by Lynn Hagen
He lay there letting his heart get under control and the room come back into focus, which meant the warehouse faded further and further back in his mind.
Renny jumped slightly when he heard Sal’s husky, sleep-filled voice fill the quiet room. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”
Sal sat up instead. “You’re sweaty and a bit pale. Wanna tell me about your nightmare?”
“I’d rather forget about it.” Renny had no idea how Sal figured out his problem. He ran his hands up and down his arms, the lingering fear still there. Now Renny had an urge to call his folks just to check on them, to reassure himself that they were okay. They were both in their sixties, and his dad’s diet wasn’t all that great. Which meant, if confronted by demons, his father may not survive a heart attack.
Since being retired from the military, his father had allowed his once rigid way of running things to become somewhat lax, and he’d put on quite a few pounds. Renny’s mom was constantly on him about improving his diet, but Renny knew his dad still snuck the occasional burger and fries and chocolate shakes and hadn’t entirely given up his nasty cigarette habit.
Sal lay back down and curled his arms around Renny, pulling him in close. He rested his chin on Renny’s shoulder. “I know we barely know each other, but lying to me isn’t a good way to start things off. Talk to me.”
Renny gave in and told Sal about his nightmare.
“You’re stressed.” Sal placed a soft kiss on Renny’s temple. It was a gentle kiss meant to comfort, but Renny’s body reacted. “I’m taking care of your mom and dad’s problem in the morning. You shouldn’t worry about the arsonist. That’s my problem to deal with, and why are you still thinking about that sedan?” Sal kissed him again, this time on Renny’s cheek.
Sal hadn’t said anything about Molimo, and that problem was at the top of Renny’s worry list. No way would the demon be slighted again. That had happened twice now, and Renny had a feeling there wouldn’t be a third. The next time they met, Molimo would end Renny just as surely as the sun would rise and set.
“I guess that near-miss is still bothering me.” Renny scooted closer, pressing his ass into Sal’s groin. His mate’s cock hardened, the length tapping at Renny’s ass. It thrilled Renny that a small wiggle evoked such a response in Sal.
“Want me to relieve your stress?” Sal tightened the arm he had draped over Renny’s side. His voice had grown thick, the kind of deepness that made Renny shiver. “Or do you want me to just hold you?”
Like Renny would ever pass up the chance to have sex with his mate. He would have to be on life support, and even then, he would say yes.
Renny wiggled around until he was facing Sal. “Hand me the lube, handsome.”
Sal grinned as he spun and yanked the nightstand drawer open so fast that he nearly pulled the damn thing out. He rummaged around and then held the tube up like he’d just discovered some pirate treasure.
Renny chuckled as he grabbed the lube from his mate. “I see you’re a bit enthusiastic.”
Sal wiggled his brows. Renny liked it when Sal was in a playful mood. His expression always made him look much younger and brought a sparkle to his eyes. “I’m just anxious to put my stress-relieving skills to good use.”
“I just bet you are,” Renny teased. He flipped to his hands and knees and wet his fingers.
“I can do that for you.” Sal sat up, looking down at Renny’s ass with a fixated stare.
“Or you could watch the show.” Renny slid his fingers between his cheeks, moaning—to make what he was doing even hotter for Sal—and played at his hole. He eased one finger in then slid it out, all the while watching how Sal’s eyes darkened and privately wishing it was Sal’s talented finger instead of his own.
Sal licked his lips. “This has got to be an early Christmas present to me.”
That stopped Renny cold. Christmas wasn’t that far away, and he needed to get Sal a gift, only he was broke, and even if he hadn’t been, he had no idea what to get his mate.
“What’s wrong?” Sal furrowed his brows. He sat there as naked as the day he was born, propped up by one arm, his other resting against Renny’s back. Even with a serious expression on his face, Sal Monroe was the epitome of raw sexiness, and Renny was still stunned that the guy belonged to him.
Renny forced the holiday from his mind and slipped two fingers into his ass. “Nothing.”
“I’m gonna let that lie go for now since I can’t concentrate, but we’re gonna come back to my question afterward.”
