Salvation (The Protectors 2)

“What happened?” I repeated, but when Seth’s jaw hardened, I felt a shimmer of lust roll through my belly. He’d always been so meek and innocent as a child. And as much as I hated to think he’d lost some of the gentleness that had made him so different than his brother, the darkness inside of me responded to the challenge of bending his show of strength to my will. “I’ve kept tabs on you,” I finally admitted. “I was…made aware of the police report you filed.”

Curiously, Seth seemed unsurprised by my words because all he said was, “Then you already know what happened. Next time use the front door,” Seth said as he stood. “Code’s the same.”

I grabbed his wrist before he could walk away from me and I heard him gasp at the contact. I had no doubt it was because he was feeling the same rush of electricity and heat that I was. My dick hardened even more in my pants and I was supremely grateful that I was sitting down. I gently tugged Seth until he was once again sitting but all his anger had fled and was replaced with unadulterated arousal.

“I want to hear you tell me,” I managed to say as I forced myself to release my hold on him.

It took Seth a moment to collect himself and his eyes quickly shifted away. “I was mugged,” he finally said. When I remained silent, he continued on his own. “I was walking to my car in the garage underneath my office building when this guy came up behind me and demanded my wallet and keys. He hit me a couple times, took my wallet but left my keys and ran when he heard someone coming. The cops found my wallet in the alley next to the building. All my cash was gone but everything else was there.”

“Did he hit you before or after you gave him what he wanted?”

Seth dropped his elbow to his knee so he could rest his jaw against the icepack he was holding in his hand. “Before, I guess. I already had the keys in my hand and I was getting my wallet out when he punched me the first time.”

“Did you lose consciousness at any time during the attack?”

Seth shook his head.

“The doctor should have given you stitches for this,” I said as I carefully turned his face to examine the cut next to his eye. It wasn’t a particularly deep injury but a stitch or two would prevent scarring. The fucker who’d hit Seth must have been wearing a ring of some kind…

“I didn’t see a doctor. I refused medical treatment when the cops showed up.”

“Why?” I asked as I let Seth pull away from me again. A few years ago he would have welcomed my touch.

“I’m tired, Ronan. I need to lie down for a bit. Have a safe trip back to wherever the hell it is you live now,” was all Seth said as he once again stood.

I was about to reach for him again when the dog jumped up from between us, a low snarl emanating from its throat. It tore out of the room at the same time that a voice called out Seth’s name.

I had my gun out long before the man rushed into the den, the dog at his heels. “What the hell?” he said in shock at the sight of me and then his eyes shifted to Seth whose jaw had dropped at the sight of my weapon.

“Jesus, Ronan,” Seth whispered as he stepped into the line of fire. “He’s a friend,” Seth said, though his eyes never left my gun even after I lowered it and let it hang loosely by my leg. Fuck, now I’d have even more explaining to do.

“Seth?” came the shaky voice from directly behind him.

Seth stepped away from me and went around the couch. His friend was still watching me but as soon as Seth neared him, his face went slack. “Oh my God,” he murmured as he reached his arms out and wrapped them none too gently around Seth. I didn’t miss the way Seth winced at the contact and I bit back the urge to order the little shit to let Seth go. But it wasn’t just because his hold was too rough…it was because he was holding Seth at all.

I let my eyes scan the man as his attention was on Seth. He was in his mid to late twenties and was actually a pretty decent looking guy in a sweater-wearing, pocket protector kind of way. His height and build were average and his brown hair was carefully styled. His clothes looked expensive and everything matched so well that I had no doubt he was the type who spent a lot of time in front of a mirror getting his look just so.