Evans, Gabrielle - Reckoning [Fatefully Yours 9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove)

by Gabrielle Evans

  “Go ahead and fight, sugar. We like it a little rough,” the man holding him drawled. “Pretty little cocksucker like you won’t mind some hard handling.”

  The arm around his waist tightened, and the man humped the mound in his jeans against Echo’s ass. Then he dropped him to his feet and shoved him down on the sofa. “You’re going to die,” Echo warned before the first man landed on top of him and started squirming all over him, fumbling with his zipper while Echo tried to push him off.

  “Syx! Wake the fuck up!” Echo continued to struggle with the man, feeling his panic rising when he heard the rasp as the asshole’s zipper finally give way. The other man was fumbling with his jeans as well, getting them undone and pushing them down his hips.

  “Syx! Please wake up! I’m down the hall. Help me!”

  The man on top of him wrapped his long fingers around Echo’s throat and squeezed. His other hand tore at Echo’s jeans, jerking on the waistband until the sound of ripping fabric sounded over the man’s labored breathing.

  Echo began to fight in earnest, kicking and punching, trying to cause pain to any part of the man he could reach. The guy’s friend moved swiftly, grabbing Echo’s wrists and pulling them over his head. Echo went crazy. Jerking his knee up, he rammed it into the fucker’s groin, earning him a vicious backhand for his efforts.

  He screamed over and over, fighting with every ounce of strength he possessed as the men jeered and continued to tear at his clothing. “Go ahead and scream, cocksucker,” the man holding his wrists said with a growl. “We’ll make you scream.”

  Then he lost it. His fangs elongated, and he jerked around, sinking them into the bastard’s forearm. His attacker screamed, jerking his arm away and releasing his hold on Echo.

  Twisting back to the man on top of him, Echo drove his fist into the idiot’s face, growling in satisfaction when he heard bones crunching. Rearing up and shouting in pain, the dumbass exposed his neck, and Echo struck. He wasn’t gentle about it either. He bit and chewed, tearing at the flesh with a savageness he didn’t know he possessed.

  The asshole with the bleeding arm returned, landing a solid blow with his fist against Echo’s temple. It barely fazed him. Snarling like an animal, Echo pushed the one man off of him as though he weighed nothing and launched himself off the sofa.

  Landing on top of the douche with the bleeding arm, he swung out, connecting with the man’s face over and over. Jerking and bucking beneath him, the guy finally managed to throw Echo off him and roll so that he straddled Echo’s hips. His huge fist cocked back and a demented light flashed in his eyes.

  The door crashed inward and the noise level became deafening. While his attacker looked like he was going to piss himself, Echo almost passed out in relief. The growling, snarling, and roaring was music to his ears.

  The jackass on top of him was wrenched away, and strong but gentle arms scooped Echo up off the floor. “I swear we can’t take you anywhere,” Syx whispered.

  Echo laughed. It felt good to laugh even if it was slightly hysterical. It lasted only a moment though before he broke down and started sobbing. The adrenaline ebbed and his whole body shook as he clung to Syx’s neck and buried his face in the demon’s throat.

  It became eerily silent, and Echo finally controlled himself enough to look around the room. Hex had one man by the neck, blood spilling over his hand from the gaping bite mark on the redneck’s throat. The guy’s feet dangled off the ground, and his face was turning red as Hex shook him like a ragdoll. Myst had the other man pinned to the floor, holding him there by resting his foot on the side of the asshole’s face.

  “Can we kill them now?” Myst asked calmly.

  “Yes,” Hex growled.

  “No!” Echo looked up at Syx pleadingly. “Call the police. Don’t let them do this.”

  Syx wasn’t looking at him, though. He was staring down at the man on the floor, and there was murder in his eyes.

  Looking between his lovers, Echo started to shake again. The fuckers should be punished for what they’d done to him. Maybe if they’d succeeded in their little plan, he might be feeling differently. But he was mostly unharmed, and he didn’t want anyone to die—especially not by his mates’ hands.

