But just before the door slammed, the light in the turret at the front of the house flickered to life, glowing brightly, like the beacon of a lighthouse… and one lone terrifying scream rent the dark. Sending Austin to his knees as the scream pierced his mind.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Hey, asshole.”
The door to his shitty little apartment burst open before Heath could clear it. He turned to face the intruder, steeling himself for an attack.
Rory came through the door, hair still wet from whatever he’d been doing before his dick ended up in Austin’s mouth. Holy fucking hell burning in his eyes.
“Get the fuck out, Rory. You got what you wanted.” No fucking way was he going to fight over a man. If Rory wanted him that badly, then more power to him. There were better fish in the sea.
Rory didn’t stop, he barreled into Heath’s apartment, leaving the door open. Thunder booming behind him. As if Rory had summoned it. Heath took an involuntary step back before he thought to stand his ground. This was Rory. No fucking way could a lightweight like him… slam Heath against a wall and pin him there. His fingers, cold and boney, and deceptively strong.
“Get off me, you motherfucker,” Heath growled out, trying to push the man off, but the evil light in his dark soulless eyes just burned brighter. And the brighter the hate and anger burned in his eyes, the stronger he seemed to become.
Lightning sizzled outside… and inside. Rory leaned against him, positioning his thin body to hold Heath pinned tight. He didn’t say another word. He didn’t plead for Austin’s sake. Or swear it was an accident that his dick ended up in Austin’s mouth. His breath smelled of toothpaste and coffee… the scents becoming dark and smoky, and whiskey flavored, as the lights dimmed. The fire crackling in the corner… as his mouth sought… the taste of another.
“It’s been so long,” he said, opening his mouth to take the punishing kiss of the one who looked so much like the love he’d lost.
“He’s all eager for ya. I like that.” Another voice intruded, one darker, huskier, more forceful. Hands clasped his wrists from behind and pressed against him, pushing him into the thin man… older than he’d expected… his eyes… so empty. His body scarred. He could feel them both. One pressed to his belly, his cock, eager. The other from behind… he’d never lain with a man the way he wanted to lie with this one. Both of them. Take the one and be taken by the other. God, but he craved it.
His clothing melted in the room’s heat. The whiskey numbing his mind, and his heart. He’d been faithful… as faithful as one could be to a memory. He’d done his duty. Gotten a child of that duty.
“Do it,” he heard the one pressed tight to him, demand. His voice… familiar.
“Do it…” he said, mimicking the voice in his head. “Do it, you motherfucker.”
God, he wanted… Rory’s mouth devoured him, driving the demons from his mind, igniting a fire in his body… one he’d never felt before.
Rory’s hand slipped from one wrist to circle his neck. He kissed him hard and squeezed. “Going to fuck you up, Cortlandt. Going to tear you apart for what you done.”
“Do it,” he said, his voice strained as he sought the mouth that tasted so much like the man he’d lost. “I deserve it.”
Rory squeezed his neck. Hard enough that Heath saw dark spots. The unholy fire in the bartender’s eyes threatened to consume him, and he wanted to be—
“Stop screaming,” Rory growled, baring his teeth, his evil fucking eyes… not Rory’s.
“I’m not screaming.” Ice washed through Heath’s veins. The smoky, overheated room vanished, but the screaming continued. “Austin? Sounds like Austin.”
Rory’s eyes cleared, the dark pits that threatened unspeakable acts, becoming a stormy green that reminded Heath of— Rory gasped, his body going almost limp as he dropped both hands. Heath wrapped him in his arms to keep him from collapsing completely.
“What just happened?” Rory sounded like Rory again.
“I believe you were on the verge of fucking me or murdering me. Maybe both.” Heath held him, his rock-hard cock still pressed to Heath’s cock, which wasn’t as against that notion as he’d thought he’d be.
