Justin closed the office door behind him as he took in the situation before him. Brian was sitting at his desk staring at the phone receiver that was lying on top of it with a blank expression on his face. Something about his look was different than the one he donned the other night when he first saw Mark at the hospital. Then he was just hiding his emotions, putting up a mask of indifference to shield his thoughts. This look…well this look was emotionless. As if he was trying to figure out what, if anything, he should be feeling. He wondered what the fuck happened in the short time since Brian left him this morning to put him in such a state.
Justin moved forward slowly. He could hear a faint voice coming from the discarded handset. Brian didn't seem to notice him approach.
"Brian…" he called out in a soft voice.
Brian blinked a few times and looked up at Justin with vacant eyes.
"Um, the phone? I think you left someone hanging," Justin said.
Brian's eyes shifted back to the phone then away again as he pushed himself back from his desk and got up. He walked over to the window and looked out, ignoring Justin, and the phone.
Justin furrowed his brows in concern. He reached over and picked up the handset.
"Kinney! Where the fuck did you go? Are you there? Kinney fucking answer me!" Carl screeched on the other end.
Justin pulled the phone away from his ear and grimaced. 'God the man had an annoyingly loud voice'… he thought. He gingerly brought the phone back to his ear.
"Mr. Kinney had to step out for a moment. Can I take a message?" Justin asked.
"Who's this!" Carl demanded.
Justin did not like the man's tone.
"Not Kinney, that's who. Now if you would like to leave a mess…."
"You tell Kinney to get the fuck back on the phone now! John Doe say's he's not talking to anyone but him, and God damn it, we need that man to talk! He won't even tell us his name! Tell Kinney if I have to I'll come down there and haul his ass in on charges of obstruction if he doesn't get his ass here now!" Carl interrupted Justin with his threat.
Justin's eyes widened at that bit of information. 'Shit!' Mark was awake, and asking to see Brian. No wonder Brian was acting like he was shell-shocked. Brian was the last person he'd think Mark would want to talk to. Though Brian had scornfully asked the comatose man the other night if he came back to cry on his shoulder because Conrad had left him, it was said just out of spite. Brian didn't believe for one minute that Mark came to town to see him. Both Conrad and Mark were originally from Pittsburgh, they had family here. Brian hadn't heard from either man in over ten years. The fact that Mark was lying unconscious in a Pittsburgh hospital was not surprising. People got mugged all the time. What was surprising was that Mark was now awake and asking to talk to Brian and not Conrad, or another family member. Why the fuck would Mark be seeking out Brian now after all this time? And what the fuck happened to Conrad? Justin was sure Brian was asking himself these same questions.
"Hey! You still there?" Carl yelled bringing Justin back to the phone conversation at hand.
"Detective Horvath? Is that you?" Justin asked. He recognized the man's voice from the other night at the Riker bust.
"No, it's the fucking tooth fairy! Who the fuck are you?" Carl asked. He was getting more and more agitated by the moment. There was a reason Brian didn't want to talk to John Doe, and why John Doe didn't want to talk to anyone BUT Brian! And his gut was telling him it wasn't good. There was a crime committed, a man nearly got killed in an attack and the only two people who had information that could possibly solve this crime weren't talking.
"Oh Mr. Tooth Fairy! Now I remember…You gypped me on your last visit. You still owe me a buck." Justin said.
Carl actually growled into the phone. "I've no time for games!" he said.
"Then perhaps you should stop playing them. Now I told you, Mr. Kinney isn't available. I will relay the message that his presence at the hospital is requested. Anything else you want me to tell him? Other than your threat to bring him in on trumped up charges. Obstruction? Really? Surely you can do better than that," Justin said looking over at Brian who was still standing with his back to him, looking out the window.
"Another smart ass I see. Listen, I know everyone who works at that agency, so who the fuck are….oh wait, you're that Taylor kid aren't you? Yeah…I remember you. Nice job on the Riker case. Mind telling me how is it you suddenly show up in town around the same time John Doe turns up beaten nearly to death?" Carl asked.
Justin rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. Bye bye detective." He said then hung up.
"What an ass." Justin muttered to himself. He walked over to Brian and peered out the window.
"Um, granted it's a great view, but mind telling me exactly what the fuck are you staring at?" Justin asked hoping to evoke an emotion, any emotion from Brian.
Brian made a low rough sound in the back of his throat that Justin couldn't quite discern. He looked over at Brian and was relieved to see that the 'deer caught in the headlights' look he saw earlier was now gone from his features.
"Mark is asking to see me." He said in a neutral tone that startled Justin. 'Damn he was good at hiding his emotions…' Justin mused with more then a little admiration.
"I heard. Carl just told me. So, are you going to talk to him?" Justin asked the million-dollar question.
Brian turned abruptly and walked back over to his desk and sat down again.
"It's Monday and cases are piling up. Let's just concentrate on our paying clients, shall we?" Brian said dismissively.
Justin pulled his bottom lip in and bit it pensively as he watched Brian busy himself with pulling out files from his draw and flipping through them. He didn't like Brian's blasé attitude. Brian had to talk to Mark but it wasn't his place to tell him that. Hell he didn't know what his place was yet. Other then the fact that they had two days of the most fucking amazing sex ever, and agreed to keep fucking each other, their relationship was not stable enough for Justin to be interfering in such a personal area. However, that's never stopped him before. Actually, his impulsive need to stick his nose in to help when he shouldn't often landed him in trouble. He sighed knowing that this instant would probably be no different.
"Ok, then. Fine. I'll go talk to him." Justin said then turned to leave.
Brian's head snapped up at his announcement. He was so stunned by his blonde's words that he almost let him walk out before calling out to stop him.
"The Hell you will!" he shouted.
Justin cringed and turned around to face him.
"Well someone has to talk to him. Aren't you the least bit curious what he wants to say to you?" Justin asked.
Brian spat out an unrecognizable expletive that Justin made a mental note to ask him about later. It sounded particularly vicious.
"There is NOTHING I want to hear come from his mouth! Anyway, I'm pretty sure I know what he wants to tell me and I'd rather not..." Brian didn't finish his sentence. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
Justin walked over to him.
"What is it Bri?" he asked.
Brian sighed. "There is only one reason why Mark would want to talk to me in person." Brian said.
Justin waited for him to continue. Whatever was going through Brian's mind was obviously too painful for him to voice.
"What? Just say it. It will make you feel better if you just spit it out." Justin said coming around the desk to rub his shoulders. He could feel Brian relax a bit under his ministrations.
"Conrad." Brian said.
Justin leaned over and kissed the side of Brian's neck. "What about Conrad?" he whispered in his ear.
Brian laid the side of his head against Justin's cheek and closed his eyes.
"He must be…dead," he said.
Justin stilled his hands on Brian's shoulders. He couldn't imagine the anguish Brian must be feeling right now. Regardless of what Conrad did, he was still Brian's first love, and only love to date. Justin's heart ached for Brian. He wrapped his arms around Brian from behind and just held him. He let a few minutes pass before he spoke again.
