Page 65 of A Thousand Cuts

It was probably for the best; Fix’s mind was in a small apartment half a city over tangled up with golden hair and a sweet blush.

He rested his head back against his headrest and sighed out loud, letting himself indulge for a moment. In his mind’s eye he was still on that sofa, Liam in his arms and pressed against him. There were no urgent work calls, no threat of curses or strangers outside of the door, only soft whimpers as Liam clung to him. His green eyes were hazy with pleasure and hooded, his mouth parted as he pleaded, “Daddy.”

Fix wondered what he’d find when he got to Liam’s that night. Would Liam want him to just be close by while he streamed? Would Fix sit on the tiny sofa, listening through the flimsy door as Liam pleasured himself in front of the camera? Or would hebe allowed into his room? Behind the camera. Watching. And wanting. So close but so far.

Fix’s hand ended up against his swiftly hardening cock. He was pressing down to try and relieve some of the pressure when his phone rang.

Typical.

The chance that it could be Liam calling for help had him abandoning everything and reaching for it lightning fast though.

“H-hello?”

“Did I interrupt you, princess?” Cyrus’s dry voice said.

“No,” he said, too quickly to seem normal.

“Whatever, I don’t even want to know anyway. I’m calling because I have news on the prints.”

Fix sat up straighter. “Yeah?”

“Or rather no news,” Cyrus corrected himself, papers shuffling in the background. “They didn’t flag anything in our database.”

Disappointment was a weight on his shoulders, dragging them down. “Nothing?”

“Not a thing. Double-checked, before you ask. Whoever sent them hasn’t been caught before.”

Fix swore under his breath. He’d been really hoping something would flag, but the faceless stalker was still faceless and he barely had any more concrete leads to follow up. Only…

“O’Malley,” he found himself saying. “Do you have him in the system?”

Cyrus was silent for a moment. “Now I know you didn’t just pull a wannabe crime boss out of your ass for no reason.”

“So he is?”

“He is. I don’t think he’s the type to send flowers though,” he said sardonically. “Wanna let me in on where this is going?”

“Liam was followed home last night, he said someone was chasing him. He’d met O’Malley earlier in the night and they exchanged words. They had a…past together, but Liam cut ties.O’Malley wasn’t happy about that and seems to be holding a grudge.”

“O’Malley’s rap sheet definitely reads like a bad dating profile, but he’s not so overt. There’s no reports of stalking by him or his men, especially not his tricks.”

Fix grimaced at Cyrus’s reading between the lines. He’d wanted to protect Liam’s privacy, but Cyrus was too astute to be vague.

“Things could have changed.”

“They could, but unless Liam can identify him as the stalker, it’s just speculation. All I know for sure is that he didn’t touch those flowers.”

“We have to do something!” Fix said in frustration. “Liam keeps being cursed and now he’s being followed. He’s not safe.”

“O’Malley isn’t a caster. Are you sure the stalker and the curses are connected?”

“They have to be! Who else would be doing it? It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“But do you haveevidence?” Cyrus stressed. “Anything at all.”

“I just told you he was followed home and has been being cursed for years,” Fix snapped. “Why the hell are you not on your way immediately?”

“Because you don’t own the PUMA department, no matter what it may seem like!” Cyrus snapped back, making Fix startle slightly.