41 - Caomhnóir – Manny

 

 

A week after having ended Cerdic’s life for all time, Manny got the call he’d been dreading.

 

Hamlin knew something was very wrong the moment he saw Manny’s face when he showed up for his shift at the house that evening. With Mr. Shadrick gone, the explanation to the boys being that he’d found a better job elsewhere, Gebhard had asked Hamlin if he’d like to take Mr. Shadrick’s place. Although unsure that he really had the qualifications to teach the boys, Hamlin had still jumped at the offer, especially after Gebhard had promised to look into hiring a real teacher on a part-time basis as well.

 

Once he was able to get Manny off by himself, Hamlin asked quietly, “What’s going on?”

 

“I’ve been ordered back to Rotterdam.”

 

“For how long?”

 

Manny’s face tightened as he tried to hide his emotions. “Forever, more or less. Except when I’m off on assignments.”

 

“Oh,” Hamlin said quietly. “Forever’s a long time.”

 

“Especially when…" Manny turned away.

 

“When what, Manny?” Hamlin moved in front of him, searching his face.

 

“When I’m all alone.”

 

Hamlin looked at him in shocked surprise. “Why would you be alone? I’ll be there, well, that is if you want me to be, and if it’s allowed of course.”

 

“I can’t ask you to leave everything behind just to be with me,” Manny told him softly. “It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

 

"God, Manny, sometimes you are so…eighteen. Don’t you think that’s my choice to make? I’d give it all up to—“ he paused a moment, “te worden met de man dat ik liefde.”

 

“Whoa.” Manny’s eyes lit up. “When did you learn to speak my language?”

 

“I’ve sort of been studying on the sly. I’m far from good at it but I wanted to be able to, just in case something like this happened. Because, mijn liefde, you are not going to get rid of me that easily. You need a keeper, and I’ve delegated that job to me, like it or not.”

 

“I see. Do I get a say in this?”

 

“I thought…" Hamlin’s face fell. “I see. Sorry.”

 

Manny broke into a grin, taking Hamlin’s face in his hands. “I don’t want a keeper coming with me, I want a lover. You to be exact.” He brushed a kiss over Hamlin’s lips. “Please, come with me.”

 

After returning the kiss, Hamlin chuckled. “Well, I suppose, if you insist.”

 

“Insist? I’m ordering it, and the hell with what mijn commandant might say.”

 

“Getting ballsy in your old age.”

 

“Yeah, well…" Manny shrugged. “We’re going to have to get a bigger place, mine’s kind of small. What about passports, do you have one? And how soon can you get packed. And damn, what about Gebhard? We’ll be leaving him in the lurch. Hell, this is getting complicated.”

 

“Slow down,” Hamlin replied, laughing. “Yes I’ve got a passport, remember I was in London, so that’s no problem. When do you have to leave?”

 

“Tomorrow, although maybe I can get that extended under the circumstances.”

 

“Find out, and then we’ll let Gebhard know. In all honesty, I should stay here until he finds a replacement for at least one of us, but that shouldn’t take too long. I hope.”

 

“God, I hope not.”

 

>>>>>>>>>>>> 

te worden met de man dat ik liefde – to be with the man that I love

 

 

 

40 - Caomhnóir – Manny

 

 

“We didn’t figure we’d see you for another hour at least,” Keegan said as Manny appeared in the living room area of the loft.

 

“Hamlin’s dead to the world and I didn’t have the heart to wake him.”

 

Thom looked over from the kitchen, where he was preparing lunch. “How’s your leg?”

 

“Better than last night, that’s for damned sure, thanks to you.”

 

“And your innate healing powers. Are you hungry?”

 

“Yeah. I could eat a horse.”

 

Keegan laughed. “See, Thom, I told you we should have absconded with that nag while we were out walking Romper.”

 

“He’s kidding I hope. And where is the pup? Off chewing up more shoes?”

 

“Nope,” Thom replied. “Sound asleep in the middle of our bed. I guess we tired him out. You all ready to eat?”

 

They were, and they did. When they’d finished Manny checked the time and then opted for a second cup of coffee.

 

“You working today?” Keegan asked.

 

Manny nodded. “No rest for the wicked and all that jazz. Are you two sticking around?”

 

“No. We’re heading back to our place. My job here is done and I’d be more than willing to bet Alasdair’s got ten more lined up for me.”

 

“A bet I’m not taking,” Manny told him, chuckling. “I’ve got a feeling he’ll find something for me to do too, if my real commandant hasn’t.” He sighed. “This is going to be rough.”

 

“On Hamlin, if you have to go back to your home base in Holland?”

 

“Yes. I can’t ask him to just pick up and come with me. He’s got his own life here.”

