CHAPTER 19- CLOSE ENEMIES

Lindsay closed the laptop and lounged by the pool. Things were working out according to plan. Although it was well before sunrise, she knew that her and William’s carefully laid plans over the past month were being broadcast over the airwaves on the East Coast and abroad. They had timed the release of the video he took at the Diner a month ago perfectly. It had taken patience and planning, but it was all worth it. Her only regret was not being there to see the looks on Brian and Justin’s faces while their secrets were being splattered all across the national news. It was a small victory with big results and now it was time for Phase II in her four tier plan to ruin the Taylor-Kinneys.

The Taylor-Kinneys! It was like acid on her tongue when she said it; a blazing fire in her brain each time she thought of Brian’s ultimate betrayal. He was supposed to be hers! She had worked long and hard to ensure that he would be, even giving birth to Gus to tie him to her for all eternity. Just when all her plans and years of patience were about to come to fruition with his move back to Pittsburgh, in waltzes this bubble-butt blond who usurped her rightful place by Brian’s side. It was not to be borne! So when Connor James, alongside her father and Justin’s father, came into her living room, her determination to make Brian hers was renewed.

She would never forget the humiliation of finding out that while she was preparing to have Brian’s second child, Brian and Justin were signing papers to join their lives permanently to each other. If that offense wasn’t enough, as Brian’s husband, Justin had ordered the last remaining sample of Brian’s sperm destroyed, as her own former partner watched with glee in her eyes. She owed Melanie a turn for the part she played in this debacle, but that would have to wait. First, she had to get rid of that fucking Justin Taylor, and then it would be time to make Mel’s life a living hell.

Getting up from her seat, Lindsay decided that an early morning swim was in order, to wash away the bitter memories plaguing her. Although it had been dark for hours, the water was still so warm. That was one of the things she most enjoyed about California. The weather was perfect, day or night. There was something to be said about living in a place where luxury was a way of life, not a wish or constant fantasy. When Connor first proposed that she come with him and his brother after Michael had been arrested, she was hesitant. She didn’t really know these men personally. The only thing they had to recommend them was their common goal of separating Brian and Justin Taylor-Kinney permanently. But Connor, the sweet-talking devil, had told her that he needed a beard and was tired of the starlets hanging on his arm. If she would come with them, they would go to the parties and premieres she’d always dreamed she’d be invited to as a little girl. Best of all, she wouldn’t have to fuck anyone she didn’t want to, including the James brothers. So it was a good thing that she had wanted to fuck both of them, which she did all the way to L.A. and several times upon arrival. Her itch for dick had been scratched over and over again in a variety of ways. And all she had to do was keep their secrets.

Well technically she did, except… well she hadn’t counted on Michael, via the video, screaming out at the top of his lungs about Justin’s involvement with the James brothers. Surely, they would see that it was not her fault about word getting out, but that of William’s and Michael’s. All she had to do when asked was play blonde and dumb. They would buy the act just as everyone else did, including them, where Justin was concerned. Besides, it helped that the laptop they bought for her is password protected, so there was no way they could find out that she was really behind any of it. It was another perfect plan.

As she alighted from the pool, she was startled to see her new lover standing there. Belinda Mack was an actress who had starred in a few B-rated movies and also forced to keep her sexuality a secret. Lindsay liked her for her fiery red hair and green eyes- so different from Melanie, whose pussy she spent years licking. At twenty-three years old, Belinda was young, creamy-skinned, and firm in all the right places. She also didn’t mind when Lindsay wanted her to lick her while being fucked, or a bit of rough play, as long as it didn’t leave scars on her body. The makeup artists could only cover so many of those before filming.

Lindsay walked naked over to her. Gripping her face gently in her hands, she placed and open mouth kiss on the plump lips of the woman. Belinda responded in kind, taking charge of the kiss until they both needed air.

“Did you sleep well?” Lindsay asked, still breathing heavily, enjoying the rise and fall of the bouncy tits caressing her own wet ones.

