The Principle (Legacy Book 2)

by Rain Carrington

  Steve busted out in laughter as he saw the smug face of his boyfriend. “Oral is moral?”

  “Oral is moral, sweetheart. So, expect more of it.”

  Steve could have fallen off the bed right then as he watched Matt wink and get up, leaving the room a second later. He repeated in a whisper, “Oral is moral. I’ll be damned.”

  He showered and dressed in clean clothes, then headed to the kitchen to feed the group. Stacy was in there, digging in the fridge when he found her.

  “We need another shopping trip already. There is no ice cream.”

  “I’ll go later, if you want. Where are the other two?”

  After she laughed, she stared at him and commented, “You look happy. So did he? Did you guys bone?”

  “No! And it’s none of your business.”

  “Whatever. So, anyway, if you’re wondering if they are outside killing each other in a fight to the death over you, don’t worry. Matt is on the phone with Mac on the porch and the spurned one with a badge went to town to talk to the local cops about the compound. He’s heading there tomorrow, if all goes well with Mac’s call to the prophet.”

  “Wow. It’s moving fast with Pat here.”

  “Yeah. Hopefully we can get this all finished, get those prick bastards in jail and move on with our lives.”

  He scrutinized her for a moment and then asked her, “You waiting to get to be with Charlie?”

  “Duh. I finally have the guy I want, and I should be a lot coyer about it, but I ain’t getting any younger. I am ready for the husband and family thing.”

  Steve laughed a little, though she wasn’t kidding. “How…fifties of you.”

  “Yeah, who cares? You fall for a guy, what’s wrong with a natural progression of things? I know it’s not PC, but it’s what I want, and it’s what he wants too, at least that’s what he says.”

  “You have reason to doubt that?”

  After a long hesitation, she said, “No, not really. I think it’s what he wants, but it comes with a lot of change. I don’t know if he’s thinking about that.”

  Steve wondered the same thing of Matt, but Matt didn’t seem to mind the change. “I’m in a similar situation. Matt and I…we kind of made some plans, general plans, of course.”

  Turning fully to him, Stacy was eyeing him hard, and suddenly he wished he’s kept quiet. “What?”

  “Like I said, generally. Nothing confirmed. Per se.”

  “Per se? What the hell does per se mean?”

  Steve wanted out of the conversation, so he thought fast and decided to go with, “In or of itself. Per se.”

  That didn’t work, but he hadn’t suspected it would. “I was the one to push you two, I realize that, and I think it’s great, don’t get me wrong. Marriage? That’s fast.”

  “You’ve been apart from Charlie for how long? So…marriage?”

  She struggled with a good come back for that, and it showed on her pretty face, but when she couldn’t come up with one, she huffed and gave in, mocking, “So…marriage?”

  The conversation was quickly cut off when the doorbell rang out in the house and Steve hurried to answer it, glad to be done with talking with Stacy about marriage. Pat was on the other side of the door, and he moved quickly inside, avoiding Steve’s eyes. “Thanks,” he said, then asked, “Where’s the others?”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  Pat’s eyes met his then, and he looked pained, but rushed to say, “Nothing! Nothing pressing anyway, there’s just news. Our plan, it’s going well.”

  “Oh. Uh, Matt’s out back, but Stacy’s in the kitchen.”

  “I’m right here,” she said from behind Steve. “But come in here, let’s talk while Steve and I make some dinner.”

  They all filed into the kitchen, Steve and Stacy heading behind the island to start on some food.

  Pat set his briefcase on the table and started, leaning on the island bar. “They think I’m not really interested. It came to me scoffing at the supposed reports of trafficking. I played my part well. My people traced a call from the station to the compound.”

  Stacy cursed under her breath and Steve felt his fury grow in a second. “So the local cops there are actually in league with those people? That’s incredible. How could anyone that pledged to protect his fellow human beings be in league with those types of people?”

  “What type of people?” Matt had come in, his phone in his hand that was clenching as he glared hatefully at Pat.

