by Jake Biondi
“Why do you think I did it in a private room? And took him out through the back exit? I tried to call as little attention to us as possible.”
“Why couldn’t you just have waited until tomorrow? When no one was around? And give Emmett and Derek a ‘heads up’ about what was going on?”
“Keith, you know what my job is and what it involves. And you know who I am. You can’t expect me to bend the rules or compromise my ethics for your friends or anyone else.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m just saying that this could have been handled differently.”
“I doubt any of my other officers would have shown the discretion I did. It was handled the best it could have been.”
“Fine,” Keith said.
Michael put his arms on Keith’s shoulders. “Stormy, I know you care about your friends. They mean the world to you. But I don’t tell you how to do your job, so please don’t tell me how to do mine, okay?” Michael kissed Keith quickly.
“Okay, okay,” Keith said. “I’ll go wait in the lobby with the others. Please move things along as quickly as you can so they can pay the bail and get Justin home.”
“That’ll be up to the judge, not me.”
“Well, as I well know, you can be very persuasive when you want to be.”
Michael smiled. “I can be, can’t I? First getting you to date me and then getting you to agree to move in with me. I’m on a roll.”
“Well, don’t get too cocky, Mister. Eventually someone is going to say ‘no’ to you,” Keith said. “It just probably won’t ever be me.”
“And that’s all that matters.” Michael hugged Keith and then walked him out into the lobby to be with his friends as they waited for Sam Provenzano to arrive.
In their hotel room, Marco and Rachel were lying naked in the bed after making love. Marco’s arm was tightly around Rachel, whose head was on his chest. She ran her finger over the bruise on his cheek.
“Boy, Tyler sure did a number on your handsome face.”
“Does it make me look tough?”
Rachel smiled. “No, it just makes you look bruised.”
“Well, after tonight it’s the Mancini family that’s bruised.”
“You really shocked the hell out of those two tonight. And the others.”
“Exactly.”
“Tell me something...why? How does their paternity help you?”
“That’s easy. It’ll have them scrambling and in-fighting so much that they’ll be distracted from the business.”
“They’ll be in court dividing up Mancini Global for months.”
“Exactly, if not longer. This will give us time to push through a merger of the companies.”
“But what about your father? Won’t he want to give David and Tyler a part of your company?”
“Not a chance,” Marco stated. “David and Tyler aren’t blood relatives of my father. And they are a permanent reminder of my mother’s affair. Father won’t want anything to do with them. On the other hand, they are related by blood to old man Mancini. He knew about one of them. Mother kept the other one a secret.”
“Your mother seems to have been full of secrets. Twin sons...that she gave away.”
“According to her diary, it was a difficult decision,” Marco kissed Rachel’s forehead. “And there is one more bombshell that she handed to us which I have yet to use.”
“And what’s that?”
Marco laughed. “All in good time, dear. I can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet. But from the grave, Mother has handed me yet another tool to bring down the Mancinis.” Marco kissed Rachel. “I hope Joyelle is okay; that fall looked pretty bad.”
Rachel sat up. “Joyelle? Since when do you care about what happens to her?”
Marco pulled Rachel close him. “Jealous?”
Rachel laughed. “Of Snow White? Hardly.”
Marco kissed Rachel. “Good. You have no need to be. And now that Justin has been arrested, my travel ban will be lifted and we can return home to California.”
“And finally plan our wedding.”
Marco rolled on top of Rachel. “And, yes, to finally plan our wedding.” Marco kissed Rachel, who wrapped her body around him.
At the same time, Jesse was helping a drunken Logan into his bed. He slowly lowered Logan onto the bed and let him lie down, where he passed out almost immediately. Jesse then began undressing him; pulling off his shoes and socks, gently moving Logan’s body so as to remove his shirt.
As Logan rolled over onto his side, Jesse looked at his burns. They certainly had healed since the fire and looked much better, but they were still very noticeable in size, color, and texture. Gently, Jesse ran his fingers over them.
“You’re still so sexy to me,” Jesse whispered. “I love you so much. I just don’t know how to help you...”
While Jesse tucked Logan into bed, Derek was standing against the wall of the hospital emergency room waiting area.
Dustin was seated nearby. “Can I get you anything while we wait?” he asked.
“No, thanks,” Derek said, staring at the ceiling. “It’s a joke that Tyler gets to be with her just because he works here.”
“I’m sure someone will let you know how Joyelle’s doing as soon as there’s news.”
Derek didn’t reply, but let out a loud sigh instead. Then he said, “I’m sorry about all this. Bet you’ll never ask me to attend another event with you.”
Dustin rose and walked over to Derek. “It’s not your fault. And most of the night was pretty fun.”
“It is my fault; I upset her.”
“What were you talking about?”
“Just that I signed the divorce papers and that I wasn’t going to contest it or fight her.”
“That’s good of you.”
“But then she made a comment about Cole, which really upset me and so I started arguing with her. And then she fell.”
“What did she say?”
“It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that she’s okay.”
“You’re right,” Dustin said, taking a few steps toward the vending machine. “You still love him, don’t you?”
“Who?”