“About as well as can be expected with cool sheets to wake up to. What are you doing out here?” The honeyed voice asked.

“I’m still a bit on east coast time so I felt like I was oversleeping. It will probably even out the longer I stay here.”

“You’re not planning on leaving are you?” The innocent green eyes regarded Lindsay in an  almost pleading way.

“No, but I do have to go back sometimes. My whole life is there- my parents, my son… you know, the people that mean the most to me.”

“I hope I’m considered one of those people.”

“Of course you are Darling,” Lindsay lied smoothly. She enjoyed the fresh young snatch in front of her. She would say anything to keep it until she tired of the taste.

“Well good. Let’s go back to bed. I have just the thing to put you to sleep. You’re gonna sleep so fucking good.”

“A bedtime story?”

“No. A bedtime, full-body orgasm is so much better.”

“Well who am I to say no to that?”

Lindsay looked at her laptop once more, figuring she would just collect it when Belinda left for the studio. If she had glanced about instead of concentrating on the heart-shaped ass in front of her, she would have seen the person that had been standing in the shadows watching and waiting for her to leave, retrieve the device and save all of the emails to a flash drive before disappearing again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Donovan and Ted arrived mid-morning at Kinnetik, briefcases in tow. It had been hell getting through security, but fortunately Brian had called ahead to Newark International Airport to book the flights and spoke directly to his contact at Liberty Air, making the impromptu business trip a little easier.  On the flight they discussed the information they discovered and how to broach the subject with Justin. Ted called Brian once they were airborne to have him contact Jennifer and Molly. By the time they landed, a car was waiting for them at Pittsburgh International.

At first, Ted was confused about the direction. The last he remembered Justin and Brian were living at Brian’s former residence on Tremont full-time. Donovan reminded Ted that they only stayed on Tremont if there was an early morning meeting at the office. After talking with Cynthia to get the full-scope of the morning’s events before boarding, Donovan knew that because of the current media frenzy, Kinnetik was closing for the day. When they arrived at the high-rise building Brian owned, Ted was taken aback at how much it looked like the New York residence. But then that was Brian. It was one of Brian Kinney’s many quirks to have all of his residences resemble each other in very significant ways. It also extended to Kinnetik’s offices and those of Babylon.

Walking into the apartment Brian shared with Justin, Ted was surprised to see the subtle changes Brian had allowed in the space. Instead of just sleek Italian furniture with chrome in black or white, there was a plush red leather couch sitting invitingly in the living room, facing the skyline of the city. Brian’s sofa sat to the right of it with ruby-colored silk throw pillows thrown haphazardly across it. It wasn’t hard to imagine Brian and Justin spending many evenings lounging comfortably on either piece and that said a lot about the changes Justin’s presence wrought. Because of their briefcases and the mountains of information already littering the dining room table, the group settled in there with William off to the side, but still a part of the conference getting ready to commence.

“Ted, Donovan, thanks for coming on such short notice. Mel should be back any moment. She went to take Gus to visit with Debbie for the afternoon,” Justin stated as he started the coffeemaker for another round of coffee. So far he’d had three cups and still couldn’t find the energy to do anything more than go back to bed. He tried to force a smile as he felt Brian’s arms enclose him from behind.

“After what I’ve heard regarding Michael’s continued stupidity, she’ll welcome the distraction,” Brian said as he continued to hold the subtly trembling form against his body. “Sunshine, stop worrying.”

“What did you hear Brian?” Ted asked, noticing the frown creasing the man’s features even as he asked the question. Being based in New York sometimes had its disadvantages, like being out of the immediate loop and getting information second or third hand.

“More of the same, except that he admitted the watch that was supposed to be a gift was actually payment for services rendered.” At Ted’s look of puzzlement, Brian clarified, “He admitted that the bastards told him to cash the watch in at the pawn shop after exposing and embarrassing Justin so much that he would have no choice but to return to their tender loving care. I’ve a right mind to fuck up their entire universe right this minute and the law be damned.”

