by Kelex
Chris nodded, smiling.
Brody caressed his boy’s cheek. “Good.” He reached for his coffee and took a sip. When he turned back, he saw Chris scrolling a finger over the surface of the iPad. When he scanned the surface, he saw a man wearing a sexy black lace garter belt with a set of black stockings over a pair of lace manties. “That,” he croaked, nearly dropping the cup from his hand. “Order that.”
Chris scrolled a little farther. “I actually like these better.”
Brody clenched his jaw, imagining Chris in either set. His cock grew, tenting his pajama pants. “Both. Both is good.”
Chris cast a glance over one shoulder. “I’m not buying both.”
Brody snatched the iPad from his hands. “If you don’t tell me your size, I’m going to have to guess. Either way, I’m buying them.”
Chris shook his head. “Brody. It’s too much. You just bought me clothes. No more. I’ll buy something after I get paid a time or two. I promise.”
“Nope,” Brody replied. “The garter belt only comes in medium and extra large, so I guess medium?” He eyed Chris. “Though you are a bit more muscular than the model in the picture. Should I go a size up?”
Chris sighed with exasperation. He held out his palm. “Let me look again.”
Brody grinned widely as he held it back. “Both sets… panties, garters, and stockings.” He lifted his coffee cup, but another thought came to mind before he drank. “Oh, and I saw some bodysuits and corsets on there. We need to check those, too.”
“Brody… stop. It’s too much.”
Brody wondered if he was pushing Chris past some line in the sand he didn’t recognize. “Do you not like wearing things like this? I assumed you did.”
Chris’ face flushed. “I do.”
“Do you not want to wear these for me? Is that it?”
“Of course I want to wear them for you.”
Brody frowned. “Then I don’t understand.”
Chris sighed. “I don’t want to be … indebted to you. No more than I already do.”
Brody lifted Chris’ chin with a finger. “You are not indebted to me in any way, shape, or form. What makes you think you are?”
“You’ve given me a place to stay. A job. Bought me clothes. Now you want to buy me lingerie. I’ve given you nothing.” He handed over the iPad.
“Nothing?” Brody asked with a deepening frown. “I’ve quite enjoyed your company.” That wasn’t a lie. For someone who’d lived alone for many years, it was almost shocking how comfortable it was to have Chris there with him.
“My company is free. You don’t have to keep buying me things to get it. I want to learn how to take care of me. I’ve never been given the chance to.”
“And I want you to learn how to do that, too. You’re working now—and you’ll have money of your own. Which reminds me—we need to do paperwork so you can get paid.” He perused the cart and saw one set of the lingerie was in there, picked by Chris. Using the sizes there, he went to search for the other things he wanted to buy.
“Paperwork?”
Brody nodded. “I grasp that you ran from your ex, but hopefully you’ve got your social and IDs for the W-2. If not, I can hold it for a little while, but you’ll need to get everything together ASAP.”
“What happens if I don’t have everything?”
“Do you have a copy of your birth certificate?”
“No.”
He quickly clicked on the Apple Pay button and paid for the order before Chris could refuse him. “Well, that’s likely the first place you need to start. You can order one online, in most cases. I can help you, if you want… I’ve had to navigate this while helping a few employees in the past.”
Chris stiffened beside him. “I’m sure I can manage.”
“Well, you might need money to order some of the stuff—I can help you out.”
“I’ll manage,” Chris spat.
Brody eyed him, Lex’s warning whispering through his mind again. “I only offered to help, Chris. You have to fill out tax paperwork and prove you are who you say you are, regardless if you work for me or anyone else. I should’ve taken care of this days ago, but we kind of jumped in with both feet.”
Chris sighed. “I appreciate that you only wanted to help. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”
Is there something you don’t want to tell me? The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he was almost too afraid to ask. The answer could destroy the illusion they were living in.
Uncomfortable silence fell between them for a moment before Chris turned and pressed his lips to Brody’s. Pushing the laptop aside, Chris assailed him—hunger-driven. He straddled Brody’s lap, still naked from their earlier sexcapades. A little voice whispered that Chris was trying to distract him from the awkwardness, but his body was more than happy to be distracted.
For that moment.
It was time for answers.
Monday. He would push for answers on Monday. Sunday was his day off, and he’d enjoy it in bed with his boy.
While the sun had been out for a good bit, it was still early in Brody-land when Noah snuck from the bed and quietly packed his duffel. There wasn’t much he needed to add—he’d kept it nearly ready to go since his last contemplation, just in case. Once full, he rose, tossing it over one shoulder. He paused at the end of the bed and eyed Brody.
And what could’ve been.
Paperwork. The fucking job threw a wrench into their short little affair. He didn’t have a birth certificate, nor did he have his social security card. Either way, had he had those things, it would’ve only shown his lies.
He’d had little idea about what was required for a job. His parents had never let him work. School, homework, church, and bible study were the only things they deemed important of his time. Summers were spent volunteering his time with their church, including the one after he’d graduated in June. Later that summer, he’d learned they’d never sent in the financial aid paperwork for him to go to college in the fall.
