“Talk, you motherfucker!” Jack yelled as well and came closer.
Loki gritted his teeth and grabbed the hair at the side of his head. The world was pulsing all around him. “My symptoms are getting worse, so cut that crap!”
“But it’s not cancer,” Richard was wheezing with every word, eying Loki, and then Jack. “It’s a hematoma, it’s treatable. I... might have overdone it…”
“You what?” Jack hissed, slowly circling the sofa.
Sweat beaded on Richard’s forehead, stepping back in a panic escape from Jack’s thick arms. “And then I thought I’d tell you that I was wrong, that you’d be over the moon when you find out it’s not lethal, but you just disappeared.”
The pressure in Loki’s chest grew, and he grabbed the front of his own T-shirt. He wasn’t dying. He wasn’t dying. “You planned this? Why? Why would you do that?”
Richard swallowed and backed off into a corner. “I… Loki, things weren’t working out between us. And I found out you have this hematoma. How was I to let go of our relationship? I thought that it would elevate your mood if you thought it was cancer and then realized it was a hematoma. And then it wouldn’t hurt you as much when I broke up with you. It was supposed to be a few hours, but you vanished! I was so worried.” Richard wiped away a tear that trickled down his cheek.
“You told him he had cancer to have an easier breakup? I thought I was fucked in the head!” Jack roared and got to Richard before Loki could. Richard screamed again, but it was no use in avoiding a punch to the face.
Loki grabbed the back of the couch, immobilized by invisible roots holding him still. He felt sick, and if he’d had anything to eat, he’d probably vomit it along with any leftover affection for Richard. “And if I were a dog, you’d tie me to a tree deep in the woods and leave,” he uttered, shaking.
“No, no, no! It’s not like that at all!” Richard cried, trying to shield himself from Jack’s knuckles, but they landed wherever they could anyway. “Please! I tried to tell you!”
“You tried shit, you scum! Fuck you! Fuck you and your big fat lie! You could have wrecked his life!” Jack’s fists came down at a furious pace, and when a crackle of bone resonated through the room, Monster came up from behind and pulled on Jack’s arms. “This is not over! I can’t believe this shit!” Jack hissed, writhing in Monster’s lock and unable to wipe the fat tears streaking down his face.
Loki stared at him, breathless, and his feet carried him over to Jack. His head was pulsing like crazy, making him dizzy as he cupped that handsome, beloved face. Jack was crying for him.
“I’m gonna live,” he whispered, completely overwhelmed.
Jack looked away with a sniff. “I can donate blood if you need it for the surgery.” He could barely catch a breath as he spoke.
Monster frowned. “You can’t do that with HIV.”
Loki’s mouth dropped open. Oh, God, not now. When he’d lied to Lucy about Jack’s HIV status, it was just to keep her away, not for it to spread to other people. The gossip was like a virus itself. Then again, they did bareback all this time, and Jack didn’t have any qualms whatsoever about unprotected sex. Now that Loki was to live, the STD issue came back to bite him.
Jack pushed out of Monster’s hold and looked between Loki and Monster, ignoring Richard’s whimpers behind the sofa. “I don’t have HIV.” He frowned and wiped his eyes with his arm.
“How do you know?” uttered Loki mindlessly. A thick, coppery trickle slid down his lips, and he cursed, pulling up his shirt to stop the bleeding.
“I… I mean, I’m healthy. Can’t even remember the last time I had a cold or whatever.” Jack took deep breaths, making Loki want nothing more but to hug him.
“That’s not how it works,” whispered Loki, chilled despite the fact that he wasn’t a dead man walking anymore.
“Fuck you! You’re the one who wanted to go bareback,” Jack lowered his voice for the last words. “You don’t have to take my blood if you don’t want to. You’ve got your whole life in front of you now, so you can do whatever you want.”
Loki exhaled and pushed his face against Jack’s beard. “Babe, calm down,” he whispered.
Jack put his arms around Loki so hard the pressure on his ribs was bordering on uncomfortable, but Loki wasn’t about to complain.
“Where did you come up with this HIV shit?” Jack groaned to Monster, and Loki closed his eyes, not really anticipating the answer.
“Loki said so.”