“Brian…” Justin started but Brian cut him off.

“No Justin. Look what this shit is doing to you; look what it has already done! While they are walking around free and clear, on their movie sets or wherever the hell they are, you are still being held prisoner to their whims.”

“I know, but Brian we’ve talked about this several times. We have to try to stay within the bounds of the law on this one. That journal is only a small piece of the network as a whole. We’re doing what we can for now. I don’t need to have to visit you behind bars. Besides, they don’t allow conjugal visits anymore and since I know you can’t go without sex for more than a few hours at a time, I don’t think you’ll like the outcome of not having unfettered access to my cock. So stop being a dick and let’s figure out what we can do from this point on that remains on this side of the law. Okay?”

Ted watched Brian the entire time of Justin’s impassioned plea, amazed to see the moment Justin’s words broke through the angry hard shell of the brunet. Had Ted not been there to see it for himself, he wouldn’t have believed it. Shaking his head to clear it, he said, “So while we’re waiting on Mel, why don’t we go over these contracts for Taylor Enterprises. I found a new manufacturer that is interested in also becoming an exclusive distributor for the new gaming systems. I’ve also found a contractor after interviewing several who can have the lounge up and running in about a month. Seven Collins is anxious to get started.”

“Okay Ted,” Justin agreed, detaching himself from Brian’s arms and taking a seat at the table. “Seven Collins? Why does that name sound so familiar?” Before Donovan or Ted had a chance to pull back the background report on the man in question, Justin snatched it up. He was quiet as he read the report, gasping every now and again at what he was learning. “You’re shitting me, right?” He looked between the two men regarding him from beneath hooded lashes.

“Afraid not Justin,” Donovan answered. “When we began our investigation, we had no idea that we would find this kind of information.”

“What is it?” Brian asked, coming over to the table, taking the file from Justin’s stiffened fingers.

“How long have you had it?” Justin asked.

“Since two days after we received his name as a potential contractor. We did things backwards in a sense. We did the investigations before we did the appointments. We didn’t want to come across homophobes or waste time with those not serious about their business. Although the others were good, he was the one, given his history, that we felt would do you the most justice. In turn, we thought it would do him good too since he’s also an architect and could use the business. Since his… well let’s just say he’s been unfairly black-balled because of his former…”

“Owners,” Brian concluded.

“Yeah, there is that. Look Justin, we don’t have to meet with him if you don’t want to,” Ted offered but was silenced by a raised hand.

“Seven getting away is the reason I ended up in the unenviable position of becoming Brandon and Connor’s plaything. I can’t hold it against him because he escaped. I would have too, given the chance. Hell I did.” Justin’s voice shook as he said that last.

“But do you want to have that reminder everyday while working with him?” Donovan asked.

“How could I not? You two are sitting here right now because someone thought it a wonderful idea to expose my secrets on a grand level. The only difference is that I have money behind me- that which I squirreled away and through my LDP with Brian. This guy must have had to fight for every fucking thing. I know that there are several who weren’t so lucky.”

Everyone within that room had to admire the young man’s strength. It took a lot to overlook the type of past he shared with so many others and had survived. It took a lot to forgive the reason he was sought out and demanded in exchange for saving a failing business. Looking at the picture again, Brian couldn’t help but notice how similar to Justin, Seven Collins looked. He was almost a dead ringer for the blond except for the hazel eyes which stared back at him from the confines of a photograph. Although a few years older than Justin, Brian couldn’t help but see some of the problems the advent of Seven could make in their lives.

“So how do we protect Justin?”

“Huh?” Justin asked, confused at why this would be an issue.

Brian placed the picture in front of Justin, tapping it twice. It was then Justin got a good look at the man. If he didn’t know better he would have thought they were related. He could understand what Brian’s very real concern was. Cynthia leaned over his shoulder as did William to get a good look at the man.

“This could be a problem. The only thing I can suggest is to have security following both at a discreet distance at all times,” Cynthia offered.

