Love Thieves #25: Desire
Chapters 21 to 25

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Chapter 21

Sey handed his laptop to Sasha. “Once we’re on the road, what I say goes, got that?”

“Okay, Dad,” Sasha agreed, nodding earnestly.

“If I tell you to stay put, you act like a tree and grow roots, right?”

“Right.”

“And I ever *ever* tell you to run, you take off like Hell just opened up behind you.”

Sasha’s eyes widened, but he nodded again.

“Okay, kiddo.” Sey smiled and affectionately ruffled his son’s long brown hair.

Declan stopped to check the rest of their gear and said dryly, “Are you through terrorizing the child?”

Sey narrowed his eyes at his lover. “Just telling him how things are, Dec.”

“Well, you don’t have to scare him half to death.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to him,” Sey managed to say between clenched teeth.

“Neither do I.”

“So a little fear is healthy,” Sey replied softly.

Declan abruptly pushed his fingers through Sey’s hair and kissed him hard. “You be sure to take care of yourself, too, acushla.”

Sey rubbed Declan’s cheek with his thumb, but somewhere along the line, his businesslike demeanor vanished and his touch became a caress. “Ditto.”

“I won’t let you down, Dad,” Sasha said, his face too serious for his youth.

Sey nodded. “I know you won’t, kiddo.”

“Or you, Da.” Declan’s eyes gentled as they took in Sasha’s resolute posture. Any moment now, Declan expected to see his son salute him, and *that* was a truly frightening path to venture down.

“Be good, boyo.”

“I will.”

Sasha stowed the laptop in a secure place in the back of the Jeep and hopped over the back seat.

Declan nuzzled his lover’s throat, only to be pushed away. “Hey,” Declan protested.

“Don’t mess with me when I’m working,” Sey said fiercely, but his brown eyes danced mischievously.

Declan slapped him lightly on the backside. “Brat.”

Sey chuckled and returned the favor. “Bitch.”

“You’re wound up for a bloody fare-thee-well, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Good. You can use the extra adrenaline.” Declan’s tongue darted out to capture Sey’s ear before Sey could move. “And save some of that energy for me,” he whispered huskily, “I have every intention of riding you hard and putting you away wet.”

Sey’s dark eyes flashed as Declan released him, looking way too serious for someone who just propositioned his lover.

“Way to get rid of those last-minute nerves, Dec,” Sey quipped.

Declan headed for the driver’s side of the Jeep, but even without seeing him, Sey just knew he had to be smiling.

*****

A couple of hours later, Declan muttered, “I hate driving in the city.”

Michael nodded and glanced over the back of his seat at Sasha, hard at work. “Any progress?”

Sasha was concentrating so hard that he didn’t hear Michael at first. Then Sey tapped him lightly on the top of his head. “Kiddo?”

“What???” Sasha growled. “Do I interrupt you when you’re in the middle of—“ Sasha saw the warning look in Sey’s eyes and thought better of finishing that comment. “Uhhh…never mind.”

Michael repeated his question. “Are you making any progress?”

Sasha looked up, a slightly crazed look on his face, and Michael thought, he gets just like Birkoff used to when he was chasing a virus through the system. “Yes,” he said shortly, not bothering to explain any further.

Michael resigned himself to not getting any updates for the rest of the trip. Such was a small price to pay for getting his son back.

*****

“Slow down, Da,” Sasha warned his father, keeping an eye on the laptop. “He’s somewhere in this area.”

A few moments later, Sasha looked up and said, “I hope you guys are looking for him. He should be *right* here.”

Michael gave Sey an enigmatic look, as if to say, He’s your son, and he’s telling *me* how to do my job. Sey shrugged.

Without looking, Sasha said, “Stop that, Dad. I can hear your body language all the way over here.”

Declan rolled his eyes and stared out the window. Suddenly he gave a shout. “Michael! There! Do you see?”

Michael was out of the car before it stopped. He clearly saw Chris before his son saw him, but there was no mistaking the joy on Chris’ face when he did. “Chris!”

Chris flew across the pavement, not stopping until he was wrapped tightly in his father’s embrace. “Dad! You came!”

Michael had no words. Convinced that he lacked a certain articulateness when it came to his deeper feelings, he was certain that he couldn’t possibly do justice to what he felt anyway. Instead he hugged the teenager until Chris finally protested.

