Into The Light

by Wolfe, H. M.

  "No, Rayne, wait!" Daniel raised his voice a bit. "Please, stay. I trust you and your methods. The boys have made amazing progress in such a short time." The raven-haired man had a pleading look as he spoke.

  ”What about the respectable gentleman over there? He seems to have a great influence on you and everyone else present in this room, except, maybe, Eugene”, Rayne pointed to Alastair.

  "My great-uncle worries over all of us, no matter how old we are. He reacted the way he did only because of all this," Daniel shot a warning glare in Alastair's direction. "Anyway, as I told you before, I am my own man. I am capable of making responsible decisions," he added.

  "So, are you sure about the whole pregnancy thing?" Liam spoke all of a sudden, making Christine, Elizabeth, and Martin Cornelius roll their eyes. "Because if you are, that will make me an uncle again, since Daniel is my cousin, but also Eugene's adoptive cousin, so, yeah."

  Liam's words reduced the tension in the room considerably, and everyone who hadn't already known about the news congratulated the happy fathers-to-be, even Alastair. From the corner of his eye, Rayne noticed how he went to Daniel, patting him on the shoulder and shaking his head.

  Just then, two little blond boys of about six years old stormed into the room, almost tripping over each other. They were closely followed by a raven-haired boy and by a giant bodyguard going by the name of Mickey.

  The blonds were a permanent fixture in Eugene house, and Rayne had found out from Donna Rosa that they were Tarquin's sons. So, he thought bitterly, Alastair's nephew wanted the father, but not his little boys. They spent more time in that place where they were loved and taken care of.

  Daniel saw the two blonds who ran straight to him. He knelt and opened his arms as wide as he could, welcoming them both at the same time. The older boy joined the little ones, hugging them from behind.

  "So, the prodigal sons have come back home. Come back to their fathers, who've grown old waiting for them?" Daniel asked, grinning widely.

  "Nonnina said we should visit you because you'd probably missed us very much. So we came to see you," one of them spoke, much to the adults' amusement.

  "Oh, so if zia Rosa hadn't told you to come, you would have continued to stay there, and never come to your papa and daddy?" Daniel pretended to be hurt.

  "You come to see us every day, so we didn't miss you," the same blond boy spoke, winking.

  The other one whispered something into Daniel's ear, making him gasp in shock. "These kids," he said. "I can't even..."

  From where he stood, Rayne could see that the man didn't feign the affection he was showing to the two little blond kids and to his husband, who had joined them on the carpeted floor. Daniel whispered something in his ear, making him giggle and then burst into a crystalline laugh.

  That was the kind of family Rayne wanted for Gerrard. A lively atmosphere. A cozy home instead of the glacial attitude Conroy always displayed towards him and that lifeless mausoleum his ex-husband called home. But to have all this, he had to get to his child first. He needed to hug him, to hear his sweet voice.

  Daniel Bloom was a man of his word. A protective, caring older brother, an affectionate husband and a loving father. Besides, he was also a supportive, loyal friend, one who would go to great extents to help someone in need. Someone in need like Rayne, who wanted to be reunited with his son, but didn't stand a chance against his husband's team of talented lawyers.

  It was about time to start trusting Daniel by telling him everything he knew about Conroy. About his associate and how the two of them had used the results of his research to perform horrific experiments on innocent souls, he needed to tell him about Gerrard and the slim chance he had to get custody of his son.

  "Daniel, do you have a minute? I want to talk to you, " Rayne said, his voice shaking.

  "Sure, I'll always make time for you," the raven-haired man said, smiling. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

  ”Well...”

  CHAPTER 27

  The two scented candles only, on the small table, lighted the dark room. Their trembling, small flames cast dancing shadows on the walls, making the atmosphere even more mysterious. The silence was interrupted from time to time by quiet, needy whimpers and low moans and by the soft noise the two men made when their naked bodies were slapping on one another.

  Colin laid on the four post bed, spread eagle, completely exposed, like a precious trophy for Vincent to admire and worship. Positioned between his spread legs, the older man started to suck and lightly bite his partner's skin, leaving a trail of hickeys from his collarbone to the well-toned chest and abs.

  When Vincent got to his navel, Colin started to writhe under the action of his partner's tongue. It swirled all over that area, making him arch his back from the bed, while spikes of pleasure surged throughout his body, concentrating in a ball of sweet sensations in his nether region.

  Soon, the pleasure turned into torture, as Vincent descended even more. His lips were touching the area around Colin's cock, totally ignoring the hardened, pulsating organ that begged for attention, little pearls of precum already forming at the tip. Unable to endure the torturous touches of his partner, the bar owner started to pant hard, tugging at his restraints.

  "Impatient, aren't we?" Vincent teased, as he lightly touched the other man's cock with the tips of his fingers. "The fun hasn't even started, and you are already a moaning, writhing mess. Where is the brave man from earlier? The one who was bragging that he wouldn't beg for mercy? Because there is nothing left of him now."

