Page 44 of Innocent

I’d kill to keep making the man smile likethis—looking triumphant and relieved and downright horny, all at the same time. He holds his hand out to me and I take it so we can follow the crowd down the stairs.

This is one of the most perfect moments of my life. He keeps smiling at me, playfully evil, as if he can’t believe we’re actually doing this.

He holds open the door to the lobby with a smile. “After you, baby.”

That flutter in my stomach, it seems to be directly connected to how my cock’s throbbing, aching. Hopefully we’re going to sleep together tonight. If not, Leo better not mind I have to jerk off to rid myself of this case of blue balls.

He starts to say something when, from outside, we hear people yelling and the sound of tires screeching. His head snaps up and Iswearhis feet don’t even touch the ground as he pivots, grabs me, and runs for the auditorium doors at the same time several loudbangsare drowned out by panicked screams from people outside and in the lobby.

He’s somehow got one arm around me, running and half-carrying me. I mean, literally, maybe every third step, my feet actually make contact with the ground. I try to look behind us and stumble.

“Keep your head down and don’t look back!” he snaps. Then two more gunshots sound behind us, and it’s finally dawning on me that we’re inseriousdanger.

I’m aware that there’s a crowd swarming inside behind us, but Leo’s making a beeline for the back entrance and not even breaking stride as we reach the fire door.

He turns, shifting me in his arms and hitting it with his shoulder and side, blasting through it into the frigid night air.

We’re in an alley. I don’t even have time to get my bearings when Leo yanks me again, nearly pulling me off my feet as we run. I finally manage to keep up with him as we run through the night. I’m praying he knows where the hell we’re going. Around us, police sirens are howling and echoing off the buildings, mixed with the sound of people screaming and running, although no one’s caught up with us yet.

He finally stops and pulls me into the doorway of a store that’s closed for the night. After peeking behind us, he turns his focus to me. “Are you all right?”

Gunshots.

Those weregunshots.

I finally nod as I realize he’s waiting for me to answer. “Are we safe here?”

He pulls me in for a desperate hug, his head twisting back and forth as he constantly checks the street in both directions. “Yeah, baby boy. We’re safe here.”

After a moment, we break cover and with him tightly holding my hand, we set off down the block. He’s got his phone in his other hand, an app open. I think he’s trying to book a car, but we end up at a bar down on the corner.

“Don’t sayanything,” he orders, and while I think I might throw up from the way my heart’s still racing, something about his stern tone also comforts me.

My teeth chatter, and not from the cold, although I am cold.

Still, I can’t force myself to let go of Leo’s hand to dig the gloves, hat, and scarf out of my pockets.

Gunshots.

Another police car screams past, full lights and sirens, as Leo opens the bar’s door for me and practically shoves me inside ahead of him.

Inside, we stand by the door with Leo’s arm around my shoulders and him still on his phone. A guy walks over and asks him a question…and that’s when I realize I’m…not…processing.

The world sounds like it’s muted in a fuzzy static that threatens to knock me on my ass. I have to force myself to take slow, deep breaths, because I’m starting to feel a little faint. I’m shivering, panicked, my pulse refusing to slow despite the fact that we’re safe and no longer running.

Gunshots.

Those were fuckinggunshots.

People are wrong—they soundednothinglike firecrackers.

I guess Leo books the car, because we step outside again, where Leo leans against the wall and pulls me into his arms, kissing my temple.

“Hold it together for me just a little longer, baby,” he murmurs. “We’ll be in the car in a minute. I promise, I’ll take care of you.”

My arms are wrapped in a stranglehold around him, under his blazer. He feels comfortingly warm, like a blast furnace. I’m afraid if I let go of him that a black abyss will swallow me whole. He sheds his overcoat and drapes it around me, holding me. Eventually, the car arrives, and we climb into the backseat.

There, Leo pulls me over, so my head’s in his lap as he holds my hand.