Chapter 9
July 2004
Far and away the best thing about being a Reservist was getting to make Premiere a full-time gig, raking in all kinds of money while getting to be the absolute center of everyone's attention. Mark had never been so pleased with himself, with where he was in life.
More than ever, it was all about him and Henry. They were wanted in every shoot the company could get. Whatever rate the brothers demanded, they got. That included attractive young women for them to 'talk with,' something Tyler had started going out of his way to guarantee. Anything was preferable to the threat of losing two of his greatest stars.
This time, however, Mark was staying at home. Julie had fussed some over having all these people from Premiere come over to their new house, but with over 2,000 square feet available and an entire floor to be furnished in the basement, Mark had plenty to work with.
Tyler had complained too, had tried to talk Mark out of staying firmly in Portland for all of July's photo shoots, but Mark would have none of it. Marcus was due sometime this month. He'd missed being there for Alexander, and the anguish that had put him through still seared his memory.
This time, I'm going to be there, Mark assured himself. If Tyler doesn't like it, he can bitch to somebody who cares.
Gwen Larsson might have cared, had Henry not swept her into his arms. It was impossible to imagine the cold, calculating Henry of 1993 having so effortlessly charmed a stunning beauty like Gwen in 2004. Swapping a piece of his soul for a piece of Mark's had turned out to be one of the greatest breaks of Henry's life.
That, and meeting me, Mark thought with a smile. Henry and Gwen were doing another shoot for some Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret underwear, acting like complete lovebirds the whole time.
If Mark hadn't known better, he would've thought Henry had gone too far with the act, that it was becoming real for him, not just pretending to be in live anymore. But Henry couldn't do that. He had come into the world unable to love anyone, and after Mark had been saved from his own wimpy self in the depths of the old mansion house, Fleetwood Hall, Henry still could love only Mark and their sons.
And himself, Mark added. Definitely himself. Henry's vanity had to be seen to be believed, but as smart as he was, as fit and classically handsome as he was, as much as he'd accomplished in just 23 years- why shouldn't Henry have been vain?
"They look so perfect together," Julie sighed beside him. They were both seated on the couch Mark and Henry had brought down here last month. Mark was waiting for the next shoot, when he and Henry would be doing more swimwear, and he was already dressed for the part. Gwen had given him some appreciative looks; if she wasn't engaged to Henry and pregnant with his son, Mark knew they would've found a bed to use by now.
"Yeah, Henry's always liked going around in his underwear. Physique like he's got, who could blame him?" Mark replied, giving a shrug of one mighty shoulder.
"Oh- yes, yeah- yes, he does," Julie managed to say. She'd always had a hard time where Henry's looks were concerned. He was magnificent, just like Mark, so the two took a certain delight in reminding her of that, messing with her by finding all kinds of excuses to go bare-chested around the house, taking their little clan out to a beach or a lake somewhere for the weekend. It was funny seeing Julie find herself attracted, remind herself she was taken, then be attracted all the same.
"Don't tell him he looks good," Mark suggested. "He's full of himself as it is."
"Gwen looks so happy. They both do."
"They're a good pair," Mark agreed.
"Brandon's due around mid-October, she said. I've already got time off lined up so I can help her around the house when she needs it."
"I'm glad you two get along so well," Mark said, thinking absently of Jessica and how he'd actually had permission from Julie to sleep with the both of them because of the social expectations around Mark's lofty status in 12th grade. Jessica and Lisa Doyle had been a lot like Gwen and Julie were now, practically sisters, bonded over a mutual appreciation for Evans men.
Mark had gone on dating Jessica well past graduation, even inviting her over a few times through the winter of 1999 and the summer of 2000, but he'd lost track of her since then. She'd gone to Cornell, he knew, had graduated in 2003, same year as Henry and Mark left Annapolis at the top of their class.
There had been the wedding; Mark remembered sending out something, or meaning to, but Jessica hadn't been there. Not so far as he remembered, and while Mark didn't really care about anybody but himself, Henry, and their boys, he did remember bombshells like Jessica. He'd always liked brunettes best, just as Henry had preferred blondes.
"-today?"
"Uh?" Mark asked, turning his head back to Julie. He'd been staring at Gwen, thinking about what-if-I'd-met-her-first.
Julie smiled. "I said, did you know Marcus has been almost as good as Brandon today?"
"Good that the boys are behaving themselves in there," Mark nodded. He sat up, took Julie's left hand in both of his. "Are you doing okay, though? How are you? Anything you need-"
"I'm okay, Mark," Julie assured him. She winced. "Marcus- I think- well, he wants out soon, but he's been behaving today, like I said."
"Okay," Mark nodded. "I'm just worried is all." He disliked admitting to weakness that way, but Marcus was his son, and the vessel holding him was Julie. He had to take care of Julie in order to take care of Marcus.
"I'm okay," Julie assured him. "Go. Your brother's flipping you off, I think he wants something."
