“Hey,” Justice said, a little winded. Yeah, he was fit and a werewolf, but Skylar walked at a very brisk pace – almost a run. “I’ve been trying to find you.”
“Well, you’ve found me. Now excuse me.” Skylar brushed past the man.
“Hey, wait a second.” Justice stepped back into Skylar’s path. “Have I done or said something to you that makes me a dick? I’ve only spoken to you once and that was today.”
Skylar looked up at the man in his way. Jesus, Justice Salvatore was tall – and oh, so very hot and yummy. Too bad he thought Skylar was a horrible slut; at least that was how Skylar had interpreted the words he overheard at the Valentine’s party. Hell, what else could he have meant?
“I have to go.” Skylar stepped around Justice again. A warm hand landed on his shoulder and Skylar whipped around. Justice stepped back, hands in the air.
“Whoa, hey, I’m not going to hurt you. I was just wondering if you wanted to watch the fireworks with me.”
“Look, whatever game you’re playing – I don’t want to play with you. I know exactly what you think of me, so stop pretending you want to hang out. I’m sure Riley will excuse you from having to play nice with me.”
Justice’s mouth fell open. “W-what?”
“I have to go.” Skylar ran. He didn’t know what Justice Salvatore was up to, but he’d heard the man with his own ears. He thought Skylar was horrible. That had been the very word he used. Horrible. Hot tears ran down his cheeks as he ran for the parking lot. He ran into Ryder and stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Ryder took a crying Skylar into his arms. He’d never seen Skylar cry and it was freaking him out.
“I just want to go home. Can we go home?” Skylar sniffled and wiped his eyes.
“Yeah, sure.” Ryder wrapped his arm around Skylar’s shoulder. “Whatever you want.”
**
Justice was dumbfounded. What the hell was that? He felt a presence next to him and looked over to see Riley wearing a look of concern.
“I swear I didn’t say anything mean. I even asked him to watch the fireworks with me,” Justice said quickly.
Riley nodded. “I know, I heard. I wonder what he’s talking about.”
“I don’t know,” Justice crossed his arms. “But I’m going to find out.”
**
Mateo sat back with Riley and the twins. The fireworks were about to go off. Dakota and Sam sat on the other side of them with Kane. The twins were awake and Matty was holding his sister’s hand. They were making noises at each other.
Mateo smiled down at his kids. Riley’s head leaned against his shoulder and Mateo kissed his forehead. The music started and cheers and whistles erupted around the Sound as the first firework shot high into the air. A burst of red followed by blue and white lit up the night sky. A high-pitched scream came from Maggie, and then the full-blown hard crying began.
Mateo took his daughter and pointed up at the sky.
“Look, it’s pretty! Daddy will never let anything hurt you, okay?” Mateo whispered in Maggie’s ear.
Matty snuggled into Riley and Kane was pointing up at the sky from Dakota’s arms. Neither one of them showed any fear whatsoever. Dakota nuzzled Kane’s face.
“That’s my big warrior.” Dakota leaned into Kane’s ear. “Daddy loves you.”
Sam held his family close, placing a kiss on Dakota’s head. He and Mateo locked eyes and both of them smiled.
Life was good.
~Chapter Eleven~
Mateo stepped into Cuffs and Stuff and eyed the place carefully. Music blared from the floor-to-ceiling speakers and half-dressed men writhed in a pile on the dance floor.
The heavy scent of testosterone was in the air. Riley’s hand slipped into his and they walked in further, making a path through the wall-to-wall people with Sam and Dakota right on their heels. Mateo recognized the firefighters and the cops in their group and waved.
Jesse Salvatore, the bouncer, was sitting at the bar with Ross Collins.
“You got here just in time!” Jesse shouted over the music.
“Oh? For what?” Riley shouted back.
Jesse motioned to the DJ. “He’s about to play the beloved firemen/cop dance song.”
“Oh, is that right?” Mateo leaned against the bar, pulling Riley against his chest.
“This should be good!” Sam laughed, leaning in to take the beer Jesse was handing him.
