Chapter 30 Dex - Past
thirty
Dex - Past
KILL LIST.
Jonah spent the night again, waking up in my arms, his body shuffling closer to soak up more of my heat. I huffed softly in amusement, and he tensed, realizing I was awake.
“Ugh. You’re totally a morning person, aren’t you?” he groaned into my skin.
“Mhmm. But I’m also a Jonah person. Means I get to just lie here and watch you sleep and listen to your cute little grumbles.”
He pulled away from me. “I do not grumble in my sleep!”
“You do. You snore too, just a little.”
“No I don’t!” he argued, apparently very offended by the simple fact.
“No? Record yourself sleeping, do you? Or sharing a bed with anyone else who can verify?”
Jonah huffed, stealing the blanket and rolling away from me, probably because he couldn’t think of an argument.
“I don’t mind, Rabbit,” I told him as I followed him, wrapping my arm around his waist and pulling him in close so he couldn’t escape from me further. “It’s cute.”
“I’m not cute.”
“Baby, you’re very cute.”
He tried to wriggle out of my hold, but I just tightened it around him. His struggle rocked his ass back into my hips, and he stilled when he felt what was waiting for him there.
“You’re especially cute when you’re crying from the pleasure I’m giving you.” Jonah’s breath shuddered, and he rocked his hips back into me again, all attempts at retreat apparently abandoned in favor of feeling my cock against him.
“Prove it,” he breathed out, rocking against me again, and I would do just that.
“You’re late again,” Roy said from the desk as I strolled in.
“Sorry,” I told him, and I meant it.
I tried to get here on time, but Jonah had been staying with me every night for the past week and a half now.
We hadn’t talked about it, he’d just text me to ask what I was doing, I’d tell him I was home, and shortly after he’d be there, falling into my bed with me.
I’d fuck him until he cried, and then sometimes I’d fuck him again.
Then we would sleep, and when we both woke up, we’d fuck again.
I’d gotten tested, and I expected the results back either today or tomorrow. Just the thought of being able to take my rabbit raw, with truly nothing between us, to mark him with my cum, it made my dick firm up in my jeans.
Roy huffed. “Honestly, son, I’m glad.”
“You’re glad I’m late to work? Kind of a shitty work ethic, boss.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not glad you’re late, smart ass. But you’re late ’cause you got somewhere else you’d rather be ’sides here with me. It’s good for ya.”
“Don’t go getting sentimental on me now, Daddy Roy. It’ll ruin your grumpy reputation.”
I was deflecting. I didn’t know what to do with the warmth his words filled my chest with. Didn’t know how to express whatever these feelings were.
Roy seemed to understand. “Parts you ordered came in,” he told me, thankfully changing the subject.
“Fuck yes.” I smiled, taking my gear to the locker so I could get started on the day and hopefully still be able to finish up early enough to work on my personal project.
Two years ago, a customer had brought in a 2004 Jeep Cherokee with a blown transmission.
She didn’t have the funds to repair it, so Roy had taken pity on her and offered to buy it from her instead.
Since then, the car had sat out the back of the garage completely neglected and almost forgotten about.
When I offered to buy it off Roy, he’d given it to me.
Sourcing a brand new transmission would cost more than the thing was worth, but I’d managed to find a replacement at a scrapyard and had it delivered to the shop.
The old girl wasn’t too pretty, but she’d be functional when I was done with her, and that’s all she needed to be. I hoped Jonah would like her.
He walked everywhere despite the pain his leg obviously gave him, but he didn’t complain about it or seek an alternative.
Maybe that would feel like admitting he had a weakness.
I wasn’t sure if he even knew how to drive, and I hadn’t told him about the car yet, but if he didn’t know, I could teach him.
I got home a little later than usual, having spent some time on the Cherokee.
When I walked in, I heard noises from the kitchen and followed them to see my rabbit attempting to cook…
something. Something that had definitely already passed the stage of “cooked” and was well on the way to becoming charcoal.
“What you doing there, Rabbit?” I asked him from the doorway.
Of all the rooms in this house, I hated the kitchen most. It was better now than it used to be, and it certainly helped that Mom hadn’t been home in so long, but I still spent as little time here as possible.
Even though the floor and walls had been scrubbed clean so many times, until my hands ached and the tile was shining, sometimes I could still see the blood.
“Cooking,” he grumbled, glaring at the frying pan. “Or… trying to. Why are you late?”
“Work project,” I told him, not exactly a lie.
