When the Dead Speak

by Bailey Bradford

  Brendon didn’t so much as blink at Sev’s tone. “What’s going on in there?” He tapped Sev’s temple with a finger.

  “Nothing I feel like sharing.” Sev smiled to take the sting out of his words. “I have a lot to think about, that’s all.”

  “Like what’s going on between you and Laine?”

  Sev groaned and rolled his eyes. “God, you are one of those guys who likes to share, aren’t you?”

  Brendon snorted and shook his head. “Not particularly into sharing, but I am worried about my friend.”

  That told Sev where he stood with Brendon, didn’t it? “I’m worried about him, too, Brendon. Someone wants to hurt him, and that isn’t me.” That was as much as he’d offer about…whatever it was that was going on between him and Laine.

  Brendon’s mouth tightened, and for a minute, Sev thought the man was going to tear into him, but he didn’t. Instead, he took Sev’s arm and guided him to the bathtub. “Okay. Let me just say that, while you might not want to hurt him, he’s very… He’s a special guy.” Brendon huffed out a breath. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but I can tell I’m pissing you off, and that wasn’t my intention. Let’s get you in the tub.”

  Sev let it drop for now, sure that Brendon would circle back around to it again soon. Maybe when he did, Sev would have a better idea how to answer. He didn’t know himself how he felt, except that he wanted Laine. What that meant, where it would go, was a question he couldn’t answer.

  Sev lifted one foot and yelped when he stuck it under water. Brendon held on to him, not letting him back away.

  “Nope, get in there, Sev. I would advise you do it as quickly as possible, get it over with. You seem to be a tough li—ah, a brave guy.”

  Why not, Sev thought, glaring at Brendon. He’d already emasculated himself with that damned yelp, and he knew good and well what Brendon had stopped himself from saying. And if Brendon made any more remarks about him being a brave little man, he’d find his nosy butt taking an involuntary dunk in the tub.

  * * * *

  The need to see Severo, to ensure himself that his lover was okay then fuck the man until they were both unconscious had been building in Laine ever since he’d learnt Sev was in danger. By the time Zeke pulled up to the house he and Brendon shared, Laine was ready to snap from the tension inside him. He figured it was a good thing Zeke, after a hushed phone call from Brendon earlier, had insisted Laine and Sev stay with them until Laine caught the bastard who’d broken into his home. Laine would have argued Sev into agreeing if he’d had to, but luckily Sev hadn’t protested at all when Laine had spoken to him about staying with the other two men. Laine certainly wasn’t too proud to accept the help or the safety it offered, not when it could mean saving Sev’s life. Right now, however, he just needed to get inside—first the house, then the man.

  Zeke put the truck in park and Laine was out of the vehicle and halfway up the porch before he remembered Zeke’s injury. He started to turn, but Zeke’s firm, “Go ahead,” had Laine knocking on the door with a trembling fist. Barely sparing Brendon a glance when the door was opened, Laine found himself instead brushing by his friend and zeroing in on the man sitting on the couch, who looked at Laine with the same need, the same ache that was pounding in him.

  His intent must have been obvious, because Sev pushed himself up from the couch and stood in his sock-covered feet. A pair of soft gray sweats—Laine was betting they were Enessa’s since they didn’t swamp Sev—hugged his lover’s lean hips, clinging just enough to his package to make Laine’s cock fill in response. A thin, faded cotton shirt molded to Sev’s body, the muscular proof of his abs and chest emphasized. He was vaguely aware of Brendon asking either him or Zeke questions about what they’d found, but Laine blocked out the background noise.

  Stopping inches away from Sev, Laine studied him, looking for hints that might show the man was injured worse than he’d seemed earlier. What he found was the same wild need he felt reflected in the depths of his lover’s eyes. Sev stepped forward, bridging the gap between them, and reached up to wrap his arms around Laine’s neck. Warm fingers entwined in his hair, tugging his head down even as Laine wound his arms around Sev’s waist. He slid his hands down to the sweet, firm ass he was becoming addicted to and lifted Sev until his feet left the floor. The kiss was nearly brutal, not the tender, caring kiss Laine had thought to give.

