“You’re my last order before I go on break.” Jason was a bit sweaty, his cheeks flushed. His blue eyes seemed dull as his pen poised over his pad. “What can I get you?”

  “Forgiveness?” Dante wasn’t sure why he was asking for that. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but if he was going to get on the good side of his mate, a little groveling wouldn’t hurt. He had to get past that wall Jason had erected, and standing his ground, insisting that he was just doing his job, wasn’t going to cut it.

  Sometimes to keep the peace, you admitted you were wrong, even if you weren’t.

  “Look, you seem like a nice guy, but I’m not interested.” Jason cut his glance to the table next to Dante’s. “I just got out of something that… I’m just not interested.”

  Dante saw now that he had an uphill battle to win his mate over because of that douchebag that kept glancing at Jason. “Nothing says we can’t be friends.”

  “Friends?” Jason chewed the side of his lip. “Friends don’t give friends tickets.”

  Jesus. Dante was never going to live that down. “Fine, I’ll handle it. You don’t have to pay the fine.”

  Which was one hundred and fifty bucks. That was no sweat off of Dante. He’d rather be in Jason’s good graces than fight him over a speeding ticket.

  “Really?” Jason’s brows shot up. “You’re going to make it go away?”

  “On one condition.”

  Now Jason looked skeptical. “I’m not going on a date with you.”

  “Nope.” Dante smiled. “That we become friends. Is that too much to ask?”

  Jason looked as if he was mulling it over. Dante felt eyes on him and knew it was Jason’s ex staring him down. If the prick only knew how much damage Dante wanted to do to him and his buddies. He’d heard part of the conversation when he’d come into the bar.

  If the human thought he was passing Jason around, he had another think coming. Dante would let his cheetah out to play if they even thought about touching his mate.

  “Okay.” Jason nodded. “It’s not like I have many of those.”

  “Me, either,” Dante admitted. He had coworkers and people he thought of as associates, but he honestly didn’t have any close friends. Cheetahs were solitary creatures, and Dante liked it that way. Most days. There were times when he wanted a friend to hang out with, and he knew how to charm people and put them at ease, but he’d never let anyone get close to him. Not when he’d led a very violent life. That was one of the reasons he’d moved to Willow Point. To escape his past.

  And his ex-boyfriend.

  “What time do you get off?”

  “What?” Jason looked wide-eyed at him then chuckled. “Sorry, my mind went in a different direction.”

  “I like the way you think.” Dante winked. “I was talking about work, though. I figured maybe we could hang out.”

  “I don’t clock out until three. How about we meet for lunch tomorrow? Joe’s diner at noon?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Dante gave Jason his order, then he watched his mate walk away. His cheetah wanted to go after Jason, throw him on the nearest flat surface, and claim him.

  “Looks like he’s working his way through town now,” one of the guys at the next table said with a snicker.

  Dante breathed in slowly and let it out. They could say what they wanted, within reason, because Dante was a cop and was held to a higher standard. But if they touched his mate, all bets were off.

  * * * *

  “I’ll see you later,” Jason said as he walked toward the exit.

  “Take it easy,” Merrick called out as he finished washing the glasses behind the bar. “Lock the handle lock on your way out.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. Like he didn’t do that every time he clocked out. The bar was already empty, and Jason highly doubted anyone would come inside. Still, he twisted the lock on the handle before closing the door behind him. The night had gotten chilly, and Jason was glad he’d brought his jacket to work. The streets were dead quiet. The only noise was the sound of crickets. He looked up when he heard a buzz, noticing how the streetlamp flickered for a moment before behaving.

  Digging for his keys in his pocket, Jason headed for the parking lot on the side of the bar. There was something about the night that felt so relaxing, like it was just him and the world, no one else intruding on his quiet time. The gravel crunched under his feet as he made his way to his car, glad Dante was taking care of the ticket because Jason honestly couldn’t afford to pay it.

  Not on his salary.

  He’d almost made it to his car when he heard the gravel crunching behind him. Jason’s heart sped as he looked over his shoulder. Kevin was coming up on him quickly, wearing a sweatshirt with the hood part over his head.

