Temperance (Defiance #4) Read online

  Nothing would change.

  By midnight, the party was breaking up. Defiance wouldn’t want to attract attention and needed extra guards on duty at night. Because even though it seemed like it was night all the time, most people still held on to the conventions of night and day.

  Night was always more dangerous. That had never changed.

  Declan had held his own against the moonshine—at least better than Rebel thought he would—but he still wobbled a little when he stood to head back to Rebel’s tube before slinging an easy arm around Mathias’s shoulders. Mathias laughed and helped walk him across the compound. Rebel resented the easiness of that, mainly because he knew he couldn’t ever pull off as casual a hold on Declan. He’d be more possessive, and that would show through.

  No, he couldn’t be casual with Declan. That was going to be a problem.

  Hell, for Rebel, it already was.

  Chapter Six

  Kev

  Kev was pretty sure that nervous energy carried him over the roads between the two compounds that first time. Instinct, and his bike, took over and the route he’d studied until his eyes went blurry was spread out in the dark in front of him, guiding him and Carter to safety.

  When he pulled up to Keller’s gates for the first time and the guards surrounded him, he wasn’t sure he could get off the bike and hold himself up. Thankfully, Bishop was waiting for him, looking like the cross between a proud parent and a disapproving one.

  “You came alone?” he demanded.

  “What the fuck am I—a mirage?” Carter called from where he was being searched.

  Bishop looked over at him—and the four other guys who’d been picked as their crew—and shook his head. “That’s just great—maybe next time Caspar could pick from the middle schoolers.”

  “Fuck off, Bishop—I’m older than you were when the Chaos hit, you asshole,” Kev told him.

  That seemed to make Bishop happy. “And you made it.”

  “Of course.”

  Carter came up then and handed Bishop the heavy sheath of papers he’d carried with him. There was also a suitcase—money for the goods Keller would deliver, with Defiance guards helping his own.

  This ‘one for all’ shit was weird.

  “Come on in—Keller’s waiting.” Bishop led the way and Kev and Carter followed him through the compound, the energy buzzing around them. The other four remained behind with Keller’s men.

  “Place is intense,” Kev murmured.

  From his side, Carter nodded. “Like a fucking carnival. Feel like a kid again.”

  “Good, because that’s what I was going for,” Keller said as they walked into his underground office.

  Keller was a tall, handsome man—and he looked like a cross between a rich guy and a boxer. It was an unnerving combination. And disagreeing with him would be disrespectful, Kev told himself, especially when Luna came up to greet them.

  Neither of them looked any worse for wear. They were smiling, although some of that was no doubt because they were now solidly together. “Hey, Kev!” Luna gave him and Carter warm hugs, and Bishop followed suit.

  “I hear you made killer time,” Keller told him. “Nice work. You impressed the fuck out of me.”

  Kev smiled. “Had a little help.”

  “Dec?” he asked and when Kev nodded, Bishop interjected, “He’s a good guy, Kev. They’ll give him a hell of a time there, but he saved my life. Telling you the truth.”

  Keller nodded. “Declan’s the best. Bishop’s becoming pretty indispensable too.”

  “Not stayin’ here forever, Keller,” Bishop growled, but it was easy to see that there was definitely a warmth between them. Kev was surprised but relieved. It wasn’t that he agreed with everything he’d heard about Keller, and he’d seen some of Keller’s wrath rain down on Defiance in the form of attempting to withhold supplies and the like in the past, but it was sure nice to have some peace.

  “Have at it, boys,” Keller told them. “Caspar wanted you to stay with Bishop overnight and go back in the morning.”

  “Let’s go get you guys all settled,” Luna said as she began to usher Carter and the others out.

  But Keller held Kev back with the motion of his hand. As Kev waited, so did Bishop, who seemed to anticipate what Keller was going to say and shot back, “Don’t even think about it, unless you want Caspar at your doorstep.”

  Keller gave Bishop an amused look. “I’m shaking.” Then he turned to Kev. “You want a job with me, it’s yours.”

  Kev didn’t know what else to say but, “Thanks.”

