Survival Game (Men of London Book 9)

by Susan Mac Nicol

  Eric’s own release was impressive. Spurts of his spunk covered them both in sticky residue, the shockwaves of his climax taking hold of his body as he rode out the sensations.

  At last, they lay still, supine and stuck together with come.

  “That was something,” Eric said drowsily. “You fucked my brains out.”

  Kyle smiled, his cheek stuck against his boyfriend’s sticky chest hair. “You’re welcome anytime.”

  He rolled off Eric reluctantly and stood, wincing at the rawness of his dick and the ache in his back where he’d probably pulled a muscle with his efforts.

  “I think it’s time to wash up and get into bed.” He had a thought. “You know, we didn’t even have any dinner.” As if it heard him, his stomach rumbled. “I think I might make us something to eat then we can settle in.”

  Eric flapped a hand as he clambered off the couch. “Sure. I’ll go take a pee and clean up. I’ll come give you a hand in a minute.”

  Kyle was already planning what he was going to cook as he walked into the kitchen. “No problem.”

  Half an hour later there was no sign of Eric but there were two plates of carbonara pasta on a plate, with two glasses of wine. Kyle wandered into the bedroom and stood still.

  Eric was face down on the bed covers, naked and snoring heavily. Kyle took a moment to enjoy the sight before he laid the tray on the chest of drawers.

  “Nice,” he muttered. “I slave away in the kitchen and you come in here and take over my bed. Huh.”

  He pulled the extra duvet from the cupboard, not wanting to roll Eric over and disturb him. Then he covered him with it and crawled into bed. He made sure to bring his pasta and wine with him.

  “You might not want this, but I’m bloody starving.” Kyle leaned down and kissed Eric’s cheek. “Sleep tight, babe.” He hesitated then whispered, “I’m falling hard for you, you know that?”

  He didn’t think he was at any risk of Eric hearing. His man was out for the count.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Eric clapped his hands over his ears at the caterwauling coming from inside of the truck. Great partner Aaron may be, but singer, he was not. And hearing “It’s Raining Men” sung in his off-key tones caused Eric’s arse to clench and his ears to bleed.

  “You’re killing me,” he complained as Aaron hit a particularly high note. “Can you not do that please? I think you just pierced my eardrum.”

  “I don’t think so,” Aaron sang along with the lines. “Hallelujah, I don’t think so, amen.”

  Eric reached out and switched the radio off. Aaron looked at him, an injured expression on his face.

  “Hey,” he protested. “I was just getting to the good bit.”

  “There are no good bits,” Eric grumbled as he fiddled with the paperwork on his lap. “Only really bad bits.”

  Aaron huffed and waved a hand dramatically. “I was bringing out my inner queen,” he stated. “Leah said I was in touch with my feminine side the other night, so I decided to enjoy it a little bit more. Heathen.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Eric grinned as Dispatch crackled into sound. “I think I prefer your man side when it comes to your singing.”

  The radio operator announced a new call and Eric frowned.

  “Isn’t that the same address we attended a while ago? The nutty lady who pulled a knife on us, with the mom and kids?”

  “Yeah.” Aaron’s face was grim. “Sounds like something’s gone down there again. Maybe this time she’s gone too far.” He looked at Eric. “Should we call in for police backup?”

  They stared at each other for a minute then both shook their heads at the same time.

  “Nah,” Aaron said. “The police are busy enough as it is. I’m sure we can manage one crazy lady between us now we know what to watch out for.”

  Eric nodded in agreement. They drove in silence then Eric looked at his partner. “So, you and Leah still going strong? I bet your bubbie is happy.”

  Aaron smiled, a wide beam that split his face. “Yeah, Leah’s great. She and my gran get on well, and now bubbie is even bossier than before, which I didn’t think was humanly possible.” He smiled wryly. “‘Cut your hair; you’d look more handsome for her. Don’t forget to take that lovely flower arrangement home with you for Leah—she’ll love it. When is the wedding day? You don’t want to lose that one, she’s a keeper—’” He rolled his eyes. “Two strong women in my life is more than I bargained for.”

  From the beatific look on his face, Aaron didn’t seem too worried about that, Eric thought.

