Chapter Ten
The meeting at Deep Dish with Harris was set. Quinton had called Roman, the owner, to give the snow leopard a heads-up. It also wouldn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes and, just in case, extra muscle.
Hyett had dropped Wesley off at work, and although Quinton’s youngest son despised letting someone else protect his mate, Wesley’s boss, a wolf shifter, vowed to guard the human.
Quinton also asked Kalen to help, and without hesitation, he’d agreed, telling Quinton he would bring the twins with him.
Which meant Raidh, Jaytee’s mate, along with Casimir, Damon’s mate, had cast protection spells over all three Frost men.
Quinton would love to have a fae at the ready to cast those kinds of spells over him and his family.
At the moment, he and his boys were at Harris’s small bungalow, along with Noah. His mate was seated on the couch, glancing around, but he could tell Noah was still upset about the human remark.
He wanted to kick himself for letting that slip out. Of course Quinton didn’t think all humans were bad. He’d started to tell Noah that he’d lived for over three centuries and had seen so much violence and hate.
After a while, Quinton had lost count of how many shifters had been hunted and killed by humans and how many vampires, especially back in the day when superstitions ran rampant, had been staked or beheaded.
It was just…when Quinton listened to the voicemail Layne had left, saying he was going to “rescue”
Noah from a biker gang, and heard how Harris felt about Quinton’s sons and longtime friends, even threatening to call the cops, rage filled him.
Call the cops for what? Wearing leather and riding a motorcycle? For being extremely tall and muscular? For looking pissed that Noah had taken off, putting his safety at risk?
Killian and Ryker had told Quinton they’d needed help to find Noah since his mate used a car, which made it almost impossible to track.
It’d been Raidh, a biker’s mate, who’d used a location spell to find where Noah had gone. If it hadn’t been for the fae, Noah would have been at Harris’s when the hyena shifter had shown up.
And that was exactly what Quinton smelled. A hyena. That was how Toro was able to get his hands on Harris before full dark.
“Hyena,”
Killian spat, picking up the scent the same time as Quinton. Hyett deeply inhaled then scowled.
“Hate them sons of bitches,”
Ryker grumbled, joining them from the rear of the house. “I didn’t see anything disturbed back there. You might want to talk to your boy, Noah. I think he might have a little problem with obsessive cleaning. I’ve never seen a bathroom that sparkling before.”
Noah glanced up at Ryker, the glint in his green eyes dulled. “There’s a reason behind the madness, but it’s not my story to tell.”
Not only was Noah still upset with Quinton, but being in this house, knowing Toro had targeted Harris because of the deal he’d made, had to be eating away at his mate.
“There’s nothing else here we need,”
he said to his sons. “Let’s head toward the diner.”
No sooner had everyone walked outside than Noah stood at the bottom of the porch steps, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly.
Quinton moved in behind Noah, careful of his strength, and began working his mate’s stiff shoulders, kneading the tightness, unsurprised at the numerous tension knots he felt.
Quinton was developing his own trying to navigate their relationship. So used to being a bachelor, he had a lot of readjusting to do himself, but it appeared he wasn’t off to the best start.
“Is there any way to talk this out, hon?”
He pressed his fingers into a tough spot on Noah’s left shoulder.
“ I’m just really worried about him. I’m also afraid to talk to him in the diner after the conversation this morning.”
Noah moaned, his head lulling to the side, making noises Quinton forced himself to ignore.
Moving to the other side of Noah’s shoulders, he worked an exceptionally hard, stubborn knot. The guy had clearly never had a massage before, or it had been a long while.
Quinton was going to give them to his mate on a regular basis. “It must be tough. It’s never good to see someone you care about change before your eyes.”
“ You’re speaking from experience.”
“I am,”
Quinton replied. “It was a friend I knew. He was human and had Alzheimer’s. This was before the disease had been given the name. It progressed to the point he didn’t even know who I was.”
“Did you stop visiting him?”
