Swish (12 page)

It wasn't hard to feel the awkward silence in the car. With Chase in the front seat and Thomas behind him, Alex didn't especially want to start polite conversation. Chase had other things to worry about, after all.

“Where's he staying?” Chase finally asked as they waited at a light.

“The motel on the river.”

“Oh, that tacky old one?”

Alex half-smiled.
Don't tell George that.
“Yeah.”

“Eugh,” Chase muttered. He turned to glance at Thomas, then looked at Alex; it was easy to tell what he was thinking. “You two know each other then.”

Alex's gaze flickered to the rear-view mirror. He just nodded, focusing on pulling out into traffic again.

“We dated in high school,” Thomas said.

Alex's foot nearly slipped off the gas pedal.
Holy Christ.
To his knowledge, this was the first time Thomas had ever told anyone else that they were dating or had dated. And it wasn't even his own brother he'd just told.

He adjusted his heel and checked his mirrors, licking his lips.

“Oh, right,” Chase answered, glancing between them again. “I didn't know that, sorry.” The clear implication was
do your brothers know
?

“No reason you should. Nobody else knew,” Thomas chuckled quietly.

“Ah.”

After a few moments, Chase looked at Alex again. “And you... investigated Cam, too? I couldn't really make out what that was about.”

“Er, yeah.” Alex chuckled awkwardly. “I took a case where I was investigating whether he was moving back here to play hockey for the new minor league team instead of quitting, as the media had been told.”

“Oh.”

“For the record,” Alex said, glancing briefly at Thomas, “I told them he was out. It was my professional opinion his amateur league was for fun and that he really was disabled.”

Thomas nodded slightly.

“But they didn't believe that,” he explained to Chase. “I arranged a meeting, and from what I heard Cam... fainted afterwards, so Cam and Noah hold me at fault for that. Which I can't completely disagree with.”

“So you investigate disability claims?” Chase asked. “That's what all that was about?”

“More or less. Since then, I've stopped taking those cases. They're very lucrative, but... there's so much potential to make a wrong call. I could say he was able-bodied because he was playing in that league if I were working for his insurer, even though he was pushing his limits to do so. I would never know that. I might say someone's fine when they're using the last of their strength to go out and do errands...”

“Ahh,” Chase murmured awkwardly. “Wow, I never realized that. They really hire people to check them out?”

“Not every claim, but yeah, a lot of them. I think... some of them are denied for pretty bullshit reasons now that I know both sides of it,” Alex admitted. “They only prosecute for fraud in extreme cases and I've never been involved with anything that wasn't a clear fraud, but... there's always that potential.” He felt Thomas quietly watching from the backseat and cleared his throat. “Almost there.”

“At the motel?”

“Yep. Anything you want me to do or not do?” Alex asked, his hands tightening on the wheel. “Thomas or Chase?”

“It's not my bone to pick,” Thomas told him. “Chase?”

Chase looked hesitant. “Not... exactly. I just don't want them around. That's all. No matter what he tries to manipulate me with.”

Alex nodded and shut off the car as he pulled into the guest parking space. He reached out to rest a hand lightly on Chase's shoulder.

Chase seemed surprised, then grateful as he glanced over to Alex. “You don't
have
to come in...”

“I really don't mind,” Alex assured him quietly. It wasn't the worst he'd ever seen, and he really fucking hated the idea that he'd ever led Chase's family to find him. Given his time back, he never would have taken that job either.

Jesus, he was gonna be out of work soon if he kept avoiding cases.

Chase nodded, steeled himself, and climbed out of the car. As soon as he did, Alex and Thomas climbed out of the other side and Alex exchanged looks with Thomas. “Nothing threatening or dangerous,” Alex warned him quietly. “Do you really want to come with? You can wait here.”

“I'm coming,” Thomas told him firmly, but he brushed his hand lightly down Alex's arm.

Alex accompanied the men around the side of the building to the motel room Chase's dad was staying in. “I don't know for sure he isn't armed,” Alex warned them. “I did a quick check earlier while I was here and I didn't see any signs, but... Has he ever used or owned weapons, Chase?”

“No. No, nothing,” Chase shook his head. “I'm... I'm sure he wouldn't...” he trailed off. The hesitance that crept in at the end of his sentence made even Alex's nerves spark with anger. “I don't think he'd be dangerous.”

“Okay,” Alex told him calmly. “But let me stay closer to him first.”

