Fire and Onyx

by Andrew Grey

  Wes nodded and smiled shyly. “I think I’d like that.” He finished the last of his coffee. “Thank you. I need to get him home, but I’ll see you then.” Wes left the coffee shop and headed down the sidewalk.

  Evan sat alone at the table, wondering just what in the hell he was doing. Everything had the potential to blow up in his face, or if he could weave this labyrinth just right, he might be able to get everything he wanted. Evan should know well enough that was unlikely and he was going to have to choose eventually. Sometimes life really sucked.

  Chapter 4

  “YOU’RE GOING out?” Wes asked his folks when he saw them getting their things together.

  “Your father and I have a dinner at the VFW tonight. We shouldn’t be too late.” She gave Greyson a kiss on the forehead and a tickle before heading for the door. It was pretty clear that his mother was excited.

  “You know how to get hold of us if you have to,” his dad said, following her to the door.

  It was nice to see his parents going out, and a little surprising too. Wes had expected that Evan would be over and that they would eat in front of the television the way they usually did. Maybe his folks could have met Evan. Wes made his mind take a step back—tonight wasn’t a date. It didn’t matter if Evan had said he thought he was cute; Wes needed to keep in mind that this wasn’t really a social call. He was doing this to help Trey, to try to keep him out of trouble, and to keep his mom and dad from having to clean up another of Trey’s messes. At least that’s what Wes told himself, even though his heart raced at the thought of seeing Evan once again.

  “Of course. Have fun,” Wes said, and carried Greyson into the bedroom to clean him up and change his diaper before Evan arrived. He also made sure he was in clothes that weren’t covered in spit-up or God knows what else.

  “You got a date or something?” Trey mumbled when Wes come out of his bedroom, with Greyson in his arms.

  “A friend is coming over. He said he was going to bring some chicken if you want to stay.” Like Wes wasn’t well aware that Trey never turned down food from anyone. The guy was a bottomless pit.

  “Sounds good.” He plopped into one of the living room chairs and turned on the television. “I’m going out later, but I could eat.”

  “Anyone I know?” Wes asked as casually as he could.

  Trey humphed and didn’t answer, watching the guys on ESPN prognosticate about the upcoming football season.

  Wes set Greyson down and held his hand to let him toddle through the house. He was so close to walking, and Wes led him through the living room, hoping to get Trey’s attention. Of course he never turned away from the television. Wes often wondered why he bothered. Trey wasn’t interested in Greyson at all, and the more Wes tried, the more disappointed he became with him. Granted, if Trey did take an interest, then who knows what he’d do. Wes didn’t think he could bear having Greyson pulled away from him. As far as he was concerned, Wes was Greyson’s parent, and he loved him to the depths of his soul.

  A knock pulled him out of his thoughts, and Wes guided Greyson to the door, holding his hand as he carefully opened it.

  “Well, look at you,” Evan said, dressed in the same type of clothes he’d worn to the coffee shop. “You’re getting to be such a smart, big boy.” He knelt down, and Wes guided Greyson forward. He took a step on his own and then fell into Evan’s arms. “You’re going to be running around the house before very long, and then no one will be able to stop you.” Evan lifted Greyson into his arms and transferred him to Wes. “I have the chicken in the car.”

  “I’ll get things on the table,” Wes offered, and Evan left the house. “Trey, we’re going to eat soon.”

  “Just make me a plate and bring it in here,” he said without looking away from the television.

  Wes shook his head, even though Trey couldn’t see him. “If you want to eat, you can join us at the table or go hungry.” He set out the plates and silverware as Evan came back in the house with bags, the amazing, spicy scent that followed sending his stomach rumbling.

  “Just bring me something,” Trey reiterated.

  Wes chose to ignore him. He wasn’t Trey’s servant, and Wes already had enough to do. He got a dish for the chicken, and Evan helped get the food set out. Trey eventually realized no food was coming his way and approached the table. Wes half expected him to try grabbing his plate and returning to the television, but he sat down at the table. Wes pulled Greyson’s high chair closer and put some Cheerios on the tray for him, along with a bottle.