Noah’s shoulders started to go lax. His head tilted back, and his eyes were still closed.
“I visited him every day until he died. Just because he forgot who I was didn’t mean I forgot who he was. Gus was one of the few humans who knew I was a bear shifter. We were friends for fifty years.”
Quinton chuckled softly. “Used to curse me for staying young while he grew old and gray. I think he called me every name under the sun except my given.”
“And you stayed friends with him?”
“Made the worst apple pie, but thought it was the best. Someone had to keep up the pretense to save his pride.”
Quinton used the pad of his thumbs to work the tension at the nape of his mate’s neck. “You don’t give up on someone just because they kept catching raw deals in life so they decided to push everyone away. Sometimes you have to read between the lines and understand where their pain is coming from.”
“Where was his coming from?”
Noah asked, curiosity thick in his voice.
“Gus’s mom died when he was twelve, followed by his sister six months later. His dad was an alcoholic, who abused him. Then his wife died giving birth to their first child, but the baby didn’t make it, either.”
“No wonder he was ornery.”
Noah glanced up at him, sympathy brimming in his green eyes. “Who could blame him?”
“Gus just needed one person in his life he could care about that wouldn’t die on him.”
Quinton rested his hands on his mate’s shoulders.
“How did you two meet?”
Noah leaned back into him, and Quinton felt as if his world had righted once more.
“I met him in a saloon, falling-down drunk, cursing everyone in the place. I made sure he got home, poured him into bed, and saw the handcrafted crib he’d made for the child that would never spend a single night in it. Sometimes friendships are forged out of pain and loss, hon.”
He curled his arms around his mate, resting his chin on the top of his head. “I don’t hate all humans, Noah. Just the ones who deserve it.”
“There was nothing we needed to talk out, Quinton. My anxiety isn’t from you. I let our spat go the moment I walked out of our bedroom.”
Quinton liked how Noah kept claiming more and more of his life. “I might not be the easiest person to get along with. I’ve been single for a very long time.”
Noah chuckled. “You’re my first relationship, so we both have some adjusting to do.”
“You guys ready?”
Hyett called from the SUV.
“He just wants to get back to his mate,”
Quinton whispered. “Just remember a ton of people have your back.”
He kissed the top of Noah’s head, worried about letting his mate be a part of this. No one knew all the variables, and things could go to hell too quickly.
Quinton’s only priority would be Noah, and no one could make him fail at keeping his mate safe.
* * * *
Outside the diner door, Noah briefly closed his eyes and exhaled. He turned his head and looked down the sidewalk at his mate who stood on the other end of the building, just past the windows so Harris couldn’t see him.
Since Harris had yet to meet Quinton, he wouldn’t recognize Noah’s mate, but he didn’t want his best friend seeing them together.
Quinton gave him a nod. Noah knew the guy didn’t want him to do this, that his mate would rather keep him tucked at home and out of harm’s way. But if they couldn’t find Toro, Noah would never know any peace.
Walking into the diner, he glanced around. Customers were seated at various booths and tables, but Quinton had told him no one in the diner would be human.
Only Noah and Harris.
Some of the faces he recognized, and it shocked him to know the residents sitting there weren’t human. The guy who owned the Sugar Well, Tillman, sat at one of the booths. In the next one, Jake, the owner of Fearless Fox, was enjoying his breakfast as he spoke to Fire Chief Dillon Scott, who sat across from him.
Harris was in the last booth at the back of the diner.
His best friend hated sitting by restrooms. Harris always swore he could smell them. Truth was, the guy was picked on in high school, always in the boys’ bathroom at gym time.
Noah hadn’t even known about it because Harris had been too ashamed to tell him. He’d only discovered the truth when he’d walked into the bathroom one day and caught three boys trying to give Harris a swirly.
Noah had raged out, and they’d never picked on Harris again. It had cost him a week’s suspension but was well worth it.
“I was wondering how long you were going to keep me waiting,”
Harris snapped as soon as Noah was close enough.
