by Lynn Hagen
“You like that?” Richie did it again and then again. “You do, don’t you?”
“Fuck yeah,” Cannon answered and then swatted his hand on Richie’s ass. “And I know you like that.”
Richie’s eyes rolled to the back of his skull, a small whimper escaping. Cannon was utterly fascinated with the man. Richie was so responsive, letting Cannon know with the noises—and expressions—that he loved everything Cannon was doing to him.
Grabbing Richie’s legs, Cannon wrapped them around his waist as he moved his lips from Richie’s mouth to his neck, licking at the skin where he was going to sink his canines. His mate’s moans were growing louder, signaling his approaching release.
Cannon gave one hard thrust at the same time his teeth cut into Richie’s flesh. They sank deep as Cannon grabbed Richie’s cock, feeling the erection pulsing in his hand as Richie cried out.
Cannon’s eyes widened when he felt his body shatter like a thousand tiny shards of glass were raining down on him. And in that space inside of him, he felt Richie, really felt him, like deep within him. His mate’s presence danced around Cannon, teasing him, laughing before racing toward Cannon so their lives could meld together and become one.
Cannon grunted as he moved faster, deeper, and harder in his mate’s body, as he fought to find his own climax. Richie was writhing under him, clutching at Cannon, pulling at his body. Cannon released Richie’s cock, pounding into soft flesh, growling into Richie’s shoulder as his seed filled his mate’s ass.
Richie was his.
Their souls were now bound together for all eternity.
Chapter Eight
The club was packed as Richie slung drinks and avoided handsy men who tried to grope him at every turn. It wasn’t because of the amazing sex a few hours ago, either. Richie had always avoided the customers while wearing a big smile.
He wasn’t a slut like Prince and didn’t throw himself at everyone who flirted with him.
“You seem to be glowing tonight.” Prince made a fruity drink and stuck a plastic sword with cherries into it. “Someone finally got laid. Who was the unlucky fella?”
“Your daddy.” Richie ignored Prince before he decided to throw a drink in the guy’s face. No one liked working with him. Prince acted as if bartending was beneath him but was doing his uncle—one of the owners—a favor.
It was the other way around from what Richie heard. Prince’s parents were loaded but had gotten tired of his spoiled ways. They’d asked Ramsey Rickman—Prince’s uncle—to do something with him.
If Prince didn’t do as his uncle said, his parents would cut their son off. That made for one cranky-ass coworker who was constantly saying shit that pissed people off.
Prince curled his lip. “You wish you were up to my father’s standards.”
Richie snorted. “So do you.”
Richie normally loved when Prince was riled. It made for a fun night. But not tonight. He was too busy looking around, making sure Jimmy hadn’t entered the club.
Cannon was seated at the bar, sipping on a beer, his gaze searching the crowd. Maybe Richie was biased, but Cannon was the hottest guy in the club. He had to tamp down his jealousy every time a twink hit on Cannon. Richie wanted to jump over the counter and bitch-slap them.
The green-eyed monster inside of him was snarling and begging to be set free. If one more twink rubbed their hand on Cannon’s chest, Richie just might go postal.
“Stop looking like you’re about to murder someone,” Ash teased as he bumped arms with Richie. “Those guys can try, but Cannon has eyes only for you.” He winked. “And damn, he’s good-looking as fuck.”
Richie gnashed his teeth. “Not you, too.”
Ash chuckled. “I might not touch him, but I’m not blind, Cosmo. He’s not my type, though. Too many muscles. I’d have to wrestle him down.” Ash acted as though he was deep in thought. “Then again, that might be fun. Naked wrestling.”
Maybe letting Cannon tag along had been a bad idea. Richie wasn’t handling his jealousy too well.
“Who’s naked wrestling?” Fisher asked as he joined them. “I wanna watch.”
Richie rolled his eyes. “And have Blake kill us all? No thanks. I like my job and breathing.”
Blake was the other boss who owned Pump. Richie liked him. Blake was fair and nice, but when it came to Fisher, Blake didn’t mess around.
