by K. L. Hiers
“Jimmy?” Cold stopped immediately, turning back to him. “Jimmy, what’s wrong?”
“I’m... I’m...” Jimmy shook his head, unable to articulate a single thought. He could feel tears burning his eyes, and he gasped sharply.
“Breathe,” Cold commanded firmly, moving back to Jimmy’s side and laying a strong hand on the back of his neck.
Jimmy inhaled, ragged, aching, but kept going. He focused on Cold’s hand, its warmth, and the familiar way it curled around his neck. He nodded weakly, and his breaths started to slow.
“Whoever is here will not harm you,” Cold promised with a dangerous edge to his tone. “You’re safe here with me.”
Gulping, Jimmy tried not to think about the implications of that statement. He could see the pearl of Cold’s guns glinting beneath his jacket in their holsters. He expected for his panic to increase, but he felt weirdly calm.
Cold would keep him safe, that was without question. Jimmy knew the lengths he would go to.
The thought was an unexpected balm to his anxiety, soothing it away until he could finally speak. “Yes. Y-yes, I know. I’m okay.”
Cold kissed his forehead, and his attention was drawn to the doorway when quick footsteps started coming down the hall.
Jerry was there, saying something urgent in French. He looked angry, and Jimmy didn’t think he had seen Jerry so frazzled before.
“Perfect.” Cold smiled like a cat who had just caught a mouse. He gave Jimmy’s neck a gentle squeeze. “Put our guest in the lounge. I’ll be right there.”
“Please don’t go,” Jimmy said, reaching up to hold Cold’s wrist.
“Jimmy,” Cold warned. “This is business.”
“Who’s here? I don’t care! I just, I really don’t want you to go!” Jimmy pleaded. He would get on his knees if he had to. He was still trembling and ready to come flying off the sofa. “Please.”
“Monsieur?” Jerry asked quietly.
Tilting his head for a thoughtful moment, Cold finally replied, “Show him in.” His thumb traced the hair along the nape of Jimmy’s neck. “As for you... Mr. Poe?”
Jimmy shivered, his frantic thoughts quieting. He took a deep breath as he gazed up at Cold. “Yes, sir?”
“You want to be a good boy for me, don’t you?” Cold was as smooth as silk, patiently waiting for Jimmy’s breathing to slow. “Now, all you have to do is sit with me and be silent. Can you do that, Mr. Poe?”
“Yes, sir,” Jimmy replied, letting himself slip into a submissive haze. He felt safe, his worries fading, and he settled back down obediently on the couch. He could do this.
This was easy. All he had to do was be quiet, and he would be a good boy for Cold.
There was a scrambling of footsteps, and Stephen Blalock came bursting into the room. His hair was a mess, his suit disheveled, and his eyes were about to pop out of his head.
Jerry was right behind him, clearing his throat as he announced, “Monsieur Blalock is here to see you.”
“Hello,” Cold said, smiling casually as he sat back down next to Jimmy. He kept his hand on Jimmy’s neck, petting him gently as he asked, “What an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Blalock.”
“You set me up, you son of a bitch!” Blalock screamed frantically. “That bullshit at the prison? Do you have any idea how hard that was to make go away? And you just couldn’t stop! You just couldn’t fucking stop!”
Cold remained seated, cool as ever, picking up his newspaper and glancing over the front page. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“The phone recordings I gave to Champignon, you set it up to make it look like I got them from you! And the Luchesis found out!”
“Well,” Cold said smugly, “you are working with them, aren’t you?”
Blalock flushed, sweating profusely as he yelled, “Don’t you get it? Some of those fucking recordings were about the Luchesi family! You fucking knew it the whole time! Now they think I’m actually working for you! They think I’ve double crossed them!”
“That’s unfortunate, Mr. Blalock.”
“You fucking heartless son of a bitch!” Blalock was starting to cry. “Fix this! You have to tell them I didn’t know! They’re going to kill me!”
“Sounds like a personal problem.” Cold shrugged. “Perhaps you should have taken that into consideration before using my husband as bait and trying to kill me. Next time, tell Gary...” He smirked nastily. “Oh, silly me. That’s right. There won’t be a next time for Gary.”
