The first guy jerked Josiah toward him as the second slammed his fist into Josiah’s stomach. He gasped, then accidentally bit down on his own tongue. The bitter taste of blood filled his mouth.

No no no. This couldn’t happen.

Cloth was shoved into his mouth, keeping him from screaming. Pain hit him again as he was shoved against concrete stairs, bent over, weight heavy on his back.

“You’re going to be fun. Keep fightin’. It’ll only hurt more.”

Josiah couldn’t see past the tears in his eyes. Kept fighting as someone ripped his pants down. No... Help... Teo, I’m sorry. Mateo filled his thoughts. He should be able to fight back for Mateo. Be as strong as Mateo. This would kill him.

Through the echo of blood pulsing through his ears, he heard someone say, “Hold his hands.”

Weight still on his back.

Someone kneeled beside him.

His legs shoved open.

Mateo... I love you...

Chapter Eighteen

Mateo

His whole fucking body went tight when he knocked on the locked door and no one opened it. All the lights were off inside. He walked around, looked inside the building but didn’t see anyone. Mateo fought the burn of vomit in his stomach. Fought the rapid beating of his heart. None of that would help him find Josiah.

He took a few steps toward home, but then something made him turn around. Teo jogged to the other side of the building. Maybe he waited there. After Charlie left, he could have wanted to keep away from people. His blood went cold when he saw a bag on the ground toward the end of the alley.

Instincts took over.

He ran.

Pulled his knife out of his pocket. Took the corner. Red flashed in front of his eyes. His heart fucking gone as he ran toward Josiah. Josiah on his stomach, bent over some stairs. Josiah with his pants down. Josiah with a man on his back. Josiah with another guy holding him down.

The guy looked up. “Ah, fuck, Mateo.” The guy scrambled to his feet but Mateo didn’t give a shit about him. Didn’t care about anyone but the guy on Josiah.

No thought. No reservations. He grabbed the guy by the hair, pulled his head back with his gloved hands, and slit his throat. Hot liquid slid down his arm, under his sweatshirt, and hit his bare skin. Still he sliced into Josiah’s attacker’s throat, more blood spraying into the air.

Mateo shoved the guy away. Shoved him off Josiah. Dios, they’d hurt Josiah. I let them hurt Josiah.

He turned for the other guy, the one who’d said his fucking name, but he was gone.

A strangled cry came out of Josiah as he pulled something out of his mouth. “Mateo...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried.”

Mateo fell to the ground with him. His eyes went blurry at the guy’s blood on the back of Josiah’s shirt. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m here. Don’t apologize. Don’t you fucking apologize, you hear me? This wasn’t your fault.”

His hands shook like crazy as he grabbed for Josiah. Tears streaked down his ghost-white face as he wrapped his arms around Mateo’s neck. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Everything in him wanted to do nothing but hold Josiah. To take this shit from here. Bear all the pain for him. But whoever the fuck that was knew his goddamned name. They had to get out of here.

“Josiah.” He grabbed his face so Jay looked at him. “Did he...?” He hadn’t meant to ask that.

Josiah shook his head. “No. Almost. You got here in time.”

No, he so fucking didn’t. He should have been here a long ass time ago. Should have never let Josiah stay in this fucking city. “I need you to listen to me, Jay. We need to go. That guy said my name. We gotta fucking go.” Mateo already struggled to pull Josiah’s pants back up. When he couldn’t, he stood and pulled Josiah up with him.

Once they stood, he got Josiah’s pants up. “You did what I said, right? There’s nothing in the apartment with our names on it?”

Josiah shook his head. “No...nothing.”

“You have your money on you?”

“Yeah...”

“Okay, good.” He went to the body on the ground. He shoved his hands in the guy’s pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. No ID on him. “Stay right there. Don’t step in the blood.” Mateo shoved his arms under the guy’s armpits and drug him toward the dumpster.

This would be a shit-ton easier if Josiah could help, but he’d never let him do something like this. Teo struggled, lifting the guy while trying not to get any blood on him. It took three tries before he got him in the dumpster and shut the lid.