“Guess you missed me, huh?”

Michael’s eyes misted over. “Yes.”

“Guess this means you’re glad I’m all right.”

Michael nodded, a tiny trickle of wetness escaping his right eyelid.

Chris almost smiled. The expression on both faces was so similar that it was apparent to anyone who looked that they were father and son.

“I love you, Dad,” Chris whispered, never taking his eyes off the man he literally considered his hero.

Michael tilted his head slightly, his mouth partly open as though to say something, but it was several seconds before anything did. But to hear Chris tell it, it was worth waiting for.

“I love you, too, Chris.”

Chapter 22

“Is Emmy all right?” were the first words out of Chris’ mouth once he realized he was safe again.

“Yes,” said Michael.

“Not really,” answered Declan.

Chris looked from one man to the other and back again. “Which is it?”

Michael sighed and gestured to Declan to elaborate. Sey frowned at his lover, clearly admonishing him for worrying Chris, but Declan shrugged, as if to say, I’ve never lied to the kid before, and I don’t plan to start now.

“She’s a little upset, Chris,” Declan contented himself with saying.

Ever the protector, Sey broke in with “But I bet she’ll feel much better when she finds out you’re okay.”

Chris pondered both statements in silence for a few moments, evidently concluding that each of them spoke the truth. “Can I call her?”

“Sure, Chris,” said Sey. Now it was Declan’s turn to frown.

“What?” Sey responded with a wave of his hands. Declan shook his head, looking decidedly masculine despite the long red braid that trailed halfway down his back.

Michael nodded imperceptibly at Declan. “We have to ask you some questions first, Chris. About the man who took you.”

“It wasn’t a man. It was Lisette.”

“But I—“

Declan interrupted. “We thought it was Fanning.”

Chris nodded. “Lisette was doing what her mother told her.”

“And her mom is?” Sey prompted.

“Lisa Fanning.”

Sey blinked. “Then who accosted Sasha at the airport?”

Sasha, who had been all too quiet until now, chose that moment to stop lurking on the sidelines. “Maybe there’s more than one Fanning.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

*****

With Chris’ help, Sey was able to reconstruct the path he took since leaving the hotel. After a few minutes’ thought, Sey told Sasha, “Look for a four- or five-star hotel in this quarter here,” pointing to a small block on the computer-generated map.

“How ‘bout this one, Dad?” Sasha asked.

Sey smiled. “That must be it. You did good, kiddo.”

Sasha beamed at his father. His first mission…and it was a success.

*****

Michael decided to leave Sey in the Jeep with the two teenagers while he and Declan scouted out the hotel.

“Be careful,” Sey called softly, earning a curious look from Michael and a cheeky grin from Declan.

“I’m always careful,” Declan whispered. “I have so much to live for.”

If he’d been the type to roll his eyes, Michael would have.

*****

“Don’t be stupid, Lisa. You can’t shoot your own daughter,” Kyle said, trying to appeal to whatever reason Lisa might have left.

“Sure I can. Just watch me.” A feral smile crossed Lisa’s beautiful features as she took aim at Lisette.

“I’m not going to stand here and let you use me for target practice, Mama!” Lisette cried.

“Oh, shut up.” Lisa cocked the gun with an audible sound that seemed impossibly loud in the otherwise silent room.

Lisette leaped on her mother like a wild animal, knocking her to the ground. They rolled over and over again, twisting and turning and all the time wrestling for possession of the gun. When they finally stopped, panting and out of breath, Lisette raised the gun with a shout of triumph.

“Now it’s your turn to pay, Mama. For all the times you hit me and made me do awful, disgusting things—“

“You don’t have the guts for it, Lisette. You’re a piece of shit. Just like your father.”

Lisette’s fingers tightened around the trigger even as her eyes blurred with tears. “Thanks, Mama. I needed a little more incentive.”

Lisette advanced on her mother, Lisa backing away a step at a time until she was flush with the window directly behind her.

“Lisette, don’t do this. You’re not like your father,” said Kyle, his eyes unable to look away from the gun.

“No one knows what I’m really like. Not even *me*. And now, I’ll never know,” she uttered in a heartbreaking whisper.

Lisette started to turn the gun on herself. Suddenly everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Kyle yelled, “No!!!!” and lunged forward. Lisette’s dark eyes opened wide as her mother reached for the gun.

