A Bit of Me (32 page)

Chase’s stomach boiled with anger that someone had done this to the man who’d always been so kind and, in his own way—a rare way—innocent. He wanted to ask James what had happened, but a glance from him had Chase quelling the desire. James would talk when he was ready.

The door opened and Chase turned quickly, prepared to do whatever he had to in order to get James out of here. Shearing shut the door and looked at them, then at his watch. “Were you going to…”

Chase shook his head. No, he wasn’t going to ask James any questions, not when he

could see he was hurting. “No, and you might want to leave, before you get any more

involved.” He felt it only right to warn the man.

Shearing took a deep breath then looked at James. “This is what you want?” he asked in a rough voice.

James didn’t answer, only glared at Shearing, his lips thinning. Chase wished he could tell James to trust Shearing, but he wasn’t sure himself that they could. Maybe this had all been a setup, or maybe Shearing really did want to help James. Chase just didn’t know.

Shearing sighed and he turned back to the door. “Fine. Wait here while I find more

scrubs and something to cover that hair.”

Chase darted a look at James’ distinctive red hair. It was short, almost to his scalp—a way he’d never have worn it once —but it was still that same bright orange-red. He grinned when James reached up and rubbed at the short strands, cursing soundly. “If they hadn’t had www.total-e-bound.com

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me doped up I wouldn’t have let them do this,” he muttered. Then he stopped and looked at Xavier.

“Who are you? Chase trusts you, obviously, and you look at him like…like I’d always

hoped someone would. I’m James Stratton.” He stepped forward and held out his hand, only to squeak when Xavier instead pulled him in to a hug. Chase knew Xavier was being careful, wasn’t holding James too tightly in case he freaked, but he still watched his friend closely for any signs of discomfort. All he saw was surprise that morphed into a tentative happiness as James gingerly patted Xavier’s back. It eased some of the anger thrumming through Chase, and when James slowly rested his head on Xavier’s shoulder, Chase thought they just might all be all right eventually.

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It would figure that getting out would be more difficult than getting in, Xavier mused as they waited for Shearing to do…something. The man had peeked in the room then

promptly grumbled out a ‘wait here’ before disappearing. Waiting wasn’t Xavier’s favourite thing to do, and Chase and James weren’t particularly happy about it either, both growing more nervous by the second. It surprised Xavier, because Chase was normally pretty calm, but this was obviously very important and he was as prickly as a pissed-off porcupine.

Xavier put his hand on Chase’s shoulder and tugged. “We should probably be

somewhere other than right here in the middle of the room in case a nurse or doctor comes in.”

Chase nibbled his bottom lip but nodded. “Probably.”

“And I should be in bed, doped into next week,” James muttered, glaring at the bed. “I finally had a lucid moment and started spitting the pills out in the bathroom. The staff’s so used to me being passive they never caught on. I’m just glad they didn’t do urine or blood tests.”

“Probably would have if you’d acted different.” Xavier edged over to what he thought was the bathroom. “They wouldn’t have any reason to come in here…”

He didn’t get any further before total chaos hit. The lights flickered and went out and a loud wailing alarm split the air—for about three seconds, then even that shut down. Chase and he lunged towards where James had been, the three of them smacking into each other in a collision of elbows and knees and grunts. Sounds of people screaming, some in panic while others yelled orders, must have covered the sound of the door opening because Shearing’s rough baritone startled the other three men into silence.

“The alarms are down, the generator’s out, everything is down. God knows how many

people are going to escape from here that shouldn’t. Get to the window!”

A flashlight blinded Xavier until its beam moved away. He let himself be led towards the window as Shearing brought up the rear. James was chattering, his voice high pitched www.total-e-bound.com

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and shaky. “There’s no major psych cases here, not as far as I know. This is like…like rehab-light or something, you know. Like where famous people come when they fuck up and are scared they’ll go to jail? So they come here and say ‘I’m in rehab, time-out! Safety!’, only it’s all just a load of crap because—”

“Stratton! Explain it later if you need to!” Shearing said with what almost sounded like a laugh. “Just get the hell out of here first, all of you!”