Mark looked to see Gwen laughing and Henry indeed making a rude gesture with both hands. Mark copied the gesture and got up. "How'd you change so fast anyway?" Mark called out.
"Just got naked right here in your basement, fuckface," Henry replied.
"How's it you're on your way to having two fucking kids?"
"I was gonna ask you the same thing. Face like that, Mark, it's a wonder you ever got any."
"I seem to remember teaching you how to even talk to girls."
"Oh, so I preferred boys 'till then, is that what you're saying?"
Mark feigned confusion, raised his hands in a shrug. "Hey, man. How would I know?"
"You wanna tell Dad or should we tell him together?"
"Let's tell Connie first."
"They're such a great couple," Gwen sighed dramatically to Tyler, who was trying not to laugh.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
One hour after the shooting wrapped up for the day, Julie went into labor. Mark had anticipated that, planned for that, had known it was coming soon, but all the time afterward between there and the hospital delivery room was still a blur to him. He remembered none of it except for a few flashes.
Alex and Richard had acted their part, helping the adults like the good sons they officially were, but their resentment radiated off them for anyone who knew better. It was Henry who stepped in and managed everything. Mark had found some difficulty speaking. He'd depended on Henry completely, and Henry had been there, like always.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Julie Michaels Evans- she still took great pride in reciting the name in her head- would never have gotten through this as well as she did without Mark by her side. He'd been allowed to stay with her this time, being her husband at last, and not just a concerned student of hers. The birth of their Alex had been almost unbearable for them both, each forced to stay separate from the other while the greatest proof of their love arrived.
This time, no one was able to keep Mark away, and nobody could have. He stayed right there in the delivery room, leaning forward on a swivel chair he'd pulled over. He spoke soothingly, assuringly, and Julie nodded- it was difficult to say much- but his words and his presence helped. Mark being here helped more than she could ever have said.
"Mark," Julie gasped, "I-he's almost here. He's almost here."
"Easy," Mark soothed. "Easy. You're doing great, Julie."
"Thanks, for being here," Julie added with effort. "This is better."
"I'd risk the plague to be with you," Mark whispered with a smile. Julie could still remember him telling her that in the classroom. Such a kind, gentle soul, unable to help where love had led him.
Mark's days of living that double life were over. Now they could have children all they wanted. They didn't need to hide it. They didn't have to pretend.
With that happy thought to sustain her, and Mark gently holding her hand, Julie pushed, and after a few more moments, Marcus spoke for the first time, his cry filling the air of the delivery room.
"Oh, Mark," Julie sighed, crying with relief. "We did it."
Mark, however, did not seem to hear her. He had stripped off his shirt, revealing the spectacular physique he'd only further perfected since high school, and had swept little Marcus into his arms.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
It took just a few days for Marcus to be ready to leave the hospital and come home, but Mark was restless all the same. He didn't like waiting for anything or anyone. Marcus had arrived now, and he needed to be given the greatest gift Mark could offer him as soon as possible. He needed to make his first trip to Fleetwood Hall.
The first night home, that late July night, Mark made sure Julie was well asleep before rising to get Marcus from his little crib. Alex and Brandon were already there, staring silently down at the little bundle. They wanted it gone, Mark knew that, but they were also helpless to defend themselves if they tried anything- and even an 'accident' would have been blamed on them, as Mark and Henry knew better than anyone how many ways there were to stage an accident.
"He's really something, isn't he?" Mark asked in a subdued voice. Alex huffed in annoyance. Richard shrugged.
"Come on." Mark picked up Marcus carefully, gently, with both hands. "Let's get downstairs, Henry's gonna be waiting for us."
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Henry was waiting in the garage in Mark's Excursion, tossing the keys up and catching them effortlessly with one hand.
"Time for the first trip," Henry said with a nod.
"You know it," Mark agreed.
"Fuck," Alex said, getting settled on the second-row bench seat.
"Fuck," Richard agreed.
"When you boys grow up, maybe you'll appreciate this like we do," Henry told them as he hit the button on the garage door opener.
"We're the ones who got to be in that house from the start," Alex retorted. "We're gonna be stronger and smarter than either of you. We won't need to go having kids."
"Sons," Henry corrected.
"Yeah, like us," Alex said. "You think it's 'love,' but you're just slaves to human biology."
"Alex, do you wanna know how hard Henry can slap you if I tell him to?" Mark asked.
"Dad," Richard spoke up, "this is stupid. How about we just go?"
Henry laughed. "See, Mark? Figures my kid's the smarter one."
"Alex, don't add to your Uncle Henry's ego any, alright?"
"Whatever. I'll get you."
"Too bad, you- are five," Henry replied, snickering at his own wit.
"What?" Richard asked.
"Corny joke, dumb movie reference," Mark answered him.
"The reference is dumb, or the movie is dumb?" Alex asked, both sullen and confused.
"Both, honestly," Henry answered.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
As he parked the Excursion in front of the old estate, stepping out onto the cobblestones lining the drive as it wrapped around a majestic old stone fountain, Henry heard Mark's voice, sharp and hushed.
