Page 3 of Nugget

It was raining. Again. When he first researched this area, and he always did research before everything he did, Stryker hadn’t seen anything about the constant and unusual sudden thunderstorms. Cursing behind his helmet, Stryker had to slow his bike down.

The gravel road that led through the state park wasn’t built for motorcycles.

He’d just run out to pick up a little snacky-snack. Cheeto puffs, a chocolate bar, and an energy drink. The same thing every night. Even the older woman that worked behind the counter had started to tease him about his nightly purchases. The little mom-and-pop convenience store was located outside the entrance of the state park and open twenty-four hours. Stryker was thankful for them. Not that he couldn’t buy groceries if he wanted—he just didn’t want to. As long as he had a snacky-snack and a freezer full of nuggies, Stryker was in heaven.

Hunching his shoulders, Stryker was thankful that the rain had at least waited until he was nearly home. If the RV that he’d acquired could be called home. It suited Stryker’s needs so he was happy enough with it and impressed with the size and modern features. He’d come across the RV by chance in one of the accounts that Stryker had found online. Okay, he’d broken into the secure server. It had just been there for the taking. Not that anyone would ever know it was him. He was that good. Unless you counted those damn witches that had caught him. Stryker didn’t count them. They’d totally cheated by using magic!

Of course, remembering the witches led him to reflect about meeting the mage and familiar who’d rescued him and introduced him to Stryker’s current obsession.Gavin.The hot older man that Stryker might be, was totally, stalking. He’d even stolen, borrowed, the RV so that he could set up at the state park not far from Gavin’s little town.

Thinking about Gavin had Stryker increasing his speed on the bike. When he’d left to make his nightly snack run, Gavin had been sound asleep in his big bed all naked and yummy. Gavin knew that Stryker was watching even if they both pretended that the other didn’t know.

Thank fuck Gavin was embracing this little game. He was so much fun!

Eventually Stryker would either grow bored and move on or he’d finally take the playing into real life. If there was anyone who could push Stryker from his self-imposed solitary life, it would be the hot Papi that Stryker craved.

Pulling up next to his RV, Stryker turned off the bike after parking it under the canopy he’d attached to the side of the large vehicle. He rushed inside, shaking off the rain from his body. He dumped the helmet then yanked his soaking T-shirt over his head.

He’d just tossed the plastic bag with his treats on the makeshift desk when he noticed that Gavin’s bed was empty.

“No!” Stryker wailed. Dropping down in his chair, Stryker began to type on his keyboard.

Where did he go? Damn it! Stryker growled in the back of his throat as he checked all the other cameras around the property.

Stryker wasn’t certain whether the rest of Gavin’s friend group knew that he’d hacked into their security system so he could utilize the cameras. The newer cabins he didn’t have access to, but Stryker doubted Gavin would be in any of them.

Nothing. Gavin wasn’t in the kitchen or in any of the common rooms of the big house.

“Where did you go, Papi?” Stryker murmured.

Not finding Gavin anywhere inside, Stryker switched to rewinding the feed to follow Gavin’s previous movements. Yes! Got him leaving the bed. Stryker sent the video back another ten seconds then hit Play. He was so good at this stalking game!

His delight immediately fled as he watched Gavin thrash on the bed.

Fuck! He’d been having a nightmare. Again. Stryker had no idea what bad dreams chased after Gavin, but Stryker wanted to make everything better. Not that he knew how to do that quite yet. Or how to even approach Gavin if he decided to. As far as Gavin knew, Stryker was still in the small apartment that he’d been squatting in when they’d first spoken.

Not that Stryker planned to share that little nugget of wisdom with anyone. What he did and when he did it was no one’s business but his own.

Stryker’s life mission was to fuck over everyone and anyone. Corporations? They had too much power and way too much money. If Stryker helped himself to a little of that money, who could blame him? He donated to every worthy, according to him, charity and cause that he found. Child cancer research, LBGTQIA support, whatever caught his attention. He was a prince like that! He cackled. Not sure Gavin or his familywould think of him that way. They were a bunch of do-gooders. Wanting to protect the world and shit like that. Obviously, they didn’t know that the world was out to fuck all of them over.

Stryker tracked Gavin to the front of his cabin before losing him.

Damn it! Stryker was going to have to go back out into the forest and set up some game cameras or something. He hated missing out on anything. That was just unacceptable.

The rain started to fall harder against the windows of his RV and Stryker scowled. Fucking rain. Giving up until Gavin showed up on Stryker’s cameras again, Stryker rose to peel the wet jeans off.

He tossed the damp clothing onto the couch before stripping out of his underwear as well. Stryker was chilled to the bone. The spot he was currently paying a monthly fee for in the state park came with water and electricity so he could take a shower, but Stryker hated to miss Gavin’s return.

Just where had he disappeared to? Had he gone to one of the portals? Stryker hadn’t gone past the boundaries of the state park since he knew that Dean had placed a magical ward. The more he learned about magic, the more Stryker grew bitter that he was just a lowly human. Not that being human made him lowly. No, that was just how his life cards had been laid out for him.

Instead of attending college where he could learn to use his brilliance for good, Stryker was forced to use his natural talents in order to survive. Well, after the start he’d had at life, he deserved a little something-something extra. At least that was what Stryker told himself.

He never stole from anyone that would miss the money. If he ran across someone in trouble, then Stryker was the first to help. If they were people that Stryker deemed worthy. Which meant that they weren’t rich assholes.

Stryker pulled a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie from the pile of clean clothes close by. He didn’t bother with underwear this time. Hopefully when Gavin returned, he would be naked and feel like giving Stryker a show. Oh yeah, Stryker still needed to figure out if Gavin had used a portal to get away from him. That was a complication he hadn’t solved yet.

The portals were too close to the big house, making it difficult for Stryker to place his sneaky cameras. He didn’t want anyone to know he was in town yet. Dean probably wouldn’t help him either. Dean was all lovey-dovey with his new boyfriend. Not that Stryker could blame him. Dean’s partner was a shifter, so he often had to get naked as well. And Stryker might have caught sight of Logan’s tanned muscular frame a time or two. Innocently of course. Stryker only had eyes for one man but he sure the hell could admire hot male bodies when they were constantly flashing him.

He sighed. Best decision ever to follow Dean and Noah to town. At first Stryker had just wanted to repay the favor he owed for Dean literally saving his life. Stryker did not like owing anyone for any reason.

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