Writer's note: As with anything you read, you should know this is my work, purely fictional, and totally made from figments of my imagination. If you're here and you're not supposed to be, then you know what you need to do.
Note to the fans: Please continue to write! I love your comments. Actually there is one part of this chapter that was directly influenced by a fan's comments to me. He knows who he is and will see it when he gets to that part. Here's wishing you a successful and prosperous new year!
A deep note of gratitude to my editors: Jack, Alex, Bruce, and the lovely Robin.
The ride home from the Wylie mansion wasn't all that long but it felt that way. Michael's mind was spinning. His thoughts were silently raising a wall between Robert and him.
Robert felt it, too. He was a bit tense because he was waiting for the fallout of Victoria's comment to the entire group. But he also was tired, so he put the seat back a bit and closed his eyes. Only a couple of minutes passed before he finally dared to talk.
"Hey, Mikey, what's wrong?" Robert asked as he continued to lie back in his seat. His eyes were closed.
"Uh, man, I'm just tired. The meeting today was long and, frankly, I haven't been sleeping all that well the last couple of nights." Michael smiled just slightly before going back to his blank look.
"Do you want me to stay over tonight?" Robert raised his head and opened his eyes slightly to see Michael's response.
Michael sighed silently. He was usually direct but he was afraid of pushing Robert away.
"Uh, I'll let you decide that. I just want to get home and take a nap." Michael didn't return Robert's stare.
Robert didn't know what to say. He searched his brain for something to give Michael some space for a while.
"Well, I guess I should get home and check the mail and maybe do some laundry. Why don't I call you later to see what you're up to doing tonight, okay?" Robert closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable answer.
A long silence continued to haunt the two men. The question was still left unanswered and neither man really possessed the strength to push the issue.
They finally arrived at Michael's house. Michael opened the garage door and parked the car. Neither man was in a rush to get out, though.
Michael sighed loudly. Robert didn't wait to respond.
"What's wrong, babe?" Robert sat up and looked at the crumpled Michael in the seat next to him.
"I've got a lot on my mind. So much has happened in a week." He sat up and looked at Robert. "Why don't you head home for a bit and come back here? I don't think I want to be alone tonight. I want to talk to you but I need some time to recover. Can you understand that?"
"Yeah," Robert smiled. "Like I said, I've got stuff to do. I'll give you a call in a few hours."
Michael leaned over and took the back of Robert's head. He pressed their lips together and they felt the wall drop a bit. Silently, Robert pulled away and looked into his lover's eyes. He knew something was on Michael's mind but wasn't sure what it was. He thought it might have something to do with Victoria's comment, but he realized that would have been dealt with already.
They got out and headed into the house. Michael turned off the alarm system and Robert ran up to the bedroom to get his dirty clothes. Michael headed out to his patio and sat on the lounge chair under the shade of the overhang.
Robert came back down to the main level and became concerned when he didn't find Michael. He spied the patio door open and went outside. There he saw his Michael stretched out on the chaise lounge, sound asleep. Robert bent over to kiss his lover. Michael didn't move and Robert stood up and smiled.
Robert went to the door leading to the garage and made sure to lock it. He got into his car and pulled out of the garage. He wasn't sure if he could make a dash from the back of the garage to the door in time, so he got out of his car and reached into Michael's and took the door opener. He figured he'd be back later.
Randy headed back to the hospital again. He went to room 1555 in the Wylie wing and, sure enough, the large armed guard was standing his post. The guy wasn't some old man, either. This stud was 100% muscled beef with a buzz cut, and mean looking. Randy's dick began to swell.
"Hey, man, I'm Randy Duncan. Can I go in?" Randy smiled.
The guard looked him over. He wasn't there to be pleasant. "Do you have some ID?"
Randy pulled out his wallet and showed the guard his driver's license.
The guard turned around and pushed a series of buttons. "Thank you, Mr. Duncan. I hope you have a nice visit."
Randy was not offended by the guard's cool nature. If anything, he was impressed.
Randy entered the room and almost had to wonder if he was in the right place. The room was a fuckin' suite. It had a seating area, a nice sized bathroom, state-of-the-art stereo and television, video games, and even a DVD player. It took Randy a moment but he finally found Andy in his bed. He was asleep.
Randy was careful to walk over quietly. He leaned over his lover's lips and kissed them gently.
