by J. C. Owens
Kirith drew a deep breath, his eyes lighting to fire.
“Santos’s brother.”
Raoul watched him, hunger still evident in his dark eyes. “The one and same.” He smiled then, softer. “We have something of yours…”
Far from Chase’s expectations, the house they arrived at was huge, enclosed in a walled, guarded area. Raoul himself showed them inside, and Chase stared in awe. The architecture seemed very old Spanish, with beautiful golden tile flooring and whitewashed walls. Raoul led them to a vast room, warm and obviously decorated for social occasions, with couches and chairs grouped intimately around the space. Fans whirred lazily over their heads, stirring the cool air. Chase cautiously seated himself on one of the expensive-looking chairs, his gaze taking in the large pieces of artwork that graced the area. There were paintings, several large sculptures both classical and modern, wall hangings with a local flavor, and at the head of the room, a water wall that provided a welcome respite from the heat outside. Over their heads, great beams, dark-stained, gave an almost medieval flavor to the decor.
Wealth was evident everywhere. Tasteful, knowledgeable wealth.
Rising once again, Chase paced, trying to breathe normally. The beauty of the house, so palatial, soon slid from his thoughts.
Santos himself, shorter than Chase had expected, but darkly powerful, strode into the room. He greeted Kirith and Raymond with obvious pleasure and then gestured them all further down a hallway.
They entered a quiet suite of rooms, and Chase was pulled into Kirith’s embrace.
“Santos suggested I go in first. Are you all right with that?”
Chase could not speak, despairing thoughts crowding his mind. Of course Kirith would go first—he was more important. Who was Chase? And what if this was not Enzo? He knew that made no sense. Santos would know, but he could not eliminate his fears.
He only nodded. Kirith hugged him, then turned to the door that Santos held open, his expression holding both fear and hope in one package.
The door closed behind him.
Now Chase waited, so many emotions crowding in that he could make no sense of just one. If there could be a future between them. If Enzo truly cared, why would he have waited so long to tell them he was alive? Had he changed his mind about Chase, seen him clearly enough this time, not wanting him after consideration?
Kirith came out of the room with a pale face and tear tracks upon his cheeks. Chase clenched his fists, fear overwhelming him. He had been grateful that Kirith had gone inside first.
Now that the moment had arrived, when he should have been wild with impatience to see his lover, he was frozen with a strange reluctance.
Fear.
What if he was different, not wanting Chase anymore? He had lost him once. He could not bear it again. Their relationship had been so fragile, so new.
He did not understand his own emotions, as they swirled about him.
Kirith crossed over to him, through the ring of silent watchers. Taking Chase’s hand in his, he squeezed, expression gentling.
“Go to him. Be prepared, Chase. He is scarred…” Kirith swallowed hard, then leaned down to hug him. “He is very weak.”
Chase shivered, fingers reaching out to clench into Kirith’s shirt. “Does he want to see me?” His whisper was unsteady.
“He fears what you will think, how you will view him now.” Kirith shook his head at Chase’s look of disbelief.
“He has ignored my scars, helped me heal, and thinks I will judge his?” Chase drew away, feeling a rising anger pushing back his fears.
Scowling, he pushed past Kirith, stalking over the door and opening it with some force. He drew a deep breath, before entering and closing it behind him with a sharp snick.
The room was dim, curtains half drawn, heavy with shadows. The large bed lay in a pool of darkness, and Chase thinned his lips, striding to the windows, and heaving back the curtains to let the sun in, before whirling to face the room’s occupant.
Chase let out a gasp and he flew forward, reaching out and taking a thin hand in his, bringing it to his lips, never taking his eyes from his lover’s gaunt face.
One dark eye met his, the other hidden beneath a light bandage that covered the entire right side of Enzo’s face. His right arm was similarly swathed, and Chase swallowed hard, imagining the pain of burns covering so much flesh.
His gaze returned to Enzo’s.
Enzo watched him, face completely void of expression, his body rigid with tension, muscles tight.
Chase tried to speak, but the silence overwhelmed him and he could only twist his fingers together, wishing desperately for eloquence.
The tension stretched, and he took another step forward, trying to force himself to action, fear rising that he would only say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing.
Enzo closed his eye, turned his face aside back into shadow.
“You should go,” he said, voice hollow and hoarse. “I am alive. That is all you needed.”
The words broke some barrier in Chase, and he offered a shaky smile, tears rising to his eyes, relieved he could read his lover so easily. “You are an idiot, my love. You accepted me when no one else would, and now you think I would turn from you? I love you. That is for always and forever, and no scars, no injuries are going to change that.” He leaned forward and laid a trembling hand against one lean cheek. “God, I am so sorry you were hurt. I would have been here, I would have—”
Enzo raised the hand he held and laid a finger upon his lips. That dark eye searched his, and he consciously opened himself, wanting there to be no shadows between them.
Chase kissed the digit with gentle care, afraid to do anything more, afraid to cause more pain than his lover had already endured.
