Brian woke up and blinked as he stared at the ceiling. He didn’t remember getting in bed. He didn’t remember walking to his room for that matter. He groaned when he heard the loud music coming from upstairs. “Are they out of their fucking minds?” Brian asked. “Gio!” he yelled as he got up. Bo was the one that came to his room. “Yes, boss?” “What the fuck is that noise. Go tell them to turn it off or I’m going to fucking kill them and I mean it!” Brian yelled. Bo nodded and went to do that. Brian walked to his bathroom to take a shower. He looked himself in the mirror briefly before he turned around and moved away. He really didn’t recognize the man staring back at him so there was no point on staring. When he was done he put a towel around his waist and came to his bedroom. He groaned when he heard the music was still going. He went out of his room to find Bo waiting for him. “What the fuck happened?” Brian asked getting annoyed and the music finally stopped. “So I went up there and there was this guy with Gio and they were drunk…well I don’t think Gio was,” Bo said. “And…” he stopped and frowned. “What?” Brian asked. “Well he was going on about killing them all,” Bo said. “He said he was going to make them pay and he was…smashing everything.” “Smashing?” Brian asked. “What the fuck are you talking about?” “I was going to stop him but Gio told me to leave,” Bo said. “And I followed the order boss. Do you want me...” But before Bo could finish the brunet was running up the stairs to the studio. He opened his eyes when he saw that everything was destroyed. He fell to his knees and gasped. It was everything that belonged to his prince. As soon as Bo entered the place behind him he turned around and grabbed the man’s gun. “I’m going to kill you,” Brian yelled and walked towards Giovanni pointing the gun. Gio only smirked and looked down at the blond that had a bottle in one hand and a hammer in the other. “All of them,” he slurred. “They are going to pay for killing Brian,” he was whimpering. Brian stared at the body kneeling on the floor as his body shook. “Jus…J-Justin,” he gasped out. “Brian,” Justin breathed heavily. He smiled as he closed his eyes thinking he was going insane because he was hearing the brunet. “I should go,” Gio said and walked over to Brian. He took the gun and then pushed Bo out of there. “Justin!” Brian said as he walked to the man and kneeled behind him. “Brian,” Justin gasped when Brian enveloped him. “You’re alive,” Brian said and turned Justin around. Justin smiled as he caressed the brunet. “I love you. I’ll get them all, Brian.” “No, Justin,” Brian said shaking his head. “It’s me. I’m really here.” Justin frowned and pulled back shaking his head. “It was...” the brunet wanted to explain that it had been his idea to pretend to be dead but he didn’t think Justin was going to like that. He decided to leave that part out. “Jus, I’m alive,” the brunet assured him. “Stop it,” Justin said dropping the bottle and the hammer. He held his head as he shut his eyes. “Stop it.” Brian walked to him and kissed him hard. Then he pulled away with a big smile. “I’m real.” Justin gripped Brian’s arms. “It…Brian?” “Yes,” Brian told him and pushed the blond against the wall. “I can’t…” he couldn’t explain what was going on. He thought that maybe he was dreaming but it felt too real to be a dream. “You’re dead,” Justin whispered. Brian sighed and held the blond in his arms. They cried together as they slid to the floor, for different reasons. Brian because he had the blond back in his arms after having thought he had lost him. The blond cried because it was the best thing so far. Because it felt so real to hold his lover even when he knew he wasn’t really there. When Brian started pulling away he didn’t want to let go. “It’s okay,” Brian whispered. “Come on. Let’s get up.” Justin did as Brian told him. He would do anything as long as Brian stayed with him. “Don’t leave me,” he was muttering all the way down the stairs. “I’m not going to,” Brian assured him. The brunet got Justin in his bedroom and got back with Justin on the shower. He wanted Justin to wake up from his drunken haze. He wanted Justin to realize that he was really there. They kissed and touched and Justin cried as he hugged him. When they came back out he put the blond to rest and the blond fell asleep clinging to him. He got dressed and went to get some answers. Brian found