“I kind of stink. I doubt I’d make a good breakfast companion.”
“You’re fine.” Logan stood and stepped away from the bed, allowing Ashton the room to also stand. “Wash up, and I’ll order breakfast.” Ashton nodded.
“Okay, thank you,” Ashton stated with a half-smile and headed to the bathroom. Logan was pleased with his beloved’s easy acceptance. He pulled out his phone and ordered breakfast as he left the room.
…
Ashton took off his jacket, leaned over the sink, and turned on the water. He didn’t look at himself in the mirror for a few minutes, not sure he wanted to see what he looked like after a night of being drugged and sleeping in his clothes. Finally, after washing his hands and face, he looked at himself, taking in the dark circles and pale complexion.
Thoughts of Will and his friends came to mind as he considered all the things that could have gone down last night. The three of them were setting him up to either assault him or humiliate him in some fashion. The guys were gross and constantly spoke of looking forward to a good time that night. Little did Ashton know that he was the lamb to that particular slaughter. They were just waiting for him to take that shot.
If Logan hadn’t been watching him, they would have carried him out of the bar as if he was nothing more than a drunk friend. He would have been helpless and in their hands. He had to stop thinking the visions were making him equal parts angry and afraid. How had he not picked up on that side of Will’s character? He said that he often went out with friends on the weekend and pressured Ashton for weeks to join him for a drink.
Going out for a drink with his boss was something Ashton was not at all interested in, but he thought he could get him off his back if he went out with him this one time. Annoying but harmless was what he thought, but he was so wrong.
He continued to stare at himself in the mirror and saw the fright in his own eyes, stark and real. I came so close to having my life fundamentally altered for all time. As he continued to stare, he felt the raw emotions bubbling up.
All the feelings tied to last night and this morning were edging to the surface and demanding release. Ashton tried with everything inside of him to hold them back, but in the end, the tears fell as his shoulders shook, and his torment took over.
Suddenly, arms came around him, and he was gathered up in an embrace that made the nightmare dissipate. Logan held him and calmed him, not judging or demanding just being, and it was exactly what Ashton needed. He pressed his face into the t-shirt clad chest and felt the softness of the fabric and the firmness of the muscles beneath. He didn’t care how this looked or what Logan might think of him after; all that mattered was this sense of safety.
No one could touch him, and no words could hurt him when he was in this man’s arms. It struck him as wild and stupid, but he could not let go, and he could not stop crying.
Logan held him tight, and Ashton felt a light kiss on the top of his head and one near his ear as he snuggled into this man, this stranger for relief. He didn’t speak, just held him, and Ashton was so thankful as he slowly pulled himself under control, and the anguish subsided.
“I’m sorry about that.” He spoke softly while lifting his face away from Logan’s chest. “I lost it for a few minutes.”
“You’re fine. There is nothing to be sorry about.” Logan said and pulled him back close to his chest, and Ashton did not resist. Laying his head back down, Ashton closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing and the steady beat of Logan’s heart. After a few more minutes composing himself, he pulled away once again, but Logan kept him in a loose embrace.
“Thanks.” Was all he could think of to say. Logan slipped his arm around Ashton’s shoulders and turned him towards the door.
“Breakfast is ready. Come on, let’s eat.” He smiled softly, and Ashton melted. How was it that this man so drop-dead fantastic was here helping him and feeding him breakfast? How was he so lucky and unlucky at the same time? Logan led him to a living area with large couches and soft chairs arranged in a spacious manner. The dining table was near the kitchen, which was also open to the entire room. This was one of those gorgeous loft apartments that they showed in magazines. This was a stunning space.
“You have a very beautiful apartment.” He told him as he sat, and Logan prepared his plate for him and poured him juice and coffee. It felt strange being waited on like this, but it also felt good like he was important and welcome.
