Everyone's Man – 63

 

As Colin came down, he felt the man's arms wrap around him and a voice he had longed to hear and was afraid he never would again spoke softly against his ear. "I missed you, pup. Please come home with me."

 

Colin, stiffening in shock, turned to stare at Dane Keyes.

 

"Are you angry with me for doing it this way?" Dane asked, cupping Colin's face in his hands. Then he growled, releasing him long enough to reach over and turn on a lamp. "Are you?" he asked again, trying to read the emotions in Colin's eyes.

 

Colin nodded, and then shook his head. "I should be," he said almost petulantly. "I wanted… I was going to try…" He frowned, unsure how to explain to Dane.

 

"You wanted to do this by yourself," Dane filled in, and then laughed, kissing the tip of Colin's nose. "That sounded sort of like self-love."

 

Colin's frown vanished and he grinned. "Yeah, put that way it did. But you knew what I meant. Are you angry? With me I mean. For running away and…and…"

 

"No. I was hurt, and scared, and I didn't understand at first what was going on with you." Dane smiled, stroking Colin's cheek. "Then I figured it out."

 

"How did you find me?" Colin asked, frowning slightly.

 

"I'm a cop. A detective, and a pretty good one, if I do say so myself. I remembered you mentioning a man named Ray and once I figured out you'd probably left town I checked with the airlines and then at the bus station. You, pup, are hard to miss once you've been seen, in case you didn't know. All it took was describing you and the man at the bus station remembered you and where you were headed. So I put out feelers and found out this Ray was fairly well known here in certain circles."

 

"And you came here to find me. But why this way?"

 

"Because I had a good idea what you were trying to do, and why." Dane looked at him, chewing his lip, and asked. "Did you?"

 

"No," Colin replied softly. "Not until tonight. Not until you."

 

"Thank God," Dane said in relief, and then apparently wondered if that was the right response when Colin stared hard at him, his face devoid of all emotion for a moment.

 

Then Colin smiled. "I really did want to be able to come home to you ready for us to make love the way we should. That's why…" He paused. "I guess this wasn't really the right way to do it, but it was all I could think of."

 

"They say the ends justify the means. Usually I would debate that, being a cop, but this time maybe they do. However…" Dane looked sternly at Colin.

 

"You want this to be the last time. Umm, I mean that I whore, not the last time we make love. I mean, I hope that's what you mean. It was, wasn't it?"

 

Dane laughed. "Yes it was, pup. Damn, I don't ever want us to stop making love. But I really would like it if I don't have to think about that beautiful mouth of yours doing things to strange men that it should only be doing to me."

 

"I think that can be arranged, for a price."

 

"Oh?" Dane cocked an eyebrow.

 

"Make love to me again. Here. Now. Please."

 

"With pleasure," Dane replied before cupping Colin's face and kissing him with all the love he had in him.

 

The End

 

Everyone's Man – 62

 

 

"It's open," a rough voice called out when Colin knocked on the hotel room door.

 

He stepped into the room, surprised to see that it was dark except for the slice of light coming in from the hall behind him.

 

"Close the door, please, and come over here." Colin hesitated, trying to adjust his eyes so he could reach the bed without stumbling over something. "Please. Close the door." There was a pleading note in the voice and Colin smiled to himself, betting that the client was probably middle-aged, out of shape, and ashamed to be seen without his clothes. That thought, plus what Ray had said, reassured him.

 

After locating the end of the bed so he knew where to go, Colin did as he was asked and then crossed to it, moving from there to the side. He felt a hand touch his leg and then the man barely whispered, "Please, undress."

 

Colin pulled off his shirt and undid his jeans, pushing them down over his hips before sitting on the edge of the bed to kick off his shoes and finish undressing. He felt a hand stroke his thigh and shifted to face the man. A small amount of light came through a slit in the curtains and now that his eyes were used to the darkness he could make out the vague shape on the bed. Running his hand over the man's stomach he decided whatever the man's thing was about no light, it wasn't because he was flabby. He slid his hand down, following the trail of hair to the base of the man's already-stiff cock. Tracing a finger up from there to the tip he leaned in to follow it with the flat of his tongue, before taking the bulbous head into his mouth and sucking hard. The man gasped, arching up. From there Colin began doing what he did best, working the man into a frenzy of need, keeping his fingers tight around the base of his cock to stop him from coming for the moment.

