"Magnus," he whispered harshly as sweat dripped off his forehead.
"It's okay, baby," I murmured as I gripped the side of his head. He pressed against my hand and then shook his head. Whatever emotion I'd been feeling as I'd found my own release seemed to be amplified in Dante. But while I had accepted those feelings for what they were, he was fighting them. I managed to urge him down until he was lying on top of me, his dick still pounding into me, drawing out the remains of my own orgasm. But I was focused on the man above me who was fighting a losing battle with his emotions. "Kiss me, Dante," I said softly. He immediately dipped his lips and brushed them over mine. Again and again he kissed me with feather-light caresses. I wrapped my arms around his back and let my palms skate over his slick skin.
"I'm right here," I reminded him between kisses. He shook his head again and I knew he was torn. "Just show me, baby," I told him, since I knew the words were what were crippling him. "Show me," I urged again, my voice barely a whisper between us.
Dante dipped down to kiss me hard and then he cried out against my lips as his body finally gave in. He rammed his cock into me over and over as his release burned my insides. I closed my eyes as another rush of pleasure consumed me. Sobs of relief tore from Dante's throat as he buried his face against my neck and I covered his head with my hand to hold him there.
"It's okay," I said softly against his head as his body shook violently against mine. I wasn't sure how much of that was the aftereffects of his orgasm and how much was something more … something deeper. When the tremors finally started to fade, I used my free hand to search out the blanket and I drew it over his quickly cooling skin. He hadn't moved at all, though I could tell from his breathing and the way he still clung to me that he hadn't nodded off. His silence was making me nervous, but I had to believe that whatever emotional wall that had come crashing down for him was one he wouldn't feel the need to erect again.
Dante finally shifted enough to gently pull free of my sensitive ass, but he didn't roll off me at all. I was confused when he reached behind him to search out my right hand. I gave it to him and smiled when he manipulated my fingers until just my pointer finger was extended and then he placed it on his back. "Tell me again," he whispered.
Except I knew he didn't want to actually hear the words … he was too raw for that. So, I did as he asked and I carefully spelled out the letters for him on his back. When I was done, he lifted his head and kissed me. "I'll be able to say it back someday. I promise."
I smiled and nodded. "I know you will."
I maneuvered him so he was tucked up against my side. We always started off with me on my back and him using my chest as his pillow when we first went to sleep, but come morning, I was usually wrapped around him from behind and his fingers would be clutching mine against his chest.
Dante was out within a matter of minutes, but it took me longer to drift off. I was looking forward to going home, despite not knowing what the future held. I'd managed to plan out a lot of things in the past few months as I'd prepared to make the move to Seattle permanent – a new job with the Seattle PD, a house that was close enough to my grandson's that I could see him on a regular basis. But I hadn't planned for this moment where I had the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with lying asleep in my arms.
I smiled as I realized nothing in this world could have prepared me for Dante Thorne. And fuck if that wasn't a good thing.
Exhaustion settled over me like a cloak and I was dead to the world until I heard Dante's phone ringing. His phone was on my side of the bed so I grabbed it. I'd just hit the Send to Voicemail button when Dante jerked around.
"Was that my phone?" he asked, sleep still clouding his eyes.
"Yeah," I said. "You can call them back," I murmured as I put the phone back on the nightstand.
"No," he nearly shouted. "Let me see it."
"It wasn't Memphis," I offered as I snagged the phone. "It was an unknown caller from Chicago."
Dante's eyes went bright as he ripped the phone from my hands. He frantically punched in the code to unlock it, let out a curse when he got it wrong and then tried again. The second he got it unlocked, a voicemail notification flashed.
"Oh God, please," he whispered as he hit the notification button.
"Dante … " I began, because his panic was scaring me.
He shook his head as he hit the play button on the phone. I was glad when he put it on speaker instead of putting the phone to his ear.
"It's … it's me."
The voice was that of a young man and I saw Dante's hand cover his mouth as there was a burst of static on the phone. It sounded like the caller was on a train or subway because there was a lot of background noise and what sounded like the squealing of metal on metal.
