by Stormy Glenn
When Billy didn’t answer right away, Rourke began to grow concerned. He leaned back and peered down at Billy. When he spotted tears trailing down the man’s face, he grew even more worried.
“Billy?”
Billy sniffed and wiped away at the tears on his cheek as he smiled. “I guess we should have kissed earlier then.”
Chapter 9
“Rourke, Billy,” Ma’s voice called through the door as she knocked on it a few minutes later, “Sheriff Riley is here. He’d like to speak with both of you.”
“The sheriff?” Billy’s panic was immediate and nearly paralyzing. “I haven’t done anything, Rourke, I swear. I haven’t even left the ranch in days, and I’ve been with you nearly every second of every day.”
“Baby, calm down.” Rourke patted Billy’s shoulder. “Sheriff Riley could just be here to talk to us about the barn. It doesn’t mean he’s here for you.”
“Yeah, right, the barn.” Billy still didn’t believe it. If the sheriff was here, something was wrong, and Billy was terrified that he was about to lose everything he’d gained in the last week, hell, in the last hour.
Unless he was mistaken, and he could very well be, Rourke was keeping him forever. He had even declared his love. Maybe Billy wanted it so much that he had simply dreamed it or heard what he wanted to hear. Maybe he was wrong.
“Rourke.” Billy curled his hands into the edge of the sheet and watched Rourke dress. “Did you mean it?”
“Mean what, baby?” Rourke asked as he started to pull a cotton shirt over his head.
“Th-that you’re keeping me?” Billy whispered.
“What?” Rourke yanked the shirt down and turned to look at Billy. “Baby, what are you talking about?”
Billy knew it. He knew it was too good to be true. He tried to act nonchalant as he moved to the opposite side of the bed from Rourke. It wasn’t easy when his whole body felt weighed down by his breaking heart. Rourke didn’t want him.
“It weren't nothing.”
“Baby, what are you going on about?”
Billy pressed his lips together, more to keep the sobs at bay than in defiance of Rourke’s questions. He started to search the floor for his clothes, wanting nothing more than to get dressed and run.
“Baby, I can’t understand you when you whisper like that.”
Billy suddenly found himself surrounded by Rourke’s arms. He tried not to struggle away because he was pretty sure this was the last time he’d feel like this. But when Rourke’s hand gripped his chin and lifted his head, Billy couldn’t help trying to pull away.
“Baby, what is wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You have got to stop whispering, baby.”
“Nothing, okay?” Billy said, louder. “Nothing is wrong.”
“You’re lying, baby.”
Billy squeezed his eyes shut. He really hated it that Rourke could read him so well. He couldn’t hide anything from the man. Just once Billy wanted to get out of a situation with his dignity intact.
“Please let me go.” Billy made sure that his voice was loud and firm this time. Rourke’s arms immediately fell away from him, but the man’s hands gripped Billy’s face.
“Baby, you have got to tell me what has you so upset. I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”
“You can’t fix this.”
“I don’t even know what this is.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It obviously does, baby, or you wouldn’t be coming apart at the seams.” Rourke frowned. “Is it the sheriff? Is that what’s upset you?”
Billy nodded. He was worried about the sheriff, but that wasn’t what upset him so much. He just wasn’t going to tell Rourke that. Billy refused to beg for something that wasn’t freely given, not matter how much he wanted it.
“Oh, baby,” Rourke said as he wrapped Billy up in his arms again. “The sheriff can’t do anything to you. You’re mine now, baby, remember? That means the entire Blaecleah family is on your side.”
“What?”
Rourke chuckled. “You’re mumbling again, baby.”
“What?” Billy asked, louder.
“You, my little love, are mine forever, remember? You’re my legend, and I’m keeping you. That means that every member of my family and I will do everything within our power to keep you safe, even from the sheriff.”
“You’re keeping me?”
“I’m keeping you,” Rourke repeated.
“Forever?”
