Desperado and the Eagle by MissMerlot, PCBeachlover

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I have taken some legal liberties

CHAPTER 49 - REALISATION, COMPASSION AND DATE NIGHT REVELATIONS

EMMETT’S HOUSE - 90 MINUTES LATER

HALLWAY

EMMETT

“I am just double checking I have everything!” I chastise an impatient Ted as he honks outside. “Right, electrodes, knitting needles, superglue and pliers. Yep, I’m set!”

“Ems, you are kidding right?” Drew comes out of the lounge.

“You’re right of course, cattle prod instead?”

“Yep.” He kisses me in such a way that I am dazed. “Now, if you stay out of jail you get more and then you cum.”

“Now what did you say that for?” I huff. “Michael owes you big!”

“The quicker you go, the faster you cum...back I mean come back.” He opens the door and I head to Ted’s car with my bag in front of me!

DREW

I shut the door and head to the kitchen to stack the dishwasher, then I pick up the instructions for the ribs, take them out of the fridge and set the timer. I hum to myself as I head upstairs to the master bedroom to change the sheets. As I pull the bedding off so they can be laundered, I stop and realise something; I have got a massive mansion with anything that money can buy, and I am waited on hand and foot, but for the last few days, I have been staying here, fending for myself while he and Vic work at the store, and I feel, well I feel...dare I say it let alone think it...I feel happy! I sit on the edge of his bed and look across at my one suitcase and suit bag. The only thing that comes close to the amount of happiness I feel is when I came out, the relief was immense but this...this is something different. Not bad, just different.

I reach for my phone as it rings and it’s Campbell. “What’s up? Okay, stop panicking! Will be there in 10 minutes!” I shake my head at his histrionics and grab my keys, and after making sure everything is off and secure, go to meet a queening Campbell at Ross Park Mall.

VIC AND DEBS HOUSE - 30 MINUTES LATER

HALLWAY

VIC

“We’re just going to talk to him, Carl, nothing more, nothing less. Nothing specific, just a few questions.” Debs is smiling in her most winning way, which would be far more convincing if she hadn’t spent the last two hours plotting and planning what she’s going to be doing to his body parts once they have been carefully disassembled!

“I still feel you should not do this. It will jeopardize the case against him, especially if he uses it in court for harassment.”

“How are we harassing him?” Debs rages, and then heaves in a calming breath. “We’ve not even…”

“Debs.” Ems warns, and she pastes her winning smile back on her face.

“Look, I know how you guys feel about this, I am pissed off too. Rodney is my friend, but we have to go carefully…”

“We? What do you mean we?” I exchanged puzzled looks with Ted.

“I’m not going to go inside, but I am going to go. Officer Xin is going to go with you.”

“Well come on if we’re going...I feel like the Famous Five! Wait, who’s the dog?” Ems laughs.

“Michael the Mongrel.” Carl snickers, and ducks the half-hearted swat to his head by Debs.

ROSS PARK MALL - 30 MINUTES LATER

CAMPBELL

I wave at Drew as he makes his way through the crowds. He gets stopped a couple of times, and, as usual, he is charming and polite. “What’s the emergency?” He asks as he saunters up with a grin.

“Oh, shut up! You know what I get like with him! He likes everything I get him and he has everything he needs, so what do I get a guy who has everything?”

“You can’t have gotten him everything?!” He chortles and I glare at him.

“I can get him a car.”

“You have a chauffeur, and besides, where are you going to get a car here? When is his birthday again?”

“Three months’ time.” I am striding towards Armani when I realise that Drew has stopped and is looking unimpressed, I wait for him to catch up, his expression darkening as he gets nearer.

“Three months? I thought it was the weekend the way you were screaming…”

“What were you doing anyway?” I ask starting to feel my face warm.

“Making sure the place was tidy and trying to cook a romantic dinner. Ems has got some shit to deal with about Vic, and I wanted him to have something nice to come home to.” He grumbles and looks at his watch. “Is it going to take long to window shop? I need…” Now it is my turn to stop and stare at his ramrod with impatience and annoyance back until he turns around. “...now what are you doing? You’re the one that...what are you looking at me like that for?”

