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Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
MaineWriter:
Chapter 42:
“Then you might get a week off, yeah.”
“Well that sounds real temptin, even to a workaholic like me, Wes. Because I think I am about ta burst at the seams, an Ennis just turned down a return visit from his daughter because he didn’t want ta give up any weekend time with me, so he’s burstin at the seams too.”
“Yeah. That’s part a why I ain’t anxious ta get em back on the ranch unless he really wants ta go. An as soon as I can break you free it’d be good fer you an him ta take off an go on a nice trip with the horses an ferget about snipers an break-ins an dead bodies, while the weather still holds.”
“That is really nice a you, thinkin of us that way.”
“Yer like a son to us, Ellery. An thanks ta you, Edna an me feel like we got another son too. He is a real dear boy, quirks an all. He is very dear ta us.”
Ellery sat back in the comfortable passenger’s seat, stretching his legs. “I don’t need ta tell ya how dear he is ta me. An every time he gets on the phone with his girl, who is strugglin with money, I bite my tongue an think... is it time ta tell em about how much money I really got so I can maybe help out?”
“You ain’t said a word to em about that?”
“Hell no. He grew up dirt poor, Wes. I can’t think of anything would scare Ennis more, with the exception a maybe callin em ‘Pookie’ in public.”
“Huh?” Wes looked puzzled.
“Private joke. He hates pet names.”
“Oh, that I can understand. Edna an I have a very strict rule on that.”
“Oh, what’s she call you?”
“You ain’t gettin that out of me, even at gunpoint, boy,” Wes said, voice suddenly gruff. Ellery laughed out loud.
MaineWriter:
Chapter 43:
Ennis shook his head, not quite understanding. “Why didn’t you go down to the station? Ellery ain’t here an he can’t help ya an I sure as hell can’t help ya. You want me ta call those guys who are watchin the house an go sit in their car? Somebody after you?” He cast an uneasy glance out, and from the vantage point of the front doorway, could not see the surveillance cruiser across the street, if it were still there. Perhaps they had gone on a lunch break: it was close to noon.
“Yeah, this guy from the Brotherhood is after me, an I could get shot.”
“Why didn’t you call Emergency from yer house?”
Sevigny shook his head. “Had ta get out, no time.”
“You could a gone to a phone booth. Cause boy, I ain’t lettin you in here, an all I’m gonna do is call Emergency an have somebody come get ya just like last time.”
“Ya can’t do that. If you let em arrest me I’ll end up in the same cell with some a those other guys from the Brotherhood an they’ll shoot me. I ain’t foolin, Ennis... I ratted them out an now they’re comin for me.”
Ennis looked doubtful. “Well then go across the street an there’s a police car there an just tell em somebody’s after ya an they’ll take care of it. I ain’t no police deputy!”
Brad smiled, looking Ennis up and down. “No, but ya live with one. What’s it like?”
Ennis stared at him. “What’s it like? What’s what like?”
“Ya know, fuckin a cop.”
“You shut the fuck up, kid!” Ennis roared. “I’m closin this door right now an call em. You can stand on the doorstep or run off, I don’t care what ya do, but don’t you come ringin the bell talkin no trash!” He stepped back to close the door, and Brad smiled up at him, nonplussed.
“I bet he’s great in bed ain’t he?”
Ennis slammed the door, shaking with fury. Goddamn son of a bitch kid. He went to the phone and dialed 911. “Uh yeah, this is um... Ennis Del Mar, at 92 Tourmaline Road, ya know, where Ellery Cantrell lives. Ain’t there supposed ta be a car here or somethin?”
MaineWriter:
Chapter 44:
Ellery was home an hour later, and Ennis was folding sheets. When Ellery came in, he dropped the sheet on top of the bed and rushed to him, not waiting for him to drop his hat or unholster his pistol before sweeping his arms around him in a tight embrace, mouth hungrily seeking Ellery’s mouth.
Ellery did not resist. He had been quietly nervous about arresting Amos, and a thought nagged the back of his mind that another sniper might be watching outside the station, but the arrest and booking went quietly and smoothly, perhaps because of Wes and Mel’s precautions. He let Ennis’s needy mouth devour his, Ennis’s tongue wedging his lips open and forcing his desire on him, bowing his back with the force of the embrace.
