by H M Wolfe
Tarquin sensed his husband's inner turmoil, and took his hand, lightly massaging it in an attempt to calm the storm in the man's heart. They would discuss that later when they were alone in the privacy of their room, he thought. Until then, Daniel needed to get his emotions under control. Otherwise, his protective fathers and their partners would worry, and that was the last thing they wanted.
Although caught between the twins and their friend, the white-haired boy, Brennan, was also paying attention to what was happening around him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the demonstrations of affection between the two husbands, and his chest constricted in pain.
Never, until that moment, had he seen how two men acted when they were in love, but the feeling was familiar. He recalled the sweet memories of a long-forgotten childhood, with his stepfather kissing the forehead of the one he loved and holding her tight. The smile gracing their faces when they looked at him and even the worried glances the two of them exchanged were still fresh in Brennan's memory, no matter how hard he tried to chase them away.
The familiar screech of tires on the gravel driveway brought him back into the present. Judging by the expressions on the others' faces, everyone loved the young man who was about to come inside. For a reason, he couldn't explain, Brennan was sure that visitor would change the course of his life. He only hoped it was genuine.
CHAPTER 12
"W ell," Daniel said, his face suddenly bright, eyes shining with paternal affection, "today must be an exceptional day since a lot of special people have come to visit me. First, my four dads, then the one who will help me recover faster, followed by one of my best friend's kids and their buddy. Last but not least, my firstborn comes home after a week-long convention."
"Hi, Granddads, Papa, I missed you like crazy." The younger version of Daniel hugged each man of the group of four, and then leaned over his father, lingering in his protective embrace, a barely audible sigh of content escaping from his chest. "It's so good to be home, gods of the universe, how much I've missed all this."
"You were missed dearly, Gabriel, my son." Tarquin left his seat, welcoming his stepson. "Look at how much you've grown over these past seven days! I bet he's taller by an inch, maybe even two, don't you think that, too, my king?" He turned to his husband, smiling with fatherly pride.
"He takes after us Blooms." Sebastian nodded, his voice warm and affectionate. " Thaddeus and I were particularly well-built and tall. Gabriel, however, is a little on the slimmer side, he takes that after you, son. Do you remember, my sweet love, what a scrawny little thing our son was?"
"No, I was not," Daniel protested, pouting, much to Brennan's amusement. "And even if I was, Zia Rosa's delicious pasta dishes set me on the right track."
"I have the best looking husband in the whole world, and I dare you to say otherwise." Tarquin playfully frowned, flexing his muscles.
"Otherwise," Brennan blurted, carried away by the lighthearted atmosphere. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to..." he dropped his gaze when everyone turned their attention to him.
"So, you are not only a child magnet, but you also have a very healthy sense of humor." Daniel grinned. "Can you imagine," he turned to Gabriel, "your cousin Elian marked Brennan here as his and hasn't left his side. Plus, my caretaker and Quinlan are best buddies. How about that?"
"Wow, that's some of the greatest news I've heard in quite a time." The young man smiled, ruffling the young boy's golden curls. "To continue on the same tone, I want to make an important announcement: my boyfriend has finally agreed to come and meet you all. Although he's older than me, Philip is on the shyer side, so..."
"Wait a moment," Daniel cut him short, an edge of harshness in his gentle voice. "Who's this guy again? And why weren't we informed about his existence until now?"
Gabriel lowered his gaze, surprised and hurt by the change in his father's attitude. Ever since he came to live with the two men, the then-kid was considered responsible and reliable, the best older brother and the son every father wished for. The boy grew up praised by everyone for those qualities and also for how hard-working and intelligent he was.
For two years, his world was reduced to Daniel, Tarquin, Eugene, and his adoptive brothers, Emery and Lochlin. Then Elliott and his twins came into his life, enriching it in more than one way. However, the most magnificent present Gabriel got was his cousin Gerrard, with whom he shared books, thoughts, dreams, and ideas. Until Claran Mannion came into the redhead's life, stealing his heart away.
