Christopher, Craig & Co.
Part 105: Appetites.
“Chris?” Scott’s voice called from the foyer.
I was seated at my desk looking at the website for Masteredslave.com. There were at least fifty users logged in at 6:30 on a weeknight. How were we ever going to find a way to put a stop to this?
“In here,” I replied absently.
“I stopped for Chinese on the way home. Have you eaten?”
“I had a snack earlier.” I stood and met him in the doorway with a kiss. “Hi, honey. How was your day?”
Scott rolled his brown eyes. “Busy. Yours?”
I followed him to the kitchen. “Mine was busy too.” I grabbed plates and flatware while Scott took food containers from the bag he carried.
“I don’t suppose you want to tell me about yours?” I said.
“There’s not much to tell,” Scott forked a piece of orange chicken into his mouth. “So far no one can find Craig Matthews or Marty Jones.”
I sighed. “They can’t have just disappeared.”
“I agree. But Richard is also keeping a low profile.” Scott seemed to realize what he’d said and abruptly changed the subject. “What kept you busy today?”
“Well, after class I saw Andrew and then Mike. They’re both safe. So that’s good.”
“You saw Mike? Looking like that?”
I smiled. Scott was not exactly effusive with compliments, but he always made me feel like he noticed the effort I put into my appearance. “Yes. And he was a perfect gentleman,” I said knowingly. “You know you can talk about Richard. I’ll admit I needed some time to pull myself together yesterday, but that tape was made years ago. I’m not that messed up kid anymore.”
Scott shook his head.
“What?”
“I’m not buying it. I mean, I believe you can put it behind you. And I know you’re strong. But I saw that dvd. Nobody gets over that in a day. What he did to you was inhuman.”
“You’re right,” I said quietly.
Scott’s brown eyes met mine and held my gaze.
“Richard never treated me like I was human. I was a toy. Or a slave. Or property. Or a punching bag. But I was never a person to him.”
I went to the refrigerator and retrieved the iced tea. I poured myself a glass and offered some to Scott. He shook his head. “Grab me a water, please?”
I handed him a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and took a swig.
“Why do I feel like you’re more upset I saw the disk than that you or Wade saw it?”
“Oh, I’m pissed that Wade saw it,” I snapped. I took a breath and calmed my tone. “He didn’t need to be reminded of that type of treatment. I didn’t either. There was nothing on there that shocked me—even though I don’t remember that particular day, that was pretty much typical.”
“How long?”
I shook away a thought. “Hmmm?”
“How long did that go on?”
“Over a year. Year and a half? I’d have to think about it.”
Scott got up from his chair and drew me into his arms. “I understand why you hate him a lot better than I did before.”
“I just hope that when you look at me now you don’t see me the way I was then.”
“Are you kidding? When I look at you now I am in awe of the man you have become and what you had to overcome.” Scott tipped my chin up to look me in the eyes. “I knew you were special when I met you. And I wasn’t going to get involved with someone I met on an assignment. There are rules. But you’re worth it.” He kissed me and I tasted the orange sauce and smelled his cologne. “Don’t ever worry about how I look at you, Christopher Boldt. Because I’m looking at the man I plan to make a life with.”
My mouth found his and I hungrily began kissing him as my fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. I backed him against the refrigerator, kissing, licking his jaw, nipping his neck. I wanted him in that moment to know how much he meant to me and dammit I was going to show him with everything I had.
I looked at the kitchen floor. There had to be a better way. I dropped his shirt and spun him around, backing him down the hall to the foyer. He had pulled my shirt off and let it fall by the time we reached the foyer. I had his belt open and out of his pants and dropped it near the door as we reached the landing of the stairs. We took the stairs two at a time and reached the bedroom in a frenzy.
Shoes, pants, underwear, socks were cast aside. His hands were everywhere as we fell onto the bed, grappling, rolling, kissing, holding…
By the time we had both cum we were each sweating and panting. Scott’s face was red and I pushed damp hair back from my forehead.
“That was incredible,” Scott said.
I laughed, enfolding him in my arms. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He pulled me to him and kissed me. “But, man, we could both use a shower.”
I giggled. “And some food. I think that Chinese is garbage by now.”
“We’ll go out for burgers.”
“And shakes!” I added.
Scott smoothed my hair. “Are we good?”
“I think we’re fuckin’ great.”
His eyes twinkled. “Why don’t you shower first? I should find my phone.”
“Your pants are over by the door,” I said over my shoulder on my way to the bathroom.
I turned on the water and stepped into the shower. I shampooed my hair, washed up and rinsed off. By the time I had dried off Scott had still not appeared for his shower.
I opened the door to the bedroom. “Scott?”
He held up a finger. He was on the phone.
I returned to the mirror and applied some moisturizer and then fussed with my hair. I was just finishing up when Scott stood in the doorway.
“Something wrong?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.
