by Dirk Greyson
“The people who set me up have no scruples and will do anything to get what they want. I’m willing to bet they think they can find what they want, but they can’t. My computer was encrypted, and they will never find the key. If they destroy it, they’re wasting their time. Everything needed to bring them down is in cloud storage, but you need the access information. You have what you need. You know the private account, and I put the password where we kept our personal papers. You just need to look for it.
“I know you and I had a good life and I was the one who changed all that. But know that I regret it. Be safe, and above all, be happy.”
Forge wiped his eyes. “I wonder how much of this was still true after all these months.” Forge refolded the letter and placed it gently on the bed. He didn’t move, sitting quietly, staring at the wall. “Things between us got so messed up.”
“Maybe. But at least you know that Granger did care and felt bad for what happened.”
“Six months ago. He put all that crap in a letter instead of sitting down and talking to me. We were living in the same house, avoiding each other, and all he needed to do was try to talk and explain. I don’t know if I’d have been able to forgive him right away… or take him back, but we could have talked instead of arguing about everything we owned for the last six months and getting nowhere.”
“I bet you weren’t getting anywhere because Granger was still holding on.” Gage took Forge’s hand, lightly stroking the back with his thumb. “I know he was a lawyer, but sometimes people don’t have the words for what they want, so they act on their emotions instead. Maybe he hoped things could work out if he kept the two of you living together as long as possible.” He continued stroking Forge’s hand and caught his gaze. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes. I’m surprised to see the note, and yet I think I understand. I always thought of Granger as the kind of man who was always in control and knew what he wanted.” Forge tugged his hand away and put both over his face. “Ten years and I didn’t understand who he really was.” He gasped and wiped his eyes. “Granger wasn’t the person I thought because I didn’t see beyond the mask that he wanted everyone to see. He wanted to be the strong, in-charge, amazing lawyer. So he played that part, even for me.” Forge picked up the note once again. “But this shows me something different, something I should have seen and never did.” He set the letter down and wiped his eyes once again.
“But he didn’t want you to see anything else,” Gage tried to explain, but Forge shook his head.
“I know you have this image of the strong protector, and you are that, but you’re also gentle and the most caring person I’ve ever met. You’re strong because you help others be strong. I saw who you were almost immediately, but I never really saw Granger.”
“Did he see you?” Gage asked, and Forge grew quiet, shrugging.
“I thought he did. But maybe not.” Forge leaned closer, and Gage put his arm around him. Forge sighed. “I’m sorry about what happened to Granger. He didn’t deserve to die.” Forge picked up the letter. “Though he did think it was a possibility.”
“Yes, he did. But no one deserves to have their life taken away like that. And somehow we’re going to make those responsible pay for what they did.” Gage gestured at the paper and Forge handed it to him. Gage read it through again. “He says you’ll know the information you need.”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure I know what email address he’s referring to. Granger had one that he used only for the most personal communications. He rarely gave it out except to close friends. Most of the time he directed communications to his work email so his assistant could help deal with it. He said the password was where we kept our personal papers, but that’s the safe we already went through.”
“Then we need to look again.” Gage patted Forge’s hand. “We’re going to need to go back to your house and see what we can find. I’ll call Harv in the morning just to check that everything has been quiet, but he would have called if he’d seen anything.”
Forge picked up the flash drive out of the box, holding it in his hand. “I wonder what this is.”
Gage got his computer, booted it up, and inserted the drive. He waited for it to start, and then pictures flashed on the screen. Forge stared, mesmerized by the images of him and Granger. The first pictures showed a much younger Forge, closer to the one from Gage’s memories. Skiing, boating, a cruise with glaciers in the background. This was obviously something Granger had put together to document his and Forge’s life as a couple. The slide show continued, with the two of them getting older and ending with a photograph of them in tuxedos, a cake in front of them, holding champagne glasses.
“You had a good life together,” Gage said softly.
“Yes.”
But it was over, and the grief showed in Forge’s eyes. Gage held him tighter, and Forge turned his face to his shirt. Gage squeezed him and let Forge release the grief he’d been holding for days. He had no illusions that Forge needed to grieve for the life he’d thought he had. Gage was glad that Forge and Granger had been happy, for the most part. He hated thinking that Forge had truly been miserable.
“Granger and I had good times together, and I did love him and he loved me. In the end things went to hell, but that still doesn’t mean that we hadn’t cared about each other.” Forge held him tighter. “Now it’s all over, and we can’t say the things to each other that we want to.” He gasped, and Gage slowly rocked him back and forth. “Everything between us ends like this. There’s no chance to say we’re sorry and no chance to forgive in return.”
“You can always forgive him. Granger will know. And maybe that’s what you need to do so you can truly move on.”
“Eight months of fighting and arguing was more than enough for that,” Forge countered.
Gage lightly stroked Forge’s cheek. “It isn’t, and deep down you know that. The fighting was only the outward sign of something else. If you cared enough to fight, then there’s still some feeling there.”
