The Darkest Hour Before Dawn

by H M Wolfe

  His duties were considerably lessened since Daniel had started to regain the use of his legs. Brennan had had a lot of time to get an idea about how Julien ended up in that situation. Those kids must have envied him and his brothers for their excellent academic results and wanted to make them pay for being more intelligent and studying harder than they did.

  However, the bunch of brats only wanted to scare the brothers a little, and they probably didn't expect they would respond to the blackmail by paying. Brennan started to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to let Julien go and set things straight, while he was keeping an eye on the pesky kids who came up with that plan.

  The very next second, however, images evoked by Ardan's story came to his mind, making him shiver involuntarily. No, child trafficking, prostitution, and pornography were real, and those boys inside the house were guilty of at least one of those crimes, intentionally or not. He was there precisely to stop that cruel joke becoming something much more severe, evil even.

  Careful not to make any sound, Brennan stepped into the house, sliding along the walls. Listening intently, he followed the sound of the blasting music that lead him into a spacious, but overcrowded living-room. At least two dozen teens were there, some of them dancing, or better said contorting their bodies to the wild beat, while others were making out in the furthest, darkest corners.

  A group of four boys, aged fifteen to seventeen at the most, were sprawled on the biggest couch, beers in hands. One of them was incoherently babbling, obviously wasted, while the other three were more or less lucid. Brennan spotted them from the entrance and, after a short slalom between the agitated teens on the improvised dance floor, stopped right in front of them.

  "Here's the guy with the good stuff," the one who was inebriated managed to say, nudging the one sitting next to him. "Hey, Maxton, is it just me, or is this guy new? I've never seen him before." He squinted his eyes.

  "Actually, I'm here to buy something." Brennan gave the group a piercing, intimidating look. "Some photos of a blond boy, to be more specific," he added.

  "Oh, that," the one called Maxton dragged the words, pointing to the kid sitting at the other end of the couch, "is Eren's business. We didn't participate, only spiked the blondies' drink, and took the photos. He did all the talking."

  "Let's go in my father's office; no one will bother us there." The boy moved from his seat, pointing to the exit.

  Without a word, Brennan followed him through a large, well-lit corridor and into a tastefully-decorated, warm, cozy office. From the corner of his eye, he examined the teen: long, red-blond, wavy hair tied in a ponytail; gracious, slim limbs; kind, soft, melancholic brown eyes. He didn't belong in that crowd, the young man thought, suddenly saddened.

  "It wasn't supposed to be like that," the boy started, eyes cast down, voice barely above a whisper. "He wasn't supposed to pay. All I wanted was for Julien to come here, so I could talk to him and confess..."

  "Why didn't you tell him at the party, or school, instead of doing what you did?" Brennan spoke in a soft voice, the same one he used with Quinlan and Elian.

  "You don't understand. I don't fit in. I don't have any special talents. Running is all I'm good at; it's in my family's genes. My brother is a runner, and so was our father and grandfather before him. Once retired, they go into the family's sportswear and sports shoe business. So, when Maxton and his two best friends sought my company..."

  "You felt like the luckiest boy in that school," Brennan completed the sentence in an understanding voice. "Being friends with the cool kids and all their cool friends, who hated the three nerds' guts... peer pressure can be a bitch."

  "I...I started to have feelings for Julien, but I didn't hate him, on the contrary. The risks I was exposed to if anyone ever found out were immense. My sports career would have been severely compromised, if not destroyed. So I invited him to the party to talk to him, but Maxton found out, and things got out of control...big time."

  "How big?" Brennan asked, a wave of nausea suddenly threatening to take over him. "What was going to happen to Julien once he came here?"

  "Nothing bad, I would have explained the situation to him, returned the money, and asked for forgiveness. Then, if he would have wanted, I would have made love to him and let him be my first. But then, that terrible thing happened, and all my carefully laid plans were blown into the wind."

  "Did Maxton and his clique take control over the whole thing? Is that it? What did the brats do? There's still time to stop them," Brennan spoke, almost desperately.