 

The man gripped the sides of Colin's head, his fingers twisted into his hair as he began to pump into Colin's mouth. Then he used the leverage to pull Colin away. "Let me fuck you," he begged. His voice was low, and rough with need.

 

Colin froze, every muscle in his body tightening in protest. Slowly he tried to relax, taking a deep gulp of air into his lungs.

 

"Please." The man's voice was almost inaudible, as though he was afraid. "I'll be gentle, I swear."

 

"How…how do you want me?"

 

He heard a deep sigh, almost of relief, he thought, and then the man said, "On your side?"

 

Colin was surprised. This, maybe, he could do. He shifted so that he was lying beside the man, his back to him. He felt hands on his ass, running over it very gently as if the man was trying to learn every inch of it before he continued. Then the man began to press light kisses along his back, working his way down until he reached his hips. He eased Colin open, tracing his tongue up to his tight hole. Colin tensed as the man began rimming him, slowly, expertly. A whispered "May I?" as he pressed the tip of a lube-slicked finger against the entrance to Colin's body had Colin torn between need and fear.

 

He knew he was trembling, and he hoped the man took that for desire. He bit down hard on his lip to steady himself, moaning out a hesitant, "Yes."

 

The man gently eased the finger in, taking it very slowly as if afraid he might hurt Colin. And Colin did feel pain, sharp and deadly. He bit back a cry, telling himself it was all in his head. The man brought one hand up to stroke Colin's back and Colin relaxed. Then the tip of the man's finger touched Colin's gland and a wave of pleasure flooded him. He moaned, needing more, begging for more. He got more for a long moment and then as second finger joined the first one, gently stretching him while making certain to stroke him at the same time.

 

The man shifted, his hand leaving Colin's back, and Colin heard the sound of a condom wrapper being opened. The man's fingers left Colin's body and he groaned in protest. Then he felt the head of the man's cock, slick with lube, pressing against his hole. Colin willed himself to relax, gasping as the man entered him and then stopped. The hand was on his back again, rubbing softly, as the man slowly moved further into him.

 

They both moaned at the same time when the man was fully embedded, his balls pressed against Colin's ass. "Feels so good," the man whispered hoarsely, pulling almost out and then thrusting in again. Slowly his pace increased and with each thrust Colin's desire for more grew until he was moving with the man. A hand suddenly enveloped his throbbing cock, pumping in rhythm to their movements.

 

"I'm going to…" Colin groaned as his balls tightened.

 

"Then do," the man whispered.

 

Colin shouted out as his release sent him over the edge and the man joined him with a deep sigh as he came as well.

 

 

Everyone's Man – 61

 

Colin watched out the back window as the bus pulled away from the station.

 

I'm not running away, he told himself. I'm not!

 

And he wasn't. But there was something he had to do and he couldn't do it there, not in the city where everything had happened. Not when he knew Dane could find him if he wanted to.

 

When he'd left the condo and Dane behind he had made two stops before arriving at the bus station. One was at the bank where he drew out his paltry savings. The money wouldn't get him far, but it would take him away from Winterfield. The second stop was to buy some clothes. He and Dane never had gone shopping, though the detective had picked up a pair of jeans and a couple of t-shirts for him.

 

The bus was half-empty which gave him a seat to himself. He curled up on it and reached up to turn on the light. Then he read the headline again. Prominent Men Busted In Sex Raid. There was a picture of two of them as they were brought into the station, their heads covered by coats to hide their identities from the prying photographers. Colin shuddered, forcing himself to read the article. It told him nothing he hadn't known already based on the phone call from Dane after the bust. The men were to be arraigned and he was certain they'd bond out and be on the streets again by evening. Not that that would affect him. He wouldn't be around even if they did know who he was. But he wasn't leaving because of them.

 

Slowly he drifted off to sleep, lulled by the motion of the bus. He awoke with a start when the driver announced they'd arrived at their destination. Groggily, he gathered up his backpack and stumbled out into the morning sunlight.

