by Andrea Speed, A. B. Gayle, Jessie Blackwood, J. J Levesque, Katisha Moreish
Weird. What the hell was he doing meeting his parents the day before his mother was murdered? He idly entertained the thought they knew she was doomed and were planning her funeral, but somehow he doubted it. It was possible the photo just caught this Vale accidentally encountering his parents on the street, but he had studied that picture with everything short of a microscope. They were talking, all three of them, and it didn’t look like a casual conversation.
Not for the first time did he wonder who took the photograph. It was a lot like someone planned on blowing the lid off something (or blackmailing someone?) but never did. Again, he felt like a minor cog in a big machine, but once more, he ignored the feeling.
He used the library computers to find the phone number and address of Henry Vale, but all he found was his public address, the one for his funeral home in Asher Bay. What would he say if he called or visited? ‘So, did you murder my Mom?’ Yeah, that’d work. It was something, though. It was more than he had before.
It wasn’t like he had a time limit. He had a name, and he’d worry about what he was going to do as soon as he had a plan.
****
Henry Vale was having a horrible day.
It was bad enough that one of his employees had discovered his ties to the Roslov family, but had also actively tried to sabotage him. In the end, he had no idea what Riley had done to the body, but since Riley was currently in the cremation furnace, he didn’t have to worry about him doing any more damage. The problem was cleaning up the damage he did do.
He was going through his own files, making sure everything there was still in place, when his computer bleeped, signalling the arrival of a new email. He checked it, and wasn’t surprised to see it was from his contact in Haven Falls. Perhaps he’d found some of the mess Riley had made.
But no, he was in for another surprise. The message was simply ‘Look who showed up - he calls himself Flynn Archer now’, with a photo attachment. The picture was from a camera phone, so the resolution wasn’t great, but the image was clear enough. It was of a handsome, tall Asian man sitting at some kind of patio table, caught mid sentence, his hands frozen in some kind of gesture. He was sitting with someone, but he couldn’t see them from this angle.
Still, despite the blurriness of the image, he knew precisely who he was looking at: Martin Ashton’s ne’er-do-well son. Oh, the cocky little bastard. The gay porn career didn’t work out? No, that wasn’t the last thing he did, was it? That was the second to last thing. The absolute last thing was him playing action hero in Seattle.
Oh shit - had Riley heard of that too? Maybe his appearance here wasn’t a coincidence. In fact, he was willing to bet it wasn’t.
Even dead, Riley was trying to screw him.
Although this would seem like yet another negative development, he was actually happy that Ashton - sorry, Flynn - had shown up in town. It was so much easier to tie up loose ends when they were right in front of you.
Haven Falls: #28: Date Night
Aiden Parker & Flynn Archer
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Not that he needed to look at the paper again, since he had the address memorized, but Aiden did. The street name and number still had not changed so he slipped the paper into his pocket. With a glance at Dante he frowned. The puppy sat at his feet, looking up at him expectantly, a limp toy raccoon in his mouth.
“Sorry, pup. But I’m going out for a bit.”
Dante cocked his head to the side and dropped the toy at his feet, clearly not understanding. Aiden frowned. To put him in the cage or not, that was the question. The only sure-fire way to keep from coming home to a mess was to crate him, as much as he hated it. So... to the crate it was. He couldn’t wait for him to be housebroken.
The dog whined as Aiden shut the door to the house and locked it behind him, apologizing loudly through the door. Maybe he’d give him some extra treats when he came home to make it up to him. Yeah, that was it. Tugging his short-sleeved blue shirt down and straightening it, he made his way to the address Flynn had given him, butterflies in his stomach. Though why the nerves, he couldn’t honestly say.
Despite how weird his day had been, the idea of going out with a hot guy was nicely distracting. He checked himself in the mirror, making sure he didn’t look like he’d prepped too much. His t-shirt, while casual, was still tight across the pecs, and while he went for baggy jeans, he made sure he was wearing some sexy underwear, just in case it peeked over the sliding waist. (It better.) There was a buzz, someone downstairs wanting to be let in, and he checked his breath and the condoms in his pocket before locking his apartment and heading down to the lobby.
