by Lynn Hagen
Richie and Cecil screamed as they rushed toward the truck and locked themselves inside. Thank fuck Braydon was already in there.
“See, this is why we should’ve stayed at the clinic.” Braydon gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. “Nothing good ever comes from doing the wrong thing. Look what happened to me when I took that thumb drive. Look what’s happening to us now.”
If Richie survived this, he was turning into a saint.
“Welcome to my life,” Cecil said.
All three of them turned their heads when the hellhound leapt into the bed of the truck.
Jimmy!
Richie reached for the handle. Although Jimmy was a bad seed, he didn’t deserve to be shredded by a hound from hell. Locked up. Yes. Tortured by Maverick for information. Yes.
“No way, man.” Cecil grabbed Richie’s arm. “You’re not going out there. Even if you manage to get the hellhound out of the back, you’re no match for him.”
The panther and lion charged toward the back of the truck. The panther was limping heavily, and swayed slightly, but leapt into the back and the fighting waged on.
Richie glanced toward the driveway and saw Maverick shove a long blade into the skull of one of the hellhounds. He gasped when the guy burst into dust.
Then Maverick turned and helped his brother take the other guy down, turning him into ashes. There was one hound left. Richie spun around and, from the back window, watched the Rottweiler tumble to the ground.
Maverick and his brother raced over to the truck. The hellhound threw its head back and howled so loudly that Richie slapped his hands over his ears.
He spotted swirling lights in the distance. Someone had called the cops. Probably the people who owned the house where they were parked or a neighbor.
Richie didn’t care. He wanted this over with. He wanted the hellhound dead and Jimmy tossed back into prison.
Maverick raised his long, sharp blade and struck, stabbing the hellhound behind his ear. Richie slapped a hand over his mouth at the gruesomeness. He knew what that creature truly was, but still, it looked as though Maverick was killing an innocent dog.
The hellhound exploded into dust.
Richie jumped from the truck and ran to his panther. He threw his arms around Cannon. “You’re so damn stubborn! Why didn’t you let them handle this?” Richie shook as he pressed his cheek into the panther’s soft fur. “I love you. I can’t wait another second to tell you that. I love you, you pigheaded, brave man.”
“Aww,” Cecil said from behind him. “New love is so sickly sweet.” He turned to face Maverick. “I’m leaving you to find a new love so I can experience that all over again.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “If you can find someone who can put up with you, go for it.”
But Richie saw the love in Maverick’s eyes, as well as Cecil’s. Neither of them was going anywhere.
“I’m gonna throw up,” Braydon said. “You’re in love with Boyd.”
“Who’s Boyd?” Cecil asked.
“Long story,” Braydon answered.
Richie ignored them as he cuddled Cannon. He never wanted the man out of his sight again.
When the sheriff and Deputy Burrows arrived, Maverick stuffed Jimmy into the back of the cruiser. Jimmy went on and on about dogs, panthers, and lions bursting free from men.
“I knew you could help.” Burrows shook Maverick’s hand. “Thanks for coming and taking care of this problem, but next time”—Burrows looked down at the pile of dust on the ground—“leave the hellhounds in Brac Village.”
Sebastian and Arturo lifted Cannon into the bed of the truck, and they were driven to Richie’s apartment.
Once the panther was put into Richie’s bed, Richie thanked everyone and closed his door. Cecil had promised to stick around for another day, to come check on Cannon. But right now, all Richie wanted was to be alone with his mate and wait for him to heal.
He also looked forward to getting to know Cannon without interference from crooked cops or Braydon.
Richie smiled as he crawled in behind his panther and lay down. He was glad he hadn’t listened to his brother, had taken a chance with Cannon. What started out as lust had turned into so much more. Now Richie had a mate of his own, a life to build with Cannon, and he couldn’t be happier that he’d taken that leap of faith and given Cannon the benefit of the doubt.
* * * *
Cannon jackknifed after he’d cracked his eyes open to the blinding sun. It took him a moment to get his bearings and realized he was in Richie’s apartment. He stared down at his mate, who was tucked between Cannon and the wall. Richie was asleep, looking so gorgeous and innocent.
Cannon still couldn’t believe that Richie had risked his own safety to rescue him. That touched Cannon in ways he’d never thought possible. He’d been alone for so many years, working undercover, watching his own back, no one to go home to.
