by SE Jakes
He could only hope.
A minute passed. Then two. And then he turned his head right and found Law.
Inside the room. With him.
“How the fuck?” Paolo asked and Law shrugged.
“Old men have their secrets.” He moved to Paolo, who stayed pressed to the door, and reached overhead to unlock the deadbolt. He smiled. Then he flipped Paolo onto his back on the floor and was straddling him when Styx walked in carrying the two camera monitors. He set them up on the night table as Law guided him to the bed on all fours. Half mounted him and whispered, “You keep your eye on those screens. You can’t not look, can’t not keep the house safe, no matter what else is happening, right?”
Ah fuck. He opened his mouth to protest, to apologize, to something, but he couldn’t. Not when Law’s hand began reaching under his shirt, playing with his nipple. Not when Law yanked his jeans down and swatted his bare ass hard. Once, twice, and he groaned, loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
“How many, Paolo?” Styx asked.
“Two,” he managed.
“Outside?”
His gaze fixed on the screens, put close together so he could sweep them with one look. “Clear.”
“Really?” Styx sounded amused. “Look again, because the old man swears he sees something.”
“Ah, okay… Mrs. Sellers. Walking…” Slap. “Her.” Slap. “Dog.” Slap.
“Good,” Law crooned, and Styx, the taskmaster, asked, “How many?” and Paolo had no fucking idea, and told Styx exactly that. Which earned him more slaps. Which he didn’t count. He cursed them both, which earned him more hot, delicious, burning slaps from Law’s hand until he sagged and felt the salted tears burning his cheeks. But he kept his eyes on the camera because, hell, he hadn’t meant to forget that.
And then Law was kissing his cheeks and Paolo was murmuring “sorry” about distracting them, and Law was holding him and telling him that they counted on him for good distractions.
“I’ve got this, Paolo. I can watch the perimeters and your show at the same time.” Styx’s deep voice was softer now, his hand running through Paolo’s hair, and, fuck, they loved him so goddamned much that sometimes it hurt to think about.
Law was guiding him to his back now, spreading his legs, fingering his hole. His abused ass checks burned against the comforter, but man, it felt so good too. Law kissed him hard and fast, his tongue dancing along Paolo’s. Paolo wrapped his legs around Law’s back—the guy was already naked.
“Need lube, babe,” Law told him.
“No—want to feel the burn.”
“Oh no,” Styx told him. “Not when we have our anniversary coming up.”
Paolo started for a second, looked between the men. Because their anniversary of committing to one another wasn’t the one Styx was talking about. Couldn’t be because…
“He doesn’t remember,” Styx said.
“I’m sure he remembers—maybe not the exact month it first happened but…” Law said, and then it clicked and Paolo’s cheeks burned. “Yeah, that’s right, Paolo. It’s time again. Once a year, because the anticipation’s almost as good as the real thing.”
He pictured himself trapped between Styx and Law in that cabin, trapped in the snow, trapped by Styx’s past…impaled on both men’s cocks as they took him simultaneously.
“Think he’ll pass out again when he comes?” Styx mused, caressed Paolo’s hair again, jerking it a little, forcing Paolo to look at him.
Law pushed inside of him, and then Styx angled himself so Paolo could suck his cock. Paolo’s ass and mouth were full, held helplessly hostage by them, his body vibrating in pleasure.
“Jesus, he’s beautiful,” Law said to Styx, and, really, that was all it goddamned took to make him come, right then and there. He was so easy for these men…but the best part was that was exactly how they liked him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Marcus went downstairs first, telling Cole he was going to turn the camera back on. Cole showered and then went downstairs as well, a tiny bit relieved to only have to face Paolo, who was alone in the kitchen, the camera to his right as he flipped absently through a magazine.
“Hey. Sorry about all that,” Paolo said, not looking the least bit sorry, but rather flushed and well fucked.
Cole could understand why Paolo had chosen not to sit. Cole joined him, leaning against the counter on the opposite end. “It’s all right.”
