Clipped (The Clipped Saga, 1) by Devon McCormack (21 page)

feathers.Dedrus roled across the floor and leapt to his feet, lunging at Kinzer.

Kinzer grabbed him by his shoulders, and they went rol ing

across the floorboards. Dedrus could feel the splinters driving into his wings.

As Dedrus landed on top, he wrapped his arms around

Kinzer’s thighs and clamped tightly around them as he lifted them up.

Kinzer struggled. “You fucking douche!” he shouted, his

eyes filled with rage.

Dedrus didn’t pay any attention. He pushed his hip forward,

letting the tip of his cock taste Kinzer’s hole as he made sure he was in a good position to drive in. He was. And he did.

He didn’t let Kinzer off the hook, either. He shoved it as far

back as he could, without regard for the unlubricated wal s in his ass.

The veins in Kinzer’s neck streaked from his jawline to his

chest. He screamed out. Not as if the experience was slightly

uncomfortable. He screamed as if it was the most unbearable pain he’d ever experienced in his life.

But Dedrus didn’t stop his assault. He pushed in and out

with a furious passion. After al , that’s what Kinzer would have done.

“Harder!” Kinzer demanded, despite appearing to be in

excruciating pain.

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Dedrus complied. He leaned down and snatched Kinzer by

his jet-black hair, pul ing back sharply, as if he was a vampire about to bite into his prey. “How hard do you want me to fuck you?” he asked. The whites of Kinzer’s eyes were red, his breathing sporadic.

“Rip my fucking ass apart!” Kinzer exclaimed.

Dedrus pul ed back and forced Kinzer’s face against his

chest. “Show me you want it,” he demanded.

Kinzer touched the tip of his tongue against Dedrus’s

nipple. Kinzer licked lightly, deliberately.

Dedrus couldn’t tel when his nipple would feel that

sensation again, and it drove him insane.

His bal s felt like they were about to explode.

He cried out. “Oh, fuck. Fuck, no. I’m gonna—”

He had to stop himself. He wasn’t going to let Kinzer off

that easy.

He started to pul out. But Kinzer grabbed his hamstrings

and drove him back in.

“You douche!” Dedrus cried.

“You started this,” Kinzer said through gritted teeth. “Now

finish it like the fucking higherling I know you are.”

Dedrus pushed on Kinzer’s legs, struggling to get out of

him, but Kinzer’s grip was too strong, and he was too close.

He didn’t have much time left, and his hips strides back

were beyond his control, reaching deep into Kinzer, feeling that

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pressure around his shaft, as if it were just begging to be come inside of.

And then, he cried out, a deep, guttural cry, as he felt that

gunshot rip into Kinzer.

Kinzer screamed out at the same time, a stream of come

soaring through the air and sprinkling from his abs to his chin.

~

Kinzer pressed his lips softly against Dedrus.

Dedrus smirked.

Kinzer could feel his lips curling against his cheek.

“Dedrus, I real y can't thank you—”

“Don't even think about it. I'm just glad that you felt like

you could come to me.”

They kissed again. Kinzer wrapped his arm around him,

feeling the V above his ass. His cock lifted.

Dedrus pul ed away and sat up on the couch. He had a

serious look on his face, like he'd had when they'd first been

attacked by The Raze.

“What is it? Kinzer asked.

Dedrus didn't respond. Just sat there, thinking.

“Sorry,” he final y said. “I know you're going through a lot

right now...Losing Jank...your wings. But I just keep wondering if maybe...I know this is a little early, but do you think there could ever be something between us?”

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“There is something between us.”

“No. You know what I mean.”

Kinzer did know. He adored Dedrus. He would have done

anything for him. But he doubted he could ever feel for Dedrus the way he’d felt for Janka. He doubted he'd ever be able to feel for any creature the way that he'd felt for Janka.

Dedrus's eyes fixed on him as he awaited an answer.

Kinzer shook his head.

Dedrus's eyes glistened with fresh tears.

“Dedrus—”

Dedrus hopped up. “It's fine,” he said. He scooped his briefs

off the floor and slipped them on. The band snapped against the dip in his waist and clung to that finely curved ass.

Kinzer wished that there was something he could say,

something he could do, to make him feel better. But he knew there wasn’t. Dedrus found his jeans and shirt and headed out the door, stopping briefly to say, “I'm just gonna take a little walk.”

CLIPPED 200

Kid stepped into the hotel room, his nostrils savoring a sweet, pine aroma. It was the best thing he’d smel ed in a long time. This was also the nicest place he’d seen since he’d first arrived at Jerry’s.

Between the main living area and the adjoining bedroom,

Kid thought the room might have been as big as the workout room

at Jerry’s. The living area was divided into two parts. On one side was a kitchen, separated from the living area by a marble counter. It had a tiled floor and was stocked with a fridge, microwave, and

coffeemaker. On the other side of the counter, the living area was carpeted. A sofa and cushioned chairs faced a massive, wal -

mounted flatscreen TV.

Treycore went to the kitchen counter, and picking up a pen

and a notepad that were placed on it, scribbled something down.

Kid meandered into the adjoining bedroom.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed.

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A king-sized bed took up most of the room and faced its

own flatscreen TV. On the other side of the bed, a window stretched across the wal , looking out at the ocean, which glistened in the moonlight.

Kid raced up to the window, his eyes fixed on a beach as

waves crashed against the shore.

Treycore came up behind him, wrapping his arms around

his chest and tucking his nose against Kid’s face.

“You like it?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful!” Kid exclaimed, beaming.

“Maybe once we figure al this out, we’l have to come back.

You know, for a visit.”

Shivers rushed up and down Kid’s body. The thought of

getting to spend more time with Treycore was exhilarating. He

giggled with excitement. Spinning around, he planted a firm kiss on Treycore’s lips.