“No! You can’t!” Lisa screamed.

Kyle jarred Lisette’s gun hand and the barrel skewed to the left. The gun went off with a terrible, final sound, but when the smoke cleared, there was only a hole in the wall.

Lisa struggled with her daughter for the gun, clearly not realizing that she was dangerously close to the open window. She dug her nails into Lisette’s arm, and Lisette reacted instinctively, pushing her mother away. By that time, however, there was no more clearance left between Lisa and the window overlooking the courtyard at the back of the hotel.

Lisa fell backwards with a surprised look on her face. Kyle shouted, “Lisa!” as he and his niece tried to grab her. But it was too late.

They were fourteen floors up. Unfortunately for Lisa Fanning, that was fourteen floors too many. Her body sailed down into the alleyway and landed with an impolite thump in the hotel dumpster.

It seemed a fitting end.

*****

Michael kicked open the door to the hotel suite, flanked by Declan. “Away from the window!” he commanded, his gun drawn.

Kyle turned slowly, an odd expression on his face. “If you’re here for Lisa, she’s gone.”

Lisette continued to stare out the window blankly.

“Which way did she go?” Declan demanded.

“Down,” Lisette said with a total absence of affect.

Declan slowly approached the window and looked out. Several stories down, he could see an indistinct blur of color and shape that might have been a woman. Once.

He grimaced and shook his head. Good thing that Sey couldn’t see this.

“She’s dead, Michael.”

Michael didn’t put down his gun immediately. He gestured at Kyle. “I know who the girl is. Who are you?”

“Kyle. Kyle Fanning.” At Michael’s blank look, he added, “David’s younger brother.”

“You look like him,” Michael agreed. That this was not a compliment did not pass unnoticed by Kyle.

“Hey, I know what my brother was like. Hell, who do you think he practiced on, before he grew up and started killing people for a living?”

Lisette remained still. She seemed transfixed by the people gathering in the courtyard. “Daddy was a bad man.”

Kyle, struck by the childish tone of Lisette’s words, swung his head back in her direction. “Lisette? Honey? Move away from the window.”

“I’m bad, too. Mama said so.”

Kyle flashed a look at Michael that said, Help me out here, guys, she was suicidal a few minutes ago.

“No, sweetie. You’re not bad. Just confused.”

Lisette whipped around, a bright but inappropriate smile pasted on her face. Seeing Michael, she caroled, “Did you know my Mama?”

Michael put his gun down at his side. “Yes,” he said tersely, wondering how it was possible to feel sorry for someone who had caused his family untold heartache.

“She was pretty,” Lisette said, twirling a long strand of dark brown hair around her index finger.

“Yes.”

“She told me you were my Daddy.” Suddenly Lisette’s face clouded over. “I wish you were. ‘stead of that bad man.”

There was absolutely nothing that Michael could say to that. He wouldn’t deliberately hurt Lisette, not in the state she was in, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie about the man who nearly cost him and Nikita their lives.

Kyle looked genuinely concerned about Lisette. Perhaps, with a little encouragement in the right direction, he might be persuaded to take on the long-term responsibility of handling someone like Lisette.

“Sweetie, would you like to come and live with me?” Kyle voiced hopefully.

Lisette frowned. “Where’s Mama?”

Kyle glanced nervously at Michael. “Your mother’s away, Lisette.”

“Oh.” She perked up a moment later. “She’s always off somewhere. When’s she coming back?”

“Oh, maybe not for a long time, honey. In the meantime, why don’t you stay with me?”

Michael nodded his agreement. Holstering his gun, Michael took the man aside. “You don’t know who we are. You didn’t see us here, and you’ll never see us again.”

Kyle raised both hands up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, man, I have no beef with you guys. I was just looking for my brother’s kid. As far as I know, you don’t exist.”

Michael smiled grimly. “You have no idea how true that is.”

Chapter 23

“Get in the car.”

“But Dad—“

“Don’t argue with me. I said, get in the car,” Michael clipped out, his gaze more anxious than angry as it fell upon his son.

“We heard sirens. Someone said there was some kind of an accident. What happened?”

Michael made a little noise deep in his throat and abruptly pulled Chris hard against his chest. Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, he whispered, “Please don’t ask me about this now, okay?”

“Okay,” Chris agreed, feeling a bit unnerved by what his father wasn’t saying. It was all right, though. He was doing his protective thing. Chris understood that. It’s what knights did.