Jack grabbed Loki’s arms and pulled him away to look into his eyes. “You’re fucked in the head.”
Loki gasped. “I— it was long ago... I didn’t want Lucy to take you away from me,” he muttered.
“That’s why no girls wanted to fuck me. You fucking weasel!” Jack took a deep breath through his teeth.
“Sorry.” Loki swallowed, but deep down, as horrible as he felt about everyone talking behind Jack’s back, he was happy the gossip worked. If Jack had girls to fuck, would he dedicate so much attention to Loki?
“This is not over!” Jack squinted at Loki and pulled out his phone to tap something on the screen.
“Don’t hit me too hard?” Loki chewed on his lip and looked down, suddenly cold. Would Jack want to leave him now? A few months’ commitment was not the same as something long-term.
Jack groaned. “Don’t give me that beaten puppy look. It’s not working.”
“What do you want me to say? It’s not like I can take it back!”
“Shut it for now. We’re going to Sam. I’ll get a prospect to take that piece of trash to a hospital.” Jack pointed to Richard and already turned to the door.
Loki exhaled and looked at Richard’s legs curling behind the sofa. He stormed that way and kicked the bastard in the ribs.
Richard turned his bloodied face away. “Stop! Just go back to the hospital. You can still die if it’s untreated!”
Loki inhaled air that seemed to burn his nose. “Fuck you. Couldn’t you fucking text me? Fuck!”
“I wanted to apologize in person,” Richard whined and Loki was pretty sure the fucker now wished he’d texted.
“Loki, let’s go,” Jack said in a stern voice, but Loki kicked Richard again, this time with all the strength he had.
His throat was clenched. “Because your feelings are so fucking important! Afraid to break up? Tell them they have cancer. Afraid to feel like the bad guy? Keep them in the fucking dark! Congratulations! I can’t even afford the surgery!”
“This is too much drama for me. I’ll be waiting in the van,” Monster said and left the room without waiting for an answer.
Loki didn’t even look back at Monster, too focused on the mix of pain and fury that was pumping through his veins. But as he was about to kick Richard again, his foot dangled in the air when Jack picked him up from behind. “We’re going. You’ll have enough money if you clean the jizz, sweat, and coke off it.”
Loki growled and spat toward Richard. “I hope someone cuts off your legs and arms, and leaves you to die!”
Jack kissed the side of Loki’s head as he carried him out of the room.
Loki grabbed Jack’s hands where they held him around the waist, taking deep, heavy breaths. “Oh, fuck... I’m gonna live...”
Chapter 30
Sam’s face was the color of an intensely fruity strawberry shake. “Why am I always the last one to find out? Tell me, Red, huh?” he asked, pacing around his living room. “Paxton grabs you by the balls, and you just take it like a sissy? And what the fuck did you do to your eyebrows?”
“It’s a long story.” Red Jack groaned as he nursed himself from the coke comedown with a beer. “What the fuck was I supposed to do? I knew I’d be listening to this kinda shit if I told you, and here I am, doing just that.”
Candy walked into the cozy living room with two large plates of cookies and crushed chocolate, which she placed on the coffee table next to the box of assorted teas, a can of instant coffee, and a big pot of hot water. No wonde
r Sam had gotten slightly rounder since he got together with his old lady. Eager to shield her sensitive ears, as he always did, Sam shut his mouth until Candy left for the kitchen.
“Maybe we’d have come up with something sooner,” he hissed in the end.
Loki, who was sitting cross-legged in one of the cream-colored armchairs, took a whole fistful of small cookies and started feeding his blood-stained face.
“Oh yeah, maybe I should call Borg for advice?” Red Jack grumbled, but couldn’t help the tenderness overflowing in him at the knowledge that Loki’s illness wasn’t terminal. Would Loki want to stay with him now that it wasn’t just a few months of crazy love? Red Jack was pretty sure he would, but everything was on shaky legs. What if Loki now got the chance to live, but Red Jack ended up killed because of Paxton’s stupid blackmail.
Sam sighed and massaged his head. “Considering what she has on you - no. We’re not letting him know.”
“What could put her job at risk?” Monster drank some tea, relaxing into the seat.
