A flash of long legs mingled in the crowd made him pause, and he turned back to the screen, leaning forward and looking at the willowy figure of a woman. “I need to see this one. I need a clear image.” Milo tapped the TV and a guy messed around, bringing up a colour image of the room on another larger screen hanging on the wall.
“That's as good as you're going to get. See something, Officer?”
“I don’t know.” Milo looked again, mentally pushing the other people in his view out of the way and searching for the woman again. “There. Her!” Milo pointed to a tall, slender built woman wearing a fitted dusky pink woollen dress ending a little too high up her thighs and killer cream heels. Her blonde hair was braided and arranged at the back of her head, and she had large designer sunglasses covering her eyes. “That’s him. He’s got Samuel dressed as a woman.” Milo would know those lips anywhere, even glossed up in lipstick. “That’s Samuel Tate.”
The other guys in the room looked like at him like he'd lost his mind, but he stood up and shouted, “That’s him. I’d know him anywhere. That’s why I'm here.”
There was a lot of commotion and everyone jumped into gear. Milo let them move around him, knowing he would just be in the way, and stared at Samuel on the screen. He was alone, looking around himself, seeming to be waiting for someone. When the room was nearly empty, a business man wearing sunglasses and an expensive suit appeared beside him, wrapping his arm around his waist and kissing his cheek before whispering something to Samuel. He could see Samuel stiffen, looking around then back to Nikolay.
Milo smiled when he saw the cute smile playing on Samuel’s lips, the way he tilted his head, the teasing way he touched Volkov. He was okay. He was playing along.
They would get him back.
They disappeared into the corridor after showing their passports and that’s when Milo started to panic. He had to see them, to know. He walked outside, looking at the plane they would be getting on. It was surrounded by armed police. He stopped breathing when he heard gunshots and shouting. Screams came from the plane then people were everywhere. It was chaos. Milo was with two other agents from Interpol as they rushed to the scene, Milo’s heart in his throat the whole time.
Please don’t be Samuel. Please.
The crowds were being cleared, and he could hear Volkov shouting. When he spotted him, he saw Samuel beside him, being held with a gun to his head. Unable to stop the fear in him rising, Milo shouted ‘no.’ Samuel lifted his head, the two hundred or so feet between them seeming to get longer the more Milo ran to him. Two men grabbed him, holding him back.
“Samuel!” Milo watched as Samuel recognised him. A look of worry passed over his face, then a smile. Even distorted by makeup, Milo could see how pleased he was. In the midst of everything, a moment of peace passed between them, one where there was just them and nothing else.
“I love you,” Samuel mouthed with a smile.
“I love you, Princess,” Milo mouthed back.
Samuel nodded.
The sounds of gunshots filled the air and Milo was pushed to the ground. He fought to turn around and saw Samuel on the floor, Volkov on top of him, and the blood… Milo cried out, rushing through the sea of men and guns, shouting for Samuel.
Men were pointing their guns at them, moving Volkov’s body with their feet. Samuel was laid still, his outfit stained with blood. Milo couldn't get to him, he could only watch as Volkov was pulled to his knees, the gunshot wound in his chest not taking his life just yet. It was then that Samuel moved, his eyes finding Volkov's, and a whispered conversation happened between them before Volkov collapsed.
Samuel just sat there, his pretty dress saturated and his skin drip white.
“Let me go to him,” Milo growled out. The urge to protect and comfort Samuel was too much.
“They’re moving him now. There could be more of Volkov’s men around. We have to be careful. He’s the best witness we’ve got.”
“He’s not just a fucking witness. He’s the man I love.” Milo jerked out of their hold and stared at Samuel.
“I'm sorry. We’re doing what we can. We want him safe.”
“I know.” Milo nodded. “I know.”
Milo watched as Samuel was gently helped to his feet, an officer having to support him as they walked to a more secure location not out in the open.
As soon as they got close, Milo ran for him. “Samuel!”