  “So how are you and Kyle getting on? It’s been, what, over three months now you’ve been dating? You practically live at his place. When are you two moving in together?”

  Eric grinned. “Too soon for that. But, yeah, I do spend a lot of time at his place since it’s closer to the club. Our work rotas are a bitch to try and get time together.”

  Aaron peered at him. “With that grin on your face, mate, I’d say the two of you are coping well enough. I’m glad you got over your little spat. You were an insufferable bastard when the two of you were arguing.”

  Eric opened his mouth to deny it then closed it. Aaron was right; he had been a moody git at the time. But that had been nearly two months ago. They had now reached a level of what Kyle laughingly called “boyfriendship” they both were comfortable with.

  Toothbrushes at each other’s homes, spare clothes in the closet, microwave popcorn for Kyle in Eric’s cupboards and bags of crisps for Eric in Kyle’s—these were all signs of their rapidly evolving relationship.

  Friends, lovers, partners—whatever you wanted to call it, Eric was glad it had happened. He couldn’t imagine a life without his purple-haired, vivacious and sexy boyfriend. He had a feeling Kyle felt the same but neither of them had really committed to the L-word yet. Like Kyle—who was quick, quirky and full of depth—Eric’s emotions had grown the same way.

  “Get that soppy look off your face, you lovesick sap. We’re here.” Aaron stopped outside the house they’d been to before.

  Eric blinked himself back to reality and looked around. He sighed. They were once again in a tough part of the city and they needed to be wary. And last time they’d been threatened. This call was not going to be a walk in the park.

  They picked up their bags and approached the house. All the radio operator had said was another potential heart attack victim needing assistance.

  Eric knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again.

  This time the door opened and the same woman who’d held a knife on them last time stood there. Eric was pleased to note this time she had nothing in her hand except a ragged dishcloth. Sunglasses covered her eyes.

  “Thank God you’re here,” the woman said. “It’s my mum again. She’s not well.”

  Jessie, Eric thought suddenly. Her name was Jessie. He smiled at her as he and his partner brushed past the narrow doorway into the dingy living room.

  “Can you tell us what happened, Jessie? Did she have another heart—?”

  He stopped short, Aaron swearing as he bumped into him. “Damn, Eric, warn me next time, will you?”

  Eric’s sarcastic reply was choked off, his throat going dry as he observed the scene before him. The older woman—Jessie’s mother, he guessed—lay in a pool of blood on the carpet, eyes unstaring, her head a mess of blood, tissue and bone. Next to her was a large brick covered in gore.

  “Aaron, this isn’t a fucking heart attack. Call in backup. We need the police for this one.” He moved swiftly to the woman’s side, but from the mess her skull was in, he knew she was dead.

  Obviously not hearing him, Aaron barrelled into the room, crouching beside him and feeling for a pulse. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting Eric’s. The two of them swivelled their heads around to see a smirking Jessie standing above them. Her sunglasses had gone, but in her left hand was a large kitchen knife.

  Fear tingled its way down Eric’s spine.

  Shit, not again.
This woman is insane. She’s also as high as a kite.

  As if pulled by an invisible puppeteer’s string, both men stood together and faced the unstable woman before them.

  “I told you,” Jessie hissed as she blocked the doorway. “I told her”—she motioned with the knife to the dead woman on the floor—“what would happen if I didn’t get my kids back. Now those fuckers at DSS have decided to keep them. I warned you all I wouldn’t be happy.”

  “Jessie, we’ve been in this place before,” Eric said softly. “Put the knife down and let’s talk.”

  Jessie cackled loudly, eyes dilated and spittle in the corners of her mouth. “Talk? It was you talking that got me into this mess, you wanker. You told them Social Services bitches about me and they took my kids away. I never got no money no more. Then she—” She gave one savage gesture at the woman on the floor. “She had the fuckin’ cheek to tell them she didn’t think it was a good idea to give ’em back to me.” Her eyes narrowed and a smirk crossed her face. “But I showed her. I bricked her one and she fucking stopped talking, didn’t she?” She nodded. “Yeah, I showed the mummy bitch who was boss.”

