand. He slipped his soapy fingers into Ellis’s crack and made slow strokes over Ellis’s opening. The small helpless sounds Ellis made echoed through the bathroom. He parted his lips and a flush bloomed across his skin. Jon placed a kiss on Ellis’s thickening cock before taking it into his mouth.

The length of flesh hardened against Jon’s tongue. He dropped the washcloth and pulled on Ellis, encouraging him to thrust.

He threaded his fingers into Jon’s hair.

He swirled his tongue around the tip of Ellis’s cock. He tightened his hold on Jon’s hair making his scalp ache. Again he encouraged Ellis to thrust. To be aggressive. To take charge.

Ellis rocked his hips and Jon hummed in response.

The salty, bitter flavor of precum grew rich. Ellis made a strangled sound, his thrusts lost rhythm, and cum filled Jon’s mouth. He swallowed, but his lips were numb and his jaw fatigued. The water washed away what ran down his chin.

Ellis held Jon’s face. At the moment, Ellis’s eyes were dark and hungry. He bent down, covering Jon’s mouth with his.

Ellis sucked at Jon’s lips then returned to kissing him, feeding Jon his desperation. “Stand up.”

Jon’s bad knee didn’t want to bend. He braced a hand against the wall to pull himself up. Ellis raked his teeth along Jon’s jaw. Ellis’s breath was hot against the shell of Jon’s ear when he said, “I want you to fuck me.”

That rare command from Ellis’s lips made Jon ache.

He turned to shut off the water, but Ellis pulled him back. “In here. Now.”

“I don’t have anything to slick you up with.”

“Lotion’s on the counter.”

When Jon stepped back into the shower, Ellis faced the wall with his hands on the tile. Water slid over the tight globes of his ass, making his skin glisten.

Jon hissed.

Now it was as necessary to be inside Ellis as it was to breathe.

Jon tilted the showerhead down just enough so the water wouldn’t wash away the lotion. He poured some into his shaking hand, slicking up his cock.

Lines of water pooled in the dip above Ellis’s ass, filling the dimples above each cheek. Jon kissed the space between Ellis’s shoulders.

“You’re beautiful.”

Jon caught a glimpse of self doubt in Ellis’s eyes.

“One day, you’re going to believe me when I say that.” Jon smoothed the cream down Ellis’s crack stopping at his hole. “One day, you’re going to know it’s true.”

Ellis pushed back. “Please.”

Jon slipped a finger inside him, earning a small whimper. “Is that what you want?”

“More.”

“And you’ll get it.” Jon slipped in another finger and Ellis made a slow thrust. The muscles in his back tensed.

Jon scraped his teeth down Ellis’s spine as he added a third finger. Ellis made a low, needy sound that went right to Jon’s balls. He twisted his hand and Ellis arched his back with a high pitched cry.

“God baby, do you know how much I love you?” Jon pushed deep.

“Yesss—”

“Are you sure?” He pulled his fingers to the edge of Ellis’s opening and plunged them back in.

“Yesss—oh Jon, please. I need you.”

“You have me.”

Ellis shook his head. “No, I need you…”

“What?”

“I—”

“Tell me.” He kissed Ellis’s shoulder. “You’ve already asked me to fuck you, you can tell me what you need.”

Ellis turned his head again and this time there was no self doubt in his eyes, just love. Raw and untainted. The kind born of absolute trust and housed in the soul.

“I need you inside me.”

Jon guided his cock to Ellis’s opening. Even after being stretched, the ring of muscle was reluctant to let him in. Again Ellis pushed back, forcing Jon to bury his cock in one stroke. The tight heat rode up the length of Jon’s dick, coaxing the ache into an inferno, setting his insides on fire.

Jon counted every heartbeat, cherished every touch as he ran his hands up the smooth lines of Ellis’s body. These moments were meant to be savored.

“Jon…”

“Shhh—” Jon rolled his hips and flicked his thumb across Ellis’s nipples. He whimpered. Pinching the tight buds made Ellis squirm.

Jon chased the lines of water to Ellis’s balls and he rolled the velvet sack over his fingers. Ellis’s cock thickened against Jon’s wrist. He tugged the length of flesh until it curved toward Ellis’s stomach and precum wept from the slit.

Jon nuzzled the back of Ellis’s neck.

“I love you,” Ellis said.

“I know you do.”

“I want this forever. I want you forever.”

“I’m yours, Ellis.” Jon timed each languid stroke with a measured breath. “Heart and soul, I’m yours no matter what.”

“You promise?”

“On my life.” There was no one Jon had ever been so willing to die for.

Jon tilted his hips and Ellis cried out. The primal need for release seized Jon and the sound of flesh slapping together joined the fall of water as it echoed off the tile.

The steam-filled shower turned cool against the heat burning under Jon’s skin.

Ellis clawed at the wall. “More. Oh, God, Jon…more.”

Jon changed his long thrusts to short hard strokes.

“Yesss, yes, yes.” Spasms danced across Ellis’s body. “Jon…Jon…”

“I’m right here.”

Ellis nodded.

“Always here for you.”

He nodded again.

“Touch yourself, Ellis.” Could he even hear Jon? “Ellis?”

Ellis gripped his cock. There was no hesitation when he said, “I want to feel you come.” The small cry preceding every breath he took transformed into a low keen. “Jon, I want to feel you, let me feel you.” He arched, tightening his body until Jon had to fight to move.

The feel of Ellis, the knowledge that he was Jon’s, pushed him over the edge, on a wave of euphoria. Jon’s guttural roar joined Ellis’s pleas.

The haze of static withdrew and the sound of the rushing water returned with the sticky feel of steam, and the warmth of Ellis against his skin.

Jon put a hand on the shower door to keep from putting too much weight on Ellis.

Between ragged breaths, Ellis said, “I can’t lose you. I just can’t.”