Finding Darin

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
PART 16​

They traveled the rest of the way down in silence. Once they were outside and she had her cigarette lit, Randi began, "He thinks he knows who hurt him."

"That’s great," Darin said.

"No, it’s not," she replied. "There’s more to it than just knowing who hurt him. He also thinks he knows why."

"I don’t follow."

"Why didn’t you tell me you had been with him?" she demanded.

Shocked by her tone, Darin replied, "It was only one time and I didn’t think it was important."

She glared at him as she continued. "It may be more important than you know." Tears trickled across her cheeks.

Confused, he held up his hands. "I swear to you, I don’t know what you’re talking about." The truth was, however, that he did know what she was talking about. It was also very likely that he might know who had hurt Rodney. He just could not bring himself to admit that fact.

Trying to compose herself, she took several drags on her cigarette. Finally, she began, "He said that, when he got home, there was a car parked across the street. He thought he had seen it earlier at the station but, because it was dark, he wasn’t sure. He just assumed that one of his neighbors had company. When he unlocked the door, he said this guy came up behind him and pushed him inside."

"What?" Darin gasped.

"The guy said he just wanted to talk to Rodney about something. When Rodney agreed, the guy went to the door and opened it. He said an older woman with gray hair came in. He said she had very cold looking eyes and she told him he had ruined her daughter’s marriage." Randi paused as she crushed out her cigarette and pulled another one from the pack. "She called him a ‘dirty little faggot whore’ and got all up in his face," she added as she lit her second cigarette and blew smoke from her nose.

Stunned, Darin asked her, "Did he know who this woman was?"

"Not really, only that he had seen her at the station earlier in the evening. She was driving a red Lincoln."

Suddenly, Darin’s worst fears were becoming a reality. "Oh, no," he gasped.

"He said that, after a few minutes, she left. She told the guy to do whatever he wanted to with ‘this little piece of garbage.’ The guy dragged him to the bedroom." She paused as her lip began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. "He raped him," she stated, losing control of her emotions. She stood silently crying and puffing her cigarette for several moments. Finally, she continued, "When he finished and rolled off him, Rodney tried to get away. That’s when the guy started beating on him. When they found him, he was covered with blood and his clothes were all but ripped off."

"Randi, I’m so sorry."

"You should be," she said harshly.

"I didn’t do this to him," he protested.

"No, but if it hadn’t been for you, it would never have happened," she accused.

He decided to change the subject. "You said she was driving a red Lincoln?"

"That’s what he told me. Do you know who she is?" Randi demanded.

"I don’t know for sure," he answered sadly. He took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he decided whether or not to tell her what he feared. "It could have been my ex-wife’s mother," he finally added.

She puffed her cigarette and stared at him. "But, why would she do something like this?" she asked.

"Because she’s a heartless bitch who only cares about money, that’s why."

"There has to be more to it than that," Randi said.

"The only reason I can think of is that I’m divorcing her daughter. She had become accustomed to a little higher standard of living," he added. " She hates me because I took that away from her."

"I don’t understand," she said as she puffed her cigarette.

He stared at his feet for several moments before he spoke. "Let’s just say," he paused, "I’ve got a few bucks."

Rolling her eyes, Randi said, "I figured as much with the car you drive."

"That’s not my car. It belongs to my uncle."

"So, this is family money?"

"You could say that."

"So, was my brother just a ‘sport fuck’?"

"Not at all. I wasn’t even looking for anything the night I met him. It…just happened."

"It just happened?"

"I stopped at the station for gas and we started talking. I asked him if there was anywhere close to get something to eat. We shared a meal and conversation."

Her look softened. "He’s a charmer, my brother," she said.

"That he is," he said, smiling. "Anyway, he invited me back to his place and, after some thought, I accepted."

"Did you tell him you loved him?" she asked.

"I started to the next morning," he answered. "He wouldn’t let me. I figured I was just another notch in his belt," he added sadly. "I left then and assumed we’d never see each other again."

"Do you still care for him?"

"I do," he admitted to her. "For several days afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Hell, I still think about him." He thought for a moment before he continued, "You have to understand, I was unhappy for a long, long time. I never realized until that night just why I was so unhappy." He paused. "Your brother helped me to answer that question."

"How does Brady figure into all this?"

Without hesitation, Darin replied, "I love that boy more than anything in this world."

She smiled at him for the first time since they had stepped outside. "Rodney wants to see you," she said. Crushing out her cigarette, she turned and walked toward the entrance.

Holding the door for her, Darin followed. "Are you sure he wants to see me?" he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

She nodded. "He said he needed to see you."

He leaned against the wall of the elevator as it moved upward. Finally, the steel doors opened and they stepped into the hallway.

"Did he say whether or not he knew who the woman was?" he asked.

"Not at first but, before she left, she said to the guy, ‘Darin won’t want him when he’s not so pretty anymore.’ That’s when he figured out who she might be."

"I honestly didn’t think he’d remember me."

"Well, obviously, you were wrong."

"I guess I was."

"He said that when the guy was beating on him, he kept thinking, ‘Maybe now the pain of losing him will go away’."

Darin closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath "I had no idea he felt that way," he said.

Approaching his room, Randi put her hand on Darin’s arm. "He’s got some nasty bruises on his face," she whispered. "But his spirits are good."

Darin gasped audibly when he took in the sight of Rodney. The young man’s legs were in casts and were held above the bed by a type of sling system. His left arm was in a cast up to his elbow. He had a bandage covering his right eye and the rest of his face was nearly covered with dark purple bruises. "Hey there," Darin finally said, approaching the bed.

Although he was obviously in considerable pain, Rodney managed a faint smile. "Hey, yourself," he whispered. "I was hoping you’d come see me." He reached out his right hand to Darin, who took it in his own.

"The doctors say you’re gonna be okay," Darin said as he patted Rodney’s hand and tried to make small talk. He was fighting back tears as he realized the young man who was lying there bore almost no resemblance to the one he had met just a few days before. The only thing that was the same as he remembered was the straw colored hair that peeked from beneath the bandages wrapped over his head.

"That’s what they tell me," the boy said softly. He motioned for Darin to move closer. His voice was barely a whisper. When Darin leaned in, he said, "I knew you’d come back to me." His eyes drooped as he tried to say more. Quietly, he drifted off to sleep without further comment.

Laying Rodney’s hand on the bed beside him, Darin turned when he heard Randi enter the room. He brushed a tear from the corner of his eye and stood, staring at Rodney. There was a soft knock on the door as Officer Bailey entered. He asked Darin, "Can I speak with you a moment?"

"Certainly," Darin answered. To Randi he said, "Come get me if he wakes up again." Before leaving the room, he leaned over and gently kissed Rodney on the forehead.

"I will," she said.

Officer Bailey led Darin to a small office down the hall. He motioned for Darin to enter, followed and closed the door. He removed the spiral note pad and pen from his shirt pocket and looked at Darin. "Randi tells me that you might know someone who may be involved in this," he said after indicating for Darin to sit.

"My Ex mother-in-law," Darin stated while taking a seat.

Officer Bailey nodded. "And how is it that you know Mister Green?"

Darin swallowed hard. "We met not long ago when I stopped into the station where he works."

"I see," the officer said as he made notes. "And what was the nature of your relationship with him?" he probed.

Shifting nervously in his seat, Darin answered softly, "We, uh…it was…of a sexual nature."

****​

He was barely outside the hospital parking area when he grabbed his cel phone. Quickly, he dialed the number and held the phone to his ear. After the second ring, the woman’s voice answered. "How could you do this, you fucking bitch?" he shouted.

"Who ish thish?" the woman slurred. She was obviously intoxicated.

"You know exactly who this is you old cow!" he continued to shout. "How dare you think you can hurt him like that!"

"I do’ know whatcher talkin’ ‘bout," she insisted.

He could feel his heart pounding in his temples as he shouted, "You won’t get away with this, you hear me?"

"Fuck you, mishter," she said as she slammed the phone in his ear.

He quickly dialed another number and waited.

"What do you want now?" Janet demanded.

Darin took in a deep breath before he answered. "What have you and your mother done?" he calmly asked her.

She was silent for a moment. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," she said flatly.

"Your mother hired some goon to beat the shit out of Rodney, that’s what I’m talking about!" he shouted through the phone.

"Who’s Rodney?" she demanded. "Oh, your little faggot friend?"

"He’s my friend," he corrected, "And you and that bitch had no right to hurt him that way."

"I didn’t do any such thing," she insisted. "I only found him. He probably got beat up by some other guy he hustled."

"You’d really like me to believe that wouldn’t you?"

"I don’t give a shit what you believe. He was a fucking prostitute!" she shouted.

"No, he was not!"

"Yes, he was! Everybody knows that’s what he did in that filthy little whorehouse of a trailer." Maybe she did know more than he realized.

"I swear to you," he said coldly, "If I find out you had anything to do with this, I’ll…"

"You’ll what?" she asked.

He thought for a moment, then stated, "I’ll see that you walk away with nothing."

"You can’t do that!" she shouted.

"Just try me, you ungrateful bitch!" This time, he ended the call.

****​

It was after ten that evening when Darin arrived at the home Brady shared with Tim. He knocked on the door and waited. Finally, wearing gray sweat pants and a blue tee shirt, Brady answered the door. "It’s late," was all he said.

Darin leaned forward to give Brady a kiss but the younger man pulled away. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"I have to get up early for work," Brady replied, holding the door. "Where have you been?"

Darin thought for a moment. "I had to work late," he lied.

"Darin, I’m not stupid."

Taken by surprise, Darin replied, "I never said you were."

"So, why didn’t you tell me you were going to see him?" Brady demanded. "Do you still love him?"

"No, it’s not that at all. I just didn’t think."

"You didn’t think? Or, you just wanted to keep it a secret?"

"I’d never keep something like this a secret. How did you find out?"

"Randi told me. I called her to see how her brother was doing."

"I was going to tell you, honest."

"Forgive me if I don’t believe you. After what you told me about your feelings for him, how can I?"

"Babe, don’t do this. I don’t want to argue about this."

"Don’t call me Babe."

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you…"

"Well, you did."

"I know and I’m truly sorry. Please let me explain."

"I think you should leave now."

