by SJ Himes
…
Gael rubbed his wrists, the handcuffs having left vague impressions in his skin. He nodded to the uniform cop who took them off, and walked out of the interrogation room. Silas was here somewhere, hopefully still with Jim and safe.
He walked out into the bullpen, nodding to some of the cops he knew, and was reassured when he got friendly hellos in return. Detective Barnes was on the far side of the room, and he was approaching a group of men heading for a glass room. He looked past them, and saw Silas and Jim inside the room. He smiled, relieved, and eager to see his lover and best friend. The group of men milled, and he got a glimpse of DA Warner. Gael started in that direction, when he saw Franklin Warner blow up, screaming at the top of his lungs.
“He’s a lying little faggot! I never touched him!” Warner shrieked, and he swung at Barnes. “You have no proof!”
Gael paused at the edge of the chaos. He put his hands in his pockets, and enjoyed the view of Franklin Warner being arrested. He couldn’t hear much beneath the screaming, but he could hear part of what Barnes was saying, and the charges made Gael grin and start to laugh. They did have proof, actually. The hospital took pictures of Silas’ injuries before he pulled his escape act, and then there was Gee’s and his crew’s reports from the night he found Silas in the alley. Doctors’ testimony and physical evidence, and then there was the assault of Gee’s place.
Several cops had Warner by his arms, and they marched him past Gael. Warner saw him, and his eyes went manic, spittle flying from his lips as he snarled obscenities and threats. Gael just stepped back out of range, and let the madness wash off him, and the very insane DA was led away.
Some of Warner’s men rolled on him, especially since they were all facing several felony charges for the assault of his place that morning. Flipping on Warner was the smart thing to do, and from what Gael could see, Warner may not even have time to plead not guilty before the judge ordered a psych eval.
Detective Barnes had been surprisingly helpful after Gee was brought in to the station. He listened, asked a few questions, and then left, apparently wasting little time in summoning Warner to the precinct. Gee was warned to stay in town, not that he had any reason to leave, and he was released, pending further investigation of the events from that morning. Detective Barnes said it looked like a clean cut case of self-defense, with Silas and Jim’s statements corroborating his own. Though Barnes did tell him before the cuffs were removed that if there hadn’t been a preponderance of evidence that he was under threat for his life, then what Gee did to the intruders would have earned him a one way trip to jail. Gee merely nodded and told the detective thank you.
“Gael!”
He looked up, and Silas was in his arms a bare second later. His clutched his angel to him, and breathed him in, Silas shivering with what must be nerves and fear. He lifted Silas off the floor, squeezing him tight, and they held each other in the middle of the police station.
…
Evening came in softly, the sky clear, the air cold, and the wind for once was still. Silas watched the tiny stars, hands buried in his pockets, his breath frosting. The city was oddly subdued, the distant sounds of life muffled. It was peaceful, calm, and he needed some of that at this moment.
Gael was inside, boarding up the broken windows, and doing a quick repair to the front door. Jim had just left, having spent most of his Christmas with them, refusing to leave even after Franklin Warner was left to rot in a jail cell. Detective Barnes was charging his father with a multitude of felonies, least of which was kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder and conspiracy. Trouble would come when it came to proving it all, and no one knew the loopholes of the law better than the state’s top DA.
He was in an odd place mentally. After years of being afraid, of walking on eggshells and doing his best not to provoke his father, he was suddenly adrift in a field of choices. He could go back to his old house, get his things. ID, wallet, money. From needing Gael’s generosity for everything, Silas could now technically support himself. Would Gael expect him to leave, move out? Get his own place? Now that Silas didn’t have to hide all the time would Gael push him away?
Gee said he loved Silas. He said it every day, actually. With a self-deprecating and vulnerable twist to his smile, Gee said those three magic words with every goodbye or hello. He cuddled with Silas as if it were the only thing holding him together at night. They talked about everything and nothing.
And the sex just kept getting better.
He was happy, the last few weeks. When was the last time he was happy? Though right now, he wasn’t too sure what he was feeling.
“Hey, angel.”
Silas turned, and Gee walked out into the yard, joining him where he stood in the snow.
