Destiny Revealed (There's Always Tomorrow Book 2) (20 page)

Xander breaks their kiss and sits back on his heels. He reaches over to the coffee table, where he put the lube, and grabs the bottle. He pours a fair amount in his hand then rubs it all over his dick. Then he pours a little more and rubs it around Ryder's hole. Ryder grabs Xander's wrist.

“I'm really nervous about this,” he whispers, flushing bright red at his embarrassing admission.

Xander's gaze softens and he leans down to kiss Ryder softly on the lips. “We don't have to do this if you're not ready,” he says and kisses him again.

“No, I...I still want to,” Ryder stutters, still wanting this connection with Xander, even though he’s scared.

“We'll go slowly. It's gonna be uncomfortable, maybe even a little painful at first, but if you can hang on and wait it out, the discomfort will go away, and it will feel fucking incredible.”

Ryder takes a deep breath then nods. “Okay.”

“Ready?” Xander asks.

Ryder swallows hard and pushes his fear away. “Yeah.”

Xander inserts a couple of fingers first to stretch him out a little bit. After he’s satisfied, he shifts, moving closer. He takes himself in his fist and guides himself to Ryder's opening. He rubs himself over it a couple of times then positions himself to enter. He keeps a tight hold on himself as he starts to push inside of Ryder.

Ryder gasps at the invasion. Xander goes slow, moving only a little bit at a time. With one hand still on his cock, Xander uses his other to lift one of Ryder's legs a little higher. The farther in Xander goes, the worse it gets. His first instinct is to push Xander away, but he fights that. Maybe he should find someone with a smaller dick?

“Halfway there. You doing okay, Ry?” Xander asks with a strained voice.

Ryder squeezes his eyes shut. “No,” he rasps.

Xander bends over Ryder and strokes his hair back from his forehead. He then drops his forehead to Ryder's. “I'm sorry, babe, just hang on. I swear it'll get better,” he whispers, pushing in further.

Ryder groans in pain, making Xander kiss him sweetly and say, “sorry,” over and over.

Finally, Xander is completely seated, balls deep. He stays there for a moment before pulling out slightly and thrusting back in. Ryder gasps and it isn't from pain this time. It actually feels good, shocking the hell out of him. Xander finds a slow but steady pace.

“You okay now?” Xander asks quietly.

Ryder nods. “Mhmm,” he hums in pleasure.

“Good, I hated seeing you in pain, especially knowing that I was causing it,” Xander murmurs, giving Ryder a small kiss before tucking his face into his neck and moaning. “Shit, you feel so good, so fucking tight. I’m not going to last long.”

Xander starts thrusting faster. He reaches between them and wraps his hand around Ryder's cock, stroking him in time with his thrusts. Ryder cries out, his orgasm building again, something that he thought would never happen after the rough start. Xander pushes up onto his fist, which is next to Ryder's head. Xander’s face is the sexiest thing that Ryder has ever seen. He’s flushed with a light sheen of sweat all over him, and his lips are parted as he huffs.

“Come on, Ry, come for me again,” he utters.

Ryder cries out again, moving his hips in time with Xander's thrusts and strokes. He reaches behind his head and grips the arm of the couch. “Fuck! Don't stop...ugh, God don't stop!” he cries.

A few seconds later, a raw guttural cry rips up Ryder's throat as he comes hard, all over his stomach, some even reaching up to his chest. Xander follows with one more power stroke. A strangled cry escapes him as he shoves in to the hilt and stays there. Ryder can feel Xander’s cock pulsing inside of him. Xander collapses on top of him, both of them breathing heavily. Xander lays his head on Ryder's shoulder and pulls his hips back until he slides out.

“That was un-fucking-believable,” Xander mumbles sleepily.

Ryder just grunts his agreement. He can't move. He can’t remember ever being this sated after sex. That was definitely the best sex he's ever had, and he has had a lot! He really wasn't expecting to have sex when he showed up. He figured they were just going to talk. But there was this fierce connection between them and things just went a bit crazy. Ryder kind of likes their unbridled passion. It’s not really something he’s ever felt with another before.