 

“You might find he’s more than willing to,” Thom said. “I would be, if it were Keegan asking.”

 

“But you two have been together forever.”

 

Thom shook his head. “Manny, that’s not what counts. It’s how he feels about you, and if you had brain one you’d know he really cares for you.”

 

“We’ll see, if and when the time comes.”

39 - Caomhnóir – Manny

 

 

“Morning.”

 

Manny opened one eye. Then he smiled, seeing Hamlin hovering over him as if unsure whether it was safe to join him in bed. Reaching up, he pulled Hamlin to him to kiss him soundly. “You survived the night with the boys,” he commented as Hamlin slid under the covers beside him.

 

“Night and most of the morning. Gebhard sent me home to get some sleep.” Hamlin yawned prodigiously.

 

“What time is it?” Manny asked in surprise. Then he realized the room was brightly sunlit. “Guess I overslept just a bit.”

 

“You needed to.” Tired as he was, Hamlin still wanted to make certain Manny really had healed so he pushed the covers down. “Hell,” he whispered, looking at Manny’s leg.

 

After glancing at it, seeing is was ten times better than it had been last night, although still in the process of healing, Manny told him, “It’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“Damned good thing I didn’t see it last night, mijn liefde. Gebhard would have pulled a double shift because there’s no way I would have left you.”

 

“Well you didn’t, he didn’t, and now I’m almost as good as new.” Manny pulled the covers back over them.

 

Hamlin shoved them down again, but not because of the wound. “Go take a shower. You look like you walked through a slaughterhouse.”

 

“It’s just blood.” Manny chuckled when Hamlin wrinkled his nose in disgust. “All right, already, I’ll go clean up. Can you stay awake til I get back?”

 

Hamlin grinned wickedly. “That depends on why I should.”

 

“If you don’t know, liefde, then I’m finding someone else to keep me company on cold nights.” After stroking the palm of his hand up Hamlin’s thigh and over his semi-rigid cock, Manny said, “Think about this while I’m gone.” He slid down, taking the head of Hamlin’s cock in his mouth and sucking for a long moment, and then with a laugh he slid out of bed. “I’ll be back before you know I’ve left.”

 

As good as his word, Manny was back ten minutes later, still drying his hair as he walked into the bedroom. He smiled, as he looked a Hamlin. He was curled around a pillow, snoring softly, dead asleep. Crossing to the bed, he bent to kiss Hamlin’s forehead and then got dressed and left the room.

38 - Caomhnóir – Manny

 

Manny frowned deeply at Keegan. “You can read my thoughts?”

 

“Nope, you’re a Caomhnóir, but your face says it all. I don’t know how Cerdic found out, but he was right, I don’t have to blindly obey orders any longer.”

 

“Why not? And can you quit altogether?”

 

“I sort of doubt that I could, but then I don’t want to so it’s a moot point. The one thing I do know is that I don’t have to vanish for a year because they want me back in the past.”

 

“By the way, Manny,” Thom interjected, “have you told Hamlin about that?”

 

“That part, no. Hell, he’s just beginning to understand the rest and what I am. If he finds out I’ll very possibly vanish on him for twelve months." Manny shook his head. “I’ve got almost nine months. I’ll tell him when the time’s right.”

 

“Take it from someone who’s been there, done that,” Thom responded, “the sooner you do, the better. Sure, this is all a shock to him as it is, but he loves you, so he’ll be able to deal with it. If you wait too long he’s going to be pissed as hell, thinking that you didn’t trust him enough to handle that.”

 

“I suppose you’re right, but what if…if he can’t handle it?”

 

“Manny,” Keegan said firmly, “if he cares half as much for you as you seem to care for him, he’ll be fine. It’s not as if you’ll be leaving forever, and with the boys at the house, he’s got what amounts to a family here to keep him busy so that he doesn’t get lonely.”

 

“I guess. I just wish… Oh well. May I ask what happened that you can stay here, now, and not go time traveling, Keegan?”

 

“I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. It’s something each one of us has to come to on our own. And apparently it doesn’t happen often from what Alasdair said.”

 

“But it does happen, so there is hope.”

 

“There is.” Keegan smiled, and then said, “Now we should get our butts to bed. You, for one, Manny definitely need to rest or you’ll have Hamlin on your ass come morning, and not in a good way.”

 

“Good point.” Manny chuckled, easing himself carefully out of the chair. Thom leapt to his feet and helped him into his bedroom, laughing when Manny pointed out succinctly that he’d be fine with getting undressed on his own, “Considering that at this point all I’ve got on is half a pair of pants and my boots. So scram.”

 

Once Thom was gone, Manny managed to do as he’d said and finish undressing. Then he fell into bed, too tired to care that he still had dried blood all over him. That he would take care of tomorrow.

