Free Ride and Reap by Angelique Voisen

stroke Kane’s back until the human relaxed against him. They let the
silence sink in. More questions remained in the back of Reaper’s mind. What did
Kane think of his past, and the dirty luggage he came with? However, there was
plenty of time to find out later.   “Kane,
I need to see the wound on your neck.”
    Kane lifted off him and sat on the
couch. Thank God, Ezra left his first aid kit within close distance. Snatching
the kit on the floor, Reaper returned to Kane, and fussed with the wound on his
neck. After taping the gauze on his neck, Kane broke the silence.
    “Reaper, what does this mean?”
    Reaper flashed him a toothy grin.
“You don’t know what the fuck a mating mark is, and you didn’t fight or resist
me?”
    Kane made an incomprehensible sound
in his throat. “I know what this means.” Brushing a finger over the gauze, Kane
looked thoughtful. “What does this mean, for us?”
    “Simple. You’re fucking mine now.
No matter how far you run, I’ll hunt you, find you, and drag you back.”
    Snorting, Kane didn’t look
impressed by his threat. The taste of Kane’s fearlessness, his defiance, was
fucking addictive.
    Shaking his head, Kane asked, “Why
do you always look at me like that, like you want to fuck me?”
    “Because I do. I can’t think of
anything else, but enjoying what’s mine.” That earned Reaper a faint coloring
to Kane’s cheeks. Kane shivered, looking undecided and stricken by the
prospect. Priceless .
    “Why do you think I’ll run?” Kane
demanded. “Are you implying I’m a coward?”
    “Putting a blade to my throat
proves you’re far from one.” Reaper leaned in, catching Kane’s bottom lip with
his teeth, sucking, nibbling.
    Shaking, Kane pressed a hand on
Reaper’s chest.
    Pulling back, Reaper frowned.
    “Don’t. With you doing that, it’s
hard to think straight.”
    “Glad I have that effect on you.”
    “You haven’t answered my question.”
    “Because I know you, Kane O’Conner.
You’re fucking frightened of this thing between us. That’s fine. Just wanted
you to know I’m one determined bastard.”
    Kane let out a shaky breath. “I
know. Only someone crazy will chase after a suicide bomber.”
    Face turning sober, Reaper wondered
if Kane had started thinking about Harvey Fisher.   They no longer needed words. Reaper saw
enough to know how far Fisher pushed Kane. Made into a weapon, with nothing but
anger to fuel his resolve could break most people. Not Kane. Bent, but not
broken.
    “Tell me,” Reaper urged.
    They put back their clothes on.
Kane shyly cuddled close to him, and started to talk.   Reaper saw unloading all the heavy contents
in his heart helped. Between intervals, Reaper scavenged food from Ezra’s
fridge, and encouraged Kane to eat. It felt like a sort of date. They looked
back on the past together. Talked about nonsensical and trivial stuff, and
slowly, Reaper knew a little more about Kane. Not enough, but it was a start.
    When Ezra and Revo returned, night
fell, and Kane slept, tucked against Reaper’s shoulder.
    “Good news or bad?” Reaper asked
Revo in a quiet voice.
    “Unlike your brother, Mace actually
thinks you’re a decent bastard. Viper vouched for you too. Clean this mess up,
Reaper. Then come home,” Revo said.
    Ezra came by and examined Reaper’s
work. He nodded at Kane’s bandaged neck, and Revo nudged his mate out.
    “Stay as long as you like. Keys are
here.”
    Revo slapped the keys on the dining
room table. “Oh yeah. Sweet’s going to stop by.”
    Once the pair left, Reaper
grimaced. He owed Sweet an explanation, Sweet was his only blood, and he’d
always placed family first before anything else. They’d traveled dark roads
together. Went into hell and came back out again. Not long ago, Reaper risked
his neck so Sweet could save Phoenix, he would understand why Reaper needed to
do this. Didn’t mean Sweet would make it easy. Sighing, Reaper stretched out
his legs, amused as Kane nestled closer,