Sucking in a deep breath, Jake moved back. Holy fucking shit. The elastic of a red jockstrap was visible at his waist and small straps framed each muscled cheek.
Remi tried to see over his shoulder, but the restraints didn’t allow enough movement for him to look Jake in the eye.
“You still want this?” Please say yes.
“Yes, sir.” His voice was loud and assured, not the least bit hesitant.
Remi truly loved being told what to do, he was naturally submissive. Everything they’d done so far reinforced the fact that Remi wanted this relationship as much as Jake did. He had to give Remi the benefit of the doubt.
Goddamn, Remi looked good lying there chained to the bed with his ass exposed. Remi was completely at his mercy. Or was he? After catching a glimpse of those eyes… Jake decided that it might be the other way around.
The dark skin of his sinewy backside was gorgeous against the white comforter and even the scars didn’t mar his perfection. The man was simply beautiful. Jake had thought that from the beginning. He ran his hand over his mate’s ass before getting off the bed and undressing.
Remi lay there listening. He knew Jake was still there, could hear him moving around, but he couldn’t turn enough to see him.
The air rushing over his skin with Jake’s movements felt good on his heated skin, like a cool breeze. He couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. He squirmed a little, pressing his cock against the mattress. Fuck. He was going to go crazy. How the hell long could his eyes and teeth stay shifted anyway? “Please…”
Moving against the bed again, he tried to get some relief. His cock was already leaking.
Jake’s hand stroked his ass. Oh damn, what is he going to do? Remi moaned and lifted toward it.
“Get your knees underneath you. Ass in the air, pup.”
“Oh God, yes, fuck me, please.” He wanted it, needed it. Remi turned his head instinctively, but Jake’s hand came to the back of his neck, pinning him to the bed. His other hand slid over Remi’s ass, caressing. He closed his eyes, letting go and trusting Jake.
Being bound was a new experience for him, but he liked it. His entire body was one big bundle of nerves. “Please fuck me, sir.”
Growling, Jake removed his hands from Remi’s neck and ass. The bed moved.
Remi couldn’t see, but Jake’s smell teased his nose then something warm and wet slid down the crack of his ass. Spit. Jake’s finger followed the trail of saliva, circled his hole and pressed in.
Sucking in a breath at the sheer pleasure, Remi pushed back against Jake’s finger.
Jake slapped him on the ass. “Be still.”
“Yes, sir.” Oh God, please hurry.
Repeating the process with two and then three fingers, Jake drove him insane, teasing him. Remi shook with the effort to hold still as commanded.
“Very nice, pup.” Jake’s fingers retreated, then the head of his cock pressed against Remi’s hole and shoved in, inch by slow torturous inch, until his balls rested on Remi’s ass. Jake rubbed more saliva around his cock and Remi’s stretched hole, making it slicker.
Remi moaned and tried to push back. He was so damn close.
Gripping Remi’s hips with both hands, Jake started fucking him hard and fast. He dropped forward, bracing himself on one hand, and pulled Remi’s jock aside, grasping Remi’s cock. He stroked in time with his thrusts, driving Remi forward into his palm as he hit Remi’s prostate. “Come for me.” His teeth clamped over Remi’s shoulder, piercing the skin.
“Oh fuck!” Remi’s whole body jerked. The pain in his shoulder radiated out as the hand over his prick tugged hard. Pleasure crashed over him, bowing his back. He came, his ass clenching around his mate’s cock.
With a hoarse groan, Jake lifted his mouth from Remi’s shoulder. He continued to stroke Remi’s dick, now slick by his come, until he thrust forward one last time and came deep in Remi’s ass.
Easing him down to the mattress, Jake withdrew from his body and quickly unbuckled Remi’s wrists. He scooped Remi into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “You did good, pup.”
Remi snuggled into Jake’s warm, sweaty chest and kissed him on the chin. He loved how Jake held him, how he praised him. He…loved Jake. “Thank you, sir.”