 

The first order of business was breakfast, then finding a motel, and finally getting in contact with Ray. Only then would he be able to put his plan to work.

 

* * * *

 

The john exploded, filling the condom with his seed. When he finally came down, he patted Colin's head. "You're as good as advertised," he commented as he removed the condom, tied it off and tucked himself away, before taking out his wallet. "That earns you a little bonus." He cocked an eyebrow at Colin. "And more next time if you let me fuck that cute ass."

 

Colin smiled, fighting a momentary feeling of panic. "Perhaps. We'll see."

 

After the man left, Colin fell back onto the bed. He stared up at the ceiling. He'd been here for two weeks and so far he'd been unable to take the next step and let himself be fucked. In his head he was ready, but each time one of the johns had suggested it he just couldn't face the idea. His body would go cold as his hands and ass tightened in fear. And each time they left he told himself, Next time. But so far there had been no next time.

 

Sighing, he got up and went to shower. Twenty minutes later he was out and dressed. Scooping up the money the man had left he split it in half, minus the tip. He put his share into his wallet and the rest in his pocket to give to Ray when they met later tonight.

 

As he left the motel room he glanced back at the bed. It shouldn't be so hard. I'm a whore. It's what I do. Next time I will. I have to. Closing the door firmly behind him he nodded to himself. "I'll do it, damn it. The past is the past. This is now. There's no future for me if I don't."

 

Three hours later, he was sitting in a booth, looking across the table at Ray.

 

"We have a new client," Ray told him after pocketing the money Colin gave him. "He prefers that you meet him at his hotel rather than him coming to you, and for the amount of money he's willing to pay, I told him you would."

 

Colin shrugged a shoulder but his stomach clenched in fear as he remembered another hotel room and another client. It's not the same, it's not! That's over now. He forced himself to remain calm.

 

"Makes me no never mind, as long as he understands the ground rules."

 

"He does. He's waiting for you." Ray handed him a slip of paper with the name of the hotel and the room number. "What he wants is maybe…a little weird," he said. "But not too weird. Look, I've met him. He's not the type…" He patted Colin's hand. "You can handle it."

 

 

Everyone's Man – 60

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Everyone's Man – 59

 

Dane was beyond tired as he let himself into his condo.

 

All eight men were in custody. Not that they'd remain in jail after facing bail hearings, but they'd been booked and questioned in the presence of their various high-priced lawyers. Of course, seven of the eight had clammed up immediately. Marcus Randall had been the exception. Honoring his agreement and with his lawyer by his side, he had answered every question put to him about James Kadrey and the other members of the sex club and their activities.

 

Apparently, up until the time Kadrey had had his first contact with Colin, all of the young hustlers the group had abused had been willing participants in their games. Then things had changed. The rape of Colin had excited the men. They were unwilling to go back to just paying for a willing playmate, so one of them had picked up a young street hustler for the next 'meeting'. The fact that he'd died as the result of what they'd done to him hadn't fazed them in the least. According to Randall, it had added an edge of danger to the game, one the men had embraced wholeheartedly.

 

Sick bastards, Dane thought once again as he closed the condo door quietly. He didn't want to waken Colin if he was asleep. The young man had been so wound up for the last couple of days that sleep for him had been intermittent, at best.

 

Tiptoeing through the living room and down the short hall, Dane opened the door to Colin's room. The bed was empty, looking as if it hadn't been slept in. "If you left…" Dane muttered under his breath, half-afraid Colin might have, now that his attackers had been arrested. Colin had been elated when Dane called late last night to tell him. Dane had heard the relief in his voice and a lessening of tension as they'd bantered for a few minutes before Dane had to get back to work.

 

Running a hand through his hair, Dane swore softly. He stripped off his shirt as he walked to his bedroom. It took him a second to realize Colin hadn't left after all. He was curled up in the middle of the bed with his arms wrapped around one of the pillows, sound asleep.

 

Dane smiled as he finished undressing, dropping his clothes where he stood. Then very carefully and against his better judgment, he slipped in beside Colin. Resisting the temptation to wrap his arms around him, Dane settled for gently placing one hand on his hip. His eyes closed and seconds later he was asleep.

