Everyone's Man – 18

 

"Oh boy," Marc murmured under his breath as the elevator doors opened. Bill was standing, obviously waiting for it, if not for him.

 

"About time you decided to show up," Bill growled angrily, putting his hand to the doors to keep them from closing. Then he saw Colin and his frown deepened into a scowl. "Did you think I'd be gone already?"

 

Colin pressed as far back into the corner of the elevator as he could, staring down at the floor with the obvious hope that the man would think he was just someone else who happened to live in the building.

 

Marc wasn't having any of that. He beckoned to Colin to join him. "Bill, this is Colin, the young man I mentioned a couple of days ago."

 

It took Bill a moment to realize what he meant. His tone softened slightly as he asked, "Why is he here?"

 

Before he answered, Marc stepped off the elevator with Colin reluctantly in tow. "He needs a safe place to stay for a day or two."

 

"Why here, though?" Bill looked Colin over with a jaundiced eye. "Surely there are plenty of other places. A hotel if it comes down to it."

 

"It was spur-of-the-moment. We checked for safe houses. There aren't any for men around here." Trying to seem casual, Marc glanced at his watch. "You're going to be late if you're not careful."

 

"True." With a great show of proprietorship, he wrapped his arms around Marc, kissing him long and hard while casting a quick look over Marc's shoulder at Colin to let him know that Marc was off-limits. "Be here when I get home," he ordered as he entered the elevator.

 

"Damn," Marc growled once the doors had closed. "Sorry about that."

 

"Is he always like that?" Colin asked, following Marc down the hall, "Because if he is, maybe I should go to a hotel."

 

"Over my dead body. We have the room and you're staying. As for your question, he's not really all that bad. He just has a jealous streak a mile wide at times."

 

Marc unlocked the door to the apartment and ushered Colin inside. Colin whistled in appreciation. "Not bad, not bad at all. You do well for yourself, Doc."

 

"Actually, it's mostly Bill. He's the big money maker." Marc tossed his jacket over the back of the sofa, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Come on, I'll show you your room before I pass out," he said, suddenly feeling dead-tired and not wishing to get into a discussion of his personal life with Colin at the moment.

 

 

Everyone's Man – 17

 

 

"Says you. You weren't there." Colin's agony-filled eyes gazed at Marc.

 

"Says me because I understand the body and how it works." Marc took his hand, just to hold it. "The only stupid thing you did was trust someone you didn't know."

 

Colin smiled wanly. "That comes with what I do."

 

"Then you've been damned lucky this is the first time you've been hurt."

 

"Raped, Marc. I don't like the word, but it's what happened. Yeah, I guess I have been lucky in a way. I've had run-ins with real weirdoes, but I always managed to talk my way out of it. Just get away from the situation. When you're built like I am, you learn to do that."

 

"You mean cute and sexy?" Marc said, then immediately regretted it when a shadow passed over Colin's face. "Sorry," he said sincerely. "I know now's not the time to be saying something like that."

 

"It's okay, I guess. Sorta makes me think maybe I can get back to what I do best again if someone sees me like that. If you do, maybe my johns will too, when the time comes."

 

"Oh, they would, but damn it, Colin, there has to be something else you can do instead."

 

"Don't try to be the Salvation Army, Marc. It's the way I choose to live my life." Colin chewed his lip. "I just have to get…back in shape again."

 

"Which is going to take time on a physical level, as I'm sure Dr. Allen pointed out to you. If he didn't, then I am."

 

Colin nodded. "I know, but," he quirked a small grin, "my mouth still works just fine."

 

Marc was about to make a comment about that when his cell chimed. Checking the ID, he sighed and then texted Mr. Jealous Man his reply, I'll be home soon. Sorry I'm so late, before putting the phone away.

 

"The boyfriend wondering where you are?" Colin asked with a knowing grin.

 

"Exactly, so let's finish up and get home before he leaves." He didn't add that Bill would already be beyond pissed because Marc hadn't been there much earlier that evening as he'd promised. The fact that Colin had needed him and he'd gone running to help was his fault, not the young man's, but convincing Bill to see it that way might prove dicey.