Andrew seemed to stir only slightly, but without opening his eyes he said, "Hey, Randy, nice wake up call."
Randy smiled. Slowly Andrew's eyes opened and a small smile spread across his cheeks. What little color he had in his face before the beating seemed to return. He noticed that some of the swelling on his face had gone down and, in the light, he was looking better.
"I missed you." Andrew tried to prop himself up better.
"You did? Damn, you're gonna make me all mushy inside." Randy laughed. He had fallen hard for Andrew. "So how you doing, stud?"
Andrew winced a little as he tried to move but smiled. "I'm doing better. It doesn't even hurt that much. They're even weaning me off the pain meds so I can let the body do its work."
"That's good to hear. So has the nurse been in lately? Do you need anything?" Randy sat down in the comfortable chair next to Andrew's bed.
"She was just in and she's a different one, too. I don't know her name but she's really going out of her way to take care of me. I don't need anything . . . now that you're here." Andrew reached for the remote and turned on some music.
Randy snuggled into the chair further. He didn't realize it but he was tired. "Hmmm, that sounds nice...damn, I'm sorry, I'm kind of comfortable."
"Hey, that's all right. I like looking at you. Go ahead and sleep. We're safe in here." Andrew just gazed on his knight in his blazing red shirt and khaki pants. "You're lookin' pretty good there, Mr. Duncan."
Randy smiled. "I had that meeting at the Wylie's today. It was so great, I wish you could have been there."
"How did it go?" Andrew was curious.
Randy was kind of mumbling now. The softness of the chair and the last two nights of vigil really had taken its toll. Andrew rang for the nurse.
Lois came in almost immediately. Her features were a stark contrast to Joan's. She was slender, in her 50s and had a head of tightly curled gray hairs. Most nurses by this stage in their careers had moved onto other pursuits, but not Lois. She enjoyed her work.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Johnson?" Lois came over and realized that Randy's hulking figure was asleep on the other side of the bed in the chair.
"Uh, I know you've been awfully nice to me, but could you find a blanket for my friend here? He's been sitting vigil for me and I think the time has caught up with him."
"Oh sure, that's no problem." Lois moved to the cabinet and found a nice large blanket to place over Randy's body. Randy moved a bit and pulled the blanket closer to him.
"Thanks, um, I don't think I know your name." Andrew winced again as he tried to turn.
"The name is Lois. And you shouldn't try to turn. Those ribs need to heal." Lois was concerned for her patient.
"Well, Lois, I'll promise to stay stiff as a board if you promise to call me Andrew, okay?" He smiled at her.
"Deal! So is this the man that has guarded over you day and night?" Lois stopped to make sure Andrew had enough water and pillows.
"Gee, nothing is a secret here." Andrew shook his head. "Yeah, he's my protector."
"Well we all need one of those. Is there anything you need? How's the pain?" Lois checked the IV bag.
"It's okay but my butt is getting sore. Is there any chance I could get out of bed for a while? I'm kind of tired of being in here. I could use a shower, too." Andrew rarely complained, because he knew he was receiving the best treatment possible.
"Well, Dr. Raj hasn't cleared you yet for walking and I know a shower is out of the question. I'll check with the doctor and see what I can do. I'll get an orderly in here to give you a sponge bath. It's not the real thing but I bet it would feel better. Just ring if you need anything else." Lois took Andrew's pulse while she answered his questions.
"Thanks Lois. I appreciate it." Lois left the room and Andrew looked over at his lover.
Is that what they call it? He thought to himself. Is that what they call two men in love? Am I in love? How do I know? I mean, he didn't even fuck me. Can we be called a couple and still not have done "it"?
Andrew finally decided that a nap would be a good idea. He closed his eyes but didn't sleep before hearing the heavy breath of the man right next to him. Andrew wished he could touch him but he was content to just drift off to sleep knowing his knight in a red shirt and khaki pants was there with him.
Robert drove to his apartment. He grabbed his clothes, stopped to get his mail, and then headed for his apartment. He got inside and felt the cool air hit him in the face. Once again he had forgotten to turn up his air so that he wouldn't be cooling an empty place.
He immediately took his clothes to his laundry unit and started a load of clothes. He went back to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from the refrigerator. As he sat down at his table, he began sorting through the junk mail and bills. He decided now would be a good time to get his bills paid, since he wasn't sure when he'd have an opportunity to do it again within the next week.
