Training Kevin [Hard Hits 14] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  Hard Hits 14

  Training Kevin

  When Lt. Kevin Philips is accused of stalking his ex-boyfriend, he’s subjected to an internal investigation that could potentially ruin his chance for a coveted position on SWAT. When his case is assigned to one of I.A.’s most notorious investigators, Kevin knows he doesn’t stand a chance.

  Det. Wyatt Rome is given his last case in I.A. before he slides into his new role as Detective with District Two. As a personal favor to Chief Rask, Wyatt investigates the allegations made against Kevin. He quickly discovers that all is not as it seems.

  As a Dom, Wyatt knows how to take control in every situation. When Kevin refuses to answer his questions, he needs to take drastic measures to get his target to open up. With Kevin denying everything, will he finally submit or will Wyatt have to break the rules—and the man?

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary

  Length: 28,756 words

  TRAINING KEVIN

  Hard Hits 14

  Tatum Throne

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  MANLOVE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

  TRAINING KEVIN

  Copyright © 2016 by Tatum Throne

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-207-8

  First E-book Publication: May 2016

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Training Kevin by Tatum Throne from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Tatum Throne’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Tatum Throne’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  For the Throne boys. Always.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About the Author

  TRAINING KEVIN

  Hard Hits 14

  TATUM THRONE

  Copyright © 2016

  Chapter One

  Lt. Kevin Philips felt a chill race down his spine. He slowed his footsteps as he approached his car. He was shaking inside and out. He stared down at the blood that had been smeared on the side of his car and wondered if it was human or not. His ex-boyfriend had found him again.

  It had been a really long time since he’d felt this way. Not since he had broken up with his ex-boyfriend six months ago. He went to the trunk and popped it, taking out a bottle of water from his gym bag. He squirted the water on the blood. Relief mixed with the tension in his shoulders as he washed it away. He hated Jeff for fucking with him.

  Over the last several months, there had been signs that Jeff had been back in his life. Mostly, it was times like this when Kevin was alone that he felt as though he were being watched. Even now, he couldn’t shake the feeling. He unlocked his car and got inside, quickly reengaging the locks just as fast. His heart was hammering in his chest. He hated feeling this way. His ex-boyfriend had done a number on him.

  It was why he wasn’t in another relationship right now. Darkness surrounded the car. He was a fucking cop. He wasn’t supposed to be scared when he was alone. Part of the problem was he couldn’t shake the sensation that he was being followed. Now he was afraid of his own shadow lately.

  He’d been on edge all day. He’d awakened early in a cold sweat as though someone was looming over him while he slept. There were just a few things out of place when he woke up. Unable to shake the feeling, he’d been paranoid for most of the afternoon. After a long day of work, he wanted to be able to relax. Right now, he couldn’t.

  He started the car with a shaky hand, determined to put this night behind him. He would not be victim to Jeff again.

  Instead of going home, Kevin drove across town to his favorite gay bar. The music was loud and exactly what Kevin needed to recharge. He went up to the bar to order a drink. He found a place in the corner with his back to a wall and an exit to his left to scan the crowd.

  At one point in time, he would’ve looked for someone to keep him company overnight. Not anymore. That was exactly how he met Jeff. Over a short few months, his whole entire life and heart had been ripped apart. At first, Jeff had been nice and kind and sweet. It was the little things that made him fall hard and fast, like buying flowers and making dinner. When Kevin’s job got in the way of their time together, Jeff’s true personality came out. Jeff would text and call repeatedly, accusing him of cheating. It would always end with them fighting. Kevin tried to make it work because he thought he was in love with Jeff. That all changed when the physical abuse started.

  At first, Kevin had tried to justify it all, but there was no rationalization for hurting the person you love the most. The night he left, he slipped out in the middle of the night, leaving behind all of his furniture and the things he couldn’t carry. He had taken the clothes on his back, headed for a hotel, and checked in under an anonymous name.