Enzo’s body seemed to relax a small amount, as though he had received Chase’s silent message in full.
“You are a fool to love me.” Enzo gave a small half smile, before grimacing with pain. “Mi sei mancato, my love. So much. But Sergei insisted that we wait, wanted the world to think I had died, so I did not get pulled into the Martinelli war. You and Kirith were being watched by them. We could not get word to you without giving everything away. I am so sorry.”
“Sergei? He’s alive?” Joy swelled inside him. He had not dared hope…
“Saved my life, the stupid bastard. Burned himself in the doing.” Enzo voice was hoarse and rough, as though he had not spoken for a while.
“Then I will forgive him for keeping you hidden. I do understand his motives, but Kirith and I…” He closed his eyes at the pain of his memories. It took a moment before he could pull back from the past and move into the present, into the gift he had been given, now when he thought all hope was gone.
Chase leaned forward, laying his lips over Enzo’s with a soft, soothing murmur. “I am here. That is over.”
Enzo shifted, sitting up a little, pain etching his face. Putting his left arm out, he drew Chase down upon the bed, tucking him against his side with an echo of his old strength.
“I will be nothing great to look at. The right side of my face, my right arm…Darell thought I would lose use of it completely, but it is healing better than expected. But I am never going to look like you are used to. There is no hope for my eye…”
Chase shook his head, putting his hand over Enzo’s mouth. “Do you think I am so shallow? You told me I am strong in myself, that I can make my own decisions, yet now you think I would walk away for so little a thing? I love you. I will love your scars. I will kiss them until you accept they are part of you now, that I am beyond that. Our love is beyond that. I have never believed in perfection, never been perfect myself. Yet you took me in, showed me what it is to be accepted, loved. Now, we will be equals. I can do the same for you.”
Enzo drew in a shaky breath, his control obviously paper thin. “You are so young…”
Chase sat up sharply, scowling. “If you bring out that old argument one more time, I might forget you are injured at all. Stop
fighting this. I love you, damn it. And I will keep at it until you actually believe.”
Enzo huffed a little, his eye showing a new, faint amusement in its weary depths. “My little tiger. As you wish then.” His left hand lifted, drew Chase in for a kiss. “And when I met you, you were a mere mouse. Now a tiger. You have come a long way, my love.”
“Because of you,” Chase rejoined, managing a smile. “You brought me out of the darkness, lifted me up and made me believe. Now I will do that for you. We will truly be equals now.”
Enzo pulled him down, resting them forehead to forehead, sharing breath.
“This is going to be a long road of healing. Are you ready for this?”
Chase felt a true smile curve his lips.
“Always.”
Epilogue
They stood upon the tarmac, watching the plane taxi toward them. The wind was hot, no mercy in its touch, and Chase wiped away a bead of sweat that trickled down his temple.
Enzo looked down at him, a smile tilting one corner of his lips. He showed no sign of even realizing it was hot at all. Chase tried not to resent that.
“Perhaps you should wait in the car, with Kirith, and the others. They were sensible.”
Chase scoffed. “As if. I want to be here with you. Just the two of us.”
Enzo shook his head, but graced Chase with a kiss on the lips, regardless of who might be watching at the airport.
The plane taxied to its spot, powering down, the strident noise slowly dying away. Chase waited with clear impatience, almost dancing from foot to foot.
Enzo was motionless, quiet, his single dark eye fixed upon the door that slowly opened, the steps lowering.
Chase glanced at his lover again, grinning a little. The eye patch had a piratical air…damn sexy. The cool facade no longer fooled him. He knew Enzo all too well now, and he knew that the other man was as edgy as Chase himself was.
They both froze in place, as Sergei ducked out the plane’s door, a bundle held carefully in his huge arms. The nurse was close behind him, concern on her face, as though she doubted Sergei’s ability to care for such a precious burden.
Chase tugged on Enzo’s hand, but his lover did not move. Looking at his face, Chase thought that perhaps he could not move, his body tense, his gaze fixed upon what Sergei held.
Chase subsided, curbing his own longing in favor of helping Enzo through this.
Sergei stalked up to them, a grin evident, before gently pulling back the embroidered blanket and letting them see their daughter for the first time.
Chase leaned forward eagerly, a small gasp escaping him as a tiny fist waved in the air. He wanted to touch so badly, but more than that, he wanted Enzo to have this moment, to be the first of them to hold her.
Enzo was staring at the child, his dark eye fathomless. For a moment, Chase worried.
His lover gave a huff of exasperation, perhaps at himself more than anything, and reached out. Sergei carefully transferred his charge into Enzo’s grasp, watching with a fond smile as his friend held the child with expert care.
The little girl could not be in safer arms.
Chase grinned at the captain’s expression, then reached out to touch soft, dark hair, wonder on his face.
“How could she give this up?” he whispered. Stacey had signed the baby over without a qualm, trading her parental rights for a large sum of money. Looking into the cherubic face of their new daughter, Chase could not imagine such a thing.