  “Fucking weres,” Onyx spat and kicked the guy on the floor in the ribs. “Do you have any idea what we are?”

  “Please,” the man whimpered.

  “Oh, now it’s please?” Fiero snarled. “Weren’t too worried about manners when you attacked our mate, were you?”

  “We didn’t know.”

  “Syx, take Echo to the room,” Eyce ordered. His voice was so calm, yet so full of venom, it made Echo’s blood run cold.

  It was too late. His mates had reached the point of no return—at least not until they had eliminated the threat to their mate. They were running on instinct—most of them had partially shifted already—and nothing Echo could say would penetrate their rage.

  Squeezing his eyes closed, he pressed his face into Syx’s neck and let the demon carry him from the room without argument.

  Chapter Two

  Once Echo was out of the room and away from the danger, some form of coherency seemed to return to them. Eyce took deep, calming breaths and let them out slowly. “I’ll call hotel security.”

  Hex sighed as though he was very put out and dropped the guy to the floor where he crumbled like a stale piece of bread and gasped for air, pressing his palm against the bleeding wound on his neck. Eyce felt a surge of pride that his mate had fought so vehemently.

  “I really want to kill them.” Hex huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Eyce ruins everything.” Myst sounded almost whiney. “I vote with Hex. Did you see Echo’s clothes?”

  Eyce ignored them both. Crouching down beside the gasping man, he gripped the bastard’s chin and jerked his face up. “Who sent you?”

  The man tried to shake his head, but Eyce wasn’t letting go. “Who fucking sent you?”

  “I don’t know, okay? Some guy at the club paid us a grand apiece to follow you and bring the little blond back.”

  “Did he pay you to rape him, too?” Eyce was leaning more toward ripping their throats out with every breath.

  The man didn’t respond.

  “What did this man look like?” Vapre asked, his voice steady.

  “Kind of small with brown hair. He looked crazy as fuck.”

  Well, that was vague and unhelpful. “Where were you supposed to take him?” Eyce continued the questioning.

  When the man didn’t answer, Vapre grabbed the jerkwad’s balls and squeezed roughly. “Answer the man, sugar.”

  “Back to the club. Fuck!” Vapre let go, and the man panted and groaned in pain.

  “Tonight?” Eyce asked.

  “Yes. We were supposed to meet someone just before closing.” Apparently, the douche bag was fond of having his balls attached. He was real chatty now. “He said to meet him around back near the Dumpsters, and he’d pay us another grand.”

  “Why does he want him?” Hex asked with a whole lot of hostility.

  “He didn’t tell us anything, I swear.”

  Eyce wanted to scream at the man and ask why they fuck they’d did it, but he already knew the answer. Money spoke volumes, especially to a couple of idiot shifters with half a brain cell between them.

  “What are you going to do with us?” the other guy asked.

  Myst pressed harder on the man’s face with his foot. “Shut up, asshole.” The he crossed his arms over his chest. “So, can we kill them now?”

  “When the hell did you become so violent?” Vapre questioned.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I just take offense to someone kidnapping, beating, and attempting to sexually assault my mate!”

  Eyce pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. Gods, he wanted to kill them—slowly and painfully. The logical part of his brain argued that killing them now that they’d been subdued would be murder. Did he care?

  No. But
Echo would. “I’ll call hotel security,” he repeated with a bit of disappointment.

  “Wait.” Hex shoved his hand through his hair, but he looked less volatile. “We need to find out who’s paying them.”

  “So, we’re taking them to the club tonight.” Eyce nodded curtly. He had no problem following Hex’s train of thought. “He’s not getting anywhere near Echo, though.”

  Hex shook his head. “We have all day to work out a plan. Myst, immobilize them. Everyone else go back to the room. Fiero, send Syx over.” He snapped out orders as he began pacing the floor. “Eyce, call Craze and Gage. It doesn’t hurt to have backup, just in case.”

  “Craze won’t come.”

  Hex paused and looked at Onyx icily. “Why not?”

  “It’s daylight. He won’t leave his mates alone, and they can’t travel until dark,” Onyx answered reasonably.

  “Find a way.”