Thirty minutes later, he got up from his task at the table and switched out his laundry. He wasn't particularly tired. He realized that he hadn't checked his messages on his voice mail, so he did that next. Again, nothing seemed too important until he got to the message from his Dad.
"Robbie, this is your dad. Just wanted to call to let you know things have been taken care of as you asked. Your mom and I will be back in the States in about three weeks. We will want to meet you and see how things are going. Oh yeah, Victoria Wylie e-mailed us. Said that she met you. A little advice for you, son...get to know her well. She is very well connected and can really be an asset to you. We love you!"
Robert smiled. His dad was always watching out for him. He knew that one day his dad would retire and he'd take his place in what his Dad had created. Robert still wanted to be his own man, but maybe all that he was going through at Wylie and Sons was a chance for him to prove himself.
Robert took another drink of his water. It felt good. He liked the feel of the water as it trickled down to cool his dry throat.
While the clothes were finishing up, he decided to head downstairs to the pool and do a few laps. While all the fun with Michael was nice, he knew he still needed to maintain his own regimen. He went into his room, grabbed his navy blue Speedo and a large towel. He was looking forward to some time alone.
Michael had woken up long enough to get to his cool bedroom. He was still dressed in the clothes that he had worn to breakfast. He decided that sleeping in the nude was okay and stripped down. He was like a little boy who had fallen asleep in the car on the way home. He went to the bathroom, took a piss, then headed back to bed without giving it much of a thought. It hadn't been five minutes and he was gone to the world again.
His dream was rather vivid. He remembered the night before on the stairs. Something kept bothering him. He heard the words, "you're just a hole" reverberate in his ears. It was wrong. It wasn't love, it was wrong. He continued to hear the words. As he did, Michael started to toss and turn in bed. Then he heard the words to "I want to know what love is" from Foreigner. The chorus sang, the soloist bellowed out his mournful tune, and he heard "you are a hole" again. It repeated over and over again and Michael couldn't stop it.
All of a sudden, it just stopped. Michael's eyes opened up and there stood Robert. Or did his eyes open? Was this a continuation of his dream? Robert was naked. His slender swimmer's body was bathed in red light, and now Michael saw himself lying on a circular bed in the middle of a room. He didn't know if there was an audience or not. He didn't know if he was alone with Robert. He tried to speak but he couldn't.
Slowly, silently, Robert approached Michael. He tried to move his arms or his legs, but he was invisibly held in a spread eagle formation. He couldn't feel or see what bound him to the bed but, after a long struggle, he knew he couldn't break free.
Michael tried to speak but his voice was gone. His throat was dry to the point of pain. He tried to swallow but he couldn't. Still Robert approached and snaked himself up on the bed over Michael's body. He felt Robert on top of him but no attempt at mutual pleasure was made.
Again, the chorus started singing; the red lights were hot on their bodies. He felt the sweat sting his eyes and run down his body. All of a sudden he felt Robert's cock enter him. Robert looked down into his eyes and laughed. "You are my hole!" Michael wanted to fight him but he couldn't. His hole willingly allowed Robert to fuck him. He felt pain. No lubrication, no romance, it was just a hard painful fuck.
Michael's ears couldn't stand it any longer. The chorus singing "I want to know what love is" droned on louder and louder, but still he could hear "You are a hole!" coming from Robert's mouth. As Robert neared his climax, the noise in the room became deafening. Michael tried to close his eyes, but some unseen force made them stay open. The pain of the fuck spread all through his body. With each thrust, he felt Robert getting bigger. He knew it was close, but he wasn't enjoying this. Finally, Robert started panting and grunting, and then he knew that Robert was about to cum...
The phone rang, startling the two men in the hospital room. Randy woke up faster and got the phone.
"Hello?" Randy was dazed.
"Hey, you little fucker, did you like the job we did on you?" Silence ensued.
Randy wanted to lose his temper but knew better. He was making immediate mental notes about the voice.
"You don't want to talk? Then I will..." Randy saw Andrew stir, still not quite awake from his nap. He wanted to respond but didn't.
"You think this was a beating? Just wait, your fag friend is going to get a lot worse if he doesn't watch his step." Then the line clicked.
Randy was still dazed but knew he had to jump into action.
"Andy, babe." Randy shook Andy gently, trying to get him to a state of cohesiveness.
