Chapter 27

Justin's POV
Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday June 15, 2006 - 11:04 AM


Brian was pacing, He’d been quietly furious from the moment they'd unceremoniously herded us into the conference room; he wanted answers and wasn't the kind of man that liked to sit idle and let others handle things. But it had been over a half hour and there had been no sign of information.

As the minutes ticked by I felt the walls closing in and tried to peek out the door. I was told by the big brute of a police officer guarding the door to go back inside and decided it was best not to argue with a man that big. I closed the door with a sigh and everyone went back to what they’d been doing.

Emmett sat by the widow looking out at the garden courtyard, his expression blank. As we left the court room Emmett had noticed that there was someone missing. Calvin was nowhere to be found.

Michael, Ben, Hunter, Deb, Nathan, Ted and Blake were gathered around the conference table. They were speculating, lamenting and generally getting on my nerves. I felt horrible for Emmett and I was scared out of my mind. Adam Stevens was not a man to be taken lightly which was apparently just what the police had done.

He was a cold, calculating monster with a God complex. I’d heard him rant, heard him tell Calvin that he’d soon see that he was doing it all for Calvin’s own good. Adam put the blame for what he called Calvin’s “sins” directly on Emmett’s shoulders. Listening to him speak through the closet door had left my blood cold.

After Adam’s arrest I’d been alarmed to learn that the judge had granted him bail but thanked God that he hadn’t been able to make it. The thought of him loose on the street scared the hell out of me and for the first time since Melanie and Lindsay moved to Canada, I was grateful for their decision. My mother and Molly were thankfully out of town but I called Daphne to let her know what had happened. She was working but promised to go right home afterward.

“What the fuck is taking so long?” Michael said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “We’ve been in here forever. Why can’t we just go home?”

“Because there’s a crazy psycho on the loose?” Ted said dryly. “I for one would rather be in here with Bruno guarding the door than out there with someone hot to see Emmett dead.”

The weight of Ted’s statement hit me in the gut and silenced the room. It was the cold, hard truth. Adam wanted Emmett dead and probably Brian and I as well. I sat down with a thump as my racing mind slowed and focused on that thought. I’d faced hatred before, looked death in the eye but never from such a vantage point. We were being hunted and the thought terrified me.

As I looked around the room and saw matching expressions on everyone’s faces as we grappled with the reality of the situation. Ben reached for Michael’s hand. All traces of the whiney brat had gone from Michael as their fingers twisted together.

Emmett was still by the window, strangely silent and keeping himself apart from the rest of us. Nathan’s face was etched with worry but I sensed his hesitation. He wanted so much to console the man he loved but didn’t want to be turned away.

I joined Emmett at the window. He gave me a grateful, halfhearted smile when I rubbed his shoulders but turned back to the beautifully surreal scene outside. I stood beside him a moment, offering what comfort I could.

His voice was strong but quiet when he spoke. "I can't help but wonder whether to be worried or angry at Calvin."

"What do you mean?"

Emmett shrugged. "Well, he's not here...so it stands to reason that he's either responsible for Adam's escape or is in danger."

I nodded in understanding, my heart clenching when a tear ran down Emmett's cheek.

"He’s a good man,” he said and then addressed the room. “I know most of you will never know that. You'll always see him as the person who brought a monster into our lives. But even though Calvin got caught up in this sicko's web...even though he lied to me, if only by omission - Calvin is a good man."

"I think all of us know what it's like to get caught up in a web, Em," Ted said thoughtfully, his big eyes glassy with tears.

But Brian huffed. "Bullshit.”

“Brian!” Michael warned.

“No, Mikey, it’s bullshit. We’re faced with choices everyday. You choose to allow people into your life, you choose to go to that party or take that drug. People make shitty decisions all the time and then want to whine when their lives are for shit. Calvin made the decision to buy that fucked up, nut job’s crazy talk, to not walk out or press charges any of the thousands of times he was beaten. And now we’re fucking paying for it.” Brian was angry. They’d kept the lion caged too long and now he was turning on the other captives.