"You don't know that. You won't know unless you talk to Mark. If it's true, you need to hear it. Else you'll go the rest of your life wondering if you were wrong." Justin said.
Brian brought his hand up and grabbed Justin's wrist, he then brought it to his lips and kissed it gently before pulling away from him.
"You know Sunshine, being smart and blond is too confusing. Choose one, will you?" Brian jested lightly.
Justin smiled at him. "Yeah, well you wouldn't like me stupid, or as a brunette." he said.
Brian grabbed his arm and dragged him from behind his chair and pulled him down onto his lap.
"Oh I don't know, I've always favored brunettes." Brian said nipping at Justin's neck.
Justin laughed. "Before you met me you mean," he said.
"Mmm…." Was Brian's only answer as his kisses became more intense.
Justin stiffened in his arms. He knew what Brian was doing. Losing himself in sex. And as much as Justin wanted to oblige him, he didn't want him putting this off. He knew Brian would see the merits in talking to Mark, if for nothing else than to confirm his suspicions; however he wasn't ready to make that decision. He was using sex to stall for time...Then again, if he needed a reason to stall, Justin couldn't think of a better one. Actually, he couldn't think of much past Brian's hot lips trailing kisses down his neck. He moaned and tilted his head, exposing more of his pale skin for his new lovers' hot mouth.
"Oops! Bad time?" Emmett's voice washed over them like a bucket of cold water.
Brian reluctantly pulled his lips away from the sweet warm flesh of Justin's neck, but not before giving it a little nip, and patted Justin's ass to get up from his lap. Justin sighed and got up.
"What the fuck happened to knocking?" Brian asked.
"Agnes told us you wanted to see us as soon as we got in!" Emmett protested. Shane poked her head around from behind Emmett.
"Oh, hey Justin. Boss." Shane mumbled through a mouth full of croissant.
"Morning Shane. Em." Justin greeted them as he propped his hip up against Brian's desk, and folded his arms across his chest.
"Justin! I hear congratulations are in order! Shane told me what happened. How are you feeling baby?" Emmett asked walking over to Justin and pulling him in for a quick hug.
Justin hugged him back. He liked Emmett. The man was comfortable in his skin. His flame burned bright and he wasn't afraid to show it. "I'm fine, thanks. Just a little bump on the head. How goes it with you? I heard you had a hard time with Boyd the other night." Justin said.
Emmett released Justin and walked over to one of the chairs in the office and plopped down into it letting out an exaggerated sigh in the process.
"Drew was just being over dramatic. He tends to get that way sometimes," he said.
Shane snorted and pulled up a chair next to him. "He was getting down right dangerous," she said.
Emmett glared at her. "You didn't need to call Brian. I could have handled the situation," he said.
"Actually, she did Em. Not that I don't think you could have handled it were it purely business, but that fight I walked in on was personal. It was a lovers spat and someone had to bring some professionalism to the table." Brian said.
Emmett sighed dramatically. "Whatever, fine. We're lovers. I crossed the line and fucked a client. Let's not act like I'm the only one who crosses lines around here." He said looking pointedly back and forth between Brian and Justin.
Justin laughed. "You caught that huh? What was your first clue?" he said.
Emmett smiled in appreciation at the saucy blonde's retort. "Oh honey you're sizzling hot. Don't need no clues past that," he said as he ogled Justin from head to toe.
"Down boy." Brian warned.
"Spoil sport." Emmett returned then emphasized it by sticking his tongue out at him.
Shane laughed.
"Can we get serious for just a moment here? We need to decide what we're going to do about this situation before Mr. Boyd gets here." Brian said.
"I'm not going to stop seeing him Brian. If I get fired for that, then fine." Emmett said.
Brian believed him. He wasn't just being affective. "You'd risk your job over a piece of ass?" Brian asked.
"No. But I'll risk it over Drew. I really think he may be it." Emmett said.
Brian snorted in disgust. "I expected better of you Em." He said.
"Be that as it may, I meant what I said." Emmett said.
Brian sighed. "Fine. So what do you propose then? Because I'm not going to fire you." Brian said thinking how odd it was that that was the second time today he had to tell someone he wasn't going to fire them.
"I talked to Drew last night. He wants to ask his wife for a divorce." Emmett said.
Brian rolled his eyes. "And you believe him? Jesus Honeycutt, have you learned nothing working here? Do you honestly think he's going to leave his wife for another man? It will destroy his career, and I can guarantee you that he won't do that. Not for you, not for anyone." Brian said.
"Jesus Brian you're such a fucking cynic. Do you have to totally rain on Em's parade? I believe Drew really loves him." Shane said.
"I'm sure he believes it too, but he's still not going to give up his career, which is his life by the way, for a fling with Em. Be it the 'real' thing or not. Nor should he. He has no other skills beyond playing football." Brian said then turned to Emmett.
"But let's say I'm wrong and Mr. Boyd decides to throw it all away to be with you. How are you going to feel when he's working as a salesman at some used car lot or some other menial job and not doing what he loves? And how long do you think it will take before he starts resenting his decision, and you?" Brian asked.
Justin mentally cringed at Brian's callousness, yet at the same time respected his astute honesty. It was a hard truth to face but it was a truth Emmett needed to hear. No one would want to touch Mr. Boyd if he came out at this point in his career. There were still big stigmas attached to gay football players. Football was considered a 'mans man' sport. It wasn't like other sports where being gay wasn't so much of an issue. Boyd would be ostracized for his sexuality and Emmett would forever feel the guilt of being responsible for his coming out and ruining his career.
Shane was about to once again defend Emmett when Emmett interrupted. "I'm not stupid Brian. I know the stakes here. That's why I told Drew I didn't want him to leave his wife. I told him I couldn't handle the fall out from that…that I didn't want to be part of the media spectacle that would follow." Emmett said.
Brian raised his eyebrow at Emmett impressed with his selfless attitude. Apparently he had true affection for the football player. Of course this only complicated things further; there was no way around Emmett not getting hurt in this fiasco. 'Fuck!' Just another reason why 'love' should be avoided at all costs, Brian thought.
"So you are willing to give him up?" Justin asked, jumping into the conversation.
Emmett's face fell. "I don't want to, but if that's what it takes, I will. I won't be the one to ruin his career." he said.
"And what did Boyd say?" Brian asked.
"He said he would do what I wanted, but he didn't want to stop seeing me." Emmett said.
"We still have the problem of Mrs. Boyd. Remember her? Our client? What do we tell her? She's paid us a lot of money so far to come up with the goods on her husband." Brian said.
"So I'm assuming that Mrs. Boyd is looking for evidence for a big divorce settlement." Justin said.
"That cunt wants to strip him of everything he's got." Emmett sneered.
"So let her. There's your answer." Justin said.
All eyes turned to him.
"What are you suggesting Sunshine?" Brian asked.
