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“Where did you get those?”

“They’re Spook’s,” Tristan said.

Harry looked down at what he was wearing and then slowly raised his gaze. “He gave you his underwear?” Before he could answer, Harry tugged Tristan and held him tightly. “Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter. I’m just so glad you’re safe. Your mom and dad will be too.”

“You talked to them?” Tristan asked.

“Yeah. I called them this morning. When the police weren’t much use to start with, I called everyone I could think of. I’d have moved heaven and earth to get you back if I’d had to.”

Tristan closed his eyes and held Harry. He knew he would have. “And you even braved my parents.”

“Your mom is very nice. Your dad is a bit… let’s say conservative and leave it at that.” Harry didn’t let him go. When his phone rang, Harry shifted and managed to get it out before pushing it into Tristan’s hand.

He looked at the display and pressed the button. “Mom.”

“Honey, is it really you? Your friend Jeremy called and said that someone had found you and that you were safe.”

“I am. I’m okay.”

“I expected the police to—”

“Mom, I have the best friends. You’ll never understand what they did for me.” Tristan did his best to reassure her as she broke into tears, pulling Tristan right along with her. “I’m okay. I’m not hurt, but I was really scared the entire time.” His father came on the line too.

“You’re really okay?” For the first time in his life, Tristan heard his father crying.

“Yes, Dad. I’m with Harry, and he’s taking care of me.” Tristan refused to let go and rested his head on Harry’s shoulder once again. “I was able to get away with the help of a friend. The police were on their way as he was bringing me here. I’m fine.” Neither of them said anything right away, and he heard two sets of sniffles. “I’m really okay.”

“We were so worried,” his mother said, crying… for him. “Are you sure they can’t get to you?”

“Yes. I’m really safe. I promise you that.” He was shaking and could barely hold the phone any longer. Harry took it and spoke with them.

“Yes, I promise you he’s okay, and I’ll bring him over to see you just as soon as we’re done with the police and all the questions. … Yes, he’s with me right now. … Yes. … No. … Yes, I promise.” Harry eventually hung up. “They were very worried.”

“I take it we have to see my parents today?” Tristan wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “They never wanted to talk about the fact that I was gay. They never wanted to understand.”

“That’s probably true, but things like this tend to change people. They were truly worried about you.” Harry tugged him closer. “I was really afraid. It took me a long time to find you and to find balls enough to actually talk to you. The thought of losing you….” Harry’s voice broke. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“Spook said you yelled at people,” Tristan commented.

“I yelled at the police. They weren’t doing anything, and then we figured out that Rodney might have been the one who helped them get to you. I was so mad, but Bull had the presence of mind to think that maybe he’d lead us to Eddie and, by extension, to you. Spook was the one who found you, though.” Harry’s voice broke again.

Tristan held Harry and refused to let him go. He needed to feel him and hold him. A loud knock reverberated through the house. Tristan squeaked, afraid it was Eddie coming for him. “It’s all right.” Harry shifted him off his lap, then pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around him. “Go change, and I’ll deal with whoever it is.”

Tristan nodded and hurried from the room. He made it to the bedroom where he had his things and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping the blanket pulled tightly around him. He couldn’t move. Everything that had happened to him slammed into him all at once. He’d been kidnapped, had his life threatened, and come within seconds of being raped. Tristan fell back on the bed and rolled onto his side. He pulled his legs up to him, tucked his feet under the blanket, and shivered as though it were the dead of winter. That was where Harry found him.

“Tristan, it’s all right,” Harry said. He sat on the edge of the bed, and Tristan scooted away. When Harry tried to touch him, he pulled even farther away. “It’s me. It’s Harry.”

“He almost raped me,” Tristan croaked. “He… he….” Tristan shivered again and couldn’t stop. Harry pulled him off the bed and Tristan struggled. Harry wrapped Tristan in his arms and just held him, rocking slowly back and forth. “How could he hate me so much?”

