Dirty Angel-BarbaraElsborg (24 page)

“Twinkle? You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

“Shit.” Des ran his hand down Twinkle’s flank. “You okay, boy?”

“Des!” Brody snapped.

“Sorry. Are you okay?” Des asked Aden.

“Fine. You didn’t give Lucian his money back, did you?”

“No. I offered. He said he’d had a call to say his stables had been sorted so he didn’t need to leave his horse here after all. That was the most lucrative hour of my entire life. So what happened with Twinkle?”

“He jumped the hedge in the bottom field.” Brody slid off his horse.

Aden climbed down more gingerly.

“Jumped?” Des’s jaw dropped. “Did he get spooked? What the hell got into him?”

Aden laughed.

“What’s funny?” Des demanded.

“He was seduced by Black Beauty.” Aden produced the remains of an apple from his pocket and gave it to Twinkle. “No hard feelings. I know you couldn’t help it.”

“Maybe you ought to give Twinkle a look over,” Des said. “See if there’s something wrong with him. I can’t risk him doing something crazy with a child on his back.”

“He’s fine.” Aden led him toward the stables. “Just showing off. He won’t do it again.”

“How would you know?” Des called, then turned to Brody. “You’ll take a look, right? If I can’t trust him, I need to know.”

“Okay.”

“How was Captain? Did he behave? Were you all right?”

“Yeah, he was fine. I was fine. I should have ridden him before. That’s all he needed.”

“You going to sell him?”

“You think I should?”

“Yes, if this was just a one-off ride. If you’re going to pay him some attention, give him regular exercise, then no. And to be honest, anyone interested in buying him will check his history and either pull out or offer some pathetic amount when they discover what happened.” Des nodded toward Aden’s departing back. “How did he do?”

Brody gulped. “He could have been killed. I shouldn’t have taken him. I had no idea Twinkle would do that.”

“He’s so dependable.
Was
dependable. I’m worried about using him now.”

“I’ll check him out.”

Brody led Captain to the stables. Aden had removed his helmet and was busy taking care of Twinkle. Once Captain was in his stall, Brody untacked him. The horse already seemed more placid which made him feel even guiltier. Aden finished before him and came over to Captain’s stall.

“Nearly done?” Aden asked.

“I’m going to take a look at Twinkle. There might be some medical reason he turned into a horse a quarter of his age.”

“Maybe he was impressed by the big balls on that black stallion.”

Brody leaned back against the stall and asked the questions bubbling in his head. “Where did you meet that guy? Why did he use a different name?” He did manage to keep one back.
Have you fucked him?

“He’s part of the recruitment programme.”

Brody straightened. “Then he found you? You’ve failed?”

“No, he’s competition, doing the same thing as me. Staying under the radar. He didn’t know I was here. It was coincidence. He’s mad keen on his horse. I guess he was going to leave it here for the month, but changed his mind when he saw me.”

You’re lying.

“So…bath time,” Aden said. “Do I get hot chocolate as well?”

“As well as what?”

“You.”

Brody gulped. “Go run the bath. I’ll be fifteen minutes.”

No sooner had Aden left than Des was at his shoulder. “Have you looked at Twinkle?”

“Not yet.”

“Aden told me Matt’s been here.”

“I didn’t invite him.”

“Is he going to come back?” Des’s face was thunderous.

“I don’t want him to.”

Des exhaled. “That’s a start.”

“He saw me on the TV.”

“Fuck.”

“He told me he’d left his wife and kids.”

Des stiffened.

“I don’t want him, Des. I mean it. If he bothers me or you, I’m going to report him to the police.”

His brother’s jaw dropped, then he pulled Brody into his arms, hugged him and the bridge between them seemed less broken.

Aden hadn’t been sure Lucian was Dante until he’d turned when Aden called his name. Aden doubted he’d managed to trick him. Dante had wanted him to know who he was, intended to unsettle him. Aden wasn’t sure if he’d used up another life when he’d been thrown. Possibly two. Maybe he should start keeping count. The car, the drop from the barn roof, the flood, now these falls from Twinkle. That made four or five. He should definitely be more careful.

