“Carl, what the fuck is going on?” Landon yelled through the heavy door. “Can you give me something here? I don’t understand what I’ve done.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Carl decided he deserved to know why he was locking him out of his life.
“We’re finished!” Carl yelled.
Landon’s eyes bugged out and his fist slammed against the door. “Finished? Open this fucking door now, or I break the fucker down.”
Carl forwarded him the photo of Landon and Tristen kissing and waited.
To Landon’s horror a shot of this mornings uninvited escapade with Tristen appeared on the screen. He slapped his palm to his forehead and leaned against the door.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“It never is,” Carl sneered.
“Let me explain.”
“No, you go be with him and leave me alone,” Carl said. “The wedding is off, we’re finished.”
“Carl you can’t do this, I love you, we’re getting married on Saturday,” Landon’s voice was desperate as he leaned his forehead on the door. “I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me.”
“Like I give a shit who started it, you looked pretty cozy.”
“Babe’s please let me in?”
“Goodbye Landon Kyle, have a nice life.”
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Landon said, smashing his fist into the door and storming down the stairs.
Carl listened at the door, it was silent on the small landing, Landon had left and a tear ran down Carl’s cheek.
Music was blaring and a crowd was already starting to fill the seats, a few people were dancing as Landon flew into the room. He barged past two men at the bar as he stomped over to Rex.
“Where’s Tristan?”
“Nice to see you too,” Rex joked, then realized by the stern look on Landon’s face he wasn’t in the mood. “He’s not in tonight. Carl gave him the night off since he came in early.”
“You know where the little fucker’s staying?” Landon snarled.
“Not a clue,” Rex said. “What’s wrong?”
“Let’s just say, he pushed the wrong fucking button.”
“Am I talking to a ticking time bomb?” Rex laughed.
“Try me and let’s see,” Landon raised a brow.
“Whoa!” Rex raised his arms in surrender. “Kidding.”
“Give me a whiskey shot and a beer.”
“Drinking doesn’t solve anything my friend,”
“I don’t remember asking for your fucking advice,” Landon glared. “A shot and a beer, whatever’s on tap will do,”
“Hey, who am I to stand in the way of a potential drunk and his alcohol. But first, you hand over your keys.”
Landon slammed his keys on the counter.
Once Rex poured his shot and handed him both glasses, Landon threw back the shot thumping the shot glass on the counter and picked up his beer.
“If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to fuck off,” Landon said. “Unless it’s Tristan, you can call me upstairs if that bastard shows up.”
“Yes sure,” Rex said, and took his cell from his pocket as he watched Landon heading up to the club.
***
“You’re three sheets to the wind,” Tiny announced. “Sleep it off in here; I’ll let Carl know you’re okay.”
“No need little man, the grooms not talking to me anymore, he’s pissed at me for something I didn’t even do,” Landon laughed.
Tiny dropped him onto the bed and pulled off his shoes. Landon tried to sit up and Tiny pressed his hand to his forehead, shoving him back. Landon’s feet flew in the air and he giggled as he tried to sit up again, only to experience a repeat performance.
“Give it up Lando, we’ll be here all night at this rate. Sleep it off.”
“Tiny, I love you, but don’t make me kick your ass.”
Tiny’s laugh took up all the space in the small room as Landon gave him an indignant frown.
“When you think your man enough, bring it on.”
One leg fell off of the edge of the bed and Landon let out a heavy weighted sigh as he gave in and sunk into the mattress like a heavy sack of concrete. Tiny crossed his arms over his chest and stood staring.
“Tell me what thing this is that you didn’t do?” Tiny asked, sitting on the bed causing Landon to roll his way, into the center of the mattress.
“Kissed Tristan.”
“You kissed Tristan? Are you nuts? No wonder he’s pissed I would be too, kissing another guy ain’t cool.”
“I didn’t kiss him…he kissed me.”
“Carl saw? Was he in the same room or something?”
“Someone sent him a picture.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know and Carl’s not saying, here look.”
Struggling to get the phone from his pocket, he pressed buttons getting nowhere and slapped it into Tiny’s palm.
“You find it.”
It didn’t take Tiny long to find the dreaded snapshot, he pursed his lips together and eyed Landon. He slapped his hand on Landon’s shoulder and nodded.
“It doesn’t look good my friend.”
“I swear,” Landon started to rise and Tiny placed his giant index finger on Landon’s forehead and shoved him back down. “I swear on my life…no, I swear on my baby girl Emma’s life, I. Did. Not. Kiss. Fucking. Tristan.”
Tears started to spill over his temples, soaking into his hairline as his breathing became more relaxed and his eyes blinked repeatedly until they finally closed. Tiny shook his head when loud snoring filled the room.
“I’d kick you out for the snoring,” Tiny laughed throwing a blanket over him. “I’ll get to the bottom of this my friend, you sleep tight.”
Tiny stood in the doorway to the club with his hands on his hips taking up the entire doorway, when Tristan and a stranger showed up at Pulse just before midnight. Tiny had this way of using his death stare to his advantage. Once Tristan saw the way he scrutinized him, he started nervous talking, rambling and stammering as Tiny’s glare intensified.