The three of them were the best of friends, but sometimes, the raven-haired boy felt out of place. The extra wheel no one needs, and preferred to step back and let the other two live their innocent love story. Only when Philip Fairley appeared in his life did Gabriel realize how lonely he'd become, and that no one around him showed any interest in who he was.
"Our son talked to me about this boyfriend of his," Tarquin broke the leaden silence that took over the room after his husband's interruption. "It was the morning when Shirley brought Bruno to us. I intended to tell you once we were alone, at the cabin, but with the accident and everything that followed..."
"If that's the case," Daniel's features relaxed in a mild, warm smile, "why don't you tell us some more about this Philip guy. He must be someone exceptional to make your eyes shine the way they do," the man's voice became soft again.
"Well, you're right, Papa." Gabriel blushed. "Every time he looks into my eyes and smiles at me, I feel like the luckiest man on the planet. He's sweet and considerate, always interested in what I do. Never tires of listening to me talk about children's psychology and my career aspirations. And, of course, Philip never stops me when I talk his ears off about you guys." The young man grinned.
"He seems almost too good to be true." Sebastian frowned for a brief moment. "On the other hand, the perfect match exists, and our family is the best example. All the unions between our partners and us are based on true love, which includes an interest in the other one's dreams, aspirations, and tastes."
"I'm sorry about my harsh tone earlier, son." Daniel smiled apologetically, extending his hand to Gabriel. "As someone married to the love of his life, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. However, I'm also your father, and no matter how old you are or will be, I'll keep you out of harm's way for as long as I live. That being said, tell Philip that he's welcome here anytime."
"Uncle Fabian, what a pleasant surprise! Your visit is totally unexpected; I couldn't dare to hope you would come to see me." Daniel greeted the older man, a tinge of irony in his voice.
"I may be busy, but I make time for those members of my family who are in need," Fabian's answer came in a silky, smooth voice. "However, instead of offering my sympathy, I have to congratulate you, dear nephew. You look fantastic for someone who had a serious brush with death a little over a month ago."
"The specialists at the Van der Meerwe Institute for Human Genome Research have worked miracles in my case. It's not the first time they've done that, and yet you continue to deny their efforts and achievements. There's another dear friend of mine who helps me less traditionally, and last but not least, Brennan, who's more than a mere caretaker."
"Oh, so this is the man of the day." Fabian squinted his eyes, irony dripping poisonous from his voice. "You are quite famous in this family, young fellow. All my son Martin Cornelius talks about is your dedication to taking care of my nephew's needs."
"I have the privilege of knowing your son." Brennan dipped his head. "He's a wonderful man. I don't know about his father, though. I would need to spend some time with you and get to know you better." He smiled a cold shine in his turquoise eyes.
"Uncle Fabian is Papa and Uncle Thaddeus's older brother. He has an important position inside the DOD; the job keeps him busy all the time. I doubt he would have time to spend in your company. There have been more than six months since the last time my uncle here saw his older son, Quinlan," Daniel replied in a relaxed tone.
Brennan gasped in shock, giving Fabian a hard, cold
stare, while his blood boiled in anger. So, the bastard not only lied to him from start to finish, but he also cruelly rejected that innocent, warm soul, and continued to do so. He had the urge to take the fucker out of the house and demand explanations, but his job was to help Daniel, the man who'd ended up in that state because of him.
To be more specific, the man Fabian had wanted dead and ordered him to do the dirty job. Never, until then, did Brennan feel remorse for eliminating a target. That was also because he hadn't spent as much time investigating the others as he did in this case of his boss's nephew and the man's husband.
"Well, it's time I go on my way." Fabian cleared his throat, discreetly dropping his wallet on the floor, a move that didn't pass unnoticed by Brennan's eagle eye.
"Thanks for the visit, Uncle, I'm happy you are not as cold-hearted as some of your actions show you sometimes." Daniel smiled, extending his hand in the older man's direction. "I hope you'll come again soon, or at least talk to Quinlan before leaving. He misses you a lot."