“Forget window shopping! You with me now!” I stride up to him and pull him towards my other happy place, because we need Lush for his lust!

Ten minutes later, despite complaining about being in here in the first place, he has two baskets on the counter and another being filled to the brim with bath bombs, shaving creams, massage bars and the biggest smile on his face!

Oh yeah, Drew Boyd is in love!

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - 40 MINUTES LATER

LOUNGE

MICHAEL

I put my phone on speaker and look at my unwelcome guests. “Jeremy, can you hear me?”

“Yes, Michael, I can. Can you tell me who is present?”

“Ted Schmidt, my chief persecutor, Emmett Honeycutt, Vic Grassi, Deborah Novotny and Officer Xin, my other persecutor and…”

“Less name calling and more facts. Can I have one representative to speak to, please?”

“The facts are I have no idea why they are here, and are you recording this? I don’t want them to be saying I said something I didn’t!”

“Oh, you said it alright!” Emmett snarls, and again I can’t understand why he has become such a turncoat!

“Okay, let’s have you speak, uh, Mr…”

“Honeycutt. Emmett Honeycutt.”

“Thank you. What is the nature of your visit…”

“Visit? You call this a visit?! I call this harassment, and…”

“You would know all about that, so would Brian and Justin and anybody else that comes across your shit covered nasty path!” Emmett bitches.

“Mr Honeycutt, if you could explain why you are there, please, without interruption from anybody!”

“Yes, we wish to ask him why he is thinking of involving the estate of the late Rodney Bellingham by claiming that he is unable to return the money he defrauded from the Big Q because it is being held in escrow?!”

“You want to ask...that is ridiculous! I would never do…”

“Yes you would...and yes. You. Did!” Emmett waves his phone at me before my drunken voice burns my ears, causes my stomach to shrivel, my mouth to run dry and my heart to pound.

Once the recording finishes, there is silence before Ted steps up to me. “I am impugning your integrity and motives, what do you have to say about that?!”

“I don’t know what…”

“He’s calling you a liar!” Jeremy bellows, making me jump. “How did you get this recording, Mr Honeycutt, and do you, Mr Novotny, dispute that this is you?!”

“Do I have to answer that?” He looks at the flatfoot.

“Not unless court ordered to do so, but…”

“So you obtained it by illegal means!” I almost scream in relief that no jury will hear this!

“No, I am not you! I don’t do illegal shit like that, well apart from the odd joint and a tiny bit of…”

“Emmett! Not the time to share!” Ted exclaims.

“That will be stricken as irrelevant, and…”

“It is relevant. He could've been high when he made that recording. It was most likely him, and…”

“Mr Honeycutt? I need you to make an appointment with the court so that they can get a statement, then this can be entered into as evidence. Do you have legal representation?” I am pleased that he looks nervous. By doing this he has destroyed any remnants of our friendship!

“No I don’t, should I…”

“There is nothing for you to worry about, this is routine.” He rustles some papers and there is muttering. “My apologies for the slight delay. So, this has to be entered as evidence for the prosecution. Is there anything else?”

“No! And i don’t see why this has to be…”

“We think he blew his former boss to get the Assistant Manager's job, and he gave him oral herpes. And because Jerry rejected him for the manager’s position, he decided to punish him and the Big Q, and we think his former boss helped!” Ma blathers, and then there is silence…

...apart from the small explosion that is my world going to hell in a handbasket...I feel like Icaseya or whatever his name was when he got too close to the sun! How the hell did they find that out?!

“Novotny.”

“Yes.” I almost whimper.

“We are going to settle. Give them every cent that you have left, which you fraudulently received, and then come to an arrangement to pay back the rest. If you go to court and they present that and bring your mouth-fuck-buddy boss to the stand, you will go to jail. I mean, you were going to go anyway, but that will be the final nail in the coffin for you. This way, you end up destitute but free…and then you will have to do the one thing that your unwillingness to do so got you into trouble in the first place.”

