by Joyee Flynn
“But you’re not gay,” he muttered, stomping off towards his office.
It was obvious Peter wasn’t leaving without a fight, and Austin didn’t want to draw attention to the man or have his mates find out before he was able to explain. He was in enough trouble with them, and he didn’t need another reason for them to leave.
Peter followed, and Austin closed the door to his office behind him. He eyed over his first love, noticing the years had not been kind. And that gleam in Peter’s eyes that Austin had mistaken for mischief in his younger years now screamed of deceit.
“How long did it take you to convince Houston to claim you?” he asked after he realized that Peter had aged as a human since he’d left.
“A couple of decades,” Peter answered, his upper lip curling in disgust. “He said if I gave him twenty years of great sex, he’d make me immortal. Of course then there was more to the deal when the time came.”
“Yeah, you guys are equally matched in your self-serving ways.” Austin rolled his eyes. It sounded just like Houston to go back on his word or change the rules when it suited him. “I feel so bad for you, Peter. It must have been horrible to be some fag’s toy for a few decades.”
“I like sex, doesn’t matter if they’re male or female,” Peter said with a shrug, picking a piece of lint off his expensive suit. Austin wasn’t buying the lie. The reason he’d left in the first place was because he overheard Peter’s drunken ramble to his friends that he was fucking a fag to get what he wanted. Peter had always wanted to be immortal, not Austin. It had broken his young heart at the time, but he’d had almost two centuries to get over it.
And looking at Peter now… he felt nothing. Not love or anger or hate, just annoyance that he walked back into Austin’s life.
“Fine, you are immortal and mated to my brother.” Austin sighed as he scrubbed his hands over his face. “Great, good to know. Why are you here at my home, Peter?”
“I missed my little dragon,” Peter purred, using the old nickname that Austin had once loved. Now it was like a knife in his back. “I’m finally done with my obligation to your brother and came to find you. It wasn’t easy though. Took me five years to track you down.”
“What obligation?” Austin knew something was missing from his story. Peter wanted immortality from Austin. It had never been about love or mating. What was the man hiding now?
“I had to give him ten sons.” Peter sighed and looked bored. “That was the deal for immortality. I had to stay in his pathetic harem until I gave him ten children. And he didn’t want them every three years. The bastard made me raise the whelps with his other mates. Once one was grown then he’d come back until he knocked me up again. That’s why it’s taken me over a century to get back to you.”
“You never wanted me. You wanted to be immortal,” he replied, skeptically eyeing Peter over. “So try again, lover.” He put all of his disdain for the man in that last word, mocking him.
“Look, I know what you think you heard, Austin,” Peter started to say, but Austin held up his hand to stop him right there.
“We both know what you said. Don’t try and lie about it all these years later. I was young, Peter, not stupid.”
“What I mean,” Peter ground out, narrowing his eyes at Austin. And that was the Peter Austin knew so well. He had no patience, he never did. But Austin wasn’t a lovesick kid anymore, willing to do whatever Peter wanted without question. “You heard what you heard, but it wasn’t what I meant. You ran before I had a chance to explain. If my parents found out I was gay or even sleeping with a man, I would have lost everything. And then what if you left me?”
“So you did it to keep up appearances?” Austin asked smoothly, waiting until Peter nodded to continue. “And deny me, what we had, and lied to people… Yeah, that makes me feel so much better about it. Great, you came, now leave.”
“What?” Peter gasped, shooting to his feet. “I take all this time to track you down after you abandoned me without letting me explain. I put up with your brother all those years so I could live long enough for us to be together again. I come here telling you I still love you, have always loved you, and you’re telling me to go?”
“Yes, because there’s something you are not telling me. I know you well enough to know when you’re hiding something from me, Peter,” Austin ground out. “What, are you out of money? Did the ending of your obligation to my brother mean you are cut off from his funds, too?”
Oh, Peter was good, but not good enough. Austin saw the flare of anger at his accusations before Peter turned it into a pout. That was it. Peter was broke.
