Together As One Chapter 11 As she walked into the house an eerie silence prevailed. Instantly she knew Justin and Molly weren’t home. She stood listening for their familiar sounds, by now Molly would have the television going waiting for her to come home to prepare lunch and if Justin had been working in the office, he would have his favorite Moby tunes playing. She was startled out of her thoughts at the sudden sound of the telephone ringing. “Hello,” she answered after she quickly picked up the receiver. Listening to the voice on the other end of the line, her face went deathly pale. “Wait!” she shouted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; you’ve got to…” the line went dead before she could ask the caller what he meant. Her hand trembled as she put the receiver back in its cradle and her heart beat wildly as panic set in. She franticly started pacing, trying to figure out what the mysterious caller wanted her to find. She had no idea what he was talking about; Justin never mentioned coming across any such document or money. She knew over the past several days he’d been more preoccupied than usual, but she thought that had to do with Brian. “Brian!” she exclaimed as her voice echoed within the quietness of the house. She knew that two had gotten close and Justin confided in the older man, just maybe Brian could tell what she needed to know. Having lunch at Pappagano’s with Leo Brown, Brian finalized the latest campaign for Brown Athletics when his cell phone rang. “Sorry Leo, but I need to take this call,” Brian frowned as he glanced at the number and recognized the area code. “Brian Kinney.” “Brian, this is Jennifer Taylor, Justin’s mother,” she said in a rush, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “Jennifer? Why are you calling? Is Justin okay?” he asked quickly sensing something had to be seriously wrong for Jennifer to contact him. “Brian, I didn’t know who else to call. I know that Justin has been confiding in you, so I thought you might be able to help. I just received a call from someone whose voice I didn’t recognize. He said that he has kidnapped Justin and Molly,” she said as she choked out a sob. Brian felt the color drain from his face as he heard the words Justin kidnapped reverberate in his brain. “Brian are you still there?” Jennifer’s voice took on a slightly hysterical tone. “Yes, I’m still here,” he whispered. “Listen Jennifer, I’m with a client. Let me excuse myself and I’ll get back to you in a few minutes. Quickly ending the call Brian walked back to the table. Where, with a single look, Leo immediately sensed that something was wrong. Brian’s skin had become pale and the self-assured, confident manner he usually possessed seemed to have disappeared; in fact he actually appeared frightened. “Brian is everything all right?” Leo asked, concerned by the change in demeanor. Leo was surprised; his ad man had never been one who displayed his emotions. “No, something’s come up. Look Leo, I’m sorry I’m going to have to cancel out on the lunch meeting; there’s been an emergency. Why don’t you stay and have your lunch and I’ll arrange to have it charged to Kinnetik. I have to leave.” Brian stood up and shook Leo’s hand. “Not a problem Brian, if there’s anything I can do, let me know.” Heading towards his car he pulled out his phone and immediately called Jennifer. “Jennifer, it’s Brian,” he said without preamble. “What did the caller say?” “He said he wanted the deed to the land he was promised and the money he was owed. I have no idea what he was talking about Brian. What should I do?” she asked hesitantly. “Don’t do anything right now. I’m heading back to my office. I’ll arrange to get a flight out as soon as possible. I’ll call you with my flight information and we can discuss our options,” he instructed. “Oh God, Brian I’m really worried. What if he does something to Justin or Molly,” she cried. “Look Jennifer, don’t worry. You need to remain calm. If the kidnapper calls back try to stall him until I get there.” “Okay, I’ll wait for your call. Brian…?” “Yes?” “Thank you,” she said gratefully. Cynthia sat at her desk skimming through a magazine when she looked up to see her boss striding in with a look that said don’t ask me a lot of question, just do as I say. She didn’t have to wait long when Brian began barking out orders. “Cyn, get me out on the first flight to Bennington; immediately. Then cancel all my appointments for the rest of the week. Get Theodore in here right away. I need to speak with both of you,” he stated in a tone that brooked no arguments. Immediately Brian began throwing things into his briefcase preparing to leave as soon as he gave Cynthia and Ted his last minute instructions. Hearing a knock on his door, he looked up and waved his staff in. “Look an emergency has come up and I have to leave for Bennington; immediately. Cyn, I need you to follow up on the Remson and Eyeconics campaign and make sure everything is on schedule for their presentations. Ted, I need you to make the presentation to Dandy Lube. “But Brian I’ve never…” Ted exclaimed, panicked at being asked to make the presentation. Pinching the bridge of his nose hoping to stave off the beginning of a major headache, Brian looked directly at Ted, “Look if you can pretend that you were Pavarotti you can do this.” Slamming his briefcase shut, indicating an end to the conversation, Brian picked up his things and headed out the door leaving the two to stare at one another wondering what the hell just happened. Weaving in and out through midday traffic was a bitch, and he drove like a man possessed as he dodged his way around every Sunday driver who decided to pick this time of day to be out on the road. He would count himself blessed if he made it back to the loft without getting a speeding ticket much less crashing his ‘Vette into some unsuspecting light pole or bumper. Reaching Tremont, he took a calming breath as he parked his vehicle; grateful he was able to reach the loft in one piece. Not having the time or patience to wait for the elevator, he raced up the stairs… taking them two at a time. He headed straight for his bedroom closet, pulled out a bag and randomly throwing in what he thought he might need for a couple of days. He zipped up the bag after grabbing his toiletries and hurriedly headed out the door. Now all he had to do was get to the airport in one piece in time to make his flight. It was great having Liberty Air as one of his clients; he had Cynthia call and pull whatever strings she needed to get him on the first available flight. Lucky for him, there was one leaving in about two hours; that gave him just enough time to park his car and get through security. The flight to Bennington gave him time to think things over. The call from Jennifer had him putting his life into perspective; what did he want and