by Tatum Throne
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I’ve been helping train you for the last six months.”
TJ had almost forgotten about his testing for his black belt. There was no way TJ could get through the three hour testing without having thoughts of whacking off his cock in front of Parker.
Chapter Six
The buzzing of the prison door took TJ’s eyes away from the guard that held his badge. The guard looked up from his badge. There were days when TJ felt as though God took the night off the day he was born. Yeah, he had it rough growing up with an alcoholic father, but his mother had it worse. TJ couldn’t blame her for leaving the way she had. She had promised to come back for him when things settled down, but she never did.
He always wondered what happened to his mom and often thought about searching for her, but he didn’t want to know or go there now. Maybe some day he would. His mother was the one that took the beatings. She was just trying to survive. He couldn’t blame her for the situation. There was no surprise that most of his family wondered how he made it out when his father was the one sitting in prison. TJ wasn’t here to see his father, though. He was here to work a cold case. TJ was used to the stares when he visited the maximumsecurity facility. He looked exactly like his father in cell block D.
The badge was handed back, and he was waved through. The guard walked him through to the special visitors section. TJ was led inside to wait. Five minutes later, the guard came back with the man that pled guilty to murdering six women.
TJ watched through the long windows as Jason was shuffled in through the hallway. His brown hair was longer since the last time he saw him and was now curling around his ears. They sat him down in the chair at the table. TJ sat down across from him, clasping his hands together. Like clockwork, TJ came once a month to drag information out of the bastard. Sometimes it helped his case. Other days it left TJ feeling as though he were the one getting jerked around.
“Where are they?” TJ asked. Jason smirked. “Do you remember how you always used to do better than me in school? You’d pull the grades and get the girl. Oh, I forgot, you never wanted the girl.”
Anger vibrated off of TJ. He slowly got to his feet and walked around the table. He dragged Jason to his feet and shoved him up against the wall. Jason always seemed to have some reminder of how they went to high school together.
“Does it bother you that a faggot is out there having sex when you’re the one sitting in jail with other men?”
Jason blinked rapidly. “Put me down!”
TJ dropped his voice for dramatic effect. “I can say the word. Have some of my friends on the inside pay you a little visit.”
Jason grabbed at TJ’s arms as fear made his eyes bulge. TJ couldn’t help but to work his fear. There wasn’t anyone on the inside that would willingly fuck up this idiot. “No, man!”
TJ could see that the games were finally over, and he had Jason’s attention. “How many are there?”
Jason shook his head. “I don’t know. Shit, man, I didn’t keep count. Fifteen. Maybe more.”
TJ cursed. This was way more than he expected. TJ slammed him up against the wall again. The guard was taking his time opening the door. “Where?”
Jason smiled. “You’ll never find them.”
TJ roughed him up against the wall in controlled anger. He heard the door open and the guard come in. “I’d sleep with one eye open,” TJ whispered.
TJ flung the bastard toward the guard who grabbed him by the back of the neck. He felt the last bit of hope for solving and knowing everything about this case drain from his body as the guards pried Jason out of his hands. It was over. There was nothing else he could do.
Later that evening, TJ was heading from his office to the training center for his testing. He was passing through the side corridor when he slowed at the training center’s windows. He stared through the glass, watching as their fulltime instructor, Ayden, worked with a team of first-year rookies. Work was the last thing on TJ’s mind.
All TJ wanted to do was further explore the situation with Parker. That was so not going to happen anytime soon. TJ opened the door and hung to the side to watch their first years go through training.
“Faster, Roberts,” Ayden instructed.
“For the love of all that’s righteous and unholy,” Roberts complained. “I swear you’re the devil’s second cousin’s bitch.”
Ayden laughed, throwing back his head. “I’m his brother, actually. Now, drop and give me forty before I put your ass on the ground.”
“No. I’ve had enough for today.”