Aiden waited impatiently, shifting from one foot to the other and wondering if Flynn was even home. Maybe something had come up. He should have called first. Did he have his number, though? He could have looked it up if he didn’t. Tapping his fingers against the railing he started to count. He’d wait a little longer and then head back, no big deal.
Flynn saw Aiden through the glass lobby doors and waved at him, gaining his attention before pushing open one of the doors and stepping out into the cooler night air. “Hey, you look great.”
“You do, too,” Aiden admitted with a smile. He miraculously managed not to blush. Hey, maybe he could get this thing under control! “I hope I’m too early or anything.”
“No, I’d say you’re right on time,” Flynn gave him his sexiest smile, and wondered if he was pouring it on too heavy. Aiden seemed like a more delicate type, so he should probably not come on too strong. “So, do you wanna go get a drink, or did you rethink my idea about the Falls and bring the clown mask?”
Aiden laughed and shook his head. “Since you’re new, you should probably see the Falls. They’re gorgeous. But we won’t need the clown mask. I’m sure just seeing me there will frighten any of the kids away. Maybe after we could get a drink.”
“Awesome. So should I go get the megaphone, or ..?”
“No, that’s okay. I... can use my teacher voice,” Aiden said with a slight wink.
Flynn grinned broadly, and wonder if he should make the joke or would it freak him out? Fuck it, he’d make it, see what happened. “Does that mean if I step out of line, you’re going to get stern with me? You hiding a ruler somewhere?”
“No, no ruler. I teach at a public school, so you’re safe.”
“Too bad. I bet you look hot in a habit.”
That got Aiden’s cheeks red. He made a face at Flynn. “Never been one to do drag. So you’re not likely to see that happen.”
“Damn. I guess I won’t bring the camera.” Flynn almost laughed at how red this guy was getting. Wow, how innocent! He almost felt guilty. “Which way to the Falls, Gunga Din?”
“Uh, this way,” Aiden said as he pointed down the street towards the end. “It’s just past there, up on the private property. We can be there until nine. And then who knows. Mr. Rose probably sends guards out to kick people off.”
“Mr. Rose?”
“Yeah, Asher Rose? He owns the new nightclub. It’s his property, but he lets people use it. I should ask him if I could take a small group of kids there during the day. It would be a great place for them to work on poetry.”
“Holy shit, that’s my new boss.” Flynn couldn’t help but laugh at his own obtuseness. Well, considering the day he’d had, maybe he could get a pass for idiocy. “If he shows up, maybe you could throw your coat over my head and make up a story about me being in a religious order that doesn’t allow me to show my face to outsiders.”
Again, Aiden had to laugh. “Why would he care? He doesn’t mind people there was long as they pick up. And I’m sure we’re cleaner than the kids.”
“Oh, I don’t know, I can get pretty dirty.” Too much, too soon? Perhaps. He clapped his hands, and said, “Now that the innuendo’s out of the way, let’s go.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you do...” Aiden led the way to the private property and they made the somewhat short trek thr
ough the woods to Celestial Falls. Over the pounding of the water, he could hear some voices. A few that he recognized, too. Great, just great.
“Hey, we’re not alone, are we? Should we come back later?”
“It’s a few of my students. I can dispatch them easy enough, if you want.”
“Do you want them to know their teacher brings guys to their make out spot?” He couldn’t help but grin. This was probably going to make the poor guy squirm.
Aiden hesitated and flushed, thinking, then waved a hand. “They know I come here for the aesthetic quality and tranquillity of the Falls. They’ll also think I’m just busting their asses.” He gave a small smile. “I’ve mentioned it often enough.”
“Ooh, great. Can I pretend to be your enforcer?” Flynn put on his meanest scowl, squinting like he was staring into the sun. “I’ll adopt a British accent too. The heavies in movies are always British.”
The look was anything but scary and Aiden laughed. “You do that.” He made his way up the path to the Falls and crossed his arms over his chest, his voice no longer quiet and shy. “Excuse me, ladies, what are we doing up here?” He was rewarded with a squeal and laughter. “I sure hope you’re not planning on leaving that mess behind.”
