Chapter Twenty-Six

Pierce

 

Pierce stirred at the feeling of strong arms wrapped around him. It felt so good. Man he’d missed him. “Mmm. Dane,” he murmured sleepily.

“Psst. Hey. Pierce wake up. Wake up, buddy.”

Pierce startled, jerking awake at the sound of the voice that was not Dane. He wiped his eyes. Shit. He was still on the couch. Had he slept all evening and through the night?

“Damn, Max. I’m sorry, dude.” Pierce climbed off his best friend and sat on the end of the couch. He leaned forward letting his head drop in his hands. He was embarrassed. Shit he hoped he hadn’t been humping Max’s leg or some crazy shit like that. His hard cock told him he most likely was.

Max sat up. “It’s fine Pierce. You needed to sleep.”

He’d sworn he’d heard Dane’s voice. Telling him he loved him, and he was here with him, and he was never going to leave him again. But it was another goddamn dream. That’s why he didn’t like sleeping.

“I’m never going to sleep again,” he murmured.

“What?” Max said standing and stretching. He was still in the clothes he’d arrived in yesterday.

“Did you lie there with me that whole time?”

Max smiled his brilliant smile. “Yes. Because you needed it.”

“Jesus. You didn’t eat dinner or anything. Where’s Angel?” Pierce was the worst house host there was.

“He kept me company, and yes I ate. Calm down. Go and get cleaned up and we’ll go out to breakfast. See what’s so great about this country cookin’ your parents always raved about.”

Pierce smiled at that. His parents loved Dot’s CrockPot. He loved it when he was younger. Dot’s had the best country-cooked food in Eastern Virginia. But, even the thought of eating had Pierce cringing on the inside. He knew he’d lost weight and looked highly malnourished but he didn’t care. Who did he have to look good for anyway?

“No is not an option, Pierce.”

“Alright, alright. Dad,” he grumbled. “Let me at least get some coffee.”

Pierce walked stiffly into the kitchen. He pulled a couple of mugs out of the cabinet.

“Good morning.”

Pierce’s back stiffened at the deep voice. “Hey. Morning, Angel.”

Angel rubbed the back of Pierce’s neck while he pulled another mug from the cabinet.

“I guess I owe you a huge ‘thank you’ for lending me your husband.” Pierce laughed humorlessly.

“Borrow him anytime. I could use a break.” Angel’s deep laugh was a spitting image of his father's.

Pierce turned and saw Angel’s hair was out of the braid and flowing down his back. Jet black, full, and extremely long. “Good lord. Are you going to let it grow past your ass, Angel?”

“You know I can’t cut it. I actually trimmed it a couple weeks ago.”

“Hmm. Wonder how long it takes to dry all that hair.”

“I’m used to it.” Angel smirked.

The man was a huge hunk of charm, stuffed with sex appeal. “Thanks for the coffee by the way.” Pierce poured a full mug.

“I was getting ready to thank you,” Angel said reaching for the pot next.

“Oh god. Max made the coffee. It probably tastes like mud.” Pierce groaned. When he’d worked with Max at the Virginia Beach fire department he was ordered to never make the coffee for the station.

“I didn’t make it. I wouldn’t try to poison you guys,” Max said coming into the kitchen, kissing his husband on the back of his head. He propped his hand up on the cabinet and leaned in to him, nuzzling under his hair.

Ugh. Newlyweds.

“Did the coffee fairy come in this morning and make us a pot of Joe?” Pierce chuckled turning his cup up to his mouth. “Well. I hope she comes every morning because this is good.”

Pierce paused on his second sip, the cup halfway to his mouth. “Hey. What? What is it? Why are you guys looking at me like that?”

Max’s mouth was hanging open. He pointed at Pierce. “Did you have that on your finger yesterday?”

Pierce peered around his cup looking at his hand. He almost dropped the mug as he glared at the solid gold band on his left ring finger. He quickly set the mug down and brought his hand back to his face. “No. No. I didn’t. I don’t even have a ring like this.”

“Ummm. That’s a wedding band,” Max said, looking just as confused as him.