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Fisher whispered with a smile.
“What he will find out will hurt me,” Richie countered. “Take your horny ass to the other end of the bar before I have to turn a hose on you.”
“You’re usually so much fun,” Fisher pouted as he walked away.
Richie normally was, but his nerves were shot. After what Jimmy had done, and his nightmare earlier, Richie wasn’t feeling it tonight. He knew he wasn’t himself when he felt like slapping Prince just for being his usual self.
The only bright spot tonight was the way Cannon looked at him every time his mate glanced his way, like Richie was the only person in the club. The heated gaze. The look that said Cannon wanted him. An intense, heavy-lidded stare that made Richie shiver.
“And who is that?” Prince came up next to Richie and looked at Cannon as if he were the guy’s next meal. “He’s yummy.”
Richie didn’t dare react. If he did, that would only give Prince a reason to flirt with Cannon.
Like the slut needed a reason.
“Let me go introduce myself.”
Richie ground his molars as he forced himself not to move, not to say a word. Prince would get too much fun out of Richie going off.
“Let him try.” Ash smiled. “This is gonna be fun to see your boyfriend shoot him down. Prince always gets pissy when he’s rejected.”
Richie knew why Ash had called Cannon his boyfriend. Too many people were around to say the word mate. Even so, Richie leaned his arms on the counter and watched as Prince approached Cannon.
“I’ve got to see this.” Fisher stood on Richie’s other side. “Should I record this? And why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?”
Richie was too busy watching Prince’s every move to answer Fisher. The guy was tall, lanky, and admittedly pretty. His blond hair fell softly around his face, and the way he walked had many heads turning.
Prince inserted himself between Cannon and some other guy and whispered something in his ear. Richie’s stomach fell when Cannon smiled at Prince. It was a smile that promised hot nights filled with passion. Cannon said something to Prince and shrugged.
Richie was dying to know what his mate said, because Prince raised his hand, as if to slap Cannon, but Cannon caught his wrist and said something that made Prince snatch his hand back.
“I wish I knew what they were saying.” Richie crossed his arms and glowered Prince’s way.
Ash leaned on the counter. “Well, Prince asked if he could take Cannon home and make a meal of him. Cannon said Prince wasn’t his cup of tea and that maybe he needed to get back behind the bar and serve drinks. He also called Prince high maintenance. Prince tried to slap Cannon, and Cannon told him he’d chew his arm off if he ever tried that again.”
Richie furrowed his brows. “How the hell do you know that?”
Ash tapped his ear. “Shifter hearing.”
“All shifters have superior hearing,” Fisher said as his brows dipped. “I wasn’t aware you knew about them.”
“You know?” Richie asked.
“Blake is my mate,” Fisher said proudly.
“And Cannon is Cosmo’s mate.” Ashe chuckled as he watched Prince return. “How’d it go?”
“Fuck all of you.” Prince stormed to the other end of the bar and started throwing drinks together with jerky movements.
Fisher grinned. “I love seeing him so ticked off. It makes my night since he’s always messing with me.”
When Richie looked at Cannon, his mate winked at him. Richie’s heart thundered, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Ah, to be in love,” Ash said as he pressed a hand to his chest. “That feeling is like its own high.”
In love? Richie wasn’t in love. He was definitely in lust. Love? He put the thought from his mind when a freakishly tall guy stepped through the door, so tall that he towered over everyone in the club.
Richie might’ve been mated, and Cannon was sexy as fuck, but the stranger was smoking hot. He had long black hair that reached down his back, wore a leather jacket that looked badass on him, and he was with a shorter guy with mahogany hair that was short in the back and long in the front.
“Oh my god,” Ash whispered. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
The stranger and the short guy moved through the crowd. The one with the long hair had people parting. He looked as if power bled from him. As if an aura glowed around his body, which it didn’t, but that was the impression Richie had.
Then he started to dance with the short guy, and damn, the tall one had some moves. “What?” Richie asked. “You know him?”
