Timothy (13 page)

“What about the fire?” Tim asked as he followed Otto deeper into the yard.

“There’s nothing we can do, is there?” Otto’s voice was laced with enough anger that Tim knew it wasn’t really a question. “Everything I had will be lost.” He stopped and turned to Tim long enough to stroke his cheek. “Except for you, my family, and my truck.” He blinked then gasped, “My truck!”

Together they ran around to the front of the house. “The keys are inside,” Otto shouted. There was no going back for them, or for their cell phones or…or anything, Tim knew.

The truck was sitting on four flat tires, but other than that, it seemed undamaged. The heat from the fire was beyond uncomfortable. Tim’s skin felt tight and hot, he thought the fine hairs on his arms might have burnt, and the long hair trailing down his back—well, he’d deal with that later. Right now Otto needed his help.

Tim figured Otto was going to want to push the vehicle further away from the fire, so he opened the passenger door as Otto reached for the driver’s side one. As soon as he leaned in, Tim’s lungs seized, his vision centring on one small, dirty, bare foot he spotted propped on the back window.

“Otto!” Tim shouted once he could do anything. He scrambled into the front of the truck, Otto matching him in desperation. Lying in the backseat was a young boy, nude but for a ripped and filthy pair of shorts. His thin body was covered in bruises and cuts, and Tim wasn’t sure he was breathing. A scar ran from the outside of his left eyelid to his temple.

“Ochir,” Otto said, his voice cracking on the second syllable. “Ochir!”

The boy’s eyelids rippled, his eyes darting back and forth beneath them, and Tim could breathe again, knowing Ochir was still alive. He just hoped whatever had been done to him hadn’t killed Ochir’s soul.

Chapter Eleven

Otto nudged Tim as Steve, Lona and Dane walked into the waiting room. He didn’t know how Tim could sleep in the shitty plastic chairs provided by the hospital, but he was glad he could. Hopefully he wasn’t dreaming of fire and loss, and of an abused child. Otto was afraid he’d be seeing all of those hellacious things and more hellish visions if he closed his eyes.

“What? Did Naran come back?” Tim asked, swiping at his mouth and muffling his words. He looked towards the door and grunted. “Cavalry’s here.”

“Yeah,” Otto agreed. He stood up and didn’t flinch as Dane bore holes in him with an angry glare.

“What kind of crap have you dragged Tim into?” Dane stopped almost toe to toe with Otto. “Because Tim would never piss someone off so bad they’d torch his place, and damned sure never known anyone who’d hurt a kid.”

Otto wasn’t in the mood to handle Dane’s not entirely misplaced anger, but fortunately Tim stepped in.

“Stop snarking at him, Dane.” Tim grabbed his friend’s hand and pulled him to the chair on his other side. “Otto has been trying to find a poacher who is after snow leopards. That’s what started all this, some sick fuck killing off endangered animals, not Otto.”

“They know the fire was set, not accidental?” Lona enquired as she brushed Otto’s hair back. She dropped her voice down to a bare whisper. “Not that I’m doubting you. When you called you said you were sure it was started by the man you’d been looking for.”

“It was,” Otto confirmed. He glanced at Tim, who nodded, then took his mother’s arm and walked her to the entrance. His dad followed. The early morning air was particularly frigid this morning, and Otto had to tense his muscles to keep from shivering. His eyes watered from the stinging cold. “Tim and I smelt the same man at the same time we smelt the gas. The fire investigator said it seemed like the fire had many starting points instead of just one, and he isn’t sure how the arsonist managed to do that.”

“Our fire investigator barely graduated from high school,” Lona griped. “If his daddy wasn’t mayor, he wouldn’t have his job. He doesn’t know jack shit about fire!”

Otto didn’t entirely disagree, but his mother was being a bit harsh. Still, it’d been a very bad night.

“Anyone who would hurt a child like that,” Lona continued, swiping at her cheeks. “The poor boy. If he has no one, no one decent to take care of him, we’ll take him home with us. I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt him!”

“There is the fierce leopardess I know and love.” Otto kissed his mother’s cheek. “Naran has plans to take Ochir home and keep him safe.”

“But the guy who did this, who beat him, he knows where Naran works. He probably even knows where she lives.” Lona held up a hand when Otto started to speak. “He knew where you lived. He found you, and you didn’t know it until it was almost too late. And you’re a shifter, so how did he sneak past you?”

“He stayed down wind,” Steven answered. “But how did he know to?”

