Chapter Twenty-Four
DANTE
Pulling up to get you
The text from my brother shouldn’t disappoint me so much. I used to want him around twenty-four-seven. Hell, I was just freaking out about his absence the night of the street fight.
But I can’t help wishing it were someone else picking me up from work tonight.
Scrolling through my conversation with Rev, I frown at the time stamp on the last message.
Seven hours ago.
It’s fine. I’m not upset about it. Okay, so I’m a little pissed off.
Fuck. Is this what I’ve become? A desperate, whiny heap of a human lusting after a dangerous mercenary?
Okay, a sexy, observant, considerate mercenary…
I should just text him, right? Maybe he’s waiting to hear from me.
Bouncing my head against my locker with a growl, I pocket my phone and grab my shit. As I head for the front door, I wave goodbye to Gage so he knows everything’s okay.
When I hop into Laz’s SUV, I tense up at the state of his face. The bridge of his nose is cocked slightly to the side, and there are deep purplish bruises beneath his eyes.
“Laz, what the fuck,” I yell.
“It was one fight.”
“One fight? You promised me no more fights.”
Laz rests a big hand on my curls. “Breathe, manito.”
Smacking his hand away, I glare at him. “No more, Laz. Please. You have to promise me no more. Those people…they’re bad news.”
His expression hardens. “What do you know about them?”
“I…I’ve just heard rumors.”
A muscle in his jaw flexes. He turns away from me and shifts into gear. “You should spend more time with your boyfriend. Bring him over for dinner. He’s good for you.”
Slouching in the seat, I mumble, “Didn’t ask for your opinion.”
I don’t add that Rev’s too busy with work to hang. Those needy, selfish thoughts stay bottled up.
Laz avoids small talk with me when we get home since I make a point of slamming his car door and storming inside. When I catch him grabbing a pain reliever out of the cabinet, I feel myself getting worked up again by the fact that he’s hurting enough to need medication, so I cage myself in my room.
In my rage, I didn’t even check for Rev’s truck in front of his brownstone. He mostly keeps his bike in Sinro’s garage, considering this isn’t the best neighborhood in West Bank.
Fear claws up my spine as I peek out of my curtains and don’t see his truck or even Forest’s SUV. I call Rev immediately.
“Hi, kitten,” he greets.
“Where are you?”
Never thought I’d hear those words come from my mouth.
“Big security job this evening. Ezra’s next door if you need anything.” His voice is low, like he’s not supposed to be talking.
What I want to tell him is I need him. I want him to text or call me more. I wish he were home so I could crawl into his arms and find comfort.
Instead, I drop onto my bed and rattle off something stupid. “Laz says you should come over for dinner again.”
“Yeah? Dinner sounds nice.”
“If you show up, I’ll punch you in the face.”
He lets out a soft laugh that works its way down to my toes. I give them a wiggle, imagining him hovering over me, those pale blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
I barely know the man, but he’s already taken me over like a virus. Probably not nice to refer to him as a virus. Actually, he might like that.
Working my way under the blankets, I drop an arm over my eyes.
“What are your plans for tomorrow evening?” Rev asks softly.
“You act like I do shit outside of work.”
“You like to play hunter.”
I pause, catching myself before I disagree and he never takes me on a mission again.
I don’t like hunting SIXX. I do it because I have to. I do it because I can’t rest while they exist. It’s not enjoyable. It’s necessary for my existence.
“What do you have in mind?” I question.
“A different kind of mission. One that involves being my date to a charity gala to spy on Mauricio’s suited dickhead friend from the fights,” Rev says in a smooth voice.
I’m floored. Again, I have to wonder how we’ve come to the point of making date plans. I have nothing to wear. I haven’t bought anything nice in ages.
Rev chuckles. “Is it so hard for you to say yes?”
I tug the blankets up over my head. Cocooned in darkness, I inhale the scent of my vanilla bodywash.
“Yes,” I whisper, face heating.
“Yes to my question or yes to being my date?”
“Yes to both.”
There’s a pause on the line before he rattles off details to someone in the background. Jealousy surges through me, even though I know he’s working right now.
“You went silent on me. What are you doing?” Rev demands.
“Hiding.”
“From what?”
“Nothing.” I push out a breath. “Everything.”
Rev sighs. “Want Ezra to come snuggle you?”
“He’s too sweet for me.”
Rev laughs. “Only me then, hmm?”
“Fuck you.”
“You know I love to.”
Hot blood surges to my groin. I reach down to adjust myself in my sweats. I’m not sure how long I’ve been half hard. Somehow, my body mistook our banter for foreplay. It usually does.
Sneaking a hand under my waistband, I wrap it around my cock. “What if I said I love it too?”
The words are out of my mouth before I can regret them. Thank god he’s not here with me, or he’d probably make fun of my full-body flush.
“Say the words, baby boy. You want me to leave this politician’s son to come fill you up, I will.”
Alarms sound in my brain to hang up and pretend I’m not being needy, but my body isn’t listening. My hand starts moving from the base of my cock to mid-shaft. I bite down on my lip to keep from groaning.
It feels good. Not as good as what he does to me, but good enough to keep going.
“Dante.” Rev’s voice comes out firm and low.
A breathy “yeah” slips free.
“What are you doing now?”
“Guess.”
His low rumble sends another rush of desire sweeping through me. “You’re sitting on the fire escape, huddled up in your blanket, hoping you’ll catch sight of me naked.”
“Not tonight.”
“No? Okay then. What does my sexy fighter do when he’s not dancing or playing with knives?”
A smile quivers on my lips. “None of your business.”