"A little deception…well a little more deception. Boyd is already being deceptive with his wife. I'm sure he knew he was gay when he married her, and I'm sure though she may not know the reason, she feels the disconnect and is hurt by it. A woman scorned and all. It's no surprise she wants to take him for all he's got. What I'm suggesting is we give her what she wants. Providing Mr. Boyd agrees, we set it up so we get photos of him and some blonde bimbo and present them to Mrs. Boyd. She'll be outraged, take him to court, and pretty much clean him out financially. The press will take pity on him, since, well its football, and quarterbacks tend to get a free pass for fucking around, but being left penniless for it? Well that is just unconscionable in their books! He'll be more popular then ever. The media will eat his story up, and they'll be very sympathetic to him, which will mean new sponsors will want to pick him up and he'll be bringing in more money, money she can't touch after the divorce by the way, than he's ever had. And as a bonus, he gets to live his life as he pleases. Of course he'll be very discreet, to which again the press will give him a free pass because the last time he wasn't discreet, pictures of him and a blonde left him bankrupt. Everyone wins in this scenario. Mrs. Boyd gets her divorce, and her money. Drew gets to keep playing ball and new opportunities to make even more money than he had before AND he gets to fuck Emmett on the side. He's got what? 5 more years, if he's lucky, playing professional ball before he retires? He can come out then, write a book, like that basketball player, what's his name…"
"John Amaechi." Shane filled in.
"Right, him and make another shit load of money and be on every TV show telling his story, with Em here by his side. That's if you two are still together by then." Justin said.
Brian leaned over and pushed the intercom button.
"Yeah Boss?" Agnes answered the call.
"You're getting a bonus this week." he said.
"Wow Boss thanks! But why?" she asked.
"Because your cousin is brilliant." Brian said then released the button and turned to Justin.
"Hey, why does she get a bonus and not me!" Justin asked laughing.
"Your bonus is coming later." Brian said suggestively.
Justin turned away from the others in the room so that only Brian could see his expression and squished one side of his face up mimicking a 'half wince'. "Let's make that much later, ok?" He said in a low voice. He could still feel Brian inside of him and he fucking loved it, but his ass did need a break.
A tiny frown marred Brian's forehead indicating his concern. Justin leaned over and whispered in his ear. "I'm fine, I took a Vicodin before I came in. Stop worrying, I'll be ready for another marathon by tonight." He said, then straightened up again.
Brian looked up into his eyes. "You just happen to have Vicodin readily available?" he asked.
Justin gnawed his bottom lip nervously. He didn't want to lie to Brian, but he didn't want him to worry needlessly either. He leaned over again so that his lips were pressed to Brian's ear and said in a very, very low voice… "The doctor prescribed them to me because I occasionally still get migraines from the bashing." He explained.
Brian closed his eyes briefly, internalizing Justin's continued anguish over an unspeakable act committed against him, before opening them again.
"You ok?" He asked, turning his head to face Justin.
"I'm fine. I promise." Justin said pulling back from him. There was a look in Brian's eyes that tore at his heart…Yeah, Brian Kinney did give a shit about him…
Shane and Emmett witnessed the intimate exchange, though they only heard bits and pieces of the conversation shared. They swapped incredulous looks at the way their Boss was acting with the blond. There was a tenderness in his eyes that neither had ever seen Brian display to another man, other than family or friends, before.
Justin smiled down at Brian. "I'll be even better after I get my bonus tonight." He said winking at him.
Brian cleared his throat. "Brat," he said before turning his attention back to the other two occupants in the room.
"So, are we all in agreement?" Brian asked.
Shane and Emmett blinked a few times trying to remember what they were talking about before the tender scene between their boss and the blonde took place.
"Oh, yes! It's fucking pure genius!" Emmett said being the first to recover.
"Do you think Boyd will agree to our plan?" Brian asked.
"I think he'd be hard pressed not to." Emmett said.
"Then it's settled. But this stays between us. No one else in the agency is to know about what we've discussed in this room. The less people who know about this the better just incase this backfires in our face." Brian said.
Everyone shook their head in agreement.
"Good. When Boyd gets here, you and Shane make the presentation to him." Brian said.
"Don't you think you should outline our plan?" Shane said.
"I've got to step out for awhile. You two can handle it." Brian said then reached over and pressed the intercom button again.
"Agnes, tell Ted, Cynthia and Lucas to come in for the morning meeting." Brian said.
Justin pushed away from Brian's desk and dragged a chair over to sit next to Shane and Emmett. Several minutes later Cynthia, Ted and Lucas came in and pulled up chairs to form a semi circle around Brian's desk.
Once everyone was settled, Brian started the meeting.
"First, for those of you who aren't aware, thanks to Justin, Riker, aka, Dumpster boy's killer, has been apprehended," he said.
Ted, Cynthia and Lucas took turns congratulating Justin.
"It was a team effort. Brian was the one who actually took him down; I just lured him in." Justin said.
"Popped him twice. One in each leg." Shane said with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Clean?" Cynthia asked.
"It was a clean shoot Cyn, don't worry. Horvath was called right in. He's writing up the report. Justin and I still need to give a statement, but it's just a formality." Brian said.
Cynthia nodded her head satisfied there wouldn't be any legal issues.
"Now, moving on…What have you got Cyn?" he asked.
"I already briefed Lucas on the cases he'll be taking over. Two missing persons, both husbands who went out for the proverbial 'pack of cigarettes' and never came back, and one surveillance job. Ackerman Metals. Mr. Ackerman believes one of his employees' is stealing precious metals from him and selling them on the black Market. The plan is to set Lucas up as a part time fabricator in the plant so he can monitor the staff's activities." Cynthia said.
Brian turned his attention to Lucas. "You gonna to be able to pull that off? Do you have any experience working with metal?" he asked.
Lucas nodded his head. "Worked construction during my college days. I did my share of welding and laser cutting. I know enough to be convincing." he said.
"Let's hope so. But it sounds involved. I'm concerned you won't be able to handle the two missing person's cases and the Ackerman job." Brian said.
"I can handle it. Most of the work at Ackerman's will be video and audio surveillance. Cynthia is helping me set that up. As for the two MIA's, that will require more leg work, but I think I can wrap them up pretty quickly. There doesn't appear to be any foul play. Circumstances in both cases suggest that the spouses took off for greener pastures." Lucas said.
Brian shook his head and sighed. "Too bad there's no such thing. You've seen one pasture, you've seen them all," he mused out loud.
"Humph…This coming from the man who grazes in every pasture he comes across. Especially the greener ones." Cynthia commented under her breath.
Brian made a face at her. "Are you seriously going to go down that road Mrs. Robinson?" he asked.
Cynthia's face flamed red. She should have known Brian wouldn't let her forget her little indiscretion from two years ago when she had an affair with her nephew's college roommate.
She cleared her throat and continued on with the business at hand, and away from her personal business.
"I'm giving Emmett the Parker case. Mr. Parker hired us to investigate his 16 year old son who he believes is dealing in drugs. Mr. Parker is a Christian music producer who wants to avoid what could become an embarrassing situation for him. Em will have to be on this kid 24/7. Mr. Parker made it clear that expedience is required in this case, and he's willing to pay extra for it. He doesn't want the police involved, he just needs to know if is son is dealing so he can plan his next move to avoid a scandal." Cynthia said.