what was truly important to him. He found there was only one answer to that; Justin was important to him and it was Justin he really wanted. He vowed that once Justin was found safe and sound, he would be making some drastic changes to his life if the blond agreed. Picking up his rental car, he called Jennifer to let her know that he had arrived in Bennington, was on his way to the Inn, and should arrive shortly. The minute Brian pulled up in front of the Taylor home, Jennifer was out the door. “Brian!” she exclaimed as she rushed over to embrace him. For just a moment, Brian tensed at the greeting he received from Jennifer. He realized it was it was more from relieve than affection that she greeted him this way. From his last visit, he was under the impression she was not all thrilled about his so called non-defined, unconventional relationship with her son. He knew that she was afraid that Justin would be hurt and she just wanted to protect him. Somehow, he would prove to her that she was wrong in her thinking, but first they had to get through this crisis. Jennifer felt the older man’s hesitancy as she greeted him, and suspected that he realized how she felt. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him; she liked him just fine; just not for her son. He was much older, had been around the block a time or two, and had a life back in Pittsburgh, which didn’t include Justin. Although she never said as much to her son about her feelings, she knew that he was more than aware of how she felt towards Brian. She had refrained from expressing herself for fear of alienating Justin; she didn’t want to do that. They were just starting to rebuild their relationship, and she didn’t want to see that ruined. The best she could do was provide a soft shoulder should he ever need one to cry on. “Hi Jennifer,” Brian solemnly greeted the woman. “Thanks for dropping everything and flying out, Brian. I didn’t know what to do; especially since I was told not to contact the police. I knew if anyone had a clue as to what the kidnapper wanted it would be you. I know my son has confided in you,” she said with resignation “Yes, he’s told me about what he’s discovered,” he admitted reluctantly. He realized that the woman standing in front of him felt left out of her son’s life, but it was not something he had time to deal with at the moment, so he chose to put aside her feelings for now. “You don’t have to thank me, I’d do anything for Justin. I do lo…I do care for him, whether you believe it or not.” Jennifer caught the slip, but chose to ignore it. Justin had mentioned to her about Brian having difficulty expressing his feelings. Using the “L” word was not in his vocabulary, but in his youthful naiveté he believed in time he would get Brian to say it and believe it. “I know you would do anything for him, and I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your help.” Entering the house, she turned toward the man with a questioning look and asked, “What are we going to do? “Can you take me to Justin’s office?” “Sure, but why do you need to see it?” she questioned as she led him down the hall to the room Craig and now her son used as the office away from the Inn. “During one of our talks he mentioned finding a safe and…” before he could finish Jennifer interrupted. “A safe. What safe? Craig never mentioned having one and Justin never said anything either,” she said, her voice taking on a hurt tone. She couldn’t believe her husband would have kept something like that from her and why hadn’t Justin mentioned it. “Look Jennifer, I don’t know why Craig never told you, but I do know why Justin didn’t mention it,” he said trying to sooth her hurt feelings. “What is that you know that you aren’t telling me?” she asked. She was upset that Justin had confided in Brian and not her; his own mother. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you and right now is not the time to get into all of it. Suffice to say, Justin should be the one to explain it to you. But you have to believe he was trying to protect your feelings. So if you will give me a few moments to pull them out of the safe, I’ll get the items the caller requested.” Jennifer reluctantly agreed to Brian’s request. She knew now wasn’t the time to force any issues. It was important they get what they needed so that Justin and Molly would be returned home safe and sound. Entering the office, Brian retrieved the combination from its hiding place. Justin had told him, the day he discovered the safe, where his father had hidden the combo. Opening the safe, he searched through the contents looking for the deed Craig had signed off on. Locating it, he pulled it and the cash out of the safe and stuffed them into a large bag, then closed and locked the safe back up. Jennifer had discreetly paced the hall outside the office while Brian retrieved what was needed. As he exited the room, he mentioned to Jennifer that they should contact Officer Andrews. “Why, Brian? I was told not to contact the police. If I do, they would be swarming the area and they might frighten the kidnapper into doing something to Justin and Molly,” she stated. “I realize that. My plan is to call this one officer and ask him if he could come by; that there is a new development in the case and we need to speak with him right away. When he gets here, we will tell him what’s going on. Then there will be only two of us approaching the line shack and not a swarm of police officers that might upset the kidnapper into doing something stupid. Besides, at least one of us will have a weapon that knows how to use it,” he said trying to lighten the mood a little. Jennifer got off the phone after making the call, “I spoke with Officer Andrews and told him I need to see him right away. He wasn’t too pleased when I wouldn’t give him any details, but I think I was finally able to convince him to come. He said he would leave right away.” Within the hour, Officer Andrews arrived and was surprised to see Brian as he entered the Taylor home. “Mrs. Taylor, Mr. Kinney,” he greeted as approached them. “Officer Andrews, thanks for coming,” Jennifer stated as she escorted the officer into her home. “Sure. You said it was urgent, so I came right away,” Andrews confirmed. “Please have a seat,” she offered. Once they were all seated, Jennifer turned to Brian silently indicating to him that he should be the one to explain the situation to the officer. Taking her silent cue, Brian began, ”Several hours ago, Mrs. Taylor received an anonymous call letting her know that Justin and Molly had been kidnapped and she needed to turnover a deed and some cash.” “Why didn’t you tell me this on the phone, Mrs. Taylor,” the officer asked in a clipped tone. “I’ll need to get the right people out here.” “It was my idea, goddamit,” Brian explained. “From what Jennifer could gather, that