Free Dangerous Ground 2: Old Poison by Josh Lanyon Page A

department, and Le Loi Roy is still incarcerated at the Lacy Juvenile Annex.”
    Taylor seemed to be considering this.

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    “Did you hear me?”
    “Yes. I guess we can rule him out.”
    “Him, yes. But maybe someone's acting on his behalf.”
    “Maybe.” Taylor's tone was noncommittal.
    “Did you think of something else?”
    “No. It's just…”
    “Just what?” Old ghosts? Will was suddenly convinced that Taylor was hiding something from him.
    Meanwhile, Taylor was reporting, “I called the wine manufacturer. According to their records, they didn't ship the bottle to me. So someone else must have purchased it and then sent it. I dug the box and wrapping out of the trash. It was mailed last Tuesday from Ventura County.
    I'm going to have it analyzed.”
    “Good thinking,” Will approved.
    There was a short silence.
    “I thought you'd be here,” Will said. He was a little embarrassed at the reproachful note that crept into his voice, but it was true. He'd expected to find the lights on and Taylor home and was still unsettled at how let down he'd been to be proved wrong.

    “I wasn't sure you were coming back to LA tonight.” Taylor sighed. “Anyway, I can't hide out at your house.”
    “Who said anything about hiding out? I just… I was looking forward to you being here.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah.”
    Taylor said slowly, “Are you driving back tomorrow night?”
    “Sure.”
    “Maybe I could stay over tomorrow night.”
    “That'd be good. I might be late, but I'll be here. How's it going with Varga?”
    “We've reached détente.”

    Dangerous Ground: Old Poison
    55

    “Ever think about trying out for the diplomatic service, my son?”
    Taylor chuckled.
    Will wrapped his hand absently around his cock. “Talk to me,” he said suddenly, urgently.
    “What would you like me to say?” Taylor sounded amused, but then his voice sharpened.
    “Hey, are you—”
    “Yeah. I am.”
    Taylor laughed, a husky, naughty, full-throated laugh that closed Will's own throat. Desire.
    That was what he felt. More than lust. It was the longing, yearning to be together. To be one.
    “Oooh, Brandt,” Taylor cooed. “Oh God, what you do to me.”
    Will laughed breathlessly, kept his hand moving.
    Taylor moaned, mocking them both probably, but certainly mocking himself, that keening sound that escaped him when Will was fucking him hard. Those little cries that drove Will insane with lust.
    “Bastard,” Will gulped out.
    Taylor chuckled again. Then he said huskily, deliberately, “No one's ever made me feel what you do, Will. When you push that big, hot cock inside my body. I never let anyone do that to me before. It…scares me, it's so good. I want it so much. But there's always this moment of panic when I think, No, he's too big. I can't take him. Not just my body but my mind. Like you're taking me over. Pounding my ass and pounding my brain.”
    Will started to laugh, breathlessly.
    Taylor's voice dropped lower. “And it feels so good . In a dark, dirty way to let you do that to me…to shove right inside my body, right inside my skin. The friction…the way it feels for you to move inside me. It kind of burns and it kind of scrapes and I feel it in my belly and my chest…”
    Will bit his lip hard, hand moving frantically.

    * * * *
On Wednesday they had their first viable threat against Madame.
    Well, at least it looked that way for the first few seconds.

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    They were shopping—what else?—in the Beverly Center, located at the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Madame had already chewed them out once that day for hovering too closely. Did she suspect that in the guise of protecting her they were going to snatch a great bargain from under her nose?
    A woman with a stroller was passing to the side of Taylor; he was absently tracking her out of his peripheral vision because she was a little closer than he liked. The kid suddenly screamed.
    There was no mistaking that sound,