Samuel turned and saw Milo, tears springing to his eyes as he took a few shaky steps to him.
Milo grabbed him and swung him into his arms. “Princess.”
“Milo! Milo, you came.”
“I'm here. I'm here. You're safe. Everything’s okay.”
“Milo…” Samuel burst into tears, clinging onto him, the shock making him shake violently and the six inch heels he had on weren’t helping his balance. “I love you so much. I didn’t think… They said they would hurt you.” He looked into Milo’s eyes, fresh fear running through him, the long fake eyelashes he was wearing enhancing every blink and movement. “Where’s Daniel? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” Milo swept Samuel up in his arms, carrying his limp body into the secure offices where they were before. “He’s back home.”
“Milo.” Samuel buried his face into his chest and wept, sobbing until he passed out and Milo handed him over to the paramedics who were waiting for them.
When Samuel woke, he was given a shot to help calm him and then he was strapped to gurney while Milo held his hand, both of them afraid they would be taken from the other. Milo didn’t care about what was going on around him, his only thought was Samuel. When they were in the ambulance, with a couple of cars full of armed police following them, Milo took out his phone and called Daniel up.
“Milo... tell me you have him.”
“I have him.” Milo’s voice broke and he passed the phone to Samuel.
“Daniel, are you okay?” Samuel made Milo smile. Even now his main concern was how they were doing. “I'm safe. I'm okay. I'm not hurt. I'm with Milo.” His lids dropped. “I love you. I'm coming home soon.”
Milo took the phone from him. “He’s a bit drugged up and sleepy, but he’s doing okay. We got Volkov, Danny. He was hurt pretty bad.”
“Good,” Daniel growled out. “Did he…” Daniel sucked in a big breath. “Has he touched Samuel?”
Milo paused. He didn’t know and now wasn’t the time to ask. “I don’t know.”
“No!” Daniel wept down the phone while Milo tried to calm him.
Samuel reached for Milo’s hand and looked into his eyes. “What’s wrong? Please, tell me.”
“He’s just happy your safe, Princess. Just rest.”
Samuel didn’t believe a word, but he was too sleepy to argue.
“Danny, he’s alive. That’s all that matters.”
Samuel sighed and grabbed the phone from Milo. “He didn’t touch me. And even if he did… I would still be only yours.” He looked into Milo’s eyes as he said the words to Danny and Milo smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“You both that said together.” Samuel chuckled then his lids finally dropped, the phone lying beside him on the bed.
Milo took it and comforted Danny until they pulled up at the hospital. “I have to go. I’ll call you as soon as I get the chance. I love you. Stay safe.”
Danny was being held in a safe house just in case anyone had tried to get to him and Milo had no idea right now if that was still in the cards.
When they’d got Samuel in a room and two armed police officers outside who made Milo look small, he found one of the Interpol agents and they sat down and talked.
“Volkov is dead. The bullet severed the main artery going to his heart. Mr Barnes…” He lifted his gaze to Milo and tilted his head. “That bullet wasn’t one of ours. It came from one of Volkov’s own men. Samuel became too dangerous. It was better for them to silence him than let him escape, even if that’s what Volkov wanted. Volkov saved Samuel’
s life by taking that bullet when he could have let him take the hit and ran. His last words were, ‘I knew you’d be the death of me as soon as I saw you. I wasn’t wrong, was I, my love?’”
Milo looked at his feet, hating and thanking Volkov for loving Samuel. He put him in this life-endangering position and then sacrificed himself to save his life. “Samuel whispered something to him, what did he say?”
The guy shrugged. “‘Thank you, Nikky.’ That’s all he said.”
“Thank you?” Milo stood up and brushed his hair back from his face. “I can think of a few other things I would have said, but I’m not Samuel.”
“Volkov loved that kid. He put his life on the line more than once for him. Just by being in England, he took a risk. It was all for him, Milo. Has Samuel ever told you the true nature of his relationship with Nikolay?”
“I don’t need you to fill my head with lies. I know what happened.”
