Authors: Lynn Hagen
“That’s the problem, Dorian. You keep looking at me as your little brother. I’m a grown man. I know I fucked up. You don’t have to remind me. But Mason is my mate, just like Rick is yours. What I do inside my relationship is none of your business.”
“Okay,” Dorian sighed. “Just tell me he isn’t beating you. Please tell me he isn’t. I know you said you don’t like being beaten up, but…”
“He can’t,” Ian replied with complete confidence, making Mason smile. “It’s in our contract that he can’t hit me in any way.”
“Contract?”
Oh hell.
Mason wasn’t sure if he should interfere or not. He didn’t give two shits who knew they had a contract between them, but he knew Ian was vulnerable when it came to his brother.
“Yes. Mason and I have a contract.”
“For what?”
“That’s our business.” Ian blew out a long breath. Mason wanted to pull the man into his arms, but let Ian have his words with his brother. Once this was done, Dorian was not going to badger Ian again. This was it. Mason was giving Dorian this one moment to question Ian. After that, Ian was no longer the man’s concern.
“Okay, I promise not to say a word about what happens between you two. But if I think he’s hurting you, or not treating you the way he should, I’m shooting his ass.”
Rick and Mason locked eyes, and Mason could see the humor in Rick’s expression. Mason shrugged.
“I need things, Dorian. Things you’ll never understand. All I’m asking is that you not interfere or judge me.”
“You can’t make me stop caring about you, Ian. That will never happen. But I promise to try my damnedest not to interfere.”
Mason glanced their way to see Dorian give Ian a hug. It was quick, the way two men gave each other a hug that still said they were men, but he could scent the resignation in Dorian.
“Now let’s use the bathroom. I have a feeling we are going to be stuck in that damn truck for a long while.”
Mason moved across the small lot when both men walked behind the station. He didn’t want Ian out of his sight. He wouldn’t go into the bathroom, but knowing no one was around made him feel a hell of a lot better. These times were dangerous and Mason wasn’t going to let anything happen to his mate or Dorian. Edward had been attacked behind a gas station. That thought alone drove Mason to watch over the two men.
Ian was standing by the closed bathroom door, hands tucked behind him, leaning back against the wall, staring down at his feet.
Mason stayed by the corner, not saying a word.
Dorian came out and Ian went in.
“I know you heard our conversation,” Dorian said as he walked over to Mason. “And I meant what I said. If you hurt him in any way, I swear on my life I will kill you.”
Mason tucked his arms over his chest and stared down at the short human. “I would expect nothing less from Ian’s older brother.”
“Good.” Dorian began to walk away. “Then we have an understanding.”
That they did.
“Is the trap set?” O’Hanlon asked over the phone in a tight, crisp voice.
Kraven strummed his fingers impatiently on his desk as he listened to the arrogant bastard. He was getting really sick of the man and his demands.
“I have assured you that everything is in place. There is no need to continually contact me.”
“Now listen here, bloodsucker.” O’Hanlon’s calm slipped. “You haven’t kept your end of the bargain in this war. You were supposed to go after Enrique if the Death Squad failed.”
“And they are dead,” Kraven stated dryly. He had his own reasons for keeping Enrique alive, for now. Not only had the alpha killed Calico, but now Newman was dead. Kraven didn’t give a shit about those men, but he couldn’t allow their murders to go unpunished. It would make him look weak.
But O’Hanlon didn’t need to know this.
There was no way Kraven was coming out with his race and fighting in the war. He honestly didn’t care about the political side of things, and he didn’t care if the changelings were wiped from the face of the earth.
Let the two races kill each other.
It would only ensure that his species ruled the nation once the war was over.
If the war was ever over.
But the less humans and changelings around, the better.
“Just make sure the trap is set and all goes as planned or I swear, Kraven,”—O’Hanlon paused, his voice dropping to a low, even tone—“I swear I will send in a fleet of tanks and blow your goddamn club off the face of the map.”
Let him try. If Kraven smelled one single soldier near his club, the
Mãos da Morte
were going to be dispatched. And there was only one name all twelve of them would have.
Captain O’Hanlon, Naval Special fucking Warfare.
