Chapter Sixteen #2
“I know exactly what the hell we do at those get-togethers, Liam. How does he know?”
Tell me how you know. Were you spying on me?
“Back before I started keeping closer tabs on him, apparently he looked into the garage one night when I thought he was gone. Ended up getting an eyeful. He says that’s how he got the idea for the auction. He wants to…” Ugh. “…try things.”
“So you’re—what?—feeling responsible that he saw us tag-teaming some co-ed and then said, ‘Hold my root beer float’? Come on.”
“Some could argue that’s grooming behavior.”
“Fuck’s sake, brother. You didn’t even know he was watching.
As far as you’ve told me, the first time anything iffy happened was when he crawled into bed with you on the night of his eighteenth birthday.
When he was a legal adult, immature though he may have been.
And you kicked him out of your room, if I recall the story correctly.
So aside from the fact that you’ve been a grumpy piece of shit since, I don’t see the issue. ”
“You don’t think I’m shitting all over my high school best friend’s memory by lusting after his son?”
Zed’s chest shakes with his laughter. “Stan Novak was a shallow man who stroked his own ego by fucking younger and younger women behind his wife’s back.
He’s dead because he finally stuck his dick in someone unstable enough to commit murder when he wouldn’t leave his wife.
That’s the man’s legacy, and that’s not on you.
Is the age thing a little weird? Yes. Also, I could give you a list of wealthy geezers whose wives were practically child brides, but we don’t have that kind of time. Nobody bats an eye at that shit.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. I can’t decide if it makes things better or worse.
“Ravi was almost sixteen when he came to live with you,” Zed points out. “Whatever else you think about it, it’s not illegal at this point. How come you never adopted him, huh? Maybe deep down you knew this was brewing. It’s a little fucked up and weird, man, but you’re not his actual parent.”
You’re not my parent. But you could be my Daddy if you wanted.
The energy drains from my body, the logo on the mat blurring beneath me. My recent lack of sleep might finally be catching up with me.
I hit my wrapped fist on the mat. “I can’t stand that he’s making me feel this way. I can’t stand that he’s planning to auction his ass off to the highest bidder who will do fuck knows what to him just so he can get away from me.”
“What about stopping the auction?”
“Brennan Doyle’s organizing the whole thing in cooperation with Daniel Corvus, who’s got Ravi holed up in a hotel with security like a member of the damn royal family. The only way we stop the train involves starting a turf war with two well-armed and well-funded criminals.”
“Or…” Zed’s expression tells me he already knows the alternative.
I try to wipe away the sweat stinging my eyes.
“Or by bidding on him, but Corvus got too much fucking glee out of telling me Ravi agreed to group participation. He’s expecting all the rich assholes to pool their money.
Hell, he’s probably encouraging it. We’ve done well for ourselves, but not that well. ”
Snarling, I rip my hand wraps off too fast, drawing blood when the wet nylon slices into my skin.
Zed’s voice is quiet when he says, “Liam, you have the money. We both do.”
“No.” I know what he’s suggesting, but no. “I’m not using that blood money. I fucking told you I’m never touching that shit.”
Years ago, a military op went wrong and took out most of our small group.
Not to mention a bloodcurdling number of innocent women and children.
As the only survivors of the mission, the government paid Zed and me a lot of damn money to keep the story quiet.
The money has been sitting in an account, untouched, earning interest for over a decade.
“I’m not going to spend money our friends died for.” I almost choke on the words. “That those children died for.”
The day that money landed in my account I could barely live with myself. I barely can now.
Zed regards me, taking a slow, deep breath.
“I get it. Haven’t touched mine either. But, Liam, if you’re really afraid for him?
I would think if you were ever in your life going to use that settlement for anything, it would be something like this.
Tell me the truth here. Are you afraid for his life, or is this plain old jealousy? ”
Mentally, I review all the rescues our team has made.
The kids who were trafficked, hooked on drugs, returned home but never the same again.
Some who were cleaned up and returned to their parents only to disappear again.
Some of them didn’t even survive the twenty-four hours Ravi would be with whoever wins him at auction.
The thought makes me sick inside. My recent nightmares are full of all the members of the old money cabal in Belle Argo, tying him to a table while they put their cigars out on him and plug his holes while he screams. Makes me want to kill them all slowly.
“Both,” I admit. My gut roils as I add, “But I’m honestly terrified, Zed. If it was only jealously, I might be able to survive, but it’s not. He also told me he doesn’t want to see me again, so what the fuck do I do?”
Each time I recall Ravi’s dismissal, I could swear I’m bleeding out. It’s painful to even go home lately. Too much empty silence ringing in my ears.
“Well.” My friend straightens up, shrugging his shoulders as if this isn’t actually life or death we’re talking about.
“Not to pour gas on the bonfire, but you’re probably right to be afraid.
We’re also not exactly strangers to rescuing people who don’t necessarily want to be rescued.
Guess you’re going to have to decide how bad you want to save him. ”