“Yeah, you don’t want us calling the Old Bill on you, do ya?” Flynn was attempting Jason Statham, but he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right. He might have sounded more like Dame Judi Dench.
“Mr. Parker,” one of the girls whined. Julie, from his homeroom.
“Is that a bottle of beer I see, Julie? I think we might just have to bring you down to the Sheriff.” That earned him a gasp and the bottles were quickly collected. “Go home. If I see you out here again with any of that, you’ll find an officer waiting for you at home.” There were mumbles of agreement and the kids scattered, quickly. Aiden waited until they were gone before turning to Flynn, a grin on his face. “Well? How was that?”
“Not bad, but I was hoping for a bit more carnage.”
Aiden shrugged. “They were nice girls. They actually listen. Had it been another bunch, there would have been more carnage. Maybe next time...”
“Cool. I’ll be sure to shave and oil up. Gotta show off the guns, you know.” Flynn struck a comical pose, attempting to flex his biceps. He had them, but they were more functional than impressive.
“I see.” Aiden hid a small laugh behind his hand. Charming? Would the word describe Flynn? Charming and smooth. Shy he might be, but he was pretty sure he knew where this was going.
“What, am I not cut enough for you? Man, lookist!” He pretended to be in a huff, and looked out over the Falls. They were pretty, but he knew Snoqualmie Falls was more impressive. Still, it was beautiful, and he could see why this was a popular make out spot.
“You’re cut enough. I don’t like guys that are too big. Some pride in your appearance is okay, but too much... not my thing. Taller I like, though.” Aiden sat on a rock out of the way of the spray of water and watched as it cascaded down into a pool.
Flynn sat down beside him, and wondered how he should proceed. Slow was advisable, but he wasn’t in a slow mood. “Hey, how cold do you think the water is?”
“Frigid, most likely. It’s a freshwater spring, to my knowledge. The water, even in the summer, will be cold. Especially since it’s shaded so well.”
“In other words, brisk? Cool.” Flynn pulled off his sneakers and stripped off his socks.
“What the hell are you doing?” Aiden looked at him, startled.
“Going for a swim. It’s been a while since I was in the junior Polar Bear club, but I bet you never forget. Although, if my heart stops, you know CPR, right?” Flynn stood and pulled off his shirt before undoing his jeans and stepping out of them. He kept his underwear on, because they were sexy, and they were black, which meant they’d hide any shrinkage. “Well, here goes nothing.”
“You are an absolute idiot. You’re going to regret that, Flynn.” Aiden was torn between looking away in horror, watching in horrified fascination, and just plain watching Flynn’s body. He kept his eyes trained on the latter. What the hell, it wasn’t like Flynn was looking at him at the moment.
Flynn would have preferred a belly flop, but there really wasn’t room. So with a whoop, he jumped off the rocks and was just able to gather his knees up against his chest in a cannonball formation before hitting the water. It was kind of shallow, so he felt himself scrape the bottom, but he didn’t impact it, so that was good. Doubly good, since the water was like hitting melted ice. He surfaced with a, “Holy fuck! This motherfucker’s cold!”
“I told you it was frigid!” Aiden laughed at his obvious discomfort and stood, grabbing his clothes. “Get out of the water and at least get dressed.”
“But cold water’s good for the pores, right? Or was that girl at the Clinique counter lying to me?” Flynn was honestly so cold he was pretty sure his testicles had actually retracted up into his torso, but Aiden’s distress was kind of comical and attractive.
“I’m sure it is in small doses. Not your whole body immersed at once.” Aiden held out his clothes, glancing around. “Once it gets dark it’ll get colder. Do you really want to be out here freezing your balls off then?” He fought a grin. “If they’re not already gone?” He couldn’t resist.
“They’ll be fine. I carry a pair of spare ones in my pocket.” Flynn swam towards him, but he was now growing numb, which made the temperature not that unpleasant anymore. “Besides, won’t you keep me warm?”
Aiden had been about to suggest going to his place, but stopped and stared at Flynn. “I do owe you a coffee or something.” He reached out a hand for him to take.
