Learning To Live (Eternal Flames Book 11)

by Cree Storm

  He was a wreck reliving that night and admitting to others what had happened, but to know that those two hot men out there had listened in and now knew what happened…he just couldn’t deal with that right now. He needed to try to get some sleep and help Donny in the morning.

  Rory took a deep breath, then slowly released it, forcing his body to relax. He rolled onto his side and started singing softly in his head. It was a trick he learned after the rape, to help quiet his mind. It gave him something to focus on beside what had happened or any other thoughts that crept in, and also helped to keep the nightmares at bay most nights.

  He felt his body relax more as he continued to sing silently, and his breathing evened out. Within minutes, sleep took him.

  CHAPTER 7

  Rory walked into the ‘War Room’ that Wade had built a few years ago in the rear of the Auto Garage. Sighing, he made his way over to his desk that sat against the wall with the twenty monitors and began turning everything on. After booting up his computers, Rory turned and headed to the little kitchen attached and put on a pot of coffee.

  He felt wiped out and was angry with himself for not getting more sleep. After the late night with Donny, his mates, and everything else, he had tried to get some sleep, he really did, but only after getting a half hour, the nightmares started. Then that was followed by two hours of tossing and turning, then sitting by the window and staring out over the backyard watching the sunrise. A few times he caught sight of Ozcog in his gargoyle form flying overhead scouring the perimeter. His mate looked so graceful up there high above them.

  His mate. Shit, he had a mate. No, not just a mate, but two mates, and Snake was one of them. The thought brought him joy and excitement he hadn’t felt in years and that alone scared him. He had been nursing a crush on Snake for some time, and to find out the man was actually his mate thrilled him, but then the panic would start. How the hell could he be Snake’s mate? Anyone’s mate for that matter. He was a fucking mess and no man deserved to have his shit piled on them. As much as he was attracted to both men, there was no way he could start a relationship with them.

  He would have thought it was the fact that there would be three of them in this relationship that would freak him out, but surprisingly it wasn’t. He was so used to seeing the ménages in this town and in Maddox that it didn’t affect him in any adverse way. He actually thought it was wonderful the way all the mates were with each other and watching the trios share their love looked so seamless, and had Rory in awe of them.

  As he sat and watched the sun come up over the mountain and Ozcog flying around, thoughts and fantasies of the three of them having a life together had entered his mind. Ozcog was so big and fierce. All six feet eleven and three hundred and ten pounds of delicious rock-hard muscle. Then there was his shaved head, piercing pink eyes, and whiskey smooth deep voice that sent quivers of desire through him. What would it feel like to have those strong arms wrapped around him? Or those full lips pressed to his. Was the man proportionate between his legs to the rest of his body? Because if he was, then damn. Rory didn’t know if he would really freak out if he saw that coming at him.

  And Snake. Wonderful, intense, deadly, Snake. The man was nowhere near as tall, wide, or muscled as Ozcog, but he was still built like a fighting machine, and Rory knew from working with him, that the man was lethal. But he was also loyal, honest, trustworthy, and sweet.

  After seeing both men standing so close together the previous night, or should he say early this morning, then the brief kiss, Rory had some great jerk off inspiration for his shower this morning. Visions of their shared kiss going deeper, and clothes being removed, as mouths and hands explored one another, filled Rory’s mind and they looked so fucking hot together, that Rory hadn’t lasted long. As soon as his fantasy took a turn with Snake on his knees before Ozcog while taking his big dick down his throat crossed his mind, Rory was a goner and had come so hard he was sure the whole block had heard him.

  “Good, you’re already here,” Wade said as he walked into the room and crossed to his own desk. “Savage called and he’s on his way over. We may have a lead on whoever set us all up. I want you to bring up the images of our last mission again, from about two hours before the guys arrived there. Savage wants to take a look at them.”

