Chapter Nine #2
Abi squeezed Nash’s hand when Cat pulled the car around the lot.
When he got Nash’s attention, he pointed at the side of the building where men and women filed out of a cargo van.
They wore loose-fitting gray clothing and had chains on their legs, shackled together like convicts.
The chains clinked on the pavement as they moved.
Their shoulders slumped as they shuffled through an open door, disappearing inside the building.
Nash’s expression hardened. “They must keep them somewhere close to that door.”
“I’ll find out exactly where and let Peter know.” Peter could send in their rescue team.
“Not before we get Mallor’s attention.” Nash watched the slaves as they shuffled inside as he spoke. “They’ll all get rescued—every one of them. I promise. But we can’t forget about the slaves who aren’t here.”
“Roger that.” Abi agreed. They needed to stick to the plan. “Will Mallor recognize you?”
“After forty-seven years, I hope not.” Nash didn’t appear to be a day over thirty-five, but looks deceived where paranormals were concerned.
“There is a serious age gap between us. You know that, right?” Abi didn’t want Nash exploring the ghosts of his past sooner than he needed to. Only one of them could be a nervous wreck, and Abi had already taken up that spot. Lightening the mood was in order.
It seemed to work because Nash gave Abi a little smile. “I won’t hold your age against you, baby.”
Abi chuckled. “Right. Thanks.”
They were out of the car and handing the doorman their invitation before Abi knew it. His nerves kicked in again, but Nash pulled him to his side. He’d never initiated an unnecessary touch before, so Abi knew it was time to put on a show.
Abi turned into Nash, smiling up at him as though Nash hung the moon just for Abi. He patted his chest. “I’m so excited, Daddy.”
The guard raised his eyebrows but otherwise didn’t react. He opened the door to the arena, allowing them entry.
“Too much,” Nash mumbled under his breath.
“I don’t know how to act,” Abi growled out.
Nash met his gaze with a smile and then wrapped his arm around Abi. “You’re doing great. I’ll give you a signal when we need to dial it up.”
Abi relaxed a little, but he still felt strung too tight. Surely people could tell. “What sort of signal?”
“You’ll know. I’ll make it obvious.” Nash nodded to someone who made eye contact with him as they passed.
The inside of the arena was a large, open space with an elevated, caged boxing ring at its center. Chairs surrounded the ring.
Along the walls were serving stations, complete with food and beverages, and servers in tuxedos.
Whoever built the arena didn’t care about aesthetics. It was function over form. Despite the spectators dressing in their best, no one seemed to mind the lack of glitz and glamour.
Nash led him to a refreshment table that had alcohol. “What would you like, boy?”
Abi leaned into Nash even more, pretending to play the part. If doing so calmed his nerves, well, that was a bonus. He wouldn’t think about it too hard.
Nash’s eyes were those of his dragon, but the tint on his glasses hid them well enough that no one noticed. It was his fangs that were the hardest thing to hide. He kept talking to a minimum.
Abi, on the other hand, had issues. His glasses made him even dizzier.
The tint, while just as slight as Nash’s, seemed to fuck with his vision, going to monochrome.
His body couldn’t pick just one species around Nash.
Thank the gods Nash understood what was happening.
Leaning on Nash gave him the stability he needed.
The server eyed them with curiosity. He didn’t seem to reach any conclusions about Abi’s issue either, or, if he did, he didn’t judge him.
“A ginger ale for my boy, please?” Nash didn’t look at the servers when he spoke. Instead, his focus was on making sure Abi was okay. He rubbed Abi’s back while drawing him into his chest.
“It’s the glasses and the overhead lights,” Abi whispered into Nash’s chest. His volume was barely audible, but he knew Nash could hear him. “Not just the mating pull.”
It was the first time Abi had acknowledged their connection aloud.
Nash’s heartbeat picked up as he cradled the back of Abi’s head. One arm tightened ever so slightly around his waist.
The server handed Nash an unopened bottle of soda. “Can I get you anything else, sir?”
The server eyed Nash with a little sparkle of lust in his gaze.