“How do we even know that they are going to make that kind of move? If the cops are crawling like they should be, Brandon and Connor may just think this whole business isn’t worth the risk anymore,” William said, hoping that he was right in his assumption.

“They won’t,” Justin said with surety. “The one thing I know about Brandon and Connor is that they would jump at the chance to regain me or Seven. It isn’t even that we’re so desirable anymore, although that’s their overt reason they will give for wanting us back. It’s that they hate losing. It’s one thing if you leave their care in a body bag; another thing if you found them so detestable that you would have gnawed your own foot off to be free of them. As narcissists, one could handle their enormous egos, but what makes them dangerous is the amount of influence they have. Money is just the tool that gets them what they want, but it’s the influence that keeps their possessions in their places. Seven and I escaped that and have built lives outside of them. That’s what Brandon and Connor can’t abide, and will do anything within their power to destroy.”

They were saved from having to formulate a response by the arrival of Melanie. “Look who we found downstairs, looking lost as ever.” She sneered.

All eyes turned to the surprise guest, who really wasn’t a surprise at all. “Good morning everyone.”

“I was supposed to call you later today Ron.” Justin nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“Let’s just say I couldn’t wait for your answer.”

“Well I guess we can all thank that bitch you and your wife birthed for that,” Brian said, belligerent in his stance.

“Stand down Kinney. We all have a common goal here, and that is to contain the threat to Justin.”

“Bullshit. You and your friends are only interested in containing the threat to yourselves.”

“That’s true. But while we are protecting our own asses, we’ll be saving his.” Ron pointed out. “So Justin, have you made your decision?”

“I have and the answer is no deal, but not for the reasons you think. Because of Lindsay’s actions and someone else who is pretending to be my friend over there, the only thing that’s keeping me alive right now is that cursed book.”

“We could kill you and find it ourselves,” Ron threatened, realizing his mistake too late.”

“Do try. Go on, I dare you,” Cynthia said through gritted teeth, pressing the switchblade she always kept on her person against his throat.

“Alright, alright, I was bluffing. Kinney call off your bitch will you?” He felt a trickle of blood coming to the surface.

At that moment, Jennifer walked into the apartment with Molly in tow. Taking in the scene before her she smiled. “Ron, how nice to see you again, although under these less than pleasant circumstances. I take it you’ve seen the news this morning? Cynthia, let him go dear. We need to hear what he intends to do about the she-wolf currently hiding out in parts unknown. Although killing him would bring the bitch out of hiding, it will also land all of us in jail. You know we’d help you hide the body. Good morning my other darlings.” She walked over and planted kisses on the cheeks of Brian and Justin.

Cynthia did as she was bid, adding an additional shove to Ron Peterson’s head. “Don’t say shit like that again Peterson. Bluffing or not, you won’t be so fortunate next time.”

He rubbed the small nick on his neck, shaking his head at the savagery in the little compact package always at Kinney’s side. “I now understand why Gardner fretted losing you so much. So much more than a pretty face, quite lethal too, when pushed.”

“Yes I am. And I would have happily cut out his gullet should he have tried to acquire me. Do pass on that information, will you?” Turning to Molly and Jennifer, dismissing the man as inconsequential, she tells them, “There’s a new pot of coffee on. Would either of you like a cup?”

Both agreed just before Molly asked, “So where are we in the planning Jester? And why did Cynthia have a knife to Ron’s throat when we walked in?”

“That’s Mr. Peterson to you, young lady. Your father…”

Ron began, but was promptly cut off by Molly asking, “Cynthia, your knife please?”

“Marlinda Jane Taylor!” Jennifer interjected.

“Sorry Mom, but anyone who mentions that that man’s DNA runs through my veins deserves for their larynx to be cut out.”

“Jennifer, surely this isn’t acceptable behavior for a young lady!”

“Oh, like I’m quite sure that trying to steal sperm, extorting money, blackmailing people, and willfully plotting to engage in unlawful detention are? When you can bring your little bitch to heel Ron, then I’ll consider reining in my own wild philly. Until such time, do not demand that my daughter call you anything more than the asshole you are.”

