An Eye for an Eye (The Santorno Stories 2): The Santorno Stories

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  Jordan petted her hair. “Get some sleep. We’ll be here in the morning.”

  Isabelle headed for her room but changed her mind and went to Charlie’s instead. She found her asleep and crawled into bed with her.

  “Izzy? What’s wrong?” Charlie whispered.

  Isabelle hugged her sister. She always went to Charlie when things went wrong. “Tell you in the morning.” She held her sister and cried.

  Stefan and Jordan were on the deck. Jordan was propped against the rail, and Stefan was kicking a deck post.

  “Stefan, calm down.”

  “How can you say that? Look what she did to our daughter, Jordan! I want to strangle her with my bare hands!” Stefan gripped the deck rail and shook it.

  “Stefan, your Santorno side is coming out.”

  “I don’t care!”

  Jordan moved to stand between his husband and the rail. “Look, I’m just as upset as you are. Believe me. We need to talk to Angela tomorrow.” Stefan looked up, eyes blazing. “When we’ve calmed down.”

  “Fine, but I deal with my aunt. You can come. But don’t say shit when I tear her a new one.”

  Jordan studied Stefan. He knew that look. Stefan had worn it in Italy when Jordan, Antonio and Marco had surprised him while searching for his father.

  It was hatred.

  ~*~

  Stefan and Jordan arrived at Global the next morning, walked right past the front desk and headed straight to Angela’s office.

  “She’s in a meeting, sir,” the receptionist called out.

  “Fuck off.” Stefan stormed into the office. “What did you do, Aunt Angela?” He eyed the men in the office. “Get out now,” he hissed.

  After they were gone, Stefan went off. “What in the holy hell did you think you were doing?”

  “Darling, what on Earth are you talking about?” Angela got up.

  “SIT DOWN!” Stefan shouted. “You used my daughter?? To get Tristan O’Conner? You. Used. MY. Daughter?”

  “OUR daughter,” Jordan interrupted quietly, staring a hole through Angela.

  “Darling, I didn’t use her. She had a crush on the man. I didn’t ask her to do anything. She did it on her own.”

  “Don’t play semantics with me; I’m not in the mood. You crossed a very distinct line when you violated her rights and her trust. Now — choose your next words carefully, Aunt Angela. Who put the camera in her room?”

  Angela shifted in her chair. “I had one of my associates put the camera in there.”

  “Godammit! What were you thinking? That is my DAUGHTER you exploited! Where are the fucking pictures?”

  “Calm down, Stefan; I have them. The only other person who has them is Tristan.” Angela stood up from the meeting table and went to her desk. She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Stefan.

  “You let him keep the photos?” Stefan was trembling now.

  “When I left his office they were on his desk.” Angela looked at her nephew. He would never forgive her. “Stefan, darling, I never wanted to hurt Isabelle.”

  “How can you even say that?? You secretly took intimate pictures of your own granddaughter! Did you really think she wouldn’t find out? Of course you hurt her. And for what? A new employee?” Stefan turned around.

  “Stefan…” Angela began.

  “No. You went too far in your blood-thirst for business power.”

  Stefan turned on his heel, Jordan trailing behind with one last look of disgust at Angela Santorno. When they got outside, Stefan pulled out his cell phone. “I need a favor.”

  “Stefan, what are you doing?” Jordan watched as Stefan lost it minute by minute.

  His husband waved him off. “His name is Tristan O’Conner; he has something I want. Pictures. Get them.” Stefan hung up and looked at Jordan. “Not one word.”

  They drove home in silence. Stefan went straight to their room, Jordan right behind him.

  Jordan closed the door. “Stefan, I know you’re upset…”

  “Upset? That barely covers it.”

  “Don’t cross that line, Stefan. I don’t know if I can bring you back from that darkness.” Jordan hugged him.

  “I won’t, Jordan. I won’t hurt Tristan, I just want the pictures.” He pulled Jordan in and hugged him tightly. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.” Jordan was uneasy. He fervently hoped he wouldn’t have to drag Stefan back over the edge.

