Coming Together (A Crack in the Ice: Post-Apocalyptic Tales of Man-Love Book 4) Read online

  Chapter Two

  It had been sixteen days since their banishment from the Camp, and Terrence “Big T” Watkins was afraid that Earl wasn’t going to make it. T had led them to a convenience store in the opposite direction of where the Scavengers had been exploring. He figured that it would improve their chances of finding supplies. Also, some of the Scavengers could be trigger happy. After all, they weren’t exactly in Master’s good graces at the moment, he thought.

  Clint made a bed for Earl out of some sweatshirts that the store had on racks for tourists. He bundled him as best he could, and they all stayed close to the fire that T had built. Fourteen more days and they would be allowed to return to the Camp. Big T was more than glad. He didn’t think that he had ever been as cold and miserable as he was right then, and he missed Peter. When Master handed down his sentence, Peter had begged to go with him. Of course, T refused. He wouldn’t put Peter’s life at risk no matter how much it hurt for them to be apart.

  Earl seemed to be having trouble getting his breath. Clint pulled him up so that he was propped against his side and wrapped his arms around him. He was whispering in his ear as he rocked him softly. T noticed tears on Clint’s cheeks. He wished that he could do something to help. Of course, that’s what had landed them in their current predicament. He had lied to Master and said that he had killed Mac Palmer trying to cover for Earl and Clint. He was actually surprised that they were all still alive. Master wasn’t known for his forgiving nature. Big T had no idea what prompted him to do it, but it was Master’s own step brother, Kevin, who had intervened on their behalf and convinced him that one month of banishment would be an appropriate punishment.

  The first week had been uncomfortable, but T had felt good about how they were doing. Then Earl had fallen ill, and he had gotten a little worse each day. Now he was barely conscious, and Clint was a mess.

  Big T jumped to his feet when he heard the jingle of the door as it opened. Three men wrapped in thick bulky coats entered. T lowered his head aggressively and put his body in front of Clint and Earl who were still on the floor by the fire.

  A handsome muscular man with short black hair pulled the hood back on his coat. He held his hands out and open in front of himself. “It’s okay,” he said. “We’re not here to hurt you. We want to help. I’m Major James Reese. This is Grant Spencer and Hank…”

  “Little Terrence Watkins!” Hank exclaimed as he stepped in front of the others and pulled his hood down revealing his bald tattooed head. “What the fuck, man?”

  “Hank?” T said, a surprised smile cracking his face. He remembered Hank from his early days in prison. “Oh, shit! Is it you?” James stayed back with Grant and allowed Hank to take the lead. He had wrestled with his decision to bring Hank on this mission considering his strong feelings toward the Marauders. But it looked like he had made the right choice.

  “Thought you and your friends might wanna get the hell out of this ice box,” Hank drawled looking around.

  “Yeah,” Big T said starting to relax and feeling hopeful for the first time in days. “You know a place?”

  “I think this just might be your lucky day,” Hank told him.

  They were taken to the medical center after they arrived at the Compound. Clint and Big T were given a clean bill of health, but Earl had a bad case of pneumonia. T left with James while Clint insisted on staying with Earl.

  “Will he be alright?” Clint asked Ethan as he checked Earl’s IV. “It’ll be touch and go for a few days, I’m afraid,” Ethan said. “He’s pretty sick.” Clint had pulled a chair next to Earl’s bed and laced their fingers together.

  “Had he been in a fight?” Ethan asked indicating the two healing slashes on the older man’s cheek. Clint nodded. Ethan lifted Earl’s hospital gown so that he could examine his chest. “One of his ribs is fractured,” Ethan said. “Probably what caused the pneumonia.”

  Ethan’s eyes flicked back to the young man with long strawberry blond hair. “You look like you’ve been fighting some yourself.” he said not unkindly indicating Clint’s fading black eye.

  They both looked up when the door opened, and Nathan walked in. He stopped when he saw Clint, and Clint’s eyebrows popped up in surprised recognition. Ethan immediately went to Nathan’s side and tried to usher him back through the door.