 

Everyone's Man – 16

 

As they drove from the hospital to the apartment, Marc covertly watched Colin and then chuckled. "Your stomach's going to start growling any second now. Let's get you some real food, not the hospital pap."

 

"No, that's okay. I'm good," Colin told him. "Honest."

 

"Well I'm not, and I don't feel like making something to eat when I get home." Marc pulled into the lot of an all-night diner.

 

A few minutes later they had both ordered, Marc insisting Colin get more than just scrambled eggs and toast. As they waited for their meals to be delivered, Marc sipped his coffee while he observed Colin fidgeting with his napkin. Finally, tired of the prolonged silence, he asked, "What are your plans now?"

 

Colin shrugged. "Getting as far away from here as I can, for starters, and then finding someone who'll add me to their stable."

 

"You make it sound like you're a horse, not a person."

 

Colin's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Well, when you think about it, we both get ridden."

 

"Colin, damn," Marc growled but he couldn't help but laugh before sobering. "That's all you know how to do?"

 

Again Colin shrugged. "Yeah. I dropped out of high school my senior year cause it wasn't cutting it for me. I'm not exactly, you know, mister macho, and I got tired of dealing with the idiots that couldn't accept me the way I am. Before you ask, my folks accept I'm gay and understood why I left."

 

"Do they know, well…you know."

 

"That I earn my money sucking dick? No. They think I'm a waiter at a fancy restaurant in Chicago. I figured that was far enough away from LA that they weren't likely to try to 'drop in' to check it out."

 

"How did you end up here, of all places?" Marc sat back so the waitress could put down their plates and top off his coffee.

 

"Got off the bus and ran into—" he frowned as if considering his next words. "Into the man I used to work for. He thought I had potential." Colin paused to start eating hungrily. Once he'd made a dent in the food in front of him, he continued. "I guess I did, because I've been here for three years."

 

"Was this the first time you earned money that way?"

 

Colin broke into laughter. "Not hardly. I learned all the tricks of the trade in alleys behind bars and in restrooms even before I left school, and put them to use working my way across the country."

 

Marc looked at him over the rim of his coffee cup. "That doesn't sound like fun."

 

"I like sex. I might as well get paid for doing it. Yeah, it can have its drawbacks, especially when you let men pick you up in a bar or bathhouse, but all in all I've been lucky up until now." He looked down, a deep frown on his face. "I got overconfident and stupid again," he muttered quietly.

 

Marc reached across the table and put his fingers under Colin's chin to make him look up. "You know that what happened wasn't your fault."

 

"Yeah, up here I know it," Colin tapped his forehead. "I've read all the stuff on-line about rape. But…" his hands fisted. "I put myself in the position for it to happen, because of what I did and what I am. Which," he stared defiantly at Marc, "doesn't mean I'm going to stop whoring. It's good money and my only real talent. I'm just… Hell, I don't know." He bowed his head again. "What I can't figure is why, when it was happening it must have turned me on, 'cause I came a couple of times. That's sick."

 

"As a doctor, I can tell you it was a normal, involuntary physiological reaction and nothing more, Colin. You were ejaculating, not having an orgasm per se. Hard to accept or even distinguish, but you did not do it because you asked for or enjoyed what they were doing to you."

 

Everyone's Man – 15

 

 

Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Marc hung up the phone. Apparently safe houses in the area were geared towards battered women and abused children, not towards men who had been harmed by someone, be it partners or otherwise. Even the rape crisis center was stymied as to where to send Colin to keep him safe. The problem, of course, was that Marc wasn't willing to break Colin's trust and tell anyone that the attack was anything less than random. Marc knew the immediate response should have been to call the police. That would have been the wisest move, too, in any case. But Marc's first duty was, and would always be, his responsibility to the patient.

 

Besides, with unnamed assailants and given the fact that he was an admitted 'whore', it was possible, Marc thought, that the police would write it off as a male prostitute with an axe to grind because he'd been stiffed on his payment.

 

Hearing the door open, he turned and smiled. "Done with your rounds?" he teased.

 

Colin nodded soberly. "That was a real eye-opener. I guess I just thought…" he shrugged.

 

"That it was only sick people in here, or maternity cases?"

 

"Yeah. Stupid, I know." Colin sat down carefully on the hard wooden chair across from Marc. "It's the kids that really get to you."