  “What’s the big deal?” Trey asked. “Are you his boyfriend and came here to ask permission to date him or something?” He laughed at whatever joke he was trying to make, but Evan simply turned to Wes.

  He shrugged. He had never understood what seemed to pass as Trey’s sense of humor.

  “Evan is a friend,” Wes said. “And you need to learn some manners.” As if to emphasize his point and Trey’s lack of couth, Trey burped loudly. Wes rolled his eyes. “There’s no need to act like a pig.” Suddenly he wondered if this was a good idea at all and what the hell he was trying to save Trey from. His brother was oblivious and content to stay that way. On top of that, he went out of his way to embarrass him, and Wes wanted to kick him under the table.

  “Wes and I are friends. Maybe he and I will become more, but that’s something I’ll talk about with him… and only when we’re alone.” Evan’s gaze burned into Trey, and Wes lowered his gaze and tried not to snicker. “What do you do for work?”

  “I have a job at Hansen’s Market,” Trey answered, clearly looking Evan over. “What about you?”

  Evan sat a little straighter. “I’m self-employed.” His eyes met Trey’s. “I help people with their problems. I’m also a very good salesman.”

  Trey nodded slowly. “Like cars?”

  “Among other things.” Evan turned to Wes, who nodded, and then he returned his attention to Trey. “I’ve sold many different things.” Evan picked up his chicken wing and took a bite.

  Wes could almost see Trey’s mind working.

  “Are you working now or looking?” Trey asked as he picked up a chicken leg.

  “I’m always looking. I have a customer at the moment, but my job is about to end and I’m going to be needing to pick up a few new clients.” Evan now turned his attention to the meal and pretty much ignored Trey. Wes had to admit it was a good strategy. He could see that Evan had planted the idea in Trey’s mind and then backed off. If Evan pushed, then it was likely that Trey would shy away. But as it was, there was interest in Trey’s expression.

  Greyson banged happily on his tray, and Wes checked on him, adding a few more Cheerios, which Greyson did his best to scoop up and put in his mouth. He tried to get them by the fistful, but only got one or two at a time, which was fine. At least he was starting to work out feeding himself.

  “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?” Evan asked Greyson with a grin.

  “That’s my boy, and he’s going to be a football player,” Trey said, and Wes stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Trey hadn’t paid any attention to Greyson in months, so his attempt now only meant that he wanted to impress Evan, which was probably a good thing. Still, it irked him that Trey couldn’t be bothered otherwise.

  “He’s a nice little boy.” Evan handed Greyson one of his Cheerios, and Greyson took it and popped it into his mouth.

  Trey finished eating and then stood, went to the high chair, and lifted Greyson out of it. Greyson looked at Trey, his eyes huge, and then wailed something fierce. He squirmed and cried until Wes took him. Then Greyson instantly settled, clutching at Wes’s shirt.

  “It’s okay.” Wes stroked his back, and Greyson relaxed a little more. Wes put him back in the chair, and Greyson returned to eating his Cheerios quietly, keeping a very wary eye on Trey. Once again, Wes had to suppress a snicker, only because it would make Trey angry.

  “He’s a little fussy,” Trey said, as if to dismiss the fact that his own son did
n’t want to have anything to do with him. Evan didn’t countermand Trey, but the skeptical tilt to his lips told Wes plenty. Trey turned to leave the room, but paused in the doorway to the living room. “I’m going out for the rest of the night.” He tapped the doorframe twice and then strode away.

  Wes shook his head as he watched his brother go. “What a blowhard. Greyson is scared of his own father because he’s a virtual stranger.” Wes gathered Greyson’s Cheerios and let him finish his snack.

  The front door banged closed, signaling Trey had left the house. Wes finished his last piece of chicken and sat back. Greyson was happy, and Wes used the few minutes of quiet to try to figure out what the hell he was doing. To say he was conflicted about this entire situation was an understatement. Wes was having dinner with an undercover cop who was trying to gain access to a gang of drug dealers through a connection with his own brother. That had to be one of the weirdest ideas Wes had ever heard about, and he could hardly believe he was going along with it.

