“We wouldn’t want that,” Richard replied, rolling off to sprawl on his back—an open invitation for Mick to do the same to him. Mick did, after sheathing him, until Richard called a halt with a muttered, “I want to be in you.”
Mick had flash of what he was certain was another memory. His legs were on Richard’s shoulders, their gazes locked on each other as Richard thrust in one final time and they came as one. He could almost feel the heat of his orgasm washing over him. Without a word, he gestured toward the nightstand.
Richard got the message—and the lube. Moments later Mick’s legs were resting on Richard’s shoulders, and his lover’s well-oiled cock was pushing against his entrance. Mick bit his lip against the flare of pain as Richard entered him, willing himself to relax. By the time Richard’s cock was fully inside, the pain Mick had felt evolved into pure pleasure. With each thrust it grew more intense. He wrapped his hand around his cock, pumping it in time to Richard’s movements. Suddenly he was coming with a shout that was matched seconds later by Richard’s and they reached the height of ecstasy as one.
Richard collapsed on Mick, his breath coming in gulps. For a few moments they lay like that until their breathing returned to normal. The first thing Richard said when he could speak was, “I love you,” followed by, “Do you remember that I do?” His eyes were full of hope as he gazed at Mick.
“Yes,” Mick whispered. “I love you, too.”
“Thank God!” Richard’s lips found Mick’s and they kissed. They stayed where they were, wrapped in each other’s embrace, until Richard said, “If I don’t move we’ll be eternally stuck together.”
Mick’s laugh was elated as he replied, “That’s always your excuse when we do it this way, even though I was wearing a condom.” His elation was real because, even if he never recalled anything else about his life, he at least remembered the man he loved. He’d settle for that if he had to.
“Sweat, Mick. Lots of sweat will do it, too.”
Richard pulled out, sat up, and removed the condoms, knotting them together. “Shower time, and then sleep. I suspect we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Since Mick agreed, he followed Richard into the bathroom, joining him in the shower. They did nothing more than wash and then dry each other, with a few chaste kisses in the process. When they returned to bed, they spooned together as Mick remembered they always had, and fell asleep.
Chapter 5
“What do you plan on saying to Trenton?” Richard asked as he, Mick, and Shorty were eating breakfast Sunday morning. “And to Andy, as far as that goes?”
“I wish I knew,” Mick replied. “It has to be Andy first, I think. It would be better if it happened before he goes into work.”
“Waylay him at home,” Shorty suggested.
“I don’t know where he lives. You know that.”
“It’s on your computer in our office,” Richard said. “All the information on your employees is. And in a cloud program, although you probably don’t remember your password for it.”
“Nope, but for the moment I won’t worry about it.” Mick frowned. “Is there one to get into the file I’ll need?”
“No, and I know the one for the computer, so you’re set.” When Mick started to get up, Richard said, “Finish eating. It’s not like you have to do it right this second.”
Mick retorted, with a brief laugh, “Says you,” before finishing the rest of his eggs and toast, and then doing the dishes with Shorty’s help while Richard poured them more coffee and went into the office.
By the time Mick joined him, Richard had the file open and was writing down Andy’s address and phone number. He also told Mick the password so that he could get onto the computer, asking, “Want me to write it down?”
“No. I think I can remember it,” Mick told him. “I wonder how many more of them I’ll need for the computer at work.”
Richard chuckled. “Dozens, to hear you tell it.” He got his laptop, booted it up, and went into his cloud program. “You had me store them here, in case of emergencies, although I don’t think you were planning on losing your memory. Mine are here, too, and any of them you need for online sites are stored by your browser.”
Mick wrote down the ones he’d need immediately, and asked Richard to send the rest to his business cloud program, since he’d noted its password.
“What do you think?” Mick asked once Richard had done that. “Should I call Andy first, or just show up at his place?”
“Show up,” Shorty said. “That way he won’t have time to come up with some story, if he is the one who attacked you.”