They eventually get cleaned up then sit on the couch and talk some more. Xander asks Ryder to spend the night and Ryder can't say no. He wants to be in Xander's arms tonight. He needs the physical contact that has been lacking in his life for so long. Any chance of making up for it is definitely something he welcomes. And if it leads to more mind blowing orgasms, who is he to deny them that pleasure?

Chapter 16

The next morning, Vance and Mike are patrolling their usual route when a blue 1990s Honda Civic blows through a red traffic light right in front of them. Mike flips on the lights and sirens and takes off after the Honda like a bat out of hell, while Vance calls it in over the radio as his adrenaline spikes.

The Civic slows and turns off the main street that they are on. Mike follows and positions the cruiser behind the Civic when it finally stops. Vance calls in the tag and they wait a moment for dispatch to run it. When it comes back clean, Vance and Mike exit their patrol car. Mike takes the driver’s side and Vance takes the passenger. Vance takes note that there are five men in the car: two up front and three in the back. The two men up front both look a bit nervous in Vance's opinion.

“Hey there, fellas. Ya know you blew the red light back there?” Mike asks in a friendly tone.

“Aw, shit officer. I'm such an idiot, I wasn't paying attention,” the driver says, his voice a little shaky.

“License and registration, please,” Mike says, his hand resting on his weapon. He must’ve noticed the nervousness, too.

Vance looks at the men in the back seat. They just don't seem right; something’s up.

Everything happens so quickly that Vance barely has time to react. The man in the back seat behind the driver pulls a gun and shouts, “Go!” at the driver, then shoots at Mike as the car pulls away. Vance returns fire at the car but it’s too far gone. Vance spins around and looks for Mike.

“Mike!” Vance screams when he sees that Mike is down. Vance scrambles over to him, landing hard on his knees next to him.

Mike's right hand is on his neck with blood seeping through his fingers. His left hand grabs at Vance's shirt. His eyes are wide in terror as he looks up at Vance. Vance curses something raw then pushes Mike's hand away so he can see where he’s hit. At the base of his neck, almost where his shoulder meets his neck, there’s a hole with blood streaming out of it. Vance presses the heel of his palm firmly against it to try to slow the bleeding. He then grabs the radio off his shoulder.

“Officer down! Officer down!” he hollers into it then lets it fall to the ground.

Vance leans his face down closer to Mike's and uses his other hand to stroke his dark hair. “You're okay, Mikey. I’ve got you, you're okay,” Vance stammers.

Mike's throat works for a moment before whispering, “I don't wanna die.”

“You're not gonna die, man. You’re gonna be fine, I swear. You’re not going to die, Mike. You hear me?” Vance says roughly.

Mike gives him a long blink and a small nod. “I love you, Van,” he mouths, tears running down his temples and into his hair.

“I love you, too, Mikey,” Vance rasps, fighting back his own tears.

The minute it takes for backup and an ambulance to arrive seems like an eternity to Vance. Mike passes out, but his breathing and pulse are still steady. Vance doesn't think that the bullet hit anything vital, or Mike would’ve probably been dead already. He has enough time for his mind to spin and wander. He wishes it would stop. Stemming the bleeding reminds him of Melina’s accident…that never happened. Calling for back up, calming Mike, the panicky feelings, afraid of them bleeding out and dying in his arms.  All the same.  It’s a total mind fuck. 

Fortunately, the sirens help bring him back to now. To reality. But maybe he’s better off being in his head, he thinks briefly then shakes his head to clear it.  The EMTs take over, getting Mike into the ambulance as quickly as possible. He stares at the back of the ambulance as they drive away with their sirens blaring. His whole body is numb. What the fuck just happened? Did Mike really get shot in the neck?

Jesus Christ!

