Page 7 of Visions, Paws, and Claws

Next to Saul, Crank narrowed his gaze. “You’re not dissing my mate’s leadership abilities, are you, Brick?”

Roadkill cackled. “Nowthereare words I never thought I’d hear.”

“All you need to know is that we’re intending to double our numbers,” Saul concluded. He aimed a sideways glance at Crank. “That was sweet, by the way. Not to mention hot.”

A chorus of groans filled the air.

“Get a room.”

“Anyone got noise-canceling headphones with them?”

“H, can’t you put something in their coffee to cool their jets?”

Horvan laughed. “Hey, if you wanna try that, go for it. Personally, I think Saul and Crank would make mincemeat of you. And God help you if Vic found out, but you’re welcome to try.”

“Something else we need to discuss.” Brick was on a roll. “We have to discover where their main camp is.”

Especially if that was where they were holding Seth, Jake, and Jamie. Brick still got the guilts every time he recalled his part in Jamie’s disappearance, not to mention Saul’s capture.

Thank God Crank and Vic didn’t bear him a grudge.

“You got any suggestions as to where we should be searching?” Saul asked. “We’re always open to suggestions.”

“Yeah, I heard that about you and your mates,” Roadkill quipped.

The main camp was never far from Brick’s mind. “It has to be somewhere inhospitable. Somewhere it’s nearly impossible to get out of.”

That might account for the absence of escapees.

“Like Chicago?” Crank asked. When the rest of the team fired bemused glances at him, he snorted. “What? Ever tried to drive there? It’s the very definition of impossible.”

“Let’s talk about this when we get back to Homer Glen,” Horvan suggested.

One of the team cackled. “Yeah, it’s times like these I’m really glad to be living in the new barracks. I’d hate to be in the same house as you guys.”

“You wanna know what’s a really great invention?” Hashtag grinned. “Earplugs.”

Brick was more than happy to change the subject now that he’d brought it out into the open. Beside him, Aric stirred from his sleep, and Brick chuckled.

“I can’t get over what a deep sleeper you are. Must be a cat thing.” He put his arm around Aric and pulled him close, breathing in the scent that went straight to his dick, the way it did every single fucking time. Brick leaned in and brushed his lips over Aric’s ear.

Aric shivered. “Please, don’t do that.”

Brick froze. “Why not?”

Aric glared at him. “Because it turns me on,” he said in an urgent whisper.

He grinned. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“But we can’t do anything, remember? We’ve talked about this.”

It had been one of their first conversations, and Brick could recite it word for word.

“We… we can’t have sex. I mean, not with each other,” Aric blurted.

“Why not?” Brick stroked Aric’s chest, heading lower. “Your equipment works, doesn’t it? I mean, you don’t have a kitty-sized dick. And while I haven’t ever been with a guy, I’m a fast learner.”

All his senses were telling him it wasn’t going to be a problem.

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