Sullivan (Leopard's Spots 7) (16 page)

“We will, sir.” The taller man, Mason, Sully assumed, came forward and took out a small notebook and pen from his pocket. “Sir, if you could tell me everything about this Bircher guy, and why you suspect him, then once we get the others out of here, maybe you can sniff around and see if you pick up his scent.”

‘The others’ being humans, Sully assumed. It would be full-on daylight soon, but no one could get suspicious of them walking around the burned building. Sully didn’t think anything could be scented besides the awful stench of the fire, but perhaps further away…

He listened while Bobby told them what he knew of the insurance adjustor. Sully tried to envision the man as Bobby spoke, but couldn’t. Then Bobby helped him out with a visual image, a memory he passed to Sully. Sully frowned as he let the image sink into his mind. “I saw him!” he blurted out. “When I was in line last night, he was lingering in the parking lot. I noticed him because he seemed undecided about whether or not to leave, or go in, and I figured he was newly out or something. Scared, excited. It caught my attention.” Carter and Mason were both looking at him like he was a queen short of a deck.

“He’s my mate,” Bobby snarled, “and if he says he saw Bircher, then he fucking saw him!”

“Yes sir,” the two shifters stuttered. Carter cleared his throat. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t know you’d found your mate, and I’m sure Mason didn’t, either.” Bobby huffed and rolled his shoulders as he gave Sully a small grin. “Well, it’s a very recent development, and I haven’t yet had a chance to bring Sullivan to the pack and introduce him properly. Even my parents don’t know yet, so give me a day before you go spreading it around, otherwise I will be in deep shit with my folks.”

“You got it.” Carter glanced behind him. “Let me see how much longer we’ll be. I think the fire is put out, but we have to be very careful—”

“Of course you do. Go on.” Bobby rubbed the back of his neck as the firemen jogged away. “Shit, I didn’t even think about telling my parents and pack about us.” Sully frowned and fought against the urge to rub at his own nape. Either Bobby’s discomfort was catching or someone was watching them, or, most likely, Sully thought, he was just paranoid. “We only just got us figured out, so why would you be in trouble?”

“Because I knew the day you fucked me.” Bobby groaned. “Oh hell. I’m gonna catch so much shit for running off and being a fool. Dad’s gonna take a strip off my hide, right after Mom does.”

“They’ll hit you?” Sully asked, disturbed by the very idea. There’d be a fight first…

Bobby waved him off. “Naw, of course not. They’ll just make me wish they’d hit me instead. Well, Mom might whack me with the wooden spoon if I tell her while she’s cooking, so I won’t do that. Last time left a mark like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Oh, okay.” Sully felt relieved and a little foolish. “Sorry, I didn’t know if you meant—

well, anyway. My grandma, Marybeth, she can thwack your nose and make your eyes water for a half hour, or twist your ear just so, and even though she doesn’t use much strength, it freakin’ hurts.”

“More from pissing her off than the actual physical punishment, I’d imagine, like with my folks.” Bobby tipped his chin up as Carter headed their way. “I don’t think I will ever get the burnt scent out of my head. First in Colorado, now here, twice. Although I reckon this will be the last time. I’m not rebuilding.”

“What?” Sully pivoted and gawked at Bobby. “Why not? Why would you let whoever did this win?”

Bobby looked at him. “Because this isn’t a war. The next time, someone could set a fire while the club is packed, and what would happen then? If people are gonna be taking issue with me, I’m not gonna let that put innocent people in danger, and as alpha, there might be more haters out there wanting to get to me.”

“Does that happen a lot in wolf packs?”

“Nope, not that I know of, but I tend to irritate people sometimes.” Bobby turned to the approaching shifters. “Carter, Mason, y’all done?”

“Yeah, just about. Give it a half hour or so, and we ought to start clearing out of here.” Mason gestured to their right. “I’m thinking you two are all right to go to the parking lot, and we’ve already reported what your mate—”

“Sullivan,” Bobby interrupted. “Sullivan Ward.”

“Yes sir. Sullivan.” Mason held out his hand for a shake. Sully took his, then Carter’s.

He thought about telling them to call him Sully, but didn’t want to counter anything Bobby said in front of his pack. “The police are on their way to Mr Bircher’s house right now.

Hopefully, they’ll find him there, and sometimes the perps who work with fire are the dumbest about it.”

“What Mason means is, just because Mr Bircher knows all about setting fires and finding out if they are arson or not doesn’t mean he isn’t a total idjit who won’t have left out gas cans and written plans for torching your club.” Carson frowned, scratching his chin. “It’s like the car salesman who drives a rust bucket, or the veterinarian who is all great at work but comes home and neglects his own pets. People are just stupid that way.” Mason edged a little closer. “It’s important that you not interfere.”

