by Tatum Throne
Nervous energy pumped through Hunter’s body as he tried to make sense of the situation going down. As much as he wanted to be calm and controlled, he felt as though his panic was rising to the surface. He had to get a grip. He stepped out of the truck for several seconds, taking a few deep breaths.
Across the road, SWAT Doc Woods was waiting with the ambulance. Their eyes locked and Parker nodded his head before Hunter looked away. Everything was going to be fine. As he circled around the truck, the men started to move, taking control of the situation. He looked down the road, holding his tablet as he watched the scene unfold inside the house.
They busted down the front door. Shots were fired. More shots were fired through the window. Hunter felt a weird burning sensation in his chest. He looked down and saw blood. What was wrong? How had he gotten shot? He was wearing a bulletproof vest. What was going on? He staggering behind the truck before falling to the ground. He looked over at SWAT Doc Woods when his tablet slipped from his fingers shattering on the ground.
The sound of voices rang within Hunter’s ears. He heard Phoenix’s voice calling to him. It was as though somebody was trying to break down his front door, but he couldn’t get up to answer the damn thing before they did.
Chapter Ten
Phoenix looked across the parking lot in time to see SWAT Doc Woods lean over Hunter on the ground. Everyone had been accounted for around them and was safe. Everyone except for Hunter. Phoenix took off across the street, sprinting down several houses. He slid onto his knees as the man got to work to get his bulletproof vest off.
“What happened?”
“Some shrapnel from a bullet hit him.”
“Shit.” He pushed Hunter into the field and ultimately got him killed. “You have to do everything in your power to save him.”
“I will.”
SWAT hadn’t lost anybody yet in the field, and he wasn’t about to lose anyone now. Phoenix could see the cold, hard determination in Parker’s eyes as he went to work on Hunter. His shirt was ripped open as a heart monitor was attached to his skin. There was a dark bruise over his chest as though he’d been hit by something directly on his heart. Superficial blood trickled from another wound on his side.
An irregular beat was bouncing across the partible screen. He heard Parker mention that the hit of the bullet against his heart caused an irregular rhythm that could kill him. They were going to shock him back into a normal rhythm.
TJ got in his way, pulling him back. “You’re too close to this. Let them work.”
Yes, he was. Before he could stop it from happening, tears misted his eyes. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he moved away. “It’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s not.”
They looked at each other. Phoenix could see understanding, fear, and frustration within TJ’s eyes. Both were feeling the same way. They had pushed Hunter into the field and it had gotten him severely injured. As he looked back at SWAT Doc Woods, sirens flew through the air as they loaded him up into the ambulance. Hunter was being taken to the hospital.
TJ grabbed his arm. “You’re riding with me.”
They headed toward his car, traveling across the city toward the hospital. Everything in his life felt as though it had suddenly stopped. Phoenix knew that if he didn’t have Hunter in his life, he wouldn’t want to live. He wouldn’t be able to. He needed Hunter to make his heart beat. The realization shook him to his core. He had to make sure Hunter survived this.
The last four weeks without his submissive had nearly broken him. He was not about to lose the man he loved now. The realization of how he felt struck him so hard it left him momentarily breathless. Hunter had told him that he had loved him before they went in to the field. Distracted by the text, Phoenix failed to say those three precious words back. He vowed he would never forget to say them ever again.
“You think he’ll live?” Phoenix asked.
“Don’t say that again. And, yes, I do.”
TJ was right. He had to be strong for Hunter in this moment. When they got to the hospital, Hunter was already being taken out of the ambulance. Forced to wait it out as he was taken inside the trauma center, Phoenix and TJ headed for the waiting room so the nurses and doctors could do their jobs. Everyone gathered around them when Chief Rask came over to Phoenix and put his hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze.
“They said we can see him now.”
Relief moved through Phoenix as they crossed the waiting area together. Knowing that he had no family, Phoenix wanted to be there for Hunter through his recovery. Whatever it would be. He was not about to leave the man he loved.
To his surprise, Hunter was sitting up and smiling. “Hey. I guess I failed my training.”
“Don’t ever do that again.”
Hunter gave him a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t planning on it anytime soon. What happened to the girl?”
“She made it.”
Hunter nodded his head. “Then we did our job well.”
Relief moved through Phoenix when he realized Hunter was going to be okay. One by one the team came in to see Hunter before they left. After the rest of the team left, Phoenix sat on the edge of the bed and reached out and grasped his hand. “You know I love you, don’t you?”
Hunter smiled. “I had a feeling you did. What does this mean for us now?”
“I’m guessing we’ll eventually need to make this thing permanent.”
The thought of marriage made a smile move over Hunter’s face. Phoenix didn’t care if anyone saw as he leaned forward and gave Hunter a soft kiss. He loved this man and he was going to make sure everyone around him knew it. Hunter blushed scarlet.
“I love how you do this to me.”
“So do I.”
The chaste kiss had sent his blood pressure skyrocketing. The nurse bustled inside the room and admonished Hunter for not taking it easy. Phoenix sat back as the nurse checked his vitals.
“When can he go home?”
She looked over at Phoenix and smiled. “The doctor said tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
Phoenix was going to make sure everything was in place for Hunter to come home with him. He needed this man by his side for the rest of this life. And if that meant waiting until tomorrow, he could do that.