Just as he feared. He was going to have to deal with whoever this was playing marionette with Harris’s body.
Noah had stupidly hoped he would walk into the diner and his cheery best friend would greet him.
“So, explain to me what in the hell that was at my place yesterday.”
Had it only been yesterday? Noah wondered if he could do this. Harris wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but he’d been there for Noah his entire life. They’d cried, laughed, bitched and moaned together.
Noah had paced with him when his best friend had had that pregnancy scare. Harris had been there for him when Noah had fallen apart after his father died. They’d gone through their ugly acne years together, poking fun of each other so it would hurt less when others were cruel.
They had even gone to prom together, just as bros, because neither had a date but they hadn’t wanted to miss out on the fun.
“The dangerous man’s name is Toro.”
Noah crossed his hands on the table and watched for Harris’s reaction.
The corner of his friend’s mouth twitched just the slightest with a microscopic smirk.
The small giveaway told Noah that Harris was indeed being controlled by the vampire. “He’s a piece-of-shit wannabe who has to resort to scare tactics because he has to compensate for his micro-phallic issues,”
he said flippantly.
Rage simmered in Harris’s eyes. “That still doesn’t tell me how this person is dangerous.”
A slow realization dawned on Noah, only coming to mind just now.
It wasn’t Harris staring at him through those eyes, but Toro.
How was that even possible? Quinton had said vampires could bedazzle someone. He never mentioned them having the ability to see through their victim’s eyes.
Noah wanted to ask his mate, but he couldn’t. He sat there frozen, staring into those evil eyes as he tried to come up with a way to leave the table without rousing suspicion.
And if Toro could see Noah, that meant he would know who Quinton and the members of his family were. When Noah noticed a server hadn’t approached their table, he stood. “I’m going to put my order in. I assume you already told them what you wanted?”
Harris stared at him, a little cock to his head. Noah had to be careful. It might be Toro looking at him, but the evil son of a bitch was using Harris’s mind. If that was the case—Noah wasn’t sure—he couldn’t take any chances the vampire would irrevocably damage Harris.
“Yeah, I already ordered,”
Harris finally said.
With a tight smile, Noah turned and headed toward the counter, forcing himself to walk at a normal pace. None of the normal servers were in the diner, and Noah didn’t recognize the one who stood at the table talking with identical men. He recalled seeing one of them yesterday at Harris’s, but he wasn’t sure which twin had been there.
The one on the right flicked his gaze at Noah, gave a slight nod, then glanced away. All the tension Quinton had massaged out of Noah’s shoulders had returned. His body felt sluggish as he approached the counter.
So far, Quinton and his sons were still outside watching the building, but at any second, Noah’s mate would walk through those doors. What would Toro do when he spotted the bear shifter?
Noah’s main concern was stopping the vampire from causing catastrophic damage to Harris’s psyche. Noah could only rely on information he’d seen in movies because he had no other references.
When he didn’t see anyone approach to take his order, he walked behind the counter and rapped his knuckles on the cut-out window Roman used to set the dishes on.
The owner strode over, and that was when Noah saw Quinton and his sons inside the kitchen standing off to the side. His mate locked gazes with him, and he could see how badly Quinton wanted to pull him out of there.
“Morning.”
Noah smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me coming behind the counter.”
Roman waved him off as he joined Noah, standing on the other side of the window. “It’s all good. What can I get you?”
The vampire was using Harris’s eyes, and now Noah wondered if the bastard might have access to superior hearing as well. He prayed Toro didn’t.
Turning slightly so Harris couldn’t see his lips moving, Noah said, “Just keep smiling so it looks like we’re simply talking.”
Roman chuckled. “Sure.”
Noah’s gaze flicked to Quinton, wanting so badly to run into his mate’s strong arms. “Could it be possible for Toro to see through Harris’s eyes?”
he whispered. “Like hijack his vision so he can see what Harris sees?”
The round of curses in the kitchen, along with a few from the tables behind him, said it was more than possible.