Shane snorted in disgust. "Don't think daddy dearest will be winning any parent of the year awards anytime soon. Geesh, what a fucking douche bag. Sounds like he's more worried about protecting his image than he is about helping his son," she said.
"Unfortunately, some people were never meant to have children." Brian said in a tight voice.
Everyone in the room suddenly grew eerily quiet. Justin looked around and saw several very uncomfortable faces. Obviously, Brian's statement had some deeper meaning that they were aware of, but no one wanted to acknowledge.
"What else." Brian said breaking the silence.
"I'm handling several cyber surveillance cases. One identity fraud, one credit card company who thinks someone in processing is stealing account numbers and three domestic Internet tracking cases." Cynthia said.
Emmett laughed. "Don't tell me, internet affairs?" he asked.
Cynthia grimaced. "Yes. God I hate those cases. But they pay well. Cyber investigations are costly. It amazes me how much people are willing to shill out to see if their partners are 'cyber' fucking on line. Like really, who gives a shit? Better on line than in real life," she said.
"No, not better. Trust me. Real life is much more satisfying." Brian said with a smirk.
Everyone laughed and agreed.
"Which brings me to the last of our cases, courtesy of Valentines Day…'Cheating spouses'. I'm splitting them up between Justin and Shane. You guys know the routine. Phone records, photos…the usual stuff. Catch them in the act, present the evidence, and get paid. Drive through cases." Cynthia said.
Both Shane and Justin looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Ok, then, let's get cracking. Everyone check in with Cynthia to get briefed and pick up your case files. If there are any questions, take them to Cynthia…problems, come to me. If that's all then…."
"Actually Brian there is one other case I wanted to talk about. I haven't decided who to hand it off to." Cynthia said.
Brian raised a brow at her.
"Captain Reiss from the Beaver Butler county police contacted us. They have a situation there they'd like our help with. There's been a rash of hate crimes at the local high school. Three students, two boys and one girl, all gay, were attacked and seriously injured. None of the kids or teachers are talking. Apparently, according to Captain Reiss, there is this gang of kids that rule the school. Everyone, including the teachers, are afraid of them. They tried stationing police at the school but they haven't been able catch the perpetrators in the act. One attack occurred while a police officer was there. Reiss contacted us because we're a gay agency…"
"What the fuck is that suppose to mean? A gay agency? Tell him to go fuck himself." Brian said angrily.
"Calm down Brian. It's no secret that Private Dicks employs gay investigators, and it's located in a gay community, not to mention the owner is gay himself." Justin said.
"Oh you noticed?" Brian quipped.
Justin gave him sexy smile. "Yes I noticed. But that's not all Private Dicks is known for. Hell, why do you think I'm here? Cops at my old precinct knew about your agency, and your rep. And not just for being gay, but for operating one of the best agencies in all of Pennsylvania." Justin said.
"One of the best?" Brian challenged.
Justin laughed. "Point is, I don't find it unreasonable for Captain Reiss to be asking for our help in solving a hate crime where gay kids are getting attacked. He might think that in addition to your outstanding reputation, you might have more experience in this area." Justin said.
Brian made a rude sound. "Sounds more like he's a homophobic moron who thinks all gays are alike," he said.
"Actually that's not the case Brian. If you had let me finish, I was going to say that he thought we might have someone on staff that could go in undercover as a gay teacher. He felt it would be more believable if the undercover agent were actually gay. They tried planting a straight cop in as a gay substitute teacher with no luck. He was marked as a cop on day one." Cynthia explained.
"What? They don't have any gay cops?" Brian asked.
"Not any trained in undercover work." Cynthia said.
"I'll do it!" Emmett perked up.
"You've enough on your plate Emmett. If we do take this case on, I'll handle it myself." Brian said.
"I was thinking we could send Shane in." Cynthia said.
"Shane? Shane looks too young to be a teacher." Brian said.
"Exactly. She looks more like a student. She'd be perfect bait. I didn't mention my idea to Reiss yet. I wanted to talk to you and Shane about it first. Of course she'll be under constant watch, and wired to limit the risk of her getting hurt. But I think she's our best shot at catching these kids. I really don't think sending in an undercover gay teacher will get the job done I checked around. Both the gym and music teachers are rumored to be gay yet neither has been attacked. I'm thinking these kids are targeting other kids. Shane would definitely attract their attention." Cynthia said.
Brian shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous. I'll go in undercover. Those gay teachers probably keep a very low profile that's why they haven't been assaulted. I'll go in openly gay and shove it in their faces. That should provoke a response from them." Brian said.
"Um, don't I get a say in this? I think Cyn is right. You can be as provoking as you want Boss, but the truth is it's much easier to attack another kid than it is to attack an adult. One teacher gets attacked and others may start talking. To kids, teachers are like cops, they protect their own. No one protects the kids. It's more logical sending me in as a student. I'm an easy target for them." Shane said.
"Yes, you are, and that's precisely why I'm not sending you in. I don't know the Butler police. I don't trust them to protect you. They've already proven to be incompetent if they had a cop at the school and an attack took place under his watch. What if you get cornered and they can't get to you in time to help you? I won't let you take that risk." Brian said.
"But…"
"He's right Shane. You don't have any experience dealing with juvies. These kids have their own code that you couldn't possibly understand. I do. I've worked this kind of case before. Cyn call Reiss, tell him I'll be going in undercover as a gay student and that I'll need at least two detectives from his precinct as backup." Justin said.
Again the room grew eerily quiet, but for very different reasons.
"Excuse me, but in case you've forgotten already, I sign the checks around here." Brian's biting voice chilled the room.
Justin smiled at him. "Do you? I wouldn't know. I haven't gotten a check from you yet." he said.
"This is not a joking matter! I won't send you into a situation like that again." Brian gritted out between clenched teeth. His voice was filled with anger that was fueled by fear. The last time Justin went undercover as a high school student, it ended up with him taking a bat to the head.
Justin's features softened having recognized the fear in Brian's rage filled voice.
"Brian. This is a totally different situation, and I'm a totally different person. Trust me; I would never put myself in that position again." he said.
"Boss, I'll go in with Justin. We'll cover each other's backs. Plus, if you want you can also come in as a gay teacher. Between the three of us, we won't need the Butler police." Shane said.
Brian leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. His head was starting to pound and the bulk of his troubles hadn't even begun yet. He still had Mark to deal with.
"Brian, we have to do this. We can't let any more kids get hurt if we can stop it. We'll all go in undercover together like Shane suggested, we'll be safer that way. But however you decide we do it, we have to do it. Those kids need us." Justin said.
Brian knew Justin was right; he just didn't want Justin in harms way again. It wasn't just the physical danger he was worried about, he was concerned how Justin was going to handle it emotionally. Being back in high school, playing the part again that almost got him killed the first time he played it...well it was just too much to ask of him, but then again, he wasn't asking, Justin was insisting. He had a gut feeling if Justin had to go it alone, he would. He knew how his blonde felt about kids being in trouble. If he could help, he was going to. With or without Brian.
"What about all the cheating spouses' cases? We can't just dump them." Brian said though he knew the excuse was feeble.