the guy does not appear to be very rational and we didn’t want to do anything to set him off. Anyway he told her not to contact the police.” “So why did you?” Andrew asked. “Well, for one thing I’m not trained to use a firearm. I could do more harm than good if I tried. Secondly, I figured he could be distracted long enough for one of use to enter the shack to rescue Justin and Molly,” Brian state with finality. He felt his plan was simple enough. The kidnapper would get what he wanted and he would get Justin and Molly back safe and sound. Officer Andrews stared at Brian in disbelief. This guy had to have a fucking screw loose too if he thinks his plan was that simple. Shaking his head, he let out a loud sigh, “Mr. Kinney, it’s not that easy,” he tried to patiently explain. “Sure it is,” Brian said confidently. “No it isn’t. I can’t have a civilian involved in a situation where he could hurt, let alone killed.” “Well, you have no choice officer. We will not allow you to call in reinforcements. I know I can’t really stop you if you decide to go ahead and do it, but just be warned, I will be long gone by the time they get here. I will not jeopardize either of their lives by going against the kidnapper’s request to leave the police out of this. It’s bad enough that we’ve contacted you to assist me. According to Jennifer, you can stay hidden from view if you stay amongst the pine trees while I walk out in the open.” “You know Mr. Kinney, he could kill you.” “I realize that, but if it gets Justin and Molly back safe and sound, it would be worth the risk.” Tears filled Jennifer’s eyes as she realized how much Brian loved her son. The fact that he was willing to risk his own life to save Justin’s was way more than she could expect out of anyone. Softly she placed her hand on Brian’s arm and squeezed it gently, letting him know how grateful she was for what he was willing to sacrifice for her family. Under the cover of darkness, the two men headed up the mountain toward the line shack. Cloud covering diffused the light being cast from the full moon and made it easier for them to delay the inevitable… of having the kidnapper become aware of their approach. Officer Andrews used the grove of trees along the slop to conceal his presence as Brian shadowed the officer’s movements, but walked along the tree line, carrying the bag containing the cash and the document. Deafening silence surrounded them as they made their way toward their destination. Every sound they made caused a thunderous echo that seemed to bounce off the mountain slopes. As he got within a few yards of the shack Brian could no longer hide this existence as the crunch of his footsteps on the hard packed snow alerted the persons inside of a possible intruder. Brian’s heart beat wildly in his chest, and his steps faltered as the door to the shack was roughly thrown open and a wild-eyed man brandishing a gun burst into view. His eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the landscape looking for the source of the noise. Spotting Brian, he held up the hand holding the gun, and aimed directly at the tall man and ordered him to stop. “Who are you? the gun totting man shouted. “What are you doing here?” Brian gave pause, and raised his left hand to show that he was unarmed, while he extended his right hand holding out the bag. “I’m Brian Kinney,” he said, his voice held a slight quiver; after all, it wasn’t every day that someone held a gun on him, but he stood his ground and let the man know that he wasn’t about to back down. “I’m here to deliver the ransom.” Inside the shack, Justin looked at his sister as he heard the voice of the man who had come to rescue them. A jumble of emotions welled up within him; first relief that someone had come to their aid, then fear and apprehension when he realized the danger the man he loved was putting himself in. Brother and sister quietly waited; craning their necks to get a look at what was taking place outside. Justin could only catch a glimpse of his auburn-haired lover as he stood stock still with the gun aimed at his chest. The moonlight cast shadowy figures making it difficult to see. Justin wanted to call out to Brian, but was afraid that if he called attention to either of them it would set off their captor. The state of agitation the kidnapper was in made his behavior very unpredictable. Brian watched as Officer Andrews cautiously made his way out from the grove of trees, keeping his eyes trained on the crazed man. He tried to stealthily circle his way behind the kidnapper while Brian distracted him by slowly lowering the bag to the ground. He was about to push the bag forward with his foot when the sound of the officer’s heavy boots on the hard-packed snow drew the kidnapper’s attention away. Without hesitation the kidnapper swung around and pointed his gun in the direction of the noise as Andrews dove for the ground. Both guns fired and the muzzle flashes filling the darkness; the cop’s bullet was a direct hit to the heart of evil. As both firearms went off, Brian instinctively, ducked and watched as Andrews’ bullet penetrated the flesh of the kidnapper, spraying his blood on the white snow. He had never seen a man shot before and it was something he hoped he’d never see again in this lifetime. It was a gruesome sight; as the man fell backwards, his body made impact with the hard ground, and a look of surprise shown on his features. The officer approached the body, kicked aside the gun, and bent down to check to see if the man had a pulse. “He’s dead,” Andrews confirmed as he looked at the shaken man beside the body. “I’ll phone this in to headquarters; they’ll need a statement from you, Mr. Kinney.” “Sure.” Brian nodded his head acknowledging the officer, and after regaining his composure, he remembered the two siblings being held in the shack. Justin and Molly heard the gunfire and feared the worst when no one raced into the shack to rescue them. Tears started to pool in the blue orbs of the older sibling as dread filled his heart. The mere thought of Brian being shot or lying dead, all because of him caused him to gasp for air. The two captives held their breath as they heard the approach of footsteps. A flood of relief washed over Justin as he recognized the tall, lean, shadowy figure standing in the doorway. “Brian!” Justin and Molly exclaimed in unison as their rescuer approached them. “Hey you two,” Brian said and he crouched down beside them, enveloped the older blond in his arms and leaned in and gave Justin a heart rendering kiss. “Ewwww you two; innocent child here,” Molly grumbled. “Can’t you at least untie us before you start with the mushy stuff.” Brian laughed out loud at Molly’s reminder. “If you don’t behave Molly, I just may leave you tied up. In fact, I think that may be a good idea,” he teased. “What do you think