Enzo held his daughter firmly, though it had to have been causing him some pain. He had worked hard for this moment, for the ability to hold his child with both arms.
Chase was damn proud.
They heard voices approaching, Kirith, Landon, Laura, and Raymond coming to meet the new member of the family.
Enzo leaned down, laid a kiss upon his daughter’s brow.
“Tell her what her name is, my love.”
Chase felt a rush of love for them both.
He stepped closer, enclosing the child between them, safe and secure.
“Abrielle,” he whispered, “welcome home.”
~ About the Author ~
Writing has always been of the utmost importance to me, often a means of expressing frustration, anger and grief during terrible times in my life. It was also there for the joys and triumphs, a faithful companion through it all that never failed me.
I have written over twenty books, but most of them will never see the light of day. Due to various friends urging, I realized that I should share some of these.
I now realize that I actually have stories to tell and I want to share them.
I live in Alberta, Canada, a truly beautiful place. I am grateful that I was fortunate to be born here, to know peace and prosperity in my culture. So many do not have that.
My life has been full, not perhaps with successes as today’s world expects, but with so many, many experiences.
I have two sons, very large sons. My eldest is 6’4” and the youngest 6’7”. They have been my life and it is wonderful to see them on their own paths, beginning their own lives. They are my strength and my pride and now I have my almost daughter in law, Kim to help keep “the boys” in line.
My partner, John, is the rock I bounce my ideas off of. He is the best of friends and a true confidante. Somehow he puts up with such a chaotic household…and ferrets. Truly an adaptable man!
So there you have it, my life in a nutshell!
I hope you enjoy my writing. It has been such an experience writing them all and they are such a reflection of my state of mind that it is intensely personal to share.
Discover more about J. C. Owens here
http://www.jcowensauthor.net
~ Also by J. C. Owens ~
Taken
Kidnapping the brother of a mob boss was madness... If only it had stayed that simple.
It had all gone wrong. Sent as a mercenary to kidnap Kirith Martinelli from his tropical island home, Landon finds himself on the wrong end of a job gone bad. But there's more to Kirith than meets the eye--and he's taken Landon as his captive. Kirith makes Landon an offer he can't refuse: stay with him for three months—until he tires of Landon's body--and then Landon may go free.
Fearing his own criminal family more than the man before him, Landon agrees. Three months will buy him enough time for his brothers to lose his scent, and freedom will be his. But freedom has a steeper price than Landon bargained for. He can't ignore the sadness and loss behind his captor's beautiful eyes, and Landon finds himself wondering if three months will be enough—for either of them...
Wishes
Sex slave to an alien culture...
Lt. Auri finds his job aboard the diplomatic cruiser both frustrating and exhausting, but he's determined to prove himself to his new captain. Despite the diplomatic importance of their mission, Auri is wary of the catlike Felinians, who have a reputation for enjoying human company, willing or not. But when he's ordered to witness the signing of the trade papers with the Felininans, Auri never imagines that he's about to be betrayed.
Sold into an alien culture, Auri finds himself the newest man in the Felinian leader's erotic harem. Kanar claims him as his "mate," but Auri longs for freedom. Though his feelings for Kanar begin to grow, Auri stubbornly refuses the Felininan and the other men of his harem, leading to loneliness and grief. But how can he open himself up to his captor, and to the love of more than one partner?
Dominion of the Eth
The collar would stay, for Rylis would never free Tamrin...
Childhood memories of the Eth did no justice to what Rylis Tanyan would encounter in the depths of the Teeathun forest. But what he had treasured before had betrayed him, and now he must fight to escape the confines of the forest and his feelings for Tamrin, the Eth whom he'd loved long ago...
~ More M/M Romance from Etopia Press ~
FAST Balls
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A hot, gay firefighter could send Mick’s life up in flames…
Mick Cassidy is great at fighting fires and solving math problems. But he’s rotten with people—until he meets Jerry, the nicest, kindest man he’s ever known. Raised by a gay-hating preacher, Mick grew up despising men like Jerry. He’s never wanted a woman, but he can’t stop thinking about the strong, sexy firefighter and what they shared at the Firefighter’s Ball. Does that make him gay? And if he’s gay, what will happen to his whole, carefully constructed life?
Hold the Sky
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When love competes, will anyone win?
Harry has just begun his career as an architect with a well-known Chicago firm, but when he runs up against the talented, successful, not to mention stunningly handsome Garrett Reed, he quickly loses both his cool and his first big contract to the other man. Now a second job has just come up for bid, a huge project that can make Harry's career. And Garrett is after the same prize.
Garrett is fascinated with Harry. He admires the man's drive and talent, not to mention his incredible good looks. But as the wild attraction between them burns hotter, the cool, aloof Garrett finds himself in an uncomfortable position. Can the two of them find a way to temper the passion that flares between them, or will their competitive natures tear their tentative love to pieces?