“Why does it matter?” It wasn’t like he was going to see Galen again anyway.
“Do you remember how you were with that cat? No matter how many times he scratched you, it didn’t stop you from trying again.”
Unbidden, he glanced down at his arms. Even though a few decades had gone by, he imagined he could still see the streaks of blood. “And he never let me hold him.”
“So you want to hold Galen?”
Damn it! His parents had a way of twisting his words around. “I never said that.”
“And you also never call this late either.” She chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really on your mind? That way we can both get some rest.”
Crap. He didn’t even think about the time. “I’m sorry, I just needed… I guess I needed to talk to my mom.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad you called. We don’t see much of you boys, so it’s always nice to hear from you. So what do you want with Galen?”
That was an interesting question. “I don’t know that I want anything from him. Maybe just some perspective?”
“Which you could have gotten from Noel.”
Robert snorted. “Noel hates Galen.”
“And can you blame him? Has Galen done anything to deserve being forgiven by Noel?”
After Noel told Robert what Galen had done, Robert was inclined not to like the man either. But the day he came to the shelter, there was something there, buried deep below the surface, and after dealing with homeless people for so many years, Robert had learned to trust his instincts.
“No, I suppose not.”
“So what do you want? And be honest with yourself about this.”
Robert pursed his lips. “I don’t know. I think there’s a decent person under that exterior, but it’s going to take a lot of work to get it out.”
“The best things in life often take a lot of work. I think that’s something you know well.”
He sighed. “When Noel brought the check, he went on about what Lincoln’s father did and said. But he also said Galen seemed uncomfortable about what was happening. Maybe because he was?”
She yawned, and Robert felt like crap for waking her in the first place.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll let you go get some sleep.”
“And what makes you think we were sleeping?”
“Hi, Robert!”
He groaned. “Tell Dad I said hi back. And no matter what you were doing, I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“Don’t be silly. Family is there for each other, and your father and I will always be here for you. Speaking of being here, Tom and Brian are coming for dinner on the twenty-seventh, if you can get away for a few hours. It would be nice to see you.”
“I’ll try.”
Noel had said he could help out more on Sundays, so maybe Robert could take a night off to see his family.
“And maybe you could bring Galen with you. Let him see how family should be. It might not be what he thinks it is.”
No way. He couldn’t see bringing Galen into his parents’ home. And with Brian being sick? “Not sure that’s a good idea. Tom already has enough on his plate, and bringing Galen in could backfire.”
“That’s why I’m suggesting it. You know how Brian and Tom are together. Seeing Tom do things for Brian? That’s commitment. Having Brian as part of our family? That’s love. Maybe Galen needs a dose of reality.”
“Well, I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again. After he had his fit, I left.”
“If you don’t, you don’t. But do me a favor, okay? Try to keep an open mind. Maybe Galen needs that more than anything else.” She yawned again. “Okay, I’m going to go to bed. Give me a call later in the week if you can.”
“Will do. Say good night to Dad for me. And thank you.”
Her voice softened. “Any time, you know that.”
She hung up, and Robert was left with his jumbled thoughts.
As prickly as Galen could be, Robert truly had enjoyed his company. There were moments, like how his dubious expression morphed into one of pure joy at his first mouthful of chili. Robert wondered if Galen even realized how unguarded he was at that time. But then he closed up tight once more, and Robert had no idea what he could do or say to get Galen to unclench. He figured it would be best if he left Galen to his thoughts, because the only person who could get through to him—for now—would be Galen himself.
As he put his phone back into his pocket, Robert realized it was already getting close to four. He berated himself for calling his parents so late and promised to make it up to them. Time to start breakfast for the people who would be coming in to get a hot meal.
When he was up to his elbows in pans of eggs and bacon, all thoughts of Galen were pushed to the back of Robert’s mind.
Except for the one where Galen had smiled at him, his eyes not cold in the least. That one he’d keep for now.