“Can he hear me right now, you know, the super hearing you guys have?”
Noah still doubted it, but it never hurt to ask.
“No,”
Roman replied.
“I want you back here right now,”
Quinton snarled, heading toward the kitchen exit.
“No,”
Noah hissed. “What if he screws up Harris’s brain? I can’t take that chance with my best friend.”
Quinton stopped, but he didn’t look happy about it. “I told you he likes toying with his victims,”
he snarled.
Was Noah or Harris the victim he was toying with? “He keeps asking me to explain my situation, which, if it’s Toro, he already knows.”
“You have to play along while he’s inside your friend’s head,”
Hyett said.
Noah just wished he’d figured that out five minutes earlier. “I might have insulted Toro before I knew he was in Harris’s head.”
“What did you say?”
Hyett asked.
“That he’s a piece-of-shit wannabe who has to resort to scare tactics because he has to compensate for his micro-phallic issues.”
Noah winced, realizing just how bad that sounded.
Killian grinned. “Ouch. Why’d you have to tell the guy he had a small dick? Brutal.”
“I’ll call you,”
Quinton said. “Pretend you’re talking to your mom and make an excuse to leave.”
“I want a hug.”
Noah didn’t care who heard him. He wanted to feel those arms curled around him so he could feel safe again.
“I want to hug you too.”
Quinton gazed at him.
“I want one.”
Killian pouted.
Quinton cuffed him on the back of the head then gave him a quick hug. Noah liked that his mate wasn’t too “masculine”
to show his own child affection.
Jack would never hug another guy, not even his stepsons.
Reluctantly, Noah returned to his seat. It struck him that he hadn’t placed an order.
“So, what—”
Noah’s phone rang, interrupting whatever Harris-Toro was about to say. “Ugh, it’s my mom.”
He answered, “Hello?”
“It’s your mommy,”
Quinton said in a dainty voice he failed to pull off.
A burst of laughter escaped before Noah could stop it. Shit. “Good one, Mom. What’s up?”
“I should have never let you be a part of this. I hate the fact he’s looking right at you.”
“That doesn’t sound good,”
Noah replied. “You know I hate depressing topics.”
Harris studied him. Noah pointed at his phone and rolled his eyes. The guy gave a tight smile. Bastard.
“How about we discuss some new positions then?”
Quinton growled softly. “Getting on your hands and knees for my cock aroused the fuck out of me. I couldn’t get into your ass fast enough.”
Heat rushed over Noah’s face. Was Quinton saying that in front of his sons and Roman? Noah was going to kill him. “Where’s Jack?”
“I stepped into the alley,”
Quinton replied. “The others are still in the kitchen. No one can hear me but you.”
Thank god. “What’s the emergency, Mom?”
“My cock needs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”
Noah’s brows shot up. He glanced at Harris who was staring out the window. “You know, uh, you know I’m not so good at that.”
“Then you and I have very different memories,”
Quinton replied. “Because, as I recall, both times you had me shooting off within minutes, and the second time was right in your mouth, gorgeous.”
“I’m having breakfast with Harris. You should find someone else.”
“To suck my cock?”
“No! Jesus fucking Christ,”
Noah grumbled. “I’m on my way.”
He hung up then shook his head.
“I heard.”
Harris curled his lip. “Guess your life is too busy for me.”
It really hurt Noah to hear those words coming from Harris’s mouth. He had to stop himself from cursing at Toro. “You know my mom.”
Harris shrugged.
“We’ll try again soon.”
Noah stood, ready to haul ass out of there, but hated to leave his best friend knowing his mind was being fucked with.
Harris glanced up at him, the side of his mouth curled upward. “See you soon, Noah.”
The pleasantry made icicles slide down his spine. “Okay.”
Turning, Noah hurried from the diner. Thankfully, he hadn’t parked in front of the windows. He walked a block down, and as soon as he passed the end of the building, Quinton was there, pulling Noah into his arms.