Love's Confinement

by Flynn Eire

“Was it ever,” Theo purred, shooting me a heated look. All I could think about was doing it again.

  Unfortunately there was lots of work to be done.

  7

  Several days later we—namely Theo—had a lot of answers. The weapons were aboveboard and for the Wyrok, so they took possession of those and handled everything with the council. The council spun some story for the human authorities that Theo’s cruise company had intercepted human traffickers and given the women sanctuary to get them out of harm’s way. They were given amnesty and visas while that mess was sorted out, and for the time being, the cruises were all canceled and money refunded.

  The drugs had been paid for, and while bought illegally, were intended for Ash Tree Pharmaceuticals.

  “I don’t get why they’d need illegal ones though,” I pushed when Theo and I were alone.

  “Pot is becoming legal in some states and medical marijuana is becoming more and more accepted,” he explained. “My father wanted to skip the steps of trials on how to get it made into other forms, like the candy. Cancer patients aren’t always able to light one up, but they can pull out a sucker. It’s actually smart, but yeah, illegal. The council’s good with giving it over for us to use it and learn from it, mostly because they want the wealth to stay with vampires.”

  “The more I learn about our councils the more I understand the purpose of the Wyrok to control their corruption,” I bitched.

  “Amen to that,” he agreed, shaking his head. “Another reason I don’t want to be a councilman.”

  “But you wouldn’t be a corrupt one.”

  “How easy would it be to fall down that slippery slope?” he argued, glancing at me. “I’m already breaking the law by allowing my company to use those other forms of pot and test the candy. Just because it’s not coke or meth doesn’t make it any less illegal or immoral. It’s just pot really seems like the first step of the slippery slope, doesn’t it?”

  I scratched my head and shrugged. “I guess, but working around the system that seems prudish to help cancer patients is something I’m okay with. I get your father was in it for the money and to be the best, but you agreed because you wanted to help humans with cancer and ease their pain, right?”

  “Well, yeah, but—”

  “No buts,” I chuckled, walking over to him and hugging him from behind. “That’s how I know you won’t ever be corrupt. I’ll support you no matter what you decide, but a man who bends the rules to help people with cancer and doesn’t think of the dollar signs isn’t someone I’m worried about going all dark side, Theo.”

  “I’m falling in love with you,” he blurted out, flinching in my arms.

  I smiled as I turned him around, staring down at him. “Good, because I’m falling in love with you too.”

  “Glad we settled that then.” The tension eased out of his body as I leaned down to kiss him.

  He moved back though. “You might not think that if I told you I wanted to sneak one of the boxes of pot pops into the children’s cancer wards.”

  “Pot pops?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “They’re lollipops made of sugar and pot. What would you call them?” He shrugged and kinda made a good point so I went with it.

  “And you want to get kids high why?”

  He blew out a frustrated breath. “Not just any kids, Evan. I’m not wanting to push drugs on kids, but yeah, kids with cancer should be allowed the benefits of it too.”

  “Very, very liberal of you.” Oh god, it was so hard not to laugh at the conversation but I could tell from his face he was dead serious. “I’m pretty sure humans have studies that pot stunts kids’ growth and kills brain cells they can’t regenerate like we can.”

  “Yeah, because chemo doesn’t basically kill them or have lasting effects that everyone sweeps under the rug if it works.” He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. Wow, he was sexy when he was wound up on a topic like this. “Besides, I’m not talking about all the kids with cancer. Not every cancer patient now can get pot and the rules should be harder for kids.”

  I filled in the blanks when he got a little choked up. “You mean the kids who are stage four or terminal.” He nodded and I realized he had some experience with this. “You work in a cancer ward ever?”

  “We did some trials on an immune booster to help kids withstand chemo better. My father let me oversee the project to help my human cover. I was just really excited because it wasn’t here,” he explained. “But when I was there, god, Evan. I would have smuggled those poor kids pot or anything else they wanted. I had no immunity to them. The doctors kept yelling at me because one would ask me for ice cream and I’d go get it and they’d have to stop me because it would mess with the testing.

