Chapter Fourteen
Jeremy came awake slowly, groaning. His body ached, pain everywhere, and he blinked his eyes, trying to focus. His head pounded and when he went to lift it, the pain caused him to cry out and slump back down.
He lay panting, trying to see, but his blurry vision made all the shapes unidentifiable. He kept blinking until the film over his eyes dispersed and he finally looked at the room, seeing it for the first time.
He shivered, goosebumps appearing on his skin. Wherever he was there was no heating, and that was when he noticed he was naked.
He rolled his head carefully from side to side, conscious of the thumping pain that resonated in it.
He furrowed his brow. He didn’t recognize the room. It was bare, with discolored wallpaper hanging from the walls; the floors were also bare, and the only object in the room was the bed he lay on.
He lay silent, trying to catch any sounds outside, but there was nothing but silence.
Inhaling, he tried to sit, but groaned and slumped back down. His head hurt so much, black dots appeared in his vision, and he swallowed, trying to hold back the vomit that threatened.
He lay gasping until he felt some semblance of control and slowly, very slowly, sat up but not all the way. Something held him back. It was then he noticed the cuffs that had him held to the bed.
The mattress was thin and discolored, and Jeremy cringed at what appeared to be bloodstains on its surface. He pulled at the cuffs on his wrists, testing them, but they held firm.
He paused when he heard a door open and swallowed again. Was it Patrick returning or had Donnie found him? He closed his eyes, focusing on Donnie, but didn’t sense him outside. The feeling escalated into horror when the bedroom door opened, and Patrick strolled in.
“Hello, bitch. Nice to see you awake.” Patrick walked over and squatted in front of him. “We’re gonna have us some fun soon.”
“Please.” Jeremy coughed, his throat raw. “Let me go.”
Patrick tilted his head, frowning at him. “Now why would I do that? You’re back where you belong, and as soon as you feel better, I’m gonna bend you over that bed and give you the fucking you deserve. You’ll never forget who you belong to, who owns you.”
Grinning, Patrick stood and threw several items next to Jeremy on the mattress. Jeremy glanced down and whimpered. Condoms and lube.
“No,” he whispered, looking back at Patrick. “No.”
“You’ll change your mind soon enough. I know how much you loved me sucking your dick.”
He ran his hand through Jeremy’s hair, and Jeremy tried to jerk his head back. Patrick’s fingers tightened on the strands and Jeremy grimaced at the pain.
Patrick tugged on the roots, maneuvering his head until he was forced to look up at him. “Jeremy, Jeremy. Who do you belong to? Me, that’s who.” He smiled at him, and Jeremy whimpered again. He didn’t like the look on Patrick’s face. “Hmm. Why wait? I have you here now.”
Jeremy tugged back and Patrick released him, chuckling as he stood. “Let me go, please. I won’t tell anyone what happened.”
“Why would I let you go? I love you. We’re gonna be so happy together. You just need to learn your place, bitch, but I’m willing to teach you.”
His hands went to the button on his jeans and Jeremy screamed, “No!” and tugged on the cuffs, trying to get free.
Patrick’s hand wrapped around his throat and Jeremy struggled to breathe, his eyes watering when Patrick applied more pressure. He tried to move his hands to stop Patrick, but the cuffs stopped him.
“You’re mine!” Patrick growled in his face, pulling him closer until there were only inches between them. He glared at Jeremy. “Mine!”
Throwing him down on the bed, Patrick reached for his jeans again. Jeremy blinked and tears slid down his cheeks. “Don’t,” he whispered.
Patrick chuckled, kicking his sneakers off and pushing his jeans down. “Get ready, bitch. Gonna make you mine.”
❊❊❊
After what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, Chester finally pulled over about half a mile from the location Ale had pinpointed the signal. As soon as the Jeep stopped, Donnie shoved the door open and jogged over to where Ale and Jared stood.
The sheriff pulled in behind them and quickly jogged over to meet them. “What’s the situation? My men are just down the road.”
“Unknown man just entered. No sign of Jeremy who we believe has been kidnapped and is being held at a cabin around half a mile down the road,” Jared muttered, staring down the road from where they were hidden in the trees. “Kerrie and Mich are already at the location and have the back covered.”
“Details on the kidnapper?” the sheriff asked briskly.
“Patrick Snider, white, twenty-nine. He’s Jeremy Sutton’s ex-partner. The relationship ended due to Patrick’s abusive nature.”
“And now he wants Mr. Sutton back.”
“He’s mine,” Donnie growled, eyes flashing, glowing a deep red.
The sheriff frowned. “Mates?”
“Yeah, he’s my mate.”
Nodding, the sheriff continued, “What’s the plan?”
Turning to the hood of the Jeep, Ale placed his laptop on it and pointed to the blinking red dot. There was only one building in the immediate area surrounded by acres of fields. Pointing to the building and then the road running beside it, Ale said, “We drive up to around thirty yards away, surround the location, then enter safely and retrieve Jeremy and catch Patrick.”