  "Clark, the one who's wasted, is a tech wiz of sorts, and he had the idea of putting the pictures on the internet, on...certain sites. A guy saw them, a mature man by the sound of his voice. He offered us half a million for everything, and the others forced me to agree. But that isn't all, not by a long shot," the kid's voice broke. "Once Julien was here, the others intended to drug and deliver him to the guy's address."

  "What are you waiting for?" Brennan raised his voice, irritated by the teen's cowardice. "Give me the address, please. Julien's life depends on it," his tone became softer, lower.

  "Here it is." The boy took a piece of paper from the desk, scribbled some information on it, and placed it in the man's hand.

  CHAPTER 18

  B rennan stared incredulously at the piece of paper in his hand and the words written on it. He knew the place and the beast living there, none other than that twisted-minded fuck Fabian. The man had no doubts about poor Julien's fate once he'd arrived there. The monster overpowering him and subduing the fragile blond would have been a piece of cake.

  Getting out of the house as fast as he could, Brennan got behind the wheel and peeled out, careful not to get pulled over for speeding. His former employer's disgusting personality was revealed to him in all its festering ugliness. The fucker's plan had changed. He wasn't interested in eliminating Daniel physically anymore; the diabolical creature wanted to crush his spirit, by taking everyone away from him: Tarquin, their children...

  At that point, a terrible thought crossed Brennan's mind, and he was tempted to reject it at first. However, there was a possibility he couldn't ignore, so instead of shoving it in the back of his mind, the man let the thought loose. What if there was a connection between Fabian's plan and Gabriel's too-good-to-be-true boyfriend?

  Although the guy had come to the mansion a few times, Brennan hadn't gotten to see him, but he sensed a kind of strange tension in the atmosphere both before and after each visit, the changes more noticeable in Daniel. For a good while, the man would be disoriented and then alert, looking around as if someone was after him. Tarquin would try to soothe his husband's nerves and lighten his mood in every possible way, to no avail.

  Finally arriving at his destination, Brennan parked in the apartment complex's lot, then punched in the access code. With feline agility, he climbed the stairs to Fabian's apartment, making as little noise as possible. Mixed sounds coming from the man's office greeted him, making his stomach churn as he identified them as moans of pleasure and lustful music.

  Indeed, his eyes on the laptop's screen showing images of Julien, naked and in very provocative positions, the man was masturbating. With a savage cry, he spilled himself over his fist just as Brennan stepped inside. A grimace of disgust on his face at the sight. Pulling the gun, he always carried around, the young man aimed at the laptop, shooting twice.

  "What the..." Fabian started in an angry voice, tugging his spent cock back into his pants, then turning around to see who the intruder was. "Oh, aren't you a killjoy?" he continued, voice heavily laced with irony. "You could have joined me, instead of ruining all the fun."

  "You filthy, perverted bastard," Brennan hissed, advancing into the room and grabbing the lapels of the other man's jacket, partially raising him from the chair. "Is this your idea of fun? I'll show you fun." He started to hit the other one in the face, sending him to the floor.

  "Are you cooled down now?" Fabian coldly spoke, once his attacker slowe
d down, the blows becoming softer and more hesitant. "Are you ready for a civilized talk, or should I call the police to put you in a cage, like the wild beast you are?"

  "You are threatening the wrong man," Brennan answered in a silky voice, making his conversation partner shiver, even if just for a second. "You see, I may be a cold-hearted, unworthy of love assassin, but I'm not dumb. I've recorded all our talks, and I'm sure the police would find them very interesting. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me, bastard. You are no longer under my protection."

  "I think it's the other way around." Fabian smiled like a hyena. "You may act like a hotshot killer, but you are still a snotty kid. I'll tell you what will happen to me: nothing. Nada. Niente. Rien. You see, dear Uncle Alastair may not like me very much, but he will step up immediately if the family's impeccable reputation is at risk of being stained. And the man has quite an arsenal when it comes to defending it, trust me on that."