"Hey, go and kill them, will you?"
Peering at the boys sitting on their bikes by the gate, Henry tensed. There were two of them, each about twelve. Henry concentrated for a moment on the gates being open, and inward they swung, smooth and silent on well-oiled hinges.
"Come on, guys!" Henry called airily, like he hadn't a care in the world. "Come on in!"
The two looked at each other, seeming to debate the issue for a few moments, then pedaled in through the gates. It was dark, and with the headlights on the Excursion off, there was precious little for anyone to see. That was good. The boys were also getting closer, which was very good. Henry knew he wouldn't need long, but he had to do it alone, because Alex and Richard, bold and fearless as they were, also happened to be five and simply useless in a moment like this.
Mark would naturally be eager to help, but he also had his infant son cradled in his arms, and he would not set Marcus down. In a moment where he felt even remotely threatened, Mark's first priority would be protecting the most vulnerable member of his family, as Henry would gladly be doing had Brandon been born first.
"What're you guys doing out here?" one of the boys called as they stopped close by the Excursion.
"Yeah, man, this place gives me the creeps."
The second boy, a shirtless Asian kid wearing black Adidas soccer shorts, unstrapped his helmet, shaking his head and sending his shoulder-length, jet-black hair flying around. Even under the minimal moonlight, the resemblance in his features was obvious.
"Hey, man," Henry said, taking a step closer, "Do you know Jackson Lee?"
The boy scoffed. "Know him- he's my cousin."
"Oh?" Another step. "Does he know you guys followed us up here?"
"No, he's always giving me shit for skipping out on scho- hey!"
Henry, who had been about to take another step, froze in place. He was nearly there, but not so close that he could stop them both if they made a break for it.
"What?" Henry asked, as cool as he could manage.
"You're Henry Evans! That's your cousin Mark!"
"Brother," Mark corrected, steel in his voice.
"Yeah, that's us," Henry agreed. Step. "So how'd you follow us up here?"
The first boy, a white kid with what looked like sandy-blond hair, shrugged. "We were riding around; nobody comes up this road much. We were bored."
"Hey, so, can I have your guys' autographs?" Jackson Lee's cousin asked.
"What, you don't hate us like Jackson does?"
The kid shrugged. "Nah, not really. He says you guys are nothing but trouble. I always thought you were cool, though."
"Jackson had a point," Henry said. He lashed out with a kick that caught the white kid in the head, breaking his neck instantly. Dead before he even knew what happened, the boy collapsed to the ground as his bike clattered down with him.
Jackson Lee's cousin swore and wisely jumped off his bike- Henry would have easily taken him down before he could turn around and start pedaling- but his eyes darted to his friend. Maybe he thought his friend was just knocked out; maybe he didn't want to leave the body with the killers.
The kid began the sprint for the gate, which had long since closed up behind him, but Henry beat him to it and grabbed him. That moment of hesitation before trying to get away had cost this kid everything.
"Mmmmghmmm!" the kid exclaimed; Henry had clamped a hand over his mouth.
"You know," Henry breathed, "My heart stopped for a second there. You almost got away. Guess you're not so different from your dumbass cousin after all, huh?"
"Mmmmghmffmmm! Mmmmmm!"
"Yeah, man, dying's a bitch. It's gonna take a while for you, though." Henry kept talking as he dragged the kid toward the house.
Suddenly something warm and wet started running down one of Henry's legs; the kid had pissed himself! Crying out in shock and disgust, Henry felt his grip loosen. Too late, he realized the kid had counted on that, as he launched a kick backward that narrowly missed Henry's nuts.
The boy dodged Alex and Richard, almost dodged Mark too, but instead caught a hard kick to the stomach. Mark shifted Brandon to one arm and knifed the kid between the ribs as he tried to dodge past him.
"Fucking- their stupid souls don't stay here if we kill 'em outside, Mark!" Henry exclaimed.
"It's not my fucking fault!" Mark burst out. "You almost lost the second one!"
"Yeah, we-"
"You're both so fucking stupid," Richard said, as he and Alex each grabbed a body and quickly pulled them into the house. "At least no one knows they were up here. They were out after curfew. And they didn't get any screams out."
"Next time we should just do it ourselves," Alex told his brother. "Our dads were so busy worrying about us and that stupid baby, they forgot how to kill."
"See, Dad?" Richard taunted, looking up with a savage grin. "This is how we'll get you one day. Love's your weakness."
Stunned that he and Mark had screwed up the soul-taking part of the killing, that he was getting lectured by his beloved firstborn, Henry tried for a retort. Something. Anything.
"Yeah, well, I had to improvise."
"You got nervous. You got sloppy," Alex said.
"And when the time's right, Dad, we're gonna use that against you."
Unable to think of a reply to that, Henry motioned to the bikes outside. "Boys- get those inside. Or I'll tan your fucking hides."
"What is this, a fuckin' John Wayne movie?" Alex giggled.
