Tip of the Tongue [BoyxBoy - Complete - CMS Bk. 1]

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

He pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and fore finger. He was aware of the difference between his light footsteps and Ashton's heavy, confident ones. He wished he would stop picking up those small details. They were piling up in his head, taking up space he desperately headed, and he feared by the end of things he would have his own library of random facts about Ashton.

That wasn't useful or healthy at all.

"They're stopping."

Ren looked up. The Hunters were at the end of the alleyway. The woman—Remy—was pointing down at the scanner and talking to the men. She had a scowl on her face.

Ren and Ashton ducked behind a wide tree. Ren didn't know if it was necessary, but he was all in favor of not being caught.

"Do you know where they're going?" He tried to not think about how close they were again. Somehow he managed to just focus on the three Hunters and not on how easy it would be to press his body against Ashton's.

"I have no idea."

Ren pressed his lips together. "Hell Hounds. They're familiar with them."

Ashton didn't say anything. He just stared at the backs of the Hunters. Ren shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. A shiver went through him. He shuddered, clenching his jaw so his teeth wouldn't chatter.

They followed them for a while longer without anything major happening. Ren wouldn't say he got bored easily, but he was getting this nervous tic he didn't like. His fingers thrummed the inside of his jacket pocket. He chewed on his bottom lip.

"Stop that." Ashton put his hand on Ren's wrist.

Ren jumped as Ashton's cold fingertips grazed over his skin. He pulled away, careful to not make a scene that would draw the Hunters' attention.

"What?"

Ashton pulled his hand away. "You fidgeting. It's annoying."

Ren wrinkled his nose. "Piss off."

Ashton frowned and looked like he was about to argue further, but Ren walked away before he had the chance. He wasn't running because he was scared of Ashton. He knew he couldn't do anything to him until their deal was finished. He was running because he could feel the buzzing within him coming to the surface.

He didn't know what had set it off. He wasn't that angry. He'd only been a little surprised when Ashton had put his hand on him.

Though he didn't like that Ashton had noticed the shaking in his hands. He'd seen it before—he'd pointed it out before and hadn't been as nice about it as he'd just been. The thing inside him really didn't make sense. It was thirsty for blood and violence. It didn't matter where it came from. All that mattered was that it got it when it wanted it.

But it also wanted Ashton for another reason beside how good his blood tasted. It was like the thing inside him was drawn to something about Ashton that Ren couldn't see.

The appeal was there if Ashton wasn't such an asshole. His personality made him ugly and that was the end of it.

It wasn't like Ashton being nice would change things.

Ren wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He was caught up in the swirling thoughts of mayhem. His fangs ached for blood—blood it couldn't have.

"Get out of the way before you get us caught!" Ashton hissed from behind him.

Ren looked up and saw that he was in direct line of sight with the Hunters. He grumbled swears to himself as he moved away before Ashton had an aneurysm.