"Look, your uncle dropped his wallet. It must have slipped from his pocket, maybe if I go after the gentleman right now, I could still catch him," Brennan said a few moments after Fabian left without offering Daniel a reply and ignoring his extended hand.
"Good idea." The raven-haired man smiled. "Meanwhile, I will read for a bit, and then I'm ready to go on that fifty-yard walk with you."
"Okay, here's your wallet, bastard," Brennan hissed in Fabian's ear, reaching him, much to the other one's delight. "And now, the two of us are going to have a little talk, how about that?"
"I have to confess I'm quite impressed by your level of audacity." The older man lightly clapped his hands. "I would have never imagined to find you here, of all places. Daniel's caretaker and physiotherapist...you are certainly bolder than I thought. I warn you, though, selling me out to them wouldn't be a very inspired move."
"I'm not a snitch, but I won't hesitate to snap your neck like a twig if I find out you lied to me. I'm not your puppet anymore, so no bullshit. Do. You. Understand?" Brennan balled his hands into fists, teeth clenched.
Fabian studied the young man, fighting the urge to huff in contempt. Despite his tough exterior, he was so weak, so easy to manipulate, the older man thought. "Fine. No more lies or dirty games, ask me anything, and you will get an honest answer. Anything at all." He opened his arms wide in a gesture of surrender. "I have nothing to hide. No more."
"Why did you want me to kill Daniel, your nephew? What did he do to earn your hate?"
CHAPTER 13
"B ecause I have to. That is the only way of straightening out all his wrongdoings!" Fabian put fire in his voice, hoping that his conversation partner would fall into the trap. "For a decade, I tried to change my nephew's evil ways. I fought hard against his criminal allies, but I can't anymore. I'm old and tired." He feigned defeat.
"Criminal allies? What the hell are you talking about?" Brennan replied, barely containing his anger. "I'm almost permanently in his company, and I've never seen any suspicious-looking individuals around, so stop with the bullshit."
"The Fenelli family from Detroit. The New York branch of the Russian Mafia. Bratva, the Hong Kong triads and last, but not least, that Ardan MacNamara bastard. The whore who ruined my business partner and the list could go on. Daniel combined all of them into the Dragons' House, the organization my ancestors created precisely to fight against organized crime."
"I—I didn't have any idea," Brennan stuttered, lowering his gaze in shame. "I've heard about the House and the atypical methods its members use for fighting against organized crime, but I didn't have any idea..."
"And then there's Tarquin, of course. One of the strongest, bravest men I know," Fabian started again, rejoicing inside. "Do you know he has a twin brother, Elliott? The only reason he consented to marry Daniel was to keep him if not safe, at least alive, because the said brother was forced into marrying Cesare-Eugenio Brentano, the boss of the Fenelli family."
"Sorry, but I can't believe that." Brennan raised his head, looking straight into Fabian's eyes. "I've seen those two, the love is there, strong, undeniable. There's no way to fake that." He shook his head in disbelief.
"I was wrong, so wrong about you." Fabian feigned sadness. "All this time, I thought you were a monster, a twisted creation of a sick mind, bad to the bone. Instead, you are nothing more than an innocent, pure soul, who doesn't see the evil in certain people. Poor Tarquin...he learned to live with the abuse, found a way to hide the immense fear and pain in his heart behind the gentle smile of his."
"You don't know that." Brennan shook his head in protest. "You haven't seen them together, but I have. There's no fear in Tarquin's eyes when he looks at Daniel, only adoration and admiration."
"Pain, physical and mental, affects individuals in different ways. You fight back when attacked because there is no one else you have to protect. Elliott, his children, not to mention his own children—there are a lot of people who depend on how Tarquin reacts. Did you ever see his triplets, Emery, Lochlin, and Julien? And if you have, what do you think of them?"
As he finished talking, Fabian cast a satisfied, devilish glance in the younger man's direction, sensing that his question had hit a sensible point. Indeed, the image of the three boys appeared before Brennan's eyes, as he saw them on the very few occasions during the time he'd spent at the mansion as Daniel's caretaker.
