by M. A. Innes
Dr. Sheppard stepped up and pointed to the seats. “Let’s sit down so everyone is more comfortable.”
His gaze was mainly focused on Kevin; he seemed to be afraid that Kevin would pass out. I had to admit, he was starting to look a little pale again. Sitting was probably a good idea. That raised another issue though. Seating arrangements.
The fact that we were still holding hands was obvious, but considering how stressed we were it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Hopefully. Probably. Hell, who was I kidding? We looked like scared lovers. I wasn’t sure there was any way around it.
As we sat, Kevin tried to discreetly scoot his chair closer to mine and both Dr. Sheppard and the cop both looked away, pretending not to see. Neither one of us was willing to let go, so our clasped hands rested on the arms of the chairs.
Yup, nothing out of the ordinary.
The detective cleared his throat and looked at Dr. Sheppard who nodded before turning to us. “I want to start out by telling you that this is not on the record. The department would like to keep this as private as possible considering the nature of the phone call. Provided I’m convinced no one is being injured or coerced,” he paused and gave us a pointed look, which I couldn’t decipher, “then nothing will go on the record.”
It wasn’t making sense.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.” I wasn’t going to sit here like a moron. I wanted to know what was going on. There were procedures for things and thousands of rules and regulations that had to be followed.
He nodded like he understood my confusion was reasonable. “We received a call that made some serious accusations. Normally, the information would have gone to an officer to look into, but my boss realized that something felt off with the caller, so he brought me in.”
Still not getting what the hell was going on.
The cop must have realized that because he kept going. “The person who called used the right words to trigger an investigation, but there were some details that didn’t add up. I can’t give you specifics right now, but the department understands that we have a variety of lifestyles in our community. We do our best to keep the people we serve safe while protecting privacy whenever possible. Many times, I’m called in to review potential cases to see if there is something criminal going on and not just a confused stranger or neighbor who saw something they didn’t understand.”
So this was the cop that got the kinky calls to make sure they were just having fun and nothing was actually going wrong? There really were cops for everything. Traffic cops, school cops, kink cops…the variety seemed to be endless.
“So what do you need to know from us?” I was starting to feel a little defensive. It felt better than being scared, so I was going to run with it.
He started off kind of vague. “Having Dr. Sheppard here makes things easier for me.” The cop glanced over at Dr. Sheppard. “It’s not just my opinion about anything criminal that may be going on, so it’s going to be simpler for me to clear things up.”
He was being too nice. It was making me even more nervous.
“Now, I have not spoken with the doctor about you at all. He has given me no information about your personal situation or lifestyle choices. While most of the caller’s accusations were regarding your relationship preferences, the part that does concern the department are charges that Kevin was being coerced and abused.” Detective Wilson paused, probably to watch our reactions.
I wasn’t sure what to think. We’d expected something like that. She’d threatened to, but I just hadn’t thought she’d actually do it. She knew I wouldn’t hurt him. I wasn’t sure if the cop got what he was looking for or not, but he suddenly started talking again like there hadn’t been a weird pause. “Normally, I would ask to speak with Kevin alone, but I think in this case having you both here will be easier on him.”
How much did the cop know, and how much was he guessing?
“Jeremy has to stay.” Kevin’s voice was firm, and it was the most decisive I’d heard him speak since he walked in the room.
Detective Wilson nodded and gave Kevin and understanding look. “I understand he saved you when you were a child.” Kevin nodded, so the cop kept going. “He makes you feel safer, right?”
Another nod from Kevin had the detective sitting back in his seat. Was he trying to appear casual, or was he really that calm about everything? Before I could figure it out, he started speaking again. “Now I want you to remember that this is not on the record, but I just need to know if you’re safe and if you need any help.”
Kevin nodded and his grip on my hand tightened even more. “I’m fine.”
The cop glanced over at our therapist. “Can Dr. Sheppard talk to me?”
Kevin looked at me and I wasn’t sure what to say. Reluctantly, I had to agree. It was the only way. “Yes, but just to tell you if Kevin’s safe. Nothing about our personal life.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound weird at all. Way to go, genius.
Thankfully, Dr. Sheppard stepped in before I could sound any more like an idiot. “Kevin and Jeremy were referred to me by a colleague who felt that I was better able to help them. I’ve spoken with them about a variety of topics since the beginning of the school year, and I am confident that Kevin is not being coerced, and that he is safe in his current home life. I’m not willing to go into any more detail without their permission, but in my professional opinion, Jeremy is not a danger to Kevin.”
I’d do anything for Kevin. Even walk away if that’s what he’d needed me to do. I’d never hurt him. There was no way to explain that to someone else. They’d never understand how much he meant to me. “I don’t care what anyone else said. I wouldn’t hurt him.”
The detective gave me a long look, but his expression was more like someone who understood what we were going through and less like a cop. Dr. Sheppard said he knew the guy, but I was starting to think we should have asked more questions.