Sam slammed his fist into the table. “I know! If she fucked Jack, it would seriously damage her career. She wouldn’t be believable as an investigator working against the Coffin Nails.”
Loki blinked, straightening up. “He is not fucking anyone!”
Red Jack rolled his eyes. “Seriously? If that’s what it takes, it’s just a dick and pussy. But she wouldn’t do it. Not with this blackmail going on. But maybe if we drugged her, I could pretend I’m eating her out, and we could film that. Give her a taste of her own medicine.”
Loki squinted at him from across the coffee table but didn’t say anything, apparently content that the plan involved fake sex.
Sam leaned forward. “That could work, but we don’t have that much time.”
“We could have someone pretend they want to confess something about the club. They could slip her the drug,” said Monster.
“Bitch loves pastry, Candy could make some drugged ones and take them to Paxton,” Red Jack said, amused with Loki’s jealousy. “I wonder what the other cops would say to seeing her fuck an outlaw.”
“What kind of pastry?” asked Candy from the door, wiping her hands on a pink towel. So she was listening in.
Red Jack looked between her and Sam. “Croissants.”
Sam slouched, gazing at his cute girlfriend. “Babe? I’ll get you the spice within the next half an hour. That okay?” he asked eventually.
Candy shrugged. “I could add it to the chocolate.”
Monster got up, invigorated by the tea. “And I know just the person for the job,” he said, walking off.
Red Jack looked at Loki. Maybe they should take him to the hospital now, before any shit went down? Just in case? “Thanks, Candy. You’re such a babe. I’d get fat too if I was your boyfriend.” Ah, pulling Sam’s leg. Never got old.
Sam threw a napkin at him. “Oh, fuck you!”
Candy frowned. “He’s not fat.”
“Yeah, I know, I know, all muscle.” Red Jack snorted.
“And not a single freckle.” Candy sent Sam a kiss in the air and left the room again with a sweet smile.
Red Jack sneered. Bitch knew how to hit where it hurt.
Monster got back into the living room but he made his way straight toward the exit. “I’ll be off to grab some supplies. Be back in an hour or so.”
Sam got to his feet, snarling at Red Jack. “Wait for me. Gotta collect some dust.”
Red Jack sighed and raised his hands. “Chill, I’ll be keeping my hands to myself.”
“You won’t need to. Your cousin will keep them in place for you,” growled Sam from the corridor.
Red Jack pouted when he and Loki were finally alone in the living room. He would miss that. Not actually fucking the girls, though it sometimes worried him that he might, but being a threat. He’d always banter with Sam and get him riled up. That would be gone now that he had a guy by his side. The door shut, leaving a silence broken only by sounds coming from the kitchen and a soft, feminine hum.
Loki slid off the armchair and walked up to him. “I wanna talk,” he said after a few seconds.
“Yeah?” Blood started pumping in Red Jack’s chest, as if he’d just snorted a line. This sounded serious. Was Loki rethinking their relationship? Had he taken a look at his life in terms of the bigger picture and decided that Red Jack didn’t belong in it?
Loki slid his tongue over his lip and glanced toward the kitchen. Clearly, he didn’t want any witnesses.
Red Jack got up and put his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the door. “Candy? I gotta talk to Loki. Is there anywhere private we can go? It’s some family stuff, don’t wanna be disturbed.”
Candy looked up at him from above a plastic box full of pale cubes that Jack realized were portions of raw dough. She cleared her throat. “Sure. Go down the corridor. My boudoir is the second door on the left.”
“Thanks, babe,” Red Jack said and followed her directions.
“Just don’t mess with my stuff, some of it’s expensive! And take your shoes off!” she yelled from the kitchen as Red Jack opened the door to the most girly room he’d ever seen. With a queen-size bed, two rails of clothes bursting with lace and pastel colors, glittery boxes, and a fluffy carpet, the room was sweet enough to eat. It even smelled like vanilla-flavored diabetes.
Loki followed him inside, and after a decisive clang of the lock, they were alone. Loki tapped the switch, and fairy lights brightened up the room.
“What do you think?” asked Loki softly.
“About?” Red Jack said when he finally found his voice. He crouched to take off his boots by the entrance.
Loki exhaled loudly, but kicked off his shoes as well. His nostrils flared over and over again. “You know what.”
