Chapter Thirteen #2
Trevor’s tongue left Niall’s mouth and aimed itself briefly toward Logan’s face. He needed to relieve himself. Using Niall’s shoulder as a springboard, Trevor launched himself onto his feet.
“Where are you going?” Matt asked.
“Gotta hit the head.”
Trevor started walking toward the back of the pub. He sensed a presence behind him and turned to find Ryan on his tail. “Have we turned into women?”
“Nope.”
“You were serious earlier? Not even to take a piss?”
“Not even.”
“Fine, but no peeking,” Trevor grumbled.
“Don’t worry, a lot of guys are pee-shy.”
“I am not—” Trevor looked around at the startled faces of other patrons around them. “Pee-shy,” he finished on a whisper. “And before you say another word, nor am I ashamed of what god gave me.”
Trevor pushed at the door to the restroom, but before he took a step inside, Ryan put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Ryan stepped in front of Trevor and entered. He opened each of the stall doors before Ryan signaled Trevor could take care of business.
He stood at the sink washing his hands afterwards when Matt came in.
“Go ahead Ryan, I’ll walk him back.”
Ryan looked as if he were about to argue, but then turned toward the door and left.
“So … did you come in here to accost me?”
“No, but I did want to talk to you without the others listening in. Did everything really go okay today? Ryan sensed nothing out of the ordinary? No creepy feelings, like the ones when you walk home sometimes?”
“How did you—”
“ Bello , when you show up at Niall’s or my place, you’re always tense until we ply you with kisses or fuck you into a stupor.
On the nights you go back to your place, you call us, and I am trained to notice stress in a person’s voice.
I haven’t said anything because I’d hoped you would come to us of your own free will.
You say you love us, but love means trust, and clearly you don’t trust us.
Therefore, I have to question whether you truly do—” Trevor heart plummeted to the base of his chest faster than a free-falling elevator.
“No!” He rushed Matt, his arms snaked around Matt’s waist and squeezed with all the strength in his body.
“I love you! Both of you. It was never a matter of trust. I had nothing concrete to prove something was wrong. Until that video turned up, I’d convinced myself that my paranoia was because of those scary movies the two of you have got me watching.
Instead of dealing with it on my own, I asked the captain for help, and I was honest with you. Doesn’t that count?”
Trevor stretched on his toes and plastered his mouth to Matt’s. Desperation clung to his lips, and Trevor poured every ounce of love for both his men into the touch.
“Please, Matt, please don’t give up on me,” he pled.
Matt’s fingers traced Trevor’s cheeks then buried themselves in Trevor’s hair.
“Oh, bello . We’re not giving up on you.
We love you. You belong to us. Our frustration stemmed from your silence.
Both Niall and I knew something was wrong, but we couldn’t get you to talk about it.
We had no idea what was going on in your head.
And Where the Wild Things Are wasn’t a scary movie. ”
“Maybe not scary, but it was all dark and depressing,” Trevor pouted.
Matt’s arms held Trevor tight against his chest, and a small sigh escaped. There was nothing like the feel of Matt’s body against him. So much bigger and stronger, and yet each touch gentle and filled with love. All that was missing was Niall pressed against Trevor’s back.
Their idyllic bubble burst when a piercing siren filled the room and a bright strobe flashed above the doorway.
“Move it, Trevor! We’re outta here.”
Trevor dashed for the door. Matt got behind him and herded him toward the front of the pub. Other patrons had their hands covering their ears as they tried to get out the door.
Trevor’s head jerked as a high pitch scream broke through the sound of the alarm. Trevor’s fingers slid out of Matt’s hand as a large man shoved his way between them.
“Matt!”
The wall beside Trevor opened, and he was yanked into darkness. A sharp pain pierced Trevor’s neck, and the blackness swallowed him whole.
“Trevor!”
“Sir, you need to leave.” the bartender tried to usher Matt toward the front door.
Matt’s head echoed with the sound of the fire alarm, and his heart beat frantically in his chest. Where’d Trevor go? He’d been right behind him!
“No, my partner’s gone. He was right behind me. I won’t leave.”
“Sir, you have to. It’s code. I’m sure he’s outside waiting—”
“You don’t understand! He’s—”
“Matt!” Ryan came running up to them. “Where’s Trevor?”
“I don’t know. His hand was in mine, then we got shoved apart, and when I turned around he was gone.”
“Sirs, I’m telling you to leave now!”
Ryan flashed his badge at the bartender. “FBI. We have a possible abduction in progress. I’d bet the alarm is a diversionary tactic. Where are all your exits?” The bartender went mute, his face slack.
“Now! Where are the exits?” Ryan shouted over the alarm.
One arm shot out toward the hallway. “Back door is that way.”
“Nothing else? What about a basement? Where do you store all your stock?”
“Through here!”
Matt and Ryan followed the quick steps of the bartender. He pulled out a set of keys, and as he went to insert them in the lock, the door swung open.