“You have no idea what it’s like to be involved in a situation like that!” Deb said, her face warning Brian to stop his ranting and let Emmett be.

“Don’t I?” Brian bit back. “My entire childhood was a testimony to that situation. As soon as I could, I got out. Unlike my mother, and you see how she turned out – pickled old hag.”

The room fell silent and Brian challenged them all with a look. Emmett surprised me by agreeing with him. “No…no, he’s right, Deb. He’s right. We are paying for Calvin’s choices. But, Brian, that doesn’t mean that Calvin is bad. It just means that he needs help.”

Emmett stood up and I smiled to see the strength in his stance. He never ceased to amaze me. “Just like Teddy needed your help, Just like Deb helped you when you needed it – gave you a place to go when it was all too much - Calvin needs our help. I don’t know why he wasn’t here today but I do know that one way or another his life is in danger. And I, for one, am not going to give up on him. I can’t…give him what he wants anymore. But I can try to make sure he gets help. And I expect the same from all of you.” Emmett looked around the room and everyone nodded in understanding. For Emmett’s sake we would see that Calvin got help.

Brian pursed his lips and turned away. He resumed his pacing but stopped to kiss me softly on the temple. I knew that Brian understood. We would try and help Calvin the way the Novotnys helped him. But I couldn’t help but wonder how Emmett would feel if we found out that Calvin had helped Adam escape. Would he still be so forgiving?

Adam's POV
605 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday June 15, 2006 - 11:37 AM

“Hold still,” Calvin drawled. “You’re bleeding all over the carpet.

I winced as he ripped the leg of my jeans open. The fucking cop had nailed me in the shin before I shot him in the chest. But the bullet didn’t hit anything vital. It just grazed the fleshy part of my calf. I'd been lucky. The officers charged with escorting me to the court house, not so much.

I watched Calvin work, so proud of my little boy for taking care of me. It had been such a little thing to escape. Just a little moment of weakness but as soon as it had presented itself, I took it. I’d seized it with both fists. And I owed it all to Calvin. I’d known all along he would come through. That he would realize that Emmett fucking Honeycutt was nothing compared to what we had.

I watched him tighten the bandage on my calf and noticed that his fingers were shaking. I couldn’t help but smile. He was so worried for me. But it really wasn’t necessary. I was free and we were together. And we had all the time in the world to take revenge on Emmett and his guard dogs, Brian Kinney and his little twinky boy toy.

I reached down to caress Calvin’s cheek and he startled. “Shhh. It’s okay. But we have to go, Baby. They can’t find us here,” I said, picking up a magazine from the pile of mail on the dining room table and looking at the name on the address label. “Somehow I don’t think Mrs. Leona Appleby would take kindly to find two fugitives of justice bleeding all over her yellow shag carpet.”


Brian’s POV
Alleghany County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday June 15, 2006 - 12:15 PM

“It’s about God damned, fucking time!” I yelled as the door opened.

“I’d like to second that! What the fuck is going on? We’ve been here for over an hour!” Deb said, standing up next to me.

“I’m sorry, folks. But we thought it best that you all stay out of sight and in one place. As I’m sure you’ve been told, Adam Stevens escaped while en route to the courthouse. As of yet we’ve been unable to locate him.”

The room exploded in questions, everyone wanted to know what had had happened, how had it happened and what the fuck they were doing to find the son of a bitch. Carl raised his hand. ”Now, calm down and let me speak. I’ll answer all of your questions.” Everyone sat down and gave Carl a chance to speak.

“Apparently there was some snafu at the prisoner’s entrance today. There was a suicide in the holding cell. Some guy up for rape charges hung himself. The coroner’s van was blocking the entrance so when the car carrying Mr. Stevens came in it had to be diverted down the alley and into the general parking lot in the back. They were going to walk around the building and into the prisoner’s entrance but it didn’t exactly play out that way.”

“Do you think?” Hunter muttered and Deb hushed him.