Justin?” he asked as he moved first to untie Justin making Molly think he would leave her bound. “I think it’s a good idea,” Justin agreed. “After all, she was the one who got us in this mess,” he laughed. “Hey you guys, you wouldn’t really leave me tied up would you?” she asked, thinking that the two of them might be serious. As soon as his hands were free, Justin lunged for Brian knocking him on his butt as he wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck, tightly hugging him; afraid that if he let him go, he would disappear forever. Brian held tightly onto the blond. When his hand moved to cup the back of his head, long fingers made contact with huge lumped that had formed when Justin was hit from behind. He pulled back slightly and noticed the grimace on the younger man’s face. With a questioning look, Brian eyed the blond, silently waiting for him to say something. “I was blindsided and hit on the back of my head when I stepped into this place,” Justin explained. “I think you need to get it checked out after we get you home,” Brian stated. “I’m okay. I think I just need to put some ice on it; besides I don’t want to go to any hospital.” Brian decided to let it go for now; everyone was exhausted and they still had to make the trek down. He didn’t want to argue, but promised himself to keep an eye out to make sure Justin was okay. “Everything okay in here?” Andrews inquired, startling the three. “Yeah, we’re all fine,” Justin answered. “Do you think you can make your way back down the hill, or do you need some assistance, Mr. Taylor?” Andrews asked. “We’ll be fine; I’m assuming we can leave now?” “Yes you can, but we will need statements from both you and your sister, but that can wait until tomorrow.” “Thanks Officer Andrews,” Justin replied as they all moved to leave the confines of the shack. Jennifer tried to keep busy while Brian and Officer Andrews made their way up to the line shack. She thought reading a magazine might help calm her nerves, but it had lay on her lap, open to the same page for a long while before the wail of sirens echoing through the mountains made her head snap to attention. No longer able to sit back and wait for news of her children, Jennifer made the decision to go to see things for herself. Grabbing her down jacket she slipped it on and headed out the door. Making her way through the snow at night slowed her progress and it seemed that it took her forever to reach the shack. She reached the site just as the coroner’s vehicle pulled up. Dread filled every fiber of her being when she didn’t see anyone around except for the body that laid covered on the ground; at first glance she thought it was Justin. “Oh my God…Just,” she said drawing in a sharp intake of breath, her heart beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst from her chest. She dropped to her knees, took another deep breath and with trembling fingers pulled back the cover and revealed the lifeless form. “Oh God, Chris Hobbs,” she gasped, shock and relief overcame her all at once. She fell back on her heels too stunned to move, surprised at the body she uncovered. Chris was the last person she suspected of being involved. Still kneeling before the body, she started to panic when a cry made her look up and she noticed the beleaguered trio exiting the shack; Brian with his arms wrapped around the shoulders of each of her children. “Mom!” Molly shouted as she broke free of Brian’s grasp and ran toward her mother. “Oh Molly, are you all right?” Jennifer asked, as she pulled her daughter tight to her. She leaned back slightly, checking her from head to toe to make sure she was okay. “Mom, I’m okay,” the young girl said as she wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist in a comforting embrace. “But, I was so scared,” she declared, her voice trembling as tears seeped from her eyes and trickled down her smooth cheeks. “Oh Molly, Honey,” Jennifer said as she knelt before her daughter and gathered her in her arms, gently stroking her silky hair. “You had every right to be scared; I was too,” she replied wanting to let her daughter know that what she was feeling was normal. “Thank God, you’re all safe. I was so afraid for all of you,” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe what happened…I called Brian…I didn’t know…,” she paused when she realized she was babbling. “Mom, Mom,” Justin repeated trying to get his mother to calm down. “We’re okay; thanks to Brian and Officer Andrews.” Once she had Molly calmed down, Jennifer turned toward her son, “Justin,” she whispered as she moved to embrace him and felt him flinch as she held him. Stepping back she looked her son over and notice a bruise had formed on his cheek from a blow dealt by Chris Hobbs: God only knows what else he had done. Gently running her fingers over the opposite check, she asked, “Justin, what’s wrong? How badly are you hurt?” “It’s nothing serious Mom; just some bruises,” he replied and took a quick glance at the man standing beside him. He knew Brian wanted him to go to the hospital and get checked out, but he had adamantly refused, insisting it was nothing more than a few bruises; he hated hospitals. Brian wasn’t so sure about it being just a few bruises; he was worried about the blow to the back of Justin’s head. But he had refused to go, he seemed to be coherent, and his eyes were focused, so he agreed to let it go. Jennifer had observed the look that passed between the two men and realized there must have been some discussion as to the state of Justin’s well being. before she arrived Knowing how stubborn her son could be, she figured that Brian had lost the argument; for now anyway. She looked over at Brian, who stood by quietly watching the Taylor family reunion. With a grateful smile she walked over to where he stood, gently pressed a kiss against his cheek, enfolded the man in her arms, and whispered, “Thank you for rescuing my children.” Brian stiffened slightly as Jennifer embraced him as he was not used to a display of emotions. God knows his family never showed them, but he found himself liking it and relaxed into her arms and gently hugged her back. “I’d risk anything for them,” he quietly replied. As they were leaving, Justin’s eyes were drawn to the body lying on the snow covered ground; thankful that it wasn’t Brian. He knew he should feel badly, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything for the dead man. After all he had put them through and what he had learned during the man’s tirade, he was glad the man was dead. He hoped God would forgive him for thinking the way he did. Brian wrapped a protective arm around Justin’s shoulder for support because he felt the blond looked pale and shaky. With his free hand, being held Molly. The need for touch; for reassurance that they had made it through the ordeal basically bonded them