Into the Lyons Den

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  “It wasn’t until later at the hospital when I woke up that I heard the code blue. Everyone thought you were going to be OK, then… Josh was devastated and I blamed myself. I left for a while; it almost killed Greg.” Jay glanced at Devin. “Josh was …he wasn’t himself.”

  “Look, no offense to you and yours, but even if I am Tanner McKinley, I don’t remember being him. So even if this test proves that I’m him, I’m still Devin Lyons and I’m still in love with Andrei Panchenko.”

  “Didn’t you, like, hate him?” Jay grinned. “I mean, that’s what Vince said.”

  “It’s a long story. The short version is that I found out that Andrei didn’t do the things I thought he’d done.”

  “It can’t be helped you know. Andrei is smoking hot.” Jay laughed, raising an eyebrow at Devin’s frown. “Chill, dude.”

  “Holy shit!”

  Devin spun around to see two men staring at him.

  “And that would be Damon and Tyler,” Jay sighed.

  “It is you!”

  Devin groaned in frustration. “Damon, Damon and Damon? Can’t you guys find any other letters in the alphabet?”

  Tyler snickered.

  “Come on guys,” Jay shot Tyler a look. “Give him some room to breathe. Stefan said we’d all meet up later at the house.”

  “Then what are you doing here?” Tyler put his hands on his hips.

  “I was running the boys, if you must know. What are you two doing?”

  “I just had to see for myself.” Tyler took the steps up the deck two at a time, with Damon right on his heels.

  Devin locked eyes with Tyler Youngblood. “I know. I look like Tanner.”

  “You are Tanner,” Tyler whispered. “I’ve known you since high school. I spent a lot of time with you, we all did.” Tyler wiped his eyes. He straightened up and looked at Jay. “Where’s Andrei?”

  “Hello? Shouldn’t you be asking me that?” Devin narrowed his eyes. “Andrei is with me now.”

  “Territorial much?” Damon smirked.

  “Extremely,” Devin growled.

  The French doors opened and Devin turned to see Andrei with two cups of coffee.

  “There’s my man.” Devin sighed in relief to be rescued from the Tanner Patrol. “How did you sleep?” Devin kissed Andrei while taking the coffee from him.

  “I slept well. Good morning, Jay.” Andrei nodded to them. “Damon, Tyler, it is good to see you.”

  “My dad sent me over here,” Damon said. “Keegan has the blood test from the FBI lab, and Dad has the blood test from the hospital.”

  “Two different tests?” Andrei raised a brow.

  “Dad didn’t want Devin here to think we’d manipulated anything.”

  Devin nodded. “That sounds like me.”

  “Well, let us shower and we’ll meet you there?” Andrei tried to smile. He knew it was necessary, but it didn’t mean he liked it. The thought of losing Devin was more than he could take right now. As if sensing his thoughts, Devin’s arm came around him and a soft kiss was placed on his neck.

  “Remember what I said,” Devin whispered in his ear.

  Tyler coughed into his hand. “Okay, so, we’ll see you in a few.”

  Andrei sat in the lounge chair as Jay, Tyler and Damon left, looking over their shoulders as they did. He hadn’t known Tanner McKinley. By the time he’d been introduced to the Santornos, Tanner had been dead for some time. Andrei sighed. He’d finally found love and now it would seem as if he would lose this one, too.

  “Stop it,” Devin crouched down in front of Andrei.

  “I cannot help it.” Andrei looked out over the pond. “They are all convinced you are Tanner. I have seen the pictures and I cannot deny the resemblance.”

  “I’m Devin Lyons no matter what the test says. I don’t remember that life!”

  “What if you do!?” Andrei shouted. “What happens if your memory comes back and you remember the love you had for Joshua? I will walk away, Devin. All I want is for you to be happy.”

  Devin took Andrei’s hand and hauled him up. “Don’t you dare leave me!” Devin growled. “We are together, understand? Nothing, and I mean nothing, will change that.” Devin pulled Andrei into the house. He dragged him down the hallway to the bathroom, and then started undressing.

  “What are you doing?” Andrei stood in shock.

