Rebel Obsession (45 page)

Arion.

He already knew that Arion was performing at the Blue Turtle tonight, and he had every intention of going there, gay bar or not, to make amends.

“How do I look?” He brushed his hand over the burnished red cashmere sweater.

“Like a million dollars.” Miriam stepped up behind him and wound her arms around his waist.

He smiled at her reflection and stepped aside, looking around with a low whistle while giving her the once-over.

“Baby, you’re going to make me a jealous male tonight.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because every eye in the place will be on you.”

She wore a red, silk blouse with a plunging neckline, along with a pair of fashionable, wide-leg black slacks and black platform pumps. Long, ebony waves framed her face.

“I thought you said this was a gay bar.” She lifted one eyebrow.

“Well, even gay men can appreciate this kind of beauty.” He waved his arm up and down.

“You flatter me.”

“It’s just the truth.”

He took her hand and led her up the stairs and grabbed her bottle of tonic off the kitchen counter.

“We’ll leave it in the car in case you need it,” he said.

She was doing remarkably well fighting through withdrawal, and he hoped that within a couple of weeks they wouldn’t even need the elixir anymore.

A half-hour later, they parked across the street from the Blue Turtle and made their way inside hand-in-hand. As he suspected, every eye in the place turned and took in his Miri, but she seemed oblivious, falling into the circle of his arm as he wrapped it around her waist.

Severin sat at a table against the far wall and waved them over.

“Miriam, I think you know Sev.”

“Yes.” She smiled and held out her hand.

Sev shook it. “Nice to see you doing so well, Miriam.”

“Thank you. It’s all Io’s fault.” She flashed him a coquettish smile.

They chuckled, and Io looked around the room, searching for Ari. “Where is he?” He helped Miriam into one of the chairs.

“Restroom.” Sev nodded toward the back. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I think he’s got a nervous bladder.”

“Really? Does he always get nervous before he performs?” Io remained standing, his arm around Miriam’s shoulders. She reached up and placed her hand on his.

Sev shook his head. “He’s not nervous about performing, Io.” Sev gave him a knowing look.

“Oh.” Io nodded then looked down. “I see.”

Ari was nervous about seeing him. That’s what Sev was saying.

Miriam tightened her hand around his, instinctively knowing he needed her support.

Sev turned and looked toward the back. “There he is. Why don’t you go talk to him? I’ll keep Miriam company.”

Io turned and saw Ari break through the crowd and come to a sudden stop when their eyes met.

“Okay, yeah.” Io lifted Miriam’s hand and kissed it. “I’ll be right back. I need to speak to him alone.”

“Take your time, baby. I’m fine.” Miriam gave him an encouraging smile and waved him away.

Taking a deep breath, he walked toward Ari, who turned and headed toward a hallway in the back. Io followed, feeling as if they were engaging in espionage, arranging a secret meeting or something.

Ari led him to a back door then outside into a back alley.

It was unseasonably warm.

After closing the door behind him, Io turned around. Ari paced away, his hands on his hips, head down. Nothing was said for at least a minute, and Ari wouldn’t even look at him.

Io cleared his throat. “Uh, how’re you doing, Ari?” He scratched the back of his neck and looked over his shoulder toward the door. He might need a quick escape if Ari’s behavior was any indication.

Ari shook his head and spun around. “How do you think I’m doing?”

The two stared at each other, a dripping noise coming from somewhere down the alley. The air was heavy with humidity.

“I, uh…I’m….” Io couldn’t seem to get the words to flow. “Hell, Ari, I don’t know. That’s why I asked.”

Clearing the air with Ari was proving to be a lot harder than he thought it would.

“Well, I’ll tell you how I am.” Ari took an aggressive step forward, pointing a finger at Io. “You reckless bastard.” Ari pulled back and cursed as he spun away briefly then turned back toward him again. “What the hell were you thinking? Huh? You always were reckless. Always taking risks a crazy person would be smart enough to avoid. But not you. Noooo. You go off and do shit that could get you killed. Killed, Io!”

