by CJ Bishop
Clint rubbed his mouth. “There’s more.”
“More?” Jordan frowned.
“More kids,” Clint said. “When we found the twins, there were ten other kids with them. They’re being taken care of for now. Some are from the same orphanage as these kids. At least one of the boys may have a father out there somewhere.”
“Ten more kids?” Jordan looked stricken. “Were they as bad off as these kids? Physically, I mean.”
“Close,” Axel answered. “Severely malnourished.”
Jordan rubbed his eyes. “Where are they?”
“I told you, they’re being taken care of,” Clint said stiffly. “We’ll get you their names, so you can search for their families, but they’ve just started to feel safe. I’m not going to move them around again, not yet.”
The detective nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m going to talk to Kelly,” Axel told Clint. “Then we can go.” He walked back into the room and let Kelly know they were going to pick up the twins.
“The kids you named before,” Kelly said anxiously. “You said there was a girl named Nina?”
“Yes. About fourteen or fifteen years old.”
Kelly lowered her eyes.
“Was she your friend?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Do you want me to give her a message for you?”
Kelly looked up, her eyes anxious. “Just…just let her know Raimi and I are okay. And that…I miss her. A lot.”
Axel felt the weight of those words and thought he understood. “I will. And don’t worry, you’ll see her again soon.”
•♦•
“Adrian.” Anthony and Angelo found the younger man outside on the back veranda. “What’re you doing out here?” Anthony asked. “It’s cold.”
“I’m wearing a coat.” Adrian smiled at the men as they sat down on the bench next to him, flanking him on each side.
Angelo stretched his arm along the back of the bench and stroked Adrian’s hair. “Something on your mind?”
He nodded. There was a lot on his mind. Maybe too much.
“Can you tell us?”
Adrian sighed. “I don’t know if I should.”
The two men exchanged a glanced. “As long as you’re not thinking about leaving us,” Angelo said. “Then you can talk to us about it.”
“Leave you?” Adrian laughed low. “Why would you ever think I’d leave you?”
“Well, we are a couple of old goats and you’re still a young stud,” Anthony pointed out.
“You’re not old goats,” Adrian chuckled. “And I’m not that young. I don’t think I ever was a stud.”
“We beg to differ,” Angelo smiled. “But that’s another debate. Tell us what’s on your mind now.”
Adrian was nervous about voicing his thoughts.
“Come on, tell us,” Angelo murmured. “If you do, I’ll…” He leaned close and whispered delightfully dirty suggestions in his ear.
Heat flooded Adrian’s loins and he smiled. “I might sell my soul for that,” he groaned.
“No need for such drastic measures,” Angelo laughed lightly. “You know I’ll do it for you anytime, anywhere.”
“Do I get to be in on it?” Anthony queried.
“Oh, hell yes,” Angelo nodded. “But we’re getting off subject.” He looked at Adrian and raised an eyebrow. “Talk to us.”
Taking a deep breath, Adrian nodded. “Okay. But you have to promise to be honest about what you think. All right?”
The two men nodded. “Of course.”
“So, what would you think about…” Adrian hesitated. “…adopting Jacob and Eric?”
“Adopting…” the men looked at each other.
“Honesty, remember?” Adrian murmured, his stomach churning.
“What brought you to this decision?” Angelo asked him.
Adrian wasn’t sure he could explain it. He gave it a shot. “Jacob and I…we connect. He feels safe here, with us. All of us. I don’t think he wants to leave. I think he’s afraid of him and Eric being split up, which is a real possibility if they become wards of the state. After everything they’ve gone through, all that’s been taken from them, they shouldn’t have to lose each other as well.” He released a shaky breath. “I know we already have Callum staying here, but there’s plenty of room for two more. I mean…” he looked at the two men. “…if that’s something you even want to consider. And don’t say it is if it isn’t.”
Touching his chin, Angelo turned Adrian’s face his way and kissed him softly. “You’re a beautiful soul, baby.”
