Manchester Ménage 01 - Saving Samuel (25 page)

The guy shrugged. “‘Thank you, Nikky.’ That’s all he said.”

“Thank you?” Milo stood up and brushed his hair back from his face. “I can think of a few other things I would have said, but I’m not Samuel.”

“Volkov loved that kid. He put his life on the line more than once for him. Just by being in England, he took a risk. It was all for him, Milo. Has Samuel ever told you the true nature of his relationship with Nikolay?”

“I don’t need you to fill my head with lies. I know what happened.”

“I'm not saying he’s lying.”

Milo looked into the guy’s eyes and snorted. “You think he was a willing participant in this? He had a year to go back to Volkov, but he didn’t. I trust Samuel with my life. I know he may have played the game, he said and did what he had to do to survive, and in time, he’ll tell us about it, but I won't lay any blame at his feet for doing that. If sharing that monster’s bed saved him from the tortures of what those other boys have gone through, then he did the right thing. Better to stick with the evil you know than the evil you don’t.”

“If he’d told us about Volkov’s feelings before, that could have helped a lot.”

“No, you would have used Samuel as bait. That’s what you would have done. Dangled him in front of Volkov until he lost it and came after him. God knows what would have happened.” Milo sighed heavily. “Are we safe? What about the others? Is there a risk?”

“There will be, but it will be considerably less now the two main guys are dead. We’re arresting everyone we can right now. In a couple of days we’ll know more, but I think—and it’s a big I think—but it looks much better than a trial We’ll still prosecute the rest, but as far as Samuel is concerned, his part is over. We have enough of the rest of the gang for Samuel to not play a huge part in things from now on. That’s how they’ll see it too.”

Milo sat down, head in his hands and taking deep breaths. Time would tell if things would be easy or hard, but Milo prayed it would be easy for them and they could put this nightmare behind them.

S
amuel woke the next morning with a headache the size of Texas and a mouth as dry as the Sahara. He drank a couple of glasses of water and lay back in the uncomfortable hospital bed and looked around him. Milo was fast asleep in a chair beside the bed, stubble and messy hair, clothes all creased, but looking like an angel to Samuel.

He sat still, looking over him and running through those first moments when he’d seen Milo across the runway. He’d been so happy to see Milo, and then there was the gunshot and Nikolay laying on him, not knowing if he’d been shot or if he’d just landed heavily on the ground.

Nikolay saved his life. After all those years, all of the things he’d done to him, he saved his life. He took the bullet for him. Samuel bit his lip. Every bit of pain in his life had been caused by Nikolay Volkov. Samuel had been taken because of his dad, as a form of punishment even in death, but every moment after that had been for Nikky’s benefit. His distorted views of love for Samuel were what held him close. Samuel tried so hard to turn his attention away in the first year, but after spending nights with other men, with Boris especially, the times in Nikky’s bed had seemed like a loving boyfriend showering attention on him.

That’s how Nikky punished Samuel. When he was mad, he would give him to other men to play with. He'd be returned used and bleeding, his body stained and abused. Nikolay would bathe him, hold him, kiss him, and give him drugs to ease the pain. Samuel had seen those tender moments and clung onto them. Perhaps even believed his declaration of warped love. But now…

Samuel looked at Milo and he knew what real love was. He knew because he’d found that with Milo and Daniel. This was real love. The type of love which he’d never felt before and the type he always wanted to feel with the two men in his life.

If everything hadn't happened before the fire, who’s to say they would have ever met. All the pain and loss, all of the scars, physically and mentally, they were all worth it for this. For the three of them to find each other. For the promise of a future together. Samuel would never turn back the hands of time and live his life differently, because unravel one stitch and he may not be here right now, looking at the handsome face of the man who just saved his life, who had been saving his life ever since they first met. He wouldn’t be thinking of Daniel sitting at home, waiting for him to return to his cute little house and his comforting arms.

Milo stirred and Samuel swung his legs off the bed and sat opposite him, gently moving a strand of his thick, dark hair behind his ear with a smile. Milo opened one eye then the other, not moving, just looking at Samuel sitting there.

“Hi, Officer Barnes. Welcome back.”

“Samuel.” Milo’s eyes filled up and Samuel moved to sit on his lap, holding Milo’s head to his chest while he cried. “I was so afraid I’d lost you. I'm so sorry. I shouldn’t have left. We should have been with you. I felt so guilty. We both did. If I’d never found you…” Milo broke down, sobbing into his chest while Samuel rocked him. “I love you so much. You're so important to me, Samuel.”