"But, I…"

"Just go. I don’t think I want to be with you right now."

"I’ll call you in a couple of days…"

"Don’t bother."

"I don’t want it to end like this."

"You should have thought about that before you snuck off to be with him."

Standing on the porch with the screen door in his hand, he said, once again, "Just let me explain."

Brady slammed the inside door and stormed away, turning off the porch light as he went. Standing in the dark, Darin whispered one more time, "Just let me explain." When he reached the car, he turned back and stared toward the house. He could see the light in Brady’s bedroom window. He said a silent prayer as he stared, hoping to see the handsome young man. Before he slid into the car, he looked up and said softly, "I love you Brady Tortellino. More than you’ll ever know."

****​

Spencer stopped in to visit with Darin and Jake before he left the office on Thursday afternoon. "Gentlemen," he said when he entered. "I wanted to stop and see you before I headed home."

"Good afternoon, Mister Morgan," Jake said as he rose to greet his boss.

Darin stood as well and said, "Hey, Uncle Spencer, how are you today?"

"I’m doing quite well," Spencer returned. "Mary and I have reservations for dinner this evening and I’m going to try to spend some more quality time with her so I’m heading out for the day." He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Darin’s desk.

"How is Aunt Mary?" Darin asked. "Is she still taking those kick boxing classes?"

Spencer laughed. "Oh, mercy, no!" he snorted. "She gave those up some time ago. When she kicked over one of her precious statues." He laughed some more. "Oh, I haven’t thought about that in forever. Ha, ha! I always hated those damn statues."

Darin and Jake joined in the laughter, though neither of them knew to what Spencer was referring. They were simply enjoying the fact that he was sharing a lighter moment with them.

After several minutes, Spencer cleared his throat and scooted his chair closer to Darin’s desk. "I want you boys to do something for me," he said, motioning for Jake to move closer. He pulled a paper and two index cards from his pocket and laid them on the desk in front of Darin.

"What are these?" Darin asked.

Indicating the two cards, Spencer replied, "Signature cards for an account I’ve set up. I want you two to manage it for me."

Darin looked over the paper and cards on his desk. "What type of account is this?"

Clearing his throat again, Spencer looked at Jake and then Darin. "I took part of Simon’s money and started a fund to help people like your friend who was…what did you call it?"

"Gay bashed," Darin replied.

Spencer nodded. "That’s right, gay bashed," he said. "I want to help your friend and others like him with medical expenses. How is he, your friend?"

"He’s better but he has a long road to recovery."

Turning to Jake, Spencer asked, "And how is your friend?"

"David? He’s fine," Jake replied. He was taken by surprise that Spencer knew as much about him as he did. "Why do you ask, sir?"

Spencer patted Jake’s shoulder. "Now, what did I tell you about this ‘sir’ business?" he scolded.

Jake smiled and nodded but remained silent.

"Well, I heard that he was injured some time ago and I was wondering if he needed anything," the older man continued. "I hope I didn’t offend you by asking about him."

Jake shook his head. "Oh, not at all," he assured. "I just didn’t know you knew anything about him."

"Well, actually," Spencer confided, "He’s the one who set up the account for me and, when I told him who I was, he said that you and he were partners. He’s a fine young man."

Darin smiled and nodded as Spencer engaged Jake in the bulk of the conversation.

"I didn’t realize that we did business with his bank," Jake said, grinning.

Spencer smiled as he continued, "He told me that he had been hurt some years ago and that he had really struggled getting help with all the bills. He also thanked me for doing what we’re doing."

"I’d be proud to oversee it for you, Mister Morgan," Jake stated. "And thank you for asking about David. It’s not easy for him sometimes."

"You’re very welcome, Jake," Spencer replied. "Tell me, is the wheelchair…?"

"It just makes it easier for him to get around at work," Jake answered. "He uses his crutches most of the time but, he’s rather unstable sometimes and the chair keeps him from falling and hurting himself."

"I see. Then he’s not completely paralyzed?"

"No, he just struggles, sometimes, to get his feet to do what he wants them to do."

Spencer placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. "You’ll tell me if you need anything, won’t you?"

Smiling, Jake replied, "I will, thank you."

"You’re very welcome," the older man stated. Looking at his watch, he stood and added, "Well, gentlemen, I’d better be going. I have a long day tomorrow so, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with my wife." He chuckled as he stepped to the door. "I think Simon would be proud of what we’re doing," he added. With a wave, he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[kcm17480]

Wow!!! This is some story.How sad for Rodney. I hope he comes out ok in this. Outstanding.

 

[harry113]

Thanks Scott. Great chapter. So mother-in-law (ex) is getting involved in the nastiest way possible. I hope both she & Darin's ex wife get their cumuppance!!!
Looks is if Darin is back with Rodney, getting interesting! I hope he comes through ok.
More please!!!!
Harry

 

[DeafFoxDemon]

i hope janet will get what is coming for her, love the story

 

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
PART 17​

He had been staring out the window for several minutes, making slow circles around the rim of his coffee cup with his index finger. He had been thinking about his conversation with Adam, Officer Bailey, the previous Friday. He had told him where to find Janet’s mother and about the conversation he had had with Janet earlier in the day on Wednesday. He also told Adam about his feelings for Rodney and how he had, mistakenly, thought he had been in love with the handsome young man. He further confided that he had not told Brady about visiting Rodney and that he may very well have caused irreparable damage to their relationship. Adam advised that he should give Brady time to think and that, eventually, he would come around. Darin confessed that he didn’t really share his optimism but agreed that he would give Brady whatever time he needed and allow him to make the first move. His head and voice agreed but his heart was breaking, nonetheless.

He picked up the coffee cup and took a tentative sip, curling his lip at the bitter taste of the cold liquid. As he returned it to his desk, he stared at the mug and continued to draw his finger around the rim. His mind wandered again to the phone call from his Aunt Mary on Friday afternoon informing him that Spencer had been transferred to a regular room and that, baring any complications, he would meet with the oncologist on Monday to plan his continued care and treatment. All seemed to be right and good and his uncle had appeared to be on his way to a speedy recovery. Then, on Saturday, Mary had called again and said that doctors had found another tumor in his chest and they were going to take him back into surgery as soon as he was stable. He had a low-grade fever and they wanted to get that under control before they subjected him to any further treatments. He had slipped into a coma later on Saturday and everyone was praying for some good news. His mother had spent most of the day on Sunday at the hospital with Mary and they had, painfully, discussed what Spencer would want if, in fact, he did not recover from the coma. On Monday, his breathing tube had been removed and, although he was still unconscious, he was resting more comfortably and breathing on his own. His condition had been upgraded to stable when Darin spoke with his mother on Monday evening and he had opened his eyes just after one on Tuesday morning. The conference room had been witness to an almost constant prayer vigil since his surgery on Friday with candles burning and various employees taking time from their breaks and lunch periods to stop and offer a prayer for their boss. There was also a large display of photos from various company functions and other personal greetings from those hoping and praying for a full and speedy recovery. The young man who had asked Spencer if they could gather on Friday had organized a prayer chain through his own church. As each call came in, those involved would begin calling others in their chain and, at any given time, there were hundreds of people, many who had never even met Spencer Morgan, praying for his recovery.

Picking up his cup, he stood and dumped the contents down the small sink, rinsed it and set in on a towel on the counter. He stepped into the small bathroom and closed the door. As he stood there peeing, his mind was drawn to his visit with Rodney on Sunday afternoon. The young man was staying awake for much longer periods of time but was still heavily medicated and in pretty severe pain. He had regaled Darin and Adam with stories from his and Randi’s childhood and how they had gotten into trouble on numerous occasions. They discussed the trauma of the younger man having been molested, at age six, by an older boy in their neighborhood. He had shared the fact that their father had left when they were still infants and neither had ever heard from him again. Darin cried when Rodney told him about some of their times in foster care when their mother would find herself in jail for shoplifting during one of her frequent alcoholic episodes. Darin remembered much of their conversation and was still thinking about what Randi had told him, concerning the disappearance of their mother when they were just sixteen and how the two had pledged to take care of one another, as he had driven back to the hotel on Sunday evening.

When he returned to his desk, there was a note from Sheila, which read, ‘Uncle Spencer doing much better, chest tumor is benign.’ He said a silent prayer of thanks as he took a seat in his leather office chair and returned to staring out the window. His thoughts quickly spun out of control yet another time as he closed his eyes, leaning his head against the back of the chair.

The house was beautiful. Not at all what he had imagined when he had first driven down the long driveway. A large wooden sign at the end of the drive announced, ‘Black Sheep Farm, Where ALL are welcome.’ The front of the house was done in dark green vinyl with light yellow trim around the windows. The brick part was painted a cream color with dark green accents. The front door was dark red with a large grapevine wreath containing yellow and pink flowers. Several cars were parked in the drive. He recognized Tony’s Impala and Jake and David’s Honda. They were there along with several others he didn’t recognize. A light blue Explorer was parked next to the garage as he parked the yellow Mustang beside it. When he opened the garage door, he could hear the sounds of laughter coming from the pool area. "Honey, I’m home," he called as Brady hurried to greet him. Brady was dressed in his light green swimsuit and a yellow Hawaiian shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal his hairy chest. Darin felt his dick harden as he caught sight of the dark treasure trail that went from Brady’s navel and disappeared beneath the waistband of his trunks. "Come on, everyone’s here," Brady said to him as he kissed him and led him outside. "I need to change," Darin protested, loosening his tie. "Just come say hello first," Brady insisted. When they entered the pool area, he could smell the burgers cooking on the grill and a small white dog hurried over to greet him, his entire body dancing as his tail wagged violently and he barked happily. "Hey, Dude," Tony called as he opened the large Coleman cooler and fished out a beer, tossing it to him. Looking around, he saw Randi and her friend, Lisa chatting with a couple of other women whom he didn’t know. Jake approached and smiled. "Glad you could make it," he said. "We were wondering if you’d have time." Darin looked at his friend. "What?" he asked. "You didn’t say when you would be back so I just assumed you wouldn’t have time," Jake continued.

Darin shook his head and stared at Jake. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Jake laughed. "Where did you go?" he inquired. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Not really. Sorry," Darin apologized, glancing around the office.