  Rory walked back over to his desk and sat, then immediately began tapping away on his keyboard. The monitors all came alive with the images Wade had asked for. As he continued to type Rory said, “I’ll bring everything up for you so you can go over them here on the wall, but then I need to check on a few things on my laptop. Will you be able to help Savage on your own?”

  “What do you mean, Rory? You’re the IT guy and I need you. Savage may want you to bring up other images or go into files. I mean, I can navigate the images, but I am nothing like you on that thing, little brother. Does this have anything to do with what happened to Donny last night?”

  Rory turned to face his brother. “Yes, Wade. I want to check the cameras in Maddox around the club and the police station to see if I can find this piece of shit. If we can get an image, then I can try to track him down. Something tells me his attack on Donny won’t be the last. From what Pauly said, they had three other attacks and he thinks it may be a serial rapist.”

  “Yes I know. Okay, but can you do that from right here? This way if we need you, we won’t have to hunt you down?”

  Rory chuckled. “Of course. But I do want to head over to the station and talk with Nash, then meet up with Donny for lunch. He’s still a little shaken up and I want to check on him.”

  “If it helps any, I know my mate sent Sylux and Canuz over to stick with Donny all day.”

  “Yeah, I know. They came by my place this morning and were with me when I drove him home. Thank Suneth for that for me. I know Donny feels better knowing they’re there.”

  Wade moved closer and sat on the edge of Rory’s desk, then crossed his arms over his chest. Rory could see the intense but concerned look in his brother’s eyes. “So how did everything go last night? Suneth wasn’t able to get a report from Ozcog when he came in. He was so tired he only talked to us briefly then headed to bed.”

  Suddenly, Rory felt very self-conscious, like Wade could see right through him. He quickly turned back to face the computer and began tapping on the keys as he said, “Everything was quiet. After Ozcog got there, we all talked for a while, then I put Donny in the guest room and I went to bed. When Sylux and Canuz showed up, we left with them and Snake said he was heading home. I didn’t talk to Ozcog. I just saw him fly off.”

  “He probably followed you until you got Donny to work then came home. Okay. So everything is okay for now. I have the guys coming in later tonight. Six and Shadow are on duty at the station this morning and Bullseye and Snake are on later. Will you be able to be here around eight with everyone else so we can go over some of the stuff Savage already found, and hopefully more this morning?” Wade asked, and Rory could feel his brother's gaze on him, almost like he was studying him.

  “Sure, no problem. Oh wait. I want to check with Donny first and see if he’s okay. I don’t want him to be alone. Maybe I can have him hang out at my place and have one of Suneth’s guys stay with him? Or maybe I can work from there and link to you all here.”

  “Rory, what’s going on with you? You seem distracted lately and all over the place. I know you’re worried about your new friend, and I think it’s commendable for you to be there for him, and help him, but I need you here, bro. Most of what we’re doing right now is IT and we need you right here where the action is.”

  Rory’s sighed heavily, then replied, “I know, Wade, but…this serial rapist is just as important as finding out who’s trying to set us all up and take us out. Right now, I need to work on both, okay?”

  “You’re going to wear yourself out, Rory. You’re only one person and one person can only do so much. But…I hear you and I understand. We’ll do whatever we have to for both cases. How about you start checking those
cameras and I’ll give Pauly a call and see what he can tell me? Then I’ll give Nash a call and see if he has had any more incidents here in Crystal.”

  Rory turned his head and smiled at Wade. “Thanks, Wade.”

  “No problem. Let’s get to it,” Wade replied, then stood and went to his own desk.

  * * * *

  What a day, Snake thought as he rubbed a hand down his face as he walked into the War Room. He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all night, then when he went home he tossed and turned for hours before giving up and going for a run. Then he worked out for a few hours before he had to get ready to head into the station to work his shift protecting the residents of Crystal. Now instead of heading home to finally get some sleep, he had to have a meeting with Wade, Savage, and the guys. Damn, he just wanted to check on Rory and maybe give Ozcog a call, before collapsing for eight to ten hours.

