Behavior Problem

by James Cox

  I turned the water on, easing it toward hot and started undressing. The clothes were sticky from sweating and I had to peel them off. When I was naked, I moved under the water. The hot liquid soaked my strawberry blond hair, plastering it to my head and neck. I sighed as it trickled over my back and then my ass cheeks. When those warm rivulets moved over my balls, I lifted my face to the spray. Yeah, I was thinking about Tage.

  The shower was quick. The more time I spent naked, the more I thought of Tage, which made me ask questions that should have been buried under lust. Thus, no shower, no thinking, no issues. It made sense in my head. I dressed in blue jeans and a dark blue T-shirt that was too tight around my biceps. Then I went back downstairs to get something to eat and hopefully, run into sexy fancy pants. I turned the corner. At the table was Tage with Serra at his side. Before them were two women I hadn’t met yet. Probably the women that went to greet Outlaw and Justice. I felt left out and it made me fucking angry. I walked past the brunette and the blond without speaking. In the kitchen on the table, I found a bowl of hot soup and a thick piece of bread. I knew it was from Tage because there was a tiny coffee cup filled to the brim. It made me smile that he was thinking about me.

  “Dinner’s in there,” Tage said from the doorway.

  “I fucking see that.” Damn that sounded harsh. “Thanks,” I added softer. I walked up to him and pressed my lips to his. It was a chaste kiss and still he gave me a shy smile. What the fuck would he do when my cock was halfway down his throat or better yet in that tight ass of his? Okay, my thoughts sort of tumbled there, side effect of being such a well-hung pleasure machine. I grabbed the bowl and followed him to the main table. Then I went back for my coffee. I walked through the door with it in my hand. It was hot so I only got a slight sip before I was back at the table. Then I lowered it but before it touched the table, I looked up.

  Soft blue eyes stared back at me, framed by pale skin and blonde hair with streaks of natural red.

  My entire body went slack. The cup tumbled from my fingers, hitting the edge of the table, splashing the chair, and then clattering to the floor. Another mug bites the dust. I was busy staring at a beautiful face that reminded me too much of my Lily. She could have been my sister’s twin. She had the same eyes as me and her hair was nearly identical like our mother’s. My mother’s. This woman was not my... “Lily?”

  The woman was frowning at me. The moment I said her name her expression fell. Her lips parted and she took a quiet gasp. Her bottom lip quivered then stilled. “D...Danny?” Her voice was shaky.

  I was the one who couldn’t fucking speak. Here I was standing before my sister. My actual fucking sister. “You’re...you were...are...” Okay, that made a lot of sense. She stood and I wrapped my arms around her. This couldn’t be happening. I was hugging her close, squeezing her into my body and she held me just as fiercely. She was tall for a woman. Like our mother was. I rested my chin on her head, the soft locks against my skin. Then I took her face in my hands so I could stare deep into her eyes. This was some kind of dream. I fell in the shower, hit my head, and I was bleeding out, hallucinating.

  “You know each other?” Tage asked from beside us.

  I’d forgotten about everyone in the room. “My Lily,” I muttered, too low for anyone but us to hear. “You’re alive?” I shook my head, pulling her in for another hug. She was in my arms, warm, whole, alive.

  “You’re squeezing me to death.”

  I eased up. “It’s just...you’re supposed to be dead.”

  She frowned. “I am?”

  “I went searching for you. Years. So many fucking years.” I hugged her again. It seemed that letting her go was an impossible task for me. “I found Tithe.”

  Lily hissed. “He bought me from the auction house after the government took me away.”

  “I’m confused,” Tage interrupted.

  “I’ll tell you later,” I said but didn’t look at him. “I found him, the man that bought you. And he said you had died. He beat you and...and you died from blood loss.”

  “No. I didn’t. I ran away.”

  “Fuck.” I practically spit the word.

  “He died soon after,” she said.

  It wasn’t a revelation. I knew about his death because I was the one who killed Tithe. I spent eight years in prison for torturing him. When he told me she died, I killed him. It was slow, painful. The things I did to that fucking man still turned my stomach. But I did it all for her memory. Now, she was here. My legs were shaky as I stared into my sister’s face.

  “Tage saved me.”

  Wait. What? “I thought you ran away?”