  *~~~*

  Isabelle was on her way to the coffee shop. It had been three weeks since the incident with Tristan and she was finally getting back to normal. She had quit Global and gone to work at the foundation with her father. Charlie was meeting her this morning for coffee. She was so glad to have Charlie to talk with. She didn’t judge, she just sat and listened and hugged.

  As she walked up to the counter, her phone rang.

  “Hey, Charlie, I just got here. Yeah, I can wait. Love you.”

  Isabelle hung up and when she turned, she found a human wall in front of her. A guy in an Army uniform was right in front of her and she was looking at a chest. She looked at the nametag and gasped.

  “Jacob!”

  “Isabelle!” Jacob Sanders picked her up in a bear hug.

  “When did you get home?”

  “Just this morning, I’ve been at my mom’s. Look at you! Wow, you’re beautiful!”

  “Thank you, Jacob. You got huge!” Isabelle took a good look at him. He was at least six-foot-two, and muscular. His eyes were dark brown and he was gorgeous.

  “I haven’t seen you since you went to basic training.”

  They found a table and sat down.

  “How have you been, Isabelle? I missed you.” Jacob took her hand.

  “Oh, wow, where to start?” Isabelle laughed. “How about you, how have you been?”

  “Doing okay. I’m home for a while. Guess the Army wanted me to take a break.” He smiled.

  Charlie arrived and let out a squeal. “Oh my God! Is that Jacob Sanders?” She ran to him and hugged him.

  “Charlie, you grew up!” Jacob smiled widely.

  “You have got to come to the house! “ Charlie jumped up and down.

  “I can come by later if you guys want?” Jacob looked at Isabelle.

  “I would love it, Jacob!” Isabelle smiled.

  Jacob stood up and kissed both women on the cheek. “I have to get back before my mom sends out a search party, but I’ll see you guys tonight.”

  Jacob left and Charlie’s eyes followed him. “Damn, he got like, massive hot, huh?”

  Isabelle laughed. “Charlie!”

  “What? I’m just sayin’,” she giggled. “What’s it like to see him again? You haven’t seen him since the night he left for basic.”

  “I know; it’s weird. I mean, Jacob was my first. Just now I had all these feelings rushing back.”

  “Well, now you can see if it goes anywhere.” Charlie smiled.

  “Oh come on, he’s probably got girls all over him.”

  “Yes, but none of them were his first.”

  Isabelle smiled.

  Chapter 6

  Steve took Charlie to the movies and dinner and they were now on their way back to her house.

  Charlie rubbed his shoulder lightly as he drove. “I had fun, Steve.”

  “I did, too.”

  “Hey, can you pull in right here?”

  Steve took the turn and followed the road. It came out at a secluded spot with a view of Fort Worth.

  “Wow, I’ve never been here.” Steve took in the lights.

  “Really? I found it one time when I got lost.”

  Steve got out of the truck and walked to the edge. “It’s really nice here.” He felt Charlie come up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist.

  “This is where I want to make love the first time.” Charlie smiled.

  “What?” Steve turned and looked at her.

  “I want you to be my first, Steve. That’s why I brought you here.”

  �
�Oh. Wow. Not tonight though, right?”

  Charlie giggled. “No! Not tonight.”

  Steve breathed a sigh of relief. “Good because I’m not prepared.”

  “Are you a virgin, Steve?” She took his hand.

  “Yeah.”

  Charlie looked shocked. “Really? But you’ve always dated girls who put out.”

  “Doesn’t mean I was taking.” Steve looked down at her and smiled.

  “Seriously?”

  Steve pulled her closer. “Seriously.” He bent down and kissed her slowly. He pulled away. “Besides, I always wanted my first time to be with you.”

  “W-what?” Charlie stammered.

  “I’ve liked you for a long time, Charlie. I was just waiting and hoping that maybe someday you’d feel the same way.”

  “How long have you liked me?” Charlie palmed his face.

  “Since we were kids.”

  “Even when you pulled my ponytail?”

  “Especially when I pulled your ponytail,” he laughed.

  He took her hand, led her to the truck and let down the tailgate. They climbed in the bed and Steve spread his letterman jacket for her to lie on. They snuggled and star gazed.