Carl continued with a nod. “From what we can gather there was an altercation while Mr. Stevens was being escorted into the building." He paused and glanced around the room, eyes briefly meeting Emmett’s.

“Go ahead, Carl. It’s all right,” Emmett said softly from his perch on the window.

"I know this may be difficult for you, Emmett; but, witnesses confirmed that a man matching Calvin's description was rushing into the courthouse as Mr. Stevens got out of the car. Stevens called out to him and the officer who had been driving moved forward toward the other man in an attempt to keep him back. While their attention was diverted, Stephens made his move."

"Oh my God," Deb whispered and put her hand to her chest as Carl described the brief but brutal exchange.

“Using his body weight, Stevens had shoved the officer next to him into the car and then slammed the door on his head. By the time the other officer realized there was something going on Stevens had taken the dead officer's gun. He used it to shoot the other officer in the leg. He went down, giving Stephens just enough time to find the handcuff keys and free himself.

“How the fuck did he do that? Wasn’t he cuffed from behind?” I asked. I felt like I was going to be sick when Carl shook his head.

“Not in transport. They’re cuffed in front and shackled at the feet,” Carl said.

“Jesus,” Ted said shaking his head as Carl continued.

“They exchanged a few shots, mostly superficial but apparently Stevens fired the shot that would eventually kill Officer Spinnelli. He was the officer who died in the courtroom. When he assumed Officer Spinnelli was dead he approached the man we assume is Calvin. Witnesses claim that they spoke briefly before stealing the police cruiser and leaving." Carl shook his head. "One little moment of weakness," he said softly before composing himself.

“Well where the fuck were all the cops?” Deb asked, her eyes hard and angry as she stood up in indignation. “This is a courthouse for Christ’s sake. They should have been all over the place as soon as they heard gunfire!

Carl nodded and touched Deb on the arm. “You’re right. They should have been. But the officers on guard were in holding helping out with the transport of the body. There was one officer at the desk and he called for them as soon as he heard the gunfire but by then it was too late. They were already gone.”

“So what the hell are we supposed to do now? Just sit around here with our thumbs up our asses?” Deb asked. “Are we allowed to go home? Is it even safe?”

“As much as I’d like to, I can’t keep you here. So you have to go home. I suggest you exercise caution in everything you do until Stevens is caught. Keep your doors and windows locked, don’t go out alone. Brian I assume your security measures are still in place?”

I nodded. “Yeah, a man on Emmett and one on Justin and me,” I confirmed. “We’ve made ourselves the targets. I assume if he goes after anyone, it will be us.”

“We agree but we’ll also keep the rest of the family under surveillance. We can’t provide around the clock protection; we don’t have the manpower. So it’s good that you’ve got the extra security in place.”

We were set free of our cage but Deb insisted we come for dinner. The last thing I wanted to do was spend another minute cooped up with the family but before I could regretfully decline, Justin squeezed my hand and stepped forward to hug Deb. “Of course we’ll be there.”

Deb closed her eyes and for the first time that day I could see the strain on her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. “It’ll be comforting to know you’ll all safe.”

“Give us an hour or so, okay? I want to go home and change.”

As we were filtering out of the conference room Carl stopped me. “Listen, Brian. Don’t take this the wrong way. Your help has been invaluable in this case. But this time I don't want you and Justin to go vigilante on me again. Let the police handle this one, please." Carl put his hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye. "I can't be worrying about you guys while Stevens is on the loose."

“Carl, you know I can’t promise you that,” I said.

He shook his head and laughed a little. “I had to ask anyway. Just…be careful. And don’t do anything stupid. Deb would have my balls if anything happened to one of her boys.”

With a sigh I inclined my head. It was as much of an agreement as I was willing to give. I couldn't just do nothing. Justin, on the other hand, was going to be tied to the bed if he tried to leave my side before Stevens was caught.


Justin's POV
The Loft, Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday June 15, 2006 - 1:32 PM

Brian had been quiet since we left the courthouse. I hadn’t pressed him, just offered my hand to hold. The second we were inside, the door was closed and locked, and the alarm turned on. He checked all of the windows and then poured himself a drink.