 

* * * *

 

Dane woke to the feel of a hot mouth engulfing his swollen cock. "Colin, you don't have to," he said softly, even as he prayed the pleasure Colin was giving him would never end.

 

Colin released him for a moment, looking up at him with a mischievous grin. "Did I ask for your input? I'm enjoying this, so shush."

 

"Shush?" Dane growled seconds before his hips arched up, from what Colin's mouth and tongue were doing. "God… Colin… I'm going to…"

 

Colin just sucked harder, taking Dane's heavy cock deep into his throat, humming around it until Dane exploded with an ecstatic shout of release. After hungrily drinking down Dane's offering, Colin drew his mouth slowly off and slid up Dane's body, pressing both hands on the bed on either side of his head as he looked down at him.

 

"Thank you…for everything," Colin said as he lowered himself just enough to brush a kiss over Dane's lips. When Dane reached up, wanting to wrap Colin in an embrace Colin rolled away, off the bed, landing on his feet to stare at Dane, teary-eyed. "I have to go. Don't…don't ask why. Just trust me. Please."

 

Fighting every instinct that made him want to reach for Colin and pull him back onto the bed beside him, Dane nodded. "Will you come back?"

 

Colin looked around the room, his eyes landing on the picture, now lying on the dresser, that had led to the beginning of the end for the men who had raped him. Staring at it for a long moment he nodded. "I… I think so." Holding up a warning finger to keep Dane from touching him, he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on his mouth. "I hope so," he whispered.

 

Then he gathered up his clothes, folded so neatly on a chair by the dresser, and left the room.

 

 

Everyone's Man – 58

 

 

It would have been nice if things had gone off as easily as they had planned. Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case. The front door to the mansion was unlocked as expected, and Keyes and the two detectives entered. Their target was the owner's workout room, which was located on the second floor. However, someone had decided to change that. They arrived at the room to find it vacant.

 

"Damn it," Keyes had said angrily under his breath. "Where the hell—"

 

He immediately went quiet when they heard someone moving on the first floor. The three detectives went silently to the top of the stairs, listening intently to figure where the person was going. The sound of a door closing at the rear of the entry hall clued them in. Moments later they were down there, facing two doors.

 

'Lady or Tiger' Keyes said under his breath as he cautiously opened one a crack. He found it led to a small, empty office with no other exit. Very carefully, he inched the second one open. A large kitchen faced him, also empty, but with a second door on the far side.

 

"Basement," one of the other detectives murmured as they crept across the kitchen.

 

He proved to be correct. The door opened on a flight of stairs going down, with a dim light at the bottom. When they reached the bottom they stood silently, listening. A sharp laugh and the crack of something hard hitting skin identified their quarry.

 

Keyes pointed to the two detectives and then to each side of the door. They immediately flanked it. Then, gun drawn, Keyes tested the handle. It turned, and he opened the door.

 

One look at the sight in front of him and he knew they could be in trouble. The undercover rookie was naked, lashed to a spanking bench. Kadrey stood over him, holding a flogger. His hand was raised to strike the young man again.

 

"We have company!" one of the other men shouted.

 

Kadrey turned swiftly, staring at Keyes and the two other detectives as they too entered the room. Dropping the flogger, he reached for something out of sight at the far side of the bench. His hand came back into view holding a knife, which he immediately pressed to the back of the rookie's neck.

 

"Don't do it," Keyes ordered, aiming his gun at Kadrey.

 

"He's dead if you move one step closer," Kadrey countered. "Right now I have nothing to lose. You do."

 

"Let him go. Don't add more to the charges already facing you." As he spoke, he tensed, holstering his gun and holding out his hands to show Kadrey he wouldn't shoot. There were, he judged, approximately three yards separating him from Kadrey. He had one chance and one only to take the bastard down before he held true to his threat. Blocking out the sounds from behind him, he took a deep breath and dove forward. Kadrey, totally unprepared for that, instinctively took a step backwards. Keyes's shoulder connected with Kadrey's thighs and they hit the floor hard. Keyes brought his fist up hard under the man's chin.

