LOGINPOV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerHe lifted the key fob and hit the button, and his car chirped back at them, the sound echoing off the cement walls of the structure around them, confusing the senses. Gunner, though, turned his head toward the sound. But his expression quickly became annoyed, like he was thoroughly stuck on a crossword puzzle."Where's your jalopy?" he frowned. Khyle felt his eye twitch, but the typical slight against his car was forgotten in the next instant, and he nodded toward the space ahead, feeling a small upward pull on the side of his sore lip."You're standing in front of it."Gunner seemed to take a moment to process where he was supposed to be looking. Khyle pressed another button, and an engine fired up. Blue eyes widened, first in surprise, then amazement. Not that the car in front of him was the most expensive thing on the road. But it was admittedly as nice as his own. Better maybe. Except that this one apparently belonged to Santos."Get outta here!" he bar
POV: Dual, Khyle and GunnerKhyle winced, grimacing as well when Gunner scuffed his hair and slung a heavy arm around his shoulders, practically dragging him into a walk. They weren't going running today. Khyle had declared a day off. Besides, he knew Gunner would have worked out already. He was aware of his habits, and he knew the man was anal about keeping himself up to par, and then some.Instead, he had some stuff to drop off at the local animal shelter, worn blankets from his dad's clinic, things of that nature. Gunner had, almost too agreeably, been all in on Khyle's morning plans. He'd said he had a few old towels to add to the donation pile, even though the ones in his hand looked suspiciously brand new.Khyle scowled back at him. Everything from his own general discomfort to Gunner's many faces, it was all throwing him off his determined stride and into a willful state of petulance he couldn't seem to reel back in."What's that supposed to mean?" he shot back. "You think I lo
POV: GunnerThe skin of Khyle's lip was warm and soft.He only wanted to see what damage Khyle had done to himself last night. And before he knew what had possessed him, he'd reached out and taken Khyle's chin in his hand. It was nothing, really. They were a physical bunch, and close contact with another guy on the team was as normal as taking a piss, nothing at all, but.As soon as he felt that hot skin burning under his fingertips, sinking into his palm, he felt something about himself letting go. Maybe it started before that. He wasn't sure. But Gunner's eyes slit in concentration, and almost like an afterthought, he felt himself slipping somewhere.Until he felt the vibration run through his fingers when those lips moved.Distantly, he heard a low voice. And he blinked slowly as if waking from a fog dream.It sounded vaguely annoyed. That was never a good sign."You know, some people just ask."The world suddenly got brighter, the late-morning sun breaking through the clouds above
POV: Dual, Khyle and Gunner"Yo, Santos. For such a pretty boy, you took that stick to the face like a boss."The thin January air curled like cold steel around their breath on this Canadian-est of days. The storm had dragged a cold snap in its wake. A large man, his appearance smooth and controlled, an unlikely contrast to his feral and often savage nature, moved toward a deceptively leaner but equally tempered and eruptive male as the two took stock of each other for the first time in what felt like weeks.In reality, it had been little more than a day and a half.Pretty boy raised an irritated eyebrow before the flesh between his rich brown eyes rumpled into the deeper version of his trademark scowl. He choked on a nameless sound and took in cold air as he opened his mouth, at first intent on coming up with something as deeply scathing as pretty boy. Something Gunner could suck on.But last night's texting debacle was on the shortlist in his mind. And regardless of Gunner's stupid
POV: Dual, Khyle and Gunner"Yo, Santos. For such a pretty boy, you took that stick to the face like a boss."The thin January air curled like cold steel around their breath on this Canadian-est of days. The storm had dragged a cold snap in its wake. A large man, his appearance smooth and controlled, an unlikely contrast to his feral and often savage nature, moved toward a deceptively leaner but equally tempered and eruptive male as the two took stock of each other for the first time in what felt like weeks.In reality, it had been little more than a day and a half.Pretty boy raised an irritated eyebrow before the flesh between his rich brown eyes rumpled into the deeper version of his trademark scowl. He choked on a nameless sound and took in cold air as he opened his mouth, at first intent on coming up with something as deeply scathing as pretty boy. Something Gunner could suck on.But last night's texting debacle was on the shortlist in his mind. And regardless of Gunner's stupid
POV: KhyleNow, there were moments in a young man's life, such as Khyle's, where he felt he had a relative handle on things. Like the good ones, where he passed a test, nailed an interview, made the team, or even had a deep nod of respect from his crazy father.Or the great ones, where he fixed his little sister's bike and then watched her pedal off down the road like she was driving a brand new Ferrari.And then there were those other more disturbing occasions, the ones where his world promptly did an awkward sideways turn. And Khyle was left wondering just one thing. What the hell had just happened? No, really.He'd made a serious decision last night. Several in fact. First and foremost, the whole feelings for someone who could never reciprocate thing was wearing thin fast. That infuriating enforcer slash man-child addiction needed to go. Khyle had to get his head out of the clouds and back into the game. That was a given. Allowing Gunner Jäger to get under his skin as easily as he c
POV: Khyle"Well that was interesting."Khyle's head shot up from where he'd hunched closer to his phone. He turned and craned his neck to see Shane gazing cheerfully down at him from over his shoulder."Mind your own." Khyle started to grumble. He had reflexively drawn his phone toward his chest w
POV: Khyle"Reapers hustle, hit, and never quit!"Though it was hardly noticed over the din of the busy bar they'd been invited to, the voice of the Soul Reapers' captain carried with ease across the group of tables where they'd all assembled themselves. Twenty-one of his peers and allies looked hi
POV: GunnerWind-whipped snowflakes pelted the glass of sliding doors high up on the balcony of an upscale apartment in downtown Seattle.Insistent. Like they were trying to get out of the storm and break into the almost subtropical apartment.The pale vertical blinds shifted open as heated air ble
The Reaper's locker room was once again filled with the obsessive rumble of hockey talk and the unapologetic sight of men in various states of nudity.Normally, Khyle would have felt quite comfortable, at ease with himself, here in this place. There was this unavoidable problem, though.It had noth







