Once everyone had orders and shit to do, Castello looked around the kitchen. Damn, by making the others busy that left him with Axel. Smart move, dumbass. “Food?”
“I’m not cooking.” Axel muttered. “Unless you want burned toast for dinner.” He walked around Castello to a drawer in the island and pulled out a bunch of menus. “Take out?”
“What you got in the fridge?”
“Not much.”
“Then I guess I am going shopping.” Castello went to grab the keys for his truck.
“Boss, you gotta take Axel with you.” Sawyer bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the horrified look on Castello’s face.
“You’ve already told Colgan that he is yours. Nothing says 'couple' like grocery shopping with one cart.”
“Nope, Givens wants him, he stays here.”
“I am not going to be locked away like some fucking princess in a tower, Cas.” Axel ignored the dark look Castello threw his way. He stood his ground and refused to flinch. The mob and drugs may be out of his experience but dealing with overbearing caveman assholes? That was totally in his wheelhouse. He was not afraid of Castello Moran, and even if he were, he’d be damned if he’d show it.
“You want our help, then you follow my orders.” Castello stepped closer
to Axel. He wasn’t above using his bigger body frame to crowd him. He didn’t want to intimidate him as such, he just wanted to remind him of who was in charge.
“That’s the thing,” Axel went toe to toe with Castello. On this he would not compromise. Not fucking happening. “I am not one of your team, I don’t follow your orders.” Under his breath so only Castello could hear, he added on. “Unless we’re in bed, then I’d consider it.”
Castello’s dick hardened to stone at the husky promise in Axel’s whispered words, even as he swore in his head.So much for putting him inhis place, when is the last time someone other than your team stood up toyou?The complex challenge of this man’s tough-as-nails exterior combined with a vulnerable streak a mile wide was drawing him in, no matter how much he tried to resist it. So he did something he rarely did, he backtracked.
“Fine, you can come.”
“Boss, I like him.” Rafe looked up from his spot on the floor where he was checking the attachments for Balas’ vest, “He has balls and family means something to him.”
“Yup.” Connor snagged the gun oil bottle Zack tossed his way. “We should keep him.”
“Shut the fuck up, all of you.”
Within minutes, Axel and Castello were pulling the front door shut behind them. Castello scanned the neighborhood, looking for any signs they were being watched. The itchy feeling crawling up the back of his neck told him there was someone out there. Whether it was Colgan or other Givens thugs remained to be seen. But then, all signs pointed to Colgan working for Givens, so maybe it was one and the same.
“The guys will give us the all clear in a few minutes.” Castello wrapped an arm around Axel’s shoulders, tucking him in close to his side. His nose nuzzled into Axel’s hair as he moved them behind the porch pillar so he could watch a few minutes longer. He knew Connor was already at one of the upstairs windows, scanning rooftops and buildings for any sign of a sniper’s nest. Zack, Rafe, and Balas were already outside scoping out the neighborhood, looking for any signs of someone watching and waiting for them. It went against everything in him to have someone he wanted to protect out here in the open. It was making him twitchy as fuck. But it wasn’t the first time an Op had the potential to move from plan A to plan freaking F in a heartbeat. It’s why they made back up plans for their back up plans.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Axel’s body went rigid against Castello’s tightening arm.
“Don’t pull away.” Castello muttered. Shit, they had discussed this. He got that Axel was pissed. Understood he had been giving him mixed signals all week, never mind all day. But was Axel seriously going to fuck up at the very first steps? “If we are gonna convince a former Navy Seal that we are a couple then he’s gonna have to believe it when he looks at us.”
“You really think he is out there watching us?” Axel blew out a breath, before wrapping an arm around Castello’s waist, tucking his fingers into the band of his tactical pants. He bit his lip to stifle the laugh that bubbled up when the other man jumped at the touch. So much for cool and calculated operator. Axel ran his fingers back and forth across Castello’s lower back. If Castello wanted to put on a show, then a show he would get. He wasn’t entirely sure what the fuck Castello wanted from him. But damn, it might be fun to make him batshit.
“Lynx One, this is Two, do you copy?”Zack’s voice in his earpiece reminded Castello that he shouldn’t be getting lost in the sensations Axel’s touch were causing. Sensations he shouldn’t even be freaking thinking about, never mind feeling.
“Go ahead, Two.”
“You are clear to move.”
“Roger that.” Castello answered, and called out for Connor to confirm they were good to leave the scant protection the porch pillar offered. “Lynx Five, how we looking?”
“Boss, this is Five, clear here too.”
“Copy.”
“It’s a possibility.” Castello told Axel, regarding his question about Marc Colgan. Stepping back, he slid his hand down along Axel’s arm, pulling the hands that shouldn’t be raising goosebumps along his skin from his back to link their fingers together. “I would if it were me.”
“Of course, you would.” Axel muttered under his breath. He wasn’t above admitting that he was enjoying this time with Castello. He knew it was only a front to make certain people believe they were a couple. That shit didn’t matter so much, and right there and then, Axel’s brain kicked into overdrive and a decision was made. Axel was going to frick-fracking make Castello crazy. It might be stupid to be a dick to the people who were meant to help him sort shit out and find his sister. But Axel’s brain didn’t work like
