Chapter 1: Twenty Bucks is Twenty Bucks
Chapter Text
It was September, possibly. They hadn’t started keeping track of the days until a few nights after they had washed up, and even then, no one quite knew what the date had been when they jumped from the Coastal Venture, not even Pope. Notches carved into the tall tent post that stood in the center of their camp marked the passing of the days; twenty-five so far. But it didn’t really matter that it was Fall, the sun was still scorching hot and JJ’s skin was a deep, burnished tan, his blond hair bleaching far more than it had on Kildare Island.
Midday sun arched overhead, the sky completely clear today, none of the towering white clouds that gave such depth and texture to their days. The others had retreated out of the searing heat to lounge on their roughly crafted sleeping rolls, dozing under the shade of the trees and the cliff’s edge. But JJ had stayed out, lying on his back on the beach, eyes closed as he bathed in the glorious heat. The waves crashed up the shore in a soothing, constant tempo; their white crests would be foaming and frothing with a violence that was rare back home, but common here.
His tattered vest was balled up under his head, his shorts at least were made of sterner material, even if the salt water had stiffened them. JJ had long ago tossed his heavy boots and thick socks aside, only wearing them when they ventured into the island’s interior. Going commando was the norm for the guys now, it was cooler and less uncomfortable than wearing the same pair of underwear that had to be washed each day. JJ idly considered the fact that unless they started making their own clothes, eventually they would have to revert to what Pope called ‘the state of nature’. It sounded fine to JJ, he wouldn’t object to seeing Pope’s heavy cock every moment of every day!
His own dick twitched at the image and JJ hummed under his breath. He, Pope, and John B had an unspoken accord that whenever they needed some…alone time, they would talk about heading to the waterfall, and the other two would cover for them with the girls. Although John B didn’t need it that often, despite the tension with Sarah, JJ had noticed them getting intimate more than once. And Pope…JJ saw the way he looked at Cleo, he just hoped it wouldn’t get as awkward as whatever happened between Pope and Kiara.
JJ briefly considered heading off to the waterfall; it was a good fifteen minute hike from the shore, up along the freshwater stream and through the jungle. But that would mean going back to camp and getting his boots and risking disturbing the others. He was far enough away right now that he couldn’t see them, his view blocked by a large boulder that broke up the shoreline and heralded the start of the rockpools that they fished in sometimes. JJ pressed his lips together, considering his options. He could feel the bubbling tension of arousal and horniness sitting in his stomach, making his heart race and reaching down to charge his cock, becoming hard enough that his shorts tented outwards.
“Fuck it.” He muttered and snapped the button at the waist, unzipping them down. JJ sat up enough to raise his ass off the ground and push his shorts down his legs, grunting in relief as the whisper of an offshore breeze brushed the sweat away. His cock stood upright, and he wasted no time in wrapping a hand around the shaft, giving himself a few quick tugs. JJ hummed in his throat as he glanced around, not sure which fantasy to use to get himself off; masturbating in semi-public with the chance one of his friends might stumble upon him had done it for the first few days, but now getting caught wasn’t exciting enough to make him cum. Unbidden, a face from home entered his mind’s eye, one that made his pulse spike up higher, echoing the motion on his dick. Rafe Cameron. Now this was a risky pleasure…
It had been a lazy Friday night at the country club, they were hosting some sort of charity function that seemed to involve one long speech after the other and servers weren’t needed as frequently as usual. JJ had gone out back for a quick smoke, no one would miss him for a few minutes. It had been quiet, the hum of the air conditioning system nearby and the chirping of night insects the only sounds to distract him. Then a bang as a door burst open, Rafe Cameron stumbling out from the club side. The door swung shut automatically behind him and JJ stared in his direction, but Rafe seemed out of it, his eyes big and glassy, hands held out almost comically in front of him.
“Uh, hey.” JJ called out a little reluctantly. “Um, are you ok, man?”
“Sure, yeah, totally.” Rafe muttered, steadying himself when he reached the chain link fence that ran around the loading yard. His suit jacket was open, his collar unbuttoned, his lips parting and shutting like a fish as he turned slowly to stare at JJ. “Oh, you.”
“Yep.” JJ took a final drag of his blunt and sighed. “Do you want me to get you a water or something?”
“Nah, that’s not what I want.” Rafe stumbled closer to him, close enough that JJ could smell the expensive bourbon on his breath. “Mmh, I’m looking for something else.”
“Sorry, man, I don’t sell anything.” JJ leaned back a little, but otherwise held his ground. “Not that I think you need it, you are soaring high right now.”
“Yeah, totally.” Rafe murmured and turned away from him, leaning awkwardly on the HVAC unit. He cupped his chin with one hand and looked up at JJ, his gaze completely unfocused. “So, how much?”
“Dude, I just told you.” JJ glared at him, his fists balling up as memories of fights still recent boiled to the surface. Pogues clashing with Kooks was nothing new, but Rafe shouldn’t have been there this summer, JJ had heard about him leaving for college, so it was an unpleasant surprise to have him back alongside Topper in their fights. The unfairness of bringing a grown man to a fist-fight with a bunch of teenagers stung JJ, but it was exactly what he should have expected. The Kooks always stacked the deck in their favor; Rafe had three years over him and Pope and John B, he was big and mean, and always went for the cheap shot. Except…Rafe didn’t look particularly imposing at the moment, staring back at him with a strange familiar glimmer in his eyes. “What?”
“I’m not talking about drugs, JJ.” Rafe half-smiled at his reaction. “Yeah, I know your name, plus it’s on your tag.”
“Oh, right, of course.” JJ muttered and self-consciously rubbed his finger over the brass plate pinned above his heart. “So, what are you talking about?”
“Something else.” Rafe replied evasively. He groped for his pocket and slipped two fingers inside, pulling back seconds later, cash in between his fingers. “Here. For you.”
“Uh, I’m not gonna turn away drunk guys handing me money!” JJ smirked at him and reached out. “Hey!” He cried in surprise when Rafe’s other hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. “I was only-”
“You’re really hot, you know that?” Rafe whispered huskily as JJ moved slightly towards him, completely off-guard by now. “Thought so ever since I first saw you, but I guess that’s creepy.”
“Considering we met when I was fourteen, probably.” JJ squeaked as Rafe’s grip tightened. He managed to free himself with a grunt and stared at Rafe. “Wait, are you…propositioning me?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh my god, you totally are. What the fuck, dude?!”
“It seemed like a good idea ten minutes ago.” Rafe sighed and leaned back again. “So, you don’t wanna?”
“No!” JJ glared at him, hating the way his eyes darting towards the money and the swooping sensation that filled his stomach. “Ugh…I mean…what exactly were you thinking?”
“Uh, nothing crazy.” Rafe perked up, looking at him eagerly. He opened his palm and showed JJ the two hundred-dollar bills in his hand. “We could jerk each other off?”
“Uh, what? You want to jerk me off?” JJ frowned at him. “Why?”
“Mmh, do you want the money or not?” Rafe avoided the question, offering him the cash instead. “Well?”
“That’s like a month’s worth of tips right there.” JJ hummed to himself and then sighed, reaching out to accept the money. “Alright, fine, but we don’t tell anyone about this.”
“It’s bribe.” Rafe grinned at him, and JJ hesitated, seeing something beyond the bully he knew.
“Right, a bribe, that sounds a lot better than ‘Rafe Cameron paid me to touch his dick,’ huh?” JJ muttered under his breath and looked around carefully. “C’mon, we should go away from the doors, I do not want to get caught.”
“Same.” Rafe nodded and followed him into the thick bushes that screened the back of the club from the tennis courts. He stumbled and JJ grabbed his arm, pulling him through the brush and out onto the sand court at the other end of the complex. “Here?”
“Yeah, there are no cameras here and everyone is either at the function or drinking on the patio.” JJ looked around again, relieved that they were unlikely to be caught. “Ok, this is good.”
“Yeah.” Rafe echoed and approached him, JJ backing off until his shoulders hit the wall of the supply shed. He reached out, running his hand almost gingerly down the front of JJ’s uniform. Rafe paused and looked at his face, a frown pulling at his own brows. “Uh…are you sure this is ok?”
“Uh huh, it’s fine.” JJ nodded and averted his eyes from Rafe’s suddenly intense gaze. They didn’t speak a lot after that, JJ unbuttoned his uniform shirt and let it hang open as Rafe’s fingers found his belt buckle and then the zipper of his trousers. Almost to his surprise, JJ didn’t have to try to get aroused, the thrill of having someone else touch him was enough to get hard and he thrust into Rafe’s hand when his underwear was pulled down. “Mmf.”
“Nice.” Rafe murmured to himself and started stroking JJ’s cock. The other guy’s hands slipped under his shirt and Rafe moved closer to him, moaning softly when JJ’s fingers raced across his smooth, warm skin. He used his free hand to push down his pants and unleash his own erection.
“Fuck.” JJ grunted when he felt Rafe’s cock, thick and hot and hard, probably an inch larger than his own. There was something beyond arousing about having another guy’s dick in his hands, to feel the weight and heft and excitement thrumming along under the surface. They grasped each other and began to move, a few inches apart. JJ braced himself on Rafe’s hip with his left hand and used his right hand to jerk him off, long, rapid strokes that ended with a flick of his thumb over the precum slick glans. “Ahh, fuck, yeah.”
“Hmm.” Rafe sighed contentedly in his throat and let his head fall back. His own hand was following JJ’s example, although a little faster, aided by the copious flow of precum that soaked his fingers. He leaned in closer to JJ, his eyes coming back from the sky to take in JJ’s almost shirtless form. Both hands were engaged in masturbating JJ; one working the shaft, the other cupping and gently massaging his balls and the smooth taint beneath. But JJ could see the hungry look in Rafe’s expression and tilted his head to one side.
“Ahh!” JJ moaned eagerly when Rafe finally took the hint and kissed his neck, his lips sucking on the tanned skin and Rafe’s tongue on him. It was enough…
“Ahhh! Yeah! Fuck!” JJ arched his back and came hard, cum splattering up past his pecs and hitting his neck and chin. The waves crashed relentlessly along the shore on either side, muffling his cries of pleasure as the memory overcame him. He released his cock and flicked his hand left and right, flinging the blobs of cum onto the sand as his cock continued to leak its final few spurts onto his navel. JJ dropped his head back onto his rolled-up vest and basked in the warmth of the afterglow as it suffused his body.
It wasn’t the first time he had jerked off thinking about Rafe, and it was unlikely the last. Especially since that night at the country club had only been the first of many. They had both cum quickly then too, right at the moment JJ thought Rafe was about to kiss him properly. Spurting hard against each other, moaning deep and loud until they remembered they were outside and not far enough away to avoid being heard.
Afterwards had been awkward enough that they didn’t meet each other’s eyes, JJ cleaning up as best he could, Rafe taking his phone and putting his number in it, if you ever want to do this again... The words muttered as he staggered off in the direction of the parking lot.
“Yeah, love to.” JJ had replied softly, but Rafe gave no sign of having heard him. “For free even.”
Chapter Text
The pool was a rectangle of deep aqua, the patio tiles around it glowed white under the tropical sun and the leafy trees nearby drifted back and forth as a gentle wind blew across the fields from the adjacent coast road. Rafe reclined in his deck chair, his heels touching the hot tiles, his skin sizzling as the sun bathed his shirtless torso in glorious heat. It was quiet, at last.
Rose had taken Wheezy off to town for…something, probably just to get away from the house, away from him. His father still lay on the bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, a stable coma the island doctor had called it.
There was little else to do but lounge around and wait. He had reached out to an art dealer with a reputation in the Caribbean, someone who knew the value of relics and antiques and who could provide him with a buyer. Someone who, perhaps, would realize the uniqueness of the cross and not ask too many questions about its origin. But that was tomorrow. Today was…whatever he wanted it to be. Perhaps he would take the car out after Rose returned, go cruising around the island in more ways than one. Rafe craned his neck and looked towards the entrance of the estate, catching sight of the tousled brown hair of the security guard who patrolled outside. His name was Carlos, a late twenties military veteran from some European country now working private security. Tall, muscular, hot. Rafe had tried to strike up a conversation with him many times, but Carlos always blanked him off with one-word answers or cool detachment. It made sense; this was a job, Rafe was a client, it’d be unprofessional to become anything more.