Vance has to stay at the scene for a little while longer to give a statement. The investigating officer agrees to let him leave and will follow up with him later at the hospital. When Vance is finally able to go the hospital, he’s sick to his stomach with worry. He hasn't heard anything about Mike's condition. Vance walks into the ER to see Mike's father and sister, Anna. Anna is crying against Tripp's chest while he holds her. Big Mike is pacing like a mad man. Dayne is sitting in a chair, elbows on his knees, while his one leg bounces frantically, shaking his whole body. A telltale signs that he’s nervous.

Anna is the first to see him. “Vance!” she cries and launches herself at him. Vance catches her. She says nothing but sobs, her face tucked into his neck.

Big Mike rushes over to him. He grips the other side of Vance's neck. “You alright, son?” he asks, his eyes searching Vance's.

Vance gives him a sharp nod.

“How's Mike?” Vance asks quietly.

“He's in surgery right now; we're waiting to hear more,” Big Mike replies.

Vance nods and gently extracts Anna from her hold on him. Tripp is right there pulling him into a fierce hug. Dayne gets up and joins them. They stay in their little group hug for a few minutes, just comforting each other. Vance was the last one to be injured to this extent before. Even Tripp, who did a few tours in Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL, has never been injured this seriously. So right now, they need comfort and reassurance from one another.

“Vance!” the terrified cry comes from his brother. Vance lets go of Dayne and Tripp to turn to see a disheveled Xander and Ryder rushing into the ER. Vance smiles slightly at the fact that they came together. And it being so early can only mean that they spent the night together. Xander slams into him, his arms wrapping tightly around him. Vance holds him.

“Fuck, man. Are you alright?” Xander asks, his voice shaking.

“I'm fine, just shaken up a bit,” he admits softly.

Xander pulls back, swiping tears away from his face with the back of his hand. “I was so scared,” he whispers.

Vance swallows the lump of emotion in his throat and nods. Ryder moves in and hugs Vance next. “You look like you had a good night,” Vance murmurs quietly so that only Ryder can hear him.

Ryder pulls back and smiles softly at him. “Shut the hell up, we'll talk about that later. Right now you need to tell me how Mike is,” he says, smile fading.

“He's in surgery right now,” Vance says then looks around to Tripp and Dayne. “Did either of you call Melina?”

Tripp nods. “I did; she's on her way over.”

Vance sighs in relief. “Okay, good.” He needs her in his arms like yesterday.

Ten minutes pass before the ER doors open and Melina comes rushing in. Vance is pacing back and forth. He turns back toward the sliding glass doors just as Melina races through them. Vance freezes and stares at her for a moment. When Melina's eyes meet his, she bursts into tears and runs for him. Vance scoops her up when she throws herself into his arms. She wraps her arms and legs around him and clings to him for dear life, sobbing against his neck.

Vance smooths his hand over her long hair. “Shh, baby. I'm okay.”

Melina lifts her face to look at him, tears running down her beautiful face. “Vance,” she whispers, her eyes searching his before she leans down and kisses him tenderly.

Vance closes his eyes and sighs as Melina kisses him desperately. He can only imagine what went through her mind when Tripp called to tell her what happened. He knows that if it were the other way around, he probably would have been crying, too. Vance can't think about something bad happening to Melina; it puts him on the verge of a panic attack every time.

Melina pulls away slowly. “I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you, Vance, so much,” she murmurs, her eyes still closed, her forehead pressed against his.

Vance sags with relief that she does in fact really love him. “I love you, too. Shit, baby, you own me. I’m yours,” he gushes then kisses her again.

It’s another hour before they hear from the doctor. Mike was really lucky; the bullet missed everything vital. They were able to take the bullet out and sew him up. He'll be out of the hospital in a few days, as long as he doesn't get an infection. Mike is in recovery still, and as soon as he is in a room, they will be able to see him.

Big Mike and Anna are the first to visit with Mike. They asked for a moment alone with him, and everyone understood. They need that time together to break down with no one else watching.