  Pat moved from the counter and the two faced one another. Stacy and Steve both tensed as they watched the faceoff, and Steve wanted to interject but knew that Matt would hate that. Not only would he hate it, he’d resent it.

  Watching them, it was like two bulls one opposite sides of a ring, heads down to show their deadly horns. The air in the room electrified, charged with the dominant energy the two men set off, and Steve felt his lungs empty all the air they held at the same moment Stacy drew a breath in, then whispered, “Damn, that’s hot.”

  “Yeah. Alphas to the extreme.”

  If the air erupted with a cloud of dust from their hooves pawing at a field of packed earth instead of feet on a tiled floor, Steve would not have been a bit surprised. Nostrils flaring, unblinking hatred sucked the light from the room.

  Finally, to break that tension, Stacy said, “How about Matt and me take a ride and grab a pizza? Save poor Steve from cooking.”

  “No,” Matt said, which Steve was expecting. To leave Steve and Pat alone together wasn’t an option. “If Steve doesn’t feel like cooking, I’ll do it.”

  Pat turned from Matt first, and Steve let himself relax some. Matt moved then, around the counter to Steve, standing close to him as he asked Pat, “What’s the news, then?”

  Pat shook his head and said, “I, uh, was just telling them that the local cops, though I’m not sure if all, or which it is if it’s only one or a few, are not on our side here. They do believe I’m not very interested in pursuing the case.”

  Steve didn’t want to say a word but had to. “If they don’t believe it, does that mean the compound won’t believe it?”

  “Daddy will trust the cops. Two of them, though I never saw their faces, come to the compound at night to tell Daddy and the others things. I never heard them, never saw their faces, but every time they left, Daddy would be real happy.”

  Suddenly, it was as if they had never been confrontational, at least on Pat’s side. “You never heard their voices?”

  “No. I saw them at the gate a few times when I was sneaking around.” Matt’s voice was still tense, but Pat’s was hurried and excited.

  “If we could find out who, we could get them, charge them with obstruction, get them to talk once we have a case.”

  “Can’t you just do it now? If you could find who is doing it?”

  Pat groaned, but it was Stacy who informed him, “Without the full case, they’d get into trouble, but your father wouldn’t. They need the case.”

  “Once we get it, though, I plan on going after anyone who so much as thought of helping them.”

  Matt nodded to him and said a sincere, “Thanks,” before leaving the room.

  Steve wanted to follow, but Stacy held his arm. “Let me. Start some dinner, huh?”

  “Sure.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  As they sat down to hash browns covered in thick sausage gravy, what Steve called his specialty, they spoke more about their plans and Matt filled them in on the call with Mac.

  “He’s all in to do whatever. Makes me feel bad I never reached out to him before I needed him.”

  Stacy wouldn’t have that guilt weighing on him. “First, you were probably told Mac and his part of your family were heathens or whatever they’re called in your religion, and then, you were a little busy. You aren’t the one that called for help, either. Mac and Leo are good people, so now that they’re in your life, keep them there.”

  “Can’t believe he’s gay too.” Matt side-eyed Steve, who wa
s grinning at him sweetly. She thought about what they’d spoken about earlier, and how opposed she was at the first thought of it. After she watched them a little, the thought didn’t seem so horrible. They were obviously in love, so obvious that Pat looked downright miserable as he kept casting glances their way.

  “Well, there are a lot of us,” Pat said, trying to find a way to relate.

  Stacy lifted her hand and said, “Straight girl here.”

  “Yeah, you suck,” Steve teased.

  “Well, isn’t that something we have in common?”

  Steve paled, but Pat and Matt joined in together for a good laugh. The tension lessened and their eyes actually met in a non-combative way.

  “I hope I can get to know Mac better once this is all over.”

  “We could go there, visit for a while. Didn’t they say they had a bed and breakfast or something?”

  Stacy had discussed it with Leo when he’d first called her to tell her he’d finally fallen in love. “Well, it’s kind of that, kind of a dude ranch, but he said that a lot of the guys that stay there think of it like an orgy. They were always breaking up men screwing all over the place.”