Perhaps because it was already transactional that Rafe found his thoughts wandering back home to the Outer Banks. It reminded him of the summer just gone, an impossibly short few weeks that somehow felt like three years, so much had changed in so brief a time. Rafe had gone to plenty of parties, seen plenty of wild things in college and with his older Kook friends; drugs, drink, public sex, all were common enough. Well, the last one only happened when someone got particularly wasted. And never two guys, much to his disappointment. He had hooked up before, both on and off the island, but those arrangements never made it to a second time around. There had only been one hookup that had kept going. Him and JJ shouldn’t have worked, it should have been a one-and-done, just like all the others. But they both kept coming back for more.
Maybe JJ was just in it for the money, it was always so hard to know which was Pogue bravado and which was real emotion with him. They had met a couples of times after that first country club hookup, and then a few days after the fight between Topper and John B at the Boneyard, Rafe had stopped by Macky’s bait and tackle when he saw JJ hanging out outside the wooden shack. It had been early, the sun still burning off the summer’s ocean mist, Rafe in a loose button down and cotton shorts, JJ lounging in a raggedy vest and too-heavy boots. He was irresistible.
Rafe pulled up in his father’s Range Rover, parking on the curb and lowering the passenger side window. He waited until JJ raised his gaze from his phone and smirked when their eyes connected. A fire roared in his chest, his heart beating faster as JJ approached him cautiously, the Pogue looking both ways as though to make sure they were alone. Rafe swallowed thickly, feeling his already hard cock throb needily against the tight constrains of his shorts.
JJ leaned on the open window and stuck his head inside, Rafe instantly catching his natural cologne, a salt spray aggressive tang that he instinctively breathed in. Memories of the times before crashed over him again, the secret knowledge of what JJ looked like naked and aroused filled his mind and Rafe smiled, genuinely this time. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” JJ frowned at him. “Why didn’t you just hit me up the normal way?”
“I was passing and it’s pretty early, I didn’t think anyone else would be around.”
“They’re not.” JJ clicked his tongue, his lips parting as he ran his gaze over Rafe’s body. “So, um…what are you thinking?”
“How about you get in?” Rafe gestured at the seat. “That way it won’t look like I’m propositioning you.”
“Isn’t that what you’re about to do anyway?” JJ muttered, but he opened the door and sat in.
“Ok.” Rafe nodded before pulling away from the curb and driving on. The window closed at the press of a button and the AC pushed cool air back into the space. “Uh, how are you?”
“Since when was small talk part of the deal?” JJ’s shoulders tensed and he scowled. “Why don’t you just get to the reason we’re both here?”
“Fine.” Rafe grunted. “I take it you’re interested?”
“Depends what you want to do, I guess.” JJ was evasive now and he stared out the window. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we won’t be seen, there’s an empty lot on the other side of the breakwaters.” Rafe explained. “It’s a site that hasn’t been developed yet, very out of the way, no one will see us.”
“Ok, nice.” JJ nodded and a smile touched his lips when Rafe looked his way. “So, um, how, uh, how’ve you been?”
“Same old, I guess.” Rafe replied with a shrug and turned off the main road onto a gravel path that led out towards a stand of tall trees near the coastline. “We don’t have to talk, you know?”
“Right, this is just…”
“Right.” He grunted as JJ let the words hang in the air between them. Rafe looked over at him again when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, JJ kneading his crotch with the heel of his hand. “Uh, just up here.”
“Awesome.”
They pulled in behind the screen of weedy evergreens, their view blocked on the other side by the massive Cameron Developments sign that hung over the chain link fence. Rafe kept the engine idling, the AC purring cool air towards them. He glanced at JJ and arched a brow. “Is this good for you?”
“Yeah, I wanted to, uh, say…” JJ hesitated, and Rafe nodded swiftly.
“Right, payment.”
“Well-”
“No, no, don’t worry, I understand.” Rafe cut across him and JJ grunted softly. He reached into the cupholder where he had left his wallet and pulled out a few bills. “Three hundred?”
“That’s a lot.” JJ was looking at him strangely, almost pained. He seemed to be waiting for Rafe to say something but when nothing was forthcoming, JJ just sighed and pulled his vest over his head. “Ok.”
“Nice.” Rafe smiled as he ran his eyes over JJ’s torso before reaching across to stuff the cash into JJ’s pocket. His cock was hard again and Rafe rubbed the bulge with one hand as he used the other to recline the seat back into a more comfortable position. JJ was unzipping his shorts and shoving them down his legs, his charcoal gray trunks barely containing his cock as it tented the fabric, a darker splotch by the head making Rafe’s mouth drool. “Fuck, you’re horny, huh?”
“You have no idea.” JJ kicked his boots off and quickly hopped up, straddled Rafe’s waist, pressing his dick against the bulge in Rafe’s shorts. His fingers reached out and started to undo the buttons on Rafe’s shirt. “Best not make a mess, huh?”
“Hmm.” Rafe placed his hands on JJ’s thighs, savoring the warmth of his skin, the strength of his muscles. He leant forward a little so JJ could push his shirt back from his shoulders, their faces closer than before. “Can I kiss you?”
“Um, yeah, sure.” JJ blinked, surprise evident in his expression. “I’m mean you’re paying for it, right?”
“Right.” Rafe murmured and closed his eyes, moving slowly forwards. Their lips pressed together, and a sigh of contentment eased from his throat. JJ’s hands slipped down his neck and onto his chest, one hand reaching further to get Rafe’s cock out of his shorts. “Mmh.”
“Ahh!” JJ moaned into him, either really into it or faking it, Rafe wasn’t sure which. The Pogue had freed his own dick and he pressed it against Rafe’s cock, his grip wide as he tried to grasp both of their cocks, starting a rough handjob lubricated by the precum that spilled from both of them. “Fuck!”
“Mmmh, yeah!” Rafe groaned as they broke their kiss, his lips tingling as he used his hands on JJ’s hips. They grinded and thrust against each other hard and fast, JJ arching into him, Rafe’s hands slipping under his trunks and squeezing JJ’s ass. A loud, erotic slippery sound filled the car and JJ thrust harder against him. “Fuck, you’re so hot!”
“Ah! Fuck! Yeah!” JJ panted and kissed him again, this time shoving his tongue deep into Rafe’s mouth. Their cocks pressed tightly together in the narrow gap between their bodies, JJ’s hand no longer needed as they ground back and forth, up and down, his fingers now splaying across Rafe’s chest and gripping him hard. “Ughh!”
“Ah! Mmh! Oh!” Rafe moaned into JJ’s mouth, his entire body aflame with desire and arousal. It was so much better than the other times, JJ was really acting like he was enjoying it. Rafe grinned against his lips as he felt his balls tighten and his abs clench hard. JJ kept frotting against him, not stopping even as Rafe began to shoot. “Uh! Ugh! Ahhh!”
“Fuck, yeah!” JJ breathed as he bent his head, breaking the kiss to look down at his own cock as Rafe’s load coated both their stomachs in cum. “Oh, fuck!” He grunted abruptly and a thick jet of cum sprayed onto Rafe’s dick. “Ahhh!”
“Mmh, that was hot.” Rafe murmured after a few seconds, both of them still, close, breathing each other’s air, the smell of fresh cum filling the car until it was sucked away by the AC.
A burning sensation on his chest pulled Rafe back to the present and he sat up abruptly, wiping the sweat from his brow. The uncomfortable sensation of overheating was easily washed away as he dove into the pool, the water cool and refreshing. It was almost enough to dull the ache of frustration that knotted his stomach. The casual hookups he’d had over the past month had all been unsatisfactory, even when the guys were hot or cute or hung, it just wasn’t the same. Regret and guilt settled in his chest as Rafe threaded water, hoping that the last time he saw JJ wouldn’t be down the barrel of a gun, the Pogues drifting away in the ocean.
Notes:
The update schedule for this will be a bit random for a few weeks, but this is going to be a pretty long story. Thanks for reading and leaving kudos, it’s really appreciated!
Chapter Text
“JJ!”
The shout had come from the direction of the camp, and he quickly pulled up his shorts before heading for the rockpools. “Yeah, just a minute!” JJ shouted back and dunked his body in the water, using his hands to clean away the freshly spilled cum from his stomach. He surfaced in time to see Pope coming around the side of the rocks. “Hey man.”
“Uh, hey.” Pope nodded and then smirked. “Uh, waterfall?”
“You or me?” JJ arched a brow and waded back to the shore.
“Oh, I need to go to the waterfall for sure, but, uh, did you just…?”
“Go on, I’ll cover for you.” JJ grinned at him and avoided the question even as flashes of what Pope looked like in that most intimate of moments exploded in his imagination. He had never seen it, of course, and John B was too much like a brother to think about in that way, whereas Pope…well, it was either fantasize about his best friend or think longingly about Rafe Cameron. The latter always won out though, the things he had done with Rafe were always enough to make him hard and cum.
“Uh, buddy?” Pope was frowning at him. “You ok?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure am.” JJ forced a grin to push away the pangs of regret that threatened to surface. “You go, I’ll, uh, tell the others you went to check the signal fire.”
“Nice! Thanks, JJ!” Pope grinned back at him and hurried off towards the jungle where the freshwater stream spilled out across the sand dunes.
“Any time.” JJ replied and started walking towards the camp. They had set up in the shadow of an imposing cliff, windchimes made from driftwood rang hollowly in the strengthening breeze, and a row of improvised spears stood up from the sand. It was a primal existence, stone tools and flint weapons to catch their fish. They dried what fish they didn’t eat immediately, leaving it to wave in the salty wind, ghoulish mouths withered and mummified. Fruit and nuts were surprisingly abundant, along with coconuts, there was at least some variety, even if JJ would give his right arm for a cool can of frothing beer or even some spices to break the monotony of flavor.
He passed by the tall palm that proudly flew the flag of the greatest nation on Earth: Poguelandia! A grin touched his lips, and he hurried the last few hundred feet towards the camp. Cleo and Sarah were already there, completing another part of the painstakingly intricate woven palm frond screen that they had started a few days ago. A fire smoldered in the ring of stone, John B adding firewood slowly to build it back up in anticipation of tonight’s meal.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” Kiara smiled at him and finished hanging the last damp item of clothing on the makeshift line across from the sleeping area. “Where’s Pope?”
“Oh, yeah, he went to check on the signal fire.” JJ nodded and chewed his fingernail absently. “Something about wanting to make sure the tinder was still dry or sumthin.”
“Cool,” John B stood up and half-smirked at him, a twinkle in his eyes. “You can help us get ready for dinner. Guess what we’re having?”
“Fish, huh?”
“Freshly caught this time.” Kiara smiled wider. “Your lessons are finally paying off.”
“Alright! Go Kiara!” JJ cheered. “Did you clean it out or is that my glamorous job?”
“Hunter’s privilege, JJ.” She replied smugly. “That’s what you always say to get out of the gross tasks.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll give you that one.” He accepted the fish and wandered away from the camp with a flint dagger in hand. Gutting fish under the sun was nothing new, the ocean breeze blowing his loose-fitting vest around his lean torso. But JJ completed the task with a grin, his eyes glancing up every now and again to take in the jungle stretching out along the lengthy coastline, the silver sand powdery and hot against his skin. It was paradise, the food and water were free, the shelter was almost as good as what he had at home. And best of all, he was with his friends forever.
Part of him wondered what it would have been like if Rafe had somehow washed up along with them. Would they have stayed public rivals and private…well, not lovers, but a release of sorts? Or would Rafe have changed completely and come over to their side? They were idle thoughts, the sort he used to help him go to sleep at night when he saw the way John B and Sarah were close, or increasingly, Pope and Cleo.
“Ah!” JJ exclaimed, the sharp edge of the blade nicking his thumb and drawing blood. “Fuck! Enough day-dreaming.” He grunted and shook his hand before getting up and plunging his thumb into the nearby water, the salt stinging along the wound. JJ sighed and stood up as he spotted Pope coming back towards them. He smiled and waved, his friend turning towards him. “Hey man!”
“Hey!”
“Looks like it’s your turn to cook.” JJ pointed at the filleted fish on the nearby rock. “All prepped for you.”
“Thanks dude.” Pope nodded at him. “And thanks for covering for me.”
“Sure, sure.” JJ smirked. “You get to the waterfall ok?”
“Yep.”
“Nice!” JJ slapped his back, and they started off towards the camp.
The sun had sunk low in the horizon by the time they had finished eating, feasting on the fish caught earlier in the day, the ripe coconuts and berries gathered from the abundance of bushes and trees all across the island, washed down by the sweetest freshwater JJ had ever tasted. The fire burned merrily at the center of the camp, each of them relaxing on the driftwood benches scavenged from the shoreline. Kiara held up a woven hat made from palm fronds that could have been an ineffective pot or a homemade crown. This was a new game, something to pass the time beyond retelling the same stories they had all heard before. Truth or Dare.
