by Wolfe, H. M.
This way, Rayne would land behind bars, where he would spend the rest of his life. All the while Conroy would gain full custody of Gerrard, raising him to hate the one who gave him life and loved him. The doctor balled his hands into fists, cursing himself for being so helpless. But maybe, just maybe, he could find a way out of this mess.
"Home, at last!" Eugene let out a sigh of relief, then jumped out of the car, heading to the imposing edifice he called home.
"Thank God you arrived!" a young woman came running to the car, breathing heavily. "I was about to call you, but then I thought I'd let you get home safe," she said, still panting.
"Christine, in the name of all the gods, what's wrong?" Daniel asked, worry and concern pouring out of his voice with every word. "What's happened?"
"Who's that?" the girl pointed in Rayne's direction, looking suspiciously at the doctor.
"It's all right, Christine, you can speak, he's the one who saved Arnett and Hayden's lives today. He's a doctor, a great one even," Daniel said in an assuring voice.
”Elliott was attacked,” the girl blurted out, without realizing the impact her words had on Eugene, who felt his knees giving out.
The next second, he straightened up, remembering who he was and what, was expected from him. "Who dared to do this? Who's the bastard? I want him now, alive, to torture and kill with my own two hands!"
Rayne was looking at the man in front of him roaring his rage as a wild beast unleashed, and he couldn't help but admire him. Whoever he was, that Elliott fellow was lucky to have Eugene as a protector, he thought. But, the guy probably needed some medical attention and, since he was there, Rayne decided to make himself useful.
"Where is the patient?" he asked. "I mean, Elliott. Where is he? I'm going to examine him. If it's OK with you, of course," he turned to Eugene.
”Yes, sure, thank you very much, Rayne, you are a true friend,” young Brentano said. ”Christine will show you the way to my house.”
"No, she won't," the girl replied in a determined voice. "She will stay here to have a nice little chat with you boys, while Liam will accompany doc here to your place."
"I'll show him the way, Liam is not available right now," a raven-haired man spoke from behind Christine. "Martin Cornelius Bloom, nice to meet you. I'm beyond grateful for saving the boys' lives," he said, shaking Rayne's hand.
"OK, young lady, could you tell us both what is with all this mystery? Why didn't you want to accompany Doctor Calhoun?" Daniel finally spoke, when the two men were far enough away.
"Look, Eugene," Christine said, turning to the man in question, "I like you a lot, and I admire the patience you showed to Elliott. The gentleness and understanding you treat him with, but it's time to take a stand."
"Take a stand? For what? Against what or who? I don't understand you, I'm afraid," the Detroit Mafia don said, confused.
"You have to find a way to make him tell you everything about his past. I mean, this is the second time he was attacked, in broad daylight, with almost fatal consequences. Eugene, he knows the guy, I saw it today on his face." Christine started to shiver when she recalled Elliott's expression when he denied knowing the attacker.
All the time he listened to the dialogue between the girl and his best friend, something bugged Daniel. Who saved the blond lawyer this time? Where were they? Why didn't they stay and wait for Eugene, who would have rewarded them generously for saving his boyfriend? Unless the rescuer had their own agenda, the man thought, slightly worried at the possibility.
"Listen, Christine," Daniel turned to the young woman as they stepped into the mansion's dining room, "who brought Elliott home?"
”A taxi. The driver said he was paid very generously for the ride by the person who entrusted our friend to him,” she answered, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Could the taxi driver offer a description of that person, their name or anything like that?" Daniel became increasingly frustrated by the lack of information. That made tracking down Elliott's rescuer to be as impossible as catching his attacker.
"He offered a pretty detailed description of the guy. Tarquin introduced the data into his computer, and now he is working on a sketch." Christine smiled widely. "Your husband is amazing, Daniel. You are so good for each other; I only wish my poor Elliott could be as happy with Eugene as Tarquin is with you," she added.
"Hey, girl, chin up, those two will be as happy as my blond angel and I are, you'll see. When someone has a dark, horrific past, it's hard to put it behind just like that. Fortunately, my adoptive cousin is well aware of this, and he's willing to wait as long as it takes for Elliott to open up to him."
"Speaking of cousins," Christine said, looking around as if she was afraid someone would hear her, "there's no secret me and Martin Cornelius have been dating for about two months now. For me, what we have is more than just a thing, but I can't speak for your cousin. I mean, he is sweet, well-mannered, always giving me attention, but..."
"The problem with us, the Bloom boys, is that we are not very good with words. Don't know what or how to say it. Instead, we prefer to show how much we love the angels guarding us. One day, you..." Daniel cut himself short, staring at Christine's wrist.
There, attached to a thin golden bracelet, was a tiny blue gem, known as a moonstone. It had been in the Bloom branch of the family for generations, Cornelius "the Governor" Bloom had given it to Tessa Stark when he proposed to her, instead of an engagement ring. Ever since, it was passed among the firstborn males of the family.