“Don’t worry. We watched the perimeter cameras the whole time. We know what it’s like to mix business with pleasure.”
“That must’ve been…interesting.”
Paolo laughed and Cole felt his face redden. “Interesting’s not the word for it.”
“Mind if I grab some food?”
“I’ve actually got some pasta on the stove. Should be ready in about…” at that moment, the timer started buzzing, “…now.” Paolo didn’t wait for Cole to answer. Instead, he got out bowls and plates and forks and napkins, but he only spooned enough for him and Cole. “The others are outside, working on some flaws in the perimeter cameras. They wanted to wait until it was dark.”
Cole dug into the spaghetti appreciatively. It was delicious, and he told Paolo so. And then he ate three helpings, as did Paolo. And Paolo had already put on more water to boil to make more spaghetti for the three men who still hadn’t come inside.
“Why don’t we go and sit on the couch? More comfortable than these chairs.”
Cole nodded and followed Paolo into the living room, all the while wondering how Paolo knew what he and Marcus had done. He was pretty sure Marcus wouldn’t tell Paolo, and he’d figured that Paolo wouldn’t think twice about him standing.
Paolo sank into the couch cushions with a sigh and a small grimace. Cole lowered himself gingerly as Paolo said, “I just figured by the way you were walking. Takes one to know one, you know?”
“That was the first time I…” He blurted that out, then trailed off because what the hell?
But Paolo just nodded understandingly. “We’re pretty open about things around here, as you can tell. Doesn’t mean you have to be, but you should feel free to ask questions. I know what you’ve done in your past, but I also know that that doesn’t always give you the kind of experience necessary for you to really have a good time in bed.”
There was no judgment in his tone. In fact, Paolo’s eyes were a little bit heavy. And he just looked blissed-out. It was exactly how Cole felt, so for a while the two men just sat there, content with their full bellies and their own thoughts, waiting for their men to come back inside.
Finally, Cole said, “They’re lying in wait for him, aren’t they?”
Paolo smiled sheepishly. “I told them you were gonna figure it out. They told me a lie by omission was the best way to go.”
“You think there’s a chance the guy will come back tonight?”
“No way. I think the bomb on Law’s bike was a warning. He wants us to know that he can get to us. I figure he waited to see when, not if we found it.”
“You think he was there, watching us when we found it?”
“When you found it,” Paolo corrected with a slight wince. “And yes, I do. And hell, having them wait outside tonight? It’s a long shot, but worth it. We’ve got to outthink him. Because whoever this guy is, he’s good.”
“He’s got to be, because I know how good all of you are.”
“Those three are former Special Forces. I’m just a cop, but I’ve picked up a lot on the street and from them. But hell, they obviously still baby me.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Sometimes. But I finally learned that all I have to do is smile and nod and pretend to agree and then do whatever the fuck I want anyway. They get mad, then they get even. What usually happens is pretty much what you heard before, so how bad is that? It’s a win-win.” Paolo laughed and Cole joined him. “I know you want to help, but really the best thing for you to do is what we tell you. If we’re worrying about you, we can�
��t do our jobs effectively. If we know you’re safe, then we can go balls to the wall.”
“I know some self-defense. It’s pretty basic, so I’d definitely like to learn more.” Cole stared down at his hands. “I’d like to learn to shoot too. I didn’t tell Marcus that yet but…”
“It’s not a bad idea at all. We can definitely go to the range. I can see what you’ve got, defensewise, and I can show you some more moves. I’m sure the other three will add to it. We’ve all got our secret maneuvers that get us through.”
Cole thought back to some of his own secret maneuvers that he’d had to use over the years, not so much on customers but on other street kids like himself. They’d thought they could roll the “pretty boy” and take his money, his clothes, his dignity. He’d fought for all of that, and he’d always won.
He’d keep winning. No way was he letting that stalker take anything else from him.