Sal’s words weren’t registering. As Renny stretched his hole, he slid a leg over his mate’s waist. He was done thinking. Now was the time to lose himself to Sal and to forget the nightmare he’d had. Now was the time to have fun, too.
“This is the hottest sex I’ve ever had.” Sal looked dazed as he lay back, as if he were losing a bit of himself, as well. His hands were on Renny’s sides, his hips already thrusting upward. Renny had to press a hand into Sal’s chest for leverage so he wouldn’t fall off the big guy.
“Me, too,” Renny admitted. He loved everything about Sal, especially the way his mate made him feel, as though Renny meant the world to him. There was some magic in that one look that made Renny feel as though he were flying high above the clouds. He never wanted his feet to touch the ground again.
“Ride my pole.” Sal’s eyes had grown even darker as his fingernails dug into Renny’s sides. “I don’t think I can wait another second.”
Renny eased his fingers free. “Lube yourself.”
Sal patted around the bed before his hand landed on the bottle. Renny bit his lower lip as he looked over his shoulder and watched Sal squeeze some of the clear liquid onto his beefy fingers. Renny’s breathing grew faster, more audible. He moistened his lips with a flick of his tongue, and his eyes rolled back when the blunt head of Sal’s cock touched his hole. The moment before Sal entered him had excitement flooding Renny’s body with the anticipation of what he knew would happen next.
He swiveled his head back around and gazed into Sal’s baby blues, his heart pounding, his own cock throbbing to his fast heart rate. There was more than just lust in Sal’s eyes. If Renny wasn’t mistaken, there was something close to love swimming in them.
Then again Renny could be imagining things, imagining what he felt projecting into Sal. Because, in that moment, Renny realized he really did love Sal. He loved the man deeply and couldn’t imagine his life without his bear shifter.
Did he dare say the words? Should he confess his feelings? Renny opened his mouth then closed it, too afraid to say them. Instead, he closed his eyes, his palms pressed into Sal’s chest, and pushed back. The head impaled him. Renny gasped and moaned as the thick, steel-hard length of Sal’s cock fully entered him, stretching him as Sal slid in deep.
Sal started moving his hard length in and out of Renny’s hole and latched onto his mouth as their tongues did a mating dance of their own. Renny felt lightheaded as Sal’s hips punched harder, his hands holding on to Renny’s sides in a firm grip as Renny’s eyes rolled to the back of his head.
“Oh god,” Renny groaned.
This was exactly what Renny had needed. He forgot about the nightmare. Hell, Renny forgot the world outside existed as he bounced on Sal’s fat cock, riding up and down, his thighs flexing, his heart thundering.
Sal gripped the sides of Renny’s face with his hands, his fingers gliding through Renny’s hair. “I love you.”
Those three words caught Renny off guard. He fumbled, and his hands nearly slid from Sal’s chest. “What did you say?”
The room spun even faster, and not because of the toe-curling sex.
Sal gave him a devilish grin. “You heard me.”
Renny had, but Sal’s declaration was a curve ball he hadn’t anticipated. Sal kissed him again, giving Renny time to digest what his mate had said.
The shock wore off, and Renny melted against his mate, licked at Sal’s lips, and poured all his emotions into
that one kiss. When he pulled back, he grinned down at Sal. “I love you, too.”
Sal acted as though he’d won the lottery. He flipped them, pistoning into Renny’s hole as he smiled down at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Renny chuckled and then moaned. Sal had his legs spread wide apart, sawing in and out of Renny’s body, his balls slapping into Renny’s.
Renny didn’t even care that the headboard was knocking into the wall, no doubt waking Roberto from his sleep. He just held on for dear life as Sal fucked him into a coma. A sweet, sweet coma.
Their lips melded once again as Sal released Renny’s ankles and Renny slid his legs around Sal’s waist. He clung to his mate, Renny’s hands plastered against the man’s sweaty back.
This time when their kiss broke apart, Sal sank his sharp canines into Renny’s shoulder. An electrical storm shot through Renny, making him cry out as his balls emptied, his cum erupting between them.