“If he was, he’s already had more than enough time to do that,” Mick pointed out. “Still, there’s something to be said for the element of surprise.” He began pacing the office. “I think I’ll tell him the same thing I did Trenton, but with the added bit that I found his driver’s license in my pocket. That makes more sense than saying I was holding it when Shorty found me, I think. I want to see what he has to say about it.”
“Let’s get moving,” Richard suggested. “I’ll drive, since you don’t have your license or any ID anymore. I don’t think you want to explain to some cop why you don’t, and that you can’t remember what happened to them.”
“I do have a car, I presume.”
“Yeah. Damn, it never occurred to me. It must still be at the lot near the club where you usually parked. Why hasn’t someone said something?”
“Did I pay by the month?” Mick asked.
“Yeah, so maybe the attendant didn’t think anything about it. That makes sense, I suppose. You don’t have the keys, though, so I guess it’ll have to sit there until we get someone out to make you new ones.”
“Meaning I’ll have to prove it’s mine.” Mick sighed.
“No problem. You have a copy of the ownership papers and the registration in there.” Richard gestured to the file cabinet.
With that established, much to Mick’s relief, they closed down the computer, checked to make sure they had everything they needed, which in Mick’s case was only Andy’s license, and then headed out.
* * * *
“Not one of the houses we checked out,” Shorty said as Richard parked in front of Andy’s home soon after nine.
“All two of them, before you convinced me we were on a fool’s errand?” Mick remarked with a chuckle as they got out of the car.
The house was small, with a wide, well cared for front yard. When they got to the porch, Mick pushed the doorbell. It took a minute before Andy answered.
He looked at Mick in surprise, asking, “Why are you here?”
“I need to talk to you. Don’t worry; it’s got nothing to do with work.”
After a moment’s hesitation, and a doubtful look at Richard and Shorty, Andy stepped aside to let them in. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the sofa and a couple of chairs next to it. When they had, Andy asked, “What’s going on?”
“What I told you yesterday wasn’t quite the truth,” Mick replied. “I wasn’t gone because I was sick. Early Thursday morning, soon after I left The Rainbow I suspect, I was mugged.”
“Shit! You’re kidding.” From Andy’s expression, Mick thought he was genuinely surprised.
“I’m not. Mr. Short—” Mick nodded at Shorty, “—found me. I’d been hit on the head and it took a while before I remembered who I was.”
“The mugger took your wallet? Okay, stupid question. Of course he did, or you’d have known who you were from the get-go,” Andy said. “Did you get a good look at him? Have you gone to the cops?”
“No. I don’t see him, or at least if I did, I don’t remember him, so why bother with the police.” Mick took the driver’s license from his pocket. “The only thing I had on me was this.” He handed it to Andy.
“Are you serious? How the hell…?” He shook his head. “I lost this about, maybe a week ago? I’ve already reported it to the license bureau so I could get a new one.” Andy gave Mick a suspicious look
. “Did you take it?”
“Why would I?” Mick replied.
“Got me,” Andy admitted.
“When did you see it last?” Mick asked.
“Like I said, a week ago. I had to show it to the doorman at a bar I went to.” He frowned. “That was last Monday. I got off work at ten and needed to unwind. Okay, you didn’t need to know that. The bar’s one of those that card you unless you look over forty.” He grinned briefly. “Which I don’t.”
“You’re sure that was the last time?” Richard asked.
“Yeah. Tuesday I went shopping and they wanted me to show ID when I gave them my credit card. I couldn’t because it was missing.”
“It was gone, but obviously you still had your wallet,” Mick said. “Not to put too fine a point on it, did you pick someone up at the bar?”
Andy shrugged. “I tried, but none of them were interested. Before you ask, I keep my cash in my pocket, so I didn’t need to get out my wallet to pay for drinks.”
“Was the place busy?”
“Yep. You think someone lifted my wallet to get my license, and then returned it? I suppose that’s possible. I did have a few drinks. But why?”