Marcus could be back in the jungle for all the darkness and the heat and the buzzing insects. He and Styx and Law had all agreed this was probably a useless exercise, but it still had to be done. The guy looking for Cole was getting agitated, and agitated people tended to make stupid mistakes, no matter how well trained they were. That was why the military and then the CIA tried to beat emotion out of its people. The more emotion you felt, the less in control you truly were.
Based on how he felt about Cole, Marcus could really and truly understand that.
Just then, another car came down the street and pulled into the neighboring driveway. A man and a woman got out of a minivan and went into the house, their hands clasping on the last third of their way up their own front walk. That was nice to see. Made him think of Cole waiting inside for him and how much he’d allowed Marcus in earlier that evening. Marcus felt at once undeserving and extremely grateful.
“Dead out here,” Law said into Marcus’s earpiece. Indeed, it was just after two in the morning. If this guy was going to show, this was the dead time to do so.
Earlier, Law had bitched about how he wished he’d left his bike out on purpose and had thought to put a bomb of his own on there, because then this whole thing would be done. The fact that Law had left his bike outside instead of locked in the garage told Marcus how much this case must be affecting him.
He didn’t know much about Law’s past, but he knew it hadn’t been great. The fact that he avoided Cole way more than the others did told the rest of the story. His past had to mirror Cole’s in some way.
Marcus’s gut tightened whenever he thought about what Cole had been through. He had to push that out of his mind in order to keep functioning, because if he let himself get wrapped up in that, there’d be nothing left for this surveillance, this job. “I’ll stay out until sunup. You guys take a break,” he murmured into his mic to Styx and Law.
“I’ll stay out here with you, Marcus. I know Law’s got a lead he wants to follow. It involves a lot of computer work, and Paolo was going to help him with that.” Styx was maybe a hundred yards away from him, but they could have been on opposite sides of some jungle, based on how well they were camouflaged. But this was how they were trained, and it normally got results. Granted, Law did this kind of surveillance better than any of them, although he’d be damned if he’d ever admit it.
“I’ll keep my earpiece in. Call out if you need a break,” Law told them. For tonight, he’d put his bike in the garage, but they’d put out their recycling cans in hopes those would lure the stalker to plant another bomb.
Marcus knew what would really put the guy over the edge, and he’d been reluctant to even bring it up. He knew the rest of them were thinking the same thing. It would take one night out with all of them and Cole, with each of them showing him some kind of affection, and the guy would go fucking ballistic.
Of course Cole would be all over that plan. Which is, of course, why Marcus hadn’t suggested it. Because it was dangerous. Because it could backfire so easily. Would be so much better if he could just hunt this jackass down, sniff him out like the dog he was and fix it so he could never do this to anyone again. Because there was no way this was his first time stalking. No, the stalker had this down pat. A textbook case.
He started at that thought.
A textbook case. His mind went into overdrive, and in a quiet voice he began talking to Styx.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Law
Law punched some keys on the computer from his seat at the kitchen table, with a bowl of spaghetti next to him. Because, even at three in the morning, he’d never say no to Paolo’s pasta.
He’d also watched Paolo and Cole spar for a while, while his searches were running. They’d been at it a while, judging by how much both men were sweating and panting. Law had to give Cole credit—the kid, who wasn’t a kid, was damn tough. And Paolo was taking this very seriously, teaching him some of the tricks that Law and Styx had taught him, even as recently as two or three weeks ago.
He stared at the screen as he shoveled in a few mouthfuls of spaghetti twirled on his fork. He still had access to many databases he normally wouldn’t have. Styx did as well, and so did Marcus, but they were monitored more closely because of their former CIA connections. As former Delta Force, Law was so classified he could often fly under the radar, as contradictory as that sounded.
Right now he was searching prisons for recent release cases over the past year. Stalkers generally were not put in jail for a very long time. If they violated restraining orders, typically they’d only receive a slap on the wrist. Any type of violence or vandalism might net them bit of actual prison time, but any stalker who was truly serving a sentence…well, it meant they’d followed through and killed their prey.