“I’m glad you like it,” Logan responded and took a seat opposite him at the table. They talked casually, nothing heavy or anything that took too much thought. Then Logan asked about his job, and Ashton found himself sharing so many things with this man. He even told him all about his hopes of becoming one of the jewelry buyers for Knight’s Jewelry. It was so easy to talk to Logan. He listened but also shared it was such a comfortable environment Ashton never wanted to leave.
Logan asked about Ashton’s family, and that’s when it hit him. “What time is it?” He fumbled for his phone in his pocket, but before he could get it, Logan answered.
“Ten past nine, it’s still early, and it’s Saturday. Relax and finish your meal.” Logan spoke with a subtle command in his voice that Ashton ached to follow but the strain of what his parents would say and do if he didn’t show up this morning had him shaking his head and standing.
“I’m sorry, but I was supposed to be at my parents to help with the landscaping at eight.” He reached and took his coffee cup and quickly finished it needing the caffeine jolt. He wouldn’t have time for a cup, and his mother never offered him anything while he worked, not even a glass of water. “I have to go.”
…
Logan had planned to maneuver Ashton into spending the day with him, but the level of panic that was filling the room told him that wasn’t happening. Ashton was on his feet and heading for the door. “Wait, I’ll drive you.” He told him, and Ashton stopped and nodded absently.
“Yeah, that would be faster, thanks.” Logan didn’t make him wait and grabbed his keys as they left the apartment. Ashton kept fidgeting in the elevator and on the way out the back door. He was definitely on edge about this landscaping.
“I’m sure they’ll understand.” Logan reached over and placed his hand on Ashton’s back to comfort him, but Ashton shook his head.
“My mom called several times, but I had my phone off. I just noticed it, three calls in all.” He said with a tone that was sounding somewhat fearful. Logan didn’t like it one bit, but he couldn’t stop his beloved. His parents seem to be highly controlling, which was something Logan would not tolerate. His beloved answered to him, and no one else.
“Do you live with your parents?” Logan asked after they were in the car and on their way.
“No, I have my own apartment near Lafayette Park.” The tension was thick in the car, and Logan knew it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with being late. The fact that he hadn’t tried to call them and explain himself spoke volumes as to their treatment. Ashton either didn’t want to get into it with them in front of him, or he feared the phone call. He was afraid of his parents.
“Are they both hard on you, both your mom and dad?” He put it out there to see how Ashton would answer the stated assumption.
“Yes.” Not a moment of hesitation. “They both run a tight ship as they say. They don’t abide slackers or the incompetent.” He said it with such contempt that Logan was left with no doubt about how his beloved was treated. He would allow it for today, but this dysfunctional tie that bound Ashton to these people would be broken.
He pulled up in front of Ashton’s apartment building and stopped. Ashton was ready to jump from the car, but Logan stayed him with a hand on his arm. “Give me your number. I’ll call you later.” Logan was pleased when Ashton did not hesitate in rattling off his number, which Logan quickly put into his phone. Ashton then jumped out of the car and raced up to the building disappearing inside.
Logan sat there for a few minutes and calmed his a
gitation. The emotions still lingering in his car were wearing on his ability to stay separate from the action. It was not yet his time to act. He had no right to interfere until a relationship was established.
In his mind, the relationship was solid the moment he scented the fresh, clean aroma of his beloved, but the human world looked at things differently. They required time to build a bond and establish a relationship. He would see Ashton later, and that was a certainty.
…
Damn it, he wanted to spend more time with Logan Brown, the finest-looking man to ever give him a second look, but no, he had to rush off to trim trees, fuck. He didn’t bother calling to let them know he was on his way. His mother would have gone off on a tirade about his laziness and how utterly useless he was, so he preferred to deal with that once and in person so he could walk away when it became too much.
What he hadn’t expected was for his father to take his anger out on him physically. Oh, he didn’t strike him purposefully; no, it was just a series of unfortunate accidents leaving Ashton with numerous cuts and bruises all over his body. Thankfully his face was spared the damage caused by his father’s sudden clumsiness.