  "Vincent, please," Colin managed to say in a shaky voice, "don't do this to me anymore. Please, have mercy. I...I'm begging you" he said, after a short internal debate. "I surrender to you, do with me as you please," he finished the sentence after a considerable effort.

  "Are you going to be a good boy?" Vincent asked a wide grin spread all over his face.

  "Yes, I will. I'm going to be a very, good boy," Colin managed to utter. "The best," he added, hoping his voice sounded convincing enough.

  Nodding, and with the same grin on his face, Vincent ripped the foil of the condom pack, sheathing his cock. Then, applying a liberal amount of lube on his index finger and around Colin's hole, started to work it open. With every push of the finger inside the man, he clenched around him more and more, beginning to move and rock his body as much as his restraints allowed.

  As for Vincent, he couldn't take his eyes off the sight Colin offered. He laid on the bed, legs widespread and his muscular body glistening with sweat. The lights and shadows the two candles cast on him made the bar owner appear even more beautiful to Vincent, and somehow vulnerable.

  After working Colin some more, the older man finally pushed inside him, bit by bit, leaving his partner enough time to adjust to the intrusion. Then, locking his eyes with the man on the bed, Vincent started to thrust into him. He lost himself in the moment, giving in to the sensation of closeness, so fulfilling, so overwhelming.

  The two dark pools of blue Colin's eyes were, sucked his partner into them, taking his breath away, filling his soul with desire, lust and an all-consuming passion. It wasn't about two bodies coupling, not anymore. Instead, it was like two halves of the same soul, that wandered through the Universe until they finally found each other, becoming a whole.

  Both men climaxed at the same time, Colin splattering his load between him and Vincent, who almost immediately collapsed on the bed. After catching his breath for a few moments, he started to untie the bar owner, whose eyes were half open, with gentle moves, kissing his wrists and caressing his ankles.

  Then, after washing the cum off of Colin, Vincent pulled the blankets over them, hugging the younger man close to his chest. Looking at those beautiful, soulful eyes, he saw something that warmed his heart. A kind of innocence, shy and uncertain, that reminded Vincent of a lost child. It reminded him of…But no, he couldn't go there. Not tonight, when Colin was in his arms.

  "Was I good? Did I give you what you wanted?" the bar
owner's voice, hesitant and low, in stark contrast with his muscular appearance, brought Vincent back to the present.

  "You were the best," he looked down, smiling. "I've never experienced anything like that, with anyone," he assured Colin in a warm, sincere voice. "What about you? Was I good to you?"

  "It doesn't matter how I feel. I am not important. My role is to spread my legs and take it like the slut I am; he used to tell me. But you are very different, sweet, caring; you put me first. I liked it very much, I felt your love." A small smile was playing on Colin's lips, making him look even more vulnerable.

  "Who's the bastard who put those ideas into your head? He's the worthless one. You are precious to me, a real man." Vincent felt the need to protect the man in his arms, to heal the wounds in his soul.

  "He was my fiancee. Older, richer and way stronger than me. I was a naive kid who fell in love with this elegant, sophisticated guy. He took advantage of that and abused me. Then, he died unexpectedly, and I was free. End of the story." Colin started to shiver involuntarily, as memories from another lifetime flooded his mind.

  "What happened then?" Vincent asked curiously, as he felt there was more to the story. Like in most of the cases, when his lover shared bits from his past. He was right, because, after a short pause, Colin spoke again.

  "After spending some time in solitude, I met this cute, sweet, beautiful redhead, who mourned the loss of his mother. We were instantly attracted to each other and, after only a few months of dating and courtship, we married. Then, he died in that accident, and I ended up brokenhearted and alone."

  Vincent lightly touched Colin's face with the pad of his thumb, a little surprised by the clarity and coherence of the man's speech when he recalled all those memories from his distant past. Usually, he was bewildered, mixing up different events and then getting frustrated over his inability to remember simple things.

  About two weeks after the two of them had started to meet regularly, Colin opened up to Vincent, telling him about the horrible car crash he'd suffered about eleven years earlier, with the long-term memory loss as one of the consequences. Colin also spoke about his closest friend, whose name he never mentioned. Sometimes, Colin said, he felt that the memories inside his head somehow seemed to belong to his friend.

  "What was your husband's name?" Vincent broke the comfortable silence between them, driven by a sudden urge to find out more about his partner. "Do you remember?"

  "Of course I remember," Colin softly spoke, smiling to a good memory. "Sweet love, that was his name. I didn't call him anything else. But I don't remember his given name or what he used to call me. The name stuck with him, as I used to call him that even after the death of our only son."

  ”You had a son who died?” Vincent was shocked, as Colin never mentioned anything before about having a child. Or was it because the sorrow he must have felt prevented him from remembering the tragic event?

  "Yes, we had a beautiful and brilliant boy. I was his biological dad, but my husband also loved him very much. Maybe even more than I loved him. My sweet love never denied anything to Daniel. I was the stricter parent," Colin said, with a melancholic look in his eyes.

