Justin couldn't stand it any longer. Sighing, he placed the paintbrush down and turned to stare at his partner.

"Brian, will you PLEASE stop hovering?

"I'm NOT hovering! I'm over here and you're over there."

"No, you're sitting 10 feet away from me while I'm working on a painting, watching my every move. That's hovering."

"I'm doing research," the brunet protested, attempting to appear disinterested as he looked back down at his laptop perched on the nearby work table.

"Since when you do you work on your laptop down here in my studio? You're sitting five feet off the floor, with your feet dangling on a barstool, for fuck's sake! Brian, come on! This has got to stop!" Justin threw up his hands in frustration.

"What?"

"You KNOW what. This watching my every move shit! You've got cameras everywhere, deadbolts on each door, and an alarm system that would rival Ft. Knox! I fucking can't take this anymore!"

Finally, Brian, too, sighed. "What would you have me do, Sunshine?" he said softly, scooting off the stool to approach the now-rattled artist. He reached out to wrap the slender man possessively in his arms, feeling the other man reach around his waist in return, head snuggling into his chest.

They stood that way for several seconds, until Brian reluctantly released him, still keeping a loose hold on the other man. He looked down at Justin, whose sapphire eyes were closely scrutinizing him.

"Brian." That soft, affectionate tone always got his attention, even after all this time. Shit, what this man could still do to me. "We can't live this way. I can't live this way. I won't have someone making us a prisoner in our own home."

Releasing his lover, Brian began to pace back and forth, frustration building. "Justin, you HEARD what Horvath told me. The police won't do anything to help catch this fucker. They aren't taking it seriously enough. Well, I AM. I'm going to do what I have to do to make sure you're safe. And if I have to fucking hire an entire detective squad to catch this guy, damn it, I WILL!" Emotionally spent, Brian rubbed his tired face as he finally plopped down on the nearby loveseat, cradling his head in his hands, knees bent.

Justin moved to sit down next to him. Taking the lean hand in his, he squeezed it to get his partner's attention. "Brian, we don't know that this guy means any harm. So far, it just looks like he has a major crush on me. That IS perfectly understandable. After all, I AM pretty adorable," he said lightly, in an attempt at mollify his lover. "And there hasn't been any other deliveries in the past two days," he pointed out. The other man, however, was not amused.

"This isn't some game, Justin. I don't think this is funny at all. You don't know WHAT this man is capable of. I know you think I'm overreacting, but I don't feel that way."

"Brian, what about your business? I know you depend on Cynthia and Ted, but they're not you. And you can't run the most profitable advertising agency in Pittsburgh or generate new clients from home. Do you think I'm going to let all that you've worked for go down the crapper? No fucking way."

Brian opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped as Justin persisted. "Are you listening to me? Huh?"

"Yes, damn it, I'm listening," Brian responded, irritated.

"Well, this is what you are going to do, Mr. Kinney. You are going to take a shower, get dressed, and get your sorry ass back to work, so your partner can concentrate on finishing his painting and contributing his fair share to this happy little love nest." Before Brian had a chance to argue with him, Justin pulled him up from the loveseat, grasping both of his arms. "Brian, I promise I will put the alarm system on as soon as you leave and lock every fucking door until Emmett comes later to take me to lunch. And I WILL go out to lunch to keep my head from exploding because of being trapped inside this studio!"

Brian's worry was not assuaged. "Oh, I feel a LOT better knowing that Emmett the nelly queen will be protecting you from harm." He sighed again. "But I also know you won't be talked out of this, will you?" Stubborn little shit. This is not just some fucking chicken soup here.

"No." He smiled tenderly at the older man as he gave him a slight push toward the spiral staircase leading to their loft. "No, I won't. But I love you, you know, for being so protective of me."

Brian reached to grab the artist's hand, pulling him back into his arms. He bit his lip nervously as he proclaimed, "And I love you, Sunshine." More than I think you'll ever realize. Resigned to being forced to carry out Justin's wishes, he murmured, "At least come upstairs and supply me with some morning protein to start my creative juices flowing."