“Does that mean I can call him an asshole?” Molly asked hopefully. “I’ll even put the word mister in front of it as a gesture of goodwill.”

“Molly, mind your manners, please,” Jennifer said while chuckling. “By the way Ron, do not put MY children in the same category as Craig Taylor. I think I speak for both of them when I say that we all would rather forget the man ever existed.”

“For the record, they aren’t the only ones Jennifer. My constituents and I are beyond pissed that this has been brought about because of Craig’s greed and selfishness.”

“And yet you all have done nothing to stop him long before now,” Brian pointed out. “I have no doubt that if Justin’s escape hadn’t happened, you all would have happily kept your heads buried in the sand while accepting the membership payments to your little club from the James brothers. So please, for the love of Christ, don’t make this about anything more than you all trying to save your own asses.”

“But again I point out, that while we are saving our own, we will also be saving your precious boytoy.”

“Fuck you Ron! I’m no one’s boytoy. Not Brian’s and certainly NOT Brandon and Connor’s. I’m my own man, have been and always will be! You will not come into our home and not respect that!” Justin’s outburst surprised them all, especially Brian. “This is my fucking life playing out. You will treat this matter with the care and respect it deserves or take your chances elsewhere. I don’t give a fuck! The only thing I care about right now is being able to live my goddamn life without looking over my shoulder every six seconds; to be able to love my husband and son, to be able to run my businesses without trying to be ruined, and forced back into slavery where I never should have been. If you can’t understand that, LEAVE RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!! UGH!”

Justin doubled over in pain. It was obvious to anyone watching him unravel that this situation was more than taking its toll on him. Brian wrapped his arms around the lithe body, allowing him to beat against him until all the fight left and there was nothing but tears. The gut-wrenching sobs wracked the man who all of them knew had been so strong in the face of adversity, the likes of which they all would never know. It was beyond heartbreaking in its intensity.

“I’m going to put him to bed. I’ll be back, but when I am, I expect some definitive plans in place. Don’t fuck with me on this,” Brian warned, holding Justin close before disappearing through the doors to the left of the dining area.”

Once Brian and Justin cleared the space Melanie said, “As hard as this is on Justin, I wonder how Brian is holding up.”

“Why? It’s not as if this is happening to him.” Ron said, genuinely confused at why anyone would be concerned for the brunet after the blond’s breakdown.

Cynthia rolled her eyes at the man but answered anyway. “The one reason I’m sure your daughter wanted Brian is because he is an Alpha male. Make no mistake or exist in whatever stereotype I see playing out in your blue eyes, Mr. Peterson. Brian Kinney is a man who makes even hetero males tremble- not because of him wanting them- but because of the power he wields within himself. Brian is able to match wits and throw punches with the best of them. He makes good on every promise he ever makes and protects those he holds dear. He’s dominant and domineering. So imagine when something like this comes against the person he loves and he feels almost powerless in the moment to stop it. While Brian may be sad, he is also angry. And an angry Brian Kinney equals a reckless Brian Kinney. You might want to warn those constituents you were talking about that Brian is coming for them with only two options available: either fight with him to save his husband or be destroyed. Make no mistake, Justin is going to come out of this a free man, the question is. will all of you?”

Ron swallowed hard at the all Cynthia said. From what he’d already seen of the cool, calm Kinney, he would not want to be on the man’s bad side. He would have much rather Brian yelled instead of becoming quiet and still the way he was, although his fury was evident. That kind of contained anger makes Brian a wildcard. He couldn’t help but think about Justin. Prior to his outburst, Justin Taylor possessed the same kind of calculating, cunning control over himself. That cunning is what made Justin a self-made man even while being held in captivity. Brian and Justin were an interesting pairing, and evenly matched. He would take his chances with them.

“I think we should get down to business then. This is what I know of the situation thus far…” Ron said, knowing within his heart that he just made the right decision.