Anthony drew him around and kissed him, too. “Indeed, you are.”
“What does that mean?” Adrian asked anxiously.
“It means,” Anthony murmured. “That we are in favor of adding to our family.”
Adrian looked at Angelo and the older man nodded and smiled. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Angelo chuckled.
“I love you both, so much.” His heart went out to the rest of the kids in need of homes, but he would do everything in his power to make sure they were placed with loving families. The thought of any of them being left behind or unwanted broke his heart. He wouldn’t allow that—even if he had to convince the two men in his life to open their home to a few more.
•♦•
Marshall Banks arrived at the hospital in record time. Wil wasn’t surprised. When he’d called Misha Banks’ father and informed him his daughter was safe and waiting here at the hospital for him to come pick her up, he’d hardly gotten the words out before the line went dead.
“Daddy!” Misha burst into tears and threw herself into her father’s arms the second he came through the waiting room door. The man wilted and dropped to his knees, engulfing her in his strong embrace. She clung to him like a little child, sobbing against his shoulder. “I’m sorry, daddy, I’m sorry! I’m sorry I ran away…I didn’t mean it! I was gonna come home, I was.” She broke down completely.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay.” Marshall Banks rubbed her back and cried with her. “I’m not mad, sweetheart. It was my fault. All my fault.” He held her tight, literally shaking with relief. “Are you okay, honey. Did…” he forced the words out. “Did anyone hurt you?”
Misha’s sobs subsided, though her body continued to tremble and shake. “A man took us,” she whispered. “He…he said he wanted to help us. We told him we didn’t need help, but he just grabbed me.” Misha broke into sobs again.
His chin trembling, Marshall drew back and cupped his daughter’s wet face. “Did he do something to you? Did he…touch you?” Fear and fury filled his eyes. “Did he?”
She shook her head and cried harder.
Marshall stood up and spoke to Wil. “Is that true? She wasn’t…”
“It’s true,” Wil assured. “She was rescued before anything happened to her.”
“You…?”
Wil shook his head. “What matters is she’s safe and untouched.” If only the same could be said for the rest of them.
“Thank God,” Marshalll whispered and sank to his heels again as he pulled his daughter into his arms once more. He drew back a moment later, a puzzled frown on his face. “You said us. Were you with someone?”
Misha nodded and pointed at the boy sitting quietly in one of the cushioned chairs. “I was with Billy. I-I met him on the streets. I was hungry, and he shared his sandwich with me. We were headed home when the man took us.”
“How did he get you both?”
“He grabbed me and told Billy he would hurt me if he didn’t get in the van, too.”
Marshall looked at the boy, fresh tears forming. “You went with him so he wouldn’t hurt her?”
Billy nodded. “She was my friend.”
“You said you were coming home when this happened?” Marshall asked his daughter. “Both of you?”
“Yes,” Misha whispered. “Billy didn’t have any place to live. I told him you would let him live with us.”
&
nbsp; Marshall stared at her in silence. Wil’s throat knotted as he waited for the man’s response.
“Can he live with us, daddy?” Uncertainty crumpled the girl’s face. “Please?”
Marshall slid his hand over his mouth, looked at the boy, then rose to feet and faced Wil. “Is it all right if he comes home with us?” he asked. “I’ll sign up to be his foster parent or whatever I have to do. I’ll give him some time, and if he likes living with us…I’d be willing to adopt him.”
Wil blinked. “Just like that?” he asked, in awe more so than shock.
“He risked his life to keep my daughter safe,” Marshalll said thickly. “I would be proud to call him my son.”
Wil nodded, his vision swimming. “Of course, he can go with you. I’ll contact you in a day or two and get you the information you need to sign up as a foster parent.”
“He can come home with us?” Misha stared at her dad with tense hope. The man nodded and his daughter grinned and ran over to the boy, flinging her arms around his neck. “You get to be my brother, Billy! I told you my dad was awesome!”