* * * *
Mason sat in the backseat, Ian tucked on his lap fast asleep. He was glad his mate could finally get some rest without having to worry about being tortured. It had gutted him to know that he had been helpless to do anything about Ian when the man was suffering at the hands of Newman in the dream realm.
It still puzzled him that there was such a place. He wondered what happened to Cheveyo after he left, but he knew there was nothing he could do about the guy. The Indian warrior had been dead for over four hundred years. Mason seriously doubted he had any kind of power to help the man, but would be eternally grateful to Cheveyo.
Even if it was the most bizarre shit Mason had ever been through.
He glanced up when he saw an out-of-the-way billboard on the back road. Mason tapped Rick’s shoulder and pointed at it.
Rick chuckled. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I am,” Mason admitted.
“You know the town could be filled with either Breed Hunters or mercenaries. Are you willing to risk it?”
Mason glanced down at Ian and knew his mate would be thrilled beyond words if Mason took the chance and succeeded. “You can stop a mile before town and I’ll take it from there.”
Freedman turned in the seat and stared at Mason, a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. “Now you have me curious to see what they have.”
“Liar.” Mason smiled at Freedman. “I can scent your curiosity, but I highly doubt you are interested in what they have. You just want to be nosey.”
“True.” Freedman chuckled as he sat back.
Mason glanced at Rick in the rearview mirror, giving him a look he knew Rick would be able to understand.
“He’ll be safe. I give you my word.”
Mason cupped Ian’s face and kissed him out of his sleep. He wasn’t going to have his mate wake up and wonder where he was. Mason had promises he had to keep with the man, and he wasn’t going to let Ian down.
Ian moaned and curled into Mason. The man was still half sleep.
“Wake up, Ian.”
Ian’s eyes fluttered open and then he stilled. He glanced at everyone looking at him and then up at Mason. A deep blush stole across his face. “What’s going on?”
“I need to make a run into town. I wanted to let you know I would be gone for only a short period of time. Rick has agreed to keep an eye on you.” Mason glanced over at Dorian.
Dorian threw his hands up as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to bug him about anything.”
“Take Bryson and the two enforcers with you,” Rick said. “I don’t want to take any chances. I still can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. I must be losing my damn mind.”
“Why are you going into town, Sir?” Ian asked.
“You’ll see,” Mason replied as Rick pulled over into a small rest area off of the side of the road. Mason eased Ian from his lap and settled him next to his brother. His mate grabbed the small blanket from the seat and wrapped it around him. Mason knew Ian would be fine until he returned.
He just prayed the man didn’t have a seizure or go through another bout of cravings while he was gone. Both were coming less and less, and Mason wanted to keep it that way. Ian had a long way to go to get where Mason wanted him to be, and having either a seizure or a bout of cravings was not part of Ian’s lessons.
Mason slid from the truck, heading toward Bryson’s car that had pulled up behind them.
“Grab a case of lube!” Dorian shouted out of the window. When Mason paused and glanced back, Dorian shrugged. “You’re going into town, might as well pick up the essentials.”
When Mason shook his head and turned back around, the entire car was staring at him strangely. Benito had a wide grin on his face.
“Scoot over,” he said to the two enforcers before sliding into the back.
“What’s up?” Bryson asked.
“We have a run to make,” Mason said as he closed the back door.
“Would it have anything to do with the sign I saw about a quarter mile back?” Sasha asked.
“Indeed it does,” Mason replied. “But I don’t want to be gone too long.”
Bryson nodded and pulled away, leaving the Suburban parked on the side of the road and Mason feeling uneasy about leaving Ian behind. He knew he would have to make this quick because not only did Ian need Mason, but Mason was finding that he needed Ian as well. Furthermore, leaving the man to go do anything was making Mason nervous. He didn’t want his mate out of his sight, yet he knew that if he snagged what he needed, their lessons would be filled with so much more pleasure.
Bryson skirted around town, pulled behind a pizza shop, and parked the car.
“Benito, Miguel, I want you to scout the area and keep an eye out while Mason and I make the run,” Sasha said as he climbed out of the front seat.
