Page 62 of Silent Fire (Sin & Steel #6)

“Let you in on a little secret.” Tomas glanced up, his gaze slowly sweeping over every soft curve and hard angle of Noah’s face.

“Been doing this life thing on my own since I was a kid. Mom bailed, Dad was just there, you know? Maybe I didn’t know how to always get it right with you, mi amor .

” He shrugged and looked away, blinking back the tears as he sniffed.

“I just wanna do right by you, Noel. Hate to see you hurting, to see that fear in your eyes.”

Tomas stood and walked to the window, watching the traffic below through the partially open blinds. “If I got it wrong, I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Didn’t mean to scare you this morning.”

Seeing that wedding band had screwed him up in ways he’d never felt before. It wasn’t just about Brian being there. It was about the connection that ring represented. A connection Tomas didn’t have with his elegido , not until he’d claimed Noah.

Jealousy was a son of a bitch, and Tomas had turned as green as the Hulk with it. But he would’ve never hurt Noel. You didn’t put your hands on people you cared about. You just didn’t.

That’s what enraged him so much about Noel’s ex. Tomas snorted. Yeah, right. Keep lying to yourself . You hate him because he had Noah, because he tried to put a ring on it. Because he didn’t appreciate how beautiful Noel is and abused him instead.

Tomas would never understand those kinds of monsters. His gut twisted even thinking about making Noel cry, let alone using his fists. His mate was a short shit, and Tomas loved it. Loved being his protector, loved that he could wrap the guy in his arms and Noah fit so perfectly.

He fit perfectly in Tomas’s life, period.

A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Tomas quickly wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat just as Santiago peeked in. “House cleaning,” he said in a diminutive voice.

Tomas smirked. “Get in here.”

Pushing the door open, Santiago strode in, Diablo coming in behind him, as well as the strong scent of freshly-brewed coffee. No doubt from the nurses’ station.

“How’s our boy?” Santiago asked, his gaze darting to Noel. “No change yet?”

With a hiss, Tomas walked slowly back to his seat, his stitches pulling and hurting like hell. “Still hasn’t woken up yet.”

“We found casings,” Diablo murmured. “Right in the parking lot, twenty feet from your window.”

Tomas gripped the back of his chair, other hand pressed to his bandages.

Rage seared under his ribs. If the shooter—which Tomas would bet his left nut was Brian—had been that close, then he would’ve been able to see inside Noah’s room.

The blind hadn’t been fully closed, which meant the perverted asshole probably watched before he’d shot his gun.

Tomas hoped Brian had seen him fucking Noel. Hoped it ate him alive. Almost ate you alive.

“It’s hard for us to track his ex if we know shit about him, not even what he looks like.” Santiago’s eyelids lowered to slits. “Give me something. We’ll track the bitch down.”

“Would love to pay him back for his kindness to Noah.” Diablo’s voice dripped with venom, hands clasped in front, shoulders tight. “Little man-to-man talk, you know.”

“Not your kill,” Tomas snarled. “That bastard doesn’t get to keep breathing after what he did. Not after—” His voice buckled as a tear slid free. Tomas swiped at it then ground out the rest. “Not after he tried to take mi elegido from me. That kill is mine.”

“We’re just helping you track him down while you’re here with your mate,” Santiago said. “Nobody’s gonna take the kill from you.”

Tomas jerked around when Noel stirred. His legs moved a little, stirring restlessly, the tip of his tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

“We’re heading out.” Santiago clapped Tomas’s shoulder. Tomas turned back to them. Diablo casually tossed up a peace sign before they walked out. “When did hospital food start smelling so good?” Santiago asked, eyeing the cart outside Noel’s door.

Tomas didn’t see what happened next. He was slowly moving toward the bed, hand on his bandaged side, his heart thumping a little faster. “ Florito ?”

“Worst. Cotton mouth. Ever,” Noel groaned. His lashes fluttered once, then again, before they slowly lifted to reveal those gorgeous gems.

He was disoriented. Tomas saw the confusion on his face. His eyes darted around the room, brows knitted tightly. “Did we wreck on the bike or something?”

Tomas slowly lowered into the chair, wincing at the pain of his bullet wound. Fuck, he didn’t know how to handle this.

On the one hand, Noel deserved the honest truth. The doctor would probably tell him anyway.

On the other? Tomas wanted to give him a moment of peace where his mate could breathe without reliving that horror. Just one damn second of reprieve.

“We’re stealing that hospital gown, carino . You can walk around our house with your gorgeous tush showing.”

Way to coward out.

Noel turned his head, nose crinkled. “You have a weird fetish, buddy.” His confused expression deepened. “You have a house?”

