Wading with an Octopus

by Charlie Richards

  Knowing he couldn’t just leave it—not if they really were going to break into the mansion of a very rich, very respected friend of the governor—Grisham decided that he needed more information.

  To Grisham’s relief, he found his Jeep right where he’d left it. In fact, someone had even spread a very fine-looking cover over it, protecting it from moisture. Grisham appreciated the gesture, but he wondered who would do such a thing and why.

  Knowing he couldn’t just ball up such a fine cover and leave it in the parking lot, Grisham carefully removed it, then folded it. He smiled as he stowed it behind his seat. Climbing behind the wheel, excitement thrumming through him, he pushed aside his unease.

  Huh. Now I actually have a legitimate reason to call Cuzco.

  Not that Grisham really needed one other than to ask to fuck again, but it still caused his heart to race.

  Grisham started his vehicle and pushed those thoughts from his mind. As he headed out of the marine park’s lot, he mentally flipped through what he knew about the Roush brothers. Not much, as it turned out.

  I need to know more, especially since Cuzco is working for them.

  While Grisham didn’t know why the connection to Cuzco was so important, it just was. He had to be sure that his... well, not fuck buddy, really—not yet, but he hoped to change that—Good grief, my brain is going off the rails.

  Blowing out a breath, Grisham shook his head. He enjoyed the sun on his face, the wind in his hair, and forced his mind to shut down. He just needed a few minutes of mental quiet.

  By the time Grisham arrived home, he felt better. He knew what he was going to do. Shower and scrub the smell of sex off of him. Although if he were being honest, he would miss Cuzco’s scent.

  Too bad.

  As Grisham showered and he wiped away the last itchy traces of cum and lube—they certainly hadn’t been worried about cleaning up between rounds of vigorous sex—his memory wandered to their very, very enjoyable evening. His blood flowed south, and his dick thickened.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake.

  Grisham took himself in hand, resting his other forearm on the tile. He figured he could start running background checks on Kaiser, William, Eban, and any information on an Ovram after he got off. With the way his balls already tingled, which shouldn’t have been possible after his evening, he knew it wouldn’t be long.

  * * * *

  Cuzco woke to the sound of hard pounding on his door. Scowling, he eased one eyelid open. Then his second one popped open an instant later.

  Even with his brain rattling from the noise, Cuzco realized he was alone in bed... and he hadn’t been when he’d fallen asleep. Where was Grisham? Shoving aside the sheet, he rolled to his feet.

  After stumbling a couple of steps, feeling the delicious twinge in his ass, Cuzco tried not to walk too bowlegged out of the room. He nibbled his bottom lip as he realized Grisham’s clothes were no longer on the floor. Disappointment filled him when he didn’t see his lover in the dining room or kitchen either.

  My mate left me.

  Cuzco rubbed at his suddenly aching chest as he crossed to the front door. “Who is it?” he called. With the rise in human mates in the park, there was no reason to shock one if he happened to stop by.

  “It’s Kaiser, Cuzco,” his deep-voiced alpha stated. “Open the door.”

  Gasping, Cuzco swiftly yanked the door open and stepped backward. He spotted not only Alpha Kaiser but Beta William and Enforcer Eban. William was the most laidback and fun-loving, but even he sported a serious expression.

  Uh oh.

  Cuzco scurried to his bedroom, knowing the high-level shifters would make themselves at home. After grabbing a clean pair of sweats, he hesitated, nibbling his bottom lip. He knew he reeked of sex.

  Do I have time to shower?

  Better not.

  Wincing, he tossed the sweats on the rumpled comforter and grabbed the jeans he’d worn the prior day. Cuzco pulled them on, zipped and buttoned, then headed back out of his room. Just as he’d figured, the others had made themselves at home.

  William had pulled out a pan and was cracking some eggs into it. Kaiser stood at the coffee maker, pouring the brew into a pair of mugs he held in his left hand. Eban was dicing peppers.

  It seemed they were going to make him breakfast.

  “This is bad, isn’t it?”

  “Well, it’s not good,” Kaiser told him, holding out one of the cups of coffee.