 

 

'Regaining His Trust' is here!

 Regaining His Trust

https://www.jms-books.com/.../regaining-his-trust-p-4841...

https://www.amazon.com/Regaining-His-Trust.../dp/B0CJDWLR68/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../regainin.../1144113111...

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/regaining-his-trust

 

GENRE: Gay Thriller Erotic Romance
LENGTH: 33,597 words
RATING:

When Jake Evans almost dies due to Dan Rogers' showboating during an undercover operation, he loses any trust he had in the man who had been his partner both on jobs for the Firm and in their personal life. Once he's healed, he quits the Firm and opens a private investigation agency.

The two men are thrown together when Fairfax, Dan's superior at the Firm, brings Jake in to help stop a child trafficking ring. The mission might be successfully completed but the tension between the two men still remains.

Dan needs to convince Jake there was a reason behind what he did, beyond stopping the gang they were after. The problem is, he has to make Jake listen to him and believe what he says, because even after a year apart he still loves Jake. With that in mind, he follows when Jake goes out of town in search of a missing young man.

Will Dan succeed, or is Jake's trust in him irrevocably broken?

EXCERPT:

From the scowl on Maddy's face when Dan came into Jake's agency as soon as it opened Friday morning, he was sure she was not at all happy to see him.

He didn't let that stop him from asking, "Is he in?"

"If he was, he wouldn't want to see you," she replied tartly.

"When do you expect him?"

"Like I'd tell you."

"Look, I know you don't like me, anymore than he does at this point, but at least give me a chance to try to explain." Dan flashed his most winning smile, hoping it would melt her enough to listen.

"What's there to explain? He almost died because of you."

Dan bit back an angry retort. What do you know about what happened? he wanted to ask -- and didn't. Instead, he lowered his head to acknowledge her words as he rested one hand on the corner of her desk.

"Do you think I don't know that and regret it, because I do, damn it?" He softened his tone of voice. "I was stupid. Rash. I wanted it over. We couldn't be together because as part of our cover we supposedly hadn't known each other before we made it into the gang. We had different apartments, did different things while trying to gather the information we needed, with no chance to be together because someone might see us and catch on." He took a deep breath. "It was driving me crazy. Him, too. But what could we do? Then I saw a chance to bring things to a close and take down the gang. I'd found out that the boss kept records that would incriminate everyone involved, probably either hidden on his computer or locked in the safe in his office. I didn't tell Jake. I figured I could handle getting them myself without putting him in potential danger. I took advantage of the boss calling meeting of the gang at the building housing his company, which was a front for his criminal activities."

He paused, and then began pacing.

"And?" Maddy asked when he didn't continue.

"I'm sure he's told you, but I will, too. I saw a chance to leave the meeting long enough to get into the office and I took it. Found what I was after but someone saw me coming out of the office, yelled at me to stop, and all hell broke loose. Jake called Fairfax for backup right before he was shot. Some of our people got there in record time and dealt with the bastards." He came to a stop in front of her desk. "The rest you know. I almost got him killed, all because I loved him and couldn't stand our having to pretend any longer that we just gang members, strangers until we joined up, and nothing more."

"Hell of a way to show you loved him," Maddy replied dryly.

"You think I don't know that ... now?" He leaned against the desk, staring at her. "Have you ever loved anyone so much you'd do anything to be with them? I didn't think anyone would notice I'd slipped out of the meeting. It was supposed to be in and out and the end of our job." Dan turned away then, not wanting her to see the anguish he was feeling, the remorse for what he'd done that had cost him his relationship with Jake. "I love him, Maddy. As much as he hates me, I still love him. That will never change."

"He doesn't hate you, Dan," she said softly. "He doesn't trust you but he doesn't hate you."

He looked at her, praying she was telling him the truth. As far as he could figure, if it was the truth she could have kept silent about it rather than tell him. "How can I regain his trust?"

"I can't tell you that. It's up to you to figure it out. That said," she sighed. "I know where he is right now, or should be."

Dan lit up with hope. "Where?"

"Seattle."

"Oh." His shoulders slumped before he straightened them again. "Do you have an address?"

"Maybe." She tapped the keyboard, got a pen and paper and wrote it down. "This is where he was staying as of this morning. That's the best I can tell you."

"Thank you," he replied sincerely as he took the paper she handed him.

"He's going to kill me, but I'm a romantic --" she touched her chest over her heart, "-- and I care about him. Do not do anything to hurt him or you will answer to me."

"I won't. I swear."

He was already calling to make a flight reservation as he left. He wondered if the fates were on his side because he was able to book a seat on one that was leaving at eleven-fifteen, giving him time to make a mad dash home to grab some clothes. He crammed them in his carry-on bag and was on the road to the airport five minutes later.