Tortured Souls

by Carol Lynne

  Looking into Declan’s eyes, Bram could tell he meant every word he’d said. “Thank you.” He kissed him softly. Turning his attention back to the group, he began again. “Whoever did this to Declan hates me for some reason. I don’t know a reason other than I’m the one whose testimony sent Lucky to prison. He died two years into his sentence in a fight with another inmate.” Bram snorted. “Poetic justice, if you ask me. Lucky finally found someone he couldn’t pick on.

  “Declan told me his kidnapper looked like he could be my twin. That tells me one thing. He has to be related. I talked to Thor yesterday and he told me Lucky had several girlfriends. I believe he fathered another child by one of these women. I guess this guy’s upset about Lucky. But it doesn’t really explain why he’d kill Doreen.” Bram ran his fingers through his hair. “Any ideas?” He looked toward his friends who were all pouring themselves another healthy glass of whiskey.

  It took awhile before any of them could speak. The horrors they’d all just listened to were still fresh in their minds. Finally, Nicco looked at Bram with fresh tears in his eyes. “Fuck, man. You’re my hero. Most men would have become a completely different person than who you turned out to be. You went to Arizona when you got that call from the hospital and never looked back. You took a young paralyzed boy to New York and raised him into a damn fine man.” Nicco shook his head. “I never would have realized.” Nicco cut himself off when Mac and Amir both took his hands.

  Amir, the silent warrior of the group, looked over at Bram. “I say we find him instead of waiting for him to find you. Get on the computer and start doing your thing Bram. You’re the best damn investigator I know. This is your most important case ever. Treat it as such and you’ll find out who this guy is.”

  * * * * *

  For the next week, Bram tried calling Lucky’s old friends from the reservation and Flagstaff to find information on Lucky’s past girlfriends. He hit a dead end every time. No one wanted to talk to him. They still felt he’d betrayed his family by testifying against their friend.

  Bram decided he needed to go back to Arizona. Declan was in the kitchen of the apartment making lunch when Bram found him. Wrapping his arms around Declan, Bram kissed his neck. “Smells good.” He looked at the big pot of chili on the stove. “Looks like you’re making enough to feed an army, though.”

  Declan nudged backward with his ass. “I’m feeding all of us. Mac, Nicco and Amir are coming out for dinner tonight after they drop Lilly off at the airport.” Declan leaned back against Bram. “Find anything?”

  “No.” Bram took the giant spoon out of Declan’s hand and put it down on the stove. He led Declan over to a kitchen chair and pulled him into his lap. “I need to go to Arizona. I need to search some records that I can’t view over the internet.”

  Shaking his head vehemently, Declan held Bram’s chin. “No. Call the detective. He can get records you can’t anyway. If it’s a way to catch this guy, it’s his job. I won’t let you go back there.”

  Blowing out a breath, Bram closed his eyes. He knew Declan was right about Detective Smally. “I’ll call him. See what he says. If he’ll do what I ask him to do, then I’ll stay here. But if he tells me no, I’ll have to go on my own. You won’t be safe until this crazy fuck is found.” Bram ran his hand down the side of Declan’s face. “And I won’t take another chance with you.”

  Declan stood and stripped off his clothes. He went over and turned the stove off before facing Bram. “Get naked for me. I need you.”

  Smiling, Bram stood and stripped. He took his lover’s hand and led him out of the kitchen. Falling onto the bed, Bram crawled on top of Declan. “Figured you’d be sore after this morning. Glad you’re not though.” He began rubbing his face against Declan’s neck and jaw, kissing and nipping at the smaller man’s fading bruises. “Love you.”

  Squirming under him, Declan ran his fingers through Bram’s hair. “Love you and I’ll never be too sore for you. Love the feel of you inside me.”

  Bram began rocking lazily, rubbing his cock alongside of Declan’s. Despite what Declan said, Bram knew he was sore by the way he moved. Looking into Declan’s eyes, he leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Fuck me, Declan.”

  Doing a double take, Declan’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Smiling, Bram nodded his head. “I asked you to fuck me. Why? Don’t you want to?”

  Swallowing several times, Declan nodded. “Uh, yeah. But I’ve never done it before.” He looked away, his face going red.

