“Sir,” Cavan said, “You’re a registered sex offender—”
“Not me. My roommate.” The man ripped down the ugly plastic decoration and slammed the door.
They pretended to leave the property, but hid behind a flowering jacaranda tree that obscured the house from the street. When the man thought the coast was clear, he opened his door again and put the skeleton back up. Perrin gave him a warning and the man was moved to the top of the recheck list.
They also got numerous calls dealing with cat owners hysterical over their pets being tortured and, in one case, killed. Black cats and Halloween…Cavan thought about the black hairs on his bed and wondered where they’d come from. At one, he broke away, went to a Subway sandwich shop and bought Ludo his sandwich. It wasn’t gourmet fare, but the best he could do with only an hour to spare.
At the hospital, Ludo had company.
“Hi, darling,” Cavan’s mother said. She looked happier than Cavan had seen her. “I had to come and meet your new friend, sweetie. And he is adorable.” She pushed her wheelchair a little closer to Ludo, whose hand moved to her shoulder and squeezed it in an appreciative way.
Oh, boy they were already friends. She had brought a feast from Greenblatt’s Deli on Sunset. How in the world had she gotten here?
His sister came out of Ludo’s bathroom, a bunch of toiletries in hand. Ah, that explained things. Dina had driven her here. She was making herself at home packing the few homey elements in the sterile hospital room, but Ludo seemed happy enough for the company.
“It’s all settled,” Dina said. “Ludo’s coming to stay with you and Mom.”
Cavan didn’t respond at first. He wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t sound offensive. The man was recovering from severe trauma. Was he really up to a life with banana labels? On the other hand…Mom was a former cop. Maybe they’d be good for each other.
A moment of awkwardness evaporated when Ludo noticed the packages Cavan was carrying.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” Ludo asked, the smile back in his eyes.
“A sandwich. Not a very good one. Greenblatt’s is the bomb.”
“Subway? You got him a Subway? Honestly,” his mother said.
“I’ve never tried a Subway.” Ludo held out his hand for it. Cavan had chosen the flatbread option and Ludo seemed to like it. At least, he was kind enough to pretend to.
“Can you believe the hospital is discharging him today?” Dina asked.
“That’s impossible.” Cavan glanced at Ludo. “You’re not ready.”
“According to the doctor on staff he is.” His mother thumped her chair arm. “And it’s wrong. Just because he has a speedy metabolism and is doing much better, he still needs care.”
“Of course he does, but—”
“Good,” Dina said. “Because this solves all our problems. Ludo needs a safe place to stay. His boyfriend—sorry, ex-boyfriend’s already been to the hospital twice trying to see him, and the media keeps trying to get photos of him—”
“Really?” How come Cavan didn’t know about this?
“When that man,” his mother spat the words, “offered to get him away from New York, he took all of Ludo’s possessions. He stole his clothes, his wallet…he doesn’t even have clothes to put on his back!”
“Everything was in his truck when we drove across country.” Ludo’s cheeks flamed. “If you don’t want me to stay with you…I’ll understand.”
Cavan stared at him. “No…I think…under the circumstances it’s a great idea.”
“See, I told you,” his mother told Ludo, who smiled up at him.
“What about clothes? You brought up a good point, Mom.”
“The hospital has spare clothing, things people have left behind. They’re going to give him a pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt and some flip-flops.”
“You can use anything of mine that you want,” he told Ludo. Ludo’s gaze seemed to sear right through him. Cavan felt the sweat tickling the back of neck remembering his crazy dream.
“Thank you.” The smile was back in Ludo’s eyes.
“There’s just one thing…you’re still a crime victim. You were subjected to unimaginable brutality. Since people are hounding you, I don’t want anyone in this room telling anybody where Ludo is.” He fixed his gaze on his mother and sister.
“Not even my husband?” Dina asked, wide-eyed.
“Of course, sweetie. But if Ludo’s ex is sniffing around, we have to protect him. We have to keep him safe.”