 

Everyone's Man – 57

 

 

Keyes memories of how he'd been able to set everything up were somewhat painful. He'd begun by arresting the chief's son-in-law, Marcus Randall, after telling his captain, of course. Then, at the captain's urging, they'd immediately met with the chief. That had been, needless to say, a very tense confrontation. He'd had to face his chief and personally explain Randall's involvement in the rape of Colin Wilcox. The chief had then called in an ADA and they had worked out a plan to trap the members of the sex club. Randall would be allowed to plea down to a lesser charge in exchange for his help.

 

The chief had handled the rest, coming back this morning with some of the information they needed to set things up, including the fact that Kadrey would be at the theater that evening. His son-in-law had been adamant in saying he never knew until half an hour beforehand which of three houses would be used, so they had decided Keyes would follow Kadrey to the designated house when he left the theatre, rather than staking out all three locations.

 

Luck must have been on their side, because Randall had been the one assigned to find the 'playmate' for this particular evening. That fit perfectly into what Keyes and the chief had planned. The 'playmate' would be a police recruit from the academy, one who looked young enough to pass as a street hustler.

 

Keyes smiled to himself as he saw an unmarked car turn onto the street and stepped out of the shadows to flag it down. In it were two of the detectives assigned to work with him.

 

"How are we handling this?" one of the detectives asked when they joined Keyes.

 

"Very carefully. We need to time this so we catch them in the act but before they do more than prep the kid for what's to come."

 

"And just how will we know when that is?" the other detective asked.

 

Keyes tapped his ear. "They hid a couple remotes on him. One in his shoe, the other under a button on his shirt. Odds are we won't be able to hear much, but it's better than nothing." He paused as another car pulled into view and parked behind the detectives' unmarked. Three uniformed officers got out and at a signal from Keyes, moved to the sides of the house, staying in the shadows.

 

Keyes and the two detectives crossed the street, walking quietly onto the porch of the house. If Randall had done as he was supposed to, the front door would be unlocked.

 

 

 

 

Everyone's Man – 56

 

Keyes looked down from the balcony at the man talking to friends during the intermission. He wondered how such a person could look and act so human and still be such a monster. It had taken three days and more help from Janice in pulling together an expanded list of social contacts for the three men Colin had identified from the first set of pictures, but now Keyes knew the names of all eight men involved. The one he was watching now was the ringleader. He was also a hanger-on, someone who'd normally fade into the background at the elite parties he attended. If the rich and powerful thought about him at all, they'd barely consider him a friend of a friend, according to Janice.

 

When Colin had seen his picture in one of the files, he'd seemed headed for another full-blown episode. Then, much to Keyes amazement, he'd taken control of his emotions. Not totally, but enough that he had avoided any flashbacks to the rape itself. Instead, he had channeled them into what had started the whole mess in the first place, the knife attack that had come about when he refused to do what the man had ordered.

 

Colin had wanted to confront the man personally, and it had taken all of Keyes' diplomatic skills to convince him this was not a wise idea. The better route was to wait until they had enough evidence to arrest him and his cohorts.

 

That was why Keyes was now at the theater watching Mr. James Kadrey and three of the other men who were members of his sex club.

 

When the bells chimed to announce the end of the intermission, Keyes watched Kadrey separate himself from the two couples he'd been talking to. They turned into the auditorium, but Kadrey seemed to hold back, glancing around. Moments later, one of the other three men joined him and they talked briefly while the lobby emptied. Then they strolled casually to the doors leading to the street and left the theater. Keyes hurried down the flights of stairs from the balcony.

 

All four men headed to the parking lot. Keyes waited, remaining in the shadows until he saw the last of their cars pulling out. He thanked his lucky stars he'd used his department parking placard. It meant he was close to the theater and could reach his car in time to follow the last of them.

 

* * * *

 

The man Keyes had been following drove into a neighborhood of expensive homes much like the area Colin had described. The man finally turned up a long driveway. Keyes continued on past it, then parked a block further on. He walked back with the casualness of a homeowner out for a late night's stroll. As he passed the house, he noted that were six cars parked along the side of the driveway where it curved in front of the house. Four of them belonged to the men who had been at the theater.

