Zack nipped his neck, his ear, his shoulders—everything within easy reach of his mouth. His fangs bruised and pierced, but the wounds healed nearly as soon as they were made.
Their rhythm was slow at first. Zack was having to push, thick and full and stretching Takashi. Takashi wrapped his legs around Zack’s waist.
“Yes,” Takashi whimpered, leaning into Zack’s hand still in his hair. Every little movement of Zack’s brushed against some part of him, inside or out, and tears formed at the corners of his eyes. It was too much and not enough.
Then he was stretched enough that Zack slammed into him, deeper and deeper.
Zack tapped into his supernatural strength and speed, and all Takashi could do was hold on and ride every fucking wave of pleasure that pounded him. He spent across his chest, splashing Zack as well, and yet Zack wasn’t done.
Taken apart, put back together, apart, and finally, the bliss-filled void with only one thought.I never want to lose him.
Eventually, time and space had meaning. Zack was curled over him, an arm slung over his chest despite the mess, and he rested his head against Takashi’s shoulder. Lazily, he grinned at him. “There you are.”
“You fucked my brains out,” Takashi replied. He was a mess inside as well as out. Zack had come at some point after he’d lost connection with reality. “They take a while to come back.”
“I should start timing.” Zack had a devious note in his voice. “See how long I can make it last. I’ve got eternity to perfect it.”
The sentence rubbed the raw place in Takashi’s mind.Kill him, Nell had said. As if destroying him should be easy. As if Takashi should simply obey her, no questions asked.
“You’re pulling back.” Zack scowled at him. He propped himself up enough to look down at Takashi. Worry filled his red eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Slowly, Takashi reached up and pushed a strand of Zack’s hair back. Hiding the truth would leave him exposed. He offered Zack his wrist. “Drink.”
Zack’s scowl tightened. “Takashi?—”
“I don’t want you to doubt what I feel for you when I tell you what I’ve learned,” Takashi replied seriously.
Carefully, Zack turned Takashi’s wrist so the angle was better for his mouth. He planted a kiss on his skin, then bit. His fangs sliced with only a hint of pain, and blood quickly welled. He sucked on the wound.
After only two swallows, Zack pulled away. Dark blood was on his lip, and he licked it quickly. A fresh uncertainty was in his eyes, but not the worry of someone who feared for their relationship. No, this was what Takashi felt. The fear that someone might be truly a piece of him.
When Zack met Takashi’s gaze, his ruby-red eyes softened. He stroked Takashi’s hair. “You love me. I love you, too. Now, what has you freaked-out?”
“Nell wants me to kill you,” Takashi said quickly.
Zack stilled, no breath, nothing, and a long moment passed before he said, “You aren’t hers to command. You belong to the GLC.”
“I belongwith you,” Takashi whispered. “With Roger and whomever else we declare as ours.”
“You do.” Zack kissed his temple, then his lips gently. “Was that all Nell wants? Not that my death’s a small thing to demand.”
“No.” And Takashi told Zack everything about what Nell had done to Roger.
CHAPTER 40
Memories of James and of the early nights with Zack continued to haunt Roger as he made his way west to the old dance studio. In the weeks since their takeover of the brick building, they had neatened the exterior. The large windows at the front of the building revealed a room that they hadn’t used yet, preferring instead to use the secondary dance studio room for their practice and planning. The location was supposed to be a secret, and with everything happening, no one had made cleaning the bigger front studio room a priority. Anyone peering closely would see the traces of light in the back of the building, but obscuring the windows more than the dust, dirt, and ragged curtains did would also be a sign of use.
Roger saw a figure moving through the deep shadows of the front room. Josefina was slipping through to the side door, so Roger went around the building and met her at it. She had her phone against her ear, but she paused to scrutinize him. She asked, “What’s happened?”
“Plenty.” Roger nodded at her phone. “Who’s that?”
“Nell.”
“Talk to her. I’ll fill you in later.”
Josefina nodded and continued down the alleyway until she was nearly at the end of the block.
Steeling his nerves, Roger went into the building.