He just barely missed getting a finger taken off with the hedge clippers as his father swung the thing side to side. The hedge looked like shit, and the trees looked like they were cut by a mad man. But his father was satisfied once he was able to draw some real blood opening up a cut to Ashton’s arm and then put the tools away.
“Have your mother look at that.” He barked as he walked away without a thank you for showing up or apologizing for slicing him open. Ashton realized that his mother was the last person he’d have look at it. She’d probably dowse it with salt claiming it was a purifier. She tended to be just as nasty as his father when she felt disrespected. Apart from Logan Brown coming into his life, this was shaping up as the worst weekend ever.
He pulled out his handkerchief and wrapped it around the wound, keeping it closed until he could get home and properly take care of it. He didn’t bother to go through the house and say goodbye to his mother; she would have berated him for getting dirt or possibly blood on her floors. He needed to get out of there; five hours of watching his father massacre the garden was more than enough.
He noticed that the cut on his arm was still bleeding profusely on his way home, so he decided to stop at the clinic first and see if it needed stitches. Not too many people have to stop and get stitches after a day spent with their parents. His thoughts turned bitter.
He had to cut them loose somehow; he had to get out from under their pressure and control. He managed it with others he found oppressive or controlling, but he just couldn’t seem to stand up for himself with Jean and Allan Webb.
He resisted moving away because he liked his job at the jewelry store and had hopes of becoming one of the jewelry buyers someday, just as he’d described to Logan earlier. But now that dream was tarnished with the presence of Will Chandler. Working next to that piece of shit was going to be difficult, if not impossible. He had to find a way to set it aside and focus on the job, but that was easier said than done.
He arrived home just after five and went straight to his bedroom to lie down. The nurse practitioner at the clinic put fifteen stitches in his arm, and it was starting to ache. He needed to get up and take some pain reliever, but he was just too tired to move. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the calls. He was really hoping that Logan had been serious when he said that he’d call later.
The chances of that man calling him were near to nothing, and that was the truth. He just said it to be polite and make Ashton feel as if he amounted to something. Yeah, he was being harsh with himself but really, what did he have that would attract a man like Logan Brown?
Why was he thinking about a man anyway? He’d come so close to being assaulted last night, and today all he could think about were his chances of getting physical with Logan Brown. The crazy thoughts brought a ridiculous smile to his face, and he dropped his phone to the bed beside him and closed his eyes. Nobody was calling him least of all the bartender of his dreams, Logan Brown.
Sleep was just about to take him when his phone began to vibrate beside him. He decided he didn’t recognize the number and dropped the phone back onto the bed with a quick but groggy glance at the caller. As his mind came fully awake, he realized that it might be Logan and quickly answered. To his complete and utter disgust, it was not Logan Brown but rather Will Chandler calling from someone else’s phone.
“Don’t hang up, Ashton.” He said. “Please, hear me out.”
“What the fuck do you want?” Ashton wasn’t one to use profanity with his boss, but this situation called for it.
“Are you okay? I just needed to know that you’re okay.” Will said, and he sounded so sincere, but he was also a very good actor. Ashton didn’t respond right away, so Will added. “You were drunk off your feet, but the bartender wouldn’t let me take you home. He kept you there with him, and there was nothing I could do.” Oh, so this was how he was going to play it.
“I’m fine. The bartender brought me home, and all is well. He didn’t trust you and was suspicious of your intentions. He wanted to make sure I was safe, which I appreciated.” Because you certainly didn’t give a rat’s ass about my safety or welfare. Ashton wanted to say it but didn’t want the fallout and besides what was there to gain.
“Well, I’m glad that you’re okay.” He still sounded uncertain but then let loose with an accusatory attack. “Next time, don’t get drunk out of your mind, and these things won’t happen.”
“Oh, there will be no next time.” Ashton sounded calmer than he felt. “Well, I have things to do, so goodbye, see you Monday.” He hung up, having had his fill of Will’s bullshit.
