Desires' Guardian (18 page)

“I don’t get it. Why would he think that? He wasn’t even there,” Rhys defended, not wanting James to be right.

“That’s the point, Rhys. He was too busy watching a movie when his friend and cousin called him, leaving his suicide note on Chase’s voice mail. How messed up do you think that made him? If only he had paid more attention to how bad things were for Ethan. If only he had answered the call. If only he had turned the cell back on as soon as he got out of the movie. If only….”

“His cousin’s death wasn’t his fault,” Rhys growled.

“I know that. So does he, now. But that doesn’t change how dark his mind went afterward.”

Rhys thought about it, his heart hurting. His stomach lurched when he finally settled on the only logic he could find. “Oh God. He wears the cuff to cover his scars, doesn’t he?”

James nodded. “Yes, and because they had matching cuffs. Seventeen-year-old boys who felt like the other was the only one that could understand them. You get it?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“The fact that same method was used to kill his ex, yeah, that’s going to make it that much harder for him.” James paused, looking him over carefully. Rhys felt as if the immense weight of the conversation increased tenfold before James spoke again. “The fact he let you comfort him is a major thing. Honestly, I would expect him to have called me, crying, or have tried to drive over. That he told you to come here to ask questions only reinforces things for me. Don’t know what you did, but you’ve definitely gotten to him.”

“Normally, I would be thrilled with that news, but right now I’m more worried about him than our unsteady relationship.”

“He’ll be okay. He sent you here to learn more. It’s the only reason I’ve told you what I have. You are now one of about three people that know, outside his family and old therapist.” James reached over, patting Rhys’s trembling hands. “Be worthy of his trust, please.”

“Three? What about his exes?”

James shook his head. “No. Not that I know of, at least. I doubt any of them even knew about the scars. I mean, he sleeps with that cuff on if anyone other than me is around. You figure it out,” he added, his voice a challenge. “He’s so strong. Stronger than me in many ways. But he is so very fragile as well. He just rarely lets anyone see that side of him. Take care of him.”

“I will, I promise,” he swore, knowing it was an oath, not merely a platitude. He would do whatever it took to keep Chase safe, including fighting the demons from his past if need be.

By the time he made it back to the office, having procrastinated as much as he could justify, it was normal closing time. Not that work stopped then, but the office would be locked and the phones switched over to the answering service.

Rhys pulled into his spot at the office, noting Miles’s car was still there. He double-checked for Chase’s before remembering he’d driven Chase in.
He’s probably pissed I wasn’t here to take him home… like any logical person would be. Dammit.

Dismounting, he pulled his helmet off, tucking it under his arm before heading inside, wondering what kind of reception to expect. Chase had a temper, or did with him at least. Instead of the pissed-off cutie he expected, though, he found Miles and Chase still hard at work.

“Um, guys? It’s past quitting time for you two.” He couldn’t believe Mark or Nichelle wouldn’t have reminded them—Chase often got lost in his work and had to be reminded to take breaks or stop at the end of the day.

Both men turned, blinking hard, before focusing on him. “Sorry,” Chase murmured. “Getting a late start today means I still have a bit more work to do.”

“And Mark got me started digging through this thing,” Miles grumbled and gestured to a battered, older laptop. “Damn thing has more viruses on it than data,” he added with a sneer.

“Find anything?” Rhys asked Miles, eyes flitting to Chase, wary of his stability still.

“Nothing that matches what Mark and you said was found in the apartment. I mean, he seems to have missed Chase after they broke up, but nothing obsessive.”

Chase’s shoulders sagged, the sigh audible as he deflated at Miles’s words.

“Good. Why don’t you come to my office and we can discuss it more? Then you can go upstairs to crash. I know you’re still tired, and I seriously doubt you’re going to make it much longer, man.” Noting the annoyance that flashed across Miles’s face, he added, “This is stuff his parents gave us access to, so take your time. The cops will have more and will eventually demand this stuff too probably, but not yet.”

“All right.” Miles stood and walked with Rhys but paused at the doorway to look at Chase. “I don’t know if it helps or not, but he didn’t do this to himself over you.”

He nodded slowly. “Thanks. Go on. Rhys isn’t overly patient when he wants answers.”

Miles laughed but followed Rhys to his office, who closed the door once they were inside. He settled into his chair and waited as Miles—Grayson dammit, civilian now!—took one of the two chairs on the other side of his desk.

“Do you have anything else on the case yet, and how did Chase do with you in his area?”

“Hm…. As far as me being there, he seemed fine,” Grayson said and shrugged. “Even put up with me looking over his shoulder to see what he was working on at one point. And damn, he’s as good as his rep, if not better. Cannot believe you got him working here. Seems like a waste of his skills.”

“Don’t let him fool you. Most of his work is for his consulting firm, not for us. That’s actually why he’s got so much stuff here and why the computer area is now the back half of the office. He keeps picking up clients, and he’s going to need to hire people, but the office space is part of his compensation for his work for the Coiled Dragon.”

“He mentioned that earlier.” Grayson drummed his fingers as he considered Rhys again. “As for the issue at hand, this Michael guy kept a digital journal. I doubt Chase would like some of what’s in there, but it just doesn’t back up the staging.”

“So nothing to back suicide or obsession?”

Grayson shook his head and grunted in the negative. “Man was a bit weird, but the only thing of interest on the laptop or iPad I’ve found so far is the extensive collection of porn and Yaoi.”

“By the way you keep looking away while talking to me, I have to assume there’s something else bothering you about his case?” Rhys asked.

“The journal mentioned Chase taking off occasionally for some guy named James. He thought Chase was cheating on him but wasn’t sure. I worry about you and if he’s the kind of guy to be serious with?” he said, making it a question at the end.

