Linda & Tom
Linda brought her hand up to cover a yawn as she stood at the counter with two cups and waited for the coffee to brew as her husband Tom plated their breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon.
"Babe, I think Brandon will be more comfortable if Greg's with him when we have our talk," Tom said as he brought the plates to the table.
"I agree with you," Linda said as she fixed their coffee. The couple continued their discussion, one of the topics was their decision to rent the house and not sell it. "After I do these dishes and take a shower, we can drive over to Greg's." Linda gathered the dishes from the table and put them in the sink.
"We should call them before driving to the townhouse and, isn't Greg's boyfriend moving in today?"
"Tom, it shouldn't take that long and, besides, this is important."
Tom shook his head, folded the newspaper, and kissed his wife before going to their bedroom to get dressed.
Greg's Townhouse
It was two in the afternoon when Linda turned into the townhouse complex's parking lot. She parked her Lincoln Navigator beside Brandon's Hyundai.
"That's an interesting jeep," Tom commented as he and his wife climbed the five steps and stood on the front porch.
"I'm starting to think we should've called first as you suggested." Linda couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a strange feeling inside her gut like they were about to walk in and find something they didn't expect.
"No time for coulda, woulda, shoulda's babe," Tom chuckled and rang the doorbell.
Greg opened the door "Mama, Papa!" He smiled and said, "I'm glad you're here." The brunet energetically hugged and kissed his parents and said, "You'll finally get to meet Levie." Then he stepped aside so the couple could get inside.
"Mom, Dad!" Brandon jumped up and gave the couple an exact replication of Greg's greeting "Wait till you two meet my new brother. Levie's amazing, and you're going to love him."
Linda and Tom returned the affectionate greeting they received as they smiled and felt the boy's excitement flow through their veins. "I'm sure we'll be proud to claim him as another son and, I hope his parents feel the same about you two," Linda said as the couple hung their coats, and she placed her purse in the coat closet beside the front door.
Tom looked around the living room, then sat down on the recliner. "Is that Levie's jeep parked beside your truck?"
"Yep, and I love riding in it," Greg stated and went to the kitchen to get his parents a beer.
"I can't wait to ride in it," Brandon said as he sat on the love seat beside his mother.
Linda and Tom thanked their son for the beer. With a smirk, the boy's Mom said. "Greg, Brandon, I hope you're not drinking too much. I will be checking your fridges soon."I will be checking your fridges."
"No, Mama." The brothers innocently smiled and responded in unison, which caused the four of them to crack up laughing.
"Levie's taking a shower. I think I'll go check on him." Greg got up and playfully ruffled his brother's hair and chuckled when he got a swat on his hand from the giggly blonde.
"I've asked Levie to teach me, and Greg, how to use a firearm and crossbow." Brandon took a sip of beer.
The older couple looked at each other. "We're fine with that and would like to sit in on a couple of lessons so we can make sure Levie's a good instructor." Linda smiled and gently smoothed Brandon's hair.
"What's the family's name?" Tom asked after he got his travel tablet from its case.
"It's Stillman, Dad. Levie, Troy, and Jaycen Stillman they own a ranch, about thirty minutes outside of the city." Brandon's dad typed in the family's name. He was surprised by how many positive comments and testimonials came up. Tom skimmed through the articles and the reviews of the ranch and smiled, it took a lot to impress Tom Wilmont, but the achievements, glowing reviews, and recommendations made him respect the Stillman family.
Linda asked to see the tablet so she'd be able to read what people wrote about the family. She was smiling until she saw a picture of the Stillmans, the forty-year-old gasped, and her face lost its color.
The thirty-eight-year-old looked at his wife. He could feel her growing anxiety and got a sense of regret from his soulmate. Tom was surprised he wasn't used to getting from the self-assured woman he'd married. "Babe, what's wrong?" Tom asked, his voice filled with concern for Linda.
Brandon felt the strange vibe, as well. He quickly got up, went to the kitchen and, got some water for his mother.
"Guys, we may have an issue when Levie comes out." Linda wiped the tears that fell from her eyes.
"What do you mea...?" Tom's question was cut short by the sound of Greg's door closing.
"Mr. and Mrs. Wilmont, I'm Levie Stillman. It's nice to meet you both, my bropops and I have been dying to meet you." The minute he laid eyes on Linda, the smiling redhead stopped in his tracks. "I don't fuckin' believe it. What is she doing here?" Tears of anger fell from the red head's eyes. The smile he wore disappeared and was replaced with a frightening death stare. The expression they saw made the Wilmont family turn their eyes from Levie and shiver. Without saying a word to anyone, Levie got his keys and ran out of the door.