With Abbie Lee’s family controlling pretty much everything in the small Tennessee county they lived in—her father the federal judge, one brother the mayor, and the other the sheriff—he’d had no means to fight. He’d rebelled, which had only made things worse.
The only chance he’d had was escape.
That escape was two-fold. It allowed him a chance at being who he really was.
Brody had shown him a little taste of that, and for that, he’d always be grateful. It took everything in him to walk toward the front door.
Once downstairs, he looked at the scrap of paper in his hands. He’d searched once more for his mother’s phone number, using Brody’s laptop, and scribbled down her number. Hopefully it was current. After descending the stairs, he crept out of the back door and came face to face with Carter, the bar’s manager.
The man was on his cell phone, with his back to Noah. “Lex… will you answer your damned phone? You can’t keep ignoring me. I recognize that the other night was…” He paused, sighing. “Surprising. For both of us.”
Lex? And Carter? Noah’s eyes widened.
Noah realized he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but he needed to leave and Carter was in his way. He coughed, trying to make his presence known.
Carter whipped around and the next words seemed to disappear from his lips. A hint of pink spread across the man’s face. He lowered his phone and apparently ended the call. “Heeyyy… Chris. How are ya?”
“Good,” he murmured. “I was headed out.” He frowned. “You’re here early.”
Carter nodded. “Inventory.”
“Ah,” Noah said before taking a few steps toward the road. He glanced at the paper in his hand before spinning to Carter. He’d had the number for days… and had been too chicken shit to call. It was now or never—there was no point in walking miles in the wrong direction. “Hey? Can I borrow your phone for a minute? I need to make a quick call.”
“Sure.” Carter walked over and handed
the cell over.
Noah typed the number in and lifted the phone to his ear, his stomach tightening. His mouth grew dry as his heartbeat sped. Turning his back on Carter, he closed his eyes and almost hoped no one answered.
There was a click. “Hello?”
Noah opened his mouth but nothing came out. He stared at the gravel at his feet, stunned into silence.
“Hello?”
“Is… is this… Stacey Roark?”
“Yes. Who’s speaking?”
“Mom?” Noah asked, his mouth feeling like it was full of marbles.
“Noah? Is that you, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart? A glimmer of hope flickered but he tried to keep it from spreading. “Yeah. It’s me.”
“Oh my god, Noah.” He heard a sob on the other end. “You don’t know… how long I’ve waited to hear from you.”
Had she? He wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Are you okay?” She paused and he sensed her anticipation from the other end.
He wasn’t okay. Not exactly. Noah glanced up at the old mill, wanting Brody. He didn’t want to run, but what choice did he have?
“Noah? Are you still there?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, turning away from the building. “I’m here.”
“Oh, darling… I want to see you,” his mother murmured. “Are you still in Tennessee?”
“No,” he answered before taking a few steps away from Carter. “I ran away.”
“What? Where are you, Noah?”
“I’m close.” He eyed the address in his hand and rattled it off. “Is this the right address?”
“Yes!” she shrieked. “You’re actually here?”
He nodded, as if she could see that. “I am. Can I… can I come stay with you for a while?”
“Can you? Of course you can, sweetheart.” She chuckled. “Are you driving? Should I come get you somewhere?”
Noah eyed the bar and realized he didn’t want her coming there. There would be questions he wasn’t ready to answer. Plus, if he waited around, Brody might find him before he could leave—and he wasn’t ready for that conversation. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready for it. “No… I need… a little a little fresh air,” he fibbed. Some time to think and sort a few things out. “I’ll be there real soon. I promise.”
“Are you sure? I can come anywhere and get you. I don’t care how far it is.”
Noah smiled to himself. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll see you in a couple of hours or so.”
“Okay,” she said, breathless. “I can’t wait, Noah.”
“Me, either,” he murmured, relieved.
He ended the call and turned to hand the phone back to Carter. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem,” Carter replied before slipping the cell into his back pocket. “You okay?”
“Better now, thanks.”
“You leaving?” Carter asked.
Noah nodded. “Yeah. Time to move on.”
“That’s too bad,” Carter said. “Brody and you seemed to hit it off.”
“It was only supposed to be one night,” Noah murmured. “It was fun while it lasted.”
“I guess that means we need to find a new bar back?” Carter asked.
“Yeah, you probably will,” Noah said before giving the man a wave. “It was nice to meet you, Carter.”
“You, too, Chris.” He started to turn toward the door, but stopped. “Hey, do you need a ride somewhere?”
Noah was seconds from saying yes when he realized Carter could give his location to Brody. He didn’t need his daddy showing up on his mother’s doorstep. “Nah. I’m good. Thanks, though.”
“No problem. I guess I should get back to inventory.”
“Lex coming to help you?” Noah asked, lifting a brow.
Carter cringed slightly. “I doubt it. See you later.”
Lifting his focus to the early spring sky overhead, Noah headed out toward the road, a little more hopeful. A ways down the road and headed up one side of a massive hill, he was kicking himself for not accepting her ride. He jostled his duffel on one shoulder and dug deep to reach the top.