"Yeah, who was that?" Andy was still groggy.
"It was a wrong number." Randy hoped to God Andrew would understand why he was lying to his lover. "I need to step out for a few minutes and I can't use my cell phone in the hospital. I'll be back in 15 minutes, okay?"
"Yeah, whatever you need to do. I think I'm supposed to be getting a sponge bath soon." Andrew tried to sit up.
"You just lie there." Randy leaned over and kissed Andy on the forehead. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Andy fell back to sleep again.
Randy grabbed his cell and stepped outside to see the guard standing his watch.
"Hey, we just got a call from someone threatening a co-worker of Andrew's. I need you to get in touch with your security people and see if they can track the call. Does anyone know what room Andrew is in, other than those who are authorized to care or see him?"
"Uh, sir, no. We're under strict instructions not to even keep charts at the nurses' station. No one knows." The guard was reaching for his radio.
"Okay, well, see if you can get any leads on the phone call to the room. I don't want anyone to enter this room, do you understand?" Randy was commanding the show now.
"Yes, sir, I understand. Not even any nurses?" The guard questioned.
"Only authorized personnel that have been cleared by the hospital. I don't need to tell you this is serious shit. If you know who the detective assigned to this case is, get a hold of him and tell him to get his ass down here NOW!" Randy was in fight mode now and wanted to make sure everyone was on alert.
"I understand, sir. Where are you going?" The guard wanted to make sure he had all pertinent information. Randy respected that. This guy obviously knows his duty.
"I'm going to step outside for about 15 minutes to make a few calls. Here's my number if you need me back right away... and thanks." Randy gave the guard his card.
"Okay, sir, I'm on it." The security guard got on his radio and started to relay information. A heightened alert was on.
Randy knew he had to get to Robert fast. He got to the elevator, went down to the main level and got outside. He pressed his speed dial for Michael's house first.
Michael woke up out of his dream. He was sweating and twisted in the sheets of his bed. He remembered the dream vividly, but he realized it wasn't the dream that woke him. It was his phone, ringing angrily by his bedside. Michael reached to answer it.
"Michael? Michael, is that you?" the harried voice on the other side yelled.
Michael didn't take long to compose himself and soon realized it was Randy.
"Yeah, it's me, what the fuck is up?" Michael was a little pissed that he didn't finish the dream.
"Is Robert with you?" A pause. "Michael! Fuckin' tell me: is Robert with you?" Randy was yelling through the phone.
Michael knew that something was wrong now. "Uh, no. He went home for a while. Why?"
"Someone just called Andy's room and threatened Robert. Have you talked to Robert lately?"
"No, it's been about, uh, two hours, I think" Michael looked over at his clock. It was now 4:30 p.m. He had been out for a couple of hours.
"Shit! I can't leave Andrew here. Call Robert and find out where he is. Call Thomas and find out the name of the detective on Andrew's case and get them to send some cops out to his apartment now!" Randy was already working on his next move.
"Okay, okay, I'm sure Robert's fine but I'll do it. I've got my cell charged up. I'll call you back at Andrew's room in about 15 minutes." Michael hung up.
He ran downstairs to the kitchen and got his cell phone. Michael was completely oblivious to the fact he was naked. The dream wasn't important now. He needed to get hold of Robert.
Robert had swum for about an hour. He had missed his laps lately, and it was good to feel the water brush up against his skin. Even for the middle of the day, the outdoor pool was empty, so he had little trouble with intercepting the wayward child trying to splash about in the pool.
He decided to lie out for a while to dry off and to see if he could regain a little of his lost tan. He really hadn't had a lot of time to tan this summer, but he knew that he'd tan quickly if he kept consistent.
After turning for a while and basking in the sun, he decided to get back up to his apartment and call Michael. In the back of his mind, he knew he had some talking to do with his new lover. While Michael occasionally freaked out about being gay, Robert didn't have that problem. It was all old hat hat to him now.
He went up to his door and started to put in the key; but then he realized that the door was ajar. He knew something was up because he remembered to an almost obsessive degree to lock his door and have his extra key with him. He thought for just a minute about whether to go in or to go down to the Applegates' door and call the police. Though his better judgement screamed to do the latter, he decided to go in. He put down his towel outside the door just in case he needed his hands to be free.