JJ chewed his lip as he watched Kiara regally place the hat on her own head and then laugh, her eyes brimming with happiness. He smiled back and then glanced the other way as Sarah sat up, her expression a little too eager.
“Ok, so…truth or dare?”
“Hmm,” Her smile faltered a little and Kiara nodded. “Truth.”
“Ok, ok,” Sarah’s smirk grew, and she glanced between JJ and Kiara. “Since we’re all here on this island, three boys, three girls…is there anyone who takes your fancy?!”
“Oh my god.” Pope groaned as Kiara sniggered. “What is this? A fourth-grade sleepover?”
“There might be…” Kiara avoided all their gazes and shrugged. “You didn’t ask me who though.”
“Next round!”
“Uh, Cleo.” Kiara handed her the hat and sat back. “Your turn.”
“Hmm, I’ll take a truth…”
JJ tuned out for a few minutes as his thoughts went back to what he did that afternoon, his memories with Rafe. Obviously, he hadn’t told his friends about hooking up with him, or the fact that he had kept doing it even after watching Rafe shoot Peterkin, after Ward had stolen their gold, after everything had happened that summer. He didn’t want to lie to them, but being with Rafe was something so different that JJ didn’t really understand it himself. It wasn’t until they got shipwrecked here that he had time to reflect on everything that had happened and actually think about it.
The money had kept coming too, mostly because Rafe seemed to think that was the only reason JJ was willing to hook up with him, and partly because JJ felt it was a little compensation for everything that the Camerons had taken from them. He had tried to tell Rafe that he didn’t need to be paid, especially towards the end when they had found the cross and everything fell apart so quickly.
“JJ!” Pope shouted at him, hauling him back to present. “Dude, what the hell?”
“Sorry, zoned out.” JJ shrugged, looking around at them. “What’s up?”
“Your turn, man.” Cleo tossed him the hat which he caught neatly and placed upon his head with a flourish. “Well?”
“Yeah, I’m not doing truth with the way the questions have been going this evening.” JJ laughed and stood up. “Give me a dare!”
“You sure about that, JJ?” Cleo grinned at him and then nodded. “Very well, I dare ya to streak down the beach!”
“What?!”
“Woah!”
“Naked?!”
“Oh my god!”
“Yeah, alright!” JJ laughed as the others gasped and stared at him. “Why not, right?”
“Down to the rockpools and back, ya?” Cleo smirked.
“No problem.” JJ backed away from them and pulled his vest off with one hand before kicking off his boots. He waited until he was closer to the shoreline before shrugging out of his shorts amid the cat calls from the campfire. “Haha. Cover your eyes if you want! Or feel free to drink in my glory!”
“Go for it, JJ!”
“Hahaha!” He laughed and took off sprinting, the sand still warm beneath his feet, his dick slapping from one thigh to another, the Pogues laughing and cheering him on.
Later, when everyone had fallen asleep and the fire had been banked up with thick, slow burning branches, JJ slipped away from the camp and climbed up the cliff that jutted out into the bay. It provided them shelter from the stronger winds that rolled in off the ocean, although on this night, the air was still and hot. The moon shone down on him, brilliantly bright, the stars barely visible around it. Ocean waves crashed gently on the barrier reef that extended several hundred feet from the island, their white caps visible as the moonbeams reflected on the rolling breakers.
He and Rafe had hooked up a lot after that first time, almost every day for a week afterwards, and then every couple of days after that. JJ had hated himself each time until he stopped caring, and it wasn’t just about the money, although Rafe was generous with it. He hated the fact that he had started to look forward to Rafe calling him out of the blue or coming out back at the club with a knowing look in his eyes. Hated that he was actually developing feelings for this guy, this villain.
It had been a secret that he shouldn’t have kept, but the cash was a nice bonus on top of having so much attention lavished on him. It was…nice the way Rafe was so totally into him, that despite whatever else might have been happening, Rafe wanted him. But it was jarring too, the way Rafe was able to compartmentalize everything; he never mentioned anything that was happening outside of their meetings. JJ had never been able to do that though. Well, almost never. There was one time where JJ had been able to forget about everything and just allowed himself to imagine a different life, a different fate.
It had been the day after he, Kiara, and Pope had made the memorial for John B and Sarah at The Chateau. Pope and Kiara were off somewhere, JJ was working at the yacht club, cleaning out one of the Kook’s mega-cruisers after a party. He looked over the railing to see Rafe strolling down the pier, a cooler box in one hand and a bunch of keys in the other. Their eyes met and Rafe stopped frowning, a smile pulling at his lips instead. JJ had felt his stomach somersault when the connection was made, a lightness flowing through him. He dropped his dirty rag and peeled off a pair of rubber gloves, before leaning on the railing and smirking down at Rafe. “Like my new ride?”
“A little big for you, don’t you think?”
“Well, you’d know about that!” JJ grinned wider, it was always so easy to talk to Rafe, to flirt with him. “Where are you going?”
“Fishing, deep sea, or deep enough anyway.” Rafe tilted his head slightly, eying him up. “Do you wanna come?”
“As much as that sounds fun, I, uh, I have work to do.” JJ gestured at the boat. “Cleaning, ugh.”
“Do you have much left to clean?” Rafe put the cooler down and reached for his wallet. “Maybe I can, uh, buy you out? I’m gonna need some help of my own anyway.”
“Oh yeah? Who else is going on your little trip?” JJ replied cautiously and grabbed his cleaning supplies. He made his way down the ladder and off onto the pier next to Rafe. “Hmm?”
“No one, just me.” Rafe shrugged. “And you, if you want to come.”
“Cum, huh?” JJ grinned and licked his lips as Rafe smirked a little. Despite the fact that going out to sea with him would present the perfect time for a “boating accident” for either of them, JJ didn’t feel like he was in danger. Maybe he should have been more wary, but there was something about Rafe’s gaze that got to him. He nodded and then grimaced. “I’m still on the clock until three though, sorry.”
“I reckon six hundred dollars ought to change your mind.” Rafe opened his wallet to flash a stack of bills at him. “Please?”
“How am I gonna refuse that?” JJ muttered and joined him, picking up the cooler box. “Here, let me carry that for you.”
It should have just been transactional, JJ knew he shouldn’t have had fun with Rafe on the Cameron family yacht, but it was fun. They cruised way out into the mirror-like calm of the bay, the shore a thin line in the background, the sun hot and radiant on their shirtless bodies. Rafe had cut the engines and let them drift gently back towards Kildare Island on the incoming tide. JJ discovered that the cooler box had more than just cold beer and snacks, Rafe pouring a sachet of white powder on the table and cutting it into lines. He had offered JJ a snort, but JJ quickly refused, watching him instead.
He had heard the rumors of course, but this was the first time he had actually seen Rafe taking drugs. It was uncomfortable at first, but Rafe didn’t seem that much different, except perhaps a little more confident and energetic than before. Afterwards, they lay out on the benches on the deck, the brown leather seats hot under the sun. When the heat became too much, they dove off the edge and submerged themselves in the cooler water, grinning and play-fighting with each other.
JJ didn’t want to admit that it was the most fun he’d had in weeks, that Rafe was actually pretty cool to hang out with. He found himself idly imagining if this was his life every day, and JJ cast his gaze across the deck towards Rafe, drinking in his muscular torso, his handsome face, the obvious bulge in his shorts. JJ could feel his own dick getting hard and he rubbed his hand over the head, catching Rafe’s attention.
A few minutes later and he was lying on his stomach between Rafe’s spread legs, the Kook’s shorts discarded on the deck. JJ wrapped his hand around Rafe’s cock, pumping it up and down a few times before taking it into his mouth. “Mmmh.”
“Ah, fuck!” Rafe moaned and reached down to place his hand on JJ’s head, guiding him up and down until JJ started moving back and forth at a rapid pace.
He reached down to undo the knotted cord holding his board shorts up and wriggled out of them even as he continued to bob up and down on Rafe’s cock. A moment later, JJ felt the sun’s heat on his naked ass, and he grinned around the dick in his mouth, his own cock rubbing on the smooth surface of the seat. “Mmmf!”
“Aww! Yeah!” Rafe groaned and arched slightly as JJ swallowed as much of his dick as he could, gagging and gasping around it. “Fuck!”
“Mmmh!” JJ kept one hand on the base of Rafe's shaft, moving his lips and tongue back up to the upper third which was more comfortable. His other hand crept up Rafe's torso, his skin gleaming in a mix of sweat and tanning oil. JJ could feel the hot flesh under his fingertips, smooth and supple, the pulse of Rafe's heartbeat elevated in elation. "Mmmf! Mmmh!" His loud slurping moans filled the air as he changed strokes again, pulling off Rafe's cock to give it a few licks with the flat of his tongue before devouring it once again.
"Ah, yeah, fuck, JJ!" Rafe moaned and thrust into his mouth. "Aww, yeah, you're so good at this!"
"Mmmh!" JJ moaned in agreement and ground his hips into the hot leather surface, he felt his asshole clench and unclench, relaxing and tensing as Rafe entwined his legs with JJ's arms, keeping them close together. He was leaking hard against the seat, making it easier to grind back and forth, pulling more pleasure from them both. "Ahh!"
"Uh! Ah! Fuck, I'm close!" Rafe grunted, his breathing hitching as JJ pulled off his cock and used his hand to jerk him off.
He didn't need lube to grease Rafe's dick, his spit gleamed on the hard shaft mixing with the copious precum that spilled from the tip. JJ jerked him off quickly and furiously, lowering his face again to take just the crown into his mouth, his tongue lashing over and back across the most sensitive part.
"Uhh! Uhhh! Ahhh!" Rafe came suddenly, but JJ had enough time to pull off, letting him cum hard across his cheek and neck. "Ah, fuck, bro!"
"Nice." JJ murmured, looking up Rafe's body towards his face. The expression of pure bliss and heavenly pleasure was enough to send JJ over the edge himself. The surprise cum shot caught him off guard and he bucked his hips into the bench as his orgasm swamped over him relentlessly. "Agh! Ahhh! Fuck!"
"Damn, I was gonna suck you off in return." Rafe grinned at him as they lay back on the narrow bench, breathless, side by side.
"Hmm, the day is young." JJ managed, smiling at him as Rafe's eyes blazed with a mix of satisfaction and arousal. "Maybe you'll get your chance later."
He did, of course; they had made out and jerked off and sucked each other almost half a dozen times that day, soaking up the sun until they had to return to Kildare with the twilight tide. Now, as JJ’s eyes focused again on the white caps of the waves, he found himself thinking again about what would have happened if Rafe had washed ashore with them. What if it was only him and Rafe? “Probably wouldn’t get anything done.” JJ chuckled to himself. “But at least it’d be fun!”
Notes:
I’ve finished planning for this story and expect the chapter count to remain at 20. There’ll be twists on canon scenes and new storylines as a result, all of which begins next chapter. Plus, plenty of smut along the way. Thanks for reading, I’m really appreciative of the support this story has received!
Chapter Text
Rafe corrected his course with a light touch on the tiller, guiding him away from the rocky shoals near the lighthouse and instead sending the boat drifting into the wide bay near the island. Barbados loomed large and verdant in front of him, a sandy beach arching around the bay on his right while mooring quays thrust outwards from a concrete deck. Rafe cut the engines completely and allowed himself to drift forward on silent momentum. Birds wheeled overhead in the deep azure sky, the sun already hot on his neck, his light cotton shirt loose enough to allow whatever offshore breeze there was to slip under the fabric and whisper across his chest and stomach. His ivory-colored trousers felt stiff and formal in contrast to the shorts he had been wearing the past few weeks, his feet bare as he moved around the deck, shoes propped against the side.
The boat came to a gentle stop along one of the quays and Rafe pocketed the engine key as he made his way across the deck and towards the mooring lines. He hopped off and tied the boat to the large iron knobs that lined the quay, the concrete hot under his bare feet. There was no immigration or customs control and Rafe nodded to himself; it was better that there be no record of his visit. Besides, his meeting with the collector wasn’t meant to take very long. After gathering his belongings and slipping into his shoes, Rafe left the yacht behind and walked towards the street. It was mostly gated homes and leafy parks in this part of the island, luxury cars rolling down the tree-lined streets towards the center of the city where tourists and locals alike gathered.
He could see a taxi stand in the distance, perhaps half a mile’s walk at the other end of the boulevard next to a restaurant and outdoor bar. Rafe set off at a slow pace, wanting to preserve his appearance and not show up to Singh’s in a sweaty mess and a see-through shirt. There hadn’t been a lot of information available on the man, other than details on how he made his fortune. That didn’t matter though, all Rafe cared about was whether Singh had the cash to buy the cross and the intelligence to recognize how unique and rare the piece was. Selling the cross though…that would show up Rose!