“Hey, back,” Silas murmured. He was lost, and all he wanted was for Gee to tell him he was already home.
Silas went back to watching the stars, eyes burning. He felt raw and exposed, heart tripping. Was this Gael about to tell him that now that he was safe, he and Silas were over?
A big hand landed on his nape, and he breathed out, ready for whatever came next.
“I have flashbacks,” Gee stated, like he was reciting a grocery list. Silas blinked, confused. He sent Gee a small frown, wondering despite his worry.
“It’s PTSD. Got diagnosed with it while I was recovering from my injuries in Germany. It’s not too bad, considering what I saw over there, but it’s been haunting me for the last decade.” Silas sent his gaze down Gee’s side, where the cluster of bullet scars rested under his ribs. When he’d seen those the first time, he understood then how Gee always knew just how he was feeling during his own recovery. “Sometimes, when I was alone, I would flashback to the fight in Iraq when I was injured. Or sometimes I’ll see my brothers, dead, blown apart by an IED. I learned to deal with it by never being alone. I would work all the time, and make sure I slept only when exhausted, so that I couldn’t dream.”
Silas turned to Gael, who still held him with one arm. They were in shadow, the stars too dim to illuminate the yard, but Silas could see Gee’s face. Despite the implied trauma of his condition, Gee was calm, even, eyes full of something that drew Silas in closer. He was magnetic, and the openness he was showing Silas made him want more.
“The night of the shooting, the carnage—it made me have an episode. It had been a long time since I’d done that on a call, and I was thrown. Finding you then, that night—something in me fell apart.”
“I broke you?” Silas whispered, aghast.
“In the best possible way,” Gael replied, soft. He pulled Silas in, both arms around his back, holding him close. “You broke that shell I’ve been wearing, the one that kept me from feeling, from living my life. You broke me apart and helped me find the best pieces.”
“Really?” Silas didn’t know when he started crying, but he was, fat tears running down his cheeks and stinging as they froze. Gee was smiling, wide and happy, and wiped them away from his face with gentle fingers.
“I call you my angel because you are a miracle, Silas. My miracle. You saved me, woke me up, and every single time I see you, think about you, and feel you….you save me all over again. You brought me back to life.”
Silas sniffled, and a small laugh broke free, and he buried his face in Gee’s shoulder, happy and sad and overcome. Gael held him, and whispered in his ear.
“Can you stay? Will you stay with me, angel? Will you let me love you, and help you find your dreams? Will you make this old house full of frightful memories and ghosts a new home, for you and me? Full of love and life and promise?”
“I thought…I was so afraid you were going to ask me to leave, that since my father was taken care of that you would want me to go back to the dorms or….”
“Angel.” A small hint of affectionate reproach, and Silas chuckled when Gee squeezed him. “I want you to go back to school, but if you live here, you can commute to class. This is just a house without you, and I want a home. You make this hou
se a home, and you make me want to live my life. I love you, and I have never said those words to another person. Can you love me enough to stay, and make this our home?”
Silas leaned back in Gee’s arms, and met his eyes. “You saved me. Three times now. I think that’s God’s way of saying I’m right where I should be, with whom I should be. I fell in love with you the instant I heard your voice, calling me your angel. And I haven’t stopped falling in love with you. If you want me, Gael, I’ll never leave your side.”
Gee laughed, and picked him up, spinning them in a circle. They fell into the snow, and Gee’s lips landed on his own. Silas kissed him back, with every bit of love he could convey in that simple kiss.
They still had problems to face. School, living together, Silas’ father, Gee’s demanding job. Yet they were together, and that was all that really mattered.
A hero and his angel, and as long as they had love and each other, they would never need saving again.
The end
Other Books by SJ Himes
Stand Alone Books
Saving Silas
The Wolfkin Saga
Wolves of Black Pine
The Beacon Hill Sorcerer
The Necromancer’s Dance
The Necromancer’s Dilemma
Books as Revella Hawthorne
Bred For Love Series
The Prince’s Consort
The King’s Command
A Royal Rebellion
SJ Himes Official Website
www.sjhimes.com