  Sensing Hex was losing the thin hold on his control again, Eyce jumped to his feet and began ushering everyone out of the room. Just before following them through the door, he looked over his shoulder at Hex. “Don’t kill them.” He took a step out the door, but stopped and poked his head back in. “Yet.”

  A high-pitched yelp had him spinning around to find a middle-aged woman stepping out of her room across the hall. Closing the door behind him quickly, Eyce prayed she hadn’t seen the blood and broken furniture inside.

  Her eyes were wide and appeared to be locked on Eyce’s groin. Glancing down his body, Eyce winced when he realized he was butt naked and more than a little excited from the thrill of battle—however tame it had been. His hard cock jutted from his groin, swollen and pulsing.

  Covering it quickly with both hands, Eyce felt his cheeks heat. “Uh, sorry, ma’am.” When she just continued to stare at him, he spun around and beat a hasty retreat to his room, groaning when he found it locked.

  “Guys! Damn it, let me in!” He beat on the door with his fist, his other hand continuing to shield his groin. More people peeked out of their rooms, and Eyce thought he would die. “C’mon, guys!”

  “Do you really want some woman to jump his dick?” Echo’s voice was muffled through the door, but at that, it opened quickly, and Eyce was jerked inside. “Didn’t think so,” Echo said with a little smirk.

  Syx rolled his eyes and pecked the top of Echo’s head before sliding past Eyce and out the door.

  One look at Echo’s bruised and swelling face, and Eyce wavered on whether they really needed the assholes. His hands shook, his jaw clenched, and every part of him wanted to storm back into that room and rip their slimy throats out.

  He could only imagine the expression on his face, but it must have been in sync with his dark thoughts, because Echo rushed over and wrapped his slim arms around Eyce’s waist. “I’m fine,” he mumbled, rubbing his battered cheek against Eyce’s chest.

  Sighing in disappointment, Eyce picked Echo up in his arms and snuggled him close. “You are never leaving the house again.”

  “I figured you’d say that.” Echo didn’t sound exactly upset about the fact, though. “Did you call the police? Do we have to stay? Do I have to give a statement? When are we going home?” He rattled off questions too quickly for Eyce to answer before jumping on to the next.

  “We haven’t called the police yet. We’ll see how tonight plays out and go from there.” Eyce wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was secretly hoping things didn’t go as planned, and he’d get to terminate the stupid weres before the sun rose. “We have to go back to Silver City tonight.”

  Echo frowned. “What did I miss?”

  Pecking his mate’s lips, Eyce sat him on his feet and did his best to ignore the question. He should have known better. Echo was nothing if not persistent.

  “Eyce, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Someone paid them to kidnap you. They’re supposed to deliver you back at the club tonight.”

  “I’ll need some new jeans,” Echo mumbled. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes, and I can’t show up at the club looking like this.”

  “First, it’s exactly how you should look if they kidnapped you and roughed you up a little. It doesn’t matter, though, because you’re not going.” Eyce crossed his arms over his chest and glared. Echo was not going to persuade him to change his mind.

  “Well, if they’re expecting me, don’t you think it will be an instant alarm if I’m not there?” Echo mirrored his pose and arched an eyebrow.

  “I don’t care. We’ll figure a way around it. You’re not going.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” Echo huffed.

  “Is someone going to back me up?” Eyce asked the room at large. Everyone turned without a word and disappeared into one of the bedrooms. Fucking cowards.

  “I can help. Why are you being difficult?”

  “Echo, you just got your ass kicked. It might have been more than that if Syx hadn’t heard you inside his head.” Eyce shuddered at what could have happened.

  “Uh, excuse me? I think I handled myself just fine before you got there. Maybe give me a little fucking credit?”

  It was true, but Eyce wouldn’t admit it. Conceding that Echo had indeed been able to take care of himself would defeat any argument against the little man going with them to the club.

  No way in hell was that going to happen.

  He marched into the bedroom the warriors had disappeared to, gave them all scathing looks, and pulled on a pair of jeans. “I’m going to see if Syx found out anything useful,” he announced. “Try to keep an eye on Echo.”

