The huge man smiled down at the little girl and squatted to be closer to her level. “Danni, your friend here is right, honey. Since he doesn’t know me, he’s going to think I’m dangerous.” The rumble of laughter as Danni pouted warmed James to the stranger, some.
“Excuse me, I realize that you two seem to know each other but as I don’t, I’d really rather Danni come back over here. Now.”
Ignoring James’s worry, Danni grabbed Rhys’s hand and started pulling him toward James. “Come meet Unc—Daddy’s boyfriend, Rhys. He draws and paints and cooks all kinds of yummy stuff. You’ll like him, promise,” she explained, her words nearly running together she spoke them so fast.
Once closer Rhys released Danni’s hand, removed his gloves, and offered his hand to James. “Danni’s always been a little excitable,” he said with a smile. “I’m sorry for just up and stopping by but Seth asked me to come over and talk to you. Could we move inside to speak?”
James noted that the entire time Rhys’s eyes had roamed, as if looking for someone or something—a point that made him nervous. Invite the hulking stranger in? With Danni? Uh, no.
“Danni honey, please go inside. I’ll be right behind you. I just need to speak with your friend for a moment,” James explained. He hated to push her away but figured the simple reasoning should suffice.
She looked between James and Rhys, shrugged, took James’s keys, and bounded to the door. Once she was inside, James turned back to face Rhys, who held out a cell toward him.
“I figure you’re worried about who I am and that Seth forgot to call you, so here,” Rhys said and waggled the phone again.
James cautiously took the cell, looking between it and Rhys, then held it to his ear. “Hello?”
“James? Sorry I did not call earlier. Meetings,” he added as if that explained everything—which to James, it did. “The rather large man in front of you is Rhys Sayer, Officer Sayer’s big brother. I’ve hired him as a sort of bodyguard for right now. He can explain everything. I need you to work with him for now. Okay, baby?” Seth asked, his voice soft and low. The tone sent a shiver down James’s spine, against his wishes.
“Yes, sir. But, um, why do we need a guard?”
“Rhys can explain. Just cooperate and be good, James. I should be home a little early today. I will bring dinner, so talk and relax. I need to go, baby.”
“Um, okay. Bye, love,” James replied, thrilling slightly at being able to openly call Seth that. He turned to face Rhys again, uncertain of the man, but he trusted Seth. “Well, it seems I’m to invite you in and that you now work for Seth, so um, welcome. Come in,” he added as he gave a thin smile and turned to head inside.
James grumbled under his breath as he headed into the house, pausing long enough to make sure his “guard” followed. He held the door for the man to enter, then closed it behind him. As he headed into the great room, searching for Danni, he noted that Rhys stopped to check and lock the front door. He continued to watch as Rhys moved to the windows before he moved to follow James.
“Window walls?” Rhys groaned. A small frown twisted his lips as he stared at the wall in the great room.
James scowled at the man. “And just what exactly is wrong with my walls? I like light,” he added with a slight huff.
He ran his fingers through his dark hair, long enough to brush his collar, ruffling it as he continued to stare at the windows. Rhys turned his chin enough to be heard but not to meet James’s eyes. “Seth wants you and Danni safe, sir, but anyone with a rock from your woods back there and a little determination can gain access to your home. With all these windows there is no way to really secure the house fully,” he explained. “Well, short of mesh or something, bars maybe.” His lips suddenly quirked up, and then he added, “Of course, it does make the room feel twice as large as it actually is, so I can’t fault ya. Not from a homeowner’s point of view.”
“Well, thanks. I think.”
James looked over Rhys, taking in the ruffled, longer hair and permanent five o’clock shadow on his rugged face before moving over his leather and denim. The look screamed sex-on-wheels, especially when he thought of how he’d looked getting off his bike. Rhys was too massive and scary for him to feel any attraction, plus he admitted—albeit silently—that all he’d craved since their first kiss in the parking garage was Seth. However, the man inspired him and he itched to go sketch and paint.