 

Finding a shadowed spot across the street, Keyes settled in to wait for the last guest to arrive.

 

Twenty minutes later, his wait was rewarded as a black car came down the street and pulled into the drive. Two people got out: Marcus Randall and his companion, a young man who seemed somewhat hesitant. The older man put an arm around his waist as he led him up the front steps.

 

Lift off.

It's release day for 'The Cabin'!

 The Cabin

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/the-cabin-p-4618.html

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTY88Q25/

GENRE: Gay Romance
LENGTH: 30,790 words
RATING:

After the murder of his fiancé Paul during an armed robbery, Jamie tries to move on with his life while grieving his loss. As a part of that, he goes to the remote cabin in the mountains he and Paul had restored to be their getaway. He plans on using it to hide away from the world -- forever, if necessary.

What he doesn't plan on is making a new friend of the canid kind. A wolf-dog he names Lycus that he thinks is either a stray or a runaway. Lycus comes and goes as the spirit moves, showing up when Jamie needs his company and then vanishing again.

Jamie also didn't plan on the three humans who come into his life. One is Glen, who says he lives in the area and often hunts in the mountain forests. The other two claim to be game wardens searching for a feral wolf -- whose description matches Lycus. Jamie doubts it's the truth, knowing how tame Lycus seems to be.

Despite the fact that he's never seen Lycus, Glen offers to help prove the men are lying. Will they be able to save Lycus from being captured while bonding in a way that might, if Jamie's ready, become more than just friendship?

EXCERPT:

While they waited for the stew to cook, Jamie got them each a can of soda. Glen settled on the sofa, Jamie on the end of the bed, and they began telling each other stories of their childhoods. Jamie had grown up in the city, Glen in a small town several miles north of the cabin. As they talked, Jamie realized that, for the first time since Paul's death, he was relaxed and enjoying the company of another man. When he did, he went silent, staring down at the floor.

"What's wrong?" Glen asked, obviously picking up on the fact he'd lost Jamie's attention.

"Nothing, really. I'm ..." Jamie shook his head.

"Come on, talk to me."

"It's too soon," Jamie said softly.

"I'm not going to ask for what. I think I know. There's nothing wrong with our being friends and I think we're moving in that direction. I promise you, I have no plans on trying to replace Paul in your life, even if it was possible. I like you as a person and I do want to get to know you better, but that's it, honest."

"Thanks for understanding. I think, no, I know I could use a friend and around here they're few and far between."

Glen chuckled. "Meaning I'm the only person you've met other than clerks in the stores in town."

"Well, actually ..." Jamie wondered if he should tell him about the men who claimed to be game wardens, and decided why not. When he finished, Glen shook his head.

"I've never heard of a warden running around with a cage to trap a wolf, or a bear, or whatever. Yeah, they might stop by to warn people if they thought there was a feral animal running loose, but that's it as far as I know." He looked thoughtful.

Jamie was about to ask what Glen was thinking, but didn't when he realized dinner should be ready. Going to check, he decided it was, and spooned the stew into two bowls which he set on the table. Glen got bread from the breadbox, putting a few slices on a plate, adding a half-used stick of butter from the refrigerator. Meanwhile Jamie got silverware, and then they sat down to eat.

"Not bad," Glen commented after taking a couple of bites of the stew. "Not as good as Mom used to make --" he winked, "-- but definitely on a par with mine."

"Glad it lives up to your high standards," Jamie retorted with a grin.

When they finished, Glen volunteered to do the dishes while Jamie put the remaining stew in a container and stored it in the refrigerator.

"I have a question," Glen said as he dried his hands. "You don't have to answer, but have you seen this wolf those men were looking for?"

"Depends why you want to know," Jamie replied, leaning against the counter.

"I'll take that as a yes. Did it act feral?"

"Hell no." Jamie backpedaled. "I mean, not that I could tell, anyway. It didn't come over to let me pet it, but it didn't try to attack, either."

"It was definitely a wolf?"

Jamie didn't meet Glen's gaze as he replied, "It looked like one to me, even though it wasn't gray like you see in pictures."

"They come in all shades," Glen replied.