Mick glanced at Richard, getting a nod in return. He thought it was because Richard believed what Andy was saying. Mick did as well. “All right, I’m going to lay my cards on the table, but this is between the four of us. Understand?”
“Yeah, sure,” Andy replied.
“When I came to in the alley—that’s where I was supposedly mugged—I was bleeding badly from a head wound.” Andy started to say something but Mick held up his hand. “If Mr. Short, okay, Shorty, hadn’t found me, I probably would have bled to death. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t remember anything, including who I was, other than my first name for some reason. My clothes were blood-soaked, and I had your license clutched in my hand.”
“Fuck. Damn, Mick.”
“That about covers it,” Mick replied. “I believe you about losing the license, although I think someone stole it while you were at that bar. So, my question is, was there anyone there that you know from work? Someone who might have wanted to frame you for my murder?”
Although he was apparently shocked at the idea, Andy seemed to give Mick’s question the consideration it deserved. He closed his eyes, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. When he opened them again, he said, “If anyone was there, I didn’t notice them. But then I was more interested in drinking and, honestly, trying to pick up a woman.” He snorted. “No luck on that front, as I told you.”
“Is there anyone at work who might have it in for you?” Richard asked.
Andy grimaced. “Possibly. I’m not the most popular guy there, but then I’m not trying to make friends with the other employees. I do my job and that’s it. But framing me, if the attack on Mick was supposed to kill him? Hell, that’s scary.”
“I’m not too happy with the whole thing either,” Mick said.
“Why would someone want you dead, Mick?”
“If I knew that…”
“Yeah, it would help.” Andy paused, as if unwilling to say what came next. “Your brother?”
“That’s occurred to me,” Mick admitted. “Has he said anything to make you think it could be him?”
Andy shrugged. “It’s pretty clear he wasn’t happy when you took over the clubs. At least from the way I’ve seen him look at you sometimes, when you’re not aware of it. He hasn’t said anything, though. At least not to me.”
“Do the two of you get along?” Mick asked.
“I suppose as much as he gets along with anyone who works there, which means he talks to us when he has to, about what we’re supposed to do, or not do. Honestly, I get the feeling he thinks he’s above the rest of us and he doesn’t mind letting us know it. Not like you. You’re pretty easy going when you’re around.”
“So I’ve been told,” Mick said. “Not that I remember.”
Curiosity apparently got the better of him because Andy asked, “Have you remembered anything?”
“Some things, with Richard’s help, but only about him and me. Everything else is still a blank. If it hadn’t been for your license, you’d be just another guy who Richard said works for me. Everything about my past is a gone.”
“If you remember Richard, then maybe everything else will come back.”
“I hope so, Andy.”
“Me, too, for your sake. Also, I don’t like being under suspicion for the attack.”
“Then help us figure out who did it, or at least who set it up,” Mick replied, looking directly at Andy. Andy returned his gaze without flinching—a plus as far as Mick was concerned. Either he’s innocent or one hell of an actor. I’m inclined to believe he had nothing to do with what happened.
“How?” Andy asked.
“Keep your ears and eyes open, especially when it comes to Trenton,” Richard suggested.
Mick nodded. “Listen to the other people you work with if they talk about him, or me. Sometimes there’s truth behind rumors. If anyone shows up at the club specifically to talk to him, remember what they look like.”
“Isn’t it a little late for that?” Andy asked. “If you’re thinking he hired someone to deal with you, the guy checking back in with him would have happened right after you disappeared, so he could get paid.”
“Not necessarily,” Mick replied after a moment’s thought. “No one called the cops to report finding my dead body, so Trenton would have been worried and maybe wanted to take whoever to task for screwing up. Now that I’m back, he’s got to be doubly pissed with them.”
“Makes sense,” Andy agreed. “I’ll do my best and let you know if I pick up on anything.”