  “It’s so beautiful.” Charlie’s face reflected her awe.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “You keep talking like that and I may rip your pants off,” Charlie laughed softly.

  “What is it about girls? Do you all think guys who respect you are hot?”

  “I think you’re hot anyway.” Charlie ran her hand up his shirt.

  “Oh yeah?” Steve smiled.

  Charlie pulled him on top, and kissed him hard. She felt Steve’s erection through his jeans. He moved slowly on top of her and it felt so good that Charlie lost it, urging him to move faster. She could feel Steve shudder on top of her.

  “Wow, with clothes on and everything?” Charlie looked surprised.

  “What can I say? I’m a hormonal teen,” he smiled and kissed her lightly.

  “Well, Mr. Hormonal, my pants are wet now.”

  “Wear my jacket; it will cover you. When you get home you can change.”

  Charlie got out of the truck bed and laughed. The jacket came to mid-thigh. “Wow.”

  “What?”

  “I look tiny.”

  Steve pulled his gym bag out and grabbed underwear and pants. He undid his belt and started unbuttoning his pants when he noticed Charlie watching him.

  “You going to watch?” he raised an eyebrow.

  “Can I?” She smiled wickedly.

  “Sure, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Steve stripped down and Charlie saw his penis — it was big. Even small, it was big.

  “Never mind. We are so never having sex!” She clapped her hands over her mouth and laughed.

  “What?” Steve stopped as he was pulling his pants on.

  “Yeah, I’m tiny and you’re, um, not.”

  Steve pulled her into a hug. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

  “Let’s go, Romeo. I have to get home to see Jacob.”

  “No shit? Sanders is back?”

  “Yep!”

  *~~~*

  Jacob rang the Youngblood doorbell and waited. He hadn’t seen them in two years. The night before he left for camp, he and Isabelle had made love by the pond. He had told her not to wait for him, made her promise.

  Now he was back, and he fervently hoped she was single.

  “Jacob!” Stefan answered the door and grabbed him for a hug. “Jordan, Jacob’s here!”

  “Hey, Mr. Youngblood!”

  “Wow, it’s been so long, Jacob — look at you! How are Bethany and Trent?”

  “Everybody’s good. You know Mom…”

  “Yeah I do,” Jordan laughed.

  They spent hours catching up. Damon asked about Afghanistan and Jacob answered everyone’s questions with patience. Isabelle noticed he bristled at some of them, but took them in stride and gave honest replies. The rest of the kids went to bed and Isabelle finally got Jacob alone.

  “Hey, Dad, is it okay if Jacob and I take a walk around the pond?” Isabelle looked at Jordan.

  “Sure, go on guys; catch up.”

  The couple left and Stefan eyed Jordan.

  “Well, what do you think? Will they pick up where they left off, or go their separate ways again?’

  Jordan smiled. “My guess? It’s to be continued.”

  Isabelle held Jacob’s hand as they strolled around the pond. “I wrote you every day, Jacob.”

  “I know. I got your letters, Izzy. I just didn’t want you to waste your teenage years waiting for me.”

  “Wasn’t that my decision, Jacob? You took that away from me.”

  “Look, I just — I didn’t want you to have to sit around worrying about me, and when I got my orders to Afghanistan,” he sighed. “I just couldn’t, Izzy.”

  They arrived at the spot where they had made love and the memories came flooding back.

  “I’m leaving soon, Izzy. We can’t do this.”

  “But I want to. We’ve dated for so long, Jacob; and now you’re leaving again.”

  “That’s the point. We make love and then I leave? That’s not me, Izzy”

  “Don’t you love me, Jacob?”

  “That’s not fair. You know I do.”

  “Then show me.”

  Their first time and been just that — the first time for each. Jacob had made love to her slowly on the blanket from his car. They were finally a part of each other. He had kissed her, tasted every part of her — and he loved her.

  Now, they gazed at the spot where they had lost their innocence. Isabelle sat down and Jacob dropped beside her. She told him everything that had happened since he had left — the good, the bad and the terrible. He listened to her, and then he told her his story — his training, Afghanistan, his reason for coming home. He had lost a friend in an explosion that had almost taken his own life.

