A Dangerous Game

by Rick R. Reed

  This was most likely the woman who had killed his friends.

  And he was showing her kindness.

  It seemed they sat that way, frozen in this tableau of despair, danger, and regret, for hours, while in truth Wren knew it was only for a few minutes. At last Rufus led the woman to sit on the bed. To Wren’s relief he opened the drawer, removed the knife, and took it into another room.

  He came back in, closing the bedroom door behind him. “We’re gonna get you some help real soon, little man. I just need to talk to Martha here.”

  He sat down next to her on the bed, draping an arm over her too-thin shoulders. She was trembling now, her brown eyes glassy, staring forward at nothing.

  “We need to get you some help,” Rufus began, his words barely above a whisper.

  The woman looked at Rufus as though she didn’t recognize him, like he had materialized out of nowhere. Her lower lip trembled.

  “It was Dan. It was always Dan,” she said in a voice that was a frail shadow of the ferocity she had displayed only a short time ago.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He made me do it.” The woman’s tongue snaked out, licking lips that were dry and cracked. “He was never faithful. Not from the very start, when he went away with that boy in Miami on our honeymoon. There were so many men. He didn’t care if I knew—because he knew I was trapped. I was just a poor girl from Chester, West Virginia. If I left him, what could I go back to? An alcoholic mother in an apartment above a liquor store? It sounds like the plot for some bad Lifetime movie. So many men. Rubbing my nose in it.

  “And then he started using our money to pay for the whores. And then I found out they were blackmailing him—and even more of our money, our children’s money, was going out the door, robbing us of our future. I didn’t know where it would end.

  “I had to put a stop to it.” She grabbed Rufus by the front of his shirt, her wild eyes staring up at him. “You understand that, don’t you? I was just a mother protecting her kids. I just did what any mother would do, right?”

  Rufus gently removed her hand, rubbed her back. “Sure. I understand. I see. You were just looking out for your family. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in? Who could you have turned to?”

  The woman’s expression lightened, and she smiled, sniffling. “You understand! I didn’t think anyone would.”

  Rufus looked at Wren over her shoulder. He mouthed the words “Go” and “Call.” And Wren had no problem deciphering the instructions.

  He got up, wincing with pain but otherwise quiet as he walked, steadily as he could, from the room.

  In the living room, he picked up the cordless where it still lay on the coffee table. He fully expected the movie cliché to come true and to find that when he tried to call 911, he would get no dial tone, that Martha Williams had severed the phone line. But when he pressed the button to activate the phone, a welcoming hum greeted him.

  He made his way into the kitchen and saw the back door still partially open, the glass pane above the doorknob broken. On the slate tile floor, the glass lay in shatters, much like Martha Williams’s mind, he couldn’t help but think.

  He looked outside at the still, hot, and humid day, took a deep breath, and punched in the digits that would bring them aid.

  Epilogue

  WREN COULDN’T believe two months had passed. He stood shivering in the mist of an early October morning, sipping coffee from a paper cup. It was unseasonably cold for this early in October, and the fog that had settled on West Harrison Street made this part of the city, just west of the Loop, seem like something out of London’s East End, back when Jack the Ripper was prowling its streets. Or at least Wren thought that’s what he would imagine if he were a romantic sort, which he had decided, despite all evidence to the contrary, that he was not. He was simply more attuned to his feelings, more intuitive, if you will.

  Right now Wren had other things on his mind, like the bus that was due to arrive from Minnesota in just a few minutes. Rufus was on that bus, homeward bound after a six-week stint in rehab examining his own motivations for why he had become an addict and why he had worked so hard, for the past year or so, to hide from that fact.

  Martha Williams, in her own sick way and by her deadly, twisted actions, had finally made Rufus see he needed to confront himself. It was why, he said in one of the many letters he sent to Wren from Minnesota, he could not permit himself to love.

  But now he had faced himself and come away stronger, armed with tools that would not only help him keep clean but allow him to develop relationships that were more real, more mature, and based on mutual respect and yes, maybe, love.

  Wren hoped he would be one of those relationships.

  He moved to a bus-stop bench and sat down, sipping his coffee and enjoying the quiet of the city morning. It was only 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Few people were out, on foot or even in vehicles. He had peeked inside the bus station, and it too, at this early hour, was quiet, with a few sad-looking travelers asleep in plastic chairs.