Since Daniel's uncle, Fabian was the oldest of his brothers, he'd given it to his only son, Martin Cornelius, when the young man turned twenty-three, a couple of months earlier. However, it was the legend behind it that made Daniel stare, seeing it on Christine's wrist.
Legend had it, the moonstone had magical powers when given to the one the bearer had feelings for, and that person didn't remove it from their wrist. According to the legend, the man who had the bracelet in his possession gave it only when he was sure about his feelings for the lady in question, when he knew she was his soulmate.
Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but right then, Martin Cornelius came back inside, Rayne in tow. Judging by the expression on the doctor's face, Elliott's state wasn't good at all. He plopped down on a chair, wiping his forehead clear of sweat. After about a minute of silence, he finally spoke.
"I want all of you who are not particularly connected with Elliott to leave this room. What I am going to say is strictly confidential." Rayne's voice sounded defeated and tired.
"Look, doc, you are scaring me," Eugene said in a shaky voice. Fear, worry and concern invading his beautiful, blue eyes. "What's wrong with Elliott? How...how bad is he?"
Rayne sighed, looking straight into the other man's eyes. "He is in pretty good shape, for now, but it won't be long before the first symptoms kick in, wreaking havoc on his body. Nausea, headaches, dizziness, sleepiness or, to the contrary, hyperactivity...and this will be only the beginning.
As he was listening to Rayne enumerating all those symptoms, Eugene felt the world crashing down on him. What did his Elliott do to deserve that? What condition could cause that multitude of symptoms?
"How... what can I do to ease his pain? Is there any way I could be of use?" he asked, feeling his mouth dry.
Rayne's heart broke as he looked at the man. He saw the pain in his eyes, hearing it in his voice. But he was still hesitating because all this could be just an act. He couldn't risk Elliott being thrown away as soon as he turned his back and left the house. So, instead of offering him a straight answer, Rayne decided to test Eugene.
"I prescribed him some vitamins and mineral supplements because his body will desperately need them, after being quickly depleted. You could help Elliott by massaging his neck and shoulders because they will stiffen a lot. Also, you have to be extra careful not to let him perform a lot of physical effort, like running long distances or moving heavy objects."
"Yes, I will do al
l these things and more, much more, I promise, but please tell me, what does Elliott suffer from?" Eugene pleaded in an almost broken voice, but Rayne decided to ignore him.
”Now for the psychological impact,” he continued on a professional tone. ”There will be days when he will be fine, optimistic, confident, cheerful, and there will be days when Elliott will be depressed, not wanting to get out of bed, complaining about anything and everything. Are you sure you can deal with this and more, Eugene?” Rayne asked, giving him a piercing look.
But the man didn't hear the last part, staring blankly into space, with Daniel having the same shocked expression on his face what the doctor said sounded extremely, painfully familiar to both of them. Eugene had witnessed tens times the heartbreaking scenes of teenage boys who couldn't handle the brutal changes their fragile bodies went through.
He watched helplessly how they cried themselves to sleep, how the brutes deprived them of affection, of comfort. Hurting the poor souls even when they should treat them with a little more care. Some of the unfortunate kids found the means and opportunity to take their own lives, others carried on, but didn't survive.
And now, there was his sweet, beloved Elliott, experiencing the same ordeal. Eugene couldn't understand how that was possible. Unless...the man's blood turned to ice at the possibility. His mind refused to accept the unthinkable. Still, that was the only answer, acceptable or not.
”Tell me, doc,” Eugene turned to Rayne, making efforts to keep his emotions under control, ” is Elliott pregnant?”
"And what if he was? What if he is?" the doctor stared at him in a way that reminded him of Alastair.
Daniel started to rub circles on Eugene's back, then hugged him. "He is a fighter. Everything will be fine, you'll see. Come on, talk to Elliott. Show him how much you care about him," the raven-haired man said, casting a glance in the small office's direction, where Tarquin was still working at the sketch of the man who had brought Elliott home.
"I don't care about that beautiful blond," Eugene said, heading to the mansion's main entrance, "I love him," he added.
The man ran all the way to his house, burst the door open and then stormed up to the stairs. He stopped in front of the bedroom door, listening intently. Then, careful not to make any noise, opened it, sneaking inside the room almost noiselessly. On the bed, knees hugged tightly to his chest, Elliott stared blankly ahead.
Eugene lay behind the blond, gently rubbing his back the same way Daniel did with him earlier. The other man didn't react in any way, a weak sigh escaping from his pale lips. Gradually, however, his tense muscles started to relax under the action of Eugene's skillful fingers.
"Did the doctor tell you?" Elliott was the first to break the silence, becoming tense again.
"Did he tell you?" Eugene answered in a gentle voice, continuing to rub circles on his lover's back.
"Yes, the two of us discussed it for quite a while. He's a great guy, you know?" Then, for a few moments, Elliott fell silent, shifting on the bed. "What now?" he asked all of a sudden, raising his head.
"Now," Eugene said, facing the blond, "I will take care of you two, excellent care. So you can be healthy and fit when the time comes. Then, we are going to be daddies and raise a family together, just like I intended. Nothing has changed, amore."