Io’s face scrunched up as he frowned. He gnawed on the inside of his lip. Ari was really pissed off. “Look Ari, I didn’t come here to fight with you. I—”

“You careless bastard! Do you think I enjoyed this? Do you think I liked knowing I was going to lose my best friend twice?”

“Ari…calm down. Just cool out.”

“Don’t tell me to cool out, you jackass!” Ari shoved him. “After I pulled your ass out of the gutter more times than I can count, don’t you dare tell me to cool out.” He shoved Io again. “I have a right to be pissed. The king could have killed you. He was
going
to! Damn you!”

Io jerked backward as Ari shoved him again. “But he didn’t! He didn’t, okay? You have a right to be pissed, but if you’ll just listen to me! Ari! Stop it!” Io swatted Ari’s arm away before he could shove him again.

“Asshole!” Ari swung his left arm—his tattooed arm—at Io.

Io reached out with his right hand and caught it. The arms they had tattooed together as a show of their friendship and brotherly closeness now linked them to one another, and they both stilled and stared at the hint of ink that peeked out from the cuff of Io’s shirt. It perfectly matched Ari’s. For a moment, both quieted, arms linked, their gazes draped over the connection as if the memory of their friendship hung between them.

Io spoke softly. “Damn it, Ari, I know I’ve fucked shit up between us. Maybe beyond repair. I don’t know, but I hope not. But if you’ll give me a chance, I want to make things right with you. I don’t deserve it, but damn it, brother…I miss you. And God, I’m so sorry. I treated you and Sev…well, I was awful to you both. I wasn’t there for you. You needed me and I wasn’t there.” He dropped his gaze to the ground as shame flooded him. This was so hard, but he had to get it out. All of it. “You were the best friend I’ve ever had. You were there for me when I needed you. You pulled me through the hardest time in my life, Ari, but when you needed me, I abandoned you. I walked away and left you hanging. I was stupid. I said things…awful things.” He cringed. “God, Ari, I’m so sorry.”

Ari’s tawny eyes lifted, and he glared at Io as he breathed heavily. From physical exertion, emotion, or both? But he didn’t reply.

For at least a minute, they just stared at each other until finally Io took a deep breath and stepped back, toward the door. “Okay, well…I’m sorry.” He let go of Ari’s wrist and took another step back and straightened his shirt. The darkened alley closed in. Had his apology been all for naught? “That’s all I wanted to say.” With a tight smile, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, Ari grabbed him, swung him around, and yanked him back into a bear hug the likes of which would have squeezed the life out of King Kong.

“You goddamn selfish bastard,” Ari said, thumping a fist on Io’s back. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. I thought…you just…you’re so fucking reckless…damn you.”

Ari didn’t mention the
real
issue. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding Io’s previously homophobic stupidity altogether, but that was okay. He knew Ari well enough to know that he was simply deflecting. After all, Ari hadn’t gone his whole life pretending to be straight because he was good at addressing conflict. If he wanted to transfer his emotions over their falling out onto his anger over what had gone down with King Bain, Io was fine with that.

He slowly wrapped his arms around Ari and hugged him back. “I’m not going anywhere, brother. And I promise to be more careful from now on.”

“You’d better be or I’ll kill you myself.” Ari let go of him and pushed him away before wiping his hand over his face and clearing the emotion from his throat.

“No you won’t. You love me too much.” Io grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

“Pompous ass.” Ari started for the door.

Io grabbed his arm. “So, we good?” He paused. “I need us to be good with each other again, Ari.”

“Why’s that?” Ari arched an eyebrow and tongued the inside of his cheek to squelch a smile.

Io took a deep breath, blew it out. “Because I can’t think of a better godfather to my unborn child.”

Ari’s eyes sharpened for a heartbeat, his gaze flickering as the corner of his mouth ticked upward. Then he licked and pursed his lips and the momentary smile was gone, replaced with hard edges Io got the impression were just for show. “We’ll see.”

“Is that a yes?”

“No. But it’s not a no, either.” Ari’s face softened, but he looked away before Io could see if he was smiling.