“That’s odd. This is always locked. No customers at any time. I know I secured it at the start of my shift.”
“Shit! Matt, go out the back door, see if there’s any sign they went that way.” Ryan pulled his weapon from its holster. “I’m going down.”
Matt didn’t question Ryan’s order. He took off down the hall, passed the bathrooms, and shoved at the bar to the door labeled ‘emergency exit only’ in big red letters.
The barrier flew open, and Matt found himself tiny back parking lot.
He sensed nothing amiss, but his legs took off toward the end of the alley before his brain processed the intent.
Fortunately, his mental abilities reactivated before he ran right out into traffic.
Matt’s eyes scanned the street in both directions, but there was no sign of a disturbance.
“Fuck!”
He headed around the front of the building and found Niall, Ethan, and Logan speaking with a fireman who’d appeared on the scene. Ethan’s arms were waving back and forth as stood toe to toe with the barrel-chested man holding an ax.
“Matt!” Niall yelled and ran toward him.
Matt’s arms gathered Niall close. “He’s gone. I lost him, caro . His hand was in mine, and I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry,” Matt choked out.
“No, no. Not your fault, love. It was a madhouse in there. We’ll find him. We will, we have to.”
“I’m sorry guys. I don’t mean to interrupt, but do you know where Ryan is?”
Matt sniffed and blinked several times as Ethan’s image swam in front of him. His hands came up to rub briskly up over his face.
“He went to check out the other exit. There’s a basement where they store their stock, and the bartender said there’s a street elevator that’s used for deliveries.”
Matt looked up and saw Ryan in the doorway to the pub. Grasping Niall’s hand in his, they went over to their friend. Ryan’s pale blue eyes were cloudy, a frown marred his lips and his hands were clenched into fists.
“Well?” Matt asked.
“The gate to the elevator was open. It’s a veritable maze down there.
Apparently, many of these buildings are connected and use the same service entrance.
When I took the elevator up, it surfaced about fifty yards from the building on the corner of Hereford.
Outside there was the smell of burned rubber, and I saw twin black tread marks heading toward Comm Ave. ”
That made sense because earlier Matt had turned in the opposite direction toward Gloucester. He’d turned the wrong direction when he left the pub.
“So what do we do now?” Niall asked.
“I’ve already spoken with Captain Ivers.
My department can’t do anything because right now this is still a matter of the state.
Because Captain Fredericks had already opened a case file and Trevor is a department employee, they’re moving quickly.
The best thing we can do right now is help the police in any way we can to find out who took Trevor.
Until then, we have no idea where to begin searching. ”
Niall’s body trembled against Matt. Matt tightened his arms around his partner, and kissed Niall’s temple.
Logan walked up to the group. “What about Clay? Will he be assigned to the case?”
“No, he’s in a different district. Given the circumstances, though, I’ve asked that he be brought in as a special resource.”
Ethan’s eyes shot wide open. “You can do that?”
“The captain owed me a favor.”
“All right, let’s head over to my condo. It’s only a few blocks away.”
Heads nodded in triplicate. As they walked toward where they’d all parked, Matt caught sight of Trevor’s coat over Logan’s arm.
His chest constricted at the sight of the empty fabric.
He’d given Trevor the coat for Christmas, the wool designed to keep his lover warm.
Now Trevor was who knew where, with no protection from the cold.
Beneath the coat, Logan carried a shopping bag.
He touched Logan’s shoulder. “What’s in the bag?”
Logan stopped and looked at the plastic clutched in his hand. His eyes met Matt’s, and the bright blue hue shimmered. “It’s your Valentine’s gifts. I grabbed this stuff when the alarm went off, didn’t even think.” He held out the coat and bag. “You want them?”
Niall accepted Trevor’s coat but placed his hand on top of Logan’s holding the bag. “No, you keep them safe. Trevor will give them to us when he comes home.”
Logan nodded, and Matt’s hand slid into Niall’s. Their fingers locked together with a squeeze. Matt caught Niall lifting Trevor’s coat up to his face. He pulled Niall into his arms and let Trevor’s scent wash over them.
They would find him. He had to believe that.
Matt’s head lifted as Ethan’s voice rang out over the noise of the street as he chatted into his cell phone.
Ethan spun around to face Matt and Niall, then started walking backwards. “What’s your address? Rick, Conor and Calleigh are going to join us. The kids are at her mom’s. Calleigh said she'd call the Burns crew too.”
Matt cleared his throat and guided Niall down the street. “It’s three-eighty-six Marlborough, unit 1A.”
Ethan relayed the directions, then signed off. “They said they should be there in about twenty minutes, give or take.”
“That’ll be fine. Thank you for calling them.”
Ethan’s hand waved off. “They’re Trevor’s friends too. They get busy with the kids, but they’re as much a part of this group as any of us.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Now why don’t we use our powers as Trevor’s friends to bring him home?”