Rafe grinned to himself as he thought about returning to that godforsaken shack in Guadalupe several hundreds of million dollars richer and wiping that look of smug satisfaction off Rose’s face. It was embarrassing what they had been reduced to; one car to share between them, just enough bedrooms for them all, he could hear Wheezie’s inane K-pop babble through the walls! And Rose didn’t think he knew about her whispering poison about him to his father while Ward lay there in his coma. “Hmm.” Rafe grunted to himself as a flame of vindictive anger burned through his chest. “I’ll show them all!”
Forty minutes later, he was standing in the drawing room of Singh’s villa way out from the town. Rolling farmland and tall guard-towers had been his view on the approach, with armed security guards and working dogs patrolling the interior. The taxi-driver had been nervous about even going close to the electronic gates, but Rafe wasn’t about to walk up the driveway like a common travelling salesman, and after some prodding and a larger tip, he was dropped off at the entrance. The room he had been shown to was cooler than the weather outside, thankfully, and was cluttered with various odds and ends that mostly looked like junk to Rafe.
One of Singh’s hired muscle had popped his head around the door to inform him that the man himself was running late, that there was a sudden valuable piece that had just been acquired. Rafe had shrugged, it wasn’t important, besides, it was probably just a power-move to try and make him sweat. He’d have done the same in Singh’s position. Rafe helped himself to the jug of iced lemonade on the sideboard and strolled around the room, crystal tumbler in hand as he idly inspected the collection on display. There seemed to be a South American theme to it all, Aztec or Inca, Rafe couldn’t tell the difference; the few times he had attended college lectures on Ancient Cultures had been spent scoping out the hot guys all around him. So many frat boys and college jocks in their tight t-shirts, resting their big arms on the desks…
He smirked at the memory and then turned around, facing the door as he heard voices from beyond it. Without warning, the door burst open, and a figure was thrust inside, stumbling over their feet until they collided with Rafe. He instinctively caught them, his hands grabbing the warm skin of bare arms and a familiar face looking up at him. “JJ?” The name was a whisper, a moment of confusion as their eyes met and a thousand past meetings crashed over Rafe: the innocuous and the compelling, the lustful trysts, and that last fateful time down the barrel of a gun.
There was a flash of recognition in JJ’s eyes as the other guy steadied himself and pushed away from Rafe’s grasp. But any further conversation was cut short as Singh swept into the room, grinning at them both. “I…”
"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know?"
“Carlos Singh, I presume.” Rafe murmured as he released JJ’s hand. He licked his lips and furrowed his brows, glancing between them both. “What’s going on here?”
“Hmm, a good question, Mr. Cameron,” Singh continued to smile at them. “This was meant to be a one-on-one meeting, you know, but, then when Mr. Maybank was good enough to arrive at the same time as you did, it seemed fortuitous. Especially when I understand you’ve been apart for…a while.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rafe shook his head, risking a glance at JJ, his pulse ticking higher at just the sight of him. A deluge of questions and thoughts crashed through his mind, he wanted to ignore Singh and just take JJ into his arms, ignore reality and-
“Mr. Cameron?” Singh called out his name softly, pulling him back into the dangerous present. “It is a pleasure to meet you, despite all this…confusion. And Mr. Maybank, I do apologize for the rough tactics involved in bringing you here. But it was vital that all three of us are here together. Now, come, sit down, and we can talk business.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Rafe cleared his throat and followed Singh back towards the couch and sat down, JJ sitting next to him. There was a slight space between them, and Rafe glanced at JJ again, this time catching his eye. JJ was frowning, clearly thinking about their situation but before he could speak, Rafe turned back to Singh and nodded. “About the cross-”
“Ah, Mr. Cameron, that’s not why you’re here.”
“Really? On the phone, your assistant seemed to indicate that you were interested and aware of its value.” Rafe leaned forward, steepling his fingers together. “I thought we were about to make a deal?”
“No, not for the cross.” Singh smirked at him and poured himself a drink from the crystal decanter on the sideboard. “You do have knowledge I want though, but you can keep your golden cross and good luck selling it.”
“Yeah.” Rafe grimaced and sighed. “Why are we here?”
“I was about to ask that.” JJ finally spoke, clearing his throat and looking around sourly. “What the hell do you want?”
"Well, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Maybank, we share certain interests, certain objectives, you know?"
"I don't think so." JJ sent Rafe a furious look. "There's nothing I share with him."
Ouch. Rafe's expression wavered as the venom in JJ's words struck home. He managed not to react and looked towards Singh instead. “So, this isn’t about the cross.”
“Well, tangentially it is, a little bit. But it’s about something much bigger.” Singh turned away from them and gazed at a painting on the wall, an armored man kneeling in a jungle clutching a golden necklace. “A grand quest…”
Rafe looked around as Singh spoke, waxing lyrically about a city of gold and numerous expeditions, but his attention flittered between the armed guards who stood outside the room but just in sight, and then back towards JJ. Rafe’s gaze lingered on him even as JJ noticed and glared at him, but it was hard to look away. He was still as handsome as Rafe remembered, a mix of intense hotness that made him want to jump JJ right there and then, and the swagger of his attitude that was largesse enough to fill a mansion. JJ had moved a little closer to him, their legs touching, a press of heat and sensation that Rafe had missed above anything else they ever did.
"...it falls to me, you know?" Singh's voice dragged Rafe's attention back to the conversation as the man turned around and addressed them both. "It falls to me to complete the task, to bring full circle a quest that has gone on for more than five hundred years. Perhaps, perhaps the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere, you know. And you two." Now Singh pointed at them with an ornamental dagger. "You two are going to play a part in that. Hmm, so Mr. Maybank, are you interested in history?"
"Nah, I'm flunking out." JJ smirked at him and sat up a little straighter, pressing closer to Rafe as he did so. Perhaps it was an accident, perhaps intentional.
"Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you just said, ok?" Rafe added, shaking his head. "How much longer are you gonna keep philosophizing?"
"Haha." Singh chuckled coolly. "You are direct, aren't you, Mr. Cameron?"
“What do you even want from us?” JJ cleared his throat awkwardly. “From me?”
“Hmm, I understand that you and your friends have come into possession of a manuscript, a diary actually, that would help me achieve my goals.” Singh’s attention shifted away from Rafe and towards JJ. “It’s old, hundreds of years old.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” JJ shrugged, trying to look innocent even as Singh smirked. “No idea.”
"Yeah, I don't know anything about a diary." Rafe added as the tension stretched between them.
"Oh, then how did you find out that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" Singh asked, his gaze now piercing.
"Look, man, I don't know what you're talking about." JJ shrugged again, gesturing emptily at Singh. "I can't help you."
"Hmm, I see, I was hoping you wouldn't say that because unfortunately, I don't believe you. Either of you." Singh's tone was dangerous now. "Because how else could you and your friend here find the cross?"
"He's not my friend." JJ answered quickly and Rafe bit the inside of his cheeks to avoid reacting more than he should have. JJ glanced at him, almost daring him to correct his words.
"Yeah, we're not friends." Rafe muttered, avoiding saying the words that were screamed inside his mind: We're boyfriends!
"Hmm, well, we can't all be friends, you know, but we can still-"
"I can't help you." Rafe stood up abruptly, moving towards the door. "And if you're not gonna make a deal, then I'm out." He stopped when one of the guards blocked the exit, the man's hands resting on the assault rifle hung over his bulletproof vest. "Uh..."
"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?" Singh approached him. "Do I? You have the cross, at one point, Mr. Maybank and his friends had the cross. So, one of you has the diary and neither of you are leaving until you tell me where it is."
“I don’t-”
“Maybe you don’t, but I suggest you convince your friend here to tell me, or things will start getting really ugly and we won’t want that.” Singh gestured at his guards. “Escort them back to the room and keep watch.”
“But-”
“Dude!” JJ jumped up, hands balled into fists. Rafe grabbed his arm before he could swing an ill-thought punch and pulled him closer. “Hey!”
“C’mon, be chill.” Rafe pulled JJ close to him, one arm stretching across his chest. “Relax.”
“Hmm, fiery! You have a day to change your minds.” Singh smiled at them. “And once I have the diary, you’ll be free to leave.”
“Free to leave, my ass.” JJ muttered darkly as he paced around the room. The air con hummed quietly from the vents overhead and the fan sliced lazily through the humid air as Rafe watched him stride back and forth. “I gotta get out of here, man, I gotta get back to the Pogues.”
“Yeah, of course.” Rafe nodded, his gaze not leaving JJ until the other stopped suddenly and frowned.
“What are you doing? Why are you staring at me?!”
“I just…I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.” Rafe half-smiled, his heart beating in his ears. “And here you are, in the most unlikely of places!”
“Dude…” JJ studied him intently, his expression hard to read. “You almost shot us!”
“What? I-”
“When we were in that dinghy, getting away from the ship?”
“Oh, that.” Rafe looked away. “Well, I didn’t.”
“Uh huh.” JJ clicked his tongue irritably.
“And besides, I wasn’t aiming at you specifically, I wasn’t going to…” He trailed off helplessly and offered the other guy a vague shrug. “Why’d you say we’re not friends?”
“God, you’re a dick.” JJ huffed, no fire in his words.
“Huh, I thought that’s what you liked!”
“I should punch you right now.” JJ came closer to him, a familiar confident smirk pulling at his lips. “Maybe we’re not friends, but we’re still…something, right?”
“Yep, I’d like to think so.” Rafe muttered, licking the insides of his lips. His gaze dragged across JJ’s face and down his tanned arms. “But I, uh, I don’t have my wallet on me.”
“Lucky for you this has no charge.” JJ replied softly and closed his eyes. He pressed his lips softly against Rafe’s mouth, his breath warm on Rafe’s cheeks, his fingers running a light trail down Rafe’s arm. “Mmh.”
“Ah.” Rafe grunted quietly when JJ pulled away from him, their embrace remaining surprisingly chaste. He reached out and took JJ’s hand in his own, feeling the calluses across his palm. “Where have you been?”
“That is a long story.” JJ sighed and leaned his head down far enough that he rested it on Rafe’s shoulder. “One I’ll tell you about when we get out of here.”
“He’s given us a day for me to, uh, convince you.” Rafe glanced past JJ and out the window. “There’s a lot of armed guards, towers, I saw dogs earlier. We’re gonna need a plan.”
“Hmm, for sure.” JJ sighed again, this time stepping away from Rafe and walking towards a white painted door next to the closet. “Ah, a bathroom, thank god. You do not want to know how much I longed for a flushing toilet!”
“Err, no?”
“Haha, there’s even toothbrushes in here, yes!” JJ cheered and stuck his head out to grin at Rafe. “I’m gonna get cleaned up real quick and then, uh, we can catch up.”
“Ok, sounds good.”
Notes:
Sorry about the lack of updates on this story, had some writer’s block. I hope to be releasing regular updates throughout the summer though. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 5: The Stowaway
Notes:
This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
Chapter Text
JJ rolled his head back and let the hot water cascade onto his face, drenching his hair and washing away the grime from their ill-fated rescue that morning. Steam billowed out of the cubicle and wafted out of the bathroom’s small windows opened only a crack. He kept his eyes closed, losing himself in the heat and luxury of running water as the events of the day washed across his mind’s eye. Only that morning had they been on the island, woken up by the low, heavy drone of a plane engine. Then rescued, such as it was, before learning that their miraculous discovery had just been a part of yet another cynical plan.
Getting separated from the others hadn’t been part of any plan, the current had been strong in the bay where the plane had crash landed, and JJ had been swept towards the shore while everyone else had been sent towards a concrete pier. By the time he had realized where he was, there were already goons showing up in bulletproof vests and screaming across the beach on ATVs. He had no choice but to run and hide and hope they missed him. But these guys were thorough, efficient, and he could only duck and dodge for so long before they caged him in.
Sarah had been sure that it was all part of her father’s plan to get her back, but with Rafe being here, a captive as well, that didn’t make a lot of sense. JJ stepped forward to let the hot water cascade down his back and soothe his sore muscles. Gliding a hand across his torso and down towards his hardening cock, thoughts of Rafe slipped easily into his mind. “He’s just on the other side of the door.” JJ murmured to himself and grinned when an idea came to him suddenly. Raising his voice he called out to the other guy. “Hey, uh, Rafe?!”
“Yeah?” Rafe answered a moment later. “Are you ok?”
“I, uh, I could use some help.” JJ replied quickly. “Can you come in? The door is open.”