Milo leaned back and took Samuel’s face in his hands. “I would never have stopped looking for you. Danny and me would have ripped the world in half to find you. I'm never letting you out of my sight again.”

Samuel chuckled, wiping away the tears from Milo’s face. “You will. You’re not that type of person, Milo. Neither of you are. You’ll keep me safe, but I won't be tethered to you. I'm free with you. That’s what you give me. That’s what you want for me. To live my life like anyone else and to do it without the worry of being taken. Well, that’s what just happened. I'm not going anywhere. I choose to be with you. I've always chosen to be with you. I love you both so much. I would have done anything to keep you safe. That’s why I got on that plane, that’s why I played along and dressed up for him. To keep you safe. You know what they did to Boris?”

Milo closed his eyes but nodded.

“Nikolay promised to do that to you and Daniel. I knew then, whatever he wanted from me, I would do willingly and without a fight. I knew I’d do anything I could do to save you.”

Milo kissed him, holding his slight body in his big arms and running his mouth down his neck, smelling his scent. “You would have put yourself through a life of slavery to that monster for us?” Milo pulled back, looking at the new scar on Samuel’s neck where Nikolay’s flick knife had pierced his skin, and then he kissed it, running his tongue over the wound.

“I would have done it for you, for both of you. If knowing that you were alive and together, even without me being with you was the only happy thought I could ever have again, it would have been enough.”

“Samuel…” Milo hugged him tight. “I just need you right here for the next year or so. Right in hand’s reach.”

Samuel chuckled at the soft smile playing on Milo’s lips. “This is a good place to be.”

“I agree.” Milo snuck his hands under Samuel’s knees and cradled him in his arms as he stood up. “How about a hot bath?”

“With you?” Samuel played with his collar as he was carried into the bathroom.

“Well, the bath’s big enough for two. I checked it out.” Milo smiled and set Samuel down by the bath, running his hands over his head, and Samuel noticed he still had his hair braided and pinned up. Milo traced the bruise on his cheek, then ran his finger under his bottom lip, looking at where it had split open. “No one will ever touch you like this again. I promise.”

Samuel touched his swollen cheek and nodded. He had other bruises which Milo would have to see—they would hurt him, but Samuel wouldn’t hide anything from him. “Don’t they need to… you know… check me out first? Won't I be washing evidence down the drain?” Samuel wasn’t sure if he’d told the police he hadn’t been raped, and he wasn’t sure if he would have some unknown piece of evidence from Nikolay on him. He could remember telling Milo, or was it Daniel, that he hadn’t been touched in any way, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

“They’ve done all that while you were out.” Milo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I'm glad he didn’t… if he had touched you physically…”

“Don’t think about it.” Samuel pressed his chest to Milo’s back and hugged him. “I never gave myself to him. In dark times, times where I was confused and drugged up, or so in pain and he was the only light in a dark place, I thought I did. But I never wanted him, Milo. I never loved him. And what he felt for me…” Samuel turned Milo around and looked into his eyes. “It was never true love. What I see every time I look into your and Daniel’s eyes, that’s love. What I feel when I'm with you, that's real. How you care so much about setting me free and not caging me up, that's real love.”

Samuel leaned up and kissed him, Milo's arms quickly threading around his back and pulling him close. “I’ll only ever give myself to you and Daniel. You two are the only people who I’ve chosen to be with, who I’ve consented to touch me. No one else matters. Every moment before you two is just dust in the air. You’re what matters to me. Your touch, your love, your life. I want it all and more.”

“You are my life, our life.” Milo kissed him again, Samuel teasing his lips open and sliding his tongue inside for a deeper kiss. He was breathless when Milo tightened his grip and bent him backwards, holding his hair and claiming his mouth in a kiss he’d never experienced before.

“Milo,” Samuel whispered against his lips. “I'm yours. I always will be.”

“I know.” Milo caressed his cheek softly. “I knew it the moment I saw you. You just took some time catching up to me on account of the uniform.” Milo grinned and Samuel laughed.

“I’ve grown to appreciate that uniform on you, Officer.”

“You’ll have time to appreciate it more when we get home.”