Justin smiled as he bestowed a tender kiss on the hazel-eyed man's lips. "I suppose that's the least I can do, Mr. Kinney," he answered seductively, as he followed Brian up the stairs toward the loft.

"Ah." Justin closed his eyes in contentment, savoring the taste of his chicken parmesan, as well as his freedom. He and Em had wound up at one of his favorite restaurants in Lawrenceville, a small Italian place called Scotti's. It was a warm, early spring day, so he and Em had decided to walk the two blocks to the nearby establishment, despite Brian's paranoia. However, before Brian finally left for Kinnetik, Justin had to promise his partner that we would call him every hour without fail.

"This is just scrumptious, honey," Em enthused as he grabbed another forkful of his linguini. "I'm glad you suggested this place. Although, I must say, I'm surprised your keeper let you out of the cage today."

Justin rolled his eyes slightly. "Let's just say he wasn't too happy about it. But he was driving me CRAZY, Em! He wouldn't let me out of his sight for one minute. I finally talked him into going back to work, before we killed each other!"

"Sweetie, you know he's just worried about you. I think it's kind of adorable, actually. Who would have ever thought Mr. Fuck-em-all Kinney would have changed into a protective lion watching over his little cub?"

"Yeah, well, it was high past time for Simba to be released back into the wild. For BOTH our sakes. Now I can finally get some work done on the latest painting I'm doing. That reminds me…..I haven't told you about my new commission, have I?"

Emmett noticed his friend's sudden excitement at the mention of this latest assignment. "No, last I heard you were finishing some abstract piece for that new dance studio downtown. I take it you've gotten a new commission since then?"

"Yes! Em, you're not going to believe this! This is the kind of commission I've been WAITING for!" Justin's smile was absolutely radiant as he described to Emmett how he had been contacted two days ago by a very important and influential restaurant conglomerate, Triangle Enterprises, which operates several fine four- and five-star dining eateries in the state of Pennsylvania. The man who called him, Vince Comisar, was well-known throughout the state for his success, and had been featured several times in Epicurean magazine, as well as in television and print features. He had commissioned Justin to paint several French-style landscapes, one for the lobby of each restaurant, all of which were undergoing extensive renovations. The assignment would undoubtedly not only be a lucrative one, but Comisar had also promised to showcase his talents by featuring a biography of Justin and his studio next to each completed piece.

Giving his young friend a hug, he said, "Wow! That's awesome, Baby! I'm so happy for you!" Em was very impressed, but not that surprised at Justin's success. He knew how talented his friend was, and that it was just a matter of time before everyone else realized it. He grabbed another piece of homemade bread as he observed Justin's eyes light up.

"So now you know why I needed for Brian to go back to Kinnetik," he smirked. "I have a LOT of work to do. Mr. Comisar's giving me a fair amount of time to get it all done, but he wants the first piece delivered within a week. I was going to have a hard time meeting that deadline, with Simba underfoot," evoking a knowing chuckle from his flamboyant friend. He looked down at his cell phone, lying on the table. "Speaking of which, I'd better make my next hourly checkup call before the lion roars," he said, flipping the phone open and pressing Brian's speed dial number.

Sitting in his leather recliner at the penthouse, the attractive, elegant, black-haired man smiled. The first phase of his plan was underway, and it looked very promising. It has succeeded my wildest dreams, in fact, he thought. It not only got that arrogant asshole Kinney back to work, it got my Angel out of his locked dungeon. Lane again played back the surveillance video shot earlier today by Kingsley, hitting the pause button on a particularly attractive close-up of his stunning Angel. It showed him in an especially animated pose inside a nearby restaurant, eyes brightly shining while he flashed the same blinding, radiant smile that Lane had been so captivated by the first time he had experienced it. Soon, I will see that smile in person again, Angel. I can hardly wait, but it will be so worth it.

Now, it was time to get Kinney's attention with the next part of his plan......Picking up the phone, he dialed a familiar number. "Jack? Lane. Listen – I need a favor." Lane smiled. This will be TOO easy.