Roberts wiped his brow with the sleeve of his T-shirt as the room cleared out. This was the first time anyone probably ever questioned Ayden’s authority. TJ knew Ayden wasn’t about to back down now. Challenging Ayden was so not a good idea either when he wanted to make a point or an example out of you. Ayden came in close to the rookie. The corner of TJ’s mouth ticked up as he watched Roberts squirm.
“What did you say to me?” Ayden asked.
Roberts crossed his arms and leaned in closer to Ayden’s ear, whispering. “I said, no.”
“He’s going to mess Roberts up for disobeying an order,” Parker said. “I’d mess him up just to make an example out of him.”
A shiver of heat flashed so hard through TJ’s body that it left him momentarily stunned by the power of it. He’d been so consumed with watching the exchange with Ayden and Roberts that he never heard Parker enter the training center. By the looks of things, he’d just come from the hospital. A black fleece, with the hospital’s logo, was over a pair of green scrubs. TJ wondered what it would be like to hear Parker say those words as he was tied up, with his ass in the air, on Parker’s bed. TJ’s cock hardened painfully. He needed to get out of there to work the heat out of his system before his test.
“Hey, you made it,” TJ said.
“I did. Are you ready for this?”
Despite knowing Parker would be there for his testing, TJ wasn’t quite prepared to be under his watchful eye the entire time. TJ wasn’t one to allow his nerves to get the better of him, but they were giving him a mad dash tonight. “I’m ready.”
“You’ll do fine. Go change. I’ll see you in a few.”
TJ went to the locker room and tried to mentally prepare for his black belt testing. He stretched out his limbs on the mat as he waited for the class Ayden was running to finish clearing out. Israeli Krav Maga was known for its self-defense techniques that dealt with real world situations. It was a staple at their district. Everyone on SWAT was expected to get their black belt.
There were two other black belts helping Ayden set up for the three-hour testing. TJ knew it was as much psychological as it was physical. TJ bowed to the panel as he waited at the ready for the testing to begin. To his surprise, Parker joined him on the mats. He was going to work as his partner for the testing.
Parker attacked with a blow toward TJ’s sternum. TJ blocked, counterattacking with a set of moves that took Parker to the ground. With a three-second turn around until the next command, TJ offered Parker his hand to save time.
They went at each other hard, not stopping even when a blow would connect. Sweat mixed with blood as TJ worked hard to defend each attacking blow Parker threw at him. They took it to the ground where they started ground fighting. TJ had to forget that Parker was his lover and focus on the task at hand. Distraction was not his friend. Parker pinned him hard against the mat. TJ knew he was about to lose this round if he didn’t do something fast. TJ popped his hips, flipping Parker over his head. A smile broke the corner of Parker’s lips as TJ pressed his body to his right before he tapped out.
Three hours later, it was over. TJ was breathing hard as he stood on the mats with the mirror reflecting his worked body.
He passed. There was a lot of hand shaking and claps on TJ’s back as the other black belts observing the testing congratulated him. When the dust settled from the testing, Parker was nowhere to be found.
Disappoin
tment spiraled through TJ as he bypassed the mats and hit the locker room to change. He needed to exercise the demons distracting him. He changed into workout clothes and went to the weight room. A wooden sign above the doorway had the words Ayden’s House of Pain scrawled in black marker.
TJ had one goal. He wanted to push himself until he forgot all about Parker. He was going to be so tired after this session that he wouldn’t want to fuck, fight, or think for the next twenty-four hours.
“What are you doing in here?” Parker asked.
TJ never heard Parker approach. Sweat from the testing continued to drip off TJ’s temples. TJ wiped his face off.
“I was going to cool down. What’s up?”
“Anderson wants to see both of us. Now,” Parker said.
All the air felt as though it was sucked from the room. TJ knew something was up. He suspected it had everything to do with his little monthly visit to see Jason, but why would he want to see Parker too?
“Did he say why?” TJ asked.
“I’m sure he’s checking in with us about the bridge incident.”
