Or it did until they’d walked down two blocks and entered the Hawk’s Den. It was just after four and the place was already hopping. Men and women were crowded at the bar along the side wall, and all the tables were full. Between the sportscasts on the various TVs and the people talking, or cheering on their favorite teams, the noise level was in the upper decibels.
Mick didn’t see his brother, but he did spot Andy at the far end of the bar, pouring drinks for a waitress who was waiting for them. When she put them on her tray to take to her customers, Andy rolled his shoulders and looked around—probably to check who needed a refill. Then his gaze landed on Mick.
“Think he’s a little shocked?” Richard said under his breath.
“Big time,” Shorty agreed.
“Because I don’t usually come by on the weekends, or something else?” Mick asked Richard.
“Good question. Generally you’re at The Rainbow on Saturdays and you check in here on Sundays. It’s your routine. Still, from the look on his face, there’s more to it, so let’s go over and see what he’s got to say for himself.”
By the time they got to him, Andy had obviously relaxed enough to quip, “Is it Sunday, already? If so, I’m definitely overworked and lost track of the time, and the day.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Mick replied, chuckling. “It’s still Saturday. Is my brother here?”
“He was.” Andy looked around. “I don’t see him. You might check his office. He said something about having too much to do since you apparently decided you needed a vacation and didn’t bother to tell him.”
“Oh, really? I wish someone had told me that,” Mick replied, rolling his eyes. “I was sick for the last couple of days. I thought he knew.”
Andy spread his hands. “Guess not.” Then he moved down the bar to take a customer’s order.
“What do you think?” Mick asked as they crossed the room to the back hallway and Trenton’s office, which was across from the restrooms.
“Either he’s a damned good actor, or he really did believe you decided to take an unexpected vacation, if that’s what Trenton told him,” Richard replied.
“I ain’t taking bets either way,” Shorty added. “Not ‘til we see how your brother acts.”
Mick nodded. When they got to the office door, he knocked then opened it without waiting for an invitation to go in.
Trenton was seated at his desk, holding the phone to his ear. He didn’t seem surprised to see Mick, which made him wonder if Andy, or someone else who was working at the club, had seen him and called to forewarn his brother.
Hanging up, Trenton scowled at Mick. “It’s about damned time you showed up. I’ve been worried about you. You could have called.” He looked at Richard. “Or you could have, since apparently he seems to have decided you’re more important than me.” Returning his attention to Mick, he asked, “Where the hell have you been?”
Mick waited to reply until after he took a seat across from his brother. Then, going for partial truth, he said, “I was mugged Wednesday night, well technically Thursday I guess, on my way home from the club. Thanks to Mr. Short, here—” he pointed to Shorty, “—I managed to get away, but it took me a couple of days to recuperate and…” He paused. “To remember who I am, if not who attacked me.”
He kept his gaze fixed on Trenton as he spoke. If he hadn’t, he might have missed what he thought was a brief flash of relief when he said he’d forgotten the details of the ‘mugging’.
“Damn, Mick. Why the hell didn’t you call me?” Trenton said.
“What part of he didn’t remember anything until today didn’t you get?” Richard said tightly, putting his hands on Mick’s shoulders.
“He…” Trenton looked at Mick. “You have ID in your wallet.”
“Which the mugger took,” Mick replied. “I finally remembered my name and address, so I had Mr. Short take me home.” He smiled up at Richard. “He was very happy to see me.”
Trenton scowled. “You think I wouldn’t have been?”
“It would have been the first time in forever if you were,” Mick retorted. He leaned back, eyeing his brother. “If the cops had come by to tell you my dead body had been found in an alley, you probably would have sent up a prayer of thanks while acting like you were shocked and grief-stricken.”
“Not true,” Trenton protested vehemently. “We may not get along, but you’re still my brother.”
“Your very alive brother,” Richard said before suggesting it was time to leave. “You need to rest, Mick. You’re still not up to par.”
Mick nodded, getting up. “We’ll talk more tomorrow, Trenton,” he promised his brother before walking to the door. “Say around ten, before the club opens for business?” Without waiting for a reply, he walked out of the office with Richard and Shorty right behind him.
It wasn’t until they were outside that club that he let down his guard, his shoulders slumping. “He had something to do with the attack,” he said. “He didn’t do it, I don’t think, but he knows who did, and possibly put them up to it.”
Richard wrapped his arm around Mick’s waist. “He was damned glad to know you don’t remember it, from what I saw, though he did his best to cover it up.”
“You caught that too, huh?” Shorty said. “Even if he had nothing to do with it, which I don’t believe for a second, he wishes the mugger had succeeded in killing you.”
“So much for brotherly love,” Mick said sadly. “Let’s go home.”
* * * *
“Before you have your face down with Trenton,” Richard said later in the evening, “you should ask Andy about his driver’s license. See what excuse he can come up with for why you were holding it when Shorty found you.”
“Yeah.” Mick frowned in thought. “If I tell him I was attacked, it’ll put him on the defensive.”
“He already is,” Richard said. “He seemed to buy your story about being sick, but we all saw his reaction when he first saw you this afternoon.”