  “I heard that,” Echo said coldly from the doorway.

  “I wasn’t trying to hide it.” He slipped past his mate, out of the door, and jogged down the hall. He rapped lightly on the door, relieved when Myst opened it immediately.

  “I thought you’d be back.” The warrior stepped aside to let him enter. “Syx is doing his thing now.”

  “Does he know who the guy is?”

  “He hasn’t said yet, but you know how he is. Give him a minute.”

  They moved closer to where Syx was crouched down in front of the man Echo had bitten on the neck and waited. Syx mumbled questions to the guy, trying to lead him to the information they needed. His expression was blank, but Eyce saw the demon’s lips thin almost imperceptivity at whatever he was seeing.

  “This is the man that paid you to abduct our mate?”

  The man nodded mutely. “That’s all I know, I swear.”

  Syx dipped his head curtly and rose to his feet. “This is bad.”

  “What?” Eyce, Hex, and Myst asked in stereo.

  “We’re going to have to rethink our theory about where our missing profits have disappeared to and why.”

  “Just spit it out,” Hex demanded. The alpha looked strung tight and ready to blow.

  “The man that paid these two idiots?”

  They all nodded, but Eyce was growing impatient. He knew better than to rush Syx, though. The man would get to the point in his own good time.

  “He looks an awful lot like Echo’s lover from the lab.”

  “Motherfucker,” Myst breathed in astonishment. “Are you sure?”

  “No, I’m not positive. He looks a little different, but I think it’s him.”

  “Is he human?” Eyce asked.

  Syx frowned and rubbed at his jaw. “I don’t think so, but I have no idea what he is. This is bad,” he repeated.

  “Vampire?” Hex asked.

  “No,” Syx answered immediately. “It was daylight when he came with those guys from the lab.”

  Eyce nodded, though he was confused as hell. “Do you think this is connected to Ares?”

  “I couldn’t answer that either.” Syx shrugged. “I have as many questions as you do, but unfortunately, no answers. Maybe Echo knows something.”

  “Echo thinks he’s going with us.” Eyce thought it was only fair to give them warning before the little runt started in on everyone.

  “That’s nice.”
Hex waved his hand to dismiss this. “He’s not.”

  “That’s what I told him, but you don’t really expect him to give up without a fight, do you? I still can’t believe he fought off both of these guys.” The men were huge—not quite as big as Eyce, but close.

  “Let’s not go there,” Hex growled. “I might forget why we need them and shred them to ribbons anyway.”

  “So, who’s telling Echo that he can’t go?” Myst asked. “Not it.” He took a step back and smirked when Eyce glared at him.

  “Not it,” Hex and Eyce said in unison, then turned to look at Syx.

  “I’ll talk to him.” Syx didn’t appear even a little concerned. “I think he could be a lot of help, though, and it will be a controlled situation. It could be a trap. Divide and conquer, so to speak. If we leave Echo, some of us are going to have to stay behind to protect him—which diminishes our numbers at each location and makes us vulnerable.”

  Hex scrubbed both hands over his face and groaned. “I hate it when he makes sense.”

  “Why do you think it’s a trap?” Eyce wasn’t dismissing the idea. He was just curious as to Syx’s logic.

  “Think about it.” Syx motioned toward the bastards on the floor. “There are two of them and seven of us. Echo is rarely alone. This morning was just a fluke. Do you honestly believe that anyone expected them to actually succeed?”

  “Oh, come on.” Myst threw his hands up and rolled his eyes. “I see what you’re saying, but who would expect us to let them live?”

  “Someone who’s been watching us,” Syx answered without a trace of sarcasm. “We’ve changed since Echo arrived. There’s a moral boundary that’s been thrown up in our faces. I can’t say if that’s good or bad, but it makes me feel a lot less like a soulless sack of shit.”

  Eyce bobbed his head in agreement. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t tear someone apart to protect himself or his mates, but the idea of killing unarmed men suddenly felt wrong. Being in love took all the fun out of being a fucking warrior demon.