*****

In the backseat, hunched over his laptop, Sasha whimpered, “Daddy, you should look at this.”

Automatically winding an arm around Sasha’s waist, Sey felt the shivers that raced up and down Sasha’s body as if they were his own. Knowing that whatever it was must be bad, Sey peered at the monitor screen.

“Oh, God,” he murmured.

It was worse than bad. It was live television coverage of the tragedy that befell Lisa Fanning. Up close and personal. In full color. If Lisa weren’t already dead, she would have loved the coverage.

Feeling Declan settle in on his other side, Sasha looked up, tears trembling on the fringe of his eyelashes. “Da?” he whispered. “Did you have anything to do with—“

“No, kiddo,” Declan hastily reassured his son. “It was over before we got there.”

“Thank God,” Sasha choked out. “Cause I don’t think I could stand it if I knew, if you, if—“

Declan’s worried eyes met Sey’s over Sasha’s head. Sey relinquished his hold on Sasha, and Declan immediately wrapped his arms around the teenager. Sasha pressed his hot face against the hollow at the base of Declan’s throat. “All this time, all this time I told myself this mission stuff was, like, so exciting, but it’s more than that, it is.”

He drew a shuddery breath, but couldn’t hold onto it. “I knew what you had to do, Da. And I don’t blame you for it, any of it. But—“

“But the reality’s a whole lot different from the mere knowing, isn’t it, kiddo?” Declan asked softly.

Sasha sniffled and rubbed his cheek against his father’s neck. “Yeah.”

“I hope I don’t have nightmares.”

“So do I,” said Declan.

Sey leaned on Sasha, the familiar feel of his body a comfort and support to him. “You’ll be okay, kiddo. We all will.”

*****

It was a long drive home. Declan and Michael took turns driving, Sey staying in the back with the kids. By the time the Jeep pulled up to the gate of the chateau, everyone was fairly well exhausted.

“Straight to bed, Chris,” Michael commanded, softening his words with a pat on his son’s shoulder.

“Can I see Emmy first?” Chris pleaded. He needed to see her with his own eyes. He knew she was all right, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he saw her, held her.

Michael looked at Declan and Sey. “Your call. She’s probably not sleeping anyway, if that makes any difference.”

Declan nodded. “If she’s still up, Chris. But no more than five minutes. We’re all too tired to stay up any longer.”

Sey lay his head on Declan’s shoulder and yawned. “Right. What he said.”

Sasha bounced on his feet. Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe. He wouldn’t ask. But he hoped it would occur to his folks that *he* needed special dispensation tonight as well.

Sey managed to open one eye wide. “What is it, Sash?”

“Can I go see Skye?” At the first sign of protest from Michael and Sey, Sasha hastened to add, “For a minute, I swear.”

“Can’t it wait till morning?”

“If it could, I wouldn’t ask.”

Sey looked into his son’s dark brown eyes and saw his need to ground himself, the best way he knew how.

“Okay. One minute,” Sey said gruffly. “As long as you know I’m here for you, too,” Sey continued. He wasn’t quite ready to let go of Sasha.

Sasha kissed his father on the cheek. “I’m here for you, too, Dad.”

Sey watched him walk away and join Chris. He groaned and turned his face up to Declan’s for a quick kiss. “I hate to say this, Dec, but I don’t think I’m up for anything but sleep.”

“I can do that,” Declan mumbled, already half-asleep on his feet.

“Do you think the kids’ll be okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just going to take some time is all.”

“Time. The one thing we never have enough of.”

“Ooh, now I know I’ve got to get you into bed. You’re starting to sound like a Hallmark card, Dec.”

“Mmm, I won’t stop you from having your wicked way with me, though, baby.”

“Declan!” Sey blushed.

Michael gave them a bemused smile. “Good night now.”

Yeah, he thought that everything was going to be all right. Eventually.

Chapter 24

“Chris!” Emmy exclaimed, bursting into tears.

Within seconds, he crossed the room to take her in his arms, and she clung to him, her body shaking with the force of her sobs. “Ssh, I’m okay, Soleil.”

She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. The kiss took him by surprise. His mouth opened under hers, and he could taste the saltiness of the tears that wet her lips.