“I brought my friend Jessie to see where I’m working, this is Tiny, three guesses why they call him that,” Tristan and his friend laughed, Tiny did not. “Is Rex in?”
“Yeah.”
“Is Landon around?”
“Why? What do you want with him?”
“I just wanted to say hi,” he said. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Tiny pinched the shoulder of Tristen’s shirt between his thumb and finger and stopped him from passing. Tristan spun in a circle like a ballet dancer doing a pirouette or a puppet being held by his strings. It was comical as he attempted to swing at the giant man.
“Take it easy killer,” Tiny tugged him against his massive chest. “Stay away from Landon, mess with him and I’ll mess you, you got me?”
“Yeah I hear ya.” Tristan tugged free.
His friend held his hands up as he squeezed past Tiny and stood with Tristan in line to get his hand stamped. He leaned over Tristan’s shoulder and whispered over the noise coming from the dance club.
“What?” Tristan hollered.
“I said…that’s not the Carl guy is it?” He pointed to another of the clubs bouncers with arms like tree trunks.
“No, fuck no.”
“Good because I’m not helping you split him up with no one, no matter how sexy this Landon guy is,”
“Shhh…the ears have walls.”
“What?” Jessie looked confused. “Are you drunk?”
Tristan laughed. “Yeah a little bit, I meant the walls have ears.”
“How are you going to know if Carl saw the picture?
“Oh we’ll know,” Tristan assured him, holding out his hand to be stamped and handing his ten to the second bouncer verifying Ids.
Janie, the sole female bartender leaned forward and mussed Tristan’s hair. “What you drinking?”
“I’ll have a draft,” he hollered.
“And your frien
d?” she raised her chin.
“Same thanks,” he smiled and waggled his brow and Tristan poked him in the ribs for his efforts.
“Ouch.”
“Pay attention.”
“Bitch,” Jessie scowled. “So point him out.”
“I don’t see either one,” Tristan peered around the room.
“Two drafts gentlemen.”
“Hey Janie, where’s Carl?”
She giggled. “Knowing the lovebirds they’re off somewhere getting it on. It’s me and Rex tonight.”
“Oh,” Tristen didn’t try for a minute to cover his disappointment.
Rex moved closer, he pretended to be feeding information into the POS system behind the bar. As instructed by Tiny, he was to eavesdrop and report his findings. Tiny wanted to know any and all conversation they had.
“If someone finds out it was you, you’ll lose your job or maybe worse, you want to risk it over some guy?” his friend asked Tristan.
“Keep your voice down for Fuck’s sake,” Tristan warned. “I need to split them up and make my move. Landon’s going to realize what he’s missing, it’s just a matter of time. I’m just giving him a nudge in the right direction that’s all. He’ll thank me, you’ll see.”
Wasting no time, Rex told tiny who in return nodded his head with the most mischievous cat that ate the canary grin. “One way or another I’ll get that little fucker.”
Tiny started devising a plan.
Tristan stood outside the door with his ear pressed against the wood listening intently.
“I’d know that snoring anywhere,” he whispered.
“Let’s get outta here,” his friend tugged at his shirt. “We’re gonna get caught.”
Tristan waved away his friend’s concern with the flick of his wrist and opened the room door. He peeked inside and yanked his friend into the room with him.
“He saw the photo,” Tristan laughed.
“How do you know?”
He sniffed the air. “Whiskey, he only drinks when he’s upset. He’s a lousy drunk, not very good at handling his booze.”
“That’s fucked.”
“I have an idea, but we have to be quick.” Tristan said, walking over to the side of the bed. “Get your phone ready.”
“Are you sure about this? What if he wakes up?”
“He won’t, he can’t handle his liquor he’ll be out for hours. Give me your phone.”
***
With his arm pillowed under his head, Carl lay in his bed with his earphones in listening to Apocalyptica’s Not Strong Enough on a continual loop, remembering how the words sounded when Landon sang them. He loved the sound of his voice, wishing he was lying next to him singing the words now, and then he remembered the photo.
He couldn’t recall feeling so angry and betrayed in his life.
“Why Tristan?” he asked out loud.
Of all the people in the world it had to be the one that made him feel the most insecure. He was the embodiment of all things exquisite; with the perfect smile, the perfect messy hair look without trying and a sweet little body that probably took no effort to maintain. Carl snarled at the thought of the countless hours he spent in the gym, the rigid diet he tried to follow and the sight of a few gray hairs in the mirror each morning. What he had to work at was probably natural to Tristan.
He turned his head toward his cell phone dancing in circles on the pillow where Landon’s head should be resting and sighed. He struggled with whether to answer of not for a few long minutes and then snatched the phone off the pillow and stared at the screen.
It was a message from the same number that had left the photo that changed everything. He grit his teeth and held his finger on the button, contemplating his next move.
Should he or shouldn’t he?
He pressed to the button, looked at the screen and then closed his eyes. There was a knock at the door and Carl was glad for the distraction. He wiped away a tear and threw on his robe.