After the nurse left, Phoenix settled back in next to Hunter. “You better control your blood pressure some.”
“Yes, Sir.”
A smile drifted across Phoenix’s face as he looked at Hunter. Despite being pale from the event that happened, he was strong in spirit. He had everything he wanted right by his side, and he wasn’t about to let go anytime soon.
Several minutes later, Chief Rask came back into the room. “I need to see you outside.”
Phoenix headed out and waited for the chief to follow him. Their eyes locked. “You should know a reporter got into the hospital and snapped a picture of you two kissing.”
“You got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not.”
Phoenix didn’t care. “It is what it is. It might even make the front page.”
Chief Rask smiled. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
“What does this mean for my job?”
“A promotion might be in order. I can’t have team members in relationships working in the same department now, can I?”
“I don’t think you can. Does it come with a pay raise?”
“Oh, I think it does.”
Phoenix went back into the room, excited about the news. He looked at Hunter and saw that he was fast asleep. That was fine with him. He wanted him to retain his strength and be ready for the next session they had.
* * * *
Hunter looked across the living room as Phoenix tidied up. It seemed so simple and so romantic. He crossed the room and looked up at him. Phoenix glanced down at him and leaned over to give him a sweet kiss that he felt all the way down to his toes. For the first time in Hunter’s life, he felt happy. Really happy.
TJ and Parker were coming over. Most of the guys from the SWAT team would be there within minutes. Hunter didn’t like all this tension between them. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Phoenix shook his head. “I didn’t want to do this now.”
“Oh my God. You’re breaking up with me. I should have seen it coming. I’m not good enough for you. My God, you’re so beautiful. You’re perfect. Why would I ever think someone like you would want to be with me forever? I feel so foolish. So freaking stupid.”
Phoenix grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him a firm shake. “If you don’t shut that beautiful mouth of yours, I’m going to shut it for you with a ball gag.”
Hunter’s mouth fell open and shut a few times. “You’re not breaking up with me?”
“No.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“This.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled something shiny out. Hunter looked down at his hand. Shock and confusion rippled through his mind. The chain was gold and beautiful and perfect.
“I want you to marry me. I want you collared for me for the rest of your life.”
Tears gathered in Hunter’s eyes as he nodded his head. “I love you. I love you so much. Yes, I will marry you.”
Hunter was finally having his happily ever after and everything was perfect. Phoenix kissed him slowly, leaning back against the couch. They were both breathless by the time he pulled away. “I wish nobody was coming over. I want you all to myself right now.”
Hunter felt the same way. As the men arrived, they fired up the grill and headed outside. Halfway through dessert, Phoenix came to his side and whispered something in his ear.
“Get upstairs and get naked. Wait for me.”
A delicious sensation vibrated through Hunter’s body as he thought about what his Dom was going to do him when they were alone. With all the men downstairs and enjoying themselves, Hunter excused himself, went upstairs, and stripped. He waited impatiently for his Dom. His cock was throbbing for him. It was an hour later before Phoenix managed to get upstairs.
Hunter was beyond relieved when his Dom crossed the room and caressed his cock with a loving, soft touch. But there wasn’t anything soft about the way he was looking at him. He was all hard and sadistic. Hunter liked him this way. Phoenix gripped his cock roughly, giving it a painful squeeze that made every muscle in Hunter’s body contract and his balls pull up tightly.
“That’s for making me horny when the SWAT team was here.”
He was under his complete control and that was exactly where he wanted to be.
“Stand.”
Hunter stood up on his shaky legs, loving the way his Dom tied his arms above his head and locked a spreader between his legs. He was forced forward so that his ass arched out, exposing his rim completely to his Dom.
The session was long with Phoenix hitting him with several different floggers.
Pre-cum leaked from his tip as he struggled to maintain control and keep his spunk from shooting across the room. His body was so ready. His Dom pushed his wet fingers into his ass, pressing against his prostate. His fingers were quickly pulled out and his thick cock shoved deep inside. He pounded his ass with short hard thrusts that made his balls bounce and his cock strike against his abdomen.
Before he could stop himself, he was begging for permission to come.
“Please, may I come?”
“Come for me. Come for me now!”
It was then, and only then, Hunter was able to let go. His jizz went flying across the room, landing on the black comforter like hash marks. Deep inside his ass, he felt his Dom let go and shot his hot jizz deep inside.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
For the first time in Hunter’s life, he had everything he ever wanted. He just hoped everything would always be so perfect. Phoenix’s strong arms came around and held him close. The gold chain moved around his neck. He liked being collared by his Dom and couldn’t imagine being anyplace else.
THE END
WWW.TATUMTHRONE.BLOGSPOT.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tatum Throne has a master’s degree in social work. She left the field of medical social work to be a stay-at-home mom and to pursue her dreams of writing romance. She has three rambunctious boys with her husband, Mr. Throne, two rowdy rabbits named Coco and Fluffy, and one hamster named Scampers.
When not indulging her fantasies, Tatum enjoys baking chocolate-chip cookies, hiking, spending time with her family, and spreading awareness of eosinophilic disorders.
You can find Tatum all over the web at:
www.tatumthrone.com
www.tatumthrone.blogspot.com
Find her on Facebook!
For all titles by Tatum Throne, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/tatum-throne
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