  Isabelle hugged him close.

  “I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about it, not even my shrink.”

  “Shrinks are overrated, Jacob.”

  “You sound like your father, Izzy.”

  “Yeah, which one?” Isabelle laughed.

  “I’m sorry about Tristan, Isabelle. He obviously didn’t know you well if he thought you would give yourself to someone you didn’t care about.”

  “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Jacob. I tried. I dated. When I met Tristan, I thought I had feelings for him. But you were always there, in the back of my mind. I still love you.”

  “Oh, Izzy, I still love you, too. I never stopped.” Jacob kissed her slowly. Her hands came to his hair and she deepened the kiss. The broke apart gently.

  “We should get back, Jacob, but I want to go out on a date. If you want to?”

  “I’d like that.”

  *~~~*

  Damon and Tyler were at Tyler’s house enjoying a horror movie marathon. They had gone through five already.

  Tyler had gone to get more popcorn and Damon watched him as he came back with two sodas and a bowl of popcorn. He was wearing sweats and a T-shirt, and Damon couldn’t stop staring.

  “Hey, are you cold?” Tyler noticed Damon shivering.

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Hold this, I got a blanket somewhere.”

  Tyler came back with the blanket and put it across Damon. He sat beside him on the couch and put the popcorn bowl between them.

  “You want some blanket? You look cold, too.” Damon nodded at the goose bumps on Tyler’s skin.

  “I didn’t know if you wanted me that close to you.” Tyler ducked his head.

  Damon gave him his best “duh” look and pulled Tyler into the blanket. He wrapped over them both, and Tyler rested his head on Damon’s shoulder.

  He snuggled in closer. “This feels good.”

  Damon got hard immediately.

  “Yeah, it does.”

  Tyler tilted his head to look at
him. “Turned on?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Me, too,” Tyler whispered.

  Damon dipped his lips to Tyler’s. It was a slow, sensual kiss, which quickly became passionate. Tyler gently pushed Damon onto his back, disregarding the spilled popcorn.

  “I want to touch you, Damon.”

  The heat was nearly unbearable. Damon’s heart raced. He swallowed hard.

  “Okay.”

  Tyler’s hand snaked into Damon’s sweats, getting a long moan in return. He stroked him slowly, and pulled the sweats down. Damon lifted his ass so Tyler could slip them off completely.

  “God, you’re huge,” Tyler whispered. His hand stroked Damon faster. “Remember what I said, Damon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you want me to?”

  “Oh, yes!”

  Tyler’s lips touched his cock and Damon nearly passed out. The sensation was unbelievable. Tyler’s warm mouth took his cock in, and his tongue swirled around the head. The licking and sucking were driving Damon crazy.

  “Tyler, I’m going to come,” Damon gasped. He let out a loud moan and came in Tyler’s waiting mouth.

  Damon ran his hands through Tyler’s hair. “Fuck!”

  “Mmmm, Damn, Damon.” Tyler slid up Damon’s body, back to his face. “You want to kiss me? Taste yourself?”

  Damon nodded and Tyler kissed him. His tongue slowly moved around Tyler’s, and he could taste the salt, soda, and popcorn. His hand slid to Tyler’s hard cock. Damon snuck a hand inside and groped it.

  “Oh God…Damon…yes…” Tyler moved away and Damon pushed him to his back. He pulled Tyler’s sweats off and took Tyler’s hard cock in his hand, stroking it, fascinated with the way it looked.

  “Faster!” Tyler could hear his heartbeat pulsing in his ears.

  Damon stroked faster, tightening his grip.

  “Oh, Damon!”

  Damon felt the orgasm in his hand. He grabbed one of the napkins and cleaned Tyler off.

  “Are you mad that I didn’t — you know?” Damon bit his bottom lip nervously.

  “Are you serious? No, I’m not mad! I like you, Damon. We could just kiss and I’d be fine. I would never push you into anything you didn’t want to do.”

  They spooned on the couch, with Tyler in front of Damon. Tyler’s head turned and Damon caught his mouth. They kissed again and it turned into a full-on make-out session. They were kissing furiously, and hands seemed to be everywhere at once.