Now, Law listened to Marcus talking to Styx through their shared earpiece, Marcus finally voicing his concerns about just how textbook this case was. Law couldn’t agree more. The problem with prison was that these guys were forced to meet with psychiatrists and sometimes those very doctors who tried to help them actually allowed the men to see deeper into their psychoses by explaining what was wrong with them, teaching them new ways to be better and more proficient at their stalking.
He’d gotten a few hits and he printed out some pages because he’d follow up on those later. Now, he entered in a code that allowed him to bypass several layers of security so he could search military prisons. The biggest problem was that none of these guys would’ve been sent to prison for stalking. That would’ve been something in addition to whatever they were serving time for, something that people might not have even noticed.
He shifted in his chair, his hip aching. And whenever his hip hurt… “Gonna storm, guys,” he said into the earpiece. “Lightning and thunder coming your way in less than two minutes.”
In about thirty seconds, Styx and Marcus were in the kitchen as lightning illuminated the sky behind them. Ten seconds later, a boom of thunder sounded. Something tightened in Law’s gut, and he went into the closet, grabbed his military-issue drab green poncho. He pulled it over his head and walked out into the same storm he just pulled Styx and Marcus in from.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Marcus watched Law literally disappear into the night. “I’ll go out there with him.”
Styx shook his head. “We’ll keep an eye on him on the monitor. I’ll watch him and you watch the perimeter, okay? We both need some food anyway.”
“Does he do that often?” Marcus asked, for the moment keeping an eye on both Law and the perimeter while Styx dished out the pasta. It was still warm, since Paolo’d heated it for Law just a bit ago.
Styx sat next to him, and they ate in silence for a few minutes until Styx said, “He’s really good out in storms, if that’s what you’re asking. But he’s been able to predict the weather for a really long time. Let’s just say it’s in his bones.”
Marcus had served with men who had a lot of really quirky traits, and he believed in that shit, because those quirks had tended to save his ass. Suddenly, he felt Cole’s hands on his shoulders
. He glanced quickly up to see Cole’s flushed face and disheveled appearance. “Were you boxing or something?”
“I was teaching him a few moves,” Paolo said, looking similarly sweaty and disheveled. “We were sparring, Marcus. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
Cole laughed, and that actually made Marcus’s gut untwist a bit. There’d been so much worry, making it hard to enjoy just being with Cole. But seeing Cole relaxed and comfortable made him mouth a silent “thanks” in Paolo’s direction. Paolo gave a brief nod back, then looked over Styx’s shoulder. Outside the storm really began to rage.
About an hour later, after they’d eaten more and remained talking at the table, the lightning stopped. Law came in from the darkness, soaked to the bone, and Styx sent Cole and Marcus upstairs to grab some sleep.
When Cole climbed into bed next to Marcus, he mentioned that he thought Law had been abused.
“I didn’t ask or anything, some things you just know,” Cole added quickly.
Marcus wrapped himself tightly around Cole, wishing Cole didn’t have to know as much as he did.
It was still pouring when Cole woke. In the short time he’d been staying here, it’d turned into some kind of routine—he’d wake around four in the morning, stroll downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat and Law would come in with his weapon and watch Cole and the monitors simultaneously. The first time it happened was two nights before the bike incident, but Cole wasn’t sure what would happen tonight.
Last he’d seen, Law was dripping wet and Styx was helping him take off his clothes. He’d assumed that Law wouldn’t come down tonight.
“You come down here because you’re worried about me.”
Cole turned from the refrigerator to see Law, who was already sitting in the kitchen chair without Cole having ever heard him come into the room. And although what Law said hadn’t occurred to Cole, at least not on any conscious level, now that it was out there he couldn’t deny the truth. Still, he wouldn’t give Law the entire satisfaction. “Maybe.”