  He was a police officer. This shouldn’t have been ha
ppening to him. He couldn’t believe he had become a victim of domestic violence. The only mistake he made was not telling anyone he worked with what was going on. Instead, he tried to forget and play it off as everything was okay. Now, he was certain that Jeff was back in his life and following him. The man was a freaking doctor. He had everything to lose by pulling this shit.

  Kevin took a long drink of his beer. He wished he could go home and feel safe, but he couldn’t—not after last night and not after he just found blood on his car. Going home meant he had to face the fact that Jeff had found him and had probably been in his apartment while he was sleeping and vulnerable.

  Instead of going home, he knew he’d be looking for a new place tomorrow. He was running scared. Jeff wouldn’t let go. Jeff would do everything in his sick, twisted power to track him down again and make him pay for leaving.

  Men like Kevin were not supposed to have stalking ex-boyfriends who were psychologically torturing him. Tomorrow, he would need to go in and talk to Chief Rask about what was going on. The last thing he wanted was for this to threaten his chance at a position on the SWAT team. Kevin ran his hand through his hair, trying to shake off the feeling that he would never be safe again.

  Why was everything going wrong? Kevin looked down at his beer. He had finished it. He wanted two or three more, but he knew he shouldn’t. Instead, he should go home and pack a few things before Jeff came back. He hated being so afraid and so alone all at once.

  When he was in his car, Kevin took a steadying breath and pulled out into the night. He headed back across town to his apartment, very aware of the headlights now following him. It didn’t look like Jeff’s car, but the man was smart. When he broke up with him, the text messages and calls started almost immediately. Kevin had to change his cell phone number twice. He wasn’t sure how Jeff was getting his number. More importantly, he wasn’t sure how Jeff was finding him. Someone at the station was probably unknowingly giving his stalker the info, thus even more reason for him to tell the chief about how messed up his life was right now.

  After driving around the block and going several different ways, the car that had been following him turned toward the highway. Relief moved through Kevin’s body. He did not want to deal with Jeff tonight. Kevin pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. He sat there for a long moment looking around. Darkness surrounded the building.

  One of the things he didn’t like about this place was the fact that it had really piss-poor lighting. He’d taken it because he could pay month-to-month which meant it was easy to leave. There was no long-term lease to have to break when Jeff found him. After a long time looking around the building from the safety of his car, Kevin got out and headed toward the front entrance.

  The double glass doors were shitty and never locked. He couldn’t justify getting a place with more security when he knew he’d be just leaving when Jeff found him again. He unlocked the door to his apartment and quickly locked up behind him. His heart was hammering as he pulled the chain behind him and engaged the extra lock he had put in. He was tired of living this way. He was tired of being afraid of his damn shadow when he himself was a police officer. He was better than this, but he was freaking afraid.

  The last threatening text message he had received from Jeff was four months ago. He vowed to come after him when he least expected it. Right now, Kevin was expecting it. Everything felt as though it was building steam and he would have to confront Jeff. Kevin was not emotionally prepared to do that—not yet.

  Without turning on the light, Kevin examined his apartment as though it were a crime scene. He was searching for the subtle differences, something just out of place or moved. He couldn’t see anything but he knew that it didn’t matter. Jeff could have come and gone easily and taken something. The man was like a freaking ghost haunting him.

  There were days when he thought about taking out a restraining order, but he didn’t. If he took one out, everyone he knew and worked with would find out. That was the last thing he wanted. He did not want anything to jeopardize his chance to get on one of the most elite SWAT teams in the country.

  Shaking off the bad vibes, Kevin headed into his bedroom and flipped on the light. He was grateful for the blackout curtains that he had installed shortly after moving in. They made him feel safe when he was alone. Kevin undressed and headed for his nightstand. He pulled open the drawer and reached in for underwear.

  He froze.

  Just inside, laying on top of his underwear, were pictures that Jeff had taken, unbeknownst to Kevin, when they were having sex. They looked as though they were stills from a video. His heart plummeted. With a shaky hand, he lifted up one of the pictures and flipped it over. On the back written in permanent ink was a note from Jeff. It said, Come back to me and no one has to know. Come back to me or I tell everyone. Come back to me or I will kill you, my love.