"The school is closed for winter recess so that gives us ten days to clear our calendar." Cynthia said.
"You won't be able to close all of them out within ten days, and besides, what about the new cases that will be coming in? We can't operate on a skeleton crew and this case may take a while." Brian said.
"Emmett, Lucas and I can handle it. It's been awhile since I've been in the field. It's time I flexed my muscles in that area. And if we have to, we'll recruit Agnes. She can handle simple domestic surveillances, which is the bulk of our caseloads. All she needs to do is tail the suspect, take notes and be ready with her camera. You know she'd love a chance to take on a case or two. As for my Cyber cases, they can be done any time day or night, so I'm very flexible there. I'm positive between the four of us, we can handle it." Cynthia said.
"It's totally doable Brian. The Parker case has to be wrapped up quickly, per the clients' request, so I'll be available to take on a full case load freeing up Cynthia." Emmett chimed in.
"Hey, what about me? I think I'd make a good sleuth!" Ted spoke for the first time.
"Teddy dear, you're much better with numbers. But it's not a bad idea for you to team up with Agnes. Two heads are better than one." Cynthia said.
"Unless you only have one mouth." Emmett jested.
Brian groaned. He felt outnumbered and outsmarted. Neither of which he appreciated.
"Ok, here's MY decision." Brian said leaning forward in his chair.
"Cynthia, call Captain Reiss and tell him we'll have an answer for him before the week is out. I need to think this over." He said. All it did really was buy him time, but it was time he needed. He was on overload right now as it was.
"But Bri..."
"That's my last word on this Cyn! Now go make the call. Meeting's over." Brian snapped, his voice brooking no argument.
Everyone scrambled to exit the office. Justin remained behind. He was more surprised at Brian's outburst than he thought he would be. When pushed, Brian pushed back, and hard. He left no doubt in anyone's mind that he meant business and that his decision was not to be challenged. His authoritarian nature had emerged in full force. It was a layer of his personality that Justin hadn't experienced yet…Justin wondered how many layers there were to Brian. He was an enigma that was both fascinating and intimidating and Justin found himself marveling at his ability to keep him continually off balance.
"I don't know if I should be frightened or aroused by that little display." Justin said honestly.
Brian looked up at him. "Aroused. Always choose aroused," he said with a smirk as he rose from behind his desk.
"But save that thought. I need to go to the hospital." Brian said bending over to give Justin a quick kiss before releasing him and heading towards the door.
Justin followed him. "Can I catch a ride with you?" he asked.
Brian looked back at him. He briefly thought of refusing him but decided against it. If he knew his blond, and he was starting to know him very well, he'd just find another way to get there.
"Fine. But no talking in the car. I need to think." Brian said.
Justin smiled at him. "You got it Boss. No talking," he said in a patronizing voice.
Brian huffed. "So glad you're starting to realize who the boss around here is," he said opening the office door for Justin.
"Oh don't worry, I always know who's in charge." Justin said as he passed Brian on his way out of the office.
Brian watched Justin's hot ass sashay away from him and groaned inwardly. The blond was going to be the death of him. He was quite sure Justin did indeed know who was in charge…and it was becoming painfully obvious that it wasn't him.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey Brian. You just missed the Chief. He got called in on a 10-13. He didn't think you would show up." Mason the guard on duty greeted Brian.
"Guess he was wrong. Again." Brian said smiling.
Mason laughed. He liked Brian. The owner of Private Dicks always treated him with deference where as his Chief and others in the department gave him little respect. Mason knew his shortcomings. He'd been at his precinct for nearly twenty years yet he'd never been promoted. He took the detective exam several times without success so he'd finally given up. He was overweight and out of shape but still he was a good cop. He never missed a day of work. That should have counted for something. But the guys back at the station took pleasure in poking fun at him and the Chief turned a deaf ear to it. Brian never treated him with anything less than respect.
"He's gonna be pissed." Mason said with an impish grin.
"Not if he doesn't know I showed up." Brian said leaving the suggestion out there.
Mason looked over to the young man standing next to Brian.
"Who's this?" he asked.
"I'm sorry Mason, this is Justin. He's one of our new detectives. Justin, Mason." Brian made the introductions.
"Nice to meet you. Chief's going to be mad he missed you too." Mason said.
Brian sighed sadly. "You know Carl's blood pressure's been a bit high lately. And Deb tells me his cholesterol's up too. I'm worried about his health. It would be a shame if he were to get all flustered over something so trivial. Justin and I have to go down to the station later anyway to give a statement on Friday nights' bust. We'll talk to him then. He doesn't need to know we were ever here." Brian said. Though it was true Deb was dating Carl, (he had introduced them about a month ago), he doubted she'd gotten to know him well enough yet to know what his blood pressure or cholesterol levels were. The small lie however served his purpose.
Mason frowned. He didn't like the idea of holding information from the Chief. It didn't sit well with him. He rubbed his stubbly fat chin thoughtfully.
"You going in to see John Doe?" He asked.
"Yes, I am. But alone. I won't go in if you insist on being in the room with us." Brian said.
"You know him?" Mason asked.
"Yes, I do." Brian said.
Mason's eyes widened at that bit of information. If he could get the man's identity from Brian it would earn him big points with the Chief.
"Tell you what, I'll let you go in alone, if you tell me his name. And I won't tell the Chief you were here. But you have to convince your friend in there to tell Carl I was the one who got him talking." Mason said.
"Deal. But I tell you his name on my way out." Brian said.
Mason nodded his head in agreement and opened the door for Brian. "Your friend going in to?" He asked as Justin started to follow Brian in the room.
Brian looked back at Justin and was about to tell him to wait outside but Justin saw it coming and deflected his objection.
"Hell yes I'm going in," he said and pushed his way past Brian.
Brian sighed, exasperated, and looked over at Mason. "Don't you just fucking hate pushy blondes?" he asked rhetorically.
Mason laughed. "Can't afford to hate blondes, brunets, or redheads. Man like me can't be too choosy. I may not be gay, but nothin wrong with my eyesight. I got a feeling you don't mind his 'pushing' too much." he said.
Brian rolled his eyes. 'Was he that obvious? Or was his blonde that hot?' He liked to think it was the latter.
Mark Stanford sat straight up in bed when he heard the door to his room open. God he hoped it wasn't that annoying detective again. He couldn't have made it clearer that he wasn't going to talk to anyone but Brian Kinney. He was hoping this new visitor would be Brian but was disappointed when a young blonde man walked into the room…well not that disappointed. The guy was hot as fuck. Mark was shocked at his own thoughts. Here he was, lying in a hospital bed, broken and beaten, and four days behind on his search for his soul mate because he was in a coma all that time, yet that didn't stop him from reacting to the blonde's beauty. Mark noticed that not only was this new visitor good-looking, he was also gay. Mark's gaydar went off the charts as soon as the handsome young man entered, which was reassuring. Since he woke, he'd been surrounded by straight cops who were barbaric in their manner and approach. Though he appreciated their efforts, and respected their position, he just wasn't comfortable with the 'knuckle dragging' he-man types that all too often dominated the law enforcement field. This blonde however, if a cop, was someone he felt he could talk to. He wasn't wearing a hospital uniform, so he doubted he was part of the hospital staff.