Blalock paled.
“And there won’t be for you,” Cold drawled, glancing down at his nails. “Unless... oh, I don’t suppose you’d be very interested.”
“Interested in what?” Blalock asked desperately.
“Coming over to the winning side,” Cold said with a smirk.
“What...?”
“Should I use smaller words?”
“You want me to work for you,” Blalock scoffed weakly. He took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his face. “To betray the Luchesi family.”
“Fun fact,” Cold chirped, sounding almost gleeful. “They already think you have. Our friends at the FBI are going to come to the conclusion that you’re playing both sides if you don’t make a decision... but perhaps I could talk to them.”
“And if I do agree to help you?” Blalock was suspicious now. “How can you guarantee that? Who the hell do you have at the FBI?”
“Someone who can make the evidence against you go away,” Cold replied. “I can clear your slate of your pesky dealings with the Luchesi family.”
“And what the hell do I have to do in return?”
“Nothing any worse than what you did for the Luchesis,” Cold replied smoothly. “Very soon, Miss Beccali is going to file a motion to have my charges dismissed.”
“Ha,” Blalock said miserably. “Of course she is. You’ve destroyed our case.” He held out his hands miserably. “There’s nothing left to fucking prosecute you with.”
“Which is why you’re going to make sure there is no appeal to the judge’s ruling when the motion is passed,” Cold warned. “The city is going to let me walk.”
“Fine,” Blalock agreed glumly. He wiped off his forehead and put his handkerchief away. “I’ll do it.”
“Oh, and you’re going to file charges against Agent Champignon.”
“What?”
“You’re going to name him as the informant who’s been leaking information to the Luchesi family. After all, how else did they know where to find poor Mr. Potolsky?”
“And the receipts at the prison?”
“Obviously, those were from Champignon. They were tagged to you by mistake. A clerical error that’s easily resolved.”
“The recordings?”
“Champignon’s name is the last one on the chain of custody, not yours.”
Blalock collapsed into a nearby chair, holding his face in his hands.
Even under the spell of Cold’s unrelenting touch, Jimmy was in awe of his power. Cold’s plan was all coming together so perfectly, and Blalock was completely trapped.
Jerry offered Blalock a glass of liquor, and Blalock gulped it down so fast that he almost choked. He stared miserably at Cold, sighing, “I knew you were smart. That stunt you pulled last year was a real piece of work. But this...”
Cold smiled.
“You really do have it all fuckin’ figured out, don’t you?”
“I certainly make a valiant effort,” Cold replied smugly. “Now, as a gesture of goodwill for our new friendship, I’ll be sending Mickey Tamerlane and some of our boys to keep an eye on you.”
“Mickey... the Shadow?” Blalock began to visibly sweat again.
“The Luchesis are still in the city,” Cold explained. “I don’t need them killing you before you can ensure there’s no appeal from the city. It would be terribly inconvenient for me.”
“Inconvenient,” Blalock repeated.
“Yes.”
“Well, I guess I know why they call you ‘Cold
’ now,” Blalock snorted. He looked at Jimmy, asking shortly, “Nothing to say, Mr. Poe? Aren’t you happy? You’ve fuckin’ won your first case.”
Jimmy blinked slowly and turned his head to Cold. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to speak or not.
“Refrain from speaking to my husband,” Cold said with a flash of his teeth. “Now or ever.”
“Right, okay, sorry,” Blalock mumbled, holding up his hands in apology.
“Jerry?” Cold called. “Could you please see Mr. Blalock out? Our business is concluded.”
“Of course, monsieur,” Jerry said, gesturing for Blalock to follow him.
Blalock hastily reached out to shake Cold’s hand, stammering, “Thank you, uh, for working with me.”
Cold did not take Blalock’s hand. “We’ll be in touch.”
Jerry ushered Blalock out, leaving Cold and Jimmy alone once more.
“Are you all right, Mr. Poe?” Cold asked, gently petting his hair.