“Tell me that with meaning, kitten.” His raspy tone curls my toes and makes me squirm on my bed, just to feel the fabric of my pants brush against my cock.
“Shouldn’t you be working?” I mumble.
“Probably.”
A whimper escapes me when my thumb glides through the precum beading along the head of my dick.
I can’t help myself. This is rapidly spiraling out of control. Maybe after I come, I’ll be able to fall asleep.
“I’ll ask again, and I want an honest answer. What does my kitten do to himself when he’s all alone?”
He coaxes the words from me, “Something dirty.”
“Fuck me, Dante. You are so perfect.”
A grunt and a thud come from his end of the call, and my hand freezes.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Ignore it. Keep touching yourself, baby boy.”
My pulse skips, and my hand begins to move again. “Quit calling me stupid nicknames.”
“I don’t think I will because secretly you like it.”
No sharp response whips out of me. My brain isn’t processing normally. Not when I’m imagining him in his sexy tactical gear, swiftly taking down enemies while he talks to me.
“Are you making yourself feel good?” Rev asks.
“Yes,” I hiss, pumping faster.
A crunch and a gurgle come over the line. I must be twisted on the inside because the vision of him sinking his blade into an enemy has more precum spilling down my shaft.
His voice becomes labored. “How does it feel to fuck your fist?”
I get lost in the fantasy of him between my legs, gripping my cock tightly. He’d toy with me. He’d take his time drawing out my pleasure until I begged him like he was some sort of god.
“Dante,” he snaps. “If you’re not going to talk to me, I’ll be forced to hang up.”
“No. Please. I tip my head back on a particularly tight stroke. “Want you here.”
“Trust me, I want nothing more than to rush over there and sink my cock so far up your ass, you’ll taste me on your tongue when I come.”
“Holy shit.” I groan. “Good. It feels good, okay?”
“Pump your hand nice and slow, baby boy. Use your other hand to play with your balls.”
Another moan slips out of me. I’m spiraling out of control. It shouldn’t turn me on more that he’s literally bringing harm to others while talking dirty to me, but it does.
My boyfriend’s the stuff of nightmares, and I think I fucking love him for it.
“Would feel better…if you were touching me.” The steady pace of my hand, in combination with his breathy, filthy words in my ear, has me so worked up, my hips are thrusting off the bed.
“Do you have lube?”
“In my bathroom. Don’t want to move,” I say.
“Then suck on a finger until it’s nice and wet. I want you to finger yourself.”
I don’t even hesitate. Drawing my index finger into my mouth, I curl my tongue around it to slick it with spit.
“Dante,” Rev growls.
Removing my wet finger, I snap back, “I’m fucking doing it, okay?”
“Work it inside that tight, gorgeous ass, baby boy. Stretch yourself like you want to take my cock.”
“You…you’re depraved,” I choke out, hitting the speaker on my phone and letting it drop to the mattress beside me.
“You have no idea. I’m debating letting this rich kid die tonight so I can come fuck you like you deserve.”
Breathing heavily, I spread my legs and nudge my finger against my hole. It’s not like I haven’t done this before, but it’s always been in private. No one here to watch or listen.
“Work it in and out. Don’t stop stroking your cock.”
Sliding my finger inside, I do as I’m told, pumping it in and out until I nudge that sensitive spot that lights me up. A whimper escapes me.
“That’s it, baby boy. Fuck yourself good. I want you to come so hard you forget you hate me.”
“Impossible.”
His low laugh has pressure building at the base of my spine. “Whatever gets you off. Are you close?”
“Close. Yes. So close.”
“Do you need another finger?”
I nod like he can see me. Then I push a second finger in to better fill my eager hole. I ignore the part of my brain that wishes it was his cock sliding into me. His hands forcing me down onto my stomach. His lips on my neck as he murmurs dirty things in my ear.
“Tell me I’m a good boy,” I say so quietly, I’m not sure he can even hear it.
“Oh, kitten. You’re such a good boy. So good when you come for me.”
My release spurts from my cock, rocketing up to my chest and forming a warm pool on my stomach. I moan through the aftershocks wracking my body.
Fuck, I really hope Laz is downstairs or has headphones in.
Wrung out, I lay there panting while staring up at the dark ceiling.
“You good to fall asleep now, or do you want me to stay on the line?” Rev asks.
“Think I’m done with you.”
His laugh earns a little smile from me.
“Actually…I think I’m gonna ask Ez to come over and play,” I say thoughtfully.
“Mmm, if it were anyone else, I’d have to disembowel them. Have fun. Behave.”
Hanging up, I head into my bathroom to clean myself. By the time I return to my bedroom window and tug it open, Ezra’s already sprawled on the ledge of Rev’s roof, one arm and leg dangling off the side. His tongue is sticking out to catch snowflakes.
I have half a mind to tell him to get down before he gets hurt, and then I snort. Since when did I become so protective of my protectors?
The loud rumble of his stomach has me laughing. Ezra’s head turns in my direction. “Don’t make fun of me. I came here right from the shelter on Rev’s request. Didn’t think to eat.”
My chest tightens. “I’ve got some leftover sobrebarriga en salsa criolla I could reheat for you.”
Ezra pops up, and my hand jerks forward like I can catch him from across the alley.
“You’re the best.” He beams.
Before I can tell him I’ll let him in the front door, he leaps onto Rev’s fire escape. Sliding down the ladder, he scurries up mine in seconds.
Big hazel eyes shimmer with excitement as I move to give him room to crawl in my window. He shakes out his hair, spraying me with cold droplets of melted snow.
Chuckling, I wipe my face with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. “You’re kind of feral, Ez.”
He tips his head to the side, nose scrunching. “From what I’ve heard, you can handle it.”