“Get the fuck out of my house before I decide to find out just how to kill an immortal human.” Austin sneered and then growled fiercely. He wasn’t fucking around. He knew why Peter had come here and that was all he needed to know. Peter was trouble, and Austin wouldn’t risk this man hurting his mates.
“It’s not about the money, Austin,” Peter purred, coming over to him and dropping to his knees. “I missed you all this time. If you don’t believe me, I’ll get a job and pay my own way. I love you, and I want to be your mate, not his.”
“You should have thought about that before you broke my heart,” Austin spat out. Peter rubbed his face against his groin. Austin snapped. He lifted Peter up by his hair and snarled in his face. “You sicken me. You think I could just forget everything and let you back into my life? I have two mates I adore, and you’re nothing to me anymore. I’m spoken for. It’s too late, Peter. Leave with what little dignity you have left.”
“This isn’t over my little dragon,” Peter growled as Austin released him. Peter spun on his heel and left before Austin could reply. Let the douche think what he wanted, but Austin was done. He followed along to make sure Peter really left, locking the door behind the man with a sigh. All he wanted was to find comfort from his mates after all of this. But that wasn’t going to happen. Austin had some apologies and explaining to do first.
Pushing off of the door, he made his way to the kitchen. He sighed in relief when he said the chocolate-covered fruit had already been delivered and partially eaten. But where were his mates?
“Have you seen Dante and Garreck?” he asked after he found Kelley in the laundry room.
“They went for a walk,” she answered, checking her watch. “But that was about half an hour ago after Dante was done talking to you.”
“I’ve not talked to him since I left his room this morning,” Austin said, his blood going cold. “When did he come to talk to me?”
“Right before the doorbell rang the second time,” she replied, confusion all over her face. “He wasn’t gone long and then came back into the kitchen, grabbed Garreck, and said they were going to check out the grounds.”
“No, no, no, no!” Austin shouted, his voice rising as he raced back to the kitchen, Kelley hot on his heels. “Call Tiny and Wolf. Tell them my mates ran away and we need to track them down.”
“What happened, Austin?” she asked, the panic he felt written all over her face.
“Someone from my past showed up,” he answered as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I think Dante walked up on him kissing me.”
“You kissed another man when you have mates!” Kelley yelled, slapping him across the face. “You’ve hurt them enough already.”
“I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me,” he growled, grabbing her wrist so she didn’t hit him again. “I pushed Peter away and then kicked him out after he said his piece. I just don’t know what Dante saw. Kelley, I’d never cheat on my mates.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said with a nod, her chest heaving as she tried to calm down. “I’ll call them and meet you outside to look for them.”
Austin gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before letting her go. He ran out the back door, frantic to find his mates. It took about twenty minutes for him to realize they weren’t on the grounds. Austin sank to his knees on the patio, despair racing over him as he realized they were reall
y gone. And they had at least a good hour head start on them. But where would they go?
“They don’t even have any money,” he whispered as he felt Kelley wrap her arms around him. “Where would they run to?”
“I don’t know, Austin.”
“We’ll find them,” Tiny said as he slapped Austin on the back. “Wolf and I will check the bus depot, airport, and anywhere else they can use to travel. You guys stay here in case they come back.”
“Okay,” he replied with a nod, feeling numb. Austin let Kelley drag him back into the house and then sat him down at the kitchen counter. His eyes started to burn as he stared at the Edible Arrangement sitting there. What had he done? And now he’d lost his mates… actually having run from Austin. His heart shattered into a million pieces, hurting way worse than Peter’s betrayal ever had. But how did he find them to explain?
* * * *
“The ride will cost a hand job from each of you,” the slimy truck driver said as he leered at them. Garreck’s mouth just about hit the ground at the demand.
“Come on, Dante,” he whispered as he pulled on the man’s arm. “We’ll find another way.”
