by Sara York
“Lafferty, we’ve only known each other for a few months.”
“I know.” Lafferty pulled him close and kissed his lips. “If I sucked your cock, would it help you make up your mind.”
Andries groaned. “Jesus.”
Lafferty lifted his brows. “Well?”
“No. And I can’t believe I’m saying this because I love receiving blowjobs. We need to have a solid foundation. I know this is weird coming from me.”
“Why is it weird coming from you?” Lafferty whispered as he nibbled his way down Andries’ neck.
“Because I was the homeless one.”
“The homeless one who didn’t do drugs. You are responsible.”
“I’m a wreck. I want us to attend some sort of therapy or something to work through things like my guilt for fucking random men when I needed money for food.”
“I get that.” Lafferty took a step back. “As much as I want to have sex with you and get married and all that other stuff, I respect who you are. I know your life wasn’t easy because I was there. Honestly, I wasn’t strong enough to have endured what you did.”
“But you did endure it.”
“I was out there for a few months. You were out on the street for years. My nightmare ended fast. I had Lane and Gresh who allowed me to grow into the man I am today. You were on your own. You’ve accomplished a lot.”
Andries hung his head, and Lafferty pulled him into the circle of his arms. His touch was full of caring. The hole in Andries’ soul healed a little more. Maybe he could get over everything. Having Lafferty by his side made a difference.
“I love you,” Lafferty said. “I’m going to stand by you. Later, maybe a few weeks from now, or months, I’ll let you ask me to marry you.”
Andries tightened his hold. “Deal. I may not buy rings, not sure what I’d be able to afford, but I’ll find some way to ask you.”
Lafferty’s phone rang, and he answered. “Lafferty Miller here, can I help you?”
Andries couldn’t make out the words, so he just held on until Lafferty stood straight and took a step back. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Worry filled Andries. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone shot at Jump and Bruce.”
“Oh no. Are they okay?”
“They are just spooked. They’re at the station. We’re going down. We may just need to leave town.”
“Do you think someone was targeting them here?”
Lafferty shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe it was just a sad coincidence and a statement of the times we live in.”
Andries rolled his eyes. “Stupid fucking idiots.”
Lafferty raised his brows. “Don’t like guns.”
“Not here. Seriously there are too many idiots running around with guns and no clue how to use them. They certainly don’t need them to hunt, and most of them are too high to use them responsibly.” Andries squeezed his arm again. “But Jump and Bruce, they’re really okay, right?”
“Yes. No injuries.”
“That’s good. I would hate to have something bad happen to them.”
Lafferty grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, and they headed out to the police station. They had to catch a train uptown and cross over to get to the station where they were. It only took them twenty minutes to get there because they hit the subway schedule just right. When they walked in and saw Jump and Bruce, emotions filled Andries. These people meant something to him. It had been a long time since he had a family, but these men were family now. He moved to Jump and pulled him into a hug. Jump hugged him, and then he hugged Bruce.
“So, they didn’t hit you, I guess?” Lafferty asked.
“It was close,” Bruce said.
“Very close,” Jump added.
“We think it was random, but we ask them not to take any chances. They’re switching hotels,” the cop said
“Good.” Lafferty stuck his jaw out, and his eyelids narrowed. “I don’t like this, not after having Andries talk to that douche Whitley this morning. What if he wants to harm you two? Do you think he would go after Andries?”
“Hold up,” the cop said. “We’re going to make sure there is plenty of protection tomorrow morning.”
“Why are you tossing so many resources at this?” Lafferty asked.
The cop blew out a breath. “Whitley isn’t an unknown. A few months ago, he conned someone out of substantial cash. Then her husband ended up dead. We can’t get him on the death because we don’t have enough evidence to obtain his DNA or prints. We can’t arrest him. However, if he shows up in the morning and has child pornography on him, we’re taking him down for child porn. We need you to ask if he has the images on the file. And then ask him to show you.”
“What if he says no?”
“We have to take him down. We can’t allow him to stay out there. He’s pulling some sort of scam to get money from your family. Who will be next? And the woman’s husband ended up dead. The cause of death was undetermined. She didn’t want an autopsy. Since he was older and it looked like it was a heart attack, he was buried without anyone really looking at the cause.”
“Do you think he could murder one of us?” Jump asked.
“That’s why we want Andries to go in tomorrow. If this dude shows up and tells you he has porn, we’ll take him into custody. We already have enough evidence to get him on a few lesser charges, but we want to keep him in jail for longer. We also want a warrant to go through his residence. So we’ll have to get him to talk so we know where he is really living. It’s a long and tedious process which has to be done in less than a few hours, so he’s in jail and not out on bail when we go through his house.”
Bruce shook his head. “I used to be a deputy sheriff in our small Texas town. I don’t envy you everything you have to go through to get this guy.”
“Really,” the cop looked him up and down. “Now you’re wearing an expensive suit and an executive of a big company. How’d that happen?”
Jump and Bruce both laughed. “It’s a long story.”
