Justice (21 page)

“We don’t bite,” Emily said as she steeped a couple of tea bags. Paul couldn’t help but look at Justice, who was watching him with concern. Paul took a steadying breath and plastered on a smile.

“Yes, ma’am.” He knew she hadn’t meant to dredge up those bad memories.

“Ma’am?” Emily looked at him, one finely plucked brow arching perfectly. “Did you really just ma’am me?”

Paul started stuttering, trying to find the right answer to that.

“Leave him alone, Mom. Don’t pick on my man.” Justice stood and walked over to loop an arm around Paul’s shoulder. “He’s not used to decent parents.”

A soft look settled on her features. “Oh. Well then. We’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?”

Justice nuzzled his cheek.
“How are you, seriously? You—Cliff pushed that guy and—
”

“I’m fine with it,”
Paul silently assured Justice.
“Maybe there should be some regret, but I don’t feel any. If that makes me a bad person, whatever. That shifter was the one, the worst of them. I’m glad he’s dead.”

“Me too, and I’m glad you’re not upset. He isn’t worth that kind of emotion.”

“Boys, those silent mental conversations can be as rude as whispering in a roomful of people. Now, I don’t mind, but some would kick up a fuss,” Emily informed them. “Help me carry the drinks.”

They did, and Paul sat on the arm of the chair Justice sprawled in. He mostly listened as everyone else talked. Every now and then, his gaze drifted to the pink scar on Justice’s shoulder. It was close to where Paul liked to bite his mate. Maybe he should switch sides. The scar looked smaller already. It was unsettling how Cliff had done that.

Well, he didn’t know how Cliff had done that.
With some words and herbs?
It was unsettling that he’d been able to do that, Paul corrected.

“We’ll leave you to get some rest,” Emily said sometime later as she stood. “Call if you need anything. Any idea how long y’all will be in town?”

Justice shrugged. “It’s up to Paul. Obviously, the shifters who are after him know about me and him, and know where this place is. Or at least, some of them did.”

“They have to know about your grandma’s place, too,” Lew pointed out. “That Cliff guy did. It wouldn’t be hard for them to find out if they hadn’t yet, either.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Justice agreed, “but it’s easier to dispose of bodies in the woods, isn’t it? And no one is going to call 911 because they heard fighting out at Grandma’s. I think it’s best to stay there until this is over.”

“Good thinking, son,” Lew said as he patted Justice’s back. “I’ll send a couple of your brothers out there, too. Give Marybeth more targets to pick on.”

“I have to work,” Joel stated firmly. “Can’t take time off.”

“I bet you can,” Lew countered. “Your boss Clive is my best friend. Pretty sure he’d let you do your work like those telecommuters or whatever they’re called.”

Joel groaned and shortly thereafter, Paul and Justice were alone. Justice yawned and reached for him. “Bed?”

“Yeah.” They went back into the bedroom. Paul looked around by the window. There was still a hole in it, but other than that, there were no signs of the shooting. Not even a trace of blood on the carpet.

“That’s fucking creepy,” he muttered.

“What is?” Justice sat on the bed and watched him.

“To know that Cliff was in here while we were sleeping. He cleaned up the blood.” Paul shivered and turned away from the window. “I really hope he isn’t a bad guy. He’s got way too much power to be on the wrong side.”

“No kidding. You want to head back tomorrow?” Justice asked. “I’d like to vacate as soon as possible.”

“Whatever you want, I’m good with it.” Paul eyed Justice’s sexy body and leered.

Justice chuckled and lay back on the bed. “I wouldn’t turn down a blow job.”

Paul was more than all right with that.

Chapter Sixteen

Two to go.

Justice looked at the text. “He’s got two left. I wonder if he’s lying.”

Paul rolled over and propped his head up on one fist. “I doubt it. Why would he?”

“Why does he text me this shit?” Justice retorted. “I mean, if he doesn’t care about anything other than his own kind, why do this? Because I think he’s sending the messages for you, honestly.”

“So do I,” Paul admitted. “I thought we’d kind of agreed that he’s not as species-centric as he claimed.”

Justice grunted and put the phone down. He waggled his eyebrows at Paul. “I seem to recall someone not getting off when I did.”

Paul’s cheeks blushed prettily as he licked his lips. “Yeah, about that…”

“About it, what? Is there something specific you want?” Justice asked his mate, stymied by the hesitation on Paul’s part.