Only Emmy could cry and look this beautiful, he thought. Tears trembling on her spiky dark red eyelashes, she looked every inch the princess to whom he likened her. “You’re so beautiful,” he said reverently.

“I’m *not*,” Emmy said, blushing fiercely. “My nose is running, my cheeks are all blotchy—“

He silenced her with another kiss, this one gentler than the first. “You’ll always be beautiful to me.”

Ignoring his compliment was second-nature to her. While she needed to know how important she was to him, she didn’t believe her beauty was anything more than a reflection of his love for her. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered.

“Me, too. I missed you.”

Chris stroked the side of her face with his fingertip, and she closed her eyes, tilting her face up like a kitten being petted. “I worried about you. So much,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

She opened her eyes, eyes that shone like molten silver. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come back. I—“

“Ssh.” He placed his finger against her lips. “I’m here now.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Yes. You are.”

“I love you, Soleil.”

“I love you, too.”

Chris kissed her, his lips moist from her tears, then slid his cheek against hers as he held her. “G’nite.”

*****

Sasha knelt at the side of Skye’s bed. This was forbidden territory, and as such, unfamiliar, but it felt like he belonged here. Though he would never go so far as to consider himself a knight like Chris, he knew there was a certain nobility in him. For one thing, he would never knowingly take advantage of her.

“Ange,” he whispered.

Skye’s light blue eyes flew open with a suddenness that told him she hadn’t been sleeping well. “You’re back!”

“Yeah.” He reached out to tuck a long strand of pale blonde hair behind her ear, and she captured his palm and kissed it.

That sent a shockwave of longing through him, but he couldn’t prevent himself from returning the gesture. The touch of her skin beneath his lips felt cool. “Are you cold? Want me to get you an extra blanket?” he inquired solicitously.

She shook her head without speaking. She had learned not to touch Sasha. It hurt him, and to hurt him was to hurt herself. But this, this unexpected latitude was exactly what she needed as reassurance of his love.

Sasha’s grip on her hand tightened. She sensed that he was undergoing some kind of internal struggle, but she hoped that whatever he decided, he didn’t pull away. Not now.

His voice husky with all the emotion he’d been suppressing for months, Sasha whispered, “I love you, Ange.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over any moment. “I love you, too, Beast.”

“I only have a minute. Otherwise, your Dad *and* mine will really let me have it. But…there was something I needed to do before I could sleep.”

“What?” she asked.

“This,” he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her.

“Oh,” she murmured, her hand automatically going to her lips.

“We’re going to be together someday,” he vowed. “I swear.”

She sniffled, and he kissed the tears that trickled from the corners of her eyes. When she gasped at the unexpected touch, he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. It would have to last him. Months, maybe years. But however long it took, it was a small price for pay for having her in his life.

“Love you,” he whispered again.

Then as suddenly as he came, he was gone.

Skye smiled as she settled back down to sleep. He hadn’t forgotten. He was still hers.

*****

Declan rolled onto his side, expecting to fall asleep promptly. But something was wrong. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but something was undeniably wrong. He frowned and punched his pillow into submission.

Suddenly the bathroom door opened. Sey stopped in the doorway, taking in the picture of his lover, his long red hair still trapped tightly within its braid.

Kneeling on the bed behind Declan, Sey pulled the braid away from his neck, carefully placing a kiss on his nape. Declan sighed happily and started to roll onto his back, but Sey shook his head. “Stay there.”

Nudging his lover onto his stomach, Sey straddled him, his knees pressing into his sides to keep him from moving. Slowly, painstakingly, Sey began the process of unraveling the long braid. It took a long time, punctuated by light kisses to Declan’s neck and shoulders and spine, but eventually his hair was freed from its confines.

Running his fingers through the silky red curls, Sey enjoyed indulging Declan this way. He so seldom asked for anything for himself. But he deserved everything Sey could give him and more. Sey fervently believed that.

“There you go. All done.”

Declan turned over, unseating Sey and trapping him beneath his body. “Oh, no, acushla. We’ll never be all done.”

“I thought you were too tired to do anything but sleep,” Sey said with a chuckle.

Declan licked the side of his lover’s neck, the broad stroke of his tongue instantly arousing both of them. “I forgot something.”

“What?”

Declan melted against him with a fluidity that belied his apparent exhaustion. “I love you.”

*****

Down the hall and around the corner, Michael wrapped his arms around Nikita’s middle and slung his right leg over hers. “You’re mine.”