“One day, I’d love to have the time to talk to you about it. I gotta say, policing here in the city is getting crazy. People are crazy, the times are crazy, everything is crazy. I wish I could say I was shocked someone fired a gun at you two, I can’t. Shootings are normal now.”
“It sucks,” Bruce said.
“So tomorrow morning, we’ll do like we did this morning. Go in, talk with him. And then when he confirms he has the porn, we’re going to arrest you both. We’ll take him out in a car, and then I’ll be there to let you go.”
“This is the part I don’t really like. I can’t go to jail,” Andries said.
“I swear, you aren’t really going to be arrested.” The cop held his hand up like a boy scout would to indicate he was telling the truth, but his promise did little to ease Andries’ fears. “Everyone there will know you aren’t being taken to lockup. You’ll be free to go home after we get him away from the building.”
Andries glanced at Lafferty, who nodded. He shrugged. “I’ll have to trust you.” The fear curling through his stomach made him queasy. He wasn’t happy about having to go back and see Whitley, not after what the cop had told them, but he couldn’t allow the guy to harm anyone in Lafferty’s family.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, he woke feeling like he’d been slammed into a wall. The first cup of coffee was good, but it didn’t take away the exhaustion.
“You okay?” Lafferty asked.
“Sure. I mean, how bad could this be?”
Lafferty shrugged. “According to the police, it could be terrible. Someone ended up dead the last time he pulled this type of shit.”
“I know. It’s why I have to do this. I can’t have him kill you or anyone in your family.”
Lafferty pulled him into a hug. “You’re too good for me.”
“No, man, you’re too good for me.”
Lafferty leaned back and met his gaze. The love and emotions he
saw filled him up, making his throat close. Lafferty must have felt it too. They clung to each other, desperation evident in their touches and hold.
Lafferty’s phone rang. After two rings, he answered. “Hello.”
Andries stepped into the bathroom, knowing they would need to head out soon. When he finished and opened the door, Lafferty glanced up from his phone, sadness filled his eyes.
“I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I.” Andries sat down and grabbed his shoes, slipping them on before tying the laces. Lafferty stepped into the bathroom but didn’t take long. They both seemed resigned this had to happen. Unsaid words hung between them. The urge to bolt the doors and hide hit hard, but he couldn’t ignore the threat to Lafferty’s family.
“We’ll be close by,” Lafferty said.
“I know. And there will be cops in the café waiting to take him down.”
“Do you think…”
When Lafferty didn’t complete his thought, Andries touched his arm. “What?”
“I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”
They hugged again before heading out. Normally, he liked to pay attention to the beauty he found in the city, but not today. He was focused on the task at hand.
They rode together to the stop by the coffee shop. Lafferty left the subway before he did and went a different way, allowing Andries to approach the café on his own. The last thing they needed was Whitley figuring out they were working together to take him down.
He paused before he opened the door. He was trying to keep his nerves at bay. It wasn’t really working. He had to assume the cops were in place already.
There were about twenty people inside the café. He had no clue who was a cop and who was just an ordinary person getting coffee. He recognized a few people, but they could be repeat customers who showed up here every day before going into work.
He stood in line and purchased his coffee before taking a seat at a table next to two other occupied tables. He worried Whitley wouldn’t want to talk here with other people around them.
The door opened, and he glanced up, spying Whitley. The man came straight to his table and sat. Andries’ hands shook as he reached for his cup of coffee.
“Why are you so nervous?” Whitley asked.
“Dude, you were late.”
Whitley rolled his eyes. “When you head to their offices next time, go into one of the executive’s office, and load everything from this onto the computer. You know how to use a computer, right?”
“Really?” Andries asked. “I grew up with computers.”
“Okay, just checking.”
“What all is on there?”
“Enough to get them jail. And if you could load it on Gresh or Lane’s computer, that would be sweet too. Maybe you should do that first. I want them all to go down.”
“Fine.” Andries kept his hands on his coffee cup, not wanting to touch the drive with the child porn on it.
“Just make sure to spread it around,” Whitley said. “I want them to suffer.”
“This really does include what you said the other day?”
Whitley picked up the device and leaned in. “I said it did. These photos are going to ruin their family. And don’t forget, if you don’t do this, I’ll make sure the cops find out you murder that guy.”
Whitley sat back and snickered. “So when will you be in Texas again? I want to know when to celebrate their demise.”
“We’re headed out at the end of the week.”
“Good. Now take this and use it to bring down those bastards.” Whitley stood and held out his hand.
Andries reached out to take the device when the man sitting next to them stood and grabbed Whitley’s hand, placing a cuff on it.
“You are under arrest.”
Whitley’s mouth dropped open, and then his gaze zeroed in on Andries. Another cop stood and put cuffs on Andries, dragging him over to the other side of the room. The police officer with Whitley led him outside.
Andries hated having the cuffs on. Fear filled him as he thought of what could happen to him in prison. A few people in the café who obviously weren’t cops pulled out their phones. The cop next to Andries led him back into the kitchen and away from the camera holders.
“I don’t think they got a shot of you. The other guy, I don’t know. Good job sitting right next to me. I had a voice recorder on the whole time. We got a lot.”