Claws came out, and he didn’t bother hiding them from the server. Of course, Abi’s body also made a choice without consulting his brain. It chose a wolverine. When he growled again, it sounded more like a snarl. “Mine.”
The server’s eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. He also shifted his eyes to some kind of canine. Probably a wolf, since they were the most common. But it wasn’t a show of aggression. Instead, he let them know he was a shifter too. Abi’s secret was safe with him.
The show of solidarity fell flat with Abi.
“Is there somewhere we can find a bit of privacy?” Nash stiffened, radiating displeasure.
The server nodded and then waved a woman over. They wore the same black tuxedo uniform, minus the jacket. The woman’s hair was in a ponytail. She stood with her hands behind her back and smiled in that fake way people did when they were bored and really didn’t want to be there.
Nash held Abi’s hand in a way that hid his claws. Abi was beyond caring about exposing himself as anything other than human. He was too angry.
The server led them past people milling about, then opened a door marked Employees Only. He gestured inside. “The lounge, sir. For staff, but you’re welcome to use it for as long as you need.”
“Thank you.” Nash led Abi inside. The door closed behind them with a heavy thwonk.
Abi shook his head at the utilitarian construction of the building. Concrete walls and metal doors. Whoever owned the building probably made millions biannually.
The room had a kitchenette complete with a full-sized refrigerator and a microwave. A table sat off to one side with a couch on the other. They had the room to themselves.
Abi pulled himself out of Nash’s hold with no small amount of reluctance. He rather liked the comfort, but he wasn’t there for that. It was all just for show. He had to remember that. “I lost it back there.”
Nash nodded once, but otherwise didn’t speak. It would be easier if Nash gave Abi a reason to lash out, but Nash stayed calm and as steady as ever.
“I’ve never done that before you came along.” It was an accusation designed to gaslight Nash.
Only Nash didn’t take the bait. All he did was raise his eyebrows and smirk. “That’s not surprising.”
Even though Abi growled again, his claws receded. He forced himself to take just enough of the wolverine’s form to stabilize his eyes. It was something he should have figured out a lot sooner, but Abi had always been a late bloomer. “This is all your fault.”
“Okay.” For some stupid reason, Nash smiled.
And for an even more stupid reason, it took some of Abi’s annoyance out of his gaze. “Shut up and help me. Please.”
Nash stepped into Abi’s path, stopping him from pacing. He held Abi gently by his arms, rubbing his forearms. “That guy just thought you were an overprotective mate.”
“I didn’t blow our cover?”
“No, little hellcat, you didn’t.”
Abi sneered at Nash’s nickname for him, but he secretly found it cute that Nash had given him one. “I’m not used to this. Peter sends me in to get the lay of the land.”
Nash nodded. “That makes sense, and before you get all growly, I mean, because you can shift into anything. I bet you can get into tight spaces.”
“Is that some sort of sexual joke because I still don’t think we’re mates?”
Nash nodded again, only this time his jaw muscles tensed. “You still need to play the part.”
“I know. I’ll do better. I promise.” He didn’t have a choice.
People depended on him. It wasn’t just those poor souls in chains forced to fight.
It was that woman on the swing. Beaten, bloody, and naked, forced to perform sex acts.
He needed to play the part well, and to do that, he needed to stop beating himself up for being unable to resist Nash, aka lean into the mating pull.
Even if it was only a performance, and even if the mating pull would fade after two weeks.
“I think we should kiss.” Abi stepped into Nash.
Nash raised his eyebrows. “Really? Are you sure about that?”
Abi smirked at Nash’s skepticism. “If we’re going to make it believable, then we’re going to have to be familiar with each other.”
Nash held Abi by the nape of his neck and closed the distance. His gaze went to Abi’s mouth. “Are you sure?” he asked again.
“Stop talking and kiss me.”
When Nash’s lips touched Abi’s, it was with no small amount of confidence. And that was when Abi understood why Nash had asked twice. The second time was a warning of sorts.
It wasn’t a mere press of the lips. Not even at the start.