  “I wanted to sneak it in anyways, full duck-out-of-human-sight vamp speed and sneak the little girl her Rocky Road. I brought in so many toys and the parents kept laughing how I did nothing but play with them and was really there to give the parents some time off.”

  “Yeah, we really have to worry about you going corrupt, you big softie,” I chuckled, kissing his forehead. He sighed and hugged me, realizing I wasn’t going to push him away for his beliefs or anything else he could throw at me.

  I was in this for the long haul.

  “I read something a while back about pot that wasn’t addictive or was engineered for medicinal purposes. Or someone was trying to. Maybe you could make a strain that was safe for sick kids, no stunting, no dead brain cells, but just helped them like it helps adults. The government is never going allow even kids with cancer to have pot.”

  “Because it’s the same as writing them off already,” he muttered. Then he just about crawled up me and peppered my face with kisses. “You’re a genius. That’s brilliant. I’m going to fund a team to do just that. We can help the munchkins and not have a stoned children’s ward.”

  “Always a plus,” I chuckled, hugging him tightly. “You ready for this?”

  “Yeah, let’s go bury my father,” he sighed as he leaned heavily against me.

  After the overwhelming evidence found against Councilman Ashton, it was decided that the best course of action was to remove him from the human world. Instead of announcing he was ill and unavailable for the quarterly—whatever this thing was—he had a horrible car accident. Cliché and a drab excuse, but easily manageable and a gold standard in cover-ups for a reason.

  It meant no wake. That always helped.

  We walked out so Theo could greet everyone arriving, a ball of nerves which to the people showing up and giving their condolences made him seem the grieving son, so as bad as it was that worked for appearances. For the first hour everything went fairly well, Theo handled the questions of his mother pretty easily, answering she was delayed in Europe and they were going to spread his ashes privately later.

  “Murderer!” Lloyd bellowed as he stumbled into the family room, pointing at Theo, bottle of booze in his hand to sell his drunkenness and all.

  “Oh, he’s dead,” I hissed under my breath.

  “Nice of you to show, Lloyd,” Theo drawled, shaking his head. “Really? You want to do this now?”

  “Everyone should know what you are,” he seethed, throwing his arms around wildly. Zibon and Bowie moved over and grabbed Lloyd but he went ballistic. “Don’t touch me! Your goons won’t get me next.”

  “My goons?” Theo chuckled as he grabbed a glass of scotch from one of the passing servers and tossed it back. “Right, yeah, sure, let’s go with that for the private security I had to hire because you and Father pissed off so many people and that mess has now been left to me to clean up. I never threatened his life but I found a stack of death threats in his files. Either way, the police and the private investigators I hired ruled it an accident, Lloyd, let it go.”

  “Why did you hire private investigators?” one of the CEOs of the companies asked as he joined the conversation.

  “Because I found a pile of death threats against Father,” Theo muttered, taking anoth
er scotch. “Wouldn’t you check if it was your parent and everything was now your responsibility?”

  “Yes, but what is Lloyd talking about,” the man hedged, glancing between us.

  “He’s pissed the will got changed,” Theo seethed before downing the glass and setting it on the tray. “And he chose now to pull this shit. Big mistake, Lloyd.”

  “Is that a threat? You going to kill me now, Theo?”

  Theo snorted. “No, you asshole. You’re fired. I don’t know what happened between you and Father, which of you was pulling what shit, but you were loyal to him and he loved you, so—”

  “More than he loved you,” Lloyd shot back. “I was the son he wanted.”

  Theo didn’t even flinch. “Well he got me. My condolences to you both for that mistake of fate.”

  “Get him out of here,” I ordered Zibon and Bowie, tired of the show we were giving Theo’s guests. He might be willing to play along but I wasn’t.

  “Oh so the man you’re bending over for gives the orders now?” Lloyd snapped, smiling when people gasped. “They didn’t know you were a fag, did they?”