Otto’s heartbeat had kicked it up to double time. “Maybe that was just dumb luck on his part. Of course he’d have known to keep out of sight, and I don’t think I just missed him.”

Steve cursed and shivered, the cold or the subject matter getting to him. “And he was at Vengi Pass, you’re sure?”

“Yes. Tim picked up his scent, just like he did at my place.”

“Why would he take the camera?” Steve asked, then answered his own question. “Because there were pictures of him on it. And probably the momma leopard and her cubs, although I don’t know what he’d want that footage for.”

Unease curled around the base of Otto’s spine and squeezed tight. “I don’t know. Maybe scouting his prey or something. Do we know if the momma leopard and her cubs are,” Otto checked and made sure no one was anywhere nearby. “Traditional snow leopards, or dual species?”

Steve sighed and rubbed at his back, as if experiencing the same disconcerting sensation Otto was. “I don’t know. I can’t tell just by viewing them on film.”

Otto bit his lip as he considered the options. There weren’t many that he could think of. “I’ll go to Vengi in a little while and see if I can pick up anything.”

“Take Tim,” Lona suggested. “He’ll want to go, and the two of you can cover more ground and watch out for each other.”

Otto glanced towards the doors and saw Tim and Dane approaching. “Dane’ll want to go too.”

Steve and Lona turned as the doors whooshed open. “I’ll handle Dane,” Steve said in a voice that brooked no argument. “Did Naran come out of Ochir’s room yet?”

Tim came right over to Otto and leaned his head on his shoulder. Dane still didn’t look happy but he stopped beside Steve and answered him. “Yes, she did. Ochir has several cuts and bruises, and he’s malnourished and dehydrated, and completely terrified of men.”

Otto’s stomach roiled and Tim went still, his muscles hard as anger coursed through him. Otto could sense it, a fury of his own combining with Tim’s in his head. “Did he—” Otto stopped, unable to ask.

Dane ground his teeth, his jaw popping as he shook his head. “No, he doesn’t seem to have been sexually assaulted. The doctors think it’s just from being kept by a male and tortured by him. They’re scrambling to find a female doctor since Ochir had to be knocked out after the last male doctor tried to examine him. Naran is staying with him. She said she isn’t leaving his side unless they prise her away with a crow bar, and even then whoever does it better be ready for a fight.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Otto felt an ebb in his anger, although it didn’t completely recede. “Naran is fiercely protective of those she loves. She won’t let anything happen to Ochir, although I will see if she is amiable to the idea of staying with you.” He arched an eyebrow at his mom.

“That would work.” Lona patted his cheek. “You’re a good boy—man, I should say, but you will always be my little boy.”

“My mom says the same thing,” Tim offered.

Lona patted his cheek too. “It’s a mother’s privilege, and a son’s.”

Tim’s sweet smile made Otto long to kiss him, but Tim leant down and kissed Lona instead. “You’re making me miss my mom, and not, at the same time. She’s a lot like you.”

Steve nudged Otto. “Hey, isn’t that the guy you practice wrestling with?”

Otto looked to where his dad was pointing and saw Gansukh approaching. Otto narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes, it is.” Tim growled beside him and Otto cupped his elbow.
“He’s nothing more than a good friend.”
A pang shot through him, because there’d been more even if it was just once.
“We did have sex, but that was all, and it was only once. There is nothing more between us.”

“I don’t give a damn if it was just once,”
Tim thought back,
“I want to rip his head off. But he looks like he could eat me for breakfast.”

Otto almost laughed at that, because even though Gansukh was huge, Tim could probably still take him, definitely could in his snow leopard form.

“Oh my,” Dane cooed, “and who is this handsome hunk of beef approaching us?”

That did it. Otto burst out laughing, and even Tim grinned. Steve and Lona both chuckled as well, and Gansukh just looked confused as he came up to them.

“What joke did I miss?” he asked in his deep, gravelly voice.

“Fuck,” Dane whimpered, turning huge eyes on Gansukh. “Please tell me you’re gay.”

Gansukh sputtered and turned a dark crimson. “What? Why would you—I don’t—” he turned to Otto. “Otto!”

Otto knew he shouldn’t have been so entertained, especially not when Tim was seething beside him. Well, maybe not seething, but he wasn’t happy. “Gansukh, this is Dr Dane Calderon. Dane, my friend Gansukh.”

Dane batted his lashes as he all but slithered up to Gansukh. “Just Gansukh?”