It was Nash taking advantage of Abi’s willingness and getting a taste before Abi turned frosty again.
That much was obvious in the way Nash licked at the seam of Abi’s lips until he opened his mouth.
He pulled at Abi’s lower lip, sucking on it for a second before gentling the kiss again.
Despite Nash constantly saving Abi from himself, and his quiet strength, the kiss hinted at a bad boy underneath. Nash might shine up like a new penny in his fancy white suit, but Nash couldn’t bury the biker criminal very deep.
Abi learned who the real Nash was when he coaxed Abi into giving him more. And Abi was happy to do so. More than willing. He’d give all of himself.
Abi wrapped his arms around Nash’s shoulders and let Nash take what he wanted. He did it with a moan and the sureness of knowing he’d climb Nash like a tree if the kiss lasted even a second longer.
So that was what Abi did. He broke the kiss, which made Nash growl. Nash’s displeasure didn’t last long. Abi jumped, making Nash catch him.
His dress pants stretched across his ass when he wrapped his legs around Nash. They didn’t have much give, but Abi didn’t care. He didn’t care about the wrinkles either.
Nash met Abi’s gaze, studying it, giving Abi enough time to come to his senses.
Abi wasn’t about to do that. He never did the thing he should. Not that Abi knew what that was anymore. Swearing off men sounded like the stupidest idea he’d ever had when Nash’s hands were on his ass.
Nash might be a bad boy disguised as a rich businessman, but Abi was a rich bad boy who enjoyed killing almost as much as he enjoyed fucking. Nash just hadn’t figured Abi out yet, so that made Abi ahead of the game.
Abi grinned.
“What?” Nash rubbed his fingers along the crack of Abi’s ass.
“You should come with a warning label.”
Nash raised his eyebrows with a smile. “Is that so?”
“Yes, you manipulative bastard. It is very so.” Abi kissed Nash again, but this time he kept it light and playful. “You’re as evil as I am.”
Nash laughed.
Abi had surprised him. That was when Abi realized not much had surprised Nash up to that point. Not even his reaction upon first meeting him.
“I’ve been called a lot of things, but not that.”
“Maybe evil is too strong a word, but you’re not a nice person.” Abi hated nice people. Nice often meant fake.
“The only good thing I do is rescue people. I figure it makes up for all the other shit.” Nash grew serious. “I want everything you’re willing to give. This thing between us is no game, boy. And it’s not as fake as you want to believe.”
Nash’s words felt too much like a reprimand for Abi’s liking. It put him on edge again. “I wasn’t playing a game, but if I were, I’d win. Don’t call me boy outside of the job until I call you Daddy when no one’s around.”
Nash set Abi on his feet. “You don’t know what you want.”
“Oh, I know exactly what I want, and it isn’t another mate.” Abi walked to the door and threw it open.
Nash grabbed his arm. “Let me go first.”
Abi let Nash lead him with a hand on the small of his back. He tried to soften his expression, but his smile felt strained.
“You keep saying stuff about having mates plural. What does it mean exactly?”
“I’ve already told you. I’m broken. I always have been.”
“Broken how, Abi?”
“I told you about my scent already. Well, the mate pull hits people hard, then fades after a couple of weeks.”
“That’s not our timeframe, Abi.” Nash smiled and nodded to a man who passed them, walking in the opposite direction. “That was Mallor.”
Abi tried not to let his reaction show on his face. Instead, he smiled up at Nash, giving his best, most adoring look he could muster. “Are we going to sit by him?”
“We won’t have to. He’ll come to us.”
“How do you know that?”
“He pegged me as a Daddy and you a boy. He wants to watch us fuck.”
Abi tried not to let his stomach flip at the thought of fucking in front of someone.
That was a new one, and he wasn’t completely opposed, but it was Nash.
The guy he didn’t want to be away from for even a second, while also wanting to run as far away as possible.
It was the most problematic situation he had ever been in with one of his fake mates. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“It’s a very good thing.” Nash kissed Abi’s cheek, but as he did it, he whispered, “Relax. Just follow my lead.”
Abi just didn’t want to screw it up.