Chapter Sixteen
Remi signed his name on the application but left the date blank and set it on the coffee table by his laptop. Getting up from the couch, he stretched out his back and turned to look at the paper. He’d done it, he’d actually filled out the paperwork and it felt damn good. But he couldn’t turn it in, not yet. He would talk to his boss and put in for the EMT position as soon as Dirk was behind bars. Dirk had never laid a hand on Sterling for anything Remi had done, but he wasn’t willing to chance it.
The threat to Sterling weighed heavily on his mind, but now he had hope it wouldn’t be forever. He was tired of living by that asshole’s rules. Remi had always loved helping people, but last night helping Eddie cinched it. Maybe he could only heal wolves like that, but he would learn to help humans too. If he could remember more about his beating and Billy’s murder to help speed things up… He shook his head. Forcing it would likely make it take longer, wasn’t that what they always said on TV?
Where is my cell phone? Gazing around the living room of his apartment, he tried to remember where he’d put it. He wanted to tell Jake about his decision.
Whoa. Remi stopped halfway to his bedroom. This was the only time he could remember not wanting to share something with Sterling first. Not that he didn’t want to tell Sterling or that he wouldn’t, but his initial thought had been Jake. Somehow it just felt right to tell his mate first. Remi smiled, knowing Jake would approve of Remi doing something he wanted to do.
Continuing into the room, he spotted his phone on the nightstand. After picking it up, he flipped through the numbers. It was midafternoon, so Jake would be at the office.
Someone knocked on the front door. Probably Sterling. He wasn’t supposed to come over today, but Sterling had a way of talking people into rides. Looked like the kid was going to find out first after all.
Remi tossed the phone onto the bed and jogged toward the living room. “Coming.”
As soon as he got the door unlocked it slammed open, nearly hitting Remi in the face, but he jumped to get out of its way.
Dirk barged in and shut the door behind him, looking like he could spit nails. “What in the holy hell are you doing, boy?”
Oh shit. Familiar fear flared to life. Out of instinct Remi backed up further, putting himself out of reach. “What do you mean, Dirk? I haven’t done anything.” What in the world did he think Remi had done? He had done many things lately that Dirk loathed, but Dirk didn’t actually know about them. Did he? Darting his attention around, Remi looked for an escape route while still trying to keep Dirk in his vision.
“Look at me when I talk to you.” Dirk stepped closer. His breath smelled like cheap whiskey. Which was pretty much the norm. He wore plain clothes, so he’d either had the day off or hadn’t gone to work yet. Whichever, it meant he didn’t have a gun or nightstick with him now and that was what interested Remi.
Remi stepped backward, his stomach tying in knots. Please, don’t do this. Meeting Dirk’s gaze, he tried not to seem defiant or scared. Either appearance would piss Dirk off. Then again, you couldn’t predict what would set the old man off and make him detonate. Remi tensed. God, it was hot in here all of a sudden.
“What is this I hear about you hanging out with a bunch of bikers? What the hell do you think you’re doing going to a dive like Hell’s Kitchen? No son of mine is going to hang out with a bunch of criminals.”
“I—I went there with Jake. It was only the one time.” Remi shook his head and glanced at Dirk’s hands. They weren’t fisted yet. Remi’s own hands felt sticky, and he wiped them on his jeans.
“Why did you hire a detective to follow me, Remington? What are you trying to find?” Spit flew from Dirk’s mouth, landing on Remi’s ch
eek. He didn’t dare acknowledge it, knowing it would get him backhanded.
Dirk kept coming closer.
“Nothing, Dirk.” Remi raised his hands in front of his face.
“Get your hands down, boy.” Flinging his arm up, Dirk knocked Remi’s hands away and caught Remi across the cheek with his knuckles. “Goddamnit, boy. Don’t you lie to me. What are you looking for?”
Remi stumbled backward, bumping into the wall. Please, just go away. What if he saw the EMT application? “Nothing, I promise. Jake is my friend, we hang out sometimes. You told me not to hang out with Chay anym—”
Dirk’s eyes blazed, his face got redder and his voice lowered. “What did you say? I told you not to hang out with that fag? Are you saying you want to hang out wi—”
Oh shit. “No, no, I didn’t mean it. I was only saying I have new friends.” Backpedaling, Remi tried to get himself out of range. How could he have screwed up this badly? Fuck, Dirk got him so flustered he couldn’t think. “I—” As Dirk stepped closer to him, Remi cringed away, which was a huge mistake. It only made Dirk madder and gave him space to get in a good hit.
