Blackbird Fly Home (Doyle Global Securities Book 1)

by Kendel Duncan

  Noah stopped behind Jesse but kept his hands to himself – no sense in giving the man glaring at him more fuel for his hatred.

  The man took a step towards Jesse, pointing with his bent, arthritis-written finger, “Don’t you talk to me like that, boy! I didn’t have to look for you. That big-shot lawyer came to me and offered to take you off my hands in exchange for a finder’s fee,” he said with a wicked grin.

  “What?” he whispered as the air left Jesse’s lungs and he took a step back, right into the firm, comforting chest of the man who loved him.

  The man chuckled, “You always were an idiot.”

  “Did you know what he did to me?”

  “He gave you food and a roof over your head. You should be grateful that he put up with your fairy ass!”

  Jesse barked out a bitter laugh, “Oh, he gave me that alright. And he also made me sit in the corner of his bedroom and watch while he fucked other men, all while telling me that he was going to do all of that shit to me!”

  Henry’s face twisted with a full range of emotions, the most glaring of which was surprise. The man actually didn’t know that he had sent his only remaining son into the lion’s den. The surprise was soon replaced with disgust. “That guy’s a fucking faggot too?”

  Jesse crossed his arms over his chest, “Yeah, dad. We’re everywhere. You better run far away or you might catch it too.”

  Noah took that opportunity to slid his arm around Jesse’s waist, pull the man’s body into his and press a kiss to Jesse’s neck. Jesse sighed and leaned into the kiss.

  Henry growled and shook his head as he began stomping down the steps. “Goddamn fucking fairies,” he muttered as he brushed past the two of them and walked out into the parking lot.

  He and Noah watched as Henry Miller climbed into a rusty, banged up old Ford Taurus and drove away.

  And Jesse didn’t feel anything other than relief as he watched that car disappear.

  “I’m so fucking proud of you, babe,” Noah whispered as he hugged Jesse tight.

  “You guys ready?” Bas said as he stepped up next to them.

  Jesse nodded his head, “Yeah, yeah, I’m ready.”

  “Good, let’s do this.”

  Epilogue

  Seven months later

  Noah stepped to the end of the hall, his hair wet from his recent shower, and smiled as he watched Jesse in the kitchen. He looked so adorable with his tongue sticking out from between his plump lips as he concentrated on chopping the vegetables.

  He had come so far since the trial. They both had. They’d had to or they wouldn’t be here right now….together.

  The trial had been, well, brutal was a laughable understatement.

  As Noah quietly watched Jesse, his mind inevitably went back to that time.

  Noah gave Jesse’s hand a reassuring squeeze as Jesse’s name was called and he stood up to walk to the witness stand. Noah’s heart was pounding in his chest, he could only imagine what Jesse’s was doing right now. But you wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at him. Jesse looked so calm and collected, like he did this kind of thing every day. He looked strong.

  So fucking strong.

  And he was.

  Noah watched with awe as he answered every question thrown at him by the defense with a confidence that belied description. Despite the way that the defense tried to twist what had occurred between him and Jacob into something romantic, Jesse shot them down every time.

  “Is it right for a sixteen-year-old boy to be forced to watch two adults having sex, repeatedly?” he snapped at one of the questions.

  That had Bas smirking at Jesse while the defense attorney hemmed and hawed and tried to recover from that devastating blow.

  By the time he was dismissed, Jesse had the defense trying to do some serious damage control.

  Which they somehow thought they could do with Noah.

  But he wasn’t going to kowtow to them or anyone else.

  He marched up to that witness stand and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth….and he meant it.

  He talked about being raped.

  He talked about being humiliated.

  He talked about the beatings.

  He talked about the degradation.

  And all along he seemed fine.

  But on the inside, he was dying.

  Because now everybody knew.

  Now everyone would feel sorry for him.

  They’d look at him differently.

  They’d treat him differently.

  And that was killing him inside.

  He didn’t realize it at the time.

  No.

