Chapter Eleven
Elijah paced up and down the length of the bar, worried sick about Percy. He’d run his fingers through his hair so many times he felt it sticking up at odd angles.
“Sit. Down,”
Tito said for the hundredth time, pure annoyance in his tone. “You’ve paced so much I’m expecting a baby to be delivered at any second.”
“And you’ve drank so much I’m expecting your liver to work its way out to escape the abuse.”
Tito leaned his forearms on the counter, tumbler in one hand. “If I’m gonna die, I would prefer to be wasted. My death might not hurt as badly.”
He drained the glass then slammed it on the counter with a curse. “I knew you two gremlins were trouble the moment you males walked through the doors.”
Elijah squinted at him. “You do realize you’re speaking Spanish and I can’t understand a single word you’re saying, right?”
The guy just blinked at him, then a slow smile formed. “Elijah bunny, your boy screwed me over, and I didn’t even get a kiss.”
It was no use demanding Tito speak English. The guy was shitfaced. But even drunk, he’d caught, and stopped, Elijah, twice, from sneaking out to hunt for Percy.
Someone that liquored up should not possess ninja-level stealth. It was so unfair. If Elijah had been that wasted, he would’ve faceplanted the floor by now.
A sad truth he’d experienced a few times in his life. It was never fun having your face smashed against a disgusting floor, people stepping over you like you were a fallen log and not a human being.
And it had been Percy who’d peeled him off the floor, just as drunk but far more coordinated than Elijah.
“Why can’t we just drive to his house?”
Elijah snatched the glass from Tito when he refilled it. “You’re cut off, buster. I need you sober, not a bleary-eyed nuisance.”
God. How long did it take for Mathias to do whatever it was he was doing? Elijah needed him there, solving this. Instead, he was stuck with Tito, the inebriated wolf, who was about as useful as an empty condom dispenser.
Elijah shook his head. Maybe he was the one who needed a drink… or ten.
“I’m hardly drunk,”
Tito said drolly. “It takes more than half a bottle of tequila to put me on my ass, human.”
Elijah used both hands to gesture toward the bottle. “You’re drinking whiskey, and the bottle is nearly empty. You’re swaying where you stand, and that’s the first time I’ve understood you since you plopped the bottle down on the counter.”
Tito wrinkled his nose. “Stop nagging me. I can be drunk and highly functional at the same time.”
He kept talking but switched back over to his native tongue.
At first, he’d been intimidated by the guy. Now, he wished Tito would simply pass out because he’d become super annoying.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
Tito demanded when Elijah started away.
“The bathroom located in my room, and you better not try to follow me.”
He stormed away, hating the eerie silence of the tavern. Tito had cut the music off a while ago, leaving Elijah to deal with his thoughts.
Not something he wanted when he was seven levels of confused about Matias and panicking over Percy.
“There’re cameras everywhere. I’ll know if you’re up to no good,”
Tito called out, causing Elijah to pause mid stride.
Cameras? Everywhere? He turned, swallowing roughly, and beyond horrified. “Even in the kitchen?”
“If I tell you where they’re located, you’ll try to dodge them.”
Tito appeared smug, like he hadn’t just dialed up Elijah’s panic to a thousand.
Elijah was so over today. Dealing with Matias, Percy, and the pack, he was going to need some serious therapy.
But Tito had to be lying. Matias wouldn’t have gotten him off with cameras around, would he? Elijah felt a sudden need for his granny blanket and remote.
This could not be his life right now.
He slipped into the kitchen, looking around, desperate to find where the cameras were hidden. Matias was going to suffer if he’d pulled Elijah’s cock out for an audience. Who watched the footage? Did anyone even monitor it? Would more than one guy view it?
A groan slipped free. The kitchen was large, with too many places for hidden cameras to capture his utmost humiliation.
Elijah started moving things aside, checking behind canisters on the counter, looking in drawers and cupboards, then he took down the hanging pots to check inside of them. He looked in the pantry, the refrigerator, and he even flipped the multitude of kitchen chairs over just to be sure, feeling like he was in a full-blown episode of CSI: Humiliation Unit .