“Cole. Everyone in the group knows your history with him so it’s not hard for an outsider like me to catch on. I caught you staring at him several times at the party tonight.”
“I’d rather not talk about that.”
“You don’t have to say anything. It was written all over your face.”
“I’m sorry that our date hasn’t gone as you hoped.”
“I had no expectations,” Dustin said. “I just wanted to spend some time with you and get to know you better.”
“How about a rain check?”
“You said that to me once before...” Dustin mumbled.
“What’s that?”
“Never mind. A rain check would be great.”
“It’s going to be a long night here. You don’t have to stay.”
“I know, but I’ll stay a bit longer, just in case Tyler and you need a referee.”
“That son of a bitch.”
“Who may be your brother.”
“We’ll see about that,” Derek said, walking across the room. “Tyler and David, Mancinis? It’s impossible.”
“Marco doesn’t seem to think so.”
“I’ll deal with Marco once I know Joy is okay.”
Mateo and Tyler walked into the waiting room, immediately attracting the attention of both Derek and Dustin.
“How is she?” Derek asked, stepping over to Mateo.
“I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night of tests. The good news is that she’s conscious. She’s undergoing a series of tests, just to make sure everything is okay, especially her head. She hit the floor pretty hard.”
“Well when will you know?”
“I need you to be patient, Derek. As soon as the tests are completed, we will let you know.”
“Can I see her?”
“When the test
s are over,” Mateo said. “Now we need to get back.”
“Why does he get to see her?” Derek asked, pointing to Tyler. “I’m her husband.”
“I work here,” Tyler said. “And you’re no longer her husband.”
Derek lunged at Tyler. “You son of a--”
Mateo and Dustin grabbed Derek, pulling him backward.
“Derek, please,” Mateo said. “You have to control yourself.”
“Haven’t you done enough damage already tonight? Joyelle is here because of you,” Tyler said.
“That’s enough,” Mateo declared. “You both need to settle down. Derek, I’ll make sure you are notified as soon as the tests are done.”
Mateo left the room with Tyler just as Max was entering.
“What’s going on? Is Joyelle okay?” Max asked.
“They’re running tests,” Derek explained. “But apparently she’s awake, so that’s good.”
“Emmett sent me over to check on you while he waits at the station with Justin and Gino.”
“What’s going on over there?” Derek asked.
“They’re waiting for the judge to set his bail.”
“They should keep him locked up without bail after what he tried to do to me,” Derek said.
“You don’t really think Justin tried to kill you, do you? Emmett doesn’t think it’s possible.”
“Emmett wears rose-colored glasses,” Derek said. “I know the real Justin.”
“Come on, Derek. You don’t honestly believe that.”
“I should go,” Dustin said. “I don’t want to get caught up in a family discussion.”
“Thank you,” Derek said. “I’m sorry about tonight.”
“No worries,” Dustin said. “Rain check, remember?”
“Sure,” Derek said.
“Bye,” Dustin replied as he left the room.
“Can I get you anything? Or do anything?” Max asked.
Derek shook his head. “No, thank you. All I can do now is wait.”
“I appreciate you coming, but you don’t need to stay. You should probably be with Emmett. I’ll call you both as soon as I hear anything. I promise.”
“Okay,” Max said, “whatever you want.”
Max hugged Derek, who said, “Thanks again.”
At the police station, Sam Provenzano and Gino were meeting in a small room with Justin to discuss their next steps. Emmett remained alone in the main station lobby.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice, Sam,” Gino said.
“Anything for you guys,” Sam replied. “I’m sorry this is happening.”
“You have to get me out of here,” Justin said. “You have no idea what it’s like in that holding cell.”
“I can imagine,” Sam said. “I’ve made a few calls and so has Gino. We’re moving as quickly as we can. It’s the middle of the night, but I think we’ll have a judge here shortly.”
“Sam’s the best there is,” Gino added. “He’ll get you out as soon as possible.”
“This whole thing is ridiculous,” Justin said. “I didn’t shoot Derek. It’s absurd.”
“Well, save that conversation for later,” Sam said. “Right now, let’s just focus on getting you out of here.”
“Whatever bail is set, I have it covered,” Gino stated.
“Thank you,” Justin replied. “Thank you both. I just want to get out of here.”
Upon arriving at his apartment on Lake Shore Drive, Dustin went into his bedroom, stripped off his clothes, pulled on a pair of gym shorts, and stepped into some flip flops. He walked into his kitchen, taking a beer from the refrigerator before opening the sliding door to his balcony.
The view of the city from his balcony was breathtaking. He could see all the way down Lake Shore Drive to the Gold Coast and beyond. The city lights lit up the night sky and Dustin stood at the railing taking it all in.
He took a few more gulps from his beer bottle and then walked back inside his apartment. He picked up his phone and began to scroll through his photos until he came to some of Derek lying in a bed. He pondered each photo for an extended moment and nearly dropped the phone when a loud knock came to his front door.
He walked over to the door, looked through the peep hole, and then opened it to face Max.
“Max, what are you doing here? Is something wrong with Joyelle?”
“Can I come in?”
“Of course,” Dustin said, welcoming Max into his apartment. “What’s up?” He closed the door and walked into the living room. “Do you want a beer?”