  “We are showering, and then we are going over to the Youngbloods. Once the test results are read, we are going back to Russia.”

  “Devin…”

  Devin turned and started removing Andrei’s clothing. Once he had him naked, he pulled him into the shower. The water was hot instantly and Devin groaned. Pulling the body wash down, he lathered his hands and started cleaning Andrei.

  “Put your hands on the wall,” Devin ordered. Andrei did as he was told and Devin spread Andrei’s legs out with his foot. He started at Andrei’s shoulders and worked his way down, rubbing and massaging. Devin leaned against Andrei’s back, sliding his hands between his firm ass cheeks. “How’s that feel?” Devin ran his fingers through Andrei’s legs and brushed his balls.

  “Good,” Andrei moaned.

  Devin angled the shower head and rinsed Andrei’s back off. Falling to his knees, he grabbed Andrei’s firm globes and pulled them apart. He licked his lips as Andrei let out a soft moan. Working with his tongue and fingers, he got a good rhythm going in Andrei’s ass. Andrei’s legs shook as Devin licked, sucked and fed off Andrei’s strangled cries and sensual moans. Devin licked his way back up Andrei’s body and leaned into his ear, his dick poised at Andrei’s entrance.

  “Tell me what you want, Andrei. You want me to fuck you hard? Show you how much you mean to me?”

  Andrei turned slowly. “I want you to kiss me. I want to feel from your kiss how much you want me. How much you love me.”

  Devin cupped Andrei’s face in his hands. “Anything for you, at any time.”

  Andrei looked into Devin’s eyes and saw the love there. Devin leaned in closer and Andrei closed his eyes as their lips touched softly. Devin’s tongue met with his and they both moaned. Andrei wrapped his arms around Devin and hung on for dear life. The emotions conveyed from just one kiss—it took his breath away. Devin’s hands were on his face, cupping his chin, massaging his neck, as their tongues entwined effortlessly. Devin broke from the kiss slowly, leaving soft kisses on Andrei’s lips as he eased back.

  “You are mine,” Devin whispered. “And I am yours. No matter what. Say it.”

  “I am yours—”

  Devin crushed their lips together, pulling Andrei to him as close as he could. He wanted Andrei to know that nothing would change, no matter what the results were. He would stay with the man he loved.

  ~*~

  Andrei walked along the shore holding Devin’s hand. They had decided to walk to Stefan and Jordan’s since it wasn’t far. The housing division wrapped around the lake in a giant circle. When it had first been constructed, Stefan and Jordan had been the only two living there. Over the years, as the children became older, more houses were built, and when the children had children, more houses were built. It was now its own little community of assassins. Andrei smiled at the thought.

  “You seem a little better.” Devin squeezed Andrei’s hand.

  “I am. I am worried for you, however. This cannot be easy for you.”

  Devin sighed and looked up at the sky. “I used to think something was missing, but I didn’t quite know what. Sometimes I hear a gunshot go off, and then a scream and I never could understand what that meant. But I talked to Jay Reynolds and I think it was him. I mean, the scream in my dream - I think it was Jay.”

  “You remember some of what happened?”

  “Not really, no, just bits and pieces of dreams when I wake up. It’s always the same thing though - the gun shot, the scream and then I wake up.”

  “I want you to see a doctor when we return.”

  “I’ve seen doctors, Andrei. They don’t see anything wrong in
my head.” Devin furrowed his brows. “Besides the obvious.”

  “What about seeing a psychiatrist?” Andrei braced for the shouting fit. It was a well-known fact Devin Lyons purely hated shrinks.

  “I don’t know.” Devin tilted his head in thought. “I never gave them much credit. I would go just so I could fuck with them though.” Devin rubbed his hands in glee at the thought.

  “I could go with you?” Andrei offered.

  “You’d do that?” Devin looked over at Andrei.

  “Of course I would.” Andrei stopped walking. “I would do anything for you.”

  Devin pulled Andrei to him and wrapped him up in his arms. “I love you. I don’t think I can say that enough now. I feel like shit for how I’ve treated you over the years.”