together, as the trio silently started their way back down the mountain; each lost in their own private thoughts. Brian’s mind was on overload as he realized what he could have lost if Justin had been killed; how empty his life would be. Ever since he walked into the blonds’ office several months ago to do the campaign for the Inn, he knew things were never going to be the same. Justin brought out feelings he thought he had long since buried; and it felt nice. He also offered hope that he could have a future filled with love; that he wouldn’t end up alone wishing for days long gone when he held the honorary title of the stud of Liberty Avenue, and every potential trick vied for his attention. All he wanted now was the love and attention of the man he was holding onto. He couldn’t believe how his beliefs had changed; Brian fucking Kinney, wanting the love of a single man. As they approached the house, Justin breathed a sigh of relief; he had never been so happy. Now his concern was for his mother, as she had been through a lot in a short period of time. How was he going to explain to her what he had discovered searching through the safe that led to the kidnapping and all that he had learned while being held captive. He knew there was no choice but to tell her everything. Molly had heard the brutal facts and he knew she had questions that needed to be answered; and sooner or later it would all come out. For now all he wanted, was a hot shower and to crawl into bed with Brian. There will be time enough tomorrow to deal with everything. As Jennifer was about to enter the house, she turned around and noticed that only Molly had followed her to the door. What she observed warmed her soul as she looked up to her son, who stood wrapped in the protective embrace of his lover. Brian softly stroked Justin’s arm as they stood appreciating the night sky, thankful for having found one another. She caught the wave of emotions that flowed between the two as they came grips with that they could have lost but more importantly what they had gained. Seeing the exhaustion etched in the faces of the three, Jennifer ushered them into the house and gently ordered them to take their leave and head up stairs for some much needed rest. She said there will be time in the morning to talk about things. Jennifer watched as the three headed upstairs, then set about shutting off the lights and locking up the house before turning in for the night. She knew tomorrow would another long day for all of them. As she set about her task of closing up the house, she was able to get her mind settled and refocused. She had time to go over the events of the day; and began to wonder what was in the safe that Justin didn’t want revealed. Why would he not want her to know about the safe and its contents, unless it had something to do with Craig. It wouldn’t surprise her one bit to find out he had been keeping secrets from her. Over the past several years, the distance between them had had grown. She had come to realize that he wasn’t the same man she married after he had thrown their son out and, because of that, her own feelings toward him had changed; apparently his had too. She had resigned herself to the fact that her life was never going to be candlelight and roses any longer but then he died in the accident and once again things changed; for the better this time. She knew it was wrong to think that way, but at least something good had come out of Craig’s death; Justin came home and she couldn’t have been happier to have her son back. Well, whatever Justin discovered she wanted him to lay every thing out on the table; good or bad. Maybe then she will be able to lay her demons to rest. As the trio reached the top of the stairs, Molly turned to face the two men before going to her room. “Jus,” she called, stopping him as the two men were entering the bedroom. “Yeah, Mollusk,” Justin replied. He notice sadness and disillusionment in his sister’s eye and realized how difficult it must be for her to process all that she had unexpectedly learned about their father. “Is what we heard today about dad all true?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Justin walked over to his sister, and hugged her tightly before answering, “Unfortunately, it is kiddo. I’m sorry you had to hear about it, Mol.” “Yeah, me too. I really loved him you know, even it he was mean to you,” her voice trembled as she tried to hold back her tears. “It’s okay to love him, Molly; he loved you too. It’s just that sometime adults do stupid things and it gets them into trouble and that’s what happened with dad.” Justin did his best to simplify the situation for his sister. He didn’t want to tell her what he really thought of his father and she really didn’t need to know. Maybe one day she will come to realize, on her own, what a shit his father really had been, but he wasn’t going to be the one to disillusion her. She already learned more than she should have. “I suppose they do,” she agreed. “Are you going to tell mom what we heard?” “I think so. I think it’s best that she hears it from me instead of from strangers. Everything is bound to come out sooner or later, and at least if I tell her now she’ll have time to absorb everything. “Yeah, it’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to keep secrets from mom,” she sighed. “Thanks, Jussy for tying to help me,” she reached up and hugged him. Brian stood and watched the interaction between the siblings wishing he had that kind of relationship with his own sister. Molly walked over to where Brian stood and lifted her arms to reach the taller man. He leaned over so she could encircle his neck in an embrace and she shyly kissed him on the cheek. In a soft voice only Brian could hear, she said. “Thank you for rescuing me and Justin, and I’m glad you’re his boyfriend.” For once Brian didn’t blanch at hearing the word boyfriend used to describe himself, in fact, he actually liked hearing it. ‘You’re welcome, kiddo. Glad I could be of service,” he smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek, drawing a blush to her fair skin. “I’m glad I’m his boyfriend too,” he secretly whispered in her ear, drawing a giggle from her. “Now get to bed; it’s late. We’ll see you in the morning.” “Okay, goodnight,” she replied. Brian turned around and noticed Justin watching him with an amused smirk on his face. “What?” he asked innocently. “The Kinney charm at work,” he laughed as he grabbed Brian’s hand, pulling toward the bedroom. “Maybe I’ll let you work some of that on me,” he gave Brian a sly smile. After they undressed they crawled into bed, snuggling up to one another, their bodies too tired for sex, but their minds still reeling from the events of the day. Unable to sleep, the lover’s talked in low tones, until exhaustion finally took over and they fell into a deep