  It took the beautiful man that he was currently staring at, to point out that he was becoming distant.

  Okay, so he didn’t really ‘point it out’

  Nope.

  Jesse pretty much waved it in his face when he shoved a business card into Noah’s hand and said, “Call him or I’m leaving.”

  Noah had blinked as he looked from the card to Jesse’s face and back again. “What?” he finally whispered.

  Jesse sat down on the couch and clasped Noah’s face between his hands, “You are different, babe. Ever since the trial, you are cold, guarded, distant. You’re just not you and I need you back, Noah. You. The man I fell in love with, the man I adore, the man who saved me.”

  A tear slid down Noah’s cheek, “I, I, I don’t understand.”

  “I know, babe. But you will. Once you talk to Quincy, you’ll understand….and you’ll start to heal.”

  Noah’s eyebrow lifted, “Quincy? You know this guy?”

  “Babe, I’ve been seeing him for three months.”

  Noah felt his heart drop into his feet, “What?” he whispered.

  “My therapist, babe. He’s my therapist. Fuck, don’t you know that you are the only man I want?”

  Noah glanced down at his hands, “I did but….”

  Jesse clasped his chin and lifted his head until Noah’s eyes met his, “But what, babe?”

  “I wasn’t sure anymore. I’m just not sure of anything anymore.”

  “I know, babe. And that’s why you need to call him. Please.”

  Noah finally nodded, “Okay,” he whispered.

  Dialing that number scared the crap out of him.

  Walking into Quincy’s office the next day was frightening as hell.

  But what terrified Noah Pierce more than all of that, what shook him down to his core was the thought of losing the man he loved more than life itself.

  “Hey,” Jesse’s voice said, bringing Noah out of his memories.

  His smile grew as he stepped closer, “Hey, babe. Need some help?”

  “Could you wash the lettuce? It’s in the spinner in the sink.”

  As Noah turned on the water he said, “So, who all is coming again?”

  “Morgan and Luther, Bas, Cole and Kelly and Kylan and Bailey.”

  “You said Bas, what about Ten?”

  He looked over at Jesse when he was answered with silence.

  Jesse was looking back at him with so much sadness on his face as he said, “Ten is on assignment somewhere but he wasn’t going to come anyways.”

  “God, that man is so fucking stubborn,” Noah said with a growl.

  “Do you think he’ll ever come around? I hate to see Bas hurting so much all the time. He deserves to be happy.”

  “You’re right, he does babe. But he might have to find that with someone other than Ten.”

  Jesse shook his head, “I don’t know if he can, Noah. Those two are so connected, so meant for each other and yet Ten refuses to let it happen.”

  “Grief makes a lot of people do strange things, babe.”

  “I know.”

  A knock on the door drew their attention away from their conversation and before they knew it, it was hours later and everyone was lounging around out on the patio or floating in the pool, drinking beer and laughing, with bellies full of good food.

&nb
sp; Noah was straddling Jesse from behind on one of the lounge chairs, his arms wrapped tightly around him as he rested his chin on Jesse’s shoulder and smiled at their friends and family. Jesse was beaming too and Noah realized that this……this was how he wanted to always picture their life. Good friends, close family, great food and amazing love. He wanted this for the rest of his life.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said as he pressed a kiss to Jesse’s shoulder.

  “You okay?” Jesse said as he started to step away.

  Noah leaned down, cupping Jesse’s cheek with his hand, “I’m more than okay, babe. I love you,” he said as he pressed his lips to Jesse’s.

  “Love you too,” Jesse said when Noah pulled away.

  Noah walked into the kitchen and pulled open the pantry door.

  He reached his hand behind the canned peas and wrapped his fingers around the black velvet box. He’d known it would be safe to store it there because, come to find out, Jesse hated peas….with a gagging passion.

  He tucked the box into his pocket and walked back outside. Stepping out onto the patio, he glanced lovingly once more at all of the people surrounding them – his family – and he knew without a doubt that this was the right time.