  Jason sped up, hurrying to his car. He’d just grabbed the handle when he was shoved against the door. “What the hell?”

  “Stephen said you liked it rough.” Kevin’s breath skidded across Jason’s ear, hot and unwanted. “He also said you liked to play hard to get. It’s your kink.”

  “Stephen lied.” Jason struggled to get free, but Kevin was a lot bigger than him, had muscles Jason didn’t have, and was a good six inches taller. Kevin twisted Jason’s arm back until he instinctively cried out.

  “You ready to have a good time?” Kevin tried to kiss him, but Jason jerked his head away.

  “I’d rather have sex with a skunk,” Jason snarled. “Get the fuck off of me, Kevin.”

  Kevin twisted his arm farther upward, causing a searing pain to shoot down Jason’s arm and over his shoulder. If Kevin kept twisting, he was going to break Jason’s arm.

  “I see you’re a wildcat.” There was too much excitement in Kevin’s voice, and now Jason was in a full-blown panic. If he didn’t get Kevin off of him, Jason didn’t want to think about what the guy would do to him in the dimly lit parking lot. Where was a cop when you needed one?

  Or Merrick. His boss’s truck was parked across from Jason’s car, but Merrick was still inside cleaning. Jason was on his own, but he didn’t know what to do to get out of this situation. Shouting would be futile since the streets were deserted.

  “I’m not a wildcat.” Jason shoved backward, trying to get Kevin off him, but the guy was too heavy. “You disgust me. I’m not playing hard to get. I’m telling you to fuck off.”

  Kevin snarled and slugged Jason upside his head. Pain exploded, making Jason see dark spots. Don’t pass out! If you do, there’s no telling what Kevin will do to you.

  “Think you’re too good for me? Jason, the slut, turning down some dick. What a joke. Stephen told me how you drop your pants for anyone.”

  Jason shouted when Kevin grabbed the waistband of his jeans. This couldn’t be happening. It was too surreal. Full-body tremors racked him as Jason tried to breathe. It felt as if the oxygen in the air wasn’t getting into his lungs. His pulse was thrashing in his ears as he kept struggling to get free.

  Kevin released Jason’s arm, spun him around, and wailed on him. Jason held up his arms, trying to deflect the blows, but they were coming at him too hard and fast. He felt his lip split, and he swore he heard the bone under his eye crack. He crumpled to the ground, covering his head as he curled into a ball. Kevin kicked him once before someone shouted.

  Jason lay there quivering, waiting for the next blow.

  “Jason, are you all right?” Merrick knelt beside him, his hand hovering. “Talk to me, Jason.”

  “Is he gone?”

  “He’s gone.” Merrick pulled out his phone. “I’m calling an ambulance.”

  “No,” Jason whimpered. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

  “Your face is bloody, and I’m not sure what kind of injuries that asshole inflicted on you. I’m not taking any chances.” He dialed as Jason whimpered. Everything on him hurt.

  “What’s going on?” A shadow rushed toward them with concern in his voice.

  Jason was too messed up to even care that Dante had shown up. He wasn’t even sure why the guy was there and wished Dante would have come a little sooner. Preferably before Jason got the shit beat out of him. Now he was doubly mortified. All he needed was someone to take out an ad in the paper announcing his beatdown and his life would be complete.

  “Jason, what happened?” Dante was next to him because Merrick had moved out the way, still talking on his phone.

  “I got jumped.” Jason curled into a tighter ball, unsure why he felt relief that Dante was there. The guy had said they were friends, but there was no reason for him to show up when Jason got off work. Was he on duty? Jason couldn’t even turn his head to look and see if Dante was in uniform. His head hurt too badly.

  “Just lie still,” Dante said. “Don’t move. We don’t know if you have a neck injury.”

  “Will you stay with me?” Jason wasn’t sure where that question had come from. He should be asking for Gem, his cousin, not a guy he’d just met yesterday morning. But Dante’s presence was comforting, and Jason needed all the comfort he could get right now.