“Jesus Christ, boy, you act like I been gone a week,” he gasped as Ennis loosened his hold and broke the kiss, the air thick with their rapid breathing.
“I got riled,” Ennis said briefly, as if that explained all.
“Lemme get this off. I got a little riled at puttin handcuffs on Amos Marigold. Somethin distinctly arousin about that act, I admit.”
Ennis grinned, standing back and letting Ellery toss his hat, pull out the pistol and unload it. “Yeah, ya should a taken a picture.”
“Oh we got pictures. Mug shot a Amos Marigold ought to make Page One a the Boomerang tomorrow mornin, judgin by the report Wes just faxed em in response to the inquiry.”
“Shit,” Ennis said. “I might just enjoy this weekend after all.”
Ellery walked into the bedroom, dropping his bullets carefully in the ashtray. “Shit, you made the bed an everythin. I got ta start payin you fer maid service, Ennis.”
“I’m even better at messin it up,” Ennis said, coming up behind him, then dropped his voice to a whisper. “Keep yer uniform on.”
Ellery looked over his shoulder. “You got some fancy idea or somethin boy?”
Ennis nodded. “Yep.”
MaineWriter:
Chapter 45:
Ellery let his legs down gently, softening as he pulled out, and looked down at Ennis, who had gone still almost immediately after he came.
“Ennis?”
Ennis looked up at him drowsily, a smile flickering on his lips. “Hmm?”
“You all right down there? Did I hurt ya...?”
Ennis shook his head. “Nope.” His eyes drifted closed again.
Ellery patted his cheek, and Ennis opened his eyes once more, then closed them, this time, his eyes rolling up. He reached his hand to pat Ennis’s cheek again, and Ennis’s head fell back against the bed, this time, completely out cold.
“Damn I’m good,” Ellery said, standing up and stripping off the rest of his uniform before climbing back in bed and wrapping his arms around Ennis’s wet, unconscious body.
mariez:
--- Quote from: MaineWriter on February 10, 2007, 06:17:53 pm ---Chapter 45:
Ellery let his legs down gently, softening as he pulled out, and looked down at Ennis, who had gone still almost immediately after he came.
“Ennis?”
Ennis looked up at him drowsily, a smile flickering on his lips. “Hmm?”
“You all right down there? Did I hurt ya...?”
Ennis shook his head. “Nope.” His eyes drifted closed again.
Ellery patted his cheek, and Ennis opened his eyes once more, then closed them, this time, his eyes rolling up. He reached his hand to pat Ennis’s cheek again, and Ennis’s head fell back against the bed, this time, completely out cold.
“Damn I’m good,” Ellery said, standing up and stripping off the rest of his uniform before climbing back in bed and wrapping his arms around Ennis’s wet, unconscious body.
--- End quote ---
I remember Chapter 45 very well - it's the first chapter I read of the Laramie Saga. Little wonder I immediately went back and started reading from the beginning! LOL!
In Chapter 46, Ellery and Ennis have a talk about Sevigny, and Ellery reveals something about their first meeting:
“Yeah. He might a been one a those Brotherhood members. Maybe he got kicked out fer bein queer, an fingered Will as someone they could pick on instead to get back in their good graces, then got cold feet.”
“You think he’s queer, or just actin?”
Ellery laughed humorlessly. “Ennis, I’d like ta think I can always tell when a man is queer. I was right about you, an I ain’t never told you how I knew, but him? I dunno. Maybe. Probably. But somethin ain’t right an he is lyin about somethin. Dupree thinks so too.”
“Whoa whoa whoa. How’d you know about me?”
“You mean besides you bein in the Red Stallion an tellin Bill you’d been with a man?”
“Yeah.” Ennis's heart was thudding again, and this time it was not with lust, but with a species of fear, as if his illusions about himself were evaporating suddenly, leaving him naked to the world.
“Cause when I came up the stairs that mornin you weren’t lookin at my face, boy, you were lookin at my crotch.”
Ennis blushed. “Oh.”
“Dead giveaway.”
Thanks for the quotes!
Marie
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