“Well, if you’d gotten home on time, maybe it wouldn’t have burned.”
“Ah, so it’s my fault. I see.” I smiled, leaving my post in the doorway to approach him. My finger hooked the back of his jeans as I yanked him into me, trapping him within my arms. “In that case, I’ll order in for us, to make it up to you.”
Jonah sighed softly as he leaned into me, and I inhaled his scent deep into my lungs. He used my soap, my shampoo, but it smelled so different on him. Better.
“It’s only fair.” He shivered when my lips found the curve of his neck.
Just as I was about to tell Jonah that maybe I’d just have rabbit for dinner instead, my phone rang in my back pocket. I sighed, still keeping him close to me as I retrieved it. Only when I saw the name on the screen did I pull back and step away.
“Hey, little Cupid, how’s my favorite Stray?” I asked, only because I loved the way Jonah glared at me. I loved seeing him jealous, possessive. Adorable. I wanted him to always be like that—needy and demanding, entirely unreasonable.
“Coyote,” said a voice on the other end of the call, far too deep and Hungarian to be Cupid.
My smile faded. “Bull. Where’s Cupid?”
“Injured.”
“Yeah, the man of few words and many grunts routine is fine under normal circumstances, but I’m going to need more from you than that.”
“Drakes attacked him pretty badly. You can handle it?”
“I can. Have you called Wolf?”
“Unavailable.” That was becoming a pattern with Archer.
“Name?”
“Petrov brothers, and Bates.”
“Of course it was fucking Bates.” My fists clenched in rage; that particular motherfucker was becoming an increasingly large pain in my ass.
Cupid wasn’t even a fighter, he just peddled drugs, and not even well.
To have three of them rough him up… something wasn’t right.
Then again, looking the way Cupid did was probably enough of an offense to trigger tiny-brained Mason Bates.
“Alright, I’m on it. He’s alright, though? ”
“He’ll live.”
“Thanks for the reassurance, Doc. I’ll keep you updated.”
I ended the call, turning to see Jonah scowling at me. “Sorry, Rabbit. Why don’t you order something? I’ll eat while I’m out.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got some business to take care of.”
“With that homophobic piece of shit?”
I gave him a strained smile. “Unfortunately.”
“Fine. Go fuck him up.” Jonah crossed his arms over his chest. “Just don’t fucking lick him this time.”
I laughed. “I promise.”
“And… Cupid?” He said the name as if it tasted bitter on his tongue.
“Just a friend. I promise.”
“Have you ever—”
“Just a friend, Rabbit.” I cut him off, because I had. Just once. But Cupid was rarely sober when I saw him lately, and I wasn’t getting involved with that. “Will you wait for me here?”
Jonah nodded, that familiar pout on his lips.
“I’ll be as quick as I can, Rabbit.”
“’Kay, just be careful.”
“I will, baby,” I assured him, stealing his lips in a kiss that promised far more than I could deliver right now. I pulled back before I could get too caught up in him, stepping away to unlock my phone and text Bryce, Raven, and begrudgingly, Reaper.
I normally would have messaged Toby, but we still hadn’t spoken since the last fight night, and I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t try to deck him again on sight.
Supposedly Archer was dealing with him, but I doubted that.
Archer wasn’t transphobic, to my knowledge, but he was still in the closet with his sexuality and not exactly an outspoken ally.
He kept his voice to Strays business only, and even that was enough to keep him highly strung and on edge at all times as it was.
Stick a lump of coal up Archer’s ass and in a week you’d have a diamond.
It didn’t take long for us to locate Bates and the Petrov brothers.
The Drakes had a few regular hangouts in Deltran, Molly’s being one of them.
It was a prohibition-style speakeasy, with low lighting and lots of dark corners for whatever shifty business the Drakes dealt with here.
It was unofficially their territory. While it wasn’t gang owned, the Drakes held a regular presence here—enough that when I walked in with Bryce, Raven, and Reaper, the atmosphere grew cold and voices quieted down.
The fuckhead trio were still together, but there were two others with them too.
We were outnumbered by one, but I still liked our odds.
Bryce was our weakest link. Reaper could hold his own even against me, and Raven was both our fastest rider and fighter, definitely enough to make up for what she lacked in strength.
Mason fucking Bates smiled, like he was happy to see us.
“That didn’t take long, did it? Should have known the bitch would go crying to the other homos right away.” He spoke loud enough for us and everyone else in the bar to hear.