  Eric’s gorge rose at the sheer malevolence in her voice. Beside him Aaron moved, and the knife moved his way threateningly.

  “You need help, Jessie,” Aaron said, his voice soothing. “We can do that. Give you something to calm you down, get you to a hospital so they can look after you. Wouldn’t you like that—someone looking after you, not worrying about bills or cleaning up this mess?”

  Jessie tilted her head to one side, considering his suggestions. “What, three shitty meals a day, wipe my bum, put me in fucking prison care? I’m better off here, turning tricks. At least those blokes give me a good dinner now and then. That’s what you made me do, you know? Fuck people for money. Because you took away my income.”

  Eric was pretty sure that had been what Jessie had been doing as a living even before their first call out.

  Not going to argue with the crazy bitch with a knife. We need her to surrender it.

  He moved forward, Aaron’s hissed “Eric, no.” ringing in his ears. Outside, he heard sirens.

  “Jessie, come on. Let go of the knife, and we’ll sit and have a talk, ’kay? I’ve got something in my bag I can give you to help you come down from wherever you are. Then we can get someone in to take your mum away, so she has some dignity. Come on. Let us help you. Please.”

  Jessie’s lips thinned and she looked from him to Aaron. Finally, she looked down at the body on the floor and a faint expression of fear crossed her face.

  Eric held his breath as he waited for her answer. Finally, she nodded and the knifepoint slowly descended down.

  “Just drop the knife on the floor,” Eric said as he moved toward her warily. Aaron made a sound behind him but Eric ignored it. The knife fell harmlessly to the floor and Eric let out a breath of relief as he reached her.

  “Great, now let’s sit down and—”

  At first, the sharp pain in his left side didn’t register. It was only a split second of agony followed by a sudden breathlessness as the shock of being stabbed hit him. He reeled backward, hearing Aaron’s agonised cry and Jessie’s peal of cruel laughter.

  She must have had another knife somewhere. Shit, I need to see what the damage is. I hope she didn’t hit an artery. His paramedic mind in full throttle despite the pain, Eric staggered backward, wondering why the room was growing dim and fuzzy, his eyes losing focus. Between his fingers, copious amounts of blood seeped in puddles onto an already blood-spattered floor.

  He was aware of someone bending over him—not Aaron, another uniformed man. He tried to keep his eyes open, see if Aaron was safe, but it was just too much.

  His last thought before he succumbed to unconsciousness was of violet eyes and a warm smile.

  “Hey, baby. I’m not sure if you can hear me. The nurse says you can, so I hope so. You’re doing okay. The doctor says the knife hit a blood vessel, but Aaron got you all fixed up quickly. I guess that’s the one benefit of having a paramedic and a truck on call, right? Anyway, Aaron said to tell you he’s fine and he needs his partner back because the one he’s got now is driving him fucking crazy.”

  There was a soft giggle followed by a sniffle. “That’s his words, not mine.” There was the sound of rustling. “I bought you some grapes, because everyone knows that’s what you bring to a hospital, right? And I also got you a beautiful bunch of flowers, only the hospital wouldn’t let me bring it in because apparently, it’s not healthy. And the sister on the ward didn’t stop sneezing. It’s a pity ’cause I chose them myself and did the arrangement. I had to take them home again.” Kyle sounded terribly peeved.

  Eric tried to laugh but it was too painful. He felt as if he’d gone three rounds with a heavyweight boxer. But the insane boyfriend babbling was adorable and he wanted to kiss him.

  “Oh my God, you can hear me? Eric, open your eyes, love. Please open your eyes.” The desperation in Kyle’s voice energised Eric into finally doing what he was told. The first sight that greeted him was Kyle’s face, anxious and pale, with red-rimmed eyes. Eric had never seen anything more welcoming.

  “Hi,” he croaked, throat burning. His eyes watered with the bright light of the room. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Kyle loomed over him, fussing with his pillows to raise his head up. “Where else would I be?” he asked waspishly. “You decided to go and get yourself stabbed. This is generally where those people end up, with the people who love them worrying over them.”

  Despite the snark in the comment, Eric heard the vulnerability beneath. And the roundabout declaration of love that made his heart race.

