“Deal.” Seven’s face hurt from smiling.

  “Until then.” Onyx lifted Seven off his feet. “I can repay you in other ways.” He took Seven down on the mattress, narrowly missing the new phone. Onyx shoved it aside as his mouth found Seven’s. Seven immediately opened for him, needing Onyx’s tongue. Onyx’s hands weren’t still. He tugged at Seven’s clothes. Seven’s body stirred at just the thought of going further. His pants were barely open before Onyx slithered down his body. Seven lifted his head so he could watch. Onyx held his stare as he dipped his head and licked the cock he had just freed.

  Seven’s head dropped to the mattress. He surrendered to Onyx’s talented mouth. His eyelids grew heavy as the suction on his dick stole his ability to keep his eyes open. All Seven could do was moan and feel. In his thirty-five years, Seven had seen and done a lot of things. He had endured horrors no one should face. Seven could say with confidence being with Onyx was heaven. He didn’t believe in a higher power or life after death. Those false hopes had been stripped from him as a child. But Seven believed in Onyx and the beautiful life they could have together. Seven fully believed he could make all his lies a reality and have forever with Onyx.

  Onyx growled around Seven’s cock when Seven tugged at his hair. Seven gasped at the sensation. He had to see. Seven lifted his head again and watched Onyx bob on his dick. Onyx had his hand inside his pants, stroking himself as he sucked Seven. It was the sexiest sight Seven had ever seen. The combination of suction on his cock and the hot as hell vision Onyx presented made Seven’s balls draw up tight. He couldn’t stop pulling Onyx’s hair, using him. Seven’s hips lifted as he rode Onyx’s tongue, fucking his willing mouth. He was half mad with need. Seven whimpered as he reached for the release Onyx’s attention promised. A cry tore from his throat as an orgasm ripped through him. He filled Onyx’s mouth with cum.

  Onyx shot upward and claimed Seven’s lips. His own cum filled his mouth. Seven swallowed. His soul was alight with desire. Onyx stroked himself faster as their kiss turned wild. He made sounds around Seven’s tongue that had Seven ready to climb inside him. When Onyx cried out, the sound vibrated through their kiss. Onyx painted Seven’s shirt with cum. It was beautiful. The gorgeous moment seared itself into Seven’s brain, doing its part to destroy the ugliness that lived in Seven’s head. Their kiss turned sweet as the madness cooled. Unshed tears burned Seven’s eyes. He would be whatever Onyx needed. Seven had reinvented himself before. He could do it again. He would do it again. Onyx deserved the moon and the stars. He deserved a good man. Seven didn’t fall into that category, but he could. He would find a way.

  Life had changed so goddamn fast, Onyx’s head hadn’t stopped spinning. Once the decision had been made to leave with Seven, they were gone in practically the next breath. Seven had gone on a shopping spree, buying Onyx everything he needed for a new life. He had even paid all the fees to register Onyx for a dozen upcoming conventions, getting his new venture started. Onyx was blown away. He had gone from thinking Seven would never settle down with him to having a whole new life with Seven in less than a week. Now they were two weeks into their new adventure, and Onyx was already addicted. They had to stay like this forever.

  Onyx stripped the cum-covered clothes from Seven’s body before peeling off his clothes. Nude, they snuggled beneath the covers, kissing and touching. The happiness welling inside Onyx made him feel like he would burst. He needed Seven. Onyx literally needed this life. He had been slowly losing himself for years. As one of nine children, Onyx had never been special. Being the only gay child in a large, God-fearing family made him less than exceptional. It left him ostracized. He had slowly stopped going to family events at twenty-three. By twenty-five, he hadn’t even gone for casual visits. It wasn’t until he was twenty-nine that it really hit him that the phone calls had stopped. No one even tried on either side to hang on to a relationship. He was alone. Then that same year, Seven had skated into his job, with the oddest of tattoo requests. He had worn all pink except for his unicorn tail. Onyx’s face had hurt from smiling as he watched Seven rollerblade around the front room of the tattoo shop. He talked a million miles a minute, but Onyx had no trouble keeping up with every word. Seven was like sunshine. He brought the light and seared Onyx’s soul. No one knew how much Seven meant to Onyx. He was everything. Seven was all he had.

