I took a deep breath. If I had lost Gareth tonight, I don’t think I would have survived it. Somewhere along the way, the little shit had burrowed into my heart.
I’m pretty damned sure I’m going to keep him.
~*~
Mac called me in the morning with an update on the other guys. Nothing stood out. Well, at least nothing that I could see as a threat to Gareth. Mac had gotten the video from the L.A. concert and we both watched it repeatedly, but nothing stood out. I paced the kitchen with my coffee and phone as Mac babbled in my ear. Gareth was still sleeping and I wanted him to get as much rest as possible.
“That is fucked up!” Mac whistled in amazement at the story.
“You have no idea. Damn good thing I’m a light sleeper or he would have plummeted to the bottom of the ridge.”
“So the dad checks out, Stan checks out; you’re liking Paul for this aren’t you?”
“Am I that transparent?”
“No, you’re smart and your gut is almost never wrong.”
“Yeah, but he called you to protect Gareth. That’s what’s got me confused. This guy grew up with them, takes care of them and hired someone to make sure Gareth stays safe.”
“Maybe we need to dig a little more?” Mac suggested.
“I’m going to go through more of the letters. Stan was right, we need to go back and see if anything matches up to what we have now.”
“I’m going to come up and help,” Mac announced.
“You’re leaving your wife to come help?” I chuckled.
“She’s with her sister,” Mac grumbled.
“Oh, so the sister is visiting and now you have to come help me.”
“I’ll be there by tonight, asswipe.”
“Love you, Dad.”
“Fuck off.”
I hung up and turned to see Gareth behind me. His hair was sticking up adorably and he was wiping the sleep from his eyes. His sweats barely sat on his hips and his ratty T-shirt looked like a pack of wild dogs had attacked it.
“Dad?” Gareth asked inquisitively. “I thought he passed away?”
“He did. That was my boss, Mac. Seems his sister-in-law is visiting and now he can’t wait to get out here and help.”
“You guys are close?” Gareth walked to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup.
“Yes.”
Gareth turned and eyed me suspiciously over his coffee cup. “How close?”
I grinned and pulled him into my arms. I took his cup and placed it on the counter before I leaned in to kiss his neck. Gareth whimpered as I grabbed his ass in both hands.
“The only one I want to be close to is you,” I whispered in his ear.
“Holy fuck.”
I stiffened and raised my head to see Ransom standing in the doorway.
Shit and fuck me running.
“Is this why you wanted to bring him home? So you could fuck him?!” Ransom snarled, advancing on us. “I trusted you!”
Gareth stood in front of me and put a hand out to stop his brother. Ransom got in my face and I swear his eyes flared red.
“Ransom! Stop it!” Gareth shouted.
“You might want to back that shit off,” I said calmly.
“Or what?” Ransom snapped.
“I’m going to kick you in your fucking balls, Ransom!” Gareth yelled.
“My brother doesn’t need to be de-virginized and used by an asshole like you!”
“Oh. My. God!” Gareth rasped. “Did you have to go there?”
“I didn’t have sex with your brother, Ransom.” I tilted my head to the side in thought. “Well, what is your definition of sex? Is it penetration? Because if that’s it, then no. We did not have sex.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Ransom thundered.
I sighed and crossed my arms.
“Ransom, please calm down,” Gareth pleaded. “Axel didn’t do anything to me that I didn’t want, okay? He saved me.”
That seemed to get through to Ransom and his face paled.
“What do you mean?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night so I took some sleeping pills. Turns out, they have some pretty freaky side effects. Axel found me hanging off the side of the deck. I guess I sleepwalked outside. I would have fallen, but
I’m pretty damned sure I’m going to keep him.
~*~
Mac called me in the morning with an update on the other guys. Nothing stood out. Well, at least nothing that I could see as a threat to Gareth. Mac had gotten the video from the L.A. concert and we both watched it repeatedly, but nothing stood out. I paced the kitchen with my coffee and phone as Mac babbled in my ear. Gareth was still sleeping and I wanted him to get as much rest as possible.
“That is fucked up!” Mac whistled in amazement at the story.
“You have no idea. Damn good thing I’m a light sleeper or he would have plummeted to the bottom of the ridge.”
“So the dad checks out, Stan checks out; you’re liking Paul for this aren’t you?”
“Am I that transparent?”
“No, you’re smart and your gut is almost never wrong.”
“Yeah, but he called you to protect Gareth. That’s what’s got me confused. This guy grew up with them, takes care of them and hired someone to make sure Gareth stays safe.”
“Maybe we need to dig a little more?” Mac suggested.
“I’m going to go through more of the letters. Stan was right, we need to go back and see if anything matches up to what we have now.”
“I’m going to come up and help,” Mac announced.
“You’re leaving your wife to come help?” I chuckled.
“She’s with her sister,” Mac grumbled.
“Oh, so the sister is visiting and now you have to come help me.”
“I’ll be there by tonight, asswipe.”
“Love you, Dad.”
“Fuck off.”
I hung up and turned to see Gareth behind me. His hair was sticking up adorably and he was wiping the sleep from his eyes. His sweats barely sat on his hips and his ratty T-shirt looked like a pack of wild dogs had attacked it.
“Dad?” Gareth asked inquisitively. “I thought he passed away?”
“He did. That was my boss, Mac. Seems his sister-in-law is visiting and now he can’t wait to get out here and help.”
“You guys are close?” Gareth walked to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup.
“Yes.”
Gareth turned and eyed me suspiciously over his coffee cup. “How close?”
I grinned and pulled him into my arms. I took his cup and placed it on the counter before I leaned in to kiss his neck. Gareth whimpered as I grabbed his ass in both hands.
“The only one I want to be close to is you,” I whispered in his ear.
“Holy fuck.”
I stiffened and raised my head to see Ransom standing in the doorway.
Shit and fuck me running.
“Is this why you wanted to bring him home? So you could fuck him?!” Ransom snarled, advancing on us. “I trusted you!”
Gareth stood in front of me and put a hand out to stop his brother. Ransom got in my face and I swear his eyes flared red.
“Ransom! Stop it!” Gareth shouted.
“You might want to back that shit off,” I said calmly.
“Or what?” Ransom snapped.
“I’m going to kick you in your fucking balls, Ransom!” Gareth yelled.
“My brother doesn’t need to be de-virginized and used by an asshole like you!”
“Oh. My. God!” Gareth rasped. “Did you have to go there?”
“I didn’t have sex with your brother, Ransom.” I tilted my head to the side in thought. “Well, what is your definition of sex? Is it penetration? Because if that’s it, then no. We did not have sex.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Ransom thundered.
I sighed and crossed my arms.
“Ransom, please calm down,” Gareth pleaded. “Axel didn’t do anything to me that I didn’t want, okay? He saved me.”
That seemed to get through to Ransom and his face paled.
“What do you mean?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night so I took some sleeping pills. Turns out, they have some pretty freaky side effects. Axel found me hanging off the side of the deck. I guess I sleepwalked outside. I would have fallen, but
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