“I know, but I’d still like to come up with another story to explain why I have the license,” Mick replied. “Before you think I’m crazy, consider this. How the hell would I have gotten my hands on it when he attacked me, if it was him?”
“You have your doubts?” Shorty asked.
“Yeah, I’m beginning to. First off, the attack happened in an alley. Why was I there? To meet someone? Wouldn’t I have told you what was going on if that was the case, Richard?”
“I’d hope so,” Richard replied wryly.
“Me, too. But say I didn’t for some reason. I’m in the alley, and if I was waiting for someone, I’d have been real wary of anyone who approached me, and on the defensive. But I didn’t fight back when I was attacked. They hit me and like we’ve said, from the amount of blood they probably thought they’d killed me. For damned sure I wouldn’t have stood there and let that happen.”
“We talked about maybe you’d been drugged,” Shorty said. “If you were, then, yeah, you wouldn’t have been able to fight.”
“Drugged?” Richard frowned.
Mick lifted a shoulder. “Just one way to explain why I didn’t resist whoever attacked me.”
“Unless it was someone you knew and trusted, like Andy,” Richard said.
“And then he put his driver’s license in my hand and walked away? Was he trying to let whoever found me know he was the attacker? I don’t think so. Even if I had fought him, how the hell would I have gotten the license?”
“That’s a damned good question,” Richard agreed. “It wouldn’t have fallen out of his pocket. Everyone I know keeps their license in their wallet and it wasn’t around when you found him, Shorty. Right?”
“Nope. Okay, I didn’t look under the Dumpsters, or in them, or anywhere else. I was more worried about the fact Mick might be bleeding to death. We could go back and see.”
“If we’d fought, I might say we should, although it probably would have been found long before now,” Mick replied. “But we d
idn’t fight. Was someone trying to frame him for my murder?”
“If so, why was he shocked to see you this afternoon?” Richard asked.
Mick tapped a finger to his lip before replying, “Say it really was surprise and we’re reading more into it, which under the circumstances is very possible. What he said could have been the truth.”
“That begs the question of why you had his license, and why you were in the alley to begin with,” Richard replied.
“I know. Right now, I’m all for treating him as another victim of whoever wants me dead and asking him when he last saw his license.”
“Or who could have stolen it,” Shorty pointed out. “For sure he didn’t loan it to someone.”
“I agree. If my brother’s behind this, he might have been able to steal it and give it to whoever he hired to kill me. Why he’d want Andy to take the fall is a good question. Maybe luck of the draw? He saw a chance to get the license and did?”
“Possible,” Richard replied as he got up, “I’m going to make a sandwich before bed. Anyone else want one?”
“That’s his way of saying it’s time to take a break from all this, I bet,” Shorty said, “I won’t never turn down an offer of food.”
With a laugh, telling Shorty that was a double negative, meaning he would, Richard went into the kitchen. Shorty flipped him off as he and Mick followed. Everyone made sandwiches and ate them standing at the counter. Then Shorty headed up to bed after thanking them again for letting him stick around.
“He’s good people,” Richard commented as he washed the few dishes they’d used.
“You get no argument from me,” Mick agreed. “I think, when this is over, I’ll offer him a job at one of the clubs.”
“He’s pretty independent. He might not take it.”
Mick nodded. “I know, but it’s worth a try.”
* * * *
Richard dried his hands before putting his arms around Mick. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.” He wanted to kiss him and refrained. Until he remembers more than he has, which is almost nothing, I can’t push. He accepts that we had something going on between us, but it’s a big leap of faith to move from that to the fact we did love each other. Until he does, I’ll keep it to friendship and nothing more—and not one with benefits, damn it.
“What are you thinking?” Mick asked. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“Sorry. I’m a bit worried about tomorrow,” Richard replied. It was the only thing he could come up with on the spur of the moment.
Mick eyed him dubiously. “I don’t think so.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” Richard took a step back, trying to look as if he found that more amusing than upsetting.
“No, and yes. My guess is you’re trying to deal with an awkward situation without upsetting me.”
“Awkward, huh?”
“You know it is,” Mick said. “A week ago we were lovers, sharing the house and our lives with no worries other than what to fix for supper or what movie to go to. Now, we’re strangers trying to figure out how to move forward in our personal life, or if we even want to.”
“I know I do,” Richard replied quietly. “It would be better if you could remember everything, but if you can’t, maybe we can pretend we’ve just met, are attracted to each other, and take it from there.” He looked hopefully at Mick, who remained silent. “Okay, bad idea I guess.”
“I disagree. Even though in a lot of ways you’re still a stranger to me, I’ve learned a great deal about you in the last day and a half. Things that make me understand why I fell for you.” He smiled at Richard’s discomfort. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to spend the next twenty minutes enumerating them.”
“God, I hope not.”
Mick laughed, then sobered. “I’m not saying we should go upstairs and screw our brains out, even though that might have been what happened the first time we met.” He lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Pretty much,” Richard admitted. He remembered that night and his pulse quickened. If things were different…Hell, if they were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We’d be up in bed doing what we did almost every night since we met. He was about to say as much when Mick did something unexpected. He kissed him. Embracing Mick, again, Richard returned it.
