ANMELDENPOV: KhyleThankfully, Khyle's music was quickly retired, and something less irritating was slid into the CD player.Apparently, Gunner had seen fit to change out the offending CD before Khyle blew a circuit and threw him out of the car. He had sense when he needed to. But it didn't escape Khyle's attention that mixed-X was popped into the passenger door's side panel. For later. The bastard was keeping good on his word, and taking his CD. And that was just weird, because Khyle couldn't figure out why in hell Gunner would actually want to listen to anything that Khyle found erotic.They pulled out of the parking lot and headed to their next destination. The food bank. It was a quick and uneventful stop. Gunner tagged beside him as Khyle carried a box full of dried and canned food, the enforcer lugging the heavier one. They stopped just long enough to give a few autographs once they were recognized, which was pretty much after Khyle had one foot in the door. Then they headed over to the
POV: GunnerGunner swallowed back a real grunt of pain.Somewhere in between shifting gears and checking his mirror and changing lanes, Khyle's bony little elbow had whipped out and drilled into Gunner's shoulder like he was breaking cement. He didn't pull his punches. The pain was bright and sharp, but it was funny. With Khyle on his side now, Gunner found he respected that about him even more.Gunner feigned injury as he was driven off of his prey with a very effective push. Hell, Khyle had practically drilled a hole in his shoulder. He knew the little prick had power, but sometimes he forgot just how much sting he could pack into a hit. He could ignore the fact that the pain he felt in his shoulder gave him a strange sense of excitement. But he couldn't help but chuckle at the twist of discomfort on Khyle's face and those reddened cheeks. And the eyes he gave Gunner, they were almost enough to rip a person to shreds. It gave him a pleasant shiver, but still. It was just a bit of fu
POV: KhyleAfter wading through twenty very technical minutes of mandatory new car talk, Gunner firing question upon question at Khyle until he directed him to the manual that was in the glove compartment, the atmosphere mellowed and thoughts turned to idle conversation.About the cold. And the car."Heated seats are the best, eh?""Yeah, pretty sweet.""My old car, she didn't have that. And you fucking miss it on a day like today. Get in your car, and the seat's like a park bench."Khyle chuckled. He'd never thought of it like that, but that was true. Khyle looked over when Gunner didn't say anything else for a full ten seconds, worried that he might be into or up to something Khyle wouldn't want to know about.He was casually flipping through Khyle's pack of CDs, ones he'd had for years but hadn't had the luxury of listening to for a few months in his old beater with its broken CD player.Khyle let the enforcer occupy himself for a few moments, enjoying just being. He found himself
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerHe lifted the key fob and hit the button, and his car chirped back at them, the sound echoing off the cement walls of the structure around them, confusing the senses. Gunner, though, turned his head toward the sound. But his expression quickly became annoyed, like he was thoroughly stuck on a crossword puzzle."Where's your jalopy?" he frowned. Khyle felt his eye twitch, but the typical slight against his car was forgotten in the next instant, and he nodded toward the space ahead, feeling a small upward pull on the side of his sore lip."You're standing in front of it."Gunner seemed to take a moment to process where he was supposed to be looking. Khyle pressed another button, and an engine fired up. Blue eyes widened, first in surprise, then amazement. Not that the car in front of him was the most expensive thing on the road. But it was admittedly as nice as his own. Better maybe. Except that this one apparently belonged to Santos."Get outta here!" he bar
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerKhyle winced, grimacing as well when Gunner scuffed his hair and slung a heavy arm around his shoulders, practically dragging him into a walk. They weren't going running today. Khyle had declared a day off. Besides, he knew Gunner would have worked out already. He was aware of his habits, and he knew the man was anal about keeping himself up to par, and then some.Instead, he had some stuff to drop off at the local animal shelter, worn blankets from his dad's clinic, things of that nature. Gunner had, almost too agreeably, been all in on Khyle's morning plans. He'd said he had a few old towels to add to the donation pile, even though the ones in his hand looked suspiciously brand new.Khyle scowled back at him. Everything from his own general discomfort to Gunner's many faces, it was all throwing him off his determined stride and into a willful state of petulance he couldn't seem to reel back in."What's that supposed to mean?" he shot back. "You think I lo
POV: GunnerThe skin of Khyle's lip was warm and soft.He only wanted to see what damage Khyle had done to himself last night. And before he knew what had possessed him, he'd reached out and taken Khyle's chin in his hand. It was nothing, really. They were a physical bunch, and close contact with another guy on the team was as normal as taking a piss, nothing at all, but.As soon as he felt that hot skin burning under his fingertips, sinking into his palm, he felt something about himself letting go. Maybe it started before that. He wasn't sure. But Gunner's eyes slit in concentration, and almost like an afterthought, he felt himself slipping somewhere.Until he felt the vibration run through his fingers when those lips moved.Distantly, he heard a low voice. And he blinked slowly as if waking from a fog dream.It sounded vaguely annoyed. That was never a good sign."You know, some people just ask."The world suddenly got brighter, the late-morning sun breaking through the clouds above
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerHe couldn't fathom how the great Santos Khyle, supposed famed high scorer, could possibly be as inept at pool as he seemed to be. People at their caliber, with their sharp reflexes, heightened senses, and natural athleticism, tended to excel at sports in general. But Khy
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerThat had been Khyle's fatal mistake, showing Gunner how much he was bugging him. He had been like a kid with a big shiny red button ever since, hitting the damn thing over and over, just to hear it make a big kablooie."No. You gotta slide it through your fingers.""That
POV: Dual, Khyle and Gunner"Gunner! Watch it!"The last time Gunner had checked, he'd been moving forward. And then suddenly, he was stumbling backward, a sharp wrenching on his arm the source of his unplanned change in direction.The whoosh of cold air and deafening roar of a city bus flooded his
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerThere was the shortest of pauses before blue eyes slid back up to him from the bottom step, confused and narrowed in suspicion."What?"Khyle jogged down the steps to the walkway, quick and light on his feet. He skirted past the bluenet, the enforcer's head swiveling lik