He climbed onto the counter, pushed onto the balls of his feet, running his hand along the spaces above the cabinets. He nearly lost his footing a few times but was determined to make sure some perv wouldn’t be sitting in a dark room getting off to Elijah’s pleasure.
Fuck . His mind kept telling him that Matias wouldn’t do something like that, but Elijah wouldn’t listen. Not if there was even a one percent chance of truth to Tito’s claim.
Desperation and panic set in, logic no longer mattering. Trent had humiliated Elijah in the past. Maybe not with cameras, but public humiliation was just as bad. Elijah refused to suffer through something like that again.
He was so lost to the search that it drowned out the sound of motorcycles.
“ Conejito ?”
Matias’s brows furrowed, his lips slightly parted. “What is going on in here?”
“Where are they?”
Elijah demanded, forcing himself to breathe, which only caused his voice to rise and break.
“Where is what?”
Matias came straight to him, gently gripping Elijah’s upper arms. “What are you looking for, carino ?”
Tears stung Elijah’s eyes, remembering how Trent had become friends with his neighbor, telling all their sexual business after smoking a blunt.
Revealing very explicit details. To this day Elijah dodged Paul whenever he saw the guy in the hallway. Trent hadn’t just manipulated Elijah. He’d exposed and degraded him.
This wasn’t just about cameras. It was about a past humiliation so deep that it still had a chokehold on him. Matias had promised he wasn’t like Trent, that mating with him would—
Warm fingers tucked under Elijah’s chin, coaxing him back to the present. “Talk to me, little bunny . What are you looking for?”
“The c-cameras.”
If Matias had done something so heinous, Elijah would be devastated. He might’ve argued a lot with him and had plenty of doubt, but Elijah trusted Matias, felt safe with him.
“What cameras, Elijah?”
Matias’s brows had dipped even lower, looking genuinely confused.
“The ones in the kitchen.”
Elijah felt near tears. He didn’t want to find proof. He wanted to be wrong . He needed to believe Matias wasn’t like Trent.
Leaning in, Matias said in a low tone, his knuckles brushing Elijah’s cheek. “Do you think I would worship you in front of prying eyes, carino ? You are all mine, and I do not share, mate .”
“But he said…”
Elijah took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heart. He licked his lips, staring right into Matias’s light brown eyes, grounding himself, forcing himself to believe him.
“Who?”
Matias asked. “Who said there were cameras in here?”
His tone was even, steady, but his eyes had begun to glow.
Oh god! Tito had only said that so Elijah wouldn’t try to sneak out, unaware of his past trauma. Glancing around, Elijah gasped at the wrecked kitchen. Cupboards hung open, drawers had been overturned and emptied, boxes and cans of food tossed everywhere. Holy crap. What had he done?
“ Conejito ,”
Matias said in a tight voice. “Who told you there were cameras—”
The glowing in his eyes intensified. “Tito.”
He spun and walked out. Elijah’s heart thumped wildly as he raced behind him. “He only said that to stop me—”
Elijah shouted when Matias stalked behind the counter and curled his hand around Tito’s throat, baring sharp canines.
“You dare lie to mi elegido and send him into a fucking frenzy?”
It wasn’t what Matias said but the absolute stillness in his voice. Elijah actively feared for Tito’s life. Matias just snapped and in the most controlled, terrifying way possible .
The men in the room didn’t say a word. Didn’t move a muscle as they watched Matias’s lethal reaction. Elijah stood there frozen, watching the pure rage transforming Matias’s features.
“I only said that so he wouldn’t try to sneak out again,”
Tito choked out, his back against the wall of liquor.
Matias uncurled his fingers then pinned Elijah with his deadly gaze. That was not a look he wanted aimed at him. Matias appeared possessed, eyes glowing, his face a mask of rage. “You would disobey me?”
Elijah could’ve sworn he’d heard disappointment and…a flicker of hurt in his tone.
“Not by choice.”
His answer was immediate and honest. “But I’m desperate to find Percy.”
The way Matias’s head slowly tilted to one side made Elijah’s soul whimper. “Where. Is. Percy?”
Elijah opened his mouth, only to realize the question hadn’t been directed at him. But he couldn’t allow Tito to take the blame.
