CHAPTER 22: IT’S NO FUN WHEN THE RABBIT’S GOT THE GUN Part 1

“That press conference went great, you two! Rest up now and I’ll let you know when Leslie gets here,” Cynthia told thee men as she ushered them to the office. “I would have given anything to see their faces, but I’m sure they will make their next move soon enough.”

“Yeah. I have a feeling that whichever one is either already here or on their way back to Pittsburgh will probably wish they had stayed hidden,” Donovan said.

“And even better news, guys, the restraining orders have been expanded to include me, Leda, and Gus. So even if she finds out where we live or where Gus is now going to school, everyone has been made fully aware that Lindsay Peterson is not to be allowed access, nor are her cohorts in crime,” Mel told them triumphantly. She had spent most of the time before the press conference handling things down at the courthouse, including the the lawfully-obtained voice recording that Ron Peterson didn’t know about. The law definitely worked in their favor there, since only one party of those in that meeting had to know they were being recorded for it to become admissible in court as evidence. Judge Marva Fitzroy was only too happy to approve the orders then. Besides, she couldn’t stand Lindsay Peterson… and Mel knew it!

“Wait, you think she would be crazy enough to send someone in her place to collect Gus?” Donovan asks.

“Yes, she would. If it means bringing Mel and I around to her way of thinking, Lindsay is not above obtaining Gus by any means necessary,” Brian answered. Then turning to Justin, he said, “You should have something to eat. You didn’t eat very much this morning.”

Justin shook his head. “I don’t feel like eating. I just want this all done. Despite how calm I appear, my stomach is in knots right now.”

“I know, but that’s all the more reason that you should eat something. I would rather you vomit up real food than stomach acid. I’m not asking that you shove a triple cheeseburger with all the fixings down your throat, but maybe a light meal will do. Please? For me?”

Everyone in the office held their collective breath, mainly because Brian hadn’t ordered Justin; he asked. It was a rare day that Brian wouldn’t demand that he be obeyed, especially within the vaunted halls of Kinnetik. It didn’t matter that Brian and Justin owed the company jointly. In everyone’s minds, he was still the CEO and therefore, the boss. But to see Brian actually ask Justin to eat something showed growth on the brunet’s part, and gave testament to how he viewed Justin… not as an extension of himself, but as his equal.

Justin sighed. “Fine, Brian. But please get me something with some flavor and not that turkey on whole wheat without mayo you favor.” He smiled to alleviate Brian’s fears that he was upset about Brian’s guilt-inducing plea. Deep down, even though he didn’t like it at all, he knew that his husband was right. Justin really did need to eat something before the lightheadedness he’d been feeling resulted in a trip to the Emergency Room.

“Great. Cynthia will you get us both a couple of BLTs please? And if I know my husband, he’ll want a pineapple juice, instead of his usual orange juice.”

“Pineapple juice?” She raised her eyebrow.

“Yeah, it’s his ‘stress’ drink of choice. Since he can’t have a Beam, and soda is out of the question right now because it will make him feel too full, it will level him out a bit.”

“It always amazes me what you know, Brian. How did you figure that out?” Justin turned to look at him.

“You constantly drank it while we were doing the meetings in Aruba. You also keep a container of it in the back of the fridge at home and only indulge in it when we’re brainstorming about business. It wasn’t hard to notice that little idiosyncrasy and a few others, but I’ll let those remain a secret for now.” Brian grinned at him, and the smile he received in return let him know that Justin understood exactly what he was referring to.

“Later,” Justin whispered.

“Definitely.”

“Okay, you two. I swear being in the same room with you makes me feel like I’m intruding or that I’ve walked in on you naked… again!” Ted said causing the others to laugh.

“I’ll just place this order with the Midnight Star Deli down the street. I don’t want to place it with the Diner. It will cause Debbie to rush over here,” Cynthia informs them.

“Why would she?” Mel asked.

“Because, if you were surprised at what Brian noticed about Justin, do you honestly think Deb wouldn’t have noticed, too?”

“Good point. Too bad she notices everything about everyone, except what her son is doing,” Mel said, rolling her eyes.