The rest of the visit went as it should have. They went up to the Glass Library, went under the floor, and little Marcus came back up looking even healthier than before. All as expected.
But what stayed in Henry's mind was the fact that those two boys had managed to tail them all the way up here and not get noticed. That was sloppy. So was killing them both outside, where their damn souls got away.
Henry was happy for his little nephew, who had received his first gift from Fleetwood Hall, but annoyed with himself for getting complacent.
And it was unsettling hearing Richard and Alex speak so intelligently, so easily, about what all of them knew was meant, was planned, to happen in the end.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Gwen Larsson sat up in the delivery room bed as her fiancée and Official World's Biggest Badass hurried in. It was October 14th and Gwen was due. Not early, not late, just right on time. The contractions had started while she and Henry had been fucking after a photo shoot- the way Henry had fought for Gwen's career was unforgettable- and now the two of them were just waiting for the show to begin.
That, and the lead doctor had technically not shown up yet, but if Brandon decided he was coming out, that was gonna be that. Gwen smiled to herself as she tensed up, feeling the power of all the muscles she'd spent years conditioning in the gym. She was ready. This boy was coming out unharmed, healthy, and absolutely, undeniably handsome.
Like his dad.
Before Gwen could say anything, Henry pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
Gwen almost cracked up. "Uh… Henry? I'm kind of in fucking labor."
"Listen," Henry said in a hushed voice, almost a whisper, "I just wanna say I'm glad I met you. And I love you so fucking much." He took her right hand in both of his, meeting her eyes. "You're the toughest woman I ever met. You can do this."
"I love you," Gwen said, setting aside all the ego and the bullshit for now. As fun as that was, her man needed to know how she really felt. If she was going to be Mom for real, Gwen had to commit and be serious. At least some of the time.
"I love you, too," Henry answered.
Gwen wanted to answer, wanted to say something else, but Brandon interrupted and she instead cried out, focusing all her efforts on getting her first kid out safe and sound.
The lead doctor showed up soon after that, but whatever he said, whatever any of them said, was not of much interest to Gwen. She was fighting for herself, for her son, and for Henry, and with him right beside her, she had all she needed to get through this.
Shit, this hurts, Gwen thought again and again, pushing with all she had. She fought for her fiancée, for Brandon, for the life she wanted her new family to have. She fought as fearlessly as she'd confronted anything else since she made up her mind to be a professional gym rat.
Once Brandon's first cries filled the delivery room, Gwen wept with relief. Almost instantly she reached for her son, but Henry had taken the infant from the nurse who'd gently lifted him up, gently holding the bawling little boy against his massive chest, close to his beating heart.
Gwen wanted to be angry for a moment, but the peaceful, the absolutely serene expression on Henry's face was worth the wait. She lay back and let Henry have first contact with their baby, laughing at herself. Of course Henry had to hold the kid first. Only he could have an ego bigger than Gwen herself had.
If I needed any more proof, there it is. The two of us are just made for each other.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
December 30, 2004
Straightening his necktie, Henry strode down the hallway toward Premiere's front offices, wondering who the hell had gotten Tyler to grant an interview with one of the firm's star models.
"A new hire," Tyler had said over the phone before Henry, Mark, Gwen, Julie and the boys had all flown down here for a week. They had a penthouse overlooking Park Avenue now, twelve whole rooms and paid off the day Henry and Mark had made the sale.
Moving down here was tempting, but it would have meant longer trips to Fleetwood Hall, and no easy access to the place when you needed a body to disappear. Besides, Maine was home. Henry had always liked it there, and now, Mark did, too. The cold was bracing, and it drove away the weak.
Now, though, it was Friday, and Tyler's bullshit was threatening to delay the flight back to Portland.
"Tyler!" Henry half-barked as he barged into Tyler's office, throwing himself down on a specially-obtained, sturdy chair, shoving the door closed behind him. "Who's this faggot you want me to talk to? You said he was a new hire. If he works here, why's he my problem?"
"Conditional hire," Tyler stressed, grinning and running a hand through his wavy brown hair. "He said he'll only work with you. Said you're the best there is and anyone else is just gonna waste his time. Oh, and he said he's the only male model we'll need for that threesome I want you starring in. 'Nobody else would be worth a shit'- his exact words."
"Did I ever say I'd go into porn? I'm busy enough with the modeling, man."
"When's the last time I didn't work with your schedule? Or Mark's? Or Gwen's? Her figure's coming back perfectly, by the way, and yes, I will cut you a kickass rate on photographing the wedding next year."
"That's right you will," Henry agreed. "So who is this guy, now?"
"Goes to Columbia. And when I asked him who he knew working here, he put his feet up on the table and asked if I even knew who he is."
"Oh," Henry replied dryly, "and is he modest, too?"
Tyler laughed. "Well, I'd asked him-"
Henry sat up ramrod straight, suddenly realizing. "Tyler- no. I was just emailing- talking to- no way is he coming to work-"
Grinning bigger than ever, Tyler threw his hands behind his head, leaned back in his chair, and propped his Brooks Brothers Oxfords up on the hand-carved mahogany desk.
