CHAPTER 6 - BROTHERS, MOTHERS AND THE WANNABE LOVER

TWO HOURS LATER

BRIAN

I’m still nowhere near calm! The explosion was brutal when Emmett told me that Michael and his Ma told Ted the account details in which Emmett had over $20,000. Of course, the crackhead asked Emmett for some money. He said no, so he went behind his back and slowly syphoned the money off until there was nothing left. He, of course, was long gone when Emmett found that out. The last time they spoke was for him to say he’d be coming back and will repay the money, he just needed to pay off some debts. Never saw him again.

The door opens just as my phone rings. Snatching it up, I bark that the caller should wait. I cover the phone. “I want that fucker found by the end of the day!”

“Okay.” Ben replies in his don’t-take-it-out-on-me tone. “Meanwhile, Blake is coming with him, should be here in ten minutes.”

“Fine.” Again I breathe. “Good, it will be good to see him.” Ben comes across to kiss my forehead. “Sorry, I just, well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. Leave him with me. How alive does he need to be? I mean can I hurt him a little if he resists?”

“No.” He looks disappointed. “You can hurt him a lot!”

“Excellent, will keep you posted, have an errand to run first though.” He grabs his jacket, a biscuit and is gone.

I count to five before checking the phone and see it’s Mel. “Sorry, Mel, just been speaking to Emmett about what Ted did. Am sending Ben on a scouting mission. What can I do for you?”

“Um, well, you can say hi Gus instead.” I’m in shock. Yes, I knew she was going to speak to him, but I didn’t expect to be speaking to him so soon. “Or Mr Marcus-Kinney, if that’s too weird.”

“Marcus-Kinney?” I question. She never told me that he uses my name.

“Yep. Want me to not use it?” I hear the fear and quickly reassure him that I don’t. “Good, having to redo the labels in my pants would’ve been a bastard of a task.”

“We couldn’t have that now could we?”

“Nope. So can I come in?”

“C-c-come. Where are you?”

“Outside, across the road, in Mom’s car. She’s just coming back. One second.” 

I press the call button, Justin rushes in. “What’s wrong?”

“Gus is outside.” I explain, yanking off my PJ top then trying to swing myself out of bed, which he immediately stops. “He can’t see me like this! I need to at least pass a flannel over myself!”

“Fine. Let me get Ems to help you with that. I’ll speak to Gus.”

“You? Why would you speak to Gus?” He gives me an amused look. “Yeah, okay, got it. How long have you known him?”

“To communicate properly, which by the way, I look forward to witnessing, just over four years.” He heads out chuckling, leaving me confused.

Emmett comes in a minute later, he still looks a little teary. 

“What can I do for you, Big, I mean Brian.”

“Don’t do that.” I state.

“That’s why I said Brian.” He sighs.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean. If you’re gonna call me Big Bad, do that.” I roll my eyes as his fill again, I beckon him closer, he sits. I offer him my top. Briefly, he demurs, but my glower has him wiping. “Silk, won’t irritate your eyes so much.” I wait for him to give a half smile. “Come live out your fantasy and help me wash my cock.”

“Who told you?! I’m going to kill them!” He fumes and blushes.

“You just did.”

“Oh God!” He howls before burying his face in the top. For the first time since our chat, I smile.

OUTSIDE THE HOSPICE

MEL

I know he's his father's son, but come on! “Another thing that's all him: your ballsiness.”

“You’re ballsy too, Mom.” He declares, looking relieved I'm not mad, that in the time I went to get a magazine, he called his father and arranged a meet up! 

But now he’s frowning at the phone. I take it off him. The message asks to give him ten minutes, my temper starts to rise. “Justin’s coming.” I paste a smile on as he waves, we wave back.

“Hey, Gus! Hi-up!” He declares. They fist bump as usual. “You set a proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. He needs to make himself presentable.” Gus grins in both glee and relief. “So, want to get a coffee and a coke first?” Gus glowers. Justin knows how to hit his libation button. “Oh, yes, sorry, sparkling water with a hint of guava juice.”

“Better.” As we cross the road, a car pulls up, Gus whistles. “Very nice!” He stops, as he always does when it comes to cars, to admire it. “Must be a sweet ride.”

“It is!” The driver calls out the open window. “Thanks.”

“Can I take a picture?!” Gus pleads, whilst Justin and I exchange knowing looks. The times we’ve had to pull over so he could add to his scrapbook. 

