With Caution

by J. L. Langley

  “Jake’s hot.”

  What? Remi got a funny feeling in his stomach. Damn, it’s really warm out today. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. Sterling shouldn’t be looking at other guys. Especially when the guy in question was Remi’s. Wait. Where had that thought come from?

  “Don’t you think so?” Sterling’s brow wrinkled.

  “No. I guess. Why?” The image of Jake grabbing a handful of Remi’s hair, jerking his head back and biting his neck, popped into Remi’s mind. He could practically feel Jake’s fangs pressed against his neck, like last night. Fuck. He was getting hard. Right before Remi’s eyes Sterling’s blue shirt turned gray. Damnit. He was losing his mind. Remi took a deep breath, trying to clear his head.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re blushing.”

  “No, I’m not blushing. Don’t be ridiculous. I mean—he’s a guy. You aren’t supposed to think other guys are hot.” Remi didn’t sound convincing, even to himself.

  Sterling sighed and gave him a look from under his lashes as if to say, “Yeah sure.”

  What the fuck is that about? Remi glared, his vision returning to normal. “Just—go out for a pass already.” Jesus, all he needed was for Sterling to start checking out guys. Remi pointed toward the far end of the lot. “Go.”

  Sterling took off.

  Remi threw the ball in a beautiful spiral, right into his brother’s hands.

  This time after Sterling caught the ball, he ran it back instead of throwing it. He came to a halt, panting and sweaty, in front of Remi. After giving Remi the ball, he dropped his hands to his knees. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being gay. Jake’s gay. Chay and Keaton are gay. I mean…”

  Remi sputtered before finding his voice. “What? How do you know Jake’s gay?” Of course, Remi had come to the same conclusion last night. It made sense, Jake had kissed Remi. However, Remi wasn’t gay and he’d kissed Jake. It had been a hell of a kiss, though. And it would have gone much further if— Fuck, there went his eyes again. Remi groaned and rubbed his forehead. He was beginning to get a headache. Funny, Sterling hitting him in the head hadn’t done it, but all the talk about who’s gay and who’s not. And God, if Sterling slipped and said something… “Sterling, can we just play ball? Not everyone’s gay, all right?”

  The kid shrugged. “Okay, well, bi then.” He turned and ran toward the street.

  Remi let his eyes adjust once more then tossed the ball and waited. If the kid kept on like this, Remi was going to be grateful for summer vacation to be over.

  Sterling caught it and trotted back toward Remi. Once within talking distance, he flipped the ball to Remi. “You know I don’t care. I mean if you and Jake—”

  “Sterling…”

  “It’s perfectly fine with me. You guys looked good together last ni—”

  Oh fuck! What had he seen? “Sterling, I don’t care what you saw, drop it.” Remi shook his head and pointed for Sterling to go out for a pass. Damn. He himself didn’t understand his attraction to Jake.

  “Okay, okay.” Sterling held his hands up and took off again.

  Remi stepped back and passed the ball. He threw it harder this time, making Sterling have to hustle for it. Maybe it would wear him out and he’d stop with the uncomfortable questions.

  The ball was high, but Sterling didn’t hesitate, he jumped for it, snagging it out of midair.

  It was a hell of a catch. Remi smiled.

  Sterling tripped over his own feet as soon as he landed. Tucking his head, he rolled and ended up flat on his back. He lay there for a few seconds, then his hand shot straight up, ball still clutched in it. “I freakin’ rock.” Sterling hopped to his feet, grinning from ear to ear.

  Please throw the damn thing back. I can’t take any more of Sterling’s endless questions. Remi groaned, seeing Sterling head toward him.

  Halfway back, Sterling hesitated and the happy expression slipped from his face.

  What the—? Something hit the back of Remi’s head, hard. “Ow. Fuck.” Remi rubbed it.

  “Watch your mouth, Remington. Is that any way to greet me?”

  Bile rose in Remi’s throat. Shit. He swallowed hard, turning toward his father. “No. I’m sorry, Dirk.”

  Dirk Lassiter stood two feet away with his arms crossed over his massive chest. He appeared to be looking down his hawk-like nose at Remi, even though his brown eyes were hidden behind his mirrored sunglasses.