  Wren drank his coffee and stared up at the dull white sky, burrowing down farther into the winter jacket Linda had just bought for him at Eddie Bauer, a quilted green garment that contrasted nicely with his red hair.

  Wren wanted to look good today. Rufus had told him when he was coming back to town and how, but also that he had no expectations. Meeting his bus would be a surprise, Wren’s way of saying “I waited for you.”

  He realized Rufus might have changed during this period. Wren accepted the fact that the man who stepped off the bus this morning might not be the same man who had left on it six weeks ago. Self-realization changed a person, and sometimes, with growth like that, allegiances and attractions shifted—or vanished.

  Wren himself had changed a lot during the aftermath of Martha Williams’s arrest. He’d had to lie low for a while, bombarded as he was with requests by the media for interviews and curiosity seekers who came to the supermarket to have a look at the bag boy who had been caught up in the sensational “Gay-for-Pay” murders, as they were being called, and the female serial killer at its epicenter.

  It wasn’t that hard to do. The glamour of a grocery store worker who lived with his mother in an apartment hotel was not all that exciting. Much to Wren’s relief, the thrill seekers quickly moved on to other crimes and tragedies in a city where there was no shortage of each.

  He settled into a quieter life, one that wasn’t characterized by partying or promiscuity as it once had been, but one that was more centered on who he was. Wren had started taking cooking classes at Kendall College in Evanston and was working toward one day becoming a chef. He spent most of his time with Linda or writing to Rufus, reassuring him that someone back in Chicago was waiting for him, was there for him.

  Although Rufus chronicled his journey of self-discovery in language that was smart, economical, and often moving, he seldom said much about what had happened that horrible, hot morning when he had almost been killed. Worse, he seldom said much about the love he had admitted for Wren during those stressed-out days.

  Wren knew he would have to accept whoever stepped off the bus and would do so with grace. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to get the two of them back to where they were before Rufus went away.

  He glanced down at his watch and saw that it was almost six twenty. The bus should be pulling into the station any minute now. Wren finished his coffee, threw the cup in the trash, and headed through the station to meet the bus.

  Wren watched as the big blue and silver bus maneuvered into its slot, wondering if Rufus would be tired and grumpy, if he would look different. He supposed not, since Rufus had—as far as he knew—stayed away from cocaine since far before he had gone to rehab. He had just never learned how to deal with the demands of the addict inside him properly.

  Wren leaned against the wall, watching as the passengers disembarked, all looking a little disoriented from the 500-plus mile trip.

  He watched a mo
ther and two small children get off, followed by a couple of old men, a guy in a Navy uniform, a woman who looked like someone’s grandma, and then, finally, there was Rufus.

  He didn’t look any different. Same lanky frame, same wheat-colored hair, tiny moustache, and goatee. His dark blue eyes razored through the tendrils of fog still clinging to the dirty concrete, searching.

  For Wren?

  Wren wanted to clutch his heart but knew such a move would be melodramatic, requiring the accompaniment of surging violins. So he simply remained in the shadows, admiring the man he loved and thinking of why he loved him—because he was beautiful, because he was sexy, because he was creative, because he was a bit of a bad boy, but most of all, because he was kind. He was kind enough to offer compassion to a wounded woman who was also a killer, a woman who had stolen the lives of his friends.

  A guy like that had to have a lot of heart.

  And when it came to hearts, Wren thought, grinning, size definitely did matter.

  He stepped out of the shadows just as a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, and Rufus saw him. Rufus’s blue eyes lit up, and his lazy grin lifted a corner of his mouth.

  Wren moved forward, knowing that, somehow, everything was going to be okay.

  More from Rick R. Reed

  Teacher Dane Bernard is a gentle giant, loved by all at Summitville High School. He has a beautiful wife, two kids, and an easy rapport with staff and students alike. But Dane has a secret, one he expects to keep hidden for the rest of his life—he’s gay.

  But when he loses his wife, Dane finally confronts his attraction to men. And a new teacher, Seth Wolcott, immediately catches his eye. Seth himself is starting over, licking his wounds from a breakup. The last thing Seth wants is another relationship—but when he spies Dane on his first day at Summitville High, his attraction is immediate and electric.