This would either be a huge, date killing mistake or the way forward. Flynn never really could tell where that line was. Was he going to start trying to find it now? He grabbed Aiden’s hand, got a foothold on a rock, and then shifted his weight, pulling Aiden into the water as he fell back into it. It could have been an accident, he hoped to leave some doubt, but he bet Aiden was too smart for that.
Aiden felt his weight shift and knew there was no stopping it. He was going in. He didn’t even have time to let out a good swear before he splashed face first into the water. It was like ice, and he quickly came up, yelling. “What the fuck was that for?” he demanded, arms wrapping around himself as his teeth chattered. His clothes were drenched, his wallet - oh shit, his wallet - he glared at Flynn. “It’s fucking cold! You at least have dry clothes to get into, asshole. I’ve only got what I’m wearing!”
Flynn grinned at him. He liked anger; Little Red Riding Hood had some passion after all. “I’ll buy you new stuff if you want it. Or you can just wear some of my clothes home.”
“Why the hell would I want to go home with you after this?” Aiden pulled himself out of the water, barely able to grab the rocks with how hard he was shaking. Damnit, now he’d probably get sick or something. “God, I hate walking in wet jeans. It’s so uncomfortable. And my shoes! Might as well trash them now; they’re toast.” Aiden pulled out his wallet and groaned. “You’re damn lucky my fucking license isn’t trashed. I hate the DMV.”
Flynn climbed out after him, and was trying not to laugh. It wasn’t funny, and yet it kind of was. He grabbed Aiden by his shaking shoulders, and spun him around. “Would you calm down? It’s not the end of the world.”
Aiden tried to ignore the wet body oh so close to him and just kept up his tirade. “Not the end of the world? Maybe not, but what the hell, that was not necessary. I didn’t want to go in for a swim!”
Although he was shivering from the cold himself, Flynn found himself not nearly as cold as he thought he would be. He could feel Aiden’s body heat, and it was almost as nice as the scent of his cologne. “But you look so good in wet clothes.” He then grabbed him before he could make another angry comment, and kissed him.
Haven Falls #30: A Life in Transit (1)
Lyle Ashley Tate
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Ly
le Ashley Tate pulled his Jeep Rubicon onto the drive outside his new home. He shut the engine down and then checked himself in the wing mirror; first impressions, and all that... He decided he was getting quite handsome now, all things considered.
In his opinion, his eyes were definitely his best feature, being a striking peridot shade of green. His spiked blond hair was getting a bit long maybe, but still responding to gelling so far. He would have loved to be nicely tanned, but knew well enough that he would burn rather than tan if he tried it. A couple more inches on his height wouldn’t go amiss either; he had considered surgery for that, but when he looked into it, the details made it sound too painful to get serious about. He would stick at five foot ten and try to make up the difference by having a terrific personality instead. That made Lyle smile in a self-deprecating way. Expressing his true personality was going to be a novelty for him.
Lyle had already turned away from the mirror, so he didn’t notice that the smile added genuine beauty to his looks. Despite the bravado he was currently sporting, handsome wasn’t a word Lyle would apply to himself, in truth.
*****
The trip along the coast road had delivered beautiful views, with glorious azure curls calling to the surfer in him. Lyle had been tempted to stop and sample them, but he wanted to get properly settled in before the evening. The house and its gardens were just as pretty as he remembered, too. In a way it was a risk coming here again, but eight years and three different lifetimes were laid between himself and his new home, and he wanted to reside somewhere of his own choosing, this time.
Haven Falls seemed to have grown substantially since Lyle last saw it. He hoped his memories of the place wouldn’t cause the reality of it now to become a letdown. Maybe Agent Tyler had been right, and this was not the place to bring his new self to after all. He’d given up so much to get this far, he just wanted something familiar for a while.
Lyle grabbed some of his boxes out of the car and dropped them onto the front step whilst he felt for his keys. Discovering them in his right jacket pocket, he placed the shiniest one against the lock on his new front door and paused momentarily, casting a glance over his shoulder, before sliding the key home and turning it.