“Both… sounds good.” Rory looked flustered, but he didn’t make a move to break the contact that had Heath sweating. He allowed Heath to hold him, his breath coming in ragged hitches as he… leaned in for a kiss. Heath obliged. This time, just a taste of his lips. Toothpaste and coffee-flavored. As it should be. “It was good,” Rory whispered, his eyes clouded over. “I remember. It was always good with you. I wish… there had been more time… to forgive. Who’s screaming?”
“Sounds like Austin,” Heath whispered against his lover’s lips. The one who would hurt them both joined them on the bed. “I need to…” The name in his head wasn’t the one on his lips. “Austin… we need to… go to, Austin. Something is wrong.”
“Yeah… who’s Austin?” Rory said, his brogue, heavy… familiar, yet not… Rory’s.
Rory stepped away, shaking his head. “What the hell just happened?” The brogue all but gone as his normal voice cracked with confusion and leftover arousal. “Why is Austin screaming?”
Lightning struck somewhere nearby, the sound like something out of a war movie. And the scream went supersonic.
“Austin!” Heath screamed his love’s name and shoved past the one who’d take his place if he’d only allow it… the wall of rain, he ran into, cooling him down and clearing his mind of whatever the hell that was that just happened.
He stopped in the rain. The turret at the front of the house ablaze. The woman standing in the crackling light fully illuminated. “Culla…” he heard himself say. “Culla!” He screamed, but something solid hit him from behind. Dragging him back under the shelter to hold him tight. “Let me go… I have to save my mother.”
“Heath.” And for the second time in so many minutes, he found himself slammed against a cold, hard, stone wall. A dripping Irishman in his face. “Snap the fuck out of it. There’s no one up there. And we need to call 911. Before the whole house goes up in flames. And get to Austin.”
But the screaming stopped as the turret erupted in flames. One of the girls rushed out of the apartment right beside them, a phone pressed to her ear.
“Are you guys all right? We heard screaming. Who the hell was screaming? Is there someone in the house? Who’s that woman?” It was Jemma, her hair looking a mess, but she was dry. And terrified. “No, there’s no one in the house.” She spoke to the person on the phone. “I think lightning struck the turret. We were closed for the day. All staff are at home or accounted for. I… just the storm playing tricks. No, I’m sure there’s no one inside the building. Just the turret that I can tell. The rain is keeping the flames from spreading across the roof… No, we’re all in one of the outbuildings in the back.”
Sirens, the only screaming Heath could hear now. The sound of many emergency vehicles growing louder the closer they came filled his senses, drowning out the confusion of the past few moments.
Austin stepped outside. He seemed unsteady on his feet, but other than that, he appeared unharmed. He glanced over to where Rory still held Heath to the wall.
“You okay, man?” Rory asked a fierce protective look in his eyes, one that Heath had never seen before. For Heath.
“Yeah. I… yeah, I’m good. You can let me go now.” But Rory didn’t budge. He glanced over at their mutual friend.
“Don’t take it out on him. Wasn’t his fault. I think we were just both at a weak point and… it won’t happen again.” Rory let him go finally and stepped away. Out into the rain.
Heath pulled him back and held him close enough that Rory’s hair tickled his nose… “Who’s Seamus?”
Rory went white as the ghost staring out of the turret just before she faded into obscurity. “I think you’re insane, man. Just… let me go. We’re all good here.”
But they weren’t. Heath’s body burned for… Christ… he rea
lly was out of his fucking mind.
He let Rory go and followed him to the apartment next door. Rory squeezed past the two standing on Austin’s stoop, his head bowed, shoulders slumped. Shivering from cold and rain and… need… Heath followed him inside just as a stream of water drowned the vision of a mother he couldn’t remember.
Chapter Forty
December 1917
The girl didn’t survive. The babe… was a miracle. A perfect male child. HC would be so proud to finally have a new male heir. The feckless father, drunk in the bawdy house when I went to drag him to his wife’s bedside. I’ve never seen such depravity in my life. I’m happy his father didn’t survive to witness his son’s perversion.
Heath is suitably chastised and the matter shall never pass my lips again. He held his son for one moment. And left to make arrangements to bury his wife.
