Runner (Riders of Apollo #3)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mika Sage

I haven't slept in days. My eyes keep drooping and my body is ready to collapse, I've only been eating because Ollie won't eat until I do. That boy is the only thing keeping me sane right now even if he is keeping me awake at all hours, crying and asking when Raphael will be coming back.

At the moment, the mission has gone ahead. A tact team has headed off to the warehouse in no man's land, they're armed to the teeth and wearing kevlar as they're expecting heavy resistance especially after the show at that fight. I'm praying to Apollo that Raphael will be there because I don't know how I'm holding it together, my therapist knows about it and she checks in with me once a day for like fifteen minutes and that helps me get through the night.

My entire being hurts, I can't sleep in our bed so I've taken up a place in Ollie's with the dog as well. Not that we've slept, maybe an hour here and there for a bit but not enough to get through this without minor hallucinations and major coffee consumption.

"He sleeps like the dead." Raphe whispers in my ear as we watch Ollie sleep, almost underneath Kota who is happily using him as a body pillow.

"That's a good thing, he's had a long life and he's only eight. He needs all the rest he can get." I chuckle softly and kick off the doorframe to head to our bedroom, "I'm getting in the shower." I whisper before going into our ensuite.

I know he's followed me when the door shuts and locks behind me. His breath is on my ear before I can even think about anything and I relax against him as his teeth nip at the lobe. He reaches around me to start the shower and starts undoing my belt without even looking at what he's doing.

He's leaving hickeys up my neck and almost rips my shirt in an effort to get it off me. I spin around once it's off and smirk at the lust in his eyes. I push him back against the door and press close enough to him to feel everything, every breath and every rumble of his chest as he hums in approval.

"Are you going to keep teasing me, mi vida?" (my life) I shiver at his tone and lean forward, close enough for our lips to brush.

"This is not teasing, love." My hand drifts up his torso to wrap around his neck and I turn his head to return the favour, leaving red hickeys and bite marks as he grinds against me. The room starts to steam up as the water reaches the right temperature and I tug his shirt off and yank my belt off along with my jeans and boxers.

I back up into the shower and his eyes trail me heatedly, I can almost feel his look on me and I savour the feeling as I step under the water and slick my hair back. He removes the last of his clothes and drifts over to me, his eyes not leaving mine for a second. He reaches for me and slams his lips down on mine viciously, his teeth nipping and pulling while his tongue soothes the pain.

He pulls my hair back to release himself from the kiss and starts kissing down the column of my neck to my collarbone where he leaves another mark. His grip is tight enough to leave bruises and I relish in the pleasure pain he gives me as he completely numbs my senses to everything but him.

We give up on the shower, Raphe turns it off with his lips still attached to my neck and I drag him to the bedroom, throwing him on the bed soon after. The door is locked but we'll still have to be quiet. I flatten my chest to his back and start dragging my tongue over his scars from bullet and knife wounds that he's accrued over the years he's been in the club.

I bite at the softer skin and the curve of his ass making him jolt and beg. He looks over his shoulder with a glare which quickly melts away when I reach for the condoms and the lube, his eyes spark with the same excitement I've seen so many times before.

I know the last person he slept with was Grey and my body revolts at the idea. I slam into him mercilessly, putting my hand over his mouth at the same time to muffle his shout. I pull him back my his neck so that he can see my eyes. "No one else." I demand, making it known that he is mine just as I am his, I can tell he agrees by the way his eyes narrow and his tongue licks his bottom lip.

I give him a punishing kiss before pulling back and surging back in with the same ferocity.

"He's not here." I snap out of the intense daydream and focus back on the mission and Bear's voice as he relays the information. I throw my mug at the wall and almost smash my desk in two. "We've got chains and dried blood, we can't be too far behind them." I know he's trying to reassure me but panic begins to descend.

The warehouse wasn't well protected, only three guards and no security system, the summer house, however, is basically Fort Knox! If he's in the middle of that it's gonna take a long time to safely get him out, even with everyone we have on our side.

"Head back to the clubhouse, we need to plan a raid on the summer house. This Bainbridge guy is fucking dead." Bear promises and I rub my face in anger. It's always Raphael, I swear when he gets back I'm chaining him to this fucking desk. No more outside missions unless he's playing sharpshooter, fuck hand to hand combat.

"Daddy, did they find him?" I look over to Ollie, he looks so small in the doorway with his hand wrapped on the handle and his cheeks red like he's been crying again. You can see how tired he is, his eyes surrounded with blue and his body almost curved.

"Come here, little man." I gesture him over and lift him into my lap, I press him to my chest and kiss his head as I soothe his cries. I know I don't need to tell him that Raphael won't be home today, he already knows. Thankfully, he cries himself to sleep, basically passing out from the exhaustion of the last few days and I keep him close to me to calm his nightmares and stop me from lashing out.

They send Hunter in to deliver the news as if I wasn't listening over the comms and I just nod blankly. I can't find the energy to reply, everything is just so tiring. "We'll find him, Romeo." He promises and I hope to whatever God exists for him to keep that promise.

I look down at the sleeping boy and I feel my heart break for him. Sure, we saved him from the streets but we just shoved him into a more volatile environment.

Maybe it would've been better for us to sacrifice him to the state, he might've had a better chance then.