“Well that makes no sense.” Pierce saw some small etchings on the band but he couldn’t make it out. He easily slid the band off his finger and had to put it right up to eyes to see it. Oh my god. Pierce’s other hand went over his mouth as he stared at the beautiful images etched into the gold. His eyes flooded and his heart felt like it was trying to burst through his ribcage and go on a hunt. Hunt down what it’d been yearning for almost a month now.

“What’s on it?” Max said. Both of them hurrying over to have a look, peering over his shoulder.

“Birds?” Max said doubtfully.

“Hawks,” Angel’s deep voice said close to his ear.

That one word had Pierce running through the large house like a madman. He was trying not to fall or run into anything as he barreled through every room of the house. He went to the front door and looked out across the huge lawn, but saw nothing. Not even a car. He looked in the garage, in the sunroom, the mud porch. “Augh. God! Where is he?”

“Pierce! Pierce, come in here you fool,” Max called after him.

He ran back to the kitchen, his socks causing him to slide on the linoleum and crash into Max’s large frame. Max and Angel laughed hysterically, but Pierce didn’t find a bit of humor in any of this. He looked all around. Still no Hawk. Pierce’s shaky hands went into his hair, tugging on it in frustration. “What the fuckin’ fuck? Where is he!” he screamed. “He has to be here, right?” Pierce held up his ring finger.

“Pierce.” Angel put a hand on his shoulder and slowly turned him around. He pulled back the paisley curtain on the kitchen window that looked out over their backyard. Two men stood side by side on the small wooden pier, one of them leaning slightly on a cane.

Pierce’s eyes widened. He threw open the back door and jumped down the four steps, running full speed towards the pier. The two men turned around and he got a look at his man’s face. He didn’t know how his feet were moving so fast across the thick grass but he didn’t worry about it. Pierce was closing the distance fast and a large smile spread across Hawk’s face as he opened his arms wide and let Pierce jump onto him like a crazed animal. Hawk had no problem catching his slight frame and holding him to him. Pierce locked his ankles around Hawk’s back and held him back like his life depended on it. Hawk had one strong arm around his back and one hand cradling his head.

“Hi baby,” Hawk whispered into his hair.

“Dane,” Pierce cried on his shoulder.

They stayed that way for a long time. Pierce pulled back and looked at Hawk’s face, another flood of tears came. He’d missed Hawk’s beautiful eyes like he’d never missed anything before in his life. Pierce’s body trembled in his man’s strong arms. 

“Shhh. Don’t cry baby.” Hawk stroked his back.

“I should choke you,” Pierce grumbled. “Why did you do that to me? Why didn’t you call me? I came home, just like you told me too. You have no idea what I was going through here alone.”

Hawk exhaled tiredly. “Oh yes I do, love. Because I was going through the exact same thing. If they would’ve let me, I swear your voice would’ve been the only one I wanted to hear.”

Pierce slid his legs down, but kept his arms around Hawk’s neck. Hawk cupped his chin, lifting his head from his chest. “I waited five hundred and fifty-two hours for this.” Hawk pressed his lips to his and kissed him with love, with sincerity, with hope. A kiss that showed just how much he truly missed him too. Pierce slanted his head, opened and let Hawk’s warm tongue caress his own. The firm grip on the back of his neck was so comforting as Hawk controlled the kiss for them. When oxygen was an absolute necessity Pierce pulled back, but left his lips brushing against Hawk’s.

“Missed you so much. Where have you been?” Pierce whispered, gazing into Hawk’s glowing eyes.

“McCormick Correctional Institution.” The rough voice next to them butted into their lust. 

“Omega shut the fuck up,” Hawk grumbled.

Pierce stumbled back. He hadn’t paid the slightest bit of attention to who Hawk had been standing with. “Omega,” Pierce said in awe. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The man grinned at him like the Joker in a Batman movie. His cold grey eyes making Pierce extremely uncomfortable. “Is that the way you speak to the man that saved your fiancé’s life? Helped him get out of prison. Drove him eight long hours overnight, since his leg is fucked. I don’t even get a thank you. A tour of your quaint little Mayberry town.” He tsked at Pierce, stepping up to him. “If it wasn’t for the lovely country home, I’d question your upbringing.”