"Ask me nicely and I might even tell you what room he's doing a swimming-trunks shoot in today."
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Fiddling with the waistband of this next pair of Ralph Lauren swim trunks, Carter Stevens moved his hips around. He was totally freeballing it in these; none of that netting here. Though Carter, if he was honest, knew he wouldn't have fit anyway.
"Yeah, man," Carter said to himself, offering a cocky grin to his reflection in the mirror at the door. Just twenty years old and, thanks to Mom and Dad's connections and a bit of name-dropping about one awesome guy, Carter had picked up a job at Premiere, the modeling agency in New York Fucking City.
Head to toe, from the carefully-sculpted, chiseled muscles, to the just-right suntan, to the haircut styled exactly as a certain somebody had it between Marine Reserve drills, Carter looked as supremely confident as he felt.
First I get into Columbia fucking University, now I'm here, Carter thought smugly. What's ne-
"CARTER!"
Standing rigidly at attention before the door even slammed into the wall, Carter shouted back, "YES, SIR!"
It was instinct, pure instinct, honed over a punishing school year filled with tryouts, practices, and a lot of pain and suffering. Blind obedience was instilled ahead of all else. You were worthless to the Chamberlain High Football Team unless-
Carter realized at the same moment that Henry Evans started laughing.
"You should've seen yourself," Henry managed, almost doubling over. "I just sent you back to 9th grade!"
"You motherfucker!" Carter yelled, trying to be mad. Or sound mad. It was a poor attempt though, because Carter was smiling, and Henry kept on laughing.
Before Carter could try and fuss about anything, Henry stepped closer and swept him into a hug; those powerful arms had only grown stronger as Henry had moved toward his mid-twenties.
"Carter," Henry said in an almost gentle tone, "It's good to see you."
Face against Henry's chest, Carter managed a muffled, "Yeah. Good to see you, too."
"So you're gonna model here with me, huh? You're ready to do a threesome with me? You sure you're ready for all that? That's if I say yes to you even working here, you cocky motherfucker."
"Of course I'm fuckin' ready," Carter answered easily. "I'm the best you ever trained."
Letting Carter go, Henry looked down at his protégé, his most loyal follower.
"But you'd better get ready for your interview. It's pretty intense, and, there's no cameras this time. See if you have what it takes."
Huh?
"Um- what?"
Putting an arm around Carter's muscular shoulders, Henry laughed. "Look. How about this- you go pick someone out here, somebody really beautiful, and talk her into it. If she's up for it, I'll show you the bedroom Tyler set up for me here. That'll be your second interview."
"What about- uh- you and Gwen?"
"We'll tape the second 'interview' so, if you're as good as you think, you might have a chance." Henry smiled. "If, Carter. It's going to be intense."
Oh, shit. Wow. Damn.
"And I guess you're gonna say I'd better be ready to see a Greek god naked," Carter remarked, trying to sound dry, nonchalant. But he was looking forward to it. Henry was fascinating, the icon of everything Carter wished to be. This would be living a dream.
"That's right. Lucky guess."
"Did you plan this?"
"No, but Gwen's had some ideas about me and some other guy, and Tyler's been bugging me about filming a threesome. I told him only if Gwen and I agreed on it, I told her not unless it was somebody who'd impressed both of us. And here you are, you arrogant jackass."
Feeling a surge of pride, much more so than any nervousness about this 'interview,' Carter smiled confidently.
"I impressed you even when I was a little kid."
"Try and impress now. Gwen's not just gonna want anyone in there with me and her. And the rest of the models here all got here by being the best. You're in the big leagues now."
Carter knew all about Henry's stunning, fiercely-competitive fiancée. He knew what she'd respond well to. With her personality so similar to Henry's, he could think of an approach. Time to go for it. And any other model here- Carter could make the right impression; he knew he could. But as for Henry and Gwen…
Can I really hold my own with these two? Fuck. I don't even know what I'm getting into. But I do know Henry's not lying. Shit's gonna be intense.
I'm Carter Stevens. Just you wait. Time to show 'em what intense is.
"Easy," Carter said, adjusting his hair. "Just you watch and learn."
"I'm fuckin' proud of you, Carter."
It never got old, hearing that. Carter almost teared up but fought it down. Clearing his throat, he just said, "Thanks, Henry."
ΩΩΩΩΩ
December 31, 2004
Gwen Larsson- Gwen Evans soon enough, she corrected with a happy smile- stepped out of the master bedroom at their new Portland house just as Henry left Brandon's room. The infant was fast asleep, just like Richard next door to him.
They had already had some fun for the evening, but no way was Gwen letting her Henry get away this easy. He'd made some handsome-sounding excuses about wanting to relive old times and see the new year in with Mark, but what he didn't know was Gwen was a lot less interested in going out to see her parents than she'd made it sound. A lot less.
But more than that, she just didn't feel like letting Henry win so easily.
