Page 71 of Rescued

Hiswords are so sweet and sincere, but damn if they don’t make me want to smack him. I narrow my eyes and jab an elbow into his side—not too hard, just enough to make my point.

“Ugh!” Mika lets out a mock groan, clutching his ribs like I’ve mortally wounded him. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt, Gabriel. It would kill me if you got hurt.”

There’s no mistaking the sincerity in his voice, and guilt hits me like a brick.

I sigh, closing my eyes for a moment to gather myself. “It’s okay, things have been bitch-inducing the past few days. Got it plugged in?”

I nod, giving Gabe a moment to turn on the phone. “What do you want me to check first? Calls or texts?”

“Calls. Incoming and outgoing. We need to see who he might have talked to after his argument with Adam. Then texts.”

“Okay, let’s see…” Gabe scrolls through the incoming call list. “I only see two numbers here after Adam left. One’s Kaufman’s, the other’s listed as ‘Folks’, so I’m guessing that’s his parents. Each call’s brief, under a minute.”

I grunt, trying to make sense of the calls. “What about his outgoing calls?”

Gabe punches a few buttons, pulling up the list. “Okay, there are calls to… huh. He called Kaufman and his parents before their call time on the incoming list. He called them first, they called back. But the calls Todd made were several minutes longer than the ones he received.”

Gabe places a hand on his stomach, pausing as he looks at me. “You know what I think, Mika?”

I glance over at him, meeting his eyes. “Probably something along the lines of what I think. What do you think?”

Gabe rubs his stomach and looks out the windshield. “I think maybe Todd wanted Adam enough to do what he asked. Maybe he called his parents, called Kaufman, told them. It’d have been easier on the phone, and if he acted on impulse…”

“Yeah, I think something like that happened, too. Can you check his texts?” My gut twists. Something about Todd’s phone feels like it might hold the key to who assaulted him. Whether it’s desperation or a gut feeling, I’m not sure.

Gabe opens the messaging box. “Nothing new in here, just some messages between him and Adam, talking about the dogs and stuff.” He presses the back button. “Huhn. Let’s see what his draft sa—oh.” Gabe lowers the phone to his lap.

“What is it, Gabe? You okay?” Gabe looks flushed, which only makes me more curious. Must be some message.

He clears his throat. “Yeah. It was just a draft of what… fuck. Yeah, what he wanted to do with Adam. Kind of more than I needed to know.”

I snatch the phone, trying to read and drive at the same time. Oh. Well, holy shit.Didn’t know Todd had it in him—though if he had his way, he’d’ve had a certain part of Adam in him days ago, according to the date on the draft. I set the phone down and glance at Gabe.

“After reading that, I have to say, I hope Adam knows what he’s getting into.” I laugh at the double entendre.

Gabe grins, linking his hand with mine. “I think Adam knows exactly what he’s getting into, and he’ll love every minute of it. Just like you will, as soon as we get home.” His hand slides away from mine, over my hip, and straight to my dick.

I slam the gas. “Oh yeah? You mean I’ll know what I’m getting into, or I’ll love every minute of it?”

“Exactly, caveman,” Gabe laughs, and I floor the pedal. “I think you and I are both up for a bit of deviance, don’t you?”

We make it home in record time and find a very satisfying way to spend the rest of the day.

Gabe

Stepping out onto the back porch, I follow Mika into the cool night air. The porch light stays off—we need the cover of darkness if Mika’s going to scout around in his wolf form. The shadows stretch long and deep as we move toward the barn, where Mika stops to strip out of his sweats and hands them to me.

“Damn, caveman,” I tease, unable to keep my eyes from roaming over his naked body. My gaze drops lower, and I can’t resist adding, “You better change fast before I decide to take advantage of you.”

The way his thick cock begins to harden as I reach out to touch it doesn’t help my self-control. My fingers are nearly brushing him when Mika groans, grabbing my hand and holding it tight.

“If you touch me,” he growls, his voice rough with need, “I am going to fuck you, and we need to focus. I need to find out if I can scent anything useful.”

I can tell from his tone that saying no pains him almost as much as it does me. That knowledge soothes the sting a little, even if it doesn’t dampen my want. With a sigh, I pull my hand back and take a step away.

I watch as Mika drops to all fours, his body shifting with an unsettling series of pops and cracks. Even though he’s told me a hundred times that it doesn’t hurt, I wince every time I see it. Bones lengthen, muscles bunch and twist, and then—there he is, my wolf. Sleek, powerful, and completely captivating.

Mika lopes over to me and nudges my hand with his nose before giving it a quick lick.“Ready?”The thought echoes in my head through our link.

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