He walked in and cleared the kitchen and the dining area. He moved into the living room and again, nothing was there. He turned to go down the hall and cleared the bathroom. His eyes narrowed and his senses were alive. Without warning, a figure jumped out and laid a punch right into Robert's stomach... but he was ready for a fight.
Randy raced back up to Andrew's room after finishing with Michael. Dirk, the security guard, was waiting for him anxiously.
"Sir, the call came from a payphone outside the hospital. There's no way to track it right now, but we did call Detective Manning and he's on his way. The police are going to try to track the number and see if they can get any prints of any kind."
"Has anyone tried to come in at all?" Randy was worried less for Andy and more for Robert.
"No sir. It's been quiet."
"Okay, well here's what I'm going to do. I need to leave. I'm going to head over to Robert Jennings' house. Something tells me that there's going to be trouble. Just tell Detective Manning to call me when he gets here. I need to go see Andy for a minute." Randy's mind was spinning but he knew he needed to settle down if he were to keep Andy from worrying.
"Sure, anything for you sir." Dirk entered the code again and let Randy in.
Randy took a moment and then walked towards to Andrew.
"Hey, that was a fast 15 minutes." Andrew smiled to see his supposed lover back.
"Well, to be honest, I can't stay. I'll be back in a little bit. There's been a development and I need to follow a lead. Are you going to be okay?" Randy tried not to let on that Robert might be in trouble.
"Is there something wrong?" Andrew was starting to get worried. His old habit of sweaty palms was returning.
"No, I don't think so. Don't worry, I'll be back before you miss me." Randy smiled; then he took Andy's sweaty palm and kissed his hand.
"Okay, if you say so. Just be careful, okay?" Andrew was concerned.
"I always do. I love you." Randy didn't wait for Andrew's response. He was out the door and down the hallway in no time.
Michael was frantic now. He tried several times but was unable to get hold of Robert. He didn't call Thomas as Randy had commanded. Shit, he wasn't sure what he was about to get into. Michael pulled on some old shorts, a T-shirt, and some old tennies. He moved fairly quickly down to the garage, grabbing his wallet, keys, and cell phone. He armed the alarm before leaving and opened the garage door.
He was in his car and down the street before the garage door closed again automatically. Sometimes he was thankful for the alarm system. He didn't like using it but, in the last few days, knowing it was there it gave him a sense of peace.
He knew it would take at least ten minutes for him to get to Robert's house, so he picked up his phone and called Randy. It rang several times but there was no answer. His next call was to 911. He gave the operator the information and the police were dispatched. He swore to himself and prayed for the first time in a long time that God would watch over his lover. Even though his dream was still unresolved, he knew that Robert loved him, and he knew he loved Robert.
As Randy and Michael converged on Robert's apartment, the fight was already escalating. The limited space in the hallway didn't give Robert enough room to move, so he moved backwards into the living area. The attacker was tall and broad-shouldered. Robert assessed the situation. There were no guns or knives that he could see. His karate instructor's words were echoing loudly through his mind to let this guy make the first move. Do not attack, just defend.
The intruder was too sure of himself. He saw what he was up against and he thought he could take Robert without much effort.
The intruder swung again, only to be met by Robert's defensive moves. Each frustrating attempt was met with Robert's swift return of a punch or a kick. Robert wasn't toying with the larger man. He was just trying to assess his weak spot to exploit it. Finally, the intruder made his last move and it was all Robert needed to take the man out. With a quick punch and a sweep of the legs, he took the intruder down and knocked him unconscious.
It was at that very moment that both Randy and Michael met at the door, with cops in tow. The cops asked the two to stand back while they assessed the situation. Moments later, they yelled down to the men to come on up.
What they saw was a large figure lying handcuffed on the floor and Robert standing over it no worse for wear. If the sun was bright that day, Robert shone brighter. He moved to the door, where Michael and Randy were standing and the three hugged.
Detective Manning was headed for the hospital when he heard the call for assistance to Robert Jennings' home. He detoured immediately and drove up about five minutes after the group of cops and friends had arrived.
He walked in the door to see his old buddy, Randy Duncan, standing talking to a couple of other men that he didn't recognize. The cops were starting to take a statement from the three men.
"What's this, Duncan? You can't stand to be away from the force for more than a few years and now you're taking down perps?" Det. Manning went over and gave Randy a hug for old time's sake.
