Hagen, Lynn - Nicholas's Wolf [Brac Pack 14] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (2 page)

“Sounds good to me.” Brent followed Nicholas into the bathroom, slamming him into the wall as soon as the door closed.

“Slow down, I don’t do rough.” Nicholas pushed Brent back.

“Drop ’em.” Brent growled, his eyes narrowing at Nicholas’s hesitation.

Nicholas brushed it off. This was a one-off. What did he care about wanting more? There would be no cuddling afterwards. “Condom?”

“We don’t need one. I’m clean.” Brent reached for Nicholas.

Nicholas swatted his hand away. “Hell no, we aren’t doing a damn thing without one.” Not only was Nicholas sane, but he was a doctor and knew all the creepy crawlies a man’s penis could drip with when going bareback.
Not a chance in hell.
If he had known they were coming here, he would have shoved a few in his pocket.

The dispenser in the men’s room was empty, and neither one had one on them. Maybe Rebecca did.

“Let me go ask my friend. Maybe she has one.” Nicholas headed for the door.

“I said we don’t need one.” Brent pushed Nicholas against the wall. He had to turn his face or risk getting it smashed into the ugly yellow ceramic tile.

“Get the hell off of me.” Nicholas struggled, pushing back to get his hands free that Brent, if that was his real name, had pulled behind his back. What a fucking psycho.

“You know you like it rough. All gay men do.” He growled into Nicholas’s ear.

“And what psychotic person told you that?” Nicholas slammed his head back hard into Brent’s face. The man let him go as Nicholas grabbed the back of his aching skull. Oh hell, the movies made it seem so easy to do. He stumbled around for a moment, feeling a bit dizzy. He grabbed the countertop, hoping he didn’t pass out on the filthy restroom floor.

“You broke my fucking nose.” Brent was looking at his hands in horror, the blood splattering his chin and shirt. “You fucker.” He growled as he cocked his arm back and punched Nicholas in the nose.

His head flopped back on impact. “Ah, fuck!” Nicholas hopped around. His face felt like it had just exploded. What was with multiple head injuries tonight? He spun around and turned the faucet on, splashing the cold water on his face to staunch the bleeding. Leaning his head back, he pinched his nose.

“Sorry, I, uh, didn’t mean to take things out on you,” Brent offered as he tried to clean himself up. He handed Nicholas a handful of paper towels.

Nicholas grabbed them. “What gives?” He wet the paper towels and held them to his face, a massive headache adding to his problems. This was going to swell. There wasn’t going to be any way of hiding from this.

“I caught my long-time partner cheating. I guess I had a chip on my shoulder, wanted to take it out on someone,” Brent said as he shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the floor.

“Not the right way to handle things. You just tried to rape me.”

Brent’s head snapped up as his face paled, his jaw dropping to his chest. The smeared blood only made his expression more dramatic. “I–I, that, oh, fuck.”

“Relax. If you promise not to pull any bullshit like that again, I won’t press charges.” Nicholas pulled a card from his wallet. “Here’s the number to a very good counselor that can help you get past this.” He shoved his wallet back into his pocket as he held the card out.

“I promise, I swear.” Brent’s hand shook as he took the card. “You just carry these cards around?”

Nicholas shrugged, regretting it as he winced. “I’m a doctor. It’s what I do.”

Brent cleared his throat, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself. “I really am sorry.” He held the card up. “I promise to call. I’ve never done anything like this in my life. I’m an accountant, for fuck’s sake.”

“Then let’s go dance since we have matching noses now.” Nicholas knew he should get home and put ice on it. Fuck it, let Father yell at him. He helped someone out tonight and that was why he had become a doctor in the first place.

“What the hell happened to you, Nicky?” Rebecca gasped as Nicholas rejoined her on the dance floor.

Nicholas looked over at Brent, who had hung his head. “It was that good.”

Brent looked up from under his lashes. He looked astonished and grateful as a small smile tugged at his lips. He gave Nicholas a nod. “I promise.”

Nicholas lost the urge to dance and led Brent outside. Once again that longing to have someone to call his own tugged at him as they walked over to what he assumed was Brent’s car.

The two sat on the hood, observing the partygoers either heading in or coming out. The night air was warm, and the stars were out, as many as you could see in the city. Nicholas loved stargazing, but time and obstructed view prevented it. They must have been in the club longer than he remembered, transitioning from evening to night.

