17. Gregory
CHAPTER 17
GREGORY
The Blue Lagoon was a seedy club masquerading as something respectable; the fact it was owned by Grant Kincaid said enough. Gregory hadn’t heard of Grant until a few months ago, but he was part of Langdon’s past, so he’d made it his business to find out as much as he could. Even more so when he discovered Barty was indebted to him. The man was involved in anything and everything related to organised crime – the kind you see on TV and think is grossly over-exaggerated for entertainment. But no, it was very real, and Kincaid was at the top of the tree in the UK, even though the police had pinned nothing on him. According to records, he’d been arrested a few times but released within hours as the authorities couldn’t make anything stick.
Langdon was tight-lipped about Grant, and his line was always that it was in his brothers’ best interests if they knew nothing. It was also clear Grant had a connection to Jason somehow, but nobody knew what. They had both lived in Liverpool, so it was possible their paths may have crossed. This was the last place he wanted to be right now, but he’d made a deal with Grant so he could clear his brother’s debt, and now he was about to find out what the price was.
“Oscar Montgomery. Nice of you to join us.”
Grant extended his hand, and Oscar shook it. He wasn’t stupid.
“Gregory. Always a pleasure,” he said, shaking hands. “Shall we have a seat? This won’t take long.”
The room they were in was at the back of the club, and there was a small board table, which had six seats around it. The room itself could have accommodated a much larger table, so it looked like someone had just moved into a bigger place and dumped their old furniture in here before they bought something new.
“As you will have guessed, I’ve brought you here to confirm the favour you agreed to do for me.”
Oscar looked at him with a frown.
“I see you haven’t told your boyfriend everything.”
Despite the situation they were in, Gregory had a warm feeling throughout his body when Oscar was referred to in that way.
“Let me catch you up, Oscar. Gregory came to me, on his knees, begging me to help him.”
Gregory snorted without thinking.
“Fair enough,” said Grant with a smile. “I just like to paint a more dramatic picture when the reality is rather dull and grey. Gregory asked for an extension of the deadline to pay his brother’s debt. We agreed to extend it to the end of February, on condition that Gregory did a favour for me, to be determined later.”
“Why would you do that, with him of all people?” asked Oscar.
Grant chuckled. “I’ve broken bones of people who’ve said less than that, but I admire your cheek.”
“I can pay the money now,” said Oscar.
“This isn’t about the money,” said Grant.
“So, if I do this favour, I don’t have to pay the money?” asked Gregory.
He still wasn’t sure where he was going to get the money from. The paperwork to loan against the flat was in his desk drawer, but that was very much Plan B. He was hoping to take it out the business somehow, but with everything that had been going on these last couple of weeks, he hadn’t looked at it properly.
“Oh, I still want my money. It’s just the favour is of utmost importance, and urgency.”
“You agreed that the favour wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“And I stand by our agreement.”
“Okay.”
“Jason.”
Gregory tensed. “What about him?”
“This new guy, Patrick, isn’t good enough for him. Break them up.”
“What? Why?”
“I just said. He’s not good enough for Jason.”
“What is Jason to you?”
“If Jason has chosen not to share that with you, then I’m respecting his choice. Let’s just say I have a vested interest in Jason’s happiness.”
What the fuck did that mean? Gregory’s head spun as he tried to think of ways he could get out of this. He would not hurt one of his brothers. That was it.
“You agreed that nobody would get hurt.”
“Yes.”
“And this would hurt Jason. I’ve known him for almost ten years and I’ve never seen him this happy with anyone.”
He saw a flash of something in Grant’s eyes. If he hadn’t been looking, he’d have missed it. Grant’s trademark glare was back in seconds. It was one of those that would involuntarily make your whole body shiver.
“I’ve already told you, Patrick is wrong for Jason.”
“Why is he wrong?”
“That’s none of your business. Just break them up. You’ve got until the end of the month.”
“Are you serious? What am I supposed to do? I’m hardly the person Jason comes to for relationship advice, and the others all think Patrick is right for him.”
“Well, I know Jason better, and they’re wrong.”
“How do you know Jason better?”
“Enough,” shouted Grant, causing Gregory and Oscar to jump. “Make it happen, or I’ll break your boyfriend’s pretty face.”
Gregory didn’t know what to say.