  “Go have fun. Bishop, stop glaring,” Keller told them.

  Kev saw no reason not to do as Keller asked.

  Chapter Seven

  Even though the moonshine had him passing out immediately, it didn’t stop the nightmare from slamming through him, harder than the one the night before…and it wasn’t until Declan felt his fist collide with actual flesh and bone that he realized he’d been dreaming.

  That woke him faster than normal.

  “Fuck.” He sat up, slammed a fist against the night table, his body shaking. “Did I hurt you?”

  He glanced over at Rebel—in the soft light of the oil lamp Rebel kept burning at night, he could make out the redness on his cheekbone.

  “I’ll live,” Rebel said tightly. “What the fuck, Declan?”

  “It’s always like this when I deal with major change.”

  “It didn’t happen before when we—”

  “You never stayed with me,” Declan interrupted. He hadn’t meant to make it sound like an accusation, or maybe he did.

  Rebel pushed the sheets off him and, in a flash, he was half on top of Declan. “I’m staying with you now.”

  “No, I’m staying with you,” Declan attempted to correct him, but Rebel put a finger across his lips.

  “I climb into this bed next to you, Declan. Whether you like it or not, I’m staying with you, on my own compound…”

  “Where no one can ever know anything happened between us.”

  “Why’s that so important to you?”

  “Why’s it not important to you?” Declan demanded.

  Rebel pulled back. “Whatever the fuck you’re dreaming about? Seems like a pretty damned big secret to me. These scars?” He reached out to finger one of the deep ones that ran down Declan’s shoulder, covered by tattoos. “They seem like a world of secrets you’re hiding. But I never asked, because I know that secrets keep us safe.”

  “Sometimes. Sometimes they can hurt us more than anything.”

  Rebel stared at him for a beat, and then he leaned in and kissed Declan. Declan thought about protesting. Throwing Rebel off. Safewording.

  He did none of those things. Instead, he returned the kiss, wrapping himself around Rebel, allowing him to pick Declan up with ease and settle him onto his lap. They sat, facing each other, balancing precariously as neither of them were interested in breaking the kiss.

  Rebel was already naked.

  “Convenient,” Declan noted around the kiss.

  “More so if I could fuck you.” And then Rebel’s fingers played with his ass, lubing him up, and Declan didn’t stop him, even though he knew where this would lead. Because he wanted it to, was surprised they’d both held out this long.

  Finally, Declan pulled away, stared at him. “You can, Reb.” Rebel nodded. Went to move, to lay Declan down, but Declan stopped him with a simple “Please.”

  He didn’t think Rebel would comply, but strangely enough, he did. He let Declan lower himself onto Rebel, who watched him with lazy, hooded eyelids.

  “God, Reb, please. Please,” he groaned as Rebel’s girth stretched and filled him. He was taking Rebel in too fast, would pay for that in the morning, but he didn’t care now. And he didn’t know what he was begging for, since Rebel was letting him do this, although he wasn’t touching Declan.

  He couldn’t, really, because he was leaning on his hands, and Declan was balancing himself with his ha
nds on the mattress as well, because he knew the second he touched Rebel, this would end. He’d be tied up, wrists held down, and fucked, and while he craved that, he wanted to prove to Rebel that this worked too. That Rebel didn’t have to be on constant guard with him. That he respected the fact that Rebel didn’t want to be touched during sex.

  Declan stared at Rebel, refusing to break his gaze. Joined, with Rebel’s cock in his ass, Declan balanced, shifted so Rebel was stroking his gland with every jolt of Declan’s hips. It was the closest thing to control Rebel had ever let him take, and Declan took advantage of that.

  Maybe it was Rebel’s way of apologizing, but he didn’t look put out. He looked flush with pleasure and with pride as he watched Declan ride him.

  God, Rebel always promised him complete satisfaction, and he always delivered. And he knew exactly what Declan needed, and when he needed it. Slow and steady beats connected them, brought them back to each other. This was proving their trust was still there—the next steps would test its boundaries.