slumber, just as the orange and pink hues of the morning sunrise started its assent over the horizon. Brian groaned as he heard someone knocking on the door. His eyes felt like sandpaper, as he tried to open them and shield them against the sunlight streaming in through the window. “Fuck,” he swore softly. “It’s too fucking early to be up he,” mumbled. He buried his face against the back of Justin’s head, hoping the person on the other side of the door would go away if he didn’t answer. The knocking only became louder and more persistent. “Fuck,” he swore again, and he gently tried to extricate himself from Justin’s side, not wanting to disturb him. Pulling on a robe he pulled open the door to see Molly standing there with a wide grin on her face. “Hi Brian,” she said in a cheery voice. “Fuck, Molly what are you doing up so early?” “You know you shouldn’t swear,” she scolded and then gave him a smile so much like her brother’s. “You’re right, sorry,” he said contritely. He stood staring waiting for her to give him an answer, “Well?” “Well what?” she asked forgetting the reason she came to get them. “Boy, you’re kind of grouchy in the morning. You’re just like Jussy. He says he needs his coffee first,” she gave him a frown. “Well you’d be grouchy too if you only slept a couple of hours.” “Why did…” she paused as she heard her brother’s voice calling out to her. “Oh finally you’re awake, Jus. Mom wants you two to come downstairs. She said Officer Andrews is here.” “Why didn’t you just say that,” Brian said grumpily. “Well, I was going to but you kept interrupting,” she giggled as she turned and skipped down the stairs. Brian turned back to face the bed and saw Justin smirking at him. “You really shouldn’t swear in front of impressionable adolescents,” Justin chided. “How long have you been up?” “The minute you left my side I was awake,” he laughed. “You Twat and you just laid there? You are so going to get it,” Brian gave him an evil smile as he slithered onto the bed “Promises, promises,” Justin teased, throwing back the covers as an invitation. “I always keep my promises,” Brian said in a husky voice, his eyes filled with lust. Slowly he brushed his moist lips against Justin’s inviting ones, his tongue seeking entrance. In a practiced dance, their tongues met, Justin responded by drawing Brian’s into his mouth, sucking it hungrily. Before things went too far, Brian pulled away, he smiled as he heard a frustrated groan from the younger man. “Why’d you stopped,” Justin whined. “Sorry Sunshine, we have someone waiting downstairs to see us,” Brian gave him an amused looked. “Fuck!” was the only reply Justin could come up with at the moment. Frustrated at not being able to finish off what he and Brian had started; he tried to ‘will’ his erection to go down before he got dressed. Brian laughed as he noticed Justin’s erection because he had one to match, and, he understood what his partner was feeling at not being able to make use of it. “Come on, we’ll have plenty of time for that later,” Brian declared as he gave him a wink. The two men greeted the officer as they joined Molly on the sofa. The next hour was spent having their statements taken; about the incident at the line shack, as well as the events that led up to the fateful accident. By the time Officer Andrews was completed, Brian was fit to be tied and ready to gag the officer to make him stop questioning them. How many ways could they fucking explain what went down. If it wasn’t for Justin’s calming presence, Brian was sure he would have reached across and strangled the officer. After the grueling interrogation, Officer Andrews was ushered out and Jennifer joined the three in the living room. Justin knew the time had come for him to confront his mother with all that he had discovered over the past month. Sighing inwardly, he gave a discreet side-glance toward Molly. Picking up on the signal Jennifer said, “Molly, Honey, you must be tired after sitting here for so long. Why don’t you call your friend Kaitlin. Maybe you could treat her to a nice lunch at the restaurant at the Inn. I think you could use a special treat.” “Hey, Mom that’s a good idea. I like pretending I’m a real customer. Can we order anything we want?” she asked, giving her mother a beguiling smile. “Sure, Honey, you can have whatever you want,” Jennifer laughed softly. She’d probably regret giving her daughter carte blanche on the ordering. It wouldn’t surprise her one iota if the meal consisted of desserts only, but today it was okay, her daughter was home safe and that was enough to celebrate. “Thanks, Mom. See ya Jus, see ya Brian,” she replied happily as she skipped out of the room to call her friend. “Bye, Molly,” they all replied in unison. The silence in the room became all encompassing, as Justin fumbled to find the right words to soften the reality of what he was about to reveal to his mother. Brian knew the turmoil that was going through Justin’s mind. Unable to sleep, they had stayed awake into the early morning hours discussing what he should tell his mother. Brian, in his typical fashion, felt that Jennifer should be told everything, that it was best not to hold anything back because in strange ways secrets kept hidden have a way of appearing at the wrong times. Justin argued for not telling his mother everything. After all, what good would it do, the man, his father, her husband, was dead. Maybe it was good to let her have her fantasies. How could it hurt? When Justin tried to explain his reasoning for not telling her everything, all he received from Brian was a raised eyebrow and a slight cocking of his head, a good indication that he didn’t agree and that it could come back and bite him the butt one day. Justin knew his arguments were lame and, at that moment, he hated his father for being the fucking asshole he turned out to be; now he was left to deal with the mess he had left. Justin opened his mouth to speak, stopped and was about to start again when his mother reached over and gently laid a hand over his. She took the decision out of his hands saying, “Tell me everything, Sweetie. Don’t hold anything back, no matter how difficult you think it will be for me to hear or how much it might hurt me.” Brian took hold of Justin’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before entwining his long slender fingers with his. Justin looked over at the man beside him, grateful for the love and support he provided; taking a deep breath, he began again. “Mom, ever since I’ve been overseeing things around the Inn, I’ve mentioned to you on occasion how I’ve noticed that there have been problems with the maintenance of the place. You know, records indicating equipment being repaired when actually it wasn’t done, however, when I looked into it, funds had actually been paid for them. Then there has been all the