“Sure, I…” Rafe trailed off as he entered the bathroom, his gaze suddenly fixing on JJ and his naked, wet body.
“I seem to have a little, uh, stiffness right now.” JJ thrust his pelvis forward, his hard cock standing proud and glistening, his hands resting on his hips. “Could you help a bro out?”
“Oh, yeah, I could do that.” Rafe murmured and stepped closer to him. “It’s pretty wet in there, better keep my clothes dry.”
“Yeah, you should.” JJ smirked at him as Rafe stripped out of his shirt quickly. His trousers and trunks fell in a heap on the bathroom floor. “Come on in.”
“Hmm, nice water.” Rafe replied softly as JJ moved back to let the hot spray jet across Rafe’s tanned torso and drench his buzzed short hair. He reached out to steady himself, hands grasping Rafe’s biceps, his fingers stroking against the hard, smooth muscle he found there. “Mmh.”
“You’ve been working out.” JJ commented with an appreciative nod. “And tanning, haha.”
“You look great, despite being, uh, lost for a month.” Rafe returned the compliment and looked down at JJ’s rock-hard cock, Rafe’s own dick already thick and rising. “Yep, I see the source of your stiffness now!”
“Better do something about it then.” JJ grinned and leaned forward to kiss Rafe. “I brushed my teeth first, don’t worry!”
“Haha, ok.” Rafe chuckled and slipped his arms around JJ’s body, pulling them close together, their cocks sliding against each other. “Mmh.”
JJ reached down blindly for the shower gel bottle that was on the low shelf next to his knees. Without breaking their kiss, tongues brushing against each other in a fission of passion and unleashed desire, JJ grabbed the bottle and popped open the top. He squirted a copious amount of the gel in between their bodies and pulled himself closer to Rafe, pushing and rubbing up against him to make the slippery substance foam up and drip down their torsos towards their aroused cocks.
Rafe broke the kiss first, his eyes full of excitement and desire as he grabbed JJ's ass and thrust his cock harder against the other guy. "Ugh! Uh! Yeah!"
"Fuck, yeah!" JJ moaned and admired Rafe's muscular body as the water hit his chest and washed away the rest of the shower gel, the white foam tracing down his tanned skin in a contrast that made JJ's cock twitch and his asshole quiver in desperate horniness. "Oh, yeah, that's it, Rafe!" He gasped when Rafe's fingers clasped his ass cheeks tightly and began to spread them wider, one finger teasing the edge of his hole. “Uff!”
"Turn around!" Rafe growled and JJ quickly spun, bracing himself against the shower wall.
"Ah!" He grunted when he felt the hard heat of Rafe's cock sandwiched between his two ass cheeks, Rafe's hands reaching around to grasp JJ's cock and he began to pump it up and down. A surge of relief and pleasure washed over him, and he closed his eyes, losing himself in the moment, in the embrace of the guy he'd been thinking about for weeks. JJ couldn't help but grin as the steam billowed around them, and Rafe's hands felt so good. “Mmmh! Yeah, fuck yeah, Rafe.”
Rafe grabbed JJ's hips and pulled his ass back towards him, his cock rubbing up and down along the crevice of his ass. They were both moaning now, their cries of passion drowned out by the sound of the rushing water as it hit the enamel basin.
"Oh fuck!" JJ cried out when Rafe slipped the head of his cock in between JJ's tensing cheeks. He was not quite aimed at his hole, but rather Rafe used the twin globes of flesh to wrap around his thick cock. JJ almost wanted to demand for him to just put it inside already, but that's when Rafe started moving. He could feel the weight of Rafe's bigger, more muscular frame come down on his back, a reassuring presence that JJ pressed into. "Mmmh!"
"Fuck, you're hot, I've missed this." Rafe whispered, his lips kissing at JJ's neck, Rafe's arms snaking around JJ's body to hold his stomach and rolling abs. One hand stayed on JJ's cock, jerking him off at a slow, controlled pace until Rafe could speed up his own thrusts. "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
"Oh! Fuck! Yeah!" JJ gasped and panted as Rafe moved against him, thrusting his cock in between JJ's cheeks, the shaft rubbing against his clenching hole. Rafe's pace went electric fast for a few moments and then faded down to a delicious crawl before ramping up again. JJ arched and moved against him, a little restricted from their position and Rafe's weight pressing down on him, but the water and lingering shower gel provided just enough lubricant for him to move back and forth, up and down, getting them both closer and closer to the edge.
"Ugh, uh, fuck!" Rafe exclaimed after several minutes of mutual moaning and moving. His arms tightened around JJ's chest and his hips spasmed forwards and backwards rapidly, almost uncontrolled until he gave one final grunt and came hard against JJ's back. “Ahhhh!”
"Oh, fuck, that's it, Rafe!" JJ moaned, feeling his balls tighten and then his own load spurted out of his dick and painted the shower wall in jets of cream. He could still feel Rafe cumming against him and JJ half turned, desperate to maintain contact between them but equally eager to connect with Rafe. They kissed hard and deeply, their tongues slipping against each other until Rafe relaxed his grasp and JJ melted against him. "Hmm, wow."
"Yeah."
"Ah, the water's getting cold." JJ hit the lever and sighed contentedly. "Damn, that was hot."
"For real." Rafe smiled at him, warmth reaching into his eyes. He placed his hands on JJ's shoulders and then pulled him into a loose embrace. "I'm glad you're here."
The fan overhead whirred slowly, chopping through the humid afternoon air as JJ sat on the wicker chair next to the window, a towel draped across his waist, water still drying on his flushed skin. Rafe was sitting opposite him on the bed, already changed into his trousers and shirt, though it was left open, and JJ didn’t hide his appreciative glances towards Rafe’s chest. It was almost as if they were in some tropical hotel on vacation or, and he felt a rush of heat race up his face at the thought, as if they were on honeymoon. A quick look out the window dispelled such foolish notions when he caught sight of the armed guards patrolling the area outside.
“So…” Rafe started and looked at JJ. “What do think we should do?”
“About our situation right here?” JJ smirked a little before nodding at the bed. “Or do you mean what should we do after that shower?!”
“Hah.” Rafe chuckled softly.
“Ok, so, we’re getting out of here, right?” JJ nodded after Rafe didn’t continue speaking. “But even if we get out of the room or the house, what then?”
“I have a boat down at the harbor.” Rafe replied, folding his arms across his chest, and raising a hand to chew absently at a fingernail. “I can take you out of here, drop you wherever you want.”
“My friends are still here.”
“Sure, but I’m not exactly certain they’d be willing to accept a ride from me.” Rafe half smiled and JJ rolled his eyes. “But maybe let’s focus on the great escape first.”
“Hmm, yeah.” JJ stood up and left the towel on the chair. There had been a pair of black cargo shorts and a black shirt left out for him when they were shoved into the room, underwear, and socks too, but he ignored them, choosing to pace around before the bed naked. He could feel Rafe’s eyes on him, and the attention was nice after weeks of no one looking at him like that even a little. JJ grinned and turned to him. “Ok: idea. There’s a guard outside, right?”
“Sure, he has a submachine gun and a handgun.” Rafe nodded slowly. “Bulletproof vest.”
“And a radio, but his head is unprotected.” JJ added. “What if we get him to come in, fake an injury or something and then overpower him?”
“That’s pretty good.”
“I know, right?!” JJ bounced on the balls of his feet, his dick swinging to and fro as the plan came together quickly in his mind’s eye. “So, I’ll distract him, you come from behind that door and like, kblam!” He mimed a punch at the invisible guard and then followed it up with a knee to the face. “Then I’m there, grabbing his hands, you get one gun, I get the other and we’re ready to roll!”
“That could work,” Rafe grinned at him. “We tie him up and gag him, and then make our escape. It’s a big house but not enough guards for every room.”
“Exactly, they’re expecting an attack from outside not from inside.” JJ smiled back at him, now cocking an imaginary gun, and sweeping it around the room. “Pew! Pew! Pew! Laser gun!”
“We should try and avoid shooting anyone though,” Rafe said, standing and going to look out the window. “Don’t want to attract any attention.”
“Yeah, could use a silencer for sure.”
“A cushion can work just as well.” Rafe shrugged and turned back to him. “When do you want to strike?”
“Sooner the better.” JJ reached for the silky-smooth trunks on the bed and inspected them idly. “Kind of weird that they know my size.”
“This whole thing was a trap from the beginning.” Rafe muttered darkly. “Singh had no intention of buying the cross.”
“I guess it was coincidence that we were here at the same time though.” JJ offered as he slipped into the trunks and then the shorts. He’d put the shirt on when it was time to go, it was comfortable enough to be shirtless, besides he liked the way Rafe’s gaze swept up and down his torso. JJ could already feel his cock get hard at the obvious horniness that charged between them. He wetted his lips and looked around the room for any weapon of opportunity they could use against the guard. “So, you were really going to sell the cross?”
“The money would’ve been useful.”
“Your dad stole the gold from the Royal Merchant.” JJ pointed out as he lay down on the bed, propping his back up on the luxurious pillow. “How do you need money?”
“You’re right, my Dad has the gold, I don’t.” Rafe sighed and came back to lie down next to him. His shirt hung open and JJ watched as Rafe clenched and relaxed his ab muscles, either intentionally or not, it didn’t matter, it was hot. “So I thought I’d get a couple hundred million for the cross I got-”
“Stole.” JJ interrupted him with a mutter. There was a flare of anger in Rafe’s eyes for a moment before it vanished.
“Yeah, stole. But by all accounts, the cross was stolen at least twice from its original owners, so…does it really matter?” He shrugged as JJ thought about it and then nodded.
“I guess, we’re all just thieves and scoundrels!” JJ rested his head back on the pillow and smiled to himself as Rafe laid a hand on his chest, his fingers moving slowly up and down his skin. Despite everything, this was the sort of perfect moment he had fantasized about on the island.
A knock on the door came just after six in the evening and JJ glanced at Rafe who slipped into position behind the door, a heavy jade urn in his hands. JJ pulled open the door after he heard the external bolt being slid back and he retreated quickly when the guard pointed the muzzle of his gun at him with one hand, the other balancing a tray with two silver domes. “Hey, man, c’mon!”
“Back up!”
“Alright, alright, I’m going!” JJ moved towards the bathroom door as the guard came into the room fully. There was a moment where he could see the man’s brows furrow in confusion before Rafe charged forward and swung the urn with great force, slamming it into the guard’s head and sending him crumpling to the floor. “Nice!”
“Grab his gun.” Rafe nodded at the handgun holstered on the man’s thigh as he pulled off the sub-machine gun and slipped the strap over his head.
“Got it.” JJ grinned as he felt the weight in his hand and took a spare ammo clip from the guard’s vest. “He’s out, we don’t have to try and tie him up.” There was a pool of blood slowly spreading out from the vicious gash on the man’s head. “Damn, you hit him hard.”
“Yeah, we do what we have to.” Rafe shrugged and grabbed the radio as well. “Ok, are you ready to get out of here?”
“Yeah, gotta be stealthy like a ninja!” JJ nodded and weaved from side to side, dodging invisible bullets. “You take point?”
“Uh huh, stay behind me.” Rafe opened the door cautiously before slipping out. JJ followed him, his finger hovering over the safety of the gun as they moved silently across the hallway towards the richly carpeted stairs. They descended slowly and quietly, finding the main floor empty. “Most of the goons were at the front, let’s head for the back. And remember, don’t fire unless you have to.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” JJ reached out to touch the back of Rafe’s shirt and they started moving again, Rafe in the lead, sweeping his gun back and forth as they advanced through the house. His heart was racing, and every breath felt labored, but JJ’s mind was on fire with the excitement of it all. He glanced to one side as they stepped through a doorway into the kitchen. It was empty as well, although still hot from recent cooking and the scent of food reminded him of how long it had been since dinner the night before. He licked his lips as they passed a freshly roasted chicken, and he couldn’t help but reach out and pull some of the tender, succulent meat from the plate. “Mmph!”
“What are you doing?!” Rafe turned and hissed at him.
“Sorry!” JJ muttered, his mouth full. Rafe glared at him once more before gesturing for him to keep following. He swallowed quickly, savoring the delicious taste of the chicken, satisfying after weeks of fruit and fish. “I’m here.”
“Uh huh.”
Rafe pushed open a metal door that led outside into a courtyard surrounded on three sides by flower filled terraces and paved in rough flagstones. A wooden gate led out into the gardens and beyond, with a dirt track that wound down the hill towards the exit of the estate. Rafe turned back to him and nodded. “We gotta be super-stealthy right now.”