When Chase nodded, Alex knocked on the motel room door.

Mark opened it seconds later, scanning Alex's face with a grimace of displeasure before his gaze landed on Chase's face. His whole expression warmed up, but Alex saw through it to the underlying emotions. It was safe to say the other two did, too.

“My boy. Come on in.”

“I don't need to come in,” Chase told him flatly. “I just need to stand here and tell you I don't want to see you again, unless you've come to apologize.”

“Charlie, I came to talk to you about--”

“You
start
with the apology if you're here with one,” Alex told him sharply. “And his name is Chase now.”

“
Charlie
, I'd happily speak to you in private,” Mark emphasized, clearly trying to ignore Alex.

Chase scoffed. “You talk to me here or never.”

Mark seemed taken aback by his son's attitude. He scanned Chase's face as if looking for something he recognized.

“I told Uncle Jerry the same thing. I want nothing to do with any of you, even if you
were
to apologize. You screamed about hell to me and made life a living hell in the meantime.”

“But your brother – Luke misses you.”

Alex shook his head and interrupted again. “You can't impose conditions on this if you're offering a chance for Chase to see him again.” It was painful to see the hope in Chase's eyes. “You accept Chase as a visitor for Luke the way he is or there's no deal.”

His chest quickly rising and falling, Chase nodded and looked back at his father. “What he said. I'm not going to hide who I am to see Luke.”

Mark scowled and shook his head. His expression was ugly now, that false smile gone already. “I can't let you influence him like
that
.”

“Then here's the final answer, and you can tell this to
everyone
in the family, like I told Uncle Jerry to,” Chase said, his voice hard again. That hope gone from his eyes, all civility was gone from his voice now, too. “No-strings-attached contact with Luke and a sincere apology from all of you. Until then, you don't contact me or look me up in any way.”

Alex was blown away by how clearly and forcefully Chase spoke. He'd been in a few stand-offs between spouses, family members, and even bosses and employees. Not many victims confronted their past so eloquently with almost no warning.

“And if you do contact him again without following those conditions, I'll help him get a restraining order,” Alex told him. “You know what I do. I know the process
very
well.”

Mark shook his head. “I guess he was right about you.” The disappointment in his voice was such a transparent attempt to manipulate Chase that Alex laughed. “You're beyond hope.”

“I'm the fag you never wanted,” Chase agreed with a bright smile. “And I love it.”

Mark's eyes flickered between Thomas and Chase. Thomas was pretty easy for anyone to pick out as gay – or so Alex thought. There was no doubt Mark thought they were involved now. “You two? You're not the one Jerry told me about,” he glared at Thomas.

Thomas looked taken aback. “A man can be gay without fucking everyone around him. Rude. I'm involved with Alex, actually. Not that it's any of
your
business.”

Alex restrained his laughter at Thomas's sudden bad language. He stored away his moment of joy at Thomas's bluff... or, perhaps, not even a bluff. “We're going now. If any of you change your mind, call me first. If you show up in town again, we'll take legal action. C'mon.”

Mark was silent, but his knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the door. It was almost disconcerting the way he watched the three of them walk to the car.

Just before they rounded the corner, Alex glanced back and saw it: the fight went out of Chase's father. His hand slid down the door to rest on the door handle instead, his shoulders slumping. Then, he leaned against the door to close it.

Chase won.

Alex didn't say anything until they reached the car.

“You get in the front,” Chase encouraged Thomas.

“You sure? I can sit back here with you--”

Chase laughed quietly and half-hugged him. “I don't need to be minded,” he assured him simply. “I'm not shedding any tears on people who aren't worth it. Sit up front with the man you're involved with.”

Thomas blushed at the teasing. He almost slipped on ice in his haste to get into the passenger seat.

Alex grinned at Chase, then waited for him to get in before climbing in and starting up the car. With any luck, the drive back would be a lot less awkward.

His heart was warm at the protectiveness Thomas showed towards Chase, though. And earlier, even though Chase wasn't their blood relative or even boyfriend, Cam and Noah had been protective of him. Jackson, of course, had been like a bear sheltering his cub.

More than anything, Alex wanted to feel that kind of warmth and bond. Would the Rileys ever let him in?

“Was it your guilty conscience?”

Thomas's jaw dropped as he twisted in his seat to look at Chase, then at Alex.