"Yeah, well, I'd like to say I did this but I didn't. It was Robert's doing." Randy pointed over to Robert, who was now sitting nursing his sore stomach.
"Well, son, I want to congratulate you on one hand and say, on the other, that you are the luckiest son of a bitch. You could have gotten killed." Det. Manning looked over the battle scars. "But you don't look any worse for wear."
"Thanks, sir, but years of karate has a lot more to do with it. I know it was stupid, but I didn't want this guy to get out without first getting some information." Robert smiled.
At this point the man on the floor spoke up. "You fuckers won't get one word out of me. You god-damned sons of bitches!" He spat as he spoke.
Det. Manning was an old-school cop. He didn't go for the gentle touch. "Listen, boy, if I were you, I'd be shutting that hole of yours. You could be in a lot more trouble than you think."
"Go fuck yourself, asshole!" The intruder was belligerent.
"Hey Detective, do you want us to take him down to the station and book him?" The younger of the two cops spoke up.
"Yeah. Just a minute, though. Would you mind excusing us for a bit?" Det. Manning had a plan brewing already.
"Sure, sir, we'll be down in the car. Just let us know when you want us to collect him." The older cop knew what was about to happen. He knew Det. Manning's style and figured being dismissed was better than being called up for an investigation if something were to happen.
"Hey, Robert, is that right?" Det. Manning had his pad out, making notes.
"Yes, sir, that's right." Robert looked up.
"Why don't you and your friend go down to the policemen and finish filing the report while I talk to Randy here. Do you need a doc?" Det. Manning was concerned as he saw Robert get up with Michael's assistance.
"No, just a little sore. I'm fine." Robert and Michael left the apartment and headed to the police car.
Randy walked over to the door, where Det. Manning was standing. Det. Manning was rather jealous of Randy. Still gets to do all the fun stuff without the strings, he thought.
"So, if you're here, that means you must be doing something on the side, right Duncan?" Det. Manning spoke quietly to Randy. They were out of earshot of the intruder.
"Yeah, you might say I'm looking into things for Wylie and Sons." Randy smiled.
"So I suppose you want me to take a walk for a moment while you ask this gentleman on the floor some questions?" Det. Manning smiled. He knew what he was doing was illegal, but he also knew Randy would get further than he would regarding the investigation.
"If you wouldn't mind." Randy gave an evil smile. "How does 10 minutes sound?"
"Sure, just don't hurt him any more than he is already, okay?" Det. Manning got up and stopped to look at the intruder; he spoke louder now. "I'm going to check how the report is going. This man here will take real good care of you." Det. Manning left.
The door closed and Randy turned the intruder around. He was careful to manoeuvre around the guy's legs so that the perp wouldn't try anything stupid. As Randy sat him up, he took a moment to look at the man. He wasn't bad looking. Robert did manage to scrape him up and give him one hell of a black eye. Randy was proud of Robert's work.
"So, you have a choice. You can make this easy on yourself, or you can make it hard. I don't play by the cop's rules, so you can't scream to the authorities on this. What's your choice?" Randy narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"You can go to hell, you fuckin' son of a..." And Randy took his big left paw and back handed the perp.
"Now, what was that? I wasn't sure I heard you right." Randy smiled again. It had been a while since he'd been able to fuck a guy up like this. He was enjoying it.
"I said," the perp said with distinct emphasis on each syllable, "you can fuckin' forget that I'm gonna tell your big fat assed..."
WHACK! This time the back of Randy's right paw came hurtling down on the intruder's face.
"You know, babe, I can keep doing this all night if I want. No one is going to care. As for you getting fucked up further? Well, my friend back there did a pretty good job, so any additional damage can be attributed to him. Now, are you going to play nice?" Randy once again waited for his answer.
"I ain't gonna tell anything to you. You can't make me!" The intruder spat in Randy's face.
Randy didn't get angry. He wiped it off and then wiped it on the intruder's face.
"Well, I guess you've made your mind up. Let's see what I can fuck with next." Randy ripped open the guy's shirt and grabbed his right nipple hard and started twisting it. The intruder yelled, but Randy shoved his handkerchief in his mouth to muffle the sound.
As Randy held the nipple, he spoke. "Now, you're going to answer a question for me. If you answer right, then I don't hurt you. You answer wrong and I'm going to shove me my knee into your nuts so hard that you're going to be walking funny for a week. Do we understand each other?"
