Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
“Open the fucking door!” Tango barked, his patience finally snapping. His palm smacked against it, and I trembled.
He was going to send me away.
“N-No,” I sobbed.
“Fuck it,” he snarled. “Move out of the way of the door, boy.”
Some part of my brain was still online enough to know to move, and I did just in time, barely managing to crawl to the side, my entire body shaking. The wood suddenly splintered, the doorframe cracking, and then the closet door crashed inward, slamming against the wall behind it with enough force to shove the doorknob through the wall.
“Fuck, baby,” Tango rasped, his big hands grasping my shoulders. He pulled me up from the floor and tugged me to him. He ran his hands over me, pressing kisses to my face and hair. I sobbed, clinging to his cut, my bloodied finger making it hard for my hand to grasp onto him. I whined, crying even harder. “You did nothing wrong, baby. Nothing.” More kisses were pressed to my damp skin. “Just breathe. Focus on my breaths. Focus on my calm heartbeat. Just breathe, baby boy.”
“Y-you’re go-gonna send m-me away,” I cried, hiccups destroying my words.
He shook his head and pressed his cheek to mine so I felt the stubble of his beard scratching against my red cheek. “The only way you’re leaving my side is if someone pulls you from my cold, dead hands, you hear me? I’m never sending you away, baby. Never.” Leaning back, he cupped my face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over my wet cheeks. I sniffled, the tightness in my chest easing. Breaths were coming easier. He was keeping me. He was still keeping me. “Men jack off, Gabe. It’s normal. It’s human. I was in the wrong because I saw the closed bathroom door and didn’t respect it. I should have knocked before walking in to make sure it wasn’t being used by you. This is on me, you hear me? Not you.”
I sniffled again and nodded my head. Tango held me close then, his arms banded around me as he gently rocked me side to side. I wound my arms around his thick ribcage and rested my head on his shoulder, letting his comfort seep into my pores and down into my soul. My breathing regulated, and my heart rate slowed back to its normal pace.
And I was now so tired, and the stench of my vomit was overwhelming.
“I’m sorry for overreacting,” I mumbled.
Tango shook his head. “You’re fine, baby.” He gently lifted my head from his shoulder and stroked the pad of his thumb over my lip. My cock immediately took notice, and I prayed he couldn’t feel it. “But don’t ever lock yourself away from me again, you hear me?” A tremble seeped into his voice, and agony coated his eyes. “I was terrified, baby. I couldn’t fucking get to you. Don’t ever do that to me again. Promise me,” he rasped.
I nodded. “I won’t. I promise.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Let’s get you out of here so I can clean up your mess.” I grimaced, remembering the pile of vomit on the floor, all my breakfast now out of my system. As Tango got ready to stand to his feet, my body still wrapped around him, a crash downstairs made me flinch. Tango immediately stopped, one knee off the ground, his body curling around mine as a threatening rumble sounded from his chest.
“Fuck!” Scorpion suddenly shouted from downstairs. Tango’s arms tightened around me, and then he was moving, urging me deeper into the closet. “Tango!” he roared. “Incoming!”
Chaos ensued. Bullets shattered the bedroom windows. Tango slammed me to the floor, his massive body covering mine all while he reached behind his back and grabbed his pistol. Someone was screaming. Was that me? Was that my shrill voice?
“Baby!” he barked, grasping my face in his hands. He gently shook me. I blinked, my scream lodging in my throat at the hard look in his eyes. “Stay down and fucking hide. Understand?” He shoved his pistol into my bloodied hands. His eyes tracked it, but he must have seen it only came from my broken fingernail because he didn’t lose his shit. Instead, he just squeezed my wrists, his eyes locking back on mine. “You know enough to shoot someone at close range, right?” I nodded. “Good. Someone comes near that’s not one of us, not part of this family, put a bullet through their skull.”
With that, he was on his feet, rushing away from me.
I was going to throw up again.
9
Tango
Ihated leaving Gabriel alone in that closet without me right there beside him to protect him, but it was the safest place for him. He was at least out of the way of the window, which made it much harder to target him. I couldn’t do much about protecting the door, but I could try to help my brothers get rid of these fuckers by firing from the window.