Red Jack sighed and stood back up again. “You’re gonna live. We’ll sort out your surgery, and it’s gonna be fine.”
“I’m staying,” said Loki, more firmly. He glanced at Red Jack, but his shoulders were stiff like carved out of wood.
“Yeah…” Red Jack swallowed, watching Loki’s every move.
“And you want me to. You know, stay without any deadline,” said Loki, making a move as if he wanted to push back his hair, but he ended up brushing his fingers over the shaved side. The proof of Red Jack trying to keep him alive.
“You were the one who wanted to bareback,” Red Jack blurted out and spread his arms. “I can’t take it back now if I gave you something!”
Loki sighed and folded his arms across his chest. The warm glow of the fairy lights softened his angular face as he shrugged. “I know. Couldn’t stop myself.”
“No. You thought you were dying so you didn’t care. You wanted a thrill. And now we’ve got this mess.” Red Jack took a deep breath to ease the itching in his eyes.
“There is no mess. You’re probably fine. We’ll find out.” Loki shook his head and broke through the bubble of Red Jack’s personal space. His body heat resonated with Red Jack’s.
“I’m not sure how to do a gay relationship. But I wanna. It’s just a lot to take in.”
Loki sighed and pressed closer until their chests touched. He slid his hands around Red Jack’s midsection and smiled. “I’m not an expert either, but I want you. And I’m gonna be with you. Not going anywhere. As much as I hate that sleaze Richard, he kinda brought us together.”
“My dick pic brought us together.” Red Jack laughed nervously and gave Loki a kiss. His heart felt lighter now that Loki made it clear he wanted to stay and make things work.
“Yeah, that was the best dick pic ever. Like the Cupid dick pic,” chuckled Loki as his hands slowly trailed down. Red Jack caught his breath when they slid into the back pockets of his jeans.
“I was really horny that night.” Red Jack put his hands around Loki’s neck and petted the pronounced Adam’s apple with his thumbs.
“How about now?” whispered Loki, looking at Red Jack with lowered eyelids. Even his eyes were smiling when he squ
eezed Red Jack’s ass and hummed, sending vibrations over Red Jack’s fingers. “With a boyfriend who’s very much alive and is staying that way?”
Red Jack groaned, feeling a flush climb up his face. “Yeah, dead guys don’t do it for me.”
Loki gave a hoarse laugh and got to his toes, nuzzling Red Jack’s chin through the beard. “I wanna show you something you won’t get from a girl.”
“Oh. Oh, like, now?” Red Jack’s toes curled. He couldn’t lie. That rimming Loki had started him with was good stuff. Made Red Jack feel that he didn’t have to take over for once. That his partner wanted him so much he’d do all the work.
Loki grinned. “Yeah. I’ll show you just how lively I feel right now.”
“I’m sure it’s gonna be much better than getting fucked by a dead-man-walking.” Red Jack pushed his thumbs down Loki’s neck and delved in for another kiss. They had an hour at least, and he was not gonna miss this opportunity. Monster had already spoiled their mood once.
Loki’s tongue slid over the tattoo under Red Jack’s lower lip, then over Red Jack’s teeth, before sliding over his tongue as well. The touch sent a shiver down Red Jack’s spine, and he let his fingers crawl under Loki’s T-shirt, over the warm skin that covered in goose bumps at the contact.
Loki slid his hands out of Red Jack’s back pockets, leaving a burning imprint even when his fingers unbuckled Red Jack’s belt. That metallic sound was better than hearing the angel choirs sing. Red Jack pushed more into the kiss as images of sex with Loki flooded his brain and pumped blood lower. He bet they looked so good together. If he lived through the night, he’d install mirrors in the bedroom so they could watch themselves fucking.
Loki groaned into his mouth and stuffed his hand under the waistband of Red Jack’s briefs, curling his fingers around the cock, which once again became the center of Red Jack’s universe, throbbing, already climbing to release.
Loki could capture his attention better than anyone before. Even the prospect of death was forgotten when Loki’s lips were so close. His lean body, his long hair, the ink, the tight ass, the stiff dick, the tattoo marking Loki as Red Jack’s property. But his property would fuck him, and he wanted it.
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