Waves of heat rushed through his body. His thoughts

scrambled. He couldn't pul Treycore close enough. He wanted

Treycore to be inside him. He wanted to never let him go.

Treycore’s kissed his way down to Kid’s neck.

Kid became so lost in the moment that he muttered, “I love

—”

Treycore pul ed back sharply.

“—Kinzer,” Kid finished. He was relieved that he'd managed

to catch himself before saying “you.” If Treycore knew how he real y felt, he was certain he'd never get to fuck him again.

CLIPPED 202

Treycore’s arms withdrew from around Kid. His face was

frozen, stoic.

Kid couldn’t tel what he was thinking. Maybe he was just

relieved that he hadn’t said his name. Or Maybe he knew that he

was about to say his name and was horrified.

“Who was that guy you cal ed?” Kid asked, desperately

trying to get out of what now felt like a wildly uncomfortable

situation.

“Um...uh,” Treycore stammered.

Kid was surprised. He’d never seen Treycore at a loss for

words. Treycore headed back into the living area. Kid folowed after him. “My ex-girlfriend,” Treycore said. “You remember the bitch

who—”“Oh, I fucking remember.”

Treycore returned to the counter. He tore a page from the

notepad and scribbled on the next page. Kid leaned against the

doorframe between the two rooms.

“Wel , this guy’s got her same gift. He’s a very old friend.

Went into hiding during the war. That’s not exactly accurate. I guess you could say he was forced into hiding. The Leader created a

weapon. A very powerful weapon known as Morarkes. They were

designed to kill immortals, particularly higherlings. Their first targets were Teleporters and Trackers, the two greatest threats to The Leader’s army, considering he had very few of either in Hel . As far

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as I know, there were only a handful of Teleporters in Hel . Heaven had nearly twenty.”

As he spoke, he didn’t look back up at Kid. Kid worried that

it had something to do with when he’d said those stupid words, “I love...” Treycore must have known how he real y felt and was sweet enough to not tel him why he could never like a stinky mortal.

“When Lero, the higherling I cal ed,” Treycore continued,

“discovered that his Teleporter friends were being killed off by this weapon, he came to earth, went into hiding, and tried to blend in with mortals. I wish I could say that after the war, he found out he liked earth so much that he decided to stay. Truth is, he’s always been paranoid about another war breaking out and him being the

first target. And for good reason. The war real y never ended, and his kind are at the top of The Leader’s hit-list.”

“Thank you, Trey.”

A man, appearing out of nowhere, like Vera, was suddenly

sitting on the counter beside Treycore. Kid assumed this was Lero.

Lero wore a stark-white suit that contrasted nicely with his

skin, which was nearly as dark as the Brazilians’ at Jerry’s. His hair was black, like Kinzer’s, but meticulously combed so that it sheened.

He had a thick, inch-long beard. His head seemed too large for his body, and his nose seemed too large for his face. Even with his odd features, Kid still found him incredibly attractive.

Lero’s palms pressed down on the counter as he leaned back,

kicking his feet out before him.

“I appreciate you reminding me why I shouldn’t have come,”

CLIPPED 204

Lero continued.

“Come on,” Treycore said, flashing a smile. “For old time’s

sake.” Lero’s eyes shifted to Kid. “Now, who’s this little guy here?”

“Kid,” Treycore said, hardly acknowledging him.

Lero smiled. “Hey there, Kid.”

Kid tossed him a wave and as friendly a smile as he could

fake.

“Damn, he fucking stinks,” Lero said. “Even for a mortal.”

Douche
, Kid thought. But as he inspected Lero’s expression, he didn’t detect an insult. His eyebrows were cocked, his stare fixed.

His mouth hung open, as if he was about to drool. Kid knew that

look. He’d seen it on so many of Jerry’s clients.

“Don’t mind him, Kid,” Treycore said, throwing Kid a brief

glare. “He’s just been around mortals too long. Lost his immortal manners.”

Kid knew he was just making a joke, but by now, he knew

of quite a few immortals, and he couldn’t help but observe that they didn’t real y have very good manners.

“What do you think of my hotel?” Lero asked, his eyes still

on Kid.“What do you mean?”

“This is mine. Wel , one of many. We have hotels in

countries across the globe.”

“During Lero’s mortal years, if you will,” Treycore began, “he

hit it big in the luxury hotel industry.”

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“This was, of course,” Lero expanded, “after a few years as a

struggling stage actor, a loathed opera singer, a migrant farmer, a war vet, and a series of other dead-end jobs. Of al my occupations, I think robber baron is my favorite.”

Treycore snatched the page he’d ripped from the notepad

and handed it to Lero.

“Can you take us there?”

Lero didn’t even look it. “I
can
take you anywhere. The

question is:
wil
I?”

“You seriously gonna be a douche about this?” Treycore

asked.

“Trey, you realize that every time I teleport, I leave a scent

behind that The Leader and The Almighty can trace, right?”

“I know. I was with Vera, remember?”

“Unfortunately. In fact, this is where my problem lies. I can

smel that bitch on you right now, so I don’t imagine that your little excursion outside of the States was for sight-seeing. You’re dancing with The Raze, and if I take you somewhere and she finds you, she’s gonna be able to smel me on you, just like I can smel her on you.”

Lero’s looked to Kid. “It’s the shitty part about being a

Teleporter,” he explained. “When we travel, we give off this scent, like burning rubber, that only other Teleporters can smel . There are so few of us that, over the years, we’ve easily been able to distinguish the nuance in each other's scents.”

His eyes flashed back to Treycore. “That said, if that bitch

hunts you down and smel s me, then I’m the one who’s fucked.

CLIPPED 206

Word’l get out that I’m still alive and posing with a bunch of