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STAYING OR GOING: BOOK II: CHAPTER 3

JUSTIN


I have to say this island is beautiful. I could feel the tradewinds blowing off of the crystal turquoise waters the second I stepped out of the cabin of the plane. The fresh air calms me as the sun grazes my face, making the coldness I feel within me melt just a little. Brian is walking down in front of me, and strangely, I’m grateful for that. The aftereffects of the migraine med always makes me a bit lethargic until I’ve been up and about for more than an hour.

 

I would say that I’m surprised that Brian would remember such a detail, but I’m not. He’s always made it a point to research any medication given to me and its side effects, saying that a doctor won’t ordinarily catch a contraindication the way a pharmacists will, and they themselves aren’t always as vigilant as they should be when checking prescriptions. I used to tease him for being overprotective using my favorite line of ‘Brian Kinney gives a shit,’ but his innate paranoia has saved my life more times than I can count, especially in terms of allergic reactions to a few of my meds over the years. It’s another example of things that no one knows or suspects about who we are behind closed doors. It’s moments and actions such as this that makes it hard for me to seriously contemplate ending our marriage.


Don’t misunderstand… I know that Brian loved me at one time, but his recent actions have caused me to wonder if he still does. A funny thing about the migraine med is that while sleeping, it’s not dreams that I have; it’s memories that come to the forefront of my mind. The sedation in itself is much like being in a coma and the mind reacts to it the same way. I remember talking to Alex about it the first time it happened, thinking that amongst all the other problems I was having that I’d developed a somatic disorder which included delusions. I was still afraid to trust my own mind at the time. He said that although he couldn’t tell me verbatim what he and Brian discussed, the situations that I had dreamed were very real. Imagine my surprise upon hearing that! It was like everything I had ever thought Brian capable of in terms of loving me wasn’t a myth after all. It also helped me gain the confidence to wage my campaign to get him back after the whole Ethan era, a mistake that I am determined not to repeat if I can help it.


But here we are, repeating everything in a different concept that led to our breakdown in the first place. Why? When we first got back together, and before the whole Stockwell indictment part of our story, we made a vow not to talk about it. “You were inexperienced; I was a fool, let’s just move on,” is what Brian said and I agreed to. But looking back on it now, I have to wonder if we really did move beyond it. I mean, sure we changed some things, began to live our lives on our own terms and handle our relationship according to our own edicts, not those tenets our friends and family considered a coupledom bible of sorts. It was us, proving that although we weren’t monogamous in the traditional sense, we were just as committed to each other and our relationship as any other couple who was. So where did we go wrong? It’s a question that continues to plague me… and by all accounts, it’s bothering him, too.


Reaching the bottom of the steps, Brian takes my hand to help me down the last three. He can be chivalrous when he wants to be, that’s for sure. But what I’m most gratified about is that he doesn’t let go when I’m standing by his side. I can only read the action as that he has somewhat forgiven me for my caveman act while we were in the bathroom on board. I know we have to talk about it at some point, but I would really rather it not be now. I suppose Brian feels the same way as we take up our carry-ons in silence and head over to the rest of our group.


“Barry said that the rest of the luggage will be sent to our villas as soon as it’s sorted,” Drew tells us.


“That’s a relief because I wasn’t looking forward to worrying about it falling off the golf carts on our way to wherever the fuck we’re going to be,’ Brian responds, and I have to agree with him. If I had my way I would draw the entire time we’re en route. This place is simply mesmerizing.


“Baby,” Emmett calls out to me. “I believe Clarence is waving for you to join him.”


I nod. “Wanna come over and say hello?”


Emmett laughs. “Not with Drew standing right here. Lord knows he and I could spend hours catching up. No one does gossip quite like Mr. Macy, Sugar. But you know this already. In the meantime, we’ll wait here for you, since we’re already waiting for Sir Pain-in-the-Ass. You just go on and take care of your business.”


“How did you know?”


“Well whenever I see Donovan and Harry, I just assume that there is going to be a business meeting, especially when they appear together.”


I look at Em closely, scrutinizing the way he is suddenly fidgeting. I know he knows of my plans. “You haven’t said anything?”


“You know me better than that, Baby. I may be a founding member of the Tell-A-Queen network, but I know when to keep silent. Although, you should probably catch up to Brian before you’re outed before you have a chance to tell him what Plan B actually is. I don’t think he’ll disagree with you, but this is something he shouldn’t be blindsided about, especially when confronted with an irate Michael.”