  Bram brought his face back to look him in the eyes. “Neither have I. You’re the first person I’ve ever trusted enough.”

  “Oh fuck, Bram. That’s just…wow.” Declan swallowed several more times and reached for the bottle of lube.

  Bram traded positions and flipped onto his stomach. Getting up onto his hands and knees, he looked at Declan. “This way will be easier for both of us.” Bram saw the fear in Declan’s eyes. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll let you know if you’re hurting me.” Declan nodded and squirted lube onto his hand and down the crack of Bram’s ass. Bram shivered at the totally new sensation.

  When Declan ran his finger around Bram’s rosette, Bram groaned. “Feels good.” Declan let out a sigh of relief and slowly inserted one finger. Bram was amazed at the feeling. It wasn’t at all like he’d imagined. Maybe it had something to do with opening himself up fully to another person for the first time in his life. “Good. Keep going.”

  Squirting more lube down the crevice of Bram’s ass, Declan inserted another finger. The slight pinch of pain was gone quickly and Bram turned his head toward Declan. “Move your fingers around against the walls of my body. Try to find the smooth gland. When you find it, stroke it with your fingers and then add another.”

  Nodding, Declan looked like he was about to come. Bram felt his fingers begin to move and then, at last, “Oh yeah. There. Do it again.” Declan brushed his gland again and quickly inserted another finger. Bram felt so full, he lowered his arms and rested his head on the pillow. “So full. Christ.”

  Declan moved the three fingers in and out of Bram slowly. “Are you ready?”

  “Oh God, yes.” Bram turned his head enough to see Declan out of his peripheral vision. Fumbling with the condom, Declan eventually rolled it on. He held his cock by the base and put the head at Bram’s opening.

  “Tell me if I hurt you.” He started to push and seemed amazed when the head of his cock popped past the ring of muscles. Declan froze, seemingly afraid of hurting Bram.

  Getting his arms back under him, Bram pushed back, impaling himself on Declan’s cock. “Oh shit.” The pain was almost unbearable but Bram knew it would lessen as soon as his body fully engulfed Declan’s shaft. When he couldn’t push back any more, he knew Declan was fully seated inside him. “Give me a sec,” Bram panted.

  He took deep breaths until the pain faded and he was left with a pleasure so intense he almost came. Moving forward and then back again, Bram fucked himself on Declan’s huge cock. “It’s good. You can move.”

  “Thank God.” Declan began to slowly thrust in and out of Bram’s hole. “Not going to last.” He thrust harder and faster with each stroke.

  “Mmm-hmm. Yeah. Love you.” Bram lifted one arm and wrapped his hand around his cock. “Gonna.”

  “Yeah.” Declan swiveled his hips and buried himself deeply as he came. Bram yelled Declan’s name as he shot his seed into his fist.

  Collapsing, Declan fell on top of Bram. It was a few seconds before he pulled out and disposed of the condom. Declan grunted a “Good” before he fell asleep.

  Knowing he needed to call Detective Smally, Bram waited until Declan was sleeping hard. Getting out of bed, he covered Declan with the blanket and kissed his forehead.

  * * * * *

  Bram talked to the detective and explained what he was looking for. Smally was very helpful and said he’d get on it right away. Bram decided to work on the computer in Lilly’s study.

  Which was where Declan found
him two hours later. “Find anything out?”

  Bram’s head snapped up and around. “I don’t know. I’ve put two calls into the detective in the last hour. I think I’ve found something but I need him to look at the hard copies for me.” Bram slid his chair back from the desk and held out his arms. “Come over here. Want to feel you in my arms.”

  Declan happily walked over and sat on Bram’s lap. Wrapping his arms around him, Declan leaned in for a nice slow kiss. “Thank you for earlier. It was quite an eye-opener.”

  Chuckling, Bram thrust up into Declan’s ass. “For me too. We’ll have to do that again sometime.”

  Running his hands over Bram’s chest, Declan nodded. “Once in a while it would be nice, but I like the feel of you inside me too much to become a top.” Declan bent and thrust his tongue inside Bram’s mouth. “Mmm. Someone’s been sampling the chili.”