Tomas chuckled. “Yes, florito . I have a home. It’s not much, but”—he shrugged then glanced down, tracing Noel’s hand with his finger”—it’s ours.”

Like his pack, Tomas spent most of his time at the tavern, which was their wolf den, a home away from home.

His own place was fine, but it lacked the warmth and familiarity Tomas felt at Sin & Steel. It didn’t have Cesar in his kitchen making the best meals Tomas had ever eaten or the sense of belonging he felt at the bar.

It lacked everything that made a house a home.

Until now.

Tomas would spend every damn minute of his life inside those walls if Noel was tucked in his arms.

His mate sat there just staring at him, then his lips curled into a smile that restarted Tomas’s lungs. He could finally breathe again. His elegido was awake and smiling.

“Dude, I totally thought you legit lived at Sin’s. Actually, I thought I stole your room.” His smile faded. “Your room.”

His brain was putting the pieces together. Any second they would click in place. The heart monitor started beeping faster as Noel stared at Tomas’s shirt.

“You were shot, motionless on the floor.” His mate glanced up at him. “How are you sitting here? I thought…” He swallowed. “I thought you…” Noel tuned his head away,

He’d thought Tomas had been killed. “Sittin’ right next to you, elegido . Ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

Tomas pulled his mate’s hand in his, ready to shoulder the aftermath when Noel fell apart. It was coming.

“It was Brian, wasn’t it?” When Noel turned back around, Tomas was shocked to see fire burning in his eyes. “The son of a bitch shot you, and from behind, like a goddamn coward.”

Each venom-injected word snapped out of his throat. Tomas preferred Noel’s rage over tears. Indignation over falling apart.

It also felt like his mate was claiming him.

“Yeah, I feel in my gut it was him.” He curled their fingers together, pale skin contrasting with bronze. His palm dwarfed his mate’s. “Pack’s looking for him, but it would go a lot quicker if we had more than a first name to go on.”

“Are you gonna kill him?” Noel whispered, glancing toward the door.

Jealousy reared its head again, making him wonder if his mate still cared for his ex.

It happened. Sometimes no matter how terrible someone was treated, a part of them still cared. “If I said yes?”

Tomas watched, looking for a flicker of anything that would prove Noel still cared about Brian. He only saw seething hatred.

“Let’s not incriminate ourselves,” Noel said in a bitter whisper.

Goddamn, Tomas loved this man. “We’ll never speak a word of it again.” He kissed Noel’s hand. “How’re you felling?”

“A little loopy.” He tried to sit up, but his arms wobbled too badly.

Tomas arched a brow. “You really gonna move right now? Arm might give out and make you fall back on your cute ass.”

Noel gaped at him. “I wouldn’t have to struggle if a certain rude wolf would help.”

“Let me ask your nurse.”

“To help me sit up?”

Tomas pinned him with a look. “You’re not wiggling a toe unless your doctor clears it, hermoso .”

He’d nearly lost his elegido , so if every move Noel made had to be doctor-approved, his mate wasn’t moving until the all-clear.

* * * *

Noah’s stomach dropped as soon as Sin’s came into view. He didn’t want to be there, but Tomas had told him it was the safest place until Brian was caught.

It might’ve been the safest, but it wasn’t the sanest.

Already Noel’s skin itched, his heart thumping a little harder. As they grew closer, he noticed the bikes were missing.

All of them.

He hadn’t been at Sin’s long, but there were always bikes. Noise. Music. Where was the music?

Tomas made the turn into the parking lot with just the palm of his hand. Noel concentrated on his strong fingers, remembering how they’d felt touching him in the gentlest way. How they’d caressed Noel’s cheek…right before he was shot.

Noel’s head shot up when the truck suddenly stopped, the rear of the truck still in the street. “What’s wrong?” Noah snapped his head around, looking for Brian in every possible spot a person could hide.

Warm palms pressed against his cheeks. Noel had seconds to draw in a breath before Tomas’s lips were on his, the kind of drawn-out kiss he’d seen only in movies. When Tomas pulled back, the pads of his fingers brushing Noel’s cheeks, any hope of a coherent thought was gone.

“Back with me?” Tomas smiled at him, all lopsided and goofy, like he’d just discovered Noel’s switch.

Someone behind them honked. Tomas flipped them off. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Noel grinned, his mate’s smile infectious. Finally, Tomas parked.

Noel tried to wave off Tomas’s help getting out of the truck, but his mate was having none of it. With a low growl, Tomas batted Noel’s hands away and scooped him up in those powerful arms.

“Son of a bitch!” Tomas grunted, jaw clenched as he carried Noel toward the tavern's entrance. Beads of sweat dotted his brow from the exertion, his breath coming in harsh pants.