Dakota leaned back against his husband as the men formed a line on the dance floor. The music skipped, then started again and the men on the floor began removing their shirts.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming!” Riley laughed.
The screaming, shouting and whistling were deafening. Mateo looked over at Sam with a raised brow. A loud voice boomed through the music and screams.
“Well, hell! We came to the right place!”
Mateo groaned and looked over by the door. Josh Montgomery stood with Mark, and Troy and Sawyer. The world travelers had arrived.
Riley grinned and waved at them. “Come here, guys! Glad you got my text!”
Josh surveyed the dancing men on the floor. He’d worked with some of them, hung out with most of them, but seeing them dance was new.
“So, what did we miss?” Mark sat on one of the stools.
“Not much,” Riley sipped his beer. “Fireworks, kids shifting in public.”
Mark’s eyes widened and he leaned into Riley’s ear. “Were they seen?”
“Nah. Matty and Kane get close, but never blow their cover,” Riley chuckled. “I swear it’s a game.”
“You guys should get out there,” Sawyer winked at Troy.
“Us? Oh, we’d so put those guys to shame,” Troy laughed.
“Yeah, remember that strip club in Thailand – ” Josh began.
“Shut up, Josh!” the other Skull Blasters cried in unison.
Josh chuckled.
“Put your money where your mouth is, guys.”
Josh looked up to see Wyatt wearing a huge grin.
Josh lifted his chin and started walking towards the DJ booth. Mateo sat back against the bar and looked at his team. They’d danced before in public when they were on a mission. They could do it again.
“Well?” Troy waggled his eyebrows.
“I’m up for it.” Sam stretched his arms out and stood up.
“This should be good.” Dakota rubbed his hands together.
“A dance-off?” Jesse laughed. “I’ve got my money on the firefighters.”
“Oh is that so?” Riley narrowed his eyes. “I’ve got my money on the Skull Blasters.”
Mark nodded, as did Sawyer.
“Yep.”
Riley sat up higher on the stool as the music started. Josh, Mateo, Troy and Sam lined up on the floor across from the firefighters and cops. The club exploded in pandemonium as “Battleflag” by Lo Fidelity Allstars began to shake the floor. Mark was shouting at the top of his lungs as Josh’s shirt flew off, exposing his broad chest and huge biceps. One by one, the men of the Skull Blasters removed their shirts in interesting and sensual ways. Mateo’s shirt slid between his legs and he pumped his hips forward all while sliding the shirt back and forth.
Men were shouting, whistling and catcalling as the firemen responded in kind. Riley grabbed Mark and Sawyer, and they stood on the bar cheering their husbands on. Shirtless, sweating and gyrating, the Skull Blasters pushed the firemen back, all of them grabbing their crotches and shaking their asses.
“Holy shit!” Jesse shouted. “They’re good!”
“Imagine that in bed!” Riley laughed.
“Yeah, don’t imagine mine there, please,” Mark shouted.
“I think all these guys are imagining your men in bed,” Jesse cracked up.
Ross raised his hand. “Not all of them. Just one.”
Jesse waggled his eyebrows. “Cole?”
Ross laughed.
“Come on, baby!” Dakota shouted.
Sam shook his ass at his husban
d and winked. The four of them swung their hips lower and lower as they neared the floor. Josh threw an arm back on the floor and pumped his hips, the rest of the guys following in a line. Water sprayed from the ceiling and Riley jumped at the wetness showering all of them. Jesse was standing by the wall with a smile.
“I think it’s getting too hot in here!” Jesse shouted into the microphone. “I believe we have a tie! The sexiness in this club is off the charts! Make some noise for the guys!”
Riley jumped down off the bar and ran to his husband. Mateo caught him and their lips met in a hungry kiss. The water cascaded down on them and Riley held Mateo tight.
“I love you!” Riley shouted.
“Always will, babe.” Mateo slipped his fingers into Riley’s hair. “Always.”
***
The club had calmed down – somewhat. The floors had been mopped and people were back dancing on it.
