The Terms of Release (16 page)

“Well, boys, you heard the ladies. Backup is on the way, so be good. Roll over, Jake, hands behind your back.”

“You….” Jake stared at him. “You can’t believe these whores and a fucking fag over me! He attacked us! We came in for a burger, and he jumped us!”

Wilma snorted. “Little Sage Redding? Shit, I outweigh him by fifty pounds.”

Sage tried not to be offended.

Adam chuckled. “Turn over, Jake. I won’t say it again. I got a gun, not a baseball bat.”

Sage did his dead-level best not to smile. Adam did it for him, and he was revved up as all get-out. Shit.

“You going to arrest the rest of them too?” That was Charlie, who was coming around a bit.

“Nope.” Win stepped on Charlie to keep him in place. “They were defending themselves.”

“That’s right. Fucking cowards.” Wilma rolled her shoulders. “Do I need to come in and give a statement, Win?”

“I’ll need you to, yeah. Marisol, can you come in with Wilma?” Win nodded at the cook. “I can call Jameson to come get the car.”

“No problem.” Wilma winked at Sage. “I’ll call Bulldog from the car. Sage, thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Adam nodded to him. “I’ll call if I have any questions.”

“You got it.” He’d hang until the other… there they were. Time for him to get the hell out of Dodge. No sense borrowing trouble, and Adam’s backup was that nice feller who’d stayed with Sage’s folks the night of the shooting.

“You sure you don’t want me to follow you, Miss Wilma?” He hated feeling like a deserter.

“Nope. I’ll have Bulldog call if you need to finish the grandkids’ trick or treating.”

“I can sure do that if you need me.” No one was going to trust him to keep their kids safe. Not with people jumping out of the woodwork to beat him down.

He headed to his truck, the buzz from the fight fading quickly, leaving him empty, shaky. He sat in the cab, hands on the steering wheel. He needed a Coke. Maybe he could stop at the Woody’s and get one on the way back to the ranch.

He started the engine and slowly headed out away from the parking lot. Christ. He jumped as his phone rang, and he flipped it open. “Yeah?”

“Sage? Bulldog. Talked to Wilma. Thank you, man.”

“Thank me? Shit. They came for me.”

“How’d they know you were there, son? You don’t come in every day.”

“Oh.” Oh, that was true enough. Unless…. One of them was Adam’s cousin. God, had one of Adam’s relatives set them up? Maybe. He. It. This whole thing. God damn it!

“You need me to do anything else, man?” he asked.

Bulldog snorted. “You did great already. I owe you a piece of pie. You be safe going home.”

“I will. Happy Halloween, man.”

“Happy Halloween. Later.” Bulldog hung up, and Sage headed down the highway, figuring he ought to get on home, check on Momma, see if she’d heard from that nice lady vet. He tensed up every time he saw oncoming lights, but he made it home without anyone running him off the road.

He parked and sat there in the truck, forehead on the steering wheel a second, trying to decide whether he was going to start laughing and go until he couldn’t stop or not.

The knock on the window decided him, making him jump a mile. His momma stood there, peering in at him.

“Hey, Momma.” He offered her a grin.

Her frown smoothed out. “Did you get good candy out there?”

“I did. I totally did.” He slipped out of the car. “You hear about Penny this evening? There any potato salad left?”

“She’s on the mend, and they’re having to put her in a little kennel to keep her from bouncing.” She started back up toward the main house. “There is. Hot dogs too.”

“Yeah? You got enough for me?”

She snorted. “Don’t make me beat you, boy. Come on.”

Sage nodded, following her, a smile breaking across his face. He felt… better. Happier. He’d stood his ground.

No matter what Wilma would say, the truth would out, and that meant someone would hear that there was a cost to fucking with a Redding. Which was good. He was sick of being a damned victim.

His phone buzzed, and he answered, Adam’s name popping up. “Yeah?”

“Can I see you tonight?”

“Sure.”

“Cool. It may be late. If that’s not cool, I can come over tomorrow, but I need to see you.” Adam sounded downright intense.

“I’ll be up.” His body responded to the tone, jeans going tight. Something could be said for an Adam Winchester who was worried about him and wanting to show him how happy the man was Sage was okay.

“Everything okay, Son?”

“Yes, ma’am. Evenin’, Daddy.”