The intruder now had fear in his eyes. He slowly nodded his approval.
"Okay, question #1. I'm going to hold onto your nipple. Answer right and I let go. Answer wrong and I do both. Answer wrong a second time and say bye to your nuts!"
Randy removed the handkerchief.
"So, who hired you?" Randy kept the pressure on his right nip.
"I don't know!" The intruder was lying. Randy knew it and grabbed his other nip and started twisting it violently. The intruder yelled but Randy didn't care.
"Want to try again?" Randy was enjoying this. So was the intruder: Randy could see the guy's crotch filling out.
"I really don't know! Some asshole gave me a thousand dollars and said to go to this address and fuck the guy up." The intruder hoped this guy would believe him. His nips felt like they were gonna be pulled off.
"So you didn't see what he looked like or anything? Where did you meet him?" Randy released one nip but held onto the other to remind the intruder that he was still in control.
"I honestly didn't see the fucker. He was dressed in black; it was a dark place. It was, uh, The Tavern over on 51st." The intruder wasn't enjoying this but he didn't want any more pain.
"The fag bar? You met this guy in a fag bar?" Randy didn't need to tell this guy that he was gay, but his curiosity got the better of him. "So did you do him?"
"Fuck no! I don't do whiney-assed jerks like him. He was a job." The perp's eyes were softening now. He knew he wouldn't be getting out of this situation anytime soon.
Randy thought for a minute. "Listen, buddy, before you get yourself in too deep, just keep it on the level. You don't remember anything about this guy at all? He didn't promise you more money or anything?"
The intruder thought back. "Uh, he said he might have more work for me, but only if I succeeded at fucking up this Robert guy. He didn't want him killed, just out of commission temporarily."
Randy's eyes narrowed. He thought for just a minute and released the guy's nip. He didn't need any more information.
"Tell you what you're going to do. You're going to repeat everything you told me to Det. Manning. But you're going to forget me." Randy reached around the guy's ass and found a wallet. "You really are a stupid fucker, too. You should have left your wallet at home."
Randy looked through the wallet. He found a little money but, much more important, he found the guy's ID as well. "Derek Anderson, you're in deep shit. Breaking and entering, not to mention a lot of other charges that could send you to the penitentiary for a while. If your story doesn't jibe with the report that I'll read, I'm going to find you and fuck you up in ways you never imagined. Do you understand?"
Randy looked directly into Derek's eyes. Derek knew this guy meant business. "Yeah, I understand."
"So did you take anything?" Randy started to button up Derek's shirt.
"Naw, didn't have time; besides, it's not my style." Derek was willing to talk more freely now that the torture session was over.
"Good." Randy went over to the door and yelled down the stairs to Det. Manning. A couple of minutes later the good detective made his way into the apartment.
"Are we finished here?" Det. Manning asked Randy.
"Yeah, we are. Not much to tell, but I'm sure he'll be willing to talk to you." Randy and Manning quietly discussed what Randy found out. In the meantime Det. Manning said that he had been in contact with the hospital and the phone call that had been made to Andrew's room had come from a bar called The Tavern. The two decided they'd meet and talk more at the hospital when Randy returned to see Andrew.
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," said Randy. "Here's that guy's wallet."
"Good, that will make it a lot easier to find his rap sheet." Manning rifled through the wallet.
It was about this time that Michael and Robert came back up. Michael really hadn't had time to get angry but, as soon as Detective Manning took the intruder downstairs, both Michael and Randy hugged Robert again.
Then the shit hit the fan.
"You stupid asshole!" Randy started first. "You fuckin' know better to get yourself into this situation. You're lucky it was just a sore stomach and not something worse."
Michael wanted to say something, but he felt Randy would rip Robert better than he could.
"If you ever, EVER, do something like that again, you won't have to worry about some jackass messing you up: I'll fuckin' pound you into the ground. Do you understand?" Randy's eyes started to water. He wasn't so much angry as thankful that Robert was okay.
Robert looked down in shame, then looked up at his friend. He started to get teary-eyed too; then he said, "I'm sorry."
Randy pulled Robert into a big bear hug again. It was just a few seconds before Michael did something that surprised them.
"Ouch!" Robert shouted. He had felt a foot squarely on his ass. "Why did you do that?" Robert said to Michael.