With the same delicate construction as their father, beautiful, sky-blue eyes, permanently veiled by melancholy, and messy golden curls, they only appeared briefly, never saying very much, then went upstairs or into the library. There, the three spent hours on end reading and taking notes, almost in total silence.
"You're right on that one, the blond boys...they are too quiet, almost like shadows, something's certainly wrong there." Brennan nodded, his voice ridden with sadness. "I believe you, at least when it comes to your reasons to kill Daniel. What about the lab? You knew from the start that it was destroyed some six months after you took me from there, didn't you?"
"Oh, so you are telling me I should have left you there, to be taken into federal authorities' custody? How naive you are, dear boy!" Fabian exclaimed, finally letting out that contemptuous huff he had suppressed from the start of the conversation. "To what? To turn you into yet another lab rat or send you to prison for murdering your mother and stepfather?"
"I was already a lab rat!" Brennan snapped, his turquoise eyes burning with hatred. "As for going to prison, where do you think the murders I committed on your behalf would put me? If the police ever find out?"
"Do you know how much influence I had to use and how many favors I had to call in to get you out of there? What do you think the Van der Meerwe Institute my nephew praises so much is? An even more horrible place than the one you got away from. Where the innocent die so filth like Daniel and his criminal associates can live long, healthy lives. And yet, instead of turning you out, I put up with your blatant ingratitude every day!"
"I'm sorry," Brennan said softly, "but you are also to blame. Had you told me everything from the start, I wouldn't have been such an ungrateful asshole. But I can still make it up to you, can't I?"
"Just keep me up to date with what's going on around here, without hiding anything." Fabian patted the young man on the shoulder, exulting that the prey had finally fallen in the carefully set trap. "Now I really have to go, and so do you. Otherwise, your employer will get suspicious," he continued with a slight warning.
Brennan nodded and turned around, heading to the mansion's main entrance. All the things his boss told him were making sense, especially corroborated with what he'd noticed so far. As the young man was about to step inside the house, a weak noise got his attention. And he turned around, gasping in shock and anger at the sight.
Less than a hundred yards away, close to where his car was parked, Fabian had just backhanded someone with such a force that the unfortunate soul fell to the ground in a helpless heap, sobbing quietly. Without look
ing back, Daniel's uncle climbed into his vehicle and took off at full speed.
"Are you okay?" Brennan crouched in front of the shaking, sobbing form, putting his arm around the person who laid on the ground, curled into a pitiful ball. "Oh, no, Quinlan, is that you? I'm going to kill that bastard, next time I see him. I swear on my parents' grave." He narrowed his eyes, voice low and threatening.
"No, please." Quinlan raised his head, making the other one flinch at the sight of the ugly bruise that had already appeared on his cheek. "Even if he rejects me, that man is still my father, and I love him as such. Besides, think about how much Martin Cornelius would suffer," he continued in a whispered voice.
"Okay, for your sake, I won't do anything against that piece of shit, I promise, but what are you going to tell the others? Tarquin cares a lot about you, I'm sure about that, and he would wonder..." Brennan wanted to continue, but Quinlan gestured for him to stop.
"I fell. I tripped over myself and fell because I'm clumsy and retarded. It's happened before so that no one would be surprised. Can you do that for me? Can you keep silent about this incident? The relationship between Daniel and my father is strained enough, I don't want to add to the pressure," the black-haired man pleaded.
"That cousin of yours is not stupid. That's the first thing I've learned in the short time I've been here. How are you going to explain the hand imprint on your face?" Brennan carefully helped the other get to his feet, then wrapped an arm around him for support.
"I fell on my hand, and the imprint was the result of the impact. As I said, I'm pathetic and clumsy. It's happened before, and Daniel will believe me; he always does," Quinlan whispered, blankly staring ahead.
"Okay, big guy, so be it." Brennan nodded, helping the other one up the steps to the mansion's main entrance. "I won't say a word, but you have to let one of the many doctors in your family run a physical examination on you. I don't like how you are breathing. I think you have a cracked rib."
