The family that preys together…- 45

“One down and one to go,” Bryant said, glancing at the man bound and gagged in the back of the van.

Crispin nodded as he looked for the house of their second target. Seeing it, he drove on past, turning the corner and then dousing the headlights before driving down the alley behind it. He parked three houses away and got out, waiting for Bryant to join him. “You’re certain he’s unconscious,” he asked, getting an affirming nod from his brother.

They made their way to the rear of the small house where the second man lived. It was dark except for a lighted window on the second floor. Crispin stepped to the side of the back door, the hand holding the taser hanging loosely at his side. At his nod Bryant pushed the doorbell. They could hear it chime and then moments later a grumbled, ‘Who the hell…’ coming from the open upstairs window. Bryant moved back just enough that if the man looked he’d see him but in shadows.

They heard the window open and then the man leaned out slightly, looking down. “What do you want at this hour?” he growled.

“It’s me, Peter,” Bryant replied, using the name of a neighbor two doors down. “My damned circuit breaker blew and I think it’s burned out. I was hoping you had some candles or a flashlight. Mine’s dead, of course.”

“Hang on,” the man said with a sigh. “Yeah candles I have. I’ll be right down.”

The back door opened a couple of minutes later. The man took one look at Bryant and said, “Hey, you’re not Peter. What the hell’s going on?” Before he could slam the door shut Crispin stepped into view, pulling the trigger on the taser as he pressed it to the man’s chest. Their prey convulsed and fell forward. Bryant caught him as Crispin pocketed the taser and took out a short length of rope which he used to bind the man’s hands after pulling them behind him. Then they checked the man’s pockets for his keys. Crispin smiled in relief when they found them; he didn’t relish the idea of going into the house to search. He closed the back door with a gloved hand and then went to get the van.

Once the man was safely in the back of the van, with his feet now tied as well, Bryant moved quickly to the side of the house where the man’s car was parked. He pulled it out onto the street and waited for Crispin. Then they returned to the first man’s house where Bryant parked the car at the curb and then climbed into the van. Ten minutes later they were on the highway heading home.

The family that preys together…- 44

“We meet again,” Crispin said teasingly as Kent sat down beside him on the edge of the pool. “Ready to see if you can beat me this time?”

Kent grinned. “Over and back and the winner gets…humm…”

“A kiss,” Crispin suggested, feeling both daring and needy. This was the first time since Kent had dropped him off at home Sunday morning that the two of them seen each other.

Kent’s eyebrows rose in surprise but he nodded. “You’re on.” He stood and dove into the water, Crispin doing the same seconds later. They hit the far wall at the same moment, doing flip turns to head back to their starting point. Crispin managed to draw into the lead only to be overtaken half way across the pool by the younger man. Kent touched the edge of the pool first and hung there, catching his breath. He let out a gasp when strong hands grabbed his waist and pulled him down until his feet hit the bottom of the pool. Then a hot, hungry mouth captured his. He wrapped his arms around Crispin and they kissed until the need for air forced them to return to the water’s surface.

Quickly they broke apart and Crispin glanced around to see if anyone seemed have noticed.

“Would it have mattered if anyone saw us?” Kent inquired quietly.

“No,” Crispin replied slowly. “I don’t suppose it would have. No one’s here who knows me.”

“I see.” Kent put his hands on the edge of the pool and leveraged himself up to sit looking down at Crispin. “And if there had been you’d what, tell them they misread what they thought they saw.” His words were angry and full of hurt.

“No. Yes. God I don’t know Kent. Maybe.” Crispin clung to the rim of the pool, one hand resting on Kent’s leg. “I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”

Kent smiled wanly. “If I were a woman you’d think nothing of it and neither would anyone else. Well I hate to point this out but…” He stood quickly, his anger coming to the forefront again, “but I’m not, and if you can’t accept that you just might be interested in me despite the fact that I’m male then what I thought was starting to happen is ending right now.”

“Wait…” Crispin pulled himself from the pool, watching as Kent almost ran for the door. “Wait damn it, give me a chance to… To explain.” He whispered the last words as Kent vanished into the locker room.

He started after him then paused. He wasn’t ready to have a confrontation with Kent in public about their relationship, if they even had one now. He was tense, hungry for the game which still wouldn’t be played out for a couple more days. Knowing himself, a confrontation at the moment would escalate quickly into more if he lost his temper and that would most definitely bring an end to any possibility of his being able to mend what had happened.

Friday, he thought, Friday night when it’s over, when he’s calmed down and I’m in control of myself again. Then I’ll make things right between us.

The family that preys together…- 43

“Spin get your head out of the clouds and pay attention damn it,” Bryant barked out when he had to tell his brother for the third time about one of the people they might be going after.

“Sorry.” Crispin picked up the page Bryant shoved at him, concentrating on what it said before nodding. “He’s definitely a danger to others, not only for his tailgating but apparently for his inability to keep his temper while driving. Two stops for road rage? That’s unconscionable.”

“I agree. He’s about as bad as the one with three DUI stops. He managed to find himself a good lawyer to get him off with just a fine and probation each time.”

“Do them both?” Crispin asked, a smile of lust for the kill crossing his face as he looked at his brother.