  Sighing, Cuzco took the offered mug. He obeyed when Kaiser used a gentle hand on his shoulder to guide him to his small, round table. He settled to Kaiser’s left.

  The smell of bacon, eggs, and hash browns filled the air, but his stomach felt too tied in knots to appreciate it. After he’d taken a sip of his coffee, Kaiser rested his forearms on the table, his own mug cradled between his palms, and focused a serious gaze upon him.

  “Did you discuss shifters or mates with Grisham, yet?” Kaiser asked, his voice deep and soft.

  Cuzco shook his head.

  “Well, then he’s not freaking out over that, then,” William commented as he set a plate of cheesy scrambled eggs on the table. A scowl furrowed his brows. “Did he seem upset when he left? Where’d he go? He’s your mate, so shouldn’t you be keeping him too busy to be running background checks on us?”

  Gaping, Cuzco froze. He didn’t react right away when Eban placed the rest of the food on the table—bacon, hash browns, and buttered toast. Cuzco was too busy watching William rummage through his cupboards and pull out dishes, which he transferred to the table.

  It wasn’t until Kaiser tapped his clenched fist with his forefinger that Cuzco snapped out of it. He yanked his attention to his alpha. “Grisham is running background checks on you all?”

  Kaiser nodded once. “He is.” Wrapping his fingers around Cuzco’s fist, he gently urged him to relax his hand. “Please. How did he seem when he left?”

  Heat flooded Cuzco’s cheeks, and he ducked his head. “Um, he snuck out while I was sleeping,” he admitted, his tone rough even to his own ears. “I-I don’t know why he’d be upset.”

  “Did he leave you a note? Or his number?” William asked, sliding a plate of food into Cuzco’s view. The big shifter’s tone took on a teasing quality. “It’s easy to smell you all had a fantastic evening.” Hearing that comment, Cuzco lifted his gaze to William’s, his surprise probably more than evident, for the beta leered while winking playfully and adding, “Hell, I’m not surprised you were worn out.”

  Grimacing, Cuzco turned his attention to Kaiser. “No note that I saw. I—” He paused, uncertain what to say.

  “We obviously woke you,” Kaiser released him and pointed toward the bedroom. “Why don’t you go look. You might have missed it.”

  Cuzco nodded as he rose. He hurried to his bedroom, hope quickening his pace. His senses were inundated by a wall of masculine pheromones—male sweat, spilled cum, and the lingering scent of everything Grisham. His body responded to the delicious aromas, and his blood flowed south.

  Groaning, Cuzco shook his head and crossed to the window. He shoved it open, then turned and looked at the bed, taking in the rumpled sheets and blankets. When no note appeared out of nowhere, Cuzco sighed with disappointment.

  Spotting his phone, Cuzco frowned. It was on the opposite side of the nightstand as where he’d left it the evening before. A kernel of hope tightened his gut, and he snatched it up. After awakening the device, Cuzco grinned.

  Not only did he have a new phone number on his screen, but there were also two text messages from it. The first made him grin.

  Sorry I couldn’t stay. I had to be at work at nine this morning, and you looked too sexy to wake. I’ll call you this evening when I’m done.

  Heading out of his room to share his good news, Cuzco opened the second message. His excitement faded as he paused in his living room, staring at the message.

  Babe, please call me as soon as you wake up. I need to talk to you about your boss.

 
; Chapter Five

  “Waiting for a call from your boyfriend?” a low voice snarled from behind Grisham just as he felt an elbow slam into his kidney. Grisham rocked forward with the blow, and his hip jammed into the counter. “Faggot.”

  Peering over his shoulder confirmed what Grisham had suspected. It was Detective Clive Bronson. The man was a grade A asshole.

  After another snide comment about his sexuality, Bronson sneered and left the break room.

  At least Clive was an equal opportunity bigot. He hated everyone different—women, blacks, gays, even people who were religious. The man also did a fantastic job of only making nasty comments when no one but his target was around to hear.

  Grisham shook his head as he returned to why he’d entered the break room to begin with—to get some coffee. He finished rinsing out his cup in the sink, then reached over and grabbed the carafe. After filling his mug, Grisham returned it to the heating plate.

