“Like that surprises anyone,” Kennedy snorted. Patrick watched as she ran her tongue across Hunter’s neck. He felt Hunter shudder in his arms. “So, little boy, you ever danced with a stripper before?”
“Other than the lap-dance variety?”
“Other than that.”
“Then I’d have to say no.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t know what you’re missing.” Kennedy pulled away from the three-way dance and grabbed Hunter’s arm. “You’re coming with me, little boy.”
“Um, help?”
“Sorry, you’re on your own,” Patrick replied. Kennedy dragged him farther into the mass of dancing bodies. Shaking his head at her antics, Patrick made his way to the bar. All the dancing had made him thirsty.
As usual, the bar was crowded. Using his mean cop face, Patrick managed to clear a spot for himself at the bar. In fact, the man whose stool he took vacated it so quickly that he almost fell on the floor. Patrick laughed as he slid onto the stool.
“You know, you shouldn’t use your powers for evil,” Dean commented. He placed a bottle of Patrick’s favorite beer in front of him. Patrick took it and used it to give Dean a salute. Dean shook his head at him with a fond smile.
“Hey, I wanted a seat.”
“You couldn’t have just waited for someone to leave?”
“Now why would I want to do that?”
“Because it’s the polite thing to do.”
“Does that really sound like me?”
“No,” Dean said, laughing. He leaned on the bar with a smile. “Are you sure that you should leave her alone out there?”
“She’ll be fine.”
“I’m more worried about the guy that she’s with.”
“Hunter will be fine.”
“Oh, I see. You’re setting her up.”
“No. She just wants to dance. She’ll be fine with Hunter. He’s a decent guy.”
“He’s pretty cute. Sure that she won’t try and take him home?”
Patrick grinned. “She won’t take him home. She’s pining.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Kennedy has actually fallen for someone?” Dean was so interested in what Patrick was saying that he was ignoring the customers. Patrick watched as one of the other bartenders rolled his eyes and tended to the patrons.
“She sure has. God, she’s gone all googly-eyed and girly over Ben. It’s very sad. If they ever start dating, she might just revert into a thirteen-year-old girl.”
“She doesn’t look sad,” Dean commented. Patrick turned so he could see the dance floor. He was surprised that he could actually see where Kennedy and Hunter were dancing. That is, he was surprised until he saw how they were dancing.
The other dancers on the crowded floor had moved to the side in order to watch the two. Kennedy had moved completely into Hunter’s personal space and seemed to be controlling his movements. And those movements were dirty. Patrick had used dance moves like that himself, but those moves had always led to him taking his dance partner home for hot, steamy sex.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“If I were straight, that would be kinda hot.”
“I’m bi, and it is definitely hot.” Dean was leaning with his elbows on the bar. He reached out and took a sip from the beer he had given Patrick.
“Hey! That is my drink.”
“I needed it more than you.”
“You’d better get me another one.” Patrick smirked at the brown-eyed man. “I don’t know where you’ve been.”
“You are very snarky tonight.” Dean finished the beer in two long swallows before disposing of the bottle and grabbing Patrick a fresh one. He slid it across the counter. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” Patrick lifted the bottle to his lips and took a drink. Holding the bottle in his hand, he turned so that he could look out over the dance floor once more. It seemed as though Kennedy and Hunter were having a good time. There was a bright smile on her face, and Hunter was laughing at something that she had said. “I thought that Hunter hated dancing.”
Patrick took a sip of his drink as he watched Kennedy and Hunter. Even though he could see that Hunter was enjoying himself, Patrick remembered the other man telling him that he hated to dance. In fact, they had only lasted one dance before Hunter had dragged him off of the floor. Patrick hadn’t really complained.
“He does. He usually only dances long enough to pick someone up for the evening and then drags his partner off the dance floor.” Dean’s elbows landed close enough to Patrick that he could feel the other man’s heat against his back. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that he’s a crappy dancer when he’s on his own.”
“Kennedy does seem to be doing all of the work.”
“She’s pretty good.”
“She has to be. If she weren’t, she never would have been able to pay for school,” Patrick replied. Kennedy’s decision to become a stripper to pay for school had come as a surprise to all of them. She’d been slightly gawky and awkward during high school. The job at the strip club had actually made her more confident in her appearance. Once she had started dancing, she had stopped wearing clothes that hid her shape. She enjoyed stripping. She liked it enough that even though she had a full-time job as a hairdresser, she still worked at the club most weekends. Patrick had asked her about it once, and Kennedy had told him that she liked the confidence that stripping had given her.
“Have you ever seen her strip, Pat?”
“Naked women? Ew. No, thank you.” Patrick turned back to Dean. “She asked me to once, but I couldn’t do it. Why? Have you seen her?”
“Yeah. She’s good.”
Patrick laughed. “Good to know.” He turned back to Kennedy and Hunter in time to see a rather large and unattractive man approach them. “This doesn’t look good.”
“What?”
“I think you should get Wayne.” Patrick had just put his drink down on the counter when Ugly pulled back a meaty fist and planted it in Hunter’s face. “Shit!”