"Greg, Bran, one of you, go after him. Levie shouldn't be alone and driving, not in that condition."
"Bro, you stay here and see what you can find out I'm going after my brother." Brandon got his jacket then ran after Levie. He caught his brother before he could back the jeep out of the parking space. Brandon didn't give the redhead a chance to say anything before he climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. The young men silently nodded at each other and, Levie backed out and took off.
Greg sat, totally confused and speechless the seemingly endless scenarios running through his mind weren't helpful and only made him more anxious. Tom and Linda were not faring any better and, the silence between them was anything but comfortable. "What the hell could've happened between Mama and my sweet angel and, when?" Greg asked himself and sipped on his second beer. After Levie's exit, Greg felt the situation called for a second beer for everyone still gathered, and, surprisingly, his mother just gave him a slight smile and accepted the bottle.
"I need to tell you why Levie reacted the way he did." She paused then looked at her husband and son.
At The Ranch
Jaycen and Bill were mucking out the stalls when Jaycen dropped his pitchfork and fell to his knees; he could feel in his gut Troy was hurt. Bill dropped his tool. The foreman ran over to his beloved employer and friend and put his hands on Jaycen's shaking shoulders. One of the hands came running into the stable and told them the horse Troy was riding came back without him. Jaycen forced himself to his feet, fought through the crushing fear, and willed himself to be strong for Troy as his frightened tears made their way down his cheeks, and he swallowed hard and asked, "Where was he riding?"
"I'm not sure, but the mare came from the direction where Johnson and Maddox were working" The hand watched his boss as he battled through his emotions. It gave him an even greater sense of respect and pride for the people who employed him.
"Will you please go find either Johnson or Maddox? Maybe, they can lead us to Troy." The hand nodded then, ran off to find the men. Jaycen placed his hand on the stable wall and straightened his posture. He turned, then looked at the older foreman and said, "Thank you, Bill, you've always been the ranch's and our family's rock." Jaycen wrapped the older man in an emotion-filled hug and cried on his shoulder.
"Troy's gonna be okay, Jayce." Bill lovingly kissed the younger man's forehead.
"Boss, I can take you to where we were working, although I haven't seen Maddox anywhere," Johnson said as he walked into the stable.
Jaycen wiped his tears and led the men to the horses' Normally, he'd ride Sampson, his white Camarillo stallion, but something told him to take Triton. The redhead walked up to his son's Blue Valentine and, the moment he locked eyes with the horse, he knew that Triton knew something was wrong. Jaycen hopped up on the stallion and whispered in his ear, "C'mon Tri, let's go find your other Pap-Paw." Triton snorted, and nodded, then took off into the woods.
Causing Troy's accident wasn't enough for Maddox and, he needed something more, something humiliating. After a moment of thought, an extremely detestable idea came to him as an eerie, high-pitched giggle escaped his thin lips. Maddox straddled the fallen man, unzipped his jeans, pulled them down, and let loose a putrid-smelling stream of piss and, the disgusting, foul liquid that came out was a sickening dark yellow. The man did so many drugs over the years and never drank anything except alcohol and soda and, his urine was almost strong enough to make a person gag. He smiled evilly as his body fluid continued soaking, one bane of his existence finally, the stream weakened, and Troy's body was completely soaked.
Maddox still needed more since that didn't give him the thrill he was seeking so, he kept his pants down and began masturbating. The euphoria shined in his glassy eyes and, Maddox was in complete ecstasy and so turned on, knowing his fluids were seeping into Troy's immobile body. It didn't take but a minute or two for Maddox to reach his anticlimactic climax as the thin, water-like cum, dripped into the brunet's hair and on his lips; finally, spent and satisfied, Maddox pulled his jeans back up.
He turned around and found himself face to face with a very pissed-off Jaycen. Maddox didn't have time to react before Jaycen threw a punch that knocked him on his ass and had him writhing and moaning in pain. Gently, he massaged his jaw and noticed he was missing teeth. Maddox got so lost in his orgasm that he failed to notice, Jaycen's approach, the knowledge that he'd soiled Troy's body brought a devious smile to Barksley's face as the gathered ranch hands pulled the man to his feet escorted him to his truck, and made sure he left the property.