Gio in the kitchen laughing with the guys. As soon as Brian entered everyone was quiet. The brunet walked over to Gio and the man stood up. “How did Justin get here?” Brian asked. “He escaped when his father wasn’t looking,” Gio informed him. “How is that?” Brian asked. “Craig left PR to come to the states,” Gio talked slowly. “He had some last business to attend to.” “You don’t say,” the brunet muttered. He had on a deadly gaze that had everyone very nervous. “So Molly gave him money to buy a plane ticket and come here,” Gio said. “That’s what he told me.” “Can I ask you something?” Brian asked taking a step back. Gio waited for the question. “All this time,” Brian spoke. “Did you know he was alive?” Gio knew that the answer might get him killed but he replied anyway. “Yes.” Brian punched him on the face and then the gut. When Gio was down Brian kicked him a few times and no one did anything to stop it. The brunet squatted in front of Gio with a murderous look. “If you ever do something like this again,” Brian hissed. “I’ll kill you. Do not keep anything from me.” Gio groaned and nodded. “Good,” Brian said as he stood up. Brian went back upstairs to the studio. He looked at the damage that the blond had created and it hurt him. For almost three months Brian had lived holding on to Justin’s drawings and paintings. They were all gone now. He assured himself that it didn’t matter. That Justin was back and there would be new art works. That this time he would be the one protecting Justin and he would not fail. *** When Brian entered his bedroom was to find Justin crying. The blond had his face buried on the pillows and his body shook. He didn’t understand what was going on until he realized that Justin had woken up to be completely alone. He quickly walked over to the blond and got in the bed. “Brian!” Justin yelled. “Justin,” Brian said pulling the blond to him. “No,” Justin said as he held the brunet. “Is it really you? Is this real?” Brian smiled and then kissed the blond. Slowly he claimed the man’s mouth then his tongue pushed inside the warm cavern. His tongue reached every place and claimed it. Justin started trembling again but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I’m here,” Brian said as he took his clothes off. Justin watched him somewhat in shock. When Brian was naked he caressed the man’s arms and went up to his neck. He stared at Brian as he touched his face, his eyes, his nose, his cheeks and his lips. He whimpered as his hand pressed against Brian’s chest and he felt the warmth radiating back at him. “It’s okay,” Brian told him. “We’re together now.” “You left me,” Justin muttered. “Why?” “I didn’t want to,” Brian assured him. “You…your father said you were dead.” “No,” Justin said shaking his head. “No.” Brian sighed. “Oh god Justin,” he said pulling his prince in his arms. Justin pulled his head back and kissed Brian. It was hard, teeth colliding against one another, teeth scraping skin, grunts of displeasure when a kiss was broken, sweat mingling together, screams of pleasure escaping and fingernails biting into skin. It was all there and it was fast and hard and it was real. “I need you,” Justin growled. “Now.” Brian obeyed the man. He collected his own pre cum and covered his cock. Justin’s legs wrapped around him and he entered his lover. “Brian,” Justin moaned and tears surface. “Brian, Brian, Brian.” “Shhh,” Brian muttered as he caressed Justin’s face. “You’re home.” Justin nodded absently as he let himself get lost on the feel of Brian all around him and in him. He held on to Brian as the man made love to him. “Brian,” Justin groaned as they moved as one. “Brian, god, fuck me!” Brian sucked on Justin’s neck as he pounded into the blond. He couldn’t stop touching Justin, smelling him, kissing him. He couldn’t have enough of the blond. He buried his head on the crook of his boy’s neck and he let it all out. The pain that had been consuming him was being washed away by the blond repeating his name over and over. “Ah,” Justin yelled and he clenched his walls around his boyfriend. Brian grunted and spilled his seed deep inside Justin. He sighed contently as he lay on the blond’s arm. “Brian,” Justin muttered. “What?” the brunet asked. “You didn’t use a condom,” Justin whispered. Brian sighed and kissed Justin. “I needed to be inside you so bad. I wanted to feel you.” Justin hugged him to him. “I want more of it.” Brian