  Onyx was fully aware he knew nothing about Seven’s past. He could piece together enough. The nightmares and scars told him everything. Onyx didn’t need or want Seven to tear open his soul, just to paint him a picture. Onyx only wanted to make every day from now on the best days of Seven’s life. He wanted to fill Seven with so many good memories, he forgot the past. Most of all, Onyx wanted to be the family neither of them had. He wanted to build a permanent home with Seven. Tonight, that home felt real.

  “Onyx.”

  Goddamn, the sound of his name in such a needy tone had Onyx’s heart skipping a beat. “Yes, baby.”

  “I just realized I forgot to tell you something important when I asked you to run away with me.”

  Onyx couldn’t stop kissing Seven’s neck. It tasted too good. “Mhmm. What’s that, baby?”

  “I love you.”

  Onyx’s head jerked upward. He had to see Seven’s face. Seven looked nervous, and like he expected Onyx to freak.

  “That’s the why. I forgot to explain why I asked you to come with me. I’m in love with you.”

  Onyx’s throat swelled. “I love you too.” His voice came out sounding gravelly. Onyx couldn’t help it. He worried he might cry. No one had ever touched him like Seven. They were so fucking beautiful together. Onyx was blinded by the perfection. He held the world.

  Onyx slowly lowered his head. He held Seven’s stare, soaking up the wonderment in Seven’s expression until the very last second. Then their lips met, and Onyx’s eyes closed. It was as if they sealed a silent promise with a kiss. This was forever. They weren’t acting on a crazy impulse. It was just time. Actually, it was long overdue for them to build this life together. Onyx regretted nothing, except that they hadn’t run away sooner. They were meant to be.

  Chapter Six

  Onyx’s first three conventions weren’t as big as he hoped, but he had still made a month’s worth of wages each weekend. Then things built up steam. People started recognizing his work, and the money doubled and then tripled. By his third month of doing conventions every weekend in a different town, Onyx consistently made enough money that Seven didn’t need to work. In fact, Seven was right there with him for each event. He fit in perfectly with the con crowd. Seven dressed up in elaborate costumes. Everyone loved him and people constantly stopped him, wanting his picture. It was as if they both had found their crowd. Seven could be as eccentric as he wanted. No one judged him. More than that, the nightmares stopped.

  Seven skipped next to Onyx, holding his hand. He kept stopping, as if trying to get himself under control, but then he was back to bouncing on his toes. Onyx couldn’t stop smiling. He lived for the happiness Seven’s existence brought to the world.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going? I’m so excited.” Seven bounced as he asked the question as if he might literally burst if Onyx didn’t tell him.

  They walked Central Park. With the streetlamps lit and the sidewalks empty, the place looked picturesque. Onyx had been looking for the perfect spot, but at Seven’s question, he realized it was more about the perfect moment. That felt like now.

  Onyx pulled Seven to a stop and turned to take both his hands. He held Seven’s stare. “I love you.”

  A bright smile lit Seven’s face. “I love you too.”

  Onyx dropped Seven’s hand and reached into his pocket. With a breath for courage, he dropped to one knee.

  Seven gasped.

  Onyx held out the ring he had bought while Seven had been out buying new costumes. “I’ve known since you skated into my life that I couldn’t live without you and the happiness you bring to my life. Will you marry me?”

  A suppressed squeal grew louder by the second until Seven finally set it free. He danced in place, making Onyx’s cheeks hurt from smiling. “Yes. Holy shit. Yes.”

  Onyx shot to his feet and captured Seven’s mouth. They smiled so hard during the kiss, they would pull away to smile some more.

  “I love you.” Seven’s voice cracked on the whispered words. “I love you so much.”

  Onyx slipped the ring on Seven’s finger. The moment felt right. Perfect. He couldn’t ask for a more ideal memory. They would always have this gorgeous story to tell. Everything with Seven was so goddamn flawless.

  “Put your hands up.”

  Onyx froze.

  “Both of you. Hands in the air where I can see them.”

  Onyx lifted his hands. Everything turned surreal. Life seemed fake as men screamed for them to get down on the ground and the handcuffs appeared. Badges were flashed and rights were read. All Onyx could do was hold Seven’s stare and watch as Seven became someone new. His expression turned wild—like a caged and abused animal being put in chains. Something inside Onyx broke as he watched the love of his life disappear and turn into something terrifying.