"Hey," Henry said, looking a little surprised. And distracted. "I'm gonna head out."
He almost sounds detached or something, Gwen thought. But then she'd left Carter Stevens looking pretty spaced out, him and Henry both. Even seeing her undressed had that effect on guys. Getting to have sex with her could make you forget what planet this was.
"Well," Gwen said casually, sidling up to Henry and slipping her arms around his neck, "I just wanted you to know how happy I am we have two handsome, amazing boys. From a handsome, amazing man."
"Yeah," Henry said, still in that kinda-distant tone. "Well, what can I say? Perfect genes." He cleared his throat. "Uh, I gotta g-oooooooo-"
Gwen had gotten quite close now, pressing herself up against him. Quieting him with a kiss, Gwen helpfully unbuckled Henry's belt. He mumbled something about how he was gonna be late, but Gwen got his jacket off, then his shirt. Within a minute she was straddling him in the hallway.
Let's see who you end up spending the rest of the year with.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Mark sighed explosively, clenching both his hands into fists in frustration. He'd been waiting for over an hour out here in the cold, underneath this old moving van, for the signal to let the weakened brake line go.
Gwen was supposed to die tonight; a grim tragedy, one so devastating to Henry that he would concentrate on his career and raising his sons afterward, giving up further hope of marriage.
Instead Henry had not called at all, and Mark had no idea what was going on.
Finally, he shifted over on one side and got his phone out. Time to check up on my beloved brother, Mark thought. Sarcastic, yes, but sincere as well. He could never deny how much he loved Henry.
Not that he was concerned anything had happened to his brother. The thought that anyone or anything in the world could harm him was laughable. Rather Henry was probably having difficulties enacting his part of the plan, an aspect of things they hadn't much planned for. And why would they? Failure, or even minor setbacks, were strangers to Henry and Mark.
Henry picked up as the call was about to go to voicemail. "Yeah?" he asked, sounding spaced-out, distracted, and very, very relaxed.
"Henry!" Mark hissed. "Where the fuck are- what's happening, man? Why didn't you fucking call me?"
"Oh, man, that was- wow- oh, I'm sorry, man…" Henry sighed, then suddenly giggled, turning from the phone. "Babe, not now- I'm sensitive- c'mon, gimme a minute."
"What?" Mark almost shouted. "What the hell are you two doing?"
"Okay, gimme a second, Mark," Henry sighed. A minute or so later he came back on. "I'm out by my truck now. What'd- what's going on?"
"What's going on?" Mark repeated in disbelief. "Henry, did you forget our plans for the evening?"
"I can't," Henry answered.
"What the hell do you mean, 'you can't'?"
Henry sighed again. "Mark, I can't do it. I'm not doing it. I changed my mind. That's it."
"You- fucking what now?"
"Mark, I was about to go, and then she started sucking my dick and- we ended up- we were fucking like the world was about to end. And we did some stuff that- I didn't think I'd like." Henry laughed. "Oh, shit. Fuck. My balls hurt so much now. She's unbelievable. I can't do- I can't leave her."
"You can't 'leave' her? Henry, what's fuckin' wrong with you? She's just another bitch; you've fucked so many. You can just find anoth-"
"I'm not gonna find a woman like this again, Mark," Henry interrupted. "I'm sorry, but, I gotta stay here tonight."
"You don't love her or something, do you?" Mark asked, feeling like his whole world was on the brink of turning upside-down.
"No, not- well, I love you, and Rich, and Brandon, and Alex and Marcus I guess, but she's unbelievable. I have to keep her. I have to, Mark."
"Fucking- Henry, that's what being in love sounds like. She supplies pussy, Henry, all kinds of women can do that for you."
"Not the way she can."
Mark shook his head; this was unthinkable. "Henry, what the fuck are you gonna do with her?"
"Marry her. Have her help raise my boys. She's mine unless she becomes a threat, and I don't see that ever happening. She trusts me. She's strong. I wish I'd had Rich with her, too."
"You're seriously going through with this? Staying with her?"
"Yeah, man." Henry laughed. "It's wild. I never thought-I never imagined I'd do this. But I can't let her go."
"Don't get her pregnant again unless we've talked about it first. You know we only need two heirs each anyway. Especially as often as we do those fuckin' sperm bank donations."
"Yeah. I'm still not wearing anything, though."
This time Mark laughed. "I'd never expect either of us to put that bullshit ahead of a good time."
"No, obviously." Henry paused. "Mark, I've never felt this close to anybody, ever. Besides you, and this is uh, you know, kinda different."
"Yeah, I'm not having sex with you, man."
"No." Henry laughed. "I mean, she's- she's strong, she's fearless, we're both competitive… and she's a 12 out of 10, easy. I don't know if I can love her, but… this is definitely close to it." Another pause. "Shit, maybe I do. She's unbelievable."
Mark thought of the level of contentment that Henry had to be getting here. Not just from the sex, but being with Gwen, having her in his life. She was a relentlessly brave, egotistical woman, stunningly beautiful and fiercely competitive. Henry would never lie about any of that anyway, but Mark had seen it himself, seen how happy those two were together.