“I’m no shrinking violet. I want to help you as much as you’re helping me. I looked after my mother when she was sick…and she’s back in Argentina. I miss her. I’d love to help you look after Tammie. And I can cook, too. I mean”—he held up his half eaten sandwich—“I know how to murder a piece of flatbread, too.”
The women laughed and Cavan smiled. He did oddly trust Ludo and, well…this could be the solution for all of them.
“Listen, I haven’t had a chance to get the new front door key cut.”
“I have the other copy,” Dina said. “On our way home, I’ll get new copies made.”
“And we’ll be up waiting for you,” Mom said. “Any special requests for dinner?”
He stared at her. “You’re going to make me dinner?”
“No, I am.” Ludo grinned at her. “I’ll cook for both of you.”
His mother smiled like a serene cat in the sun.
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” Dina asked.
“Are you all trying to get rid of me?”
“I’m not,” Ludo said. The look in his eyes made Cavan’s cock twitch in his pants.
“He knows all about my collection,” his mother said, a strong note of pride in her voice. “His mom is a collector, too.”
“Oh, Buddha.” Cavan glanced at him. “What does she collect? She can’t possibly have a nuttier collection than Mom.”
“Ha ha.” His mother poked her tongue out at him. “She collects dirt.”
“Last time I checked, she had two thousand vials from all over the world.”
“Congratulations, Ludo, you win.”
Cavan returned to the office, not sure how he felt about having Ludo in his home, then decided that, for now, it gave the man a chance to recuperate in a safe environment without scrutiny. He thought for a moment as he pulled into the station parking lot. He took out his cell phone and called Chelsea, the physical therapist.
He left her a message saying he wanted to talk to her about his mother. He left his number, walked into the station, and filed an elder abuse report. He was just completing it when his cell phone rang. He was stunned to see it was Vince.
“How’d you get this number?” he asked without even bothering to utter a greeting.
“Hi to you, too.” Vince chuckled. Man, how had Cavan never noticed how contrived it was when Vince did that.
On her computer screen, Felicity watched a news bulletin, pretending not to listen to his call.
“What do you want, Vince?”
“I saw you on TV. Man, that was some rescue. I always thought you were kind of a geek.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“No, I mean it in the nicest way. You’re a lovable guy.”
Vince blathered on about wanting to see him. Cavan had no desire to rekindle that spent match. He was staring at Felicity’s screen. She was aware of his gaze and turned to look at him.
“What?” she asked, frowning at him.
“That man.”
“Yeah,” Vince said in his ear. “What about that man? Ludo, right? What’s he like? Have you been to see him?”
“I gotta go.” He ended the call and pocketed his cell phone.
“What is it?” Felicity asked.
“That man…I saw him on TV this morning…the guy who abandoned his kid in his foreclosed home.”
“Yeah. Nobody’s seen or heard from him since. He’s left a trail of debts and they think he might have killed himself.”
&nb
sp; Cavan shook his head. “Hell no, he didn’t. I didn’t recognize him at first. He looks much better in this picture. This asshole is alive and well and holing up with a convicted pedophile in Brentwood. Perrin and I spoke to him this morning.”
Chapter 6
For the second time in a week, Cavan came off as a hero for the West Los Angeles Police Division. He and Perrin received commendations from Chief Beck and when he went home for dinner after patrolling the neighborhood for Halloween, he saw his mother was still dressed as a banana.
“I’m so proud of you,” she said, hugging him.
Ludo stood by in a pair of Cavan’s jeans.
“Can I hug you, too?” Their embrace held more weight and more unspoken desire than any Cavan could remember.
“We passed out six huge bowls of candy,” Mom said, having difficulty sitting on a chair in her banana costume. “Guess I should go change. Don’t start dinner without me. I’m on seconds, or is it thirds?”
She seemed reluctant to leave, but as soon as she hustled out with her walking stick, one glance between him and Ludo was all it took. They were all over each other. They kissed, Ludo’s mouth opening. Cavan licked and sucked and got plenty back himself…but there were no bristles. Of course there weren’t. It had been a dream.