Ross leaned back against the bar and eyed all the half-naked men dancing. Preston had gone to get them a drink and was waiting in line behind men clad in leather. He shot Ross a look and nodded discreetly at the man standing in front of him. He wore a thong and chaps. Ross restrained himself from laughing out loud and winked at Preston.
The stool next to him was suddenly occupied by a very large body and the man’s cologne wafted up his nostrils.
“So.”
Ross glanced to the side to see the man he had been thinking about for weeks smiling at him. Damn but the man’s eyes were so blue! His black hair was styled with product and was now wet, making it stick up in different directions on the top of his head. The faded blue jeans did nothing to hide the bulge in his pants and his wet T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and chest.
“Come here often?” Cole drawled.
Ross sat back and met with Cole’s eyes. His dick almost sprung free from his pants looking at the man’s rugged face.
“Seriously?” Ross arched an eyebrow.
Cole licked his lips, eyeing Ross’ tight jeans.
“I bet you’re a bossy bottom.” Cole let his eyes wander north to Ross’ face. The blue eyes were regarding him quizzically, and his beautiful lips were slightly parted.
Ross sat back and leaned one arm on the bar. He gave Cole a once-over and then stood up. Wedging himself between Cole’s thighs, he leaned into his ear.
“Let me guess,” Ross breathed heavily. “You want to take me home, get me down on my knees to suck your cock – which I’ll do quite well by the way – then you’ll bend me over and rim my ass until I scream for you to fuck me. Then you’ll shove what I’m sure is the most fabulous cock in my ass and ride me until I don’t know my own name.”
Cole swallowed hard and nodded his head slowly.
“Something along those lines, yeah.”
Ross smiled, running his hand up Cole’s inner thigh and resting it right along his cock. The smell of testosterone and arousal was emanating from the firefighter.
“I’m sure it would be a religious experience. I have to say, you are one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever seen.” Ross pulled away and backed up. “And then you opened your mouth.”
Ross fanned his nose.
“I smell a ho, and as much as I’d love to take that trip to naughty land with you, I’m afraid my stop is right here. So keep that thought in your head of what it would have been like. Nice seeing you again.” Ross smiled and made his way over to Preston.
Cole finally snapped out of his daze and stood up.
“Hey, Ross.”
Ross looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I love a challenge.” Cole waggled his eyebrows.
“Consider me Mount Everest and move on, sweetie.”
Ross narrowed his eyes and followed Preston to a booth.
Cole crossed his arms and licked his lips, thinking about Ross’ words. Hot damn that had awakened his cock. Chaz was making his way through the crowded dance floor. Cole sat back down and grinned at his friend.
“Uh oh. I know that look.” Chaz studied Cole’s face. “What happened?”
“That Ross guy just shut me down. And let me just say he did it in fine fashion.”
“Yeah?” Chaz grinned. “Wait, if he shot you down, why are you smiling?” Chaz narrowed his eyes at Cole. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes. The gauntlet has been thrown, my friend.”
***
Dakota swayed in his husband’s arms, his head leaning against Sam’s broad – and now wet – chest. Sam’s arms tightened around his waist and Dakota got a nice feel of Sam’s hardened cock on his hip. He chuckled and got on his tiptoes.
“Is that for me? Or did that guy in chaps do it for you?”
Sam chuckled.
“You are the only man who does it for me, Dakota. And you always will be.”
“Are you ready to go home? I miss Kane.”
Sam smiled. Even though Kane was his biologically, Dakota thought of him as his own son. He loved that about his husband.
“Because he is my son.” Dakota smiled up at Sam. “He’s part of you, and I love all of you.”
“Stop listening in,” Sam chuckled against Dakota’s lips.
“Let’s go home and make love.”
“Hell, you don’t have to ask me twice.”
They stopped by the rest of the group on their way out. Sam extended his hand to his guys with a wink.
“I think it’s time for us to go. We’ll see you soon though, right?”
The other three men put their hands out and Sam laid his on the top of the pile.
“Always together,” Mateo said, looking at his guys.
“Hell, yeah,” came the response.
~*Epilogue*~
“Mateo, see anything?” Josh whispered.
