Brian braced himself for Hurricane John the next morning. While he knew John would get over it very quickly, the next morning was a little too soon to hope for. He did have questions. Why was the kit under his bed? Why didn’t anyone tell him? Peter had been too nervous to see John this morning, so he left early, before John and Gus woke up.

Gus came stomping down the stairs, it was too early to fight with him. But he had to bring up the smoking, he didn’t want any of his kids having his bad habits. He watched Gus pour himself cereal he bought with his own money and start to eat it dry. The boy hadn’t eaten it with milk since he was six. Brian is still sure it was out of spite because Brian asked him if he had enough milk once.

“You’re to come home straight after school tonight and for the next week. I don’t have to give you the dangers of cigarettes, but I will if you need a refresher. You need to stop this now. Alright, where’s John?”

Gus glared at him for a moment before going back to his cereal. “Don’t know, hasn’t come home yet,” he said, crunching on his fruit loops.

“What do you mean he hasn’t come home?”

“Last night after your lecture with him, he said he needed to get out for a while. He ain’t got home yet.”

Brian never thought his kids were saints, they snuck out and lied like normal teenagers, but none had been out all night. As mad as John was, he never expected this.

“What did John tell you?”

“He said you lost it over his kit.”

“You knew about it?”

“Of course.”

Brian wanted to strangle the smart mouth, but that wouldn’t help anything. “Why was it under his bed?”

“He keeps everything he doesn’t want people messing with under his bed. Damn paranoid if you ask me.”

“Why didn’t he tell me about his side job?”

“Why would he? You never care unless we’re in trouble. You only care about your baby, Kinnetik. The only time you’ve talked to us without yelling in the past few weeks was when you told us about Uncle Jack. Then there’s the neighbor that you keep trying to get in his pants.”

“I’m not trying to get in anyone’s pants, and this is about John. Where is he?”

“How should I know,” Gus said with a shrug.

“Because he tells you everything.”

“Not everything, he’s kind of been a drag lately.” Brian thought it was probably the other way around.

“Where do you think he’d go for the night?”

“Probably his girlfriend’s.”

That took the wind out of his sails, John had a girlfriend and he didn’t even know it. How had he gotten so far out of touch with his children.

“What’s her name? Where does she live? How long have they been together?”

“I don’t know anything about her just want he’s told me, even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Snitch get stitches and wind up in ditches.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Can you tell me anything about her?”

“He’s super quiet about it. I don’t think he would have told me anything if I didn’t see the hickey and the condoms”

Now he had missed his son walking around with a hickey. He knew he didn’t have it last night, so it had to have been before. And condoms, at least he was being safe. No grandkids or diseases, at least something he said stuck. He would have to work on getting to know his kids again. He took it for granted that he knew his boys.

“Anything going on with you that I should know about?” Might as well ask while the kid was talking to him.

“Well, since you forbid me from dating, I’m a social piranha.”

“Pariah.”

“Whatever.”

Brian knew his son wasn’t stupid but sometimes it was hard not to think it. It was like as soon as the hormones started the brains were shut off. The only real plus was he was getting most of it over with at once. He had a feeling Peter was going to be a late bloomer, which he was glad for, he wanted his son to stay the sweet little boy he’s always been for as long as possible.

Gus left for school not long after. Brian waited for school to start then called to make sure John was in class, he was. He sent John a text to come home straight after school, they needed to talk…again. Hopefully his son wasn’t that much like him, if it was him, he’d take off for a week. Of course, he had been scared of his father.

As he drove to work his phone rang.

“Kinney,” he answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Brian.”

“Hey Mikey, what’s up?”

“Ma’s planning a family dinner. She wanted me to call you and make sure you and the boys can come.”

“When?” He really didn’t want to go but Hell hath no fury like Debbie Horvath denied.

“Friday night. She already called Mary and invited her and Jack.”

Of course, she did. Now that they knew about him, Jack wasn’t getting out of any of the family get togethers. Whether he wanted to or not. It was a good thing; he didn’t ever want Jack to feel left out again. It wasn’t that he had a good childhood, but it wasn’t in a facility.

“Fine, we’ll be there. Even if I have to make them.” Which he would.

The apartment building was in a rough part of town. He didn’t feel very safe, but he hadn’t been since he ran into Blake. Getting to Dino before Blake could tell him where to find him was the smart move. The elevator was out of order, so he took the stairs. There was a smell in the hallway, it was a strong stench of fish.

He stood in front of the door for a full minute, trying to talk himself into knocking.

“Just knock,” he told himself.

“Talking to yourself now?”

Justin jumped and turned around, facing Dino the first time in years. He looked good, maybe a little more tired looking than before. He was wearing a tight blue t-shirt and khaki pants. Not a bad look for him.

“Dino, how are you?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you. Can we go inside?”

Dino shook his head. “Don’t think Tommy would like that, he can be a jealous little fucker when he wants. Come on, let’s get something to drink.”

Justin followed Dino quietly, old feelings resurfaced. Fear and longing, both tied together like they were meant to be. He knew that wasn’t true but while Ethan had been gentle and safe, Dino had been rough and dangerous, when he was nineteen it was very alluring. It was still a little alluring, damn him.

They stopped outside of a rundown bar, looking at the hours, he saw it was closed. Before he could say anything, Dino pulled out his keys and unlocked it.

“Is this your bar?”

“Yeah, mine and Tommy’s, we’re still fixing up the exterior, but Tommy has gutted the interior and completely redid it.”

Justin’s jaw dropped when they walked into the place. It wasn’t anything like he was expecting. It was beautiful, the bar stools and bar itself was chrome and black. There were beautiful paintings on the walls, there was something familiar about them but he couldn’t place it. They were beautiful, bright and a wonderful contrast to the darkness of the furniture and walls.