“Got it.” JJ raised his gun, making sure to point it away from Rafe as they inched forward through the gateway, alert for any approaching guards or alarms at their disappearance. As they swung out onto the dirt track, JJ spotted a flatbed truck idling several dozen feet away. It was full of burlap sacks, and he tapped Rafe’s shoulder with his free hand. “There.”
“Good call, let’s climb in back and hide.”
“Wait, we don’t know where it goes or how long they’ll be-” JJ whispered back before falling silent when voices came from the shed the truck was parked in front of. He glanced at Rafe and they both shrugged before sprinting forward and clambering into the back of the truck. JJ grasped Rafe’s hand and pulled him in, falling back onto the hard sacks with a grunt. “Oof!”
“Hmm, thanks.” Rafe muttered and moved around so some of the empty sacks were covering him. “C’mon, hide.”
“Got it.” JJ followed his example, and they were soon camouflaged just as the doors of the cab opened and two men climbed in. He only caught the occasional phrase, but it seemed like they were heading for the town. “We made it.”
“Hey, here, this is as close as we’re gonna get.” Rafe nudged him and JJ looked out between the slats of the truck as it trundled down the street. “Get ready to jump.”
“Jump? Fuck.” JJ groaned and pushed aside the bags that had kept them hidden. He joined Rafe at the back of the truck and as the vehicle slowed down to take a sharp corner, they both leapt from the flatbed. JJ landed in a heap of freshly mown grass and Rafe collided with a bush in a shower of swearing. “Hahaha! What a rush!”
“Fuck!” Rafe grunted as he got to his feet.
“Are you ok?” JJ rolled out of the grass and looked at Rafe. “Hey, we made it!”
“Yeah, somehow.” Rafe shrugged and took off his gun, holding it in his hands instead. He gestured up the street and away from the town itself. “C’mon, I moored at a small pier out here. I don’t think they’ll have found it, but we should still hurry.”
“Yeah, I guess.” JJ tucked his gun into his waistband and followed Rafe. He caught the other guy’s expression and shrugged. “I’m just worried about my friends, I don’t want to leave them here.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“Maybe, but they saw me get captured, they’re probably trying to figure out a way to rescue me.” JJ sighed. “And even if they’re not, I can’t leave them here with Singh knowing so much. I have to go back for them.”
“Are you crazy?” Rafe hooked his arm when JJ started to turn away from him. “You don’t know where they are and even if you did, how are you going to get out of here? I’ve got a boat, let me take you somewhere safe. Then you can figure things out.”
“I…fine.” JJ huffed as a plan clicked together in his mind. It would be a bitter betrayal and Rafe would never forgive him, but he wasn’t about to sail off into the sunset and leave the Pogues behind. “Let’s just get to that boat.”
“Another ten minutes.” Rafe nodded at him and picked up the pace, hurrying towards a gap in the tall walled houses that dominated the street. JJ jogged next to him, and they soon emerged onto a paved path that wound down the steep side of the cliff towards a series of piers jutting out into the bay. “That’s it over there.”
“Woah, nice boat!” JJ exclaimed when he followed Rafe’s extended arm to the catamaran tied up along one of the piers. It was as big as any he’d seen at home, with a flag he didn’t recognize flying on the back. Rafe hurried down the jetty and leapt aboard, kicking off his shoes in the process.
“Get that mooring rope!”
“Yeah, got it.” JJ nodded as he started to unloop the thick rope that tied the prow of the boat to the dock. Rafe was already working on the other end and JJ climbed on as they began to drift out on the receding tide. He slipped off his shoes and joined Rafe on the elevated bridge. “Where’s our destination?”
“Hmm, better not go back to Guadalupe,” Rafe replied as he started flicking switches and powering up the motor. “I think there’s enough fuel for us to get to St. Lucia, and after that we can figure it out.”
“Yeah, ok.” JJ bit his lip as uncertainty settled in his stomach. Part of him wanted to just go along with Rafe and whatever adventure such a life would bring. But another part, the part that screamed inside his mind, was demanding that he steal the boat and go and find his friends, rescue them from whatever daring plan they were about to execute.
“Almost there now, I’m gonna pull the anchor up.” Rafe glanced at him and then nodded when JJ just stared ahead. “Ok.”
“Damn it.” JJ whispered to himself and turned around, silently following Rafe down onto the lower deck. The other guy didn’t hear him and bent over to begin winding up the anchor. JJ waited until it had risen, and Rafe secured it, before he struck, shouldering hard into Rafe, and sending him tumbling over the side and into the water with a splash.
“JJ!” Rafe’s furious shout echoed upwards, but JJ was already rushing back to the bridge. He thrust the acceleration lever all the way down and the boat began moving forwards. “JJ! Get back here! Where are you going?!”
“I gotta help my friends!” JJ shouted back at him and turned the wheel, directing the boat out of the bay.
“You don’t know what you’re doing! JJ!”
“Fuck!” JJ barked as pain cracked through his chest. He slammed the lever back to neutral and cut power to the engines. “Fuck.” JJ sighed to himself as he felt tears prick his eyes, the impossible decision tearing at him. He slipped off the bridge and walked back to the stern where Rafe was swimming furiously towards him. “I’m sorry.”
Rafe didn’t reply, other than to glare at him until he reached the steps at the sides of the boat. “What the fuck was that?”
“We go for my friends, or I leave you here.” JJ grabbed a boat hook and held it loosely in his hands. He saw Rafe’s eyes dart between his face and the weapon, anger fading away to…amusement?
“Fine, if you’re willing to go to such extremes to help them, fine.” Rafe smirked at him and started to climb up the stairs. “Give me a hand, will you?”
“Here,” JJ hooked his foot around one of the lockers bolted onto the stern and reached down to grasp Rafe’s wrist. Somewhat to his surprise, Rafe didn’t try and toss him overboard in retaliation. Instead, he stood there, dripping, his shirt see-through, his expression fading back to neutral. “So…”
“I have an idea for us to both get what we want.” Rafe gestured for him to go into the cabins in the mid-deck. “But we’re going to need to trust each other.”
“Figures.” JJ sighed before following him inside.
Chapter 6: Ocean Freedom
Notes:
This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
Chapter Text
Rafe unbuttoned his shirt as he stood dripping on the wood panel floors of the Lagoon’s galley, JJ leaning against a counter opposite him, avoid his gaze. It was still hot even as the night began to draw in, the air inside the boat almost stifling despite the blinds drawn shut over the windows. After balling up his shirt and stripping out of his equally sodden vest, Rafe turned towards JJ and sighed. “What the hell, man? I thought we were cool.”
“We are, I guess.” JJ shrugged, picking at his teeth with his thumbnail. “I just figured you wouldn’t want to go pick up my friends, and I’m not leaving them behind.”
“Oh, no, I got that part.” Rafe looked around and grabbed a thick towel that lay on the nearby couch. He wrapped it around his shoulders and unbuckled his belt, shimming out of the uncomfortably wet trousers and underwear. Now naked, he noticed JJ’s quick glance towards him before the Pogue abruptly looked away. Rafe smirked and used the towel to dry off as he stepped back outside onto the deck. They were drifting slightly on the receding tide and Rafe tied the towel around his waist as he gestured for JJ to join him up at the helm. “C’mon.”
“You said you had an idea before?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Rafe nodded and corrected their course, turning the boat back towards open water. “Listen, we both want to get out of here, right?”
“Yeah.” JJ sat down opposite him, frowning in the glare of the setting sun. “So?”
“I don’t know if you noticed when you were busy sabotaging me,” This earned an eyeroll from JJ and Rafe grinned at him. “But I’ve got a tender attached to the stern, you could take that-”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that movie, Rafe, and it ends up with us getting stranded on a desert island for a month.”
“If you let me finish?” Rafe frowned as JJ huffed and shrugged. “Good. I’m proposing that I take the boat out a bit so Singh’s thugs can’t find it, and you take the tender into town and find your friends. Then you all come out here and use the Lagoon to get back home. Meanwhile, I’ll go hide in one of the cabins, pull the blinds down, lock it from the inside and no one will know I’m even here.”
“Uh.” JJ was staring at him, lips parted.
“Well?”
“That’s actually a pretty good idea, yeah.” He nodded and scratched his head before frowning. “Hang on, though, what’s to stop you from just taking off and leaving us here?”
“My word doesn’t count?”
“Nope.”
“Damn, dude, that hurts.” Rafe smirked as JJ rolled his eyes again. “But, ok, I get it. I don’t know what to tell you except that I’ll wait for you, at least until tomorrow morning in case there’s any complications.”
“Please, with our luck, there’ll definitely be complications.” JJ sighed and looked away from him, clearly considering his options. “What happens when we reach OBX?”
“I guess that depends on what you want to do.” Rafe shrugged and cut the engines now that they were far enough out of the harbour and facing the ocean ahead of them. “I’m probably gonna go back home and figure out another way to turn the cross into cash, and you’re probably gonna stay with your friends and get caught up in some more crazy shit.”
“Sounds accurate.” JJ grunted and then let out a longer sigh than before. “Ok, fine, I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
“Ok, c’mon, I’ll release the tender and, hey, you can use one of the phones to call your friends.” Rafe gestured behind him and tossed the towel onto the seats next to JJ, fully dried by the sun now. He smirked a little as JJ very obviously looked him over. “Or you could stay here for a bit longer?”
“Hmm, tempting!” JJ smacked his lips as he stood up and flashed Rafe a quick grin before shaking his head. “But seriously, I want to find the others and get the hell off this island.”
“Right, follow me.” Rafe led him back down onto the stern and gestured at the small dinghy and the outboard motor attached to it. “That should be big enough for you guys, let me get the phone for you.”
“Thanks.” JJ hopped inside as Rafe grabbed a phone from the stack inside one of the drawers, his fingers passing over the handgun and bundles of cash next to it. As he came back outside, JJ was ready, giving him a firm nod. “Alright, drop it in and I’ll get going. We meet back here in a few hours.”
“You got it.”
“And Rafe? If there’s no sign of us in twelve hours, you just go.”
“We didn’t pull off an epic escape just for me to leave you behind when you go playing the hero.” Rafe cocked a brow at him as he reached for the winch to lower the tender into the water. “Do you want a gun or anything?”
“Uh, no. No, I’m good.” JJ stared at him and shook his head. “Just go if I’m late, promise me, Rafe.”
“Fine, fine, I promise.” Rafe glared in response and stepped back when the tender hit the water and the engine fire up almost at once. “Just get back here.” He watched as JJ sped off back towards the shore, alone for the first time in hours. The past month had been very solitary and even before that, Rafe had never felt exactly close with anyone, except on those rare occasions when he and JJ hooked up, there had been a connection between them that he hadn’t felt before.
Rafe dropped the anchor and watched as the chain unwound and slipped into the deep aqua blue of the water until finally the weight hit the sea floor. He locked the mechanism in place and headed back inside, making a beeline towards the fridge. Taking a bottle of cold water and a protein bar, he stepped through the door at the other end of the galley, down into the narrow corridor that led to the crew and guest quarters. The bedroom closest to the prow would probably be safest to take since the portholes there could be blocked out and there was only one entrance.
The bedroom was warm, sunlight and heat filtering into the space. Rafe left his water bottle on the bedside locker and started eating as he looked around, nodding to himself. The furnishings were simple; polished wood and muted fabrics, a television bolted to a moveable arm and a small door which led to a closet-sized bathroom and shower. “This’ll do.” Rafe muttered to himself and went back out, heading to a locker where he kept spare sets of clothes, taking out navy shorts and a black stringer vest. He bundled up his wet clothes into the towel and tossed them into the bathroom of the stateroom, before heading back up to stockpile water and snacks that would last him until they got to the Outer Banks.
Night had fallen fully at last, a dark velvet curtain that draped across the ocean, banished only by a handful of lamps on the edges of the boat. Rafe stood silent on the deck, looking back towards the twinkling lights of the town, waiting for the telltale sound of an outboard motor coming his way. He had stashed the submachine gun taken from Singh’s goons into one of the lockers in the galley, the handgun he had kept with him, stuffed into his waistband. The stars were resplendent in the cloudless night sky, the balmy weather lifted slightly by a strengthening breeze from the south-west.
Rafe glanced up at the sails and nodded to himself, about to go and make sure the rigging was set in case they had to rely on wind power, the fuel were already stocks low. He had intended to fill up before leaving after his meeting, but obviously that had no longer been an option as they fled the island. Rafe cocked his head suddenly, hearing the throaty roar of an outboard coming towards him. He didn’t wait to see if it was the Pogues, instead, he headed inside and into the stateroom, locking the door behind him.