"Okay, Henry. Go back in there and get some."
"Oh, I already got more than some." Henry almost giggled. "Man… I'll tell you everything later. Every detail. It's been amazing."
"If you're seriously getting married, then we need to think about moving in next to each other, so our fuckin' wives can do their jobs easier and the boys can all still grow up together."
"We've got enough to buy any fuckin' two houses we want."
"So it's a resolution for 2005. My brother marries his beloved supermodel, and he and I become next-door neighbors."
"I like it. Gwen's waiting for me, though."
"Have fun, man."
"You know it."
Fury surged with a vengeance as Mark hung up; he couldn't tolerate having his time wasted. No one was allowed to do that to him. It drove him to a state of almost mindless, murderous rage, but the raw fury had nowhere to go. There was no one to punish for it.
Henry was exempt; he was Mark's brother and entitled to do as he liked. He had saved Mark from a lifetime of weakness and cowardice, set him free to be the fearless badass he was today. And Gwen could not be harmed, not unless she posed some threat that Henry was unable to solve peacefully.
So for the first time he could think of, Mark was letting someone get away with wasting his time. He closed his eyes and kind-of meditated under the old truck, picturing how he'd ended Jack. He and Janice had brought Mark into the world, and he had grown beyond needing them so fast. He had enjoyed so much since killing Jack, and would gladly go back to kill them both even sooner if he could.
Another idea occurred to Mark, however. Quickly thinking of a lie about changed plans, about Henry and Gwen wanting to see the new year in privately, Mark carefully mended the brake line on the truck, crawled out from underneath it, then headed casually on up the street and over a mile away to where he'd left his Excursion.
Julie had a purpose in life, and it was official now that she and Mark were married. Thinking of the sweet words and easy lies he'd use to coax her into it this time, Mark smiled. She was useful to him, the way Gwen was to Henry. They'd each found a favorite woman, in the end. It was funny how all that had worked out.
ΩΩΩΩΩ
Arms around each other's shoulders, Henry and Gwen spent the first hour of the new year cooling off from what they'd been doing at the end of the last one. For Henry, there'd been a lot of firsts, one of which was just how much he'd enjoyed everything, how happy he felt.
There wasn't supposed to be real love for anyone, ever, in Henry's life, not besides Mark and their boys. It had gone that way with Lisa serving only as a receptacle for Henry's lusts, a vessel for his boy Richard.
But Gwen was different. She was unlike anyone else Henry had ever been with. She was in a league all by herself.
"What was your first like?" Gwen asked.
"Amazing," Henry answered, smiling at the memory. "I was a horny kid with some nice muscles and I fucked this blonde senior cheerleader upstairs at this party. I'm way better than I was then, but it felt unbelievable. Mark and I stayed up for a couple hours once we got home, sharing stories." He paused. "How about yours?"
"I had sex with this boy I'd had a crush on forever, the summer before 8th grade. We were at this overnights camp together and we kept catching each other sneaking glances and stuff. He had some really nice muscles to work with, and I got a look at him in the shower this one time… So things led to things, and we went skinny-dipping one night. First for both of us was right there on the grass."
"How was it?"
"I loved it. We met a few more times before camp was over. Never got caught."
"I bet he enjoyed that."
"Oh, he did. Especially when I gave him his first blowjob on the boat dock, as 'foreplay' one time. His abs looked so good in the moonlight."
"Sounds like we both had a great start, honestly."
Gwen sighed. "I didn't just do it because it's fun, though. I did it because I knew my parents would hate it if they knew."
"Yeah, you told me about them."
"Always with a stick up their asses about it. Another reason why I'm glad my fiancée doesn't go to their kind of church."
"I don't go to any kind of church."
"And I don't give a shit." Gwen laughed. "Look at us. Two boys and we're not even married. Because somebody's got a shitty pullout game."
"Hey!" Henry exclaimed indignantly, but Gwen was laughing, sounding quite pleased with herself. He made himself relax, and even laughed himself. It was pretty funny, after all. After a few moments, Gwen took his right hand, placing it on her smooth, taut belly.
"I didn't take any pills yet," she breathed. "We can have another baby."
"What?" Henry asked, taken aback. "You only just got back to doing your regular shoots at Premiere again."
"I'm ready," Gwen said, "if you are." Her voice was soft but steady. She meant it.
Lying there next to Gwen, Henry was tempted. More than he'd have imagined. It would be so easy! His third could be conceived before today was even over, and then before you knew it, a fourth would be on the way. He had the perfect woman, the strongest and most beautiful in the world, to have all those kids with.
But Mark and I only need two each. And we have that now.
There was also the reality that more and more kids would inevitably mean a daughter sooner or later… Henry gently massaged Gwen's belly, smiling at her.
"We already have two handsome boys. Why not give them all the love and time we can?"
