Don't Drink the Holy Water (12 page)

“I know that, in here.” Yolanda tapped her temple. “But my heart is telling me it’s my fault anyway. Especially since he’d asked me to hang out tonight and I said no. He was already fucked up when he called me and I just couldn’t deal with another night of him being wasted. If I’d been there, he wouldn’t have ended up here.”

“Maybe not this time, but it would have happened soon regardless. You aren’t his keeper, Yolanda. Neither of us are.” He risked putting an arm around her.

Yolanda rested her head on his shoulder. “Yeah, I know. You for sure ain’t responsible for him after the way he did you. He treated you like shit and—” She pushed away from him and glared. “And who is that handsome man watching you like he wants to eat you up?”

Axel might have blushed, though it’d been so long since he’d done so he wasn’t certain. He glanced behind him. His heart felt like it actually did a little flip in his chest as his gaze landed on West. “He’s someone very special to me.”

West
did
blush.

“Aw, well he is a sweetheart, I bet.” Yolanda walked past Axel and held her hand out to West. “I’m Yolanda.”

“West.” They shook hands.

Yolanda sat beside West.

Axel moved to his other side and perched on the edge of the seat.

“How long has he been here?” Yolanda asked.

“Hours. Almost three,” Axel replied. He arched an eyebrow in her direction. “Where were you?”

“Having sex with this freaky chick I picked up,” Yolanda answered bluntly. “She was really loud. Like, a screamer loud. S’why I didn’t hear my phone.”

“Oh my
god
,” gasped the woman two seats to Yolanda’s right. She covered her mouth, her eyes huge as she gawked.

Yolanda slowly turned to look at her. “What? You gotta problem with that?”

The woman shook her head frantically. Then she uncovered her mouth. “It’s, er, it’s very hot.”

Axel wasn’t certain if she meant temperature-wise or sexually, but he was inclined to go with the latter.

Yolanda muttered something about ‘damn right it was hot,’ then movement in his peripheral vision caught Axel’s attention. He looked in the doorway and saw a white-coated doctor standing there.

The doctor pinpointed him immediately. “You’re here for Jukie Daniels?”

“Yeah, I am.” Axel stood quickly and flapped a hand beside him. “We are, I mean.”

“No family of his here?” the doctor asked.

Axel noted the name on his tag, Dr. Waggoner. “No sir, Doctor Waggoner. We can’t get ahold of his parents.”

“He is an adult.” Doctor Waggoner sighed and stepped out into the hall, gesturing at him to follow.

Axel took West’s hand and Yolanda traipsed along with them out of the waiting room.

Waggoner led them into a small office. “I’m not supposed to share anything with people who aren’t family, but that rule frequently gets bypassed.” He sighed and sat on his desk, rather than behind it, then rubbed his eyes. “Jukie is in a coma, and I can’t say that he’ll survive it. The amount of alcohol in his system, combined with methamphetamines, could be too much for him to recover from. He might be in a coma for the rest of his life, however long that could be. He may die, soon. There’s just no way to know at this point. If you can keep trying to reach his family, I suggest you do so. Also, I’ll have a social worker come in and get any phone numbers and other contact info you can provide.” He sighed again then stood up and stretched, his back popping loudly. “Any questions?”

There were dozens of them running through Axel’s mind, but every one of them vanished the second the doctor asked that.

“I’ll let you know if anything changes with him. He can have one visitor for now.
If
you can sneak past Nurse Whittaker. She’s a stickler for following visiting hours.” Doctor Waggoner walked to the door. “I hope none of you are messing with the crap Jukie used.”

“No.” Axel wasn’t the only one with the denial. He thanked Doctor Waggoner and after the doctor strode off, Yolanda nudged his shoulder.

“Go back to your room,” she ordered. “I ain’t letting some nurse stop me from seeing Jukie. Jukie wouldn’t be happy to wake up to you, anyway. I’m not being mean, you know how he’s been.” She shook her head. “He just can’t grow up.”

Axel did know. “You’ll call me if anything changes?”

“Duh. Go on.” She made shooing motions at him.

Axel nodded. He left Yolanda there and once he and West were outside, Axel stopped West.

West looked at him, worry clear in his expression. “What do you need?”

Axel had an easy yet complex answer for that one. “You.”