 

"Trust me, I know." He noted Colin's pallor and nodded to the worn sofa along one wall. "If you want to rest for a while I should be finished up in about half an hour."

 

"Naw, I'm good. So, did you find someplace?" Colin realized he still had the cap on and pulled it off, shaking out his thick, black hair. He combed his fingers through it until the line from the hat was gone. Marc suspected it was because his ego demanded that his hair be perfect, even if his life wasn't at the moment.

 

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Marc admitted.

 

"That's okay. Just take me to the bus station and I'll catch one back to where I was living before…before all this shit went down."

 

"Not happening, Colin. If push comes to shove, I'll take you home with me."

 

Colin's face lit up for a second. Then he sighed. "Not a good idea. Tabby said you have a partner. He might not want company."

 

"She told you that?"

 

"Yeah, well I guess I asked, sort of." Colin looked down at his hands.

 

"She's right, I do, but we have a spare bedroom. He won't mind you using it, under the circumstances," Marc knew it was a lie, but he wasn't ready to see Colin go off on his own until he knew he'd be safe, both physically and emotionally.

 

Colin chewed his lip, then lifted his dark eyes to look at Marc. "You're sure?"

 

"Yes. I am."

Everyone's Man – 14

"This is so not going to work," Colin muttered, looking down at himself.

 

Marc bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Maybe if we roll up the pant legs. At least the shirt's short sleeved."

 

"Just what are you two doing?" Tabby asked from the doorway before breaking into giggles. "If you trying to hide him in plain sight it's not working," she told them once she'd calmed down. "Give me a few minutes and I'll find you a set that actually fits, Mr. Wilcox."

 

As good as her word, she returned with a set that didn't make Colin look like a clown. She also brought a cap, telling him to tuck up his hair. When he did as she asked, she nodded. "Even your own mother wouldn't recognize you now."

 

"She would, actually, but she probably wouldn't care—" Marc and Tabby looked at each other, then across to Colin, who spoke quickly to stave off further questioning. "—even though she does love me. So now what?"

 

Tabby was the one who answered. "I think I'll take you on rounds with me. No one will question it as long as you stand outside the door and act like you belong."

 

Marc nodded in partial agreement. "It could work, but how will you explain having a new trainee to the powers-that-be?"

 

Tabby put her arm around Colin's shoulders. "Marc, meet the newest nursing temp, since we're shorthanded at the moment."

 

"Me, a temp?" Colin shook his head. "I know nothing…"

 

"Trust me, it will work. I'm in charge of them so when I say you are, you are," Tabby replied with a grin.

 

Colin shrugged, wincing as he did so. He tried to hide it from the others by heading quickly to the door. Marc frowned, casting a worried look at Tabby. She nodded, reading his concerns, as she followed Colin out of the room.

 

Once they were gone, Marc muttered to himself, "Now I have to find him a safe place to stay for the duration." The problem was he really had no idea how long that would be. He just knew he wasn't about to let Colin leave until he had faced the facts of his attack, and if at all possible, come to terms with it. Why he cared, he wasn't certain. It was probably the doctor in him. But he hadn't a clue how to make that all happen.

 

Everyone's Man – 13

 

 

Marc woke to the sound of his cell chiming. Muttering that he was supposed to have two hours until he was due at the hospital, he found it, read the message, and immediately called in. After a brief conversation with the nurse, he was heading to the bathroom to take a fast shower. It wasn't until he got back to the bedroom that it sank in that he wouldn't be there when Bill got home.

 

"Oh great, fight night again," he muttered as he finished dressing. Once he'd donned clean scrubs, he grabbed his wallet and keys and took off.

 

Thirty minutes later he stood at the side of Colin's bed. The young man's face was pale and drawn. The fear in his eyes belied the slight smile he tried to give Marc.

 

"He found me," he told Marc in a shaky voice.

 

"How do you know? Has he been here?"

 

"He…he called." Colin looked at the phone beside the bed. "He said he'd be waiting when I got out."

 

"Did he threaten you?"

 

Colin shook his head. "He's too smart for that, but he knew I'd get the message loud and clear."

 

"Then we'll have to find you a safe place to stay."

