He scratched the back of his head. “Well, now this is where it gets a little sticky for you, Duncan.”
“Oh yeah? I’m drowning in a vat of molasses already, so lay it on me.”
“I’m going to break into the company’s offices tonight and look at its order records for the last year to see if I can locate where Marius has his base. If we can destroy his crop and him, we’ll stop this hideous violence from continuing.”
The cop winced. “Is that the only way? I have to assume this company is innocent in all of this and might not be the source of his growing facility, anyway.”
“As near as I can tell, it’s our best option. We have to at least cross it off our list as a viable path to Marius. You can’t flash your badge or get a court order without explaining why, and we all know how problematic that is…”
Duncan held up his hand again. “Say no more, really. I don’t need the details, although I’m surprised it’s not Val doing the B and E.”
“I’m better suited to know what to look for, and while I have no breaking and entering skills, I do have something of a secret weapon. I have Logan.”
* * * *
“You don’t have to do this.” Emil wanted to give the woman one more chance to opt out of something that could land her in jail.
Logan rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you that I want to help? For me, this is another way to serve my country. Compared to other things I’ve had to do, burglary hardly ranks.”
Emil winced inwardly at the reminder of how much the human had already suffered in her short lifetime. He hated adding to the list of things that might keep her from returning to normalcy. She’d come a long way in the last year since he’d first met her. She spent more time inside the club in the small storage room he’d converted into a bedroom for her. She ate his food without wariness in her eyes and accepted clothing and other small items he bought for her. That was a significant change from the hostility and suspicion she’d treated him to at first.
“You know that this isn’t intended to be payment for anything I’ve done. I do that freely and won’t think less of you if you tell me to fuck off.”
Logan zippered the Eddie Bauer down jacket he’d given her a month earlier and huffed out a breath. “Can we stop talking now? ’Cause it’s pissing me off. I want to get a load of what it feels like to be one of you aliens.”
Without saying more, she walked to his back, wrapped her arms around his neck and hopped up. Emil took the weight with ease, mentally assessing that she could use a few more pounds to be healthy. Her legs encircled his waist, and he had no doubt she’d be able to keep herself onboard while he was free to use his hands as necessary for their journey.
They stood in the tiny space between their building and the one next door. There was no way for a car to park there and a quick perusal earlier had confirmed no person lurked nearby. Val and Mackie had just started their epic and staged marital spat in the front of the club. There was a lot of yelling by the boy, his voice carrying far enough for Emil to hear. That should keep the feds busy while Emil and Logan took off.
He inhaled a deep breath and jumped. His vertical lift only got him to the third floor, but there were plenty of places for him to grip with his fingers. He propped his booted feet against the brick for extra leverage and quickly climbed to the roof. He landed with a thud then paused to see if there was any indication they’d been heard. The only sound drifting upward was Mackie’s lament over why he’d ever thought marrying Val would be a good idea.
Emil couldn’t help grinning before he took off and vaulted to the next building. Logan’s grip on him tightened as they sailed over the narrow chasm. Then she chuckled in his ear, and he knew that she was actually enjoying herself. That confirmation gave him a boost in energy. He didn’t need to hold back for her protection. So, he poured on the speed and leaped his way down the street. Once they were clear of the surveillance perimeter, he jumped off the last building and down to another vacant alley. His knees jarred with the impact and his breath labored more than it should have.
“Shit,” he said as Logan slid off his back. “I’m out of shape.”
Logan chuckled again. “That’s you out of shape? Damn, dude, that was one sweet ride.”
“I’m glad you liked it, because we’ll have to travel back the same way.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I’d love to traverse the whole city one night like that sometime.”
Emil vowed he’d make that happen, later, once Marius had been dealt with. “It’s a date. For now, we have a more pedestrian mode for the rest of the journey.”
Centuries of hiding had made his people more cunning than usual. They lived with the fear of having to flee at the drop of a hat, as the humans would say. The family had vehicles stashed in lots of different locations and under various assumed names. Emil headed to the closest one, as certain as he could be that the feds didn’t know about it.
Logan stayed abreast of him, asking no questions. Her trust in him was humbling and her training as a warrior was an immense benefit at the moment. She took one look at the pedestrian, four-door sedan and quirked an eyebrow. “This isn’t as sweet as leaping over alleyways, but I suppose it’s nondescript for our purposes.”
“Exactly. I won’t be breaking any speed limits, either.”
The drive to their destination took no time. It was the dead of night during a weekday, and even without the horror of the previous Saturday’s explosion, not many humans would have been out and about. He parked a few blocks away from the company they intended to break into and made the rest of the journey on foot.
They approached the building via the back way in order to decrease the chance of being spotted. Then they crouched behind a Dumpster to check out the security. It wasn’t much, from what they could see. Why would it be? This wasn’t some government installation, merely a small business trying to carve out a niche in a growing market for locally sourced food. There weren’t cameras mounted on the outside or the inside. The locks were helpless against Logan’s picking skills. She had them in the main office with little effort.
“Someday you’ll have to explain to me why the military teaches its people how to bypass security and pick locks.”