It had to have been Dante’s doing that Twinkle launched himself over the hedge. Aden wondered how else the demon had interfered. Made Brody’s car hit him? Enticed the kid to mess around on the roof? Even pulled Nelson into the river?
Shit.
But then maybe
it was Raphael who’d persuaded the man in the supermarket to give him food, engineered the collision, wanting him to meet Brody. Aden sighed. If he wasn’t careful, he’d read too much into everything that happened.

Back in Brody’s cottage, he took off his boots and jacket and put them in the cloakroom. They could be cleaned later. He needed a warm bath first. It wasn’t just his hands that were freezing. No way would he be getting an erection with a cock this cold. He left the front door unlocked for Brody, picked up his bag from the hall—had Brody left it for him to decide where he’d sleep?—and headed for the bathroom. Once the door was closed, he began filling the tub and stripped. His trousers were caked in mud and he folded them carefully so as not to mess up the floor. Aden smiled to himself. He was learning consideration.

When he looked in the mirror, he could see only faint marks from his falls, a few scratches on his face from the hedge and smudges of bruises on his body. Brody was going to wonder why there weren’t more. Aden turned and looked over his shoulder. The scars from where the wings had been ripped out were still there. Maybe a little more faded, but still something he’d have to explain. He checked the temperature of the water and climbed in with the taps still running. He groaned with pleasure as the warm water covered him. He might not have bruises, but he still ached.

He bent his knees and slid down so his shoulders were covered. It wasn’t often he had the chance to take a bath. When he found himself singing, he quickly shut up.
Happy? Is that what I am?
Aden allowed his head to ease under the water. Yep, he was happy.

When a hand slammed onto his face and another landed on his chest, Aden assumed it was Brody messing around, but when he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, he couldn’t. It wasn’t Brody leaning over him, holding him down, but a naked stranger. Not a stranger. Matt. Not looking calm and collected but enraged.
Fuck.
Aden struggled and thrashed, but Matt was big and strong, and no matter how hard Aden wriggled and fought, he couldn’t get his head out of the water. Fear and fury fueled by adrenaline gave him a surge of energy and Aden wrapped his hands around Matt’s wrist, trying to drag his hand off his face, but Matt was immovable.

“You think you can waltz into his life and take him?” Matt’s face was flushed with rage. “He’s mine.”

Aden continued to struggle, kept his lips sealed for as long as he could before the need to breathe began to overwhelm him. Even though he knew he’d inhale water, he couldn’t help opening his mouth, and water flooded his lungs.
Fuck it.

Drowning was not a nice way to go whether it happened in the river or a bath. Had he counted right? Was this his last chance? Had he been good enough to make it into heaven? Unlikely. Love was nowhere in sight. He and Brody were still in lust. His last conscious thought was about Brody, hoping he stayed safe, that this fuckwit wouldn’t kill him too. Then everything went black.

Aden jerked up so fast, he sent a wave washing over the side. He tried to take a gulp of air, couldn’t, then coughed up a ton of water from burning lungs. He was desperate to get out of the tub in case Matt was still there, but it was a moment before he could move. He slithered onto the bathroom floor.
Fuck.
How long had he been unconscious—dead? Matt wasn’t in the bathroom but he could still be in the cottage, waiting to hurt Brody. Aden switched off the taps, staggered to his feet and wrapped a towel around his waist. Armed with a can of deodorant, his finger ready to depress the trigger, he flung open the bathroom door.

A quick search revealed no sign of anyone. Aden opened the front door and shivered in the blast of cold air. There were no cars in the yard he didn’t recognize, though Matt didn’t have to have parked there. If he’d planned murder, he wouldn’t have put his car where people could see. But Aden doubted he’d had murder in mind when he arrived. He suspected the guy had found the door to the cottage unlocked and walked in, heard singing or splashing, thought it was Brody and stripped off ready to join him. When he’d seen Aden, he’d taken advantage of an opportunity. But to fucking kill him? What was the guy on? Couldn’t be Dante interfering again, could it?

Aden closed the door and sank down onto the hall floor, shaking and trembling with shock as well as cold. Now what the hell was he supposed to do? There was no proof Matt had been here. Would Brody believe him? The large amount of water on the bathroom floor was hardly evidence.

The door opened and Aden clutched the can tighter, but it was Brody who walked in. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Aden sitting there, dripping wet, holding the deodorant.

“What’s up?” Brody asked. “A spider freaked you out?”

“Told you I’m good with puppies and spiders.”

“What then?”

