Chapter Four
Tap had offered Dustin a ride home and Dustin had started to turn him down, but while visiting with Jason, it had started raining. The December temperatures had dipped and it had gotten chilly outside. Dustin hadn’t worn a jacket and walking in the cold rain would only get him sick. Besides, he’d stayed longer than he’d meant to and with the daylight growing shorter in the winter, it was dark outside. Dustin never liked walking in the dark when heading home.
They sat in silence as the wipers swished back and forth. Dustin was angry Tap would put him in a situation like that. Levi or any of the bounty hunters could have killed him. Tap had thrown him to the…well…wolves.
It was bad enough that Dustin didn’t have anyone. Not really. The bears were great to work with and Shane was a good roommate, but he didn’t connect with any of them. Not on a level that made him feel as though he had a good friend at his back.
He’d been foolish enough to think…what had he thought? That he and Tap were friends? Tap had proven they weren’t when he’d needed help with Chance. The wolf hadn’t wanted to get involved. Tap wasn’t going to protect him against Vane. No one was going to help him with Chance. And Tap had left him with a noose around his neck at Matt’s.
Even if he and Tap weren’t friends, what kind of man did that to someone? Dustin wanted to rant and rave and wave his fist at Tap, but it wouldn’t do any good. It was hard to threaten someone who didn't care about him. So Dustin sat there fuming, counting down the minutes until he could get out of the guy’s truck.
Dustin usually talked too much, but he couldn’t think of anything to say that would make Tap feel bad for what he’d done. Being silent was something Dustin needed to do more often. Maybe he’d have real friends instead of just associates if he stopped running off at the mouth so much.
When Tap pulled in front of his building, Dustin fished his key from his pocket and reached for the handle. A hand pressed over his arm, and Dustin turned to see Tap’s perfect hazel eyes gazing at him. Dustin swallowed. He wouldn’t fall for them. Not after what the wolf had done. Not after the way Tap had treated him.
"Wait, little leopard."
"Pet names?" Dustin scoffed. "My name is Dustin Collins. Call me Dustin, call me Mr. Collins, but don’t you dare call me something that makes it sound like we’re friends."
Dustin was hurt, and he wanted to hurt Tap right back for what the wolf had done to him. But mostly he was angry because Tap had called him something that made his heart thump a little harder. Tap wasn’t allowed to make him feel as if he’d melt inside. There had to be a rule somewhere that said if you fucked someone over, you couldn’t use a term of endearment after that.
If there wasn’t a rule, there should be.
"That was childish of me," Tap said. "I wasn’t out to get you hurt."
"You could’ve fooled me." Dustin gritted his teeth, ready to jump out of Tap’s truck and slam the door to show just how angry he was. Dustin turned his head, refusing to look at the jerk.
"Let me make it up to you."
Dustin's head snapped back around. "How, by covering me in honey and throwing me into a beehive?"
"I deserve that." The wind picked up and the rain came down harder. It looked as if someone stood on Tap’s roof with a bucket of water and poured it down the windshield. Dustin couldn’t see anything past the glass. He would get drenched running from the truck to the building. At least the heavy rains kept the undesirable off the streets.
The longer he sat there, the more heat soaked into his arm from Tap’s hand. He hadn’t removed it.
"You shouldn’t go out in the rain," Tap said. "You’ll catch a cold."
"My building is literally ten feet away." Dustin had no clue what he was up to and didn’t want to stick around to find out. Wolves were bad news and it would do him good to remember that. "What do you care if I die of pneumonia?"
A little dramatic, but who cared.
"You don’t like me anyway, remember? You didn’t want to be bothered when Chance was choking me. You walked out on me in the coffeehouse. You left me to fend for myself at your house! Why in the fuck do you care if I catch a cold?" As Dustin talked, his voice rose higher and higher. He knew he was beyond angry when he cursed. He didn’t normally curse.
Tap growled and yanked Dustin toward him. Dustin thought Tap was going to slap him or something. Instead, he slammed his lips over Dustin's. The rough move hurt Dustin's lips, but he was too stunned to pull away. Tap drove his tongue into his mouth and Dustin opened instinctively.
Tap's arms slid around Dustin's body and pulled him even closer, almost onto his lap as his other hand threaded through Dustin's hair. It was an angry kiss, a dominant kiss, and Dustin pounded his fists into Tap's shoulders as he kissed the guy back.