"Hello. Can I help you?" Mark asked.
Justin, probably for the first time in his life, was at a lost for words. He stood there, looking like an idiot he assumed, just staring at Mark. So this was the man who stole Brian's first love from him… Justin wanted to thank him and punch him out at the same time. Fortunately, Brian saved him from doing either.
Brian walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He placed his hands on Justin's shoulders in a calming manner and gently pushed him to the side so he could approach Mark. He got a glimpse of Mark's reaction to Justin and didn't like it one bit.
"Reminiscing about old times Mark? Trust me; he's out of your league. Perhaps at one time you may have had a chance, but those days are long gone. Age is a motherfucker, isn't it Mark? And from the looks of you, you've been the mother for some time," he said in a voice filled with steel as he walked up to the bed.
Mark turned his attention to the man he'd traveled all this way to see. His words stung, but were warranted. Apparently the blonde was of interest to Brian and Mark had a track record of taking from him that which interested him.
He leaned back in his bed and studied his nemesis with discerning eyes. The last time he'd seen Brian he was just 18 years old and the most beautiful boy he'd ever laid eyes on. But now, some ten years later, the boy had grown into a man. A man whose beauty had surpassed the boy's. Brian was stunning beyond description. His body was firmer, the lean muscles more defined. His features strong and classical, a perfect blend of beauty and masculinity. His eyes, more vibrant and piercing as if they held the power to bend men to his will, and Mark had no doubt they did. Yes, the boy had changed, yet much had remained the same. And that truth laid in is piercing hazel eyes.
An old proverb popped into Mark's head. 'The eyes are the windows to the soul.' Brian's eyes reflected a harden soul. One void of compassion, at least where Mark was concerned. All the bitterness and hurt was still there and the knowledge devastated Mark. He had hoped time would have mellowed Brian, but he was wrong. Time, if anything, only solidified his animosity towards him. Mark couldn't stand to look at him any more. He turned his head away disheartened. Yes, the boy was now a man, with a man's hatred. He'd find perverse joy in Mark's dilemma. If he had thought to find aid in Conrad's ex lover, one look into those hazel eyes told him how wrong he'd been. All hope now of finding his beloved was lost to him. The weight of the anguish that came with that realization crushed his very soul.
"Get out," he said.
Brian watched the myriad of emotions cross Marks face before he turned away from him. Mark looked disappointed, more than disappointed, he looked…despondent. Brian couldn't find one reason not to enjoy Mark's discontentment. He pulled up a chair and crossed his legs at the ankles as he lounged back in it, a smile flirting across his handsome features.
"Ah, now is that a way to greet an old friend?" Brian drawled sardonically.
Justin stood by the door cringing at Brian's words. This was going to be a bloodbath of wills he realized and all he could do was wait until it was over and mop up the mess.
Mark snapped his head around and glared at Brian with what only could be described as disgust.
"Be at it then. Get it over with, and then get… the… fuck…out." Mark sneered.
Brian tilted his head and gave Mark a quizzical look.
"At it? Exactly what were you expecting of me Mark?" Brian asked amused at the man's ire.
Mark snorted derisively. "Obviously more than you're capable of. But then again, that was always your problem wasn't it? Not being able to live up to anyone's expectations," he spat out viciously aiming to hurt. He had no doubt Brian would catch the double meaning in his words. Conrad had told Mark in confidence some of Brian's troubled childhood and though he hated himself for betraying that confidence now, he also found some satisfaction in knowing he could hurt Brian. The man had stolen all hope from him and Mark wanted him to feel some of the pain he was feeling.
'Oh ouch!' Justin thought. He had a feeling that little remark held more meaning behind it that only the two men shared and it was meant to hurt Brian. It took all his will power not to run over to the bed and smack the shit out of Mark.
But Brian gave no indication that Mark had hurt him. Instead, he laughed a harsh, cruel laugh.
"Very good Mark. I'm impressed. And here I thought 'true love' would have mellowed you. Nice to see you're just as much of a bastard today as you ever were. Tell me, did you travel all this way to tell me that? It's not really news you know. When Connie walked out the door I pretty much figured I didn't 'meet his expectations', as you so eloquently put it. But it didn't take me long to figure out that I was foolish for even trying. I learned fairly quickly that the only person whose expectations I could meet, were my own, and I've spent the last ten years doing exactly that. Meeting and satisfying my own needs." Brian said.
"And how's that working for you?" Mark asked.
Brian made a point to slowly move his gaze up and down Mark's body. "Well I'd say pretty good since I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed looking like shit," he said.
Mark looked away again. "Go away Brian. You can't help me," he said weary of this sport.
"Help you?" Brian said then laughed a little too loudly.
"You came for my help? What in God's name would make you think I would help you?" Brian asked.
"Conrad. I thought that you'd do it for him…I was wrong. You'd no sooner help him, than you would me." Mark said.
Brian narrowed his eyes. Something was not right here. He was preparing himself to hear that Conrad was dead but by the way Mark was talking, he wasn't, but he did need Brian's help. Not that he would give it, but he was interested to know what kind of trouble his ex lover was in.
"Ah Connie. Tell me, how is he doing these days? Does he still make that gurgling noise in the back of his throat when you eat his ass? Fuck that was hot." Brian said trying to provoke a reaction out of Mark. But Mark wasn't taking the bait.
"It was never about the sex. You know that. If it were, he'd still be with you." Mark said turning once again to look at him.
Brian felt like Mark had slapped him.
"Right. It was about your love for each other. How rude of me to forget." Brian said with such scorn Mark physically recoiled from it.
"You sound like you don't believe in love when I know for a fact you loved Conrad." Mark said.
"Whatever love I had for Connie, you killed." Brian said. It was the first sincere thing he said since walking into the room and Mark responded to it.
"I know. And though it doesn't matter, I'm sorry you were hurt. I thought you would have realized by now it was for the best." Mark said.
Brian huffed in disbelief. "Whose best?" he asked.
"Yours. It was always about YOU Brian. Don't you see that? Conrad was willing to stay with you but I talked him out of it. He was willing to sacrifice us out of loyalty to you. And he would have if I hadn't pointed out that in the long run, you would have resented him for stealing your youth." Mark said.
Brian sat up straight in his chair and leaned towards Mark. "That's a lie!" he said angrily.
Mark shook his head. "No, it's not. Brian, Conrad wasn't in love with you. He loved you, deeply, like a mentor, but he was never in love with you. And I know how good the sex was with you, he told me. But like I said, it wasn't about the sex. You were the one to instigate that and Conrad was too weak to resist you. That was his only fault. But can you blame him? You were pretty irresistible, even as a boy. It's no excuse, it's just the truth. You and Conrad shared something very special and unique and no one could ever take that away from either of you, not then…and not now. But he wasn't meant for you Brian, he was meant for me. When we met, it was like two pieces of a puzzle coming together. We completed each other. I know you don't believe in a once in a lifetime love, in finding your 'soul mate', but that's exactly what happened with Conrad and me. We're soul mates, and I'm sorry if that hurts you, but it would have hurt you more if you were to find out years later that the man you loved, was in love with someone else. At first Conrad rejected our love, he never wanted to hurt you but I made him see that leaving you was the kindest thing he could do. I don't think you're the type of man who would have appreciated someone staying with you out of a sense of loyalty, and not love." Mark said.
