Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Gideon
I was spooning Penn in my bed, inhaling his pine scent in every breath, relaxed. The morning sun was peeking through the curtains in the bedroom, a peaceful glow. I closed my eyes, intending to fall back to sleep, but a knock disturbed that idea.
“Hmm…” Penn mumbled.
“It’s nothing. Rest.”
I ambled out of bed and slipped on a pair of boxers and a robe before opening to see who was disturbing me when I had a perfectly good cell phone.
Danny had the decency to at least appear apologetic. “Sorry, sir, but there’s an unexpected visitor here to see you.”
“Who?”
“Chief Bainer.”
Fucking hell. “Let me get dressed. I’ll be down in a few—offer him coffee or something.”
With a nod he left, and I shut the door. I looked up to see Penn sitting up.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, the chief of police is here.”
His eyebrow arched. “That can’t be good.”
“I did pretty much light a portion of Northchester up last night without warning him…I’m sure that’s exactly what this is about.” He made to get up, but I stopped him. “Stay in bed; I’ll handle this.”
“Alone?”
I tossed my robe to the chair and went into my walk-in closet for a casual suit. “I’ll have guys with me, but Bainer is on my payroll. It’ll be fine.”
“What if you need an alibi?”
Suit in hand, I exited with a grin. “I won’t.”
“But…”
“Penn, if you go with me, I’ll have to explain who you are, and you don’t want more people knowing about you right now, do you?”
He blew out a breath. “Not sure it matters anymore.”
“It does to me. Let me handle this, and I’ll be right back.” He didn’t argue, but there was no hiding his upset. I walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Keep the bed warm.”
After I dressed, I made my way to the living area.
Bainer was sitting on the couch, coffee in hand.
He was in his fifties, in decent shape, and still had a full head of hair.
His problem was gambling and when he’d gotten himself in some trouble a few years ago, I’d gotten him out of it. Then I’d put him on my payroll.
“To what do I owe this wake-up call, Bainer?”
He jolted slightly. He tried to act tough, but he was afraid of me. “Gideon.”
I let the casual greeting go. “Why are you here?”
“Last night, several—well, more than several properties were torched.”
I accepted the coffee Danny offered me. “Are you here to tell me it was the same person who tried to burn my brother’s house down?”
His brow furrowed. “Uh…no.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Gideon, what the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean?” I sat on the couch, rested my ankle on my knee, and sipped my coffee. The need for a cigar was great, but I never smoked anywhere but in my office or outside. Lately, though, whenever Penn was around I was calmer—he was better than any cigar.
“You know what I’m talking about. Northchester has been peaceful for years, and now suddenly it’s a war zone.” I simply hummed. “Tell me.”
“Bainer, this is something you don’t want a part of.”
“I need to be a part of it. These are my streets, and civilians were hurt last night.”
I’d known that could be a possibility, but we’d also been aware—and had tried our best to ensure—that very few of the injured were civilians. “I’m sorry to hear that.” I sat forward and placed my mug on the table, and shot Bainer a choleric expression. “And these are my streets, not yours.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Gideon, I need to know.”
“Why?”
“I was up half the night dealing with this shit, and now I have the commissioner breathing down my neck.” His gaze drifted to the ceiling. “Word is, Lorcan has him on his side of things.”
I hadn’t heard that. I glanced at Danny—he dipped his chin and left the room. He’d find out about that. “I’ll handle the commissioner.”
Bainer’s attention snapped to me. “You can’t kill him.”
My voice rose slightly. “First of all, you don’t tell me what I can and can’t do. Second, I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“Do I need to prepare for a war?” His shoulders slumped.
I stood and slipped my hands into my pockets. “War’s already started. Have a good day, Chief.” I left him with his head in his hands and went upstairs to where Penn was hopefully still in bed.
He wasn’t in bed when I got there, but the shower was on. A wet Penn was just as enticing. I stripped off my suit and boxers, then entered the bathroom. He had his back to me, water cascading along his muscled shoulders and spine, disappearing into the crevice of his delicious ass.
“You just going to stare at me, you creeper?”
I chuckled and happily joined him. He turned as soon as I stepped in and like a magnet to steel, his lips met mine.
I hummed as I fell into the moment. One of his hands cupped my cheek while the other gripped my waist. Our cocks brushed, our tongues tangled, and all the stress of Bainer’s visit washed away.
We only broke apart to soap our bodies and get clean. As soon as the last of the soap was gone, I pushed him against the shower wall, got on my knees, and swallowed his cock.
I was, without a doubt, addicted to Penn. His taste, his smile, those green eyes that continuously mesmerized me. I didn’t ever want to get enough of this man.
“Gideon,” he moaned, his fingers gripping my hair.
I wrapped my hand around my erection, chasing my orgasm while I desperately brought Penn to climax. I rested my head on his thigh, trying to catch my breath. He tenderly petted my hair.
“Get up, Gid.”
Slowly I did and met those emerald eyes. “You okay?”
He beamed, slid his hand to the nape of my neck, and crashed his mouth to mine, his tongue delving in… Shit. I was going to get hard again.
When he broke the kiss, he licked his lips. “Wanted to see how I tasted.”
“Shit, Penn.”
He shut the shower off, we dried ourselves, and while we wanted to tumble into bed again, I had a feeling after the visit with the chief today, a lot of shit was going to have to be dealt with.
“Let’s have breakfast.”
He nodded and followed me downstairs. He didn’t ask about what happened, as if he knew I’d tell him. I waited until we were sitting in the dining room before I told Penn everything.
“Do you think the commissioner will be a problem?”
I shrugged. “I think he already is.”
“So, what’s your plan?”
I wiped my mouth and relaxed in my chair. “I need to handle him, and not kill him…hopefully. I’m still hoping this pushed Lorcan out of hiding, and I can end this.”
“But you can’t do that if you’re locked up, Gideon.”
“I know.”
He placed his fork on his plate and regarded me for a minute. “I have an idea.”
I snorted. “Your ideas are usually you putting yourself in danger.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, which didn’t bode well for what he was about to say. “What if, I go to the chief, tell him I was the one who was at your brother’s house, and I tell him I saw Lorcan there, running from the scene?”
I pursed my lips. “Don’t you think Lorcan has an alibi?”
“But they’d have to call him into the station, Gideon. He’ll be out in public. Your men wait for him and follow him to where he goes, and just like that, it’s over.”
Leaning forward I grabbed his hand. “You wanted to be anonymous, Penn.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Not if it means my silence hurts you or your family.”
I lifted his hand and kissed his knuckle. “Let me see what Danny can do with the commissioner first. If he is working for Lorcan and I can corner him into telling me where Lorcan is, I’ll do that.”
“And if not?”
“Penn.”
“Then I go to the chief. This isn’t open for discussion.” He pulled his hand from mine.
“It’s dangerous for you.”
His gaze met mine…sturdy, angry. “It’s already dangerous, Gideon. If Danny can’t, I go. Promise me?”
I gritted my teeth together, not saying a word.
“Promise me, Gideon.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I don’t care. Promise me.”
With a heavy sigh, I acquiesced. “Fine…I promise.”