  Well, at least he would be able to see Rory and check on him. The sexy man was the reason he hadn’t gotten any sleep. Sitting in Rory’s house all night, he had heard him tossing and turning, then he had heard Rory cry out in his sleep. Snake wanted to go to him and see if he was okay. When he got to Rory’s bedroom door, he heard him crying and breathing hard and somehow knew Rory had had a nightmare. He was also sure Rory wouldn’t have appreciated him barging into his bedroom at that moment and seeing him so vulnerable. So he had stayed outside the door and just listened to Rory for the next few hours, until he heard the shower go on.

  “Hey,” Shadow mumbled as he walked in, and he met his best friend's gaze, giving him a nod in greeting.

  He quickly walked to the coffee pot and poured a cup, then drank it all before pouring another, then finally turned. He leaned back against the counter as he sipped his coffee, his gaze sweeping over the room. Wade and Savage sat together in front of the monitors while Wade adjusted the zoom on the images. Six stood behind them pointing at one thing or another, and Flyer sat in his chair at his desk looking over some papers.

  Shadow walked over and leaned back against the counter at his side. “What’s up with Flyer? He looks like he hasn’t slept in days,” he asked Shadow.

  “He’s been busy training with Day, as well as helping out over at the construction site of our new air field. Then there’s the little matter of a certain four-legged friend with sharp spikes that keeps stalking him,” Shadow answered with a quiet chuckle.

  Snake turned his head to look at Shadow. “Still?

  “Yup. He said he woke up today with Spike in his bed, poking him in the hip with his quills. Then the little shit followed him into the shower.”

  “Damn, if I didn’t know any better I would think that animal is actually stalking our Flyer,” Snake said, then took a sip from his cup.

  “That, or maybe there’s more to that story than anyone knows,” Shadow said.

  Snake studied his friend's face and saw a look in his eyes which said Shadow knew exactly what was going on but wasn’t sharing. Sometimes that freaky Indian shit Shadow did, like he knew all and could see all, really creeped him out. Yeah, his best friend was African American, but Shadow had told him he also had some Cherokee mix, and some of the stories he had heard about them having this “knowing” seemed to fit Shadow.

  “So, you look like shit. What’s up?” he asked in his low way, which made it impossible for anyone else to hear him but Snake.

  The two of them were the best of friends and always worked closely together. They were a fierce team and always got the job done. Shadow knew things about him that no one else knew, as he did about his friend. As far as others were concerned Shadow was quiet, but Snake knew better. When it was just the two of them his friend let his hair down, so to speak, and really relaxed. Other than those private times, Shadow was always alert, quiet, and strung tight, ready to go after whatever they had to.

  “I didn’t get a whole hell of a lot of sleep. I’ll be good. After this, I’ll go crash. Tomorrow’s my day off from the station so I’ll take it easy.”

  Shadow chuckled low. “Yeah, off from the station, but not here. Radar found some shit on surveillance of the guy that tried to take Savage out and now they’re comparing it to shit from our mission to see if anything matches. I have a feeling your day off just turned into overtime.”

  “Damn it. I wanted to go check on…”

  Shadow turned to him, his face neutral as always, and raised a brow. “Check on who? Radar?”

  “Yes, Rory. After what happened last night, I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”

  “I thought it was Donny that got attacked, not Rory, so why would you be concerned for him?”

  Snake took a sip of his coffee and swallowed, then cleared his throat. “Where is Rory, anyway? I thought Wade wanted us all here?”

  “I did. Now you two get your asses over here and stop gossiping like old washer women. Rory’s working from home tonight, but he’s available if we need him. He has Donny staying with him for a few days and didn’t want to leave him alone,” Wade said.

  Snake immediately stood up straight in alert. “Alone? Why the hell are they alone? I thought someone was supposed to be watching Donny at all times?” Snake said in a hurry as he placed his mug on the counter and headed for the door.