nodded against the blond’s shoulder. They moved around until they were staring at one another. “I wanted to die,” Justin confessed. “Me too,” Brian replied. Justin interlaced his fingers with Brian’s. “I’m never letting you go.” Brian smiled and they kissed. “You know what?” Brian said smirking. “What?” Justin asked as he turned to look at the ceiling with a big smile. “You need to brush your teeth,” Brian told him. Justin’s head snapped to look at the brunet like he was nuts and then laughed. “You’re an ass,” he told him but knew it was probably true. He had been drinking all night. “You see,” Brian told him. “It is really me.” Justin put his hand on Brian’s cheek and smiled. “It is.” Then Brian kissed him again just to make a point that he didn’t care about small things such as bad breath; not that much anyway. *** “What is this?” Justin asked looking at Gio. “Man, what the fuck happened to your face?” “I fell,” Gio told him so naturally that it was believable. Justin looked at the I.D. that the man had given him and saw it was a picture of him but it said his name was Ely Winters. “New identity,” he whispered. Gio nodded. “Okay,” Justin said as he stared at the man. “Thanks, I guess.” Brian came down the stairs then and stared with an arch brow. “Brian,” Justin said walking towards him. “I need to go buy a few things.” Brian sighed. “What things, Justin?” “Pencils, pads, sketchbooks,” Justin said. “Clothes to wear and very importantly food, lots of food.” Brian smirked. “I have nothing against Italians,” Justin said looking at Gio. “Really, but enough is enough.” Brian laughed and kissed the blond. He took a deep breath just to get the blond’s scent in. “I can take him,” Gio said. “You’ll take Joey and Rocco and Carlo,” Brian told him. Justin sighed because he didn’t need to be babysat, but he let it go. He knew that the only way he was stepping out of the house was if he was well protected. He wrapped his arms around the brunet and kissed him. The brunet wanted to go but he had an important meeting with his boyfriend’s father. Gio looked heaven ward as he looked at them. The two of them had spent about a week locked away in Brian’s room; opening the door just wide enough to shout out for food before it was closed yet again. He cleared his throat and Brian and Justin separated. “Do you really have to go?” Justin asked. “Only for a few hours,” the brunet informed him. “It will be okay.” Justin nodded and let the man go. Then he went upstairs to take a shower before he left. The blond was so happy he could have bounced of the walls. When they went into the city he felt like a little kid. He didn’t know anybody except Gio and he was the one driving. Rocco and Carlo looked like real bad asses. Joey in the other hand looked he could never kill a fly but Justin knew better. Innocence as well could be used as a deadly tool. “You two stay by the car,” Gio said. Rocco and Carlo nodded. “So,” Justin said. “How long have you been working for Brian?” Joey smiled at Justin. “A while now, since…you left.” “Right,” Justin said. After that Justin didn’t ask anything else. He got a few clothes because when he had left he didn’t have to take much. That only made him think of his sister and in turn he was pushed to think about his father. He was so angry with the man, but that was something he would deal with it later. So he busied himself getting his paintings and Brian called him in the middle of his shopping spree and told him that he missed him. Justin felt the same way. When he hung up he couldn’t wait to get back to the brunet. “Food is next?” Joey asked. “Sure,” Justin told him as he looked at his watch. By the time he had everything he wanted Joey looked at him weird and he couldn’t stop smiling. “Hey,” Justin said. “I’m not going to stuff it all down my throat in a day.” “But you said a week,” Joey pointed out. “I said it would last us for a week,” Justin told him. Joey shook his head. “You’re a bottomless pit, aren’t you?” Gio had laughed at that and even Rocco which surprised Justin. He thought the man didn’t know how to. He was smiling by the time he made it back home. There he was informed that Brian was already back and that he was in his office talking to his father. “I bet that’s going just great,” Justin said to himself and didn’t know if he wanted to stay out of it or join them in whatever they could possibly be talking about. *** “I’m very