30. Chapter 30
Hunter
Cody's dirty blond curls fall across his forehead for the third time. I brush them back, my thumb grazing the thin white scar running through his right eyebrow. It’s old, faded. Not one Atlas gave him.
Those two need to stop fighting. Don’t care what they say because every time they come back bloodied and bruised, my skin crawls. Even if they are smiling about it afterward.
A loud snore tears out of Atlas, and Cody shifts.
I nudge my best friend with my foot. Atlas doesn’t wake, just rolls onto his side, bare ass up in the air. Not sure why he chose to sleep on the floor—naked, no less, except for his socks—when there’s enough room on the couch for him.
Leaning my head back, I count the cracks in the ceiling, the hum of the fridge filling the quiet after Atlas stops snoring.
There’s seventeen.
I count them again. Then again. By the third time, I’m counting out loud to fill the silence, my hand motionless in Cody’s hair.
My father would get quiet before the children came. The yelling would stop, the beatings too. But the quiet wasn’t peace. It was preparation.
Cody stirs and—
“Fuck.”
I grit my teeth, holding my breath before guiding his knee away from my cock. Thank fuck Atlas is still asleep because he’d be laughing his ass off knowing our little Titan kneed me in the nuts in his sleep.
The corner of my mouth pulls up, and I kiss the top of Cody’s head, letting my eyes close. I felt like a fucking asshole when he called me out for hardly smiling. Shouldn’t have cared if it bothered him. But I do.
Too much.
Don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Not with him. Not with Atlas.
I drag a hand down my face. The fuck was I thinking chasing Atlas’s finger?
He probably didn’t even realize how close it was to my hole when he’d grabbed my ass.
And I pushed back, swiveling to position it where I wanted.
And when I did, I detonated. Came so hard my vision whited out around the edges.
My cock starts to thicken.
No. I can’t—
“Hey. You okay?”
“Yeah.” I card my fingers through Cody’s hair. “How are you feeling?”
He grumbles. “Sore. Like you jerks fucked me within an inch of my life.”
“There are worse ways to go.” I reach down and adjust myself, my cock thickening further.
Cody slaps my chest. “No. Make it go down right now.”
“Don’t need your ass. Your mouth would work too.”
“Hunter.”
I chuckle, nipping his shoulder. There’s a bruise forming where Atlas bit him earlier. I brush my lips over it.
Cody groans. “How bad is it?”
“He marked you, but the skin’s not broken.”
“I’m going to kill him. No, you know what. I’m going to mark his dick. Think it will hurt. I hope it will. Fucking dipshit.”
I slap his ass cheek. “Enough.”
He huffs and snuggles into me before tracing the puckered skin running across my torso. “You said later.”
My jaw clenches, and I shift, throat going dry. Taking off my shirt was another thing I shouldn’t have done. But the way he looked at me, fuck, I couldn’t deny him. Except my past isn’t a story I care to share—with anyone.
It doesn’t change what happened.
“Hunter?”
I look back up at the ceiling. “Was tied to a tree with barbed wire.”
Cody springs up, crawling on top of me to get me to look at him. “By who? Who did that?”
My arms wrap around his waist, and I pull him flush against me. “Not your problem.”
“Like hell it isn’t. I’m going to fucking kill them.”
“It’s in the past, Little Titan. Now, lie back down.”
He doesn’t move, doesn’t look away.
“Cody.”
“Nope.”
I slap his ass again.
“Do that all you want, but I’m not moving. Someone hurt you, left marks on you. I’m not okay with that.”
I reach up and trace the scar on his eyebrow. “And who did this?”
He chuckles. “Blue.”
My brow lifts. Didn’t expect the wound to be from his dog. “What happened?”
Gradually, Cody settles back down, resting his head on my chest. “I was carrying him when Davis dropped a slice of pizza. Blue wiggled and threw his head back. You have no idea how solid his skull is. Broke the skin right open.”
“Your dog headbutted you?”
He snickers. “Yup.”
“Don’t tell Atlas.” I look down at my best friend, still snoring away. “He’d love that shit. Probably would have a headbutting contest with your dog.”
He goes quiet, long enough that I wonder if he’s fallen asleep. Then his finger traces one of my scars again. “Why’d they tie you up?”
Thought he’d moved on. Guess not. “Don’t know.”
Except I do.
My father and uncle beat me unconscious. I woke up bloodied and tied to that tree while my brother stood off to the side, watching. All because Atlas and I talked about trying out for a Juniors team together. One where we’d have to billet.
We were fifteen. Hadn’t even tried out. But my father decided to teach me a lesson anyway: leaving wasn’t an option.
Cody lifts his head, resting his chin on my chest. “You can talk to me.”
“I’m fine.”
He nips me gently. “I care about you.”
I nod, swallowing hard, my eyes finding Atlas again.
If only we had never talked about Juniors.
“You have feelings for him.”
My gaze snaps back to Cody. “We’re best friends.”
He quirks a brow, a tiny smirk on his face. “He called out your name earlier. You know . . . when he came.”
My cock twitches, and Cody notices, his smirk growing wider.
Leaning my head back against the couch, I close my eyes and blow out a breath. “We’ve never fucked like that before.”
“You both seemed to enjoy it.”
I grunt.
“Just saying, maybe it’s something you should talk about. In case either of you want to be inside my ass together again.”
Little shit. Guess he isn’t that sore after all.
I pinch his side, he giggles, then settles against me, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders.
He’s right, though. I should talk to Atlas. With the three of us being together, we need to figure out everyone’s boundaries, so we don’t cross them. I don’t want to hurt either of them. Especially Atlas.
Which also means I need to tell him about Garrett.