“I'm not saying he’s lying.”
Milo looked into the guy’s eyes and snorted. “You think he was a willing participant in this? He had a year to go back to Volkov, but he didn’t. I trust Samuel with my life. I know he may have played the game, he said and did what he had to do to survive, and in time, he’ll tell us about it, but I won't lay any blame at his feet for doing that. If sharing that monster’s bed saved him from the tortures of what those other boys have gone through, then he did the right thing. Better to stick with the evil you know than the evil you don’t.”
“If he’d told us about Volkov’s feelings before, that could have helped a lot.”
“No, you would have used Samuel as bait. That’s what you would have done. Dangled him in front of Volkov until he lost it and came after him. God knows what would have happened.” Milo sighed heavily. “Are we safe? What about the others? Is there a risk?”
“There will be, but it will be considerably less now the two main guys are dead. We’re arresting everyone we can right now. In a couple of days we’ll know more, but I think—and it’s a big I think—but it looks much better than a trial We’ll still prosecute the rest, but as far as Samuel is concerned, his part is over. We have enough of the rest of the gang for Samuel to not play a huge part in things from now on. That’s how they’ll see it too.”
Milo sat down, head in his hands and taking deep breaths. Time would tell if things would be easy or hard, but Milo prayed it would be easy for them and they could put this nightmare behind them.
Chapter 32
Samuel woke the next morning with a headache the size of Texas and a mouth as dry as the Sahara. He drank a couple of glasses of water and lay back in the uncomfortable hospital bed and looked around him. Milo was fast asleep in a chair beside the bed, stubble and messy hair, clothes all creased, but looking like an angel to Samuel.
He sat still, looking over him and running through those first moments when he’d seen Milo across the runway. He’d been so happy to see Milo, and then there was the gunshot and Nikolay laying on him, not knowing if he’d been shot or if he’d just landed heavily on the ground.
Nikolay saved his life. After all those years, all of the things he’d done to him, he saved his life. He took the bullet for him. Samuel bit his lip. Every bit of pain in his life had been caused by Nikolay Volkov. Samuel had been taken because of his dad, as a form of punishment even in death, but every moment after that had been for Nikky’s benefit. His distorted views of love for Samuel were what held him close. Samuel tried so hard to turn his attention away in the first year, but after spending nights with other men, with Boris especially, the times in Nikky’s bed had seemed like a loving boyfriend showering attention on him.
That’s how Nikky punished Samuel. When he was mad, he would give him to other men to play with. He'd be returned used and bleeding, his body stained and abused. Nikolay would bathe him, hold him, kiss him, and give him drugs to ease the pain. Samuel had seen those tender moments and clung onto them. Perhaps even believed his declaration of warped love. But now…
Samuel looked at Milo and he knew what real love was. He knew because he’d found that with Milo and Daniel. This was real love. The type of love which he’d never felt before and the type he always wanted to feel with the two men in his life.
If everything hadn't happened before the fire, who’s to say they would have ever met. All the pain and loss, all of the scars, physically and mentally, they were all worth it for this. For the three of them to find each other. For the promise of a future together. Samuel would never turn back the hands of time and live his life differently, because unravel one stitch and he may not be here right now, looking at the handsome face of the man who just saved his life, who had been saving his life ever since they first met. He wouldn’t be thinking of Daniel sitting at home, waiting for him to return to his cute little house and his comforting arms.
Milo stirred and Samuel swung his legs off the bed and sat opposite him, gently moving a strand of his thick, dark hair behind his ear with a smile. Milo opened one eye then the other, not moving, just looking at Samuel sitting there.
“Hi, Officer Barnes. Welcome back.”
“Samuel.” Milo’s eyes filled up and Samuel moved to sit on his lap, holding Milo’s head to his chest while he cried. “I was so afraid I’d lost you. I'm so sorry. I shouldn’t have left. We should have been with you. I felt so guilty. We both did. If I’d never found you…” Milo broke down, sobbing into his chest while Samuel rocked him. “I love you so much. You're so important to me, Samuel.”
