Reggie’s Reasons by Lisa Oliver
Chapter Eleven
Reggie wasn’t one for clubbing as such, and he attributed Dirkin’s charm and ridiculous pout as the reason he’d been poured into leather pants that threatened to cut off his circulation and was being led into Miracles, the bar he usually worked at. The alcohol flowing through Dirkin’s blood hadn’t hurt either – Reggie was still buzzing from the “top up” Dirkin insisted on giving him.
There was also a bit of caution lurking in the back of Reggie’s brain. On the one hand, he was thrilled Dirkin was so keen to be seen out with him, but since he’d caught Balthazar and Dirkin muttering together in his living room earlier, he was sure the two demons were up to no good.
“Hey, Reggie.” Thomas, the regular barman was pouring beers. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you must have been pretending to be sick or something.”
Reggie was conscious of Dirkin hot by his side. “Evening Thomas. Nope, not sick. I called Martin earlier – I’m taking my weeks’ worth of SOL as mandated by the paranormal laws. This is Dirkin, my beloved.”
Thomas, a wolf shifter with a roving eye, looked Dirkin up and down in a way that made the ends of Reggie’s fingers and his gums itch. “Someone’s a lucky vamp,” he said with a wink. “First drinks are on the house. What’ll you have?”
“I’ll just have my water, thanks.” Reggie turned away from the counter, while Dirkin and Balthazar ordered their drinks, scanning the crowd with a practiced eye. Bjorn, the bouncer covering for him, was a huge bear shifter who always had the girls giggling after him. Reggie wasn’t surprised to see him leaning against a booth flexing his biceps and making the girls squeal.
Checking the rest of the room, Reggie stiffened when he spotted Fox holding court at another large table. There was no sign of Kyle, but Donny was slouching in a chair beside his cousin. For the first time since meeting Fox, Reggie didn’t want to go and talk to him. He hurriedly looked away, pleased to see the booth reserved for staff was free. As Dirkin and Balthazar flanked him, drinks in hand, he took the bottled water Dirkin gave him, and led the way over to the booth, which was conveniently on the other side of the room from Fox’s table and slid into the seat.
“Good crowd.” Balthazar was perched on the end of the booth seat, eyeing up men and women alike. “Nice mix of shifters, big and small, other paranormals like you, Reggie, and the odd sprinkling of human. I could get used to this.” He stretched his legs out and took a sip from a tall glass.
“Music’s good too.” Dirkin was tapping his feet, wearing an easy smile. “Do you dance, my hunky mate?”
“Dance?” Please tell me my voice didn’t squeak. “Er… not really. I’m usually working when I come here, and with me being so big…”
Dirkin chuckled. “I’m bigger than you and I adore your size.” The bottle of water was plucked from Reggie’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go strut our stuff. It’s been a long time between dances for me.”
His heart sinking down to his highly polished boots, Reggie got out of the booth, tugging ineffectively at his tight pants. His pale pink button up seemed to have shrunk as well, straining across his shoulders and Reggie wondered if Dirkin had used his magic on it. Used to blending into a crowd, as much as someone with his height could, Reggie felt like there was a spotlight on him as he followed Dirkin to the dance floor.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the room,” Dirkin said with a grin, sweeping Reggie into his arms, holding him so there was barely a breath between them. “This place is a mass of shadows, so it was good for me. I used to float around here, watching you work, and imagine doing exactly this – holding you close, letting our bodies sway gently to the music, teasing each other with touches.”
Reggie forced himself to relax, draping his arms around his beloved’s neck. Ten years Dirkin had spent in the shadows with no physical substance to hold anyone with. Reggie hadn’t danced at the club, purely and simply because the men attracted to him would’ve considered dancing a form of foreplay. In his beloved’s arms, Reggie could see the idea had merit.
The music was loud, some pounding beats Reggie recognized only from working in the place. He wasn’t familiar with popular artists or bands, but by focusing on the heavy bass beat, and Dirkin’s body, he hoped he was moving enough to blend in without making a fool of himself.
/~/~/~/~/
Worth every second of torture I spent waiting for this, Dirkin thought as he twirled his mate with a sigh. Reggie had a powerful grace about him, reminding him of a large panther, and Dirkin wasn’t the only one noticing. He imagined they did make a stunning couple, and stood out by virtue of their height alone, but Dirkin also could see the covert and not-so-covert glances quite a few little twinks were making at his mate’s ass. Oh, how us demons love to handle those others covert. It was a delicious feeling.
Of course, there had to be a burr on an otherwise wonderful evening. Fox’s glare cut through the fun and sexy times everyone else was having, his gaze fixated on Dirkin’s mate. Dirkin made sure Reggie couldn’t see him, shielding his mate with his body, which undoubtedly pissed Fox off even more. Dirkin noticed Balthazar had got Donny pinned against a dark corner of the bar. I hope he’s remembering to interrogate the little shit, although Balthazar’s lips seemed to be busy trying to suck Donny’s mouth off his face.
