Page 31 of The Devil's Mercy

“That’s why I shouldn’t,” Cal said. “Because Idon’twant to try you.”

“How did you know it was me?” It could have been Aodhan sitting here. The room stank of sex and sweat enough there was no way, even as close as they were, Calix could make out Titus’s personal scent, so that was out. He’d made no sound at all, even keeping his breathing shallow, and out of the two of them, Aodhan was the one who’d shown his rougher sides. That’s why Titus had opted to grab him by the hair in the first place. To throw him—

“It’s the feel of you,” Calix replied. “The way I feel when I’m around you, it’s…different.”

“Ah.” That explained that. He wasn’t using his ability to manipulate the air around them at the moment, but he understood what Cal meant.

“What is it?” the detective asked. “Is it because you’re a Connect?”

“Yes.” He tipped his head, watching as Cal grew silent, clearly thinking over his next words carefully. “Say what’s on your mind. It’s just the two of us in this room.”

Titus wished they were already connected, because if they were, he’d be able to feel exactly what the other man was feeling, and would not have to settle for suppositions.

Calix seemed nervous, a different kind of trepidation than he’d previously displayed in this room. It was in the way hetrembled ever so slightly, and how his fingers tightened more around the thin material of Titus’s t-shirt.

In the end, he gave in to whatever negative emotion he was feeling and shook his head slightly. “Never mind.”

“Tell me.”

“It was a moment of hubris, forget it.”

“Little monster.” Titus brought his mouth closer, sure that Cal could feel the gust of his hot breath against his chapped lips. “Don’t make me string you up again. How will you ever get answers if you’re too afraid to ask the right questions?”

Cal pushed lightly, but when Titus growled, he gave in. “Is that why I’m here?”

“What was that? You’ll have to speak louder.” He didn’t, Titus had heard him. How could he not, with the mere half an inch between them?

It was adorable that the detective felt shy over something like this, especially since Titus had obviously been leading him to this conclusion all the while. Hadn’t he tried to get Cal to admit it days ago? He had to know this conversation was what Titus wanted from him, yet he was acting like a skittish, cornered animal.

In a move that reminded him of something Aodhan would do when scolded, Calix huffed. “Why bother? It’s not possible anyway. You might be a Connect, but I didn’t know about Aodhan and you before now. You probably already have a secret completed pod, and this is all—”

“To punish you?” Titus cut him off drolly. “For hitting a kid I care nothing about with your car eight years ago?”

Spelled out like that, it was absurd, and it was obvious that Calix was seeing that as well, for he quieted.

“If not for that, then why?” Cal’s voice was soft, timid almost.

“Interesting logic. Aodhan is the one who insisted on using the hook. He’s the one who’s been—”

“You’repunishing me,” he insisted. “I just don’t understand why if not for what I did to Nero.”

This was a very different version of the detective than he’d been at the station, when Titus had tried bringing their past up only to be rebuffed. He’d known Aodhan was onto something about Calix being secretly into this, but he’d never dreamed it would truly be this easy.

Was it?

Or was this a trick?

“Are you playing the part of a good little sub,” he wondered aloud, “or is it real?”

“Don’t make it sound like this is normal. It isn’t. Nothing about this is. This isn’t BDSM play. This is kidnapping. Plain and simple.” Calix pursed his lips. “You said if I wanted answers, I had to go about it a different way. You don’t react well to being talked back to. I’ve adjusted my approach,” Cal surprised him by fully admitting. “Why am I being punished, Mercy? I have to understand in order to properly learn the lesson. Aodhan I get.”

“Do you?”

“He’s angry I was going to leave the planet. A part of me knew he wanted this thing between us, fake or not, to continue.”

“Yet you were really going to go anyway.”

“I was.”

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