Pain slashed through Remi’s face and his eyes blurred with tears. “Uh.” Blood poured out of his nose onto his shirt and the gray carpet. Trying to see through watery eyes, he grabbed his nose.
“I swear to God you’re as dumb as your fucking mother. When are you going to learn not to cross me, boy?” A slap followed the hateful voice. “Huh?”
Remi’s head jerked to the side and blood flew, hitting the white wall next to the front door. It hurt like a son of a bitch. Before he could recover, Dirk struck him in the stomach and swept his feet out from under him. Remi didn’t have time to brace for the fall, and he hit the floor with a loud thud. Pain shot through his leg and spine from the jolt with the floor. His face throbbed.
“And what the hell did your worthless bitch of a mother say to you? What did she tell your detective friend at the store?” Not giving Remi a chance to get to his feet, Dirk advanced. “Answer me, Remington.”
Curling into a ball out of habit, Remi protected himself as best he could with his back against the bar overlooking the kitchen and the living room. How had they gotten this far into the apartment?
Dirk gave him a kick to the ribs and pain sliced through them where Dirk’s boot landed again and again.
* * *
Matt leaned back in his chair, looking into Jake’s office. “Jake, do you know a Sterling? He says—”
Jake snagged the phone and punched the button before Matt finished talking. “Sterling? What’s wrong?”
A split second later, Rhys poked his head into Jake’s office.
“Remi.” Sterling sounded upset. “Dirk and Mom got into a fight about Remi. Someone told Dirk they saw you, Remi and my mom talking. He thinks you’re investigating him.”
Jumping up, Jake turned his computer off. “Sterling, are you okay, do you need me to come get you?”
Rhys came into the office, his head cocked.
“No, I’m fine. Dirk left. You gotta go check on Remi. I think Dirk went to Remi’s. You have to make sure Remi is okay. I can’t get him on the phone. It’s not like him to not answer. I called from my cell phone and he always answers that number.” Sterling sounded on the verge of tears.
Jake grabbed his keys. “All right I’m leaving now.”
“Wait! Jake—”
“I’ll call you when I get there.” Jake hung up and jogged out of the office.
Rhys started out of the office behind him. “What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing. Just take care of things here. Find something on that asshole, damn it.” Jake ran to his Tahoe. Grabbing his cell phone as he backed out of his parking space, he punched in Remi’s number. It rang and rang. No answer. “Damn it, Remi, pick up the phone.” It forwarded to his voice mail. Peeling his tires, Jake got out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
It was the longest drive of his life. He could swear he hit every damn stoplight on the way over and every slow person on the road got in front of him. No one knew how to merge onto the damn highway either. How in the hell did these idiots get driver’s licenses?
When he dialed Remi’s number again, he got voice mail. His heart raced and his palms started to sweat. So much so that his hand slipped on the steering wheel twice. The image of Remi lying in a puddle of blood, like he’d been when Jake first met him, flashed through his mind. He slammed his foot on the gas, speeding through a yellow light.
* * *
“You better call the detective and his goon off or both of them are going to get a whole heap of charges on their heads. They won’t work in New Mexico again.” Dirk punctuated the statement with another kick to the ribs. “Did you think I wouldn’t know? You got shit for brains, boy. You want me to ask Sterling what you’ve been up to?”
Remi saw red. All the fear evaporated instantly and his protective instincts kicked in. He just snapped. No fucking way. Not this time. Dirk had best keep his hands off Sterling.
He stopped trying to dodge Dirk’s boot, and with a burst of energy, he launched himself at Dirk’s legs.
Dirk hit the ground, his head bouncing off the floor. The air whooshed out of him. He struggled, trying to get his breath.
Using the opportunity, Remi crawled forward and straddled Dirk. He still couldn’t see very well but he didn’t need to. He knew about where Dirk’s face was and he started punching.