"That’s okay. I was asking you if you had time to talk to the contractor," he said, holding his hand over the mouthpiece. "He wants to let you know he has the preliminary work done on the house and wondered if you can stop by and inspect it."

"It’s no big deal," Darin answered sadly, waving his hand. "There’s no hurry anymore."

"I’ll have him call you back," Jake said into the phone. "Okay, that’s fine," he said before hanging up. Turning to Darin he demanded, "Okay, what the hell’s going on?"

"Nothing, really."

He moved to face Darin directly. "Look at me," he said as he reached for Darin’s face. "Look…at…me!" he repeated more forcefully. When he was sure he had Darin’s full attention, he continued, "Don’t bullshit me, mister. I know there’s something going on and I won’t leave you alone until you spill it."

A tear formed at the corner of Darin’s right eye and slowly trickled across his rugged cheek. Another from his left betrayed him as well. Finally, after several moments, he said, "I fucked up."

"I hate to break it to you, Buddy but, this ain’t the first time."

"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel much better."

"And it certainly won’t be the last."

"It just hurts so much," Darin said sadly. "It’s been almost a week and I still haven’t heard from him. I may have lost him forever."

"I doubt that," Jake assured him. "I’ve seen the way he looks at you. No, that boy’s in it for the long haul."

"You really think so?" Darin asked, hopefully.

"Depends," Jake replied, "What did you do?"

"I went to see Rodney in the hospital and I didn’t tell him beforehand," Darin confessed.

"Ah, the ‘green eyed monster’ rears its ugly head."

"I think so."

"Let me ask you a question," Jake said, leaning on the front of Darin’s desk.

"Okay."

"Do you love him? Brady I mean."

"Well, of course I do. I wouldn’t have bought that fucking house if I didn’t love him."

"And do you love Rodney?"

"That’s a dumb question."

"I want an honest answer," Jake insisted.

Darin thought for a moment. "Not like I love Brady though."

"So, you do love him?"

"Yes, I suppose I do."

"And you’ve told Brady this?"

"Well, yeah…I guess so."

Jake shook his head. "Darin, I love you like a brother but, sometimes, you can be so stupid." He spun around and walked to the door. Before he exited, he added, "Do whatever you have to do. Just fix it."

He was reaching for the phone when it began to ring. "This is Darin," he said.

"Darin, it’s Adam," the voice began, "Sorry, Officer Bailey."

"So, this is an official call?" Darin asked.

Adam took a deep breath before he continued. "I wanted to let you know, we have Lillian in custody and Janet has been in for questioning."

"So, did she have anything to do with it?" he asked, calmly.

"From what we can tell, all Janet did was locate Rodney," Adam replied. "Lillian put everything together and hired the guy who hurt him."

"So, has the old lady confessed?"

"Once we laid out all the evidence we had on her, she pretty much gave up and admitted what she had done," Adam replied. "Janet has been very cooperative and gave us quite a bit of information as well."

"So, what now?" Darin pressed. "Do we know who the guy was?"

"The prosecutor wants to charge her with a hate crime, since it was premeditated," Adam began. "The guy’s name is Albert Henry Wade. He works for a moving company out of Sanders. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long, mostly petty stuff. Goes way back to when he was a kid."

"So, have you brought him in yet?"

"Not yet. Got a warrant but he hasn’t been at work for the past few days and it looks like he’s not been home either. He’s probably in the wind."

"How’s Rodney doing?"

"He’s a fighter." Darin could almost hear the smile as Adam spoke. "When I went up last night, he was arguing with his physical therapist about something."

"Yeah, they were just taking him down there when I left yesterday. Sorry I missed you."

"Darin, I want to thank you for coming to visit him. I know it can’t be easy for you."

"Don’t mention it. I’m just glad I could be there for you guys, uh…for him. From what he and Randi have told me, there’s not been too many people on his side for a long time."

"That’s true. I wish I could have met him sooner. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened."

"Ouch, that hurts."

"Oh, I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m sorry, I guess it sounded like I was blaming you…"

"A little."

"Not at all. I just meant that…. Hell, I don’t even know what I meant. Just thinkin’ out loud, I guess."

"I know. I do the same thing sometimes. I play ‘what if’ all the time."

"I just want him to get better," Adam said softly. "It hurts me so much to see him like that."

"Is that Adam talking or Officer Bailey?" Darin asked, a broad grin crossing his face.

"That was Adam talking," he confirmed. "I can’t explain it but, damn, that boy just does something to me."

"Oh, trust me, I know what you mean. He has a way of getting under your skin."

"That’s for sure. Some days I can’t wait to get up to the hospital so I can be with him. When I see him lying there like that, I want to wrap my arms around him and pull all that pain into my body so he can be well again."

"Getting him better has got to be our main focus right now. I think we both want that more than anything."

"Well, I better get back to work. I just wanted to let you know the latest."

"Thanks, I’m glad you called," Darin said as Jake returned and took a seat behind his desk. "Keep me posted."

"I will. And, Darin?"

"Yeah, Adam."

"We will get this guy."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

When he hung up the phone, Jake said to him, "There’s another call for you on two. Sounds important."

He picked up the phone again and punched the button for line two. "This is Darin," he said.

"Hey, it’s me." He recognized the voice immediately. "I’m sorry for calling you like this but Tim is out with Tony and I didn’t have anybody else I could call. I’ll understand if you don’t want to but…" His voice cracked, "My truck died. I need your help."

"Where are you?" Darin asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. I’m at the corner of Davis and Sunset," Brady replied.

"I’ll be there as quick as I can."

****​

The dealership was busy for a Tuesday evening. They sat in the waiting area for several minutes before a handsome young man approached. Standing, Darin greeted the salesman.

"I’m Mike," he said, a huge smile on his face. He reached out to shake Darin’s hand.

"I’m Darin and this is my…friend, Brady," he said as Brady stood to take the hand that was offered him as well.

"And what are we looking for today?" Mike asked.

Darin nodded for Brady to answer. "It’s your car," he said to him.

Shifting his weight nervously, Brady answered, "I want something that can pull a trailer but not too big."

"What kind of price range are we looking at?" Mike asked as he led them to a cubicle on the edge of the sales floor. He punched a few keys on a computer keyboard and called up a list of vehicles available. "What kind of trade in do you have?" he asked.

Brady blushed. "I want something affordable and I doubt you’ll want my truck," he answered.

Mike smiled. "I don’t know, try me." He smiled again and winked at Brady when he realized the double meaning.

Darin laughed softly. "Maybe another time," he joked, "But, right now, we need to find this young man a car."

Brady chuckled before he answered. "I have a seventy-nine Toyota pickup."

"How many miles?" Mike asked as he punched in the information on the keyboard.

Brady shook his head. "I don’t know really. The odometer stopped at a hundred and ninety-three something," he replied. "And that was over a year ago."

Mike whistled. "That’s a lot of miles for any car," he offered. "Can I assume that it’s pretty well ragged out."

Darin laughed again. "That you can."

"Yeah, that describes it pretty well," Brady added. "Actually, it’s pretty well dead. It was towed here a little while ago."

"Okay, so you’ll want something that you can get with minimal trade allowance then. Let me see. I have four," Mike stated. He browsed through the list once again. "Oh, here’s one that just came in. I can probably give you a really good price on this one too."

Brady sat forward in his chair. "What are they?" he asked.

"Let’s see," Mike said, punching some more keys as they heard the sound of a printer start up. "I’ll just print them out and we’ll go for a walk." He excused himself as he went to retrieve the copies.

"I really appreciate this," Brady said to Darin when Mike was gone. "After the way I treated you the other day, I’m surprised you’ll even speak to me."

Darin reached for his hand and pulled it to his lips. "I’m happy to do it for you," he said.

"I know it’s asking a lot. You have so much on your plate already," he paused, "With your divorce and all."

"It’s no big deal."

"Yeah, it is. I don’t know how or when I can repay the down payment."

"I’m not asking you to. In fact, I thought about just giving you the Lexus when I get my new car."

"What?"

"They won’t give me all that much for it," he said, "And besides, you’d look really hot driving it."

"I can’t let you do that," Brady protested.

"Why not?" Darin asked sincerely.

"I work for a non profit agency. What would people think if I drove up in a car like that."

"That either you’re really good with your money or you have a rich boyfriend."

"That’s not funny."

"I’m sorry. Personally, I think you should give the rich boyfriend thing a try."

"You know anybody?" Brady joked.

"Uh…yeah! Hello-o-o!"

They were laughing softly when Mike returned with the five sheets of paper. "You’ll probably rule these two out right away," he said handing the papers to Brady. One was a Taurus sedan and the other a Toyota Celica.

"Yeah, neither one would do," he said as he laid the pages on Mike’s desk.

"I didn’t think so. Now, this one here and this one that just came in would be about perfect for you," he said pointing to two others. "This one is newer but it just has too many miles and it wouldn’t be all that economical to drive," he said as he showed him the sheet for a Chevrolet Silverado.

"Okay, so what are the other two?" Darin asked.

Handing the papers to Brady, Mike answered, "One is a Nissan Pickup and the other is a Ford Explorer."

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[harry113]

Thanks Scott, wonderful chapter.
It's great for Darin & Brady to be back together again. Hope Adam & Rodney get together & all is well with Rodney. The ones who injured him need locking up & the keys thrown away!!!
Harry

 

[kcm17480]

Nice one. You know, i need to find someone that could buy me a car lol.

 

[tomersh]

i like this story...can't wait for the nxt chapter

 

[axlsergei]

loving your story... thanks for sharing!

 

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
PART 18​

"I like both already," Brady said. "Can I see them?"

"Let me grab the keys and I’ll be right back," Mike replied.

Leaning in to look at the papers, Darin asked, "Just out of curiosity, what color is the Explorer?"

Scanning the paper, Brady answered, "Doesn’t say. I hope it’s blue though."

"It probably is," Darin said to himself as they stood.

"Gentlemen," Mike said walking quickly toward them, holding up two sets of keys, "Let’s go for a walk." He stopped at another desk before they exited the showroom and signed out a dealer plate. "Just in case," he said with a smile.