 

"You'll help?" Colin looked at him in surprise.

 

Marc nodded. "Isn't that why you wanted me here?"

 

"I didn't… I mean, I did… I do…" Colin chewed a nail as he looked at Marc. "I didn't ask them to call you. The nurse did it on her own."

 

"Tabby would," Marc told him with a laugh. "But either way, I'm here and I'll help. We just have to find you a safe house."

 

"Not here, not in this city. Nowhere would be safe from him." Colin's voice rose in panic.

 

"Colin, calm down." Marc took his hand, stroking the back with his thumb until he felt some of the tension leave the young man. "I'll call the police. They can find him if you can give them a description."

 

"No!" The word was a shout of panic. "No police. They won't… No way they'd believe me and if he…if he found out…"

 

"Calm down, Colin. I'll make you a deal. For right now we'll keep them out of this," Marc said, unwilling to upset the young man at this juncture. "Instead, I'll see what I can find out about this man. For starters, he could have been lying about himself. What's his name?"

 

"He… I don't know. But his house is huge, at least what I saw of it."

 

Colin's eyes went dead then, his body going rigid with tension, and Marc knew he was back there, remembering. Marc took Colin's shoulders and shook him gently.

 

"You're here and safe," he told him firmly.

 

Slowly, Colin relaxed again. Taking a deep breath he asked, "Can we get out of here before… I mean." His fingernail was back between his teeth again.

 

"I can get you signed out, yes, but I'm not going to until after my shift is over. There's no way I'm letting you go off on your own and take a chance that man meant what he said." He smiled at Colin. "I'm getting tired of stitching you up."

 

"I'm sorta tired of it too, even though it does mean I get to—" He looked down, blushing. "I didn't mean…" he muttered.

 

"Hey," Marc said softly, "no need to apologize. Okay?"

 

"Okay, but still I shouldn't have even… Can we change the subject before I say something really stupid? I bet you're already taken so I should—" Colin bit down on his lip hard. "So I get to sit here and stare at the walls for another eight hours? I'll go bug-fuck."

 

"Actually, no. I'll find a different set of walls for you to stare at. I'm…we're not going to take any chances. But first we need to get you something to wear so you don't look like a patient."

 

"We know your clothes won't work," Colin said, a tiny grin quirking his mouth.

 

"Maybe we can fake it with a set of my scrubs." Marc got up, admonishing Colin not to go anywhere until he got back.

 

Everyone's Man – 12

 

"You're late, and you look like you're about to fall on your face. Rough night?"

 

Marc nodded as he closed the apartment door and gave Bill the obligatory kiss.

 

"Rough, and then after my shift was over, I spent some time with a man who'd been raped, trying to let him know someone actually gave a damn about what had happened to him."

 

"Whoa, love. I bet that was rough." Bill hugged him hard. "Come on, I'll help you get undressed and into bed before I leave."

 

Marc realized at that point that his lover was dressed for work. "I'm that late? I'm sorry."

 

Bill shrugged. "I know what your hours are like. I'm used to it. But your residency will be over soon and then you can open your practice and live like a normal human being."

 

As he headed to the bedroom Marc winced at Bill's words. He'd been putting off telling him that he'd changed his mind about that. That wouldn't be an option for much longer. He just didn't relish the idea of breaking the news that he was going to stay in the ER. He knew Bill would blow a fuse, to put it mildly. His lover had things all planned out. Marc would open his own practice and then there would be a lot more money, enough for them to buy the house Bill envisioned in the suburbs, with all the bells and whistles.

 

That used to be Marc's dream as well, back at the beginning, until he'd realized how much good he was doing where he was. He hadn't been lying to Colin when he'd told him he was a doctor because he cared, and in the ER he could put that into practice on a daily basis.

 

As if sensing something was bothering his partner, Bill paused at the bedroom door rather than following Marc in. "Care to share?"

 

Marc grinned, stripping slowly, ignoring what he knew the question really meant. "I'd love to, but you're heading to work." He sauntered towards Bill, stroking himself as he did. After all their time together, he knew his lover well enough to know there was no danger Bill would respond to the offer. Work came first because that's where the money was.

