Red Jack’s stomach plummeted when he heard the Coffin Nails MC mentioned.
Chapter 23
The sound of the bars locking behind them was more welcome than Loki could have imagined. He’d had occasional run-ins with the police before, but they were never like this. Sometimes, he’d played the pretty boy card, but never with more than one policeman, and besides, Jack wouldn’t be impressed.
In the police car, Jack had been pale as a sheet, and Loki didn’t know why until the grilling started. Clearly, the force held a grudge against Jack, but whether it was personal or just based on him being a member of the motorcycle club, Loki wasn’t sure. What shocked him most wasn’t the way the two policemen mocked Jack, it was that Jack didn’t try to defend himself. He didn’t openly oppose stupid ginger jokes nor comments about the compromising position they had been caught in. Quiet as a mouse didn’t suit Jack, and it was uncomfortable to see him that way.
And now, in the small cell at the police station, he faced away from Loki, his shoulders stiff, head bowed. The tension spread to Loki, gripping his throat and rendering him mute. He swallowed repeatedly and backed away to the bars.
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing he said to Jack since their intimate moment had been so brutally brought to an end.
“It’s fine.” Jack put his palms against the wall. Fine was the last thing he looked like.
Loki squeezed his jaw hard and slowly approached Jack. For some reason, seeing him so powerless made Loki stiff. He wasn’t usually forgiving to a man’s weaknesses, but this? It was hard to watch. Not because it was awkward, but because he didn’t want Jack to feel like shit. “Maybe I really shouldn’t have had that tattoo done without asking you first...”
Those words turned Red Jack’s head. With no one else in the cell, they were free to talk. “It’s staying where it is.”
Loki exhaled and dragged his fingers down his face, stepping close enough to sense Jack’s body heat. “What happens now? Are you on parole, or something?”
“No. But I’m a fucking Coffin Nail. They always try to squeeze us for any bullshit. We’re probably gonna be out soon. But what if those fucking pigs talk to my brothers about what happened?” Jack punched the wall so hard Loki flinched. His knuckles left a red mark on the wall.
Loki took Jack’s hand and looked at the torn skin. His heart was beating so fast he could feel it in his temples. “Can I do something?”
“No, it’s my fault I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants. Fucking fuck!” Jack’s cheeks were slowly turning the color of his hair.
“You couldn’t know...” Loki pulled Jack to the tiny sink and turned on the water. He put Jack’s hand under the faucet and cleaned the flesh Jack had rubbed raw with one punch. Why was he so on the edge if it was Jack who had more to lose? And since when was Jack so eager to take the blame? When they first met, Jack had been very quick to blame Loki for tempting him into things that a true straight bro shouldn’t be doing, and yet now, he was ready to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Jack finally looked into Loki’s eyes. “I’m losing my head because of you.” And despite the way he worded that sentence, it felt more like a confession than an attempt to lay the blame on Loki.
Loki froze, staring up at Jack. His head throbbed with the need to do... something, but he kept it all inside, until he felt hot wetness trail down his lips.
“Hey, what is it?” Jack quickly cupped his face. “Do you feel okay? Should I call a cop?” But all Loki needed was feeling those big, calloused fingers on his skin. He covered Jack’s hands and tilted back his head to stop more blood from trickling down his face.
“You like me?”
Jack sighed, as if what he was about to say was bad news. “I like you a lot. Everything is different with you around.”
Loki wheezed and kissed Jack’s wet, cold knuckles. There it was, a declaration he’d always wanted to hear. So why did it feel so bitter, even with the warmth of joy spreading through his chest? “I like you, too.”
Jack frowned, but nudged Loki’s nose with his fingers. “Last time, you said you love me?”
Loki pulled up his shirt and wiped away the blood with the hem. Jack had been frozen with fear on the way here, but now he seemed composed, ready to take danger head on. For Loki, this kind of behavior was so alien in a boyfriend that he didn’t know what to say.
Instead, he smiled. “I do.”
Jack swallowed, his eyes wide and soft. “I never thought it could be like this with a guy…”