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)
“Ricardo—” He was offering a lot. More than I knew he was usually comfortable with. I couldn’t ask this of him. I knew Gabriel needed this, but fuck. I didn’t want to intrude on Ricardo’s life. He’d holed himself out in the mountains like this for a reason. The man was dealing with his own trauma, and being around people made it harder for him to cope.
“Don’t,” he warned, passing me another beer. He walked over to the microwave and pulled out a lukewarm bowl of stew, setting it on the counter in front of me before grabbing a spoon, plopping it into the bowl. “Eat. Then, go cuddle with your boy. You two will stay here until someone manages to find you and let you know it’s safe to return home. We clear?”
I grunted and nodded my head, knowing better than to argue with Ricardo when he’d set his mind to something. Besides, I wasn’t really in a position to argue. This was the safest place for Gabriel, and I really, really didn’t want to take this from him. “We’re clear.”
19
Gabriel
Tango was slowly running his fingers through my hair when I woke up, his voice quiet as he spoke to Ricardo. “He’ll wake up when he’s ready,” Tango told him. “He needs rest. The past few weeks have been… stressful.”
That was putting it lightly. But even with all the chaos surrounding me, I still felt safer than I ever had before. Even though we’d trekked miles and I was now under a stranger’s roof, trusting Tango’s word alone that this man would help us, I could breathe without feeling like my lungs were constricted.
Tango would do anything to keep me safe, and I knew he would never knowingly put me in harm’s way.
I slowly opened my eyes, thankful the cabin was dark so my retinas weren’t immediately assaulted with light. Tango, somehow sensing I was coming awake, immediately looked down at me. “How are you feeling?” he rumbled.
“Hungry.” I yawned, covering my mouth so my rank breath wouldn’t blow into his face.
“Ricardo made breakfast,” Tango informed me as he sat up. He stood to his feet, his bones popping, a twinge of pain moving over his face. I wanted to say something, ask him if he was okay, but his expression made it clear that he wouldn’t be discussing how sore he was. Hell, if he was even a fraction as sore as I currently was, I knew it was bad.
Every part of my body ached. All that walking had done my body in. I was hurting in places I didn’t even know were capable of hurting. Even my face hurt. How did my face hurt?
Tango helped me up from the floor, and with his hand on my lower back, he led me to the small table where pancakes, eggs, and bacon were waiting on me, a glass of chocolate milk sitting to the right of my plate. My eyes brightened, and I quickly sat down, my stomach loudly growling. Neither man commented on it—just took their seats.
“Thank you for cooking,” I told Ricardo before I took a sip of my chocolate milk. “And for letting us stay here.”
Ricardo shook his head. “You’re Tango’s boy.” My cheeks heated, and I quickly focused on my plate, picking up my fork so I could dig in. I knew I was Tango’s, but having someone else acknowledge that out loud felt surreal. “There’s no way in fucking hell I’d let you two continue wandering.”
I looked up in question at Tango as he picked up his own fork. What had Ricardo meant by that? Were we staying here?
Tango nodded at me, somehow reading my mind. “We’re staying here until someone from the club manages to find us and let us know it’s safe for you to come home,” he told me. Reaching over, he gripped the back of my neck, his rough fingertips digging into my skin, settling me in a way only he had ever been capable of doing. “We’re safe, baby boy.”
My shoulders slumped in relief. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to start my day off crying. We were safe. We had shelter. No one would find us here. They fucking couldn’t. For the longest time last night, I’d thought Tango would never find this place since it was hidden so well. The chances of someone else finding it were slim to none.
Tango leaned over and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Eat, baby,” he gently commanded. “Then, you can shower.”
“After your shower, if you’d like, you can help me outside,” Ricardo told me as I began to dig into my food. It took everything in me to not moan. The food was delicious. “I’ve got some chores I need to do still.”
I frowned at him. “What kind of chores?”