Read The Four Horsemen 2 - War for Free Online Page A

caught his gaze.
Deep and dark like a starless Kansas night sky, Red’s eyes held Russell trapped. He sank into them, seeing guilt, fear, loneliness, and a surprising flare of desire swirling in the shadows of Red’s gaze. Weird to think he could see all that in the blackness.
He didn’t understand the fear and the other more serious emotions floating in the sea of Red’s eyes, but he’d been feeling desire for Red since the first moment he’d seen him on the ledge. He thought it had been a little twisted to lust after someone when he’d been dying. Not like he could control himself at that point, though.
A burning in his lungs informed Russell that he’d forgotten to breathe. He gasped and the crisp warm scent of prairie grass filled his nose.
“You smell like Kansas,” he blurted.
Frowning, Red rested his hand on Russell’s forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”
Red touching him was sure to drive his body temperature up and Russell could feel his cheeks heat.
“I’m fine. You smell like the grass plains I used to play in when I lived in Kansas. I’ve never had anyone remind me of home before.”
Red’s touch turned into a caress as he trailed his fingers down Russell’s temple to his jaw. “It might be because I live on the steppes of Mongolia.”
“You’re Mongolian?”
“I might be. You know there are Mongolian troops serving in Afghanistan.”
Russell shook his head. “I didn’t know that, but you don’t look Mongolian. You look more Middle Eastern than anything.”
“Good guess. My tribe was originally from the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Most of us are no longer nomads or Bedouin. They live in houses and go to work in buildings. They’ve lost their connection to the land and to their horses.” Red removed his hand from Russell’s face and took a few steps away.
“Is that why you live in Mongolia? You can still live a nomadic lifestyle and raise horses?”
If the man was in his imagination he should start writing books, because he apparently had quite a vivid one.
“Are you real? I’m not dreaming or anything, am I?”
Red stopped and turned to look at him. “Would you prefer I be real or a dream?”
“Something tells me we probably won’t see each other again, so maybe it would be best if you’re a dream. Then I won’t be disappointed about never being kissed by you.”
Russell stared in shock at Red. Where the hell had that come from? He didn’t blurt out his attraction to other men, especially not in a military hospital where anyone passing by could hear and get him discharged. While Red’s touch told him Red was probably gay, he really shouldn’t have said anything like that without knowing for sure. He wasn’t in any shape to defend himself if Red got mad at him.
Red prowled closer with a grin on his face. “We can’t have you being disappointed. It might impede your healing.”
Russell didn’t know what to do as Red braced his hands on both sides of the bed next to Russell’s head. Licking suddenly dry lips, Russell peered into Red’s dark eyes, trying to discover if Red was messing with him or if Red really did mean to kiss him.
Footsteps coming down the hall caused Red to pull away and seemingly melt into the shadows in the corner. A nurse wandered in, barely covering her yawn as she pulled out his chart. She didn’t even glance in Red’s direction. Did she not see him or wasn’t he there any more?
“Well, Sergeant Heinz, I’m sorry to see you awake, but I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t have to wake you up.” She checked his vitals, made sure his bandage was good, and plumped his pillows before strolling out as quickly as she’d come in.
He waited until he was sure she couldn’t hear him. “Red, are you still here?”
No answer. Russell sighed. Maybe Red had merely been a dream. A very vivid one with smell and touch, which Russell rarely had in his dreams.
“Well, shit,” he muttered. “Figures I’d dream a guy like that.”
A brush of a boot on