Chapter 14: When Bullets Fly

The Men's Restroom, Grady's Diner, Unknown City, Unknown State....

Standing at the urinal, Lonnie found himself alone once more and enjoyed the solitude. He had not been much for crowds and being around people but he managed to humor Lex for the time being. He thought it interesting that a shy boy as it were that Lex had been still craved the company of others. He was pleased the boy decided to listen to reason and return to school as he had a bright future ahead of him and didn't need to waste his time floating on the money he received from his grandparents' death. Lonnie made up his mind to take the boy shopping at least before he was to register him in school.

His wardrobe was lacking to say the least and this time they could afford to lessen the harsh nature of the high school experience. Lonnie managed to teach Lex to drive, mostly as a precaution when he'd been too drunk or hung-over to attempt it himself so there was only the matter of getting him a car of his own.

Not that he planned to do that any time soon after the events of the past few days.

Lonnie finished up at the urinal and tucked his prominent cock back into his suit slacks, he smirked already thinking of what he'd have in store for Lex once they managed to make it to another motel.

As he washed his hands, Lonnie got the feeling something wasn't right as it were he knew the diner had a good deal of people, children included and none had come into the restroom at least once since he'd entered it.

Having better things on his mind at the moment, he pushed away the thought and headed toward the door.

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The Dining Hall, Grady's Diner, Unknown City, Unknown State....

Lex did his best to hide his trembling as one of the gunmen moved toward him aiming what looked to have been a .9mm pistol at his face and daring him to move.

As if driven by instinct, Lex happened to look up at the now greatly concerned Lonnie whom had just returned from the men's restroom. His dark gaze met the frightened one of Lex and cold fury filed across his aged face .

This was why he hated public places, there was always some idiot lurking somewhere begging to be killed.

Moving swiftly, Lonnie managed to catch one patrolling gunmen off guard choking him to sleep before letting the body down gently and grabbing his now freed gun.

He left the body in a booth and stealthily went for the gunman whom had his weapon aimed at a still very terrified Lex.

Lonnie struck the brute in the back of the head with the gun he held knocking him out cold and managing to claim the second weapon. He was more than content to leave the scene but there were two more gunmen out and about on the other side of the diner.

Before Lonnie has a chance to collect Lex and bail, the second to last gunman spotted them and attempt to shoot Lonnie after noticing the body of his comrade leaning against a nearby booth.

"Fuck." growled Lonnie in annoyance. "This is the last time I let you choose where to eat."

The now trembling gunman aimed his weapon at Lonnie whom had not taken to kindly to having a gun pointed at him.

Lex didn't know what to do he'd been so frozen via fear, but Lonnie had no such restrictions. Still two gunmen out numbered him and there was still the matter of the police possibly being on the way.

True to fashion Lonnie drew both guns on the would be robber and he aimed to use them. Everything was silent as the standoff of sorts continued. Lex took notice of his heart pounding in his chest and his breaths becoming shallow. A part of him wished he had joined Lonnie when he went to the men's restroom as he could hardly ignore his bladder after all the water he drank coupled with this new onset of anxiety.

He just wanted to get out of here and head back on the road with Lonnie. Nothing else mattered in that moment except leaving this place with his very brash and eccentric lover.

The leader must have gotten suspicious as to why his little team had disappeared when he arrived in time to fire a shot in the direction of the defenseless Lex, whom barely had time to register what was happening. Lonnie heard the gun click and with speed unheard of, he stepped in the way of the bullet taking it in the chest to spare Lex an almost certain death by this would be robber's hand.

Being the malicious older man he's always been, Lonnie fired both guns at the second gunman and the leader hitting the second gunman in the gut and wounding the leader via the shoulder as he tried to run away.

During the commotion a few of the other patrons got into the fray getting everyone else out safely. The alarm was blaring and everyone knew the cops were on the way.

Lex was in a state of shock when he saw all the blood staining Lonnie's suit that came from his chest. He continued to aim the guns daring either one of the bastards he shot to come at him.

"Lonnie..." began Lex with tears in his pale blue eyes.

Once the sound of sirens got closer the two wounded would be robbers made a break for it. Lonnie and Lex had done the same due to the fact that he'd shot them both and still held onto the guns. Lex managed to get them toward an alley exit ignoring the swarming cars pulling up to the front of the diner.

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Back Alley, Grady's Diner, Unknown City, Unknown State....

Lonnie could feel numbness setting in as he attempted to accompany Lex toward their car. He lost a good deal of blood despite his bravado and he wasn't going to make it to the car. Lex tried his best to keep from panicking as it was the last thing Lonnie needed at the moment. The older man doubled over as he reached the alley. Blood poured from his wound and out of his mouth as he tried his best to breathe with difficulty.

"Lonnie..." said Lex unable to hide how shaken he was. "We're almost there..."

Lonnie could see the car but he knew he didn't have the strength to reach it, the adrenaline that coursed through his veins accelerated the blood loss despite it enabling him to keep Lex safe from the robbers in time for the cops to arrive.

"Listen...I'm...not going to make it." said Lonnie his dark eyes meeting the tear filled eyes of his young lover. "You go...take the money and get as far away from this place as possible."

"I'm not leaving you." insisted Lex as Lonnie began to crumple to the ground.

"F-Fuck!" growled Lonnie as more blood seemed to ooze from his mouth. "Alexei we don't have time for this...you need to go...go before they find you....take the money...go...go home."

"Not without you." replied Lex defiantly as tears began to stream down his pale cheeks. "Please Lonnie let's just get to the car....we can make it...if..."

"Get the fuck in the car." growled Lonnie at his wit's end. "I won't die here...not if...I can help it and I'm going to need a place to crash when I get back."

Lex nodded wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Just go...go get the house ready alright...I guess I'll be laid up for a few days..." said Lonnie knowing full well that his injuries were much to severe to have any hope for survival.

He simply wanted Alexei to leave before he was arrested in the chaos and lose the money they had stored in the trunk of the car. Lonnie reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys staining them with blood in the process.

"T-Take the fucking keys...damn it!" Lonnie hissed as he attempted to talk through the blood. "Drive like I taught you...go home...for me....go to school....I'll find you...like always...Lex."

Lex heard the voices of investigating officers and reluctantly did as Lonnie said. If there was a chance for them after all of this he had to take it. He took the keys much to Lonnie's relief.

"Who do you belong to?" asked Lonnie having one last round of being his usual "bastard self" if only to put Lex's mind at ease.

Lex wiped away a few stray tears as he looked down at the injured man whom had come to mean so much to him in such a short amount of time.

"You." he said dutifully in reply. "Only to you, Daddy."

Lex stole one last kiss, not at all minding the blood if only to preserve a few more minutes with Lonnie. While he had not been aware of just how severe his lover's wounds were, he still didn't wish to part from him without telling him how much he had come to mean to him over the course of their association.

"I love you." he said tearfully as he gathered himself in preparation to depart.

The older man treated him to something of a sad smile before the voices drove Lex to rush toward the car despite his reluctance to do so. He knew he had to get as far away from the scene as possible, especially with his t-shirt covered in blood.

The sound of the engine and the car taking off down the road had been the last thing Lonnie heard before shock set in and he was rendered unconscious. Unbeknownst to him, a group of officers had gathered in the alley with their weapons drawn as they surveyed the area finding him lying on his back in a pool of blood with a .9mm clutched in his right hand smeared in blood.

The senior detective on the scene approached the downed man with a curious look filed across his face.

"Well I'll be damned." he said stunned by what he saw.

He knew he had more than a few phone calls to make by the time the day was done.