“Kyle’s just come in,” Reggie said as Dirkin moved them out of the way of an arm-flinging couple. “He’s a good sort. I think you’d like him.”
“I remember seeing him,” Dirkin agreed. “Always happy to get you drunk. He’s not mated, is he?”
Reggie shook his head, causing his loose hair to cascade down his back. A blond-headed twink Dirkin hadn’t noticed, gasped, his lips making a perfect ‘o’ as he reached his hand out, and Dirkin moved Reggie to one side, shaking his head at the little cutie.
“Grr, you’re so sexy like this,” Dirkin mocked grumbled, kissing Reggie’s forehead and tightening his grip. “I’m going to have to beat people off you with a stick.”
“Me?” Reggie chuckled. “You’re the one who stands head and shoulders above everyone else, except for your friend Balthazar. Where did he get to, by the way?”
Dirkin glanced over to where Balthazar had been, but he and Donny were gone. “Probably in the bathrooms.” Dirkin shrugged. “One good thing hanging with the son of Lucifer is I never have to worry about where he’s gone or who he’s with. Now, were those compliments I heard dripping from your luscious lips or…”
“D.” Balthazar appeared suddenly at his elbow, gripping it firmly. “We’ve got some pressing business we need to attend to. Outside.”
Looking over Reggie’s head, Dirkin noticed Fox’s table was empty. “Do you mind, darlin’? We could get some fresh air…”
“Your mate can stay in here,” Balthazar said quickly. “We won’t be long. A few minutes at best. Then you can go back to drinking and dancing, all right? It’s demon business.”
Dirkin was about to protest, but Balthazar was already tugging him across the floor to the door. He mouthed “Sorry” to a stunned looking Reggie, but his view of his mate was quickly lost due to a crowd of people coming into the club.
“What the hell?” Dirkin shook off his friend the moment the cold air of the outside hit them. “Why couldn’t Reggie come with? He’s going to think I’m hiding shit from him.”
“Get round here, quick.” Balthazar headed around the corner of the club. “That cat shifter’s got some news you need to hear.”
“I thought you were too busy plumbing his tonsils to get anything out of him.”
“No harm in taking a bit of pleasure when doing business.” Balthazar’s teeth gleamed in the dim light being thrown by a streetlamp. “Now, where… ah, there you are, my little gremlin. How’re you feeling?”
“A bit fucking tied up and not in a good way, thank you for asking.”
Dirkin put his fist to his mouth and coughed to cover his laugh. Donny was indeed tied up, his whole body fully wrapped in a demon rope that couldn’t be cut with claws and left hanging on a protruding nail on the wall of the alley.
“I sucked your dick and I said I’d let you down when you’d talked to my friend.” Balthazar grinned and gave Donny’s feet a tap, sending him swinging. “You weren’t complaining five minutes ago.”
“Shit, don’t do that.” Donny groaned. “You’ll make me throw up.”
“Talk then. Tell my friend what you told me.”
“What’s to say?” Donny glared at Dirkin, the effect lessened by the fact he was still swinging. “Fox is the head vampire in this town, got it? He’s got a huge following and people around here won’t take kindly to some big lug like your so-called mate trying to do away with him. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take that overgrown troll and get the hell out of town. Fox never loses.”
Running his fingers through his hair, Dirkin tilted his head, watching the swinging shifter. “Reggie’s got a life here,” he was going to ignore the troll comment for now, “why should he leave just because Fox is shaking in his boots?”
“Fox isn’t scared,” Donny scoffed. “He’s got resources you couldn’t even dream up. Look, Fox took Reggie under his shoulder…”
“That wouldn’t have been easy. Reggie’s a foot taller than him.” Balthazar laughed.
“Fox looked out for Reggie when no one else would,” Donny insisted. “I mean, the guy’s barely got two brain cells together and clearly he stuffs his pants with socks, but Fox has always had a soft spot for the big lug, right?”
Okay, those insults were a little harder to ignore. Dirkin growled and showed his teeth. “What?” Donny sneered. “Like you haven’t already found that out for yourself. Sheesh. Look, Fox doesn’t want to hurt the guy, all right. But Reggie’s an adult now and we all know what conniving bastards you demons are – look at what you did to me – which means Fox can’t trust him anymore. So just get him out of town, no one gets hurt, and you can do whatever demons do with stupid mates.”
Dirkin growled again, and then he felt a pang through his bond. Focusing his hearing on the outside wall of the club, he faintly heard the sound of crashing tables and breaking glass. “We’ve been fucking played, old friend. Make sure this bastard can’t do it again,” Dirkin snarled as he took off running. I’m coming, Reggie.