“That got your attention, didn’t it? This is what we’re going to do. Your boyfriend here is going to transfer me all the money you owe by close of business tomorrow – you can use the same account details as before. If he doesn’t, I’ll break your face, Gregory. Then you’ll do whatever it takes to break Jason and Patrick up. I don’t care what you do, just make it happen, or pretty boy here will be sucking his protein shakes through a straw for several months. Are we clear?”
Gregory just nodded. He couldn’t look at Oscar. What would he think of him? If he hadn’t been with Oscar tonight, Grant wouldn’t have threatened him. The whole thing was a living nightmare. How the hell did he get mixed up in all this crap? Barty... that’s whose fault this was. His waste of space brother had left a trail of destruction in his path like he always did. Not only had he given Gregory this impossible choice, but he’d also no doubt damaged the reputation of Oscar’s company and lumbered him with a regulatory fine. And Barty had just walked away with no consequences.
Grant dismissed them both, and less than a minute later they were back out on the streets of Soho wondering what the fuck had just happened.
“Are you okay?” asked Oscar.
“That would be a no.”
Oscar smiled. “I couldn’t think of anything else to say.”
“What am I going to do?”
“Right now, we’re going to go back to your place. We’ll go straight upstairs so you don’t have to see your brothers. We’ll just pretend like we’re rushing upstairs to fuck if any of them are home. I’d suggest going back to mine, but I think you need the familiarity and comfort of your own space right now.”
How did Oscar know him so well? Being in his happy place with this amazing man was exactly what he needed.
The next morning, Oscar left early for work. They hadn’t talked about Grant’s request, and they didn’t have sex. Gregory had woken up as the little spoon and he’d liked it. He could count on one hand the number of men he’d slept next to in his life, and he hadn’t cuddled any of them. They’d usually just fallen asleep because of exhaustion from fucking. Last night, they didn’t have that excuse, and to sleep next to someone for no other reason than wanting to be near them was a level of intimacy that was new to Gregory. He wasn’t as scared as he thought he’d be, he just didn’t know what the etiquette was for this kind of thing. Was Oscar his boyfriend now? Were they exclusive? Not that he was interested in anyone else, but the thought of Oscar being with another guy caused Gregory to flare with jealousy. Not an emotion he experienced often.
Once he was showered and dressed for work, he descended his stairs expecting to see all of his brothers there, even Charlie. He wanted to leave without talking to anyone, so it was likely fate would intervene and everyone would be there, but as he got to the bottom of the stairs, it was only Paolo who was in the kitchen.
“Morning,” he said brightly.
It was wonderful to see his friend so happy. He wanted that for all of them, including Jason. A wave of guilt washed over him as he was reminded of the decision which lay in front of him – break Jason’s heart, or Oscar’s face. Not exactly poetry, but that was the situation he was in.
“Are you okay?” asked Paolo, looking concerned.
“Yeah, just tired.”
“I bet,” he said with a smile.
“What do you mean?”
“I saw Oscar leave earlier.”
“Oh. No, he just slept here last night.”
Paolo’s face lit up like it was Christmas again.
“What I mean is...” His voice trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
“I’m so happy for you,” said Paolo, pulling him into a hug.
What was with all the hugging lately? He hugged Paolo back, because he was one of his brothers.
“When do we get to meet him?”
“You’ve met him.”
“I mean properly, with all of us here.”
“That’s not... I don’t want to scare him off.” He laughed awkwardly.
“Gregory,” he said, swatting his arm. “We’d never do that. I know there’s history between you two, so Langdon may sit there with his arms folded, looking all growly at first. Jason will say something completely inappropriate, and Charlie will ask you when the wedding is, but we all just want you to be happy.”
Gregory wasn’t sure what to say. He was feeling overwhelmed.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just... I don’t really know what we are.”
“What do you... Ah, you haven’t had the boyfriend conversation yet.”
“It’s not... No, no, we haven’t...”
“Why not? It’s obvious he’s into you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just the way his face lit up when I mentioned you this morning.”
“How long did you speak to him? What did you say?” asked Gregory, his eyes narrowing.
Paolo chuckled. “Relax. I just made him a coffee, but he had gooey eyes and blushed when I mentioned you.”
Gregory felt his own cheeks heat and turned away, hoping Paolo didn’t see him.
“He looks away when he’s blushing as well. That’s so adorable.”
Gregory couldn’t help but smile, but he formed his face back into a scowl before turning back to Paolo. It clearly didn’t work, as Paolo laughed.
“You got time for a coffee?” he asked.
Gregory nodded. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, so he wasn’t in a rush.
“Where are the others?” he asked, glancing towards the bedrooms.
