“Levi, Jesus.” Dominic’s heavy exhalation ruffled Levi’s hair. “Is that what you want? You want me to force all this up inside you until you’re stuffed full?”
Levi’s answering moan was broken and needy. “Yeah. Do it.”
Dominic pushed his cock in as far as he’d gotten—which still wasn’t much—and took over supporting Levi’s free leg with his hand. Levi gripped the edge of the mattress, groaning low and nonstop as Dominic penetrated him more forcefully, advancing by degrees, barely pulling back before pressing forward again. Relieved that Dominic was acting like his usual self, Levi found his body opening more easily, and now struggling to accept the large, rigid length invading him was exciting rather than frustrating.
“This cock ruined you, huh?” The arousal in Dominic’s voice stoked the flames of Levi’s own lust. “Now you can’t be satisfied by anything less?”
“Mm-hmm.” Levi couldn’t bring himself to say more than that; he still tended to deny being a size queen, despite both he and Dominic knowing that for a flimsy lie.
Because he did adore how big Dominic’s cock was. He loved how it felt inside him, the way it rooted him so firmly in his physicality that he couldn’t concentrate on anything beyond the present moment. Even now, he was trembling from the pleasure of the overwhelming incursion.
“God, half the time fucking you is like breaking in a virgin.” Dominic’s next thrust sent him almost balls-deep. “Popping that tight cherry over and over.”
Levi let out a quiet cry, his face flushing as a hot, sweet thrill of embarrassment swept through him. His hole slackened, allowing Dominic to slide that last inch home.
“That’s it.” Able to move freely at long last, Dominic rocked his hips, fucking Levi at a steady pace. “That feels so good, baby,” he said, but then his thrusts faltered. “Sorry, I forgot—”
“It’s fine.” Levi reached back to loop his arm around Dominic’s neck. “Say it. I want you to.”
Pressing a kiss to Levi’s upper arm, Dominic resumed his rhythm. “You feel so good around me, baby,” he whispered into Levi’s ear, like it was a secret—which it was, in a way. Levi had never let anyone else call him that.
The husked endearment made Levi moan, which in turn drew a hoarse groan from Dominic’s throat. Levi craned his head back so they could kiss while they fucked.
In this side-lying position, Dominic couldn’t go that deep without also going very slow, which neither of them were in the mood for. The more Dominic sped up, the shallower his thrusts became—but the angle let him aim unerringly for Levi’s prostate, frying Levi’s nervous system with pure electric bliss.
Levi tore his mouth away from Dominic’s, breathing in ragged gasps. He gave his own erection a few soothing strokes, then trailed his fingers down to explore the place where Dominic was spreading him, filling him—completing him.
“This is where you belong,” he said. “Show me how happy you are to be back where you’re supposed to be.”
Dominic’s hand tightened on Levi’s knee. “I want to hear you scream.”
“Then you’ll have to work harder than this.”
Dominic hooked his arm around Levi’s thigh and surged into a vigorous, rapid-fire assault that made Levi shriek in both surprise and appreciation. Levi frantically tugged his own cock while Dominic hammered away, ravaging his body with such intensely focused pleasure that he thought he might pass out.
And he did scream—he always did with Dominic, the ecstasy too overwhelming to be contained or suppressed. His cries rebounded off the walls as his toes kinked, his muscles tightened, and goose bumps washed across his skin.
Levi hung suspended for a moment on the edge of climax, his hand flying on his cock, before his orgasm burst through him in glittering shards. He was still shuddering and convulsing around Dominic’s cock when Dominic rolled him flat on his stomach, moving with Levi so he never quite pulled out. Bracketing Levi’s thighs with his own and curving his hands beneath Levi’s shoulders for leverage, Dominic pinned Levi to the bed with his weight and went at him like an animal in rut.
Levi muffled a scream in the sheet, then turned his face to one side so he could breathe. He always enjoyed being fucked after he came, especially by Dominic’s huge cock, which set off a chain reaction of aftershocks in his sensitized body.