TJ didn’t bother changing. He wiped his face and headed to his superior’s office four floors up. Anderson’s assistant nodded as he pointed toward the open door.
Chief Anderson sat behind his desk and their house psychologist, Andrea Moss, was nervously fidgeting on the couch. A few seconds later, Parker walked into the office, shutting the wooden door like a jail cell door sliding with a clank. TJ knew what was going on before any of them spoke.
It was a fucking intervention.
“You went to see Jason today,” Anderson said.
TJ didn’t say a damn word as he stared at his boss. His white hair was buzzed short. TJ crossed his arms. “I see him at least once a month. I wanted to ask him about his dumping ground this time.”
“Did he say?” Anderson asked.
“Nothing much as usual. He said there are fifteen women. Maybe more.”
Anderson nodded as he stood, walking around his big oak desk. He sat on the corner. “I want you to take a week or two off.”
“What? Why?” TJ asked.
“You’re emotionally compromised right now. You’re on edge. I can’t have you in the field like this.”
“I’m fine,” TJ said.
“You just passed your black belt testing, right?” Anderson asked.
“Yes.”
“Why did you go into the weight room to work out and not out to celebrate?”
The truth hit TJ hard. “I am. Later. I was just cooling down.”
Anderson looked to where Parker was standing. It was then TJ noticed the darkening bruise on his injured temple from their sparring.
“Parker?”
Parker’s blue eyes were filled with regret as they looked to their boss. “He could use a few days to process what happened on the bridge.”
Anderson looked over his shoulder at Andrea and nodded. “Andrea is here if you want to talk.”
“No. I don’t want to fucking talk about my feelings.”
Andrea came around. “Everything you say will be confidential.”
“Not interested.”
“A week. Take the time to work through this,” Anderson said.
There was no negotiating his way out of the forced vacation time. This was bullshit. TJ needed the distraction of work to get through the mess in his life.
“My time will be better spent focused on the job,” TJ said.
“Your time will be better spent not hurting my officers or yourself,” Anderson said. “Take the time I’m giving you. Your job will be here when you get back.”
“Fine.”
TJ strode from the office, bypassing the elevators and opting for the stairs. He jogged back down to the training center. He was so fucking out of there. He was going to shower and grab his shit. Being a homicide detective on the cold case unit and being on the SWAT team was all he had. It was who he was. It gave him balance. Taking the job away was tantamount to taking his life away. This did not feel good.
The locker room was empty by the time TJ got downstairs. TJ grabbed a towel from the bin and headed to the showers. He flipped on the shower to high and pulled the curtain closed. He dropped his sweats and T-shirt, getting into the hot spray. Water smacked against the white tile, punishing it for being in the way. TJ pressed his hands to the tile and dipped his head under the spray. Everything hurt. It wasn’t just his overworked muscles from the testing. Pain slashed through his soul as he thought about the possibility of losing his career. Tears mixed with the pain and slid silently into the water. He was on the edge and hated being there.
Suddenly, the water pressure changed and cold water slapped him in the face.
Chapter Seven
Steam billowed up around TJ’s ankles. The shower was scorching and causing his freckled skin to turn bright red. Parker flipped the water, turning on the cold to wake his ass up.
“What the fuck, Parker?” “What the fuck exactly. You can’t steam the pain out of your body.”
TJ snapped out the towel and held it in front of his package. “Just leave me alone.”
TJ stared at Parker as though he were caught with his emotional pants down. Maybe he had been. There was a sensitive part to TJ that no one got to see. Parker got a glimpse of that man in his kitchen. He wanted that man back. Parker wanted the man that needed him, that needed to be held, and the one that need his protection. Parker planted his hands on either side of the shower stall. Short, dark-blond chest hair tapered down over his abdomen with a thin happy trail leading exactly where Parker wanted to be. A single tattoo of a panther curled around his left bicep and twisted down the inside of his forearm. Another tribal tattoo snaked around his shoulder and over his pectoral muscle.
“Don’t do it,” Parker said.