I made no comment but I was worried. Brian hadn’t been drinking much lately and whiskey in the afternoon was a very rare sight. I was relieved to see him sip it instead of gulping it down and going back for more.

“I need a shower,” he muttered and I watched him walk away, frowning at his retreating back. I watched him strip off his clothes, unsure of what to do, or how to make him better, more secure. The sight of his naked body always aroused me and I couldn’t help but admire the long line of his back, the curve of his ass. Brian’s body would always be my greatest source of inspiration.

He headed toward the bathroom and I released the breath I was holding when I saw him look at me over his shoulder. Our eyes met briefly before he was gone. He’d lit a fire with his eyes and it flared to life when I heard the water run, imagining him under the spray, the water decorating his body in a million shimmering droplets.

I checked the door again, giving him time to relax. I stripped, my cock already hard with an almost painful need. When I entered the bathroom his back was to me. Brian was standing under the water, letting it run down his body.

When I opened the shower door he wasn't surprised. I leaned my forehead against his back and felt him sigh. We showered in silence, our fingers saying so clearly what our mouths could not. He was afraid and that was something Brian Kinney did not readily admit.

I kissed him, tasting his skin, savoring the feel of him on my lips. He let me worship him, first with my lips and then with my mouth around his cock.

He cradled my head as I sucked him, his fingers threading through my wet hair, thumbs caressing my cheeks. His cock throbbed as my tongue flicked around his head, dipping into the slit to taste his essence.

Slowly he rocked his hips and I opened for him, let him fuck my mouth while I stroked myself. My hand was slippery with soap and it moved easily up and down my shaft. I opened my eyes to look into his, and barely heard him whisper my name above the noise of the shower.

With a final thrust Brian let go and the throbbing pulse of his dick down my throat pushed me over the edge. I swallowed him, drank every drop and moaned when I came, the wet heat bursting from my tip and dripping down my shaft.

Spent, Brian dropped to his knees and took me in his arms. His kiss was fevered and desperate as he gripped my ass, fingers pressing just a little too hard.

I could taste the whiskey on his tongue as I sucked it, and felt him moan against my lips. His fingers found my hole and I pushed back, urging him to open me up.

I needed him inside; wanted his cock in my ass and told him so.

"Against the wall, Brian, fuck me," I moaned into our kiss and reached blindly for the condom I knew was next to the shampoo.

I gripped his shoulders as he pushed inside, grimacing, riding through the pain. He bit my lip, sucked it gently until I could move, the familiar ache to have him fill me driving me forward. Our tongues caressed as he slid home, pressing me into the wall. My legs were around his waist and I was so full of him I had to close my eyes.

He took me quickly, almost violently, the bathroom ringing with our grunts and the slap of skin on skin. I came, breathless and exhausted – my come on his chest, my name of his lips.

Slowly Brian withdrew and let my feet touch the shower floor. I collapsed into his arms and we stood together like that for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke.

“I’ll call Megan myself. Her fucking mural can wait,” he said softly and I smiled into his neck.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I whispered and felt him relax into my embrace. “They’ll find him…and if they don’t, WE will.”

Brian lifted his head and turned his weary, sated eyes to mine. I could feel his hesitation, his fear. But he knew that it all went both ways. I was just as afraid to lose him as he was to lose me. So he nodded, kissed me softly, and gave no argument.

Emmett's POV
Deb’s House, Pittsburgh, PA
Thursday June 15, 2006 - 7:16 PM

I could hear them; their voices filtered up the stairs and through the floor. They were watching a movie, trying to forget about all the day’s drama. It had always been so comforting – Deb’s house full of people, full of love. But as I sat there on the floor of the bathroom, I would have done anything to make them all go away.

I felt guilty although I knew it wasn’t something over which I had any control. Yet there I was, feeling sorry for myself and wishing to God I could just crawl into a hot bath and forget I’d ever met Calvin Culpepper.

A knock on the door had me on my feet and scrambling to make it sound like I’d actually been busy and not hiding.

