The two men spread the large tarp on the floor beneath the charred bodies then cut them loose. The roasting sticks had consumed to ashes by the flames and disintegrated. Clint took the right side and began folding the tarp over the blackened corpses as Cochise folded from the left. Neither men spoke while they carried the bulky package outside and dumped it in the truck of the Clint’s car.

Fifteen minutes later, they were shoving the bodies and tarp into the old incinerator owned by the Santiago family; an insatiable beast that had devoured a multitude of unfortunate bastards who had crossed the wrong people.

After the deed was done, the beast fed once again, Clint leaned against the car and ran his hands through his hair a few times. Behind his eyes, he saw Diego lying dead on the floor of the warehouse, and the look of horror on Cory’s face as the young man relived his worst nightmare. At that moment, his life with Axel felt like the life of another man…one he was observing from the outside. The world back home and this world…two distant dimensions. He thought about Cochise’s words; was it all play acting? Was it even rational to think they could be family men? That they could come from this world and be anything but killers?

Clint’s mind drifted back to the first night he and Axel had spent in their new home, and that look in Axel’s eyes when Clint had walked up to him standing on the back porch.

“I was beginning to think you’d abandoned me.”

“Never…Do you like your new home?”

“I love it. It’s what I’ve dreamed of all my life. A home like this. A family like this…A love like this.”

“Kind of nice to know that dreams really do come true, isn’t it?”

“So nice…Let’s go to bed. Because I’m not at all tired. I must warn you, though…I sleep in the raw, and I like to cuddle.”

“What a coincidence…so do I.”

Dampness crept into his eyes unaware and he blinked when he felt the sudden sting. It had been their new beginning together. But what if it was all an illusion? Just a façade that would one day crumble and leave their lives…their love…in ruins? A day like today.

“Clint.”

Clint flinched and blinked. Cochise stared at him from across the top of the car. “What?”

“Let’s go.”

The two men climbed in the car. The Egyptian sat silently in the passenger seat while Clint cranked the ignition and they pulled away from the old, secluded building.

“When you get home,” Cochise spoke suddenly, his voice low, hardly audible. “Tell Axel about Diego. Tell him what you’re afraid of. Don’t try to hide shit from him.” His gray eyes drifted solemnly to the passenger window. “He will help you fix it.”

Clint frowned. “Will you take your own advice with Kane?”

“You know our situations aren’t the same.”

“Kane is good for you,” Clint murmured. “That family is good for you. I think you underestimate your value to them. You see only your sins. They see everything else.”

The Egyptian exhaled deeply and sagged against the seat. “One day,” he whispered. “They’ll see only my sins as well.”

 

♦

 

“Where’s Jules?” Cochise asked when they entered the room. All the men were present but Jules was not.

“He’s taking a nap in our bed,” Anthony said.

Cochise nodded and exited the room, following the hallway to the master bedroom. The door stood ajar and he paused in the doorway. The child lay on top of the blankets cuddled up to his puppy, who came instantly alert as soon as Cochise pushed the door open a fraction wider. When the animal spied the Egyptian, its tail wagged furiously and he squirmed out of Jules’ arms, wriggling to the end of the bed. Cochise approached and scratched its ear then walked around the side of the bed. The pup’s excited movement on the bed stirred Jules from his slumber.

“Cochise?” He rubbed his eyes with his small fists.

Cochise sat down and the boy crawled into his arms, hugging his neck. He laid his head against Cochise’s shoulder, eyes closing again. “Did you and Clint beat up the bad guys?” he mumbled.

Sliding his arms around the child, Cochise held him tight. “Yeah,” he whispered. “We beat up the bad guys.” He pressed his lips to Jules’ soft hair and closed his eyes. “They won’t ever take you away again.”

Jules lifted his head. “Was you scared they’d hurt me?”

A sudden rush of startling emotion surged through Cochise and his vision blurred. He pulled the boy deeper into his arms and hugged him as hard as he could without hurting him. “Yeah,” he shuddered. “I was.”

Jules’ small hands grasped the back of Cochise’s strong neck. “But I’m okay,” he said. “You don’t have to be scared now.”

Everything inside the Egyptian came crashing down and he clung to the child, sobs clogging his throat. “I know.”

The boy pulled back and flattened his hands on Cochise’s damp face. “Why are you crying?”

Cochise shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Do you miss daddy Shay?” he asked softly. “Is that why you’re crying?”

Clearing his throat, Cochise nodded, “Maybe that’s it.”

“I still miss mommy.”

“That’s okay.” Cochise rubbed his hands over the boy’s head and kissed his brow. “I think we’ll always miss them a little bit.”

“But we’ll see them again, when we go to heaven…won’t we?”

Cochise slid his thumb down the child’s soft cheek. “You will see them again, for sure.”

“And you.”

Cochise gazed at the boy, his heart heavy in the chest. No one’s going to let me into heaven. He kept the thought to himself and simply nodded.

 

♦

 

“I just want to check and make sure you don’t have any broken ribs.”