  He wasn’t much taller than Remi, but he was bigger, more intimidating. The years had not diminished the lean, hard muscle he’d worked hard to build. His long black hair was tied back in a braid. He was in his tan uniform with the gun belt around his waist.

  God, Remi hated that fucking belt. It was a standard law enforcement utility belt, essentially two leather straps velcroed together, making it thick. Getting hit with it hurt like a son of a bitch. Remi shivered.

  “You need a haircut.” Dirk’s breath was surprisingly liquor free today.

  Remi didn’t know what to say. His hair wasn’t at all longer than Dirk’s. But any response would get him smacked, so he just nodded.

  “How’s work? Put out any fires lately?”

  Out of habit, Remi fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot, and managed to get himself out of striking distance. Okay, this is good. A safe subject. I can do this. “Work is good. Thankfully, we haven’t had any fires lately. I’m thinking about applying for the open EMT position.”

  Dirk’s brow furrowed.

  Oh fuck. Remi winced.

  Stepping closer, Dirk glowered. “That’s the thanks I get for getting you that great job? You want to be a fucking nurse? Why not tell everyone you want to be a faggot while you’re at it. It’s a faggot job.”

  Remi flinched, inching backward, not even caring if it appeared like he was retreating.

  Sterling finally came up beside them. His hand touched the small of Remi’s back briefly and slid away. “Hey, Dirk, is it time for me to go?”

  “Yeah. Get your shit. It’s hot out here.” He glanced at Sterling, then grinned, looking back at Remi. “You don’t honestly want to be a pansy-ass EMT, do you?”

  “No.” Remi chuckled, hoping it didn’t sound nervous. “I was joking around.”

  “Well, quit joking and take your goddamn job more seriously and maybe you’ll make something of your worthless ass.” He looked back at Sterling. “What are you doing standing there? I said I was ready to leave.”

  “I’m ready. I didn’t bring anything with me.” Handing Remi the ball, Sterling gave him a wobbly smile.

  Taking the ball, Remi ruffled the kid’s hair. It was the most affection he was allowed to show in front of his father. “I’ll come get you tomorrow and we can practice again. We’ll have you ready for football season in no time.”

  “Bunch of horseshit. He ain’t gonna make the team. ’Sides, who the hell is going to pay for it if he does?” Dirk glared at Remi.

  Fuck. If the bastard denied Sterling the opportunity to play… “It’s not a problem. I’ll pay—”

  “You saying I don’t have enough money to take care of my family?” Dirk came closer, bumping Remi with his chest.

  Remi backed away, out of reach again. “No, Dirk. I didn’t want you to be bothered with it. Honest. I was only trying to help.” If Sterling enjoyed it and he got a scholarship, he could go to college and get away. Not that it mattered. Remi would scrounge up the money to pay for Sterling’s college.

  “I don’t need your money, Remington.” Dirk’s cool tone never changed, but the snarl he made was downright nasty, letting Remi know he’d been insulted.

  “No, of course not, I—I’m sorry.”

  Grinning, Dirk nodded. “That’s what I thought.” He lifted his hand toward Remi’s face.

  It was a mean, nasty grin and Remi recoiled, waiting for the blow.

  Dirk patted his cheek, hard, making it sting a little. “Nevertheless, if you wanna pay for the brat to play ball, I’ll let you. It’s a waste of money in m
y opinion. I wasted enough letting you play. And we all see how well that turned out.”

  Remi nearly sighed in relief. God, he hated the son of a bitch. The man got some perverse pleasure out of making Remi squirm.

  Sterling’s attention darted back and forth between them, all the while inching his way closer to Remi.

  Dirk cleared his throat. “Let’s go, boy. Your mother has dinner going.” He walked away.

  Bending close to Sterling’s ear, Remi whispered, “Do not mention football to him again. Just let it go. I’ll take care of it, okay?”

  Nodding, Sterling squeezed Remi’s arm. “See you tomorrow.” He ran to catch up with their father.

  Dirk turned around, coming back.

  Damn, damn, damn. What did he want? Remi tried not to fidget. His heart was racing, and his palms were so sweaty the ball kept slipping. He pressed it against his leg.

