by J. M. Dabney
“I’m headed out.”
Gage pushed away from the wall and approached Francis. The slightly shorter man slapped Francis on the back. They moved quickly to hide behind a tall rack and removed the cap from the syringe. Francis stepped out into the hall and watched Gage disappear at the end of the hall. While Francis’ back was turned, they struck.
They tightly fisted the plastic until the edges cut into their hand. Lowering their head, they bumped into Francis. One quick jab to the thigh and they pushed down the plunger.
“Excuse me, sir.”
They glanced back, recognition filled the man’s gaze, and they smiled as Francis attempted to step forward. They quickened their steps.
“Stop,” Francis bellowed, he closed the distance, but Francis stumbled.
Fear filled their chest as Francis pursued and just as Francis grabbed them, tried to throw them to the ground but they fought out of the loosening hold. They hit the ground and kicked. The tranquilizer weakened the much stronger and bigger man, but it didn’t knock him out like they’d assumed it would.
One solid kick, his head snapped back, and the man went still. They struggled out from under him and crouched, searching left and right, thankful for the emptiness of the lower levels.
Payback within their reach, all they needed was patience and time.
They rushed to Francis’ feet and dragged him through a swinging door into a deserted, darkened room. Their breathing was harsh with the exertion of moving the huge man. Killing the bastard would be so easy, one more shot or just slit his throat, but they needed the man. They stared down at Francis and decided killing the man seemed a more viable option. Francis was at their mercy.
The soft echo of steps reached them, and they ducked down as a doctor passed by the large glass. Part of them thankful for the distraction. Francis would run to Fielding, and they’d be there to follow, Trenton Security couldn’t keep them away from Fielding—not anymore.
Sixteen
Bodyguard Down
The words that had just echoed through the house brought dread to his stomach. Possible man down, it was simply three words yelled by Linus, and he was frozen. Livingston hadn’t come for him in two days. They’d told him it was for the best. Livingston was the man assigned to him and the safest bet to follow if the stalker didn’t believe their setup.
Once he got his limbs moving, he jumped off the couch and ran toward the front door.
“Is—”
He couldn’t finish the question, and Raul grabbed his upper arms.
“We don’t know anything yet. Livingston isn’t checking in or answering his phone, but it could just be his phone is dead. Don’t borrow trouble before we know there is some.”
He gave a jerky nod. “What are you all going to do?”
“I’m headed out to check the second location. Hunter is pinging Liv’s GPS for a location. That man of yours is a beast, and as long as I’ve known him, nothing has kept Liv down. I promise—”
“Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.”
He didn’t recognize the harshness of his tone. It angered him that Raul tried to placate him. He didn’t need that bullshit.
“You’ve been hanging out with Liv too long. Get back to the living room and stay away from the windows, if someone did try to take Livingston down then they might be searching for your location. Your man is going to be pissed if we don’t keep you safe.”
Raul pressed a kiss to his forehead, and it felt wrong to have someone else’s mouth on him even in as an innocent place as his forehead. He wasn’t supposed to let anyone else touch him. He’d obeyed Livingston’s rules even if the man wasn’t around.
He nodded again and stepped back as the front door opened, Raul and Linus disappeared out of it. Little and Pure herded him back to the couch. Blackout curtains covered the windows.
“Why was Livingston alone?”
“Gage and him have been taking turns at the morgue. He showed up to relieve Gage. They talked for a few. Gage realized he forgot something, and when he returned to the hospital an hour later…no sign of Liv. Peaches went by the other safe house and Livingston wasn’t there. No sign of a struggle.”
“He’s not one to go back on his promise, and he promised to take care of me.”
“I’m sure Liv will do everything in his power to get back to you, but we’re sure he’s okay.”
Pure was trying to be assuring, but Little didn’t look convinced. He wasn’t a child, and he preferred if they just told him what was going on instead of trying to lull him with pretty lies. That made it official; he’d been around Livingston too long.
“Let’s play some strip poker.” Little ran from the room and came back with a deck of cards.
“Daddy wouldn’t like that.”
He tried not to laugh as Little seemed to deflate and stuck his bottom lip out. For a huge, scary looking man, Little was adorable. He wouldn’t say that out loud, though.
Little snorted in disgust. “You boys and your Daddies.”
“Don’t lump me in, I have no interest in Daddies or being on my knees.”
“That’s because you’ve never had sex.”
“I don’t need to have sex to say that I don’t wish for someone to dominate and degrade me.”
He frowned at Pure and sat down on the opposite couch. Then he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.
“Why do you think sex is about being degraded?”
Pure shrugged his massive shoulders and seemed to find something on his laptop interesting. The man zoned out like no one else in the room existed.
“Let’s go see if we can find something for dinner.” Little grabbed his arm and tugged him off to the kitchen.
He batted Little’s hands away. The big man didn’t need to be in his space. He opened his mouth to tell Little to stop touching him, and a big hand raised to cut him off.
“You don’t have to tell me your Daddy wouldn’t like me touching you. Pure needs a minute.”