  Maybe the fact that Evan was gorgeous and made his heart race every time he looked at him had a lot to do with it. Wes had never thought of himself as shallow, but he was willing to swear that if Evan asked him to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, with his smile and bright eyes, then Wes might actually consider it. That was so unlike him, and Wes wondered what had gotten into him, for God’s sake.

  He sighed and took care of the dishes, turning away from Evan to give himself a chance to think. He put the dishes in the sink and rinsed them off, turning as Greyson’s laughter filled the room. He smiled as Evan and Greyson played some sort of game that left Greyson giggling and happy.

  “I know you’re conflicted about this whole thing,” Evan said without stopping what was making Greyson so happy. “So am I.”

  “You’re getting what you wanted. Why are you conflicted? Hopefully what you’re doing is going to help you catch some bad people. If I didn’t think Trey might be involved somehow, I’d help you without thinking twice.” Wes should be able to back away and just do what was right. “Logically I know that I should let the chips fall where they may. I’m not responsible for Trey’s choices, and I can’t live his life for him.” Now he was just rationalizing, and that bothered him as well.

  “Then you should simply step back,” Evan said. “Let me do my job—you don’t need to be involved.”

  Wes turned around as Evan gave Greyson a few Cheerios. Greyson popped them into his mouth, followed by most of his hand. “I can’t do that. I know I’ve opened a can of shit, and I can’t just walk away from it now. I have to somehow try to protect Trey from himself. If I don’t, my mom and dad will do whatever they can to help him, but this time I feel as though it will be too late because Trey will be in over his head.”

  Evan joined him at the sink. “You can’t live your brother’s life or make his decisions for him. I get the feeling that your brother is going to do what he wants to do no matter what anyone tells him.” A hand settled gently on his shoulder and captured Wes’s entire attention.

  “Yes, he is.” Wes wished his brother could be more… responsible. “My mom and dad have always shielded him and picked up his messes, so he doesn’t feel any of the pain when he screws up.” Wes wanted to put his hand on top of Evan’s. He liked how Evan’s touch felt on his shoulder and was so tempted to turn around and see what that hand would feel like on other places. Maybe experience what his full lips tasted like. Wes’s heart pounded in his chest, and he forced himself to stand still and resist the urge to move right into Evan’s arms. It probably wasn’t wise to take comfort in the guy who was the cause of his current state of consternation. “It’s easy to blame my parents and the rest of the family….” Wes took a deep breath.

  “But in the end, it’s Trey who’s responsible for his actions,” Evan said softly.

  Wes nodded. This time the pull was too great, and he turned, finding himself gazing into Evan’s eyes. They were deep, dark, and enticing, like a great warm pool of water that threatened to pull him in. “I know. But he’s still my brother, and….”

  The more he thought about it, the more he wondered about where he was putting his loyalty. Yes, Trey was his brother, but he was also Greyson’s father, the one who had nothing to do with his own son, who sailed through life expecting everyone else to pick up the pieces when things went to hell.

  “Sometimes I hate him,” Wes admitted as he moved a little closer, feeling the pull of Evan’s magnetism. “I work harder and have to help support the family because of him.” The list of resentments was hugely long, and if he started running through them, he’d end up going down a road that….

  What the heck was he doing? Evan was right here, as delectable as a strawberry sundae in July, and he was worrying about his brother. Wes pushed those thoughts away with ease as Evan’s lips curled into a slight smile and his eyes darkened even further, sending Wes’s heart pounding and his belly fluttering.

  The allure of those lips was overpowering. They couldn’t have stood like that for more than a few seconds, but it felt like the rest of the world had suddenly stopped around him. Everything was quiet except for the rush in his ears, which only grew louder and louder the more excited he grew. Sweat broke out on the back of his neck, but he barely noticed it as Evan took a step closer.

  Bang. Bang. Greyson pounded on his tray and squawked.

