Kelan's Pursuit (9 page)

Absurd.
Jake could hardly believe he was contemplating a move to Texas, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea grew on him. Yes, he loved the fast pace of the city, but if he wanted things to work between he and
Kelan
, then he had to at least consider the possibility of moving to be near him.

As Jake rounded another corner, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A shiver passed over his body, and it had nothing to do with the cold. Jake was certain someone was following him, but when he turned
around,
the sidewalk behind him was empty. Jake rolled his eyes and kept on walking. The letters he’d received and the break-in at his apartment must have had more of an impact on him than he’d first realised.

Just a couple more blocks and he’d be home. If he was really lucky,
Kelan
might be there waiting for him when he arrived. He could think of no better way to warm his bones than having
Kelan’s
sweat-soaked, muscular body writhing in ecstasy above him.

A car backfired, causing Jake to jump. He put his hand over his heart and stopped walking, taking a moment to calm himself. He was about to set off again when he thought he heard footsteps walking behind him. But when he turned around and scanned the area the street was practically empty.

“Get a grip,” he mumbled, continuing on his journey home. “Great. Now I’m talking to myself too.”

After another block or so, he heard the same heavy footsteps pounding the pavement behind him.
Shit.
Jake knew if someone was following him it could very well be the person who had broken into his apartment, and that person clearly disliked him. What if he had a knife or a gun?

“Jake!”

Jake span around when he heard his name. He squinted in the darkness to make out the features of the man running towards him.

“Jake! Wait up!”

“Tony?”

“Hey, Jake,” Tony said, stopping at Jake’s side.

“Have you been following me?”

Tony frowned. “Excuse me? You know you really ought to get over yourself.
You
called
me,
remember?”

“Uh, yeah, sorry.
I just thought there was… Oh, forget about it.” It had probably been his overactive imagination. “Look, I called to apologise to you about the other night.”

“Huh?”

“Thursday night in Liberties.
I…”

“Yeah.
I know what you’re talking about. I just can’t believe you’re actually apologising. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use the word ‘sorry’ before, like
ever
.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, too.”

Tony scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Never better.
You
wanna
come back to mine for a drink?”

Tony hesitated then shook his head. “Sorry I can’t.
Got a date tonight.”

“Wow, good for you.
With who?”

“Just someone I met at Liberties Saturday night. We got on, so I decided to see him again. What happened with that guy from Thursday night? You take him home?”

“Yeah,” Jake said. “Actually I spent all weekend with him.”

“You did? That’s not like you. So you like him, then?”

“Yeah, I do. His name is
Kelan
. He’s from Texas. I’m even considering moving there with him.”

Tony looked like he’d been hit over the head with a flat iron.

“You’re
what?
Are you insane? You’ve only known the guy for four days, Jake. Don’t you think that’s a little soon?”

Crap.
When was Jake going to learn to keep his big mouth shut?

“Well, yeah. I don’t mean right away, of course…but it’s a possibility, uh, for the future.”

“Oh, right. Look I can’t stop or I’ll be late, but if you want to talk we can meet up tomorrow night, say at Liberties?”

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll meet you there at eight.”

“Cool. See you then.”

Jake waved goodbye to his friend and made his way towards his apartment. He wasn’t far away, but he couldn’t get there quickly enough. He felt vulnerable and exposed, and those weren’t emotions he was used to.

Jake had always been able to take care of himself. Not that he got into fights often—he didn’t—but he knew how to handle himself in one if the situation arose. The scary thing was, Jake didn’t know what he was facing, and if this guy was a shifter like
Kelan
said, he’d be strong.

Jake had made a point of telling
Kelan
he could look after himself, and under normal circumstances he could…but these weren’t normal circumstances. Jake had to concede that maybe he’d need
Kelan’s
protection after all.

For the rest of the short walk home, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling someone was following him.

“Is there some reason you keep staring at your watch every two minutes?” Cody asked his older brother.

Kelan
sighed. “Jake’s gone to a gay bar to meet with his ex.”

Cody nearly choked on his beer. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Don’t have much choice. I’m just going to have to trust him.”

“Wow, that’s mature of you,
Kelan
. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Shut up,”
Kelan
mumbled.

“I
gotta
say, being with Jake is changing you for the better,” Stefan said with a trace of amusement on his lips.

Cody giggled. “So who is this ex he’s meeting up with?”

“A friend he’s known for about ten years, apparently. Jake didn’t say it was his ex, but that’s the impression I got when he talked about him.”

“Why didn’t you just ask him?” Stefan said. “I’m sure he would have told you.”

Kelan
shrugged. “Because I don’t think I’d have liked the answer.”

“Man, you’ve got it bad,” Stefan said.

“And you haven’t?”
Kelan
said defensively. “Please. You forget I’ve seen the way you walk around the place like a lovesick puppy.”

Stefan chuckled, pulled Cody onto his lap and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips, much to
Kelan’s
embarrassment.

“I never professed otherwise.”

“Is it safe for Jake to be going around on his own right now?” Cody asked. “I mean, the person that’s been leaving him notes and broke into his apartment could be anyone, right? And didn’t Jake say he thought someone was following him home last night?”

“Yeah.
I told him I didn’t like him going there on his own, but he thought I was being jealous. Told me I had nothing to worry about.”

“How do you know this Tony guy isn’t the one sending the notes?” Stefan asked. “Could be he’s jealous that Jake is seeing someone else.”

Kelan’s
eyes darkened.

“Shit, I hadn’t thought of that. Now that you mention it, I think Jake was with Tony the night I met him.”

“You don’t remember his scent?” Cody asked his brother.

“No. Don’t think I even caught it. You know what it’s like, Cody. I was so shocked to have found my
mate,
I wasn’t paying attention to anything else around me.”