Paul licked his lips again and brought his gaze to Justice’s. “Remember how we talked about trying the bite without sex?”

Fuck.
Justice’s dick went hard as stone immediately and his leopard mewled, begging for the chance to mark his mate. “Er, the problem is, I don’t think I can do it and not have a hard-on. I might even come just from biting you. My leopard is really wanting to make you ours, but we don’t have to.” He rushed out the last five words.

Paul considered that for a few minutes before nodding awkwardly. “Okay, I think I’m okay with that. As long as we’re not having sex when you do it, I probably won’t freak out.”

“Probably?” Justice squeaked. “I don’t know—”

“Just do it,” Paul snapped. “I’m so fucking tired of us having to hold back on things we want.” Paul rolled onto his back and arched his neck. “Come on. I can feel how bad you want it.”

Justice couldn’t help but notice that Paul’s cock was rising, pushing against the sheets. He’d love to touch it, stroke Paul off while marking him, but that wasn’t on the table.
Yet.

“I love you,” Justice said as he moved closer. He bent his knees so he couldn’t give in to the urge to rub against Paul’s body. It made everything too uncomfortable position-wise. Justice flopped onto his back then stuffed a few of the pillows beneath his shoulders and head, propping him up to a goodly height. “How about this? You get on top, that way you control what happens? I’ll even keep my hands on the headboard.”

“I—” Paul swallowed twice, his Adam’s apple bobbing enticingly. “Okay, yeah. I love you too, Justice, and I think maybe I’d like your hands on me. My arms, or hips? Not holding, just touching me.”

“I can so do that.” Justice made sure the sheet was covering his rigid cock. He kept from reaching for Paul, letting his mate get settled astride him on his own terms.

Paul blushed furiously as he glared at his own pre-cum-beaded dick. “It’s so messed up. I’m scared and so horny I’m dizzy.”

“You have complete control of this,” Justice assured him. “Any time at all that you want me to stop, I will. It’s going to hurt, though. There’s no way a bite can’t be painful, but the pleasure…” He trailed off. Paul would have to decide if it was worth the trade-off.

Paul did so quickly, lowering himself down until his neck and shoulder were close to Justice’s mouth. “Please,” Paul asked in a quivering voice.

Fear and desire rolled off him in waves that Justice could sense even without their mental link. He gently stroked Paul’s biceps, then leaned up a little and licked over the perfect spot to bite.

Paul whimpered and shook for him, chasing his mouth when Justice pulled back. The kiss was fierce and heady, with Paul demanding more from Justice than he ever had.

Justice gave it to him, moving his head aside to drag his chin along Paul’s jaw, down his neck. He let his stubble abrade the skin there just a bit, drawing raspy moans from Paul.

Justice kept caressing his mate, and he felt it when Paul began to tremble and rock against him. The sharp jab of Paul’s cock against his belly was so arousing he almost came then.

There was more, more that he wanted first. Justice urged Paul to come down more, to show that he truly wanted what would happen next.

Paul laid on him almost completely, only propping his shoulder and head up so Justice could get to that sweet spot. Justice rumbled his approval and opened his mouth and mind simultaneously, filling Paul with all the love, respect and need within him. At the same time, he bit, not dragging it out. His canines had dropped when Paul had asked about the bite in the first place.

Paul’s blood held a sweet flavour to it. Justice sucked and moaned while Paul gasped and began thrusting wildly. Paul unravelled for him, coming in hot spurts that filled the room with the scent of his pleasure.

Justice couldn’t hold back. His own cock pulsed, untouched for the most part, save the occasional rub of Paul’s legs. Justice left off biting, lapping at the spot as he was turned inside out by ecstasy.

“Justice,” Paul whispered before he let himself lie fully on Justice.

There was never so perfect a moment, Justice decided as he held his mate close.

* * * *

“I’d like to see Phoenix properly sometime. When we move back, after this is all over, I guess.” Paul tapped out a beat along with the song on the radio.

Justice set the cruise control and relaxed in his seat. “I really do like my hometown, but it’s not for everybody. If you decide you hate it, we’ll go somewhere else.”