IT TOOK six days for Galen to work up the nerve to make his phone calls. First he checked in with Olivia, not bothering to tell her that he no longer worked at Primal. She assured him that she was okay, and then confirmed, yes, Father had propositioned her. She turned him down flat, and in a pique of childish fit, he’d fired her. He said he would give her an hour to clear her things out, and she grinned at him and said she didn’t need it. She stood up, head high, and walked away. Galen wished he could be as strong as she was.
After he hung up with Olivia, he called Andy and asked him to come over. He spent that time fretting over what steps his father was going to take against him. He’d seen it when Father had gone after Lincoln. When Andy showed up, Galen laid out the whole story for him, and Andy sat there, mouth open, until he finished. Then, like a true friend, he pulled Galen in for a hug.
“What are you going to do, Gale?”
Though he didn’t want to, Galen pulled away and leaned against the couch. “Don’t know yet. I’m waiting for a call from the lawyers so I can see how bad the fallout of this is going to be. I’ve already contacted the bank and moved the bulk of my money so he can’t do to me what he did to Lincoln. No matter what happens, I’ll be okay.”
That seemed to settle Andy’s nerves. Galen wanted to chuckle because he thought Andy was a lot more nervous than he was.
“I’m going to make some lunch. What do you think about chili?”
Andy’s eyes went wide. “Chili? God, what are you going to say next? Hot dogs?”
“Do they go with chili?”
“You’ve never heard of a chili dog?” He shook his head. “Sometimes, Gale, I just don’t understand you.” He leaned in. “So, where’d you hear about chili?”
Memories of sitting down with Robert in the little hole-in-the-wall cafe flooded Galen’s mind. The things Robert had said, that Galen had steadfastly denied. Now they were all coming true. He was afraid to see Robert again because he’d probably lord it over him.
“The guy I went after the night we went out? He took me to Real Chili.”
A strangled laugh escaped from Andy. “You went to Real Chili? Seriously?”
“Hey! I’ve eaten in Lincoln’s diner. It’s not like that kind of stuff is totally foreign to me.”
Andy gave a dismissive wave. “The only reason you went to the Park View was to see your brother. For some reason, you can’t stand that he’s not talking to you.”
Galen drew in a deep breath. Andy wasn’t wrong. Okay, so he and Lincoln didn’t always see eye to eye, but Galen still cared about him. Lincoln had always been there for Galen, even when he was behaving like a total shit. But Galen had to keep pushing, and he wondered if it was because he needed to drive everyone away that was important in his life.
Andy tilted his head. “How about grilled cheese? I might not be able to cook like Lincoln, but I can make that.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll—”
“Sit down, Gale. Let me make you something to eat.” Andy stuck his lip out, but this time it was for fun. “Please.”
“Okay, thank you.”
/>
Andy grinned. “I’ve got a better idea. Since you’re expanding your palate, let’s try macaroni and cheese.”
“Sounds great.” It didn’t really. Galen’s stomach was still aching. “You know, I appreciate you coming over.”
“Yes, so you’ve said.” Andy went into the refrigerator and started pulling things out. “So what’s really wrong?”
“I’m not sure. My stomach has been all twisted up for a bit. I need to make an appointment with the doctor soon.”
Andy peered at him. “Can I make an observation?”
“Go ahead.”
“You haven’t been the same since your falling out with Lincoln. Are you feeling guilty?”
Galen snorted. “Why should I feel guilty?”
But maybe Andy was right. The gnawing ache in Galen’s stomach started after he’d yelled at Robert. Then again, he should feel guilty. He’d taken money from the homeless shelter, doing his father’s bidding once more, only to find out he was being used. How fucking sick was the old man? And worse, Galen was still making it about himself and not the people he’d wronged.
The phone rang, and when Galen looked at the caller ID, he groaned.
“It’s them.”
Andy stopped what he was doing and leaned against the counter. “Don’t answer it.”
What good would that do? Galen had seen his father in action too many times to think that ignoring the call would make things better.
He swiped his finger across the screen, then held the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”
“Mr. Merriweather, this is Dale Scott, attorney for Jonathan Merriweather.”
