Page 165 of Body and Soul

Eli's hole clenched weakly around my thumb, trying to obey my command even in his blissed-out state. Christ, he was so goddamn perfect. Even now, trembling and barely coherent, he wanted to please me.

I eased my thumb out, ignoring Eli's feeble whine of protest. Gently, I gathered his pliant body into my arms and rolled us onto our sides, spooning up behind him. Eli stirred, mumbling something unintelligible into the pillow. His eyelids flutteredbut didn't open, long lashes casting shadows on his flushed cheekbones.

“Shhh, I've got you,” I murmured, nuzzling into the damp hair at his nape. “You did so well for me, boy.”

Eli hummed, a contented little sound, and nestled back against my chest. I could feel the rapid thump of his heartbeat beneath my palm as I smoothed a hand over his sweat-slick skin. We laid there for long minutes, breathing together as I held him through the aftershocks.

Slowly, bit by bit, I felt the remaining tension seep out of Eli's muscles as he went boneless against me. His breathing evened out and deepened, hitching on the occasional shuddery sigh. I continued to stroke his skin, grounding him with my touch as his breathing gradually evened out. We lay there in the afterglow, wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world falling away until it was just the two of us, tangled in sated limbs and murmured praise.

Eventually, I felt Eli stir against me. He tilted his head back to blink up at me with hazy, unfocused eyes, a slow smile curving his kiss-swollen lips.

“Hi,” he rasped, voice shot.

“Hey there.” I smoothed his wild hair back from his forehead, taking in the blissed-out expression on his face.

I returned Eli's lazy, satiated smile, my heart clenching in my chest at the open adoration in his gaze. Even now, after all we'd been through, it still amazed me sometimes that he had chosen me. That he looked at me like I'd hung the goddamn moon, when I knew I was just a man, flawed and fractured in so many ways.

I leaned in to brush a soft, reverent kiss over Eli's lips. He hummed contentedly, his eyes fluttering shut as he melted into me. I could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my chest, the warmth of his bare skin pressed to mine. In thatmoment, everything else fell away until my entire world had narrowed down to the boy in my arms.

We traded languid kisses and gentle caresses as our breathing gradually evened out and our heart rates slowed. There was no urgency to it, just a bone-deep contentment, a soul-deep connection. I wanted to stay in this pocket of peace forever, where nothing existed but Eli and I twined together in my bed.

The bed that was now our bed.

I returned his dopey smile, my heart swelling with affection for this brilliant, beautiful boy who had turned my world upside down in the best possible way. Eli nuzzled into my palm, his eyes drifting shut again as he let out a contented little hum.

We lay there for a while longer, basking in the quiet intimacy of skin on skin, heartbeats syncing up. I traced idle patterns on Eli's hip with my fingertips. Eventually, I felt Eli's breathing deepen and even out as he drifted off, his body going lax against mine. I pressed a tender kiss to his temple before carefully extricating myself from his sleepy limbs. He made a soft sound of protest but didn't fully wake, curling into the warm spot I left behind.

I padded naked to the bathroom, taking a moment to clean myself up and wet a washcloth with warm water. I had just finished when I heard the sharp trill of my cell phone. Irritated, I put a towel around my waist in case Dani came back and stalked into the kitchen, only to frown at the unknown number.

“Who is this?” I demanded in place of a greeting.

“Don’t hang up,” came Algerone’s voice through the speaker, and I almost immediately did just that.

“Give me one damn good reason not to,” I ground out.

“I have a peace offering.” He sounded rather pleased with himself.

I snorted. “It doesn’t matter what you offer me, Algerone. I’m not interested.”

“What if I said it wasn’t a what…but a who? Someone I know you’re desperate to get your hands on?”

“If you laid one hand on anyone I care about—”

Algerone huffed. “Please. I know better than to make the same mistake twice. This is a peace offering, Shepherd, not another game. Get dressed and meet me at your factory in an hour.”

“What factory?” I stood up straight as a chill went through me. No one knew about the kill factory. It was the family’s most closely guarded secret. It wasn’t even registered under any names connected to the family. He would’ve had to dig through international records to even come close to connecting it to the Laskins.

Algerone sighed. “You know exactly the factory I’m talking about. Now don’t dawdle. I have other meetings scheduled. See you in an hour.” He hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hand, the dial tone droning in my ear as my mind raced. How the hell did Algerone find out about the kill factory? And what “peace offering” could he possibly have that would make me want to meet with him?

I looked over at Eli, still curled up asleep in my bed, his face smooth and peaceful.I guess we’ll find out in an hour.

The crunch of gravelbeneath my boots seemed deafening as Shepherd and I approached the old factory. Its crumbling brick facade loomed in the darkness, partially obscured by skeletal trees that clawed at the night sky. I shoved my hands deeper into the pockets of my jacket, fingers brushing the cool metal of one of my knives. A small comfort.

Shepherd strode ahead, his broad shoulders squared with determination. Always so fucking sure of himself. I envied that.

Yellow light spilled from a few windows, casting eerie shadows across the weed-choked lot. The Laskin's “kill factory,” as the family so lovingly called it. My last visit there hadn’t gone so well. Maybe this time would be different.

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