“Van, how you doing, buddy?” Tripp asks as they all stand in the hallway outside of Mike's room.

Vance, who is leaning against the wall with one shoulder, looks up into the worried faces of his best friends and girlfriend. He gives them a slight nod. “I'll be better once I see Mike,” he says quietly.

Vance's cell phone rings seconds later. It’s Lt. Adams. “Hey, Lou,” he answers.

“Summers, any news?” Lt. Adams asks.

“He's good, Sir. The bullet missed everything major and he should be out of here in a few days,” Vance says.

Lt. Adams exhales as if he'd been holding his breath all morning. “Thank God,” he breathes. “I also called to tell you that we got the fucker who shot DiAngelo. Apparently, the three in the back car jacked the guys in the front after robbing a bank and were forcing them to drive them away from the scene.”

Mike got shot because of a bank robbery
, Vance muses. It’s like his past dream/coma is starting to catch up with his present reality. All of the moving parts are starting to piece together.
What next?
he worries. It can’t be anything good.

“That makes sense as to why the guys up front seemed so nervous,” he responds to the news.

“Yeah, but we got 'em. Tell Mike, alright?” Lt. Adams says.

“Will do, Sir,” Vance replies then hangs up.

Tripp, Dayne, and Ryder are looking at him expectantly. Vance lets a small smile play across his lips. “They caught the bastards.”

The guys and Melina let out a little cheer and hug Vance. Big Mike and Anna come out of the room a few minutes later and Vance tells them the good news. Big Mike says that Mike wants to see Vance alone for a minute. Vance nods and opens the door to Mike's room. Once inside, he shuts it and starts over toward the bed.

Mike is lying in the hospital bed, his eyes closed. He’s inclined so that he can sit up some. His normally tanned skin is pasty white. Tears immediately blur Vance's vision. The right side of Mike's neck has a big piece of gauze taped to it. Vance rubs his chest with his fist because his heart is just aching. Vance hears a ragged sob fill the room and doesn't realize it’s him until Mike opens his eyes to look at him.

The relief Vance feels is overwhelming. He didn't realize how worried he was until this moment. Seeing Mike looking so weak and vulnerable has really opened his eyes to how scared he was of losing his best friend. He wonders if this is how the guys felt when he was the one lying in the hospital bed. When Vance reaches Mike's side, Mike grabs his shirt and pulls him into a fierce hug, both of them tucking their faces into each other's necks as they sob.

“I thought I fuckin’ lost you, man,” Vance chokes, pulling back from Mike and swiping the tears off his face with his hand.

“You saved my life,” Mike sniffs, wiping away his own tears.

“You did the same for me. I wasn't gonna let you die,” Vance rasps, shaking his head at the thought.

Mike nods “I know.”

“Don’t fuckin’ do that to me again, asshole.” Vance chuckles.

Mike laughs then groans and puts his hand to his neck. “Believe me; I have no desire to ever get shot again.”

“The assholes are in custody. The guy that shot you, and his partners, carjacked the driver and passenger after robbing a bank,” Vance says.

Mike nods but winces. “No shit, a bank robbery? What are the odds?” is all that he’s able to get out before a knock on the door sounds and Ryder pops his head in.

“Can we come in?” he asks.

Vance nods. Ryder, Dayne, Tripp, Xander, and Melina all walk in, shutting the door behind them. They all hug Mike, all a bit teary-eyed. They all just sit around and bullshit until Mike can no longer stay awake. They say their goodbyes, Vance being the last one.

Vance gives Mike a hug. “I love you, Mikey,” he murmurs quietly.

“Love you, too, Van,” Mike replies.

**Scarlett**

Scarlett jumps when her cell phone rings next to her. She’s working on a wedding album and is so engrossed in her project that the ringing phone actually scares her. Scarlett reaches over and picks it up, looking at the screen to see who’s calling. It’s her sister, Melina. Scarlett doesn't think anything of it and just answers.