They walked toward the back of the large lot to where the lower priced cars were parked. A young couple was looking at the Taurus sedan; two small children whining. His very pregnant wife looked on as the husband peered under the car’s hood. Another salesman stood nearby, watching.

"That’s the Taurus," Mike said when they walked by. "Hey, Gene, have you seen that Nissan pickup?"

The older man turned to address Mike. "I think Denny just took an offer to Dale on that one," he said. "It was over there." He pointed to an empty spot next to the Silverado.

"That’s odd," Mike replied. "The keys were in the rack." He held them up for Gene to see.

"That one had two sets of keys," Gene told him.

Mike stopped then. "Well that explains that," he said. "Sorry guys."

"Can we still see the Explorer?" Brady asked.

"It’s over here," Mike said pointing to a fenced in area. "I know nobody has looked at this one. I just took it in on trade this afternoon and they haven’t even had time to clean it up."

Darin stopped short when he saw the car. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. "Is that it?" he asked staring at the four-door sport utility.

"Sure is," Mike replied. "It needs a transmission mount and three new tires but, other than that, it’s sound."

"I love the color," Brady stated as he walked toward the silver blue car. He opened the driver’s door. "Wow, it has leather seats and power windows. Do they all work?" he asked, continuing to walk around the car.

Darin whispered to himself, "It’s not quite the same blue I had imagined but…".

"We’ll make sure everything works before you drive it off the lot," Mike replied. "It’s a ninety-four and has sixty-eight thousand miles. I think it would make you a good car."

"It has a heavy duty hitch package," Brady told Darin. "What do you think?"

"It’s up to you, I’m just the money man," Darin answered. Turning to Mike, he added, "Can you fire it up?"

Mike handed the keys to Brady. "Just take it easy," he said when Brady took the keys from his hand, "Remember it’s got a bad tranny mount."

Turning the key, the engine sprang to life. "Wow, I forgot how a car was supposed to start," he laughed. He revved the engine a couple times then pressed the brake and pulled the shifter into the different gears. The car jerked slightly when each gear was selected. "Does the air work?" he asked, putting the shifter back into park and punching the different buttons. He turned on the radio and the car was filled with the sound of Garth Brooks belting out one of his hits. "Sweet," Brady added.

"Not sure if it does now but it will before you pick it up," Mike promised.

The huge smile on Brady’s face was all the answer Darin needed. "Let’s talk money," he said to Mike. "I think we’re buying a car."

Turning off the engine, Brady hopped out. "You mean it?" he said to Darin. In his excitement, he grabbed Darin and kissed him on the mouth. Realizing where they were, he blushed. "Sorry," he said to Mike.

"Don’t be," Mike replied. "I’d do the same thing."

"Really?" Darin quizzed.

Mike winked at Darin. "Buy me a car and we’ll find out," he replied as they both laughed.

Before they entered the building, Darin spotted a dark yellow Mustang convertible parked in the front row of the pre-owned lot. "What can you tell me about that one?" he asked.

"It’s a left over program car," Mike replied. "I can make you a great deal on it if you’re interested."

Forty minutes later, they were seated across from the man who would handle the paperwork. "Have you already secured financing?" he asked them.

"Not yet," Brady replied as he looked toward Darin.

Darin smiled at the finance officer, "Uh, I’ll be taking care of it myself," he said, removing his checkbook from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"What?" Brady asked, surprised. "No!"

"You just let me take care of it," he replied, placing his hand on Brady’s leg.

Brady turned to the finance officer. "Could you excuse us for a minute?" he said.

Nodding, the man replied, "Certainly," and left the room without further comment, closing the door behind him.

Waiting for the door to close, Brady turned to Darin. "I can’t let you do this," he said.

"Why not?" Darin asked. "I can afford it. And, besides, I want to do this for you."

"After the way I treated you, I don’t know how you could even want to help me," Brady said, his eyes filling with tears.

"You had every right to be upset," Darin said as he reached to wipe a stray tear from Brady’s cheek. "I should have told you I was going to see him."

Brady shook his head. His lip quivering, he asked, "By the way, how is he doing?"

"He’s still in a lot of pain but he’s getting stronger every day."

"That’s good. Have you been up to see him?"

"Yes, a few times. I went up Sunday and yesterday."

"I’m glad he has you for a friend," Brady said softly. "Randi said that you and Officer Bailey are the only ones who’ve been to see him."

"Yeah, Adam’s a great guy. He’s been there every day since they moved him out of intensive care."

"Adam? So, is there a bit of romance in the air."

"I sure hope so," Darin stated, smiling. "If not, he’s wasting an awful lot of time."

"I’ve missed you so much. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"All the more reason to let me do this for you."

"But, you can’t afford to do this for me. I thought we agreed you’d only help me with the down payment."

"It isn’t that much money. Call it an early birthday present," Darin negotiated. "Do you realize it’s only about one per cent of the profit from selling my house?"

"I had no idea. You mean, you weren’t kidding about being my rich boyfriend?"

"Well, that’s kinda up in the air." Darin smiled and winked. "The boyfriend part, I mean."

"I just figured you wouldn’t want me anymore," the younger man said sadly.

Darin wrapped his arms around Brady and kissed his cheek. "I’ve wanted no one but you since that night we met," he said.

Leaning back, Brady locked his gaze on Darin. "Ditto," he said with a smile.

Darin laughed. "You’ve been hanging around Tony a little too much."

"I know." Brady pulled away and returned to his seat. "He’s at the house almost every night," he added. "Did you know he asked Tim to move in with him?"

"Yeah, he asked me if I thought it was a good idea. I told him he should do whatever would make him happy." Smiling, Darin added, "I know one thing."

"What’s that?"

"I’ve never seen Tony as happy as he’s been since he met Tim."

"They’re good together. Although I could do without seeing Tony naked as much as I do. That man has no modesty what-so-ever."

"Hmm, wait…let me get a visual." Darin closed his eyes and thought. "MMMM, Woof!"

"I didn’t say he wasn’t hot,’ Brady giggled. "I just don’t like seeing him naked and not being able to do anything with that big hunk of meat hanging between his legs. Yum-my!"

"I’ve thought about that day at the restaurant quite a bit," Darin whispered, "That was pretty hot, wasn’t it?"

"I’ll say. I have dreams about the four of us doing something like that again," Brady replied, blushing as he recalled the scene. "Without the waiter walking in though."

There was a tap on the door as it opened. "Can I come back in yet?" the finance man asked.

Darin gave Brady a quick questioning glance. "Okay?" he asked.

"Okay, fine," Brady agreed, throwing up his hands in mock defeat.

Ninety minutes later, Brady followed in the Lexus and Darin drove his new Mustang. The Explorer would be ready for them to pick up on Saturday. Darin had decided that he would keep the Lexus. "You just never know when we might need it," he had said.

****​

On the way home from picking up the Explorer, Darin asked Brady if he’d like to go for a drive. "We can put a few miles on it and see how it’s gonna run," he said after they had parked the Mustang back at the hotel. "Come on, I have something I want to show you."

"We have to run by the house first," Brady stated. "I want to get my stuff from the truck and put in here."

Pulling the passenger door closed, Darin said, "That’s cool. I want to talk to Tony anyway."

Brady eased into traffic and headed for home. "I can’t believe how nice it is not to have to shift all the time," he said as they approached a red traffic light.

"It’s a nice car. I’m glad you could find something you liked so quickly."

"I am too. Did you think that salesman was hot?" Brady asked, smiling nervously.

Darin turned and looked at him. "Excuse me?" he said.

"Hey, just ‘cause I’m on a diet, doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu," he protested. "Actually, I’ve seen him naked."

"What?"

"I’m pretty sure Tim and I took him home from the bar one night about a year ago" he confessed. "I don’t think he remembered me though. He was pretty trashed. Plus, I was about fifty pounds heavier then. Trust me, he has a nice body…and a really nice dick!"

They stopped at the house just long enough for Brady to retrieve a few items that had been in his truck. While he went about installing a holder, for his registration and other papers, above the visor, Darin went to speak to Tony and Tim about his plans to surprise Brady on his birthday. When he entered the living room where they were seated on the sofa, he noticed that Tim had been crying. "What’s wrong?" Darin inquired as he flopped onto the loveseat opposite the sofa.

Tony turned to face Darin. "One o’ Timmy’s co-workers just called. They filed charges ‘gainst the Chairman o’ the Board and the shelter manager this mornin’."

"They’re closing the shelter," Tim stated as he ran his hands across his eyes.

"What?" Darin asked, his mouth open.

Tim looked at him and continued, "They’ve been skimming money and doctoring the books. We have to go in on Monday and try to get as many adopted as we can or start making arrangements to ship all the animals out to other shelters."

Tony rubbed his big hand across Tim’s shoulders as Tim leaned into him.
"Basically, the boys is both outta a job," he said.

"Does Brady know about this?" Darin asked quietly.

"No," Tim replied, "Susan called after you guys left. I can’t tell him," he added burying his face into Tony’s shoulder.

"I need you two to help me with a surprise for Brady’s birthday next week," Darin said.

Tony hugged Tim as he continued to sob. "Whatcha got in mind?" he asked as Brady entered the kitchen.

"Shit, I’ll have to tell you later," Darin whispered.

"Hey, have you guys seen my travel pillow?" Brady asked, entering the living room. Upon seeing Tim, he added, "What’s going on?"

"Sad movie," Darin answered, not waiting for Tim or Tony to reply. "You ready?"

"Sure," Brady answered. "Where are we going?"

Darin thought quickly. He had to change his original plans. "I wanted to show you my old house," he stated. Taking Brady’s hand, they headed out the door.

When he opened the driver’s door, Brady turned to Darin and asked, "Did you know they sold my house?"

Wanting desperately to smile, Darin faked his surprise by saying, "That’s too bad."

"I guess Randi’s investor friend must have bought it," Brady continued, "The roof’s been replaced and there’s three big dumpsters in the driveway."

"What did you do, drive all the way up to the door?" Darin joked.

"I just had to see what was going on," Brady defended. "It’s gonna be beautiful when they get it done," he added. "There’s all kinds of small trees and plants and stuff on a trailer there too."

Darin made a quick mental note to call Steve on Monday. "What did you think of the place, overall?" he asked while silently hoping Brady didn’t notice his smile.