The feel of Dirk’s face under his knuckles and the sound of his fist connecting with skin created a rush of euphoria. Suddenly, Remi could see again, only everything was in black and white.
Holding his arms up, Dirk attempted to block Remi’s blows. Even now, in this position, the bastard was shouting out insults about how he was going to kill Remi and how Remi was a worthless piece of shit.
“No more. No more, you son of a bitch. Do you hear me? No more.” Pounding over and over, Remi yelled until his voice gave out. The smell of blood and something else pierced his attention. Fear. It was fear. He could smell Dirk’s fear.
It felt wonderful. He wanted to kill the son of a bitch. He could, so easily. Then it would all be over. As he smiled his fangs exploded in his mouth. He was damned close to shifting. He could tear Dirk to shreds in wolf form and no one would miss him.
No. He couldn’t do it. Remi stopped.
Still trying to cover his face, Dirk laid there. His fear and helplessness felt good, but Remi relented.
He stood. His arms were tired. They felt like they weighed a ton and he couldn’t breathe. He was so out of breath his lungs burned, and sweat dribbled down Remi’s temple. “Get the fuck out. You so much as lay a finger on Sterling or Jake and I will fucking kill you.”
Scooting toward the door on his butt, Dirk tried to glare, but he still reeked of fear. “We aren’t done with this, Remington.”
“I think we are done. Get out.” Remi pointed at the door.
Gasping, Dirk crawled backward. His eyes were wide and his face had drained of color. “What are you on?” Dirk asked in a soft whisper.
Shit. His eyes. Dirk could see his canine eyes. Remi hauled back his foot, ready to kick Dirk again. He growled, trying to make him leave.
Dirk scrambled up and out of the apartment, leaving the door open.
Remi should’ve felt relief, even humor and a sense of victory. Instead he felt sick. His eyes changed back so fast he had to blink several times to clear his vision. His teeth shrank and all the pains and aches flared to life.
Sinking to the floor, he wheezed out a breath and rested his back against the wall next to the door. Vomit rose in his throat, but he swallowed it back. His eyes teared up again and his hands shook as he slid onto his back, keenly aware of the twinge in his ribs. Covering his face with his quivering hands, he felt the fine sheen of sweat covering his body. It began to cool, making him shiver. Jesus, what have I done?
Chapter Seventeen
There was no sign of Dirk, and Remi’s bi
ke was under the awning in the place it usually sat. Jake whipped into the spot next to it, cut the engine and jerked his keys out. Opening his door, he smelled blood. Fuck. It was Remi’s blood. His eyes and teeth shifted.
He slammed the door shut and ran up the steps to the front door. It was standing open. A fear like he’d never felt coursed through him. Oh God, why was the door open? He felt ill. It meant Remi wasn’t able to shut it. Pushing the door open further, he frantically searched for Remi.
He sat in the entryway against the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest and his hands over his face. Moving his hands, he blinked up at Jake. His muscles tensed like he was preparing to bolt.
Jake took a deep breath, willing his racing heart to slow. Remi was alive. He smelled of blood and fear, his chest rose and fell rapidly with erratic choppy breaths, but he was alive. “Remi.” Jake fell to his knees in front of his mate.
Remi’s pale eyes weren’t quite focused. There was dried blood under and around his nose and on his chin and cheeks. He looked like hell.
“Oh God, Remi—” Jake reached out toward his cheek, intent on checking his injuries.
“Unh.” Flinching away, Remi moved out of range. He winced and clutched his left side.
Dropping his hand, Jake gritted his teeth to keep from punching the wall. Overwhelming anger surged through him. He wanted desperately to find Dirk Lassiter and tear him to pieces, not only for the pain he’d caused physically, but for putting the haunted look in Remi’s eyes.
Taking several deep breaths, Jake flexed his fingers, releasing his tension. The last thing he wanted was to traumatize his mate more. He had to get it together. Like a magnet, his gaze was drawn to the wall above Remi. Dark splatters blared at him from the sea of white. There wasn’t a lot of blood, but the fact that it was Remi’s had Jake’s heart in his throat. He’d promised he’d never let his mate be hurt again. He’d failed.
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