Chapter 39 #2
“I don’t think so. You’re lucky this happened here. I really want to take you apart limb from limb. Very slowly and with a lot of pain.”
Tanner said something else, but it was muffled, his face still pretty much in the dirt.
He shook his arms. “What was that dick face?”
“Said I didn’t do anything to you. Didn’t do anything to McAllister, either.”
“Hmm...you must know who I am then.”
“Fucking Apex bodyguard. Yeah, I know.”
“Well, smartass, do you know that Bryce and Tate are my boyfriends? Mine. When you fuck with them, you fuck with me.”
“Oh, shit...perverts...all of you.”
Pilot pulled his arms tighter, making Tanner squeal. “You are sick, dude. The only thing perverted is how you’ve been obsessing over Bryce and Tate. That is not fucking normal. And guess what...you’re going to jail now.”
Tanner started struggling again, jerking his shoulders and hips.
“Oh, no. Stay the fuck down, Tanner, or I will hurt you.” Pilot gave a little more pressure with his weight on his knee and Tanner stilled. “Please, give me a reason.”
“This is Tate’s fault,” he complained. “He made me like this. He made me fuck him. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Fucking Tate Jordan.”
Furious did not even begin to name the rage flowing through Pilot.
He didn’t want to believe Tate had ever had anything to do with his creep, didn’t want to even think about his hands on Tate, much less any other part of his anatomy.
He leaned forward and gripped Tanner’s arms harder.
Pilot’s finger wrapped almost completely around his skinny biceps.
He wanted to rip them out of the sockets.
“We’ve got it from here, Mr. Mahan. Stand down.”
“Mission fucking accomplished.” Pilot let Tanner go so the security team could slap him into handcuffs, but he wasn’t happy about any of it.
Later that evening, Pilot met the guys back at the hotel room.
He came in carrying ice cream and paper bowls he’d picked up at the grocery store.
“It’s ice cream time!” he called out. Bryce and Tate helped dish out the treat and Pilot sprinkled extra marshmallows over the top. “Rocky-fucking-road for everybody.”
They sat on the bed, cross-legged, eating their treat. Neither of the guys complained about it either, which was a first. He guessed after the day they’d had, all of them needed something, but Pilot couldn’t get his mind off of what Tanner had said. “Can I ask you something, Tate?”
“Of course.” He spooned another bite in his mouth.
He watched Tate lick the ice cream from the spoon. He didn’t want to bring it up, but he couldn’t let it go. “I have to ask you. I have to get it out in the open. It’s driving me nuts.”
Tate’s brows pinched together. “What is it? Just say it.”
“Tanner said—”
“Oh.” Tate put his spoon in his bowl and studied it like it was the only thing in the room. He clenched his jaw so tightly, Pilot was afraid he’d bust a tooth.
Bryce stretched his foot out, tapping Pilot’s thigh. “What?”
Pilot pursed his lips together. He knew what Tate was going to say and it had to be true by the look on Tate’s face. He looked like he wanted to puke or punch someone—like he was guilty. It still had to be said. “Did you fuck him?” he finally blurted out.
Tate sighed. His shoulders slumped, as if all the fight just left him. “If you want to call it that. It was more like he used me to get off and I was in a really dark place, so I didn’t fight it.”
Bryce’s eyes grew wide. “You let him...”
Tate stood up with a huff and put his bowl in the hotel sink. “I wouldn’t say let him. Wasn’t really like that.”
Pilot could feel the heat creeping over his face. “If he raped you—”
“I wouldn’t call it that either. It was more that it didn’t turn out how I thought it would and by the time things got rolling, I couldn’t stop it.”
Fury buzzed through Pilot. “That sounds like date rape, Tate. You should have told someone.”
“Told them what? That I let that ass-hat fuck me? That I took it up the ass? Willingly. Then, changed my mind when I realized what an ass he was and that the only thing he cared about was getting his fucking rocks off? No. I wasn’t about to tell anyone that I let him use me like that. Fuck that.”
Bryce put his ice cream on the bedside table and stood up to wrap his arms around Tate.
At first, Tate tried to push him away. He was obviously mad, but he gave in quickly and Bryce wrapped himself around Tate, kissing his cheek and neck with little soft pecks. “It’s okay, Tate,” he murmured softly.
Watching Bryce and his gentle, loving way, dispelled all the anger he’d been holding onto. It just fell away like the bottom falling out of a bucket of water. Pilot crossed the room and added his arms to the hug, surrounding both of them. “I’m sorry, Tate.”
Tate shrugged them off. “I’m sorry. About all of it. It’s my fault. All of it.”
Bryce’s blue eyes were wet with unshed tears. “No. It’s Tanner’s fault. We love you, Tate. This doesn’t change that. At all.”
Tate looked up at Pilot for that same confirmation with need shining so brightly, even a jackass like Pilot couldn’t miss it. “He’s right, Tate. Doesn’t change anything. Maybe it makes me love you more. I love you both.”
“I love you guys, too. Thank you.” Tate’s voice was soft and serious and still hurting. Pilot, determined to remove that hurt, bent his head and kissed Tate, gentle at first, but quickly turning it into passion.
Bryce’s tongue snaked in between them, bold and demanding. It made Pilot’s cock hard. He wanted both of them naked. “Let’s go to bed.”