Milo leaned back and took Samuel’s face in his hands. “I would never have stopped looking for you. Danny and me would have ripped the world in half to find you. I'm never letting you out of my sight again.”
Samuel chuckled, wiping away the tears from Milo’s face. “You will. You’re not that type of person, Milo. Neither of you are. You’ll keep me safe, but I won't be tethered to you. I'm free with you. That’s what you give me. That’s what you want for me. To live my life like anyone else and to do it without the worry of being taken. Well, that’s what just happened. I'm not going anywhere. I choose to be with you. I've always chosen to be with you. I love you both so much. I would have done anything to keep you safe. That’s why I got on that plane, that’s why I played along and dressed up for him. To keep you safe. You know what they did to Boris?”
Milo closed his eyes but nodded.
“Nikolay promised to do that to you and Daniel. I knew then, whatever he wanted from me, I would do willingly and without a fight. I knew I’d do anything I could do to save you.”
Milo kissed him, holding his slight body in his big arms and running his mouth down his neck, smelling his scent. “You would have put yourself through a life of slavery to that monster for us?” Milo pulled back, looking at the new scar on Samuel’s neck where Nikolay’s flick knife had pierced his skin, and then he kissed it, running his tongue over the wound.
“I would have done it for you, for both of you. If knowing that you were alive and together, even without me being with you was the only happy thought I could ever have again, it would have been enough.”
“Samuel…” Milo hugged him tight. “I just need you right here for the next year or so. Right in hand’s reach.”
Samuel chuckled at the soft smile playing on Milo’s lips. “This is a good place to be.”
“I agree.” Milo snuck his hands under Samuel’s knees and cradled him in his arms as he stood up. “How about a hot bath?”
“With you?” Samuel played with his collar as he was carried into the bathroom.
“Well, the bath’s big enough for two. I checked it out.” Milo smiled and set Samuel down by the bath, running his hands over his head, and Samuel noticed he still had his hair braided and pinned up. Milo traced the bruise on his cheek, then ran his finger under his bottom lip, looking at where it had split open. “No one will ever touch you like this again. I promise.”
Samuel touched his swollen cheek and nodded. He had other bruises which Milo would have to see�
�they would hurt him, but Samuel wouldn’t hide anything from him. “Don’t they need to… you know… check me out first? Won't I be washing evidence down the drain?” Samuel wasn’t sure if he’d told the police he hadn’t been raped, and he wasn’t sure if he would have some unknown piece of evidence from Nikolay on him. He could remember telling Milo, or was it Daniel, that he hadn’t been touched in any way, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
“They’ve done all that while you were out.” Milo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I'm glad he didn’t… if he had touched you physically…”
“Don’t think about it.” Samuel pressed his chest to Milo’s back and hugged him. “I never gave myself to him. In dark times, times where I was confused and drugged up, or so in pain and he was the only light in a dark place, I thought I did. But I never wanted him, Milo. I never loved him. And what he felt for me…” Samuel turned Milo around and looked into his eyes. “It was never true love. What I see every time I look into your and Daniel’s eyes, that’s love. What I feel when I'm with you, that's real. How you care so much about setting me free and not caging me up, that's real love.”
Samuel leaned up and kissed him, Milo's arms quickly threading around his back and pulling him close. “I’ll only ever give myself to you and Daniel. You two are the only people who I’ve chosen to be with, who I’ve consented to touch me. No one else matters. Every moment before you two is just dust in the air. You’re what matters to me. Your touch, your love, your life. I want it all and more.”
“You are my life, our life.” Milo kissed him again, Samuel teasing his lips open and sliding his tongue inside for a deeper kiss. He was breathless when Milo tightened his grip and bent him backwards, holding his hair and claiming his mouth in a kiss he’d never experienced before.
“Milo,” Samuel whispered against his lips. “I'm yours. I always will be.”
Manchester Ménage 01 - Saving Samuel Page 24