Galen bit back a nasty retort about how he, of course, knew who the man was. “I’ve known you for years, Mr. Scott. No need to be formal now.”
“I’m afraid that things must be kept strictly business, Mr. Merriweather. As I represent your father, I have to ensure his needs are met.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s get this over with, then. What’s he going to try to do to me?”
Mr. Scott sighed. “Pursuant to your termination of employment, Mr. Merriweather has instructed our firm to take the following actions. Firstly, we are seeking an injunction to seize your assets until such time as a full accounting can take place. This includes, but is not limited to, all bank accounts, property holdings, and other funds as allowed by the courts. This will also include any monies you’ve already attempted to place in other accounts. In regards to your current residence, as your father cosigned the loan, he has petitioned the court to sever that relationship as well. He… He’s paying the remainder of the money and will take possession of the property. You will be given thirty days to vacate.”
Even though Galen had expected it, he couldn’t deny how badly it stung. Still, if there was one thing he could say about his father, the man was thorough.
“Fine. Anything else?”
“Second, I am to remind you of the five-year clause in your contract that prohibits you from working in the same field.”
Okay, that he wasn’t even thinking about. What kind of job would that leave open for him? Knowing Jonathan Merriweather, he’d be able to twist the language to make any job Galen found be in some sort of competitive market. He wasn’t just punishing Galen; he was out to destroy him.
“Okay, thank you for calling, Mr. Scott.”
“Galen, I—”
“It’s fine, Dale. I’ve been waiting for your call. Thank you for handling it yourself. Better someone I know than a stranger.”
“I’m really sorry. I wish….”
“Yeah, me too.”
They said their goodbyes, and Galen hung up.
“So? What’s happening?”
Galen sank into his chair and ran his hands over his head. “He’s fucked me. I thought I knew how to handle this. Move money around, make things harder to track. I should have realized who I was dealing with. He’s taking it all, including this place.”
“What! He can’t do that!” Andy’s voice dropped. “Can he? I mean, it’s your money, so your father doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“Legally, yes, it’s my money. The problem is, you don’t know my father. He will win, despite the cost. This? It’s an opening salvo, I guarantee it. He’s going to do his best to lock up any money that he finds, even if it’s only temporary. If he’s called on it, he’ll claim it was an accounting error or something, but that’s not going to stop him. The thing you need to realize is that I defied him, and, like Lincoln, he’ll do what he has to in order to make me pay for my hubris. Unlike Lincoln, Father isn’t simply going to figure the damage is done. He’ll make sure of it this time.”
Andy’s reached for Galen’s hand. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ve got enough cash to last me a while. In the meantime, I’ll talk to my lawyer, of course, but even if he can forestall the lock on my funds, dear old Dad will do something else. I wouldn’t put it past him to hire hackers to drain my funds.” Galen blew out a breath. “I can’t say what all he’ll do, but I promise you this, everything I had? It’s gone now.”
“I don’t understand.” Andy fluttered his hands. “None of it is his.”
He wished he could explain it to Andy, who was so innocent in many ways. “It doesn’t matter what I do or try, he’s going to beat me down. For everything I think I’ve accomplished, he’ll do his best to strip that away. Bribes, lies, whatever it takes, he’ll do it. If I fight, he’ll push back even harder.”
“And after what he did to Lincoln, why didn’t you—”
Now that was one where Andy hit the nail on the head. “Because I was stupid. I honestly thought with the work I did, he would find some value in me. I should have known better.”
Galen sighed. It used to be he was in awe of his father’s ruthlessness. Funny how it wasn’t so great when it had been turned against him.
“One thing you can be certain of, and that’s the fact that my father can pretty much do anything he wants. A word in the right ear, a substantial campaign donation, paying a kid’s college fund—all that stuff opens doors. Even I don’t know how many people he’s got in his pocket. So, in answer to your question, while it could be challenged in court, it’s highly unlikely I would win.”
“But what are you going to do?”