  As soon as their lips touched, something sparked between them and the result was a mashing of teeth and dueling of tongues, teeth nipping ungently and hands gripping, fingers digging bruisingly into neck and ass. When it ended on a gasp for air, only then did Laine remember there were two other people in the room. He’d never been one for public displays, and when it hit him that they had an audience, Laine’s cheeks blazed hot with embarrassment. Judging by the way Sev buried his face in Laine’s neck, he figured his lover was embarrassed, too.

  Steeling himself, he turned his head and found that Brendon and Zeke had left the room. Or combusted from the heat, but he wasn’t going to take the time to look for ashes. “Can you walk okay?”

  Sev looked up at him through thick lashes. “The bedroom Brendon put us up in isn’t far, but you should probably keep an arm around me. Just to be safe.”

  “I’m all for being safe.” Though what he felt for this man in his arms didn’t feel safe at all. It felt hot and dangerous, overpowering, something that could surely leave him bleeding from a thousand wounds—and he wasn’t going to walk away from the risk.

  In the bedroom, Laine held Sev still with a hand splayed over his hip. He traced the shape of Sev’s lips with a finger, watching the man’s eyes flash with desire. He tipped Sev’s chin up and, keeping his gaze locked with Sev’s, lowered his mouth and gave a tender, searing kiss to his lover. When his tongue slicked over the roof of Sev’s mouth, Sev grabbed Laine’s shoulders and moaned. The sound and vibration of it worked through Laine’s body and threatened to snap his control, forcing him to pull back before he took Sev right then and there. He wanted more than that tonight.

  Licking Sev’s lips as the kiss ended, Laine stepped back and reached for the hem of his lover’s shirt. Sev raised his arms, and Laine thought to enjoy the leisurely stripping of that compact, muscled body—until he saw the number of scratches on the chiseled torso. Breath slipping out in a hiss, Laine tossed the shirt to the floor and quickly pushed down Sev’s sweats. More stinging damage to that sweet skin had Laine cursing, vision blurring with the force of his anger.

  “They’re just scratches—” Sev’s breath stuttered at the look Laine gave him. “Mostly.”

  “Yeah? You look like someone held you down and tried to flay your hide. C’mon.”

  Laine led Sev to the bed and nudged him until he sat. He stripped off his own clothes, his pants and boxers puddling in a pile on top of his boots and socks, his shirt landing…somewhere. After kneeling between Sev’s knees, Laine sat back on his heels and picked up one of Sev’s feet and carefully pulled off the thick sock, almost afraid of what he would find. It wasn’t good, but it was nowhere near the mangled mess he’d imagined. There were a few nicks and some obvious spots where hard and sharp objects had penetrated soft and smooth flesh. Laine stroked over the damaged sole with the barest of touches, relieved when Sev didn’t jerk back in ticklish response.

  “Jesus, Laine, please.” Sev’s voice quavered, filled with longing. His eyes widened as though the depth of need in his tone startled him. That pitch slithered over Laine’s cock so that it throbbed, and he wondered if he could come from Sev’s voice alone

  The other foot was treated to the same tender inspection, then Laine reached up and pushed at Sev’s chest, encouraging him to lie back. Once Sev complied, sort of—he propped himself up on his elbows so he could watch—Laine picked up Sev’s foot and began kissing each spot of ripped flesh. A shudder racked Sev and his breath became a series of moans and whimpers as Laine’s tongue gently licked the less grievous wounds. The other foot received equal car
e, then Laine began working his way up, nibbling and kissing, nuzzling and licking, wanting to take away each ache and replace it with pleasure.

  Long licks up the outside of Sev’s thighs had him reaching to bury his fingers in Laine’s hair, and when Laine repeated the move, adding nips and sucking as he tasted the skin on the insides of Sev’s thighs, those hands tightened and tugged until Laine’s eyes watered. Scalp stinging in a way he found made his balls ache with the need for release, Laine sucked hard, bringing a deep purple mark up on the tender skin of Sev’s inner thigh. The keening noise it drew from his lover had Laine tugging at his balls, trying to stave off the need to come. He sucked and brought up a matching mark on the sweet, soft skin of the other thigh, then buried his nose in Sev’s balls and inhaled, taking in the man’s musky scent. Sev moaned and rocked his hips, hard enough that Laine worried one of them would end up hurt. Laine stood and slid his hands under Sev’s arms, sliding him farther up on the bed. His plans to work his way over Sev’s torso, to kiss and soothe each scrape as he had his lower body, were shot to hell when Sev thrust his hips up, humping the air as his hands reached down to spread his ass cheeks.