“Of course!” He gets out. “Let me just get my boy inside and I’ll be right back!”

“Thanks! Mom, can you get my camera while he does that?!” I nod and am about to go to the car when the boy steps out. Both Gus and I gasp. For a second, Gus just stares as he closes the door and adjusts the bag he’s holding. 

“Hunter.” 

As he turns, his eyebrows go up. “Yeah. Gus.” My heart hammers as Gus nods. “You look a lot like him. Shall we go together or you want to see him by yourself first?”

“Together.” 

“Cool.”

“Um, Gus, I’m Blake. I work for your Dad.”

“Oh, nice to meet you. Can we take a photo after we’ve spoken to - um, what are you comfortable with?”

“Me?” Hunter frowns before a brief smile flashes. “Thanks for asking. Let’s talk to him and all get comfortable.”

“Good. Thanks for that.” 

JUSTIN

As Mel, Blake and I follow them in, all I can think is that those boys are gonna be just fine. It’s Brian that needs to worry!

BRIAN’S ROOM 

JEN

Emmett and I are in mid plump when the door opens. “Hey, this is Gus.” Hunter declares. For a second, Brian looks startled. “We met outside, just as Blake dropped me off.” 

“Hey.” Gus whispers.

“Hey.” Brian murmurs. “Will you come closer?” I swallow down tears as he stops himself from running. “You are taller than you look in the photo.”

“Oh, for frig sake, just hug!” Emmett orders. “So I can meet him!” 

It’s more tears at dawn when Gus gently gets in Brian’s arms. They don't say a word. A minute later, Brian pats his other side, Hunter joins them, still nobody speaks. 

“I have something to show you.” Gus pulls out an envelope, which he hands to him. “Parting words.” Brian opens it. He and Hunter read, whilst Gus focuses on Mel. I just know what he’s given him, from what Emmett’s said, it’s bound to be the note from Lindsay. Upon finishing, he puts it back in the envelope, but Gus doesn't take it, which makes us all frown. “How much of it is you now?”

“Gus, as I said it that was then.” Mel states.

“I know what you said, I want to hear from him.” Gus returns. “And why were you like that?”

EMMETT 

Now in all the years I’ve known Big Bad, he's never said anything about his childhood, just knew that it wasn’t a subject you broached with him. Well, unless you were his best fiend, yes I mean fiend, for that is who he truly was and is. For the next half an hour he talks about it, two glares over Gus’s head from Jen dry my tears up. 

“Well that needs to be burned.” Hunter declares, then giggles and points. 

Jen blushes as she’d been inching closer to Gus. He gets up, I catch the swallow that Justin does when Gus wraps his arms around her. “Oh, thank you!”

“Couldn’t have you on the bed too, gotta look after the old man.” He nods at Justin. “You raised a rascal though.”

“I know.” She laughs, tilting his chin up. “You can call me Nana Jen, like Hunter, if you like?”

“Is it alright with you, Hunter? She’s your Nana Jen first?” Gus asks. I note he’s not let go, 

“Yeah, that's cool. You good with Old Man, or would you prefer him to call you Pops?” Brian shrugs, but there’s a little gleam of joy and hope in his eye. “So?” He continues. “You’re Justin, Mel and Emmett, where’s everyone else?”

“Waiting outside to be let in!” Daph shouts. We look to Brian. He, however, is looking at Mel.

“You ever made it up with your folks?” She shakes her head. “Good, those homophobic shitheads don’t deserve you nor my, our, kids.”

“So, I can let them in Pops?”

“Yes, Gus, let them in.”

MEANWHILE ACROSS TOWN

DEBS

I’m doing my other favourite thing with Michael: shopping, although not for clothes this time, we’re doing that tomorrow. Oh, how I love when he shops for me and vice versa! 

We’re getting some of that wine that we had when we were at David’s. I was more than pissed when having to put things back to how her princess wanted it in her room, and overhearing that she’d bought more of the wine back, we couldn’t find it. All that was left was the other stuff, including at least seven of the ones that we bought. 

“Found it!” Michael calls before whistling. “No wonder it tastes so good, it’s $25 a bottle!”

“Does it come in a white?” I ask as I check out the vodka. He doesn’t answer. When I turn around, he’s staring down the aisle. “Mikey, you okay?”

“Isn’t that Joan the Crone?” He whispers, pointing at a woman. “I mean, it looks like her, but it can’t be, can it?”