His heart squeezed tight at the sight of his little warrior. Brave, gorgeous, with sexy red hair, the imp had stolen his heart. And when he opened his eyes, damn those blue beauties.
“Hey.” Cannon smiled at Richie. “How’re you feeling?”
Richie stretched and turned over. “You’re asking me? I should be asking how you’re doing. First you get your leg broken, and then you get shot.”
Cannon didn’t need the reminder of what he’d gone through. Those memories, and his hot mate lying next to him, only solidified Cannon’s resolve to retire.
Or at the very least, live a slower life. He could afford it. Two decades working for different police departments in different cities, always undercover, helped to cushion his savings since Cannon never really had the time to spend any of the money he made. He was always too busy taking down scum to stop and enjoy life.
All that was about to change. “What happened to Jimmy?”
“I have no idea. Maverick shoved him into the back of the police car, and that was the last I saw of him.”
Cannon would have to call Malik and find out the details. Dead or back in prison, Cannon didn’t care. Just as long as Jimmy stayed out of his life and his future, he wasn’t Cannon’s problem.
He also had to expose Cooper. Cannon still couldn’t believe his boss had been in on everything and wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t heard Cooper on the phone.
“Hey, worry about things later.” Richie shimmied out of his boxers and curled his hand around his erection. “I have a more pressing problem.”
His mate’s scent rushed into Cannon in a wave of intoxication as he sucked one of Richie’s aroused nipples into his mouth. He felt drugged by Richie’s desires. He could feel the man’s heart thumping wildly in his chest as Cannon sucked at the peak between his teeth.
The harsh, uneven rhythm of his breathing told Cannon that Richie was being engulfed in the same need as he was. Richie began to pull at his hair, tugging it roughly as Cannon licked a path to the neglected nipple. Bathing the hard flesh with his tongue, Cannon inserted one of his fingers into his mouth and then reached between them, separating Richie’s cheeks and rimming the tight hole in long, smooth strokes.
Like Richie had said, he would worry about everything later. Right now he wanted this just as much as his mate did.
Richie curled his fingers tighter in Cannon’s hair. Using his tongue to create a moist trail down Richie’s abdomen, Cannon licked all the way to the tip of Richie’s hard shaft, lapping at the pre-cum lying in a puddle on his stomach. Muskiness exploded on his tongue, making Cannon moan as he lapped the puddle away.
The pressure on his hair eased. Cannon moved swiftly and engulfed his mate’s straining erection. He took Richie’s cock to the back of his throat, causing his mate to cry out. He could feel Richie slowly surrendering to him as Cannon began to suck, his tongue tracing the veins, his cheeks hollowed.
Cannon pulled back and then swallowed again, pushing his finger inside his mate’s body at the same time. He sucked ferociously, wanting Richie mindless
with pleasure.
Hearing the sultry groans that spilled from Richie’s mouth caused Cannon’s own cock to ache and leak. He used his teeth to scrape along his mate’s shaft, giving Richie just a little more added pleasure as he worked his finger in and out of the tight ass.
He sucked harder and played with Richie’s slit with each outward stroke, adding a second finger. They were going to need lube very soon. His eyes flickered over to the nightstand, and without breaking stride, he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the drawer and pulled.
It was Richie who pulled from under Cannon and got to his knees. “That was fantastic, but I have another idea in mind.”
Cannon chuckled. “Do tell.”
“Well.” Richie tapped his chin. “My plan requires you on your back.”
Cannon arched a brow. If that was what his mate wanted, who was he to argue?
Richie wiggled until he was straddling Cannon’s lap. “Do you know how good you look up there?”
Placing his hands on his mate’s hips, Cannon stared up into stark beauty. Richie looked damn good perched on top of him. He wrapped his hand around the back of Richie’s neck, pulling his mate down toward him. “I’m sticking around, if you haven’t guessed that already. Mind having a roommate?”
“Hmm. Let me think about it,” Richie said before he pressed his lips to Cannon’s mouth. “Just teasing you. Of course I want you to move in with me. I already professed my love to you.”
And although Cannon had been in severe pain, Richie’s words had made his heart swell. He was so in love with Richie that Cannon didn’t think his heart could handle all of it. “I love you, too.”
Richie’s eyes widened as he looked down at Cannon. “For real?”