  “Please, Laine. Need you so much.” The words sounded as if they were ripped from somewhere deep inside Sev, as though he hadn’t wanted to let them out at all.

  Laine couldn’t look away from the erotic vision of Sev’s cock, hard and leaking copious amounts of pre-cum, his balls already snugging up against his body, the wrinkled skin of his dusky pucker stretched taut by Sev’s own hands. His fingers were gripping so tightly into those firm ass cheeks that the tips were sunk into the flesh, and Laine’s desire to soothe his lover was replaced with the need to sate instead.

  Crawling halfway up Sev’s body, Laine swallowed Sev’s cock, tongue swiping over the proffered pre-cum before swirling down the steely length. Sev’s back bowed, his hips trying to bury his dick in Laine’s throat. He slipped two fingers into Sev’s gasping mouth, moaning around Sev’s length as the man’s lips closed tight and he began to suck Laine’s fingers, his tongue working to spread saliva between them. Laine sucked and started bobbing his head, his tongue working the thick vein that pulsed along the length of Sev’s cock. When he reached the crown, Laine locked his lips firmly under the rim and dipped the tip of his tongue into the wide slit on the head.

  Sev’s mouth popped open on a gasping breath, and Laine brought his fingers to the place where he longed to bury his cock. Fingertips placed against the clenching ring of muscle, Laine shoved and buried both fingers in Sev’s ass as he sucked Sev’s dick down, swallowing as his fingers rubbed across Sev’s prostate.

  The reaction to Laine’s dual sensual assault had Sev’s entire body jerking, Laine’s name flying from his lips in a broken groan, his hands dropping to the mattress to fist the sheets as his shaft released a load of cum down Laine’s throat. Laine’s fingers were held immobile in the clutch of Sev’s body, the heat and squeeze of his inner muscles almost painful as Laine suckled the softening length in his mouth.

  Laine let Sev’s dick slip from his lips and carefully slid his fingers free. He pushed off the bed and found his pants, digging through the pocket until he felt the crinkle of foil and the cold plastic tube of lube. His fingers trembled as he tried to open the condom, so he ripped the package open with his teeth. As he worked the rubber down his cock, Laine looked at Sev and felt his balls hitch up at the sight. Sev was sprawled, looking boneless and willing, and the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to get his breath back had Laine gripping the base of his cock to push back his orgasm.

  Sev made a ‘come here’ gesture with his hand and Laine shook his head. If he let Sev rub the lube on him, he was afraid he’d come before the first stroke was finished. Laine slicked his cock and started to straddle Sev, but his lover showed a sudden burst of energy and flipped over, knees tucking up under him and ass lifted in the air. When Sev reached back and pulled his cheeks apart again, Laine’s moan felt like it started from his toes and worked its way up, scorching every nerve ending along the way. Sev opened himself wider, stretching his hole until the skin went almost white and that tempting pucker clenched.

  Laine lined his cock up, wishing he had a little more restraint. He wanted to tease, to rub the thick head over Sev’s hole until he begged, but since Laine was biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood to keep himself from coming, it wasn’t going to happen, not this time. Canting his hips, Laine tried to ease his way in, but the gripping heat around the crown of his dick stole his ability to go slow. Laine splayed his thighs wide, surrounding Sev, and dropped down onto his elbows, covering the man. He wedged his arms underneath his lover, gripping Sev’s shoulders from the front as he thrust his cock into the hot, pulsing channel, burying himself to the hilt in Sev’s silky sheath. Laine battled back the tingling trying to spread from the base of his spine to his balls, needing this to be more than just a quick fuck—needing Sev to know it was more than that. He rose, spreading his thighs just a bit more, pulling Sev’s back against his chest. This way, he could touch Sev, run his palms over the sweat-slicked planes of his stomach and chest—

  Sev groaned, a deep rumble that vibrated all the way through to Laine’s cock. Laine licked the side of Sev’s neck, from below his ear to his shoulder, and began slowly pumping his hips, the movements so small but they felt so damn good. His fingers found Sev’s nipples, fluttering softly over the tight buds first, then pinching them with thumbs and forefingers.