Gansukh swallowed loudly and gave a jerky nod. “Many traditional families only use one name, not like you.” He gestured at everyone else.

Otto decided to step in before Gansukh hurt himself trying to be polite. “Gansukh is one of the top wrestlers in Mongolia. He’s also single, shy, and in need of guidance into the way of the world. Dane, I’m sure he’d be happy to follow you anywhere.”

This time it was Dane who sputtered, but Gansukh just nodded, a sappy smile curling his lips. “Anywhere.” He’d obviously figured out Dane was gay, and Dane seemed to have caught on to Gansukh’s interest, if the way he was stroking Gansukh’s arm was anything to go by.

“Why are you here?” Tim asked in an only mildly hostile sounding voice. Otto gave himself a mental slap. He should have asked that question himself.

Gansukh blinked as he stared at Dane. He didn’t look away from the smaller man, and when he answered, he did so in Khalkha, probably because he could speak more fluidly. “Gossip. My sister’s husband is on the volunteer fire department. He mentioned going out to your house for a call. I drove by, and your place is all gone. I came here to find you and check on you. I thought you might be here since Sakund mentioned a boy being hurt. I didn’t know you were hiding this succulent sweet from me.” Gansukh winked at Dane, who did a nice impression of a simpering hussy.

Otto did his best to translate, sending the words to Tim through their mental bond. Tim rubbed his cheek against Otto’s shoulder, a silent signal he understood, and wasn’t on the verge of attacking Otto.

“I understand everything you just said, by the way,” Dane informed Gansukh, who turned a deeper shade of red. “And I think you are a sexy motherfucker.”

“Ahem.” Lona cleared her throat. Dane spun on his heel and started stuttering out an apology. “It’s fine,” Lona said with a wave of her hand. “And you two are so syrupy in lust it’s making my teeth hurt. Go eat breakfast or something. Otto and Tim will let you know if anything changes.”

Steve nodded. “Take today off, both of you,” he patted Tim’s shoulder. “There’s nothing to do in the offices today anyway, since we don’t have the film to go over. We take the weekends off most of the time, so we will all meet back up on Monday.”

Otto had forgotten it was Friday. Truly, his head was a mess. He’d lost his home, all of his possessions except his truck and what he had in it. But he had Tim, he had his family, and he had friends, and Ochir would be okay, eventually. He wasn’t dead, hadn’t been raped, so things could be much, much worse. All in all, he had many things to be grateful for, but he still felt the need to mourn.

Tim caught his chin and held his head still for a quick kiss. He pinned Otto with those blue eyes and smiled just enough to send a rush of warmth through him. “We need a break, and we need to check the Vengi. What do you say, are you up for a run?”

Dane and Gansukh were already walking off, heading for Gansukh’s vehicle. Steve and Lona were having an intense, quiet conversation a few feet away. The idea of shifting and running with his mate chased off more of the morose feelings threatening Otto. Even the fact that they’d be searching for the poacher rather than just running freely didn’t detract from the joy of running with Tim.

“I am.” Otto tucked Tim against his side and closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, catching the essence of Tim’s scent under the smoke and sweat. “It’s dark yet, though. Let’s go to my parents’ house and see if we can get this stench of fire off us, maybe rest for an hour or two, then we’ll go.”

Tim waggled his eyebrows at Otto. “Rest, or you can let me help take your mind of your troubles.” He leered and brushed Otto’s cock with the back of his hand.

“That will work.” Otto doubted he’d have slept anyway.

Chapter Twelve

Running was something Tim enjoyed in either of his forms. He wasn’t particularly fond of shifting—it hurt like a bitch. But he knew Otto was suffering. He’d lost his home, his stuff, had been attacked on his own soil, and finding Ochir, looking so broken and bruised in the back seat, had shaken Otto to his core. Tim, too, but he knew it was worse for Otto, with him losing everything. But not everyone.

And so, knowing they needed to re-check the Vengi Pass, and that neither of them were going to be able to sleep, Tim had thought it’d be a good time to get out. There was nothing they could do to help Ochir by staying at the hospital, and Naran had been very clear on not allowing any males anywhere near him. Tim hoped the doctors were right and the boy hadn’t been touched…like that, by his captor. Tim could hardly even think it. How could someone recover from something like what Ochir had been through? It would take a very strong person, and lots of love and caring from a caretaker. He didn’t know Naran, but he hoped she was up for the task. Ochir would need security, and patience.