“Yeah, who is that?” Fisher asked.
Instead of answering them, Ash ran from behind the bar and took off toward Blake’s office. Now Richie was downright curious. He walked down the bar until he was by Cannon. “Do you know him?”
Cannon looked to where Richie was pointing. Cannon shook his head. “Never seen him before.”
Richie didn’t get to ask any more questions because everyone was vying for his attention. He made drinks and collected cash or credit cards, but he kept staring at the tall stranger, wondering why Ash had paled before he’d taken off.
* * * *
Cannon watched the stranger who Richie had asked about. The guy screamed danger and lethality. He knew an alpha-type male when he saw one, and for reasons Cannon couldn’t figure out, he knew this guy was trouble.
He just had that look about him.
Cannon sat up when a guy with dark eyes and hair came toward him. He would’ve thought the person wanted a drink, and that was why he was approaching the bar, but the man’s gaze had zeroed in on the tall stranger.
The two talked for a second before the newcomer turned on his heel and looked right at Richie. He waved for Richie to come to him, and that was when Cannon got off his stool and joined his mate.
“Who the hell are these guys?” he asked Richie.
“Well, the shorter one is my boss, Blake Chapman.” Richie pointed at Cannon. “And this is my mate, Cannon Treynor.”
The freakishly tall guy held his hand out, and Richie shook it. “I’m Maverick Brac, and this is my stubborn mate, Cecil.”
He shook Cannon’s hand, and Maverick had a surprisingly gentle shake for a guy his size.
“Maverick Brac?” Cannon had heard of him. He was the alpha of Brac Village and a member of the Ultionem. Cannon had never met him before, but Maverick’s reputation preceded him.
Why in the hell was Maverick in Maple Grove? This couldn’t be good.
“We should take this to my office,” Blake said. Cannon grabbed Richie’s hand and started back toward the bar, but Blake touched his shoulder. “I need you two to join us, as well.”
Cannon had no idea what was going on. He looked warily between Blake and Maverick before following them. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done to warrant a visit from one the Ultionem members.
“What’s going on?” Richie whispered to him. “Who exactly is Maverick?”
“It’s been forever since I’ve been to a club,” Cecil whined. “Why can’t we dance some more?”
“After our meeting.” Maverick looked at Cecil as if the guy was his moon and stars.
Cannon felt a pitch in his stomach. He was newly mated, and those feelings would come with time, but already he felt that deep connection to Richie and knew how Maverick felt.
“I’ll explain later,” he said to Richie.
They entered the office, and Cannon moved toward a door at the back, hoping it was an exit and not a closet. If things went south, he wanted a quick escape.
“Calm down, cat,” Maverick said when the door was closed. “I’m here to help with your problem.”
Relief flooded Cannon. He finally let Richie’s hand go. “How do you know about it?”
“I got friends everywhere.” Maverick leaned against Blake’s desk and cupped his hand in front of him. “Tell me exactly what’s going on and how this Koehler guy is interfering in your mating.”
Ah, Cannon was starting to get the picture now, but he still didn’t know how Maverick had found out. He told the alpha about his undercover work, the trial, how Jimmy had escaped and came to town for revenge, and how he’d kidnapped Richie with intentions of using him as leverage.
“And you think he has help?” Maverick asked.
Cecil rubbed his hands together. “Corruption, intrigue, bad guys, and deception. Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
Maverick arched a brow. “You’re not supposed to enjoy this. In fact, you’re not supposed to even be here.”
“And this would’ve been a lot better if you’d let me bring Blaire, Nero, Johnny, and Gabby. We could’ve solved this in no time.” Cecil crossed his arms. “Now it’s just me, so deal with it.”
Cannon saw that Maverick had his hands full with his mate. He’d heard stories about Cecil Walters. The guy might be human, but he was trouble. He’d heard one person say that Cecil might look innocent but he was the devil.
He also had amazing amethyst eyes.
“Do you have any pictures of Koehler?” Maverick turned his attention back to Cannon and was trying to hide his smile.