  He went to take a step towards Jesse and, as if the man could sense his close proximity, Jesse turned and beamed at him.

  Right decision, right time, right man.

  Noah walked over to where Jesse was still sitting on the end of the lounger and he picked up one of Jesse’s hands and pressed a kiss to his palm.

  “Babe?” Jesse said with an adorable confused look on his face.

  That look changed to shock and then a quivering chin and eyes brimming with tears the moment that Noah dropped to one knee in front of him.

  Noah took a deep breath before meeting Jesse’s shimmering eyes, “Jesse, my love, you took my breath away the first moment I saw you. From that first glance across a dark and crowded club I knew that you were someone that I could never walk away from. To me, you are the reason my heart beats. You keep talking about how I saved you but that’s not exactly true. I think we saved each other, babe, and I hope you’ll agree to keep saving me for the rest of our lives. Jesse Miller, will you be my rock, my guiding light, my hero? Will you be my husband?”

  Tears slid down Jesse’s cheeks as he cupped Noah’s face with his free hand and nodded before quietly whispering, “Yes.”

  Noah pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it. Noah had designed the black bands swirling with platinum himself. And when Jesse took his and read the inscription that read My Hero ∞ Noah, a sob burst from his lips. “Noah,” he whispered.

  “Our names are slightly raised so the longer we wear them, they will leave an impression on our fingers,” he said as he held his out to Jesse to show him that his ring said the same thing but with Jesse’s name.

  “Oh babe, they’re perfect,” he whispered as he slid his on and then pressed his lips to Noah’s.

  Jesse stood to his feet, pulling Noah up with him, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a bone-crushing hug. Noah’s arms were squeezed just as tightly around Jesse’s waist.

  A sound behind Jesse had Noah’s eyes opening and he watched as Bas lifted his body out of the water and he climbed out of the pool. Just as he reached for a towel, his eyes met Noah’s and the devastation swirling in them almost broke Noah’s heart. Fuck, he hadn’t thought about how it would affect Bas if Noah proposed in front of him, not that Bas was anywhere close to wanting to propose to Ten. No, they were miles away from that. But it was the love, the commitment that Bas so desperately wanted and that Ten so vigorously pushed away.

  After congratulations were given to the two men from everyone there, Noah watched Bas as he slipped away from the crowd of couples and quietly went into the house. Noah figured the man was just going to leave without saying anything and he was okay with that, he understood it.

  But Bas didn’t leave. He walked back out of the house with a bottle of Jack tucked under his arm and two stacks of shot glasses in his hands.

  “Right on!” Cole said with a whoop.

  “Perfect idea,” Kylan said.

  “Whiskey and sex, two of my favorite things,” Luther said.

  “Sex? You planning on getting busy, Luther?” Noah said with a smile.

  “You do have a bathroom, don’t you?” he replied as he sent a heated look Morgan’s way.

  “Dude, do not tell me you’re going to fuck in my bathroom,” Noah said with a groan.

  “Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?” Luther said, causing Morgan to chuckle and say, “I can’t take you anywhere.”

  Luther stepped up to him to kiss his cheek, “Oh yes you can, baby, just so long as you fuck me while we’re there.”

  The night ended with Bas passed out on the couch, Morgan and Luther in the guest room and Jesse softly snoring within the circle of Noah’s arms as he drifted off to sleep – right where he was meant to be.

  The End

  Read on for an excerpt from“Finding My Way Home – Doyle Global Securities #2”

  Prologue

  Tenley ‘Ten’ Pinkerton stepped out onto the balcony of the hotel room. For a brief moment, he glanced down at the pool ten stories below and thought, I could make that. I could jump, land in the pool and just fucking disappear. Leave my job, leave my home and leave this pull that fucking Bas Monroe has on me.

  Thinking Bas’s name brought a growl from his chest. He hated thinking about the man, even though he couldn’t help doing it almost every moment of every day.

  Sebastian ‘Bas’ Monroe.

  The asset that that Ten had been assigned to protect on his last assignment.