“You get one hand job from me,” Dante said to the man instead. “You don’t touch him and I’ll give you the hand job of your life. Once we reach Mitchell, I’ll make sure you come like you never have before.”
“Fine, but you better give me what I want and no crying during it,” the man sneered.
“Deal,” Dante replied, and Garreck was frozen with shock. How could he agree to that? “Come on, baby, let’s get out of here.”
“Don’t do this, Dante,” he whispered, tears flooding his eyes. “We can find another way.”
“I don’t have all day!” the truck driver barked out, and Dante pushed him up the steps to the cab of the truck. He didn’t fight him as his world spun out of control.
“I did what I had to,” Dante said gently in his ear moments later. Garreck pulled Dante’s arms around him as he sat on Dante’s lap in the passenger’s seat. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe. It’s not like I’ve never given a hand job before that I didn’t want to.”
“I know. It’s just not fair that you are the one who has to do it.” He sighed, turning so he was sitting sideways. He kissed Dante’s neck as they held onto each other for the ride.
The truck switched gears, picking up speed to get on the highway, and jerked them about. It really wasn’t safe for them to sit in the same seat like that, but he wasn’t about to sit any closer to the driver. That, and he figured Dante needed comfort after everything, especially with the deal he’d made.
Garreck must have slept through most of the drive because when he woke up, the truck wasn’t moving, and he was alone in the seat. He cringed when he heard the creepy guy moaning and the skin-slapping sounds of a hand job. Glancing over, he saw Dante doing as he promised, with the man’s hand down Dante’s pants.
He didn’t have to watch long, guessing the guy didn’t see much action, so he came real quickly. When it was over, Dante sat up and held him. But the then the truck started moving again as the driver laughed.
“That wasn’t the deal,” Dante growled as the doors locked. “We’re already here!”
“Too bad,” the man sneered at them as he shifted gears, and the truck sped up. “I want to try your friend later, and you were right. That was the best hand job ever. I think I’ll keep you both. You are obviously running from something, so no one will notice that you’re gone.”
“Hold on to me tight,” Dante whispered in his ear. Garreck nodded, wrapping around the man he loved like an octopus. He wasn’t sure what the plan was, but figured it out fast when Dante flipped the lock on the door and opened it.
“You’ll be killed at this speed,” the driver yelled.
“Better than being with you,” Dante shouted and jumped. Garreck tucked his head into Dante’s neck, praying that they made it. There was a sickening crack as Dante landed back first onto the asphalt before they rolled. When they were done, he lifted his head to see Dante’s horribly pained expression. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too,” he whispered as Dante’s eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out. Garreck got off of him, wishing they weren’t in the middle of the street. He cried out when he say the unnatural way Dante’s right arm was bent. Just then he heard the screeching of tires and spun around. Shit! As if this couldn’t get any worse, it was the cops.
“Son, are you all right?” the man asked, racing over to him.
“The man was trying to kidnap up,” Garreck said, starting to blab. “He said he’d give us a ride to Mitchell so we could find Gabriel Panlong. We know Todd, too. I want to talk to one of them. They said we could find them if we needed help, and we didn’t really need help before, just a place to stay, but now we need help. I think his arm is broken, and he saved us. The man was a bad man, and he wanted to keep us forever.”
“Slow down, kid,” the man replied gently. Then he pushed a button on the radio and started talking into it. “Dispatch, I’ve got an attempted kidnapping of two men, one needing medical attention. Call Gabriel Panlong, they’re friends of his.”
“You got names, Mike?” a woman’s voice came back.
“I’m Garreck Hawes, this is Dante Hammerstone,” he answered, grabbing Dante’s uninjured hand. “Please, can I talk to Gabriel? We didn’t know where else to go.”
“Dispatch, you get that?”
“Loud and clear. Dave’s calling Gabriel now, and we’ve got EMT’s on the way to your location.”
“Thanks,” the officer said before letting go of the radio. “We’re going to take your friend to the hospital, and Gabriel can meet you there.”
