Red Hot(Sex & Mayhem #5)(113)

Loki swallowed hard and pushed his hands down his pockets. “I’m not cutting anyone. If you help my cousin, I’ll buy you a drink,” he promised, trying to sound nice, even though deep down he knew it was a lost cause.

“What did you do?” Jack got up as well, filling the room with his towering presence.

Lucy sighed. “I’ll call Monster and ask him when he’s coming.”

Loki swallowed hard as his stomach plummeted. Why was this one time he overreacted coming back to bite him for the second time on the same day. “Look, I was rude, I get it. Can we just forget about it and watch some TV, or something?”

Candy butted in, changing the topic for everyone’s comfort. “You want some cocoa, Lucy?”

“No, thanks.”

“Loki, maybe I’ll give your shirt a quick wash in the meanwhile? Those stains on it are making me OCD.” Candy smiled and walked up to him.

Loki chewed on his lip and looked at the brownish blood traces. “It might wreck everyone’s appetite,” he said without looking at Jack. The shirt went off as he walked over to Candy. “Can I borrow something of Sam’s in the meanwhile?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said, but the room behind Loki went dead silent. He felt the warmth of a presence and looked over his shoulder to see Jack standing back to back with him. He turned around.

“Jack?”

Candy gasped. “Um— when did that happen?”

“I’m gonna fucking skin you!” Jack hissed.

Loki stepped back, and his legs turned into lead when he realized what was going on. The tattoo. The tattoo on his back. He stumbled into Candy, weak in the knees. Now that he might actually live, getting his whole back inked with something that so blatantly declared his and Jack’s relationship was beginning to seem like a bad idea. He had imagined himself getting buried with it in a few months, but now it seemed that he might carry it for much longer.

Candy held on to Loki’s arm. “I mean… You’re having sex with your cousin? Jack!”

Lucy groaned. “He’s clearly not Red’s cousin.”

Loki pushed out the air that was burning his lungs, staring at Jack’s tense, muscular back. “I— Jack...”

“Fuck!” Jack aired his frustration and put his hands in the air. “Any of you say a word about this to anyone, and I’m dead, so keep those lips shut.” He pointed to Candy and Lucy. “Fucking hell…”

Candy whimpered. “Oh, I… Sure, I wouldn’t tell anyone. It’s so sweet though.”

Red Jack shook his head. “Sweet? Seriously?”

She blinked and pressed her plump lips tightly together. “Well, yes. I wouldn’t tattoo anyone’s name on my body.”

“Oh, yeah? You’ve got that fucking Jake guy’s name all over your ass. I saw it when you went skinny dipping!” Jack’s body looked as stiff as if it was carved in stone.

Loki pushed his hair back, trying to calm his lungs, which constricted rapidly as his mind fought find any appropriate words.

Candy suddenly charged at Jack like a harpy. She pushed him at the wall and delivered a hard slap to the back of his head. “How dare you! I was seventeen! And I don’t have it anymore!”

Lucy cocked her head to the side. “I guess it all makes sense now. You were just trying to overcompensate for what your real sexuality is. I’m kinda happy that you found someone in the end.”

Jack turned around and punched the wall so hard, his fist made an indent. Loki stared at it, shocked by the power behind that blow. Even more so when he realized it was actually aimed at him, even if Jack unloaded his anger on something else.

“Jack, please. I’m sorry...”

“Fucking fuck!” Jack took a deep breath, staring at the wall. “I’m not gay. I think about both your pussies every now and then!” The way he ignored Loki was hard to stomach.

Candy scowled. “I am so telling Sam what you just said! I’m practically your sister-in-law!”

Lucy smirked. “Right. Just like Mr. Tic-tac-toe is his cousin.”

“What did you call me?” Loki exhaled, staring at her with his hands balled into fists. “You jealous, or something, bitch?”

“Over him?” Lucy pointed to Jack with a sneer.

That was it. Loki screamed and bolted at her, but before he could even reach Lucy, Jack grabbed his waist and pulled him back.

“You ever call him that again, Lucy, and you’re gonna become Mrs. Tic-tac-toe,” he said in a surprisingly calm voice that sent a shiver down Loki’s spine. Lucy’s face froze, and she walked off to the window.

Loki licked his lips and inhaled Jack’s scent as he stayed close to him, letting the skin on his waist burn where Jack held him. Would it be not laughable, he’d gladly faint right there and wake up with Jack holding him.