“No, thanks,” Max said. “I want to talk to you about tonight. About you bringing Derek to the party.”
Dustin rolled his eyes. “That again? Jesus, Max, you’re like a broken record. I know you think I did something wrong. I disagree. What more is there to say about it?”
“It can’t happen again, that’s all.”
“What can’t? A date with Derek? I’m not sure you get to tell me who to date.”
“I couldn’t care less who you date, Dustin. That’s not my business. But when you upset my friends, that is my business.”
“Is that what this is really about? That some people at the party may have been upset?”
“Yes.”
“And you followed me home from the hospital to tell me that?”
“I did,” Max said. “I don’t want it to happen again. Poor Joyelle is in the hospital because Derek was at the party.”
“You’re really making a big deal about this.”
“It is a big deal.”
“Okay, message received,” Dustin said, walking back toward the door. “Now you should leave. It’s late.”
Max grabbed Dustin’s arm and pulled him toward him. “I’m not finished yet.”
Dustin tried to break free from his grip, but Max grabbed his other arm as well.
“Let go of me,” Dustin said, but Max didn’t listen. Instead, he pushed Dustin up against the wall and kissed him. With his hands pinned up against the wall by Max, Dustin struggled to get free, but was unable to overpower Max, who continued to kiss him hard.
When Dustin turned his head to the side, Max let go of his hands, grabbed his face, and turned it back toward him. Shoving his tongue deep into Dustin’s mouth, Max kissed him passionately. Dustin pushed against Max’s chest and Max finally stepped back.
For a moment, they stood looking into each other’s’ eyes, breathing loudly. Then Dustin stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Max, and kissed him once again. Max ran his fingers through Dustin’s hair, kissing him passionately. Then he kissed Dustin’s neck and shoulders as Dustin tore open Max’s shirt.
Running his hands over Max’s large chest, Dustin tilted his head back in ecstasy as Max caressed his neck and shoulders. Max’s shirt fell to the floor and Dustin kicked it across the room as he kissed his way down Max’s chest and stomach. Eventually on his knees in front of Max, he wasted little time opening Max’s pants and pulling them all the way down to the floor. He pressed his mouth against Max’s underwear, following the curves of his erect penis with several expert flicks of his tongue.
Max kicked off his shoes, stepped out of his pants, and pulled Dustin back up off his knees. He tightly embraced Dustin’s hard body, kissing him deeply. Turning Dustin around, he pushed him forward toward the couch.
Dustin extended his arms and pushed against the back of the couch. He raised his expectant ass toward Max, who pulled his gym shorts down. Removing his own underwear, Max rubbed his large, erect cock between Dustin’s ass cheeks.
Dustin stood up and pressed his back against Max’s chest, turning his head so Max could kiss him from behind. Max, with his arms enveloped around Dustin, massaged the man’s chest with one hand and stroked his penis with the other. Dustin leaned forward again, hungrily spreading his cheeks. Max spat into his hand, lubed himself, and pushed deep into Dustin, who let out a loud, satisfying moan.
Starting slowly, Max began to build upon his speed and rhythm. They became
faster and more power-driven than the last, with every urgent thrust he delivered into Dustin, who embraced each and every plunge; eventually lifting one of his feet onto the sofa, to surrender himself to Max even more. After several more thrusts, almost verging on aggressive, and plenty of pleasurable groans from both men, he turned Dustin onto his back, climbing onto the couch atop of him.
Grabbing both of Dustin’s ankles, Max re-entered him and continued thrusting as if he were possessed by a wild animal. Dustin reached up and ran his fingers over Max’s chest. While relentlessly pushing himself further into Dustin, Max reached down and continued to stroke his hard dick.
Dustin gritted his teeth hard to try to prevent himself from cumming. Then he grabbed Max’s neck and pulled his face toward his. Kissing Max deeply, Dustin exploded all over his stomach and chest. His body twitched as the sticky mess settled on his body.
Max kissed Dustin again and pulled himself out of him. He scooped up some cum from Dustin’s stomach and stroked his big penis. Leaning forward, he moaned and released thick ropes of cum onto Dustin, who encouraged him by smiling. Squeezing out every drop, Max collapsed forward and kissed Dustin again.
“I knew you wanted me.”
Max stepped back from the couch and picked up his underwear from the floor. “This will never happen again.”
Dustin grabbed his shorts from the floor and used them to wipe his chest and stomach. Then he stood up. “I’ve heard that from you before.”
Max continued to get dressed. “Never again.”
Dustin handed Max his shirt. “We’ll see.”
“I have to go,” Max said as he finished getting dressed.
When he turned to leave, Dustin grabbed his arm, pulled him toward him, and kissed him again. Max wrapped his arms around Dustin’s naked body and kissed him back. Then he pushed Dustin away and rushed from the apartment. Dustin remained facing the door, smiling.
Outside, Hugo and Jensen slowly walked south along the lakefront bike path toward Belmont Harbor. A cool breath brought a slight chill to the air, but the night was clear and the lights of the city skyline sparkled in the wavy waters of Lake Michigan.
