STORY EXCERPT

Ben and Maksim pulled into Rick’s driveway just as he was drinking his morning coffee. If Ben was at his doorstep nothing good was happening. The man with Ben looked vaguely familiar. It wasn’t until Rick opened the door that he recognized him.

“Why the fuck would you bring Gorelov’s second-in-command to my house?” Rick snarled

“Calm down, son. Khvostovsky isn’t what he appears,” Ben said and pushed past Rick into the house followed by Maksim.

“Special Agent Richard Lorrie, I’d like you to meet Agent Maksim Khvostovsky of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. He has been undercover in Gorelov’s organization for five years in a joint operation with the FBI.”

Two years ago was the only time Rick had seen Khvostovsky. Gorelov’s gentlemen’s club was under surveillance. Rick was watching from the van. Khvostovsky had been at the door of the club with one of the new girls. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old. She wasn’t cooperating to Khvostovsky’s satisfaction so the man backhanded her, dragging her back into the club. Rick could see the girl had her lips busted open. Khvostovsky was scum as far as Rick was concerned.

“They have special training for smacking little girls around in Russian Foreign Intelligence or is it just a natural ability you have?” Rick asked in disgust.

“Fuck you! I did what I had to, to make sure Sasha didn’t get herself killed as an example to the rest of the girls. You’re welcome for the information you needed that shut the club down and got you Nikos.” Maksim glared, his eyes icy like the Arctic Ocean. He turned to Ben. “Look, appreciate you trying to help me. But I shouldn’t be the FBI’s responsibility. Take care of Lorrie. He can take Gorelov down. I can take care of myself.”

Maksim left walking quickly down the street dismantling his cell phone as he went. He had about fifteen grand in cash on him and a key to another safety deposit box with IDs under another name and another hundred thousand in cash. Going back home to St. Petersburg was probably a very bad idea. Staying in the states was a worse idea. It wouldn’t take Gorelov long to figure out Maksim was a plant, guaranteeing Maksim was next on the Gypsy’s agenda to kill.

Maksim was jingling the change in his pocket debating if he should rent a car or take the train back to New York. He tensed as Ben’s car screeched to a halt in front of him.

The ten minutes since Maksim had walked out of his house Rick had gotten a blistering ear full from Ben about all that Maksim had sacrificed to get Gorelov. How everything that Rick had stopped, every shipment, every gun deal, every shady construction bid was because of information Maksim had given the FBI. Ben explained all of the stuff Maksim was able to stop from even leaving Russia because of his place in Gorelov’s crew. Gorelov may have hired a hit man to put a bullet in Rick’s skull but what he would do to Maksim would be ten times worse. “The Thieves World” didn’t take kindly to traitors.

Rick got out glaring at him. “Get in the fucking car!”

“Fuck off, Lorrie,” Maksim snarled back.

Ben got out of the car. “Both of you get in the car now!” He sounded like an irritated father yelling at misbehaving children.

Maksim got into the back seat. Rick took the front. “Okay, Dad, where we going?” Rick asked like a petulant child.

“I have some friends, both former Navy Intelligence. They have a property on the Canadian border, big cabin, private lake access. How does a little fishing vacation sound, boy?” Ben smirked.

“Just tell me we aren’t driving the whole way there,” Rick groused. Maksim remained silent in the backseat.

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m flying you in.” Ben got onto the freeway heading to the small airport north of the city.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Wow! That is a big bed.” Rick marveled at the size of the California king-size.

Maksim dropped his bag on the right side of the bed closest to the door. A big bay window that looked out over the lake faced the bed. Rest was not something Maksim would be getting with such an open area. Checking his gun clip he slid it under his pillow.

Rick went to stand in front of the window watching the moonlight play off the water. He chuckled thinking that if this was a slasher flick Jason Voorhees would peek his head out from a bush just out of his line of sight. Of course then one of them would have to be a pretty big-breasted bimbo. He looked back at Maksim. The Russian was beautiful enough, but he was far from a bimbo.

“Close the blinds and step away from the widow please,” Maksim asked, his arms crossed.

“Unless Jason is going to jump out of bushes with a machete, I think I’m pretty safe at the moment, Mac.” Rick turned his back to the window without closing the blinds.

“Jason? Machete? I am more worried about assassins with high-powered sniper rifles.” Maksim stalked over closing the blinds before pausing. “Did you just call me, Mac?”

“Yes I did call you Mac as in short for Maksim. Most people call me Rick instead of Richard, feel free too. Jason Voorhees is a machete-wielding killer in a hockey mask in the slasher flick Friday the 13th.” Rick laughed when Maksim gave him a look like he had lost his mind. “Okay, not a movie goer I see.”

Maksim shook his head. “You should get some rest.”

“I should get some rest? What about you? I’m not going to be able to sleep if you’re up cobalt eyes glaring all night. That’s kind of creepy. Plus I don’t feel comfortable sleeping with you without clarifying my earlier statement. I’m not worried about what you’re going to do. It’s me. I’m a cuddler. Doesn’t matter who is in bed with me I wrap myself around them like a spider monkey. My brother Owen once accused me of trying to strangle him when we had to bunk together,” Rick rambled without taking a breath.

Afraid Rick was about to hyperventilate. Stepping over to him, Maksim grabbed Rick’s head pulling him until their lips touched. The kiss started as a way to stop Rick’s babbling but it quickly became all consuming.

With a groan Rick wrapped his arms around the taller man pulling him in tight, his tongue dueling with Maksim for control of the kiss, neither of them giving an inch, each biting and licking in the fight for control. Rick’s hands gripped Maksim’s hair trying to hold the Russian in place.

Rick’s hands moved down cupping Maksim’s firm ass lifting up until Maksim had no choice but to wrap his long legs around his waist. Maksim pulled back on the grip he had on Rick’s hair, breaking the kiss gasping for breath. Blue eyes met chocolate-brown eyes hazy with lust. Maksim wiggled and rubbed his ass on Rick’s jean-clad erection.

“You are so gorgeous,” Rick growled against Maksim’s ear, nipping the lobe with his teeth.

“Want you to fuck me,” Maksim wantonly begged, moving backward until his legs hit the bed. Turning, Rick dropped Maksim. He looked down at him thinking the Russian looked like a debauched angel. “You could tempt a saint,” Rick said in awe.

A lazy grin graced Maksim’s face. “What are you going to do with me, Saint Rick?”

Dropping to his knees on the floor Rick cupped the hard line of Maksim’s cock through his jeans. He gently squeezed as Maksim’s body bowed off the bed. Leaning over Rick stroked his cheek along the zipper. Slowly Rick unwrapped the throbbing member. Pulling Maksim’s leaking cock out Rick trailed his lips along the length teasing the head with his tongue.

Maksim bucked up. “Jesus Christ! Rick, suck me please,” he begged, his accent growing thicker.

“Patience, baby,” Rick murmured pinning Maksim’s grabbing hands next to his hips, lapping from the base to the tip of the beautiful cock, looking up at Maksim, his lips working the leaking cock. “Look at me, baby. Show me those baby blues.”

Maksim moaned, looking down at Rick who gave him a wink before swallowing his aching cock down to his balls. “Oh fuck!” Maksim groaned throwing his head back.