"So far, everything I’ve seen is just about the way I would do it," he paused, "If I had the money, that is."

"So, you were right," Darin pressed, "The place was worth saving?"

"Oh, absolutely. I never doubted for a minute," Brady replied.

"Well, just be careful poking around out there," Darin warned, "The new owners might not appreciate you trespassing like that."

Brady stopped and stared at Darin. "I never thought about it like that," he said.

Sliding into the passenger seat while Brady slipped behind the wheel, Darin added, "The last thing we need is for an angry homeowner to blast you with a shotgun for tramping around his property."

Brady chuckled. "Would you come visit me in prison?" he asked as he started the engine.

Darin shot him an annoyed look. "Hell, some guy named Bruno would make you his bitch and you’d forget all about me," he stated.

Leaning toward Darin for a quick kiss on the lips, Brady replied, "No way, you’re the only one for me."

When he reached for the seatbelt, Darin said, sarcastically, "You better say that." Then he smiled and added, "I’d hate to have to put a cap in some guys ass ‘cause he stuck his dick in yours."

Ooh, Daddy, talk dirty to me," Brady giggled as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the drive. "Where are we headed?"

"Go west, young man, go west."

"Hey, can I go with you the next time you go see Rodney," Brady asked, "I’d like to talk to him."

"Of course you can. Want to go tomorrow?"

****​

Approaching the large, two story Colonial style house Darin had shared with Janet, Brady took in a deep breath. "You lived here?" he asked, stopping just off the edge of the road. "Wow, this is awesome," he added.

"Sure did," Darin answered, "It was a wedding present from my grandfather."

Brady sighed and said, "Damn, you really are rich, aren’t you?"

"Pull up there by the garage," Darin directed. "Yeah, you could say I have a few bucks." He opened his door and stepped out as Brady put the car in park and turned off the ignition. "Come on, I want to show you around." He grabbed Brady’s hand and led him onto the large deck across the back of the house. He placed the key in the lock and opened the back door into a very large kitchen. "I haven’t been here in a few days," he said as they stepped inside.

"Man, this is really nice," Brady kept saying as he spun around to take in the enormity of the house. To the right of the kitchen was a large dining room with a dark mahogany table and six chairs and a matching buffet and a huge china cabinet. Through the dining room was the formal living room. A stately grandfather clock chimed twice as they stood in the center of the well-furnished kitchen.

"I see Janet has already been moving some things," Darin said, closing a cupboard door. There were several boxes stacked near the back door and a number of dishes sat on the counter near the sink next to a stack of newspapers and bubble wrap. "I told her she should take anything she wants from the kitchen," he added. "I’m not much of a cook." He laid his keys on the counter and quickly flipped through a stack of mail, sorting as he went.

"That’s okay, I love to cook," Brady stated with a smile. He leaned in for a quick kiss. "What’s through here?" he asked, pointing toward a large room to the left of the kitchen.

"That’s the family room," Darin said, following Brady toward the expansive room. The room was decorated with lots of blue and gray throughout. There was a bar in one corner with a large mirror covering the wall behind it and three stools standing in front. "The other one got broke one night when Jan and I had a fight," he said, pointing to the stools. There were a number of boxes scattered throughout the room and some other pieces of furniture had been moved toward the doorway. Entering the room, Brady noticed a large screen television to his left, flanked by two curio cabinets filled with glass pieces and small china animal figurines. "Those are mine," Darin added pointing to the cabinets.

Noticing a large sliding door at the back of the room, Brady approached and saw the bright blue water of the pool outside. "Can we go for a swim?" he asked.

Darin nodded. "I’ll go upstairs and see if I can find some trunks for us," he said as Brady began peeling off his clothes.

"We don’t need trunks, let’s go skinny dipping," Brady said as he unbuttoned his shorts and pushed them and his underwear to the floor. Standing just inside the door, stark naked, he hollered, "Come on, let’s go." He opened the door and stared at Darin, waiting.

"At least let me grab a couple towels," Darin said, running toward the bathroom. Returning, he pulled his tee shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes and socks. As he followed Brady out the door, he pushed his pants and boxer briefs to the floor.

****​

Brady sat in the chair next to Rodney’s hospital bed that Sunday afternoon. The television was on but the volume was turned down, an old John Wayne movie playing on the screen. Darin and Adam had gone in search of a soda machine giving the two an opportunity to talk privately. After they had left the room, Rodney reached his hand out as he looked at Brady and said, "You know, you don’t have to worry about me."

Brady took Rodney’s hand in his and smiled as he replied, "I know I don’t."

"I know you were pretty upset when he came to visit me that day."

"Oh, he told you about that?"

"No, he didn’t," Rodney answered, trying to adjust his position on the bed. "Damn it, I wish I could lay on my side." He pulled at the pillows, attempting to position one beneath his shoulders.

"Here, let me help you," Brady offered, helping Rodney sit up and rearranging the pillows for him.

Once he was settled more comfortably, Rodney continued, "He told Adam and Adam told me. He was pretty upset that he might have lost you."

"I thought I had lost him," Brady stated, "To you. I didn’t know what he may have been feeling and I know how it is when you care about someone."

"But, things are better now?" Rodney asked, reaching for his water glass.

"Oh, yeah." Brady smiled as he thought about the night before when they had made love right there next to the pool. It was the first time the two had been intimate since that night when he had sent Darin away.

"That’s good." He swallowed the water and continued, "I was afraid I might have messed that up for you guys."

"So," Brady began, "Did you ever really feel the same way about Darin that he felt about you?"

"Oh, I thought I was in love with him after we spent that night together," Rodney said as remembered the night. "Later, I realized he reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. A guy named Wes, who helped get me off the streets."

"How’d you end up on the street?" Brady asked.

Rodney thought for a moment. "Just before Randi and I turned sixteen," he began, "Our mom took off one day and never came back. She had done this kind of thing before so we didn’t think anything about it. Sometimes, she’d be gone for three, four, five days or more but she always came back. She’d hook up with some guy she met in a bar and they’d go off and get hammered but she always came back. This time was different," he added sadly.

"That must have been awful for you guys."

"Not really, we were used to it. Anyway, once we figured out that she wasn’t coming back, we had to do something to pay the bills. We had her food stamps so we could get food but we didn’t have any other money. We didn’t want to report her missing because they would have put us back in foster care and neither one of us wanted that."

"Why not?" Brady asked, adjusting his position in the chair.

"We had been sent to foster homes when we were younger and it was awful. They didn’t really want us, just the money the state paid for us to stay there. We finally went to the lady who owned our building and told her what had happened. She let us help around the place to pay the rent. I did yard work and Randi helped her with cleaning and stuff. She told us that, as long as we went to school every day and stayed out of trouble, she wouldn’t kick us out."

"That was really nice of her."

"Yeah, it sure was. I never realized how nice until a couple years later. Anyway, Randi got a job, working three evenings a week, at a diner not far from where we lived. The guy who ran it was nice and let me work there too, bussing tables and washing dishes. It didn’t pay much but it was something. Randi waited tables and she was bringing home about sixty bucks a day or so with her tips. She was a natural. I kept trying to find something that paid better but nobody wanted to hire me."

"Well, you did have the dishwashing thing though, right?"

"Yeah, but it was only when his regular guy couldn’t work and it didn’t pay all that much."

"So, what did you do?"

"Well, one Saturday, I was downtown checking at all the stores to see if they needed any help." Rodney reached for the water glass again. "I had, pretty much struck out and was about to give up," he said, taking a sip of water. "I had to take a leak so I went to the bus station to use the restroom. I was pretty naïve back then so I had no idea what kinds of things went on in a public bathroom." He blushed as he remembered. "Anyway, I was standing there peeing when this older guy walked in. There was eight or ten other empty urinals but he came right up to the one next to me and started peeing, all the time staring at my dick. He leaned over and said, ‘That’s a nice dick you got there, boy.’ I was surprised at how bold he was. I looked over and he was stroking his meat. It wasn’t too bad but mine was bigger. He started getting hard. We finished peeing but he kept staring."

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[harry113]

Scott Thank you. This is really great!!
More please!
Harry

 

[tomersh]

i like the way the story is going

 

[kcm17480]

Gee! Maybe Darin, Brady, Rodney and Adam might get together in a fourway. Just fantasizing. Very good chapter.

 

[RacerBear]

Thanks for continuing to suport my story guys. I really appreciate it.

There are still a few surprises in store for your heroes. I'm glad you liked this latest chapter because I really struggled with parts of it. I knew where I wanted it to end up but I wasn't quite sure how to get it there. Now that this one is out of the way, I think you'll be happy with where they are going. Of course, some of you have already figured it out. OR, maybe you haven't. I really felt that Rodney's story needed to be told in a bit more detail.

Thanks again,
Scott (RacerBear)

 

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
Part 19​

"Oh, man, I been there. Did it creep you out?" Brady asked.

"Not really, I actually started getting turned on," Rodney answered. "After a while, I was totally hard and he just stood there stroking his meat. He reached over to grab me and I blurted out, ‘No touching till I see some cash.’ He looked at me for a few seconds and I figured he was gonna go away. So I told him he could touch it for five bucks. He asked me how much to suck me off. I’d been jerkin’ off since I was twelve so I knew about that but I had never had anybody suck me off before. I needed the money so I said I’d let him do it for twenty bucks. He pulled out his wallet and handed me a twenty and we went into a stall and he sucked me off right there in the Greyhound Bus Station."

"I understand how that is." Brady offered. "I let a guy blow me one time for a tank of gas."

"So, you know where I’m coming from?" It was really more of a statement than a question.