“I see everything, jackass. I’m wearing night vision goggles,” Mateo whispered into his mic.
“I don’t get why you don’t just use your wolfie abilities,” Josh remarked.
“Because he’s old school,” Troy whispered into his mic with a chuckle. “Emphasis on the OLD.”
“Shove it, Bishop. Just because I’m a werewolf doesn’t mean I’m going to throw years of training out the window. I was a first-class assassin before I became a werewolf,” Mateo huffed.
“Hey, Larry, Mo and Curly, we have hostiles making their way in now,” Sam interrupted.
There was a loud thud behind him and Mateo shook his head with a smile. “Hello, Nikolai.”
“Dude, how did you know?”
“Testosterone,” came the reply from Sam and Troy through the mic.
Nikolai sighed loudly.
“Okay, so anyway,” Nikolai peered down the hallway. “I took out assholes one and two by the north side entrance.”
Mateo looked over his shoulder at the younger Markov. He was covered in blood. Again.
“What the hell happened to you?”
Nikolai grinned.
“Well, asshole one decided he didn’t want to tell me shit. So, I offered him quick and painless or slow and torturous. He chose the latter.”
“And?” Mateo raised his brows.
“I jumped rope with his intestines. Did you know that the small intestine is twen—”
Mateo raised his hand to stop Nikolai’s words. “I get it. Okay, so we got the snipers outside, the expendables in the middle, and now we have the big bad at the end.” Mateo looked at his watch. “So, after this we get a beer?”
Josh chuckled into his headset, keeping a close eye on the guards.
“And pizza.”
“The rest of the guys are spread out on top for runners.” Nikolai looked up at the ceiling. “I’m going through the vent. See you on the other side.”
“Make it hurt, Nik,” Mateo winked at the kid.
“It’s my specialty,” Nikolai grinned.
Mateo leaned back against the wall and crouched down. They were back at work. After the babies were born, Mateo didn’t think he’d be going out on missions for a while. But Riley had basically kick
ed him out of the house, saying that he was bitchy and needed to go kill something.
Mateo chuckled softly at the memory. There were so many reasons he loved Riley.
Another set of guards moved through and Mateo motioned to Josh at the other end of the hall. They both moved forward in silence.
Mateo drew his knife from its sheath and crept around low to the ground, his eyes following Josh’s movements. Even though Josh was still human, he was quick. The guards never saw them coming. Mateo sprang out, grabbing the guard across his neck and pulling him backwards. He slid his knife into the man’s lung.
“Shh,” Mateo whispered. “You’ll wake everyone.”
Josh came around the corner with his own guard. He was dressed in all black, blending into the darkness.
“We got two over here.” Troy dragged his own guard into a room. “I found an empty space to hide the bodies.” Troy chuckled as the man he was holding struggled in his grip. “You make one sound and I’ll cut your tongue out.”
“Sam?” Mateo dragged his man down the empty hall.
“Coming to you now.”
“Someone’s going to have a nasty cleaning bill.” Josh shook his head.
Mateo cocked his head to the side. He whipped around, his knife leaving his fingers at lightning fast speed. Another guard flew against the wall as the knife pierced his heart.
Josh grabbed Mateo’s guard and motioned to the knife. “Werewolf ability?”
“Nope, that was all me,” Mateo grinned, pulling his knife from the man’s chest. He shook his finger at the man. “It’s not nice to sneak up on people.”
“I’ve got the door open.” Sam looked around. “We have a problem.”
“What’s up?” Mateo dragged the men into the room Troy had secured.
“The cross bridge is pulled in. It’s at least fifty feet across, if not more.”
Mateo looked at Josh. “How much do you weigh?”
Josh shrugged. “Two fifty?” He noticed the raised eyebrows from both Troy and Mateo. “What? Mark’s a great cook.”
“Okay,” Mateo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The mines that joined Arizona and Mexico were a lot deeper than the ones near Tucson. There were drops everywhere into nothing but blackness. They had also been around longer and someone had gone to great lengths to make them very liveable – including air ducts running throughout. They had come to this one just to check it out and had found half naked women, as well as small children, in horrible condition.
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