It took Xavier, Chase and Shearing to shove the window open, then they were out,

Shearing staying behind just in case anyone showed up. They slipped away, and James

Stratton was finally free.

Xavier wasn’t tempted to speed in the dull sedan Shearing had acquired for them. He

hoped to hell the man took good care of his Porsche. It was almost a physical ache, leaving the beauty behind, but she was a two-seater and maybe he should have thought that out before he’d ever brought it. As it was now, Shearing promised to either bring the car to Xavier or have it delivered within the next week—if Shearing was in jail or unable to get away from Billings for other reasons.

“He’s sleeping.”

Xavier tucked his thoughts away and glanced at Chase, who was curled into the

passenger seat and peering over the headrest at James. Chase was frowning, biting at that bottom lip again, and Xavier had to force himself to look back at the road before he had a wreck. “That’s probably best. We’ve got a long drive and James is probably exhausted emotionally as well as physically.”

The poor man hadn’t had much strength. Whether it was the excitement of seeing

Chase again, then of being freed, James’ initial burst of energy had quickly petered out until he was barely even able to stumble along with help.

“I know,” Chase said, and Xavier could hear the frown in his voice. “I just don’t

understand why his parents would do something like this. They always coddled him, or tried to—”

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“And what better way to ‘coddle’ or protect James than to keep him tucked away where nothing bad could happen to him?” Xavier kind of understood, even though it was totally warped thinking, but it was all he could figure for what James’ parent’s had done. Either that or they’d turned into evil shits since Chase had seen them last. He kind of doubted that.

“They probably didn’t realise the damage they were doing.”

Chase grunted and Xavier could feel him glaring at him. “How could they not know?”

Xavier shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m not them.”

“Would you have done that to Billy?”

Xavier’s stomach plummeted and he answered without hesitating. “No, never, but if I

thought he needed help I’d have gotten it for him.”

“But you wouldn’t have kept him locked away and docile with drugs.”

“No, but I was tempted a time or two in his late teens,” Xavier muttered, only half—

joking. Billy had been a shit more than a time or two. “And we don’t know what happened to James, or what his parents were told, or anything, really, so it’s hard to say why his folks agreed to keep him in that place.”

“Cause they’re assholes,” Chase hissed. Then he sighed and unbuckled. Xavier darted a glance at him, smiling when he pushed the centre console up and scooted right beside Xavier. The warmth of Chase’s body, the feel of his hand on Xavier’s thigh, soothed the remaining tension from Xavier. “I want to know why,” Chase said, and Xavier understood that.

“Maybe you’ll find out, but first we need to get James and ourselves somewhere safe, preferably well out of Montana.” Then maybe they could get some sleep, and Chase would have his answers after.

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Xavier started to rinse off his breakfast dishes only to have Billy smack his hand. “I’ll do that,” he scolded, grinning up at Xavier. “Y’all just got back last night, you have got to be beat. Besides, I want you nice and relaxed when I start grilling you about what happened.”

“I should have known there was a catch to your offer to fix breakfast,” Xavier

grumbled, not particularly irritated despite his tone. He moved back over to the table and sat down. He took a gulp of coffee, knowing he’d better be quick about it if he wanted any more caffeine in his system before Billy started in on him.

“So Liam had to go back to work a few days ago. Seems there was some big kerfuffle

going on. I assume that had something to do with y’all getting James out of that place?”

Xavier set the coffee mug down and scooted his chair around until he could see Billy. “I don’t know. I guess. We haven’t heard anything from Shearing. Has Liam heard anything?”