Annoyed that he’d had to listen to how his house was not good enough, he headed to the kitchen to fix Danni a light snack before he sent her to play. “When you are satisfied with inspecting in here, you may come to the kitchen. I’ll even make enough for you to have some too,” James offered, barely able to restrain from smirking.
By the time Rhys made it into the kitchen, Danni was settled at the counter, primly atop her favorite stool—not that James had managed to figure out what made that one special—enjoying herself.
James looked over to his visitor and smiled. “Ants on a log?” he offered.
“Um,” he began. Before he could say yes or no, Danni imperiously gestured to the stool next to hers as only small children and the idle rich can manage. With a shrug, Rhys sat and answered, “Sure?”
James sat a couple of “logs” on a plate in front of Rhys, then faced Danni. “Pixie, Rhys and I need to talk so when you’re done, you can play in your room or sit at the table and draw, but I don’t want you wandering.”
“Okay,” she chirped, peanut butter smeared on the edge of her little mouth. “I want to color,” she announced as she finished.
“Wash up first, please. Thank you.”
James got Danni settled at the dining table with her crayons and papers, then led Rhys outside to the chairs on the stone deck. “Will this suffice? I don’t want Danni to hear anything that might upset her. She’s only just starting to act like a normal kid for more than half an hour at a time.”
“No, this is fine,” Rhys said. He sat across from James after looking around a moment. “You have a really nice house here. I didn’t mean to upset you, before I mean. I’m concerned about your safety, as is Seth.”
“I don’t really understand. Why do we need a bodyguard, Rhys?” James asked, fidgeting in his seat slightly. He didn’t like that Seth had done this without talking to him first.
“Two reasons that I know of. First, Danni’s grandparents have threatened to take her from Seth, something I won’t let happen. Ever!” he snapped. After taking a deep breath to calm, he continued. “Sorry. I know some of what they put her mom through and will fight with everything I have to keep her with Seth, not them. And second—”
“Wait, you knew her mom? Danni’s I mean?” James interrupted, eyes wide as he waited.
“Yeah, I knew her,” he murmured and looked down, his tone sullen. “Still can’t believe a stupid car wreck took her from us.” Rhys stayed quiet for a few moments before looking up again to face James.
“She seems to have been a special woman. I’m sorry I never met her.”
“She was.”
“And second,” James redirected.
“Right. And second, there was a recent threat against you. Plus, my little brother told me you had a run in with an ex a while back that landed you in the hospital. Is that why the crutches?” Rhys asked.
James knew it was a common concern to those around him, but he still hated the looks of pity they often engendered in others. “Wait. Your brother said?”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “He said he met you when he and his partner came over unofficially to help make sure your ex didn’t get away with battery. Officer Dal Sayer?” It sounded more like a question to James than a statement.
“Officer Sayer? Oh, right. The two that came over the same time as Mel about proof of past violence…. But, I don’t know why he went to you about Victor.” His voice cracked on the last word. Swallowing hard, he composed himself again. “What threat?” he finally asked, though he wasn’t certain he truthfully wanted to know.
“Seth just said there had been a threat against you and that he would give me more details later,” he explained with a tentative look. Something about the way Rhys didn’t quite look at him made him curious and irritated. “Dal only brought it up to me because I said I was heading out to a job. He said you were nice but shy, if that helps any,” he added with a grin that nearly split his face.
He already knew Seth was up to something so decided to put the questions on hold, until Seth came home.
SHAKING his head at his sketch, James wished he had the courage to ask Rhys to pose for him. He especially wanted to get a peek at the tattoo he could see the barest edge of from under his shirtsleeve when the man flexed his arms. The large man across the room inspired his artistic nature, so he sat sideways on the couch, knees pulled up to make a brace for his sketch pad, as he worked out a design he thought Britt would love to add to her Touch show.
As he erased part of the sketch, again, he heard keys in the front door, then the door open and close.
“Hello,” Seth called out.