Scott nodded. “Another body’s been found.”
“Another one?”
“This one was at the park over by the river.”
“You need to go?”
Scott shook his head. “They’re working on an ID. There’s nothing for me to do. I say we get those burgers.” He glanced down. “Right after I shower.”
To be continued in Part 106…
Christopher, Craig & Co.
Part 106: Family Time
After I finished dressing in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, I leaned into the bathroom and told Scott I was going downstairs to clean up the kitchen.
I was surprised to find Wade there clearing the dishes from the table.
“Hi,” I said behind him. “When did you get home?”
“Sometimes after you and Scott abandoned dinner and your clothes.” He stuck his tongue out at me playfully.
I could feel my ears growing hot. I shrugged. “These things happen.”
Wade sniffed a container of food. “I don’t think this is still good.”
“Toss it. We’re going out for burgers. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. I went to Kampas because I was scheduled but they insisted I take a couple days off after what happened. I don’t work until Saturday.”
“Do you need some cash?”
“No, I’m fine.” Wade leaned against the counter near the sink. “I want to ask Austin out on a real date for Friday and make it, like, official that we’re dating.”
I chuckled. “I think he already knows that, kiddo.”
“We haven’t talked about it.”
“Wade, I don’t know how dating got so screwed up for guys your age, but you two have spent almost every day together since you met. I think you’re dating.”
Wade frowned. “So is it stupid to bring it up?”
“Nope. You never get an answer if you don’t ask the question. Why don’t you go with Scott and me for dinner?”
“I won’t be crashing your date?”
Scott walked into the room, dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans and boots and I’ll admit my heart gave a little flutter. “Hey, Wade. Did you eat yet?”
I laughed. “I’d say you’re not crashing anything.”
Scott grinned. “I missed something?”
“Wade’s coming with us.”
I hadn’t been to The Burger Shack in ages. The place was crowded when we arrived. A hostess led us to a booth at the back and I was surprised to see I knew the couple at the booth next to us.
I paused in front of their table. “David! Daniel! How are you?”
They both looked up, startled.
I had met David Rivera when he was working as a bouncer at Leatherman’s Club. Of course, at the time I didn’t know he was actually an undercover local cop investigating the disappearances of local boys. Come to think of it, Scott’s undercover work should have been no surprise at all after the David revelation. What does it say about my life that I’ve met not one, but two undercover investigators? I’m digressing.
I’m not entirely proud of my dealings with David, but in the end I think I did right by him. David was now a collared pup living with Daniel. I hadn’t been sure about Daniel at first. He was a friend of Leatherman’s, and—although I also am a friend of Leatherman’s—Leatherman isn’t known for being a great judge of character. The more I learned about Daniel made me realize he was a good man who wanted a pup and a lover and was more than willing to take care of his partner.
“Scott,” I said, tapping him on the arm. “I don’t believe you’ve met David and Daniel. This is my partner, Scott.”
How-do-you-dos were exchanged. “Daniel is retired Army,” I told Scott.
“Really?” Scott said. “We should have you two over for dinner soon, if you’re up for it.”
David turned to Daniel and smiled. “Could we?”
Daniel nodded. “That would be just fine. Do you still have my number?” he asked me.
“I believe I do. We won’t interrupt your dinner. I’ll give you a call later in the week.”
“Can’t wait!” David said.
Scott and I joined Wade in the booth.
“They seem like a nice couple,” Scott commented.
“I set them up,” I said.
Scott set down his menu. “Oh?”
“David is Daniel’s pup,” I whispered.
Wade heard me and his eyes lit up. “Hot!”
Dinner conversation isn’t worth detailing here, though it was enjoyable just sitting and talking, spending family time, over burgers and fries and shakes. This right here was the reason that I was going to have to put a stop to Richard. I was willing to fight to protect my family.
Scott threw cash down to cover the bill and as we were walking to the car his cell chirped. He looked at it and moved away from Wade and me.
“There are a lot of secrets dating Scott, aren’t there?” Wade asked.
“Yeah.”
“How are you doing with that? I know you like to know everything,” he said with a grin.
“Rotten,” I slung my arm around his shoulders and pulled him toward me. “And I’ve still got a few secrets myself that Scott doesn’t know.”
Wade looked up at me through his long lashes. “I didn’t know Richard did to you what Donald did to me.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Wade nodded. “If it’s ok with you.”
“Why don’t we wait ‘til we get home?”
Just then Scott jogged over to us. “So there was a positive ID made on the body they found. Apparently he was naked but his prints were on file. I’m going to head over there and see if I recognize the face. The name meant nothing to me.”
“What was the name?” I asked.
Scott thought a second. “Jules Lyons. Mean anything to you?”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He nodded. “Why?”
“Jules Lyons is a name I haven’t heard in a lot of years. He changed his name. You know him as Leatherman.”