"Oh, all right," Gwen sighed dramatically, pretending to be exasperated. They shared a laugh, easy and carefree, and Henry thought again about what a good pair they were.
"I love you," Henry told her, and unlike the hundreds of times he'd said it before, to virtually everyone he'd ever been with, this time didn't feel like a lie. Henry meant it, or at least, was closer to meaning it than was usually possible.
"I love you, too, Henry," Gwen answered.
"You wanna go upstairs and fuck in the shower before the boys wake up and start bothering us?"
"Read my fucking mind. Look at my genius Academy grad." She ruffled his hair.
"C'mon," Henry mock-fussed, "don't mess with my hair."
Ruffle, ruffle. "I'm sorry, what?"
Henry smiled, stood and offered his hand to Gwen. She stood and took it, and they went upstairs together. The sex in the shower ended up being almost suicidally dangerous- even Henry wasn't immune to slipping- but completely worth it all the same.
These prosperous days close to home were not going to last forever, Henry knew. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were going to involve even wealthy Marine Reservists like himself and Mark anytime now, and besides, in truth they both wanted to go.
War meant getting to kill openly and legally, something Henry and Mark both yearned for. The reasons for being in Iraq and Afghanistan didn't interest either of them; it was all about finding a good excuse. And there'd be excuses aplenty.
All that was well and good- things would continue going forward the way Henry and Mark wanted them to. But Henry would've been lying if he'd said he had wanted to be anywhere else right now, anywhere else but here in his own home, with a beautiful woman who continually surprised and amazed him, two sons who already made him proud, and a brother who would be at his side for as long as either of them lived.
Never had Henry been so glad to be where he was in life. Everything was going his way.
A/N: 1-16-2023. Finally managed to complete a 9th chapter for this story, the last one in a rather lengthy 'prologue' section of the story set in the mid-2000s. Chapter 10 will be set around 2009, and focus on Henry and Mark as they are overseas with the U.S. Marines.
Feel free to share any thoughts in a review and/or a PM. If there are any corrections that need to be made, I'd suggest letting me know via PM.
Since Alex was born in 1999, Richard in 2000, and both Marcus and Brandon in 2004, the four of them will be 10, 9, and 5 respectively by the next chapter.
Henry was originally not supposed to go ahead with plans to marry Gwen. His proposal to her was just another one of his many lies, but I shared some thoughts on this aspect of the story with AM83220, who observed that Henry is closer with Gwen than anyone else he's ever known, apart from Mark, naturally. Mark is much more important to him, but Henry genuinely can't bring himself to go through with having Mark arrange the fatal 'accident' they'd planned for her. Even Henry himself isn't sure whether he genuinely loves Gwen or if he even can, but it's close enough to make no significant difference.
The only way Henry could murder Gwen now is if she somehow became a threat to him and/or Mark and their boys, and given that she trusts him and believes in the person he says he is, that is not likely. This aspect of the story was changed significantly as I wrote this chapter- the plan had been for Henry and Mark to arrange Gwen's death, then for Henry to never marry, pretending to be too pained over the loss of the mothers of his two sons.
The "Too bad, you- will die" line is from the 1997 movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The "Go and kill them, will you?" is from the 2017 film The Death of Stalin.
I had not planned for any cousin of Jackson Lee's or for Carter Stevens to appear, but spontaneously added the first OC and decided to have Carter reappear because it added a good scene to the chapter.
Henry and Carter have remained steadily in contact over the years, and Carter admires Henry as much as ever. The user HenriettaEvans suggested to me that Carter, as well as Henry and Mark themselves, might be a closeted bisexual, which I honestly had never considered. Henry and Mark would certainly never admit to that even if it were the case, but I liked the theory enough that I hinted at it a little bit from Carter's POV.
I had originally meant for Jackson Lee's cousin and/or his friend to be taken into Fleetwood Hall alive, but I didn't like the idea of Jackson's cousin, who shares Jackson's tendency toward avid exercising and fearlessness, to have his soul captured by the house. Instead, then, both are fortunate enough to die outside the mansion, but they both will disappear.
Jackson may suspect Henry and Mark- he'd suspect them with or without evidence- but he will have nothing to act on and nothing to link the disappearance to Fleetwood Hall, unfortunately. I believe, however, that from time to time local youths and other urban explorers might venture by the house or even go onto the property themselves; the house is well-known enough in the area even if nobody wants to deal with it.
There is no current timetable for Chapter 10, but I hope to get to it within the next month or two. AM83220 and I had done a fair amount of advance planning for that point in the story years ago, before "The New Dawn" was even started, so I can draw on that to get the chapter written.
Lastly, I had not considered much what kind of parents Gwen had, but I thought it plausible enough that they were not close with her, and her promiscuity may have been at least in part to spite someone. Gwen felt she was not being allowed to be who she wanted to be, and with her parents unwilling to accept her as she was even as an adult, she decided to distance herself from them considerably. Henry and Gwen are each an only child, but Henry at least pretends to maintain close ties to his parents, while Gwen has all but severed ties with hers.