“Sometimes people make choices that others don’t understand. Kevin, I just need to make sure that you are not being abused and that you are not unwillingly in any kind of relationship with Jeremy.” The cop looked down at our hands and then back up to Kevin. He clearly knew about us, but I didn’t get the impression that he was shocked or even that he cared about the taboo nature of our relationship. He was, however, focused on making sure Kevin was safe.
I could appreciate that even though the whole thing had given me ulcers.
Kevin took a shaky breath but didn’t back down. I was so proud of him. This wasn’t anything I could protect him from, but he was doing a wonderful job. Unfortunately, for me, it brought back memories of watching him talk to the police when he was younger. I wasn’t sure if he was having the same flashbacks, but it was probably safe to assume he was.
His hand kept mine glued to his, but he sat up straighter in the chair. “I am not unwilling in anything that we do. I’m not being abused, and nothing is happening against my will. I just wish she could see that. I’m sorry she called you, but my mother already knew nothing was going on. She lied to you.”
He blinked.
“Calls that come into the station are confidential and anonymous without a subpoena, so I can’t say anything else about the identity of the caller.” The words were careful and almost stilted.
Shit.
If she hadn’t been the one to call, who was it?
Chapter 13
Kevin
“I’m not sure it matters.” I was just relieved to have the meeting over, but Jeremy was even more worked up than he’d been before.
“But it does.” He was pacing, and in the small confines of our living room, he looked a little like a tiger at the zoo, trapped with barely restrained anger. “Someone knows about us. Just the way the cop phrased it, he knew we were lovers before he walked into that room. He knew about our relationship before he even talked to Dr. Sheppard.”
Jeremy wasn’t wrong. He was just really worked up. As long as the cops left us alone, I didn’t care who knew
. “The cop doesn’t seem to care that we’re related. Which is weird, but as long as we’re not in trouble or going to end up on the news, I’m good.”
Jeremy stopped as he was walking by the couch and looked at me, turbulent emotions showing clearly on his face. “But how can I keep you safe if I don’t know where the danger is coming from?”
Tears prickled at my eyes and I reached out to grab his hand. Pulling him down to the couch, I climbed onto his lap and wrapped myself around him like a monkey. Holding him, I looked him in the eyes. “You can’t always keep me safe. I know that. I love you no matter what. My only concern was them taking you away. Everyone else can go to hell for all I care.”
He was so worked up he was almost shaking. He’d taken everything at the therapist’s office so calmly that I hadn’t been expecting the hurricane of emotions that started to erupt in the car. Once the immediate danger passed, everything else seemed free to come out, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. “But someone has enough of an issue with us that they called the police.”
There was something that kept rolling around in my head about the whole thing. “But they didn’t just say that they thought we were sleeping together and related. They said you were abusing me, or something like that. If it wasn’t her, and from his reaction it couldn’t have been, then it’s someone else who knows about the accusations. Yeah, I’m loud but nothing that sounds like you’re abusing me. So it’s someone who knows we’re related and about the old accusations. There aren’t that many people.”
Bryan and Maddox came to mind but were quickly dismissed. I knew they might not understand how we could love each other, but they’d never do anything like that to us. I just wasn’t sure who else had figured it out. We’d been careful. “You know the only person we’ve had problems with has been Charlie.”
Jeremy sank back against the couch and I could feel his muscles relaxing so I kept going. “Do you remember the way the cop said neighbors in that example? What if that wasn’t something casual? Do you think Charlie could have been the one to call?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t know. Things just don’t add up.”
“They weren’t before either. Why was she trying to get Rich to flirt with me and cause problems in our relationship? She’s the only one who’s been making our lives crazy. All the invitations to the parties and the weird looks—she’s got to know more than we realized.” There was a lot about her we didn’t know and too many things that were starting to stand out.
“And how did Dad know about the business and school going well? It might have been said in passing, but it didn’t seem casual. He knew stuff about our life.” Jeremy’s hands came up and started rubbing up and down my back.
There were huge pieces of the puzzle missing, but I wasn’t sure I cared right then. With Charlie gone for the summer and no calls from our mother yet, there wasn’t anything we could do about it. “Do you want to call her and find out what’s going on?”
I thought it personally sounded like a terrible idea, but I tried to keep that out of my voice. Maybe I hadn’t hidden it as well as I’d wanted to, because Jeremy’s arms tightened around me, and he pulled me down to kiss my forehead. “No, I’m not going to poke a sleeping snake. However she found out stuff about us doesn’t really matter. I’m going to agree that it’s probably Charlie somehow, but with her gone for the summer, we should be safe.”
Safe from our mother.
That should never be something anyone should ever have to say. “We’re not going to focus on it now. It’ll drive you nuts if you let it. We’re safe and she’s not going to get any more information. Charlie isn’t working right now, and we’ll be more careful what we say in the hallways and around school. She hasn’t said anything to other students, or we’d have heard about it, so I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
Jeremy closed his eyes and pulled me down so my head rested on his shoulder. I felt him nod, and I knew he was trying to push it all away. “We’re fine.”