Patrick started to push his way through the crowd. He reached them just in time to watch Kennedy knee Ugly in the balls. Unfortunately for Ugly, that move caused him to double over, bringing his face closer to Kennedy. She slammed a fist into his face with enough force that he toppled to the ground. Patrick was about to grab her when a dark arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her off of her feet.
“Easy, Kennedy.”
“Put me down, Wayne!”
“Not until you calm down,” Wayne announced. At an even six and a half feet, it was easy to see why Wayne made a good bouncer. Not only was he built like a brick shithouse, but Patrick found his dark hair, mocha-colored skin, and startlingly green eyes incredibly appealing. Unfortunately, he’d never managed to get anywhere with Wayne. Patrick wasn’t even sure if he liked men. Leaving Wayne to deal with Kennedy and her latest casualty, Patrick crouched next to Hunter, who was just starting to sit up.
“How’s your face?”
“Not sure. Is my head still attached to my body?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Hunter stared at him, and Patrick got a good look at a split lip and a rapidly swelling eye. “I think I need some ice.”
“How many times did he hit you?”
“I think just once.”
“His hands must be fucking huge. Half of your face is starting to swell.” Patrick slowly helped Hunter to his feet.
“Is Kennedy okay?”
“She’s fine. Wayne has her.”
“Why does the bouncer have her?”
“Because she tried to beat the shit out of the guy who punched you.”
“Did she win?”
“Yeah.”
“So I just got saved by a girl?”
“Looks that way.”
“Well, that’s just embarrassing,” Hunter replied. He was weaving a bit as he walked, so Patrick wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him from falling. When they reached the bar, Dean handed Patrick a bag full of ice.<
br />
“Here.” Patrick pressed the bag to the injured side of Hunter’s face, holding it there until Hunter raised a hand to hold it on his own. “Hold this against your face.”
Hunter hissed in discomfort but kept the bag pressed to his face. “Remind me not to do that again.”
“Do what again? Dance with a stripper or get punched by a guy who has hands the size of frying pans?”
“The last one. Dancing with the stripper was fun.”
Patrick laughed softly. “Kennedy does have that effect on people.”
“She’s feisty. I like it.” Hunter grinned at him and then winced in pain. “Ouch. My face hurts.”
“What happened?” Dean asked. Patrick followed Dean’s gaze to where Wayne had finally put Kennedy down and was now escorting Ugly out of the club.
“I’m not really sure. He came over and told me to get lost ’cause he was going to dance with the pretty girl. When I said no, he punched me.”
“What an ass.”
“Are you okay?” Kennedy asked. She slid next to Hunter and pulled the ice away from his face. “Damn, he really got you.”
“My face hurts,” Hunter repeated. Patrick smothered a snicker at the puppy-dog eyes Hunter attempted to give Kennedy. It didn’t really work with half of his face starting to swell.
“Poor guy.” Kennedy pressed the ice back against Hunter’s face. “We should take you home.”
“I thought you didn’t want to go home with me.”
“I don’t, but I think we should drive you home.”
Hunter attempted to stand and almost fell over. “I think that might be a good idea. Shit, that guy hits hard.”
“Why don’t the two of you stay here while I go back to the pub and see if there’s anyone left there that is sober enough to drive us home?” Patrick suggested. Hunter flashed him a grateful look.
“I’ll keep an eye on them for you,” Dean said. He handed Patrick his leather jacket with a smile.
“Thanks. Make sure Kiki doesn’t beat up anyone else.” Patrick walked away from the bar to the sound of Dean’s laughter and Kennedy’s annoyed sputtering. Pulling his jacket on, Patrick stepped out of the club and into the cool night air.
He took a moment to light a cigarette before heading in the direction of the pub. Spending time with Kennedy was always an adventure. At least this time he didn’t have to talk them out of getting arrested.
Chapter 3
SEVERAL days later, Cam waved as Patrick backed out of the driveway. Once his friend had driven out of sight, Cam closed the front door and rested his head against it with a thud. He debated banging his head against the door, but wasn’t sure that would help. It was becoming increasingly obvious that there was something wrong with Patrick.
On the surface, everything seemed fine. Having Bingo in the house with him appeared to make him happy. Bingo was adjusting well, and Patrick was obviously treating her like a princess. Cam wasn’t sure he had ever seen a more spoiled dog, and that included his own. Yet Cam knew that there was something wrong. Patrick was smoking again—more than before—and getting into fights at work, which he had never done before. The worst thing was the empty look in his eyes. Cam could see past the show he was putting on, and the look in Patrick’s normally amused green eyes was more like he was dying inside.
Pushing away from the door, Cam headed to his bedroom. He needed to figure out what to do about Patrick. Cam flopped onto the bed with a sigh and flung an arm over his head. He couldn’t stand to see defeat in Patrick’s eyes. Patrick was supposed to be the strong one. Cam really wasn’t very good at being the one giving advice. Being the one falling apart was more his scene. As he lay there contemplating his ceiling, the bed dipped and a warm, furry body settled next to him.
“Hey, pretty lady.” Cam reached out and scratched Hershey’s ears. He could feel the smack of her tail against his leg. “What do you think I should do about Patrick?”