Sal eased his canines free and joined Renny in the natural high he was riding. Then Sal began to slow, rocking in and out of Renny’s body. Sal pressed his forehead into Renny’s and gave him light, quick kisses.
“Stress gone?” Sal asked.
“What stress?” Renny closed his eyes, smiling.
His mate eased out of Renny and curled around him, pulling Renny close. “Good, now let’s get some sleep.”
And Renny did. He drifted off with pleasurable thoughts, no fires, no demons, and no red sedan with a dented trunk.
Chapter Ten
Things had been in a whirlwind since last night when Renny told Sal that he loved him. Sal had wanted to bask in the glow of those words, but already his morning was hectic.
They’d been called to a house where a woman was having a heart attack. Scott had saved her life. After that, Sal took Renny to the bank and settled the back mortgage for his mate’s parents’ home. Doing something like that made Sal feel ten feet tall, but seeing the appreciation in Renny’s green eyes what was had Sal’s heart thumping hard.
As soon as they left the bank, they were finally off to breakfast. But not even that lasted long. Another fire. From what Sal gathered, a big one this time. A fourplex building was engulfed in flames by the time the firemen arrived.
Sal spotted Elliot as his men fought to get the blaze under control. They’d had to use the ladder to rescue someone from the second floor. Two were dead. One was injured, and the other tenants were out on the front lawn in the freezing cold with just the clothes on their backs.
The cops took pictures of the growing crowd. A neighbor across the street invited the tenants to come sit in her house to get them out of the cold.
Sal walked over to Elliot as anger took over. He jabbed a finger at the building. “I thought you and your men were supposed to catch this guy.”
Elliot looked as though he didn’t appreciate being shouted at. He narrowed his eyes and bared his canines. “What do you expect? For us to canvas the area and catch the guy as he’s lifting a can of gasoline from his trunk?” Elliot curled his lip. “He’s managed to stay one step ahead of us, but we’re gonna close in on him. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Close faster.” Sal thought of the lost lives and the injuries. But he couldn’t honestly say it was the arsonist this time. He hadn’t had a chance to go inside and investigate. All Sal could do was help his men and wait for the fire to be extinguished.
He hadn’t meant to take his anger out on Elliot. His long-ago friend was doing his best. But no one’s best was good enough when the body count was rising. Sal didn’t want to think about how many more would die before the bastard was either caught or moved on to the next town, continuing his pyromaniacal rage.
Sal didn’t want him to move on. If this was the same guy from Temptation, then the death toll was even higher. The arsonist needed to be stopped.
“I’m sorry.” Sal scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “I didn’t mean to bark at you.”
Elliot shrugged. “No big deal. I’m gonna head out. Let me know if our guy is responsible for this.” He nodded toward the building before he slipped away.
Sal was headed to the fire rescue truck when he spotted the red sedan with the dented trunk. He swept his gaze back over the crowd and noticed a guy wearing a tattered black baseball cap with an oil stain on the left upper side of it.
Some kind of recognition hit Sal. Where had he seen that baseball cap before? The answer was on the outskirts of his mind, just out of reach.
“You’re clear to go in,” Scott said, pulling Sal from his memory search. He nodded at Scott, then recalled where he’d seen that hat before. The guy who Sal had chased down, the same one who had shot Deputy Benton. Sal gasped, but when he turned his attention back to the crowd, Mr. Baseball Cap was gone and so was the red sedan.
* * * *
Renny was in the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for lunch while Roberto was in the backyard waiting for Marilyn to take care of her business. After a long debate, Renny and Sal decided that she would be better off with a loving family with kids who could make her one happy dog.
Renny searched the cupboards and decided on soup and sandwiches. That seemed perfect for such an overcast day. He also missed Sal. He’d been spending so much time with his mate that the house felt empty without him.
As he heated the cans of soup and pulled the things he needed to make deli sandwiches from the fridge, Renny craved to have Sal next to him.