 

Bill sighed, pulling Marc into an embrace. "Tonight, before you leave, I'll take you up on this." He slid his hand between them, pumping Marc's hard cock for a moment as he kissed him.

 

Marc groaned, pulling away. He'd asked for it, now he'd have to deal with it, but not until he was alone. He swatted Bill's ass lightly. "Off with you."

 

With a chuckle and a wiggle of his ass, Bill did as ordered. Seconds later, Marc was in bed, too tired to even jack off before falling asleep.

 

Everyone's Man – 11

 

Marc wanted to know who this 'he' was, but now wasn't the moment to verbalize the thought. "There shouldn't be much scarring, if any, and it'll all be on your back and buttocks."

 

"Hate to tell you, Doc, but my ass is what most men end up seeing. Guess you're not gay, or you'd know that."

 

"First off, how about you call me Marc, and secondly, for your information, I am gay."

 

Colin looked him over with a knowing eye, now. "Should have guessed. You're too pretty to be straight."

 

Marc snorted. "Don't say that too loudly. Not everyone here knows."

 

"That you're pretty?" he joked.

 

"That I'm gay. I'm not closeted but I don't advertise either."

 

"You should. You could make a fortune with that body. Hell, I'd pay you and I'm usually the one charging."

 

Marc was stymied now. This conversation was not going the way he'd thought it would, not by a long shot. He'd expected the tears and the fear, but the joking around? No way.

 

Colin clenched the sheet into both his fists. As if he'd read Marc's mind he said, "If I don't joke, I'll go off the deep end. I do remember what happened, but I'm not ready to…what do the shrinks call it? Process it yet?"

 

"Yes, that's the word. And, Colin, I'm not asking you to." Marc studied him, gauging whether he should ask, and deciding he should. "Is there someone, a friend, family, that you want to get in touch with? Someone you might—"

 

"Want to talk to?" Colin broke in. "Hell, no. Push comes to shove, I'd rather it be you than anyone I really know."

 

Marc smiled. "Easier if it's a stranger?"

 

"Yeah I guess, or at least a person who seems to give a damn." Colin's eyes closed and Marc thought he'd gone to sleep until he said, "No one else does."

 

"Well, strange as it seems, I actually do."

 

"Why?" Colin opened his eyes to look at Marc.

 

"Because everyone needs someone who cares," Marc replied softly. "I guess I got elected by…whoever."

 

"You're a strange man, Doc."

 

"Because I care? That's why I became a doctor."

 

"Not for the money?" Colin shot a look of disbelief at him, daring him to say otherwise.

 

Marc accepted the dare. "No, not for the money. If I were after that I'd become a specialist in something that would cost the patient a small fortune."

 

Colin nodded, his eyes closing again. "You gonna be around, if…if I need to, you know, get it off my chest some time," he said, his voice fading as sleep started to take over.

 

Marc reached to give his hand a squeeze. "Yes, Colin. I'll be around."

 

Everyone's Man – 10

Colin opened his eyes, trying to dispel the dream. And then, he realized it hadn't been a dream at all.

 

"Where—?" His voice croaked and he tried to swallow.

 

The man, a doctor he supposed, since he was wearing scrubs, picked up a glass of water, and bent the straw so that he could drink. As he did so he said, "You're at Winterfield General."

 

Colin nodded. "I feel like death. Am I sick?" Then fear flooded his countenance. "I can't be here."

 

"Why not, Mr. Wilcox?" the doctor asked gently.

 

"I can't, I just can't." Colin tried to sit up, biting down hard on his lip to stop the cry of pain. Shit, it felt like his back was being torn to pieces. Sinking down again, he looked at the man. "I know you," he said hesitantly. "You're the doc who stitched me up."

 

"That's me, Dr. Marc Rivers. Well, resident, actually, but what's in a word?"

 

"You did a good job." Colin closed his eyes then they snapped open again. "Why am I here and how soon can I get out?"

 

"What do you remember?" Marc wasn't certain he should be asking that. He was far from a trained psychologist, but as far as he knew, no one else had questioned him, yet. Hell, no one had even come to visit Colin or called to find out if he was here and what was wrong.