“I think you should go to the bar,
Kelan
. Make sure he’s all right.”

“How the hell am I going to do that, Cody? If I show up at Liberties, Jake’s
gonna
be pissed. He’ll definitely think I’m being a jealous boyfriend. And I
gotta
say
,
he’d only be half wrong.”

Cody sighed and leant back against Stefan’s chest.

“I’m sure Jake will forgive you, but right now his safety is more important, isn’t it?”

Kelan
nodded and got up from the sofa.

“Yeah, you’re right. I couldn’t stand it if something were to happen to him. I’d rather he was pissed at me and safe than the alternative. I’ll see you both later.”

“Okay, call us if you need us,” Stefan said.

“Will do.”

* * * *

Jake pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into his favourite bar.

Liberties was
located in the old meatpacking district of New York. It had once been a haven for sex clubs and the BDSM subculture, but in the nineties it had been transformed into a fashionable neighbourhood for young professionals.

It was only Monday night, but the bar was buzzing. Loud music bounced off the walls and all around him men of every age and description
gyrated
their hips to the beat.

Snaking his way through the throng, Jake made his way to the bar and stood in line. While he waited to be served, he scanned the faces in the crowd. The busy bar was full of people he recognised, but none of them were Tony. Jake checked his watch—he was a few minutes late, but that didn’t mean anything. Tony often got held up at work.

“What can I get you?” the bald, good-looking bartender asked, pulling Jake out of his musings.

“Uh, I’ll take a Coors, thanks, Andre.”

Andre nodded and turned to get the drink. Jake had known Andre for about five years. He’d never fucked him, but only because he knew Andre was big into the Dom scene and was a regular at some of the leather clubs in town. Although Jake had nothing against it, the scene had never floated his boat.
Although maybe with
Kelan
…

Jake paid for his drink, tossed a couple of dollars into the tip jar and made small talk with Andre.
When the handsome bartender was called away to fix another drink, Jake leant back against the bar, sipping his beer and enjoying his view of the room.

Liberties was
more like a club than a bar. It had booths around the edges of the room and a small dance floor in the middle, with stairs that led up off either side to a balcony on the second floor. Jake had spent many a night up there, watching the dancers and searching for someone
fuckable
to take home.

It occurred to him he wouldn’t be doing that anymore—ever. Jake thought he should be freaked out by that, but he wasn’t.
Kelan
was perfect for him and, now that Jake had him in his life, he couldn’t imagine ever wanting anyone else.
Not that he didn’t find other men attractive anymore, of course.
He was still human, still a man. But as he watched the sexy men in the room strut their stuff, he had no desire to do anything with them other than look. Who would have thought?

“Jake?”

Jake turned to the small man standing beside him. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts he hadn’t even seen the young man approach.
Crap, what was his name again? Ah, Cary, that was it.

“I just wanted to say sorry for my temper tantrum last week. It was childish of me,” Cary said, blushing furiously.

Jake couldn’t believe the young man was apologising—he’d done nothing wrong. Jake had been the one to behave badly. If anyone should be apologising, it was him. He just didn’t know how to make it up to the young man.

“No need,” Jake said, shaking his head. “I’m the one that needs to apologise. I didn’t treat you right, Cary. You deserve better.”

Cary’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

“What do you say?
Friends?”
Jake asked, extending his hand.

Cary shook Jake’s hand tentatively. A small smile played on his lips.

“Friends,” he said at last.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Thanks. I’ll have a Coke.”

Jake paused for a moment then nodded and turned to get Andre’s attention. After he ordered the drink, he turned back to Cary, eyebrows raised.

“How old are you, anyways?”

Cary’s blush deepened. “Twenty, but I’ll be twenty one in the spring. Listen, are you doing anything la—”

“Sorry, I’m late,” Tony said, stepping up next to Jake and interrupting Cary’s question.

Jake turned to his friend and smiled.

“That’s okay. I was just having a drink while I waited for you. Tony, this is Cary. Cary, this is my friend, Tony.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Tony said in a clipped tone, extending his hand.

“Likewise.”
Cary smiled, reached out and shook
Tony’s
hand in a friendly gesture. The temperature in the room plummeted a few degrees, however, as Tony studied Cary uneasily. Jake had never known his friend to be so frosty before. Maybe he was worried that Jake would ditch him again. Cary grew visibly uncomfortable under
Tony’s
stare.

“I guess I’ll leave you two alone,” Cary said. “It was good to see you again, Jake.”

Jake nodded.
“You too.
See you around.
And Cary?
I really am sorry.”

 
Cary nodded and walked off. Tony raised his eyebrows but he didn’t say anything until Cary was out of hearing distance.

“You apologising again?
What’s got into you lately?”

“Guess I’ve seen the error of my ways,” Jake said with a shrug.

Tony chuckled. “Well, I’m all for you turning over a new leaf so long as I don’t lose the old Jake I know and love. Uh, I mean…”

Jake didn’t have time to process
Tony’s
words. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a large man grabbing Cary roughly and dragging him to the side of the room. They exchanged heated words,
then
Cary tore himself out of the larger man’s grip and rushed out of the bar. He looked as though he was about to burst into tears.
Shit.

“Tony, can you hold that thought? I’m going to check on Cary.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re not seriously bailing on me again?”

“What? No, I’ll be a couple of minutes. Order yourself a drink, I’ll be right back.”

Tony shook his head and muttered something under his breath Jake didn’t quite catch. As he wound his way through the crowd and headed for the door, Jake looked for the man Cary had been arguing with but he couldn’t see him anywhere in the room.

He exited the bar and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The street to the right of Liberties was practically deserted and Cary was nowhere to be seen. Taking a chance, he turned the corner and walked left, just in time to see Cary slip into a back alley that led around to the back of the bar.