James raised his head to peer over the top of the pad and realized Rhys stood in the foyer, blocking his view of Seth.
“Welcome home, Seth.” James sighed as his heart tightened in joy at the word. “Rhys, it’s just Seth…. You know, the guy you swear hired you? Relax,” James teased, barely able to resist laughing at the situation.
“Yes, sir.” Rhys moved to the side as Seth came into the great room.
“How was your day, sir?” James asked.
“It was a day,” Seth replied, his shoulders sagged under the weight of the takeout bags he held. “Unfortunately that is about the best I can say. Now, how was your day? Are you and Rhys getting on okay?” He gave a small smile as he passed and headed into the kitchen.
James closed the sketchpad, looked over at Rhys cautiously, and headed into the kitchen to help Seth.
“I brought Italian, in case you can’t tell. Where is Danni?” Seth suddenly asked, worry clearly etched into his beautiful face.
James shook his head. “Do you really think between the two of us, we could lose her? Seriously?”
“No?”
“You’re obviously more tired than I thought,” he murmured. James leaned out of the kitchen and called Danni to wash up and come to dinner.
All four of them sat at James’s dining table, a novelty that silently pleased him greatly. He still felt strange at times, all this having people in his house thing. But he couldn’t imagine anything better than having his Seth and Seth’s daughter there with him.
They spent time with Danni after dinner, up until bedtime for her, while Rhys tinkered with windows and doors and installed various small cameras and sensors, set to record anyone who approached their home.
Once Danni was settled in bed—book read and water glass obtained—they all retired to the back stone patio to talk, Seth insisting that in bed for a six-year-old did not mean asleep yet.
“Okay, so would one of you, please, let me in on what’s going on,” James demanded, arms folded across his chest. He looked at Seth but did not care which of them answered, just that he was let in on the secret.
“Show him, Seth. I know you want to protect him, but he needs to know,” Rhys insisted. He and Seth were locked in a staring contest, it seemed to James.
“Seth?” James asked softly. “Please.”
Seth sighed and pulled his glower from Rhys. “James, baby, there was a threat made against you and what with the Johnsons trying to fight dirty to get Danni from me, I hired Rhys to protect you two. Before you ask,” Seth cut off the questions building on James’s lips, “Mel is working on derailing the attempt with Danni. They will not get her from us, don’t worry.”
James nodded slowly, thinking through what Seth had said. “I trust Mel to protect her, especially after him supporting me, us, through Victor’s trial.” He paused as the memory of that victory swamped him. Vic had lost the court battle and was now in prison for years due to felony battery charges for the attack at the bar.
Shaking off the memory, James continued. “But Seth? What threat against me? Vic’s in jail and Ty would never do anything that could be traced back to him. I can’t believe that Brian would come after me, though I’m sure he blames me for the firing.” James continued to stare, hoping Seth would be open and honest with him.
“Knew I should have done this before you got here, Seth,” Rhys grumbled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to James. “This is a copy of the letter Seth turned over to the police. He managed to convince them to hold off on talking to you until tomorrow because he hired me and my baby brother was one of the officers that responded to the call.”
James looked at the paper, unfolded it, and smoothed it out before what was printed on it registered. The paper was a copy of a threat. Against him, specifically. It looked as if someone had cut out words from a magazine or newspaper and glued them on the page. It read:
James
Stop spreading your Filth. Stay away from children. All Fags should Die.
At the bottom was a crude drawing of someone with a knife stabbed into them surrounded by a puddle of what he supposed was originally red—blood.
Chapter 15
JAMES startled, dropping his pencil, when he suddenly felt lips graze his bare shoulder. As the world resolved around him, he remembered where he was, leaned back against Seth’s legs as he sat on the floor in the great room.
Feeling his cheeks heat, he lifted his head, tilting it to meet Seth’s eyes. “Yes, sir? You need me to move?” James asked softly.
“No, baby,” Seth replied, absently running his fingers through James’s hair. “But your phone is ringing,” he added with a quick smile.