“I think you should call Julian and find out what the fuck happened in Alberta.”
Cam nearly jumped out of his skin as his question was answered. He sat up and spied his lover standing in the bedroom doorway. “You scared the shit out of me, Bright Eyes.”
“Did you think the dog was talking to you?”
“Yes, and I was a little concerned that she sounded male.” Cam smiled as Jeremy crossed the room and gave him a kiss. Winding his fingers into the blond locks, Cam pulled Jeremy onto the bed with him. He heard Hershey give a snort before her warmth left his side. The sound of her leaving the room barely penetrated as Cam gave himself over to the kiss.
Cam moaned softly as Jeremy pressed him into the bed. He loved the feeling of Jeremy’s weight on his body. His hands left Jeremy’s hair to run down his strong back. Cam pulled away from the kiss when his hands reached Jeremy’s waist. Looking into the sparkling green eyes that he loved so much, Cam smiled.
“What’s that smile for?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.” Jeremy pressed a kiss to his nose, then rolled off of him to lie on the bed.
Cam curled himself into Jeremy’s side. “Do you really think I should call Julian?”
“You want to know what happened, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think Patrick is going to tell you, baby.”
“I know. I just feel like I’d be going behind his back if I call Julian.” Cam sighed and picked up Jeremy’s hand, toying with his lover’s fingers. He smiled softly when Jeremy tickled the palm of his hand.
“Cameron, he’s not going to tell you what’s wrong. You have to call Julian. Unless you don’t mind having Patrick walking around like a ghost.”
“I don’t like ghost Patrick.”
“I don’t think anybody does.”
Cam sighed again. “So I should call Julian?”
“You should call Julian,” Jeremy repeated.
“Will you stay with me while I call?”
“You’re going to call now?” Jeremy sounded surprised. Cam pushed himself up on his arms and looked down at his lover. Jeremy smiled up at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You sounded surprised.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that you went from not really wanting to talk to Julian about Patrick to deciding to call right now. I guess I was just caught off guard by the switch.”
“If I don’t do it now, I’m going to lose my nerve. I’m not exactly comfortable with the idea of talking to Julian about this. Normally, I’d just wait for Patrick to tell me what’s wrong.”
“I really don’t think that’s going to happen this time.”
“Neither do I, which is why I agree with you that I need to call Julian.” Cam tapped Jeremy on the nose. “And that brings us back to my original question. Will you stay with me while I make the call?”
“Do you want me to?”
“I wouldn’t have asked twice if I didn’t want you to.”
“Then I’ll stay.” Jeremy shifted position on the bed and smiled at him. After grabbing the phone off of the night table, Cam curled himself back into Jeremy’s side. Jeremy’s arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. “Ready?”
“I guess.” Taking a deep breath, Cam punched Julian’s number into the phone. His stomach was roiling with tension as the phone rang. He snuggled into Jeremy’s embrace for comfort.
“Hello?” Julian’s familiar voice answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Julian, it’s Cam.”
“Hey. How are you?” Julian actually sounded happy to hear from him, which made Cam feel guilty about his reason for calling.
“I’m good. The cast came off, so I’ve been running around with my camera like a crazy person.”
Julian laughed. “Sounds like everything’s back to normal.”
“Actually, that’s why I called. Everything’s not back to normal.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something wrong with Patrick.”
“There’s something wrong with Patrick. What the fuck happened while he was there?”
Julian sighed. “Damn it, I was afraid of this. He met a guy.”
“So? Patrick meets guys all the time. How does meeting a guy lead to chain-smoking and starting fights in the locker room at work?”
“Patrick’s doing what?” Julian’s normally calm voice was suddenly full of surprised anger.
“He’s chain-smoking and starting fights. What happened?”
Julian swore softly. “I think he fell in love.”
“What?” Cam sat up and resisted the urge to pull the phone away from his ear and stare at it. “What do you mean, he fell in love?”
“I mean he joined the circus. He fell in love, Cam. God, I really don’t know how to explain it any clearer than that.”
“With you?”
“No, not with me. Why would you think it was me?”
“Well, he’s depressed and you have a shiny new boyfriend. Why else would he be depressed if he fell in love?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because he’s Patrick, and he and Brad had a fight before he left. He pushed him away, Cam. He pushed him away just like he does to everybody, except this time he did it a lot faster.”
“Well, shit.” Cam groaned and flopped back against Jeremy. His lover grunted at the impact. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know! I’ve never had to handle a broken Patrick.”
“Well, neither have I! After the two of you broke up, he ran away to Maui for two weeks. By the time he came home, he seemed like himself again.”
“He ran away after we broke up?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Cam laughed softly. “Julian, does it really surprise you that Patrick didn’t tell you that he was so upset after breaking up with you that he ran away to Maui?”
“Well, what about when he got shot? He must have been pretty broken up then.”
“Keith handled him then. Patrick wouldn’t let anyone near him when he was trying to learn to walk again. I honestly have no idea what to do with him when he’s this upset.”
Broken Wings Page 4