  Panic raced through Kevin’s heart as he dropped the photo to the ground reaching for his gun as he did. “Come out of here now! Come out now!”

  The only sound was the sound of his heart beating in his ears and his blood thrumming through his veins. Silence echoed back. Jeff was not there, but he was toying with Kevin nonetheless. Tears began to fall from his eyes. He felt broken.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed, laying his gun on the nightstand. He felt pushed to the edge. He wanted this over. He was tired of the games. He wanted Jeff to stop tormenting him. What the hell was he going to do? What was he going do to stop this from getting out?

  No one knew that he was gay, and the last thing he wanted was for everyone at work to find out he liked to bottom. Kevin had only picked up one of the photos. He knew he had to look at all of them to find out exactly what Jeff had on him.

  Taking a deep breath, Kevin headed back to the drawer and moved the rest of his underwear aside. What he saw made his heart sink. Photo after photo showed him performing sex acts on Jeff. The ones with him in high heels made his cheeks burn. He was not a man who normally cross-dressed ever, but Jeff had come home with the heels and asked that he put them on while they fucked. Determined to please his lover, Kevin had put the heels on and done everything Jeff had asked of him.

  That was before the controlling and abusive behavior started. That was before Kevin found out exactly how Jeff was. That was before the threats of violence turned into physical violence. Kevin had thought he was in love and had found the man of his dreams. Instead, he had found his worst nightmare.

  Kevin gathered up the photos. Finding a lighter, he went into the bathroom and flipped on the shower. As the water rained down, he set the photos aflame. He wanted no memory and no evidence of what had happened between them. This was not love.

  After the photos were destroyed, he went into his bedroom and packed his clothes. He couldn’t stay there tonight. He didn’t feel safe. There was only one place he knew to go where he felt completely safe, and that was the police station.

  His shift wasn’t supposed to start for another ten hours but he wasn’t about to go to a hotel for the night. He’d find a place tomorrow or after everything cooled down with Jeff.

  As Kevin left his apartment, he headed for his car, looking around as he did. He didn’t see Jeff anywhere. He threw his duffel onto the passenger side seat and started the car. He drove straight to the police station and parked. He then went in through the back entrance and near the Training Center. No one was there this time of night, and most wouldn’t show until shift change.

  Up on the third floor, there were empty offices. Kevin took the back stairwell up to that floor and headed down the hallway. He was going to sleep at the station until he found a place to stay where he felt safe. He shut and locked the door behind him in one of the empty offices that had an old couch. As he laid down on the couch and stretched out, he tried not to think about how fucked up his life was right now.

  As his mind was starting to drift to sleep, he heard the sound of a cell phone chiming. A shiver raced down his spine. He knew it was Jeff. He pr
essed the button indicating one message had been received. As the message came up, Kevin’s heart sank. It was picture of him at the gay bar. It was a long time before he fell asleep.

  * * * *

  Detective Wyatt Rome juggled his coffee and his messenger bag as he headed into District Two headquarters. Excitement pounded in his veins as he moved. He had one more day in IA, but he wanted to get a head start in his new position. He headed through the entrance, going to the front desk to talk to the officer behind the glass

  “I’m Detective Rome. I’m here to see Chief Rask.”

  A buzzer sounded behind the door to the right. “He’s expecting you. Do you know where his office is?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  As he made his way through the hallway to the open bullpen where dispatch was located, he passed by a lieutenant who looked like he’d had a rough night. His blond hair was mussed and there were shadows under his velvety blue eyes as though he didn’t sleep much.

  The hairs on the back of Wyatt’s arms stood on end as he brushed past him. The feeling caught him momentarily off guard, causing him to take a harder look at the man who was passing by. He recognized him from the Homeland Security trainings he went to last year with a few of his coworkers. Even then, the man had caught his eye but he never had a chance to talk to him.

  Their eyes locked and something closed off within the lieutenant’s as he passed by. Before Wyatt had time to fully process the interaction, Chief Rask was coming his way, and by the look on his face, he was not happy. Wyatt had only seen that look one other time before.