  “Dang,” Matt said, letting his fork drop to the plate. “When can we leave?”

  Stacy laughed, throwing her napkin at him. “Perverts!”

  Trying to steer the conversation back, Pat dabbed his mouth with his own napkin and asked Matt, “What did Mac say about his call to your father?”

  “Oh! I meant to tell you, it went about like he figured, like we did too. My daddy told him he was stupid for helping, but glad God showed him the way. He told Mac that he’d be welcome to join the compound someday if he kept getting smart. Whatever, but Mac said Daddy sounded happy. I wouldn’t be surprised a bit if Daddy started up again soon.”

  “Then we’re on point. I’ll go to the compound tomorrow, seem bored in general, but impressed with their set up, pinch a few children’s chins and say howdy to the women while I figure out they are all just a simple group of religious folk. I’ll make sure they think we’re going home and never to be seen again. Then I’ll have my team back in Albuquerque to monitor phone calls, and I can get the drone there to watch for movement at night. I’ll be staking out in the day.”

  “It’s crazy they’re not sending more people to help you. One man? Since when did the bureau get so cheap?” She was pissed they didn’t send Charlie back, but if two or more would have replaced him, she could have let that go.

  “It’s just for the initial probe. Now, I get one hint that there is more going on, and they will send in my team. I’ve got them all packed and ready to fly out here on a moment’s notice.”

  That didn’t make her feel better. “They should be here now. One man is dead, and another came real damn close.”

  He didn’t respond in words, but did gaze over at Matt, and for once, the look was filled with a knowing empathy. “Yes, I know. I’m…I’m sorry about that and that it wasn’t enough.” Facing her again, he reminded, “You know we need to be asked in situations like this and there is no way the locals are going to ask. So, we took the tip, which was a good tip, yes, but it could be based on disgruntled feelings and not fact.”

  “Disgruntled feelings?” Matt was standing, eyes wide and reddening in surprised fury.

  Holding his hand up in surrender, Pat corrected, “That’s what the official outlook is in cases like this. Sure, we’ve had more than one person saying it, but one of them is now dead. And we can’t, through solid evidence, connect that to the compound besides the fact he once lived there. Like you, same thing, technically, but Charlie and I both see past the technical and the hard evidence to see there is more going on here.”

  Matt sat, but his face didn’t soften any.

  “Now, the best thing to happen yet was the call sent to the compound from the police station. That showed that the two are connected. I need to find out who it was, but that shouldn’t be hard. We can probably get a warrant to tap the phones of the compound, but that rarely gives us much with people so paranoid. They most likely use different throwaway phones.”

  “They do,” Matt confirmed. “He’s got a box full of them.”

  “Then the drone is our best bet.”

  Steve’s smile was like a kid who found a new toy. “And Matt and I can go with you to use it, right?”

  Pat grinned and informed him, “I know Charlie already someone go nuts with it.”

  Matt protested, “We didn’t wreck it!”

  Stacy rolled her eyes hard. “Boys. No matter the age, you’re all boys.”

  “Hey, I never had good toys,” Matt whined. “No computer games, remote control stuff. I’m simply making up for lost time.”

  Growing serious, Pat looked to Matt, then Stacy and finally Steve before he told them, “If this goes well, I’ll have the rest of my team here in three hours. Although, by saying goes well, that means that more girls are going to be up to be sold.”

  Stacy watched Matt set a hand over his stomach and push his plate away as he groaned, “I can’t believe they’re my family.”

  In a strange turn, Pat explained, “Family is someone we are forced to be around and yes, love. Friends, well, that is where we get to make the choices.”

  Steve added, “And no one’s family is all bad. There is always one or two that aren’t crazy or cruel. You have so many like that, Matt.”

  “I do. Aaron, Rachel, Mac, sure, but not my own father.”