  Swatting Declan’s ass, Bram kissed him again. “See what happens when you fall asleep on me.” Bram gave Declan a devilish smile.

  “So tell me what you think you found.” Declan began to push down the sweats Bram had on.

  Bram lifted his hips, aiding Declan in his task. “I found an old newspaper article from the town where I grew up. It said that I was born at home.” Bram closed his eyes as Declan began to lick his way around his cock and balls.

  “Go on,” Declan said between licks.

  “According to the article, which was written six months after I was born, my mom had given birth to twins. It went on to say my twin died of sudden infant death syndrome when I—we—were five months old.” Bram thrust his cock toward Declan’s mouth.

  Declan stopped what he was doing and looked up at Bram. “You had a twin? A for-real twin?”

  Knowing Declan wasn’t going to finish him off until he received his answers, Bram nodded. “I never heard anything about it growing up. Evidently, like everything else surrounding the Blackstone family, the death was quickly hushed. I asked Detective Smally to try to find a death certificate for my twin.” Bram ran his finger across Declan’s lips. “Guess what his name was?”

  Capturing Bram’s finger with his mouth, Declan seemed to be thinking about it as he sucked Bram’s finger. “Prickly?”

  “Close. Brier.” Bram pulled his finger out of Declan’s mouth and subtly guided him back down to his cock.

  Just before Declan took Bram’s throbbing cock into his mouth, Declan shook his head. “You sure had some sick fucks for parents, Bram.” Declan’s warmth enveloped Bram’s cock.

  He rested his head on the back of the chair and thrust in and out of Declan’s mouth. “Yes.”

  Declan moved just enough to position Bram’s feet against the top of the desk. The new position opened Bram up for further exploration. Declan pulled off Bram’s cock and licked his way back down to the heavy sac. He licked and kissed the sensitive sac as he wrapped his hand around Bram’s erection. Moving down farther, Declan rimmed Bram’s hole with his tongue. Bram thrust into his hand as he moaned.

  Declan bit and fucked the puckered opening with his tongue. Bram was close and watched as a good amount of pre-cum ran down over the top of his cock. Declan nibbled his way back up and swallowed Bram’s shaft. Bram grunted and released his seed into Declan’s throat.

  Licking him clean, Declan crawled back up to snuggle in Bram’s lap. “So tell me what Smally is hoping to find with the death certificate.” Declan kissed his way up and down the side of Bram’s face. Bram’s brain felt like pure mush and Declan’s quick question threw him for a few seconds. Finally getting his body under control, he answered.

  “That there isn’t one.” Bram turned his head and sealed their lips together. The kiss deepened and Declan rubbed his hard cock against Bram’s stomach. Bram was unfastening Declan’s jeans when his cell phone rang.

  Declan reached behind him and picked the phone up from the desk. He looked at the display and handed it to Bram. “Smally. You’d better answer it.”

  Bram opened the phone and began to talk to Smally in short sentences as he continued to push Declan’s jeans off. Declan stood and kicked out of them. Sitting back on Bram’s naked lap, Declan did a little wiggle as Bram ground his teeth together to keep a moan from escaping.

  Deciding turnabout was fair play, Bram leaned forward to lick Declan’s nipple. Suddenly, Bram stiffened and leaned back in the chair. “Say that again?” He listened to Smally as he gripped Declan’s ass in his hand. No, no, no. Fuck, would the nightmare with his parents never end? After a few more words with Smally, Bram hung up. He set the phone back on the desk and buried his face in Declan’s neck.

  “What’s wrong?” Declan smoothed his hands over Bram’s shoulders. “What’d he find?”

  Bram said nothing else for a few minutes. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the evil that gave birth to him. He pulled Declan against his chest. “Smally said there was no death certificate ever filed. He did say, however, that he found out where Brier had been all these years.” Wrapping his arms around Declan, Bram started to cry. “When he was five months old, Brier sustained a serious head injury. The doctors evidently told my parents he wouldn’t be able to function in society without intense rehabilitation. Of course, not wanting to be bothered, my parents placed him into a state-run mental hospital. And then after a few years, they gave up custody, making Brier a ward of the state.” Bram looked into Declan’s eyes. “I’ll give you one guess as to how a five-month-old could sustain such a traumatic injury.”