  “Yes. I did. But how long could I last by myself? I tried to find you, but I couldn’t.”

  Because I was on Earth in prison.

  “Tage found me, he...he fed me and gave me new clothes. He said I could come back to his house. That he would keep me safe. That I wouldn’t have to be treated like a slave.” She glanced at him. “He kept me safe all these years.”

  “Well, fuck me.” I looked at Tage. I pulled him into us so it was an awkward, slightly tilted group hug. And for the first time in a long fucking time, I laughed.

  ****

  “How long were you on Earth?” Lily asked.

  “Eight fucking years. That’s why you couldn’t find me.” I sat on the couch beside my sister. The others had already gone to bed, including Tage. Lily and I stayed up, holding hands, talking. I felt ridiculous with her small fingers wrapped around mine, but I loved every second. I didn’t want to let her leave my sight again. In fact, if I could box her up and send her to the far side of Mars I would have.

  “So you joined an MC when you came back?”

  “No. Before. The president made me a promise to find you. When he had Tithe’s name I...I went to see him. It was after that I went to Earth.”

  Lily shook her head. “When I couldn’t find you I thought I was all alone.”

  Ah, fuck. My chest constricted.

  “I was scared and cold and I just wanted my big brother. And now you’re here.”

  “And I won’t let you go ever again. Never fucking ever.” I pulled her in for a hug.

  She laughed and slapped my shoulder. “You can’t save me from the world.”

  “I sure as hell can.” I was going to. No one was going lay a finger on my little sister.

  She rolled her blue eyes. It was a move our mom had done often. “I made it all these years without you. Don’t go pushing me down now. Together we can do some serious damage. With the Outlaws and the Underground MC plus us women. We could take down the government.”

  “We can. We fucking will, but you’re staying in this house until we do that.”

  She tilted her head. “You curse too much.”

  I opened my mouth then closed it. “Maybe.”

  Lily yawned. “I’m going to go get some sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll eat breakfast together?”

  I nodded then hesitated to let go of her hand. Even when she stood and tried to tug free, I held on.

  “Danny?”

  “Deviant.”

  Another eye roll. “Brother who looks like a girl with all that long hair.”

  I chuckled, the sound vibrated my chest and I let her go. “I just...I can’t believe you’re here.”

  She placed a kiss on my forehead.

  I watched her walk out the door and heard her soft footsteps on the stairs. It was a few moments later that I heard the faint click of a door closing. Well, fuck me. My sister was alive. I was speechless. Stunned. Fucking amazed. My Lily. Smart mouth, tough girl that was heading up the female MC. I smiled into the empty room then got to my feet. I had one more person to talk to. Well, to thank. Tage. He was more than just a fun fuck now. Tage was someone that gave me my heart back. How the hell did I just shove my dick up his ass and leave? Now, there were complications. I hated those fucking things.

  Chapter Seven

  I had to ask a tall brunette where Tage’s room was. It was at
the end of the hall, the door closed, silent inside. I knocked softly. Maybe he was already sleeping. My knuckles rapped harder against the thick wood. Then the knob turned and the door opened. Tage stood there with a white towel around his hips. He blushed, half hiding behind the door. “Can we talk?”

  He frowned then nodded. Tage opened the door wider. “Let me put some pants on.”

  “Those words are fucking depressing,” I muttered. I don’t think heard me though. His room was done in blues like most of the house. His bed was big enough for a harem with four wooden posters that met the ceiling. From them hung wisps of white lace that swept low to give the illusion of privacy on his bed. There was a dark blue couch and a white bookshelf. I was surprised to find the old-fashioned novels. Paper, ink, nothing holographic. With his money, he could sure as hell afford the good stuff. I took a seat on his bed. It looked comfortable and then I dug my fingers into the thick blue comforter. Instantly, it started to warm against my skin. Damn, self-regulating temperature. Very nice and very fucking expensive.

  Tage came back in the room with a baggy pair of sleeping pants on. And a thick black robe over his bare chest. I could see flashes of his abs and pecs as he walked to me. He stood a few feet away. “I didn’t know, Deviant. That she was your sister.”

  “I know.” I patted the bed. “Come sit the fuck down.”

  He gracefully sat, pulling the robe around his body.