  The feel of Sev’s hands grappling for a hold, finally clasping on to Laine’s forearms, those surprisingly strong fingers digging into his trembling muscles told Laine what his lover needed. He began thrusting harder, then harder still as he twisted and tugged on Sev’s nipples, working the nubs as Sev’s gasping pants for ‘more’ and ‘harder’ and ‘oh, God pleaseplease’ spurred his fingers and cock to give more, give it harder, and, oh God, please them both until their brains melted.

  A sharp, pinching tug on Sev’s nipples had Sev’s inner muscles squeezing Laine’s dick in the tightest, velvety vise that existed. When Sev let go of Laine’s forearm so he could reach his dick and start jerking himself, Laine’s hips lost their smooth rhythm. He began pounding into his lover, one hand releasing a nipple so Laine could lock his arm around Sev’s stomach and hold the man in place. Hips snapping, the bones ramming into the supple flesh of Sev’s ass, Laine could focus on nothing but the driving pleasure surging through his body.

  Heat coiled, sweet and wild in his belly, in his balls, shooting out into his extremities and up his spine to burst in brilliant colors behind his eyes. Laine buried his face against Sev’s neck to muffle his scream, lipping the silver chain out of the way so he could bite and suck. Wet heat splattered onto his arm as Sev’s channel pulsed around Laine’s cock. The scent of spunk filled his nostrils. Cum boiled up from Laine’s balls and shot out of his cock.

  Sev’s yell wasn’t muffled at all, and it fueled Laine’s mouth, his hand still working a turgid nipple, his dick swelling and filling the condom as his hips stilled, burying him so deep inside Sev he could feel the man’s heartbeat. Laine cupped his hand over Sev’s abused nipple, palming it gently to ease them both down from the heights their orgasms had taken them to. His lover felt pliant and limp in his arms, fucked out in the best way. Laine didn’t want to let him go, or free himself from the warm tunnel holding his dick, but the semen on his arm felt uncomfortably cool on his sweat-dried skin, and he couldn’t imagine it was something Sev was enjoying either.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I think I need to sleep for a week. Damn, I’m gonna feel you tomorrow—be like having you inside me still, not as good, but just… damn.”

  Laine carefully eased out of Sev, holding the base of the condom since he was certain it was damn near filled to overflowing. He nudged Sev to lie down, then made his trembling legs move, scooting to the edge of the bed. Laine tied the condom off and stood, only stumbling once as he made his way to the bathroom. />
  There was a washcloth laying on the countertop and Laine felt a moment’s gratitude that he didn’t have to try to find one. The water warmed and Laine doused the cloth. He cleaned himself and rinsed the washcloth before padding back to the bed to wipe his lover down. Sev’s eyes were drifting shut, though he pried them open and nearly melted Laine where he stood with that soft, warm gaze. He wiped Sev gently, pleased deep inside that his man allowed him to do such an intimate thing, then Laine bent down, bracing himself on one arm so that he could kiss Sev the way he was aching to.

  A funny, tingly warmth was growing inside him, and it wasn’t until he crawled in bed beside Sev that Laine finally understood what that warm feeling was. Happiness, peace—they blended together, forging something that had the potential to be strong and binding and could swiftly blossom into love. He hadn’t thought he’d ever feel that way for another man again, but it was there, gathering under the surface of his skin and in his heart. Not that he was going to be saying that to this man any time soon, Laine reassured himself. But as he watched Sev sleeping, that dark head resting on Laine’s shoulder and his body curled all over and around him, Laine knew something he almost wished he didn’t. A soft sigh slipped from Sev’s mouth, and Laine felt an answering sigh passing his own lips as he smacked into the knowledge that, as unbelieveable as it might seem, he was already dangerously close to giving his heart to the man in his arms.

  Chapter Eight

  A ray of morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, bathing Sev’s face in warmth. Bright colors danced behind his lids, and a dull throb seemed to streak from his feet to the base of his spine. Memories of yesterday’s terrifying events rushed into his head only to be chased away by the reality of the present. The heavy weight of an arm holding him tight, a furry leg tossed over his own, felt enlightening rather than oppressive. Sev would never have guessed that he could wake up with a man two mornings in a row and not feel caged, or worse, bored and needing to flee. No, what he felt was a sense of contentment deep inside, a slow spreading of want that tingled along the surface of his skin and burrowed into the dark places Sev tried to ignore.