 

"What should I be remembering? I guess something must have happened from the way I feel but I for damned sure… I don't…" Colin's eyes emptied of any emotion for a moment and then the fear was back, followed by terror, and remembrance. "I…they…" He began to shake violently.

 

Marc was beside him instantly, pressing his hands down on his shoulders first to try to still him. Then he stroked his tangled hair with one hand, murmuring calming words as he kept his other hand on Colin's shoulder. Tears flooded Colin's eyes and he sobbed. Without thinking, Marc gathered him into his arms, holding him until the crying had abated some.

 

Easing the young man back down onto the bed again, Marc pulled a couple of tissues from the box on the bedside table and wiped Colin's tear-stained face. "I'm sorry," he said with sincerity. "I shouldn't have asked."

 

Colin looked at Marc, nodding. "You're a nice guy, Doc, so yeah you shouldn't have asked because you wouldn't like the answer." He chewed hard on his lip. "Hell, I don't like the answer." He tried to smile, to make a joke of it. But it wasn't a joking matter: his whole body was telling him that. He lifted one arm to look at his bandaged wrist. "The cuffs were a bit tight," he muttered. Glancing up at Marc again he asked, "How doped up am I, cause I don't hurt as bad as I should."

 

Marc smiled slightly. "You're pretty well medicated at the moment."

 

"Figures, I get dope and I'm not even high."

 

With a frown Marc asked, "Do you do drugs? Nothing showed up in your blood work."

 

"Actually no, I never touch them. In my line of work losing control isn't a good idea."

 

"Can I ask what you do?"

 

"Yeah, you can ask and I'll even answer. I'm a whore, a pretty good one too. Or I was, until this happened. From what little I can feel, and what I remember, I probably won't have too many buyers for my services now. Men like pretty boys, not scarred ones. At least that's what…what he…" Colin's expression closed down again.

 

'The Seventh Sons' is out today!

 The Seventh Sons

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/the-seventh-sons-p-4522.html

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLMZ1V89/

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seventh-sons-edward-kendrick/1142632093?ean=9781685503383

 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-seventh-sons-1

 

GENRE: Gay Paranormal Erotic Romance
LENGTH: 44,734 words
RATING:

On his twenty-first birthday, Andre discovers something both amazing and terrifying. As the seventh son of a seventh son, he is now a werewolf. One of the relatively few in the world. If it hadn't been for Mario, who was also a seventh son werewolf, being there for his first shift, Andre doesn't know how he could have handled it.

Now he has to tell Donal, the man he loves with all his heart, what he has become. It won't be easy, but he hopes his long-time lover will be able to accept it -- and him -- when he learns the truth.

Much against his will, Mario is left to watch over Andre until he gets a handle his new life. The only saving grace? He can spend his time at the same PI agency where Donal works. When they get a new case, Mario has no idea it will change his life forever ... if he lets it happen.

EXCERPT:

When he got to his office, Donal sat down to read over the file on Steven Lofland. By the time he’d finished he was shaking his head.

“New case?”

Donal spun around to look at Mario. “Missing person.”

“Anything I can help with? I’ve finished those background checks and printed up the information for the client so I’m at loose ends.” Mario smiled hopefully as he set the thick folder he was carrying down on the edge of Donal’s desk.

Turning back to the information he’d been reading Donal said, “I could use some coffee. It’s down the hall in the break-room.”

Taking a deep breath, Mario replied tightly, “Look, I know you don’t like me being here but I am, and I’m not going away until I’m sure ...” he lowered his voice, “things are under control with Andre. You could make this easier on both of us by putting aside your feelings and letting me do what I’m good at, which is investigations.”

“Fine,” Donal said through clenched teeth. “Take a look at this and tell me what you think.” He slid the file over when Mario took the chair by the side of his desk.

Mario scanned it quickly, paused, then read it more slowly. “Not a hell of a lot here. No names of friends ...”

“According to his father he didn’t have many.”

“Yeah but not many still means some unless he’s a real loner.”

“Mark says he’s very shy, so yeah I gather he is.”

“Still no one goes through college without making some friends, or at least having some acquaintances.” Mario glanced at the file again. “No hobbies listed, no interests. Do his parents really know this kid, or for that matter has anyone talked to them?”

“Mark’s talked to the father, and he knows the family. I think this is what he had the father put together about Steven.”