  “Does Bronson do that often?”

  Spinning with surprise, Grisham sloshed coffee on his hand. He hissed, immediately placing the mug on the counter. After grabbing a paper towel, Grisham wiped his hand, then focused on the man who’d startled him.

  Captain John Casinov stood behind him. The older man, Grisham guessed in his early fifties, had his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks. He sported an intense expression, accentuating the lines around his eyes and mouth.

  Clearing his throat, Grisham shrugged. “Often enough.”

  “Why haven’t you ever filed a complaint?” His brown eyebrows furrowed, and his hazel eyes narrowed. “Even if you’re not homosexual, his comments are inappropriate.”

  Grisham tossed the paper towel, then leaned against the counter. Rubbing the back of his neck, he admitted, “I am gay. He has me pegged rightly enough.” Meeting the captain’s gaze, he stated, “And he’s always been great at making his remarks when there are no witnesses.”

  “Until now.”

  Nodding, Grisham couldn’t help but smirk. “Yeah. In the past, it would have always been a case of he said, she said type thing, so there was no point.”

  “Until now,” Captain Casinov repeated.

  “Right. Until now.”

  Captain Casinov grunted. “Very well. I’ll follow up on it.” He headed past Grisham, aiming for the coffee.

  “Thank you, Captain,” Grisham responded, relieved that Bronson had been caught and worried about how he would respond to anything the captain did to him all at the same time. “Which creamer do you want?”

  Grisham had been working under Captain Casinov for over ten years. He knew the man appreciated flavors with his brew. While Grisham preferred to taste his coffee, he did enjoy plain creamer.

  To that end, Grisham opened the refrigerator and grabbed a carton of half and half, then paused and peered at the captain.

  “I’m in the mood for pumpkin spice.”

  Upon spotting the requested flavor, Grisham grabbed it and used his hip to close the door. He set Captain Casinov’s choice on the counter, then opened the carton he still held and poured a dash into his drink. After the captain had done the same with his choice, Grisham took it back and returned both items to the fridge.

  Just as Grisham reached for his mug, his phone vibrated on his hip. He removed it from the clip at his belt and peered at the screen. His heart felt as if it skipped a beat as he read the name on the screen.

  Cuzco.

  Grisham couldn’t stop his smile, even as worry filled him. The man’s boss could very well be a criminal. How was he going to explain that to the man?

  “You gonna answer that?”

  Hearing the teasing in Captain Casinov’s tone, Grisham felt heat flood his cheeks. He cleared his throat as he slid his thumb across the screen, accepting the call. “It’s Grisham. Give me just a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  The sound of Cuzco’s voice caused his blood to fire in his veins and flow south.

  Damn. There’s something about this man.

  Grisham turned his attention to Captain Casinov and offered, “Enjoy your coffee,” as he picked up his own mug and headed toward a table on the far side of the break room.

  Captain Casinov grinned back at him, the move lighting up his hazel eyes. “Enjoy talking with your boyfriend,” he teased.

  Gaping, Grisham couldn’t find his tongue in order to correct the man. He flopped into a chair as he watched the captain exit the room. Shaking his head, he couldn’t believe his boss had just teased him about his love life... and he’d sounded happy for him, encouraging even.

  Letting out a short chuckle, Grisham refocused on his call.

  At least if Cuzco ends up being my boyfriend, I won’t get any flak from the brass.

  Good grief. Boyfriend?

  Focusing on his phone, Grisham struggled to sort his wayward thoughts. He had to make certain Cuzco wasn’t hurt by his search into the man’s bosses. On top of that, what would happen if the president and a few others were brought up on charges?

  Shit! The marine park could close, meaning Cuzco could lose his job. But stopping crime is my job. I can’t just look the other way. I need—

  “Grisham? Are you still there?”

  Realizing he’d been breathing into his phone without saying anything, Grisham pulled his head out of his ass. “Hi, Cuzco. Thanks for calling me.”

  “I missed you this morning,” Cuzco told him, his voice soft through the line. “I’d hoped to wake you with a blowjob.”

