by H M Wolfe
Quinlan's only answer was a small nod, as he thanked all gods that his protective friend hadn't witnessed the moments before that backhand when another blow sent him to the ground, and his father viciously kicked him in the stomach and ribs. Ever since he'd come into the family, five years earlier, the man thought he was nothing more than a stain on his father's name and a burden for the rest of the family.
As for Brennan, he was confused again. Fifteen minutes earlier, he believed that Daniel was a criminal, and his uncle only wanted what was best for those who were threatened by him, one way or another. But seeing the bruise on Quinlan's cheek and hearing the hiss coming from the man's lungs, he didn't know what to think anymore.
In the salon, Daniel was sitting in the same spot Brennan left him, near the large window, arms wrapped around Tarquin, whose head adorned with golden curls, was buried in his husband's shoulder. Fabian's employee witnessed fear and terror under its many manifestations, and what the blond's body posture indicated was anything but fear. On the contrary, he was relaxed and confident that the man he was married to wasn't going to harm him.
"What happened to Quinlan?" Tarquin sprang to his feet, hurrying to install Daniel's cousin to the couch comfortably. "Oh, poor thing. You've got quite a nasty bruise. How did you manage to get it?
"He tripped and fell. He put his palm on his cheek to protect it from the impact, and that was it," Brennan lied without batting an eyelash. However, he also exchanged a significant glance with Daniel. "I couldn't prevent it from happening, I'm very sorry," the man softly whispered.
"I'll get the bruise cleaned; then I'll call my sister to come and check on you. Depending on what she says, we may take you to the hospital," Tarquin spoke warmly, a bottle of disinfectant in his hand.
"No, I don't want to. Take me to the infirmary." Quinlan shook his head, the voice he used one of a stubborn child. "I want Spitfire and Gaspard to look at my wounds."
"So be it." Tarquin nodded in approval after exchanging another look with his husband. "Let's take you to The Base, then."
"Now, that we are alone," Daniel said once the blond's car disappeared out of sight, "can you tell me what really happened when Quinlan got hurt?"
CHAPTER 14
"I told you, he tripped over himself, fell to the ground, covered his cheek with one hand, and got the bruise from the impact," Brennan repeated the litany from earlier.
"Sure, he did." Daniel nodded. "It happened before, too. Unlike now, however, there were no witnesses to the incidents, so we took my cousin's word for it. You know, I had the impression you cared a lot about Quinlan, but I was wrong. Well, wouldn't be the first time..."
"Of course I care about your cousin, very much, even. I don't understand what this has to do with the incident from earlier. Oh, I get it now," Brennan said in a guilt-ridden voice, "I should have been there and prevent that, and you're right. I tried to get to him, but I was too late."
"Look." Daniel looked tired all of a sudden. "I need someone like you in my life. Someone who is not my relative or friend, but whom I could entrust my deepest secrets and greatest worries. Are you willing to accept the challenge and take some of the burdens off my shoulders when it becomes too heavy to carry by myself?"
"I...I really don't know what to say," Brennan stuttered for a moment. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. To trust an almost total stranger like that...aren't you afraid?"
"Why should I?" Daniel serenely smiled, his dark-blue eyes shining like sapphires. "I saw you with Elian; not just anyone would have shown him unconditional affection and patience like you did, in that discreet, heartwarming way. My sweet Tarquin and I thought you could do the same with Julien, one of the triplets, he and his brothers have the same condition as our nephew, and..."
"Shouldn't you take the kids to a doctor and get them treated for whatever they suffer from? They don't need a caretaker or a bodyguard, those boys need fatherly affection, if you ask me," Brennan spat. "Sorry, but I won't take your offer, I can't," he spoke harshly.
"You think I don't know that. That we didn't try all available therapies out there? How do you think I feel, when I see the pained, guilty look in Tarquin's eyes every time those therapies fail?" Daniel yelled out his frustration, tears welling in his eyes. To Brennan's immense surprise, Daniel raised from the armchair, only to fall back the next second. "I said I would trust you with my deepest secrets, and I will," he said in a low, tired voice.