proud Brian,” Craig said. “You don’t say,” Brian said with his arms crossed. He still hadn’t told Craig that he knew Justin was alive and apparently the man didn’t know it. “You took revenge against all of them,” Craig said smiling. “You did great.” “Why you wanted him dead?” Brian asked. Craig frowned and shook his head. “You know, Brian. He killed my son.” “Not directly,” Brian said. “But he gave the order,” Craig replied. “That’s just as bad.” “Right,” Brian told him. Craig walked over to the brunet. “I understand that you don’t like this life. I have thought about everything that’s been going on and I think I should help.” “Help?” Brian asked. “Yes,” Craig told him. “If you want to go I’ll take over.” “But they think you’re dead,” Brian pointed out crossing his arms. Craig walked to the mini bar and served them a drink. Then he took one to Brian before he went and sat at the edge of the desk. “I’ll fix that,” Craig said. “They are still looking to see who killed Anthony,” Brian pointed out. “If I run they might think it was me.” “You don’t have to leave right away,” Craig informed him. Brian’s brain was working overtime. He knew something was up. Then it all made sense. “You planned this.” “Plan what, Brian?” Craig asked arching a brow. The brunet smirked and drank his whisky before he put the glass away. He walked closer to the man. “You must think I’m stupid.” “Of course not, Brian,” Craig assured him. “What is this you’re talking about?” “You wanted Anthony out for a long time,” Brian muttered. Craig’s eyes twinkle. “Justin’s death was but an excuse,” Brian continued. Craig cleared his throat. “Where is all of this coming from?” “But you couldn’t do it,” Brian said. “Sooner or later they would have known it was you.” Craig frowned. “But me,” Brian said. “I had no motive, did I? Why would I want Anthony dead? I don’t have a history with him. I’m too young and too new to the business to be craving that much power already. And they don’t even know Justin is dead so revenge is out of the question.” Craig stared at the brunet with an odd expression. Brian moved away and shook his head. “You know what I found out today?” Craig swallowed not liking the way Brian was talking to him. “What would that be, Brian?” “That I get to take over half of his territory if everyone agrees,” Brian said. The older of the two nodded. “I understand that, Brian. Look I know I’ve put you through a lot and...” “Craig,” Brian hissed. “I’m going to take it. I’ll run with it all.” The older man didn’t like hearing that. “I want to help you, Brian.” “No really,” the brunet said. “I’ll stay. I’m managing well.” Craig got up and smirked. “Okay, you got me Brian.” Brian shook his head. “You’re a fucking asshole,” he spat out. “We do what we have to do,” Craig said. “You never wanted to give up power,” Brian said. “From the beginning you were preparing me to take the fall.” Craig walked closer. “So what are you going to do?” “I can have you killed,” Brian threatened him. “Brian I’m impressed,” Craig said and laughed. “Look at you, a real mafia boss.” Brian was pissed as hell. “But really I’m the one in power here,” Craig told him. “What if I kill you Craig?” Brian asked. “Everyone thinks you’re dead already. I’ll have you killed and vanish all in the same hour.” Craig smiled. “I really wish you were my son. You would make me proud.” Brian glared at the man. “You and I both know you won’t kill me,” Craig said. “You wouldn’t hurt Justin like that.” The brunet kept staring. “Oh yes he’s alive,” Craig said and laughed. “A little under the weather.” “What do you mean?” Brian asked. “He really didn’t get killed,” Craig told him. “No,” Brian said. “When you say he’s sick, what do you mean?” “Molly tells me he has a cold,” Craig said. Brian smirked. Oh the girl was smart alright. She had kept it a secret that his brother was gone and that’s why Craig didn’t know that Justin was back in the states with him. Craig arched a brow. “So this is it.” “I’m pissed at you,” Brian told him. “I’m thirsty for revenge and this time you’re the target.” Craig laughed and shook his head. “Remember how you called me Brian. Whispered the words ‘I’m being watched’ and it was all because you wouldn’t put my son through the pain of losing his father yet again.” Brian knew it was true. After Justin and him had found out that Craig was alive things went crazy. He was approached by a man from the FBI who told