  Wes blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts and away from the attraction of Evan’s gaze. He needed to keep his focus on the real world, not the one that resided inside his head.

  “Are you bored?” Wes asked, handing Greyson a few toys. Greyson grabbed them off the tray, the rattle going right in his mouth. He grinned and banged the toys on the tray, smiling and full of energy.

  “Is he like that every evening?”

  “Yup. After he eats, he has a bunch of energy. I try to get him to walk and work it off before he goes to bed.” Wes returned to the dishes, listening as Evan played with Greyson. Of course, now that he was once again alone with his thoughts, they whirled in circles.

  “You’re a smart boy, aren’t you?” Evan said in a gentle voice. “And that’s quite a grip.”

  Wes smiled when he heard the rattle bang to the floor.

  “Maybe a football player too.” Evan picked up the rattle, wiping it off and handing it to Greyson. The television clicked off, and Wes realized just how quiet the house was without it.

  The rattle went flying again, and Wes grinned, knowing it was one of Greyson’s games. He loved to make the adults play fetch.

  “He’ll do that for hours. Just put the rattle on the table where he can see it, then give it to him when he fusses for it. I know it sounds mean, but he’ll just keep throwing it otherwise.” Wes continued doing the dishes, and Greyson did fuss for the rattle, holding and then chewing on it. Wes finished the dishes, leaving them to dry in the sink, and returned to where Greyson was laughing at Evan’s antics.

  “So what’s the next step?” Wes asked, sitting next to Evan.

  “I suspect that your brother is off with his friends, and if the chance comes up, he’ll tell them about this guy he met who solves problems. It may lead to an introduction and it may not.” Evan shrugged. “These things are always tricky, but with a little luck, it’s possible he could be my in with the group.” Evan leaned a little closer, and Wes got a good whiff of him—no cologne, just the heady scent of man. “It is possible that Trey has no idea what the guys are up to. Though I doubt that’s true, it is possible.”

  “Is there any way you can keep him out of trouble?” Wes asked.

  “It depends on what he’s done. But I’m not going to know anything unless I can make contact.” Evan’s concern seemed genuine. “If he’s just being duped by the group, then I’ll do my best to try to get him out, but if he isn’t… there’s not much I can do. You need to know that.”

  Wes nodded. He understood. “I don’t want my parents to get hurt.”

  “Let’s put it this way. The sooner I can see what�
��s going on, the less time there is for Trey to get in trouble. These guys know how to pull people in and get them over their head before they know it, and by then… it’s too late.”

  Loud voices from outside pulled his attention. They seemed to be coming from the sidewalk right in front of the house. Firm voices turned to shouts within seconds.

  “Evan… I….”

  “Take Greyson to the bathroom, get down, and stay there.” Evan was already moving toward the front.

  Wes got Greyson out of the high chair, raced to the bathroom, and closed the door as the sharp recoil of gunshots rocked the inside of the house. They were slightly muffled by the walls, but it was clear some sort of gunfight was happening right outside the house.

  As quickly as it started, the night grew quiet for a minute, and then sirens filled the void.

  Wes held Greyson and shook like a leaf. He hoped to hell that Evan wasn’t hurt and that Trey hadn’t been involved in this mess. He rocked back and forth to calm a screaming Greyson, tears running down his little cheeks. “It’s okay. It’s all over now,” he soothed, doing his best to calm him, knowing Greyson was picking up on his own worry and fear. “See, it’s all over.” He hoped that was true and continued soothing Greyson until he whimpered and hiccupped for a while.

  “Are you both okay?” Evan asked from outside the door, then cracked it open. “Just stay in the house and keep him away from the front. I called the police and they’re on their way. They’ll want to talk to you, but you didn’t see anything.” It seemed that was how Evan wanted it. Not that Wes was going to complain.

  “I just heard stuff and tried to keep him from yelling the house down. Did they get inside?” Wes continued rocking back and forth, and Greyson finally settled down, clutching him around the neck with everything his little body had.