  “I don’t understand.” Those were the only words Onyx knew because he didn’t understand. One second, life had been beautiful, and now everything was gone.

  The walls were bare except for the two-way mirror in the room. Seven sat alone in a hard wooden chair at a plain wooden table. His heart slowly bled, stealing the life from him. But he had been trained to endure, and he would. No one could break him except Onyx. Fuck. Onyx. He didn’t know where they had taken him. His poor angel had looked so confused. They had put them in separate cars and kept them apart. No doubt they grilled him now, recognizing he would be easier to crack. They were likely telling Onyx everything, except Seven didn’t know what they had. He hadn’t done a job in months. Seven was too good to get caught. He never left evidence behind. This arrest could be for a million things. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to prepare. Seven had been raised by demons to become the devil. He had gone from homelessness to an orphanage only to be adopted by a society of men who trained assassins. There was nothing any cop could do to him. Except they could hurt Onyx, and that was unacceptable. Seven had to play this just right. By the time the door opened, Seven knew exactly what to do. He pretended to be innocent and scared.

  “Mr. Seven. I’m detective Nic Higgins. Do you have a last name? We couldn’t find one that seemed real anyhow.” The blond detective tossed a file on the table and sat. “Your fingerprints aren’t in the system. In fact, nothing about you is in the system.”

  “Why would it be? I’ve never done anything wrong in my life.” Seven wanted to give himself a bow for his acting skills. He sounded terrified.

  Nic smirked and opened the folder. He pulled out three eight by ten photos and set them in a row on the table in front of Seven. “Are you telling me that’s not you?”

  They were pictures of Seven walking behind Senator Kenneth Yearly with a bloody sledgehammer over one shoulder. Yearly’s hands were raised. It looked like the abduction it was. Fuck. The Yearly job had been sloppy. Seven hadn’t been given much time to prepare or clean up afterward. He hadn’t been meant to harm Yearly. That hadn’t been the job. Seven had changed the rules to help a friend. He hadn’t known about whatever camera got the stills.

  “I do cosplay every weekend at conventions. That’s one of my costumes for horror conventions. I don’t understand why that matters.”

  “You’re telling me you don’t know that man in front of you?”

  Seven didn’t answer. He just kept staring at the man’s cold blue eyes, looking innocent and scared.

  “Let me enlighten you. That is Senator Kenneth Yearly. He’s been missing for months. Would you like to guess which night he went missing?”

  Seven made a helpless gesture.

  “This one. With you. This is the last image of Yearly anywhere and he was with you. Tell us now where the body is and give his wife and son closure. Tell me now and maybe we can cut a deal.”

  The door opened and a man in a suit that cost as much as some people’s homes strolled inside. He held a briefcase and was followed by a man whose face Seven would never forget. Seven couldn’t breathe or look away.

  “You are to release my client now, without delay. Here’s an order from Judge Davidson. As you can see, Mr. Yearly is very much alive and extremely unhappy to see his lover in distress. This is a huge misunderstanding, but we will take a full apology from you and your team into account, when I file civil suits.”

  Seven couldn’t draw a breath.

  Nic shot to his feet. “Senator Yearly. Everyone has been looking for you. I’d very much like to ask you a few questions, starting with where you’ve been.”

  The slick-looking lawyer leveled a stern look on Nic. “Any questions you have for Mr. Yearly can be directed to my office. Right now, you have proof of life and no reason to hold my client.”

  “Look, I don’t know who you are, but it’s not that simple. My team has spent several months and countless resources hunting for the senator. Someone has to answer for that.”

  A cold smile pulled at the corners of the attorney’s mouth. “I assure you it is that simple, and if you’ll read the letter from Judge Davidson, you’ll see that it is indeed a closed matter.”

  Seven couldn’t even blink. His gaze wouldn’t waver from Yearly. It couldn’t be. Another police officer entered the room and removed Seven’s cuffs while Nic still sputtered. Seven was too shocked to form words. He tried to hide his reaction. Seven kept his features blank. He was inches from freedom and couldn’t give them any cause to hold him.