  “I, um, I can’t even find the fucking words.” How do you say thank you for giving me my heart back? “I thought I lost her.” I shook my head and stared at the floor. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

  Tage placed his hand on my shoulder. “I told you I was on your side.”

  I believed him. “It takes a lot for me to trust people.”

  “Because of Lily?”

  I tilted my head back and forth. “Kind of. Our parents loved us both. My father kept us and our mother hidden because he didn’t want to obey the laws. He refused to treat my mother like property.” I thought fondly of them. Hell, those were my few good memories of childhood. “They were killed in a hover car crash.”

  Tage scooted closer and started rubbing his palm in circles on my lower back.

  It was a comforting gesture. One that I didn’t fight off. “I tried to take care of her but I was only two years older. I was a fucking kid.” I went nights without eating so she’d have a full stomach. I remember my hunger was so bad one night that the grumbling sounds actually woke Lily up. “Someone must have seen us. Told. They took Lily away. They...tore her from my fucking arms. I can still hear her screaming my name. Begging me.”

  “There was nothing you could have done.”

  “I fucking know that now.” I stood up and walked to the wall then turned and went back to Tage. When I sat, the bed bounced and I locked eyes with him. “I was sent into the government foster system. Orphan kids given homes to whoever will take them.”

  “Bad?” he asked, his voice soft.

  I scoffed. “Beatings mostly. They tried to punch my radical views out of me.” Those nights haunted me less because I fought back. I swung and kicked until I was taken down. “There was no trust in those places, no friends. It was survival. Make it to eighteen and get out of there.”

  Tage touched my shoulder again, squeezing it.

  “When I got out I searched for her. Outlaw found me. Together we found her owner Tithe.”

  “And he said Lily had died?”

  “Yea. Fucking coward.” I fisted my hands.

  “Then he died?”

  I glanced at him. “I killed Tithe. I tortured him, killed him, and then spent eight years on Earth for it.”

  Tage’s lips parted and his eyes went wide. “That’s...that’s why Lily couldn’t find you.”

  I nodded. “When I came back to Mars I just...sunk into the club. I pushed away everything but fucking and working to overthrow the government. And today I looked down at a stranger and saw my sister.” My tone went softer with emotion. I cleared my throat. “You did that for me Tage. Thank you.”

  He smiled, but it was sad. “Do you regret it? Killing Tithe?”

  “Not a moment. Prison wasn’t easy. Hell, I have scars and some bad habits from it.” Like my overwhelming urge not to trust people. “But I’m...glad I took Tithe’s life.” That bastard took my sister, bought her, and beat her. There was no way I was letting him spend his life on Mars. He deserved every moment of the fiery hell he got.

  “Do you think if you take a life that...you’re evil?” He was staring off at the wall, eyes focus on nothing.

  “No.”

  His gaze jumped to me.

  “I killed Tithe. My sister’s alive. I got to kiss you. Our MC is getting stronger every month. No, Tage, I don’t think killing is an automatic sentence to hell.” The way he asked though. It made me think he had a secret of his own. His face was heavy with emotions. Half-closed eyes and pinched lips. I placed my arm around his shoulders and he flinched.

  “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

  “That can be a bad fucking thing, thinking.”

  “I know that.” He frowned.

  “You wanna get something off your chest? And I don’t mean your robe.” Well, that too.

  Tage shook his head. “No. I was just wondering how you felt about the subject.”

  I pulled him close, rubbing my hand up and down his arm. A hush fell around us. It was like the night outside had come in through the shadows. Silence. A chill in the air. Too much fucking emotion for me. I cleared my throat. “You want me to go?” I would leave him alone with his heavy stillness and thoughts.

  “No.”

  I wasn’t expecting that answer. I glanced at Tage. “Then fucking talk.” I didn’t do tense shit.

  “I did it.”

  I lifted a blond eyebrow.

  “I killed someone.”

  Ah, the heart of his conflict. “It’s bound to happen. Tage, we’re fighting a war. It’s bloody, violent, and you’re probably going to have to do it again.”

  “This wasn’t for our fight.” He leaned into me. “My father.”

  I stilled. Tage’s father had beaten his mother and then died later. I thought it was from old age. That’s what Tage originally said.