him a lot about what Craig did. He hadn’t known what to do then but he agreed to help them as best as he could. They were really good and no one ever knew that they were getting information from Brian. But when Brian got tired of it all he told them he wanted it to stop. They agreed to arrest Craig if he testified against him. So he told them he would, but backed away at the last minute because he couldn’t do that to Justin. So he had called Craig and the man had told Brian everything would be okay. They had faked Brian’s death just in case they were watching that closely. Brian confessed to Craig that Alvin was in on it. That’s how it was easy for Brian to talk to the agents. It was the reason why Alvin got killed in the end. The brunet had only wanted to help Craig so Justin wouldn’t suffer. And also because Brian felt wanted; the man acted like a father to him. “I won’t let you take over,” Brian told him. “After all the shit I went through it’s not going to be that easy.” Craig smirked. “I’ll just kill you and blame you for everything. It was the plan in the beginning.” “What made you change your mind?” Brian asked. “I really liked you like a son,” Craig told him. “But I won’t let you take what belongs to me.” “What kind of a person are you?” Brian asked him. “How could you put your son through all this? You can’t kill me. Justin will hate you for it.” “He won’t ever know the truth,” Craig assured him. The brunet started to see the danger he was in. He knew he was in a hell of a lot of trouble. For starters he was unarmed. Craig laughed a bit. “It gets easier each time,” he said and pulled out a gun. “I thought you said I was like a son to you,” Brian said and swallowed. “This is going to destroy Justin.” Craig shrugged. “I killed my wife, Brian. Justin got over it. I killed Daniel, his first boyfriend and Justin got over it. And you’re dead to him already, so no damage there.” Brian looked down at the floor and wondered how he didn’t see it coming. Then he looked up when Craig groaned and saw Justin there stabbing the man in the back. Craig fell back and the gun dropped from his hand. He tried to reach it but someone else kicked it with their foot. “Get out of here, Justin,” Gio said. Justin frowned. “Now!” Brian hissed. Justin looked at his father who was gasping for air. “Get out now!” Brian yelled. Justin swallowed and dropped the letter opener in the floor before he left. “Why…are you…doing this to me?” Craig managed to ask before he started coughing blood. “Why?” Gio asked. Brian wondered the same thing. “I know it was you who killed her,” Gio said meaning his mother. “She was a bitch,” Craig hissed. “She would have managed to bury your father. Think…of that,” he said and another fit of coughing hit him. “She loved me,” Gio said and then looked at Brian. Brian sighed knowing what he had to do and yet he didn’t want to. “He’s going to die anyways,” Gio said. “It’s up to you if you let Justin think it was one of us or him that did it.” “Don’t…do it,” Craig begged. “You have to take care of Marcus,” the brunet answered before he turned his back on Craig and Gio. Once Brian was outside Justin was in his arms. “I killed him,” Justin was babbling. “Oh god, Brian,” he said crying. Two shots were heard. Then Marcus and Joey came running up the stairs with their guns in hand. “What the fuck is going on?” Marcus asked pointing at Brian. Joey knew what he had to do. His job was to protect Brian and Gio had said that if anyone tried to kill Brian or threatened him he should kill them without asking question. Marcus moved towards the brunet ready to shoot but Joey was faster. “Stop it!” Justin yelled with all the upheaval. “Stop this,” he said as he crumbled. Brian picked Justin up in his arm and took him to their bedroom. He settled him on the bed and after he convinced Justin that he hadn’t killed his father the blond cried himself to sleep because either way he knew his father was dead. After a while Brian got out of the bedroom and went to find Gio. “Take them out of here and bury the bodies and…” Brian said but stopped. “Who else came here with him?” “We took care of it,” Joey said. Gio nodded assuring Brian that everything was under control. “I don’t know how you do it but you make it look like he was the one that killed Anthony and he’s own people got the revenge that they would have wanted,” Brian said. “Yes, boss,” Gio answered. Brian stared