I sigh deeply but I know that he’s right. Michael will use this as me keeping secrets from Brian again, when in reality it’s anything but. No, I didn’t tell him exactly what the plan was, but Brian had to know that I would have a backup. It’s just how my mind works, and if anyone can appreciate that, it’s Brian. I nod to the guys and move a little ways away to have this impromptu meeting before we are interrupted in Michael’s hurry to get to and detain Brian. Once again, I am glad that I will be an entire island length away from Michael, even if I feel sorry that Ben won’t be. Speaking of which...


“Brian, did you give Ben the envelope?” I ask.


“Yep, while you were playing Sleeping Beauty. He used his app to deposit the check. Remind me to fill you in on some interesting developments in that sector when we get to the villa. But first, would you like to tell me what Donovan and Harry are doing here? I know we said we would use this as a working vacation, but this is a little overboard for the personal touch, don’t you think?”


“Not really, but first let’s greet them and then I will tell you exactly why they are here.”


He nods, but then freezes. “Justin, they don’t have divorce papers with them do they?”


I look into his eyes and am stunned to see the fear and then the walls coming down in them one by one. I know I have to reassure him before he thinks of all sorts of scenarios that have nothing to do with their presence. “Brian, no, they aren’t here for that. Besides, when have you known me to do something so underhanded to you? If we decide to dissolve this marriage, I couldn’t- wouldn’t- do that without talking to you. It’s the reason we are here, isn’t it? To talk? To get everything out into the open without fear of recriminations? To maybe… hopefully... find something worth saving? So no, they aren’t here for that reason, but to deliver documents to Michael.”


“Michael? So soon?”


“Yeah. The contingency plans are taking effect immediately, instead of when we get back to Pittsburgh. After the C&D is given to him, he should probably call Debbie to let her know to expect all of his shipments concerning Rage to arrive at her door, since I’m sure she’s going to be picking up his mail while he’s here. While Ben received the money from the dissolution of the partnership, Michael will get all of the merchandise pertaining to the franchise.”


“But he can’t profit from any of it?”


“Not one copper penny. Also, I already had Tory contact the newspapers and other publicists from the Comic-cons he was scheduled to appear at in the next year and told them that he and I are no longer working together, nor can he make any appearances in the name of the Rage franchise, since I owned half of it at the time she made the calls and those appearances had to be agreed upon by both of us. I made sure she did those things before I had Harry and Donovan draw up the C&D and file it with the court, then get here to serve him with Clarence as an impartial witness. Sure, he can choose to fight it, but he will lose, since I also made sure that the documents were both timestamped and emailed, with a carbon copy sent directly to his inbox. Knowing the idiot, he had his phone turned off for the entire flight, thinking that he was somehow punishing all of you by not being able to get in touch with him, or more accurately, ignoring me and my attempts to get this resolved. After what he said at the airport…”


“Wait! What did he say?” Brian asks me. “Does it have something to do with what happened on the plane?”


I keep my voice lowered but the intensity is no less than it would be if I had yelled. “It has everything to do with it, but we won’t discuss it here in front of everyone.


He swallows hard, understanding that this is one time I won’t give into the pleading I see in his eyes. “Fine, but I want to know as soon as we’re out of earshot and it’s just us, okay? You have to tell me, Sunshine, otherwise I won’t know what I need to fix.”


I sigh again. It seems that I am doing that more and more lately. “It’s not something that you can fix, unless you’re a miracle worker and can change Michael’s mind. But it doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that you now know all that has gone on since Michael shot his mouth off again from the moment he arrived within the lounge and the actions I’ve taken to disassociate myself from him without bloodshed, although it’s still tempting. This way, you won’t be blindsided or put on the spot when Michael starts ranting, which he will. You have Em to thank for that. I hadn’t planned to really lay out any more of it, beyond what you already knew on the plane until it was all done. It wasn’t that I was trying to leave you out of the loop; I just didn’t want you to be put in the middle.”


He nods at me. “While I appreciate the gesture, I’m still happy that you told me, even if it did take Em’s influence. We both know that Michael would have used this to drive a point home and to ask for the money again, citing you keeping secrets from me as a reason of why you shouldn’t be trusted, and he should, since he’s always so honest.”