“No!” he screeched, gripping Dante’s hand tighter. “We need to see Gabriel. Someone might try to take us again. We don’t do anything without his okay. He said he’d protect us.”
“Okay, kid,” the guy said gently, his eyes going wide. “We’ll get everyone here and then to the hospital. His arm doesn’t look life-threatening, but I want to make sure that he doesn’t have any back injuries.”
“Fair enough,” Garreck replied, his mind racing a mile a minute. Was he doing the right thing? If they went to the hospital, would Austin be able to find them? But Austin had to find out at some point and time where they were if they were going to stay with Gabriel. Had the jump hurt the babies they might be carrying?
“Kid, just take some slow, deep breaths,” the officer ordered as he shoved Garreck’s head between his knees. He hadn’t even realized he was hyperventilating. It took a while for him to calm down. How long? He didn’t have a friggin’ clue.
“Garreck, where’s Austin?” a man asked gently as he kneeled next to him. He looked up and realized it was Gabriel. Without a thought in his head, he launched himself into the man’s arms.
“Dante saw him kissing his lover, and we ran,” he whispered so no one else could hear. “He traded a hand job for our ride, but then the guy tried to kidnap us so he could use us, and we jumped from the truck. Dante fell on his back, and he’s hurt bad, Gabriel.”
“Okay, Garreck,” Gabriel said gently, rubbing his hands over his back. “Let’s get him to the hospital, and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“I didn’t want to go anywhere with anymore strangers,” he replied as they stood up.
“It’s okay, kid. I’m a cop,” the officer said.
“So were some of the men who paid for a night with us,” Garreck snapped and then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’ve been really nice to us. We’re just not inclined to trust anyone.”
“It’s okay, Garreck. Mike’s a good guy. He didn’t know you were one of the survivors from the slave ring Todd broke up.” Gabriel gave the EMTs a nod, and they loaded up Dante into the ambulance. Garreck glanced around, realizing he’d not even noticed their arrival while he was having his panic attack.
The next half hour was a blur to Garreck. Dante was taken away by the pa
ramedics, and then Gabriel got him into his truck as they followed them. The next time he blinked they were pulling up to the hospital and rushing into the reception area. The nice lady knew Gabriel, so she shared information with them even though Garreck wasn’t technically family.
Then they were moving to a waiting room. Then there was nothing to do but wait as Garreck tried to collect his thoughts. Another hour passed before a tall, good-looking man stepped up to them.
“Are you here for Dante Hammerstone?” the doctor asked, glancing down at a chart.
“Yes. Is he okay?” Garreck replied, his voice quivering.
“He’s in a lot of pain,” the man said with a sympathetic smile. “He dislocated his right shoulder and broke that arm. It seems that’s what he landed on when you guys jumped. He’s got several lacerations on his back that we had to stitch up. I’ve given him a prescription for a muscle relaxer and pain meds since his back with be bruising. He’ll be stiff and sore, but no permanent damage.”
Garreck let out a small whimper as he half collapsed against Gabriel at the news.
“You can take him home in a little while,” the doctor said, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “Just make sure he gets lots of rest and comes back when it says to on the discharge papers to get those stitches and cast off.”
“We’ll take care of it, doc,” Gabriel replied as he shook the man’s hand. Garreck didn’t know what to do, so he hugged the doctor. The man did save Dante in his eyes after all. The doc chuckled and gave him a quick hug before disappearing.
“We can stay with you for a while, right?” Garreck asked, not having yet addressed the original reason for their trip. “We didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Of course you can,” the large man answered as he led them back to their seats. “Neil and Ryan are ecstatic to see you both. You are welcome to stay as long as you want, Garreck.”
“Thank you, Gabriel,” he sighed, leaning against him for strength after the sat down. Gabriel was being so nice to them, and considering what they’d been through and the false hope they’d had with Austin, they needed to catch a break. Now all Garreck had to worry about was helping Dante get better.