  “It was six days after my mother died. He was so much older and the beating on her was so violent that it brought on a fit of coughing.” Tage took a deep breath. “He lay in bed while I put my mother in a pod and put flowers in her hands then sent her out to space. He was just laying there. I...I walked up to him and he laughed. He said I was weak for mourning her.” Tage looked at me with watery eyes. “I took the pillow, Deviant, I placed it over his face, and I pressed down until he stopped breathing.” He blinked the tears away. “I killed my father.”

  That’s a heavy fucking secret. I tucked him in against my torso and just held onto him.

  “I killed him for her. For the money, so that I could help others. I murdered so that I could turn this horrible legacy into something hopeful. Does that make me evil, Deviant?”

  “No, Tage. It doesn’t.”

  “I think it might. Since then, everything’s fallen apart. I tried to save these women and others keep threatening them. I had a fiancé, but I couldn’t love her. I couldn’t even get myself...” He blushed. “...hard for her. I’m lonely. I’m tired. I think this is karma for killing my father.”

  Jesus fucking Christ. “This is life, Tage. It’s painful, horrible, sexy, happy, sad...fucking messed up. Look at me. I thought I was alone in the world then I found the MC and today I found Lily.”

  He wrapped his arms around my waist. “So you don’t think I’m evil or cursed.”

  “I think you’re tired.” I lay back and took him with me. We lay on the bed horizontal with our ankles and feet hanging off the bed. I tucked Tage to my side and held him. It was something that was beyond my comfort zone. I didn’t do snuggle or cuddle or whatever the fuck you want to call it. I was a fuck them and leave them kind of guy. B
ut right now, staring at the top of Tage’s head, I wanted to stay right where I was.

  Chapter Eight

  I smelled vanilla. The scent stuck to my tongue like a flavor and swirled around my head like smoke. It was rich, warm, and fucking beautiful. Tage. I flexed my arm—it was still wrapped around his shoulders. His head was on my chest, right over my heart like he was listening to the thump thump. I never woke up with anyone. It just didn’t happen. I never let it happen. Suddenly I had Tage in my arms all night and I slept without a single dream. It had been peaceful. I lay there confused as my morning stiffy came to the party. It rose, tenting my pants close to where Tage’s arm rested flung over my waist. His robe was partially open, half over his shoulder so I could see an expanse of his skin. This should be freaking me the fuck out, but I felt oddly calm, which actually made me freak out. I pushed my fingers into his hip in an attempt to roll him over. Tage shifted to his back. His breathing increased and his eyelids opened slowly. I watched as he woke. He stretched his legs, rotating his ankles. Then his lips parted in a yawn. His arms were next but when he tried to get them over his head, he hit my side. Tage paused. In almost slow motion, he shifted his head to stare at me. “Hey,” I whispered.

  “Good morning.” He blushed and moved to sit up.

  I quickly grabbed his robe and pulled him back down. I wasn’t ready to let him up just yet. He landed beside me, our faces across from one another. “Don’t fucking go anywhere.”

  He nodded.

  Damn it. His eyes were wide and he nibbled at his bottom lip. I leaned toward him and kissed his mouth. At first Tage froze, and then he opened. Our tongue’s butted. The soft rays of the sun made the room glow as I kissed him. There was a laziness to it. Both of us still half-asleep but excited not to wake up alone. It was a new fucking feeling for me. I pushed Tage to his back and pressed myself to his side. Our lips parted for a brief moment but when we settled into the new position, I went back for another kiss. His mouth and mine fit together perfectly. Leisurely my tongue swiped across his bottom lip. I felt the superficial indents from his teeth. Then I slid my tongue between, touching, stroking like I would his dick. It was so fucking hot. There was this need to go slow, to savor and enjoy the feast. ’Cause that’s what this fucking felt like, a damn feast. I skimmed my hand to his chest, yanking the sides of the robe open so I could touch more of him. His skin was so warm from our contact. I pulled away from his lips and pressed my face against his flesh, between his pectorals. While my hand rubbed back and forth across his flat belly, my mouth brushed his nipple. I took the flat bud into my mouth, sucking on it as more sunlight began to flood the room. I squeezed it between my teeth and Tage jerked with a soft moan. My hand shifted to the rim of his pants, slipping beneath. I teased his coarse black pubic hair with my fingers. Tage’s dick was filling his pants, off to the side as it grew longer and wider.