  “You shouldn’t be here right now, darling,” he said. “Wait for me in our quarters. I’m almost finished,” he told him. But Nathan broke free from his grasp and walked closer to Clint. A silent understanding passed between them. Both had been victims of Mac Palmer. He looked at Earl lying on the bed and noticed Clint holding his hand.

  “He’s so sick,” Clint said to Nathan. “The doctor doesn’t know if he’s going to make it.” Nathan grabbed a chair from against the wall and pulled it close to Clint. He put an arm around his shoulders.

  “We made it,” Nathan told him.

  When they left the medical center, James took Big T to the small conference room beside his office. As they walked, he explained that the Compound was a secret underground government bunker that had been built to house high ranking members of the government and military in the event of a terror attack on American soil. Completely self-sustaining, it was run using geothermal energy and had heated cisterns for water. It also had the ability to grow fruits, vegetables, and raise farm animals.

  T was in awe but trying to maintain his composure as Major Reese basically described nirvana. Yeah, the Camp had generators, he thought, but it was still dark and dirty as hell in the mine. He had given up hope of ever having fresh fruit, and indoor plumbing seemed like a pipe dream.

  “I know all you want is a bath and some food,” James said reading his mind. “But we need to talk before I show you to your quarters.” When they entered the conference room, the first thing that Terrence noticed was a gorgeous muscular blond man. His different colored eyes seemed hostile as they regarded T with distaste. Cocky bastard, T thought, instantly disliking him. To the man’s left was the Grant person that he had met at the convenience store earlier. He was almost as big as the blond man, but he had black hair and a strong cleft chin. His old buddy Hank was leaning casually propped up in a chair with his feet crossed on top of the table.

  James lowered his eyebrows. “Feet off the table, Hank,” he said. Hank shot him a look, but moved his feet.

  “Have a seat, Terrence,” James said. He studied the muscular black man as he took his seat. He had an attractive face, and his hair was neat and short with swirled designs trimmed into it.

  “First off, let me introduce Mitch Reid.” They nodded to each other. Neither man offered to shake hands. James continued, “He’s the owner of the Colony, an underground bioengineering facility about a half mile from here. Our two facilities were set up to complement each other. We have the means to produce food. They have the ability to make medicine. Reid and his people have recently moved to the Compound for safety reasons.”

  When Terrence didn’t comment, James said, “I guess we’ll get right to it then. Why did you leave the Camp?”

  “It wasn’t so much leave, as get the hell out,” T said, and Hank snorted.

  “So, you were banished?” James asked to clarify.

  “Yeah, for a month,” he said.

  “By the Master?”

  “By Master, yeah,” he responded.

  “Why?” James asked.

  “I lied to him,” Terrence said. He didn’t hold anything back as James continued to interrogate him. He wanted this, he thought. Desperately. He had already decided that he would do anything for a chance to stay at the Compound. He just needed to get Peter first.

  Once James had gathered all the information that he could from Terrence, he had Grant and Hank show him to his quarters. He told them to lock him inside for now. Reid and James stayed behind to talk.

  “Scavenger,” Reid said under his breath as soon as the door shut. He made it sound like a curse word.

  “Yeah,” James said thoughtfully. �
�But it doesn’t mean that he was responsible for killing Nick’s father or shooting Elijah.”

  “It doesn’t mean that he’s not responsible either,” Mitch countered.

  Nathan had lived at the Camp for two months before his escape, but it appeared that his information had been somewhat limited. James leaned back in his chair and massaged the bridge of his nose with his hand. He could feel a pounding headache coming on. Master had more people and more weapons than they had originally surmised. “At least now we have an idea of what we’re up against,” James said.

  “Maybe,” Reid hedged. “If Terrence was telling the truth. He’s a liar by his own admission.”

  “True,” James agreed. “We’ll need to question the other two as soon as possible. But if we can believe what he told us, Master has no immediate plans to search past the Drifts.” The Drifts were huge mounds of snow that acted as a natural barrier between the Camp and their two groups. But with the temperature increasing, the Drifts had started to melt.

  “Yes,” Mitch said watching his finger as he tapped it on the table. “No immediate plans,” he repeated ominously.

  Ethan had anxiously been waiting and jumped up when Nathan finally opened the door to their quarters. He looked bone tired, and Ethan didn’t hesitate to rush over and wrap his arms around him.