Logan raised her eyebrows as she re-pocketed her tools. “When did I ever say I learned this while serving?”
Nonplussed, Emil grinned. “Fair point. Okay, next is hacking for its customer records.”
Logan sat at the big desk dominating the room and booted the computer. “Technically, this constitutes cracking, but yeah, let’s see what we’ve got. This will take longer.”
Emil busied himself by looking around the room and admiring the pictures on the walls. It was homey and obviously family-owned. He hated invading their space this way. Damn Dracul. He made criminals of them all one way or another. More than ever, Emil wanted this whole thing to end. He could live out a nice life on this planet given the chance. A vision of Jase flashed through his mind, the boy lying in Emil’s arms, sleepy and contented. He’d been happy that morning, no noticeable lingering effects from their previous night’s talk. Emil had left him working away in the kitchen, having shown him how to make a simple loaf of bread.
“I’m in.”
Emil’s reverie was interrupted by the more pragmatic issue at hand. He went to the desk. “Let me take over, please.”
“Sure.” Logan vacated the seat, yet hovered in case he needed her.
This part was easy. No exceptional computer skills needed, which was good because he had none. The customer list was in a clearly marked folder. A quick scan of the orders placed in the last year for a container gave him the information he needed. He noted the address of the delivery point and vaguely recognized it as being in a section of Boston called Brighton that was in the western outskirts of the city.
He stood. “I have it, thanks. Please erase any history of what we did and shut it down.”
“That was fast. Are you sure?”
>
“Oh yes. Marius may be clinically insane, but his mind is easily understood. I recognized the human alias he used. It would amuse him in his own twisted way. We now know where to find him. It’s simply a matter of planning the attack.”
The trip back was uneventful. Logan insisted on joining him in Alex’s office. She wanted in on the action and her warrior skills remained appreciated. The two of them sprawled on opposite ends of Alex’s couch while the other family members ranged in their usual fashion. Duncan was MIA, undoubtedly doing cop work as the city braced for more trouble. None of the boys were present, either, a favor to Emil because he didn’t want Jase to be alone but also didn’t want him to be privy to what was going on. He hadn’t told him about Dracul or the endless war and how the recent bombings tied into their alien group. And the boy hadn’t asked any questions, although Emil could see in his eyes that he had them. In this one instance, the boy’s brutal training worked to protect him from a horror that was only going to upset him.
Emil had debriefed everyone about what he’d found. It was Val who expressed what they were all thinking. “Seriously, Mars Nobel? The guy could be a comedian if he weren’t so bent on murder or mayhem.”
Emil nodded. “Very true.” He turned to Alex. “It’s been almost a week since his last hit, I think we should move on this tomorrow night or in the early morning of Saturday. He’ll likely be resting at dawn. He never got used to dealing with Earth’s sun and probably does most of his work at night. And you know he’s not going to let the weekend go without another attack. He wants everyone to start breathing easier before acting again. It ups the terror factor. But he also can’t wait too long or risk Dracul’s wrath. My guess is he’ll rest for a couple of hours then head out.”
“I am aware,” Alex intoned. “And I agree. There was a reason humans started to believe we were vulnerable to be killed during the day. Many of us did do exactly as you describe. Val, you and I will draw up the plan of attack. We have to devise a way of dealing with our federal babysitters, as well. It won’t do to have them tailing us.
“Emil and Harry, get working on what you’ll need to destroy his growing room and anything else he has there, plus any delivery system you might need if we find an active bomb.” He looked at Logan. “Can we count on you to help with the planning?”
“Yup.” Logan popped out the one word and that was it. There was nothing more to be said, anyway.
Everyone left to get started. “I’ll meet you downstairs, Harry. I want to make sure Jase is settled for the night.”
“Of course.”
He opened his hearing and sense of smell to track down the boy. Excitement mounted as he got closer. Not a huge amount, not something that would send his heart racing too much. It was only that he was looking forward to a few minutes of interacting with Jase before getting into the dirty business of stopping Marius. He found the boys in the workout room, dressed in skin-tight clothing, doing yoga.
“This is called warrior’s pose.” Mackie led the small class, posing with his legs spread and arms outstretched.
But it was Jase who captured Emil’s attention. Of course he did. The boy’s lithe body was on full display. The way the clothing hugged his small rump made Emil salivate and his cock rise from its slumber. The sight was somehow more provocative than seeing the boy fully naked. This way, I can unwrap him. The stray thought made him grunt.
Jase’s body burned with the effort to hold the pose, and he grimaced in concentration to mimic it perfectly. Then a deep, harsh sound caught his attention. He flicked his gaze to the doorway and instantly forgot about his straining muscles. There was Master staring at him with hunger in his eyes. Jase knew that look, knew it well. It should have scared him. Normally, it would have. Not now, not after the night he’d spent in this man’s arms after he’d pleasured Jase in a way he hadn’t dreamed was possible.
“Master.” Breaking his pose, he raced over to him. He stopped abruptly when he wanted to leap into the man’s arms. Instead, he went up on his toes and pressed a chaste kiss on Master’s lips. He hoped he hadn’t been too bold.