He’d never been in love before. The swirl of emotions had him ready to charge out the door to hunt Sal down. Instead, Renny looked at the clock on the stove and counted the minutes, hoping Sal came home soon.
Renny physically missed Sal, so much that he felt depressed. But he was determined to get through however many hours until his mate came home. Sal seemed to occupy almost all his thoughts.
So much so that he hadn’t heard Roberto or the dog come inside. It wasn’t until Marilyn started barking that Renny looked up, coming out of his thoughts of Sal to see what was wrong with her.
Roberto yelled from the living room. Renny’s heart quickened as he dropped the small knife and hurried to see what was wrong. Marilyn took a few steps back, her tail tucked between her legs, shivering as though a cold blast of air had hit her.
Frowning at the dog’s odd behavior, Renny left her to see what was going on with his brother. He’d made the mistake of getting too comfortable, of thinking Sal’s house was a safe haven. But Molimo’s leering presence quickly corrected Renny’s way of thinking.
The demon stood in the middle of the living room, eyes so red they looked like glowing taillights in the dark. The horns on his head were pronounced, curling a bit at the tips. He had his hand coiled around Roberto’s throat, his brother’s feet dangling a few inches from the carpeted floor. Roberto had his hands firmly around Molimo’s wrists as he kicked his feet, his face a deep shade of purple.
“Let him go!” Renny hesitated for a second before he raced across the room and plowed into the demon, hoping to knock Molimo off-balance so he would drop Roberto.
That didn’t happen. Molimo stood his ground, and the only thing Renny managed to do was get the wind knocked out of him. He hit the floor and landed on his ass.
Then, slowly, the demon lowered Roberto to his feet. Roberto sucked in a huge gulp of air as he staggered backward. Renny thought for sure Molimo would end his brother. What was the demon playing at? Not that Renny was complaining, but why had the guy backed off?
Renny got to his feet and eased closer to Roberto. He even went so far as to take a step in front of his brother. Renny still held out hope that, for once in his life, he could be Roberto’s hero, that he could slay Roberto’s dragon as his brother had done so many times for him.
They couldn’t defeat a demon, though. The likelihood that would happen was zilch. They could no more kill Molimo than they could breathe underwater, but Renny would try. He would go down fighting.
“My mate can pay you the money Roberto tried to cheat you out of.”
Renny had no idea if that were true and hated to think of asking Sal for another favor after his mate had done so much already. But Renny was desperate, and the offer was the only weapon he had.
Molimo looked at Renny as though Renny had just deeply offended him. “You think this is about the card game?”
There was something funny in Molimo’s voice. It had cracked slightly when he spoke. His eyes were no longer red. They were as dark as the ocean at night, and to Renny’s utter shock, a fine mist of tears filled them.
Renny glanced at Roberto. His brother looked like he was still trying to recover from being choked out, but there was no mistaking the vehemence in his eyes.
What in the hell was going on? “You wanted to kill us in that warehouse. You had your goons trap us in a room so you could torture us,” Renny said. “How is this not about the card game?”
“I was pissed,” Molimo said. “But I never would have hurt either of you. It was your rescue party who fired on me and my men, not the other way around.”
Renny hadn’t stuck around long enough to know the facts. He’d been too busy trying not to die. He had no clue who had struck first. “If this isn’t about the money, then why are you after us?” Renny asked.
“Don’t,” Roberto said in low warning.
This time when Renny gazed at Roberto, his brother’s fists were balled up and convulsing at his sides. He looked like he wanted to rip Molimo apart.
“Roberto, what aren’t you telling me?” Renny asked.
Roberto’s gaze flashed to Renny, and for a split second, his features softened. “You need to leave the room. This has nothing to do with you.”
“I’m starting to get the bigger picture.” Molimo stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his slacks.
“Shut up,” Roberto said between clenched teeth.
“Why?” Molimo gave a lazy shrug, but he was watching Roberto intently. “Afraid your brother will see the true Roberto? Afraid the lies you’ve carefully constructed will fall apart?”
“What the fuck is going on?” Renny turned fully to face his brother. “What is he talking about?”