Brennan didn't say anything. The cogs inside his brain were spinning at warp speed, trying to process everything he'd found out over the last hour. First, it was Fabian telling him about his nephew being a criminal, who held Tarquin prisoner in marriage the blond agreed to only for the sake of his brother's safety. Then, he witnessed the vicious attack on Quinlan, the first person who ever saw him as something else than a monster, a twisted creation of a sick mind.
Last but not least, Daniel's offer and his response to Brennan's indirect accusations that he didn't care about Tarquin's kids. The sadness in those sapphire-blue eyes, the overwhelming sadness and helpless revolt in his eyes came as a massive surprise for Brennan, who decided to play along and see what was going to come from it.
"I have a question for you," Brennan stated, examining the black-haired man's body language. "What's the true nature of your relationship with Tarquin? Your living arrangement that is?"
"We are united in body, mind and spirit, husbands, partners, best friends, lovers, soulmates. Without that man, I'm nothing. With him by my side, I feel like a god. There's nothing in the world I couldn't do," Daniel spoke passionately, his eyes shining again. "And you call that a living arrangement?"
"What's wrong with the blond boys, Tarquin's triplets? What's this mysterious, incurable condition they suffer from?" Brennan's second question was spoken in a clearly ironic voice.
"Autism, a rare form. Just like their father, Emery, Lochlin and Julien have a very high IQ and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They assimilate and process information at an amazing rate, and can spend hours on end studying, without sleeping or eating very much. Also, all three of them have periods where they isolate from everyone and everything, but it's not the case now. Now it's a different thing."
"Were you aware of Tarquin's condition when the two of you married?" Brennan asked, visibly shook by the other man's revelations.
"No, I found out two years after that." Daniel smiled a pained, melancholic smile. "Not that it would have mattered. I would have married him anyway; it was bound to happen. We've belonged to one another since the beginning of the world. I, myself, was beyond damaged, and Tarquin embraced me with all my flaws and scars, seeing past the freak I was. A man who could get pregnant." He inhaled sharply.
"Wh—How is that possible?" Brennan's eyes widened in shock as he stared incredulously at the other man. All he saw in those deep-blue, fascinating eyes was sincerity and complete openness. "Were you born this way or..."
"I was experimented on. They kidnapped me when I was twelve, took me to this nightmarish lab, fed me drugs that did things to my body on the inside, then I was impregnated. I was still thirteen when I gave birth to Gabriel." Daniel poured his soul into the other one's hands. "Sometimes, my sleep is plagued by nightmares of me having a second baby."
"Why me? Why did you choose me, of all people, to get into your stepson's soul and find out what's bothering him? You've only known me for two weeks or so, and have spilled your deepest buried secrets to me. Why?" Brennan raised his voice on the verge of crying.
"It's simple; because I trust you. There's only one man in the whole world with whom I felt connected from the first moment I saw him. My best friend, Eugene, Tarquin's twin brother's husband."
Because I trust you, Daniel's words hit Brennan with the force of a hurricane, bringing him to his knees. No one, except his mother and stepfather, had told the young man that. No one saw him more than a freak, an abomination, or a murderer. No one, except Quinlan, considered him worthy of their friendship; not a singl
e human being showed him kindness.
Because I trust you, those four words echoed in Brennan's mind, reaching to the very core of his soul, that special place only three persons had touched until then: his parents and the man with the innocence of a child, so cruelly rejected by his bastard father. And the worst part was that he tried to kill that man, wanted him dead.
Head tilted backward, eyes half-closed, Daniel was examining the other man, surprised by the multitude of contradictory emotions showing on his face. He liked Brennan, who somewhat reminded him of Ardan: same sadness and pain hiding behind an untamed, almost savage expression, same fierce protectiveness and love for children.
For some reason he couldn't explain, Daniel mentioned Eugene earlier, but in fact, he meant to say his cousin's husband's name. The buzz of his phone, signaling an incoming message, put a stop to the man's train of thought. It was from Tarquin, saying that he and Quinlan were on the way back to the mansion.