Her parents are bereaved. The loss of their only daughter coming as a shock. I do not understand why. As the girl should never have been forced to breed after the first one nearly killed her. But needs, must. They have their grandson. And we’ll survive one more year.
The child, Ruth, will not go near the babe. Nor should she be allowed, after tearing the head off yet another doll and burying it in the family cemetery… near the Angel.
The health of the child, a miracle. Despite his early birth, he is hale and hearty.
Christmas will be here in another day. The house is in mourning. I suppose this is a fitting end to this horrible year.
~
On the 12th day of Christmas…
The cold wind brought fire inspectors and insurance adjustors.
Heath handled the business end while Austin and his interns waited for the all-clear to secure the artifacts on the top floors.
The fire damage was contained to the turret and the roof. But there was water damage to the attic that could easily seep into delicate items such as paintings and fabrics.
“I have a crew of movers coming this afternoon to take this stuff back to storage,” Heath shouted from the hallway, his phone clutched to his chest. “And a crew bringing tarps to cover the roof. I have no idea how to secure what’s left of the turret. The structural engineer who worked on the project can’t get here until next week. So, this floor should be all we need to protect. I hope.”
Austin folded the wedding ring quilt and wrapped it with paper before packing it into the crate with the other linens from the wedding ring room. Photos and other items went into a separate crate. He ignored Heath, mostly. Listening to him argue with people on the phone all morning had given Austin a massive headache.
He never imagined this job, his first big job fresh out of school would end like this; without the museum ever opening. But he’d tendered his resignation… well, no, not exactly. With all the drama of the night, he’d forgotten to send a written resignation. But now it didn’t matter. The house would be months away from opening… if ever.
“I appreciate it,” Austin answered after a lull. Austin wasn’t sure what he appreciated. The moving crew or… that Heath was on site to deal with this disaster. As it was the people at both the insurance agency and Heath’s home office had asked if the fire had been intentionally set. As if he was trying to pull something.
“Act of God!” He’d heard Heath shout from his office. “What part of struck by lightning didn’t you understand? Yes, I know I was having misgivings about how to use the house, doesn’t mean I went out and sold my soul for a well-timed lightning bolt to the turret. I told you the lightning rod should have been returned to the roof. Jesus… just… the project is on hold indefinitely. And that’s the end of the story. There was no way the grand opening could have happened on the fourth even if this hadn’t happened.”
Austin stopped folding linens and sat down on the bare mattress. “The fourth was yesterday. I’d forgotten. We were going to do the ribbon cutting at five o’clock and open with a private tour for guests… I… the house would have been full of people when the storm hit. Could have been a disaster.”
“No use fretting over things that didn’t happen.” Jemma sat down beside him on the bed. She had a dark smudge on her nose, just below her glasses.
“You’re covered in soot. Maybe you shouldn’t sit on the bed.” Austin leaned against her sturdy shoulder and sighed. “Your ass is—”
“Stunning in these jeans. I know, right?” She cut him off, nudging him a little. “Don’t fall asleep on me, Oz. I am not one of your boy toys over there. I will expect you to put out.”
“That’s sexual harassment,” Austin mumbled. “You heard her, Britney. She propositioned me.” That he felt free enough to make the joke must speak volumes.
“Oh, honey, you would not like what’s in her jeans at all.” Britney came in, another load of linens from the room next door in her arms.
“I don’t know… seems what’s in Jemma’s jeans fits with my… uh… that is to say… I do not think about what Jemma has in her jeans… oh shit.” Austin sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry… yeah… no sleep. It’s starting to catch up. Makes me crazy.”
“Oh, Oz, you were already crazy,” Jemma replied, flopping back on the bed, her arms spread out beside her, her hair tumbling around her head like a wild crown. “Besides, he’s already seen what’s in my jeans… my dick isn’t big enough for our Doctor Oz.”
“That’s not… not what I meant… and oh fuck… what the hell… it was… I’d—”
“Tap that?” Britney offered helpfully as she arranged the linens in the crate, making sure their protective wraps were firmly in place.