Rhys laughed, amused Grayson thought he needed protecting from Chase and at the idea of James and Chase as a couple. “If there’s one person I don’t have to worry about him running off with, it’s James. James just married Seth Burns and is too blissfully happy to notice anyone else. Besides, they’re best friends, not lovers.”

Grayson shrugged. “I’m merely relaying what I found.”

“Understood, but man, it’s more like how when I needed you, you came immediately. Or last year when you asked for help, Dane and I flew out right away, not even asking you why.”

“But they’re not Marines.”

“Trust me, that doesn’t matter in this case.”

“They that close?”

“Mm…. Yes. Sometime I’ll tell you all about it, but suffice to say, James is only a threat to me if I hurt Chase.” He smiled as he remembered James’s words about how much Chase trusted him. “We’re new, but I’m in this for the long haul.”

“No poaching. Got it,” Grayson quipped and smirked. “Eh, you know he’s not my type, Sayer. Besides, I’m not blind. Boy watches you like a mama bear guarding her cub.”

Rhys smiled, pleased with the fact his friend had spotted the connection between them so easily.

C
HASE
WATCHED
Rhys lead the new guy, Grayson, to his office. When he heard the door click shut, he pulled out his cell, hit speed dial two, and waited for James to pick up. On the fourth ring, he figured James wasn’t near his cell, but then heard his clear, low voice say “Hello.”

“Jamie? Thank goodness.”

“Yeah, it’s me. Rhys make it back to the office yet?”

“Yeah, but he was a little off. Instead of talking to me about the conversation, he’s in his office with Grayson, discussing the case.” He understood, and would have done the same if he were Rhys, but the fact he’d stood so far away and didn’t smile or tease at all bothered him.

“Grayson? Who’s that?”

“Some buddy of his from his Marine days. He’s also a pretty decent computer guy, from what I can tell. But… come on, James. Don’t make me beg. What’d he say when you told him?”

“Not as much as I expected, honestly. He seemed confused and worried mostly,” James explained. “But, Chase, why’d you send him to me for the story? You’ve never wanted me to talk about your past before.”

“I’ve never freaked out on someone like I did this morning, either,” Chase grumbled.

“Possibly, but I think it’s more. Come on, Chase, spill.”

The pleading tone broke him. Only James could do that to him, and the man damn well knew it too. “I feel different about him,” Chase mumbled, not wanting to be overheard and not completely certain admitting to how much he cared about Rhys was a good idea.

“Duh. Why the hell do you think we all pushed you together so hard? There has been something between you since the time I saw you stare at him and then run and hide in my kitchen. Even as bad as things were when we met Rhys last year, when my brother was stalking me and sending death threats and all,” James said, his voice faltering, “there was something tangible about your energy around each other.”

“Pushed together? I get that’s why you wanted me to work here, brat,” he added fondly. “But who’s this ‘we all’?”

“Did one date you went on go well after you met Rhys? Think about how good Simon usually is at setting people up. You really think he could mess up that badly every time, without some effort on his part?”

“I’ll kill him! You mean he deliberately set me up with assholes?” The nerve! “Wait, but when I went out with Adrian, Rhys was on a date with some boy.” A fact that still rankled a bit, but he’d refused to mention before.

“And how do you think he knew where to be and when to make sure you saw him?”

Chase thought that over and frowned, though he knew James could not see him. They had
all
worked to drive him insane and block him from finding someone other than Rhys? He was even more bothered by the fact he felt warmth spread in his chest that they would go to such lengths to help him, even against his wishes and claimed wants.

“Now,” James interrupted his rambling thoughts. “Instead of fixating on what we did
for
you, or on the past, why don’t you go kick this Grayson guy out of Rhys’s office and put down some real roots with the big man?” A deep chuckle came through the line. “Go show him who he belongs to and remind yourself you’re both healthy and alive.”

“Dammit, Jamie. You’re supposed to be the shy, quiet one. I’m supposed to be the outrageous one who suggests things like bending him over his desk.”

The chuckle became a full-on belly laugh. “I never said over his desk, dear. That’s all yours, though it would look great on canvas….” James trailed off, and seconds later, he realized the call had ended. Chase looked at the phone and grinned. Yeah, he knew what James was off to paint.
Wonder if I can talk him into letting me buy it?

C
HASE
KNEW
Mark and Nichelle were gone for the day, though Mark was probably upstairs in his loft, so it was just Grayson he had to wait out so he could spend time with Rhys. For the first time in years, his initial instinct hadn’t been to run to James. Not calling James right away and waiting while Rhys found out about his past was one of the hardest things he’d done in a long time. However, if they were going to be a real couple, with a possibility of a future, he had to be open. Only problem was, he couldn’t talk about Ethan. Not yet, maybe never. Thankfully, James had stepped in and rescued him.

He closed down his computer, intending to follow James’s suggestion. Truthfully, he had thought of it a few times lately but hadn’t wanted to risk being caught having sex by Mark or Nikki. Somehow, that no longer mattered to him. Living his life, however, did. Once he was certain everything was saved and off, he grabbed his pack and went to the reception area to wait. Settling into one of the comfy chairs, he planned his attack, determined to have his way with Rhys. He just hoped Rhys was good with office sex.

A short time later Rhys came out with Grayson, laughing. They made it to the IT area before either man noticed Chase wasn’t there. He took the opportunity to ogle Rhys’s tight butt and the sensuous way he moved.

After a moment, Rhys turned, searching for him. “There you are.”

Chase flashed him a smile. “Yep, finish up with your friend, hun. Changed my mind about staying late.”

Rhys’s face fell a little, but Chase bit his tongue so as not to give away what he’d planned. “Oh, okay. I’ll take you home in just a minute, then.”