“Yes, baby, I’m keeping you forever.”
Billy slumped against Rourke as his heart started beating again. Forever, Rourke was keeping him forever. He pressed his face against Rourke’s shirt as the tears in his eyes threatened to spill over.
“Hey, look at me.” Rourke nudged Billy’s face up. “I know you haven’t had a lot of good things in your life, but I want to change that. I want to give you the world.”
“I just want you.”
Rourke smiled and gave Billy a quick kiss on the lips. “You have me.”
Billy jumped when there was another sudden knock on the bedroom door. “Rourke? Billy?” Ma called out. “The sheriff is waiting.”
“This isn’t going to go well, Rourke,” Billy said as he stepped away from Rourke. He rubbed his hands up and down his arms to ward off the sudden chill he felt. “I can feel it in my bones.”
“Let’s not buy trouble, baby. We’ll just go out and see what the sheriff wants and go from there.”
Billy knew it wouldn’t be that easy. He’d dealt with the sheriff before. Granted, Sheriff Riley was better than Sheriff Miller, who retired a few months ago. Sheriff Riley didn’t try to arrest Billy on sight. Sheriff Miller seemed to have it out for him. Billy had been ecstatic when Sheriff Miller retired. He just didn’t know much about the new sheriff.
“You better get dressed, baby.”
Dressed, right. Billy searched around until he found his clothes and quickly pulled them on. Despite the warmth in the room, he still felt chilled. “Rourke, do you have a long-sleeved shirt I can borrow?”
“Sure, baby, look in the closet. There should be something in there.”
Billy searched the closet until he found one of Rourke’s smaller flannel shirts. The larger ones made him look like he was wearing a dress. He pulled it on and buttoned it up, laughing quietly to himself when he had to roll up the sleeves. At least it didn’t hang down to his knees.
“Well, how do I look?” Billy asked as he held his hands out to his sides.
“Gorgeous.” Rourke grinned.
“You think I look gorgeous?” Billy frowned. “Are you feeling all right?”
Rourke burst out laughing, which was a good look on the man and made Billy feel better, but he still thought the man was a little off. Billy wasn’t gorgeous, and he knew it. He might be able to pass for cute, if he was lucky.
“Okay, I guess that’s another thing we need to work on.”
“What?”
“Your self-esteem, baby. You need to learn how special you are.”
“I…you…” Billy blinked rapidly. The shirt collar around his neck suddenly felt tighter, and he reached up to run his finger over it, pulling it away from his throat. “You’re nuts.”
“No, and I’ll prove it to you as soon as we get done talking with the sheriff.”
“Handcuffs again?” Billy wiggled his eyebrows.
“I’ve created a monster.” Rourke chuckled.
Billy smiled as he followed Rourke out of the bedroom, but that smile fell from his lips the moment he stepped out onto the porch and saw his father standing next to the sheriff’s car.
“What can we help you with, sheriff?” Rourke asked.
Billy edged his way closer to Rourke, stepping slightly behind him. His father wasn’t paying any attention to him, which wasn’t unusual. He never paid Billy any attention.
“Billy, can you come down here by me, please?”
“Me?”
The sheriff nodde
d.
Billy just knew the sheriff was there for him. He stepped out from behind Rourke and started down the porch steps when Rourke grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“What’s this all about, sheriff?”
“Rourke, I’ve had a report that you’re holding Billy Thornton here against his will.”
“Excuse me?”
The sheriff gestured over his shoulder to Ira Thornton. “Ira filed a report with my office this morning. He says you’re holding Billy here against his will.”
Billy started shaking his head. “No, that’s not true.”
“Are you here of your own free will, Billy?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t going to let his father destroy the happiness he’d found with Rourke and the rest of the Blaecleah family. “I’m here because I want to be here.”
“Well.” The sheriff hooked his thumbs in his belt buckle. “I suppose that’s good enough for me.”