“I don’t know,” Harry whispered into his ear. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. He’s gone, and he’s not going to come anywhere near you. The police have him in custody, Tristan. He isn’t going to be let out anytime soon.”

“Tristan,” a voice said softly. He lifted his head away from Harry’s shoulder, blinking a bit as Officer Douglas stepped into the room. “It’s going to be okay. We have Eddie and some of his men in custody, and this time the evidence is not going to disappear. There will be no repeat of what happened last time.”

Tristan nodded slowly. “Good.”

“Do you think you can tell me what happened?” Officer Douglas asked softly.

“No. Not now,” Tristan gasped and held on to Harry. He needed something strong and reliable. That was Harry. His Harry.

“Did Eddie rape you?” Officer Douglas asked.

“He tried but got interrupted,” Tristan said, and Harry held him a little tighter.

“I know it’s hard, but try to tell Ken everything you can. He needs to know what happened so he can help you.”

“Mostly he kept me in a room naked, with the door locked. He took away the blanket and the sheets on the bed. He didn’t feed me and only gave me a little water. The smelly guy guarded me.” His thoughts refused to settle in a reasonable fashion.

“Do you know where you were?”

“On State Street, I think.” He had the presence of mind not to mention Spook.

“Who did you see while you were there?” Officer Douglas was taking notes, and Tristan found it easier not to look at him.

“Eddie… umm… the stinky guy… you’ll know him because you’ll smell him ten minutes away. Dang near made me sick.” At least he could smile about that. “At first they had me in the basement, but then they moved me upstairs to one of the bedrooms.”

“We believe we found the room where you were being held. Could you describe it for us?” Officer Douglas asked.

“Dingy. Bare mattress, smelled like old house. They took all the fabric out of the room except the curtains. Oh, there should be a disposable razor under the mattress, and a pair of tweezers and old scissors I found in the bathroom. I smuggled them in the binding of the blanket before Eddie took it away.”

“How did you get away?”

“One of Harry’s security people found me.” He turned back toward Officer Douglas. “I don’t know his name, but he said he followed Rodney because he thought Rodney was hooked up with Eddie. Turns out he was right, I guess. He knocked out Smelly Guy and two other ones outside the back door as we left. Then he brought me here.”

“You don’t know the guy’s name?”

“No. He came in the room, and I nearly attacked him until he said Bull and Harry had sent him out looking for me. Anyway, we snuck out the back, and he brought me here.” Tristan shuddered and turned away. “I don’t think I….” Questions were the last thing he wanted right now. More than anything he wanted… hell, he wasn’t sure what he wanted other than no more questions.

“Harry, who was this security person?”

“He’s on Bull’s staff at the club,” Harry said. “Quite honestly, I can’t and won’t talk about him, and I know he won’t talk to you.”

“Excuse me?” Officer Douglas sounded beyond miffed.

“I need to leave it at that, and unless you intend to pursue this further, I suggest you leave it there as well. Tristan was rescued and is out of harm’s way. You’ve put a huge dent in the drug trade in this area. No doubt someone will step up to take Eddie’s place. And you may even be able to get him to roll over on his suppliers.”

“Eddie wants to feel important,” Tristan said. “The most important thing to him is his ego. He’ll do anything to keep hold of what he believes is his, so you can use that against him if you’re smart.” Tristan released a little of his trepidation now that they weren’t directly talking about what had happened to him. “Eddie didn’t have anything growing up, and while I don’t know when he started dealing, he spent the past few years building up his business. At least until he fell off the deep end.”

“Was he using?” Officer Douglas asked.

“Not when I dated him, I don’t think, but from what I just saw, yeah. He’s all rage and muscle right now. So use that against him. The one thing Eddie loves to talk about is Eddie. Flatter him, make him think you’re a little in awe of him, and get him talking.”

“Okay,” Officer Douglas said. “I’ll give that a try.” He closed his notebook. “I think that’s all I need for now. I’m sure I’ll have more questions, especially about this security person.”