Their frenzied lip-lock broke off as they heard Cavan’s mother clomping back down the hallway in her pajamas.
Ludo looked flustered as he plated their meal. “I hope you like chicken and tomatoes. I still have a craving for them,” he said over his shoulder.
Cavan was starving. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper meal. The food was fragrant, the chicken tender and juicy. He’d never tasted anything like it.
“Isn’t it fabulous?” His mother’s eyes shone.
Ludo poured them each a glass of red wine. Cavan was speechless. It was a nice way to come home.
“There’s something we should tell you,” his mom said, glancing at Ludo.
“I called the DA’s office. I still have friends there. I found out who’s handling Ludo’s case. Well, the prosecution of Luke Masterson. His name is Jack Benz and he seems very nice. I told him Ludo is staying with me. I left you out of it completely. I don’t want to compromise your professional position.”
“Thanks, Mom. Is he okay with it?”
“Yes. They want to make sure Ludo will testify. I guaranteed he would.” She paused. “And we’ll be with him every step of the way.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, both of you,” Ludo said. He picked up his wine glass, his expression emotional.
“He has to appear before the grand jury in two weeks. Of course, before then he’ll need to meet with the assistant DA handling the case to prepare his testimony, but that won’t be a problem. In the meantime, they’re willing to keep his location a secret.
“They want to move this case along. Masterson has so many charges pending he’ll fold like a pack of cards, I’m sure. In the meantime, he’s being held without bail because of the nature of his crime and because,” she smiled, “he can’t post a bond. He’s cash strapped and doesn’t look like anyone’s willing to help him.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Cavan said, raising his glass.
“I couldn’t have met two kinder people,” Ludo said. “Thank you again. Your acceptance of me…means so much.”
“Our home is your home,” Cavan said. “Tell me, do you also make desserts?”
§ § § §
Long after he’d had three helpings of chicken and tomatoes and two wedges of homemade pecan pie, Cavan lay naked on his bed, hand on his cock. He willed the beautiful dream from the night before to return, but it didn’t. In spite of all the jerking off he’d done the night before, he was hornier than hell. If he concentrated on Ludo’s face—
A soft knock at the door interrupted his fantasies. “Cavan?”
Thank God it was Ludo. “Come in.” He made a show of throwing his sheet over his body but as Ludo came in, closing the door behind him, he could see the hard cock wedged into the jeans Ludo wore so much better than he ever could. They exchanged no words as he sat up, his cock springing to happy attention as Ludo came and stood at the side of his bed.
Cavan looked up at the man who looked like a leonine god in the moonlight. He saw the smile that was just for him and rubbed his face against the front of Ludo’s jeans. Ludo threaded his hands in his hair, holding him against his body. Cavan undid the buttons on the fly of the jeans and was ecstatic to find Ludo was commando. The cock he’d coveted bounced against his hungry lips. The head poked through the foreskin.
“I want to suck you the way you like. Tell me what you like.”
Ludo’s face twisted with emotion. “You know what I like. I know you won’t hurt me.”
Hell no, he wouldn’t hurt him. He closed his mouth around the half-sheathed head. It felt and tasted completely different to a cut cock. It felt fuller, more luscious. He used his tongue to push the foreskin back, rewarded with an ecstatic, “Yes!”
He slid Ludo’s jeans all the way down. He pulled the man onto the bed beside him. In his dream, Ludo had done all the work, now he wanted to do it. Another hot exchange of kisses and before they could get too deep, Cavan claimed Ludo’s cock again. He swallowed it whole, enjoying the heft of it against the back of his throat. He’d never serviced such a massive tool and couldn’t wait. Ludo came fast, his body spasming.
“Do it again,” he whispered.