“What’s that?” I croak.

“Work, you flipping numbskull!” Ma explodes.

“But I didn’t do any of…”

“Bullshit! You did everything! You caused Jerry's death by causing him so much fucking despair that he took the only way out he could to find peace and look after his family! Do you have any concept of…”

“Mr Schmidt...” Jeremy’s tone is surprisingly gentle, and that annoys me no end.

“What?!” He demands.

“We will be settling that case as well. There is no need for anyone to go to court, just so he can have his malignant last hurrah.”

“Are you serious…”

“Hold on a fucking second! I am not going to settle anything! I didn't do this, and I am…”

“Kenton Richards is willing to admit his part in the fraud, it seems he’s had a Road to Damascus moment after some persuasion…”

“Before we get to who the damn hell Kenton Richards is.” Uncle Vic stares hatefully at me. “I want to know, did you come onto Rodney?”

“Of course not!”

“Jesus Christ, you are such an arrogant liar! You did, didn’t you?! For once in your misbegotten life, tell the truth and see how freeing it could be. Did you come onto Rodney?!”

“He came onto me!” My eyes dart to each of them to gauge their reaction. “Why do you think I was so…”

“You were, and still are, in the room when that recording was played!” Ted snarls then steps back when the flatfoot clears his throat. “It was your voice, drunken or not, and your words that said he turned you down! So, answer Uncle Vic’s question and mine...was all this and your behaviour before because he turned you down and did you do what you did to Jerry because he turned you down for the job?!”

“I would never behave in…”

“He told me.” Uncle Vic sighs. “He told me what happened…”

“He said he wouldn't! He fucking promised me!” I leap up and start to pace. “I knew his mind wasn’t right when he turned all of this down!” I gesture to myself.

“And he kept that promise.” Uncle Vic growls, and my heart starts to beat so fast I think I might faint! “How’d it feel?”

“How did what feel?” I get behind the chair as I have never seen Uncle Vic look at me the way he is looking now.

“To be lied to. How’d it feel?”

“I…”

“Novotny, the reason I am here is so that they don’t give you what you physically deserve. But having heard this…” The flatfoot starts to leave. “...he is all yours, and Jeremy, you can hang up now.”

“Officer! Officer! You can’t leave me alone with them!” I gesture wildly. “You have a duty of care!” I scream and look frantically around for a way out.

“So did you, and, like you, I am choosing not to exercise it.” He replies, and closes the door behind him.

“Jeremy, are you still there?!” I bellow.

Silence, then Emmett takes off his jacket and unzips his bag.

“JEREMY!” I screech, and my stomach starts to bubble. “Now just wait! Wait, everyone!”

“What for?” Ma demands, slowly approaching. “You’ve had this coming for years!”

My stomach starts to twist, and my ass quivers and I fart, but that’s not all I do!

The first person to react is Emmett! “Oh, Jesus, Mary and Joseph! What have you...tell me you just farted?!”

“Judging by that expression, no he hasn’t!” Ma backs up in disgust. “Let's get outta here and leave him in another mess of his own making!” She orders, and they quickly leave.

“Mr Novotny? My Novotny, are you still there?!”

“Yes.” I sob. “Where did you go? Why did you leave?!” I wail.

“I had to get something. Are you alright?”

“No, I am not. They scared me, and…” I hiccup and slowly make my way back to my phone. “...I have to go. I...I will call you back.”

“What do you mean they scared you? Did they harm you?”

I think a bit and shake my head, even though he can’t see me. “No, they didn't. I did it. I have to go. Can we make an appointment to end this? I want this to stop…”

“I think it’s best, and…”

“Hang up, Michael.” I look up in surprise and see Ma standing there. “This is the last time I wipe your ass for you, don’t make me regret it!”

BLAKE’S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER

LOUNGE

BLAKE

“So it is over? No trial?”

“That’s what it seems like, but this is Michael. He has a habit of changing his mind just like that.” Ted snaps his fingers, but there is a degree of sadness and definitely no glee.