“Is he okay?”
“We give him shit, but he always gives as good as he gets, but personal sex questions make him zone.”
“Was he—”
“Unless he wants to share, it ain’t our business.”
“I took you for an invasive sort.”
“Not everyone is who you assume them to be.”
That made him frown almost as much as Pure’s thought on sex. His paranoia spiked as he took a small step backward toward the door. How did someone find Livingston? If something happened, did a person the team trusted betray them?
“You’re more paranoid than I am.” Little grinned and looked back over his shoulder, his green eyes twinkled.
Little winked and turned back to staring into the fridge.
“What?”
“You’re assuming that a person on the team or a trusted individual ambushed your man. I’m crazy, I admit it, and sometimes I don’t like it, but it is what it is.”
Guilt assailed him at the hint of sadness that colored Little’s voice. He was being an asshole. He knew Livingston just wouldn’t leave him. Livingston made a promise to him. He slowly exhaled and focused on Little. It was better than wondering if his Daddy was alive or not.
“We all have our issues. Livingston’s sending you home, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he was honest with me that it wouldn’t last past finding my stalker or when it was time to leave to start filming.”
The knowledge that Livingston didn’t want to keep him killed him, but he tried to understand.
“Why did you say yes then? You’re not someone who gives your ass up just for pretty words.”
“Livingston didn’t give me pretty words.” Livingston made no promises beyond a sexual relationship. He’d admit that hurt, but part of him hoped for something more—that Livingston would hold onto him.
Little pivoted on his toes and stared at him. The attention started to make him uncomfortable.
“What did he give you?”
&
nbsp; “What do you mean?”
“Can we talk just between us?”
“Are you trying to distract me?”
“I know you’re bordering on panic because Liv is missing, but I really want to know what he gave you, besides the D of course.”
He rolled his eyes at Little, and the odd man smirked, waggling his brows.
“You’re sex-obsessed.”
“Man, if you ain’t getting any you’d be sex-obsessed too. My last four dates ditched me before dinner showed up.”
“Why—”
“Fielding.”
Livingston called his name, and he was barely halfway down the hall before he was in Livingston’s arms. He clutched at the big man and Livingston returned the tight embrace. Firm lips stroked his wet cheeks.
“What happened?” His question was broken as he tried to suppress his sobs.
“Someone bumped me during the stakeout. They stuck me. I have to ask you some questions.”
“Okay,” he answered as Livingston led him to the living room.
Livingston eased him down on the couch, but instead of sitting beside him, Livingston took a seat on the coffee table. Livingston looked pale and his features drawn between anger and something else that he couldn’t name. Livingston was so strong and self-sufficient, being taken down couldn’t be sitting well with the big man.
“I know we’ve asked these questions before, but I need you to think. The person I saw before I passed out was maybe hundred-forty-pounds, five-eight, blond hair, androgynous, could be a man or woman. Have you seen anyone—”
“Shit, I think I know who it is,” Little yelled.
Livingston jerked his gaze to Little. “What the fuck do you mean you know who it is?”
“Exactly what I said, there’s a new guy at Decadence. Well, they are pretty androgynous, so they could be trans. I can’t remember what their name is. When no one’s looking, they’re always snarling their nose. I think Ben said they talked about that their family used to live around here. They came to get away for a while.”
“Raul,” Livingston bellowed.
“I’m on it. I’ll go wake Ben and Psycho up see if I can get a location.”
“Why the fuck didn’t we hear about a newbie in town. They always stick out.”
Livingston’s hands were curved around the back of his calves, and his thumbs stroked in small soothing circles. But he didn’t know if the big man was trying to calm him or himself.
“Unassuming, probably did enough research to drop some names here and there. We didn’t think this person was stupid,” Pure answered and started to type away on his keyboard.
“I want to know how the fuck they knew Fielding was brought here, and I want to know now.”
“I’ll get Hunter and Little on it. I doubt our guy is stupid enough to go back to Decadence.” Linus crossed his arms over his chest and rested back against the wall. “Where the fuck you taking him?”
“I got a place, but I want to keep it to myself.”
“I gotta know where you’re at, Francis.”
“Sorry, Linus, where I’m going I can’t tell you. It’s not just Fielding’s ass I’m covering.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it, my boy, my rules.”
Fielding’s attention bounced back and forth as he watched Linus and Livingston, the tension amping up between the two men. Two alphas fighting for dominance. Observing them, he didn’t know how they existed in the same space.
“Your boy, huh?”
“Fuck you, Trenton.”
Livingston surged to his feet, fists clenched at his sides and he stood, backing up out of the danger zone. The Trenton team moved in to break up the imminent brawl.
“Don’t like the truth, Francis?” Linus asked with a cold smile.
“Knock off the contest of the biggest cock; we got a job to do.” Gage pushed between Linus and Livingston. “Liv, go do what you gotta to do, but you know if shit goes nuclear then we need to know where you’re at.”
“We’re going camping.”