It was completely dark inside and he felt his way to the bed, sitting on the edge as he waited to see whether JJ had returned. A few minutes later, he heard feet on the decking outside the windows and then raised voices. Familiar voices. “The Pogues.” Rafe murmured, a smile pulling at his lips. “Hmm, I guess he found them after all.” He slid back onto the bed and settled down, listening to the sounds that echoed around him, the creak of the electronic winch as it picked up the tender, the groan of the anchor chain being wound back up, the tremble of the engines when they fired up. Then a lurch as the boat started moving forwards. Rafe closed his eyes, slowly lulled to sleep as the boat rolled over the calm waves, bearing them north, back home.
He woke up to a gentle knocking on his door and Rafe rolled over, grabbed the gun he had left on the locker, instantly alert. Rafe remained silent until he heard a whisper from the other side of the door. “Rafe? Are you in there?”
“Ah, JJ.” Rafe murmured and flicked on the bedside lamp before standing up. He kept the gun behind his back and unbolted the door, stepping back as JJ slipped inside and quickly closed the door behind him. “Phew, I wasn’t sure it was just you.”
“This was the only locked cabin.” JJ replied, keeping his voice low. He frowned when Rafe put the gun down again. “Oh, expecting trouble?”
“I wasn’t going down quietly.”
“Hah, ok, yeah, I feel that.” JJ grinned at him. “We’re in Saint Kitts, Sarah and Kiara are refuelling, and Pope and Cleo getting some more supplies. We, uh, we kinda raided your fridge.”
“Haha, sure.” Rafe nodded as JJ looked him over. “See something you like?”
“Oh yeah, that vest really shows off your body well.” JJ smirked back at him, a familiar playful fire in his eyes. He paused and then grew more serious. “So, uh, I had to tell them whose boat this is.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Pope went through the cabinets out in the galley and found like a bunch of phones, thousands of dollars in cash and a couple of guns, so…” JJ grimaced and scratched the back of his head. “It was either tell them it was your boat or let them believe I had jacked a drug dealer.”
“Haha,” Rafe chuckled as JJ shrugged. “How did that go down?”
“Uh, Sarah freaked out, predictably enough, and Pope and Kiara were…suspicious.” He sat down on the bed as Rafe paced slowly back and forth across from him. “I, uh, I explained everything.”
“Everything?”
“Well, not everything, they don’t need to know about, you know, the shower.”
“Right.” Rafe smirked as JJ squirmed on the bed. “So, what’s the plan? What’s next for you guys?”
“Well, uh, John B isn’t with us, the others said he stayed behind, chasing some sort of hunch.” JJ bit his nail and shrugged. “We got a scrambled call from him a few minutes after we got onboard. I don’t know, it’ll work out.”
“Hmm.”
“As for when we get back to OBX, I’m not sure what’s gonna happen.” JJ stood up as a bang came from the deck above them, an echoing clang that could have been metal fuel canisters being brought onboard. “Uh, I don’t have much time. Just…everyone else will have somewhere to go, parents waiting for them.”
“But not you?” Rafe asked, stepping closer to JJ as they both lowered their voices. “Well, I need to go back to Guadeloupe, figure out what to do about the cross.”
“Right, of course.”
“Could always use some help steering this thing.” Rafe smiled as JJ looked up sharply at him. “Even if it’s only for a couple of days and then I can bring you back. It’ll be a paying gig, of course.”
“Not sure I’d expect anything less from you.” JJ grinned at him and then shrugged. “I don’t know, let me think about it.”
“Of course, but I understand how important your friends are, how close you all are.” Rafe reached out and placed his hands on JJ’s shoulders. “Just let me know when we get back to Kildare Island and we’re alone.”
“Yeah, I already said that it’d be best if I was the last one to leave, something about abandoning the Lagoon at the public marina, someone will come get it or tow it or something.” JJ replied and then fell silent as Sarah’s voice came calling for him along the corridor outside. “Shit.”
“Just go, I’ll hide.” Rafe murmured, grabbing his gun, and slipping into the bathroom, closing the door just in time as Sarah pushed open the cabin door and poked her head inside.
“Sarah!” JJ sounded surprised. “Err, hi?”
“What are you doing down here?”
“I was just looking around, uh, trying out the beds.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” She sounded exasperated and Rafe tightened his grip on the gun when her voice came closer. “We’ve got the fuel and Pope and Cleo are on their way back now, I could see them along the pier.”
“Ok, let’s go, the fuel tanks are on the starboard side.”
Rafe released his held breath as they both left and after waiting another few minutes to make sure, he slipped out of the bathroom, flicking the safety back on and placing the handgun back on the table. He locked the door and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the moment when the engines restarted and they got underway again to sit on the bed, sleep coming much harder this time.
It was morning when he woke up again, having drifted off at some point in the night. Sunlight peeked under the blinds and left bars of heat on the floor and bed. Rafe rolled off it and staggered into the bathroom, his neck sore from his sleeping position, his skin feeling rough and hot. After splashing enough water on his face to bring his senses back, he noticed that the engines were no longer growling and the boat’s pitch was steady. They had stopped.
Rafe picked up the gun and slowly unlocked the cabin door, venturing outside as the sounds of birds and wind came from the exterior. He advanced down the hallway and emerged into the galley, gun held at the ready even as his eyes darted around the windows, taking in the familiar sight of reeds and swampland that dominated parts of Kildare Island. “We’re back.”
“Good morning to you too.” JJ called out as he stepped into the lounge. He was shirtless, dressed in shorts that Rafe recognised as his own, probably taken from one of the cupboards. His hair and skin were wet, clearly having just been overboard.
“Where are we?” Rafe asked as he placed the gun down on the table, still in reach if this turned out to be a trap. “JJ?”
“Uh, about a mile north of my place, no one ever comes here, no one will see the boat.”
“Good, we stick out.” Rafe peeled his vest off and gestured for JJ to join him outside. The sun was deliciously hot on his skin, and he grinned as he tilted his face upwards. “Ahh, so good after being inside for so long!”
“Haha, I feel that.” JJ sat down on one of the cushioned seats at the stern. “Everyone else got off okay, I’m the last one left.”
“Hmm, ok.” Rafe stretched his arms over his head and slowly flexed his muscles as JJ watched him unabashedly. “You’re not so eager to leave?”
“Well, I just know what I’m going back to and it’s not a whole lot of fun.” JJ shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. Everyone is gonna be busy with family stuff and who knows what John B has got himself into, but he’s not here. You on the other hand, you made me a pretty good offer. Plus it’s only a couple of days, right?”
“Exactly,” Rafe grinned, happiness balling up inside his chest like a bright orb of soothing heat. “We take our time going to Guadeloupe, chill out like that day we went out on the old boat.”
“Oh yeah? That was a lot of fun!” JJ grinned at him and rubbed the heel of his hand against his crotch, a bulge visibly forming. “I’d be eager to do that again, maybe do some more.”
“More?”
“Well, we have multiple cabins now, with actual beds, didn’t really have that before.” He grinned wider as Rafe nodded slowly. “And let’s be honest, I think we’ve both wanted to go further than we have, right?”
“Yeah, definitely.” Rafe wetted his lips as his thoughts slipped back to the shower he had shared with JJ, how close they had come to actually fucking. “So, you want to stay for a while?”
“Yep, I’ll be your cabin boy, capt’n!” JJ cocked an imaginary hat at him and grinned. “Extra services are free!”
“Sounds like we have a deal then.” Rafe held out his hand and when JJ took it, he pulled back, taking JJ into his arms and kissing him deeply. He felt JJ grin against him, his tongue sliding over his own in a way that made his head spin.
The midday sun beamed down on the vast expanse of deep blue water, a languid breeze flowed across them and gathered in the sails, guiding them onwards towards their destination. Rafe had locked the tiller in place and judging from the instruments, it would be another few hours until he needed to make any corrections. The weather radar was clear and there wasn’t anyone in sight. They were alone, at last, for dozens of miles in any direction. With the heat and privacy, they had both dispensed with shirts and shorts, staying comfortable in just their underwear, both of their gazes lingering appreciatively on each other’s bulges and cotton-clad asses.
JJ grinned lazily at him as he reclined on the cushioned seats up on the command deck, the sun bathing his body in golden heat while Rafe stepped away from the tiller and picked up a crystal tumbler full of amber liquid. He raised his glass in a toast to JJ who returned the gesture with his own bottle of beer. “This is the life, huh?”
“I don’t know, there was something special about island life.” JJ shrugged, watching him as Rafe circled around the deck to sit opposite him. “Something primal and real. I kinda miss that already.”
“Hmm, I guess I can understand that.” Rafe nodded slowly. “You’re responsible for your own survival, your actions have a…direct impact.”
“Right.”
“Huh.”
“What is it?” JJ asked as he tipped his bottle back against his lips.
“I don’t know, I guess I just never thought we’d be doing something like this again.” Rafe gestured around them and cast his gaze eagerly across JJ’s clenching abs and plump bulge. “Do you remember the last time we hung out on a boat?”
“Oh yeah, it was basically what I always thought Kooks got up to, well, the yachting around part.” He grinned and rubbed his hand across his bulge before winking at Rafe. “Hey, how long do we have until we get to Guadeloupe? Do we have time for a, uh, reenactment of that day?”
“For sure, it’s a couple of hours at least.” Rafe licked his lips and felt his heart beat faster. “Which cabin do you want to go to?”
“Who said anything about a cabin?”
“Uh, you did, something about an actual bed if I recall.” Rafe replied as JJ shot him a wicked grin. “So, you don’t want to take advantage of the fact there are like five beds we could use?”
“Nah, I’m used to sleeping on the ground by now, plus these cushions are pretty soft.” He patted the seat next to him. “And, if something were to go wrong, we could leap into action. We’re alone now, but that could change at any time.”
“Alright, I understand.” Rafe nodded and stood up, his cock already hard and pushing the fabric of his trunks outwards in a proud display of arousal. JJ smiled at him and stood up as well, placing his bottle in the holder at the edge of the instrument panel.
“Eh, hold up, I just want to go freshen up and stuff.”
“Oh, ok, sure.”
“Yeah, just give me fifteen minutes.”
Rafe danced slowly on the spot, waving his arms over his head, his face tilted back towards the sun as chill house music spilled from the speakers set into the sides of the decking. The sound was clear, and the bass thrummed through his chest as he tried to release any anxiety that was threatening to ruin the moment. Every other time he and JJ had hooked up it had been quick and spontaneous, never really planned. A moment here, a quick flurry of texts there, and an ever-present alertness that they might be caught, and everything would be ruined. But now, now they actually had time to be fully present and not worry about anything interrupting them.
“What are you doing?” JJ was back, naked now, his cock half hard and a smile playing about his lips.
“Just vibing.” Rafe grinned at him and turned to watch JJ climb up fully. “Join me.”
“Sure.” JJ chuckled and reached for Rafe’s outstretched hand, deliberately stepping in close to him. His hands traced slowly across Rafe’s chest, down his smooth, toned stomach and onto his hip, JJ’s fingers sliding under the silky fabric and gliding Rafe’s trunks down and off. “Ah, better.”
“Sure.” Rafe grinned wider and stepped out of his underwear, his hands cradling JJ’s head and tilting his face up as he went in for the kiss. It was gentle at first, a soft press their skin together until both their cocks touched, and JJ leaned forward, deepening their kiss, his tongue slipping eagerly over Rafe’s own. They backed up and Rafe pulled JJ with him until his legs touched the cushioned seat and Rafe sat down abruptly. “Mmf!”
“Ah!” JJ straddled his lap as they continued to make out, the sun hot on Rafe’s shoulders and back.
After a few minutes of passionate kissing, his blood pounding in his ears and his pulse racing, Rafe broke the kiss and leaned back. JJ was looking at him, a smile playing about his lips as he slipped off Rafe's lap and sat cross-legged on the seat. "Uh, so what were you thinking of doing?" Rafe asked as he used his hand to stroke his cock a few times, burning off some of the raw arousal that surged around him. "Hmm?"
"Oh, I don't know, we can take our time." JJ shrugged and rolled onto his side, his firm, muscular ass cheeks catching Rafe's immediate attention. "Everything's clean if you want to, uh, explore."
"Hmm, I like the sound of that!" Rafe grinned as heat flushed across JJ's cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He got up on his knees and gently pushed JJ flat onto his stomach, his hips rising a little and presenting his ass to Rafe. "Fuck, you're so hot!"
"Haha, all yours."