“Thanks.” Mick stood, saying, “We’d better get out of here so you can get ready for work.”
“It’s almost ten, so I’ve got an hour until the club opens, but, yeah.”
* * * *
“Next stop, The Den,” Mick said as soon as Richard drove away from Andy’s house.
“I vote we get some coffee, first,” Shorty said. “Let him stew a little, since you told him to be there at ten so you could talk to him.”
Mick smiled. “I like the way you think.”
They got their coffee, arriving at the club at ten-twenty. After parking in a nearby lot, they went to the back entrance, where Mick rang the service bell. “I’d give my eyeteeth to have the keys,” he grumbled as they waited for Trenton to let them in.
“I’m sure your brother’s got copies,” Richard replied. “And Ed at The Rainbow will, too, at least for there.”
The door opened and Trenton said, scowling, “You’re late,” as he let them in.
“Something came up,” Mick replied as they walked to Trenton’s office. He was damned if he was going to apologize.
“So, what’s so important you have to talk to me right before opening?” Trenton asked when they were seated.
Going straight for the jugular, Mick said, “When Mr. Short found me, I was bleeding out, I guess you’d call it. If I’d died, the police would have put it down as a random attack by punks who tried to mug me and went too far. That said, I believe it was done that way as a cover-up for my murder.” He looked dead at Trenton. “There’s only one person I can think of who would want me out of the picture. You.” He heard Richard suck in a breath and ignored it, keeping his gaze locked on Trenton.
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” Trenton exclaimed, slamming his fist on the desk. “Do you think I’m that stupid? If you had died, who do you think the cops would have looked at first?”
“Me,” Richard replied with a tight smile. “They always suspect the person closest to the murder victim. They would have had a reason to since Mick’s willed the clubs to me.”
Good one. Mick resisted smirking at Richard’s lie, before realizing that as far as he knew, it could be the truth.
Apparently, Trenton believed him because he spat out, “He’s not that crazy. He barely know
s you, you…gold digger.”
“Back to that, huh?” Richard said.
“Enough,” Mick said before things escalated. “I’ll be honest, Trenton. I don’t know if I did change my will or not. That doesn’t negate the fact I probably wouldn’t have told you. You hate me because Dad turned everything over to me. If you thought you’d get the clubs if something happened to me, it gives you a hell of a motive for trying to set things up so it looked as if I died in a mugging gone bad.”
“I swear I had nothing to do with it,” Trenton replied, looking directly at Mick. “Yes, I’m not happy with things the way they are. I’m the oldest. He should have given the clubs to me. But, damn it, I don’t want you dead.”
“Then who does?” Shorty asked. “Not to put in my two-cents-worth, but if not you, then who?”
“No one. Everyone loves Mick,” Trenton replied, sounding as if he meant it.
“Well, almost everyone,” Mick said dryly. “Somewhere there’s a man, or woman I suppose, who wouldn’t be at all upset if I had died.” Something in Trenton’s expression and the tone of his voice made Mick wonder if he’d misjudged his brother. About this, at least. I’m sure he holds no love for me, otherwise.
Trenton pushed his chair back and stood. “I meant it. I wasn’t responsible for what happened to you. Now, unless you’ve got something else to talk about, it’s eleven and time for the club to open.”
Mick nodded, getting up. “I should get over to The Rainbow before Ed thinks I’ve deserted him again.”
“Does he know why?” Trenton asked as they walked into the hallway.
“No. He thinks I had the flu.” Mick stopped, putting a hand on Trenton’s arm. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call to tell him differently.”
Trenton cocked his head in question. “In case it was him behind what happened, not me?”
“Lets say, the less people who know the real reason I was gone, the better. That way, maybe one of them will say or do something that might clue me in that they were behind it.”
“Understood.” Trenton turned right when they were in the hallway, walking a few steps to the door leading into the club, while the others went the other way, leaving by the back door.
Hawk and Wolfe: A Life Interrupted Page 6