Even Alex seemed startled at Chase's direct question. “Wait, what?”

“That made you... want to help me out like this,” Chase said.

Alex glanced over at Thomas, his lips quirking up. “Well, he doesn't beat around the bush, does he?” He looked in the rearview mirror for a moment, keeping his eyes mostly on the road. “I suppose at first, yeah.”

“At first?” Chase looked curious, not accusatory.

Alex nodded, rubbing the wheel with his thumb. “Yeah. I felt bad about putting you in danger from them again. But now... I'm genuinely interested in you... especially 'cause you're Thomas's family.”

Oh.
A little shiver ran down Thomas's spine as he watched Alex speak.

“I want to help them out, and...” Alex trailed off.

He slowed the car down as he approached a line of waiting cars at a light. At last, Alex's eyes flickered over to Thomas. His hand rested on the gear shift, his thumb tapping the stick with a subtle hint of nervousness.

Wisely, Chase didn't interrupt the moment. He busied himself looking out the window.

Thomas licked his lips, then reached over to rest his hand on Alex's. He wordlessly smiled.

Alex relaxed again and smiled back. The light turned green and he kept his hand on the shift as he pulled away again.

At last, as they pulled into the Rileys' neighborhood, Thomas spoke up again. “Thank you for helping. That was really... really appreciated.”

“No problem,” Alex said softly. “Glad to help out.”

“Did you mean it, about the restraining order?”

Alex nodded. “I can help you, if it comes to it.” His grip on the shift tightened as they turned an icy corner, then relaxed again. “But don't worry about that yet. It's a long way to go before that happens. I don't think your dad will be back in town any time soon.”

Thomas hoped he was right. Alex had seemed authoritative and a little intimidating without actually uttering any threats. Come to think of it, he'd defused the situation perfectly. How much experience did he have with that? The thought of Alex standing off against assholes like that Mark without backing down...

It was a little hot, actually.

Thomas cleared his throat, then unbuckled as Alex parked by the curb.

The front door was already open, all three men in the doorway as they clambered out of the car onto the snowy road with crunches of boots and squeaks. Their breath hung thick in the air, the temperature having dropped even further.

Chase led the way back to the house and Jackson pushed past Cam and Noah to step out onto the porch. “Hey,” Jackson greeted, his expression clearly fraught with worry. “How did it go? Are you okay?”

Thomas saw the rounding of Chase's cheeks even from an angle behind him. Chase smiled and stepped up onto the porch and into his arms. “I'm fine,” he assured Jackson. “Thanks to Alex.”

Alex rubbed a hand over his face and shrugged casually, deflecting the praise he deserved. Thomas wasn't even sure he'd have thought of what to say and how to say it. “You did incredibly well.” He glanced at Jackson. “I doubt they're coming back. The terms are... well, Chase can tell you.”

Jackson led Chase inside with a nod, already focused on his lover again. “What are the conditions? Did he seem like he was gone?”

Cam and Noah stepped aside to let them past, then watched Thomas and Alex.

Thomas's cheeks burned as he felt the attention. He climbed onto the first step up to the porch, then turned around to face Alex. Alex stayed where he was just in front of the stairs, scuffing a foot on the ground. “Thank you for the help and the warning.”

“No problem.” Alex turned away to head to his car again.

Be bold.
Thomas stepped down and grabbed Alex's arm to stop him. His heart raced. “I... actually, do you want to stay for supper?”

Alex's surprise was very evident. He stared at Thomas for a moment, then stepped closer so Thomas could drop his hand from his arm. “If you'd like me to.”

“I'm inviting you in.” Thomas's heart was in his throat with nervous anticipation. He was speaking about more than just the meal.

Alex could tell; his eyes flicked rapidly between Thomas's as he examined his face. Finally, Alex relaxed into a smile. “I'd love to.” He reached out slowly, tentatively, to take Thomas's hand.

Thomas couldn't help it; he looked behind him to the doorway first.

Noah and Cam were gone, leaving them to their moment of privacy.

Alex's expression flickered as he noticed the moment of distraction and he dropped his hand with a little smile. He strode up to the porch and past Thomas on the stairs to head inside as Thomas followed.

One step at a time,
Thomas thought. At least Alex seemed to accept his hesitance easily enough. He just hoped Alex was patient enough to stick around until he had everything sorted out.

And, god, he hoped his brothers could get along with Alex now.