  “It’s alright, darling,” he said as he shut the door behind them. “I’ve got you.” Nathan returned his embrace and laid his head on his chest. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Ethan asked if he wanted to talk. He nodded, and they sat down on the couch.

  It was Ethan’s worst fear that they may have brought one of Nathan’s abuser to the Compound. From his earlier reaction, that didn’t seem to be the case, at least not with Clint and Earl. But Ethan still wanted to hear it from Nathan.

  “He’s dead,” Nathan said looking at his hands loosely linked together between his legs.

  “What?!” Ethan exclaimed, alarmed, thinking that he must be talking about Earl.

  “Mac,” Nathan clarified. “Earl killed him.”

  “Oh,” Ethan said. By God, he thought to himself, Earl was going to make it if he had to perform a miracle. Ethan owed him that much and more. When Nathan and Gabriel’s bomb shelter was attacked by the Scavengers and they were brought to the Camp, Mac had been Nathan’s chief abuser. He was responsible for the scars on his back and most of his nightmares.

  In monotone Nathan said, “Clint told me that right before they were banished, the Master had taken off Gabriel’s dog leash and was letting him walk upright and wear clothes again.” Nathan knew from his time in the Camp that Master was the last name of the Camp’s leader. But considering how he wielded his power, using it as a title seemed somehow more appropriate to him.

  Ethan wasn’t sure how to respond to Nathan’s revelation about his best friend. “Good,” he said for lack of anything better. He started rubbing soothing circles on Nathan’s back. Nathan sighed heavily and leaned into his side.

  Chapter Three

  Jayson Master was standing beside his mattress that was lying on the floor of his private little alcove in the mine. He had Gabriel positioned on his back holding his legs to his shoulders. It put everything on display and left him completely exposed to Master’s scrutiny. Gabriel Winter was young with delicate features, short brown hair, and light blue eyes just like Master’s step brother, Kevin. Jayson admired him as he reached for the vegetable oil.

  Gabriel watched with hot eyes as Master lubricated his big thick penis. He was a large dangerous looking man with shaggy black hair and emotionless black eyes, and Gabriel was already hard just thinking about what he was going to do to him.

  “Do you want me to fuck that dirty little hole?” Master asked him.

  “Yes, Master,” Gabriel said breathless.

  “Beg me, bitch!” he ordered.

  “Please. Please,” Gabriel whined and wiggled his butt enticingly. Master climbed over Gabe’s small body. He smiled cruelly as he took aim with his cock, and rammed Gabriel’s hot ass.

  “Oh, ohh, ohhhh,” Gabriel moaned in time to Master’s hard thrusts. It was so good that Gabriel didn’t think he would have any trouble coming without touching himself. But after a moment, he felt Kevin’s soft hand reach between their bodies and grasp him.

  He keened out, “Yeeeesssss,” and came shooting white cum onto Kevin’s hand and all over his own chest. Shortly after, he felt Master explode inside his ass.

  Master fell on top of him heavily just as Kevin snatched his hand away. He laid still until his breathing slowed. Then he rolled to Gabriel’s side making him gasp at the abrupt withdrawal of his penis. He helped Gabriel move his legs back down. In the past, once Master was done with him, he would either leave or ignore him. But in the last couple of months, his behavior had changed. Gabriel wasn’t sure how he felt about it yet.

  Master propped himself up on an elbow and drew little designs in the cum that had landed on Gabriel’s chest with his forefinger. When he looked back up, his hard, black eyes had softened. He brought his finger to his lips, and Gabriel watched riveted as Master cleaned the sticky white substance off with his tongue. His eyes half closed as he appeared to savor the taste. Gabriel swallowed nervously when he focused on his mouth and leaned down slowly for a kiss. It wasn’t punishing like Gabriel had come to expect but teasing and sweet. It stirred the butterfly’s in Gabriel’s stomach, and he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around him. He found his fingers twirling in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. It was scary, Gabriel thought, these new emotions that Master evoked. It reminded him of how he felt about Kevin.