He wasn’t thinking, only feeling, inhaling Tap's spicy, thick scent as Dustin tilted his head to the side, trying desperately to suck Tap's tongue down his throat. There was a subtle flavor of alcohol on the man’s breath and Dustin tried to drink it down.
Tap’s hands were suddenly everywhere, touching, groping, exploring Dustin's neck, back, butt, and hips. When he felt Tap going for his zipper, Dustin pushed him away. He gasped for air, trying to remember how to breathe as he scooted back. "You can’t fuck me over and then try to fuck me."
"You’re right. You’re right." Tap sat back, his head rocking to the side as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked like he was fighting for control. His eyes had gone wolf. The hazel had dimmed and the black rings around his irises had expanded. Dustin saw the tips of his canines and knew Tap was on the edge.
His own canines had lengthened slightly. Dustin had been that close to giving Tap whatever he’d wanted. A part of him was still ready to give in, to jump into the guy’s lap and… Dustin sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Having sex with Tap would be the worst mistake of his life. It would be—
Tap grabbed Dustin and yanked him back against him while pulling the lever that let the driver’s seat all the way back. He yanked until Dustin was straddling his lap. Every fiber in his body told him to get out of the truck, to run into his building and never look back.
Dustin just didn’t listen.
Instead, he helped Tap free his erection. Tap pulled Dustin down and reclaimed his lips, the kiss softer this time, slower, the connection burning inside Dustin like an out-of-control wildfire as Tap's low-trimmed beard scraped across Dustin's face. He hissed into Tap's mouth as the guy's hand wrapped around Dustin's aching shaft.
"Tap," Dustin said into the man's mouth, trying to protest, trying to push the word stop past his lips. Tap's name came out like a groan instead. Tap tried to yank his own shirt over his head and Dustin helped him. God help him, Dustin helped him. Tap’s upper body was revealed, and Dustin's cock jerked at the solid chest and ripped abs. Tap's neck tattoo suddenly infatuated him and he ran a hand over it, fingering the mesmerizing design.
Tap hissed as his fist tightened around Dustin's cock. "I want you, Kitten."
Dustin wanted Tap, as well. He’d wanted Tap for a long time, but was willing to go only so far with him. Tap would fuck Dustin over, after all. He hadn’t forgotten that.
"Make me come," Dustin groaned.
The black rings around Tap's hazel eyes expanded as he pumped his fist up and down. Dustin's head fell back as he dug his nails deeply into Tap’s chest. The man’s growl was pure wolf. He used his other hand to snag Dustin's neck and pull him down. Dustin went. Their lips collided and Dustin bit Tap's bottom lip, drawing blood.
Tap’s growl deepened, vibrating his chest. Dustin gasped into his mouth. His orgasm neared and a tingle shot up his spine. "Faster," he whispered into Tap's mouth.
"Anything you want, Kitten."
Dustin ignored the endearment. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall for the jerk. Getting off in his truck was one thing. Dustin knew how to separate his feelings from the act. All he wanted was to get off. Tap had started this and he would finish it.
Tap twisted his wrist, and Dustin's body jerked. He punched his hips forward, reaching, desperate. When Tap pressed his thumb into the slit on the head of Dustin's cock, Dustin cried out as he convulsed and his seed shot out. Tap pounded his fist harder, his eyes practically glowing.
Dustin shuddered and jerked for a good minute before he nearly collapsed. Tap shot upward and Dustin knew the guy was ready to sink his canines into Dustin's shoulder. He slammed his palm into Tap's forehead and shoved him backward.
"No!" Dustin shook his head and rolled from the man's lap, quickly tucking himself back in. He grabbed the handle and was out of the truck before Tap could stop him.
The rain stabbed his skin like ice as he raced from the truck to his building. Dustin was soaked by the time he entered the small vestibule. He opened the heavy door, and was up the steps and into his apartment in seconds.
Let the jerk stew on that.
* * * *
Did the guy just…wow. Tap had just been played. He sat there with Dustin’s spunk all over his chest, staring at the empty passenger side. The kitty cat had claws, and all Tap could do was grin. He deserved what Dustin had just dished out and it turned him on.
He continued to grin as he grabbed his shirt and wiped his chest off, adjusted his seat, then stared up at the building. Every single excuse he’d given himself for why he shouldn’t pursue Dustin vanished.