  Stacy thought of something and it rolled out of her mouth before she could stop it. “His legacy isn’t yours, Matt. We make our own legacy, by the things we do in this life. If you help to defeat someone that is a terrible person, that’s your legacy, not what he did. He’s only the person that became your parent by science or divine intervention, whichever you believe. He’s not the supplier of your legacy, just some DNA.”

  As Matt ducked his head, Steve held him, kissing his temple. “Yeah, babe, she’s right. He’s got nothing to do with the legacy you leave. Maybe I can help you with that,” he said with a little chuckle and Stacy smiled at the two of them.

  The way Matt looked up at him, his eyes so full of love, she wanted to take back the hard time she’d given Steve, but she also figured it was forgotten already. She didn’t think anyone could tell them they didn’t absolutely belong together.

  Speaking of which, when she glanced at Pat, even he didn’t seem put out by their PDA.

  “Well, regardless of what your father thinks his legacy should be, I plan on changing that to one that is filled with bars and yellow jumpsuits.”

  Matt’s head raised and his eyes met Pat’s. From so recently, when they were facing off, seemingly hating one another, the connection they made in that moment sealed what could be a lifelong friendship. Or a deep respect at the very least.

  In fact, later, after Pat was off the phone with his team, he and Matt went off to talk about the compound. Pat wanted to know where things were done, which building held the offices, basements, and other hiding places that Matt knew about, leaving Steve and Stacy on the porch, sipping a full-bodied merlot.

  “I needed this,” Steve whispered to her, taking a sip and moaning. “Too bad it’s not vodka.”

  “Don’t start me. I’ve needed a vodka tonic for a week. I feel kind of weird drinking around Matt though. How’s it going to be for you when you get married?”

  His head spun to her as his mouth hung open.

  “Yeah, I’m okay with it. I’m sure you’ve thought of all the struggles you’re going to go through.”

  His mouth closed with a snap. He contemplated that for a few seconds and then said, “I can’t stop thinking of them at times. The only thing is, though, he’s worth it. Not to mention, I have my own shit, so it’s not one sided.”

  “Do you think he’s okay enough to deal with yours?”

  A wide smile spread on his face as he stared off dreamily. “Oh, yeah. He’s okay enough. Strong, beautiful.”

  “Okay, okay,
I don’t need to hear his online dating bio.”

  “Good, because if he had one, I’d scour the internet until it was gone.”

  “Oh, so the blondie isn’t the only jealous one. Good to know.”

  Steve sipped more of the wine and confessed, “I’m sure I’ll always be terribly jealous of him. He’s young and inexperienced, and right there, that should make me worry. I mean, he hasn’t begun to sew any oats or anything.”

  Going where he was headed, Stacy added, “But he’s different. It’s rare to see in this day and age, I know. He’s got morals. He wants the house and the life, everything. I don’t think if the hottest gay porn stars on the planet came up to him right this second to do a day long orgy, that he’d so much as look their way. Nah, you have nothing to worry about with him.”

  “It’s weird, right? I mean, not in a bad way, but all that…morality. He wants me, only me, and I don’t doubt it. He’s one of those people, you know, who are determined and set their mind to one thing and never sway. It’s weird.”

  “Oh,” she agreed, “it’s definitely weird. Only because you just don’t see that anymore. I mean, as much as Charlie and I love each other, and never stopped, not only would he want to go for it if big breasted porn stars wanted an orgy with him, but I’d probably let him and maybe even join in.”

  They both busted with laughter over that, though she wasn’t lying. “I did not need to know that, but your point is taken. What I need to understand about myself is that I do want the same thing as him. I never thought about it. I mean, sure, marriage, eventually, if I found the right guy, but being that involved, that in love and that dedicated that I’d never want another guy?”

  “And now you can’t imagine being with another guy.”

  “Yeah. The whole thing is just so-”

  “Weird,” they both said in unison.

  Steve seemed to be on the verge of asking something for the next ten, long minutes. She waited, though patience wasn’t her strong point.

  Finally, he got out a squeaked question, “How do I do this?”