Beneath This Mask
Page 23
“To answer your question, Vance,” Gregory said, drawing Angel toward him. “Gentlemen, I would formally like you to meet Detective Samuel Piper, formerly from the Baton Rouge vice division. He has been undercover on a joint task force with the TPD, resulting in the large drug raid you no doubt have all heard about, as it affected some of our witnesses. As of this morning, I am pleased to announce he has resigned his position and is joining our team as a new agent.
“Vance Connelly, meet Samuel Piper, your new partner.”
“GAEL?”
Jake took a deep breath. The opening day had been a huge success, and the cameras had been rolling for all of it. He was sure the tons of people who had turned up would keep the school able to help children for a long time.
Gael sat quietly with Derrick in the corner, and they both looked tired.
It was now or never.
Gael looked up with sad eyes, and Jake stilled. He’d been right. In his gut he had known this was the day Gael was going to say goodbye because he thought what he was asking would be too much for Jake.
“Gael, I need to talk to you both.”
Gael’s eyes widened as Jake picked up the tablet that was on Gael’s knee and placed it carefully on Derrick’s. Derrick tilted his head, waiting, as he had done so many times before.
Gael looked past Jake, suddenly noticing their team had fanned out in a protective perimeter, silently watching.
Jake placed his hand over the back of Derrick’s, the same way Gael did every time. He signed slowly, his fingers working slightly better than his voice. “Hi, Derrick. My name is Jake.”
Gael’s lips parted in astonishment as he saw Jake was able to sign the words on Derrick’s skin.
“Hi, Jake.”
Jake jumped and Gael gasped. He stared at the tablet as if he was seeing things, and his face creased into a grin as he looked at Gael. Jake had never actually expected a response from Derrick. He’d seen Michael try, with no luck. He just wanted to ask in sign language because it was the only thing he could think of to convince Gael he was in this for the long haul.
“I need you to tell Gael something for me,” he signed, but he was sure he had made a mistake. Derrick tilted his head, but Gael just reached over, took Jake’s finger, and repeated the movements, guiding Jake’s finger.
“Jake. Derrick says hi.”
Jake sucked in a breath. It was an answer. “This is a hard one,” Jake whispered, “but it’s important that I get it right.” He signed, “Jake loves Gael.” He knew this one. It was written on his heart.
“Love Gael.”
“Yes,” Jake signed. “Jake loves Gael.”
“Jake loves Gael.”
Gael was frozen, staring at the screen.
“Please tell him that I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
Gael sucked in a breath, and Derrick paused because Jake knew he had probably made a ton of mistakes. The fact that his hand was shaking didn’t help.
He tried again. “Please tell him that I don’t want him to leave me.” Derrick tilted his head because Jake had stopped signing after the first word.
Jake was crying. He knew he was crying. He brushed his eyes, and Derrick followed the movement, then lifted his hand and carefully traced his fingers down Jake’s wet cheek.
He gulped a breath. “And I want us to be a family.” He spelled the words out.
Gael’s eyes flew to his. Every doubt, every question, every hurt shimmered in them.
“Jake family. Gael.”
“No, sweetheart,” Jake said firmly, and then signed, “Jake. Gael. Derrick. Family.”
Gael’s lips parted, and Jake wasn’t sure there was enough air left in the room so he could breathe. His heart hovered, ready to shatter. If Gael said no, it would splinter into a million pieces that Jake would never be able to repair. There would simply be nothing left.
The tablet lit up. “Derrick. Gael. Jake.” Then it lit up again. “Family.”
“Are you sure?” Gael whispered. He searched his face. “It—”
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life,” Jake promised. “I spoke to Michael. I know you have things to work through, and I will wait as long as it takes. I can do anything so long as we are together.”
Gael’s eyes filled, but his smile was huge. He leaned forward and signed on the back of Derrick’s hand.
“Gael says yes.”
The next time the tablet lit up, Jake didn’t notice. He was too busy wrapping Gael up in his arms and trying not to squash the little boy snuggled between them, who funnily enough, didn’t seem to mind.
“Derrick. Gael. Jake. Family.”
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VICTORIA SUE…
Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but when she ran out of library books she decided to write her own. Loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—especially with a paranormal twist—but always with a happy ending. Is an English northern lass currently serving twenty to life in Florida—unfortunately, she spends more time chained to her computer than on a beach.
Loves to hear from her readers and can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her fre
ckles.
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By Victoria Sue
ENHANCED WORLD
Five Minutes Longer
Who We Truly Are
Beneath This Mask
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.
Beneath This Mask
© 2018 Victoria Sue.
Cover Art
© 2018 Brooke Albrecht.
http://brookealbrechtstudio.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.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-128-8
Mass Market Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64108-040-8
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64080-127-1
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2017913584
Digital published January 2018
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America