“I’m not an idiot,” Bobby snapped.

Mason blushed and trembled. “No, sir, I didn’t mean you are. It’s just hard to let someone else handle what feels like should be pack duty.”

“Yeah, it is, but believe me when I say I
do
have some self-control.” Bobby dragged a hand through his hair. “Go on. We’re going to go home and try to get some sleep. I don’t see any reason to go sniffing around right now.”

Sully knew Bobby wanted to do just that, but Sully suspected Bobby feared it’d show he didn’t have the restraint he’d just proclaimed. But Bobby was right, they needed to let the officials do their jobs and investigate the fire.

“Take me home and claim me,”
he thought to Bobby, hoping to distract them both for a while.

The heat in Bobby’s pretty eyes let Sully know he’d managed to do just that.

“Oh, I will, honey.”

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Bobby admitted as he drove them back to his house.

“It’s like all of a sudden, everyone’s out to get me. No.” He barked out a sharp laugh. “That’s so fucking egotistical. I ain’t that important. But, that’s two fires in a week, and someone hurting Mando maybe to get at me, and I just—” Bobby gave in to the need to hit something and slammed his hand down on the rim of the steering wheel hard enough to hurt like a bitch. “Fuck it, I just feel like everything’s crashing down around me, except for you. Does that make any sense?”

“Let me see your hand. I’d swear I heard something crack.” Sully took his hand and started poking around. Bobby flinched but he knew nothing was broken. Sully talked as he examined Bobby’s hand. “I don’t think you’re egotistical or whatever. It does seem like someone has it out for you, and not just one someone, but two. If Bircher set the fire, and he didn’t attack Mando—”

“He didn’t.” Bobby was sure of that. He’d have known Bircher’s scent, plus— “Bircher ain’t a shifter, and Mando was assaulted by a shifter. So not the same guy.”

“And the first fire?” Sully asked.

Bobby hitched a shoulder. “I don’t know who started it. Bircher declared it an accident, but now I wonder. Son of a bitch!” Bobby would have popped the steering wheel again if Sully hadn’t been holding his hand. “I bet he set the first fire, but why?” Sully let go of his hand and instead started rubbing Bobby’s arm. “I don’t know, but it sounds likely. Maybe he is obsessed with you or something.” Sully growled then, and he curled his hand around Bobby’s arms, bringing a bite of claws to his skin. “Fucker better not be thinking he can have you.”

Sully’s possessiveness warmed Bobby and made his dick hard in an instant. “He can’t.

You’re the only one who’ll ever have me again.”

“Damn right I am.” Sully leant across the bench seat and bit Bobby’s neck.

“Fuck! You’re gonna make me wreck!” He tried to keep from swerving, but the sun was coming up and blinding him, and all the blood had rushed south to his pecker, and Sully was licking his neck—

Then Sully wasn’t, having sat up and put space between them again. “Wouldn’t want that. It’d put a delay in you getting that big cock of yours inside of me.” Bobby groaned, his shaft throbbing in the tight confines of his jeans. “Damn, honey, you’re gonna make me so horny I won’t be able to love on you properly first.” Sully cupped his own bulging groin as he gave Bobby a sexy look. “I don’t think there’s any way you can do it wrong.”

Bobby didn’t want to hurt Sully in his eagerness. “I won’t.” He concentrated on getting them home, and only remembered when he saw Paava’s car parked on the street that he’d left him there. “Shee-oot, I forgot all about Paava being here.”

“I can be pretty distracting,” Sully said, sounding proud of the fact.

“You sure can, honey,” Bobby agreed. He scratched at his nose, trying to stave off a sneeze. “Damn, I hate this stench.”

“Me too. I bet Paava’s asleep, and if he isn’t, he will sure leave us alone, because I’m getting you inside me soon and that’s all there is to it.” Sully unbuckled as Bobby parked.

“I’ve waited long enough.”

“Yeah, you have,” Bobby rasped. They both had. Once he was out of the truck he took a moment to breathe in fresh air. Unfortunately they were still carrying the scent of the fire with them, on their clothes and such, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been back at the burned-out club.

“Come on, shower first, then sex, lots and lots of sex. Then we can call our parents—”

“Aw, God,” Bobby whined. “You did not just mention the P-word and us having sex in the same sentence—”

“No, actually I didn’t. It was two separate sentences,” Sully pointed out.

