Chapter 28 Declan
I wake with Xavier lying on my chest. His breath is ghosting over my skin.
Pushing my nose into his hair, I breathe in his scent and relish the smell of strawberries.
After the gala last night, I fucked him until he passed out again.
I want to fuck him now, but I know that he has to be sore.
The nipple clamps are now one of Xavier’s favorite toys.
So far, he’s liked everything we have done.
Maybe I’ll take a class in Shibari. The thought of him tied up with a rope, totally helpless, makes my cock hard again.
I move my hand down to his ass and grip the meaty globe. He stirs and grinds against my thigh.
“Mmm, morning,” he says sleepily.
“Good morning, A Ghrá.”
“You’ve called me that before. What does it mean? It’s Gaelic, right?”
“Yes, it’s an endearment. It means my love or my dear.” Xavier stiffens beside me and pushes up so he can see my face.
“My love?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you call me that?”
“You’re mine, so why wouldn’t I?”
“The way Alessia explained it, you can’t exactly love me like…” he pauses, searching for the right words.
“Normal people?” I say.
“Yeah. But I’m okay with that. I’ve already told you that I accept you the way you are.”
I flip us to press my larger body over him. “Tell me what you think love is.”
“I don’t know, caring for someone else, attracted to them,” he whispers.
“I looked it up after I met you. You stirred things inside of me that I’ve never felt.
Love is affection for someone else. You are the only one that I want to give everything to.
Love is having concern for the welfare of the other person.
I want you safe and protected. Sexual attraction and desire for only you.
I don’t want to fuck anyone else. The things I add to the definition are obsession and control.
So you tell me, A Ghrá, if those things are true, why would I not call you that? ”
“Are you saying you love me in a psychopathic way?”
“Yes. You are mine.” Xavier smiles big and bright. He grips my face and covers me in kisses.
“I love you too. I think it’s too soon, but it’s how I feel. I’m yours, and you’re mine, Declan.”
We stay in bed until Xavier’s stomach growls loudly. I make us breakfast even though it’s after lunch.
“We need to be ready at five to get to Kieran and Alessia’s by six. She excused me last week, but I was told last night that it’s not an option.”
“I made plans with Jess for dinner and to hang out after. I didn’t realize I was included in the family dinner.”
“You belong with me, and that includes my family. Why would you not be there?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to assume anything, so I made plans with Jess. I haven’t hung out with her for a while. I really don’t want to stand her up. I’ll be there next week, okay?”
I don’t like it. One of the talks that we have had over the last two weeks was about Jess. She has been there for him when no one else was.
“I get it. I’ll let Aunt Alessia know. I’ll drop you off at her place and pick you up after.”
“I can drive myself, Declan. As a matter of fact, I have a brand new Audi in slot 12.”
“I’ll drop you.”
“No, you won’t. Besides, I want to drive the car that you bought for me. It’s really safe, remember.” He smiles at me again and, of course, I give in.
“Alright, but text me throughout the evening, so I know your plans.”
“I will.”
I arrive for dinner at six on the dot. I have my A Ghrá now, and I don’t need anything extra on my schedule that would take away from my time with him.
My phone dings with a message from Xavier: he has arrived at Jess’s apartment, and they are headed to a diner.
We are about to sit down when my phone dings again, and I check it.
It’s a selfie of Xavier and Jess sitting in a booth in a retro fifties-style diner.
“Declan, you know the rules about phones at the table.”
“Yes, Aunt Alessia, but Xavier is out with his friend.”
“You can check your messages after we eat.”
Dinner seems to last forever tonight. I’m struggling not to take my phone out again.
But Alessia is strict about the rules. Usually, I wouldn’t even question the mandate, but with Xavier out of my sight, I am tempted to go against her.
I finish my meal, including dessert, before everyone else, and now I have to wait for them to finish.
I’m crawling out of my skin by the time we are heading to Alessia’s office.
I take out my phone and see two texts from Xavier: they had finished eating and were heading to a store I had never heard of, then would head back to Jess’s apartment.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I check the listening app and hear his laughter.
He shouldn’t be away from me. He should always be at my side, in my sight.
“You’re really obsessed with Xavy. He’s with his friend. Fuck, do you let the boy take a piss by himself?” Ronan says impassively.
“If you had your person, you would feel the same,” Alessia tells him.
“No, thank you. I don’t need or want a person.” He grumbles.
“Let’s get started so Declan can get going. Ronan, why don’t you start?”
“I have done a deeper dive into each victim. I found a few things that they have in common. All four were homeless at the time. All four were gay. Travis, the youngest, was kicked out of his house by his father at 16. His dad is an abusive, homophobic asshole. There is another kid in the house, so we need to look into him more. While it doesn’t seem that the four knew each other, I have found some overlaps in the timelines of places and events leading up to their deaths.
They all stayed for a few nights at the shelter on Kelley Street.
They all got meals at the St. Lucian Church.
The church runs a small program for gay teens.
There are a couple more places. But it does not seem that any of them were at these places at the same time. They orbited each other.”
“I went to the shelter and the church,” Liam says.
He and Ronan are the youngest of us, at twenty-four, but can pass for younger.
“It’s what you would expect. They serve food and have clothes for those who need them.
A guy in his mid-twenties approached me and handed me a pamphlet for the queer outreach program.
Something is off with him. He was polite but pushy.
He told me about a house that took in gay kids who had nowhere else to go. ”
“Something is more than off with him. The name he gave you is fake,” Ronan says. “The program is real but not very active in the community. I can’t find any property associated with it.”
“Pick him up, Conor. Once you get him to the compound, call Declan in.” Alessia stands. “Good work, boys.”
I take my phone out of my pocket since the meeting is over. I have two missed calls from Kenji. Fuck! I hit the call button.
“What’s wrong?” I stride toward the door.
“We lost Mr. Bonner when he and his friend were in the mall.”
“How the fuck did you lose him? Who was on him?” Aunt Alessia puts her hand on my arm to stop me from leaving and points over to Ronan. Ronan is typing on his laptop.
“Kenneth. He reported that Mr. Bonner entered the men’s room while the female was still in one of the stores. He followed him and stood at the end of the hallway. When Mr. Bonner did not come back out after about ten minutes, he went in. Mr. Bonner was not there.”
“His phone is still in there, or within twenty feet. His car is still in the parking lot, and the watch is at your apartment. I’m pulling up audio now.” Ronan says.
“Have Kenneth take Jess home, and you and Tyler search the whole fucking place.” I hang up.
“I have the audio and part of the video. The phone was in his back pocket, camera end down. While you listen, I’m going to check the mall security.” Ronan starts the recording and has it on the main screen.
The sound of someone washing their hands and then the whir and tearing of the paper towel dispenser.
“Well, hello, Xavier. Fancy meeting you here, it’s been a while,” a male voice says.
“Hey, yeah, it has been, um, my friend is waiting on me. Nice seeing you again.” Xavier says. Anyone listening can tell that he is uncomfortable.
“Oh, don’t be like that.” There is a jostling sound.
“Don’t touch me,” Xavier says loudly, not quite a yell.
“I’m going to do more than touch you. Now let’s go.
Quietly, or I’ll shoot you and then go find your friend.
” There is the sound of two heavy doors opening and slamming shut.
“You won’t be needing this.” The phone is removed from Xavier’s back pocket and dropped into a bush.
There is a quick glimpse of Xavier’s back, then an arm.
It’s fast, but I don’t see the dead man.
Because that is what he is, a dead man, for touching what belongs to me.