  “Who’s the new friend of yours?” Dirk cocked a brow.

  “Excuse me?” Remi stiffened. “What friend?”

  “The big guy. Drives a black Tahoe.”

  How did he know about Jake? He couldn’t possibly know about the other night. No, of course not. Chill bumps raised on Remi’s arms.

  “Jake?” Sterling asked.

  Dirk looked toward Sterling. “Jake, huh? What’s he do for a living?”

  “He’s a security guard or something,” Sterling answered without missing a beat.

  Remi didn’t know whether to kiss him or kill him. If Dirk found out Sterling had lied— Fuck, Remi’s hands were shaking.

  Apparently satisfied for now, Dirk nodded. Moving back around, he walked off.

  Sterling shrugged, his eyes wide, then followed their father to the car.

  Remi tried to breathe normally. Even though Dirk was leaving, the panic was still there. He hated himself for letting the man affect him like this. When would he outgrow the feeling of helplessness?

  A sense of peace overcame Remi, his lungs taking in air again. His hands stopped quivering and suddenly everything felt all right. It was the same calm that came over him at the diner the other morning.

  “Remi?” A hand touched his shoulder.

  Chapter Five

  As Dirk Lassiter drove off, Jake rubbed Remi’s back with one hand and tried not to let his anger show. Watching his normally cocky, self-assured mate cower gave Jake a real uneasy feeling. It took every ounce of energy he possessed to stand back until Dirk left. What had Remi endured when he lived at home?

  Amazingly, when Jake had showed up, the fear dissipated from Remi’s scent in seconds. He was beginning to suspect that Remi was reacting to his presence. It must be a mate thing, their bodies responding to one another, although he’d never heard of such a thing. Lust? Sure, it was pretty common for mates to react to one another’s arousal, but this… Jake knew darn well Remi’s mind was still in turmoil, he could see it on his face. “You okay?”

  Remi leaned into Jake’s touch a little, not quite enough to bring their bodies in contact. “Yeah. I hate letting Sterling go with him, knowing there’s a chance something bad might happen.”

  “We’re going to fix that.”

  Remi’s head whipped around, his gaze meeting Jake’s. “We are?”

  “Yes, but we need to talk.”

  Remi looked skeptical, but dipped his head toward the apartments. “You want a beer?”

  “Yeah.”

  Flipping the football to Jake, Remi walked to the buildings.

  Jake caught the ball and followed. “You didn’t tell me he was a rez cop.”

  “I didn’t?” Remi’s steps faltered.

  Staying quiet until they were inside, Jake shut the door and leaned against it. “You know you didn’t. Why?”

  Remi groaned and his shoulders slumped before he turned around. “I was afraid you wouldn’t help me. Most people are intimidated when they find out what Dirk does for a living. Being a rez cop has a lot more leeway than a city cop. The feds only get involved when there’s a murder. There are supposed to be checks and balances, but…” His gaze was cast downward.

  Fuck, Jake hated that look. It was the same look Remi had the other night when he’d admitted to being abused by his dad. It was shame. “You have to trust me, Remi. If I’m going to help I have to be able to prove he’s a dirty cop or a danger to Sterling. He is, right? Both of those?” Tossing the ball onto the couch, Jake pushed off of the door. He knew damn well he shouldn’t but he went to Remi, catching his chin and making him look up.

  Remi closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into Jake’s hand.

  Jake stared, mesmerized. It was such a subservient reaction. He had never seen a werewolf react this way. Only his human lovers had ever been this submissive. He sort of understood how mating worked, but it still baffled him. Remi was straight, yet here he stood once again showing a willingness to physically surrender to Jake. And damned if it didn’t make Jake harder than a fucking rock. Of course, the smell of Remi all sweaty from playing ball didn’t hurt either.

  Remi blinked. His eyes turned canine and the scent of arousal grew strong.

  It took every ounce of willpower he had, but Jake stepped back. He wanted nothing more than to take what his mate offered, but he needed information to try and protect Sterling and Remi. “Tell me about the murder.”

  “What?” Remi’s voice cracked. A blush tinged his face before he abruptly moved away and began pacing. The scent of lust turned to unease and Remi’s shoulders stiffened. “How’d you know about that? You started looking into it already?”