  “I’m not leaving your side,” Dante said. “Tell me who did this to you, Jason.”

  “Kevin.” He wasn’t even afraid to name his attacker. Fuck Kevin. Jason wasn’t going to protect the guy out of fear. He wanted Kevin to pay for what he’d done. Jason rolled his tongue around his mouth and tasted blood. God, please don’t let Kevin have knocked out a tooth. Jason felt with his tongue, but they all seemed to be there.

  “Do you know his last name?”

  “No.” Jason groaned. It hurt to move his lips. “He hangs out with my ex-boyfriend, Stephen Broderick.”

  Jason heard the wail of the ambulance. Soon a stretcher was next to him. They put a cervical collar on him then gently moved him to the stretcher. As he was wheeled from the parking lot, Jason saw two cop cars with swirling lights on the street.

  Great, just what he didn’t need, a crowd. Front row tickets to his humiliation. But true to his word, Dante was walking right next to him and even climbed into the back of the ambulance.

  The EMT starting working on Jason as they rode to the hospital. Jason groaned at every bump or jostle. When Kevin had kicked him, the toe of his boot had struck Jason’s stomach. He prayed the guy hadn’t caused internal bleeding, though his stomach hurt like hell. Jason couldn’t recall a time when he was in this much pain and prayed he never felt this level of agony again.

  * * * *

  Dante had promised to stay with Jason, but he was pacing the room, waiting for his mate to return from x-ray. God, how he wanted to be out there looking for Kevin. Dante wanted to return the favor, to do as much, if not more, damage to the guy.

  He’d been late getting there because he’d taken a shower, hoping Jason didn’t freak out that he was showing up to make sure he made it home safely. If he’d been there ten minutes earlier, the attack wouldn’t have happened.

  Dante had seen the way those men kept looking at Kevin in the bar, knew trouble was brewing, and had been too late to stop the attack. His cheetah yowled to get free, to go after Kevin and put the son of a bitch in the ground. It took everything inside Dante to keep his cheetah leashed, to stop his claws and canines from lengthening.

  Sheriff Tate Weston walked into the emergency room, authority bleeding from him as he entered Jason’s room. Not technically a room since the walls were curtains. “Tell me what happened.”

  Dante ran a hand over his head, anger so raw coursing through him that he was surprised he could even talk. “One of Jason’s ex-boyfriend’s buddies jumped him in the parking lot of Loose Lips. Beat my mate to hell.”

  Tate’s eyes widened. Dante hadn’t told anyone about Jason. The men he worked with were just coworkers, not his friends, so he’d kept that to himself. He had no parents to call to give them the good news that he’d found his mate. No friends, no family whatsoever. He was alone in this world, and now that he’d found Jason, Dante would kill to keep him safe.

  “Do you have a name?” Tate asked.

  “I only know his first name,” he said, telling Tate what Jason had told him. He didn’t think it would be too hard to find Kevin. And when they did, if Dante got to him first, there wasn’t going to be enough left of the bastard to arrest.

  “I have no idea who any of them are, but I’ll make damn sure I find out,” Tate said. “How’s Jason?”

  “He’s in x-ray right now. So far as I can tell, busted lip, got kicked in the gut, wailed on because he had bruising in a few places.” The more Dante thought about what his mate had looked like, the more he wanted to go on the hunt. He wanted to rip Kevin’s fucking spine out. Wanted to spill his entrails.

  “I know it’s hard, but I need you to breathe and calm down.”

  “Calm down?” Dante looked incredulously at Tate. “Some son of a bitch beat my mate, and you want me to calm down?”

  “I’m calling Deputy Delaney. I’ll have him find out who Kevin is and have him pay the guy a visit. If we’re lucky, Kevin will be in cuffs tonight.”

  That wasn’t good enough for Dante. Assault charges. No, Kevin wasn’t going to get off that easily.

  “Dante.” Tate squeezed his shoulder. “We’re the law. We can’t go all vigilante. I know Jason is your mate, I get that. I truly do. But we arrest this Kevin guy and give him due process.”