“Percy was gone before you guys even left,”
Elijah stated firmly. He glanced around, noticing Santiago wasn’t in the room. Thank goodness. One pissed-off wolf was already too much to deal with. If Santiago knew, the guy would probably kill Tito first then go on the hunt for Percy.
But none of this was Tito’s fault, damn it!
Matias studied Elijah for a long, heart-pounding moment. Then he uttered a single, terrifying word. “Kitchen.”
Without waiting for Elijah, Matias walked from behind the bar, his strides confident.
Guess he wants me to follow like a good little boy. Elijah ground his teeth and stomped after him, only because his pack was there and Elijah didn’t want to put on a show. If Matias was about to yell at him, Elijah would stand his ground. If one of his men was missing, Matias wouldn’t hesitate to track them down. Why should Elijah not be allowed to do that same? Percy wasn’t one of his “guys,”
but that didn’t make him any less important.
Walking into the room, Elijah was ready to defend his actions. Only Matias was leaning his back against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling. He reached out, and Elijah immediately went to him. Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close.
Elijah had no idea what was going on, but it was clear Matias needed him. The stoic, unshakable pack leader needed comfort, and Elijah melted into him, willing to give him whatever he needed.
Because Elijah needed him to.
Men like Matias didn’t show weakness. They were never afraid. Always in control and in charge.
But he was more than a capable, strong leader. Matias was a man with a heavy burden on his shoulders, and whatever happened while he was gone had deeply affected him. He was worn the fuck out . Elijah knew that feeling all too well, had been there many, many times. And in those moments, you just wanted that one person who settled you.
“Has Percy contacted you?”
Matias hadn’t let him go or lifted his head. His voice was soft, calm, as if the hug had anchored him.
“No. I think he was gone even before Diablo showed up.”
He explained his reasoning then added, “Tito called the guy you sent to watch Macey, but he said he hasn’t seen Percy. Tito did everything right, Matias. He refused to take me with him to search for Percy but refused to leave me here alone. He was stuck in a tough spot, and I didn’t make it any easier by trying to sneak out.”
The arms around him tightened a fraction before Matias pulled back. The way he gazed at Elijah stole his breath. “Let me take care of this. Then we talk.”
He nodded, relieved Tito wasn’t going to die. One crisis averted. One more to solve. Elijah couldn’t understand why Percy would put himself at risk knowing the dangers. He should’ve at least answered his phone with some illogical reason for leaving.
The fact Percy had cut off his phone worried the hell out of Elijah. That wasn’t like his best friend to cut off all communication. Where in the hell was he, and what was going on?
* * * *
Percy lay curled on the wooden bench inside the small shed. Sweat dripped from every pore, soaking through his clothes and matting his hair to his scalp.
Once again, he’d been too damn na?ve, trusting instead of cautious. Even if it hadn’t been his fault this time, he still should’ve known better. He still should’ve followed Matias’s order to stay inside.
He should’ve stuck by Elijah’s side.
He should’ve… Percy forced his eyes open, afraid to fall asleep because he might not wake up. It was sweltering outside, worse inside the shed. Right now, he would kill for some ice-cold water. Kill for anything that would relieve his parched throat. It was so dry it burned.
His fists were bloody and scraped from pounding on the door for what felt like hours. He’d tried desperately to find a way out, but he hadn’t.
And now he just might die in the grungy shed. God, he was so stupid! A kind word, a friendly smile, and he’d been lured out of the tavern like a complete idiot.
He didn’t know the guy’s name, but had seen him around the tavern, recognized him as one of Matias’s men.
That’s why Percy had blindly trusted him.
And now he might pay the ultimate price. He felt like crying but was too dehydrated for any tears to fall. Elijah, his best friend. The only person who had ever been there for him. Who loved Percy, in spite of the complete mess he was.
And his mom. Percy wouldn’t be there to protect her. That hurt like hell. All he could do was pray Santiago would still keep her safe.
What Percy wanted in that very moment was to see Santiago one last time. The man who had made him feel safe, had come to his rescue, had been there through some very dark times.
His eyes started to slide closed, his energy depleted. His only thought was Santiago’s handsome face, his gorgeous smile, and soothing voice. Percy clung to these thoughts as he felt himself drifting off to sleep.