Greg's Townhouse
Linda's statement garnered both men's full attention. She ran her fingers through her blonde locks and prepared herself for whatever might happen. "Greg, this happened before you came out to us. I was working for social services at the time. We got a call from a teacher at the school Levie attended. She told us Levie's caretakers were abusing him physically, sexually, and emotionally. I was the one who got chosen to investigate. I conducted my investigation the Stillmans were very cooperative and surprisingly polite. Halfway through, we discovered, the teacher who made the complaint was, essentially, a jilted lover of sorts. Though she'd never been in a relationship with either one, she was, attracted to them, and when they rejected her advances, she sought revenge." Linda paused. "I concluded my investigation, and even though I found nothing wrong or questionable, I still made the recommendation of taking Levie from his brother's care and placing him in a home with straight parents." She paused again and sipped her beer. "I also made the recommendation that Troy and Jaycen should not have contact with Levie until he was eighteen."
Greg and Tom stared at Linda like she was a foreign object. Greg was trying his best not to explode and throw his mother out of his house. Tom, was baffled and didn't understand how his wife was so closed-minded back then, and he didn't see it. Greg finally found his voice. "Why, in the hell, would you make those recommendations? I've met both Jaycen and Troy and, they're two of the nicest people in the world. Do you realize they pretty much raised Levie since they were ten? They taught themselves how to take care of an infant because Lev and Jaycen's parents were too sick to do it all the time."
Linda and Tom gasped and sat back in surprise. "I...I didn't hear anything about that. The judge didn't feel my personal opinions were relevant or warranted." Tears fell from her eyes.
"Babe, I'm in limbo here. We've had lots of friends in the LGBTQ community. If there was no reason, why did you want to take Levie away from his home and family?"
"At the time, we were attending that church and, I believed what the preacher said. He kept saying the gay community was killing traditional family values."
Greg looked at his parents. "Mama, Papa, I love you, but I need you guys to leave. Logically, I know what happened was before you took me in and saved my life. I don't know what to think right now. I'm so livid and need time to think, and, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be here when Lev gets back. We can deal with this another time. I love you guys, and I do appreciate everything you've done for me." The second he finished his statement, Greg's resolve broke, and his tears came pouring out.
Levie & Brandon
The two men rode in silence along the unpopulated road. They both had a million thoughts running through their heads, but neither one was ready to give voice to them. Levie looked at his gas needle and noticed he was close to empty. "Is she your Mom?" Levie finally asked. He glanced up at the brilliantly colored sunset and smiled when he felt Brandon's hand wrap around his.
"Yes, Linda and Tom are our parents and, if you feel the same way Greg does, they're gonna be your in-laws." Brandon could feel the emotions swirling inside Levie. He didn't know why, but he definitely, felt strongly connected to the man beside him. He took a deep breath and continued. "Ya wanna talk about it?"
"Yeah, but I'd like to get some gas first."
The young men shared a glance, and Levie's attention returned to the road. A few minutes later, the duo came upon a deserted gas station. The Golden Eagle glided into the station's lot and nested in front of the gas pump. Levie got his bank card, hopped out of the jeep, and started filling the tank. When he finished quenching the Eagle's thirst, the guys talked about what happened to make Levie react so uncharacteristically.
Brandon gasped in surprise hearing Levie's account of the experience with his mother was very difficult. The blonde was having a real hard time reconciling the two images. He kept thinking maybe it was someone who looked like his mother. "Bro, I'm kinda stunned. I've never known Mom to be that old-fashioned in her thinking. And, if she was, why did they take Greg in?" Brandon asked after Levie finished his tale.
Levie closed his eyes and started crying. "I don't know Bran and, I don't know what to do. I don't want to come between your family and Greg. I can't ask him to choose. I might have to break up with him to save everyone from getting hurt any worse than they already are." The second he finished speaking, Levie found himself on the ground and trapped in Brandon's chokehold.
"You listen to me, Levie Stillman. I don't ever want to hear you say you're going to break up with my brother just because of his parents. I love my Mom and Dad, so does Greg, but we don't live our lives for them. If you don't stop talking like an idiot, I'll keep you pinned down and tickle you until you come to your senses."
Levie giggled and squirmed under his brother's weight. "Ya know, I could easily get out of this and kick your blonde ass."
Brandon giggled and shook his head. "Yeah, I do. I also know you'd never kick my ass, not when I'm right. At least, I hope you wouldn't." He smiled, leaned down, and kissed his brother's nose.
Levie giggled. "You're right, except I'd never kick your ass, even if you're wrong. I love you, Brandon Wilmont. Thank you for getting me back to my senses. I'd hate myself if I broke up with Greg over this." Tears streamed down Levie's cheeks.
Brandon wrapped his arms around Levie and kissed his cheek. "I love you too, Levie Stillman. You're the best thing that's ever happened to Greg. Scratch that we're the best things that ever happened to Greg." His statement got a light chuckle from the man in his arms. "Lev, I love my parents, and it's hard as hell to believe you. However, I have no reason to distrust you, either. I think the five of us need to sit down and have a long talk. I've got one question, can you forgive her if she asks for it?"
