Free Savior: A Tattered Club Story (Tattered Social Club Series Book 1) by Pauline Allan Page B

but Madonna is seriously awesome.”
    The sound of their voices echoed between the cars. “If you say so.” Niko stopped by the Nova and set the boxes on the pavement before unlocking the trunk. When Ethan leaned down to lift one of the tubs, Niko waved his hand away and tucked both boxes inside.
    “Where do you want to eat? We can grab something on the way home.” Ethan’s stomach rumbled, calling out like a wolf stuck in a trap. Niko’s lips tightened. “Do you want Chinese?”
    At that point, anything sounded edible. “Sure.” Ethan latched the seat belt.
    The engine roared to life. Niko made a call to a restaurant he must’ve ordered from before because he talked quickly then looked over and asked, “What do you want?”
    Ethan was going to splurge this one time and spend some of what precious money he’d saved. “Um, General Taos chicken with fried rice and an egg roll.”
    Niko recanted Ethan’s order into the phone. “We’ll pick it up on the way home.” He kept his eyes on the oncoming traffic.
    Ethan knew he needed to say a thank you for everything Niko had done. “Thanks for the tattoo and finding a place for me to stay. You didn’t have to do all that. I’m not used to people being so nice without expecting something.”
    Ethan almost flinched when the whites of Niko’s knuckles shone as he gripped the steering wheel. “Yeah, well, sometimes people are assholes.”
    “Yeah,” Ethan mumbled and turned his thoughts to the window. The tall buildings quickly made way to smaller ones. The click clack of the Metra Rail lulled him to sleep.
    “I’ll be right back.”
    Ethan rolled his head to the side and watched Niko shut the car door.
    He sat up, grabbing his backpack to fish out the envelope holding his money. “Shit.” He opened the door in time to catch several wet drops on his arms. The sky had gone from white puffy clouds sliding overhead to heavy, grey monsters threatening to turn the city into a floodplain.
    By the time he reached the restaurant, the drops had turned into showers. “Wait!” He jogged, wet hair plastered to his head, to the counter where Niko was stuffing his wallet into his back pocket. “I’ve got money.”
    Niko handed over one of the plastic bags stacked with a couple containers. “Good for you. You’re soaked.”
    That’s all the guy cared about? Niko had spent at least thirty dollars on their food. Ethan waited until they reached the door and attempted to slide the money into Niko’s front pocket.
    “Dude, what the fuck?”
    Ethan tried to ignore the stab in his chest. It wasn’t like he was trying to feel up the guy. He just wanted to pay his part. Owing someone wasn’t his style anymore. “I was just…never mind.”
    “Get in the car.”
    The harsh steel in his voice didn’t bring the warm and fuzzies to Ethan’s shivering nerves. “I didn’t mean to do what you think. I was trying to pay you back.” He quickly opened the door and slid inside. The warm car was a relief. He swore the wetness from his T-shirt had seeped into his bones.
    Niko slid into the driver’s seat. “I know you weren’t trying to grab my dick.” Niko twisted to lay the bags on the back seat. “My dick—Jesus Christ, Ethan jumped when Niko grabbed his hand and pressed it to his crotch—“is on this side.”
    Oh God, his palm perfectly cupped the bulge under Niko’s zipper. “You’ve…um…” Ethan tested the waters and gently squeezed, feeling the mound grow. “Your cock is so…”
    “So what?” He slowly lifted his hips only to plant them back on the seat. Ethan rubbed faster, knowing his own cock was reacting to the tension. When Niko pressed the back of his skull on the headrest, Ethan’s lips parted at the sight of the rose tattoo on the side of his neck. He wanted to taste the colorful skin, to slide the tip of his moist tongue along the gently faded red petals.
    He was leaning in, hand increasing pace, when the seat belt tightened against his chest.