“Oh,” James mumbled. “Right.” James set his sketchpad and pencils down to dig in his pocket for his cell. It had stopped ringing, but the tone had been Chase’s, so he called him right back.
“Chase? What’s up?”
“Ah, there you are,” Chase greeted, his voice bubbly, even for him. “Guess what?”
“You know I hate that game, Chase. Wait, are you drunk?” James asked. He heard loud music in the background and wondered why Chase would call him from a club. On a Saturday night.
“Only a little, Jamie! But you need to guess. Please,” Chase begged.
“Chase,” James nearly growled. He hated when Chase got drunk. It usually meant he had to go out at some god-awful hour to rescue him.
“Bah, you’re no fun,” Chase groused. “Fine. I wanted to tell you that I just got some dirt on your little boyfriend and man, are you gonna be happy I told you before it’s too late. Wait, are you alone?”
“No. Hold on.” James moved to stand but Seth stopped him. Mouthing that he would go instead, he snatched up James’s sketches and left him with just his phone. “Now I am. What are you blathering on about?” James snapped.
“Seth. The man’s getting married! I’m assuming it’s not to you or you would have told me already.”
“Chase,” James ground out. “Where do you get such ideas? He’s with me, no matter who he may have been with before.” Or he hoped that was right. Seth moved in so surely he’s not still playing with others…. “And married? To whom?” he added softer, though he wasn’t certain he wanted to know. Chase was flakey at times, but he was never intentionally cruel or petty.
“I don’t know but Sam”—hiccup—“he works in Seth’s lawyer friend’s office, said he heard Mr. Holcomb talking to Seth about marriage and legal issues. Then”—hiccup—“Sam says he saw a copy of a prenip, uh, prenup with Seth’s name on it.”
“Chase, you’re going to string yourself up tomorrow when you sober up. Even if it was true, and I don’t believe he would do that to me, calling me drunk to tell me is… I don’t know what it is, but I’m hanging up now,” James snapped and turned off his phone, deciding that hanging up simply wasn’t enough.
Once he had set the cell aside
, James stared down at his graphite-smudged hands, not really seeing anything. He couldn’t help wondering if any of what Chase said was true, and if there was any hope of changing things if it were.
So lost in his circular thoughts he jumped when Seth’s face suddenly appeared in front of him. “Wha—”
“James, baby, why are you crying?” Seth asked, his voice low and soothing. Before he could manage a response, James felt Seth’s arms wrap around him, pulling him up and into his lap.
I’m taller than him, damn it. He shouldn’t be able to manhandle me so easily, he thought and scowled.
“I’m not,” James mumbled and wiped at his face, silently cursing his traitorous tears. Damn it, he hadn’t wanted Seth to see him cry, again.
“James,” Seth countered. He knew that tone; it was the Do Not Lie To Me tone.
James shook his head but still didn’t speak. Defying Seth could be dangerous to their continued relationship, especially depending on if any of what Chase said was true, but he couldn’t say it.
“Pet, hand me your cell.” Seth’s voice was hard and clipped. He knew he’d upset Seth but….
Reluctantly, James reached over and picked up his phone. He looked at it as if it might bite—he was certain it could—and slowly handed it to Seth. Seth took the cell, and once it was back on, called the last incoming number.
“Chase, what did you say to James?” Seth demanded into the phone. James couldn’t hear Chase, though he kind of wished he could. “No, that’s not true. Why would you say something like that to James?” James went still at the denial. He hoped it meant what he thought it did. “Damn it, you had better be glad you’re his best friend, Chase.” The anger in Seth’s voice continued to build. “No, you may not come over…. Well, as James decided to move Danni and me in, it’s our home now, so yes, I do have a say.” James finally moved, torn between fear and elation at the declaration of it being our home. “Good-bye, Chase!” he finally bellowed, so angry that instead of hanging up or clicking off, he threw the cell, shattering it against the far wall.
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