That was a damn good question. “When Lincoln quit, Father left him enough stuff that he could sell and still have money. Me? He’s taking it all. He told me he respected Lincoln more than he ever did me, so I’m not shocked.”
He was. The enormity of what had transpired had Galen’s emotions in a jumble. On the one hand, he wanted to lash out and scream, on the other, he wanted to break down and cry. The third option was even worse. He wanted Andy to hug him until the pain went away. He knew it wouldn’t stop here. Father would squeeze until he got blood, and as bad as Galen thought things were now, he feared that if he fought back, they’d only get worse.
“You can stay at my place if you need to.”
It was a generous offer, but Andy’s whole apartment would probably fit in Galen’s bedroom. How could there be room for two on a postage stamp? That wasn’t the point, though. Galen was toxic now, and he didn’t want any of that spilling over onto Andy.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate it. When my dad takes over a company, he likes to grind anyone who opposed him into dust beneath his heel. It’s my turn now, and anyone who helps me is going to be on his radar.”
“I don’t care.” Andy stepped over to Galen and put a hand on top of his. “You’re my best friend, Gale. You have always been there for me, and I want to be there for you.”
Galen couldn’t think of a single time in his life he’d truly been there for Andy. Sure, he’d go out with him on occasion, but it was always with thoughts that if he did it, then maybe Andy would shut up for a while. God, had he ever not been a dick to anyone?
“Andy, I—” Galen swallowed hard. “I want you to know how much your friendship means to me.”
/> Andy smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. “I’ve always known. I get you’re… reluctant to show it, but that’s just part of who you are. Believe me, I understand.”
An insane jealousy zipped through Galen. Lincoln was so together. He never let what their father did bother him. He picked himself up and went on with life, making a brand-new one for himself that, against all odds, he seemed happy with. Galen wished he knew what had driven him to the point where he’d turned his whole life around.
“Why did you put up with me? I’ve always been such a selfish bastard.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Gale. Remember when Richie dumped me?”
“You mean, when you came back from your conference and walked in to find him in the middle of a writhing mass of bodies, which included your brother, who was balls-deep in Richie’s ass? Yeah, I vaguely recall it.”
Andy chuckled. “Yeah, I can tell it’s a distant memory for you. The point is, who came over with the quarts of Häagen-Dazs and sat with me while I cried? And then put me to bed while he cleaned up the mess they’d left?”
“Getting lube out of leather wasn’t a lot of fun. If I was smart, I would have had a company come in to take care of it. I am not made for cleaning.”
Andy snorted. “Regardless, you’ve been there for me, so don’t think you haven’t.” He leaned in and brushed a quick kiss against Galen’s lips. “And I’m going to be there for you too.”
A soft sigh escaped from Galen. “Remind me again why it wouldn’t work for us.”
“One of us would have to top.”
Galen frowned. “I top.”
“Being offered the opportunity when you were fifteen—and only because Quinn Westman said you could do him if he could do you—does not count as topping.” Andy gave him a wink. “And if you remember, you said the whole idea was, and I quote, ‘icky and never to be talked about again.’”
When his cheeks heated, Galen turned away. “You weren’t supposed to remind me.”
That day had colossal disaster written all over it. Two horny teens, alone for the afternoon, looking at Quinn’s brother’s stash of porn. When Quinn started rubbing his crotch, Galen was mesmerized. As Quinn’s cock grew longer and thicker, he grinned at Galen and asked if he wanted to touch it. Galen didn’t even bother to answer. He just reached out and ran his hand over the bulge. Quinn lay back on the bed and unzipped his pants before he tucked his hands behind his head and stared at Galen. He looked so fucking hot, and Galen’s heart hammered to think he could touch this god of a man, but he was frozen in place. As Quinn reached in and tugged it out, Galen’s mouth watered. He would have done anything for Quinn, and by the end of the day, he had. They continued meeting in secret throughout the school year, but then Quinn found a girlfriend and told Galen what had happened between them never happened.
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