Dominic knew that quite well, and he wasn’t holding back. The obscene smack of his hips bouncing off Levi’s ass competed with the creaking mattress and the headboard banging against the wall. He grunted and cursed, his cock plunging deeper into Levi—so deep that Levi grabbed fistfuls of the bottom sheet with enough force to yank the corners off the mattress.
“Fuck me, fuck me,” Levi said, only half-aware of what he was babbling. Being subjected to Dominic in a primal frenzy of lust never failed to make him lose his goddamn mind. “Screw me with that monster cock, God, you’re a fucking beast, nobody’s ever fucked me like you do—”
With a guttural shout, Dominic buried his cock in Levi’s ass and ground it in desperate circles as he came. When he finished, he groaned like a dying man and slumped atop Levi’s back.
Levi made a strangled noise. Dominic had been supporting some of his own weight on his elbows earlier, but now Levi felt like he was being crushed beneath a marble statue. “I can’t breathe,” he said, sending an uncoordinated elbow into Dominic’s side.
Dominic heaved himself onto his hands, then carefully pulled out. Levi made a face, but even the uncomfortable sensation couldn’t put a dent in his vibrant afterglow. His brain was soaked in so many feel-good chemicals right now that he might as well have been stoned.
“There’s one advantage to using a condom.” Dominic shifted off to the side, stripping the latex from his cock. “Easier cleanup.”
Levi flipped onto his back and looked expressively between Dominic and where his own come was smeared over his belly. Dominic had rolled him right onto the wet spot.
“Or not,” Dominic said with a hint of sheepishness. “Hang on.”
He threw out the condom and retrieved a package of wet wipes from the nightstand. While Dominic cleaned up Levi and the bed, Levi scattered kisses across whatever skin came near his mouth, so content he was almost purring.
Dominic tugged the bottom sheet back into place, and the moment he lay down, Levi curled up around him and rested his head on his chest. Dominic held Levi close, smoothing a hand up and down his back. They lay like that for a long time, basking in the joy of each other’s presence as their breathing evened out and their heartbeats slowed.
Dominic was the first to break the silence. “We can do this, right?”
Levi propped his head on Dominic’s shoulder to look at his face. “It won’t be easy.”
“I don’t want easy.” His lips quirking, Dominic traced his thumb along Levi’s jaw. “I want you.”
Levi shoved him, Dominic retaliated, and their tussling quickly devolved into a playful wrestling match that ended with Levi sprawled on top of Dominic’s body and both of them panting.
“I love you,” Dominic said, gazing up at Levi with soft eyes.
Levi smiled. “I love you too.”
“I think I owe you an apology,” Sawyer said, seated across from Levi at the desk in his office.
“We’ve been successfully avoiding this conversation for the past twenty minutes,” said Levi. “Let’s not ruin all that hard work.”
Sawyer pushed Levi’s case file aside. “I shouldn’t have slept with you. You were emotionally vulnerable, and I took advantage of that. I’m sorry.”
Though Levi would have been perfectly happy to continue pretending their one-night stand had never happened, if Sawyer insisted on hashing it out, Levi would ensure the matter was put to rest for good. “I pressured you into sleeping with me.”
“No, you—”
“Don’t rewrite history. I played on your attraction to me and I deliberately insinuated that you’d be putting me in danger if you left me alone at that bar. If anything, we too
k advantage of each other. It was a mistake, but we’re adults, and there was no real harm done. Let’s just put it behind us and move on.”
Sawyer fiddled with the edge of a stack of papers. “Would your ex agree with that?”
“Oh, um . . .” Clearing his throat, Levi shifted in his seat. “We actually got back together yesterday.”
Sawyer rocked back, his face paling. “Does he know about . . .”
“Yes.” Levi took in Sawyer’s agitated posture, raised his eyebrows, and said, “Oh, come on. What, do you think Dominic’s going to hunt you down and kick your ass? He’s not like that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what possessed me to sleep with a guy whose ex is built like a tank and has a concealed carry permit,” Sawyer muttered.