"I found him. He's alive."
The call disconnected and Dante dropped the phone and let out a harsh sob. I didn't need to ask who the caller was talking about because I knew there was only one person who could get such a reaction out of Dante.
Aleks.
Chapter Nineteen
Dante
Magnus's voice sounded far away as I frantically struggled to catch my breath. It couldn't be real, could it? I fumbled for the phone, but it was nowhere to be found. Panic ensued.
"My phone!" I shouted as I ripped away the blanket and then scrambled to my feet.
"Dante-"
"It was real!" I yelled to no one in particular. "It was real!"
Then why can't I find the fucking phone?
"It wasn't a dream," I whispered.
"Dante, stop it!" Magnus snapped and he grabbed my arm and yanked me back down to the bed.
"Magnus, it was real, right? You heard it," I said desperately.
His hold on my arm softened and I managed to focus on him to see his eyes full of worry. "It was real, Dante," he acknowledged.
My entire body sagged with relief, but the feeling was fleeting. "I need to call him back," I said as I began looking for the phone again.
Aleks is alive.
"Here," Magnus said as he searched between us and pulled my phone out from the folds of the blanket. My hands were shaking as I dialed the unknown number.
"Put it on speaker," Magnus said softly.
It rang over and over and I was certain it was going to voicemail, but finally someone answered.
"Hello?" a woman said.
"Hel-hello," I managed to get out, my voice sounding hoarse. "Is Remy there?"
"Who?"
"Remy," I repeated impatiently. "He just called me from this number."
"Oh … I let some guy borrow my phone. He got off at the last stop."
Disappointment tore through me, crippling me.
"Ma'am, can I ask where you are?" Magnus said as he took the phone from me.
"Red line … oh hey, this is my stop. I have to go."
The call disconnected.
"She said the Red line … do you know what that means?" Magnus asked.
I nodded. "She was on a commuter train in Chicago." I took my phone and searched for Remy's number and hit dial. Instead of the voicemail I normally got whenever I called it, there was a message saying the line was no longer in service.
It didn't matter. Remy had called. He'd finally fucking called.
Aleks is alive.
"I have to go," I mumbled as I climbed off the bed and began searching for my clothes. I was vaguely aware of Magnus doing the same.
"Dante, talk to me," Magnus urged, but I shook my head.
"Can you take me to the airport?"
I didn't wait for an answer as I snatched up my bag and went to the dresser and began grabbing my clothes from the drawer. I wanted to laugh at how domesticated Magnus and I had become in the past week.
Magnus appeared at my side. He took a hold of my arm, but I was too raw to deal with his touch. My little brother was alive. But I had no idea what that meant. Why the fuck hadn't Remy said anything else?
Why the fuck hadn't I answered the goddamn phone? I'd used a specific ring tone for Remy's number and unknown callers just so I wouldn't miss a call.
But I knew the answer to my own question. I'd missed it because I'd practically been passed out after the incredible encounter with Magnus.
The one where he'd told me he loved me.
Jesus, I couldn't deal with that now. I needed to get to Aleks.
"Dante-"
"Magnus, can you take me to the fucking airport or not?" I snapped. When he didn't answer fast enough, I lost what little control I had left and bit out, "Fuck it, never mind. I'll call a cab!"
The next thing I knew, my back was being slammed against the dresser and my bag was ripped from my hand. "Knock it the fuck off, Dante," Magnus said calmly. Unlike me, he was in complete control and for the briefest of moments, I hated him for that.
Except I really didn't.
Far from it.
"I can't do this now," I muttered.
He seemed to know what I was talking about because his hold on me eased and he lifted his hand to cup the back of my neck. "I know," he murmured. "So here is how this is going to go." He released me and led me to the bed and pushed me down into a sitting position. He grabbed his tablet off the nightstand and handed it to me. "You're going to find the next flight to Chicago while I pack our shit. Check both the Austin airport and San Antonio. You can explain all this to me once we're in the car."