”What about your parents? They will be horrified to...” Elliott stopped, unable to continue.
"To find out they are going to be grandparents?! I don't think so, especially in papa's case. He can't wait to hold his grandchildren in his arms, to show them off, to teach them things...As for mammina..."
"Yeah, you are right on that one," Elliott smiled, his face brightening, "if we are not careful, those two will spoil the little one rotten."
Eugene wrapped his arms around the blond's small form, hugging and cradling him to his chest. Sometime, he will tell him about how he and Daniel became friends and what the two of them had to endure in that lab of horrors.
Eyes closed, wrapped in the warmth radiating from Eugene's body, Elliott finally decided to turn his back to the past. To start anew, without secrets and lies that would ruin his happiness. As for the evil creature who stripped Elliott of everything, he better find a deep hole to hide in because Eugene Brentano would have no mercy for him.
CHAPTER 23
"Hello, gorgeous, what are you doing?" Vincent said with a wolfish grin, as he walked in The Gambit's door.
"Hello yourself, handsome," Colin answered, his dark blue eyes suddenly lightened at the appearance of the other man. "Cleaning, sweeping, the usual daily routine of a bar owner," he said, answering Vincent's question. "Can I get you anything?"
"Yeah, I don't drink alcohol, but I would like a taste of the bartender," the other man answered, winking, "I heard he's more inebriating than any booze around here."
"Well, what can I say, the news is spreading quite quickly in this neighborhood," Colin smirked, leaning over the counter and teasingly kissing Vincent on the lips.
"You don't have any chance with him, Mister Grant," Elias said, coming from the storage room in the back, "unless you get down on one knee and put a ring on his finger. Otherwise, this guy here will die an old virgin," he added, starting to refresh the drink stock, arranging the bottles he'd brought.
"There are some people here who should mind their own business, whatever it may be, and stop interfering in others' lives," Vincent retorted, sourly.
Elias stopped for a moment, raising his head, but he didn't say anything. He just stared at the man on the other side of the counter. After a few more seconds, he finally spoke in a flat voice. "Of course, Mister Grant, thanks for reminding me." Then, the young man continued in a tone he wanted to make cheerful, with little success. "I'm going to pick the boys up from school. They will be glad to know you are here."
Colin didn't say a word all the time Vincent and Elias were engaged in their verbal duel. As soon as the young man stepped out of the bar, he took a bottle of scotch from under the counter and poured into a glass. Then, without adding ice, he drank it in one go, pouring another one, to Vincent's apparent dismay.
"Do you want some? Sorry about not asking, but I know you don't drink alcohol," Colin said dryly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"No, thank you. Isn't it too early for this?" Vincent replied in an equally dry voice, pointing to the glass on the counter.
"Why don't you take your advice and mind your own business? Or was it meant for El only?" Colin's eyes darkened and narrowed, but the other man could see the flames in them.
"Oh, so this is why you are drinking straight scotch so early! I offended your precious little helper! Are you immature as all that? Well then, why didn't you tell me from the start not to waste my time, since you already had someone to warm your bed?" Vincent spat.
"God man, get a grip! I'm forty-five, El is almost twenty years younger! He could be my son. God damn it! How can you even imagine something like that?" Colin shook his head, disbelief mixed with disappointment on his face and in his voice.
"Yeah, sure, your son, how stupid I am!" Vincent's ironic reply came almost instantly. "I may not have fathered a child, but I know everything about raising one. Especially a boy, and trust me, under no circumstances, did I say at any time, about Hayden the things you keep saying about your little helper."
"What kind of... things? And he has a name, in case you forgot. It's either Elias or El, whichever you prefer," Colin said in a dangerously low voice, his hand tightening around the glass.
"You always talk about him not finding someone yet, and how it's a pity that someone with a sexy body like his is not appreciated as he should be," Vincent answered, intently omitting Elias' name.
"You know, all this time, I thought you were what I've been looking for all these years, but I was wrong. You are nothing but a rich, condescending, controlling asshole! The type who wants everything without giving anything in return. You know what, I've been there before, done that, and trust me, it wasn't a pleasant exp
erience, not by far. Have a good day, Vincent!"
Head lowered, the glass of scotch still in his hand, Colin started to climb the stairs. He went down the corridor and opened the door to his office, stepping inside and plopping down in the chair behind his desk. Then, he started to analyze the events from earlier, wondering if he hadn't overreacted to the whole thing.
The more he thought about it, though, the more furious he became as Vincent's acid comments about Elias reminded him of Alastair's hateful speeches, with Sebastian's boyfriend as the target. Just like him, the poor kid had stood there, listening as that bastard threw insults at his Vincent, the only person who cared about him.
Colin had felt Sebastian's pain before, as images from his best friend's past appeared in his mind, but the sensation was never so intense, so vivid. What infuriated Colin was the reaction had been provoked by the man he believed to be the special one in his life. The more the bar owner thought about it, the angrier he became.