  Kevin was there when they broke apart taking over the kiss while Master watched. Master grabbed one of Gabriel’s tender nipples between his fingers and twisted it sharply making him cry out into Kevin’s mouth. Yes! Gabe thought to himself, getting hard again. He liked it when Master was rough.

  “Gabriel,” Master said. “Get him ready.”

  Gabriel pushed Kevin onto his back. They maintained eye contact as he slid down his body. He held Kevin’s legs up and back exposing his tight little anus. Kevin threw his head back into the mattress when he felt Gabriel’s tongue exploring him. Once Master knew Kevin was relaxed, he coated Gabriel’s hard penis with oil. Gabriel crawled on top of Kevin, and Master guided him into his butt.

  “I love you,” Kevin said as Gabriel slowly pushed inside him. He put his hand on Gabriel’s cheek, and Gabe turned his head to kiss it.

  “I love you, too,” Gabriel responded as he gently started to move inside him. It had become their ritual to always say how they felt about each other before they made love.

  Master watched closely for a while. “Enough,” he said stopping them before either could come. Once they separated, Master told Kevin to stand up.

  “Bend over for me, Kev, and put your hands on your knees.” Kevin bit his lip. He and Jayson had always had a complicated relationship ever since their parents married when they were kids, but it was just in the last couple of months that Jayson had added intercourse into the mix. The thought of his step brother taking his ass, made him feel dirty and excited all at the same time.

  When he hesitated, Jayson put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him forward gently until he complied. Kevin was facing toward Gabriel who was still on the mattress, but his face was pink with embarrassment and his eyes were closed. Gabriel realized that Kevin was conflicted about his relationship with his step brother, but Gabriel didn’t have a problem with it. He knew that Kevin and Master loved each other.

  Gabriel watched the struggle on Kevin’s face as his big brother worked his way inside him. Even though Jayson was always gentle with Kevin, he was a large man, and Kevin was just getting used to having anal sex again.

  Master held himself still for a moment looking at where his body joined with Kevin. “Gabriel, come suck Kev’s cock,” he said. Gabriel didn’t have to be told twice. He immediately took Kevin’s hard dick into his mouth making him moan. Master star
ted moving in and out of Kevin and pulled him up for a kiss. When Kevin came, Gabriel didn’t let a single drop escape as he sucked him dry. Master allowed Kevin to collapse sated onto the mattress then looked at Gabriel.

  Master was still hard as stone. He had never been able to come with Kevin. Sweet wasn’t what got him off, Gabe thought, and honestly, it didn’t do much for him either. They were perfectly suited to each other in that respect. Gabriel’s pupils dilated as Master stalked toward him angrily.

  “How long’s it been since I broke that butt?” he asked with gravel in his voice.

  “Months, Master,” Gabriel replied and licked lips that had suddenly gone dry. Master’s smile was pure evil when he turned in the direction of his portable closet that was pushed against a wall.

  “Wait!” Kevin said distressed and jumped up from the mattress. “Jay, no, please.” Kevin couldn’t stand the thought of Jayson hurting Gabriel. He knew that he had taken a big gamble when he told Jay that he loved another man. Fortunately, most of the consequences of his confession had been good ones. He and Jay were closer than ever, and Gabriel’s life at the Camp had gotten a lot more comfortable. He had hoped that it would last.

  Jayson stopped and turned toward his step brother. He could see how upset he was. His erection flagging, he sighed and walked back toward him. “Okay, Kev,” he said taking him into his arms. He shared a look with Gabriel over Kevin’s back. Shit, Master thought with dread. They were going to have to talk. He fucking hated talking.

  Gabriel was dressed and wandering through the mine alone. Master had some business to take care of (Gabriel and Kevin didn’t ask—it was usually better that way), and Kevin was taking weekly inventory of all the Camp’s weapons. He was the only person that Master trusted with such an important job.

  The old abandoned mine that they inhabited was Jayson Master’s hideout. Before the Impact, he and his gang, Master’s Marauders, were staying there until he could bribe or kill his way out of a legal situation that had put his operations in jeopardy. But they had become trapped after the freeze which was nearly two years ago. Fortunately, Gabe thought, the temperature was on rise, and the surface was becoming livable again.