“Just a minute!” I sang cheerfully and flushed the toilet. I made a show of washing my hands and opened the door to find Teddy on the other side. His face told me he knew better than to believe my theatrics but I tried a sunny smile anyway.

“You don’t have to hide, Em,” he said softly, leaning against the door jam.

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not dating the boyfriend of a sociopathic killer,” I said, trying to laugh it off. But it was Teddy standing there, and he knew.

The tears that I’d been fighting all day welled up in my chest. “Oh Teddy, what am I gonna do?” I asked, falling into his arms. He hugged me tightly and let me cry until it had dissipated into that bizarre hiccup thing.

“Now come on,” he said, pulling a couple tissues from the box on the back of the toilet. He blotted my eyes and I laughed when he fished Deb’s eye cream from the vanity. “Don't you always tell me that it's important to look your best at all times because you never know when a news crew will wander by and want to know your opinion on something?”

I let him dot the cream under my eyes. He rubbed it in and admired his work before smiling. "There, now you're news crew ready."

"Thanks,” I said sheepishly, inspecting my face in the mirror. “I guess if ever I should be ready for a news crew it would be now, huh?"

“Em,” Teddy said softly and took my hands in his.

With a sigh I looked away. "Oh, Teddy, how could I be so dumb, such a bad judge of character?" I asked, unable to look him in the eyes.

"You can't blame yourself for this. Calvin is in deep, so deep he can't see what he's done. But that doesn't make you a bad judge of character. You might be angry but he still needs our help," Ted said.

"How can I? How can I face him or our friends?"

"He should be worrying about facing you!” Ted laughed. “You forget I’ve been on the receiving end of one of Emmett Honeycutt’s concerned boyfriend interventions.”

I made a face and he shook his head. Breathing out, he pressed his lips together. “Well, as one the friends in question, I think I can speak for the masses when I say that we love you. We're here for you. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this, even with Brian's warning. Your friends...your family - we know that.”

I felt the tears well up again and blotted my eyes before they could spill. Ted hugged me again and I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Do you think they'll find him?" I whispered.

Ted was silent a moment and I wondered if he'd heard me. But then he breathed in and I felt a shiver of fear run up his spine. "They have to," he said. "I'm afraid of what Brian will do if they don't."


Nathan's POV

Ted caught my eye on his way down the stairs and offered me a little smile. I nodded gratefully and tried to turn my attention back to the movie I hadn’t been watching. I’d been the one to notice Emmett’s prolonged absence and mentioned it quietly to Ted, who then made a beeline up the stairs.

Emmett came down a few minutes after Ted, obviously trying not to draw attention to himself. I could tell he'd been crying but made no comment when he sat beside me on the floor. I smiled at him and then turned to stare blindly at the television. I could smell him, a light floral musk that made my pulse flutter. When he leaned his head on my shoulder I put my arm around him, telling myself that it didn’t mean a thing, Emmett had no idea what was going on in my head. He had too much going on in his own to think about a relationship and it wasn’t fair of me to expect it. So I pulled him close and provided the comfort of a friend.

It wasn’t long before I realized he was dozing, the stress of the day finally getting to him. I nudged Justin with the toe of my boot and pointed to the brightly colored afghan next to him on the couch. He offered me a smile as he handed me the blanket and I smiled back, covering Emmett. I talked to Justin a lot about my feelings and he was always supportive. It helped to know I wasn’t the only one who thought maybe there was something there.

Brian gestured to Emmett, silently asking how he was with a lift of his elegantly shaped brow. I shrugged and he nodded grimly and turned back to the movie only to be distracted by Justin’s lips. I watched them; Brian’s fingers buried in the blond mop of Justin’s hair, his other hand resting possessively on the thigh that was thrown over Brian’s long legs. They were always connected, always touching. I don’t think they even realized it but I thought it was cute. Brian was a bad ass. He was a ruthless competitor and didn’t take anyone’s shit. He could party like I’d never seen, drink and drug himself into oblivion and then wake up the next morning and land a crucial account with the wet snap of an apple between his teeth. He was every gay man’s wet dream and every straight woman’s secret fantasy. Brian Kinney was a legend.