“You got to the truth, you honoured his last wish. Be proud of that.” I limp over to him, but Teddy, being my Blossom, meets me halfway and helps me to the sofa.

“Still feels like a hollow victory, and Debs couldn't leave him in the state he was.”

“State? What do you mean...oh, thank you.” I sigh as he gently adjusts my ankle and then plumps up the cushions behind me.

“He soiled himself when he thought we were going to beat him up.”

“He did what?” I gasp.

“Shit himself. We left pretty quickly, but then Deb’s mother guilt kicked in and she couldn't leave, but the rest of us did. I really hope…”

“Me too, Blossom. Me too.”

VIC AND DEBS HOUSE

VIC

I say nothing as she comes in and puts down her bag. “I know, but I think he won't let me down this time.”

“We’ll see.” I return. “Red or white?”

“Red, please.” She smiles and I say a prayer that he comes through for her...well, for everyone.

EMMETT’S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER

MASTER BATHROOM

EMMETT

I survey the decimation I have wrought on the bath bombs and wait for his reaction. “Test the water.” He murmurs as he rubs my arm. “Better them than his face, and me having to spend 12 hours trying to get you out of jail.”

“Twelve?” I sigh, as he has the water absolutely perfect. “Why?”

“My attorney is in Canada at a family do. You are still dressed.” He points out, and then looks at his watch...again.

“Are you expecting someone?”

“No. Well yes, but…” The doorbell ringing stops him and I head to answer it. “I will get it, you will get undressed.” He orders firmly and shuts the door behind him.

Looking between the bubble and bomb filled bath and the door, the bath wins, but only just, so I quickly take off my clothes and slip in and under. By the time I surface Drew is back with a silver tray atop of which are two crystal brandy glasses. But it is the frown that is foxing me.

“I have just realised that your bathroom is the same size as your master! Most have an en suite, not you, you have a master bath. And we are at an impasse.”

“We are? And for me size is almost everything. Oh are you thinking of joining me? I do not do taps.”

“How about chest?”

“Definitely yes.”

I admire the view as he sheds his clothes before sliding behind me and then handing me my glass. “So what happened?”

“He had a shit fit…”

“Well, you expected that, he is…”

“No literally had a shit fit. He got so worked up that he crapped himself, Debs stayed to sort him out, I offered to help but she wanted to grant him some dignity. But what about her...the things he has done to her?! And Vic! He was devastated you know, when he confessed and ooh the arrogance…”

“Then why offer to help?” He pulls his knee up and rests my glass on top of it. “I mean apart from you being a good soul.”

“It’s Debs and I will do anything for her...and of course Vic.” I rest my head against his shoulder. “So what is this for and who was at the door?”

“Because today was going to be shitty, literally as it turned out, and Campbell.”

“That is very...Campbell?” I look up at him. “...what is he doing here?”

“Dinner. He is keeping an eye on it, while I keep my eye on you. Resume the position please.”

“Dinner? You cooked...for me?” I grin and resume the position. “What is it?”

“Steamed dumplings with addictive sauce to start and then crispy fried ribs with Thai style sweet potatoes and yams.” I lean forward, put my glass on the side and then turn so I can wrap my legs around him. “You said you want to go to Thailand, next year, thought I would give you some food but with a southern twist.”

“All sounds good, how long until I get to eat?”

“Me or the food?” He chuckles and strokes my cheek.

“Both.” I reply and then frown as he checks my hands. “Uh Drew…”

“Drewsie.” He corrects but still checks. “Hmm. Not at pruning stage yet, I think another twenty minutes. Then a nice massage, eat and then…oommmph!”

Less talk more action!

OPERA HOUSE - EARLY EVENING

BACK GARDEN

DAPH

I hand him an ice cold beer and try to not look as nervous as I feel but then remember that this is Noel and Naomi and start to relax.

“I brought you something.” He hands me a box. “I hope you li…” He snorts as I tear off the packaging then pause and stare at the watch then him. “Please take it. You said you liked it and I would rather give it to someone who truly likes it rather than…”

“What about your dad though?” I ask quickly taking mine off and put the watch that he got back from Ivan on.