  Declan’s jaw dropped as he tried to take in this new development. “So why wasn’t anything done about it?”

  “Because it didn’t happen in Arizona. Evidently, Lucky and Doreen had taken a vacation with their two children. According to Smally, Lucky told the hospital in Texas that Brier had fallen off the hotel bed and hit his head on the nightstand. With my parents’ influence in the state of Arizona, the authorities believed Lucky. My brother was admitted into a state facility in Texas as soon as he was released from the hospital. He’s been at the facility basically his whole life until a little over two months ago when he managed to walk out. They still aren’t sure how he did it. I suspect with everything he’s managed to accomplish, Brier is functioning at a higher level than the doctors thought.” Bram worried a piece of Declan’s hair with his fingers.

  “That’s why I thought he seemed so crazy. I told you it was like there were two people in his head. He kept arguing with himself.” Declan looked into Bram’s eyes. “I’m not sure he would have killed either one of us, if it had come down to that.”

  Bram gave a bark of laughter. “He tried to do just that to you, Declan. How can you defend him?”

  Declan ran his palms down the side of Bram’s face. “Because he’s your brother, and he’s sick by no fault of his own. It’s the same reason I stayed with Scott for so long. You need to find him, Bram, and get him the help he needs. It could have just as easily been you that took that blow to the head. I think you’ve all suffered enough. It’s time to start the healing process. But you can’t do that until you find him.”

  “That’s the million-dollar question. Where would Brier go?” He pulled Declan back against his chest and idly rubbed his scars. “I think I need to go to Arizona. I have an idea of where he might have gone.”

  Licking Bram’s lips, Declan looked up into his eyes. “Wherever he is, you can’t go alone. I understand the need for you to find him but at least take Mac, Amir and Nicco with you.”

  “All right, I’ll ask them to come over for dinner early. I’d like to leave first thing in the morning.” Just the thought of having a twin that he hadn’t known about boiled his blood. It was a damn good thing Lucky and Doreen were already dead. That thought brought him up short. What would he do to them? Kill them? Was he more like his parents than he ever thought? No, he refused to think that way. He was nothing like those vile people. Deciding to take the night off from his troubles, Bram reached down and stroked Declan’s cock. “Let’s go upstairs. I plan to love you now and all
night long.”

  Declan thrust into Bram’s fist. “I can live with that plan.”

  * * * * *

  That night at dinner, Bram told the threesome about his brother, Brier. “I’m going back to the family home tomorrow. That’s where I think he is.” Bram looked at each of his friends from across the table. “I’d like a little backup, if any of you can spare the time. I’m hoping I can get to him before the police do.”

  Amir rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. “Why would he be at your family’s home? Wouldn’t the police still be there investigating.”

  Bram shook his head. “Detective Smally asked me yesterday what I wanted him to do about the house. They’ve dusted it already and extracted Doreen’s body. He said they might need to get back in at some point but they didn’t find much except some stray fingerprints in the kitchen.” Bram reached under the table and took Declan’s hand. “I think that house is important to some part of Brier. I just feel in my gut that if he’s not here already, he’s there.”

  Mac looked at Amir and Nicco. “I think it would be best if Amir went with you and Nicco and I kept watch here.” Mac glanced at a still-bruised Declan.

  Bram nodded and squeezed Declan’s hand tighter. “Why don’t you take him back to your place in town? I just don’t like the thought of him out here without me.”

  Declan narrowed his eyes at Bram. “I’m not totally helpless, Bram. I may be a lot smaller than you four, but I’m not a child, either.”

  Leaning over, Bram kissed him. “I’m sorry, I know you’re not a child. I just won’t take chances with you anymore. Amir and I will go to Arizona in the morning and hopefully we’ll be back within a day.”

  “Okay. I won’t argue with you about it. I know none of this is easy for you. Just come back to me as soon as you can.” Declan kissed Bram again. “Have you called Thor?”

  “No. I don’t want him to know anything about Brier until I find him and he’s put somewhere where he can’t hurt anyone else.”

  * * * * *