  Grisham groaned as his prick swelled behind the fly of his jeans. “Damn,” he mumbled. “Sorry I missed out on that, but I had to work.”

  Cuzco hummed before whispering huskily, “Next time.”

  “It’s a date,” Grisham replied without thinking. Shaking his head at himself, he quickly continued, “So, uh, how long have you worked at the marina?”

  “Over ten years,” Cuzco told him. “Your text said you needed to talk to me about my boss?”

  “Yeah, I do,” Grisham began, struggling to choose his words. He still wasn’t certain how to ask.

  “Mister Roush is a great guy to work for. Honest and fair to his employees.” Cuzco’s tone held a note of clear praise. He was obviously a fan of the man. “Are you looking for a job? I could find out from Eban if they’re hiring for security. He got Solomon a job there, after all.”

  “No, babe,” Grisham replied. “I’m not looking for a job.”

  “I like it when you call me that.”

  “Call you what?” Grisham asked absently, something else popping into his head. “Ten years. You can’t be more than twenty-five, twenty-six. Wow, you must have started young.”

  “I like it when you call me babe, and I’m older than I look.”

  Grisham hadn’t even realized he was doing it. Huh. He’d never been an endearment kind of guy—maybe because he’d never had a boyfriend—but the term just rolled right off his tongue. Grisham kind of liked it.

  Damn. I’m already in too deep.

  “I’d like to talk to you about a few things. Will you swing by my apartment this evening?”

  That was another first, inviting a hook-up to his place.

  “Of course. What time?”

  * * * *

  “I’m sorry, Cuzco,” Kaiser stated after Cuzco hung up the phone. “I don’t see another way.”

  Cuzco nodded. His cheeks heated uncomfortably. He rubbed at them. It wasn’t that he was a prude, but he’d never talked about his sex life in front of people.

  His desires had just sort of... popped out without thinking, even though he knew his alpha, beta, and head enforcer could hear everything they said to each other.

  “So, tonight we all go.” Kaiser patted Cuzco on the wrist. “We’ll answer his questions, explain shifters and mates, and impress the importance of anonymity.”

  “Don’t worry, little buddy,” William rumbled, giving him a one-armed hug. “All will be well.”

  Cuzco nodded again, hoping Beta William was right.

/>   Hours later, Cuzco sat in the back seat of a small limo. William and Kaiser were with him. Eban was in the passenger seat next to the driver—Westram, a longnose sawshark shifter.

  “Gods, I feel like I’m being escorted to pick up my prom date,” Cuzco suddenly blurted out, his nerves spiking. He shifted in his seat, rubbing his palms over his thighs.

  William barked out a laugh while Kaiser chuckled low in his throat.

  Grinning widely, William leaned across the seat and smacked the inside of his knee. “Relax, Casanova.” He winked while relaxing back in his seat. “We’ll try not to cramp your style.”

  “After he hears about everything, I’ll be lucky if he ever wants to see me again.” Cuzco stared at the floor of the vehicle, mumbling his fears. “What if he runs away?”

  “Well, once he knows about shifters, if he rejects you, there’s only one way we’ll allow him to walk away from you,” Kaiser stated, his tone matter of fact. Smiling kindly at Cuzco, he added, “But we won’t allow that to happen.”

  Cuzco understood his meaning. Grisham’s mind would have to be wiped by a vampire, and he would have to be relocated. Cuzco would end up pining for decades until the human died of old age, severing their weak link.

  The car slowed to a stop, and the window separating them from the front cab rolled down. “We’re here, Alpha,” Westram stated. “There’s not much for visitor parking, so after I drop you off, I’ll drive around until I find something.”

  “Sounds good,” Kaiser replied. “We’ll call when we’re ready for pick-up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  A second later, the door opened, revealing Eban. “It’s a fairly quiet neighborhood, and his building is secure,” the shark shifter stated as Cuzco followed Kaiser from the vehicle. Eban pointed toward the building and a metal gate across the front door. “He’ll have to buzz Cuzco up, but it doesn’t look like there’s a camera, though, so he shouldn’t know he isn’t alone.”

  “Standing right here,” Cuzco grumbled, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. Being talked about instead of to was annoying.