Curtis's Dads 23 (9 page)

Curtis’s tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he slowly slid the spatula under the pancake and then gave a quick flip of his wrist.

Damn it! Half of the round, battered dough sat on the griddle, the other half hung over the side, dripping onto the stove. George had made it look so easy.

“What are you doing?” Chauncey asked as he slid his arms around Curtis’s waist, hugging him close to his chest as he laid small kisses on his neck.

“Well, I was trying to cook us breakfast. But I don’t think these are fit for man or beast.” Too bad Steven, Roman’s mate and the diner cook, had left for work already. His
this shit will kill you
plate was getting higher with every pancake he attempted to make. The
may be
suitable for human consumption
plate still sat there empty. He was getting frustrated.

Chauncey chuckled as he pulled away, situating himself against the counter on the other side of Curtis. He immediately felt the loss, wishing his mate would have cuddled him a little longer.

“I can make a decent pancake,” Chauncey said as he watched Curtis attempt to toss another one over. He wanted to cheer when it didn’t hit the stove.

“No,” he said as he poured some more batter onto the hot griddle.

“I wanted to make you breakfast in bed, but it’s taking a lot longer than I expected.”

“Ah, honey bunny, that’s so sweet of you. But if I don’t want to stay in bed for the next several days, maybe I should cook them.”

Curtis turned toward his mate, mock anger marring his face.

“What are you saying, mister?” He had to fight back the laugh as Chauncey stood up straight, looking contrite as he waved his hands in front of him.

“Nothing. I wasn’t saying anything at all about you abusing those poor pancakes.”

Curtis growled, chasing Chauncey around the kitchen with the spatula. Curtis laughed as Chauncey dodged him around the table. He thought that after last night he would feel overwhelmed this morning.

It was quite the opposite. Maybe letting go of the burden that had haunted him for so many years was the answer. He felt free. Curtis no longer felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Come here so I can flip you with my spatula.”

“Hell no. I’ll end up on the ceiling.” Chauncey laughed as he shot out of the back door. Curtis quickly turned the fire off and then chased after his mate. There was no way he was going to catch his mate. The bear was too damn fast! That was how he knew Chauncey was letting him win. He caught up to his mate, whacking him with his plastic spatula as Chauncey bent at the waist, hauling Curtis over his shoulder.

“No fair!” Curtis laughed as Chauncey climbed the steps, taking him back into the house.

“Hmm, Curtis for breakfast,” Chance teased as he walked into the kitchen, going straight for the coffee pot. Curtis ignored his mate’s twin as he closed his eyes, basking in the feel of his bear. Chauncey’s warm skin sank into Curtis, making him feel safe, whole. He’d never been a needy, clingy man, and Curtis wasn’t about to start now, but after his confession last night, he just needed a small amount of reassurance that he and Chauncey were okay.

When Chauncey reached up to put him down on his feet, Curtis held on tighter. His mate stared at him for a brief moment, puzzlement in his eyes. Curtis felt his face heat up as his eyes lowered. Curtis held on tighter as Chauncey wrapped his arms around Curtis’s body, holding him in place.

“Not a chance, bro,” Chauncey said, but Curtis could hear the non-amusement in his tone. Chauncey wasn’t trying to have a conversation with his brother. He took a seat at the table, Curtis on his lap. “So, about breakfast…”

Curtis narrowed his eyes. “Yes?”

“What say we run into town and go to the diner?” Curtis sighed deeply as he glanced over at the pile of pancakes he’d been trying to make. “Maybe we’d better. I’m not sure those are edible.”

“I’d eat them,” Chance said as he picked one up and started chewing it. He suddenly stopped chewing, looking a little green, and cast a quick look at Curtis. “I’ll drive,” he volunteered before running over to the trash can.

A few minutes later, Curtis found himself in the truck, sandwiched between Chauncey and Chance. It was a tight fit. For once, Curtis was glad he was a small guy. He couldn’t imagine three of the large bears sitting in the front seat. It just wasn’t possible.

They pulled into the diner parking lot. Curtis rolled his eyes when Chauncey made him stay in the truck until he looked around. He was not a girl. By the time Chauncey opened the truck door, Curtis had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was tapping his foot impatiently.

“Honey bunny—”

“Don’t you ‘honey bunny’ me,” Curtis snapped. He shook his finger at Chauncey. “I am not a girl!”