Wil and Marshall laughed softly, both men wiping tears from their eyes as the boy’s somber demeanor suddenly brightened like the sun breaking through a dark and cloudy sky.
Chapter 31
Nina knocked on Jules’ bedroom door which stood part way open. The twins, along with Rosa and Eli, were playing a game with Jules, toys scattered all around them. Terri and Jenny watched with amusement. Well, Terri watched while Jenny sat quietly hugging her doll and stroking its hair. Nina wondered if the young girl would ever fully come back to them.
“Nina.” Terri looked up.
Entering the room, Nina walked over and sat on the end of Jules’ bed. The little boy grinned up at her. “Wanna play with us?”
Nina smiled and ruffled his hair. “Maybe later, sweetie.” She turned her focus to the twins. “Samson. Susie.” The children glanced up from the toys. “Guess what?”
“What?” they replied in unison, eyes bright.
“You’re going home.”
The two kids squealed and jumped up and flung their arms around Nina. “We’re going home!”
The other kids watched them with smiles on their faces and a shadow of envy in their eyes; they had no home and no parents to go back to. Nina was “hopeful” about Emmy, but there was no guarantee the woman would actually take her in. Maybe she’d gone home and thought about it and decided she didn’t want the responsibility…or maybe her husband didn’t. I was a lot easier to believe the negative things than the positive. Disappointments hurt less when you didn’t really expect the good things to happen.
That was why Nina hadn’t immediately asked the men about Kelly; she was too scared to find out that Kelly and Raimi hadn’t been there at the orphanage. Or that they were…dead.
“Gather up your new toys,” Nina told the twins. “And I’ll get your new clothes. You’re going to be leaving for home real soon.”
The twins were exuberant and eagerly began collecting the toys Emmy and the others had brought them.
Jules looked at Nina. “Will they still get to come and play sometimes?” The boy had quickly bonded with the twins, who were closest to his age, as well as Rosa and Eli.
“I don’t know, hon,” she admitted. “I’m sure their mom and dad will want to keep them close to home for a while, after all this.”
“I want them to meet Reuben.”
“Who’s Reuben?” Nina asked.
Jules smiled big. “My boyfriend.”
Nina blinked, suppressing a grin. His boyfriend? The boy couldn’t be more than four-years-old. He already knew he liked boys? Nina found that incredibly adorable and thought it surely debunked some people’s belief that being gay was a choice. What four-year-old consciously decides he’s going to be gay?
“I’m sure they’d like to meet him,” Nina said. “But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, okay?”
The boy nodded then asked a bit forlornly, “Are all of you going to leave?”
A small lump formed in Nina’s throat. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to us, or where we’ll go.”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
“Any of us?” Nina smiled, blinking back tears.
“Nope. It’s fun with you here.”
“After a while, though, you might get tired of having so many kids around.”
Jules shook his head. “No, I won’t.”
With Jules, Nina thought that might be true. The boy was certainly a “people person” and seemed to thrive on the presence of other kids. “Well, like I said, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
Axel appeared in the door and Jules raced over to him and was scooped up in his arms. “Where’s Clint?”
Cocking an eyebrow, Axel shook his head. “That’s all I get? Where’s Clint? I see how I rate. Everyone loves the cowboy. Nobody loves me.” He pouted, and Jules giggled.
“Huh-uh! I love you!” Jules planted a huge kiss on his face.
“Well…all right, then,” Axel smirked and kissed his cheek. “You better.”
The cowboy stepped into the doorway and Jules squealed and scrambled into his arms.
“I’m not sure I believe your professions of love,” Axel scowled at the boy.
Jules giggled again and flattened his hands on the cowboy’s face. “Where were you?”
Nina noted the anguish in the man’s eyes and it scared her.
“Been busy,” was all he offered the boy. Axel’s face took on a strain as he looked at the cowboy. Without being told the men were gay, it would have been evident to her how much Axel loved this man.