Cannon threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, for real.” He tapped his chest. “Got me all filled up on the inside. Can’t think straight. All I want is to be near you.”
Richie blushed. “Aw, that’s so sweet.”
Placing his hand on the back of Richie’s neck, Cannon pulled his mate close until their lips touched. “Shut up and ride my damn dick.”
Richie laughed and slapped Cannon’s chest. “I planned on doing that anyway.”
Cannon reached behind Richie, grabbing the base of his cock as his mate lifted his hips and sank down onto his shaft. They both sighed into each other’s mouth. Cannon took it slow, moving his hips at a leisurely pace, letting Richie set the tone.
God, he could live inside this man. Richie fit him perfectly in every way that mattered. Grabbing his mate’s hair into a tight fist, Cannon matched his tongue with his thrusts, fucking both Richie’s mouth and his ass.
Richie pulled back, grinning at him. “You are a control freak, aren’t you?”
“Only in sex, baby.” Cannon flipped, placing Richie under him. “What can I say? I’m a predator.” Cannon nipped Richie’s shoulder, giving a soft chuckle. Fuck, it felt good to finally relax without having to worry about Jimmy coming after them.
“I love that.”
“What?” Cannon asked as he nipped his mate’s shoulder again.
“Well, I like that, but I was talking about you moving in with me. To be honest, I was dreading you leaving town.” Richie ground his ass onto Cannon’s cock. “Now we can have coffee together all the time.” Richie grunted as his head lolled to the side. “Especially if you get a coffee machine. One of those fancy ones that makes espressos.”
Cannon was transfixed by the angel lying under him. He knew that Richie could ask him for the world and Cannon would find a way to give it to him. He would rope the moon if that was what his mate wanted.
“Then I guess I need to get a fancy coffee machine.”
For so long Cannon had been alone, pretending to be someone else. There hadn’t been any light in his life, not for a very long time. Now he had someone to hold, someone to love, and someone to share his life with.
It was as if his mate was teaching him how to live again. Richie wrapped his legs around Cannon’s waist, yanking him closer with a devil-may-care smile. “Harder.”
Cannon gave the man what he wanted, hard, deep thrusts that sent ripples through him.
Richie threw his hands over his head, his eyes fluttering closed as his lips parted. His body writhed under Cannon, letting him know that his mate was loving everything that Cannon was doing to his body. His heart went wild, and blood rushed hot through his veins.
Glancing down, Cannon watched as his cock moved in and out of his mate’s ass, fascinated at the sight. He palmed Richie’s balls, massaging them as he drove deeper. Cannon leaned to the side and sank his canines into Richie’s shoulder, purring as he punched his hips forward.
“Cannon!” Richie cried out, his seed splashing across his chest. The scent and sight drove Cannon over the edge. He pounded into his mate’s ass, shouting as his orgasm tore through him.
Fuck, that had been the best wake-up ever. Cannon looked forward to every morning he shared with Richie. For the first time in a very long time, Cannon looked forward to his days, especially with Richie in them.
He curled up next to his mate and pulled Richie close, damn near tucking his mate under him. “I love you.”
Richie rolled over and laid his head on Cannon’s chest. “I love you, too. And I’m hungry. There’s some rule that you have to feed me after you’ve so thoroughly fucked me.”
Cannon patted Richie’s ass. “Anything you want, love.”
* * * *
After Maverick had interrogated James Koehler and gotten the names of every cop who had been on Davila’s payroll, Koehler wrote out his confession and gave proof of Cooper’s involvement.
It seemed Jimmy hadn’t been a fool. He’d recorded conversations between them, and that evidence had been enough to put Cooper away for a long time.
“Thanks,” Cannon said to Malik. “Thanks for helping me with this insanity.”
“That’s what friends do.” Malik slapped Cannon on his shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want join the sheriff’s department?”
“Nah. I need the rest from my crime-fighting skills.” Cannon looked up at the apartment building, anxious to get inside. He’d bought the fancy coffee machine Richie had wanted, and he was looking forward to using it.
He was also looking forward to his mate thanking him in very pleasurable ways. Cannon was happy in Maple Grove and planned on sticking around for a very long time. He was finally laying down roots. It felt good to find a place to call home, especially with the man he loved more than life itself.
THE END
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