“Hey, Sage. Momma gonna feed you?” His dad looked pale. Not worried, just ill, and it made him sad.

“Yes, sir. Happy Halloween. Where’s Rosie?”

“She’s in her room watching scary movies with Katy Brooks. You remember Katy Brooks?”

“Vaguely. Pretty girl, lots of makeup? Scared of dogs?”

Daddy snorted. “Raises bloodhounds now.”

“No shit.” Huh. He guessed all sorts of leopards could change their spots. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

He sat at the kitchen table and ate his hot dogs, listening to the sounds of NCIS on the television, waiting for the evening to pass. He was waiting for Adam. That would be the best part of any day.

He headed to the trailer after the news and started the coffeepot, then cleaned himself up and stretched out on the sofa with a book, so he didn’t stare at the place where the TV and DVD player had been.

Sage had dozed off by the time Adam came in, but the door woke him, making him start up.

“Relax, babe. I’m not after your blood.”

“Well, damn.” He stretched. “Everything okay?”

“As okay as it’s gonna get.” Adam chuckled. “Wilma is a hero. Of course, so are you.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Officer.”

“Uh-huh. Marisol is ready to have your babies.” Adam sat down next to Sage and pulled him close.

“Ew.” He pushed into Adam’s arms, wanting this connection, this thing they were building.

“I know, right?” Adam kissed him, hard, no gentle coaxing going on.

His entire body lit up, responding to that need, that hunger. Sage grabbed Adam’s shoulders and held on, grunting when Adam pushed him down, his back hitting the couch cushions. He grabbed Adam’s shoulders, hips punching up.
Oh, hell yes.

Adam groaned, pressing down harder. The thick ridge of Adam’s cock was obvious, even through the double layer of denim.

“Please.” He pushed right back up, letting Adam feel him.

“I got this, babe.” Adam smiled, the expression damned hot, and pulled back instead of moving closer. Sage was about to bitch when Adam opened their jeans, tugging at buttons and zippers.

His prick felt so hard it could cut glass, his balls were aching, and it felt so good, having Adam’s hand on him. Adam was a little desperate for him, moving fast, but he didn’t care a bit.

“More.” He bit Adam’s bottom lip, feeling a little wild, like he was out of his own skin, which would totally suck, given how good his skin was feeling right now.

Adam nodded, panting, and their shirts went next, then their shorts, Adam getting them naked.

“Need you, baby.” Those words sounded so good, raw, like Adam didn’t feel things were broke.

“Right here. Come on,” Sage said.

Rearing up on his knees, Adam reached for his discarded jeans and pulled out a condom. “You got anything wet, Sage?”

He grabbed Adam’s hand and sucked his fingers hard, slicking them up. That would do the trick in a pinch.

“Jesus.” Adam was watching him, staring at him like he’d blown the man’s mind. Maybe he had. Adam didn’t waste any time, though, just pushed at him with those slick fingers, sliding two inside him.

“Oh fuck.” He curled up, lips parted. “Adam.”

Oh hell, yes.

All sorts of thoughts fluttered through his brain—90 percent of them unwelcome—and he batted them away. Only Adam. Only now.

“You good, babe? Can I move?” Adam had paused, staring down at him.

“Yeah. Need to feel you.”

Like he needed to breathe.

“Good.” Adam moved, fingers pushing in and out, spreading him right well. His body opened, letting Adam in, all the way deep. He could barely breathe, and he panted, his head swimming.

“Damn, baby. Look at you.” Adam sounded wrecked, like the man could eat him alive.

It made him stretch out, made him show off a little. He’d never wanted to flaunt himself, ever. Not like he did with Adam. This was his, though, and only his. He knew it like he knew he had to get up and feed in the mornings, like he knew the smell of the ranch.

Sounds tore out of him, harsh and needy, and they seemed like they were driving Adam’s need forward like the snap of reins. The man was wild for him, desperate, pushing him higher and higher.

“Please. Adam, come on. I ache.” He burned for it, the need surprising him.

“You sure you’re ready, babe?” Adam stared down at him, waiting for his nod. Then he was on Sage, pushing that hard cock against his hole.

He wrapped one hand around Adam’s hip, encouraging him to press in deep, fill him up. The move worked perfectly, moving them together, rocking their bodies.