“Fuck no, Liv, those boys ain’t right out there.”
“Who better to watch my boy’s ass?”
“I hope like fuck you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m doing what I gotta do.”
Livingston stepped back as if he didn’t want to give his team an opening to attack him.
“Come on, Fielding, we gotta go.”
He didn’t question just took the hand Livingston held out to him.
“When those fuckers kill you in your sleep, I’m not going to avenge your death; you got me?”
“Perfectly.”
What was going on? Livingston didn’t speak to him as he was helped into the big man’s vehicle and they drove on into the night toward the man’s cabin. Fear and anxiousness twisted his gut as he tried to figure out where his life went wrong.
Seventeen
This Wasn’t His Forte
Two hours of silence and he didn’t know what to say. He was taking his boy into a dangerous situation. His friends weren’t right in the head, that’s why they lived off the grid in the woods. Neither of them were afraid to get their hands bloody. They relished the pain they inflicted on others. Even though he knew and understood that, he trusted the two men. The only thing he could do was go with his gut, and that told him to get the hell out of town.
This wasn’t his fucking forte. Gentling and easing his boy’s nervousness wasn’t a job he was equipped to handle. Some little fucker had taken him down with ease, and his pride stung, but he didn’t want to put his boy in danger over his hurt ego. It wasn’t his choice, though. He and his team might bend the rules, yet he needed people who didn’t think the rules applied at all.
He stacked the last of the camping gear beside the door and glanced to where Fielding sat on the bed, his slender hands folded in his lap. He strode across the room and crouched down in front of his boy. All he’d thought about as he fought to get his limbs to work was that Fielding was unprotected. He didn’t care that his team was with Fielding. Keeping his boy safe was his job, and he’d let his dick get in the way.
“Fielding…” He peeked up at the man’s face that was shielded by a fall of soft, honey-colored hair. “I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know you will, but I’m making your life harder than it needs to be.”
He couldn’t help but smile—Fielding was way too sweet for him. “My life has been hard since my first breath, and that had nothing to do with you. This should’ve been a straightforward protection job. We let our egos get in the way.”
“I just want it over with.”
He took Fielding’s face in his hands and leaned forward to press his mouth to Fielding’s.
“And it will be soon; I promise you that.”
He spoke to him soothingly between soft kisses and tried to ignore that his body and mind screamed for him to take—to own.
“I don’t want you and anyone else hurt because of me.”
“This isn’t your fault, listen closely, boy, you have someone who’s mixed up in the head that believes you belong to them. You didn’t ask to become someone’s obsession. When this is over, you can go home, and your life will go back to normal.”
“I don’t want normal.”
He knew what Fielding believed he wanted. His boy wanted some happily ever after that he couldn’t give him. When this was over, Fielding would realize the mistake the boy made by giving himself to the beast. He didn’t want Fielding to regret the time they spent together, but he also couldn’t allow the boy to think that he was going to keep him. That wasn’t a mistake he was going to make. Ruining his boy’s life wasn’t something he was going to do, but he wanted to give his boy a few good memories—make the time Fielding spent with him a pleasant memory at least.
“I know you’re not going to keep me when the job is over. You don’t have to—”
He cut off the words with a hard, rough kiss. He th
rust his tongue between Fielding’s lips in desperation. Being a bastard was normal for him. He didn’t know how to be any different.
Fielding’s hands fisted in his shirt, and he broke the kiss, only pulled back far enough to look into his beautiful boy’s watery blue eyes. Those tears tore at his blackened and broken soul. It made him wish he was different as impossible as he understood it was.
“Fuck me, Daddy, please.”
“Baby boy,” he whispered as he started to straighten. He needed to put a safe distance between them. Fighting the grip Fielding had on him, he stood and began to turn away.
“Please, I know it’s all you can give me, and I need it. I’ll beg.” Fielding slipped off the bed and fell to his knees.
He studied Fielding’s pretty face as the boy worked his belt loose and had his pants undone, he threw his head back as Fielding took his cock into his mouth.
“Fuck, boy, you know how to make your Daddy weak.”
He sunk his fingers into Fielding’s hair, the strands silky as they tickled his skin. He groaned as he held Fielding’s head still and fucked his fat dick between those plump lips. He hated and savored what he saw in Fielding’s eyes. Naming it wouldn’t do either of them any good, but he put aside the knowledge that his boy thought he loved him. He couldn’t accept it.
He forced Fielding to take his entire length, his boy’s back slightly bowed as he choked. He used a thumb to gather a single tear and bring it to his mouth. He tore his boy away from him and threw him on the bed, and then he roughly ripped Fielding’s pants down until only his boy’s smooth, pale ass was exposed.
He didn’t say a word as he jerked open the bedside table, removed the bottle of lube. His patience was at an end. He needed to reassure himself that his boy was alive and all his, he prepped Fielding. The tightness and heat around one finger then four was indescribable. He added more lube to his hand and placed his free one between Fielding’s shoulder blades. Minutes or hours could’ve passed as he pushed his boy to his limits.