"Sure do," Brady replied, recalling his trip west. He had run out of money near Amarillo and needed just enough to get the rest of the way to Big Sky. It was a spur of the moment decision at a truck stop. He had asked the attendant, a young man about his age, if there was anywhere he could get some work to earn enough for a tank of gas. The attendant had smiled at him and assured him that there were ways of earning as much cash as he wanted but he didn’t elaborate. He told him to have a seat in the lounge and he would see if he could help him out. A few minutes later, an older man approached him as he was watching television in the lounge. The man asked him if he had eaten that day and Brady confessed that he had not. Putting his hand on Brady’s shoulder, the man ushered him to the restaurant and ordered the daily special for them both. After they had eaten, the man went to the same attendant that Brady had talked to earlier, at the fuel desk, and paid for a shower. Walking toward the shower area, he asked Brady to join him. When he realized what was about to happen, Brady hesitated. The man told him that he was under no obligation to join him but, if he did, he would make it worth his while. With some reservations, Brady had agreed and, once inside the shower room, the man had slowly undressed him and, while the shower sprayed over them both, had given him one of the most satisfying blowjobs he had ever had. After Brady had shot a huge load all over the trucker’s rugged face, the man stood up and proceeded to churn out a rather substantial load of his own all over the floor. He then set about lathering them both and sent Brady on his way with enough cash for a tank of fuel and something to eat later in the day. He had arrived in Big Sky with less than an eighth of a tank of gas and had immediately looked up Tim who gave him a place to stay and got him settled.

"Well, anyway, I left there with twenty bucks in my pocket," Rodney continued, "And I got to thinking there must be other guys out there who would pay to suck my dick. I went back to the bus station the next day and got blown by two different guys. One was really old and disgusting but he gave good head."

Shaking his head, Brady asked, "Weren’t you afraid of getting caught?"

"Those guys weren’t gonna turn me in ‘cause I told them, up front, I was only sixteen. I was a small kid for my age but I had a big dick. Once they got a look at that, I coulda been five and they’d have sucked me off anyway. I figured I needed the money more than they did so, what the hell."

"I don’t think I could do that," Brady stated, shaking his head again. Recalling that day in Amarillo, he added, "But, then I guess desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I started going to the bus station every day after school. Some days, I didn’t find anybody who wanted to suck me but plenty that wanted me to suck them. Finally, one day, this guy offered me fifty bucks to let him fuck me. I had never been fucked before but I always wanted to try it so I told him I would as long as he used a rubber. He agreed and we did it right there, in the stall where the first guy had sucked me off."

"Didn’t it hurt a lot that first time? My first time sure did," Brady recalled.

Rodney nodded. "A little but I had been practicing with an old broom handle that I had cut off" he said. "It didn’t feel quite the same but he was really gentle and I really liked it a lot. We had to keep stopping because guys were coming in to use the restroom but it was really hot. After that, I’d let a guy give me a hand job for ten, a blowjob for twenty; I’d suck him off for twenty-five or fuck him for forty. If he wanted to fuck me, it was an easy fifty."

"Weren’t you afraid of catching something?"

"Yeah, that’s why I never let a guy fuck me without a rubber. And I never swallowed a guys load."

"So, how did you meet this guy you said Darin reminded you of?"

"Oh, that was later on. I had started ditching school to go to the bus station because lunchtime was the best time for getting tricks. One day, I was hanging around and the manager got shitty with me and told me I couldn’t hang out there anymore. He said that if I didn’t move on, he’d call the cops. Since I didn’t want anyone to find out about my mom being gone, I took off. I had a good thing going there too. I was making like, a couple hundred bucks a day, sometimes more. I could hook up with up to ten or more guys during the lunch rush."

"In an hour?"

"More like three or four hours, eleven till around three. Some days, I’d just sit in a stall and the guys would come to me. I’d lock the door and we’d go at it. When we were done, they’d pay me, slip out and then the next guy would come in."

"So, where did you go after that?"

"One of the guys I had tricked with came up to me and told me about a park he knew that was really cruisy and said I could find action there. He took me there and, just like he said, there was plenty of horny guys who wanted to play with a hot little sixteen year old like me."

Brady put his hand on Rodney’s arm and asked, "Did Randi ever find out?"

"Not for a while. At least not until I got kicked out of school for missing so much. She was really pissed. It was a week before our seventeenth birthday and the school sent a letter to our mom telling her that I was suspended for skipping classes. I had told her I was working at the A&P hauling groceries to people’s cars and stuff. She waited for me to come home that night and jumped me the minute I walked in the door. I finally showed her all the money I had saved, almost twelve hundred, and she calmed down a little. She told me I had to stop doing it or she would make Misses Sims kick me out. She was the lady who owned our building. I told her I was gonna continue to do what I wanted and she couldn’t stop me. She was so pissed at me."

"I bet. She doesn’t strike me as the kind that would tolerate that kind of thing."

"Oh, not at all. We had this huge fight over it and I left." Rodney took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We’ve only been on speaking terms the past couple years."

"That must have been really hard for you."

Shrugging his shoulders, Rodney replied, "Not really. At the time, I was too hooked on the thrill of it all. Anyway, I left the next morning; with a few clothes and the money I had saved. I went to the park to see who I could hook up with. I had just finished blowing this guy behind one of the buildings when the cops showed up. I took off running into the woods."

"Did they catch you?"

"No, they caught the other guy but they never even came after me."

"You must have been terrified."

"I was a little but, mostly I was pissed because I had left my duffel bag behind with my clothes and most of my money in it. Now I had the guy’s cum all over the front of my shirt plus I didn’t even have clean underwear. When I went back to look for it, it was gone."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, and not in the good way," Rodney chuckled.

"So, where did you go then?"

"Well, it started getting dark and I was sitting on a picnic table thinking about what I was gonna do when this car pulled up. A tall guy, with dark hair and a moustache, got out and walked over to me. He asked me if I was available for a little fun. I asked him if he was a cop and he told me he wasn’t. Since I had no pressing plans, I told him I was up for some fun. He said his name was Wes and that he wanted me to come back to his place with him."

"I’d have been scared to death to go anywhere with him."

"I was scared but I was also hungry and tired. So, I agreed to go to his place. Now, I realize he could have been some John Wayne Dalmer kinda guy or something but I didn’t care. When we got in the car, he told me he’d give me a hundred bucks if I’d spend the night with him. Since I had lost most of my money, I agreed. I figured, at least I’d have a warm place to sleep that night. When we got to his place, he asked me if I was hungry. I was, so I said yes. He fixed us both a nice dinner and then he showed me where I could clean up. He even took my clothes while I was in the shower and washed them for me. When I got out of the shower, he gave me a robe and a clean pair of shorts to wear. We watched some tee vee and went to bed. He didn’t even do anything that night, he just held me in his big strong arms until I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, he was still holding me. I never felt more safe in my life."

"I know that feeling. So, did you stay with him after that?"

"No, he paid me and then took me back to the park on his way to work that next morning and I figured I’d never see him again. I hooked up with a few guys and made about sixty bucks but nothing like the bus station. I was thinking about going back to the apartment when he pulled up around five in the afternoon. He asked me if I had any plans for that night and I told him I didn’t. We went back to his place and did the same thing we did the night before. Except, this time, he made love to me. The next morning, he paid me the hundred and took me back to the park."

"Wow! How long did this go on?"

"For almost a year. He bought me some clothes, fed me and gave me a warm bed to sleep in every night. I even spent weekends at his place. Most nights he’d just hold me while I slept. I got to where I told him I didn’t’ want him to pay me anymore. Every morning, he dropped me off at the park. He never asked what I did during the day, just if I had plans for the night. I got to where I would just sit at the park and not even try to find guys to hook up with. One day I asked him if I could just stay with him. He said he’d think about it. Then, a few days later, he dropped me off at the park and never came back. It was two days after my eighteenth birthday. I never saw him again."

"I’m so sorry," Brady said putting his hand on Rodney’s arm. "You never saw him again?"

"Nope. I honestly thought Darin was Wes when he pulled into the station that night. It brought back so many wonderful memories. And, when we went to bed, oh my God! He is exactly like Wes, except Wes was circumcised."

"I just love his hairy chest. It’s so soft."

"I know, that was Wes too. Almost exactly like Darin. The next morning, things were going well and then I got hassled by my landlord and it made me feel so bad about what had happened with Wes all those years ago that I could barely look at Darin." He paused, wiping a tear from his left eye. "Then, when he offered to help me with my rent, I felt like I was sixteen again and hustling for rent money. I couldn’t even look at him."

"He told me about that. He couldn’t understand why you reacted the way you did. Have you told him?"

"No, we haven’t really talked about that."

"You should probably tell him."

"I was afraid I’d never see him again either."

"I know, but I promise you, Darin will understand if you tell him."

"Tell me what?" Darin asked as he and Adam entered the room carrying four soft drinks.

****​

As had been expected, Brady was quite upset when he learned the news about his job. He was more concerned, about what would happen to all of the animals that were housed at the shelter than what he would do with regards to income. Most of the day on Monday and Tuesday was filled with trying to locate alternate housing for the bulk of those animals. A call had gone out to one of the local radio stations asking for potential adopters. A large number of kittens and puppies had been found new homes but many of the adult animals had been overlooked. Of particular concern were some of the special needs animals that the staff had become particularly fond of. It appeared that no one would come forward to adopt them and none of the other shelters were anxious to take them either. It was almost closing time on Tuesday when Brady’s cel phone rang. He looked to see who might be calling but did not recognize the number. He decided to ignore the call and allow it to go to voicemail.

When Brady and Tim arrived at work on Wednesday morning, there were almost fifty people waiting outside the front door, all anxious to take home a furry friend. Around noon, a large truck arrived with a generous donation of food from a major department store in town. Throughout the day, the steady stream of potential adopters continued with most taking their new pet with them. Those who did not find a suitable companion simply made a cash donation. Late in the day, a well-dressed woman, in her sixties, entered the office. She announced that she would like to pay the fifty dollars adoption fee for ten animals plus a cash donation of a thousand dollars. Several people in the office applauded and shook her hand. Brady and Tim greeted her and thanked her for her generosity.

"It’s too bad, we couldn’t have this kind of response when we knew we were gonna be here a while," Tim had said as he and Brady took a break between adoptions.

"I know," Brady agreed as his cel phone rang for the third time that day. "Who is this that keeps calling me?" he asked as the same, unknown number appeared.

"Maybe you should answer it," Tim advised.

"No, if it’s really important, they’ll leave a message," Brady countered as they returned to work.

By close of business that evening, nearly half of the remaining animals had found new homes.