He wanted the little kitten.
Tap shook his head as he turned his wipers on high and then pulled from the curb. The rain came down in sheets as he drove from Dustin’s neighborhood. He didn’t like that the male lived on the Southside. It was no place for someone like Dustin.
As he drove away, his cell rang. Tap fished around for it only to realize it had fallen to the floor. He pulled over, pushed his seat back, and snagged it. Hennessey's name was displayed. "What?"
God, he was so fucking horny that he was about to jack off right there at the curb. His cock throbbed against his jeans and all Tap could think about was burying his dick deep into Dustin’s ass. He pressed his palm into his erection, wondering what Hennessey would think if he knew what Tap was doing on the other end of the phone. He grinned.
"Got a warrant we need to handle."
"Now?" Tap asked as his wipers slapped back and forth, yet it wasn’t moving fast enough to keep up with the rain.
"Best time," Hennessey said. "Rain will keep the guy indoors. It’ll make grabbing him a little easier."
Tap snorted. "Since when do wanted men make things easier for us?"
"Good point."
Tap couldn’t stand it any longer. He glanced around to make sure the streets were deserted. Keeping the phone pressed to his ear, he fumbled with his zipper and released his hard cock. He pulled up the image of Dustin, how his eyes had glowed and his body had arched, and the soft noises he’d made as his orgasm grew closer.
Tap pounded his fist.
"I’m at the agency. We have to go to the Southside. Where are you?" Hennessey asked.
"Already there." He shoved Hennessey’s voice out of the equation as he licked his lips, remembering how Dustin’s kiss had tasted.
"What are you doing?" Hennessey asked. "You sound winded."
"In…my…truck." Tap slammed his eyes closed, grabbing at the memory of Dustin instead of hearing Hennessey’s voice.
"Are you…I am going to beat the fuck out of you when I see you," Hennessey snarled.
Tap tossed the phone aside and grunted as his cum shot out, most covering his fist. He sagged against his seat and vowed to get even with Dustin.
The kitten had just challenged Tap’s wolf and he looked forward to the chase.
* * * *
Hennessey glared at Tap as they drove into the Latino part of the Southside. The rain was still pounding down as Tap thought about what Dustin had done. Well played, Kitten. Well played.
Hennessey grimaced. "Your fucking truck smells like spunk."
Tap shrugged. "It’s seen a lot of action tonight."
The grimace turned to a smirk. Tap had a feeling Hennessey was about to fuck with him. "That leopard of yours lives around here. You been dipping in pussy?"
"You tell me." Tap shoved his hand toward Hennessey's face.
Hennessey slapped it away as his eyes narrowed. "Do that again and I’ll rip your fucking arm off."
Tap chuckled. "What, it’s not like you haven’t smelled your fair share of spunk."
"You’re pushing it, Jacob," Hennessey warned. "Put that hand near me again and I’ll cut it off and shove it up your ass."
It was so rare that Tap heard his name that he sometimes forgot he was Jacob. Hennessey calling him by his birth name told him the brother was seriously getting pissed. "What crawled up your ass?"
Hennessey stared quietly out the window as Tap drove toward their destination. The guy’s mood had changed just that quickly. He no longer seemed irritatingly amused, but somber. The dash lights in the dark interior glowed. The lighting made Hennessey’s features seem darker, more ominous.
"You sit here and joke about the cat, yet you placed his life in danger. You can’t deny your interest in him. Everyone sees how your eyes light up every time Dustin is mentioned. Explain to me why you would leave him hanging at the house."
"That’s none of your fucking business." Tap stared straight ahead, angrier with himself than Hennessey. He couldn’t explain his feelings for Dustin because he didn’t understand them himself.
Tap slowed and then stopped at a red light. A few cars went by on the cross section. He watched them trudge along, their wipers on full blast as he tried to figure out what he really felt for Dustin. He denied having any feelings for the guy, yet Hennessey was right. Whenever he heard Dustin’s name, his heart thumped a little harder.
He might not know what those conflicting feelings were, but he knew why he pushed Dustin away while still trying to reel him in. Growing up with an abusive father hadn’t exactly endeared him to the idea of a loving relationship. What if he turned out to be just as abusive? Abuse was a vicious cycle. What if one day Dustin made him angry enough to strike?