“True, but I had given up and was about to walk away when I found Granger in the backyard. I’d told Vince to settle, that I wanted to be able to move on with my life.” Forge turned to him. “We were good together for a while, but things were over between us.” Forge sighed. “That part of my life is over. It was kind of Granger to write the note, and it made me feel better, but only about moving on.”
Forge turned toward him, and Gage realized he’d been holding his breath and was likely to turn blue. He’d been worried that the note from Granger was going to open up a whole new round of soul searching. Not that Gage could blame Forge for a second. The note had been powerful; even he’d felt that.
“Maybe we should get ready to try to sleep,” Gage offered.
“Yeah. I never thought days could be so packed with activity.” Forge yawned, and Gage motioned for him to use the bathroom first. While he was gone, Gage lowered the lights and pulled down the bed covers. He took the chance to undress and figured he’d take his turn once Forge was done.
The door opened and Forge stepped out, bare, only for Gage to see and drink in. The view was stunning, like in the movies where the character has been hiding and then shows their true self and it blows you away. That was his Forge, beautiful chest, narrow hips, and eyes the color of the brightest sky. Forge came closer, and Gage’s mouth went dry. It never ceased to amaze him how Forge could do that each and every time.
“Do you need a turn?” Forge asked without looking away.
Gage shook his head, unable to take his gaze off the splendid creature in front of him. Gage lowered himself to the bed, sitting on the edge, willing Forge to come forward. As soon as he was close enough, Gage placed his hands on his hips and drew Forge into his embrace, sliding his hands around to the perfect globes of Forge’s butt. He squeezed and brought his lips to Forge’s belly, inhaling the deep, masculine richness of his skin before kissing it, the muscles under his lips fluttering.
“You are so beautiful.” Gage
closed his eyes, inhaling again. “I waited so long for this.” It seemed like a lifetime, and now his spirit soared with every look, each touch, making his heart beat faster. Gage hadn’t realized how much he’d put the emotional and caring portion of himself on hold until Forge released it.
“So have I.” Forge ran his fingers through Gage’s hair, and Gage shivered at the roughness for even the slight pull of his hair. It didn’t hurt in the least, but the movements were strong and confident, with nothing tentative. “I mean, I know you had other relationships. Not that I want to hear about them now….”
Gage chuckled. He certainly didn’t want to talk about any other men at this moment. “I told you. There was no one who touched my heart. I had men in my life, but things never lasted very long.” Gage wound his arms around Forge’s waist and muscled him onto the bed.
Forge laughed as Gage pressed him onto the mattress, the smile worth everything he possessed. “That’s a long time to feel unloved.”
Gage climbed on top of Forge, staring deeply into his now darkened eyes. “How can anyone, ever, compare to you?” He knew Forge would argue, so Gage kissed him and didn’t let up. He wasn’t in the mood to hear anything contrary, and after a few breathlessly intense moments, it seemed Forge had lost the will to argue. “You were all I ever wanted, and I thought it better to be alone than to settle. And that’s what I would have been doing. I looked for that spark, that gentle touch that wrapped around my soul, but I never felt it with anyone.”
Forge stroked his cheek before wrapping his arms around Gage’s neck. “Why not?”
“I think it’s because of what I went through. When I couldn’t move my hands or legs, you sat beside me. You didn’t do it out of pity, but because you cared. You saw me at my most helpless and defenseless and made me feel alive. You, Forge, gave me something to look forward to each day, when all I wanted to do was kill myself.” Gage closed his eyes, trying to keep his emotions from overwhelming him. “You loved me for who I was then, at my worst. No one else can ever do that. The guys I’ve met since I got out of the Army have all seen me as I am now. They didn’t know what’s on the inside, and none of them can ever understand it. They don’t know the pain, determination, and guts it took to be able to walk again, or the thrill we shared when I was able to move my hands. You do because you saw me and cared for me.”
Forge shrugged slightly. “I only did what anyone would do.”
“No, you didn’t, and don’t ever say that to me. You brought me back to life, nurtured my spirit and my heart. I needed that before I could begin to heal physically.” Gage leaned closer, capturing Forge’s lips. Sometimes words were just not adequate, and Gage set out to show Forge just what he’d done all those years ago meant to him.
Chapter 7
FORGE WOKE to near complete quiet. The morning sun peered around the edges of the curtains, and he was alone in the bed. Forge sat up, the covers pooling around his waist. “Gage?” he said softly, and the bathroom door opened, light spilling out, then going off once again.
“I didn’t want to wake you,” Gage said softly. “I called Harv, and the house has been quiet. Margie has been monitoring the cameras and reports that the office has been quiet as well. Apparently they’ve given up for the time being, or they’re saving what they have for later.”
“Are we going home?”
“Yes,” Gage answered, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed in only a pair of plain white briefs. “We need to find out some answers, and we need to do it quickly.”
“Detective Coleridge is going to be mad as hell….”
“You promised you’d tell him what was in the box, and you’re going to do that. If he wants to see what was inside, you can show him everything. It might help him crack the code on the computer, though I don’t think so.”