“I like what I’ve met of your family there so far.” Paul hadn’t realised how badly he wanted to be a part of a family until he’d arrived at Marybeth’s. Not right off the bat, but once he’d got past his submersion into his own misery.

“They’re great,” Justice assured him. “You’ll love them, and they’ll love you.”

Justice’s phone buzzed. Paul rolled his eyes. “I should get another cell phone. Maybe then I’d be getting texts from strange men.”

Justice eyed him unhappily. “I think you need a cell phone, but the strange men part is questionable. What happened to your cell?”

Paul took Justice’s phone from the centre console. “I accidentally threw it against the wall.”

“Accidentally?”

Paul couldn’t have missed that scepticism if he’d tried. “I don’t even remember doing it, really. I freaked out I guess. Preston said I flung it then panicked. I think it was the other way around, probably. I was so scared, and my life was spinning out of control. I was pushing it out of control. Preston brought me to a place filled with strangers who I should have been terrified of, but they were nice and man, my head was a mess. I think I’m getting better though.” He grinned as he touched the place where Justice had marked him. “This makes me horny every time I think about it.”

“Me too,” Justice said. “Me, you, whoever’s doing the biting or getting bitten, it doesn’t matter. It just makes my dick so hard I think I’m gonna die if I don’t get some relief.”

Paul noted the erection pushing at Justice’s fly. “Too bad a blow job would be such a dangerous distraction.”

Justice groaned and pressed a hand to his dick. “You’re so mean. I’m going to have a hard-on until we can stop somewhere and I can beat off.”

“No beating off,” Paul told him. “I definitely want to blow you.”

Justice cursed and Paul chuckled. He would make it worth Justice’s wait. “Oh, shit. The phone.” He’d forgotten he was even holding it. Paul clicked the button and unlocked the phone. “It’s from Oscar. He said Remus is finally there, and wow, eleven more family members? Plus Remus brought some of his family.” Paul closed his eyes, telling himself not to panic. “So there’ll be more wolf shifters there.”

“Good ones,” Justice stressed. “Remember that.”

“I’ll try. He also says this Remus guy wants to meet with us, I mean, me. I wonder why.” Paul’s stomach kind of went all queasy on him upon reading that.

“He’s a shaman, and he’s a wolf shifter. He knows what happened to you. He will want to help you, if he can.” Justice reached over and put his hand on Paul’s thigh. “It’s in his nature. He’s supposed to be powerful, maybe even more than Cliff, so I don’t think you’ll panic with him.”

“God, I hope not,” Paul grumbled. “I’m so fucking tired of panic attacks. They have gotten better, though.”

Justice squeezed his leg. “They have. So try not to worry about Remus and his pack members. It’s going to be okay.”

“Okay.” Paul texted that one word back to Oscar. He didn’t want to discuss it any more.

The thirteen-hour trip had them arriving back at Marybeth’s in the early morning hours. Paul and Justice made a beeline for their cabin. Paul saw that tents had been put up all over the property. More than one had someone peeking out at their car as they drove to their place.

“This is weird,” Paul said. “They’re watching us.”

“Watching out for us, too, remember.” Justice turned to park beside their cabin. “They won’t bother us. It does look like some kind of travelling caravan took over Grandma’s property, though.”

They got out, Paul grabbing the duffle and phone. No one approached them as they made their way up onto the porch, but once they were inside, Paul’s mouth began to water.

“Grandma left us dinner,” Justice said. “Yes!” He sprang up onto his toes. “Gods, I love my grandma!”

Paul thought if the food tasted half as good as it smelt, he’d love the woman too.

It was better. Paul moaned around a mouthful of homemade mashed potatoes and gravy.

“S’good,” Justice got out before he shovelled a forkful of potpie in his mouth. “Guh.”

That was the extent of their conversation. The food was too good to savour at first, but gradually, they slowed down until finally they had to quit eating.

“God, I’m stuffed,” Paul whined, flopping back in his chair. “Can we just sleep here?”

“I was going to lick your balls and cock until you came once we got to bed, but if you’d rather stay here…”

Paul was up so quick he knocked his chair over. “After you,” he said to Justice.

Justice gave him a half-grin. “Have to put up the leftovers first.”

“You’re a cruel man, but I love you.” Paul helped Justice put everything away and rinse the dishes. They eyed each other hungrily once that was done and Paul sauntered over to his man. “Now, take me to bed.”