Tap felt sick to his stomach as the sounds of Adam crying haunted him. The bruises, the begging, watching him go from a smiling, fun-loving parent to a broken shell of a man while Tap was powerless to help him. In the end, Adam had died, John had been killed, and Tap had been left feeling so damn guilty that some days the pain was just too damn unbearable.
"Tap!"
Tap slammed the brakes, nearly rear-ending the car in front of him. His heart lodged in his throat as he gasped for breath.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Hennessey demanded as he paled. "Get your head out of your ass and pay attention or let me drive."
"I’m fine," Tap snapped.
He waited for the car in front of him to parallel park before he pressed the gas. Two blocks later, Tap pulled his truck over. He was still a bit shaken. He grabbed his jacket and slid it on since his shirt had been tossed behind his seat. Tap emptied his pockets so the contents wouldn't become soaked before zipping the jacket up. He grabbed his nine millimeter from the glove box and got out.
The rain drenched him to his bones in less than a minute. He shivered slightly as he crept down the side of the darkened house. Hennessey had positioned himself at the front door, waiting for Tap’s signal.
A light was on in one of the windows in the back. They were after Wilfred Domingo. The lion shifter had beaten his boyfriend until Darren Johnson was barely recognizable. After that, he’d gone to his cousin’s house where he stabbed one guy and tied his cousin up, then robbed him.
Matt suspected drug use was to blame for Wilfred's outburst. Alastair, Wilfred’s alpha, said Wilfred had a long history of anger issues. Why Alastair hadn’t dealt with his den member eons ago was beyond Tap. Now he was standing in the pouring rain, saddled with the responsibility of bringing this bastard in.
Tap eased toward the lit window and peeked inside. He cursed.
Wilfred was pacing the kitchen and someone was tied to a chair by the table. All Tap could see was the guy’s back, so he could only assume this was Wilfred's cousin. This wasn’t going to be a situation where Tap went in guns blazing.
He hurried back around front. Hennessey was so well hidden that it took a second for Tap to spot him. "He has someone inside," he whispered.
"Could you make out who it was?"
Tap shook his head. "Had his back to me, but he’s slight in frame, blond, and tied to a kitchen chair. I'm guessing it's his cousin."
Hennessey cursed under his breath. "We have to lure Wilfred from the kitchen, get him away from his victim."
"Break into one of the bedroom windows," Tap said. "Let him hear you. I’ll get the cousin out of the house and into the truck and then come back to help."
Hennessey nodded and disappeared around the side of the house. Tap went back to the kitchen window and watched, waiting for Wilfred to leave the guy alone so Tap could rescue him.
He bared his canines when Wilfred raised his hand and slapped the man. The male cried out as his head snapped sideways. Tap’s heart beat wildly when he recognized Stephen, the barista from Spotos.
The hostage wasn't his cousin. What the fuck was Wilfred doing with Stephen?
He dropped into a crouch when Wilfred looked his way. He didn’t think the guy had spotted him, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Tap moved around the back of the house, wiping the rain from his face as he took up a position on the side of the back door.
Gripping his gun in his hand, he eased up and looked through the window on the back door. He could see Stephen fully now. His right eye was swollen and bruises covered his neck.
They might not execute kill warrants any longer, but Tap hoped like hell Wilfred gave him an excuse to shoot the sick bastard. As he stared at Stephen, all Tap could see was Adam. It was Adam tied to that chair, Adam all bruised up, and Adam begging Wilfred to stop.
He dipped back down, slamming his eyes closed, trying to rid the image from his mind.
Stay focused. That isn’t your dad. It’s Stephen. Get your head into the game.
Tap eased back up and it was Stephen he saw. Not Adam. Still, the ball of knots in his stomach hadn’t eased. Tap hated bullies. He hated abusers. He wanted to shoot every last one and rid the world of their tyranny.
Capture warrant. Not kill. Don’t you dare fucking kill him.
Because if Tap shot Wilfred just because he hated the man, he would have to answer to the newly formed council. Wilfred was not worth what the council might do to Tap.
It would be worth it to get one more abuser off the streets.
Tap wiped the rain from his face again and watched as Wilfred’s head snapped sideways and he glared at the hallway. The lion shifter stalked out of the room, and Tap tried the doorknob to find it unlocked.