Brian suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat a bit before settling back into his lounging position. There was merit to what Mark was saying, and on some level he'd always known it. But it still didn't take away the pain of the betrayal. Conrad never gave Brian the respect of sitting him down and talking to him. Of telling him he was leaving. Instead, he had Mark do his dirty work.
"Well if this 'once in a lifetime love' makes cowards out of men, then I pity you. Connie should have manned up and told me the truth instead of running off in the middle of the night like some thief." Brian said.
Mark sighed. "Would it have made any difference? Sometimes is easier to just rip the band aid off than to peel it away slowly, prolonging the agony. Can you sit there and seriously tell me that the 'I'm leaving you' conversation would have made it easier?" Mark said.
"Well I guess we'll never know now, will we?" Brian replied caustically.
"Brian, don't hate Conrad. He couldn't do it. He wanted to, but it was causing him so much pain that I stepped in and did it for him. He's carried that guilt all these years. I don't expect you to forgive him, but I'm asking you, please, don't hate him. Hate me." Mark said. He knew he was pleading now but he was starting to feel like maybe all wasn't lost. Maybe he could get through to Brian.
Brian heard the sincerity in Mark's voice, yet didn't want to accept it. There was just too much to process and he couldn't do it now, in front of this man. He sat up again and cleared his throat.
"Why don't you just tell me what kind of trouble Connie is in." Brian said.
Mark smiled at him with hope. Brian wouldn't be asking is Conrad was in trouble if he wasn't thinking about helping him. His 'Connie'…It still stung Mark a bit to know that was an endearment Conrad reserved for Brian, but right now he'd listen to that special nickname Brian gave his lover a million times over if it meant he would help him find him.
"You know you're the only one who's ever called him that? I remember one time we were playing around and I called him Connie. He freaked out. Said he hated that name. Of course I knew he was full of shit. The truth was, he couldn't stand for anyone else to call him that because it was what you called him and he didn't want to hear it come from anybody else's mouth. Including mine. Though he'd never admit it, I knew. I was never allowed to call him that." Mark reminisced.
Brian raised his brow. "Oh I'm sorry Mark. That must have been such a hardship on you," he said sarcastically.
"Listen Brian, I didn't come here to argue with you." Mark said not wanting to anger him.
"Then why the fuck did you come here?" Brian asked.
"I told you, for Conrad. He needs your help." Mark said.
"I gathered that. What kind of help?" Brian asked.
Mark's eyes welled up; the sight took Brian by surprise.
"He's disappeared and I can't find him!" Mark blurted out.
That got Brian's attention in a big way. It also prompted Justin to move forward to stand behind Brian's chair.
"What the fuck do you mean he disappeared? How? When?" Brian asked his voice taking on an edge.
Mark went on to tell Brian about the accident and the events that followed. He told him about the long search that never produced a body. He then went on to tell him how he had exhausted all their resources, including selling his house, in his quest to find Conrad on his own. By the time he was done retelling the events of the past several months he was sobbing.
Brian rubbed the back of his neck and cursed.
"Fuck Mark, if the authorities and the slew of private detectives couldn't locate him, what makes you think he's alive?" Brian asked.
Mark's red eyes bore into him. "Because I would KNOW if he weren't! I told you, we're soul mates. I always could 'feel' Conrad. Brian, I STILL feel him!" Mark said.
Brian looked at him with pity. The man was obviously overwrought with grief, to the point he was destroying himself over it. There was an unshakable certainty in his eyes that Conrad was still alive and no one, not even Conrad's ghost itself, could convince Mark other wise. That kind of unwavering devotion was foreign to Brian, and it was in that moment that he realized a sobering truth of his own; Conrad was better off with Mark. Though he loved Connie, he never felt the depth of love for the man that he was now witnessing from his partner.
"Mark…" Brian started in a conciliatory voice.
"No, Brian please...Don't say it. I can't hear it again, not from you, especially not from you. I've heard it from family, friends, and officials. I can't bear hearing it from you! For God sakes you loved him at one time! How can you walk away without even trying? I'm begging you Brian. I'll do anything, what ever you want…what ever you need….just don't turn me down. I know you can find him, you have too. All these months, all the pain, all the loss, even me getting mugged, led me here to you. It's our destiny. You lost Conrad once, now it's time you find him again. And…keep him." Mark said the last part with such pain in his voice Brian's heart couldn't have rejected it if it wanted to.
"Jesus Mark, don't do this to yourself. I…."
"We'll do our best Mr. Stanford, but we can't make any promises. If Conrad is alive, rest assured, we'll find him."
Brian abruptly stood from his chair and turned to stare at Justin, shocked at his words.
"Justin you can't…."
"I didn't make any promises. We'll do some investigating, that's all." Justin said then pulled Brian back and away from Mark's bed.
"Fuck Brian, how can you turn him down?" he hissed in a low voice.
"Because I will not give him false hope! It's cruel to let him go on thinking Conrad is still alive. Just because they haven't found a body doesn't mean he's still out there! Don't you think by now he would have shown up? You heard him; he's spent literally his life's fortune turning over every stone looking for him with no results! The chances of Connie still being alive are…."
"I fucking know what the chances are! But there "IS" a chance! NO matter how slim, you owe it to YOURSELF to at least give it a shot! I'm not under any illusions here Bri, I'm just saying, what would it cost us to look into it? And if it gives that man a few more days of peace believing his partner is alive, then so be it! It's not cruel Brian, it's a kindness." Justin said.
Brian cursed low and long and it carried over to Mark's bed, making him sigh in relief. The blonde young man, whoever he was, had somehow convinced Brian to help him. Fate apparently, was working in more ways than one.
"Fine! I'll look into it. But I'm not doing this for me, I really could give a shit, and I'm not doing this for him either, he and Connie made their bed together a long time ago. They could fucking live and die in it for all I care. I'm doing this for YOU! I just know I won't get a decent fuck out of you unless I take pity on that old fucking queen and do some checking around. But that's it Justin. I'm not spending any company funds on a wild goose chase, and I'm not wasting more time than it will take to go over the official records and talk to the previous PI's about their findings. If, and that's a big IF, I find they didn't cover all the bases, then I'll look further. But if I find everything that could have been done, has been done, then it ends there and I tell Mark it's time to accept the truth and either kill himself and join his soul mate, or grieve and go on with his own life, but whatever he chooses, it won't be my problem anymore." Brian said.
Justin frowned at him. "You know you're not as cruel as you pretend to be, so stop it," he said.
Brian made a rude noise in the back of his throat. "Life is cruel Sunshine, not me. I don't make the rules." he said.
"No, but I have a feeling you've broken one or two in your life." Justin said.
Brian raised his brow at him and pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.