  The attorney helped Seven to his feet. “Don’t worry. I’m Murphy Sullivan, Senator Yearly’s personal attorney. He’s hired me to represent you. Judge Davidson has ordered your release. You have nothing to worry about. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “What about Onyx?” While Seven’s brain might not work correctly, he still knew he had to help Onyx.

  “Your friend was released an hour ago. We’ll take you back to your hotel room.”

  Seven’s feet moved, but his gaze still wouldn’t budge. He eyed every inch of Kenneth, trying to make his mind understand. When their feet hit the sidewalk outside the station, he came to his senses. He couldn’t get in the car with these people. Something wasn’t right. A limo appeared, and Seven took a step back.

  “I can find my hotel by myself.”

  A shark-like smile stretched Murphy’s lips. “Get in the car, Seven. You have questions and we have demands.”

  Fuck. It wasn’t a request. He didn’t have any weapons.

  Murphy held out a plastic bag to Seven.

  Seven realized it was everything the police had taken from him. His engagement ring was inside. They knew about Onyx. He had to go with them. Seven accepted the bag and climbed inside. The moment everyone was settled, and the car pulled away from the curb, Seven broke.

  “I sliced Kenneth Yearly’s throat and burned his body. So who in the fuck are you?”

  Kenneth’s mirror image smirked.

  Murphy answered. “He’s Senator Kenneth Yearly. That’s exactly the truth you’ll never waver on from this moment forward.”

  The car slowed to a stop, and the door opened. Archer climbed inside and they were off again. Seven was trapped. His pulse pounded in his ears.

  Archer stared at him with cold eyes. “Hello Seven.”

  Seven didn’t speak.

  Archer obviously didn’t need any encouragement to keep going. “You’ve been a naughty boy. Lucky for you, things worked out better than I could’ve dreamed. After some thought, I realized you were right about the senator. He had a sickness. Crazy can’t be controlled. That’s something you understand well. It was better to eliminate and replace.” He held Seven’s stare and spoke slowly, letting Seven know that last bit included him. Everyone knew he was insane. “Also, luckily for you, you can still be useful and now you owe me a favor for saving your ass. Killing a politician isn’t easy to escape. You would’ve been hunted to the ends of the Earth. Now all you have to do is keep up a lie. Your life… and Onyx’s, depends on it.”

  Seven’s stomach churned. “What lie?”

  “That you’re the good senator’s lover, of course. He ran away after falling in love with you. The shame of hiding his sexuality from the press and his wife drove him to the bottle and to extremes. But after spending a few months in hiding with you, he checked himself into a treatment center so he could become the good man this country deserves. Now he’s back and ready to return to his old life. I’ll buy this year’s election and you’ll stand by every word of this. Murphy will represent you. He’s a shark, so I doubt you’ll ever be personally questioned. But in the eyes of the world, you are now Senator Yearly’s ex-lover, and you recognize now that I can get to you. No matter where you go, I can always get to you. I can certainly get to poor clueless Onyx.”

  Fuck. He had to do whatever it took to keep Onyx safe and Archer knew it. Seven was trapped.

  For much longer than he cared to admit, Onyx sat on the hotel bed with his eyes glued to the TV. Every channel said the same thing. Showed the same images. Seven’s face was plastered everywhere. Now he knew where Seven had been those six months. Everything felt like a lie. Seven had only come back to Onyx because his heart was broken. Onyx felt like the biggest of fools. Of course, he wouldn’t be the only man completely incapable of resisting Seven. He had brought down a whole senator. Seven had sworn there was no one else. The hurt and rage were real.

  For two hours, Onyx waited. He wanted to scream. Onyx needed Seven to tell him more lies. He had been questioned for fucking hours. The things those cops had claimed. Onyx still felt cold. But now he wished Seven had killed the man. That would be easier for Onyx to swallow. The knife in his heart hurt too much. He had to pull it out. Then the live coverage began and there Seven was on the screen, right next to the senator, supporting the man who had driven him back into Onyx’s arms. An attorney spoke on their behalf. Onyx listened to every word, incapable of moving. The senator had acted out of love. He couldn’t face his constituents or family because of the shame. His entire political career, he had run on the hatred for the LGBTQIA community. He had to disappear to follow his heart. Yearly couldn’t bear the shame. Onyx hadn’t been ashamed of loving Seven. Why wasn’t he enough?

 

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