Samuel jumped up and down in his arms and gave him a wide smile. “I miss Daniel so much. When can we fly home?”

“Today. The doctor is checking you out this afternoon and we can fly back to the UK.” Milo started running the bath. “You still have… blood and makeup on which the nurses couldn't get off with a sponge bath.”

“Oh.” Samuel looked underneath his gown and saw Milo was right about the blood—not loads, just a staining on his skin—and then he checked his reflection and saw his eyes still held a thin line of kohl under them and his mascara was still on his lashes. “You should have said. I just stood there and said all that with this on my face.” He pouted at Milo and got a deep laugh back in response.

“Princess, you look gorgeous. Even dressed up in heels and a dress, I thought so.” Milo was stripping off his shirt as he spoke.

Samuel swayed his hips while he thought.

Milo looked up at him. “If you like that…dressing up, that’s okay, you know. It’s you. You want to wear a dress and heels one night when I take you out, then do it. Just give me a heads up if you’re thinking about a sex change.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I like being a man. I like my cock and I like what you do to it.” They grinned at each other then Samuel pulled off his gown and hung it over the small window on the door so no one could see them from the bedroom. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Milo stepped into the bath and offered his hand to Samuel, looking at the dark bruise on his ribs where Boris kicked him, but Samuel tilted his head up and kissed him.

“For being so understanding.”

“You will always be you. Even if you dressed up as a sheep and crawled around, it would be you, just a… different, fluffier version of you.”

Samuel tilted his head and lifted a brow. “I won't be doing that. But… I like the silk underwear and sexy stockings.”

Milo cleared his throat and Samuel chuckled, going for his cock and stroking him.

“I think you like that too.”

“You in stockings…” Milo pretended to think hard about it then laughed. “Yeah, I could see those long legs wearing some sheer stocking while they were wrapped around my back as I…”

“Fucked me so hard the bed broke,” Samuel finished off for him, feeling Milo’s cock growing harder with his words.

“Yeah,” Milo said huskily, looking down into Samuel’s eyes.

“I want that, Milo. I want it from both of you.”

“Samuel.” Milo held his head and captured his mouth in another powerful kiss, leaving them both hard and ready for more when they separated. “Get in and let me wash that fucker’s touch from your body once and for all. Then…” Milo helped him sink into the hot water and ran his hands over the braid in his hair. “Then this needs to come down so I can fist it in my hands while I kiss you unconscious.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Samuel reached back and began untwining his hair while Milo washed his chest. “Was it you who found me?”

“Yes. Even dressed up and looking like a supermodel, I saw you. I always will do. You're beautiful, man or woman. I love you for being you, and you’re a wondrous person, Samuel Tate.”

“Thank you. So are you. You and Daniel make me feel comfortable with myself. I’ve never had that before.”

“I told you, Princess—” Milo kissed his nose making him smile. “However you dress, or whatever you do to your hair…” Milo ran his fingers through Samuel’s long locks, freeing it and laying it around his shoulders. “If you wear silk knickers or shorts, if you decide to wear heels on a date or trainers, it’s still you and we’ll both love you no matter what.”

“You'd not be ashamed of me if I went out in heels and a sexy dress?”

“Samuel…” Milo laughed and ran his fingers over his face. “I’ve never found women sexually attractive, but I find their outfits and the way they move alluring. They’re like another species to me, and you… you have the best of both. I don’t see you as female, but I know you're more than just an average man. So, saying all that, I thought you looked like the most beautiful person in the world when I saw you in that airport waiting room. I meant it when I said you could be a catwalk model. Male or female, it doesn’t matter because you wore the dress and those heels like they were made for you.” Milo kissed him again, shifting Samuel onto his thighs and holding him close. “I'd be proud to hold your hand and take you out for dinner wearing something like that, and so would Danny. But I'd be just as proud if you wore jeans and trainers. As long as you're with us, I'm happy.”

“I'm always happy with you two. I haven't been so happy in my life before.”

“That's how we both feel too. We need you. We’re nothing without you.”

“You're everything to me, Milo. You and Daniel. Everything.”

Milo gazed into Samuel’s eyes and smiled. “You're our whole world. When you were taken from us, everything stopped, even our hearts. I didn’t feel it beat once until I saw you again.”

“Then I’ll make sure never to be far from you again.”

“Thank you.” Milo kissed him softly. “I love you, Samuel.”