  "I'll expose you to the other members of your family, like the goddamn pedophile you are." Brennan grabbed the other man's jacket again. "I'll find someone who will believe me, and then..."

  "You still don't get it, kiddo, do you? I'm intangible, indestructible. I can do whatever the hell I want and get away with it." Fabian let out a contemptuous huff. "Who are you going to tell those horrible lies to? My sweet little brother Sebbie, who's looked up to me all his life? Or will you go to Daniel, who cares deeply about his cousin, Martin Cornelius? Deep enough to not hurt the said cousin's father?"

  "No, not to them. I may know the right man for the job, someone whose mission is to take down beasts like you." Brennan grinned evilly. "You are dead meat, pal. Better get ready to meet thy maker, Satan himself."

  "Oh, are you talking about the whiny little bitch? I take it you fell for that sob story of his, too." Fabian huffed again. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but he took a no-kill oath some four years ago, and, fortunately for me, the fool is a man of his word."

  "Good. Then, I'll go to the press, from the most obscure sites to the most famous newspapers, the ones with a nationwide audience. I'm willing to lose Daniel's and the others' friendship in the process, and even to serve time for the crimes I've committed. The question is, will your family stand by you through all this? I'm willing to bet they won't.

  Freshly showered and dried, Daniel threw himself on the bed, completely naked, landing on his stomach. For some reason, he felt drained of energy and wasn't in the mood to get into his pajamas. Rolling onto his back, the man let out a heavy sigh, reliving the scene at dinner, when Philip asked Gabriel to marry him, and the boy accepted.

  The boy, yes, because despite him being almost twenty-one, Daniel still felt the overwhelming need to protect and keep him safe, out of harm's way. For the first time since the two of them were reunited, the smile on his son's face and the shine in his eyes made the man's heartache, and he saw the same reaction reflected in the furtive glance Tarquin gave him.

  Thinking about his husband, Daniel suddenly felt the need to be close to him, to feel the blond's warm breath against his skin, to lose himself in those phenomenal, sky-blue eyes that touched the very core of his soul. The man ardently wanted to be filled by the blond and purged of the evil and dirt he'd felt inside himself over the past few weeks.

  As usual, Tarquin spent a little more time in the bathroom, busy making his skin soft and smooth to the touch, just the way his beloved liked it. He'd sensed Daniel's uneasiness from earlier, and wanted to pamper him in every possible way. Lost in each other's arms, he thought, the two of them would forget about all the things they worried about, even if only for a short while.

  After a detailed examination in the mirror, a soft sigh of satisfaction escaped from Tarquin's full, pink lips, and he stepped into the bedroom, gasping in surprise at the sight his husband was offering. On his back, legs widespread, Daniel was lazily stroking his cock with one hand while the other played with a nipple, quiet moans escaping through his sinful, and invitingly parted lips.

  "I need you," he turned to the blond, his eyes heavy with lust, voice rugged. "I want you to take me. I need you inside me tonight."

  "Your wish is my command." Tarquin slightly bowed his head, smiling seductively. "But, I have to prepare you first, my king."

  "No, it will take too long." Daniel shook his head. "And I don't think I can last that long. I need to be with you right now," he pleaded. "I want you to take possession of me. We need to look into each other's eyes while we become one."

  "As you wish." Tarquin climbed on the bed, crawling between his husband's legs, hips swaying seductively. "But it's going to be a little painful at first, so..."

  "My love, even pain, tastes sweet when it comes from you." Daniel's breath wobbled as his cock became steel-hard under his hand action. "Please, don't worry about it."

  With a small nod, Tarquin reached for the small bottle of lube, always at hand, on the nightstand, and applied a generous amount to his dick, then, positioning himself at his husband's entrance, started to push his way in slowly, trying not to hurt the man. Once enveloped by his husband's heat, the blond couldn't resist any longer and started to hammer inside him, fast and hard.