Bryant returned the smile with a vicious one of his own. “I was thinking that. Maybe even together if we can figure out a way that sends the right message.”

“Now that could be interesting, very interesting. Tailgater meets drunk driver.” He nodded. “I like it.”

“But not before I get to play with them.”

“Well of course not, that’s half the fun.” Crispin’s eyes lit up at the thought.

Bryant smiled to himself. It looked as if his brother was back. But then that wasn’t so surprising. Crispin had no way to sublimate his need to play the game the way Bryant did. Even if he did become physically involved with Kent, that would do little to diminish the need for the adrenaline rush that came from dealing out death to those that deserved it.

“So,” Bryant said as he laid out the two sheets of paper with the information on their intended prey, “we need to…”

For the next hour they worked and reworked their ideas until they came up with a plan that satisfied both of them.

The family that preys together…- 42

While his father and brother were downstairs talking about Kent’s possible demise, Crispin was smiling to himself, remembering the evening just past…

A soon as Kent closed the door to his apartment Crispin moved to close the distance between them. Then he hesitated, uncertain if he had it in him to do what he wanted to. Kent stood, watching him and Crispin knew that what happened next would be his choice and his alone. He lifted his hand, touching Kent’s jaw, feeling the light stubble that instantly added to his awareness that this was a man standing in front of him. Not that he was unaware of that of course.

Kent sighed softly, his eyes locked on Crispin’s face, searching.

Slowly Crispin leaned forward, his hand sliding down to cup Kent’s jaw as he pressed a hesitant kiss to his lips. When Kent returned it gently, asking for nothing more than what he was being given, Crispin deepened it, his hand by then tangled in Kent’s shoulder-length hair.

When he eventually stepped back Crispin was smiling, running the tip of his tongue over his lips as if trying to discover if the flavor of the kiss was still there. “Not what I expected,” he admitted.

Kent chuckled. “And just what did you think it would be like?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps a bit off-putting if that makes sense. That your lips would be, alright this probably sounds stupid but rough maybe, umm, damn. I don’t know. I definitely didn’t expect that it would be…”

“Like kissing a woman only better?”

“Most definitely better. Who knew?”

Kent tossed his head back, laughing. “I did.”

“Now I feel like a total idiot.” When Crispin turned away he was quickly spun back around, Kent’s hands on his waist, to face him again.

“You’re not an idiot. You’ve just never explored this side of you before.”

“Until a moment ago I wasn’t that certain it even existed.”

Kent nodded. “Then why did you kiss me?”

With open sincerity Crispin replied, “To find out.”  

“Then this was just an experiment, nothing more.” Kent obviously tried to hide his disappointment.

“No!” Crispin sighed. “No,” he repeated. “I just, I’m old enough to be…”

“Do not say brother or uncle,” Kent muttered. “The way I’m feeling that would be totally incestuous.”

Crispin smiled slightly. “Well then let’s just say I’m much older than you and should know myself well enough to get that I’m not immune to men.”

“All men?” Again Kent felt hurt that Crispin was being so general in his statements and Crispin immediately saw that in his face.

“I’m doing this very badly. No not all men, though yes I guess I’ve looked at them. You pointed that out yourself soon after we met.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Perhaps if I kiss you again you’ll understand better what I can’t seem to say in words.”

Kent smiled. “It’s worth a try.”…

The rest of the evening had been spent sharing kisses and small touches while watching some television movie that if asked Crispin could not have described now. It had been only that and nothing more, as Kent had been careful not to push Crispin beyond his still hesitant limits.  Crispin had ended up as he had the previous weekend sleeping alone in Rick’s bedroom and in the morning he’d accepted without hesitation Kent’s offer to drive him home.

The family that preys together…- 41

“I’ve got all the information we need and he’s still not home!” Bryant slammed the sheaf of papers down and the desk, swearing when they went every which way, some landing on the floor.

“Call him. Tell him you’re on your way to pick him up.” Gerard looked out the window at the sun which was half way to it’s zenith as they spoke.

Bryant picked up the phone and dialed, stopping when he heard a car door close through the open window. A nod and a scowl from his father told him it was what he thought. “He let that … that man drive him here? Is he insane?”

Two minutes later he was asking his brother the same questions.

“I trust him,” was Crispin’s reply as he stared at the two angry men facing him.

“You know nothing about him. Hell I’d be willing to bet I know more than you do,” Bryant retorted.

“Have you been checking up on him?” Crispin fisted his hands, willing himself not to stalk out of the room, or do something worse.

“Both of you stop,” Gerard ordered. “Of course he checked, Crispin, at my order. The last thing we need is some interloper who is on to what we do and is looking for proof.”

Crispin nodded slowly, seeing the logic of that even if he didn’t like it. “And he passed muster?” he asked somewhat scathingly.

“He did,” Bryant said in reply. “Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes, slightly.”

“Very well, now that we’ve settled that, Crispin, go change and then the two of you can work out your plans.”

As soon as Crispin had left Bryant said, “Do we do something about that Kent person? He seems to be disrupting things and I for one am not happy about that.”

Gerard drummed his fingers on the edge of the window frame. “Perhaps. Come up with some ideas on how to, just in case, and if it seems warranted we’ll put them into motion.”