  “Snake! What the hell, man? Rory and Donny are fine, now get your ass back here,” Wade ordered.

  Snaked stopped short and turned back around. Everyone was staring at him as if he had gone insane. Everyone but Shadow, that is. His friend still stood where he left him, but now had a shit-eating grin on his face and a knowing look in his eyes. Damn observant asshole.

  Wade came over to him and stopped before him. His commander's gaze so intense, Snake was sure the man could see inside him. “Look, Snake, I know you have a thing for my brother and have asked if it was okay if you asked him out, but your personal life has to wait. Rory is fine. He’s safe at home and has Juddan and Qavex patrolling.”

  “What about Ozcog? He said he was heading over there tonight?”

  Wade raised a brow in question at him. “And you would know this how?”

  “He told me when I talked to him earlier.”

  “And why would he do that, buddy?” Shadow asked, and Snake’s gaze snapped to his friend. Shit, as always, Shadow knew. How the hell he knew, Snake had no clue, but the fucker knew about Rory and Ozcog. How was his commander going to take him being Rory’s mate? With them both being human, that was probably nothing Wade had ever thought about, but with Ozcog in the equation, they were a ménage. Would Wade be okay with that? It was one thing to think about your little brother being with someone, a man at that, even though Wade was gay himself, but to think of your little brother with two men―Snake wasn’t sure how this was gonna go.

  He faced off against Wade, straightened his back, and squared his shoulders as he met his friend and commander's gaze. “Rory and Ozcog are my mates,” he announced, then braced himself for whatever was to come.

  Wade remained silent as he just stared at him, his jaw clenching and teeth grinding. Snake could see Wade’s jaw working and the cords in his neck flexing. Then suddenly a smirk tugged at the corner of Wade’s mouth and his eyes filled with mischief. “I already know. But thanks for being honest with me. My brother didn’t give me the same courtesy all day as we worked together.”

  Snake’s brows rose in surprise. “You know? How?”

  “Ozcog told Suneth and I this morning when he came in. He wouldn’t tell us much more than the two of you were his mates and we didn’t push. Suneth said he would tell us more when there was more to tell and if he felt like it. I was kind of hoping my own man, or my brother, would have told me first, but…” Wade said with a shrug.

  “I’m sorry, man. After last night, I just wanted to get home and get some sleep, then the day started―”

  Wade place a hand on his shoulder and his eyes became serious. “It’s okay. I understand. Just…go slow with Rory. I don’t know what’s going on with him these days, but something is off with him and he
won’t tell me. Just promise me that you and Oz will be good to him.”

  “You have my word, man,” Snake promised.

  CHAPTER 8

  Rory sat looking at the screen. Destrain and Justice had finally authorized him to go over the town's cameras to see if he could see anything. However, his focus wasn’t what it used to be. Images of his mates kept popping into his mind, as were Angelo’s words. Rory didn’t know what to do. Angelo made it clear that his mates could help him through his darkest hours, and Rory had many of those. Last night was just one of many with the nightmares and sleepless nights. He could still hear Trey’s voice—feel Trey’s hands on his body.

  “There! What’s that there?” Donny asked with excitement.

  Rory looked to where Donny was pointing. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Take the tapes from the club back about thirty seconds and the one from Twixie’s back about that far as well. I swear I see the same guy in both. Play one and then the other. It will allow us to focus better. The movement is quick, but it’s there.”

  Rory did as Donny directed and watched the video play.

  “Stop!” Donny shouted, then pointed. "Do you see it, Rory?” Donny asked in excitement.

  Rory looked to the spot Donny was pointing at. “Donny, I don’t see anything.”

  “Then stop thinking about your two foxy ass mates, and pay attention. There is someone right there in the back of Twixie’s. The movement isn’t big, but it’s there, damn it.”

  Rory turned slightly, feeling annoyed and making sure that came out in his voice, “I am not thinking about my mates, thank you very much. I just didn’t sleep well last night and I’m having a hard time focusing.”