“No, but you’re not a shifter either,” Chauncey replied. “And you know as well as I do that the world is not safe. I refuse to let anything happen to you, even if you do get angry with me.” Curtis sighed, his shoulders slumping as his anger fled only to be replaced with resignation. “I get it, but do you have to be so obvious about it? I feel like I have a neon sign hanging over my head that says
weenie
.”

Chauncey blinked, and then the corners of his eyes started to crinkle as a loud, booming laugh fell from his lips. “Honey, there’s not a gay man on this planet who could look at you and think you’re anything but drop-dead gorgeous.”

Curtis felt his face flame at his mate’s praise. “Really?” Chauncey growled and swung him around until he faced the door, his legs hanging out over the bench seat. Curtis barely had time to right himself before Chauncey’s lips covered his.
Oh yum!
Kissing Chauncey was like having a glimpse into heaven.

By the time Chauncey lifted his head, he was spread out over Curtis as they lay down on the front seat of the truck. Curtis’s arms were wrapped around Chauncey’s neck, his legs bent and spread open to accommodate his mate’s larger body.

And Curtis was so horny he would have stripped naked right there and then and let Chauncey fuck him in the parking lot in front of the diner. Too bad Chance had used that particular moment to walk up to the driver’s side window and rap on it.

“Food’s getting cold.”

Curtis groaned as he buried his face in Chauncey’s neck. Why did his mate have to have so many damn relatives? Why couldn’t they live on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, someplace that didn’t require clothes and had bottles of lube growing off trees?

It sounded like a plan to Curtis.

“Just how hungry are you?” Curtis asked as he dropped his head back on the bench seat so he could see up into his mate’s face.

Chauncey’s gray eyes twinkled as he licked his lips.

“Very.”

Curtis swallowed hard. Somehow, he just knew Chauncey wasn’t talking about food. “Maybe we could—”

“Hurry the hell up, horndogs,” Chance said as he knocked on the window again. “Lewis wants to talk to you inside.”

“I’m really starting not to like your brother.” Curtis growled.

“Pa has enough boys,” Chauncey said. “I’ll kill him for you.”

Curtis grinned. He couldn’t help it. Being with Chauncey just made him feel good. He patted Chauncey on the shoulder. “Come on, let me up. I suppose we need to go find out what Lewis wants before he sends someone else out here to get us.” Chauncey growled but stood up. Curtis arched an eyebrow when his mate reached down and readjusted himself. The bulge behind Chauncey’s zipper looked like it wanted to leap out and attack him.

Curtis slid his feet down to the ground and palmed Chauncey’s cock.

“I’ll take care of feeding this big boy as soon as we get home.” Chauncey whimpered and thrust his hips toward Curtis’s hand.

Curtis pressed his lips together to keep from bursting out laughing with pure joy as he walked past his mate. Chauncey had actually whimpered. If that wasn’t an ego boost, he didn’t know what was.

Curtis’s overwhelming feeling of joy lasted until he got inside the diner and sat down with Chauncey in a booth, across from Lewis, and the man started talking. With each word that fell from Lewis’s lips, Curtis inched closer to Chauncey, suddenly feeling the need to have his much-larger mate protect him.

“How many men?” Curtis whispered.

“As of this morning,” Lewis said, “five men have come to the station and requested protection from Billy. Three of them are willing to press charges for rape and assault. The other two are too scared, especially with Billy being back in town.”

“Why now?” Chauncey asked. “Why didn’t they come forward before?”

Curtis swallowed past the lump of fear in his throat. “I think I can answer that.” He felt Chauncey’s arm tighten around him as he stared down at the cup of coffee he held between his shaking hands. “Fear.”

“Fear?” Lewis asked. “Did Billy threaten you as well?” Curtis frowned, still looking down at his coffee. “It’s not that kind of fear, although there is that. It’s more fear of everyone knowing what happened. We’re men. We’re supposed to be strong, to be able to protect ourselves. What does it say about us that another man overpowered us and…” Curtis swallowed again, his throat getting tighter. “And—”

“Ssshhh,” Chauncey whispered into his ear. “What happened to you was so wrong, but none of it was your fault. It wouldn’t have mattered if you were the strongest man on earth. You could still be hurt.”

