Chapter 7 Erik #3
Ben’s chair tipped over, and he fell onto his side. Erik held his breath as he watched Ben push himself along, heading into the shadows. His captors were too overwhelmed by their ghostly tormentors to notice.
Ghosts clawed at the guards and ripped their clothing, tearing out hair and raising bloody welts on faces and arms. The mobster’s top boss might be a witch, but these soldiers clearly had no ability with the supernatural and had not made any preparations to protect themselves from powerful paranormal threats.
Erik stifled a gasp as one of the ghosts tore out the throat of a Bratva operative, letting the body fall in a spray of blood. A spectral hand clawed across another mobster’s eyes, blinding him with blood before the ghost reached into the man’s ribcage and then dropped his corpse to the floor.
The four remaining Russians tried to fight the ghosts, who seemed to be toying with their victims. The spirits attacked from one direction and then another, scoring bloody slashes.
One man fell to his knees, praying and begging.
A ghost passed right through the supplicant, who stiffened and then fell face down, dead.
Another man’s neck suddenly twisted with an awful crack, and he tumbled to the floor.
The main door to the warehouse flew open, and six new mobsters charged in. Erik could see enough to know these weren’t Bratva reinforcements. The Newark Mob had arrived to retaliate with a show of force.
“What the fuck?” The Newark goons’ guns jammed, and as they took in the horrific scene in front of them, the ghosts turned their attention and ire on the newcomers.
A tide of ghosts encircled the men, cutting off retreat.
The Newark men tried to bludgeon the spirits with their now-useless guns, but the revenants tore the weapons from their hands and threw them into the shadows.
Whatever protective medallions they might have worn did them no good as the spirits closed ranks, enveloping the men in an undulating gray storm.
Voices screamed in English and Italian. Through the gauzy haze of ghostly forms, Erik saw the ghosts ripping the mobsters apart, and a growing pool of blood flowed across the concrete floor.
He hoped that Alessia and Haley could control the spirits, so they didn’t become the next targets.
With the soldiers down, Erik darted out to drag Ben the rest of the way to safety and cut through his bonds. “Are you hurt?” He was unable to see much in the limited light.
“Roughed up a little, nothing serious,” Ben told him.
“I’ll be right behind you,” Haley assured him. “Just making sure the ghosts get to have some fun.”
Erik sent a pre-written text to Chief Hendricks.
Erik: They’re all yours. Ben is safe.
“Let’s get out of here,” Erik said to Alessia and Haley. He couldn’t tell if the ghosts had left any of the mobsters alive.
“Thank you,” Haley told the ghosts. “Keep the bad guys down, but don’t hurt the cops. I’ll come back tomorrow and send anyone on who wants to go.”
The spirits didn’t acknowledge, but Erik felt sure they heard.
They were already in the SUV and a couple of blocks away by the time police cars streamed past them, sirens blaring and lights flashing.
He wondered what Hendricks would make of the scene he was going to find and figured he would get the connection to the magical protection of Trinkets’ security system once he saw the incapacitated mobsters.
“You came.” Ben sat in the passenger seat, and Alessia was in the back with Haley and their gear. Erik blasted the heat since they were all soaked from the storm.
“Of course we came,” Erik replied. “I’m damn glad you had that dog tag. It helped me convince Hendricks. But Haley’s ghosts and Alessia’s magic are the real heroes.”
“Kudos all the way around,” Alessia said, “but especially to the ghosts.”
“Lucky for us, the ghosts were itching for some payback,” Haley added.
Just as they reached Alessia’s house, the streetlights lit up. “Perfect timing.” Erik was glad that the darkness from the power outage had made Ben’s rescue a little easier.
“Be careful,” Alessia warned as she and Haley got out. Their clothing clung to their skin, and Erik figured he and Ben didn’t look much better. She turned to Haley. “Why don’t you stay over with me?”
“Sounds great,” Haley agreed. “Safety in numbers.”
“You got rid of the henchmen, but the bosses are still out there,” Alessia reminded them. “If you need magic, just let me know.”
“Same here,” Haley assured them.
“I’m trying not to think about that right now,” Erik admitted. “One problem at a time.”
“Thank you,” Ben said. “I owe you.”
“Pfft. That’s what friends do.” Alessia said. She and Haley headed inside. Ben and Erik watched until they were sure the door was closed and the lights turned on.
