Page 15 of Harbingers

Leaning down, I snatch the phone from his hand, causing his hackles to rise.

“Give it back.”

“No. Let it go, now. Your behavior is fucking bothering me, and I’ve had enough. Get your shit together, or I’ll be forced to take drastic action.” I walk off, tossing the damn magazine I still held in my other hand to the ground.

“Hey! You’re gonna ruin the posters, you fucking dick. I wanna put them on my wall.” He’s absolutely not putting anything on our bedroom walls. He’s fucking delusional.

Grappling with my need for control, I head to the bathroom. Turning the shower on as hot as it will go, I turn and face the mirror. My eyes trace my face and clothes, nitpicking about the grime, even invisible, that I know clings to us.

Malakhi steps into our bedroom, the one place where it’s a complete sanctuary over anything else.

It’s time to cleanse ourselves of the filth as the night’s work clings to our bodies like a second skin.

"Malakhi," I call out, my tone firm as I turn to face him. The dim light from the bathroom reveals smudges of dirt on his face, a stark contrast to the defiant glint in his eyes.

"What?" he retorts. That usual snarkiness of his encroaching attitude is enough to further set me on edge.

Holding the top of the bathroom door frame, I hold his gaze, a silent warning passing between us. We might be partners in crime, brothers, and lovers, but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate his insolence.

"The shower," I said, my voice low and commanding. "You know the fucking drill. No wasting time either."

Malakhi's lips curl into a playful smirk, his eyes dance with a challenge. "Oh, so you want to join me in there, Dom? Is that it?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, his taunts something he has perfected over the years. "Don't flatter yourself," I reply, my words laced with a hint of amusement. "Get in the damn shower, Khi."

He laughs, a mischievous glint in his eyes, but he complies, moving toward the bathroom. "Alright, alright. No need to get all bossy…Daddy Dom."

He slips under my raised arms and slides between my body and the doorjamb.

I follow him, leaning against the sink as he opens the opaque door and steps in. The soft sound of running water fills the air, a soothing contrast to the tension that had been building between us. Malakhi glances over at me, that cocky grin still playing on his lips.

"Happy now?" he quips, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Ecstatic," I deadpan, crossing my arms as I watch him.

Malakhi slowly begins to strip off his clothes, his movements deliberate and teasing. I arch an eyebrow, unimpressed by his attempt to rile me up. I’m more perturbed than anything since they are sopping wet. He can never do anything without some sass.

"Don't even think about it," I warn, my voice stern. "Just get in the damn shower and clean up."

He laughs again, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he throws the sodden clothes on the floor in front of my feet. The droplets cascade over his form, highlighting the contours of his body. Despite the situation, I couldn't deny the allure he emits, a potent mix of confidence and defiance.

"Is this what you had in mind, Dom?" he purrs, his fingers trail lazily down his chest.

I shake my head, trying to suppress the smile that threatens to break through. "You're impossible."

Malakhi's grin widens, his bravado unyielding even in the face of my exasperation. "That's why you love me."

I step closer to the shower, my patience wearing thin. "Don't push it, Khi."

He smirks, his eyes locking on mine as he finally relents. "Fine. I'll behave, Dominic."

Satisfied at his obedience, I strip out of my own clothes before entering the large shower and closing the door behind me. The shower is large enough to fit both of us comfortably, and yet I crowd into his space.

I force him against the textured tile of the bathroom so the grooves catch against his pert little nipples. He loves the pain and pleasure I give him, and he’s got both coming to him in abundance.

I walk my fingers up the slick wet skin of his spine, letting him settle and causing his body to shiver. The effect I have on him, no matter what I do, is electric. It’s maddening, the level of need I have for him. Sometimes, I think that he’ll never understand how sickeningly obsessed I am with him.

I may be the older of the two of us, but Malakhi has the type of personality that could ensnare anyone, even a goddamn priest. He’s crazy, but he’s beautiful crazy. Where I’m rough and ragged, he’s got the ability to be smooth and cheeky. It’s the cheekiness that garners him so much attention and that causes so many people to gloss over the look of the devil hanging out within his irises.

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