“It is her, Let’s get nearer, her boozy stench will be the confirmation!” I snigger, he wrinkles his nose, I nudge him along. As we get closer, we see first that it is her, and, secondly, she’s on the phone. Whoever she’s talking to is making her smile. I’m furious after her treatment of Brian, she doesn’t deserve happiness! “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!” I declare, and jab her shoulder. She turns and scowls. “How dare you give me such a shitty look, you pissed up old newt!”

“Hang on, I need to deal with some undesirables.” 

“Undesirables she calls us! Us! We brought up Brian because you were too busy sucking the neck of a bottle of vodka like a hooker at an orgy!” Michael snarls. “You’re the reason he left, you almost cost me my best friend! But he’s back in town, and has vowed not to come not to see you at all. We’re going to make sure that happens! Come on, Ma, we’ve got to go and cook Brian dinner!”

She looks devastated and I’m glad. “It’s so good to have my two boys back home. Oh, remember to get another vase, so many flowers he bought me!”

JOAN

My heart hammers as they swagger off, before he disappears the snake does the eyes on you gesture then sticks a finger up. 

I choke back a sob and search for a tissue, slowly an arm comes around my shoulders and a handkerchief is pressed into my hand. I’m dimly aware as I attempt to clean up of someone shouting, the phone is taken. A short conversation is had before I’m led away.

“You’re staying with us.” Ben tells me. “No way are you being at your place alone!”

BRIAN’S ROOM

HUNTER

I had called Nana Joan after Gus asked about her. Aunt Mel, as Gus said I could call her, asked Dad if he’d been in touch since he left. She and Uncle Ems were surprised that he was, and even more so when he said that they’ve made peace and she’s been sober almost six years. 

“Hunter. Hunter. You okay?” Gus looks concerned, I nod. Dad is rubbing my shoulder, but he’s teeth grinding. When they said those horrible words, Nana Jen almost had to pin him down to stop him from taking my phone, mouthing, we need to hear. He calmed down a little bit when Uncle Ben said he was taking her to ours now. She was the errand he had to run for, it was going to be a surprise for Dad. He was going to bring her this evening with the bread he loves. That’s why she was there, getting what she needed. But after that and hearing her crying and how angry Uncle Ben sounded, she needs rest.  

“Want to go for a walk or something?” Gus presses.

“That’s a great idea.” Dad declares. “Blake!” He’s in quickly. “They’re going for a walk, stay close.”

“Yes Boss.” He replies, and with a nod, we follow.

JUSTIN

I open the medical drawer and take out a pressure kit. “Mom, Ems, can you guys move, I need to check him. Brian, I need you to take slow and steady breaths, get your heartrate down.,”

“Guys, come on. Let him do what he does best.” Vic orders, and soon it’s just us.

I check his pulse, it's galloping. “Look at me. Fix on any part of my face and breathe deeper and slower.” When I’m satisfied, I strap on the band, his gaze shifts to my hands. “What are you going to do about them?”

“As soon as I’m fixed enough, going to go back to Cali.”

“So, money means more than blood?” I feel his twitch of annoyance and the glare is drilling into me. “Ted takes money, you want to hunt him down and do whatever, they slag off your Mom, you wanna run.” 

“For their own safety, it’s best I'm not close. As for you, let's end this conversation, or I will give you that spanking your Mom thinks you’ve had coming for a very long time!”

“Not all pain needs to be physical, though I will bear that threat in mind for when we’re ready for you to follow through with it.” I gauge his reaction. To my relief and joy, he’s starting to smile. “Do you want me to go see your Mom, check on her?” He looks surprised. “You looked after my Mom, let me return the favour.”

“Would appreciate that.” He sinks back against the pillows. “Can you go now?” I nod. “Take Ems with you, she’ll need a smile.”

TEN MINUTES LATER

BRIAN

Uncle Vic’s not said much, he’s just sat there since I asked Justin to send him in. Jen called Blake, he’s bringing the boys back, so she and Mel can take them for ice cream, another thing they have in common. When upset, it’s ice cream that’s needed.

“I knew they were nasty and bitter, but that, that was repugnant.” He sits on the bed. “Take it as soon as you’re better, you're going straight back.”

“No. I’m going to stay, stay until I say and have my piece.”

His smile is slow. “The say is for them, the have is Justin?”

“Yeah.” My leer makes him chuckle. “He’s got a spanking coming, want to kiss that ass better afterwards.”