  The soft moans coming from Daniel's tempting, sinful lips turned into a pleading, needy whimper, urging Tarquin to speed up the pace even more, which the man happily obliged. Leaning over his husband, he caressed the heated, sweat-soaked skin on his soulmate's shoulders and neck with the tip of his tongue, tasting his man.

  The blond's gentle voice, whispering sweet words of praise and love into his ear, worked its magic on Daniel again, soothing his heart and mind. Unable to resist the fire Tarquin's urgent thrusts had started in the pit of his stomach, the black-haired man arched his back, asking for more, while his hands roamed all over Tarquin's sides and back, slowly descending to the perfect globes of his ass.

  Daniel's touches sent surges of pleasures through the blond's body to his dick, and he finally erupted inside his husband, who shot steamy globs of cum between them at almost the same time. The two of them stayed like that for a while. They were catching their breath and evening the beats of their hearts. Tarquin sprawled on top of his husband, who smiled serenely, his deep-blue eyes shining like sapphires.

  "You know, being sour about Gabriel's upcoming wedding and his fiance won't get you bonus points in your relationship with the kid, my king," Tarquin stated about fifteen minutes later. He was removing the last traces of their lovemaking off of Daniel's torso and abdomen.

  "But, my prince, what should I do? Can't help it. The man gives off loads of bad vibes, you said it yourself," the black-haired man protested.

  "Put a smile on your face, and pretend you're happy." Tarquin shrugged, a sly smile creeping on his face. "Why don't we throw a party tomorrow, inviting everyone? This event calls for a celebration, don't you think? Be generous, buy them a house at The Base."

  "Very well, I'll follow your advice." Daniel shrugged. "But if that man hurts my son, even if it's just with a single word if my Gabriel's eyes ever get clouded with tears because of that bastard..."

  "You'll have a legitimate reason to kill him." Tarquin grinned evilly.

  "You understand me so well! And that, my prince, is one of the many reasons I love you," Daniel whispered, capturing his husband's lips in a passionate, all-consuming kiss.

  CHAPTER 19

  F or the first time ever, Brennan was grateful for being subjected to those horrible experiments, or rather for some of the results, like improving his reflexes and abilities. Among other things, it allowed him to concentrate on driving while searching the best solutions to the many pressing problems he had on his hands.

  First thing first, he would have to go to that kid Eren's residence and make the tech wiz take down the images and photos from the internet. Brennan cursed the impulsiveness that caused him to destroy Fabian's computer before making sure the bastard did the same. However, the pesky, drunk teen was the real key to Julien regaining his peace of mind.

 
; At that point, the man hissed another curse through clenched teeth, taking a turn in the middle of the road. He had to get back to his apartment first, to get the box, and hide any possible clues that could point to the identity of his parents. Now that he was no longer at Fabian's beck and call, nothing would stop the bastard from raiding the place, Brennan thought.

  Once at the apartment, it took him less than twenty minutes to put the most important things into a large suitcase and stash away the rest. His childhood, the memories of the two people who gave their lives to keep him safe were hidden away, out of that bastard's claws.

  Brennan fled the apartment building, careful not to be noticed by some nosy neighbors or passers-by, and headed straight to his car, putting the suitcase on the passenger's seat. Before taking off, the man messaged Eren, instructing him to sober Clark up and keep him that way.

  When Brennan arrived at the house, the lights were off, three of the four cars from earlier were gone, and an almost eerie silence replaced the blasting noise. The man let himself into the house, heading straight into the living room, where Eren, Clark, Maxton, and the other boy were still on the couch, in about the same positions he left them.

  "Oh, it's you again." Clark squinted his eyes. "Our buddy here told us you're interested in buying the blond boy's pics. What's the offer?"

  "You take them down, and I forget about the whole thing," Brennan coldly answered, giving the kid a look that made him shiver. "Or you will go to jail for child pornography, your choice." He shrugged. "Of course, there's a third version, too."

  "And it involves you paying for the photos more than the other guy was willing to offer and get the hell out?" Maxton said defiantly, looking straight into the man's eyes.