It was just as sweet, just as intense the second time, Ludo’s hand fluttering down to Cavan’s ass, stroking the crack. His fingers somehow reached Cavan’s hole, a finger stroking him determinedly, stoking a crazy-hot fire in him. Unbelievably he came against his own leg as Ludo shot deep into his mouth.
They lay happily entwined in one another’s arms. “Do you want me to close the moonlight?” Cavan asked before they fell asleep. “I mean…do you want me to close the blinds?”
“No. I just want you to hold me.”
And he did.
Very early the next morning, Ludo returned to his room, against Cavan’s wishes.
“Do you regret what we did?” he asked Ludo, who pulled his jeans up over his legs and his now hard cock.
“Of course not.” Ludo’s whispered voice ignited embers deep within him. “Out of respect for your mother…I think I should.”
Over the coming days, it was always like this. The frenzied, passionate lovemaking, bringing each other pleasure with their mouths. They didn’t fuck, but Cavan realized the man was still healing. They always wound up these intense sessions sleeping, wrapped around one another. Each morning around sunrise, he left Cavan’s room. Day by day their bond grew stronger. Going to work was hell. Cavan hated the separations, and so did Ludo. The day he had to meet with the DA’s office, he cried in Cavan’s arms, scared of what the future held.
Cavan wanted to take the day off to be with him but Veo wouldn’t give him permission for a personal day.
That night, after numerous calls between them, Ludo seemed fine. Dina had driven Ludo and her mom to the DA’s office. When he made his appearance before the grand jury, none of them could be in the room, but Ludo said if they were outside the courtroom waiting for him, he could get through it.
Cavan promised they would all be there.
Two weeks later, Veo gave him permission to take a personal day and they went to the courthouse. Ludo looked handsome in the new suit Cavan had bought for him. Until the grand jury session was over, Cavan wanted him to keep a low profile. He didn’t want Ludo to worry about money, identification…nothing.
It was grueling to accompany him, knowing the man would have to recount his torment to a room full of strangers. He and his mother sat, holding hands, staring at the closed doors. When Ludo emerged, looking red-eyed, Cavan’s heart gave a lurch.
“I did it,” Ludo said, throwing himself into their waiting arms. “I told them my truth.”
They drove home, awaiting the gr
and jury results. The Internet and TV were full of the news as they walked in the door—the twenty-three member grand jury had unanimously voted to proceed with the case.
“I don’t know whether to be happy or sad,” Ludo said. “I just want this to be over.”
He seemed frightened, but Cavan was determined to protect him. As they prepared their evening meal, Dina and her family arrived. Max, Dina’s stepson, adored Ludo and ran straight to him, hugging him. They’d met a few times and the way they hit it off encouraged and delighted the family.
“I made you a present,” he said, surprising everyone. He reached into his school backpack and produced a plate with a hand-drawn wolf.
“That is beautiful,” Ludo said, hugging him again.
“You remind me of a wolf. I like wolves,” Max said.
Ludo nodded emphatically. “So do I.”
“Do I get a hug?” Cavan asked his nephew.
Max gave him an impish grin. “Yes, but you don’t get a plate.”
Everybody laughed. In his pocket, Cavan’s cell phone rang. He checked the readout. Vince.
What did he want now?
He took the call and stepped into the backyard to talk to him.
“I know you’ve got him.” Vince’s voice was serious.
“Excuse me?”
“Ludo. I know he’s with you. How much do you want for him?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You’re harboring him. I know. I’ve driven past your house and seen him. He’s worth a fortune on the black market, Cavan.”
Black market? What the hell was Vince raving about?
“I’ll split the bounty with you.”
“Bounty? What are you smoking?”
Vince gave a harsh laugh. It wasn’t his seductive, practiced laugh.
“Come on, dude. Don’t tell me you don’t know.”
“I don’t know what you’r—”
“He’s a werewolf, dude. You’re harboring a one-hundred percent freak of nature!”
Cavan didn’t respond. He ended the call. Holy shit. Could it even be true? Did such a thing exist?
He went back inside and watched Ludo interacting with his family.
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