“Did you see anyone you didn’t want to bump into out there?”

“Apart from my brother, no. Why? Has that bloke Lucian been in here?” Brody tensed. “I thought he’d left.”

Aden hesitated. Brody took off his boots, let his jacket fall to the floor and crouched next to him.

“This is going to sound crazy,” Aden said. “I told you I’m a liar, but I’m not lying about this. Matt was here. He tried to drown me.”

“What?” Brody gaped at him.

“I was lying on my back under the water and suddenly hands held me down. He was naked. Maybe he heard me, thought it was you and was going to get in with you, then decided to drown me instead.”

Brody gave a strangled laugh. “He must have been messing about. Pissed off, yes, but he wouldn’t try to kill you.”

Aden was disappointed but not surprised at Brody’s reaction. “Sure about that? You know he’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, but if he was holding you under, he could have drowned you, but you’re still alive.”

“That guy is crazy.”

Brody hesitated. “Do you want to call the police?”

“No.”

The last thing Aden needed was the police involved. They’d definitely think he was making it up. He wished he was. He thought of the way Matt had looked at him and what he’d said.

“I’ll go and look for him,” Brody said.

“Don’t. I checked in here and there’s no car outside.”

Brody slid his fingers into his. “Sorry he scared you. Sorry my ex is such a dick.”

More than a dick. Aden’s lungs still felt clogged.

Brody reached up to turn the lock on the front door. Aden wasn’t sure that would stop Matt.

“Still up for sharing a bath?” Brody asked.

“Yeah.” Though his stomach was churning. He understood why Brody didn’t believe Matt had tried to kill him, but wished he had.

Brody pulled him up and tugged him down the hall. When they reached the bathroom, Brody started.

“Sorry about the flood.” Aden took the towel from around his waist and dropped it onto the floor to mop it up. He’d deliberately turned his back on Brody. Might as well get the questioning over with. He turned on the hot tap again, then twisted to face him.

Brody was busy stripping without meeting Aden’s gaze. Aden found himself wrong footed. He gave a quiet laugh and climbed into the water. Either Brody was pretending he hadn’t noticed the scars or he was waiting for Aden to tell him about them.

Aden groaned when he lowered his butt into the tub.

“Aching?”

“Yup.”

“Not surprised.” Brody climbed in behind him and propped one leg on the side of the bath. “Shit, you like it hot.”

Aden chuckled as he turned off the tap and leaned back against him. “I’ve spent my life in hot water.”

Brody slid his hands onto Aden’s shoulders and massaged him.

“Uuuh. That feels good. You’re going to rub all my aching bits, right?”

Brody mouthed his shoulder. “I promised, didn’t I? Lean forward.”

Aden closed his eyes as Brody’s hands roamed over his body, thumbs and fingers pressing and kneading, though avoiding the scarring. This was a series of firsts for him. In a bath with a guy, the massage, talking, honesty—within reason. To his surprise, he felt a pang of regret for what he’d missed. He’d never encouraged kindness nor shown it. An attitude that both protected and punished. After what he’d done, he didn’t deserve kindness, didn’t deserve to be loved.

Brody pressed his face against his neck, nipped him and Aden shuddered. This was only sex: lust, desire, passion, a whole load of other words but not love, though it still felt good. When Brody rubbed shampoo into his hair, a painful lump developed in Aden’s throat. His mother must have washed his hair for him when he was a baby, but he didn’t remember. He only ever remembered doing stuff for himself. Feeding himself, going to bed, getting himself ready for school, walking to school on his own. Lying when anyone questioned why a parent wasn’t with him. He sank his teeth into his cheeks. Not a good idea to think of his mother. That burgeoning development in his groin wouldn’t last long.

When Brody spread his palms on his back, Aden tensed.

“Going to tell me?” Brody kissed his shoulder and leaned to press his chest against Aden’s back, before snuggling his face against Aden’s neck. “Waiting for me to ask? The longer you leave it, the more likely I’ll think it’s a lie.”

Aden couldn’t help himself. “I told you already. It’s where my wings were ripped off.”

Brody laughed. “Alternatively?”

“It’s the truth.”

Brody breathed out on his neck. “Tell me another version.”

Aden sagged. “I got myself into a…tricky situation. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some sick fuckwits got hold of me and messed around with my back. They strung me up by my shoulder blades.”