“Still gross, honey. Totally a mood-killer.” Bobby glanced down at his erection. “Well, mentally, anyway. I think I can get past it, though.” Sully chortled and nudged his hip. “Come
on
, we got things to do.”

“I’ve got a man to do,” Bobby corrected. “Mmm-hmm, look at this ass.” He ran his hands over Sully’s bottom, giving the cheeks a squeeze.

“You could see it better inside without the jeans in the way.” Sully really was panting for it. Bobby pinched his butt and got a yelp that made him all kinds of horny. “Inside,” he barked, adding a swat to Sully’s rear end. “Move it!” Sully took off, giving Bobby quite a show of flexing muscles and long, strong legs.

Bobby strolled behind him, liking the way Sully moved, all confidence and eagerness and zero self-consciousness. In a way, they had it so much easier as mated shifters. There wasn’t the doubt and insecurities that cropped up in regular relationships. They both knew they were wanted, needed—at least they did now that Bobby had got his head out of his ass. And with the mental bond developing between them, they’d only grow closer.

Right before Sully got to the front door, it opened and Paava stood watching them.

Evidently Paava had showered and helped himself to Bobby’s sweats and a T-shirt. Bobby didn’t mind.

“Feeling better?” Sully asked.

Paava nodded. “No.”

“Well, that isn’t confusing at all,” Sully huffed.

Paava smirked at him and waited until Bobby was on the small porch. “Well, I feel cleaner, but I don’t feel better about the fire or anything else that happened at the club last night.”

“No shit,” Bobby agreed. “The club’s a total loss. Think the insurance fuckwit did it, and probably the storeroom fire too. Maybe you should get some sleep.” He wanted his mate.

Paava gaped at him and stepped back so they could enter. “What? You can’t just say that then run off and fuck!”

Bobby stopped in front of him and leaned close so that they were almost nose to nose.

“Wanna bet?”

He hadn’t mean to intimidate Paava, but Bobby needed Sully badly. Paava blanched then quickly recovered, grinning and pushing him back. “Yeah, okay, I get it. I do need sleep, and I can go home—”

“Stay.” Bobby patted Paava’s chest hard enough to rattle bones. “We’ll talk later. For now the fire investigation is in human hands.” Bobby took Sully’s hand and walked them to the master bathroom. “Strip, stud.”

“Right,” Sully snickered. “You gonna start the porno-talk now?”

“No, I’m gonna start rimming your ass until you’re crying for me to fuck you,” Bobby told him, delighting in the way Sully’s eyes grew large and his lips parted.

Sully licked those plump lips now and shoved at his jeans. “Yeah, yeah, okay.” Bobby didn’t want to wait. He rushed Sully, grappling with him, arms and legs akimbo until he had Sully on his knees and bent over the side of the bathtub. Sully had got his pants loose enough that all Bobby had to do was give them a tug. “Oh yeah. Perfect, almost.”

“Almost?” Sully squeaked, indignation glinting in his eyes as he peered back at Bobby.

“Yeah, they could use a hint of colour.”

“What—hey!” Sully yelped as Bobby swatted his right cheek with a rapid series of spanks. “I thought you liked that!”

“Oh, I do, giving and receiving.” Bobby smacked him again, drawing a gasp from Sully.

“I don’t know, your butt was beautiful all pale and fuzzy, but it looks great like this, too, with my fingers laid out in pink streaks on your skin.” Sully moaned and pushed his ass up. “More,” he said, his voice muffled by the way he had his arms bracing his head.

“Anything you want,” Bobby promised, then he landed a hard spank to Sully’s left cheek, much harder than any of the previous swats.

Sully howled, his head shooting up as he pressed his hips against the bath tub. “Ow!”

“Liked it, didn’t ya?” Bobby teased, hoping he wasn’t wrong. Hurting his mate wasn’t his plan, but getting that mix of pleasure and pain that made your head rocket off when you came, that was what he was aiming for.

“I did, you ass,” Sully ground out. “Dick’s so hard I might have broken your bathtub when I thrust.”

Oh, he was thrusting, not pulling away. Good to know I had it right with the spanking.
Bobby rewarded Sully with a bite to one flank, finding a welt there.

“Yeah, make me feel it,” Sully urged.

Bobby quit thinking about what he was doing and just did it. He raked his nails along the marks his hands had left, nipped some of them with his teeth, pushing deep, needy sounds from Sully. Bobby laid more swats down, too, until Sully was humping desperately, nothing but air touching his cock because Bobby wouldn’t let him scoot in closer to the tub.