“Lighten up on her this time, Mel. She’s actually trying in this situation. Although I doubt she’ll really believe that he’s completely at fault for his part in this, it’s big enough to know that she’s finally letting Michael handle his woes on his own. She didn’t even try to stop Carl when he arrested Michael, so that’s something,” Brian said.

“I suppose you’re right, but is it wrong that I’m waiting for her to turn true-to-form?”

“I think with what Michael said, and how he was obnoxiously and boastfully displaying that cursed book, and hurling every epithet his tiny mind could think of at Justin’s head, Deb finally had to acknowledge what a nasty piece of crap Michael is… we all did,” he finishes sadly.

Mel couldn’t help but realize that as angry as Brian was at Michael, he had also been hurt the most by the people he had once considered his best friends. He, Michael, and Lindsay shared a history between them, one that had once meant the world to Brian. They gave him a safe haven of sorts, but it had come with the ultimate price: his happiness or theirs. He had finally chosen his own over theirs for the first time in as long as she’d known him, and neither Michael nor Lindsay was prepared for or supportive of his choice.

“Brian, if it’s any consolation, you did the right thing. You’re not alone in questioning how you couldn’t see what kind of people Michael and Lindsay are; hell, I basically married the broad. Never doubt that you deserve a man like Justin, someone who is kind and loyal, but also tough and determined to live by his own rules, not the ones set out for him by someone else. You two are opposite sides of the same coin. As for me, well… I’m going to get through this with the help of you guys, and then I’m going to go on about my life. It’s time I remember -or better yet, reinvent- myself, not continue being the peace-loving clone Lindsay made me.”

“If you start burning your bra and singing ‘I am Woman’ you’re on your own,” Brian wisecracks, effectively restoring the good vibes they all had become accustomed to when in each others’ presence.

They were still laughing when Bethany rang the intercom. Cynthia went up to handle matters personally, only to return a short while later with their lunch… and a guest. Clearing her throat, she said, “Brian, there is someone here I think you should meet.”

The guest spoke then, “If now isn’t a good time, I could always come back…”

“Nonsense,” she replied. “You will stand right there and let them decide if they want to talk to you right now, Seven.”

“H-How do you know my name?” The blond-haired man looked at her questioningly, almost ready to bolt.

“Calm down. No one here is going to hurt you. As for how I know your name…”

“She knows because I was your successor, Seven,” Justin told him as he stepped from behind Brian. “If they don’t hold my past with them against me, we damn sure won’t hold your escape against you.”

Both blonds faced each other, taking in the measure of the other as the rest stood by in shock. There was no doubt that they could at least pass for brothers, but in reality the picture they received of Seven Collins didn’t do justice to how much he and Justin looked alike.

“Are you hungry? We were just ordering lunch,” Justin said.

“I could eat.” He pulled out his wallet, handing Cynthia a twenty. “May I have a triple cheeseburger with all the fixings and an order of fries please?”

Brian laughed. “I was wrong, Blue. He could very well be your long-lost twin.” He walked over to the other blond and extended his hand. “I’m Brian Taylor-Kinney, Justin’s husband. Don’t worry about paying for lunch; it’s on me.”

“But…”

“No buts. I imagine you and Justin have a lot to talk about. This is my way making sure you both have a meal together at the very least.”

“So what brings you by? I know that Ted and Cynthia were going to call you about the renovations we wanted done, but that was going to happen later this week.”

“I was outside during your press conference. I wasn’t going to come in. I was halfway home when I realized that I should.”

“Why?” Brian asked.

“I thought Justin could use some moral support from someone who has actually been where he was. Not only that, but I thought…” he paused, swallowing hard before continuing. “I thought about the way I live my life now. I live in constant fear, always checking behind me expecting to see them. I have my assistant check the job sites I work on five and six times before I even arrive to make sure it’s not some ruse they are trying to use to get me back. Watching you boldly take the reins of your life back made me realize that I don’t want to live that way anymore.”