“Was there ever any doubt?” she asked, sounding amused.

Taking her question seriously, Michael replied, “Not for me.”

“Oh, Michael,” she breathed, turning in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, doucette,” he murmured against her mouth.

“Thank you for bringing our son home safely. How can I ever repay you?”

“You’ll think of something,” he said with a smile. His hands slipped to her hips, pushing up the hem of the oversized T-shirt she wore.

She kissed him back. It was the least she could do.

Chapter 25

“We want to do something special for your birthday next week, Adam.”

Adam smiled at Nikita. “That’s nice, Mom, but I might have my own plans.”

“I know, but—“ Nikita’s mouth dropped open. “Adam, did you just call me *Mom*?”

Adam blinked, looking exactly like his father when he didn’t know what to say. “Ummm…I don’t know. Did I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

Adam shrugged. “Sorry. Won’t happen again.”

“Adam.”

He turned on his heel, a loud sigh on his lips. “What? You’re not, like, going to make a big deal out of this, are you?”

“It’s a pretty big deal to *me*.”

“It just…happened. That’s all.”

“Is that how you think of me? In your head, I mean?”

Adam bit his lip and stared at the ground. “Umm…I guess so.”

“Adam, it’s okay.”

He shook his head as if to clear it. “Look, there are probably a hundred reasons why it’s *not* okay, but if you want to think it is, then fine.”

“It doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten Elena.”

“Spare me the psychspeak, okay?” Adam snapped. He finally took a good long look at Nikita’s face and decided that he had crossed over the line.

“Sorry,” he said sulkily.

Nikita nodded. “You don’t want a party?”

“For my birthday?” Adam asked, relieved that the conversation somehow returned to normal.

“Yeah.”

“You and Dad have your hearts set on this, huh?”

Nikita smiled faintly. “Well, maybe just a little bit.”

“Am I going to get, like, presents and stuff?”

“Do you want some?”

“Do you have to answer every question with a question? Jeez.”

“What would you like?”

“What I want you guys can’t give me,” Adam said, struggling to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He closed his eyes for a second, not realizing that his feelings flew across his face with all the transparency of light.

Nikita wisely didn’t say anything. She knew how much Adam loved Jazz. Her heart ached for them. But they could not be together yet.

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me,” Adam said in the soft voice of someone who knows he is beaten.

Nikita wanted to touch him, but she held back. Adam was every bit as proud as Michael. Just twice as stubborn.

“So,” she began, noting that Adam was on his way out. “Where are you headed?”

“To town.”

Nikita winced. “We’d really rather you and the others didn’t go into town for a while, Adam.”

“Why? There’s no one after us anymore.”

“We’d feel better if you didn’t go, Adam.”

“Are you making that an order?”

“Of course not,” said Nikita, sounding offended.

“Could you at least tell me why you have your heart set on going?”

“It’s personal.”

“Adam. If you insist on fighting me every step of the way, we’re always going to have a hard time getting along.”

“I’m not fighting you, I just—I need to do this. Trust me.” Adam bent his head and kissed Nikita on the cheek. “Mom.”

“Okay.”

She was still smiling when Michael came downstairs for breakfast.

*****

Now for the really hard part, thought Adam. He found Jazz lying on his back in the grass behind the stables. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jazz answered, sounding vaguely drowsy.

“You half-asleep?”

“Sorta. The sun feels good on my face. I just thought I’d rest my eyes for a bit.”

“You feel up to taking a walk?”

That got Jazz’ attention. He opened one eye. “And go where?”

“To town.”

“No way, man,” said Jazz dismissively, closing his eyes again.

“You’ve got something better to do?”

“Under the circs, town’s the last place I’d wanna go.”

“Oh, right. Like someone’s going to kidnap *you*,” Adam snorted.

“If that’s supposed to relieve my mind or cheer me up, it’s *so* not working, man.”

“Nicky….”

Jazz sat up instantly and glared at Adam. “Don’t call me that! If you’re looking for someone to take advantage of, try someone else.”

Adam knelt at Jazz’s side and reached out to stroke his hair, but Jazz jerked away, as if his touch burned. “Please come with me, Nicky.”

“You’re a fucking bastard, Adam. How come I didn’t know that till now?”