“Do I need to take you to the Emergency Room?” Erik asked. There wasn’t enough light in the car for him to get a good idea of whether Ben was seriously injured.
“No. Other than a few punches, they didn’t even rough me up,” Ben said. “I’ll have some bruises, but it’s nothing ice and ibuprofen can’t handle, and I really don’t want to deal with the paperwork and questions.”
Even though the police were on their side this time, Erik knew that Ben’s story would get all the wrong kind of attention. They couldn’t afford to have the story leak to the media, and even though Cape May didn’t have an aggressive press corps, any story with mafia connections got top coverage.
“Okay, for now. If anything changes, come up with a cover story, and I’ll take you to see a doctor,” Erik said.
Ben hesitated, then relented. “I’ll let you know if I think that’s necessary.”
Erik knew that their previous jobs both came with a fair amount of physical danger and had a culture of pushing through the pain. Now that they were making their own rules, he was done with foregoing necessary treatment to look tough.
As soon as they were inside and the alarms were on, Erik turned Ben under the light so he could look for injuries.
“Erik, I’m all right.” Ben had a look in his eyes that said he understood the desperate worry beneath the fussing.
Erik pulled Ben into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in Ben’s neck.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” Erik confessed. “When Haley said your ghost friend showed up, I was afraid I already had. God, Ben, I was so scared.”
“So was I.” Ben made no move to free himself from Erik’s arms. “I knew they intended to kill both of us, whether you brought the window or not. I couldn’t get loose. I thought we might have finally run out of luck.”
Erik pushed back enough to see the aftermath of emotions in his eyes. He kissed him long and deep, proof of life.
“You’re soaking wet,” Ben said, as if noticing for the first time.
“Price of admission tonight.” Erik’s voice came out rough. “Let’s get you in the shower and changed out of those clothes. You smell like mobster.”
“What is it with those guys and aftershave?” Ben replied in a shaky attempt at humor.
“Better than herring and onions, like Bratva,” Erik quipped. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”
The shower wasn’t quite big enough for both of them. Erik helped Ben undress, silently cataloging every bruise and scratch, then stripped down himself. He put extra towels on the floor and gently pushed Ben under the water once it was warm but not hot.
“Let me take care of you.” He took his time soaping Ben’s arms and torso for the excuse to run his hands all over, assuring him that his lover was safe and alive. He took special care with Ben’s shoulders and upper arms, where he had been tied, expecting bruises the next day from the ropes.
The familiar herbal smell of shampoo and soap soothed both of them. Erik slicked his hands again and worked down over Ben’s ass and legs, before reaching between for his taint and balls, then around to stroke his cock.
“Tell me what you want.” Erik knew from experience that danger and its aftermath could either stoke hunger or kill desire.
“You, touching me. I want to feel you,” Ben said. “I want to know we’re both alive.”
Erik leaned in to kiss Ben’s shoulder. One hand wrapped around Ben’s cock, and the other slipped between his legs. “Don’t think. Just feel.”
Ben thickened under his touch, and Erik felt himself get stiff, despite the night’s emotional roller coaster. He doubted it would take long for either of them, but the release would help them both wind down.
Ben braced himself against the shower wall. Erik stepped closer and slotted his own prick between Ben’s ass cheeks, not trying to penetrate but using them for friction as his strokes matched his hand’s movement.
“Let go,” he murmured. “Let it all go.”
Ben shot hard against the tile wall. Erik came seconds later, painting Ben’s back with white stripes. He clung to Ben for a moment until he was sure neither of them had gone weak in the knees, then soaped Ben down again and wiped off the wall.
“Let’s get into dry clothes.” Erik wrapped Ben in a towel and made sure they hadn’t left puddles on the floor. Erik dried him and helped him into a soft T-shirt and sleep shorts before toweling off and grabbing a pair of soft flannel pants.
“You’ve missed a couple of meals,” Erik pointed out. “Are you hungry? Or should I ask, can you eat?”
Ben shook his head. “I probably should, but I’m not sure anything would stay down right now, even water.”
Erik felt the same way, even though he had forced himself to eat a sandwich earlier. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”
They made their way to the bedroom, and Erik drew Ben under the covers. Sated from the encounter in the shower and exhausted from the day, Erik was happy just to hold Ben close and listen to him breathe.
“I love you,” Erik murmured, and Ben echoed his words. “Now, sleep.”