Brandon's question made Levie think. He was about to answer when he felt the blonde's finger touch his lips.
"I wanted to add this, one thing before you answer." Brandon paused and changed his position. Once he was comfortable, he motioned Levie to sit between his legs. After Levie did, the blonde wrapped his arms around the redhead and laid his chin on his brother's shoulder. "Greg told me, you've got this incredibly loving heart and spirit, and wouldn't you know, he was right. My brother also told me he feels in his heart that you're the one he eventually wants to get married to."
Levie turned his head and looked into Brandon's eyes. He was searching for any sign of untruth. What he saw was complete honesty and love. "Bran, I feel the same thing about Greg. I told my bropops I felt that Greg was the one for me." Tears of joy welled in Levie's eyes.
Brandon smiled and, he hugged Levie tighter against him. "Lev, I'm happy you said that. I told Greg that I got the final say about your relationship with him. I can honestly say you've passed." Brandon paused and playfully tickled Levie's sides. The redhead's giggles and squirms caused Brandon's giggles. "Bro, from the moment we spoke on the phone today, I knew I'd like you. Then, when we met in person, I was hooked. I've never felt so much love come from anyone, except maybe Greg and Dad." The slightly taller man paused and gently rocked their bodies back and forth. He turned his head and kissed Levie's forehead. "So, can you forgive Mom if she asks for it?"
A slow-moving car caught Levie's attention as it drifted into the parking lot without its headlights on. He shook his head and returned the focus to Brandon. The twenty-year-old sighed and pressed his head back against the warm chest. "If she asks for forgiveness, of course, I can forgive and kinda forget. I'd never hold it over her head, but I can't make the memory or the words go away. With that said, I'd be able to claim her as my Mama if she wanted that." Levie closed his eyes and chuckled. "The big problem will be whether or not my Bropops will accept her."
Levie's attention once again was drawn to the strange car. A man, wearing a ski mask, whom Levie judged to be about Jaycen's height and weight, maybe a couple of inches shorter, got out of the car. He walked inside, flipped the open sign to closed and, locked the door. Slowly, Levie got to his feet and instinctively reached for his knife. It suddenly dawned on him he was completely unarmed.
Brandon felt the change in his brother, and within a second, was by Levie's side. "Bro, what's wrong?" Levie reached in his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and handed it to Brandon.
"Call nine-one-one, now. Tell them a robbery's about to happen."
After giving the instructions, Levie ran towards the robber's car. Brandon dialed and paced while waiting. He watched as Levie got the car's hood open and started pulling out wires and other parts. Brandon gave the dispatcher the info they needed.
Levie was so occupied by disabling the car that he didn't hear the robber exit the store. A strong hand grabbed his arm, spun him around, and a fist landed right in the center of his abs. The force of the blow made Levie double over and almost pass out. Before he recovered, his assailant flung him against the wall. Levie hit the building, fell to his knees, and gasped for air.
Brandon wasn't a violent person, but when he saw the guy toss Levie around, like a rag doll, a switch flipped inside him. He threw the phone on the Eagle's seat and looked around for something to use as a weapon. He quickly grabbed the bar, Levie locked the steering wheel with and ran to help. Brandon's actions distracted the robber long enough for Levie to maneuver into a better position. He used all his leg strength and kicked his attacker in the nuts. At the same time, the clerk ran out of the store and fired his pistol. When the robber fell to his knees, the bullet missed its mark and hit Levie's shoulder, close to his chest.
Brandon screamed out Levie's name. He dropped the lock bar and ran to his fallen brother. Tears flowed, like a river from his eyes, as he removed his shirt and tried to stem the bleeding as best he could. "C'mon, Lev, it's going to be okay. You have to stay with me. Greg, won't forgive me if I lose you now. Please don't die on me, Bro, we've just met. I can't lose you now." The clerk tried to ask if he could do anything to help but quickly backed off once he saw the daggers in the blonde's eyes. As soon as the cops arrived, Brandon gave them his statement. Afterward, he jumped into the ambulance and rode with Levie to the medical center. Brandon hesitated and made the call, which he feared the most.
Greg's Townhouse
Linda and Tom got up and started putting on their coats. They hugged Greg and, Tom said, "Son, I think you're right, remember we love you."
Greg wiped his eyes and answered his phone when he saw Brandon's name on the screen. "Hey, Bran..."
"Bro, get to the hospital Lev's, been shot."