Hawk pushed Omega out of Pierce’s face. Stumbling a little with his cane. “Move it O. Go in the house and have another cup of coffee while I talk to Pierce.”

“In the order we’re groomed to always say please and thank y –” 

“Damnit!” Hawk growled, annoyed. “Enough about the goddamn order already. I’ve had to listen to that the whole way here. Shut up about it. You’re out of the order now. Let it go.”

“Hey, man. The order is in here.” Omega tapped his chest, grinning at them.

Hawk actually grinned back as the man turned and walked back up to the house.

“Why the hell are you two acting like BFFs? That guy’s an assassin, and you just sent him into my house.” Pierce looked over his shoulder, like the man could’ve crept up on them at any second.

Hawk chuckled, still gazing lovingly at him. “He’s been in there all morning. You’re still alive aren’t you?”

“What?”

“We arrived a few hours ago. But you were sleeping so peacefully. I didn’t want to wake you. If I didn’t know my nephew, I would’ve woken both of you, and not in a nice way.” Hawk squeezed him to him.

“You made the coffee?”

“No. Omega did. He’s very stealthy.” Hawk grinned. But Pierce still wasn’t finding any of this funny, and his face showed it.

“Baby. What he said was right. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead. I was shot in the leg, stuck on that fucking building with five men closing in on me. Omega appeared out of nowhere, like a dark angel. Doing what he does.”

“Killing,” Pierce added.

“Exactly. Call would be dead and Toad, too. I don’t know how the hell they did it, but they were there on that dock at the exact moment we needed them to be.”

“No one was killed?” Pierce gasped.

“No. Toad’s heart had stopped on the dock. Viper and Lucky gave him CPR until the paramedics arrived. It was touch and go when he got to the hospital, but he pulled through. He’s tough as fuck, always has been. Call was hurt, but not life threatening. The only one we didn’t find was Shot.”

“Oh, no.”

“No. He’s alive. He had to dive off his building into the water when it blew. He was burned, and sustained a few cracked ribs when he hit the water. He couldn’t swim with his injuries so he just floated with the tide until it pushed him up on the bank a few miles away. We were all separated when we got to the hospital. Feds swarmed us. Took us into the custody after we were treated. It wasn’t until I got out that my General told me where my team was and their statuses.”

“Omega sent your General.”

“No. Alpha did. He risked his identity to get Call.”

Pierce fumed. “Those bastards wouldn’t tell me anything. I can’t believe they put you in jail.”

“Baby, that whole mission is going to get buried and all the details deemed as eyes-only classified. Names and records had to be sealed. We can’t have the Russians trying to retaliate against any of us personally. They don’t take defeat very well. They kept other agencies, you and other loved ones in the dark for a very important reason.”

Pierce opened his mouth to argue again but Hawk slammed his mouth down over his, cutting him off. He kissed him hard for a few seconds, and when he pulled away, Pierce was breathless.

“It had to be that way, Pierce. We needed to keep our identities secret… especially yours. The Russian mafia has been run out of the country. The few left on the docks that weren’t dead are in federal custody. It’s more than likely they’ll cut deals and reveal the locations of many of the women who were taken and placed in their human trafficking system. So the mission was a success.” Hawk kissed his nose. “And Backhander’s mission never had any casualties.”

“Oh my god.” Pierce smiled finally, for the first time in weeks.

“Now.” Hawk lifted Pierce’s left hand and kissed the gold band. “I haven’t heard you say ‘yes’ yet.” Hawk raised one eyebrow at him, his eyes sparkling with gold and violet.

Pierce slung his arms around him again. “Of course it’s a yes, you sneaky bastard.”

“I’d pick you up and spin you around, but I don’t want us falling over into the water.” Hawk laughed, hugging him tightly.

Pierce looked down at Hawk’s cane. “How bad is your leg?”

“It’ll heal. But there’ll be no more missions. Too many muscles torn apart by the bullet.” Hawk looked seriously at him.

“Jesus. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ve been looking forward to more carefree days. Vacationing, lying in the sun. Maybe some fishing. Doing a lot more of my wood crafting.” Hawk pressed his mouth to the shell of Pierce’s ear. “Enjoying my husband.”

Pierce’s face ached from the broad smile. “That sounds perfect.”