  "Daniel? That was the name of your son?" Vincent's eyes widened, as he shook his head incredulously. "It can't be true!" he said, "it would be too much of a coincidence."

  "Oh, are you speaking about Hayden's older brother? At first, I almost thought the same thing myself, but then I abandoned the idea because my son is dead. I feel it, don't know how, but I'm sure he died. He would've come back if he wasn't, wouldn't he?" Colin said, sorrow on his face and in his voice.

  Vincent sensed that the man next to him was becoming more agitated by the minute. So he decided to stop asking questions about his past. That was the first night they were spending together as lovers, and the last thing Vincent wanted to do was to spoil it. He closed the space between him and Colin, peppering kisses all over the other man's face.

  Slowly, the tension in the bar owner's body started to dissipate, until nothing was left of it, leaving him completely relaxed. It was like the touch of Vincent's lips made all the bad things Colin held locked in his soul, including the sorrow over his son's death, to go away, filling his heart and mind with peace.

  "It was a full day. It's time to sleep, now," Vincent said, yawning and stretching his hands above his head. "I want you to look well rested and fresh tomorrow when we go to the law firm," he smirked.

  "C'mon, cut it out," Colin pouted, "that attorney is only a kid, you said it yourself, nothing scary or intimidating about him."

  "Yes, a kid who graduated from Harvard law school in only two years, at the age of eighteen. As you said, nothing to feel intimidated about," Vincent smiled knowingly.

  "Eighteen?! Holy...Are you sure about that? I mean, how old was he when he started school? Three? Two?" Colin stared at the other man in disbelief.

  "Well, I think you can find out by asking him yourself, tomorrow." Vincent smiled, kissing his lover's temple.

  The next morning, Elliott was in his office, ready to start the day. Lately, he was in top shape, thanks to the dedication of the doctor who'd saved Hayden and Arnett's life. He seemed to know everything about male pregnancy, the term he used to define Elliott's condition.

  Donna Rosa also took an active part in everything that concerned her son's boyfriend's health, especially his diet. The kind lady always gave great importance to Elliott's meals, using only extra-fresh ingredients when she prepared the food for him. She carefully weighed everything before incorporating them into the dish.

  Last, but not least, the assistant he'd hired, Joraan Van Sloot, really made things easy for him at work. Well-organized, very efficient, the man studied Elliott's schedule in advance, preparing all the necessary documents, so his boss could have them on his desk first thing in the morning.

  That day was no exception: a thick file and a much thinner one waiting for the young lawyer to look through them. Elliott already knew everything that was to know about the two clients, because they were connected to Daniel.

  One of them was Arnett's defender back when the kid lived at Hayden's mother's brother-in-law's farm. The other was Jeremy V. Grant, the king of stock market transactions and Hayden's former guardian.

  "Here is your carrot and apple juice, Elliott. Freshly squeezed how you like it. There's also the herbal tea to drink when it cools down a little. Enjoy!" Joraan said with a smile, as he stepped into the office carrying a tray in his hands.

  ”Thank you very much, Joraan,” Elliott returned the smile, pouring a glass of juice from the jug on the tray and drinking it in one go. ”Mmmm, delicious!” he said, licking his lips.

  "I'm glad you like it, it's perfect for immunity. I used to make it for my son. He also liked it very much," the assistant said a sad smile on his face.

  "Now that's funny," Elliott replied, "one of my friends, Daniel, told me that one of his dads used to make it for him when he was a kid."

  Joraan flinched violently. ”You have a friend named Daniel? Never mentioned him before,” he said, making efforts to hide the emotion in his voice.

  Elliott smiled widely. "This guy is larger than life in so many ways, the greatest husband, father, and friend. He's smart, funny, affectionate, but also a badass, like that adoptive cousin of his."

  "What adoptive cousin?" Joraan asked, his heart hammering against his ribcage as if it wanted to break it and get out.

  "Eugene, who else?" the answer came in a cheerful voice, a slight blush creeping on Elliott's face when he mentioned his lover's name.

  The little cogs inside Joraan's mind spun at light speed, analyzing every possibility. Seconds before Elliott told him about Daniel, being related by adoption with his life partner, he thought the man was his long-lost son, but after that, he wasn't so sure about it. However, the man decided to give it one last try, before abandoning that lead that looked so promising.

  "So, this friend of yours...Does he have another name, besides Danie
l?" Joraan's body tensed as he waited for the answer.

  "Of course he has! There are two of them. Fenelli, from his adoptive father, Eugene's uncle, and Bloom, from his birth family. Daniel Bloom-Fenelli!" Elliott exclaimed, all of a sudden. "What are you doing here?" he said, making Joraan flinch again.

  "I'm on official business, the investigation we talked about," the raven-haired young man who just stepped into the office said, casting a glance in Joraan's direction.

  But the man wasn't paying attention to the discussion, as he stared in shock at the two rings Daniel was wearing. One was a wedding ring, and the other had belonged in the Bloom family for generations. He could have recognized it out of a million others. Taking advantage of the fact that the two young men were engaged in their conversation, Joraan discreetly left Elliott's office.