did manage to convince him to make a
complaint.
“We don’t know who it was, and I can’t give
them anything to find him. I just want to get out of here. You haven’t spoken
to Dee, have you?”
“No. I asked Mum to let her know you were
unwell, but not to worry. You can call her in the morning.”
Daniel sagged. “Thanks. Look...I know what
you’re saying, and why. But I can’t. I just can’t. It’s too much. I haven’t got
the energy to deal with this on top of the rest.”
“Okay.” Spen finished with the shoes, and
helped Daniel stand. Daniel picked up Kani, who squeaked and licked him.
“Whatever it was, made him sick too.”
“Sorry,” Daniel said to his kem, kissing
his head. He looked up at Spen. “You found me?”
“Good thing too. It was really Myko and
Kani.”
“Right.” Daniel ran out of determination
around about then, and sat back on the bed. “I really do feel like crap.”
“You can stay—”
“Please? Can we just...go?”
“Sure. Here.”
He took his hand and helped him up again.
Daniel held his hand longer than he needed to. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He put his hand on Daniel’s
shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 9
Daniel leaned on the taxi’s window, not
really seeing the passing scenery. Spen’s face was reflected in the glass, so
Daniel knew he was being watched. Not surprising Spen was worried. Daniel
wanted to be alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to wish Spen wasn’t there.
His stomach churned and his head throbbed.
He still felt out of it, unsettled. Nothing like being drunk
or hungover. Someone had drugged him. Someone had had sex with him, the
doctor said. He knew what those two things added up to, but he couldn’t make
himself admit it in so many words.
“Where did you find me?” He immediately
regretted asking.
“In Tony’s room. On his
bed. He said you turned up in a confused state.”
Daniel’s stomach heaved and he covered his
mouth. He couldn’t ask the next question. He was afraid Spen would answer it.
“Do you need to throw up?” Spen asked.
“No. Leave me alone, please.”
“Sure.”
Kani sat in Daniel’s lap, meeping quietly
from time to time. Daniel should try and comfort the little guy but he couldn’t
find the energy. Oh god, how was he going to tell Dee? He couldn’t. He’d have
to lie. But first, he had to pull himself together.
The hotel was deserted, thankfully. He
didn’t know what he’d do if he ran into one of the managers. Or Tony. How was
he supposed to....
Was this where he had to give up? How could
he work for someone who...but he didn’t know that Tony had. Why would Tony take
such a risk here, among his peers and superiors? Tony was married. Maybe it was
nothing like it looked at all.
Spen guided him up to their room, and
locked the door behind them. “I’m taking you home in the morning. I’ll email
Noble and whoever needs to know that our presentation is cancelled because of
illness.”
“I can’t—”
Spen took him by the arms and made Daniel
look at him. “You’re in no state, and I refuse to do this while you’re in this
condition. No argument, Daniel.”
Daniel shook him off. “All right,” he said
irritably. “But I’m fine.”
“You’re a crime victim.”
“I’m not a victim. I won’t be. I refuse to
be involved in this. All I want to do is do my job, look after Dee and Alex,
sort out our messes without anything else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but I don’t agree.”
“Tough. It’s not your life, not your
decision. Leave me alone.”
Spen stepped back. “Whatever you want,
kid.”
“And stop calling me that. Maybe if you
realised I’m as adult as you, you wouldn’t be trying to nanny me.”
“I’d do this for anyone in your situation.”
“There is no situation. I’m going to use
the loo.”
Nausea washed over him as he fled into the
bathroom, so he sat on the closed toilet lid and held his head in his hands. He
had to
complaint.
“We don’t know who it was, and I can’t give
them anything to find him. I just want to get out of here. You haven’t spoken
to Dee, have you?”
“No. I asked Mum to let her know you were
unwell, but not to worry. You can call her in the morning.”
Daniel sagged. “Thanks. Look...I know what
you’re saying, and why. But I can’t. I just can’t. It’s too much. I haven’t got
the energy to deal with this on top of the rest.”
“Okay.” Spen finished with the shoes, and
helped Daniel stand. Daniel picked up Kani, who squeaked and licked him.
“Whatever it was, made him sick too.”
“Sorry,” Daniel said to his kem, kissing
his head. He looked up at Spen. “You found me?”
“Good thing too. It was really Myko and
Kani.”
“Right.” Daniel ran out of determination
around about then, and sat back on the bed. “I really do feel like crap.”
“You can stay—”
“Please? Can we just...go?”
“Sure. Here.”
He took his hand and helped him up again.
Daniel held his hand longer than he needed to. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He put his hand on Daniel’s
shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 9
Daniel leaned on the taxi’s window, not
really seeing the passing scenery. Spen’s face was reflected in the glass, so
Daniel knew he was being watched. Not surprising Spen was worried. Daniel
wanted to be alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to wish Spen wasn’t there.
His stomach churned and his head throbbed.
He still felt out of it, unsettled. Nothing like being drunk
or hungover. Someone had drugged him. Someone had had sex with him, the
doctor said. He knew what those two things added up to, but he couldn’t make
himself admit it in so many words.
“Where did you find me?” He immediately
regretted asking.
“In Tony’s room. On his
bed. He said you turned up in a confused state.”
Daniel’s stomach heaved and he covered his
mouth. He couldn’t ask the next question. He was afraid Spen would answer it.
“Do you need to throw up?” Spen asked.
“No. Leave me alone, please.”
“Sure.”
Kani sat in Daniel’s lap, meeping quietly
from time to time. Daniel should try and comfort the little guy but he couldn’t
find the energy. Oh god, how was he going to tell Dee? He couldn’t. He’d have
to lie. But first, he had to pull himself together.
The hotel was deserted, thankfully. He
didn’t know what he’d do if he ran into one of the managers. Or Tony. How was
he supposed to....
Was this where he had to give up? How could
he work for someone who...but he didn’t know that Tony had. Why would Tony take
such a risk here, among his peers and superiors? Tony was married. Maybe it was
nothing like it looked at all.
Spen guided him up to their room, and
locked the door behind them. “I’m taking you home in the morning. I’ll email
Noble and whoever needs to know that our presentation is cancelled because of
illness.”
“I can’t—”
Spen took him by the arms and made Daniel
look at him. “You’re in no state, and I refuse to do this while you’re in this
condition. No argument, Daniel.”
Daniel shook him off. “All right,” he said
irritably. “But I’m fine.”
“You’re a crime victim.”
“I’m not a victim. I won’t be. I refuse to
be involved in this. All I want to do is do my job, look after Dee and Alex,
sort out our messes without anything else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but I don’t agree.”
“Tough. It’s not your life, not your
decision. Leave me alone.”
Spen stepped back. “Whatever you want,
kid.”
“And stop calling me that. Maybe if you
realised I’m as adult as you, you wouldn’t be trying to nanny me.”
“I’d do this for anyone in your situation.”
“There is no situation. I’m going to use
the loo.”
Nausea washed over him as he fled into the
bathroom, so he sat on the closed toilet lid and held his head in his hands. He
had to
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