at Gio for a few seconds. “Okay then. No one bothers me and Justin.” Gio nodded slowly before he walked away. The older man went back to his bedroom to lie next to his blond. “Bri,” Justin whispered. “I’m here,” Brian assured him. “I heard him,” Justin informed him. “He was going to kill you.” Brian sighed. “I couldn’t let him,” the blond related. “I could lose you again.” “It’s okay,” Brian told him. “I’m here with you and we’ll be okay.” Justin nodded as he wrapped his arms tightly around Brian’s body. *** Justin sat on the back of the limo frowning. He didn’t know what was taking Brian so long to come back to him. When Brian returned he wrapped himself around the brunet. “Mmm, you feel good,” Brian whispered caressing Justin’s back. “Brian,” Justin said. “Where are we going?” “Away,” Brian told him. “For a little while.” Justin nodded and rested his head on the man’s chest. He closed his eyes but didn’t go to sleep. He had done plenty of that for the last few days. He still could see himself attacking his father and it didn’t bother him as much as it was supposed to. He had killed his father no matter what Gio or Brian told him. His father would have bleed to death sooner or later. Gio just had made it quicker. He knew it was wrong, yet he would do it all over again to defend his lover. He was so angry with the man still. Hearing the awful things that Craig had done hadn’t been easy. He was angry that his father was the one that had really killed his mother. His heart had wept for Daniel one more time realizing that the boy was dead because of him. As much as he loved his father he couldn’t have let the man live knowing that he would have found a way to kill Brian. Brian had done so many things for him. The older man had helped him when he was on the streets. The man had showed him love. Brian had given up everything he knew for him. He had to disappear knowing he could never go back. He knew how much Brian loved his son and he had to give that up as well. It was not fair at all. It was ironic that his father wanted to kill Brian after the brunet had served him blindly out of the love he had for Justin. He loved both men but he was pushed to choose at that moment, so he did. He would do anything for his partner, absolutely anything when it came down to it. That much was obvious now. “Hey,” Brian whispered. “You okay?” Justin nodded and smiled. “In a few weeks Molly will be with us,” Brian assured him. Justin smiled at that. “I love you,” Brian whispered. “It will be okay.” “Brian,” Justin said pulling away a bit. “I’m sorry. I’ve ruined your life…I’ve turned you into him.” “You haven’t,” Brian told him. “I would never hurt my own family, no matter what.” Justin sighed. Brian pulled the blond into a heated kiss. “I don’t have any regrets,” he whispered against the younger man’s lips. “I have you here with me, where you belong.” Justin smiled at that. He wished he could change a few things. Like the fact that Brian was still in charge. You just didn’t tell the mob you were retiring. That just didn’t happen. Little by little the blond was getting Brian to tell him things although there were things that he knew Brian would never tell him and that aspect of it scared him to death. “You’re thinking too much,” Brian told him. Justin laughed and moved closer to Brian. He wrapped his arms around him and then stopped and pulled away. He frowned and then slowly opened the man’s suit jacket. Brian was carrying a gun. “Brain?” Justin asked. Brian stared hard at him not saying a word. The blond took a deep breath and let it go. “I don’t want anything happening to you.” Brian nodded slowly. “You better come home to me every night,” Justin told him. “I will,” Brian said. Justin nodded slowly and leaned closer to the man once again. He really hoped so. He couldn’t live without the brunet. Brian’s strong arms enveloped him. No matter where they ended or what they had to do they would always be together. Outside the limo Gio was giving orders for everyone to get on their cars and moved. They had been in a meeting deciding what was going to happen to Anthony’s territory. It had been decided that Brian would take half of it and Steven. Giorgio was the one that gave the final answer to it. When everyone was on their way Gio got on his car and followed his boss which he bowed to protect with all he had. He knew that Brian was just starting on his way to immense power.