“What the fuck are you assholes doing?”
“Shhhiit.” Roman tried to stop, but the power of Zenko and Luc running behind him swept him forward. He put his hands out, trying to tell Noble to move his ass. The words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He didn’t have time before his hands hit Noble in the chest, sending him backward. The momentum of the hit sent his boss to the floor on his ass.
“Give me the fucking cell, asshole,” Saxon pushed hard on Luc’s back, creating a domino effect, Luc hit Zenko, who, in turn, pushed Roman.
Roman waved back and forth for a second, trying to keep his feet under him against the drive of the others behind him. But over six-hundred pounds of muscle was hard to withstand, and down he went, landing on Noble like a ton of bricks.
“My f-fucking balls.” Noble’s hands went between his legs, as Roman scrambled to get off him. Noble turned on his side, retching, drawing his knees up.
“Sorry, Boss,” Roman reached for Noble’s arm to help him to his feet.
“Fuck.” Zenko wrapped his fingers into Roman’s shirt, trying to pull him backward. It was his right as Noble’s former swim buddy to be the one to help him.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” Noble managed to squeeze the words out while trying to keep the coffee he’d just finished in his stomach.
“Jesus,” Max walked out the dining room door; in one glance, he saw his man on the floor in agony. “Get the fuck outta my way.” He dropped to his knees beside Noble. It didn’t take a genius to figure out something had happened to his man’s balls. The way Noble had his hands cupped over them, and his knees protecting them, showed where he hurt. “Get me fucking ice, now.”
“On it,” Zenko stepped over Noble’s prone form, the kitchen was directly at the end of the hall. That tiny ass freezer in this rental better have ice, or he was going to the pizza place down the street to beg for something frozen.
“Get the fuck outta here.” Max growled at Roman, Luc, and Saxon. “Assholes.”
“Sorry,” Saxon resisted the urge to cup his own balls in sympathy with his boss. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black rectangle on the white marble floor. Stepping to the left, he swallowed down the glee as he stomped on the cell Zenko had dropped in the melee.
“That’s my phone—”
“Fucking. Leave. Now.” Max reached for the tea towel full of ice Zenko held out to him. “We have shit to do, and y’all are fucking around like a bunch of school kids.”
“Going, I’m going,” Saxon held up both hands in front of him, palms out. Max rarely lost his shit, that was Noble’s role. But right now, Max had murder in his eyes, and he didn’t want any of it. Roman and Luc had already disappeared.
“You are still fucking here.”
“Nope,” Saxon turned to go back down the stairs. He’d search for Rick himself. Red Squadron were supposed to have his six, were supposed to be here to help him. Instead, they were delaying him with stupid shit. As he did so, Noble wrapped one hand into the leg of his pants.
“Dishes,” Noble grunted, “and dinners, one month, you.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Others too.”
Saxon nodded. Thank fuck, it wasn’t just him. Noble could get creative with his punishments.
“Do not leave, that’s an order.”
“What?”No way, boss, don’t make me pick between you and Rick.For the first time in his life, he seriously considered disobeying an order.
“That’s an order,” Noble repeated.
Shit, shit.He squeezed his eyes shut. This could not be happening. They had to let him look. He had no idea if there was anyone else out there who even knew Rick was missing.
“We cannot help you or your man if you go Lone Ranger.”
Fuck, he knew they were stronger together. Argh, and he knew his boss was right. But it was Rick…fuck.Blowing out a breath, he considered his options. But eventually, he nodded in agreement. He would wait for the others.
“Words.”
“Okay, I’ll wait.” Saxon paused before adding on, “For now.” It would have to be could enough. He could offer nothing less. Noble nodded that he understood and let go of his pants and Saxon moved, he needed to breathe. Needed to do something before he gave in to the urgency which clawed at his guts. He didn’t want to break his word to Noble, but damn, this time he was going to struggle to keep it, even with logic and experience telling him it was the best course of action.
Chapter Three