Why couldn’t life be simple? You grow up, go to college, get a degree, and then put it to use doing something you really loved. How you wanted to do it. No parents to get in the way, no excruciatingly long hours, just at peace with every minute you were at work.

“An accountant, huh?” Nicholas broke the silence.

Brent blew out a ragged breath, lay back on the hood, and crossed his fingers over his chest. “Yeah, not something I really wanted to do. I followed my dad, and his dad, and so on.”

It seemed they had one thing in common. Nicholas knew how Brent felt. To live up to your parent’s expectation seemed to steal a part of your soul when it wasn’t what you wanted.

“I met Henry about three years ago. He was the perfect partner, at least in my eyes.” Brent shrugged his shoulders. “I figured if I wasn’t happy working, at least I could be happy at home. What happened caught me from left field, never saw it coming. I came home early today, knew something was wrong when clothes were strewn throughout the house leading to the bedroom. I heard them, heard the moaning.”

Nicholas wanted to reach out when a tear ran down the side of Brent’s face, but he held back. He could see the pain in Brent’s eyes. The struggle he was going through, it was so raw it was heart-wrenching. It still didn’t excuse what he did, going from a victim to making someone else one wasn’t the solution.

“I didn’t want to open that door. I knew I had to, couldn’t live with the not knowing.” Brent took a deep, cleansing breath and then continued. “There they were, limbs everywhere, and Henry taking it up the ass. He never let me top, but all of the sudden he’s a bottom? What the fuck?”

That was anyone’s worst nightmare when in a relationship. “I don’t know what to say, Brent. Henry was an asshole. Do me a favor and use that card I gave you. I know it seems like your world is falling down around you, but it does get better. I wouldn’t advise trying to date right now. You’ll only take it out on your new partner, and that’s not fair to either of you.” Nicholas squeezed Brent’s shoulder, trying his best to give support, to show that someone cared.

“Crap, I can’t believe I screwed it up with you. You probably don’t want to set eyes on me again, but if I get the help I need, go to this counselor, can we maybe hang out sometime?”

Nicholas knew he couldn’t. Brent had a long road ahead of him. The aggression he showed was only a part of a deeper problem, and he wouldn’t allow himself to become a part of that. “Get the help you need. I promise to check up on you, see how you’re doing.”

“I guess that’s as good as I’ll get. Thanks, Nicholas.”

“I’m going to check tomorrow. If you haven’t made an appointment, then I’m going to press charges. I know it’s forced therapy, but I think in the long run you’ll benefit from it.” Nicholas slid from the hood, searching the crowd that was exiting the club for Rebecca.

“I want you to know I’m serious.” Brent reached into his wallet, extracted a business card. “Here’s my information. If I don’t call to make that appointment, I just made it easier for you to find me.” Brent smiled sadly at him before getting into his car and pulling away.

With his business card in hand, Nicholas felt better about him being out on the streets. Brent was just in a world of pain. He just hoped Brent went somewhere and slept it off.

Nicholas dropped Rebecca off once they had pulled over and she had changed back into her conservative clothing. It had been one hell of a night. He just shook his head when a truck honked at Rebecca’s exposed brassiere. She really was beautiful. If he was straight, he would be all over that. But watching her do her presto quick change did nothing for him.

“We could make up a story. Tell your father we were accosted by a drugstore when we stopped to get cramping medicine.”

Nicholas thought the offer was sweet. “I won’t lie.” He held his hand up to hush her. “I won’t tell him where we were or that you were with me, but I will tell him I was in a fight. It makes me feel dangerous.” Nicholas laughed.

Rebecca shook her head. “Your neck.”

“Gee, thanks,
fiancée
,” Nicholas joked as she climbed out of the car giggling.

Taking a deep breath, Nicholas steered his car out of the drive and onto the main road. Tonight wasn’t exactly like he’d expected. Instead of getting laid, he counseled and intervened. He felt good about helping Brent out, but he was still horny as hell.

Pulling into his drive and cutting the motor off, Nicholas climbed out and went inside. What a night.

Just as he sat his cell phone down, it rang.

He hit the send button without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Dr. Nicholas Sheehan?”

Nicholas blew out a breath. He knew that voice. He never would forget the deep timbre that demanded respect and immediate attention.

“Hello, Maverick Brac.”