“Who did the art?” he asked.

“Tommy did…figures I would fall for another artist. He tried to get in to PIFA but was rejected. He didn’t need some stupid degree to be amazing though.”

Justin didn’t know if that was a dig at him or PIFA. It didn’t matter, lots of artists never stepped foot in a college, for art or not. You either had talent or you didn’t. It had taken him this long in life to be alright where he was in life. He had the degree, but it didn’t make him a better artist, it did however get him a job. At least he hoped it was his degree and portfolio and not his ass.

“Pull up a seat and tell me why you show up now, out of the blue?”

Justin had forgotten for a minute why he was there, sometimes it was easy to get lost in his own head. He took a seat on a leather chair, it felt like heaven.

“I saw Blake the other day.”

“Who?”

“Blake, you know, Blake.” He had no idea what the guy’s last name was.

He looked confused before he seemed to remember. “Oh, yeah, he still comes around every so often. Mostly when he fights with his sugar daddy. What about him?”

“He said he was going to tell you where I was. I wanted to tell you myself.”

“Why would I care where you were?” He honestly looked confused.

Justin started to feel embarrassed. “You know because you used to like me…a lot.”

“Cut the shit, I get it. I was obsessed but most of that was the drugs. You have a nice ass but you’re not all that. I’ve known where you were since I got out. The little rat made sure to come and warn me off of you. I’ll tell you what I told him; I don’t want anyone that doesn’t want me.”

Justin remembered their last night together, he had a hard time believing him. “Little rat?”

“Yeah, Ethan whatever. I hurt you, I didn’t know what I was doing. Honestly, I thought you were into it. It wasn’t until he was there, hitting me and screaming that I realized you were fighting me and not playing. The drugs made everything fucked up in my head. But when I saw the bruises and the blood, I can only thank that he got there before I could have hurt you so much that you’d never recover.”

Justin was too, Dino had called him a tease. At first, the alcohol in Justin’s system made it so he didn’t register what was going on right away. By the time he did, Dino had already overpowered him and was holding him down. Then Ethan was there, like an angel to save him when the only damage was still only a bloody nose and some bruised ribs with an unhealthy dose of fear. Maybe that’s why he always gave Ethan the benefit of the doubt, he had been his savior once upon a time.

“So, you’re not going to get even with me for my testimony about the drugs?”

“We both know it could have been more charges. I just want to live my life. I have a good man, this place and I’m clean and sober. I don’t want to be that person anymore. You’re a good person, I will tell you this, I’d keep Blake out of my life. He’s bad news, Tommy won’t let him in the bar anymore since he tried to find a few customers from our clientele.”

“Customers?”

“He’s hustling, I don’t think he’s using but he’s got a sugar daddy, I don’t know why he would be hustling if he’s got a place to live and food to eat. Tommy thinks its because he likes to mess with people’s minds. I don’t know and don’t care.”

“Got it. I really like what you’ve done with this place. It’s really nice, way better than Woody’s.”

Dino laughed. “Well, you can tell your friends if you want. We’re just starting out, so we don’t have a great turn out. It’s the outside, I need to work on it. Most people see it and think it’s a bad place.”

“I’ll tell them. We might try it out. I’d love to meet this amazing Tommy.” He found it very easy to forgive Dino for what he had done. If it had gone further he knew he would never have been so forgiving.

“Like hell, that’s all I need is for him to see you and get his panties in a twist.”

“Why would he?”

“You don’t remember him, do you?”

“I don’t know a Tommy.”

Dino pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. Justin watched as he looked for something on it. Finally, he found what he was looking for and showed it to Justin. It was a picture of Dino and Tommy.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Justin did his best to hold the laughter off until he was outside. Poor Dino. Thomas Wendell Newton was a classmate of his. He hated Justin probably even more than Chris had. The thing about Thomas was, in the beginning he was always following Justin and Daphne around. Freshman year, he dyed his hair blond. Sophomore year, he started wearing clothes like his when they weren’t in school. He had also applied to PIFA, Justin remembered, it wasn’t that he hadn’t been good, he’s work was just lacking. He had asked Justin to help him with his portfolio, but Justin didn’t have time. He always accused Justin of not helping because he had been jealous. That had been the end of their so-called acquaintance. He had no idea Thomas even knew Dino. Well, it looked like he was happy, and Dino was happy. Knowing about Thomas though, he would just stick to Woody’s.

He had met Brian’s friends a few times, but they had been nice, he didn’t drink with them though, he had been out with Daphne.

Finally, he could breath again…again. Blake didn’t have anything on him. Dino just wanted to live his own life. Now he could just worry about the custody fight, though Tara had been quiet for a while. He wouldn’t let his guard down, she would come back, he knew it.

His phone started ringing. Unknown number.

“Hello,” he answered.

“How would you like to go out on a date?”

“Brian?”

“Yes, so how about it?”

“Where are you calling from?”

“Broke my phone. Using a prepaid one right now, my new one should be here tomorrow.”

Justin wanted to ask what happened to it but that would be rude. “A date?”

“Yep, just you, me and six kids.”

“What did you do?”

“I need reinforcements. I’m having a breakdown of authority right now. I was thinking, if we all eat dinner together, maybe you could help get them to talk. I’ve never been the touchy-feely kind of father. I feel like I’m losing them, I need to step in before I really do.”

“Alright, but you know what that means, right?”

“You wouldn’t?”

“Aye, Aye, Matey. Put on your finest attire, we’re going to The Plank.”

“Fuck.”