He knew he wasn’t drunk last night; he didn’t have enough to drink to cause him to become completely incapacitated in mere seconds. Besides, he woke up tired and unfocused but not sick this morning. No hangover and no lingering headache that always assaulted him when he had too much to drink. He knew the truth, and so did Will Chandler.
Ashton stood and was on his way to take a shower when his doorbell sounded. Not sure who would be showing up at his front door, he moved carefully towards the door and peeked out to see who it was. Standing there looking as magnificent as he had this morning, maybe more so, was Logan. He didn’t call; he came.
CHAPTER FOUR
Logan was on pins and needles, waiting to see his beloved again. It had been miserable letting him go off to deal with his parents alone. They sounded like total assholes, and according to Race, the father, Allan Webb, owed John several thousand dollars. The man liked to gamble but wasn’t very good at it. He’d stopped about a year ago and was paying down his debt by the month. It was a little leverage that might come in handy. He was pretty sure Ashton wasn’t aware of his father’s moral shortcomings.
He decided to stop by rather than call. He needed to see his beloved, and he wanted to invite him to dinner, and asking in person was usually more successful than over the phone. Logan was not going to be denied a proper evening with his beloved.
He rang the doorbell and waited. It took several minutes for Ashton to come to the door, and that concerned him. The scent of his beloved was strong, and he could feel his presence on the other side of this closed door. What was he waiting for? Then the door opened slowly.
“Hey, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and invite you to dinner,” Logan stated, and Ashton stepped back, welcoming him inside and closing the door. He noticed something off as soon as he entered the apartment. Looking Ashton over, head to toe, the bandages beneath his long shirt sleeve became evident.
“What happened to your arm?” He reached out his hand but did not touch him. Ashton pushed his sleeve up and showed the large white bandage that covered several inches of his right forearm. Logan carefully cradled the arm in the palm of his hand and looked up into Ashton’s eyes. “Your father did this?”
; “It was an accident.” Ashton covered for his father, of course.
“How did it happen?” Logan held Ashton’s arm in a gentle embrace and carefully pulled back the bandage to see the damage for himself. It was obviously caused by a sharp edge such as a knife, saw, or another gardening tool.
“He was pruning one of the trees and swung the handsaw too wide and caught my arm.” Ashton dropped his gaze to the angry-looking line of stitches.
“This looks like a defensive wound,” Logan added. He saw many small abrasions and bruises indicating that Ashton had fended off more than one arrant attack. “Where was the saw going to hit you if you hadn’t had time to raise your arm to deflect.”
Ashton shrugged. “I don’t know I just ducked and raised my arm when I saw it coming.”
Logan stared at Ashton for several seconds before the man raised his eyes. “I’m sure it was just an accident. I stopped at the clinic on the way home, and they stitched it up for me. It isn’t as bad as it looks.” He did not sound at all convincing.
“I’m taking you out to dinner. So, why don’t you get ready and I’ll be right back. I just have a quick errand to run.” Taking a chance, Logan leaned down and kissed Ashton’s soft lips. It was quick, but it was powerful and left Logan knowing that he would do anything, absolutely anything for this man.
“Okay, I’ll be ready.” Ashton switched from awkward to eager in a split second, which made Logan smile even while his anger over the supposed accident was still roiling inside him.
Logan turned to leave and then turned back and kissed him again; he couldn’t help himself, and he saw no reason to resist. “I won’t be long.” He said as he closed the door and raced down the walkway to his car. He pulled out his phone and dialed Race.
“I’m paying a visit to Allan Webb.” He explained the incident and the threat to his beloved, and Race gave him their address and gave him full authority to act as he saw fit.
“I’ll call and get you access to their gated community. Aaron from Kansas City works the gate there.” Aaron was one of the new Dark Side members who moved to St. Louis after the war.
Logan's Love: Dark Side Vampires Vol. 2 Page 3