Page 30 of Silent Fire

He hadn’t been at Sin’s long, but there were always bikes. Noise. Music. Where was the music?

Tomas made the turn into the parking lot with just the palm of his hand. Noel concentrated on his strong fingers, remembering how they’d felt touching him in the gentlest way. How they’d caressed Noel’s cheek…right before he was shot.

Noel’s head shot up when the truck suddenly stopped, the rear of the truck still in the street. “What’s wrong?” Noah snapped his head around, looking for Brian in every possible spot a person could hide.

Warm palms pressed against his cheeks. Noel had seconds to draw in a breath before Tomas’s lips were on his, the kind of drawn-out kiss he’d seen only in movies. When Tomas pulled back, the pads of his fingers brushing Noel’s cheeks, any hope of a coherent thought was gone.

“Back with me?” Tomas smiled at him, all lopsided and goofy, like he’d just discovered Noel’s switch.

Someone behind them honked. Tomas flipped them off. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Noel grinned, his mate’s smile infectious. Finally, Tomas parked.

Noel tried to wave off Tomas’s help getting out of the truck, but his mate was having none of it. With a low growl, Tomas batted Noel’s hands away and scooped him up in those powerful arms.

“Son of a bitch!” Tomas grunted, jaw clenched as he carried Noel toward the tavern's entrance. Beads of sweat dotted his brow from the exertion, his breath coming in harsh pants.

“What the freak are you doing?” Noel protested, though he didn't struggle too hard. Being cradled against that solid chest, surrounded by Tomas’s earthy scent, felt too good.

“Babe, I got this,” Tomas rumbled, mouth a grim line. The pain was evident in his dark eyes, but his voice held that steady, unshakable confidence that never failed to settle something in Noel’s core.

They made it inside, both of them wheezing and clinging to the nearest table to catch their breath. Noel met Tomas’s heated gaze, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

“I’ll be Cesar’s best friend for life if he brings me something cold to drink,” he panted, only half joking.

The interior of Sin's was eerily quiet, the usual raucous noise missing. No music pounded from the speakers, no riotous laughter or shouts. Just an expectant hush, like the tavern itself held its breath.

Tomas straightened, drawing Noel closer with an arm around his waist. His free hand trailed up Noel’s nape in a tender caress. “You okay, cariño?”

Noel leaned into the embrace with a soft hum. He felt utterly drained yet oddly at peace, despite the throbbing ache from his wound. Here, wrapped in Tomas’s protective warmth, he could finally unclench the knot of tension that had lived between his shoulders for so long.

“I'm good,” he murmured against the column of Tomas’s throat. “Just...really good.”

Tomas rumbled his approval, the vibration tickling Noel’s lips where they brushed heated skin. They simply stood there a moment longer, lost in the stillness and each other's orbit.

A throat cleared behind them. Cesar leaned against the scarred wood, studying them. “Everything okay over there?” His tone was light, but Noel didn't miss the flicker of concern in those dark eyes.

Tomas gave a lazy nod, not bothering to pull away or hide the intimate way he cradled Noel to his side. “Just need a couple of cold ones over here,” he said easily. “And maybe a snack for the little guy before he faints on me again.”

Noel huffed out a breath, shoving halfheartedly at Tomas’s chest. “I did not faint,” he grumbled without any real heat. “I was...momentarily indisposed.”

“Sure, florito.” Tomas chuckled, undeterred. He pressed a lingering kiss to Noel’s temple, a clear display of tenderness at odds with his teasing words.

Cesar watched the exchange with a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll grab you both a Gatorade and some snacks,” he said, already moving to retrieve the items. “Gotta keep your energy up while you're healing, cariño.”

As he waited for Cesar to return, Noel allowed himself to simply exist in this quiet interlude. To bask in Tomas’s steadfast presence and the knowledge that, for now at least, he was safe.

His wolf stood sentinel, a silent vow to shield Noel from any and all threats. And Noel believed him, in a way he hadn't trusted anyone since he was a child. There was a courage in that, a quiet strength he could lean into when the world became too much.

Tucking his face into the crook of Tomas’s neck, Noel breathed him in—leather, smoke, the wild tang of the forest after a summer rain. This was home in a way no place had ever been before. Not a roof over his head or a geographical location, but the solidity of Tomas’s embrace, the cadence of his heart against Noel’s cheek.

A fragile sense of peace enveloped them both, a brief respite from the danger lurking in the shadows. In this stolen slice of time, there was no threat from Noel’s deranged ex. No bullets ripping through flesh, no anguished cries as they bled out on the floor.

Chapter Ten

Noel’s heart hammered as they approached the bedroom door. Just being back in this hallway made his palms sweat and his stomach churn. He could still hear the gunshots echoing, taste the coppery tang of blood on his tongue.

Tomas must have sensed his hesitation. His mate rested a comforting hand on Noel’s shoulder. “Take a moment, cariño. I got you.”

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