"Mmh!" Rafe rubbed his palms over JJ's lower back and then down to the raised smoothness of his ass. His fingers slowly, sensually, gripped the hard, tanned flesh and kneaded each cheek, deeply massaging JJ's ass and drawing long moans of longing and delight from his chest. Rafe moved into a more comfortable position between JJ's spread legs and he laid down so his face was close to the firm cheeks. He could feel his cock get even harder than before, pressing against the soft cushion underneath him as he reached out and slowly spread JJ's ass cheeks to gain his first unobstructed view of the guy's hole. It was a soft, rosy ring of clenching pleasure that Rafe could no longer resist.
"Oh fuck!" JJ gasped as Rafe gently kissed his ass cheeks, and then slipped his tongue down along the pleasure-rich crevice. "Ahhh!"
"Mmmh!" Rafe groaned in his throat as he spread apart JJ's ass and pushed his tongue up along the entrance to JJ's hole. His face was flush against JJ's firm cheeks as he kissed the opening, his tongue circling up and down in broad, savoring licks. A moment later, Rafe speared his tongue through the entrance and drew a fresh set of loud moans from JJ. "Are you ok?"
"Yes." JJ panted and groan. "Fuck!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's good. I like it." He reached back and pulled his cheeks apart for Rafe in encouragement. “Keep going, please, Rafe, this is so hot!”
"I'll continue then!" Rafe grinned and pushed his tongue back into JJ's ass, losing himself in the glorious sensation as his cock throbbed and leaked precum, fuelled by JJ's constant moaning and squeals of unending delight. There was something so erotic about the moment, the action, that went beyond simple pleasure. "Ahhh!" JJ seemed to be enjoying it just as much as he began to move back and forth against Rafe's invading tongue, riding the slick muscle up and down, fast and then slow and then fast again.
"Go deeper, fuck me, Rafe!" JJ called out, his voice edged in ardent arousal. He bent his knees and lifted his ass up into the air, reaching back to hold his cheeks apart so Rafe could see it all, his wet hole, the skin flushed to a darker red, the clenching ring winking at him as JJ moaned again. JJ's dick was hard, but hung heavy between his legs, the tip moistened by a slow waterfall of precum. “Ugh!”
"Fuck," Rafe breathed quietly, and licked slowly up from the tip of JJ's dick, up the shaft to his balls, where he gently sucked them, then up into JJ's ass. He did it twice more, before swapping his tongue for his fingers, first one and then another as Rafe began to work JJ's hole open. "Did you finger yourself earlier?"
"In the shower just now, yeah," JJ breathed hard as he rested his forehead on the seat, looking at Rafe upside-down. "I wanted to make it easier for you."
"Mmmh, I like it." Rafe nodded and went back to sliding his fingers in and out of JJ's asshole while at the same time taking the guy's cock into his mouth. The dual pleasures sent JJ into a fresh spiral of moaning and movement, riding Rafe's fingers with the same intensity as he had when it was Rafe's tongue-fucking his asshole. "Mmf!"
"Ahh! Yeah! Fuck, Rafe!"
"Haha, be as loud as you want, JJ!" Rafe laughed as he pulled away from JJ and slipped back up and off the bench. He walked over to one of the cupboards and fished around inside until he found the bottle of lube he had stashed there when JJ went to clean up. Rafe turned back to him and gestured at the bottle. "Do you want me to wear a condom?"
"No, it's alright." JJ replied after a moment, thinking it over. "Where do you want me?"
"Uh, on your side?"
"Ok."
"It'll be easier, for the first time anyway."
"Oh, you reckon we're going for a few rounds here?!" JJ smirked at him as Rafe popped off the cap and poured a generous amount onto his fingers.
"Well, like I said earlier, it's a long way on sail power alone." Rafe grinned back and lubed up his cock before handing JJ the bottle. He watched in anticipation as JJ shrugged and greased up first his own hard cock and then reached back to push some of the slippery liquid into his asshole. "You good?"
"Yep, climb in behind me."
"Right." Rafe slipped into position behind JJ and angled his cock so it easily slid up against the erotic heat of JJ's ass. Slowly, gently, almost teasingly, Rafe began to push forwards, his hot, thick, hard cock burying into the slippery cleft of JJ's ass, his hips beginning to piston back and forth right up against JJ's hole. "Ugh!"
"Oh!"
"Ahhh!"
"Ughh!"
They were both moaning now, Rafe's cock teasing the outer ring of JJ's hole, JJ humping back and forth against him, until he could take the tension no more. JJ reached all the way back and grabbed Rafe's ass, pulling his body flush against his back, and Rafe slowly pushed himself in and out between JJ's cheeks.
"Put it in me," JJ quietly begged.
"I'm gonna cum for sure if I do," Rafe whispered back. "I'm not even in you and I'm already seeing stars."
"Then fucking do it already! I want you to cum in me, Rafe, fucking use my hole as a cum dump the first time and for the rest of the afternoon!"
"Fuck!" Rafe muttered through the thick fog of horniness that seemed to be wrapped around them both. He changed angles and used one hand to stretch JJ's ass cheek wide, the other reaching around him to rest on his arm. The blunt tip of his cock pushed into JJ's tight hole before it eased inside accompanied by a chorus of moans. "Ahhh!"
"Oh yeah!" JJ's sounded at once stressed out and satisfied. "That's it, Rafe! Fill me up!"
"Ugh!" Rafe gasped as his thick rod pushed deep into JJ's hole, a tight heat wrapping around his cock and pleasure spilling out from every nerve ending. He released JJ's ass and let the perfect, hot tightness surround him before Rafe began to rock back and forth, sliding his dick in and out of JJ's well-lubed hole. The music continued to flow around them, the sun hot on their naked skin, the gentle breeze enough to wick away the sweat caused by their vigorous activities. He could feel the smooth round cheeks of JJ's firm butt pressed flush against his hips as he bottomed out again. "I'm going to start moving now."
"Please." JJ begged softly, his hand already working on his own cock as Rafe began to swing his hips back and forth. JJ wasn't still either, squirming back against Rafe, bouncing up and down against his cock, moaning and grunting and jerking off. "Ah! Oh! Yeah! Fuck me, Rafe!"
"Mmh!" The noises alone were enough to dial up the arousal that was floating around Rafe's head and every time JJ said his name a special sizzle of pleasure zapped across his chest and anchored itself in his cock. "Ah fuck, I'm gonna cum!"
"Good, I'm close too!" JJ muttered as he reached back and grabbed Rafe's ass again, pulling Rafe against him, getting him as deep as he could go. "Cum in me, Rafe!"
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Rafe gasped as his pleasure began to mount to uncontrollable levels and he slammed his cock in and out of JJ's hole one last time as he pressed his face into JJ's shoulder and his muscles went rigid, his cock shuddering and spasming deep inside JJ's stretch-out hole. "Ahhh!"
"Oh, fuck, yeah, I can feel you cumming in me!" JJ cried out and his hand jerked up and down furiously until he started shooting hard, spurting thick ropes of creamy cum across his clenching abs and hard pecs. "Ah, fuck, Rafe! Rafe! Rafe! Ahhh!"
"Mmmh!" Rafe groaned as JJ's asshole continued to flex around his throbbing cock, milking him of every drop he could get. He kissed the soft skin of JJ's shoulder and hugged his body tight, basking in the glorious heat and pleasure of the moment.
Guadeloupe appeared on the horizon as a brown smudge at first that gradually resolved into a more distinctly shaped island the closer they got to it. After they had cleaned up from their afternoon of debauchery and laid out to dry on the deck, resplendent in their mutual nakedness, the two of them had gotten dressed, Rafe lending JJ another pair of shorts, the other guy content to stay shirtless in the pleasant early evening heat. Rafe left his own shirt unbuttoned, liking the way the offshore breeze pulled at each side, his shirt tails flapping out behind him as they rounded the outer islets and swung back towards the private mooring near the house.
“Hey, are you ok to chill out here for a few hours?” Rafe asked as he switched to the engine and cruised in along the coast towards the wooden pier which jutted out into the bay. “I just have to sort out a couple of things and then we can be on our way.”
“Sure, I’m easy.” JJ grinned at him and then winced. “Plus, my ass could use a break!”
“Haha, it’s gonna be busy again later tonight!”
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it already!”
“Heh.” Rafe shared JJ’s smile and he guided the boat into the mooring, cutting off the engines as they coasted in on momentum alone. “I’ll see you later.”
“See ya!”
A few minutes later, Rafe nodded at the hot security guard standing at the entrance to their driveway and he slipped through the gate onto the paved path that wound up the short hill. The car was there, and he could see Wheezie’s bike was propped up against the wall. But as Rafe pushed open the front door, he could feel a sudden sense of wrongness, as though the house was filled with nervous tension. Wetting his lips, he moved quickly through the living room and along the hallway to the room where his father was recuperating. The bed was empty.
“He’s on the terrace.” Rose’s voice came from behind him, and Rafe turned quickly, glaring at her. “Ward woke up while you were…away, he wants to see you.”
“Uh huh.” Rafe clicked his tongue irritably and pushed past her. “Sure.”
The terrace was a covered seating area by the pool, raised enough so it could look out over the bay. Rafe walked slowly towards it, unsure what he was going to say to his father. It had only been a month or so since he had slipped into the coma, but it felt longer, or perhaps it was because things had been strained between them all summer. Rafe swallowed thickly and caught his father’s eyes as he approached, Ward Cameron looking much like he always did, except for the cane that was resting in his hands, a glass of water and a pill bottle sitting on the glass table next to him. Rafe unconsciously wrung his hands and took the steps up to the terrace slowly. “So, you’re awake?”
“Yes, no major damage done.” His father’s voice was the same, if more tired than Rafe had heard it before. “It’s good to see you, Rose said you were away on, uh, business.”
“Yeah, for a couple of days.” Rafe replied defensively. What other poison has she dripped into your ears, huh? “I was trying to make a deal for the cross.”
“Right, the cross.”
“Yeah, I got it for us, for this family, but it’s not doing much just sitting in the study.” Rafe walked over to the railing and turned around, leaning against it as he faced his father. “I got a good evaluation from this expert, but-”
“I know, Rose told me. Carlos Singh is not a man to be trusted, Rafe.” Ward interrupted him with a sigh. “I would have warned you about him.”
“Well, you weren’t talking much.” Rafe grunted. He saw the twist of hurt and surprise on his father’s face before his expression quickly smoothed over. “It doesn’t matter, I didn’t bring the cross with me, I’m not that stupid.”
“I never said you were stupid, Rafe.”
“Right.”
“In fact, just the opposite, you were trying to make a deal and I remember my first attempt at a big real estate deal, it did not go well!” His father chuckled and clasped his hands around the pommel of his cane. “But I appreciate your attempts to take control of things here, especially since I wasn’t able to.”
“Right.” Rafe repeated, watching him suspiciously. It had been a long time since his father had been this nice to him, when there didn’t seem to be any expectations or pressure for him to measure up. “What now?”
“I’m glad you asked, I need you to do something for me.”
“Ok, what?”
“Hmm, I want you to return to Kildare Island, I’ll have some papers for you to collect, and I want you to oversee the shutdown of all our businesses, liquidate our assets, and sell Tannyhill.” Ward paused to take a drink as Rafe stared at him. “Ok?”
“What?!” Rafe glared at him. “You can’t be serious, that’s our home!”
“Our home is here now.”
“No way! I’m not staying here!” Rafe shook his head furiously. “I want to go home!”
“And you will, I need you to do this for us, Rafe, you’re the only one who can.” His father stood up slowly and approached him. “I know you’re capable of doing this.”
“That’s not the problem.” Rafe leaned back on the rail, staying out of his reach.
“What is it then?”
“I…” Rafe struggled to find the words and instead he just shrugged. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I’m taking the boat.”
“If you want to, sure, it’ll be a lot slower.” His father frowned at him and then clapped his shoulder weakly. “But it might be a good idea, you can use the time to go over the paperwork, contact some of our local agents.”
“Right.” Rafe sighed, feeling his autonomy slip away from him.
“And while you’re gone, I’m going to look into the cross, see what we can do with it.”
“Oh?” Rafe tried to keep his expression neutral even as rage pounded through his blood, and he felt his hands ball into fists. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure, let me explore some options.” Ward glanced at him as he turned to start down the stairs and back towards the house. “We might be able to salvage something from it.”
“Salvage, sure.” Rafe whispered to himself, watching his father leave. He rose his voice and called out after him. “I’ll just get some things together and join you in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be in the office.” His father raised a hand and hobbled slowly inside, leaving Rafe standing on the terrace, the sun setting in a fiery blaze behind him.
Account Deleted on Chapter 1 Fri 10 Mar 2023 01:08AM UTC
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