  “Come here,” he instructed, raising one arm carefully so as not to dislodge whatever drips were in it. “I need to hold you. Just be careful. I have been in the wars with a knife-wielding maniac.”

  Kyle leaned down and buried his face in Eric’s neck so close it was as if they were joined by damp skin. “I thought I’d lost you, you bastard,” he whispered tremulously against Eric’s skin. “I was so worried about you.”

  Eric gave him a one-armed hug, as strong as he could manage. “I’m here,” he murmured, stroking Kyle’s hair. “You think I’d go anywhere without you?”

  “Well, okay,” Kyle retorted, his words muffled. “I wouldn’t want to have followed you down there.” He waved a hand at the floor. “But I’m good with anywhere else.”

  Eric grinned. “What makes you think I would have gone to Hell?” he said teasingly.

  Kyle looked up, a smile in his eyes. “Duh, don’t all sexy bad boys go there? I think it’s the law.” He cupped Eric’s face in cool hands. “God, when they told me you were here, I didn’t know what to do. Ryan kicked me out of the club, told me to stay here until I was sure you were okay.”

  “So how long have I been out? And what happened from the time I hit the deck?” Eric shifted uncomfortably. His whole body ached and his left side burnt like hell.

  “Two days. They brought you in on Wednesday. Today’s Friday afternoon.” Kyle scowled. “The crazy bitch that stabbed you was taken down by the police who’d already been on route. She had another knife on standby it looked like, hidden on the mantelpiece.” He scowled. “What is it with people and knives in this country? Anyway, the poor old lady screaming on the phone to Social Services as her head was bashed in generated some warning bells.” He grimaced. “They called the coppers and they arrived in time to save your arses. Aaron did his magic and you were rushed into surgery. And poof, here you are.”

  Eric leaned back on his pillows, exhausted. “I’m going to be okay then? Nothing vital damaged?”

  Kyle nodded. “The doctor says you’ll be fine. Just need rest, and a lot of sex.”

  Eric gaped. “What?”

  Kyle’s face was mischievous. “Oh, yeah, he said I was the cutest guy he’d ever seen and as long as I gave you loads of love and sex, your recovery was guaranteed. I couldn’t let the best advice
of the medical profession go to waste so I wrote down a plan, see?” He held up a calendar with red crosses all over it. Hardly any of the page could be seen.

  He pointed at one line. “This is where we have butt sex, me on the bottom. This one,” he dragged his finger along, “is sixty-nine sex. This one here is a blowjob for you, and here again we have—butt sex. You on the bottom this time. I have your medical recovery programme all planned out.” He looked pleased with himself and Eric choked as he laughed.

  “This is what you’ve been doing while I’ve been lying here unconscious? Did you perhaps do anything more personal while I was out?” He lifted his covers with difficulty. “I look as if I’m intact. No cock cage or anal beads up my arse. I think.”

  Kyle reached over and pressed warm lips to his. “I might have peeked now and then, just to see you were still functioning.” He chuckled against Eric’s mouth.

  “God, you are so crazy, but I love you.” Eric yawned, wondering why Kyle’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He was also becoming dizzy and floaty.

  “Do you think you could ask the nurse if I could have some water or something? I’m parched.” His voice sounded slurred and he frowned.

  Perhaps he should go to sleep for a bit. After he had his water.

  “Yeah, sure,” Kyle stammered. “I’ll, erm, go fetch her.” He scuttled out of the room as if all the demons from hell were at his heels.

  Closing his eyes, Eric imagined he and Kyle were on a soft, white beach somewhere, with cocktails. Kyle was in a tiny, dark blue Speedo and had never looked so delicious. His body was tanned and toned, his arse framed by the tight trunks and all Eric wanted to do was throw him down on the sand and…

  “He looks weird, like he’s dreaming.” Kyle’s whisper made him come back to the present. “Is it the drugs you’re giving him?”

  There was a soft laugh. “Dearie, he’s on so much medication I’m surprised he’s awake and lucid. It must be you he came back for from the deep, dark doldrums. He’s a tough bugger, this one.”

  Eric’s eyes remained closed because they were heavy and he couldn’t bother opening them right now. Yep, you’re the one that I want, Kyle baby. Only you…