Andries breathed a sigh of relief as the cop removed the handcuffs. The door to the kitchen opened, and Lafferty stepped in.
“Oh thank God you’re okay. When I came in and you weren’t in the dining room, I panicked.”
“I’m okay.” Andries held onto Lafferty, ignoring the stares of the kitchen staff. He hoped the cops really had enough on Whitley to keep the guy from coming back to ruin the family. They were too nice to allow some jerk to take them down.
“We have a car waiting at the back door. No journalists have made it around to the back. Let’s go.”
Lafferty handed the waiter who was staring at them a twenty. Lafferty held Andries’ hand and didn’t let go, even when they were in the car. They arrived at the station where they met Jump and Bruce. They both hugged Andries and held on.
“That was scary,” Andries whispered to Lafferty when they stepped into the conference room.
“What about it was scary?” Lafferty asked.
“Everything. Knowing the guy held so much hate for your family. He’s dangerous. I hope he doesn’t get out of jail for a long time.”
“Same.”
“Well, you were excellent,” the cop said when he stepped into the room. “We got so much on him that we were able to get a warrant. I’m headed out to his place, but I wanted to thank you before I left. We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, sir,” Andries said.
“No thanks needed. This is my job. I love taking down people like him. Maybe we’ll find something to tie him to the death of the man I told you about. If we do, we’ll put him away for murder, and maybe just maybe he won’t get out for a long-long time.”
Jump stepped into the room. “We have a car waiting.”
“They don’t need me for more?” Andries asked.
“Nope, you’re good,” Jump said.
The rest of the day was spent with Bruce and Jump, hanging out in the city, seeing a few sights before they left to catch their plane. Once back in their apartment, Lafferty pulled him close as they sat on the couch.
“Let’s head to Texas,” Lafferty said. “I want to spend some time with you.”
“Sure. I like the ranch.” It would be good to spend time with Lafferty away from the city. They’d grown closer in Texas, and he wanted more closeness with his man.
Lafferty pulled out his phone and navigated to the airline’s application. “I found a flight tomorrow afternoon.”
“That early?”
Lafferty lifted his brows. “You okay with leaving here?”
“I am. I’ll pack tonight.”
He still felt off, but he was happy Whitley had been caught. The guy was a freaking jerk. Had Whitley planned all this? What if Whitley had attacked him at the party as some grand scheme to take down Lafferty’s family? Was Whitley shrewd enough to plan that far in advance, or had he just been a horny jerk?
After packing his clothes, they stretched out and drifted off after giving each other blowjobs. The next morning they finished cleaning out the apartment. He felt guilty for throwing out food, but they wouldn’t be back for a while, and there were a few things that wouldn’t save, like lunch meat.
Before he walked out to catch the cab, he glanced into the apartment. His life had changed so much in the last month.
“You ready?” Lafferty asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
He was determined to make the best of his life. He was taking the ACT test in Texas in four days. They’d found a location that would allow him in. He hadn’t hea
rd back from any of the colleges because there hadn’t been enough time elapsed, but even if he didn’t get into a school, he was willing to change things so he could be with Lafferty. If Lafferty left him, his life would be over. Somehow, he had to find a way to keep Lafferty happy. He wasn’t sure he could make their relationship last, but he was willing to work hard and keep it going.
Chapter Fifteen
The plane touched down in Houston, and for the first time in Lafferty’s life, he felt like he was coming home. Having Andries at his side helped. Anywhere with Andries would be home, but he thought their place was in Texas now.
“We’re staying in the main house at the ranch.” Lafferty had wondered if sleeping so close to his dads would be wise, but Lane said they would put him at the other end of the house. There would be plenty of space, so they weren’t heard by Lane or Gresh.
“Is that smart?” Andries asked.
“If you’re asking if they’ll hear us having sex, the answer is no. We’ll be in a room far from them. And they’ll give us privacy.”
“I’m so embarrassed about the blow job in the barn.”
Lafferty chuckled as the woman walking in front of them turned and shot Andries a sour look. The way his lover’s face turned red made him laugh even more. Not everyone could take two guys who were in love, and this was Houston. He was sure they’d run into some hate, but they could deal with it as long as they were together.
Christopher, one of the ranch hands, was there to pick them up. He was young, from Montana, and didn’t say much. Lafferty didn’t think he said more than two words on the drive out to Crazy Hills.
Christopher stopped in front of the house, and before he opened the door, he turned to face Lafferty. “It’s good to have you home. The keys are in the washroom by the back door. You know the drill about cars, but you probably don’t.” Christopher looked at Andries and lifted his brows. “Do you drive?”
Andries shook his head. “Never learned.”
“Well,” Christopher scratched his chin. “I guess I can teach you. Learning out here in the country is easier. We’ll have you up and driving in no time. Then we can get you a license. Anyway, the keys are in the washroom. If you take a car, just log it in. There are only two vehicles that can’t be borrowed. Lane and Gresh’s personal car and the Mercedes are off the list. Both of those are too expensive, and the ranch doesn’t have insurance on them.”