Fortunately, the X-ray exams hadn't detected any broken or cracked bones, and there were also no concussions that could put the man's life in danger, so the man was sent home with a set of recommendations everyone would make sure he would follow. Reading the message, Daniel smiled brightly, a heavy sigh of relief escaping from his chest.
"Judging by the expression on your face, you just got some great news." Brennan dared, a small, shy smile on his lips.
"The greatest," the other man confirmed in a lively voice. "The boys are on their way home, and Quinlan, is in one piece."
"I'll take care he stays that way. And I'll also find out what's wrong with Julien, and keep all the children safe and sound."
"Brennan!" Elian came running from upstairs, making the two men almost jump out of their skins. "I want to play outside. Do you want to come with me? Please?" The boy gave him an irresistibly cute look.
"Young gent, if you ever pull a stunt like that one again, I'm going to tickle you until you're grey and old. Your poor Uncle Daniel and I nearly had a heart attack when we saw you running down the stairs like that." Brennan picked up the eight-year-old, covering his face with light kisses.
"Ew, your breath stinks like an old dog." Elian scrunched his little button nose. "And your beard is stingy." He giggled, flashing a small grin in the man's direction.
"Beard? I shaved it yesterday! And I'll show you old dog breath," Brennan feigned revolt and anger, starting to tickle the little blond kid. "And that," he locked eyes with Daniel, "is my answer to your offer."
Right then, Tarquin and Quinlan stepped into the house, the raven-haired man looking much better than when he left for the hospital. At the sight of his husband, Daniel's face radiated joy, his deep-blue eyes filled with adoration for the blond who turned his world around with his sweet, shy ways and the incredible strength hidden behind them.
Quinlan took his usual place on the couch, near Brennan, shooting the younger man a gratitude-filled glance, which didn't pass unnoticed, then he joined his friend in the war against Elian's tickling little hands. Every time they played the tickling game, the two adults let the child win, much to Elian's satisfaction.
Daniel moved a bit, making a little room for Tarquin, who came and sat in the raven-haired man's lap, arms wrapped around his neck. The blond started to whisper sweet words of love into his husband's ear, soothing the other's soul with the sound of his familiar voice music to his ears. That man, as fragile and vulnerable as he appeared, was the safe harbor where he found shelter during stormy weather. The rock that offered him support when his adversities tried to knock him down.
To hell with Fabian and his lies, Brennan thought, holding Elian, who was giggling happily, close to his chest. To hell with that man's evil manipulations, with the agenda he had against his nephew. He had just decided to make a career change, quitting his lousy job. That man wasn't his boss anymore. Daniel was.
CHAPTER 15
D aniel sat on the bed, his back against the headboard, hands folded under his head. The covers pooling around his waist, and a small, serene smile on his seductive, full lips. Casting a sidelong glance in the ensuite bathroom's direction, he listened intently and, hearing the sound of the water running, let out a small sigh of relief.
Slowly, Daniel started to wiggle his toes. Then, after a while, he carefully moved his legs. The warm-up took a few good minutes, but the man had to make sure no accidents would spoil the surprise he had for Tarquin. Moving gracefully, he slid into the middle of the bed, taking a sensual, provocative pose.
"Daniel Bloom-Ballard, how on Earth did you get there?" the blond exclaimed a few minutes later, when he came back from the bathroom, a towel in hand, drying his rebellious curls. "Were you uncomfortable and tried to move? Here, let me help you," he offered.
"I don't see the point of this." Daniel grabbed the corner of the towel wrapped around his husband's waist, making it fall to the ground. "There's only the two of us here, why do you have to cover your goodies like that?"
"Um...because I'm cold?" Tarquin lightly scratched the back of his head, a broad grin on his face. "Or maybe, because I'm shy?"
"Both, I think." Daniel patted the spot next to him. "C'mon, cold, shy boy, I know, exactly, what you need. Let's get to know each other better," he said in a deep, raspy voice that made the blond shiver with pleasure.
"Someone told me once that tall, dark, and handsome strangers were no good for me." Tarquin climbed on to the bed, facing his husband. "But I didn't listen to them. I married one, and I don't regret my decision. These last nine years have been the best of my life."