****​

Darin had spent most of Wednesday making final preparations for Brady’s birthday surprise. Around noon, Spencer had called to see if there was anything that needed his attention. Darin had assured him that he had everything under control. They discussed the remainder of Spencer’s hospital stay and that his treatment was going well. Spencer expressed how well Mary had done during the entire ordeal and that the two were drawing much closer as a result. "I had honestly thought we were just going through the motions," Spencer had stated. "But, when I saw how frightened she was when I was in that coma, I knew she still loved me. We’ve both learned a valuable lesson through all this."

"What’s that?" Darin asked.

Spencer cleared his throat and replied, "I think we had come to take each other for granted. This helped us both see what we mean to each other." He sighed. "I don’t know if I could have come through this without her," he added. "She’s waited on me hand and foot since I got home."

"It’s good to hear the happiness in your voice," Darin had said. "There were a lot of folks offering prayers on your behalf."

"Tell everyone I appreciate their prayers and that I’ll be in to see them soon," the older man said. "I miss you all very much."

"I look forward to your coming back," Darin assured him. "It’s not quite the same without you barking orders at everyone," he added with a laugh.

"I’m afraid those days are over," Spencer said. "From now on, if I can borrow from Bush the first, you’ll see a kinder, gentler Spencer Morgan."

They shared a laugh as Darin replied, "We’ll be happy to have you back, no matter what form you take."

Spencer then inquired about Rodney and Darin told him that he was making steady improvements but that he would require a substantial amount of therapy before he would be able to return to work. Darin related how Lillian had hired the man who had hurt Rodney and that she was facing some very serious charges as a result.

"I always knew she was a little high strung," Spencer opined, "But I never thought she’d be capable of something so horrible."

"She’s a very sad, lonely, bitter woman," Darin replied.

As the conversation continued, Darin also shared the news about the impending closure of the shelter and Spencer had expressed a desire to help out in any way possible. "Is there anything the boys need?" he asked when he heard about the bank accounts having been frozen and how that had made it difficult to keep the shelter open.

"I think they are doing well," Darin assured, "Although I think they are worried that not all the animals will find homes."

"I’m going to send Mary down there with a donation," he stated. "That should help them some. Your young friend sounds like he’s very passionate about his work."

"Oh, he’s very passionate," Darin confirmed. "I have to admit, I never realized there was such need for people like him."

"I’ve always gone through a breeder," Spencer said, "I didn’t realize there were so many animals who ended up in places like that."

"And most that end up in the local shelters end up being put down because there are just not enough people willing to adopt," Darin said sadly.

"Well, you sound like you’re starting to share his passion," Spencer pointed out.

"It’s hard not to."

"Perhaps you should consider the possibility of going into that business with him," Spencer suggested.

"Believe me," Darin assured, "I’ve certainly thought about it."

****​

It was the day before Brady’s twenty-sixth birthday and he waited for Darin to pick him up. Darin had called and asked that he meet him at the curb because he was running late and they would just be able to make their reservation. As he stood there, waiting, a white Ford van rounded the corner and headed toward him. The driver brought the vehicle to a screeching stop right in front of where Brady stood. Terrified, Brady watched as two men leapt from the side doors of the van and dragged him inside. He heard the doors slam as the vehicle sped away. He lay on the floor; hoping and praying this was a dream. His mind flashed through a thousand possible scenes of what could be happening to him, not the least of which was what had happened to Rodney a short time before. As he slowly looked around, he noted that the van had no windows and that there was a divider between the driver and the cargo area. He was completely unaware of where he was being taken. Both of his abductors were wearing ski masks and were dressed entirely in black. Noticing that he was looking around, one of them leaned down, his face inches from Brady’s and whispered to him, "Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you. Just be still and we’ll be there in a few minutes."

"Where are you taking me?" Brady demanded. He realized that he was neither restrained nor was either of his abductors carrying any type of weapon. "Where are you taking me?" he repeated.

"Just relax and you’ll find out in a few minutes," the other one replied. Neither voice was familiar to him.

"Damn it! Tell me where you’re taking me!" he screamed one last time.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[Marvxxx]

I love this story. I can't wait for each new chapter to be published. You are a very good writer and very good at leaving cliff hangers. Keep up the good work.

 

[harry113]

Scott, thank you, great chapter .... Scary stuff!!!! .... can this possibly be Darin's doing ????
looking forward to the next.
Harry

 

[kcm17480]

Brady probably was abducted to his own birthday party. Cool story. It looks like Rodney and Brady hit it off pretty good.

 

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
PART 20​

Darin was there, shaking him awake. "Hey, it’s okay, I’m here," he soothed. He pulled Brady closer and wrapped his arms around him.

Brady looked into Darin’s brown eyes. Even in the darkness, he could see the love that was there. "I…" he choked, "I had a bad dream." He was fighting to catch his breath and there were tears cascading across his cheeks.

"I figured as much, the way you were kicking and shouting," Darin replied, kissing his cheek and stroking his hair. "What was it about?"

His breathing was slowly returning to normal as Brady lay next to Darin. "I dreamed that I was being dragged into a van by two guys in ski masks," he said.

"It’s okay now," Darin assured him, "Nobody is gonna hurt you."

"Is everything okay?" Tim called from the hallway before he opened the door to Brady’s room. "I heard shouting," he added, the hallway light flooding the room and surrounding his naked body in silhouette.

Brady clung to Darin. "Just a bad dream," Darin said, "Everything’s fine."

Tony appeared behind Tim and wrapped his arms around the younger man. "You guys okay?" he asked, yawning and resting his chin on the top of Tim’s head.

"We’re fine, you guys go on back to bed," Darin answered. They closed the door, plunging the room, once again, into darkness. He held Brady for several minutes until the younger man fell asleep. Then he continued to hold him until sleep overtook him as well.

The next morning, the dream all but forgotten, the four shared a quick breakfast before heading off to work. Brady and Tim were still struggling to arrange alternate housing for a number of the adult animals while trying to also contact other prospective employers. Most of the other staff at the shelter had either secured new jobs or had stopped showing up for work. The board had met and announced that the shelter would be closed permanently after thirty days. Whatever animals were left in their care would either be turned over to the county shelter or humanely euthenized. Brady and Tim had vowed to find homes for every animal before the end of that thirty-day period but both had come to the realization that some of the animals might never find new homes. With less than three weeks remaining, the two had begun a desperate search for families willing to adopt some of the harder to place animals. One such adoption was about to take place shortly after they arrived at the shelter that Thursday morning.

A man and woman in their late fifties entered the main lobby of the shelter and pressed the button causing a bell to ring in Brady’s office. He immediately went to see who was waiting and found the friendly couple standing at the counter.

"May I help you?" he asked, smiling as he entered.

"Hello," the woman said, "I’m Helen Stanfield and this is my husband, Harvey."

"I’m pleased to meet you," Brady replied, offering his hand to each of them. "What can I help you with?" he added.

"We’d like to adopt a dog," Helen stated. "We heard about this place from our friends, The Morgans, and we wanted to do what we could to help out."

"That’s wonderful. You do realize that we only have adult and hard to place animals left, though?"

"Oh, heaven’s, yes," she giggled. "We don’t have time for a puppy anymore anyway."

Reaching under the counter, Brady removed a packet of forms and laid them on the top. "If you’ll just fill out these adoption papers, we’ll see if we can find you a new friend," he said as Helen picked up a pen and began reading the forms. "Do you have any pets at this time?"

"We have a cat," Harvey replied. "The little bastard hates me," he added, laughing.

"Now, honey, you stop that," Helen scolded him as she swatted his arm. "He does not hate you." To Brady, she added, "His name is Samson and he’s a purebred Persian."

"He does too," Harvey insisted, "The little bastard pissed in my shoe."

Within an hour, the couple had filled out all the paperwork and had been taken to meet several candidates for adoption. After several unsuccessful attempts, a cute little, one-eyed Cocker Spaniel named Buddy was brought in to meet them. Upon entering the room, he jumped up in the chair next to Harvey and plopped his head in the man’s lap. When Helen approached him, he licked her face happily and the connection was made. "He’s just perfect," she squealed. A short time later, leash in hand, they headed for their car and Buddy, whose previous owner had allowed the dog’s eye to become so seriously infected that there was no alternative but to remove it, had a new home.

"Thank you so much," Brady had told them as they exited the building with Buddy dancing excitedly, his floppy ears bouncing as he hopped along. He watched as they loaded the dog into the back of their Cadillac and backed from the parking space. He waved good-bye as they slowly drove past the window toward the exit and into the street.

"Another successful adoption?" Tim asked, entering the room as Brady waved to the couple.

Wiping his eyes, Brady confirmed, "They took Buddy." He held up the check for three hundred dollars for Tim to see.

"I’m so glad he got a home. I was worried about him," Tim said. "Wow, that’s nice," he added, indicating the check.

"Now, if we can just find homes for some of the others…" He paused as the phone began to ring. "Paws and Claws Animal Rescue," he said, picking up the receiver.

"Could I speak to Bradley Tortellino?" the man’s voice asked.

"Yes, I’m Brady Tortellino," he corrected, "Can I ask who’s calling?"

"My name is Chase Freed" the man began, "And I’m with the Animal Welfare League of North America. You had submitted a proposal for a grant for a new operation called Black Sheep Farm."

"Yes, I did but I’m afraid…"

"Mister Tortellino, I’m happy to tell you that, after careful consideration, we’ve decided to offer you one of our grants."

Brady fell into the chair next to the desk. "I don’t know what to say," he muttered.

"I’ve been trying to reach you, at the number on your application, for several days now without any success. I finally tried your work number, I hope this isn’t a bad time."

"No, not at all. It’s a perfect time," Brady assured him. "In fact, you have no idea how perfect."

Chase Freed continued, "Our only stipulation is that the money has to be intended for the benefit of animals in need. Once you receive our check, you can use it any way you see fit. At the end of the year, we ask that you send us an accounting of how the funds were actually used."

"Okay," Brady responded.

"If you want to set up a spay/neuter program, pay rent for office space, use it to purchase supplies or food, anything. As long as your intention is to help animals in need," the man continued. "I’ll be sending you a couple of forms that will have to be filled out and, once we receive those back, we can cut you a check. Do you have a fax number?"

"Sure," Brady replied, giving the number to him. "How much are we talking about?" he asked.

"Well, you had initially asked for fifty thousand," Chase Freed replied, "But, after consideration, and since it’s a new operation, we have decided to double that amount as long as you get the corporation information back to us by the end of next week."