  The lawyer who was assigned to help out the prosecution in the case against Jacob Knight.

  The lawyer who had coached and guided Jacob’s two victims, Noah Pierce and Jesse Miller, so well that it was their testimony that sent the man to prison for life, where he belonged.

  Bas Monroe….the man who had somehow, for a brief second, made Ten forget all about the man who owned his heart, who would always own his heart, his murdered boyfriend Sawyer.

  Sawyer would always be the love of Ten’s life, always.

  Oh, he knew he’d have hook ups from time to time, he’d have to slake that itch. But those would be with no-named men in the bathrooms and alleys behind clubs – blowjobs and hand jobs with random strangers when his own hand wasn’t enough. But they would never, never involve kissing. And he would never lust after the person, never want them. He would only need a willing hole.

  But Bas, fucking Bas Monroe had to come along and somehow, somehow, weave his way past Ten’s defenses. Somehow, he’d found a small crack in Ten’s armor and he’d snuck in.

  But it wasn’t their brief moment of passion that had Ten so pissed off.

  No.

  It was the fact that Ten had wanted it. Fuck, he’d desperately wanted it. He’d wanted it so bad that he couldn’t control himself. And he’d kissed Bas. No, that’s not exactly true. He’d devoured Bas’s mouth with his own.

  And he’d liked it. Even worse, he wanted it to happen again.

  Fucking Bas Monroe.

  With a sigh, he forced his focus back to the task at hand. He glanced to his left and right, noting that both balconies were a good fifteen feet away, not a jump that most people could make. And there weren’t balconies on the rooms above or below him. He turned and walked back into the room, “We’re good,” he said with a nod to his partner on this Op, Dante.

  “Am I allowed to go out and play now, Dad?” the whiny girl on the couch said as she stared disinterestedly at her fingernails, “Or are you going to kill my fun like last time?”

  Ten clamped his mouth shut, grinding his back teeth, rather than telling this chick what he really thought of her. Spoiled. Rotten. Brat. Idiot. Bitch.

  Those were all words that had popped into his head many times over the last two weeks. He and Dante were protecting this asset aft
er she’d had a few credible death threats because of a song she released that dealt with love and acceptance for all. It wasn’t a bad song but Ten couldn’t stand that she was the one singing it since everything he had witnessed from her was anything but open-minded and loving. She was a cold-hearted bitch who treated her lesbian assistant only slightly better than dirt.

  He really hated this part of his job.

  But at least this assignment was brief. The asset was on the final leg of her U.S. tour, with only one more show after tonight, and then she was off to Japan….without Ten or Dante. Her reps were hiring a different firm to protect her overseas and that was perfectly fine with Ten.

  He realized that she was glaring at him and that’s when he remembered the question she had asked.

  “You can’t go out, Tracy. We’ve had no time to vet any of the local clubs or anything, but,” he said as he held up his hand when she opened her mouth to bitch at him, “you can invite a few friends to party with you here. Just don’t forget your curfew, you have early morning radio call-ins. You can’t be doing those hung over or still drunk.”

  “You are such a fucking asshole,” she mumbled as she began furiously texting on her phone.

  “You have no idea, princess.”

  “I thought I told you not to call me that,” she growled at him.

  He grinned, “And I thought I told you that you’re not the boss of me.”

  “Prick.”

  Ten’s phone buzzed on his hip, “Ten,” he said as he answered.

  “I’m on my way to pick you up,” Morgan said.

  Ten frowned, “Okay, why?”

  “I’ve got Tegan with me, he’s going to relieve you.”

  Ten’s frown deepened, “What the fuck is going on, Morgan?”

  “I’ll tell you when I get there.”

  “Morgan….”

  He heard Morgan sigh, “Ten, please. I’ll tell you when I get there. Just stay put until I do, okay?”

  “Fine. How long?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”

  Ten clipped his phone to his belt and walked to the guestroom to retrieve his bag. “What’s going on?” Dante said as he leaned against the doorframe.