Callum sat on the bed in the guest bedroom while Adrian examined his bruised torso. It hurt like hell to move and to breathe. He gasped when Adrian gently pressed his fingertips to Callum’s left ribcage.

“I don’t think they’re broken,” Adrian said. “But they could be cracked. At the very least, they’re badly bruised. And sometimes, believe it or not, bruised ribs hurt as much or more than broken ribs.”

Callum nodded.

“I’ll tape them up for tonight, then tomorrow take you in to the hospital and have some x-rays, just to be sure.”

“I don’t have any money for doctor bills,” Callum mumbled.

Adrian smiled. “Don’t worry about that. It’ll be taken care of.”

Callum lowered his eyes as tears formed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For what I did. For…for all the worry I caused everyone. I put Jules in danger and I don’t expect you to just forget about that. I don’t even know why you’re helping me.”

Sitting beside him, Adrian squeezed his shoulder. “If we begin to lose our ability to forgive one another, that’s when we begin to lose our humanity. In the end, you chose to do the right thing, even when it put your own life at risk.”

A tear rolled down Callum’s face and he wiped it away. “I don’t have anywhere to go,” he trembled. “The gang was my home.”

“Did you like that home?”

“No.”

Adrian squeezed his shoulder again and stood up. “Don’t worry about a place to go. You’ll stay here for now.” He smiled. “And trust me, with Jules in the house, you’ll never be bored—or lonely.”

Callum raised his head, tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Adrian.”

Nodding slowly, Adrian said, “I always liked you, Cal. You were always a good kid. You were just in a shitty situation where only the strong survive…just trying to survive. I’m glad you’re here, now. You’ll be in no shortage of good men to look up to. No assholes like Tazz and Blade. The men in this family will acknowledge your efforts and treat you well.”

Callum had no experience with that, but was eager to explore this new territory…and maybe discover a new home that was a real home.

 

♦

 

“Did you call Axel?” Clint asked Cory.

“Yeah. I let him know Jules made it home safe and you, too.” Cory remained unnerved by the shadows behind Clint’s eyes. He didn’t tell the cowboy everything he and Axel had talked about. Cory was sure that once Clint was back home with Axel, and the two made love, then Clint would be well on his way to recovery. He prayed the same could be said for Cochise.

“Good.”

“You should head home soon, though,” Cory suggested. “I know Axel, and he won’t completely relax until he sees you.” He smiled. “You may also want to prepare yourself for a long night.”

Clint nodded. “Good to know.”

The two men walked down the hallway toward the master bedroom.

“You’re his whole world,” Cory murmured. “You got that through your thick skull by now, right?”

A smile twitched the cowboy’s mouth. “Yeah.”

“Good. Don’t ever forget it.”

Clint glanced at Cory. “You really think I might leave him?”

Sighing, Cory shook his head. “No, not really. But I also know how much everything has affected you, that you and Axel have been through. I know you still blame yourself. I just don’t want you to lose sight of what you have with Axel, the new life you’re building together. It’s nice to see you smile and laugh and enjoy yourself—enjoy life. And to see you so in love. All my life, I never really saw this side of you. Wasn’t sure it even existed.” He grasped Clint’s shoulder. “I like the new you. I like the new Cochise, too. I really never thought I’d see that man open up to anyone—much less fall in love.”

“I didn’t expect that one, either,” Clint chuffed.

They paused when they approached the master bedroom doorway. Cochise sat on the bed, holding Jules deep in his arms. The boy appeared to be asleep, his head lying on the Egyptian’s thick shoulder.

“I never thought I’d hear myself say this,” Cory whispered. “But I think Cochise would make an awesome dad.” He looked at the cowboy and smiled. “Not just him.”

Clint grunted low but offered no reply as he entered the room. Cory followed with a quiet chuckle.

The Egyptian raised his head, a prominent dampness in his eyes. Jules stirred when he shifted and the pup scrambled off the bed, rushing to Clint and Cory.

Jules rubbed his eyes and blinked.

“We’re gonna head home,” Clint said and lifted the boy from Cochise’s arms. “Just wanted to say goodbye.” He kissed Jules’ cheek. “We’ll get you some new boots tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” He hugged Clint’s neck, then brightened. “Can Rueben come with us? Can he get boots, too?”

Cory smirked. “Already wanting to buy him gifts.” He tsked. “That boy has got you wrapped around his little finger.”

His face scrunching, puzzled, Jules giggled. “Huh?”

Cory laughed. “One day you’ll know what I mean, when you’re older.”

“Yeah,” Clint smiled slyly. “You’ll be like Cory with Colton.”

“Or Clint with Axel,” Cory countered.

Jules didn’t know what they were talking about but he quickly picked up on the pattern and giggled again. “And Cochise with Kane.”

“Exactly!” Cory grinned. “Now you got it.”

The Egyptian stood up and scowled at them. “Leave me out of it.”

“Too late.” Cory patted his back. “You’re in it whether you like it or not. You’re so wrapped around your man’s little finger.”

Clint smirked and murmured, “And other appendages.”

Cory busted up, inciting giggles in Jules who, thankfully, wasn’t privy to the cowboy’s implications.