  “I think they’re shocked at how crude you’re being at a funeral, you piece of shit,” I answered. “I’m only in charge of his security, not Theo’s companies. And the only threat here is you. You’re a drunk, resentful ex-employee, throwing around all kinds of unfounded accusations. Get him out of here.”

  Zibon and Bowie didn’t hesitate this time, each taking an arm of Lloyd’s, but he wasn’t going without a fight. “Tell them again how your mother’s traveling in Europe, Theo.”

  “You bastard,” Theo hissed. “Leave her out of this!”

  I felt my blood go cold. I hope he had a plan how to cover this one up, because I was drawing a blank as to what to say for that one. Both of Theo’s parents were rotting at council headquarters.

  “Is she going to end up dead next?” Lloyd bellowed as he dropped the bottle in his hand.

  “Restrain him and hold him for the police,” I told my guys, keeping up appearances. He was going to join Theo’s parents in the next cell. I didn’t know what he thought was going to happen but one of the biggest rules was never draw attention to ourselves, and blowing another vampire’s human cover would assuredly do that.

  It made me feel a little evil that I enjoyed the knowledge that one of them would be knocking Lloyd out with a swift blow to the head to keep him quiet until people left. God, I wanted to hit him too.

  “Where’s your mother really, Theo?” that same CEO asked gently.

  “She’s not traveling in Europe, but she’s in Europe,” he muttered as he slowly walked over to the bar setup and didn’t even ask for anything, taking the whole bottle of scotch and pouring a large, large glass for himself. “She had a breakdown when she learned of my father’s death. A family friend was with her, Meggan Carter, who my parents wanted me to marry. Meggan called and said she had to be hospitalized. She couldn’t get on a plane. I’ve been in contact with her doctors and it’s not good.”

  “I’m sorry, Theo.”

  “Thank you.” Theo looked at the man with sadness in his eyes. “You can see why I lied. The papers would eat up the story of my mother in a heartbeat.”

  “Agreed.”

  “They’re already going to have a field day with my breaking up with Meggan though we were never dating.”

  “Yes, we heard you were engaged,” he hedged.

  “Except I’m gay,” Theo chuckled darkly before taking a long sip. “It’s no secret from anyone who talked with my father I wasn’t what he wanted in a son, but I did my best for the old man. I went on his trips to find the green coffee extract we made pills from and so many other projects to make him happy, but it was never enough. The one thing he wanted most from me I couldn’t give him. I couldn’t live a lie.”

  “Nor should you have to,” the CEO stated, shocking me and most of the room. “Like it matters in this day and age. Your father—god rest his soul—had some very antiquated notions, and while he built a solid foundation for Ashton companies, most of us were waiting for the day you took over, Theo.”

  “Not Lloyd?” Theo asked as his eyes went wide.

  “Lloyd’s a slimy weasel,” a woman snickered. “I was ready to resign if he ever took over Ash Tree Pharmaceuticals like he bragged he would one day. When I heard of your father’s death, I was sure he had a hand in it. I figured that’s why you hired private investigators.”

  “I had suspected him,” Theo confirmed as he moved over to the couch and sat down, acting tired and weary. He probably was after all the drama. “I truly wondered, but no, it was an accident. Father liked to drive fast and never let his age factor into anything. He needed an eye exam but Ashtons are strong and that would be weak. To me, driving too fast at night without glasses when you need them is weak and it got him killed. He misjudged a turn and wrecked. I don’t know what will happen to my mother now, she’s wrecked too.”

  “You poor thing,” the woman rasped as she sat next to Theo, wrapping an arm around him. Theo leaned into her and cried real tears, not for the reasons they thought but for the real suffering he’d endured. Knowing him, he didn’t even realize it was good for his story or cover, he just needed to let it out.

  “That boy has lived all his life under the thumb of a bastard,” the CEO guy muttered to me, giving me a hard stare. “All the heads of the Ashton companies adore Theo. You should know that because if you screw with him, there will be a line of people demanding your head.”