Mason’s brow rose as the wereleopard alpha shut the door behind him. “Are you going with me as backup or are you shopping?”
Sasha gave him a playful smile, but his kelly-green eyes told Mason it was none of his damn business.
“Fair enough,” Mason said as they began their trek. Mason was damn good at not being seen, but working with the leopard showed him that Sasha was an expert at getting where he needed to go with ease.
The man was filled with nothing but fluid grace and predatory swiftness as they made it to the back door of the shop.
“This town seems deserted,” Sasha commented as he tried to ease the back door open. It was locked, but Sasha gave one good shoulder bump and the door popped open.
“I didn’t scent anyone,” Mason noted. “But there is a strange smell here.”
Sasha nodded as he opened the door all the way and slipped inside. Mason followed. Sasha had the place checked out before Mason made it fully inside. But then again, the shop wasn’t that big.
The alpha whistled as he looked around. “This is some hardcore shit.”
That it was. Mason had been hoping when he saw the sign, but now that he was standing in the middle of the store, he knew the place exceeded all expectations.
“And here I called myself an educated man.” Sasha lifted up a hooded mask and studied it.
Mason grinned. “If you ever want to get serious about playing, let me know. I can give you a few pointers.”
Sasha leaned into the counter and licked his tongue over his bottom lip, slow, sensual, but Mason knew the act wasn’t for him. He had a feeling Sasha was just that way. “I can hold my own. Trust me. I know how to please my bed partner in all kinds of wicked ways.”
Mason chuckled as his eyes raked over the wall with displays of leash and collar sets. It amazed him that a town this small would have a store this well stocked. “Yeah, I’ve met Nate. You’re going to have your hands full.”
Sasha dropped the hood and gave Mason a devilish grin. “Oh, I’m pretty sure the same thing can be said about me. Don’t forget, there is a little vixen involved as well.”
“And from what I hear, every time you two get close, Selene tries to shoot you.”
Sasha played with the ends of his long blond hair and then shrugged. “Foreplay.”
“If that’s your kink.” Mason glanced at a collar and cuff set that came with locks and keys, and even a satin blindfold. The collar and cuffs were locked into place, not buckled.
His imagination began to work overtime on what Ian would look like in the two-inch-wide leather collar. It would cover Ian’s entire neck, and the metal loop was attached to a lip, not on the main piece of the collar. He could just see Ian sitting in his rest position with this set on, the chain connecting from neck to wrists.
Mason was getting hard standing here imagining…okay, he needed to get moving.
His fingers ran over the soft leather, smiling to himself as his fingers touched the shiny chain.
“You are serious about all of this, aren’t you?” Sasha asked as he glanced at the set Mason was admiring.
“Very.” Mason grabbed the set, and placed it on the counter. He spotted a large silk over-the-shoulder bag and grabbed it.
Next he grabbed fur-lined cuffs and a lockable hogtie, shoving them into the bag. He also grabbed a leather leash. By the time Mason was done, the bag was filled with gags, toys, muzzles, and an assortment of other goodies.
Mason knew once the war was over and he and Ian were settled into their home, he was going to have one room dedicated for play, and he planned on having it well stocked for Ian’s pleasure.
“What are you doing?” Sasha asked.
“Writing out my bill.”
Sasha chuckled. “No one is here. The town is deserted,” he pointed out.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t pay what I owe, Sasha. I’m not a thief. I’ll return in the future to pay my debt. Grab a case of lube.”
Sasha grunted. “There is no way I’m carrying a case of lube with me through town.”
Mason added the case of lube to his list and then shoved the paper under the register. “And if you get the chance to fuck Nate, are you going to pass that by because you have no lube?” Mason headed toward the back door. They were going to have to fix it so no one else could get inside.
Sasha growled low as he walked into a room behind the counter and came back out with a case of lubricant.
Damn, it was the good stuff. Mason liked this store.
“Shut up,” Sasha bitched at him as he walked by Mason and out the door. Mason grinned.
They took a moment to secure the door and then they were off. When they made it back to the car, Mason stored the bag in the trunk and then glanced around. “Where are Benito and Miguel?” Mason asked Bryson.