“Okay. That’s cool.” Io kept his voice even. He knew Ari well enough to know that it would just take time and they would be back to the friends they once were, with one big difference. They were both mated males now.

Ari walked toward the door and stopped without turning around, his head down and his hand on the doorknob. “You staying for the show?”

“I’d planned on it. Do you want me to leave?”

“No…no.” Ari shook his head, keeping it bowed. “You should stay. The music’s good here.”

Io grinned at the back of Ari’s head. “That’s what I hear, especially when you’re playing.”

Ari didn’t move for several seconds, keeping his head down. His body rose and fell rhythmically as he breathed, and Io sensed the pride and gratitude pulsing off him. His compliment had pleased Ari, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Finally, Ari stood tall once more and pulled the door open. “Don’t blow smoke up my ass.” Without another look back, Ari left him in the alley, but Io had heard the smile in his voice even if he hadn’t seen it.

Io smiled and leaned back against the brick wall. Yes, everything between he and Ari was going to be just fine. It didn’t look like it on the surface, but Io could tell. It was obvious that the separation had been killing Ari just as much as it had been killing him.

When he went back inside and reached the table, he was positively beaming. Ari was already up on stage.

“It went well, I take it?” Sev said.

He nodded and sat down next to Miriam, taking her hand. “Yes.”

“You didn’t come back inside with him.” Sev eyed him curiously. “But Ari stopped by the table before heading up to the stage. Whatever you two talked about certainly put a sparkle in his eye. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him in such a good mood.”

Io glanced up at Ari, who was tuning his guitar.

It was still weird thinking about Ari with a male, but he had a greater appreciation for what Ari had gone through and how he and Sev felt for one another now that he had mated Miriam. And after having a brush with death, Io no longer saw homosexuality as that big of an issue. Death had a way of putting things in perspective. Who cared who Ari loved? Just as long as he was happy.

A waitress came by their table and delivered their drinks, and Miriam leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You okay, baby?” he said.

She nodded. “Perfect.”

Io looked up and caught Sev’s eye. Sev grinned at him but didn’t say anything. But Io knew what he was thinking. No doubt Sev had never seen this day coming, but then again, neither had Io.

But sometimes that’s how life worked out. You took chances and let life lead you, and when you came across something good, you grabbed on and fought for it.

“How you feeling?” Miriam said, looking over her shoulder at him.

She was his
something good.
Miriam was that something he had come across that had been worth fighting for. She had a long way to go toward breaking completely free from her father, and she was only just beginning to figure out exactly who she was, but that was the neat thing about being mated to her. He could share that journey with her—participate in her self-discovery and even help her figure herself out.

He grinned. “Like a rebel.”

She smiled and leaned back, pressing her lips to his ear. “Don’t you go changing, either.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” His arms slid further around her slender waist.

“Because I’ve become obsessed with you just the way you are.”

Io turned and pressed his lips to hers. “Ditto, baby.”

He gazed into her blue eyes, lost in her. He’d been to hell and back, but through the flames he had come out a new male. Where once he had been a reckless playboy, he was now a stable family man, ready to settle down and discard his proverbial little black book.

With a glance back up at his best friend, he had never felt happier. He had experienced the ultimate rebellion—against himself. He had become a better male by thumbing his nose at who he once was and daring to take a new path. One he had always been terrified to tread.

Who would have thought monogamy and humility would be a part of his vocabulary? Few had seen any promise that Io would amount to anything more than a philandering chauvinist and a bigot, but he had shown them. He had proven everyone wrong.

Even himself.

EPILOGUE

“Are you nervous?” Io held Miriam’s hand as they walked through the halls of AKM toward the conference center.

“A little.”

“I’ll be right beside you.” Io lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“What if my being here is too disruptive?” She leaned into him as they walked.

“I think the better question is whether
my
being here will be too disruptive.” The king said, stepping out from a side hallway to join them.

“Father?” Miriam stopped, emotion obviously overcoming her. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think—”

“That I would support my own daughter while she battled addiction?” King Bain said, cutting her off.

Miriam fought back her tears, looking from her father to Io. “Did you know about this?” she asked him.