  “I won’t,” I promised, impressed people were on Theo’s side he had no idea about. “I love him.”

  “Good. He needs that and protection. Jacob Ashton pissed off a lot of people and made a lot of enemies. I wouldn’t be surprised if these cruises being cancelled had something to do with illegal dealings. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

  I glanced at the man. “It’s been handled in a way that won’t have any blowback on the company or Theo. I have friends too.”

  His eyebrows shot up before he schooled his reaction. “Then you’re a good match for Theo.”

  “I think so.”

  “I’ll spread the word that the situation with the cruises has been handled. Will we be liquidating that company?”

  I wasn’t stupid. He was testing me and seeing if any of Lloyd’s accusations held water. I rubbed the back of my neck and glanced at Theo.

  “I don’t know what he’s planning to do. He’s been distraught with his parents and trying to wade through the mess left to him. From a security standpoint, I’d recommend it. A clean break so no other elements try to pressure Ashton, Inc. in the future to start back up any dealings would be smart but that’s just the risk assessment I’m going to give Theo. Beyond that, I don’t know the business side, that’s his domain.”

  “You’re really not moving in to try and take over from his bed, are you?”

  I lowered my arm slowly and met his eyes, letting him see how serious I was. “No, I’m not Meggan Carter. That was her plan. I fell for him. Personally, I’d prefer he wasn’t so high profile. He’s safer that way. Professionally, I will eliminate any threat to him by any means necessary.”

  “Legal of course.”

  “Sure, if that makes you sleep better at night,” I chuckled, giving him an evil smirk.

  He nodded, not even flinching. “Oh, I like you.”

  “I’m taken.”

  “Yes, he is,” Theo agreed from our right. “Can I speak with you in private?” I nodded and followed after him. We went upstairs to his room, and the second the door was closed, he was on me.

  Good, because I needed him too after the shit Lloyd pulled and seeing what the day was doing to him.

  I yanked off his suit as he did the same to mine, ignoring silly things like buttons popping and seams tearing. Then I tossed him onto the bed, following him right down and burying my face in his ass. We’d found out together that nothing set Theo on fire faster than a few licks to his hole. I sm
iled as he moved his face to a pillow to muffle his screams of pleasure.

  Nice.

  I grabbed the lube from the nightstand as I ate him out and then did a quick job of stretching him since he didn’t need much from our earlier lovemaking that morning. Thank god, because if I didn’t get in him soon, I was going to die with need.

  Theo went limp as I shoved my cock deep into him as hard as I could—another thing I’d found he loved—and I knew I’d set all of his nerve endings ablaze at once. But I didn’t slow down, instead, pounding into him with everything I had as I leaned over him.

  “I love you,” I whispered in his ear. “I know it’s fast and it’s crazy, but I do, Theo.”

  “I love you too, Evan,” he rasped, turning his head so I could partially see him. I kissed him as I gave us both the relief we needed. My arms found their way around his smaller frame and our bodies just seemed to know how to move together even as my knees pushed his under his body. “Claim me.”

  “Not today,” I murmured, rubbing his chest as I pulled us up to kneeling so I could go in deeper and he was leaning back against me. “Not when others are around and I can’t take the time we deserve for it.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Oh yeah,” I growled, pumping my hips faster. I almost lost my rhythm when he cried out and I had to quickly cover his mouth. That was a new one for me. I’d never had to silence a partner.

  But it was kind of kinky too.

  Theo finished first, and I followed him right over, loving the way his body squeezed every last drop out of me.

  Given the house was full of guests, there wasn’t much time to relish our afterglow… Another reason not to mate that day. We hurried to clean up and get back downstairs, both of us closing our suit jackets to hide the buttons we were now missing and leaving off our ties.

  That didn’t mean every vampire in the room still didn’t give us knowing looks. Whatever. I was okay with that. Theo looked more relaxed and able to handle the masses.

  I think all of us breathed one collective sigh of relief when all the humans left… Except Zibon and Bowie who looked ready to shit a brick.