A tear traveled across Brady’s right cheek as he absorbed what he was hearing. "That’s wonderful," he said softly. Tim had gone to retrieve the fax and laid it on the desk in front of Brady. "I have the paperwork," Brady told the man.

"Great, just get that filled out and mail it back to us, the address is on the cover page, and I’ll see to it that your funds are sent out right away," Chase confirmed. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Hundreds," Brady admitted.

Chase Freed laughed. "That’s typical," he replied. "Take a few days and I’ll be in touch."

Brady sat staring for several moments before he hung up the phone. "I don’t believe this," he finally said as Tim waited.

"What?" Tim asked, excited.

Brady looked at him and began; "Do you remember that grant I applied for when I was trying to buy that house?"

Tim nodded. "I think I remember something about it, yeah," he replied.

"I got it," Brady stated bluntly.

Tim rushed to congratulate his friend. "That’s awesome, Bray," he offered, pulling his friend into a tight hug. "How much did you get?"

****​

When Darin arrived at the house on Thursday afternoon, Steve was loading his tools into his truck. Darin parked the Mustang next to the garage and walked over to where Steve was waiting. "How’s it going?" he asked as Steve reached out to shake his hand, the broad smile spreading across his tanned face.

"Real well," Steve replied. "The outside work is finished, except for a little trim work in the back, and the pool guys are coming in the morning. We got the carpet all torn out. You were right about the living room, all hardwood."

"That’s great," Darin said, "Is the floor salvageable?"

"Pretty much," Steve answered, putting more tools into the back of the truck. Another, much younger man came out of the house wearing only cut off painter’s pants and work boots. His deep tanned skin caught Darin’s eye immediately. His blond hair was spiked with gel and made him appear to be around eighteen. He walked to another truck parked in front of Steve’s and put his toolbox into the back and went back inside the house. "All the living room needs is a good sanding and it can be refinished. The bedrooms and hall will have to be carpeted," Steve continued. "They’re all plywood decking. It’s in good shape though."

"How much is there yet to do inside?" Darin asked.

Steve smiled, as the younger man appeared in the doorway again, a green tee shirt pulled over his head but not pulled down over his shoulders. "I’m gonna take off now," he called to Steve, "I’ll see ya at home." When he rounded the rear of the old pickup, Darin noticed both of his nipples were pierced and he had a dragon tattoo on his left shoulder. Darin also spotted a bandana sticking out of his right back pocket. It was the same dark green as the one Steve had in the left pocket of his work pants.

"Okay," Steve called back. "I’ll be along in a bit," he added before the truck sputtered to life and chugged away, down the long driveway to the road. Both men watched until the truck turned onto the highway and disappeared toward town. "That’s my boy, Luke," he said to Darin.

"It’s nice you and your son can work together," he said.

Steve smiled again, shaking his head. "He’s not my son, he’s my boy," he corrected. When he realized that Darin was not following, he added, "Uh, my partner." He watched as the realization spread across Darin’s face.

"Oh!" Darin said when he realized what Steve was saying. "I’m sorry, I just naturally thought because of the age difference, he was your son," he apologized.

"No problem, we get that all the time," Steve replied, "I’m fifty-one and he’s twenty-seven so most folks figure he’s my son. A lot of the time, we don’t bother to correct them. It’s easier that way."

Darin looked at Steve and stated, "You’re fifty-one? I was guessing early forties."

"Thanks," Steve said, "I owe it all to hair color and exercise." He laughed. "I guess he helps keep me young too."

"How long have you guys been together?"

"Almost eight years," Steve replied, his broad smile returning once again.

"That’s cool. My guy and I have only been together a few weeks but, already, I don’t know what I’d do without him in my life."

"That’s what it’s all about," Steve said. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something when you called."

"Yeah, I need to know if you could help me by having things tidied up by Saturday morning. I want to surprise Brady for his birthday."

"Shouldn’t be a problem. Like I said, most of the outside stuff is done. You won’t be able to use the pool, though."

"Oh, that’s fine. I’ve invited some friends out to help me with the surprise. He worked so hard to try and buy this place that I just couldn’t let it slip away from him," Darin explained. "You and Luke are welcome to come as well."

"Well, thanks, that sounds like fun. This place has a lot of potential," Steve confirmed. "I can see why he wanted it so bad. If you hadn’t bought it, I’d have bought it myself. Luke loves this place."

"I can’t explain it but, when I stood inside, I kept seeing how it could be," Darin said, blushing. "I know it sounds weird but, in my mind, I actually saw it." He looked at Steve, expecting him to laugh. When he didn’t, he continued, "I never thought of myself as the type who would buy a place like this. I just sold another place for over eight hundred grand but, this feels more like home than that place ever did."

Steve placed his rough hand on Darin’s shoulder and locked onto his gaze. "That’s a real gift," he began, "When you can feel that sense of ‘home’ in a place that was in the shape this one was. You were right to buy this house and you should hang onto that feeling, no matter what."

"That’s what I figured," Darin said. "I know Brady felt it too."

"Come on, let me show you what we’ve done so far," Steve offered, leading Darin toward the front door.

When they opened the door, Darin noticed immediately that the house smelled better. "Hey, it doesn’t smell like old people any more," he joked.

"I know," Steve said, laughing, "Once we got the carpet out, it made a big difference.

****​

Brady awoke on Friday morning with a start and sat up quickly in the bed. He turned to view the alarm clock, which was flashing, ‘4:02’. "The power was off," he said shaking Darin awake. "We’re late." He swung his feet off the edge of the king-size bed and grabbed his robe. "I’m gonna see if Tim and Tony are up yet," he said as Darin sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What time is it?" Darin asked sleepily.

Picking up his watch and checking the time, Brady replied, "Almost eight thirty." When he entered the hallway, he could hear the sound of the shower running and Tim’s giggles echoing off the tile walls of the bathroom. "Are you guys both up?" he shouted through the closed door. The door opened quickly, just as Tony pushed back the shower curtain and was stepping into the tub. Tim stood there, naked, his face covered with shave cream.

"Sorry, I didn’t realize you guys stayed here last night," Tim apologized. "When did you get in?"

"Around midnight," Brady replied. "You want me to start coffee?"

"Nah, I’ll jus’ get some on’a way," Tony called from the shower as Darin padded up behind Brady.

"None for me," Tim said, quickly scraping the razor over his cheeks and rinsing the blade.

Darin kissed the back of Brady’s head before pushing past him into the bathroom. "Gotta pee," he said, yawning.

"Dude!" Tony hollered, "It’s occapied!"

A heavy stream of urine hit the bowl as Darin shot back, "Yeah, yeah. Nothin’ I ain’t seen before."

"Don’t ya dare flush ‘at," Tony warned, laughing.

An evil grin crossed Darin’s face as he shook off the last drops and reached for the handle. "Should I?" he asked, looking at Tim, who was rinsing the remnants of lather from his face.

"I don’t think I would," Tim offered. "But you’re not bangin’ him," he laughed as well, pushing back the curtain and stepping into the spray.

"I mean it!" Tony shouted, the water splashing off his lanky frame.

"Oh, you big baby!" Darin said when he exited the room. "You better not use all the hot water."

****​

Jake was waiting when Darin arrived at his office just before ten. "It’s about time you showed up," he said crossly.

"The power was off so the alarm didn’t ring," Darin apologized. "Coffee," he added reaching for the pot. Taking a sip, he pointed at the cup and smiled. "Now that’s good coffee," he chuckled. "Any messages?"

Jake handed him a small stack of papers. "Aaron called, he said he’ll have Brady’s corporation papers for you guys to sign later today," he began, "Adam Bailey wants you to get back with him as soon as you can. Something about a court date. The rest are from yesterday."

"Is everything ready for tomorrow?" Darin asked, picking up the phone.

Jake gave Darin another cross look. "I’m hurt," he whined, "You asked me to plan your party and now you’re questioning me?" He waved his hands in mock disgust. "Carry on with your nonsense, I can’t be bothered with you."

"So, I take it that means yes?" Darin asked, eyebrows raised. He punched the buttons on the phone.

"Just keeping my ‘inner drama queen’ tuned up," Jake replied, laughing. "I think you’ll be quite happy," he added.

"That’s what I thought." As his phone call was answered, he said, "Adam? Darin. What’s up?"

"I’m glad you called," Adam replied, "I wanted you to know that Lillian won’t be going into court."

"Why not?" Darin asked, confused.

"She met with the prosecutor yesterday and accepted a plea bargain. She’ll get sixty days house arrest and two years probation in exchange for testifying against Albert Wade. Plus, she has to pay all of Rodney’s medical bills, go through an alcohol treatment program and take anger management."

"That ought to push her over the edge," Darin chortled. "She’s been a drunk ever since I’ve known her."

"Actually, it was her daughter’s idea," Adam advised.

"Janet? Wow, that’s a surprise. Did she get anything?"

"Two years probation for her part in locating Rodney. Plus, she had to write a letter of apology and volunteer with one of the gay support groups. The judge considered her an accessory."

"Any news about that scum?" Darin asked, "Wade, I mean."

"Oh, yeah! He’s in custody in California for another battery case."

"That’s good news. Are they gonna bring him back here?"

"That’s another issue we have to work out. The charges in California are heavier than this one. Seems he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a transvestite. When he found out, he beat the guy unconscious, then dumped his body in a ravine."

Darin took in a deep breath. "Oh, my God! That’s awful!" he exclaimed.

"The prosecutor is trying to work a deal where he can be charged without actually having to be brought back here. He pretty much admitted that he raped and beat Rodney."

"Well, that’s good," Darin said. "Makes it easier to get a conviction, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much. They’re still pressing for a hate crime but the case in California could end up being a homicide. The victim is still critical and they don’t expect him to make it."

"I’m just glad this one didn’t end up that way," Darin confessed, his voice cracking slightly.

Adam let out a long breath. "Me too," he choked, "Me too."


After a short, awkward silence, Darin added, "Keep me posted."

"Will do, brother," Adam responded. "Catch ya later."

"Bye." Turning to Jake, he simply said, "They got him," and he hung up the phone.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[kcm17480]

All right they caught the bastard. Good show.