  Dante yanked his shoulder away. “You do that, but if I find him first, all bets are off. If I have to turn in my badge, then I will, but I’m not letting Kevin get off easy.”

  “Then I guess we’ll have to find him first.” Tate walked away and pulled his phone out while Dante continued to pace.

  Chapter Four

  Two days later, the reality of what had happened still hadn’t hit Jason. Not fully. He’d been released from the hospital. There’d been no broken bones or anything life threatening, though he had plenty of bruises and soreness. When he looked in the mirror when he got home, Jason had hardly recognized himself. He hadn’t looked in the mirror since.

  He kept checking his locks on both doors and windows to make sure they were secure, even though he lived on the third floor and, intellectually, knew no one could get in through the windows.

  None of what happened felt real. It was as if he were seeing someone else’s memories. Jason had gotten into fights growing up. What person didn’t? But nothing even came close to what had taken place two nights ago. He was still in shock. That had to be it. How else to explain why his brain kept trying to deny anything ever happened?

  Jason jumped when his phone rang. He picked it up to see that Gem was calling him. Jason ignored the call. He didn’t want to deal with anyone right now.

  Then a knock sounded on his door. Jason tiptoed over then peered through the peephole. Dante stood there, looking right at the peephole on the other side. “Jason, open up. I brought breakfast.”

  That terrible tension in Jason’s shoulders and gut eased as he opened the door. Dante was in street clothes, looking like a normal guy with his combed hair and sexy grin. Jason wasn’t sure how he was keeping the guy at arm’s length, but the cold reality of what Kevin had done, of how Stephen had egged the shit on, was like a bucket of cold water over his head.

  “What’re you doing here?” Jason asked as he opened the door.

  “Breakfast.” Dante walked past Jason, even though Jason hadn’t invited him in. Dante went right to the kitchen and set the bag down. Jason’s gaze dropped to Dante’s ass. “I stopped at Joe’s Diner and got us something to eat.”

  He quickly looked away when Dante turned. “That was thoughtful, but it still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

  Dante had spent most of yesterday with Jason, just chilling in his apartment. He’d left last night, and to be completely honest, Jason had slept for shit knowing he was alone in his own apartment. Every little noise had him jerking awake, his heart thundering as he wondered if Kevin was trying to break in to finish the job.

  Jason didn’t want to think about what might have happened had Merrick not come outside.

  “We’re friends.” Dante started pulling out Styrofoam containers from the plastic bag. The food smelled good, making Jason’s stomach rumble. “I just wanted to stop by to check on you.”

  Jason spread his arms. “As you can see, I survived a night without you here.”

  Why had he said that?

  Dante’s chuckle was deep and warm. “I can see that. Maybe you want to put on some clothes?”

  Jason’s eyes went wide when he realized he was standing there in his boxer briefs. He’d been so shocked to see Dante that he’d forgotten that he was practically naked. He spun on his heels and made a beeline to his bedroom, tossing on some shorts and a T-shirt. He’d started toward his bedroom door but caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over his dresser. God, he looked horrible. His left eye looked like he’d gone a few rounds with a prize fighter. The skin was purple with touches of green. His bottom lip still had a cut in the center, but it was healing. Then there were tiny bruises smattered across his cheeks like freckles, only bigger. Probably from where his face had hit the gravel.

  Or from Kevin’s fists.

  Jason turned away and went back to the kitchen. Dante was already seated, and he’d plated their food. Jason sat, keeping his head down because, damn, he hated anyone seeing him like this.

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got three different kinds of meat, pancakes, eggs… scrambled. Sorry if you don’t like them that way.”

  Everything on Jason’s plate looked delicious. “When it comes to breakfast food, you can’t go wrong.”

  He took a bite of the eggs and winced. His jaw hurt when he chewed. Maybe he should have tossed his food into a blender and sucked it through a straw.

  “We still haven’t found Kevin.” Dante forked some pancakes. “That’s another reason I’m hanging around.”

  Because Dante was bigger than Kevin, had more muscles, and could probably wipe the floor with the guy. Something Jason wished he’d been capable of doing. “I don’t want to keep you from work.”