  As the two men enter into a dance of discovery and new love, they’re called upon to come to the aid of bullied gay student Truman Reid. Truman is out and proud, which not everyone at his small town high school approves of. As the two men work to help Truman ignore the bullies and love himself without reservation, they all learn life-changing lessons about coming out, coming to terms, acceptance, heartbreak, and falling in love.

  With the couple next door, nothing is as it seems.

  Jeremy Booth leads a simple life, scraping by in the gay neighborhood of Seattle, never letting his lack of material things get him down. But the one thing he really wants—someone to love—seems elusive. Until the couple next door moves in and Jeremy sees the man of his dreams, Shane McCallister, pushed down the stairs by a brute named Cole.

  Jeremy would never go after another man’s boyfriend, so he reaches out to Shane in friendship while suppressing his feelings of attraction. But the feeling of something being off only begins with Cole being a hard-fisted bully—it ends with him seeming to be different people at different times. Some days, Cole is the mild-mannered John and then, one night in a bar, he’s the sassy and vivacious drag queen Vera.

  So how can Jeremy rescue the man of his dreams from a situation that seems to get crazier and more dangerous by the day? By getting close to the couple next door, Jeremy not only puts a potential love in jeopardy, but eventually his very life.

  Tricks can mean many things: sex partners, deceptions, even magic—or maybe all three.

  Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago’s Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent breakup. When the two spy each other, magic blooms.

  But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he’s ever known? This question might not even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions.

  Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.

  Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking. When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more—something real, something true—to separate the good from the bad and find the love—and the hope—that just might be their salvation.

  Life can change in the blink of an eye. That’s a truth Andy Slater learns as a young man in 1982, taking the Chicago ‘L’ to work every morning. Andy’s life is laid out before him: a good job, marriage to his female college sweetheart, and the white picket fence existence he believes in. But when he sees Carlos Castillo for the first time, Carlos’s dark eyes and Latin appeal mesmerize him. Fate continues to throw them together until the two finally agree to meet up. At Andy’s apartment, the pent-up passion of both young men is ignited, but is snuffed out by an inopportune and poorly-timed phone call.

  Flash forward to present day. Andy is alone, having married, divorced, and become the father of a gay son. He’s comfortable but alone and has never forgotten the powerful pull of Carlos’s gaze on the ‘L’ train. He vows to find him once more, hoping for a second chance. If life can change in the blink of an eye, what will the passage of thirty years do? To find out, Andy begins a search that might lead to heartache and disappointment or a love that will last forever….

  Readers love Rick R. Reed

  Big Love

  “It’s heart-wrenching and sweet…”

  —Gay Book Reviews

  “Big Love is a heart warming, heart breaking story about what it means to be gay in modern America.”

  —Divine Magazine

  “I really enjoyed this book.”

  —Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy

  “…Rick R. Reed writes from the heart.”

  —Gay Book Reviews

  The Couple Next Door

  “Sinister, creepy and intense, with a love story that only ratchets up the tension, The Couple Next Door is a wild and strange ride.”

  —Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews

  “I highly recommend this story, especially to those who enjoy thrillers with their MM romances. You would have to look darn far to find a better combination.”

  —Hearts on Fire

  “I was hooked from the start and all the way through I was wide-eyed and agog, dismayed and afraid.”

  —Back Porch Reader

  RICK R. REED is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery, and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love. He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation, and The Blue Moon Cafe). His novel, Raining Men, won the Rainbow Award for Best Contemporary General Fiction. Lambda Literary Review has called him, “a writer that doesn’t disappoint.” Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever “at work on another novel.”

  Rick always enjoys hearing from readers and answers all e-mails personally. Contact Rick at:

  E-mail: jimmyfels@gmail.com

  Website: www.rickrreed.com

  Blog: rickrreedreality.blogspot.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/rickrreedbooks

  Twitter: @RickRReed

  By Rick R. Reed

  Bashed

  Big Love

  Blink

  Caregiver

 
Chaser • Raining Men

  The Couple Next Door

  A Dangerous Game

  Dignity Takes a Holiday

  Dinner at Fiorello’s

  Dinner at Home

  Homecoming

  Hungry for Love

  Husband Hunters

  Legally Wed

  Simmer (Dreamspinner Anthology)

  Tricks

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A Dangerous Game

  © 2016 Rick R. Reed.

  Cover Art

  © 2016 Reese Dante.

  http://www.reesedante.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.