“You have me.” West swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “We need to talk.”

Axel didn’t want to talk. He ran the back of his knuckles over West’s soft dick. “We can talk later. Tonight, I need you. I need you to fuck me and make me forget everything but you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Axel’s need was palpable. West could feel it rolling off him, yet to have sex without talking first seemed disingenuous on his part at the very least, and dishonest as well.

They were emotionally entangled, and growing more so with every moment they spent together. Axel might feel that he needed a physical release with West as soon as they reached the hotel, but come later, when West explained to him about Herve’s time limit on their relationship…

“We need to talk,” West said again.

Axel grunted and flagged down a taxi.

West tightened his grip on Axel’s hand. “Axel, I know you’re hurting and worried for Jukie, but—”

“I don’t want to talk,” Axel snapped. “I don’t want to fucking
think
. I just want to be pushed out of myself for a little while. Out of my head.”

West wanted to give Axel that. He would, just as soon as Axel listened to him. West didn’t press as they got in the cab. He remained silent, though he watched Axel, noted his irritated breaths, his scowling and the worry lines etched on his brow.

Soothing him was paramount for West, because he cared for Axel and he’d never liked to see anyone, or anything, hurting. He was now even more torn between giving Axel the physical release he needed, and talking to him first.

What decided him for certain was the way Axel all but dragged him out of the cab and through the hotel lobby. There was no waiting for the elevator as Axel shoved the door to the stairwell open.

West barely had time for the door to close before Axel growled and shoved him against the wall. “Axel—oomph!” His glasses went flying as Axel kissed him, holding on to West’s face with both hands, framing it with trembling fingers.

The rich, oaky scent of Axel’s arousal filled West’s nose as he gripped Axel’s hips. He spun them around, pressing Axel to the wall and taking control of the kiss. There was no gentle coaxing this time. West’s own need flared with a sudden, urgent burst he couldn’t contain. He moved one hand around to grab Axel’s butt, the other between them to squeeze Axel’s dick through his clothing.

Axel moaned into the kiss and bit West’s lip almost too hard.

The zing of pain was mild and brief, and inside, West shoved back the memories from that dark alley. Tonight, right now, was about him and Axel, not the past.

West slanted his mouth and kissed Axel with more force. His lips ached and his fangs wanted to drop but West refused to lose control to that extent.

Axel humped into his grip, feeding more and more needy sounds into West. He let go of West’s face and instead nudged at West’s shoulders.

West sucked on Axel’s bottom lip, pulling it out then letting it go before tipping his head back. “What? What do you need?”

Axel shook his head and began working his pants open.

West felt a trickle of unease. They were in a public place, a stairwell. A quick glance assured him there were no cameras, but still, the chance of being walked in on—

“Please,” Axel rasped, freeing his dick. “Please, West.”

West’s own cock was throbbing, he was so hard. Axel’s tip was glistening with pre-cum, the head darker than the shaft.

West’s mouth watered, but getting down on his knees was a little more risky than he felt capable of being. He licked his palm, and Axel groaned, eyelids dropping down as if he couldn’t keep them open.

West got his palm as wet as he could manage given the situation, then he gripped Axel’s cock firmly. He thumbed the leaking slit, spreading the moisture there around the crown.

“Guh,” Axel got out, his head thumping the wall lightly. He clenched his fists on West’s shoulders and without hesitation, began fucking West’s fist.

West pinched at Axel’s nipples through his shirt while he jacked Axel off with a rough, quick rhythm. “Quiet,” he warned when Axel moaned loudly.

Axel rolled his lips in and buried one hand in West’s hair, tugging on it.

West tightened his hold and pressed his thumb against Axel’s slit. He flicked the underside of Axel’s cock with his thumbnail.

Axel’s eyes shot open and the barest hint of sound escaped him before West slammed his mouth over Axel’s. He swallowed every sound Axel made as hot cum shot from Axel’s dick.

His climax didn’t ebb quickly. Axel shook and bucked as he came. When he finally stilled, West kissed him gently then slowed his strokes until Axel whimpered.

“Come on. We have to talk,” West said a moment later. He began tucking Axel’s cock into his briefs.

Axel grunted and pushed West’s hands aside. “I’ll just leave my shirt out.” He pulled his T-shirt and button-up over his unfastened pants. An uncomfortable air of tension built rapidly between them as they took the stairs to the room.