"Because I am your boss and your lover. Let that kick on your ass remind you that I can and have kicked your ass." Michael said it seriously, but then he laughed. "I'll do one better than Randy. I'll personally hire those Boston Twins to mess you up."
Randy laughed heartily as he recovered a bit from his tears. "No, he'd probably like it."
The three hugged before Randy started to leave for the hospital. But before he was out the door, his phone rang.
"What the fuck has happened now?" Randy was almost afraid to answer.
It was Dirk. Apparently there was a delivery of dead roses to the hospital with Andrew's name on it. Dirk wisely didn't show them to Andrew and said they made sure to leave them alone in case there were some fingerprints they could use off the vase and flowers. Randy said that Detective Manning would be up shortly and just to tell him. He didn't wait to say goodbye.
"Fuck," Randy was now worried for the first time.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked very quickly.
Randy relayed what had just happened. The three just sat there stunned.
"Well, I want to get back up to the hospital. I'll talk to you two later, okay?" Randy left before they could answer.
"So did you get everything done that you needed to here?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, I think so - well, except the laundry. Do you want to stay while I pack up a bit?" Robert started to move towards his enclosed laundry space.
"I think I do. Besides, I want to talk to you about something before we go." Michael wasn't sure how he'd relay his dream but he wanted to talk about it.
"Hey, that sounds okay. Let me get this stuff switched and I'll sit down. Why don't you grab a water for you and me and sit in the living room, okay?" Robert quickly switched his laundry one last time before heading to the living room.
Michael was in a trance. He wasn't sure how he was going to share this, but he wanted to be honest with Robert.
"It's kind of ironic that we end up here again, a week later, huh?" Michael laughed nervously. "But it's kind of fitting too. I'm going to say a few things to you and I want to finish what I'm saying before you speak, do you understand?"
"Sure, I'm a good listener." Robert took a drink of his water.
Michael took a long drink of his water before he started. He relayed his dream from earlier in the afternoon. The bed, the music, the music, the helplessness, the bindings he couldn't see, and the total emotionless looks on Robert's face as he fucked Michael. Michael said that he felt hopeless and then said something that almost slapped Robert in the face.
"You called me 'just a hole.' I couldn't get that out of my mind." He waited for Robert to process what he had told him before Michael continued. "Then, on my way over here today, as I was pleading with God that you would be okay, I figured out why that phrase 'just a hole' bothered me. You said that last night as we fucked on the stairs. I didn't like that. You see, all those years I was married, I didn't really love my wife, but in a matter of a week, I have fallen head over heels for you and I've never done that in my life. I am all about control and consistency. You've taken that way from me. I want to be here for you but I don't want to be 'just a hole' to anyone. Is that being stupid?"
Robert looked at Michael. There was a silence, and Michael could tell that Robert was formulating his words. As he watched him, he noticed that tears had started to form in Robert's eyes. Then Robert leaned over and kissed Michael. He grabbed the back of Michael's head and gazed at him from as close as their touching noses allowed.
"Michael, I'm sorry. I should never have said that last night. You have not, nor will you ever be, 'just a hole' to me." Robert sat back with tears burning his cheeks as he continued.
"I was taken with you the very first day I came to Wylie and Sons. I knew, through the office grapevine, that you were married and you were unhappy. I respected you, I feared you, and I loved you. You just didn't know you loved me... yet." Robert smiled a bit. "I just figured, if you and I ever became friends, I would be happy. But last night, I let the heat of the moment carry me away. I'm not going to lie. You are one hot fuck. I could have sex with you 24 hours a day and I can't wait to show you some more wild fun in the future, but I love you. So, I'm sorry. I apologize for letting you think you were just a hole. You aren't. You just aren't."
The two men sat on the couch looking at each other. Now Michael, who rarely sheds so much as a single tear, was now at the point where he could hold them back no more. He took Robert's hand in his and then began kissing it. He pulled Robert close to him and they began to kiss. Michael leaned back and Robert lay on him as the two of them continued to kiss, cry, and love each other. Robert eventually broke the kiss and laid his head on Michael's chest.
"You know what I want to say to you, Robert Jennings?" Michael stroked Robert's hair.
"What?" Robert closed his eyes waiting for the response.
"You're forgiven; and I love you." Michael finished his thought.
The two slowly drifted off into an unplanned sleep. They were content. They were calm. They were lovers for real now.