incidents where someone deliberately damaged equipment and property,” he paused looking over at his mother. “That’s right, Sweetie. I recall our conversations and especially…” she hesitated not wanting to remember the explosion where Justin could have been killed. “The explosion,” she continued, letting out a shuddering breath. Justin felt bad as he saw the stab of pain reflected in his mother’s eyes as she remembered the incident. The pain she felt was only going to get worst as he revealed everything. “Well, I didn’t seem logical to me that all this money was being paid and the work wasn’t being done. I knew there was more to it and that was why I’d been going through the accounts and even thought I did, nothing made sense. Then one day I discovered the safe Dad had hidden in the office.” “Safe”” she questioned with a puzzled look. “Brian is that the one you didn’t want me to see when you retrieved the money? Why didn’t you tell me about it,” her voiced tinged with hurt and anger. “Mom,” Justin interrupted. “Don’t be upset with Brian. I only told him about things because I needed someone to talk with and get some advise. I was planning on telling you what I’ve discovered when I was able to sort things out…I just didn’t know how. You’ve been through a lot lately and I didn’t want to cause you more pain,” he sighed, give her a pleading look for understanding. “Justin, I do understand and appreciate that you were tying to protect me, but you know, sooner or later it has to be said…all of it… the truth. I‘d rather hear it from you than someone else.” “Yeah, I know Mom, but it’s not easy.” “The truth never is, Sweetie, so why don’t you just lay it all out. We’ll deal with it together,” she smiled at him reassuringly. “One of the things I discovered in the safe was a disc that showed all the entries. When I investigated the companies that were getting paid I found that they were all bogus businesses. Some of the cash I found in the safe was there because dad had been embezzling from the Inn for himself. There was also a deed for a portion of the north slope. Apparently he agreed to sell off that area for a large sum of money.” “But Justin, why would he do that? He knew how we felt about keeping our land within the family. I can’t believe he would do such a thing. Are you sure?” she asked. “I suspect part of it was greed and I think he was desperate for money.” “Why would he need large sums of money?” “Um…I think it was because he was being blackmailed and eventually he was planning on leaving the country,” Justin said haltingly. “What do you mean blackmailed and why would he be leaving? she asked in a raised voice. “Was he going to leave Molly and me behind?” “Yes, all indications appeared he was going to leave by himself. In some of the paperwork I found there were copies of lab test he had taken…” “What do you mean lab test? Oh my God, was your father sick?” Before answering Justin looked over at Brian, who had been sitting quietly by; this is one of the things they had disagreed on. He watched as Brian nodded his head, encouraging him with a gently squeeze of his hand, “No Mom, Dad wasn’t sick. The test was to confirm paternity.” “Whose paternity?” “Apparently, sometime after I left Dad had an affair and got a girl pregnant,” Justin heard his mother gasp and he felt his heart clench. “I guess he refused to believe it was his child until she threatened him, and I think that’s why he took the paternity test. He was paying the girl to keep quiet.” “Who was the girl?” Jennifer asked unsure that whether or not she really wanted to know who the girl was.” “It was Sarah Clarkson.” “You can’t mean the Sarah Clarkson who’s been working for me all this time.” “I’m afraid so.” “I can’t believe your father would do this to me and then keep her employed at the Inn. I’m sure they all had a nice laugh at my expense,” she stated bitterly. “How could I have been so stupid?” “Mom, you’re not stupid. Dad was an asshole, but I think he had no choice but to keep her on. I think she threatened to tell you if he didn’t, and she had a thing for Dad and wanted to be near him.” “And what has all this got to do with what Chris Hobbs did to you?” she asked puzzled by all the bits and pieces of information she was learning about. “Well, it was Hobbs that Dad promised to sell the north slope to, or at least the Bennington Hotel. They wanted an exclusive ski area for their guests who stay there. I don’t think Dad ever intended to turn it over to them…he just wanted the money. He probably realized he couldn’t siphon off too much money from the accounts without it being noticed and as long as he was alive no one would have been the wiser, but then he was killed and…” “You’re kidding right? Your father hated Hobbs after he…well, after…he found out about you two,” she paused letting her words trail. “What do you mean killed?” she asked, realizing what her son had just said. “Your father had an accident. The brakes on his vehicle failed to work.” “Apparently not,” Justin sighed. “One of the things Chris told us while we were in the shack was that he was the one who tampered with dad’s car.” Jennifer stared at her son, shock registering on her already tense features. “It wasn’t an accident,” she whispered more to herself than to anyone else. Justin continued, “ When Dad didn’t sign over the north slope like he promised, Chris got pissed and cut the brake line of his car. I told this to Officer Andrews and he said he’d have the brake line rechecked just to verify what Chris had said. Andrews said they never investigated that closely; they just assumed the brakes were faulty and with the road conditions being the way they were at the time if happened, they never thought to look any further. But it doesn’t really matter since Chris is dead anyway.” “I suppose so,” she sighed wearily. “But why was your father leaving us?” she asked, her voice full of hurt and pain. “I know we had our problems but…” “I guess he was getting tired of paying out all the blackmail money and he just wanted out from under it. Once he left, he didn’t care if you found out or not because he wouldn’t have to be here to face you. I also found out that Hobbs was the one causing all the equipment problems and who set off the bomb. It was his way of scaring us into turning over what dad had promised. It was his way of getting revenge too, I suppose.” Justin leaned his back on Brian’s shoulder and moved to let the rest of his body sag against him, too exhausted to support himself. He felt his lover’s strong arms envelope him; giving him the much needed comfort and reassurance he craved. It had been a long and exhausting day, first having to recount the details of the incident with Hobbs to Officer Andrews then revealing the secrets he had uncovered about his father. Conversation during dinner had been subdued; talk mainly