“Oh come now, the speed with which you put it on, my Dad is going to have to crowbar that off your wrist!” He regards me challengingly as if waiting for me to deny it...yeah not going to happen!

He tilts his head and I smile. “Brian and Justin are on the roof practising.”

“Oh I see. I am very flattered that you have interrupted your practise schedule to have a date with me.”

“Not that kind of practise.” I smirk and his jaw drops. “Now do you want to go inside?” He sprints indoors and I following him with the drinks chuckling.

KITCHEN

“They are gorgeous.” He coos over the cats again. “Have they grown a bit more since I last saw them?”

“A tad. It is my turn to walk them tomorrow morning, I take them over the back roads, must get the boys first this time.” His brow furrows. “Silver and Shadow, last weekend I got halfway up then had to turn back...Brian was not impressed.”

“Well…” He begins to justify but I just point to the roof. “...ah I wouldn't be either. Nobody wants to be interrupted like that.” He drains his beer and folds his arms, this causes me to frown as he looks a little peeved. “Well?”

“Well what?”

“Speaking of roads...explain Damascus and Kenton Richards to me. You ruined my game!”

“I did not!” I protest. “I gave him options.”

“How’d you find him anyway?” He comes over to see what I am doing. “That smells incredible, what is it?”

“Beer battered shrimp and…” He starts to roll up his sleeves. “...you want to help?”

“Yep. Continue.” He prompts as I light the stove for the pan. “And these?” He points to a stack of tubs.

“How about I tell you the menu and then Damascus?”

“Done.”

“Bourbon wings, rainbow slaw and challah bread and margaritas to wash it down with...salted caramel ones.”

“No dessert?” He looks a little disappointed.

“Yes, I knew I liked you for another reason. Strawberry mousse.”

“I am getting you diamond earrings! I love strawberry mousse!” He rootles around until he finds the fridge. “I take it the other two are for Brian and Justin?”

“Yep. And the fifth is for Cyn.”

“I see. So back to Damascus.”

“Found out from Una, his attorney’s PA, who repped him on his last case and went from there. She's not a fan…”

“How did you get to her though?”

“Hairdressers. As in she and Cyn go the same, and we got to talking, she was bitching discreetly and I got the idea and drove up to see him.”

“Hmmm. At the risk of sounding obvious, there is no way he would’ve got on stage, so…”

“He’s a bully, a liar and a coward and he’s making Justin’s life miserable by hawking after Brian. It’s the happiest he's been in years and nobody is going to ruin that. Admittedly, unlike Alexi, there was no Road to Damascus with that asshole, they just told him he would. And you know about the…”

“Yes I know about that!” He exclaims shuddering.

“No Brian! Don’t you dare!” Justin exclaims.

“Perhaps we should shut that door?” He snickers and points to the door that leads to the roof.

“And eat in the lounge and turn the movie up?” I suggest having had no idea how loud Justin gets until he got with Brian!

“Or move this to my house?”

“Guys! I will give you ten grand each if you leave now!” Brian pleads from the top of the stairs, while Justin wails in mortification. “What?! You want to scream and I want to hear it! We are gearing up for the best bits and he's struggling to keep a lid...!”

“BRIAN!” Justin yells again.

“Keep your money! We’re going!” I call back up and we start to pack very quickly!

“Thanks Daph!” Justin pants as he runs down the stairs in just a towel. “I would’ve paid twenty!”

“I would’ve accepted five!” I laugh.

“JUSTIN!”

“Gotta go!” He shuts the door with a grin and we get the hell out of there!

Drew and Emmett’s meal

Dumplings: https://www.thespruceeats.com/steamed-dumplings-with-dipping-sauce-3217436

Crispy fried ribs: https://www.thespruceeats.com/crispy-fried-ribs-3217435

Thai style sweet potatoes and yams:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/thai-baked-sweet-potatoes-3217752

Noel and Daph’s meal