“Don’t do what?”
Confusion swam through TJ’s eyes as they narrowed. “Don’t go looking for trouble.”
TJ’s lips thinned. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? Trouble has a way of finding me.”
“TJ…”
“Do you mind?”
“Actually, I do.”
“Well, that makes two of us. I don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“I won’t let you fuck up your career by not taking care of yourself. It’s not the right move. You need to listen to what your body needs. Right now, you’re burnt out. You need time off.”
TJ groaned in frustration. “I don’t need a fucking break.”
Parker didn’t believe him and probably never would on this matter. “What are you up to tonight?”
“Nothing.”
“Good. You’re with me tonight.”
TJ’s mouth dropped open and Parker gave him a look that had him snapping it shut. They would not be arguing like lovers at work in the training shower.
“Don’t order me around,” TJ snapped.
Parker walked him back against the wall. They were inches apart. Heat spiraled through TJ’s eyes before he locked it away and threw away the key. Yeah, Parker knew that TJ was good at running and hiding. Both knew that there were only so many places one could hide before they were caught. Parker dropped his eyes to TJ’s lips, drinking in their puffy, wet texture. They were rosy and full. He wanted to kiss TJ and make him forget all the pain in his heart. Parker wanted to make love to TJ right here.
“I’m going to give you orders and you’re going to take them,” Parker said.
“No.”
Parker pressed his hands onto the wet tile, blocking TJ in with his big body. “Get dressed.”
The order was barked like a spank to TJ’s ass. TJ’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down once before he said, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Parker had had enough of his defiance. He snapped the towel out of TJ’s hand and tossed it onto the floor. TJ’s hard cock sprung free, slapping against Parker’s pants. A groan sounded from deep within the back of TJ’s throat, which was exactly where Parker wanted his cock
to be. Parker palmed TJ’s cock, twisting his palm down over his shaft and tightening his hold around the base. He let his fingers cup his balls tightly. TJ arched back, offering his cock up for an erotic rub down. Parker dropped his lips to TJ’s ear as he thumped his cock. Parker rubbed his fingers down over his balls again, feeling the erotic heat pulsing in his hand. Parker’s cock filled with heat and flexed hard against the confines of his boxers. He pulled the curtain of the shower stall closed.
“You’ll do as I say or I’ll have to punish you.”
TJ whimpered in seductive need as his eyes flashed up. “Punish me.”
A thrill danced over Parker’s skin as he thought about having TJ tied to his bed in the ultimate submission. “I want you to meet me at my place tonight.”
“And if I don’t?” TJ lifted his brow in quiet challenge.
Parker stroked him tip to base, twisting his hand around TJ’s big cock. He fisted his free hand into TJ’s blond hair, exposing his neck. Parker dropped his lips to TJ’s neck, kissing his way down over his collarbone. “I’ll come looking for you. You don’t want me to come looking for you, babe.”
“I’m not afraid of what you’ll do to me.”
A smile broke Parker’s lips as he took the borrowed set of handcuffs from his pocket. He had lifted them from TJ’s open locker a few minutes ago. He locked TJ’s right with the cuff and lifted it to the curtain bar where he flipped the cuff around. He lifted TJ’s left hand and locked it down. Parker always wanted to play with the hard steel of real cop cuffs. Heat spiraled through TJ’s eyes as surprise mixed with uncertainty of the situation. No, it probably wasn’t a good idea to play tie up at work, but Parker needed to prove a point to TJ. That point was that he could have him anywhere at any time. Parker picked up TJ’s sweats sitting on the bench and yanked the inch-wide tie out of the waistband.
“You should be afraid. When I’m finished with you, you won’t ever want any other man. You’ll only want me.”
A harsh breath was sucked in through TJ’s teeth. It was the first time Parker noticed that the front two were a little crooked with a quirky turn at the bottom. He liked the imperfection. Parker kissed his way down TJ’s chest, licking his tongue over his nipple.