dealt with Molly going over her day for everyone. Even she sensed that Jennifer, Justin, and Brian each had issues of their own to deal with and was sensitive enough not to push the envelope on her normally rambunctious behavior. She knew her brother was going to speak with their mother about Craig and she was curious to know how it went. If her mother’s distracted demeanor was any indication of how things had been she knew it couldn’t have gone too well, but then again, why would she think otherwise. Even though she loved her father he had been a complete jerk to her mom. There was probably more to her father then she knew about and that was the reason her mom had sent her to have lunch with Kaitlin. She hoped in time everything would get back to normal and her mom would be happy again. After dinner was completed they all went their own way for the evening, all needing time to come to grips with the events of the past few days. Justin and Brian headed to the bedroom, needing the quiet time to just be together; craving the touch and feel of one another. As they entered, they fell into each other’s arms; clinging to one another like drowning men clinging to life. Exhaustion played havoc on their emotions bringing their feelings to the surface. Slowly they began removing one another’s clothing, placing soft, gentle kisses upon each part that was exposed. They took their time wanting to savor every moment, every action; committing it to memory realizing that in an instant everything could be gone. They came together, unhurriedly wanting to take pleasure in the sensations their bodies felt as finger tips and tongues tasted and touched. Long, slender fingers caressed the silky-smooth skin of the lithe body next to him, drawing out soft, melodious moans that grew into loud, guttural sounds as the need to consummate their love for one another intensified. Needing the reassurance of being alive; of having the gift of a second chance, Justin looked up at Brian, his blue eyes sparkling, he whispered with longing, “I love you Brian, make love to me.” Brushing a kiss on warm, sensual lips, Brian retrieved the supplies, taking his time he slowly prepared Justin; drawing out his actions. They came together like molten lava; burning a fiery path in an all consuming heat of passion. Darkness had fallen and a blanket of stars twinkled against the blackness of the clear, night sky spreading its beauty on gossamer wings. The lover’s lay wrapped in the warmth of each other’s arms after making love slowly and gently. They had taken time to delight in the feel and every nuance of their coupling; the gentle rhythmic beating of their hearts lulling them back into a serene state. Breaking the silence, Justin addressed the topic that had been plaguing his mind. He realized this blissful feeling wasn’t going to last forever; Brian would eventually have to return to Pittsburgh. “Bri, you awake?” Justin inquired, and his fingers traced lazy circles on his lover’s arm. “Not really. Can’t seem to shut my mind off. Why what’s on your mind?” “Oh, nothing.” “Come on Sunshine, I know you. There’s something going through that blond head of yours,” he laughed softly, knowing all too well that when he said “nothing” there was usually something bothering him. “I was just wondering when you were going to go back home. I know you have a lot of work and leaving so abruptly must have created a problem for you.” “That’s true, but I’ve decided to make some changes in my life and the way I do things.” “Oh? And what might those changes be?” “What would you say to me opening a sort of ‘satellite’ location of Kinnetik right in your office,” Brian paused letting the news register. “Huh? What do you mean?” “Come on Sunshine. Didn’t you once tell me you had scored a 1500 on your SAT’s,” Brian gave him a smirk. “Well, yeah…but…oh…does that mean you’ll be traveling between Pitts and here?” “No.” “Oh but…you can’t mean…” he looked over hopefully at his lover. Eyebrow raised and tongue firmly implanted in cheek, “Uh huh,” he let out slowly letting it sink into the blond’s brain. The response Brian received was an armful of his favorite blond. “You mean you’re going to move here?” “If you’ll have me.” “Brian that’s great…” Justin paused his smile quickly vanishing. “Justin, what’s wrong. I thought you’d be happy with my news,” Brian asked, wondering if he had presumed too much. Maybe Justin was ready for this. “It’s okay Justin, I don’t have to do this,” he stated, hurt evident in his voice. “Oh God, Brian, that’s not it at all. I’d love to have you here with me, in fact that’s what I’ve wished for, is for the two of us together. But…” “But, what Justin?” “I can’t have you giving up everything you’ve worked so hard for and all that you have back in Pittsburgh, just for me,” Justin said, as tears began to pool in his eyes. “Justin listen to me. Are you listening? All my life I never believed in love or relationships until I met you. You’ve changed my whole world around and made me see what I’ve been missing and now it’s something I don’t want to live without. After what happened with Hobbs, it made me realize that I could have lost you and I don’t want to go another day with us living separate lives; you here in Bennington and me in Pitts. I can run an advertising business from anywhere. I’ll still have my office open back home and I’ll have Cynthia and Ted run it, but I will do a lot of the work here. I’ll be making frequent trips back and traveling to obtain clients, but I’ll always come home to you.” I awake from my peaceful slumber, a gentle smile dancing upon my lips as I stare in wonderment at the beautiful man beside me. So much has changed between us since that day not so long ago when he appeared in my office; much to my surprise. I glance up at my window and notice the soft glow of the early morning rays beginning their assent over the horizon. Quietly I crawl out of bed so as not to disturb my love, wrapping myself in a soft quilt to ward off the early morning chill. I move to sit in my favorite spot on the window seat and await the dawn of a new day and the beginning of my new life. My arm snakes out to reach for him and all I feel are the cold sheets. Sitting up I notice he’s wrapped in a quilt, his knees pulled up to his chest, gazing out the window. His profile is a study of gentle curves and soft slopes; no harsh lines marring his beauty. Grabbing a blanket off the bed I move to join him; the bed is not the same without his warm body beside me. A soft smile lights his face as I position myself behind him wrapping my arms around him in a cocoon of warmth and love. I feel him lean into my embrace and I hold him tighter; I finally found someone I want to spend the rest of my life with and I’ll hold on to him forever; we will always be, together as one. The End! June 13th, 2005 - return to index