As carefully as he could, he eased the door open, wincing when the hinges squeaked. Stephen’s head shot up and their eyes locked. The barista started crying. Tap held a finger to his lips and Stephen tried to quiet himself, but he couldn’t stop the small sobs from escaping.
Tap hurried behind Stephen and was untying the ropes when a shot rang out. He jerked to a standing position, ready to race down the hall, then squatted again, working at the intricately tied ropes. His number-one priority was to get Stephen to safety. When the human was tucked in his truck, he’d go back for Wilfred.
A part of him hoped Hennessey had put a bullet in the bastard’s head. Men like Wilfred Domingo didn’t deserve to live. They didn’t deserve to breathe.
Working the ropes loose was harder than Tap thought. They were tied into a long sash that ran a good length. He tried to simply slip Stephen’s hands free, but the binding was too tight around the male’s wrists, which were raw and bleeding. How long had Wilfred kept Stephen hostage?
Tap grabbed his gun from where he’d laid it on the floor and jerked to his feet, aiming at the hallway as Wilfred appeared, gun in hand. The guy was massive, but so were most lion shifters. He stood well over six-four, had a mane of long, blond hair, the broadest shoulders Tap had ever seen, and a superior smile. His green eyes danced with merriment, as though he enjoyed every second of this.
He quickly scanned the man’s body but didn’t see any blood.
He shot Hennessey. Kill the bastard. Kill him!
But Tap couldn’t. Wilfred’s gun was aimed directly at Stephen. Tap wasn’t sure if he could take Wilfred down before the guy pulled the trigger. It wasn’t a chance Tap was willing to take.
"You might kill me," Wilfred said with a sadistic smile, "but I’ll take him with me."
"Not today, sunshine," Tap snarled.
"Drop your fucking gun," Wilfred demanded. "Drop it or I’ll blow a hole in him."
Tap raised his hands, his gun swinging on his finger as he let go of his grip on it. He slowly knelt, placing it on the floor.
"No!" Stephen cried as he jerked against his restraints. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"
Wilfred chuckled. "Just for that, I’m going to make you beg me for death long before I give it to you."
"Just let him go," Tap said. "You’ve proven your point."
Wilfred cocked his head to the side. "And what point is that, bounty hunter?"
Tap hadn’t a clue. He wasn’t used to negotiating. He’d never had a hostage to save before now. The only thought going through his mind was that he couldn’t allow the human to be killed.
Tap eased sideways, placing himself in front of Stephen, blocking the human from Wilfred’s aim.
Wilfred tsked. "Dumb move, wolf. I shoot you and then I go back to playing with him."
"Not likely."
Tap had no idea where Sheriff Ezra Braxton had come from. He hadn’t even seen the guy enter or smelled his presence. Braxton had his gun pointed at the back of Wilfred’s head. "Drop your weapon or I’ll blow a hole in your skull."
This was not good. Braxton was human. He had no idea who he was up against. Wilfred proved that point as he shifted while Braxton stood there with his gun aimed upward. The lion roared as Tap dropped to his knees, grabbing his nine millimeter.
Wilfred leaped through the door. Tap cursed at having left it open. That had been a rookie move.
"Go after him!" Braxton shouted. "I’ll get this guy to safety."
Tap was momentarily stunned that Braxton wasn’t standing there in shock. The human was already moving toward Stephen.
"Check the bedroom," Tap said. "I think Wilfred shot Hennessey."
Braxton looked stunned for a second before his features darkened. "Get that son of a bitch."
Tap nodded and took off. He stopped in the backyard and scented for Wilfred, but the heavy rain interfered. His hair became matted to his head as rivulets of water streaked down his face. He turned left, then right, his feet pressing into small pools of water gathered in the grass.
Wilfred was nowhere in sight.
Sniffing the air, Tap tried to catch Wilfred’s scent, but all he could smell was the ozone clinging heavily in the air. Shit! Shit! Shit! He wasn’t about to let Wilfred get away. Tap concentrated, sifting through the scents until he caught the fading odor.
He spun and rushed down the driveway but lost the scent. Fuck this. There was only one way he was going to track the lion. Tap hurried to his truck and yanked the passenger door open. He tossed his gun onto the floor, then slammed the door closed right before he shifted into his wolf form.
Wilfred’s scent slammed into him. He took off, racing after the lion.