"More than you can imagine," he said. 'and most of them since you showed up in my life,' he thought.
"Well break one more of your own rules. Go find your ex lover. Don't phone this one in Brian. Find him. Either alive or dead. It's the right thing to do." Justin said in a serious tone.
Again Brian scoffed. "I'm not interested in doing the right thing; I'm interested in getting my dick sucked. That's the only reason I'm doing this," he said.
"Yeah, right. As if I wouldn't suck your dick if you didn't do this." Justin returned.
"You would, but not with as much enthusiasm as you're going to knowing I've agreed to help sad sack over there." Brian said smirking.
Justin rolled his eyes. "Really help him? And not just go over someone else's file, but conduct your own investigation?" he asked.
Brian ran his hand through his hair frustrated at how fast the situation was getting out of hand, and how easily his blonde was manipulating him. "I don't have the fucking time to launch a full investigation! Or have you forgotten the Butler School case? You want me to abandon those kids to go looking for a dead man? Is that what you want me to do Sunshine" he asked cruelly.
Justin glared at him and lifted himself up on his toes so that he was eye level with Brian.
"First, I have NEVER abandoned a case, especially one where kids were in danger! Second, I can't believe you are being this vicious towards your ex. No matter how bad he treated you, he deserves better than to be dismissed so callously!" Justin practically growled at him. His eyes burned cobalt blue with the intensity of his ire.
Brian's nostrils flared as a sudden wave of lust washed over him. Justin was ferocious in his anger and it was hot as fuck. Brian made a mental note to piss his blonde off more often. His dick grew instantly hard and he pushed up against Justin forcefully.
Justin's mouth flew open in surprise. "You're fucking turned on?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah, it turns me on when you count. Talk dirty to me. Tell me what your 'third' objection is." Brian said smiling.
Justin actually sputtered. "You're impossible!" He finally managed to get out.
Brian laughed. "Impossibly hard, a condition you will take care of in the car on the way back to the office," he said.
Justin gave him a dubious look. "I will?" he challenged.
"Yes, you will. It's your fault after all that I'm in this position, plus, I'm going to give you what you want. A 'full' investigation. Happy now?" he said.
Justin lowered himself from his 'tiptoe' stance and beamed up at Brian.
"Not as happy as Mark is going to be, but happy enough to give you that blowjob, provided you drive….real….slow…" Justin said then pressed his lips to Brian's for a quick kiss.
Mark watched the exchange between, what was now obvious, the two lovers with a longing for his own lover. He believed that between the two of them, should they agree to help him, they would be able to find, and bring his partner back home to him. He held his breath as the two men turned and walked towards him.
"Apparently this is your lucky day Stanford." Brian said stopping in front of his bed.
Mark let out a strangled cry of relief. "I can't thank you enough," he choked out.
"No you can't. But you can do me a favor. First…" Brian stopped and looked over at Justin. "Did that have any effect on you?" He asked. Justin gave him a stern look. "No? Hmmm…I'll cross math off my list of mutual turn ons," he said. Justin slapped his arm playfully as he tried to hide his own smile. Brian shrugged and turned his attention back to Mark. "I don't want you telling anyone, especially the cops, about our conversation. I was never here, got it? Mason, the guard outside, is going to come in and you're going to give him a complete accounting of your mugging, and any other information he asks you, as long as it doesn't involve me or our past relationship. If anyone asks why you wanted to see me tell them that a friend told you about my agency and you were interested in hiring me, but that you've changed your mind. Period. You don't have to tell them why you wanted to hire me, it's none of their business. If they pressure you I want you to give this woman a call." Brian said reaching in to the inside of his perfectly tailored Armani suit jacket and pulling out a card to hand to Mark. "She's a lawyer. Tell her I told you to call her. Understand?" Brian said.
Mark took the card and looked at the name 'Melanie Marcus'. He looked back up at Brian and nodded his head indicating he understood.
"Good." Brian said then turned to leave.
"Wait!" Mark called out. Brian turned to back to look at him. "Is that it? Do you have a second request?" he asked.
Brian glanced over at Justin who was standing by his side.
"Nope. It only works on me." He said then opened the door and walked out.
"But how will I know if…" Mark started but Brian was already out of the room. Justin however took pity on him and walked back to his bedside.
"I'm Justin by the way. Justin Taylor. Give me your number and we'll call you once we've found something." He said as he pulled out his cell.
Mark gave him his number and Justin programmed it into his phone.
"Got it." He said putting his cell away. He looked down at the man lying in the bed and gnawed at his bottom lip. Mark could see that he wanted to say something.
"It's ok. Just say what's on your mind." Mark said.
"For the record, it was a fucking shitty thing you did to Brian. It wasn't your place to tell him Conrad was leaving him…it was Conrad's. Brian was right. He was a coward for not doing so, and you were just a prick. He was barely out of high school; did you have to be so fucking cruel? He told me what you said to him the last time you saw him." Justin said.
Mark's eyes grew cloudy at the memory. "No, I didn't, you're right. The truth was, I was jealous of Brian. Though I knew that what Conrad and I had was real, it didn't change the fact that Brian would always hold a special place in his heart. I knew that then, and till this day, it still holds true." Mark said.
Justin nodded his head. "Well at least that's honest. Though it doesn't excuse what you did. It's amazing that he's agreed to help you. No one would blame him for turning his back on you. It only goes to show how much better a man he is than you are. I don't think I would have been so accommodating no matter how much the guy I was fucking was pressuring me. Oh and again, for the record, I didn't talk Brian into doing this for you…he needs to do this for him. He needs closure, one way or the other." Justin said.
"I know. And as long as we're being honest, I don't care why he's doing it. I only care about finding Conrad." Mark said.
"Fair enough. We'll be in touch." Justin said then turned and walked out of the room. He found Brian leaning against the wall right outside the door with his arms crossed. He looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Where's Mason?" Justin asked.
"Getting coffee." Brian said.
"God I hope he's not getting dounuts with that coffee. Any more chins on that man and he'll need a map just find his neck." Justin said in an attempt to lighten the mood. He could feel Brian's anxiety though he wasn't sure of its source.
Brian huffed out an uneasy laugh. He lowered his head and shifted his stance in a nervous gesture.
"Thanks." He said looking back up at Justin. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that conveyed he'd overheard his conversation with Mark.
Justin tilted his head and smiled at him as understanding dawned on him. Brian was thanking him for what he perceived as Justin defending him. What was odd was that Brian felt uncomfortable with it. He wondered how many people in the past have ever come to Brian's defense. Not many he ventured. Brian wasn't the type of man that needed defending. He was the type that did the defending. A role Justin had to admit he was suited for. Still, it was nice to have someone take your back now and then even if it wasn't needed.
"Hmmm…well don't thank me just yet. The blow job might be lousy." Justin said.
Brian smiled and pushed himself away from the wall. "Your blowjobs are NEVER lousy," he said.
Justin started walking backwards, away from him. "Hmmm…well just to be on the safe side…
"First….
"Second…
Justin never made it to third as Brian ran after him, pulling him into a nearby janitors closet and preceded to show him just how much 'math' turned him on.