“So what do you plan to do about it?” Justin asked. He understood exactly what Seven was feeling, because he was still having nightmares of that happening. Brian would wake him up and console him until there was nothing else he could do but cry himself back to sleep. That kind of constant terror is always just below the surface.

“With your permission, I would like to be included in your interview tonight. I heard you tell the reporters that there was another one scheduled later.”

“There is, but are you sure you want to expose yourself like that? I mean, I have to, for various reasons, including the woman who is with them. There is also the faction that Connor and Brandon are associated with...”

“Stockwell, Peterson, Taylor, Vance, and others, yes I know them all too well.”

“Then you know this is a dangerous game I’m playing, no matter how public it is.”

“I don’t care at this point. If exposing myself this way means they are limited in what they can do- what I’ve built up in my mind that they can do to me- than it’s worth the risk. Besides, I have a little bit of insurance.”

“What do you mean?”

“The blond that’s with them hasn’t been so careful. She left her laptop out by the pool early this morning.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a flash drive. “I flew back once I had what I wanted. I also put a tracking on the incoming and outgoing emails. I had a friend of mine check the IP address on it and it’s registered to her real accomplice.”

“William Wainwright?” Brian asked, narrowing his eyes.

“No. Ethan Morris Gold. The account was changed over recently from Jonas Monroe, who is deceased. He couldn’t make changes to the account, since they had never received any paperwork stating that Jonas was dead. Only after producing the death certificate and showing domestic partnership papers did they allow the account to be switched over into his name. According to my friend, the company is thinking of bringing him up on charges since he basically performed a form of identity theft. The fact that he kept the account current doesn’t matter in this case. Anyone can make a payment, but not everyone can be listed as an authorized user on the account. They run credit checks on anyone considered an authorized user.”

“Who’s your friend?” Justin asked.

“Her name is Esmeralda Sansone. She’s one of the higher ups in the telecommunications company responsible for Ethan’s service. If it was up to her, knowing what she does, she would have him prosecuted immediately. But she has a board of directors and the head of the fraud department to deal with.”

“I think I’ve met her. Tall, brunette, mole on her left cheek and a dimple on the right?”

“That’s her. She’s the one who helped me escape. How did you meet her?”

“Through my agent. She was one of my agent’s assistants while she was working to finish up her Masters. I guess it all paid off.”

“Esme was my best friend all throughout school. My situation, from what I’ve been told, wasn’t much different from yours. All-american dad who didn’t want a gay son and found the perfect way to do away with him while everyone remained ignorant of his machinations.”

“What about your mother?”

“Died giving birth to my little brother. My brother went with her,” he said quietly.

“Does your father know you escaped?”

“Yeah he knows. He’s now dead from an overdose. He knew the James brothers would be coming after him first if they couldn’t find me. I’m not sorry that he’s dead, but prior to coming out, he was a good father to me.”

Justin nodded his head in understanding. He felt the same about Craig Taylor, although any warm, fuzzy feelings about the man had long disappeared during his captivity. Now he wasn’t even sure he would call an ambulance for the man if he was hurt, and that realization made Justin a little sad. Shaking himself free of his morbid thoughts, he said, “Well Seven, if you’re sure you want to do this, then by all means you’re welcome to sit in on the interview with me. Be advised that there is very little we can say because this is going to cause a major investigation. Above all else, I want them to pay for what they have done to us.”

“I feel the same way. No matter how much I would love to kill them for what they have done, the law will take care of them far better than we could. Knowing what they have lost and what they didn’t take from us will be the icing on the cake.”

“What do you mean?” Brian asked.

“Men like Connor and Brandon get untold joy when they are able to crush your spirit. It makes them feel like they’re gods. In their minds, you are only still breathing by their benevolence, and you should be grateful that they decided to show you mercy while abusing you. They didn’t destroy Seven, and they didn’t and can’t destroy me,” Justin answered.

“You’re damn fucking right they can’t! Seven, if it helps in any way, you have the support of all the occupants within this office,” Brian told them.

“It does, Mr. Taylor-Kinney.”

“Good, and just call me Brian.”