He squealed in surprise and fright in the next instant. Master grabbed him by the waist and hauled him up. Then he was kissing Jase senseless. Master’s big hand held the back of his head while he slanted his lips over Jase’s. The move was so surprising and so delightful that it took a moment for Jase to relax into it. Once he did, Master’s tongue swept in and tasted every inch of Jase’s mouth.
He’d never been kissed like this before. Sure, Jack had slobbered on him with his stinky saliva. Other men had, as well. It had been simply one more part of Jase that had been taken from him. He had never actively participated in the revolting invasion. Now, though, he shyly chased Emil’s tongue with his own. His reward was Master clasping his ass and pressing their bodies even closer. By the time Master let them both up for air, Jase’s heart pumped wildly and his surprisingly hard dick pressed against his soft yoga pants. Master’s equally hard cock poked Jase’s leg.
“And here we have the classic lover’s pose,” Mackie called out.
Jase’s cheeks heated. Master grinned at him before setting him back on his feet. “Very funny, Mackie.” He ran a finger along Jase’s cheekbone. “How are you doing?”
Jase looked down out of shyness, not submissiveness, although that was foremost in his life still. “I’m fine, Master.”
“Good.” He kissed Jase on the forehead before letting him go entirely. “I have work to do for probably the rest of the night. Go to bed whenever you want. Soon, in fact. It’s very late.”
“Yes, Master.”
He hated the idea of spending the night alone now. How his life had changed in such a short period of time. He didn’t voice a complaint, of course. Master was a busy man with important things to do. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was sure Master and his family were involved somehow with the bomber. They were trying to stop him, although he didn’t understand exactly why they had to instead of the police. No one told him anything, not even Mackie or Quinn. They were in on it, though. He was certain of it.
Master nodded. “Good. Go ahead and finish your lesson.”
With that, he was gone. Jase turned to find Mackie and Quinn grinning madly at him. “What?”
“You’re in love with him,” Quinn said.
Jase hunched in in on himself. “So? He’s my master. I’m supposed to love him.”
Mackie rushed forward and grabbed him by the shoulders. “No, sweetie. You, Jase, love him, Emil. This isn’t about dominance or slavery, real or pretend. You truly love him, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Jase admitted. He could hear the defeat in his own words.
Quinn came over. “What’s the problem? Isn’t that what you want—a chance for a normal life before settling down? If so, that’s okay. Emil will understand. You deserve to have some freedom. He won’t force you into anything. You must know that by now.”
“I do. I honestly do, and that’s the problem. I don’t think he loves me back. I’m a burden to him, a duty. He feels responsible for me, even though he shouldn’t.”
Mackie rolled his eyes. “Sweetie, let me assure you. That man is head over heels for you.”
“You think so?” Both the other boys nodded and smiled. The news elated Jase for about two seconds before reality had him crashing down. “I don’t think he’ll act on it. He doesn’t want to be like the men who used me. He wouldn’t allow me to reciprocate the blow job he gave me, and I had to practically beg him to drink my blood.”
Both boys gasped then squealed. Mackie actually jumped up and down. “You fed him?”
“I think so. He sucked on my inner thigh for a few seconds. And I know it made him come in his pants.” He scratched absently at the spot Master had scored. It was a small scabbed-over area, barely detectible, as if it had happened days ago.
“Yeah,” Quinn said, “the whole blood thing amps everything to an eleven. It’s scary, though, huh? The first time.”
“Not really.” That was the truth. It might have been because of the years of brutal pain and the fear that had gone with it, but Jase could honestly say that what Emil had done to him hadn’t been traumatic in the least. In fact, he couldn’t wait for it to be repeated.
“Okay, um…how about we finish this lesson instead of talking about love and sex. It’s getting me worked up with nowhere to go.” Jase pointed at where his dick strained against his yoga pants.
“Sure,” Mackie said. “Whatever you want, but I’m betting that problem of yours will resolve itself the moment you slide under Emil’s sheets.”
* * * *
Damn, Mackie had been right. Seconds after turning in for the night, Jase’s naked body betrayed him. It had rolled over without his conscious decision and he’d humped the bed for a quick climax. Fear had washed over him the moment the last spasm subsided. His skin had gone clammy and his heart hammered away from more than the effort to come. He’d lain there worrying over how to cover his tracks before he remembered. Master is kind. Master won’t care.
To prove it to himself, he resisted the urge to change the sheets. Instead, he stayed where he was with his eyes closed and tried to do the one thing Master had told him to do and go to sleep. Eventually, it worked. He roused, startled and muddle-headed from a deep sleep when Master slid in beside him. Naked. The man was completely undressed for the first time Jase had known him. The feel of his skin against Jase’s was wonderfully cool.
He opened his eyes. “Master?”
“Go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you. It’s not yet dawn.”
“Yes, sir, except I need to tell you something first.”
“What is it?” As he asked, he rolled toward Jase and slipped an arm across his waist.
“I, um, jerked myself off earlier.”
“Oh, yeah?” Master sounded sleepy, not upset.
“In your bed. On your bed, actually. I humped the sheets.” He cringed at the confession.
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