“Chauncey is right, Curtis,” Lewis said. “This isn’t about being strong or weak. Men like Billy prey on people, and it doesn’t matter to them how strong they are. It’s a power trip to them. They get off on the fear that they instill in you, the amount of pain they can cause. Believe it or not, it’s not even about sex. That’s just the tool they use.”

Curtis finally raised his eyes to meet Lewis’s. “Can he be stopped?”

“I’m damn well going to try.”

“I don’t understand why he’s returned after all of this time,” Chauncey said. “Where is he hiding? Living? His mother hasn’t even heard from him. And he keeps turning up wherever Curtis is, like he’s fixated on him.”

Curtis dropped his eyes back to his coffee cup. He so didn’t want to get into this, especially not in the middle of a diner. But Chauncey needed to know why Billy was back. Well, it was the only reason Curtis could think of as to why Billy was back and following him around. “He never finished the job.”

“What, baby?”

Curtis glanced up at Chauncey. “I hit him with a rock and ran before he could finish.”

“Fuck!” Lewis exclaimed.

He was running his hand through his hair when Curtis glanced over at him. “What?”

“Curtis, don’t take this the wrong way, please, but you need to get back to the ranch and stay there, preferably under lock and key until I can find this guy and put him behind bars. If he’s that obsessed with you, he won’t stop until he has you.” Curtis grabbed onto Chauncey with all of his strength when his mate suddenly tensed and starting growling. Chance was there in seconds, Cody right behind him. “Chauncey, don’t—”

“Get him into the kitchen now!” Cody snapped.

Curtis nodded. Chauncey was on the verge of shifting. His claws were already starting to extend. He quickly looked around the diner to make sure no one was looking at them. With the help of Chance, Cody, and Lewis, they moved Chauncey into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

Curtis yelped when he was suddenly enveloped in his mate’s strong arms. “Air!” he hissed. The arms holding him loosened, but just enough for Curtis to breathe. He got the impression he wasn’t going to be leaving Chauncey’s arms anytime soon. He was okay with that. Being wrapped up in Chauncey’s arms meant he was safe.

Curtis turned his head enough to see Chance talking on his phone.

From what he was hearing, Chance was calling his pa. Lewis was firmly planted in front of the door, talking on his phone, too. Curtis had no idea who he was talking to. Cody just shook his head and leaned back against the counter, his arms folded over his chest.

“So, uh”—Curtis tilted his head back to look up at his mate— “about breakfast…”

* * * *

Sloane walked into the diner behind his cousin Maverick. He wasn’t sure why Maverick had invited him along for the joyride, but Sloane had been dying to get out of the house. He glanced quickly around, knowing in his heart that he wouldn’t see Dudley, or as he preferred to be called, D.

Maverick walked directly into the kitchen, where a small group of men were gathered. Sloane moved out of the way, unsure why they were even there. Maverick had just said, “Ug, you ride with me.” Damn caveman.

“I’m giving you a guard to have around your house. More precisely, Sloane,” Maverick said as he waved his hand back at him.

Sloane whipped his head around, his mouth hanging open as he stared at his cousin. “You’re what!” He snapped. As much as it boiled his balls, Sloane closed his mouth when his cousin cut his eyes at him.

He knew Maverick was a force to be reckoned with, but he didn’t like being rented out. The guy could have at least asked first.

Sloane noticed Lewis standing there with his official face on. He paid closer attention. Maybe there was more going on here than he knew about.

“Have you seen him lately?” Maverick asked Curtis.

So this had something to do with the young human. No wonder Mark and Caden had come along for the ride, growling almost the entire time. Now all he had to do was find out what was going on.

“No, sir,” Curtis said quickly. “The last time I saw him was yesterday when I was at Murphy’s bookstore. He didn’t say anything to me. All he did was come into the store and stare at me.” Curtis shuddered, which set the bear off to growling again.

“What’s going on?” Sloane asked. When he didn’t get an answer, he repeated himself, louder, and then added, “If I’m going to be helping to protect him, I need to know what I’m up against.”

“My mate does not need anyone but his family watching over him,” one of the bears growled. Hell if Sloane knew which one. All the brothers looked alike to him.

“Well, Maverick seems to think you need help.” No way in hell was he going to let anyone talk to him like that. He wasn’t anyone’s bitch. Sloane growled and jumped when the bear came at him. His brothers pulled the bear back, Maverick holding a palm against Sloane’s chest.