"Same here, love," Daniel enveloped the blond in a warm, tight hug, kissing his face. "I never could've imagined I'd fall for someone like you. You rock my world and brighten each and every day of my life. Let me show how much I cherish you, husband of mine," the man spoke passionately, flames in his sapphire-blue eyes.
Tarquin nodded, laying on his back with Daniel bending and capturing his sensual lips in an all-consuming kiss to which the blond responded with the same fierceness, cupping the other man's head with both hands. He raked his slim, long fingers through the short, ebony-black strands, undulating his willowy body in a seductive, languid rhythm.
Daniel gave his husband a light shove, sending him onto the bed, flat on his back, and started to kiss the smooth skin on Tarquin's chest, sending surges of pleasure to the man's cock. It began to get harder with every inch of skin Daniel covered in wet kisses, light bites, and kitty licks, until it started to throb in anticipation.
A wide grin of satisfaction spread on the black-haired man's face at the sight, a mischievous look in the sapphire-blue eyes while the blond started to whimper impatiently. Daniel's soft lips reached Tarquin's navel, hesitating over that area, kissing the tender skin around the by-then painfully hard, fully erect cock.
Instead of wrapping his mouth around the already dripping organ, he started to pepper butterfly kisses along the length, up and down, a few times in a row, then moved to his hefty balls and sack, and applying the same treatment. Only when Tarquin's quiet moans turned to pleading whimpers did Daniel engulf the twitching, steel-hard cock into the hot wetness of his mouth.
Expertly swirling his skillful tongue around the tip, then gradually taking the whole shaft into his mouth, he drove the blond onto the edge of insanity. Hands clenched in the sheets, his back arched, Tarquin thrust into his husband's oh so sinful mouth, getting closer and closer to the abyss of pure pleasure. With a choked cry, he spilled himself into Daniel's mouth, the raven-haired man drinking dry the sweet essence, his passion and joy mixed in his eyes.
"Thank you for sticking with me all these years, for loving my children like they were your own, for putting up with my awkward, depressed, autistic self," Tarquin whispered, eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm the fortunate one." Daniel traced the blond face's contour with the pad of his thumb. "For having you and the kids in my life. The kindness, intelligence, beauty, and all the wonderful qualities they inherited from you make them so easy to
love. As for how my life has changed since you came into it ten years ago..."
"Are you nervous about the day after tomorrow?" Tarquin asked in a soft, low voice after several minutes of comfortable silence. "You know, the medical evaluation, Ardan coming back from Hong Kong after almost two months of absence and Gabriel's boyfriend's visit, all happening the same day?"
"No, and I tell you why." Daniel smiled confidently. "I trust Gaspard's healing abilities, and I'm sure Alasdair's verdict will be a positive one. I missed Ardan like hell, and I can't wait to see him again. As for Gabriel's boyfriend coming here...he sounds like a great guy, so I'm not worried about his visit."
"Or, you shouldn't be because I sensed the tension in your voice when you brought up the subject." Tarquin's forehead creased. "To be honest, I have a strange feeling about this visit, too. But then again, what could go wrong?"
"You're right." Daniel planted a kiss on his husband's temple. "No need to worry about it, everything will be just fine."
Brennan woke up screaming, in the dead of night, the image of his mother and stepfather's bloodied bodies vivid before his eyes. The nightmare was the most horrible and realistic the young man had experienced so far, all the painful details resurfacing from the dark corners of his mind, where he'd buried them.
As he was laying on his back, staring into the ceiling, Brennan tried to figure out why the nightmares had come back with a vengeance, after several months of not having them. He'd distanced himself from Fabian, who was convinced his loyal assassin was spying on Daniel and Tarquin and reporting every move to him.
Letting out a huff of contempt, Brennan remembered his boss's reaction of undisguised joy every time Fabian fed him those bunch of lies about the two husbands. The bastard had finally shown his true colors, the hatred he had for his nephew becoming more evident with each day that passed. One thing Fabian was right about, though: Ardan, the man who'd ruined his associate.