Billy bobbed his head and rocked back on his heels as he scrubbed the skillet. “Bits and pieces. It seems someone got James Stratton a big shot attorney who’s going after that clinic for violating his rights. And threatening to prosecute that place as well as James’ parents for illegally holding James there when he’d have been more than competent to make his own decisions. Seems there are a few nurses who are spilling the beans about the way that place functions, keeping patients stoned so that they appear to be unable to function. Guess it was really raking in the bucks.”

Xavier took another sip of his coffee as Billy continued talking rather than grilling as he’d threatened. When the dishes were done, though, Billy sat down across from Xavier and said “Spill,” so Xavier did, barely restraining himself from laughing at the way Billy squirmed in his seat while Xavier was telling his tale—as if Billy didn’t already know the outcome. Billy sighed loudly and slumped back in his chair when Xavier finished. He shook his head then rubbed his hand through his spiky hair.

“Geez, do you think Shearing’s gonna wind up in jail or be fired?”

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“I hope not, what with everything you told me about the clinic coming to light, but I don’t know.” Xavier frowned and drummed his fingers on the table. “He better get my

Porsche back to me either way.”

Billy snorted. “That’s a bit harsh, man. He helped y’all out when he could have had

y’all arrested and stuck in some FBI interrogation room where they hook electrodes up to your nipples or something so they can torture the truth out of you.”

“Right,” Xavier said after he stopped laughing. “I hardly think they do stuff like that.

Least not in cases like ours would have been. I do kind of doubt Shearing will keep his job, but he was planning on retiring anyway.”

“How old is this guy?” Billy asked, his nose wrinkling as if he’d scented something

nasty. “I mean, I guess I thought he was interested in James but if he’s old enough to retire, that’s…well, the guy’s got to be in his forties at least. And I figured James was younger, like, in his twenties?”

“He’s twenty-nine,” Chase said with amusement as he entered the kitchen. Xavier’s

chest warmed and he tingled all over as his gaze locked with Chase’s. “And Shearing

probably is in his forties, which doesn’t mean his dick doesn’t work or that he can’t be interested in someone younger. Geez, Billy, I’d think you’d see that as a good thing. You might be Shearing’s age someday if you’re lucky.”

Chase walked over and bent down a little as Xavier leaned his head back for a kiss. It felt nice, easy, when Chase’s lips pressed against his. Chase had come so far, seemed so relaxed and comfortable with not only Xavier but Billy as well. Xavier put a hand to Chase’s hip and tugged, then he grunted when Chase landed in his lap. Batting his lashes

ridiculously, Chase grinned at him. “This what you wanted?” He wiggled his hips and

Xavier’s cock sprang to life. Chase winked then hopped back up. “That’s about as flirty as it’s getting before I have food and coffee. Lots of coffee.”

“I didn’t mean anything about Shearing’s age, exactly,” Billy was rambling on, but he still had his nose all scrunched. “It’s fine if his dick works, or doesn’t, there’s always Viagra for that. But that’s a big age difference, that’s all. Like…like that’s bigger than the gap between me and Liam, you know?” Billy frowned and pursed his lips. “Then again, it

wouldn’t matter how old Liam was, I’d still want to jump him every time I saw him.”

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“Sounds like you answered your own question,” Chase pointed out. “If Shearing and

James decide they’re interested in each other, then that’s their business—as long as Shearing doesn’t hurt James. Then it’d be my business.” Billy rolled his eyes and Xavier sighed. He seriously doubted Chase was going to stay out of James’ ‘business’ at all, whether Shearing was a knight in shining armour or not.

“How is James this morning?” Xavier asked as Chase sat down beside him.

“Sleeping still,” Chase said, before chugging half the coffee in his mug. “He seemed pretty exhausted, and he was sleeping so deep and calm-like I didn’t want to wake him.

Figured sleep was the best thing for him for now.”

“Probably, but he will need food. I don’t know if he was always that thin or not, but he looks—” Xavier snapped his mouth shut before he shoved his whole foot in there. Chase ate a bite of food and bobbed his head.