“Langdon’s at Knights Corner. Eric was on the late shift, so he’s still asleep – as is Lila – and Jason didn’t come home last night, again.”
Gregory guessed he was staying with Patrick, and the guilt hit him again. Jason had experienced the worst childhood of all of them, and it had naturally screwed him up. Now, he’d finally met someone who understood him, and Gregory was supposed to destroy that? If not, the man he was sure he was in love with would pay the price. How was any of this fair?
Gregory took a deep breath before he walked into the building. He was so proud of what they were doing, but he couldn’t take in any of the changes since he was last here. The contractors greeted Gregory, and he smiled and waved back but didn’t stop to chat. He was on a mission to speak to Langdon before he lost his nerve. Gregory hadn’t been able to concentrate at work. Hannah had picked up on his mood, cleared his diary and ushered him out of the office.
“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” said Langdon, looking up from his desk.
“I need to talk to you.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, jumping up. “Is it Oscar?”
“No, it’s not Oscar. Well, not directly, but it affects him, and I think I’m in love with him.”
Langdon looked a bit surprised. “You think?” he said with a smile.
“No, I know I’m in love with him. I’m just not sure he feels the same way.”
“Only one way to find out.”
“And you’re not going to warn me off, and be all big brother about it?”
Langdon laughed. “I’ll give him the ‘you hurt my brother and I’ll break your legs’ line, of course.”
Gregory winced.
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just... promise me you won’t flip out and charge in trying to fix everything.”
“I promise nothing of the sort. Tell me what’s going on,” he said, folding his arms and scowling.
Gregory couldn’t help but remember what Paolo said, and started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
Gregory crossed his arms and attempted a Langdon scowl. “Nobody fucks with my brothers,” he growled.
“Piss off,” said Langdon, laughing. “I don’t sound like that.”
“That’s the part you pick up on?”
“Gregory. Get back on topic. What’s going on? I promise not to kick off.”
“Grant Kincaid.”
Langdon growled so loudly it made Gregory jump.
“What the fuck has he done now?”
“I sort of, kind of... well, I made a deal with him.”
“For fuck’s sake, Gregory. Of all the people. Sit down and tell me everything.”
He did as Langdon asked. He knew some of it, but not about him getting an extension on the loan. His brothers assumed Oscar had lent him the money and he was paying him back instead. Langdon tensed up, looking angry when Gregory told him about being stopped in the street. He explained the ultimatum, but didn’t mention Jason. Langdon might bicker with Jason all the time, but he was uber-protective of their baby brother.
“Has Oscar paid the money?”
“He did it last night, and he’s had confirmation it’s been received.”
“So why is he still threatening Oscar?”
Fuck! What did he say now?
“There’s something you’re not telling me, Gregory. Who did he threaten?”
“I just don’t understand what he wants.”
“Tell me.”
“He wants me to break up Jason and Patrick.”
“Fuck!” Langdon shouted, sending everything flying off his desk, including the laptop and screen.
Gregory jumped up. He knew Langdon had a temper on him, but he’d never really seen it. Had he made a big mistake in coming here? Maybe he should have gone to one of his other brothers, but who? Charlie was engaged to Sebastian, who was Patrick’s best friend, and Paolo had been through enough lately. Langdon knew Grant, so he was best placed to help, but if he went and did something stupid, it would be all Gregory’s fault.
“I’ll deal with Grant,” said Langdon.
“No. You can’t. What if he threatens Eric?”
“He wouldn’t fucking dare. Look, don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I’ll calm down and then I’ll speak to him. You just focus on telling Oscar how you feel, and I’ll make this go away.”
“How? Do you know why he’s got a thing for Jason?”
“Yes, but it’s not my story to tell. I don’t even think he’s told Charlie, and those two tell each other everything. Look, I won’t speak to Grant today. I need to calm down first. See Oscar. Tell him how you feel.”
“What if he doesn’t say it back?”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, but if it does, at least you’ll know.”
“Why does that sound more terrifying than dealing with Grant?”
“Because you don’t want to get your heart broken.”
“I really need to speak to Paolo or Charlie about anything emotional, don’t I?”
Langdon laughed. They were similar – protective of the others, albeit in different ways, and not the best at showing their emotions. Gregory left, after making Langdon promise several times that he wouldn’t speak to Grant today. He wasn’t sure where he was going until he arrived outside Oscar’s office. It wasn’t his intended destination, but he was here now, and he had something to say.