“Good. I’ll let my men know.”
The sheriff left, and they climbed into the Jeep, heading towards the building. Once they were thirty yards out, Ale stopped, and the three of them climbed out.
“Have Kerrie or Mich heard anything?” Donnie asked desperately. He had to know where his mate was.
“No sounds—”
Jared broke off when they heard a scream.
“Jeremy!” Donnie shouted.
Chester grabbed him before he could run over to the cabin. “Calm the fuck down. You have no idea what you’re running into.” Chester glanced at Ale. “Radio Kerrie.”
Donnie listened in as Kerrie reported what she could see. Two men. One on a bed naked and the other stood stripping.
Donnie slumped, and if Chester hadn’t had been holding him, he would have ended up on the ground. He was vaguely aware of the whispered conversation above him, and then Chester was hauling him up.
“Right. Kerrie and Mich are going to create a diversion, and then we roll. Got it?”
Donnie nodded, checking his firearm. Taking several deep breaths, he closed his eyes and concentrated on regulating his body. He needed to be calm, or Jeremy could get hurt.
When he was ready, he opened his eyes and nodded again. “Ready.”
The sound of shouting reached them, and Chester nodded again. The four of them quickly jogged over to the front of the cabin. Ale worked his magic on the door, and he opened it, then nodded to Donnie. Gun raised, he stepped closer, and when Ale shoved the door open, he moved inside, Jared following. They swept the front room, making sure it was clear before splitting to check the other rooms. Once Donnie had the all clear, they finally headed to the room where the shouting could be heard.
Jared booted it open, and Donnie rushed in, quickly taking in the scene in front of him. He reacted automatically when he caught sight of Jeremy, cuffed and naked on the bed.
“Donnie!” Jeremy screamed when he saw him, and Patrick swung around to face him, managing to dislodge Kerrie who’d had him in a headlock.
“No!” he screamed. “He’s mine, not yours.”
He lunged at Jeremy, something glinting in the light, and Donnie screamed, running over towards them, aiming his gun at Patrick.
“Jeremy!”
He fired the weapon. Patrick spun around, the bullet hitting him in the shoulder, and he screamed as he fell to the ground, but it didn’t stop him. He crawled towards Jeremy, ignoring the gunshot and the flowing blood.
Kerrie reached him before Donnie did and she kicked the knife from his hand, pushing him over. Grabbing his arms, she jerked them behind him, ignoring his cries of pain, and cuffed them.
Donnie dropped in front of Jeremy and pulled him into his arms, holding him tight as Jeremy wept.
“Babe, I’ve got you. God, I love you.” Kissing him, he kept muttering, “Love you.”
Kerrie knelt down next to them and reached for the cuffs, unlocking them. Donnie pulled his bulletproof vest off, then his T-shirt, and helped Jeremy pull it on, covering his naked flesh.
Jeremy wrapped his arms around Donnie and held him tight. “I knew you would come. I heard your voice, but I wasn’t—”
“I heard you, babe. I heard you, and I’ll always find you.”
Jeremy cried, the tears wetting Donnie’s skin. “Take me home.”
❊❊❊
They didn’t manage to leave straight away. The police had arrived, and Jeremy had to answer questions along with Donnie and his team. He sat in the ambulance as his wrists were treated and wrapped, Donnie never leaving his side.
As Patrick was taken to the nearest hospital, he screamed at Jeremy, telling him he would be back for him and that they belonged together.
Jeremy shivered at the insane glint in Patrick’s eyes, and Donnie had stepped in front of him, blocking Patrick’s view.
“What will happen to him?” he asked the sheriff.
“Psych eval once his gunshot wound has been treated. I’ll need to speak to you again, but you’re free to go.”
“Thank you, Sheriff...”
“Sheriff Bailey,” he answered, smiling at him and pointing to his tag.
Jeremy returned the smile and grinned when Donnie growled.
“I’ll need to speak to you too, Mr. Smith.”
Chester came closer, staring intently at the sheriff, and Jeremy pulled at Donnie. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know, but if I had to guess...” He raised his eyebrow at Jeremy, then pointedly looked at Chester and the sheriff.
“Mates,” Jeremy whispered incredulously.
“I think so. Look at him. Look at his eyes.” Donnie nodded at Chester. “He can’t take them off of him, and the sheriff keeps glancing in his direction.”
They sat and watched the looks the two men gave each other and Jeremy grinned at Donnie. “You can feel the heat from here.”
“Oh yeah. Those two are going to burn!”
“Like us.”
“Can’t wait to get you home. I need to smell only me on your skin.”
“I’m yours, Donnie, no one else’s. Just yours.”
Donnie hugged him and Jeremy closed his eyes, reveling in the sense of calm and peace that rolled over him. His mate had come for him and saved him from Patrick. He inhaled his scent, taking it deep into his lungs.
“Never going to leave you again.”
Jeremy smiled. “Yes, you will. You need to help others, and I’ll never stop you from doing that. My hero, my savior.”
“Always, babe. Always.”