“How long have you known that he does that?” I ask, shocked that he’s finally beginning to see what has always been clear to me about Michael. Yes, Michael may have always been honest, but he also cloaked his true intentions behind an artful cloud of ingenuousness.


“I think I may have always known it, but what I wanted to believe is a different matter,” he tells me, only to be interrupted by the familiar deep and vehement voice of Clarence Macy.


“And it’s about time that you’ve pulled your head out of your ass- or those of those nameless, faceless men- and finally see the truth. Michael Novotny has never been, and never will be, a friend!”


BRIAN


“Ever honest in your feelings, aren’t you? I smile at my old friend, Clarence.


“What the fuck is there to lie about? I have never been politically correct in my thoughts about assholes. Novotny is the only one on earth that was born with two of them; one where it is supposed to be, but the other one is on his face where his mouth should be and it’s always talking shit!”


Justin and I laugh loudly, while the others standing off to the side snicker. “Nice to know some things never change, Macy. In any event, what brings you to the island?”


“A long overdue vacation. Jeff will be along soon, since this place is a favorite of ours. He’s just tying up some last minute loose ends while I’m here to sever a really big one for Justin. Speaking of which…”


I look back along with everyone else and cringe as the bane of petulance is screeching out my name from the top of the stairway leading from the airplane. One would think that the murderous looks he’s receiving from the few passengers who have actually brought their children with them, would give him a clue that he should tone it down a bit. But no… not Michael! I swear he reminds me of a puppy about to pee himself, jumping up and down, screeching and bumping other passengers in his quest to get them to move faster. He finally reaches the bottom and all I can think is that I wish he was anywhere but here as I watch Justin’s face darken at his approach.


“Sunshine…”


“Don’t, Brian. Like you said, some things never change,” he answers me.


“And one of those things is that you don’t belong here!” Michael shouts at him while shoving him to move from beside me. He looks at Justin’s new position, standing next to Clarence with a satisfied smirk on his face before turning back to me. “Brian, you wouldn’t believe the flight I’ve had. I kept trying to get up there with you guys, but that fucking flight attendant was guarding the door like she was a prison warden. Why didn’t you come back there to talk to me? You and I have matters that need to be discussed!”


Somehow that statement reminded me of the few conversations Jack and Joan had that were civil. Her tone would be almost reasonable, even while Jack bowed his head in resignation at the fact that he would not get out of talking to her. It was a daunting experience to realize that Michael was speaking to me as if I was his husband- a man who he has yet to even acknowledge is standing next to my own. Well fuck that shit!


“Michael, there is nothing left to talk about. You have my answer which is and will always be, no.” Reaching out to reclaim Justin by my side, I deftly move Michael out of the way and place a possessive arm around Justin’s waist. Once I have him secured exactly where I want him- much to Michael’s displeasure- I speak directly to him. “Well, Sunshine, this is your floor show. The sooner you get on with things, the better.”


He nods, but there is something in his eyes that I haven’t seen in a long time… hope. It’s great to know that even if it’s just in this moment, I’ve done something right where he is concerned. No doubt I have a lot to make up for, but this is a start.


“Donovan, can you hand Mr. Novotny the papers please?” Justin’s steady voice rings out while he’s still looking at me.


I know he wants to ask me if I’m sure I don’t have a problem with what he’s about to do to Michael, and the truth is that I don’t. Sure, this wasn’t in our original plan, but with the way Michael just acted, I can see that he’s making the wisest decision for himself. I can respect that.


“What the fuck is this, Justin? I already told you that I won’t sell my shares to you!” Michael whines as the papers are forced into his hands.


“I no longer want you to, which you will find out once you open the fucking papers,” Justin grinds out.


“You no lo… You mean it’s mine?” He tears open the packet. “On YEAH! It’s finally all MINE!! You finally got the hint that you’re not wanted and I can tell Jeremy that he can pick up where you left off! Oh, I’m going to call him now so he can get started and email me the panels.”


Justin narrows his eyes, smiling his ruthless smile which always reminds me of a shark. And as I told Ben, there is nothing like seeing Justin Taylor-Kinney in predator mode, which the tightening within my body can attest to. “Not so fast, Michael. Harry, can you hand Mr. Novotny the second set of papers?”