“No, but I’m sure there has to be one or two on the internet covering the story of his escape.”
Maverick nodded. “I’ll look it up. And you say he’s human?”
Cannon nodded.
“I’m going to indulge Cecil with a few more dances, then my brother and I will hunt this James Koehler down.”
Sebastian Brac was in town, too? Cannon was far from a fanboy, but considering the stories he’d heard about the Brac brothers, he almost felt sorry for Jimmy.
When Maverick and Cecil left the office, Blake turned to Cannon. “I’m Blake Chapman, Cosmo’s boss.”
“Detective Cannon Treynor.” They shook hands. From his scent, Blake was a bear shifter.
“I wish I’d known about Cosmo’s problem,” Blake said. “Take the time off. I’ll call in backup bartenders to fill in. You have your two-week leave for your mating period.”
“What two-week leave?” Richie appeared downright confused.
Blake looked at Cannon. “I’m sure your mate will fill you in.”
Cannon had a lot to talk to Richie about but was glad they could leave the crowded club. It was hard keeping an eye on everyone, and the mixture of scents in the air was giving Cannon a headache. Alcohol, sweat, drugs, and there had been more than one nonhuman partying. From what he could tell, a bear, coyote, a demon, and a vampire. There may have been more preternatural beings.
“Um, okay, but do I still get paid?” Richie asked. “My bills don’t care about some mating period.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Cannon said.
“I’m not taking any more of your money,” Richie protested.
“Yes, you’ll get paid.” Blake walked them out of his office and closed the door. “Go home and stay safe. I feel better knowing an Ultionem member is in town, but you two still need to watch your backs.”
Cannon agreed. Jimmy had stayed hidden in the shadows for years, none of his legit coworkers knowing just how dirty he and others were. Cannon wouldn’t doubt that Jimmy could keep himself hidden from Maverick and Sebastian.
He grabbed Richie’s hand and led him to the exit. Maverick was dancing with Cecil but looked Cannon’s way and gave a short nod.
This was going to be very interesting, and he had a feeling that it had been Malik who’d contacted the wolf shifter.
Cannon and Richie walked outside to the fresh air and lessening of the
noise. He almost sighed at the reprieve and then shook his head. He was starting to act old.
It was the job. Cannon knew that. Working undercover for so long was taking its toll. If he was being honest with himself, he was tired of the game.
Maybe it was time to settle down and enjoy life. Cannon used to live for his next assignment, but now all he could think about was going back to Richie’s place and relaxing.
“I can’t tell you the last time I had a vacation,” Richie said. “And a paid one.” He laughed. “If we didn’t have a dirty cop after us, I’d actually enjoy this time.”
Cannon turned, facing Richie, and started walking backward. “We’re going to enjoy our time together. No one is going to spoil that.”
Richie threw his arms up in the air and waved them. “And the summer festival is right around the corner.” He lowered his arms and scowled. “Please tell me we can still go.”
Cannon wasn’t sure that was the safest idea. If he had the deputies there watching out for them, and Maverick and Sebastian there, too, maybe they didn’t have to stay indoors. “We’ll see.”
“Every time someone says that, it means no.” Richie and Cannon rounded the corner to the parking lot. One minute there were arguing about the summer festival, and the next, something hard hit against the back of Cannon’s head.
He heard Richie shouting, but Cannon was shoved, and he was stuffed into a trunk. He fought to get out, but the space was cramped and he didn’t have enough room to use force.
The car started to move, and Cannon prayed like hell that his mate hadn’t been taken, too.
Or worse, killed because he wasn’t really a part of this.
Chapter Nine
Richie held his hand to his head where he’d been struck and raced toward the entrance to Pump. One of the bodyguards at the door, Bayne, looked shocked as Richie neared.
“What the hell happened to you?”
Bayne was a thick guy, a little arrogant because of his looks, but most of the time he took his job seriously. Richie supposed he didn’t walk them to their car because he’d been with Cannon.