  Andrei grinned. “Do not feel bad; I loved it.” He shivered, remembering Devin tormenting him. Warm lips touched his and Devin’s arm gripped him around his waist.

  “Wooo hooo! Now that’s sex-ay!”

  Andrei sighed and leaned his forehead against Devin’s. “Shit.”

  “Chris?”

  “No, Evan,” Andrei chuckled softly.

  “I should have known,” Devin groaned.

  “Come on, lovebirds.” Evan grinned and clapped his hands. “The party’s in here.”

  Devin looked up to see Mateo, Sam, Troy and - for him - the ‘original’ Josh on the back deck. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “James called us. Did you really think we wouldn’t be here? You’re part of our family, Devin. No matter what your real name is,” Mateo winked.

  “Joshua Grant Montgomery!”

  Josh stiffened. “Oh shit.”

  The sliding glass doors banged opened and Mark stalked onto the back deck. He walked right up to Josh and looked up at him. Way up.

  “Um, hi?” Josh said.

  “Why don’t I get to go with you on missions? Huh?” Mark demanded.

  “I—well I, um…”

  “I just found out that Brett and Reece get to go with Lorenzo and Roman! Even little Brandon gets to go with Justin!” Mark looked over his shoulder at the three husbands he’d just referred to. “No offense, Brandon.”

  Brandon chuckled. “None taken.”

  “Some back up here guys?” Josh looked at his team with pleading eyes.

  “Oh, wow! Look at the time!” Mateo looked at his watch.

  “Esposito!” Josh growled.

  “We should get inside guys!” Mateo sprinted for the door.

  Mark crossed his arms and tapped his foot at Josh.

  Josh ran his hand through his hair. “Look, it’s not that I don’t think you can take care of yourself—”

  “Oh, that’s exactly what it is! I sit back and watch you leave for weeks at a time and worry about you when you’re out on missions! All this time I could have been going with you as a doctor!”

  Josh narrowed his eyes at the three men by the door. “This is your fault I take it?”

  Reece shrugged. “I go out on missions with the guys. I stay out of the action, though. Brett and I are doctors so we take care of the injured. Brandon’s our IT guy as well as Dylan. We are all involved when it comes to the missions. Lorenzo wasn’t happy at first, but he got over it.”

  Brandon nodded. “Yup, Justin trained me with a gun.”

  “I think I screwed that up when I shot my husband,” Brett laughed. “It was an accident though and we weren’t married yet,” he added.

  Josh looked into Mark’s eyes and saw the hurt there. He sighed and pulled Mark into his arms. “If you want, I’ll train you. After that, the next mission I go on, you’ll come with me.”

  “Promise?” Mark searched his husband’s eyes.

  “I promise,” Josh smiled and kissed Mark’s nose.

  “Aww, that’s so sweet,” Brandon sighed.

  “So, you’re Mark and Josh?” Brett laughed. “This is going to be hilarious. Hey Mark, come meet Mark.”

  Mark Greystone walked out onto the deck and grinned. “We’ve met, huh Mark?”

  “Yup, the Marks are acquainted,” Mark nodded.

  “Where’s our Josh?” Brandon chuckled.

  “Met him already.” Josh looked at his husband. “Are we okay now?” He got snuggled in return.

  “Well this should be fun,” Reece sighed. “We’ll have to come up with a way of making the names different.”

  “Hello?” Devin said from the shore. “Did you forget something?”

  “No one’s named Devin,” Brett grinned.

  “Jesus.” Devin pulled Andrei up the deck steps. “Let’s go inside so we can get this over with.”

  The living room was crowded when he walked in with Andrei. Devin heard a gasp and saw an older couple sitting on one of the sofas. Stefan and Jordan stood at the front of the room with James and Derek. Keegan was sitting next to Vince and he smiled when they made eye contact. Derek cleared his throat and looked at all the people assembled.

  “We all know why we’re here. Keegan and Dylan did some digging.”