“Yes, sir,” Jimmy replied. Despite the comforting cloud hovering over his mind, he was still fully aware of Cold’s master scheming he’d just witnessed at play. “The evidence, that night on the phone...”
“Planned,” Cold confirmed.
“You knew he would come to you.”
“I took some precautions, yes.” Cold began sliding his fingers down Jimmy’s neck and tracing the shell of his ear. “I was certain that I could take advantage of Blalock’s ties to the Luchesi family. I just had to be patient.”
“You couldn’t let the Luchesis know you were setting up Blalock,” Jimmy said, gazing drowsily up at Cold. “Or you wouldn’t have been able to use him.”
“Precisely so.” Cold paused and appraised Jimmy’s expression. “Keep breathing for me. Nice and easy. Take one deep breath. Right now.”
Jimmy inhaled as ordered, exhaling slowly.
“Take another.”
Jimmy did, and he felt totally relaxed. The fear had left, and he knew he was safe. Now that the anguish had faded, he was left embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Cold said, his tone still quite firm. “You’re human, Mr. Poe, a human who has experienced severe trauma.”
“Trauma?” Jimmy echoed, the word somehow alien and unfamiliar. He honestly didn’t consider himself traumatized, but he knew he had problems with anxiety.
And blood.
Jimmy shivered.
“All the death you’ve seen,” Cold explained gently. “The murders, the violence... it’s trauma, Jimmy. Starting with the death of your mother when you were young, it has certainly been aggravated since the conception of our relationship.”
“It’s still there,” Jimmy confessed quietly. “The fear... I know it’s gone right now, but I know it’s gonna come back.” He closed his eyes. “It’s always here.”
“I’m still here, too,” Cold said, his strong hands sliding along Jimmy’s throat and holding him gently.
Jimmy pressed forward, leaning into Cold’s grip until it made him gasp.
Cold’s fingers twitched as if he wanted to squeeze down, but he didn’t. He moved his hands down Jimmy’s shoulders and rubbed at the tense muscles he found there. “Get on your knees for me.”
“What?”
“On your knees, Mr. Poe,” Cold repeated more firmly, using that voice that always made him shiver. “Come on, get in my lap.”
Jimmy got up and obediently straddled Cold’s legs, and he sighed as Cold’s quick fingers began to unbutton his jeans.
“Hold up your shirt,” Cold ordered.
Jimmy bunched up his shirt as Cold pulled his jeans down. His belly was damp with sweat, and the air felt nice and cool against his flushed skin.
He didn’t have to worry about being afraid when Cold took over. He could give himself to the other man completely and let him rule his body and mind. It was an instant relief, and his eyes fluttered shut as Cold traced the hem of his underwear.
“You have scars that no one else can see,” Cold said softly, his thumbs pressing along the line of Jimmy’s hips. “I know they haunt you. They probably always will, but I will be here to remind you that you do not have to be controlled by them.”
Jimmy whimpered quietly as Cold’s fingers slid down to pet his cock through his underwear. He twitched, getting hard fast beneath his hot touch.
“You are strong, Mr. Poe.” Cold’s fingers traced along his shaft, his thumb stroking over the silky head. “While you cannot keep the fears from returning, we can work on how you respond to them...”
“And when they come back, sir?” Jimmy asked breathlessly.
“I will chase them away,” Cold replied confidently as he pulled Jimmy’s cock out. “I will always be here to hold you, to command you, to remind you that you are strong and fierce.”
Jimmy squeaked when the tip of his cock slid into Cold’s mouth, hot and wet, and gone all too soon. He fisted his shirt, and he could feel his thighs tremble briefly.
“I would take all that pain away if I could,” Cold promised, licking up Jimmy’s cock with surprising tenderness. “All I can offer is techniques to work through it, to help ease your anxiety and bring you back to me when you slip away.”
“Oh, Rod,” Jimmy whispered, his voice cracking with the emotions all struggling to surface inside of him. “I love you so much... thank... thank you... I’m... I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Mmm, that’s something you will never have to worry about,” Cold assured him. He took Jimmy’s cock back into his mouth, deeper now, all the way to the back of his throat until Jimmy moaned.