But with Justin he was something else altogether – like a god made human, humbled. Justin was his rock, his balance and clearly the other half of him. It was truly a beautiful thing to see and something I hoped very much to have one day.

Emmett’s head had come to rest on my lap and I looked down at him. He was sleeping peacefully and I longed to touch his face, feel the soft skin of his cheek. But I refrained, content instead to rest my hand on his shoulder. My job was to see that he remained safe, that he always felt he had a place to go when he was frightened, to be the friend I knew he needed. My personal feelings weren’t important. Maybe one day, when Stevens was locked up…or dead…but until then, I was Emmett’s friend, a place of honor unto itself.

~~~~~

Emmett lingered on the couch as one by one, people left. Justin was saying goodbye to Deb when I noticed him there, looking down at his shoes.

“You okay?” I asked softly, sitting beside him.

Emmett smiled. “Of course, I’m fine. Just waiting my turn in line to say goodbye,” he said. But I knew better. Emmett hadn’t stayed by himself since the attack, and with Adam’s escape he was even more likely to need someone there. But I knew Emmett hated to ask.

“Listen, I was thinking…I’m worried about you. I can’t stand the thought of you in your apartment alone. Why don’t you let me sleep on your couch? I’d feel a lot better if someone was there,” I suggested and he smiled at me.

“Oh, Nathan, Honey, you don’t have to do that,” he said reluctantly. “But…if it will make you feel better…okay,” I could see the relief in his eyes when he smiled and touched my arm. It hadn’t been a lie; the thought of him alone made my stomach turn over.

He was quiet on the drive home and I didn’t press him. We saw a police officer drive by as we walked into Emmett’s building. Somewhere I knew was Brian’s hired man and that brought some comfort. But I could feel Emmett’s tension when we got to his apartment door.

“Let me,” I said softly and took the keys from his trembling hands. He nodded gratefully and tried to cover up his fear with a smile. I wondered how long it would be before he felt safe in his own apartment.

It was empty, no sign of intrusion and Emmett looked relieved as he locked the new deadbolt and engaged the alarm Brian and I had insisted he install.

“Are you…sure you want to stay? I’ll be okay,” he said, making his voice light and airy. But I knew better.

“I’ll just feel better, really,” I said and it was the truth.

He made a little bed for me on the couch, complete with pink sheets and a matching fuzzy, pink leopard blanket. I just smiled and got under the covers. In the dark I listened to him move around his room. I closed my eyes when the shaft of light under his door disappeared. But a moment later his door opened.

He stood, framed by his bedroom door; a pair of pajama bottoms gripped his hips. I could see his bare chest in the moonlight and wanted so much to touch his flat stomach. I pushed the wave of desire down and managed to speak.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He stood there a moment, looking tentative, as if he wanted to say something. “Just…thanks. Thank you for this…for everything,” he shrugged and huffed a laugh. “For saving my life.”

I felt a little shiver run up my spine. “It will always be my pleasure,” I said, my voice maybe a little too raspy, a little too telling.

He smiled and slowly crossed the room. I held my breath when he kissed my cheek and gently squeezed my shoulder. He caressed my face, his expression soft with something I couldn’t recognize. “Goodnight, Nathan,” he whispered and was gone before I found the courage to speak.

“Goodnight,” I whispered into the empty room.

~~~~~

I don’t know what it was that woke me but suddenly I was. My eyes were open and the apartment felt empty. Emmett’s door was open and I could see the empty bed from my place on the couch. My heart beat faster in my chest when I sat up. I turned on the light and made quick work of searching the apartment, Emmett was gone.

In his bedroom I found a pad of paper on his bed. He’d scrawled a note, I could see the indentation of his frantic, heavy writing. I searched his bedside table for a pencil and found a little stub. Gently, I rubbed the pencil over the pad of paper, revealing the note he’d written.