“Yes… exactly… what I was… wait… no! Oh, fuck!” Austin stammered. Trying to deny everything without hurting any feelings.
“That’s what she said.” Jemma laughed from behind him on the bed. “Jesus, Oz, it’s okay. I’m not going to hold you to it. Just teasing you.”
“Inappropriate teasing…” Austin said, but the burning sensation in his ears meant he’d enjoyed the teasing. Even if it caused him embarrassment. “Besides. I gave notice. I’m not the boss anymore. Heath is. He’s taken over if you haven’t noticed. I’m just here cleaning, same as you.”
Jemma shifted on the bed. Grabbing him around the waist, she dragged him backward. One-minute Austin struggled not to flail so as not to whack her in the face with his cast. The next a long, lanky vixen with a great ass straddled him, holding him prisoner between muscular thighs that couldn’t possibly belong to a woman. And Austin rose to the occasion. She leaned over him, her long hair framing her beautiful face. “I feel that, Oz,” she whispered in his ear, her nose skimming his jaw as if she was about to… kiss him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered back, hearing footsteps and the soft click of the door being pulled closed. “She didn’t just leave? Tell me she didn’t leave? Please.”
“She left. And you’re hard. Guess she thought she’d give us a little time to… compose ourselves.”
“You’re hard too.” Trying not to freak out, Austin cleared his throat and closed his eyes, and willed his body to calm down. “I thought you tucked… it… oh god, please don’t answer that. I should not be wondering. I should not… you should not be there.”
“I only tuck when I’m wearing a dress. I wear long shirts to cover my… package.” She rubbed that package against his package. “What is it about this room that makes me horny as fuck? Like I want to fuck all of you. All the time. Better yet… what is it about this room that makes you horny? You’ve done the deed in here twice. About to be three times.” She grabbed his one good hand and pulled it to her breast.
Austin dragged his hand away, and she whimpered. Rubbing herself on him. He skimmed his hand under the tail of her button-down chambray shirt instead of unbuttoning it… gliding his fingers over the smooth skin of her belly, so soft and sweet-scented, to pinch her flat nipple. He wanted to flip her on her back and strip her and suck her hard cock. “Do it, Oz. Suck it. I want you too. Please. I need it so bad.”
Austin a
rched his hips, shoving himself into her as she rubbed her denim covered crotch over his. “It’s his room. Jemma. It’s Heath’s room. And her room. Where… Oh, fuck, Jemma.” He felt her open his jeans… her large hand gripping him. He dragged his hand down her belly and pulled the snap on her jeans and she yanked the zipper down… he had her in hand… pulling her free, their flesh meeting… he needed to come some badly. Been needing it for so long.
“That’s good, Osh, so very good…” she leaned over him, now that he had them well in hand, her mouth pressed against his ear, her body sliding with his… “I’m going to…” Horror entered her eyes when she… did… on his belly. Taking him with her. “His bed?” She whispered terror in her voice. “My bed…” the horror in her eyes tripled when the door opened with a warning squeak of the hinges.
“When the two of you are finished here… we need help in the attic.” Heath’s voice sounded strained… and angry. “Make sure you clean the… soot… off the mattress.” And the door closed softly behind him. There would be no slamming. Not anymore.
After last night when he’d walked in on him with Rory’s dick down his throat, and now with Jemma, with the evidence of cheating on his belly. He’d never come near Austin again… and Austin deserved that.
“Jemma… I…” He searched for something to say that would make this all… awkward was the least harsh word he could find. Criminal would be better. He’d taken advantage of a coworker. One who was directly under him… she sat up, her dick still clasped to his, in his hand, shrinking rapidly. She looked around the room, blinking as if she’d just now noticed her surroundings.
“Do you hear a baby crying?” She didn’t cover herself. She didn’t apologize. Or seem to care that he’d tried to apologize. “Where did your freckles go?” She flopped over him again, moving her hips as if they hadn’t just been walked in on. “You called me Heath… when you came, you called his name.” She rocked her hips against him, her dick sliding against his. “Do you see him now?”
Into the Gloaming Page 29