“What about the online backups?” Forge yawned, and Gage leaned closer to him.
“I only want to keep you safe. That’s what I’m here for. If the police can do that by taking down the entire operation, that’s fine with me. As long as you’re safe.” He put his arm around Forge, and Forge wrapped his around Gage’s middle and held tightly.
“I feel safe when you’re around. But you can’t be there forever.” Forge clung to Gage with everything he had, trying not to shake out of sheer fear. “Well, maybe you can, but you can’t keep me safe forever. No one will be able to. So maybe I should turn over everything I have and will ever have to the police and leave town, maybe the country. I could try to start over somewhere else.” That wasn’t what he wanted at all. Forge wanted his life back—well, some life back, one he could live happily again. Every time he closed his eyes and pictured what he wanted, he saw Gage and him together. The funny thing was, he never saw the two of them together at his house, but at the rooms in Gage’s office.
“Don’t be hasty. Let’s go back and see if we can’t crack this thing open, then figure out what we’re going to do with what we find.”
Gage kissed him, and Forge let go of his worries for an hour or so, Gage taking him to a place where they didn’t matter at all. After making love, they showered together once again, Gage cleaning him gently and massaging away the aches he knew he’d feel for days regardless of how much hot water they used.
“Go ahead and get dressed,” Gage said softly, wiping his back with one of the soft towels. “I’m going to shave. I’ll be right out.”
Forge dressed in a hurry and was glad Gage was out of sight. Watching Gage running around bareassed got his motor running again, and Forge wasn’t sure he was ready for another round so soon. Gage emerged as he was finishing, and Forge perved on him a little as he dressed and gathered their things together in the shopping bags. He also packed Gage’s computer into his bag and set everything by the door. When they were ready, they marched out of the room to the elevator. Gage settled the bill at the desk, and without wasting a minute, they were down to the car and out onto the streets of Chicago.
“Just like before, use your mirror to watch for anyone behind us.”
“What if there’s another tracker on the car?” Forge asked, and Gage pointed Forge to the onboard display.
“This car is newer, and we installed some special programming so it checks itself for any signals emanating from the car. There’s the GPS signal and nothing more.” Gage patted his leg. “But I like that you’re thinking that way. It will help keep you safe.” He turned at the next corner, and Forge checked the mirror. It was difficult to see since they were in heavy city traffic, but it didn’t look like they were being followed.
Once they reached the highway, Gage went north, and Forge continued checking behind them. No one stayed near them for very long, and after a while with every car passing them, Gage sped up and they headed toward home.
Forge grew more excited and anxious the closer they got to the house. Was it going to be all right and was he going to be safe there? He certainly hoped so.
“We aren’t going to sleep at the house. We’ll keep watching it, but it will be safer at the office,” Gage told him as though he were reading Forge’s mind. “We’ll get everything out of the safe and take it back there. I have secure internet connections, and we can try to work out what Granger meant from there.”
“If you think so.” Forge had been looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, but if Gage thought they’d be safer at the office, he’d do what he said. “Will I be able to get into my work email?”
“Certainly,” Gage answered. “I suggest you call Detective Coleridge and let him know where we’ve been and what you found. He’ll probably want to meet us at the house, and that will add an extra layer of protection, at least for a while. When we’re there, assume that we’re being watched and that someone can hear what we’re saying. You were spied on before, so it will probably happen again.”
Forge thought Gage might be overreacting, but he nodded and grew quiet, looking out the window as they passed through downtown. Forge watched the old brewery buildings pass as they
continued their way north. Then he made his call and was lucky enough to be connected right away. “Detective, its Forge Reynolds, and I was able to figure out how to open the jade box.”
“Where have you been?” Coleridge practically shouted, sounding partially relieved and partially pissed.
“Chicago. After being followed and people trying to run us off the road, we thought getting out of town might be best. Did you get anything from the men in the car?”
“I’ll meet you at the house and you can bring me up to date, and I’ll do the same. We’ve made some progress on our end, and it sounds like you’ve done likewise.” He seemed in a hurry. “How long before you can get there?”
“Twenty minutes, tops.” Forge didn’t tell him that Gage had someone watching the house. “We’ll see you then, and it might be best if you made a show of coming over. Please don’t be subtle. There are people still after us. You making a show of force might be more than a little helpful.”
“I understand. Tell me all about it when I get there.” He hung up, and Forge put his phone in his pocket.
Gage called Harv to let him know what was happening, and he agreed to stay out of sight. Forge held the bag with the jade box on his lap until they pulled into the driveway, where a police cruiser was already parked.
“Was this conspicuous enough?” Detective Coleridge said as he got out of the car.
“Yes. Thank you.” Forge carried the bag with the box to the door and unlocked it. He let Coleridge enter first and check out the house before going inside. Gage followed the others, and they sat at the table while Coleridge checked out the office once more before removing the tape so Forge could begin putting the room back in order.
“What did you find?” Coleridge sat down.