Before they reached the exit door, Axel stopped him with a hand to West’s forearm.

West looked at him. Worry pinched the outer corners of Axel’s eyes and thinned his lips. That wrinkle across his brow reappeared, and his nostrils flared as if he were scenting danger.

“Are you dumping me?” Axel asked in a gritty voice. “That’s what it is. You’re going to—”

“No,” West said with more calm than he felt. He was angered that Axel would believe him capable of doing what they’d just done while having such intentions. But Axel was hurting, and scared, and West refused to add to that by snapping at him. “It isn’t that, although you might want to ditch me after you hear what I have to say.” It hurt just to speak those words. West’s chest ached and he rubbed a hand over it.

Axel’s eyes widened with trepidation. “What’re you talking about?”

West reached for the door. “In the room. I’ll explain.” He snorted at his own inability to speak reasonably.
Get it together, idiot.

Axel nodded sharply and led the way to his room. He used the keycard to open the door, then held it for West. The second they were inside, Axel crossed his arms over his chest and with an impassive expression in place, said, “Explain.”

West walked to the bed and sat on the edge of it. He wanted to ask Axel to sit beside him, would have if he’d had the nerve.

Axel huffed and seemed to deflate a little, his stiff, defensive posture giving way to slumped shoulders and a loose-gaited stride as he came to West. “I’m sorry. I’m…I’m a fucking mess, I know, and I jumped you in the stairwell like what you wanted didn’t matter. I—”

West felt the second apology coming and he shook his head. “No, I could have said no. I won’t deny that I was nervous, but there was definitely something very hot about knowing someone could walk in on us at any time.” In fact, despite his fear about the coming conversation, West’s belly warmed and tingled with the beginnings of renewed arousal. He shifted on the bed and blushed at Axel’s knowing smile. “I can’t help it. I want you, all the time.”

Axel beamed at him. “Then take me— Wait, I’m not that passive. Let’s get naked—” He began running one hand up West’s thigh.

West held up a hand in protest. “Wait, please, Axel. Let me say what I have to say, then if you still want me, we can…we can…” Well, he wasn’t sure what, exactly, Axel had in mind, but West was game for anything with him.

Axel licked his lips and moved his hand down to West’s knee. “I can’t imagine you telling me anything that would make me not want you. If you think it has to do with sex, like you don’t want anal or you hate swallowing after all, those aren’t deal breakers.”

West’s cheeks were burning hot. His ass had clenched tight without him thinking of it when Axel had mentioned anal. Not because he was scared, but because his dick was hard as it had ever been.

He had to force himself to speak instead of falling onto his back and begging Axel to fuck him. West had meant to move the physical side of things along slowly—now he feared doing so would mean he’d miss out on sharing such an intense, personal experience with Axel.

One thing was for certain. If Axel didn’t run him off tonight, West was going to quit letting fear restrain him.

“It isn’t sex, or about sex,” he said when he realized he’d been quiet for too long. “It’s…it’s…” He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s about me being a stupid vampire.”

“You’re not stupid,” Axel said firmly. “Look at me. Stop hiding in your head.”

West opened one eye and peeked at Axel. He looked angry and sexy and like everything West suddenly, achingly, knew he needed. And he couldn’t let himself fall any deeper if Axel was going to leave him.

Opening his other eye, West took a steadying breath.

Axel grimaced and began to fidget with a thread on the blanket.

“Can you imagine what would happen if the world found out about us?” West asked. “Vampires, I mean, not you and me specifically.”

Axel canted his head to the left and looked at him. “People would flip out. They can’t handle knowing there’s a competing life force in the world. It’s why the dolphins are going to end up extinct.”

“Seriously?” West felt his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “You think—you’re, uh—”

Axel snickered. “No, I don’t think that, but you’re so tense. I get what you’re telling me is important. I want
you
to get that I’m not going to expose you, or vampires, period. Besides, who’d believe me? They’d think I was getting into Jukie’s drug stash.”

West knew there were people who did actively hunt vampires. He’d been warned about them. “You might be surprised.” He took Axel’s hand in his, unable to
not
touch the man. “Herve, he’s the coven leader, he has a very strict rule about humans knowing about us.”