Levi rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re more worried about Dominic than about what the State Bar of Nevada would do if they found out you had sex with a client.”
“Pro bono doesn’t count,” Sawyer said with a wink. In trademark fashion, he seemed to have already recovered his composure.
“Can we just finish this, please? I’m picking Adriana up from school in an hour.”
They dove back into Levi’s case, discussing his upcoming Internal Affairs hearing, which was scheduled for Friday. “IA has nothing,” said Sawyer. “You have solid alibis for several of the Seven of Spades’s murders, plus an alibi for Captain Sheppard’s murder in Philadelphia. And I have sworn affidavits from half a dozen people testifying to the fact that the Seven of Spades has been psychologically tormenting you for almost a year, making these recent murders a perfect fit with their established pattern of behavior. IA has no evidence on which to base a continuation of your suspension, still less to seek a warrant for your arrest.”
“And if pressure from the sheriff and mayor decide them otherwise?”
“We can sue. Among other things, you have a strong case for defamation of character.”
“Ugh, no.” Levi waved a hand. “I don’t want to attract any more attention to myself.”
“Really? After the weekend you just had?” Sawyer laughed in the face of Levi’s scowl. “There’s no reason to worry. Now, if Boulder City had decided to press charges, that might be a different story, but IA can’t bring your little adventure into your hearing without them. All you have to do between now and then is stay out of trouble. I know how difficult that is for you, but do your best.”
Once they’d wrapped up a few more details, Sawyer walked Levi out to the elevator bank. The posh offices of Hatfield, Park, and McKenzie reeked of wealth and moral ambiguity, and Levi drew more than his fair share of attention from employees and clients alike.
“At the hearing, let me do all the talking. Don’t say a single word. The cops will try to trick you into incriminating yourself—they’re sneaky little weasels.”
“Says the defense attorney,” Levi said.
Sawyer grinned. “Takes one to know one.”
Levi shook his hand, glad they’d set aside the awkwardness of their indiscretion with minimal drama, and left for Adriana’s high school in Henderson.
At the curb outside, Adriana jumped into the front seat of his rental car, full of energy and gossip. She dropped her backpack by her feet and immediately launched into a story about the convoluted social politics of junior year.
He listened without interruption as he turned the car back toward Las Vegas. She was in such high spirits that he was loath to ruin her good mood, though he’d have to eventually.
In fact, it was Adriana herself who broached the subject. When she finally paused to draw breath halfway to the city, she gave him a curious look and said, “So why did you want to pick me up instead of having Marcus drop me off like usual? Krav’s not for another couple of hours.”
“I needed to speak to you about something in private.” Levi flexed his fingers around the steering wheel, keeping his eyes on the road. “Have you noticed anything strange or out of place happening around you lately? Feeling like you’re being watched or followed, getting weird calls, hearing interference on your cell phone, anything like that?”
She didn’t respond, so he glanced sideways. Gone was the exuberant young woman who’d been sitting in her seat moments before, replaced by a haunted wraith with graying skin and wide, unblinking eyes. The change was so profound that it struck Levi speechless.
“He is looking for me,” she whispered. She was breathing shallowly through her nose.
“No!” Levi cursed himself as he realized his mistake. He pulled onto the shoulder, threw the car in park, and twisted around in his seat to face her. “That’s not why I was asking, I swear. Your old foster father is still in Reno. He’s not going to come anywhere near you.”
She shook her head, radiating such palpable fear that Levi’s own heart pounded in sympathy. “You—you can tell me if he is. I won’t freak out—”
“Adriana!” Levi met her eyes and waited for her to focus before continuing. “I’m not just guessing; I keep tabs on him. I know for a fact he hasn’t left Reno in months.”
“You . . . what?”
He shrugged self-consciously. This wasn’t something he’d ever planned on telling her, but it was better than her having a panic attack. “I have a contact in the Reno PD who helps me keep an eye out. Between the two of us, there’s no way that man could come to Vegas without me knowing.”
