Olympic Cove 2-Breaker Zone Read Online Free Page A

tonight you
didn’t know that I liked to be tied up.”
    “Yeah, well, you didn’t know I was bi,
so we’re even. Besides, from what you just told me it sounds like everything
you do is pretty much negotiated beforehand.”
    “Yeah, that’s the way it’s supposed to
go. Safe, sane, and consensual for people like me, or
risk-aware consensual kink for people who go in more for edge play.” His
stomach clenched. “Like Barnard.”
    His friend scowled. “I still think you
should call the cops.”
    “There’s no point. I’ve seen guys like
me come through the ER before. Usually it’s because some asshole thought being
a Dom meant that he could kick the shit out of his sub. The cops take a
statement and that’s it. Nobody does anything. They figure we asked for it.”
    “But you didn’t.” Ian gestured at his
chest. “That isn’t consensual. That’s assault.”
    Nick shook his head. “It’s my word
against Barnard’s. I let him tie me up. And he did stop. Eventually.”
    The rage and shame flared again. How
many times had he treated people in the ER who’d come in with bruises,
lacerations, or broken bones inflicted by a partner? How many times had he
urged them to call the police, turn in their abuser? How many times had he
watched his patient walk out next to the person who had caused their injuries
in the first place?
    Physician,
heal thyself.
    Ian frowned, but sat back. “All right,
no cops. What about Memorial? I thought you weren’t supposed to go on vacation
for another two weeks.”
    Nick could see his department head
sitting across from him, that oh-so-strange expression
on the woman’s face as she talked, explained. Cut his life into pieces. He
rolled the bottle again, feeling the warming glass against his fingertips.
“They fired me.”
    Ian’s eyes went wide. “They what ?”
    “Budget cuts. That’s what my boss said,
anyway. They needed to trim down the Emergency Medicine staff, and I was low
man on the totem pole. Cancelled my contract, gave me a reasonable severance
package. That’s all, Dr. Gardiner, thank you for your work.” His cheek
twitched. “Did I ever mention that Barnard is a major contributor to Memorial?
He used to joke that he should get me fired so that I’d have to move in with
him. Looks like he made good on it.”
    The smaller man’s jaw muscles bunched.
“That shit son of a bitch.”
    “Yeah, pretty much.” How could so much
of him hurt? His head ached, his chest stung, his stomach burned. And behind it all, a free-floating rage. “Now you know why I
brought Norma. I had to get out of Chicago before he fucked me over even more.”
    Absently he noted his knuckles were turning
white. And then Ian’s hand closed around his, gently prying
his fingers off the beer bottle. “So you’re staying here,” the other man
said. “Mi casa es su casa, for as long as you need it. And just so you know, if
Barnard Whitfield comes anywhere near this cove, I will personally make sure he
regrets it.”
    Nick shook his head. “I don’t want you
to do that. This isn’t your fight, and he’s a vindictive prick.”
    The hand on his
tightened. His skin tingled oddly, as if he’d just touched an exposed wire. He glanced at
his friend, and blinked.
    Ian’s eyes looked like they were glowing,
a pale aquamarine flickering under the dark blue irises. “I don’t like people
hurting my friends,” he said. His tone was soft, but there was a power to it
that called to Nick’s submissive side. “And I really, really don’t like people
like Barnard Whitfield. If he comes here, let me take care of him, okay?”
    Did
he just use a Dom voice on me? It didn’t matter. His muscles unclenched
for the first time in what felt like days. “Okay. He’s yours.”
    “Good.” That weird sense of power
dissipated and Ian stood, grabbing his plate and the beer bottles. “You look
like you’re about to do a face plant. Why don’t you go back to bed?”
    Nick nodded. “Yeah,
good idea.