After he started the downward trip, he glanced over one shoulder and could no longer see the building the club was housed in. And with that, Brody was out of his life.
Why did it hurt so fucking bad?
9
“Chris?” Brody stepped into the hallway, frowning. “Chris?”
An eerie silence fell over the apartment. Chris’ bag wasn’t where it had been the night before and the only reason he knew exactly where it had been was he’d considered it on the way to bed, supposing he should clear out a drawer.
Clear out a drawer. That’s how far gone he was.
He checked his phone for the time. Nearly eleven.
Maybe he’s washing clothes again? Brody marched toward the small laundry area, but found it empty. After checking the apartment from top to bottom, including the downstairs hall, it was obvious.
Chris was gone.
Maybe it’s for the best.
Brody snarled. It wasn’t for the fucking best. He worried where his boy was… if his relative had taken him in…
If he was safe.
I have no idea where he was going. How the hell will I find him?
There were more unanswered questions than answered ones. Heading for his truck so he could see if he could track Chris down, Brody’s cell rang and vibrated in his pocket. He saw it was a text from Stace.
911! Call me!
Brody’s heart seized in his chest. Was there something wrong with Parker? He attempted the call, but it dropped three times in a row. Instead of wasting more time, he jumped behind the wheel and revved the engine before spinning out of the parking lot and onto the street. He reached his ex’s house minutes later and jumped from his truck.
Heart beating madly, Brody raced up the doorstep and barged into the front door unannounced. He raced through the foyer and stopped in the living room—where he found Parker, Stacey, and Geena hanging up streamers and balloons. Parker’s friend, Riley, sat on the floor blowing up a balloon.
“Hey, dad,” Parker said with a wave, a big smile on his face.
He paused and took a breath. “Hey.”
“Hey, darling, you were supposed to call,” Stacey said, stepping down from an aluminum stepladder. She glanced up at her handiwork. “Does that look uniform?”
“The call kept dropping, and I was already headed to my truck anyway.” He lifted his gaze to where Stacey eyed the streamers. “My first concern isn’t your decorations,” he said before glancing at his son, glad the boy seemed relatively okay. “I assumed something had happened to Parker.” He paused. “Nothing’s happened to Parker, right?”
“Of course not,” Stacey said, walking closer. “It’s my other son.”
Brody frowned. “Has something happened to him?”
“Yes,” she said, nearly bouncing on her feet. “He called this morning. He’s on his way here.”
Brody sighed with relief. “That’s why I got a 911 text? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Stacey’s smile faded some. “You were his stepfather.”
“For a few months,” Brody replied. “Fourteen years ago. The kid probably doesn’t remember me.”
“Even if it was only for a short period, you were part of his life here. And he’s Parker’s brother—I thought you might like to be here for this. You’re family, Brody.” Stacey’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “I haven’t seen him in over a decade.” She surveyed the decorations before peering back at him. “I wanted the house filled with family when he gets here.”
“Stace,” Geena said with a hint of caution in her voice. Stacey seemed to ignore her, though. Her smile was brilliant. She was getting her son back.
Brody’s irritation evaporated. Stacey and Geena had been very good to him over the years. And Noah was Parker’s half-brother. If it made them feel better to be there, so be it. His mind drifted to Chris for a split-second,
but that would have to wait.
His family needed him.
Brody was confused. “Walt finally let you see him?”
“Not exactly,” Stacey answered, her smile faltering some.
“He ran away,” Geena replied. “I don’t know if you noticed the SUV out front. That’s Walt and his harpy of a wife. They showed up a little over an hour ago, not too long after the phone call. Walt demanded we hand Noah over, but he’s not here. Not yet, anyway. Now they’re staking the place out, sure we’re lying. They might end up scaring the boy away.”
Brody crossed the living room and glanced through the blinds. A big, black SUV was indeed parked across the street. “Noah just turned eighteen, right? Nothing they can do if he gets here. He’s legally an adult and can choose for himself.”
“True, but something tells me they won’t let this go without a fight. They wouldn’t be sitting out front if they were,” Geena replied. “I wouldn’t put it past them to abduct him again. They said something about his responsibilities at home, but what responsibilities does an eighteen-year-old kid have other than maybe school? Which could be done here.”
Brody whistled. “Should I call Lex over for a little protection? In case things go sideways?”
“You don’t really think they’d go that far—to abduct him,” Stacey murmured to Geena. “Like Brody said, he’s an adult now.”
“Do you really believe that would stop them?” Geena asked Stacey. “They broke the law to get your rights stripped from you.” Geena turned to Brody. “Ask Lex to come, if he can.”
Brody pulled out his phone. Texting Lex, he asked if the guy could head over if available. He could explain the situation once the man arrived. Before he could put the phone away, he saw a bubble form. Omw came a second later.
“Lex is coming,” he stated, shoving the phone back in his pocket.
“Good,” Geena said. “Walt would think twice before pissing off that colossus.”
The women went back to their decorating, fidgeting around the house, almost seeming to forget he was there. Anticipation filled the room. He ambled over to his son and tossed the kid’s hair before kneeling. “How was the birthday party? I forgot to call and check in.”