Adam sighed. “I want to be alone with you. But I don’t want either one of us to feel uncomfortable. So I figured the movies was a safe compromise. Plenty of people around so we can’t get carried away. What do you think?”

Jazz stared at him, his bright green eyes even more vivid against the backdrop of the verdant grass that surrounded the chateau. “I think you’re crazy to do this to us,” he whispered.

“Just trust me, Nicky. Please?”

“Why?”

“You know why,” Adam said sadly.

Jazz reluctantly stood and brushed the grass off his jeans. “Okay.”

*****

They didn’t talk much on the way to town. Both of them were lost in thought, though for vastly different reasons. When they arrived at the theatre, Adam paid for two matinee tickets, refusing to let Jazz pay his own way.

“I’m not your date, Adam!” Jazz hissed at his lover.

“Yeah, you are,” Adam contradicted him.

Jazz rolled his eyes and stalked off to buy popcorn. Adam fingered the silver chain in his pocket one more time. He hoped that Jazz didn’t throw his gift right back in his face. But he would understand if he did.

*****

When Adam indicated they should take seats in the back row of the theatre, Jazz put his foot down. “You’re kidding, right? What are we going to do? Make out like a couple of kids?”

“Just sit down, Jazz, okay?”

Jazz shook his head vehemently and stormed up the staircase to the balcony. Adam had no choice but to follow. Jazz took a seat in the middle of the first row, and Adam breathed a sigh of relief. There was no one else sitting in the balcony.

There was a little too much light coming from the screen, but Adam decided he could live with that. He sat next to his lover and pretended to be interested in the coming attractions.

The respite was brief. “So…what was so fucking important that you had to drag me into a theatre in the middle of the afternoon?”

“Next week is my birthday and—“

“Yeah, I know,” Jazz agreed, munching a handful of popcorn.

“And *your* birthday is two weeks later—“

“Jesus, tell me something I don’t know. Get to the fucking point, Adam.”

“Well, it’s just that I kinda have a present for you. Only I didn’t want anyone else to know.”

“Why? Are you ashamed of giving me a birthday present?’

“No! It’s just that it’s, well, it’s kinda personal.”

Jazz looked intrigued despite himself.

Adam hastened to explain. “It’s not *that* kind of present either.”

“So what is it?”

“It’s…um…could you put down the popcorn for a second?”

Jazz dutifully put the container of popcorn on the floor. Folding his hands sedately, he said sweetly, “What did you get me, Adam?”

“This.” Adam pulled the fine silver chain out of his pocket and held it up to the light from the movie screen.

“When we go back to school in the fall, I’ll be in my last year.”

“Don’t remind me,” Jazz said, hurt evident in his voice, if not his face.

“I won’t get my class ring until December. But in the meantime, I bought this fake emerald ring at the dimestore. I know it looks totally cheap, but the color of the stones sorta reminded me of your eyes, and anyway, it’s just a stand-in for the real thing.”

“I want you to wear my ring, Nicky.“

“You’re serious,” Jazz said, his expression rapt.

“Yeah, I am. Only, like, I didn’t want you to get beaten up because you were wearing my ring. So I thought you could put it on this chain and wear it under your shirt.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Can I put this on you?” Adam suddenly looked incredibly vulnerable and Jazz knew that the wrong word would damage their relationship forever.

Jazz smiled and pulled his hair off his neck. Adam broke into a grin and fastened the chain around Jazz’ neck. “How’s it look?”

“It looks beautiful. *You* look beautiful.”

Adam loosely hooked a finger under the chain, pulling Jazz closer. “I’ll replace the cheap ring as soon as I get my class ring, Nicky.”

“Don’t you dare,” Jazz whispered, apparently near tears. “I’m keeping it forever.”

Adam searched Jazz’ eyes for a sign that it was all right to touch him. “I want to kiss you.”

Jazz swayed and Adam caught him in his arms. As they kissed, Adam kept his fingers twined around the chain and its Crackerjack prize ring. They didn’t need real emeralds, Jazz and him, just each other.

“I love you, Nicky.”

Jazz rubbed his cheek against Adam’s. “I love you, too.”

“Did I do good, Nick?”

“You did real good, Adam.”

They held each other throughout the movie. When they finally arrived home and everyone asked about the movie, they looked at each other and burst out laughing. Damned if they could remember what they saw.

To Chapters 15-20 Chapter Index To Chapter 26