“Oh my god, Justin did you draw this?!” Mel asked from the computer. She had taken the flash drive and began copying the files while they talked. She was about to upload the entire file to the DA when the picture popped up.

“What are you talking about?” Justin asked, as he crossed the office to Brian’s desk. Upon seeing the picture of the most hateful thing he’d ever painted, his eyes widened and he almost felt faint. “Ho... how did you get that? Seven, how did you get that picture?”

Everyone, including the visitors Marlon Abrams and Leo Brown, crossed the room as well. Ted and the two CEOs had been silent during the impromptu meeting, giving the two young men a chance to talk with a little bit of Brian mixed in. They were both astounded that Justin and Seven had been through so much yet still came out of their ordeal with a sound mind.

“Justin, despite the subject matter, it’s quite stunning,” Jennifer said in awe.

“I think I will officially be switching companies,” Marlon said. “If this is what you do under duress, I can only imagine what you’ll do under contract. I can’t believe they were so fucking callous and cruel to you both!”

“Silly me, I thought to help you plan your rescue, but when I got there, you were gone and so were they. You were a better man than me; I would have burned the whole fucking building down,” Seven said.

“I needed to get here. My job was waiting for me- my life was waiting for me- I couldn’t risk a charge of arson. But it was fucking tempting.”

“Well I, for one, am glad you refrained. I wonder if they are there now,” Mel said.

“No. They are either still in L.A. or on the way here,” Seven answered. “They were still in Los Angeles this morning when I got back, which was about nine a.m.”

“Connor is probably still trying to do damage control for his dwindling career. I halted production immediately after speaking with Jennifer, and then called the job Brandon was scheduled to model for. What are you thinking, Melanie?” Marlon asked.

“That’s it’s definitely time to have that dungeon checked out.” She picked up her phone and dialed quickly. “Hello this is Melanie Marcus, formerly of Donaldson and Schupert. I’d like to be put through to Commissioner Carlton Kelly immediately please?”

Jennifer smiled and pulled out her cellphone next, catching onto who Mel just called.

“New York City Mayor’s office, how may I direct your call?” The polite voice said on the other line.

“Yes this is Jennifer Alwin-Taylor. I’d like to speak to Mrs. Bethany Taylor please?”

“And the nature of your business?”

“It’s personal, just tell her that her former sister-in-law is on the line with a matter of grave importance.”

“Please hold.”

Justin looked at his mother strangely. It was no secret that she and his aunt, Bethany, didn’t get along, for various reasons. Her relationship with the Taylors was much like Brian’s to his own family. He watched his mother smile wide and devilishly when his aunt came onto the line.

“What do you want?” The harsh voice came over the line.

“To tell you to watch the national news magazine ‘Expose’ in about an hour. Oh, and to tell you that you need to push through a warrant to Judge Mathers immediately.”

“Who do you think you are to give me orders?”

“The woman who is about to blow your entire fucking career out of the water if you don’t contact Mathers and tell him that Commissioner Kelly needs an express warrant for the James property located at 255 Lenox Avenue, Penthouse A. It’s the only one on that floor since they combined the properties for their nefarious purposes.”

Bethany’s tone had levelled out at the mention of Jennifer’s threat. “Jennifer, what’s this really about?”

“Remember when my son disappeared? Well it turns out he was being held against his will by Connor and Brandon James thanks to Craig. Now if you want this kept relatively quiet without linking you with him, you’ll do what I’m asking right now.”

“Forward whatever information you have to Kelly. I’ll call him now.”

“See that you do,” Jennifer ordered and disconnected the call. “Melanie, please forward that file now.”

“I’m already doing it. Carlton was practically foaming at the mouth from what I’ve told him. I also told him to keep it quiet. Somehow the James brothers have been able to get away with this for far too long without being detected. He said he always thought it was too convenient when their victims would disappear after making a formal complaint.”

Jennifer nodded. “It’s why I told Bethany to get the case to Mathers. He can’t be bought.”

“Mom?” Justin looked at her questioningly. “What’s the deal with you and Aunt Bethany?”

“Oh sweetheart, she just learned a valuable lesson. It’s no fun when the rabbit’s got the gun.”