"Yeah, that's what the man said. This one is sort of beige and brown. Well, not sort of. It is."

Glen walked over to the bookshelves, studied the contents momentarily, and took out a book. Thumbing through it, he came back to show Jamie a picture of a wolf whose coloring matched Lycus'. "It looked like this?"

Jamie shrugged and nodded, getting out two more cans of soda as an excuse to turn away, handing one to Glen.

"Okay. I think there's something you're not telling me, though."

"Since I barely know you ..."

"That's all right, I understand." Glen opened the can and took a drink.

Rolling his can between his hands, Jamie came to a decision. "I think it's a wolf-dog. Mainly wolf but with some shepherd in it, too."

"Possible, which begs the question, well two questions. Why is it living in the wild and why were those men looking for it? Oh, and why did they lie about what it is?"

"I wondered that myself and came up with two ideas. Either it's valuable, or it's part of some scientific breeding experiment and escaped from the lab."

"Or both, because if it is an experiment it could be very valuable."

"True," Jamie agreed.

"How often does it come around?"

"I've seen it twice, no, three times," Jamie lied. It wasn't that he didn't trust Glen but ... Yeah, I'm not totally willing to quite yet. He seems awfully interested in Lycus which could be a normal reaction to learning about him, or he could be trying to find out how easy it would be to capture him. Especially if he works for a breeding lab and Lycus is an escapee.

Everyone's Man – 55

 

Dane arrived at his place to find Colin curled in the corner of the sofa watching a movie. Colin looked at him and smiled tentatively when Dane sat down beside him.

 

"Is something wrong?" Dane asked, tossing the folder he was carrying onto the coffee table.

 

"No." Colin stared at the folder and then went back to watching the movie. He stared straight ahead, not for a moment glancing at Dane.

 

Dane frowned to himself. Then he got it. He put his arm around Colin's waist and tugged the now-rigid body to him, enfolding him in a hug. "Pup," he said softly, "just because I didn't kiss you the second I walked in the door doesn't mean I didn't want to."

 

Colin looked up, seeing the honesty in his words. "I was afraid you'd had second thoughts."

 

"Never." Dane cupped Colin's chin, kissing him soundly. He was elated when Colin melted into it, rather than resisting.

 

When they broke apart, Colin cleared his throat. "I missed you and was lonely, and of course being me, I started thinking all the wrong things."

 

"Well stop doing that, all right? I missed you too, but there were things I had to do. Before you ask, Bill and Marc had to move to a safe house, which is where you should be, too."

 

"No," Colin replied. "This is my safe house. I'm safe here with you. Please," he continued, his voice pleading now, "don't send me away."

 

"I'm not going to, so get that out of your head right now." Dane pressed another kiss to his lips. Then, reluctantly, he got down to business. "If we're going to end this, we need to find these men. My friend put together some photos. I need you to go through them and see if you recognize anyone."

 

Colin steeled himself when Dane handed him the folder. He opened it and looked at the first few pages slowly. He felt both overwhelming relief and discouragement that none of the men's faces were familiar. Then he turned another page and took a deep, shuddering breath.

 

"This was one of them."

 

Dane removed the page and placed it face down on the table. He refrained from showing any overt concern for Colin's reaction, feeling that he would neither appreciate nor accept it until he was finished.

 

By the time he'd gone through the entire folder, Colin had found two more of the men, one of them the one who had hired him to come to that house for the 'birthday party'. He closed the folder and leaned his head back with a shaky sigh before turning to look at Dane. "The one I want wasn't in there." Although his eyes were moist, they glared with anger that matched the tone of his voice. "I want… I've imagined what I'd do to him when we find him," he growled, his anger turning to rage.

 

"Not half of what I want to do," Dane replied, gathering Colin into his arms.

 

"Does that make us like him?"

 

"No, pup, because we'd never follow through. We can hate him all we want, fantasize about repaying him for what he did to you, but in the end, we'll let the law deal with him."

 

"What if it doesn't?" Colin whispered.

 

"If I do my job right, there will be enough evidence to put him away for a long time."

 

"I'll have to testify, won't I?"

 

Dane nodded. "Probably, if it goes to trial. That's a ways off though. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."