“Well it’s a half-assed job in my opinion. We need to talk to both of them. At this point all we know is what the kid looks like, where he went to school and where he works.”

Donal bristled. “What makes you think you’ll be involved? I just asked for your opinion.”

Mario stood, throwing up his hands in disgust. “Sorry. I thought ... Hell, never mind. I’ll get your damned coffee like a good little gofer. Cream, sugar?”

For a moment it seemed as if Donal was going to ignore him, then he said, “Okay, I’m being an ass. I’m not wild about being saddled with you and I for damned sure don’t like the reason behind it, but I guess I don’t have a choice. So cream, no sugar, get some for yourself and then we’ll figure how to approach this. And by the way, I just remembered, Andre had a question he wanted me to ask you.”

Mario smiled slightly. “He wanted you to ask it, or you didn’t want him calling me to ask?” When Donal scowled at him, Mario shook his head. “I meant what I told you, I have no designs on him other than to make certain he can handle everything that's ...” Again he lowered his voice even though the office door was closed. “Can handle what happened and what he is.”

“I’m having a hard time believing that but for the moment I’ll take your word for it.”

“Thanks, I think. So what was the question?”

“He’s worried about what could happen if he lost control. If he got angry or if something really upset him. I think he’s afraid he might shift without thinking if he felt he had to defend himself.”

Mario sat down again, looking at Donal. “What does he normally do when he gets upset? Did he lash out or go into, for lack of a better word, attack mode?”

“Physically, hell no. He’s not that sort of man. He’ll argue till the cows come home but it’s all verbal.”

“Has he ever been in danger?”

Donal shook his head. “Not since I’ve known him. No one’s come after him intending to hurt him. If they had I’d have made them regret it, trust me.”

“I’m sure you would have. So to answer his question, I doubt he’d suddenly shift without warning. It is something he controls and the more he shifts the more comfortable he’ll feel that he can control it. To be honest the only time I can see it happening without warning is if someone attacked you, or both of you, and I don’t think you’re the type of men who go strolling down dark alleys or even, probably, go walking in bad areas of town after dark.”

“Not at all. Considering what I do for a living I know better. I know what’s out there and believe me I’ve drummed it into his head.”

“Then there’s nothing for him to worry about.” Mario got up, heading to the door, grinning slightly. “And that said, I’ll be right back with coffee.”

 

 

 

Everyone's Man – 9

 

The EMTs had placed young man on his stomach for a very obvious reason: his back and buttocks were thoroughly lacerated. Someone had taken a belt to them, and possibly a whip as well, although at the moment, Marc couldn't tell with certainty. The young man's wrists were torn and bloody from whatever had been used to restrain him. His lips were swollen and bruised, telling Marc that not only had he been raped, but he'd been forced to perform oral sex on his attackers.

 

And Marc was certain it was attackers, in the plural. There was too much damage for there to have been only one man involved.

 

It was several hours later before the young man—Colin Wilcox according to the ID found in his wallet—was finally in a bed in one of the semi-private rooms in the hospital. He'd been sedated to manage his pain. The damage to his back and wrists was stitched where necessary, then treated and bandaged. The only bright side, if it could be called that, was that there were no broken bones and no internal injuries, other that the anorectal trauma and tearing, which was severe enough to require surgery. The physical evidence of the rape had been gathered and was sealed in a box and secured until Colin gave his permission to give it to the police. If he did. If he was even willing to file a complaint against his attackers.

 

Marc ended his shift and went to check on Colin, needing, for some reason he couldn't even explain to himself, to see how the young man was doing.

 

He hadn't expected Colin to be awake and he was right. He studied his patient. Colin looked so young, despite the fact that Marc knew he was in his early twenties. Young and beautiful and innocent. Marc had a feeling innocent was the last thing Colin was. He picked up the chart, nodding slowly to himself. According to the surgeon, despite the damage to his rectum, it was obvious that the rape was far from the first time that it had been penetrated.

 

"Who are you, Colin Wilcox, and why does someone hate you enough to do this to you?" Marc asked quietly. Somehow he sensed that Colin had been targeted, that this wasn't a random attack. He couldn't explain why, but he did.