26. Rio
Iwas slightly concerned that Rafael would hurt himself with how hard he was laughing at my speechlessness, but then I recovered and coughed, clearing my sore throat.
“Osito, you didn’t tell me that you’d found a keeper,” Rafael said.
I shuddered at the pet name and laughed shakily. “Yeah… I have. It’s serious, and I told him about you, but–”
“But you’re afraid of asking for what you want. Always have been. I fixed it as far as in bed, but once the hard-on goes down you’re a mouse again.”
I huffed indignantly, but I knew he was right. I could ask for anything as far as sex went, but outside of the bedroom? I was trying but…
“This one is serious though, not just a playmate?”
Serious. ‘I love you’ was serious. “I think so, yeah. I’m thinking about relocating to California again. I’m on a job but once it’s over, I mean. Maybe a long-term gig for someone here.”
“Aha… You’re in California now?”
“Yeah, I am. He runs a shelter for gay kids in LA and there’s a crazy dad and a gang banger, and a sister. Eddie told me that he put out the word that Saint’s running a whorehouse out of the shelter and using the kids. It’s been a pretty exciting few weeks.”
“Wait– You’re working for Saint Durand?!”
Rafael’s tone of voice sent adrenaline through me. “Yes…?”
“Holy shit, Rio. Man– Wait. Wait a minute. Is that who just–?”
I coughed again. “Yes, it was. What the fuck, Rafael, what’s going on.”
“One of the assholes I banned had a photo of a girl – a girl, Rio, you know what I mean – and was looking for DDLG with a sub who looked like her. We had a talk, and he said that he’d played with her once in LA but since Saint Durand was out of town, he couldn’t go back and see her again so he was after a substitute.”
I swore extensively and colorfully. “I’ve been there, Rafael. It’s not true, it’s Julio Fernandez’s target for Saint. I worked there for days. Fernandez’s daughter is a lesbian and is currently there, along with Douglas Greene’s son. They’ve tried to kill us several times. There was a fucking rattlesnake in our shower a few days ago.”
“Christ. Okay. Okay, I’ll see what I can hear through the grapevine for where ‘Saint Durand’ supposedly has these girls.” Rafael sounded very, very displeased, but I was warmed by his faith in me. “If we get him cleared, you have to bring him to meet me.”
“I planned on it,” I said quietly. “I already asked him if he would be willing, and he agreed.”
Rafael chuckled affectionately through the phone line. “Planning on bringing him home to meet me?”
That was actually pretty accurate. I couldn’t bring Saint home to meet my mami and papi, but I could take him to meet the man who had taken care of me well in other ways, physically and mentally. “Si.”
“Okay, Osito. I’ll see what I can do, and soon you bring me that sub of yours to meet.”
“I will, Sir,” I promised.
“How’s Rafael?” Saint asked when he came out of the bathroom. He was damp, with a towel around his hips, and he smelled amazing. The next moment I was on top of him with my face in his neck. He went pliant immediately, wrapping his arms around me and tilting his head to bare his throat.
“Good,” I said between nuzzling him. “Working. He heard about you. Fernandez.” I gave him the cliff-notes version of the conversation and Saint growled, pushing at me lightly to get me off. I rolled away and he sat up, a deep frown on his face.
“He’s going to ruin every fucking thing I’ve ever worked for,” he said, all softness gone. He stood up and started to pace, fingers flexing.
“We won’t let that happen,” I said. “True Colors is a respected establishment with a good relationship with LAPD, not to mention I bet Cas would drag his ass down there right now if he had to in order to make sure people know that you’re not exploiting those kids.”
Saint stopped in front me, fairly radiating anger and tension. “Rio…”
“I know,” I said. “I know. It’s shit but we’re going to fix it.”
Saint’s face went bleak. “Not everything can be fixed.”
“No… Not everything can be fixed,” I agreed softly.
Saint was quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the day. I sent Lee a couple of texts about what Rafael had told me, with limited responses. He checked in with Clay again, who reported that everyone was fine and nothing had happened.
“Rafael wants to meet you,” I said to Saint as we ate dinner that evening, hoping that the change in topic would bring him out of his funk for a minute.
Saint paused in the middle of eating a chicken tender. “I’m sorry?”
I smiled. “I told him about you. He said he wants to meet you.” I huffed lightly. “It’s about as close to taking you home as I can get.”
Saint sucked in a long breath as what I was saying dawned on him. “You’re asking to take me home to meet your family,” he said, and there was awe in his voice.
I tilted my head at his tone. “Yes…” I said, slowly.
“No, no, I would love to, yes,” Saint said quickly. “I didn’t think of it like that when you mentioned it the first time, but he’s– well, not a father figure, but he’s–”
“Yeah, he is,” I said.
Saint’s face slowly morphed into a sweet smile and he stood up to kiss me. “I love you,” he said, and I shivered with the intensity of his tone.
Later on, once we were in bed, Saint was snuggled into my chest but still scrolling his phone. “Would you want to meet Shiloah?” he asked after a long period of silence.
I smiled as warmth washed over me. “Yes, I’d love to.” I chuckled. “And you need to meet Jackson. That should be quite the event, the both of you checking out the others’ partner while Jackson and I just try to not fuck anything up and piss the other brother off.”
Saint laughed softly, his warm breath pleasant on my chest. “Shiloah’s a good guy. Shy in person, but once he’s comfortable he’s funny. I hope you get along with each other. We usually spend Christmas together, here because I haven’t been back to Tennessee since I was eighteen, and I don’t plan on ever going back. When he was ‘with’ Alma, Alma and Paloma came too so they could be out and a couple for a while. We usually do something nice for the kids too.”
I hadn’t had blood family at a holiday celebration since I was eighteen, either. “I wonder if they’ll still come, now that they’re engaged…”
Saint looked at me. “We could invite them. We could have a nice family holiday.” Then Saint grinned like a shark. “And we can send Ginny a nice photo.”
I tossed my head back into the pillow and laughed, then threaded my fingers into his soft, sandy brown hair and tugged lightly. “You’re sexy with you’re bloodthirsty, baby,” I purred, rolling him to press him into the bed while I kissed him.
***
The next morning, Rishi’s security report contained the name of a new kid, Colleen Harvey. He reported that she had arrived the previous evening, brought to the shelter by Officer Maxwell, a friend of Cas Hallie’s. Rishi reported that she was fifteen, probably on her own for a while, and was very, very withdrawn with the adults. Saint called Marie immediately and learned that she had been picked up as a foster family runaway and when Officer Maxwell had tried to return her, she indicated that she had run away because of the homophobic treatment she had received there. Her record indicated repeated runaways and Officer Maxwell decided that he may as well try True Colors for her.
Marie said that she was very guarded, but Elena was trying to make friends with her and she was hopeful that the girl would settle in after a period of adjustment.
I wondered when I read the report and then listened to Saint talk to Marie, if Clay would be reporting to Saint on the newest addition to the shelter as well.
I didn’t have long to wait to find out.