Billy started to breathe a sigh of relief until Ira stomped across the yard. He cringed, quickly stepping back up the steps.
“You’re just going to take his word for it?” Ira shouted.
“Yeah, pretty much,” the sheriff replied.
“It’s obvious that Billy is under duress.”
Billy flinched when his father started waving his hands around wildly in the air. He didn’t even know his father knew what the word duress meant.
“Look at him!” Ira shouted. “He’s terrified. He’s not going to answer truthfully with the whole Blaecleah family standing there surrounding him. Who knows what they threatened him with?”
Billy was terrified, but not from any one of the Blaecleah family. He was terrified of the angry glint in his father’s eyes. Ira Thornton looked pissed. Billy didn’t even understand why his father was there.
“Billy,” the sheriff said, “why don’t you come down here and talk with me?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Billy.”
Billy shook his head frantically. He didn’t mind talking with the sheriff, well, not much anyway. But he wasn’t about to take a step closer to his father. Clem was off his rocker, but he learned it from their father.
“Baby, you have to.”
Billy looked up at Rourke, silently pleading with him.
“Sorry, baby, but the only way to clear this up is to talk with the sheriff.”
Billy’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and he slowly made his way down the steps to stand in front of the sheriff. “What do you want to know?” he asked softly.
“Has Rourke, or any of the Blaecleah family, held you here or anywhere else against your will?”
“No.”
“Have they kept you from leaving?”
“No.”
“Do you want to be here?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
Billy breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go back up the stairs when Ira started shouting again. Billy’s heart sank with each word he spoke.
“He’s lying!” Ira yelled. “Look at his wrists. It’s clear that they’ve been abusing him. He’s too scared to go against them.”
Billy hid his hands behind his back. He started stepping back when the sheriff turned to look at him, one of his blond eyebrows arched.
“Billy?”
Billy shook his head and took another step back.
“Billy, I need to see your wrists.” The sheriff held out his hands.
Billy glanced up at Rourke, unsure of what to do. Rourke nodded. Billy reluctantly turned back to the sheriff and held out his hands. The sheriff grabbed his hands, turning them over then back again as he looked at the slight reddening around Billy’s wrists.
“How’d this happen, Billy?”
“I…uh…” Billy looked up at Rourke even as he felt his face flush with embarrassment. He could see all of the other Blaecleah family members staring at him. Rourke just crossed his arms over his chest as if he was waiting for something. Billy just didn’t know what.
Should he be truthful and tell the sheriff how he got the red marks or lie and hide it from everyone? Using handcuffs during sex was a pretty private thing. Billy didn’t know if Rourke wanted him to admit that they did it.
“Billy, I asked you a question,” the sheriff said. “I need an answer. How did you get these red marks on your wrists?”
“Ha-handcuffs,” Billy whispered, hoping only the sheriff would hear him.
“Handcuffs?”
Billy nodded.
“And who put the handcuffs on you, Billy?”
Billy looked up at Rourke again, seeking guidance, but the man didn’t move a muscle, not even a raising of his eyebrow. Billy knew he was on his own with this question. He looked back at the sheriff to find the man watching him intently.
“Rourke.”
“Rourke handcuffed you?”
“Yes, but—”
“See?” Ira shouted. “I told you they were abusing Billy.”
“No, that’s not—”
“What else have they done to you, Billy?” Ira yelled as he stalked closer. “They’re perverts, every last one of them. They need to be locked up, sheriff.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Billy said quickly. He tried to back away, but the sheriff still had a hold of his wrists. “Please, you don’t—”
“Are you hurt anywhere else, Billy?” the sheriff asked.
Billy shook his head. “No, not exactly, but I—”
“Not exactly?” The sheriff started looking Billy over. “What do you mean not exactly?”
“I want Rourke Blaecleah arrested for kidnapping and assault, sheriff. There’s no telling what other perverted things he’s done to my son.”