“He’s an employee, and as such, there’s only so much information I can give you. If you get a court order for my records, then I would have to comply, but until then I can’t help you.” Tristan watched as the two men had a stare-down.

Officer Douglas was the first to look away. “All right. I’ll take this as an ‘all’s well that ends well’ situation… for now. But I’m a little disappointed.”

Tristan stood and climbed off Harry’s lap. “Officer Douglas, I know this will be hard for you to understand, but all of us, we’re friends, and we help each other. Some of us are much more private than others, and as friends we respect that privacy. I know it sounds like we’re hiding something, but we’re not. We protect each other as best we can, just like you protect your brothers on the force.” Tristan turned to Harry and saw him nod his agreement and encouragement. “I was saved by one of those friends, and I have told you the truth.”

“You’ve left out details,” Officer Douglas said.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve told you what I know, and I truly appreciate your help.” Tristan held out his hand, and after a few moments, Officer Douglas shook it. “You’re a good man, and I hope I’ll be seeing more of you—in an unofficial capacity, of course.” Tristan sighed. “I hope this is over and I never have need of a policeman for the rest of my life.” He looked down and remembered he still had the blanket wrapped around him.

“All right. Like I said, I think I have what I need for now.”

“Thank you,” Tristan said, and Harry got up, showing Officer Douglas out. While they were gone, Tristan changed into his own clothes and went into the kitchen. He pulled open the refrigerator door and scouted out some food.

“I take it you’re feeling better,” Harry said, and Tristan jumped with a small squeak. “Sorry. I guess you have a right to be jumpy.”

“I guess.” Tristan grabbed a bag of green grapes, washed them, and began to chow down. As soon as the food hit his stomach, he was instantly starved and couldn’t eat fast enough. Harry pulled out some chicken salad and handed him a fork. Tristan dug in and polished that off before slowing down.

“Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” Tristan asked, leaning back against the counter.

“No. What happened to you shouldn’t have happened to anyone. But it did. Eddie had no right to do that to you, and you did nothing to deserve it.” Harry slowly moved closer. “I know it’s hard for you to believe, but it’s true. And if you think you’ll need someone to talk to, I’m sure Officer Douglas knows someone who helps people through things like this.” Harry gently enfolded him in his arms, and Tristan snuggled in. “You don’t have to work this through alone. All those friends you told Officer Douglas about will be there for you every step of the way, never doubt that for a second.”

“I won’t,” Tristan said, closing his eyes and doing his best not to shake as the memory of how close he’d come to being….

“Remember how strong you were and what Spook said.”

“But I felt helpless,” Tristan said. “I couldn’t get out.”

“No. But you were ready to fight, and that means you weren’t helpless. You have hidden strength. That’s part of what I love about you.”

“I’m not strong. More than once I thought I was going to wet myself I was shaking so hard.” The shivers came over him again.

“No, you are strong. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of.” Harry held him tighter. “I know this is all too soon, and you need time to think things through and to try to heal. But know this: I would have moved heaven and earth to get you back because I love you. That isn’t going to change either.”

Tristan bit his lower lip and raised his gaze to Harry’s. “Would you still love me if Eddie had… actually gone through with….” He couldn’t say the words, and he hoped Harry understood.

“Yes. Nothing would have changed that. I probably would have hunted the man down and cut things off him, but that would not have changed how I feel about you.” Harry held him close. “I do have to ask you something. Can you forgive me?”

“What for?” Tristan asked, his voice muffled by Harry’s shirt.

“If I hadn’t messed around with Rodney, then I doubt Eddie would have been able to get to him. We’re sure Rodney was helping him.”

“Eddie would have found another way to get what he wanted. I know that.” Tristan sighed. “I think Eddie the asshole has been the source of way too much guilt, hate, and misery.” Maybe it was the food or… God knew what, but Tristan found the strength he needed. “I’ll probably need someone to speak with, but I want to do our best to push Eddie out of this relationship.”

“I agree. Let’s let Eddie go, preferably to the depths of hell, where he belongs,” Harry said.

Tristan couldn’t have agreed more.