What he didn’t add was that his friend in Reno also dropped by Adriana’s old house from time to time, and occasionally parked his black-and-white across the street for a few hours. With any luck, the creep who’d abused Adriana was too intimidated to put hands on the kids still in his care.
Adriana opened her mouth, but seemed at a loss for words. Some of the color returned to her cheeks. “Why were you asking all that weird stuff, then?”
Okay, so he wasn’t going to get the information he needed by being vague. Though he couldn’t tell Adriana the full truth, he could at least share the relevant parts.
Choosing his words carefully, he said, “What I’m going to tell you is something only you, Dominic, and I will know, all right? And it has to stay that way.”
She nodded.
“The Seven of Spades had someone contact me a few days ago, pretending to be you.”
“You mean like they texted you and made it look like it came from my number?”
“No. This person spoke to me on the phone using what sounded like your voice. I had no idea it wasn’t you until later.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s possible?”
“With certain sophisticated computer programs, yes, and the Seven of Spades has a genius working with them. But those programs require a lengthy sample of the target’s voice to teach the computer how to mimic it. I’m worried about how the Seven of Spades obtained that from you—if they’ve been recording you somehow, bugging you at home or school . . .”
His voice died away. Adriana had lowered her head while he’d been speaking, but now when she lifted her face, her eyes were glistening.
“What?” he asked, his skin prickling with dread.
She rummaged in her backpack to retrieve her phone, unlocked the screen, and handed it to him. He found himself looking at her recent call log. Interspersed between his own name, the Andersons’, and those of her friends were regular incoming calls from a blocked number.
“The Seven of Spades calls me sometimes,” she said.
Heart in his throat, Levi checked the details of each of the calls one after the other, hoping to see lengths of ten or fifteen seconds—just enough time for Adriana to realize who was on the other end and hang up.
Thirty-two minutes. Twenty-seven. Fifty-five.
“The calls started a couple months after I moved in with the Andersons,” Adriana went on as Levi stared at her phone in horror. “At first I just told them to go to hell, but they kept calling, and . . . they listen to me.”
He hit the button to turn off the
screen, unable to stomach the sight of the calls any longer. “About what?”
“About him.” Tears ran down Adriana’s cheeks now, though she wasn’t sobbing. “I can’t be honest with you or Natasha about it, not really. You both get that look in your eye when I talk about wanting to hurt him, like you think there’s something wrong with me. The Seven of Spades gets it. They know why I want him dead.”
“I understand, you know I—”
“Those men didn’t rape you!”
Her shout echoed through the car. Levi drew back.
She wiped the heels of her hands over her damp cheeks. “I’m sorry, Levi. What happened to you was horrible, but it wasn’t the same. You don’t understand.”
“You’re right,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“I asked the Seven of Spades to kill him.”
Levi clutched the edge of his seat.
Her chin lifted, Adriana glared as if daring him to scold her. “They said they want to, but they can’t right now, because it would bring attention to the fact that they’ve been communicating with me. But they’ll kill him one day, and I won’t be sorry. I’ll be glad.”
“Adriana . . .” He swallowed hard. “I know the idea of getting rid of people like that for good is very tempting. The system we have isn’t perfect. People get away with doing bad things all the time, and it’s awful and frustrating. But vigilante murder isn’t the answer.”
“Why not? If killing certain people makes the world a better place, why is it wrong?”
“Because no one person should have that much power. No single human being should be allowed to pass judgment on others, decide their punishment, and carry it out all by themselves. There’s a reason our juries have twelve members.”
Frowning, she turned her head to look out the window. From what he could see of her face, he gathered that his argument had hit home.
“It’s possible that the Seven of Spades really does care about what happened to you.” Levi set her phone in the center console. “But that’s not why they’ve been communicating with you. They knew they could use you against me, and they took advantage of that. They took advantage of you.”
One-Eyed Royals Page 29