“That was a promise,” Mick said when the kiss ended. “We will get back what someone stole from us. Whether I remember or not, I won’t let him destroy what we had. What we still have, I think, if our kiss was any indication.”
“I love you,” Richard replied as he took Mick’s hands. “We can leave it at that for now. Our sex was great, it probably still will be, but we’re not going to test my theory until you’re ready.” He brushed a kiss over Mick’s lips. “I will warn you, we’ll keep on sharing our bed. If it’s like it was last night, so be it, but there’s no way in hell that we’re not.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Mick kissed him again and Richard fell into it, opening to Mick’s questing tongue. His body responded—there was no way it wouldn’t and he didn’t fight it. “You’re asking for trouble,” he murmured when they broke apart.
“Ah, but will I get it?” Mick replied, his lips quirking up in a grin.
“Mick…” Richard shook his head. “You know you’re playing with fire.”
For a moment, Mick froze, his eyes widening. “You said that our first night together.”
Elated, Richard replied, “You remember!”
“Yes! Only that, but…”
“It’s another small step.” Slipping his arm around Mick’s waist, Richard started toward the stairs.
“We might want to turn off the lights,” Mick suggested, laughter tingeing his words.
“Probably.” Richard released him long enough to do so before they continued upstairs.
* * * *
As they began to undress, Mick paused, feeling awkward. It was one thing to admit he had feelings for a man he was barely getting to know—at least from his standpoint. It was another to act on them. His body wanted to. There was no doubt about that. Do I pretend we just met and this is our first time…? That is if he wants us to make love. He might not in spite of what he’s said.
“Scared?” Richard asked, moving to Mick to finish unbuttoning his shirt when Mick stopped with two buttons to go.
Mick nodded. “Yes. I want us…I want to…To find out if what we shared still exists.”
“But you’re afraid it won’t because in your mind I’m a stranger.”
“Not a stranger anymore, but there’s so much that’s missing about our life together and I hate it.”
“I haven’t changed. My feelings haven’t changed,” Richard said softly. “You can’t know that, but it’s true. I have to believe it’s the same for you. Somewhere deep inside—” he tapped Mick’s temple, “—the memories of what we had exist. Don’t try to force them to come back. I don’t think it works that way. Relax and do what feels right. If it means we share some kisses and hugs and that’s all, for now, so be it. I won’t ask for more until you’re ready.”
Taking a deep breath, Mick replied, “I’m ready here.” Taking Richard’s hand, he pressed to his already hard cock, under the fabric of his slacks.
“I can tell,” Richard replied with a smile. “But are you here?” He put his hand on the bare skin of Mick’s chest, over his heart.
Mick swallowed hard, Richard’s touch sending his pulse racing. He looked at him and saw love and desire in his expression. “Yes,” he whispered.
Richard’s response was to kiss him gently. Again, as it had earlier, the kiss deepened as they opened to each other, tongues dancing together.
When it ended, Mick caressed Richard’s cheek before making better use of his hands to remove his lover’s shirt. We are lovers. We were, and we still are. The attraction is so strong between us. He moved his hands down to unzip Richard’s slacks and ease them and his briefs over his hips.
When his cock sprang free, Mick stroked it slowly, loving the softness over the hardness beneath the skin.
“My turn,” Richard said. It took no time at all for him to remove the rest of Mick’s clothing. Then he gripped his hard shaft, teasing a finger over the already leaking slit, which made Mick gasp with need. Richard wrapped his arms around him, kissing him again as he tried to walk him to the bed. Because their slacks were tangled around their ankles, they stumbled instead, landing in a laughing heap on the edge of the bed. “Well, that was dignified…not,” Richard said, rolling his eyes.
They made quick work of taking off their shoes and socks, and then their slacks and underwear.
“Much better,” Mick said, lying back on the bed with Richard beside him. He wasn’t at all surprised when Richard rolled over to straddle him, resting on his elbows. Their gazes locked for a long moment before they kissed.
“We don’t have to take this any farther,” Richard murmured.
Mick snorted. “Mister, if you think we’re stopping now, you’re not the man I want in my bed.” When Richard looked at him in surprise, Mick grinned. “If I recall correctly, I said that the first time we were together.”
“You did!” Richard hugged him hard.
Mick’s grin widened. “Hell, by the time we finish making love tonight, maybe all my memories will come back.” Mick paused before adding, “At least the ones of you, of us.”
“If that’s all there will be, for now, it’s a beginning,” Richard replied.
Sitting back on his heels, he traced a line from the hollow of Mick’s throat down to one nipple and circled it with a fingertip. Then he bent, sucking. A wave of pure need went straight to Mick’s groin—and again when Richard did it to his other nipple. It intensified when Richard brushed light kisses from there down to the base of his cock, and then licked slowly up to the head.
“If you’re…” Mick gasped.
“Oh, I am,” Richard said, pausing to get a condom from the nightstand. Sheathing Mick, he went down on him, tormenting his cock until Mick cupped his head, urging him to stop.
“Keep that up and I’ll come too soon,” Mick told him.
Hawk and Wolfe: A Life Interrupted Page 5