  Interesting. Once again Jake had to wonder if Remi had even realized he’d nestled into the touch until after Jake had drawn attention to it by pulling away. “Yes, I’ve started looking into it already, I told you I would. Now, I need you to tell me what you know.”

  “There isn’t much to tell.”

  “According to my source there’s a lot to tell.”

  Shrugging, Remi walked off toward the kitchen. “Not really. It didn’t have anything to do with Dirk.” He opened the refrigerator, withdrew two beers and tossed one to Jake.

  Jake caught it and set it on the coffee table. “Remi.”

  Remi sprawled on the couch, propping his feet on the table.

  Jake hadn’t seen the posturing in the last two days. The smug air was back. Whatever happened, Remi had no intention of letting on that it bothered him. Jake knew damn well this was Remi’s way of keeping his friends at bay, but it pissed Jake off anyway. Maybe Remi’s distance was due to the kiss last night.

  Remi didn’t say a word.

  When Remi finally looked at him, Jake sat there, holding Remi’s gaze. Jake was not going to let Remi hide from him. Maybe it was selfish but he wanted everything, the bad and the good.

  Fidgeting a little, Remi turned away. He set the beer on the table so hard some sloshed out, and he ran his hands over his face. “Billy and I were on our way back home from the movies. We got jumped crossing a field. That’s all there was to it.”

  “By who? Did you see who attacked you?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “You didn’t know them? Or they didn’t catch them?”

  “I don’t remember. I got the shit beat out of me. All I remember is waking in the hospital, with Simon, Bobby and Chay around me. Dirk had work to do like he always did and my mom was taking care of Sterling, who had just been born.”

  Jake closed his eyes, getting his emotions under control. He couldn’t imagine not having a family to count on. Before his parents died, they’d been wonderful. They’d been strict at times, sure, but there was never a doubt they’d loved Jake and Tina. It was amazing that Remi had the relationship he did with Sterling since he certainly had nothing to compare it to.

  Opening his eyes, Jake found Remi staring at him, bottom lip held between his teeth. “Did your father even try to find out who did it?”

  Remi shook his head. “I don’t know. Dirk never had me questioned. I was in the hospital for most of the investigation. Not that
it would have mattered, I didn’t remember the attack. Still don’t.” He looked down. “I just remember…” Taking several deep breaths, he rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, keeping the tears at bay. He finally turned back to Jake and smiled. It was a sad smile, full of sorrow.

  It made Jake’s heart hurt. He wanted to haul Remi into his arms and comfort him, but he didn’t dare. Remi wasn’t telling him something and Jake needed to find out what that something was. He had a feeling it was very important. “What do you remember?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I don’t recall anything useful. I can’t even remember the movie we went to see, or why we were in the field.”

  Standing, Jake caught Remi’s arm and pulled him up. “I need you to trust me.”

  “I do trust you. I trust you so much it scares the hell outta me.” Remi’s voice was soft, awed.

  The honesty and faith went straight to Jake’s head and his cock, which had never fully softened. He stared into Remi’s beautiful eyes, watching as they shifted. “I’ve been needing to kiss you since the moment I got here.”

  Remi’s eyes widened, then he sighed and closed his eyes.

  It was all the invitation Jake needed. He never even stopped to think what he was doing. He just took what his mate offered, tugging Remi forward and slanting his mouth over Remi’s. Without wasting any time, his tongue traced the seam of Remi’s lips.

  Remi opened, kissing back. He let Jake explore his mouth, following Jake’s lead. Panting, he pulled away and held Jake’s gaze as he slid to the floor. Resting his head against Jake’s thigh, he closed his eyes again. “Jake.” His voice was strangled, a raspy plea. The war he waged in his mind was written all over his face.

  Running his hand over Remi’s head, Jake tried to soothe him. “Remi.” Why was he doing this?

  A hand snaked up the inside of his leg, stroking his calf through the denim. Remi rubbed his cheek against Jake’s leg and his pale green eyes fluttered open, already shifted into wolf eyes. He lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. His fangs peeked out from under his top lip. Moving his face closer to Jake’s crotch, he scrunched his nose and snuggled his face against Jake’s jeans.