“I know. It’s just hard.” His voice was starting to sound more rational and less frustrated, but it still made emotions well up inside me.
“I love you.”
His eyes opened and I could see how wet they were. “I love you too. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or who finds out. Nothing is going to pull me away from you.”
“I know.” Maybe it was something I should have been worried about, but it wasn’t. I just knew he wouldn’t leave me. He always made me feel safe and loved, and nothing anyone else did would change that. “I know how much you love me and how important I am to you. You show me in everything that you do and in a thousand little ways.”
I was the center of his world and he was the center of mine. I knew people wouldn’t understand, but I didn’t care. If I’d learned anything from the stress of the previous week, it was that nothing else mattered. As long as we were safe and together, that was the most important thing.
His hands moved to cup my face. Jeremy leaned up and kissed me tenderly. “I don’t ever want you to forget how special you are. I know my worrying makes you crazy, but you are the most incredible person, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You can’t control everything, remember?” I gave him another kiss, just the barest touch of lips. “No matter what life throws at us, we can handle it together.”
A tender smile spread across his face and his fingers started running through my hair. “You are incredible.”
“Are you saying I’m always right?” I gave him a grin and a wink.
He laughed like I’d hoped he would, and the last of his stress melted away. Jeremy’s hands moved to my legs, and he started absently caressing me. “Absolutely not. Just in this one case.”
“I don’t know.” I sat up and gave him a serious look. “Incredible sounds a lot like always right. I might need to get this in writing so you don’t forget.”
His fingers moved like lightning and started digging into my sides, making me laugh and giggle. I probably sounded crazy, but I couldn’t help it. I squirmed and squealed while Jeremy wore a wicked grin and just kept tickling me. “What did you need to get in writing? Who’s always right?”
I was laughing too hard to say anything, and the half words came out in gasps between the rounds of laughter. Eventually, I managed to force out something that sounded like a real answer. “You. Always. You. Right.”
Not an actual sentence but it was good enough. Jeremy’s fingers relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around me. I just sagged against him and tried to catch my breath. It felt like I’d run a full marathon. His hands moved up and down my back, caressing me in long, soothing motions. I yawned and cuddled closer into him.
I don’t know how long we sat there cuddling—hours or minutes, it didn’t matter. I was with Jeremy and that was what was important. The warmth of his body as his arms wrapped around me was perfect and the steady beat of his heart was almost hypnotic. My eyes fought to close and I sighed.
One of his hands moved up to start playing with the hairs at the back of my neck. It was starting to get long, and I probably needed a haircut, but I loved the way it felt when his fingers ran through it. Shivers went down my spine and I sank against him, boneless.
He started telling me how important I was and how right it felt to hold me in his arms. He told me how incredible he thought I was and how he loved to see me laugh. Little random things that came to his mind kept spilling out like he wanted to make sure I knew how much he loved me.
I finally pressed my face against his neck. My eyes were closed and my body felt like it was floating, all foggy and light like it sometimes did when he took charge in the bedroom. It was wonderful. I’d felt so heavy and stressed for days and it was like I could finally breathe.
“Baby, I love you so much.” I could hear the emotions pouring out of him.
“I know you love me.” I yawned and everything started to get even fuzzier. “You’ll always love me like I’ll always love y
ou.”
Sleep finally took hold, and the last thing I felt was a tear slipping down my cheek. He was the most important thing in the world to me, and I knew no matter what anyone else said or how they would think we were too close, there was nowhere else I was supposed to be.
We were made for each other.
“We were made to love each other.”
~~~
M.A. Innes is the pseudonym for best-selling author Shaw Montgomery. While Shaw writes femdom and m/m erotic romance. M.A. Innes is the side of Shaw that wants to write about topics that are more taboo. If you liked the book, please leave a short review. It is greatly appreciated.
Do you want to join the newsletter? Help with character names and get free sneak peeks at what’s coming up? Just click on the link.
https://www.subscribepage.com/n1i5u1
You can also get information on upcoming books and ideas on Shaw’s website.
www.authorshawmontgomery.com
Also by M.A. Innes
His Little Man, Book 1
His Little Man, Book 2
His Little Man, Book 3
His Little Man, Book 4
Curious Beginnings
Secrets In The Dark
Too Close To Love
Too Close To Hide
Too Close To Break
Flawed Perfection
His Missing Pieces
My Perfect Fit
Our Perfect Puzzle
Their Perfect Future
Beautiful Shame: Nick & Kyle, Book 1
Beautiful Shame: Randall & Hudson, Book 2
Leashes, Ball Gags, and Daddies: A M/m Holiday Taboo Collection
Silent Strength
Quiet Strength
The Accidental Master (Coming April 2018)
Available on Audiobook
Secrets In The Dark
Flawed Perfection
Silent Strength (Coming Spring 2018)
Quiet Strength (Coming Spring 2018)
Also by Shaw Montgomery
Surrendering to His Lady