Carl glared at Tiny standing in the doorway, without a word he turned his back and walked to the refrigerator and leaned into the open door.
“You okay boss?” Tiny asked.
“No but it doesn’t matter, what can I help you with?”
“I wanted you to know Landon’s safe,” Tiny said.
“Yeah, he’s safe alright,” Carl slammed the fridge door. “In Tristan’s arms.”
Tiny tipped his head. “What are you talking about, Tristan’s at the bar with some guy, he’s not with Lando.”
“Well he sure as fuck was, not too long ago.”
“I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from boss, but you’re wrong.”
“Am I?” Carl asked, taking off to his room to retrieve his phone. “Does this look like I’m wrong?”
A selfie of Landon and Tristan with their heads sharing a pillow and Landon’s face snuggled into Tristan’s cheek took up the whole screen.
“Who sent this?” Tiny asked.
“I don’t know the number, Tristan must have a new phone.”
“Carl, this is a set up,” Tiny informed him. “Get dressed and I’ll prove it.”
Unsure whether to believe him or not, he quickly threw on sweats and a t-shirt and followed Tiny down to the dance club bar. He spotted Tristan standing laughing with another fresh faced cutie and proceeded to run.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Tiny grasped onto his arm to stop his escape. “Give me your phone and watch.”
Carl watched as Tiny hit redial and Tristan’s friend fiddled in his pocket. He held the phone to his ear and plugged his other while he answered the caller. Tiny held the phone so they could both hear as he continually said hello.
“I told you,” Tiny said, and watched Carl dash over to the pair, snatching the phone from his friend’s hand and looking at the screen.
“You fucking asshole,” Carl bellowed over the crowd. “You think you can fuck with my life and get away with it?”
“Whoa,” Tristan held up his hands. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Please,” Carl held up the phone with the selfie plastered on the screen. “You and Landon? Really?”
Wide eyed, Tristan snarled indignantly, “Yeah me and Landon, he loves me you know? He always has.”
“You’re delusional pal,” Tiny said, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck.
“Where is he then?” Carl asked. “I don’t see him here with you,”
“I left him to rest in his room of course,” Tristen raised his brow. “I fucked him until he was completely worn out.”
“Come, we’ll all go and give him a little visit,” Carl said, as Tiny escorted the pair to the stairs and graciously helped them to the second floor, nearly lifting them off their feet.
Without bothering to knock Carl threw the door open and looked at the empty bed. For several seconds he stood puzzled, he looked over at Tiny who gave a shrug.
The bathroom door opened and Landon staggered out rubbing his eyes, he looked confused as he flopped himself onto the bed and rolled on his back. He doubled up the pillows and rested his arm across his forehead.
“Am I missing something?” he asked.
“Remember the picture?” Carl asked.
“How could I forget?” Landon asked, with a sad look in his eyes. “It ruined my fucking perfectly happy life.”
Carl stepped closer to the bed. “Well there’s another, have a look at this one.”
Landon blinked the drunken sleep from his eyes and moved the cell about until his eyes could focus on the screen. He hastily sat up, putting his hand to his head and then scowled at Tristan, still held in Tiny’s grasp.
“What is this Tristan?” he asked.
“What?” Tristan asked innocently.
“Don’t play silly bitch with me,” Landon warned. “You’re messing with people’s lives here, this isn’t a joke. Why?”
Tristan struggled free and smoothed out his jacket. “Can we talk alone?”
“No, you gave up any chance of that happening when you decided to screw with my life,” Landon said.
“I screwed with your life?” Tristan laughed. “You…you ruined mine.”
“I paid for your education, made sure you were taken care of before I left.”
Tristan threw his head back and laughed. “You think that’s it? That I’m upset because you left me?”
“The floors all yours, enlighten me.” Landon waved his hand.
“You should have been paying attention, should have never left him at that door. He’s dead and it’s entirely your fault. I never even got a chance to get to know him properly. He was going to take me out for dinner so we could get to know each other better. I never got to say fucking goodbye!”
Landon sat with his mouth gaping open, his heart was racing and it all came together like the pieces of a puzzle. All the bits and pieces meshing into place as he listened to Tristen’s heart wrenching narrative.
“Steve,” Landon whispered his name, a lump forming in his throat.
“Yes, Steve,” Tristan glared at Landon. “My stepbrother Steve.”
“I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Tristan snarled. “We only found out about each other’s existence two weeks before you killed him,” he openly cried.
“Tristan,” Landon said, climbing from the bed. “I didn’t kill him. I made a terrible judgment call, I turned my back but never for a minute did I think Steve was going to get shot. I would have gladly taken the bullet instead.”
“You should have.”
Tears streamed over Landon’s cheeks. “I loved him more than you’ll ever know…I will go to my grave loving him,”
“Then why are you with that loser?” Tristan pointed to Carl, his lip curled into a sneer. “You should be with me, making it up to me for taking Steve.”
“I don’t love you Tristan, I’m sorry I never did…I love Carl, he’s my world now.” Landon gazed over to Carl standing awkwardly holding his arms around his middle. “And all your attempts to split us up will never work, we’re getting married.”
Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) Page 27