“Fuck, Rod!” Jimmy squealed, his hips hitching forward, and he had to force himself to hold back.
Cold pulled off before Jimmy could get any real friction, fondling his balls and squeezing them gently. His thumb slid back behind them, pressing down against his taint as he licked around the head of Jimmy’s cock.
Jimmy couldn’t look away, completely mesmerized by the awesome sight of his cock slipping into Cold’s hot mouth. He wanted to thrust and touch, but he hadn’t been given permission yet.
“Look at how well you’re doing for me,” Cold praised. “How you keep so still for me, your hands right there where I want them... You’re such a good boy, so strong, so very brave for me...”
Jimmy was hanging on every word, his heart pounding harder with each syllable. He could feel the heat of climax tightening up in his loins, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.
“Please, sir,” he begged, whimpering with need. “Please. I don’t think I can... I don’t think I can keep going...”
Cold urged him with gentle noises, sucking him down to the base of his dick and pressing again at his taint. He pulled off with a soft gasp, growling, “You’ve been so good, Mr. Poe... come for me.”
Jimmy cried out as Cold latched back on his cock and grabbed a firm handful of his ass, encouraging him to rock forward. Jimmy teetered and slapped a hand down on Cold’s shoulder to steady himself.
Cold forced him to slam into his throat, and the intense friction made Jimmy come in seconds. He groaned loudly as his climax surged, his hips jerking erratically as Cold sucked down his cum.
“Fuck,” Jimmy whimpered, beaming drowsily down at Cold. He felt like he’d just finished running a marathon. He was drained and happy, joy tingling down in the soles of his feet.
Cold took out his handkerchief to wipe off his mouth, asking smugly, “Feel better?”
“Much,” Jimmy replied with a dopey grin. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Thank you for letting me.” Cold got Jimmy’s underwear and jeans back up, urging him to sit down in his lap. “I know a thing or two about dealing with trauma, Jimmy.”
Jimmy hesitated, but he was dying to hear more.
As long as they had been together, Cold rarely discussed his past. Jimmy knew where a few of his many scars came from, none of them good, but Cold had never shared much of the details.
“That’s why... that’s why you like to be in control?” Jimmy asked carefully. “Right?”
Sliding a hand up into Jimmy’s hair, Cold replied quietly, “Yes. I’m able to keep my emotions in check with strict self-discipline, but it took years to develop. I wasn’t always... Cold.”
“Kinda hard to imagine,” Jimmy said with a breathless laugh.
“I was once scared and foolish, made mistakes.” Cold paused. “Mistakes that I’m paying for now, mind you. I finally learned to rein in my feelings, and I put myself in a position where I could control who touched me and when and how they did. That was especially important to me.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever learn to control my feelings,” Jimmy sighed bitterly. “It’s like... I feel everything, all the time, and it’s multiplied by a thousand. It just, it just swallows me up until I can’t breathe.”
“Jimmy,” Cold soothed, caressing his cheek, “anyone who is not sympathetic to your experiences and expects you to be an unfeeling machine can get fucked.”
Jimmy snorted, laughing unexpectedly. He rarely heard Cold curse like that, and the sentiment made him smile. “Get fucked, huh?”
“Repeatedly,” Cold confirmed with a smirk.
“You always know just what to say,” Jimmy chuckled. He leaned forward to rest his head on Cold’s shoulder, curling into his chest with a long sigh.
Cold wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back in little circles. “I would never expect you to shut down your emotions. No two people will ever handle their pain in the same manner. In a way, I’m envious of you.”
“Of me?” Jimmy lifted up his head. “Why?”
“Because of your ability to feel so deeply,” Cold replied. “There are moments that I wish I could still access those emotions...” He leaned in to softly kiss Jimmy’s lips. “It’s part of why I love you so much. When we’re together, I get to experience those emotions again. Through you. With you. The things you make me feel... oh, Jimmy. It’s priceless.”
“I love you,” Jimmy whispered. He was so touched, and he didn’t have any other response.