  Stefan stepped forward looking at all his men. “That night at the hospital, the doctors and nurses on duty that night weren’t the usual staff. As it turns out, they are all dead now. We think that after Tanner was shot and was in the hospital, he must have been injected with something to make it look like he was dying. Once he was pronounced dead and everyone was cleared out of the room, they hustled him away. No one could bear an open casket, so it was easy to weight it and we were none the wiser. When he was kidnapped and revived, he was obviously brainwashed into an assassin whose focus was to kill Andrei.”

  “This has Borkosky written all over it,” Jordan said.

  Stefan motioned to James and they both pulled the seal on the envelopes they were holding. James pulled his out and scanned the document. He looked up quickly at Stefan and they exchanged results.

  Devin watched their faces closely.

  Josh Reynolds broke the silence.

  “Well? Is it Tanner or not?”

  James’ eyes met with Devin’s. “You are Tanner McKinley.”

  Devin closed his eyes as sobbing from around the room threatened to crush him. He squeezed Andrei’s hand. When he opened his eyes, Jason Reynolds was looking at him. In that split second their eyes met, and Devin saw the fear. Jason ran from the room with Joshua right on his heels. Devin stood up and looked at all the people assembled.

  “Look, I know you all think that suddenly I’ll remember everything just because the blood tests say that I’m Tanner. I don’t remember, I’m sorry, but I don’t.”

  “Devin?”

  Devin turned to see an older woman looking at him. She had his eyes, his hair, his nose. Oh God, this was his mother.

  “I know this is strange for you. If I could just…?”

  “Eliza…”

  Devin looked over her at the man standing nearby. He looked like Jason. Devin nodded to her and she put her arms around him.

  “My boy…”

  Devin stood still as his mother cried in his arms. He tentatively put his arms around her and she cried into his shirt. She sniffled a few times and pulled away slowly. Palming his face, she looked into his eyes and smiled.

  “You’ve grown so much.” Eliza looked at her husband. “You should find Jason.”

  “No.” Devin looked at Andrei and motioned to him. “I’ll go.” Andrei rose from the couch and took his hand. They walked to the sliding glass door and Jason’s son, Josh, stepped into their path.

  “It took my dad a long time to believe my father when he said he loved him. This is killing him in more ways than one. Don’t make it worse.”

  “You’re my nephew, right?”

  Josh nodded.

  “Then I feel comfortable in saying back off.” Devin leaned into Josh’s face. “I may not remember him, but he is my brother.”

  Josh smiled. “Then go.”

  ~*~

  Jason ran, the sand from the shore making his flight harder. He felt fingers gr
ip his bicep and he was spun around. Joshua pulled him into his arms but he fought the embrace. It was a losing battle trying to fight his husband. Joshua was bigger than him and outweighed him.

  “Jason! Calm down!”

  “Let me go!” Jason shouted.

  “What is wrong with you? This doesn’t change anything!”

  “Are you kidding me?” Jason pushed Josh away. “Tanner is alive! Alive, Josh! And do you know what my first thought was? Not how happy I was to see my brother, oh no! My first thought was that I’m going to lose my husband! What the hell? Who thinks like that? What kind of person does that make me?”

  “It makes you just like me.”

  Jason spun around to see Andrei and Devin/Tanner. Andrei stepped closer to Jason.

  “I thought the same way when I first heard the news. I assumed that Devin would go back to Josh, that I would lose him. It’s human, Jason, to think the way you did. I know you are happy your brother is alive, I saw your eyes yesterday when you looked upon him.”

  Devin looked at Joshua. “Are you still in love with Tanner, Joshua?”

  Josh shook his head. “I will always love Tanner McKinley, but I am in love with Jason McKinley.” Josh pulled Jason into his arms. “I meant it that day in the vineyard. I never looked at you and saw Tanner, I’ve always seen Jason. The same kid who befriended me, taught me to dance, got me through chemistry and taught me to kiss at fourteen. When we took our vows I was saying those words to you and I meant every single one. For you.”

  “See? There ya go,” Devin grinned. “I’m a complete and utter asshole, anyway. Only Andrei can put up with me. And Keegan.”

  Andrei nodded. “It is true. He is an asshole.”

  Jason laughed at that and looked at Tanner — Devin, whatever. “What should we call you? I mean, you’re Tanner but I’m sure you’re happy with Devin.”