Harry does so and my heart rate speeds up. We’re all waiting for the explosion even as Justin affects a bored look. Harry tells Justin, “I need the witness to sign and Mr. Novotny as well before I hand them over.”


“No problem,” Michael says as he holds his hands out for the receipt. The glazed and overjoyed look on his face is sickening, and I wonder how I have never seen this side of him before. Or maybe I have seen it and just learned how to not acknowledge it in the past. “There... done! Now give me the papers.”


“Patience, Mr. Novotny. Mr. Macy must sign the witness statement first.”


“Mr. Macy? Oh, you mean Clarence. I didn’t see you there.” Michael lies. Clarence is one of the tallest men I have ever met, standing at 6’7 and a solid 250 pounds of solid muscle. He can be intentionally ignored, but never unseen.


Clarence sighs. “As always, you’re predictable, Nobody. But no matter… I’ll gladly sign the witness statement so that we can all get on with our day and away from you.” He reaches out to Harry for the statement and hurriedly signs his name as Michael continues to look on with glee in his eyes. As Clarence hands the clipboard back to Harry, he turns to Justin. “I trust that you’re completely sure of this?”


But instead of Justin answering for himself, Michael cuts in. “Of course, he is! He’s finally doing the right thing and giving Rage back to its rightful owner. Now only if he’d disappear entirely, we can all get on with our lives.”


I narrow my eyes at the man who has just officially become my former best friend. “My husband isn’t going anywhere, Michael.”


He laughs. “Husband, indeed? You’re not married, Brian. You didn’t have a ceremony because if you had as your BEST FRIEND, I would have been there. You still fuck around on each other and with each other. Now stop playing games, Brian! It’s time for you to simply admit that he’s just a trick you do when you have nothing and no one else to occupy your time. Married?! HA! What a fucking joke!” He tears open the second sheaf of papers reading them over, with at first shock, and then anger. “YOU’VE GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”


“No, there’s no joke except on you, Michael,” Justin says reasonably, causing Michael to go purple with rage. “The Taylor-Kinney Corporation own all of the copyrights relating to the artwork of the graphic novel formerly known heretofore as Rage. That ownership includes all artwork, characters and plot done by the artist known as Justin Taylor... that would be me. All advertising promotions, public relations contracts, and paraphernalia that have fallen beneath the umbrella of Kinnetik Enterprises is the sole property of both Brian and Justin Taylor-Kinney… which is us, just in case you’re having trouble comprehending that nowhere are you featured in that equation at all. All business contacts, including the publisher who will not work with you without me, have already been notified, and your public appearances have been cancelled. In addition to that, I also notified all of the manufacturers for all Rage-related merchandise and had them pulled from the shelves, effective immediately. You should probably call Deb and let her know of the large shipments that will arrive on her doorstep since I ordered them returned to you directly.

 

"Also, the website which I designed for Red Cape Comics has also been shut down from the internet. Since it contains my artwork and custom graphics, formatted under my personal company, JTDesigns, I am well within my rights to do so, per the contract you signed. Therefore, whatever outstanding sales profits you had going out from the website have already been returned to their rightful owners. I figured that I would go ahead and do that since they shouldn’t have to wait for merchandise they aren’t going to receive. Waiting for a monetary refund to be returned was the one thing I always hated about shopping. Anyway, as for the outstanding bids, they have all been cancelled, regardless of if they were coming into the website- there were only about fifteen- or out of it. Incidentally, Michael you should really control your- or more accurately Ben’s- spending. I mean one-hundred and fifty bids on toys is just far too much! You’re going bankrupt him if you don’t.

 

"So in conclusion, if you even think of violating that wonderful cease and desist order you’re holding in your greedy little hands, not only will I press charges but I will sue for every dime you’ve ever made with my name. Good luck owning the now defunct Rage franchise. Hopefully Red Cape can survive without it. Have a nice day!”

 

Justin smiled brightly, turned and walked away as calm he pleased. Joining the others, it was as if he didn’t just totally fuck Michael in every way except physically. I swear I can smell the charred remains of Michael’s burned ass in the air and am hard-pressed not to chuckle. I said it before and I will say it again… Justin Taylor-Kinney is not a man to cross swords with. I watched as he whispered to Ben and patted the man’s shoulder when he arrived while the taller man nods. Within a few silent and tense moments, they are joined by Barry and Alex. Something tells me that Ben has just been saved from another infamous Novotny tantrum.  

 

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