  Rebel watched him carefully. “That’s it, baby. Take what you need.”

  He did need this…but he needed more, and Rebel would make him ask for it. It was partially humiliating, but mainly exciting. What he craved.

  “Say it,” Rebel urged, the cords of his neck tight from the exertion of not moving.

  “Hold me down, Rebel. Show me you missed me.”

  In seconds, Rebel’s hands were on his hips, pulling Declan away, slamming him down into the mattress. Declan opened his body for Rebel to take him, unable to wait. Now that they’d started this dance, there was no way they could go back.

  When Rebel held his wrists, pinning him, spreading his legs, Declan groaned. Before Rebel entered him, he said, “Tell me this isn’t just for old time’s sake.”

  “I wish,” Declan told him honestly. “Can’t fucking shake you, Reb. Don’t want to.”

  “Been waiting for you to say that,” Rebel murmured. “Gonna make it all better now.”

  Declan nodded. “Hurry.”

  *

  “Reb, come on—fucking hurry.” Declan’s voice was a hoarse groan, because Rebel had kept him on edge for the past hour.

  Rebel hovered over him as Declan strained at the bindings. He traced a finger down the man’s chest and oh yes, the look in Declan’s eyes was as satisfying as the ropes.

  How he could let Rebel tie him up, hold him down, trust him the way he was doing now always amazed him. Watching the stress leave Declan’s face was Rebel’s ultimate goal, and tonight was no different.

  He bit Declan’s nipples, loving the way Declan surged upward, the ropes biting into his wrists. He’d have red marks—and Rebel loved looking at them. Loved marking the guy, knowing that when he wasn’t around, someone else would see them and know that Declan had been with someone he trusted enough to tie him down.

  The majority of Declan’s body was covered in tattoos—they stopped where clothing would cover, unless Declan wore short sleeves or stripped down completely, and then they were everywhere, beautiful, scrolling ink. It was only after Rebel had first worked him over with his hands and mouth that he’d realized the tattoos covered some pretty severe scars.

  Declan didn’t talk about them, but he’d never frozen when Rebel touched them. Rebel figured they all had scars, but couldn’t deny that he wanted to know more about them.

  He thought about them every time now. And finally, he took Declan’s cock in his palm and stroked him.

  “Don’t stop, Reb.” Dec’s hips surged up as Rebel thrust inside of him, harder and harder.

  “Not going to.”

  “One day, I’m going to tie you up and make you scream.” Declan’s words were both a threat and a promise, and then he was coming, hard, crying out Rebel’s name. Rebel joined him a minute later, his body jackknifing through an unexpectedly powerful orgasm.

  Afterward, he untied Dec, massaged the blood back into the man’s arms and legs. Dec stretched out on his belly, letting Rebel have his way with him while his body shuddered through aftershocks.

  Before Declan, it was all about a series of one-night stands, mainly through the bar Keller owned off his compound. It was a gay bar, a real moneymaker that promised anonymity.

  So far, that promise had been kept.

  On his first night there, he’d been unable to ignore Declan, because the guy had circled him. He’d almost left when he realized it was Keller’s hitman, until he realized the guy was there for the same reasons Rebel was.

  “I wouldn’t mind letting you fuck me here…but we’ll be more comfortable at my place.” Those were Declan’s first words to him. And yeah, Declan’s place was way more comfortable.

  Rebel almost hadn’t gone. Bound by fear, he’d finally let the man kiss the shit out of him behind the bar, until they’d both almost come in their pants.

  Seemed like a lifetime ago.

  *

  “Where do we go from here?” Declan asked, hours later. Three orgasms each, plus a halfhearted attempt for a fourth, because they couldn’t get enough.

  Declan was surprised they’d lasted the twenty-four hours they had without attacking each other.

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen, Dec. Can’t predict the future,” Rebel told him. They lay on their backs, hands threaded together, since that was the only real contact Rebel seemed able to handle post-sex.

  Declan rolled onto his side, refusing to break the hold. He stared down at Rebel’s hand, with the familiar, almost ubiquitous biker’s rose that threaded along the side. It was the placement, Declan decided, that made it so different.