Axel’s cell phone buzzed, and he answered the call. With the phone pressed to his ear, he looked at Nina then walked over to the bed. “It’s for you,” he smiled and handed her the phone.
“Me…?” Nina was dumbfounded. She hesitated then took the phone. “Hello…”
Silence hovered on the line then a soft, trembling voice came through—a familiar voice that instantly brought tears to Nina’s eyes. “Nina?”
Nina swallowed thickly and looked up at Axel through a wall of tears. “Kelly…?” All the pieces of her broken heart came back together so suddenly she could hardly breathe. “Kelly,” she cried softly. “Raimi…?”
“He’s okay…now,” Kelly sobbed quietly. “They saved us, Nina…because of them, Raimi’s alive.”
Nina covered her eyes, her sobs strengthening. She stood up suddenly and hugged Axel. “Thank you,” she cried and looked over his shoulder at the cowboy. “Thank you, both.”
•♦•
It took a few moments for Clint to let go of Jules. He finally set him down and left Axel with the kids as he returned to the lounge. Cochise was there with Cruz, Sanchez, Anthony, and Angelo. The looks on the two older men’s faces alerted Clint that the others had filled them in on the events at the orphanage. All of it.
Clint didn’t want to talk about it. “I told detective Jordan I’d give him the names of the kids we have here,” he said, deflecting any potential questions about the orphanage. “He’ll do a search and see if any of them have families out there. Jacob mentioned that David spoke of a dad.”
“Most of the kids don’t have anyone,” Angelo said. “They’re either orphans, or they were intentionally abandoned by a parent.”
Clint nodded. “I figured. But I told him I’d get him their names anyway.”
“You really trust this cop?” Anthony asked.
“Yes,” Clint replied without a moment of hesitation.
“We met him,” Cruz told Anthony. “For a cop, he seems trustworthy enough.”
Addressing the Egyptian, Clint asked, “What happened at the warehouse?”
“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Cochise said.
Clint looked at the other two men for clarification.
“The detective was in pursuit of one of the buyers,” Cruz said. “The guy got the jump on him
and was about to put a bullet in his brain when our Egyptian friend here intervened.”
“You killed him?” Clint asked Cochise. “In front of the detective?”
Cochise nodded.
The detective had thanked Cochise and left it at that. He had no intentions of charging him with murder. “That was a risky move. But I’m glad you took it. He’s a single father with a small child.” Clint walked around behind the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey. “God knows, we don’t need any more orphans.”
•♦•
Axel found Cory in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Hey.”
Cory looked up. “Axel. You’re back.” Concernshowed on his face. “How’s Uncle Clint? What happened out there?” When tears filled Axel’s eyes, Cory came to him and wrapped Axel in his arms. “Hey, babe,” he whispered as Axel hugged him hard. “What is it?”
Cory was Axel’s go-to rock. He’d been a constant player in Axel’s life since Axel had met Clint, and was his very first “best friend”. Next to Clint, Axel felt safer with Cory than anyone else. After a couple tries, Axel managed to tell Cory about the little girl out at the orphanage and the after-effects it was having on Clint.
“I’m worried about him, Cory,” Axel admitted. “It’s like…something inside him broke. What if I can’t fix it?” Until this moment, he hadn’t realized how real that fear was. “It’s killing me. I can see it in his eyes how much he’s hurting, and it scares the hell out of me. We’ve been talking about one day adopting, but what if this experience makes him change his mind? Makes him afraid to have children of his own for fear of losing them? What happened at the park could strengthen that fear.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Cory murmured. “It might take him a while to recover, but he will. I believe that. And having you by his side will help him a lot. I don’t think you fully understand the impact you have on him. You’re his refuge, Axel. I’ve never seen him need anyone the way he needs you.” He slipped his arm around Axel’s shoulder. “Just be there for him, that’s all you can do. But it will be enough. You’ll see. He’s a tough one; he’ll come back from this.”