His entire body rolled, sliding on Adam’s heat. Every little bit of skin that touched Adam’s felt supersensitized, so warm he might melt. Adam’s eyes were heavy-lidded, lips open, parted. The man watched him like he was the rising sun or something, like he was special. Real. He’d take it, as long as Adam wanted to give it.

When it stopped, well, he’d deal with it then.

Adam pulled him up even closer for another kiss, lips mashing down on his.

He tensed, squeezing Adam’s prick as their tongues fought, pushing and sliding against each other. Adam moaned for him, body bucking, muscles working under that tanned skin.

“So hot.” He stroked Adam’s belly, his fingers tracing the ripped
abs.

“I’m gonna explode, Sage.”

He thought Adam might too.

His cock was full, begging for a touch, so he gave it, stroking from base to tip, knowing Adam would feel how good it was.

Adam gasped, eyes going wide, that whole body rippling under him. God, Adam felt fine, wide and hard, pushing in so hard he couldn’t breathe.

That was all she wrote, his hand working his prick hard to push him over the edge. He cried out, spunk splattering his belly and chest. Adam was buried in him so deep he wasn’t sure how they’d ever be two people again.

Please, God. Let me not fuck this up.

Adam kissed him like there was nothing else on earth to do.

He hummed, melted deep down, his entire body singing happily. Adam still rocked hard into him, moving faster and faster. It only took a few more moments for Adam to fill him up deep.

Sage held on tight, memorizing every second of this, letting it erase the other ones in his brain. This was nothing like the rest of his life. This was a lot like hope.

W
IN
HATED
paperwork.

Oh, it was a necessary evil, and thank God all the forms were on a computer now, but he still sucked at it. He felt like he was all thumbs. Or maybe all two-fingered hunt and peck.

“Winchester! In my office.” Jim loomed over him, glaring like a big old ogre.

Looked like it was time to pay the piper for daring to arrest his cousin.

“Sure.” Win stood, leaving his weapon in his desk drawer. That way they couldn’t shoot him and call it self-defense.

Grace winked at him as he went, and it felt good having someone at his back. She was a staunch supporter of reason, which Jim seemed to be lacking.

Win stopped right inside the door when he saw his Uncle Teddy sitting there too. “What’s this, an intervention?”

“I want to know what the fuck is wrong with you.” Uncle Teddy stood up, tanned face all florid and flushed. “Arresting your cousin? Letting the murderer walk away?”

Adam breathed deeply and counted to ten in his head. “No one murdered anyone, and you know it. As for Charlie, he should be lucky no one pressed charges.”

“He’s been beaten half to death.”

Adam had to fight his grin. Sage had torn the stupid son of a bitch up. It had been a beautiful thing. “Wilma has one hell of an arm.”

“Wilma my ass!” Jim burst in. “I know it was that Redding boy.”

“Well, now, that wasn’t how it was reported to me.”

“What is your fucking deal with him?” Teddy stood, staring at him. “I swear, son—”

“Back off, Ted. I ain’t your son.” Win shook his head. “Hell, the more I have to deal with you, the more I can see why Angel ran off and left home.”

“He left because of that evil Redding bastard! You wait until I get their land and that fucker will be living with his folks in a truck!”

Evil? His Sage. Bullshit.

He waved a hand at Teddy’s face, then looked at his other uncle. “You’re foaming a little. Jim, if you try this on work time again, I will file a formal complaint.”

“You put an innocent man in jail.”

“Innocent? Charlie went to the cafe with the intention of starting shit. We have that on taped confession.” No one had ever said his kin had two brain cells to rub together to spark off a thought. Hell, if Teddy hadn’t had money, Jim Dale wouldn’t have been elected to office and the county knew it.

“You—”

“No.” Win held up a hand. “I’m done. You want to write me up, fine. Otherwise, let me go do my job.” He felt utterly calm and thoroughly disgusted.

It was his Friday, and he was taking Sage to Fort Worth. They were going to have steaks and goof off and, if he was lucky, have wild monkey sex. He wasn’t going to think about work or beatings or drive-by shootings.

Win stared at Jim, then Ted, who looked like explosion was imminent.

Jim waved him off, and he managed to get the door shut before Ted started screaming.

“Thank God.” He shook his head. Maybe he should take his paperwork out to his truck.

“I got you all loaded on the laptop, Win.” Oh, Grace was a winner.

He bent to kiss her cheek. “You’re a queen among women. Thank you.”