  He ran his pinky over the stem. “What if I hadn’t come here?”

  Rebel stared at him. “I’d have broken down and come to you, Declan. I was close to doing that, but…”

  “But I didn’t come to you,” Declan finished. “Guess we’re both stubborn assholes.”

  Rebel smiled. “Let’s just keep this time for us, okay? That’s the way I’d want it, no matter what.”

  For now, Declan could accept that. For how long was a whole other story. “You’ve got to tell Caspar…at least.”

  “You mean, tell Caspar I’m fucking a Keller hitman? Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

  Declan snorted. “That’s convincing. I thought things were different in Defiance.”

  “What do you want me to say, Dec? I don’t want to fight—not after tonight.”

  “Isn’t that what we do best?” Declan asked and Rebel sighed. “It’s the end of the world, Reb. If now’s not the time to do whatever the fuck you want, when is? What are you holding out for?”

  “This is my family.”

  “And your family should accept everything about you.”

  Rebel shrugged. He was jealous that Declan could be whatever the fuck he wanted to be and he told him so.

  “So work for Keller.”

  “No chance.”

  “Then just work for me.”

  “I won’t be dependent on anyone,” Rebel growled.

  “Never said you had to be.”

  “I’m not a hitman.”

  Dec nodded. “You’d be stealing, not killing.”

  “What the fuck is there left to steal?”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  Rebel considered it for half a second before Declan was on him, pressing him to the mattress. Rebel let him take control for a few minutes, until the old, familiar fear bubbled up inside him. In seconds, he’d rolled Declan back under him, his cock rubbing Declan’s, and everything was right again.

  Chapter Eight

  Kev

  Kev had barely woken up when Hammer was slamming his bedroom door open, leaning over him and demanding, “Where the fuck have you been?”

  Kev blinked and stared up at his brother. Caspar hadn’t said he’d tell Hammer…but fuck, Kev assumed he would’ve. “Keller’s.”

  Hammer jerked back like Kev had slapped him. “You are fucking kidding me.”

  Kev pushed Ham
mer away hard and got up. “Not. Caspar sent me and Carter.”

  “How do you know the routes?” Hammer demanded as Kev yanked on jeans.

  “Christ, I can’t get credit for doing anything,” Kev told him. “If I didn’t know them, you’d bitch. When I do know them—and they’re good, fast and secret routes too—you still bitch.”

  Hammer got in his face. “There’s plenty of shit for you to do right here in Defiance.”

  “I’d rather be road crew—you’ve always known that. I’ve been doing it since before the Chaos.”

  “Operative word is before,” Hammer said through clenched teeth. “And don’t pull that ‘you’re not in charge of me’ shit—I’ve been taking care of you the last seven-plus years. Longer, even.”

  Because Mom and Dad sucked at it, was the unspoken sentiment. “I know that, man. I do. But now, you’ve gotta let me do what I need to. I’m a patched member.”

  “Because we had no choice.” Hammer looked like he immediately regretted the words.

  Not nearly as much as Kev. “Go fuck yourself, brother, if you think I didn’t patch in here on ability. I might’ve been younger than average, but I think the Chaos aged us all.”

  “Did Caspar give you those routes?” Hammer demanded through clenched teeth.

  “And if he did? You gonna beat him up?”

  “Kev—”

  “It wasn’t Caspar.”

  “Then there’s only one other person here who’d know those roads well enough to get you here that quickly. Reb’s traveled them, but not enough to know the ins and outs. Bishop hasn’t left Keller’s much, and he’s never been here. So it had to be that fucker, Declan.”

  “What if it was? He got me and Carter there and back, safely.”

  “You don’t talk to him—he’s the fucking enemy, goddammit. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

  Kev shoved his brother back hard. He wasn’t as tall or broad as Hammer, but hell, he’d take Hammer on if it meant getting rid of the rope around his neck. “Don’t you tell me what to do. I’ve got my job—my place in Defiance. You fuck it up, brother, and I’ll take Keller up on his offer to work for him.”