Part 9


The two men walked silently together, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lonnie had refused to allow JC to go by himself. The big man felt responsible that Justin and Britney had been hurt, even though he’d been in Canada with JC and Lance. There was no way he was going to let JC go here alone, not when Kirkpatrick was involved. And besides, Lonnie had his own score to settle.

JC’s thoughts were also on Chris, remembering the past, remembering a different Chris than the one JC was preparing to face. But he refused to let nostalgia prevent him from doing what he needed to do. Chris had involved innocents in their battle, and it had finally reached a point where JC knew it must be stopped.

The men reached the club that Chris owned, and without breaking stride, Lonnie approached the door and kicked it open. The club was dark and silent, the chairs still on the tables from the day’s cleaning. There were no lights on in the kitchen, no people anywhere inside. JC and Lonnie went upstairs to the apartment above the club, where Chris lived. Again, Lonnie kicked the door down without stopping, and the men entered the sitting room. It, too, was dark and deserted, the only illumination the streetlights coming through the un-shaded windows.

Lonnie searched all the rooms of the apartment while JC wandered the living room, knowing that Chris was not here. There was no life in this room, in this place. No life at all. JC looked around the room and spied an envelope with his name on propped on the mantle. He took the missive and opened it, sitting in a chair and turning on a lamp.

I guess since you’re reading this, you know I was responsible for the beating…though it probably wasn’t a hard conclusion to reach. I knew the minute I say your pretty piano player he’d be the best tool for revenge I could think of. My spies told me you and he were happy, and that was something I just couldn’t allow. You happy? No, not while I could prevent it. But I also knew that using the boy would probably be the last straw for you, that you would finally have had enough and come to kill me. Which is why I’m not here. I may be many things, JC. A bully, a coward. But I am not stupid.

I wonder, though, if you know how much I loved you. Still love you. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. And that’s what’s always bothered me. The fact that I loved you, but you could never love me. Not the way I wanted you to. I knew you liked boys, and that was great, so did I. But I wanted more than sex from you, and I expected more than sex, but I never got it. Does your pretty piano player know how cold you are? How incapable of love you are? How it will drive him insane until he finally has to hurt you, like I did? You forced me to do that to you, that night I left the home. It was your fault, not mine. If you had loved me like I wanted you to, I would never have locked you in that room. I would never have touched you, never have hurt you. All I wanted was your love. It was to be your birthday present, my love for you. But instead, you rejected me.

So now I’ve had my revenge. I’ve taken something away from you, something you treasured. Because not only will your pretty boy eventually leave you, he’ll do so unable to play anymore. Perfect, don’t you think? That every time he hears music and wants to play he won’t be able to, it will be your fault. Your fault. Because you didn’t love me like you should have.

Good-bye for now, JC. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.

Chris.



JC crumpled the letter in his hands and looked up at Lonnie. “Let’s go home,” he said.


“JUSTIN! GET BACK INTO BED!” Britney screamed, trying to move him backwards toward the bed.

Justin looked down. “Britney, let go of me,” he said, fighting both the pain and the girl holding his arms.

She shook her head. “No,” she said, moving him back an inch. “You have to rest, the doctor said.”

Justin shook his head. “No, I have to go,” he said, moving forward a foot.

“Justin, what are you doing?” Lance asked, coming into the room and appraising the situation. Justin was pale, there was sweat on his skin, and his jaw was clenched, fighting the obvious pain of his injuries.

“I’m leaving, if you’d be so kind as to get your woman OUT OF MY WAY!” he said, moving Britney back a little more.

“Just where are you leaving to?” Lance asked, standing behind Britney and effectively stopping Justin’s advance.

“To find Josh,” Justin said, his eyes locking with Lance’s over Britney’s head.

“I’m right here.”

Justin’s head turned suddenly at the sound of JC’s voice, the sharp pain from the movement causing Justin to become dizzy and lose his balance. JC moved light lightening from the doorway, catching Justin before he could fall, and gently pushed him back to the bed, laying him down. JC snagged the chair next to the bed and sat down, holding Justin’s good hand.

“You must be feeling better, to be up and about like that,” JC said, placing a kiss in Justin’s hand before holding it close to his cheek. Their eyes were locked, and neither noticed as Lance and Britney left the room.

Justin shook his head, again forgetting and wincing at the pain. “No, not really,” he admitted.

“Then why?” JC asked. “Why did you need to find me?”

“I just did,” Justin mumbled, dropping his eyes.

JC reached over and grabbed his chin, forcing Justin’s eyes back to his own. “Justin.”

“I was scared, Josh.”

“Of what?”

“Of what you might do…and what that might mean.” Justin looked at JC closely. “You didn’t do anything, did you?”

JC shook his head. “No, I didn’t,” he said, but continued when a look of relief crossed Justin’s face. “But only because he wasn’t there.”

“He’s gone?”

JC nodded. “Packed up and left the city, from what I understand.” JC thought of the note left behind. The parting shot. He knew that Chris would someday return.

Justin watched the emotions cross JC’s face. Something had happened. Maybe Kirkpatrick hadn’t been there, but he did something before he left. “Josh, can you tell me about it?”

A slight smile crossed JC’s lips. “Maybe…someday,” he said gently. “Not now, not yet.”

Justin blinked. Someday, Justin thought. Josh said someday. That means…. Justin was afraid to think about what that meant. But it made him happy to think of a someday with Josh.

JC saw the smile on Justin’s face. “What?” he asked.

Justin just smiled broader, his white teeth flashing in a happy grin. “Nothing,” he said. “Just glad it’s all over.”

“Keeping secrets, Farm Boy?” JC teased, reaching up for Justin’s curls. Justin turned his head and caught JC’s hand with his mouth, his teeth lightly scraping against JC’s palm. JC sucked in a breath at the action, and tugged a curl. “Knock that off…you’re way too sick for that!”

Justin laughed.



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