Billy’s mouth dropped open as his father walked over to stand a few feet away. His father never cared one wit about him, not since he was in diapers, and maybe not even then. Billy didn’t understand why he was making an issue of things now.
“No, this is wrong,” Billy said quickly. “I wasn’t—”
Before Billy could finish what he was saying, his father jumped over and grabbed him. Billy cried out and tried to break free of his father’s grasp. Before he could, Ira pulled up the back of his shirt and swung him around so his back was to the sheriff.
“Look what they did to him!”
Billy pulled away from his father and tried to run up the stairs only to hit a wall of muscles. Frightened and feeling out of control, Billy cried out and shrank back, not realizing it was Rourke holding him until the man’s arms closed around him.
“Rourke, I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you in for questioning,” the sheriff said. Billy heard the rattling of metal, and a moment later, Rourke lifted his arms and stepped away.
“No!” Billy cried out when he saw the handcuffs on Rourke’s wrists. “You don’t understand.”
“I’m sure everything can be explained down at the sheriff’s office, Billy,” the sheriff said as he started to lead Rourke away.
Billy looked up at the other members of the Blaecleah family only to find them just standing there, watching the sheriff lead Rourke away. He didn’t understand why they weren’t explaining things to the sheriff.
“Wait, please,” Billy cried out as he ran after the sheriff and Rourke. “I don’t want Rourke arrested.”
“Billy—” the sheriff began, only to be interrupted by Ira.
“No, you’re absolutely correct, Billy.”
Billy swung around to see his father calmly walking toward him, a strange smile on his face. He knew his father was up to something. He just didn’t know what it was. And he was afraid to find out.
“I understand that you’re afraid, Billy,” Ira said as he wrapped his arm around Billy’s shoulders. Billy was pretty sure that anyone looking would only see a father consoling his son. They wouldn’t see the fear that was overwhelming Billy. “I think you have a right to be. It’s obvious that the Blaecleah family has abused you horribly.”
Billy’s mouth
dropped open. His father was just as crazy as Clem.
“Sheriff, my son may be too afraid to testify against anyone in the Blaecleah family, especially Rourke. As such, I would be willing to drop the charges if the entire Blaecleah family swears that they will have no further contact with Billy.”
“What?” Billy whispered, his heart dropping.
“Otherwise, I will have to ask that charges of kidnapping and assault be filed against Rourke and his entire family. It’s the only way to keep my son safe.”
Billy’s life was going up in flames right before his eyes. “Rourke!”
“It’s okay, baby, we’ll get this all worked out down at the sheriff’s office.”
“Baby!” Ira shouted. Billy winced when his father’s hands tightened on him. “You’re calling him baby? What else have you done to my son? Did you rape him, too?”
Billy inhaled sharply when Rourke pulled away from the sheriff and lunged at Ira. He quickly stepped between them, pushing against Rourke’s chest. “No, don’t,” Billy whispered quickly. “You know what will happen if you attack my father.”
“This isn’t over, Ira!” Rourke growled. His jaw clenched, but he settled back. A moment later, the sheriff pulled Rourke away and tried to lead him to the car again.
“You heard that, sheriff? He’s threatening me.”
“I heard,” the sheriff admitted grudgingly.
Billy twisted his fingers together as he watched the sheriff take Rourke away. This was wrong, all wrong. And no one seemed to be doing anything about it. No one was saying anything. Everyone in the Blaecleah family knew who had abused Billy. Why weren’t they saying anything?
“Sheriff.” Billy swallowed hard and tried to draw up his courage when the sheriff stopped walking Rourke to his car and turned to look at him. “If I go home with my father, will you let Rourke go?”
“Billy, no!” Rourke shouted. He started to struggle against the sheriff’s grasp.
“I…I can’t let you go to jail.”
“Billy, it will be okay,” Rourke said. “Just let the sheriff do his job.”
“Sheriff, will you let Rourke go if I go home with my father?”
“Do you or your father plan to press charges against him?” the sheriff asked.
