One Day, page 3
“I’m sorry,” Gabe whispered. He walked over to his mother and sister and hugged them gently. “I can’t—I just can’t—” He turned and headed out of the front door of his home, Cam following in his steps.
Chapter 5
“Will you forgive me?” Cam said forlornly.
Gabe sighed, reached across the table, and stabbed one of Cam’s scallops with a fork.
“Can you stop apologizing already and enjoy the food and the view?” he muttered before biting down on the succulent meat. He picked up his glass of wine and indicated the spectacular night time vista of the city spread out beyond the window next to them.
They were in one of the most exclusive restaurants in downtown Chicago. It had been two days since Gabe had left his parents’ house after the explosive confrontation with his father. He and Cam had checked in early to the hotel where they had intended to stay for a week before traveling back to Tokyo and had spent the last forty-eight hours in a whirlwind of sight-seeing and shopping. Although Gabe’s mother and sister had tried to contact him in the past couple of days, Gabe hadn’t taken their calls or responded to their messages, too bruised still from the incident with his father.
Cam pursed his lips. “But it’s because of me that you got hurt again.”
Gabe cursed under his breath. “Look, Cam. It’s not your fault my father has a giant stick up his ass, and my mother and sister won’t stand up to him to tell him to take the damn thing out.”
Cam blinked. “I’m sorry,” he blurted, “but that image is just wrong. In so many ways.”
Gabe stared at him before bursting out laughing.
Cam smiled, his shoulders relaxing for the first time that day. “So, you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Gabe said. “At least now we know where we stand with them.”
Cam studied him thoughtfully. “You never know. People can change. I did.”
Gabe’s heart swelled at the warmth in Cam’s gaze. His cell buzzed in his pocket. He frowned and took it out, half expecting to see another message from his mother or sister. His brow cleared when he saw the text.
“Oh-oh,” Gabe said with a chuckle. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to make myself scarce for a moment. It’s Operation Secret Squirrel.”
Cam groaned. “What the heck does he want now?”
“Don’t know,” Gabe said. He put his napkin down and rose from the table. “But, since the guy is one of our best men and in charge of organizing our combined bachelor party, I best reply before he gets cranky.”
Cam scowled. “Tell him I still think Operation Secret Squirrel is a stupid code name.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gabe murmured, dropping a kiss on Cam’s cheek. He turned and headed for a quiet section of the bar before hitting dial.
Ethan Skye answered on the first ring. “Wow. I’m surprised you called me so fast. I thought Cam would have you pinned under him somewhere and doing the dance of the two-headed beast.”
Gabe sighed at his best friend’s usual filthy banter. “Cam and I do have lives and jobs, you know. We don’t just spend all our time fucking.”
Ethan sniffed. “That’s a shame. I spend a lot of my time doing just that with Joe.”
“That’s because you live and work together,” Gabe drawled. “Akihito threatened to start a ‘sex jar’ for you to pay into for the number of times you drag Joe up to the apartment above the club in the middle of a shift. He said he’d be able to retire within five years if he did.”
“We only ever do it when I’m on break,” Ethan said defensively. “Plus, it keeps us fit.”
“Sure it does,” Gabe said with a grin. “Anyway, what’s up? Do you need something from us for the bachelor party?”
There was a pause at the end of the line
“No,” Ethan said quietly. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. Something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’m hoping you’ll come on board with me on this particular project. If you agree, then there’s something I need you to do before you leave the States.”
Gabe frowned at Ethan’s serious tone. His eyes widened when Ethan started explaining what it was exactly he was doing and why he wanted Gabe in on it. By the time Ethan finished talking, Gabe’s palms were sweaty and his heart was racing in his chest.
“Yes,” he breathed. “Count me in.”
“You sure?” Ethan said hesitantly.
Gabe glanced across the restaurant to where Cam sat digging into his steak. “Absolutely.”
“Okay,” Ethan said, relieved. “I’ll send you the details and you can arrange to meet him at your convenience. You think you’ll manage to ditch Cam for a couple of hours?”
Gabe smiled, excitement coursing through him at what Ethan had proposed. “I’ll come up with something. And Ethan?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you,” Gabe said, closing his eyes briefly. “If this works, it will change all of our lives. For the better, I hope.”
“I know,” Ethan said. He paused. “To be honest, it scares the ever living shit out of me. There’s a good chance it’ll fail and he’ll come up with nothing. But, there’s also a chance he might.”
“Yes.” Gabe thought of his family and the hell that had been the last few days. “We could really do with some luck right now.”
“The meeting with your parents went as badly as you thought it would?” Ethan said sympathetically.
“It was worse,” Gabe admitted.
“Shit,” Ethan murmured. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Gabe said. “Having Cam with me helped a lot.”
“I want to know all the details but I gotta go,” Ethan said. “Joe’s coming out of the shower.”
“I’ll text you later,” Gabe said. He ended the call and took a moment to compose himself before returning to his and Cam’s table, his mind buzzing from the conversation he and Ethan had just shared.
“Everything okay?” Cam said curiously as Gabe took his seat.
“Uh-huh,” Gabe said, flashing him a smile.
“What did Ethan want?” Cam muttered.
Gabe placed his elbows on the table and fixed Cam with a solemn stare. “He wanted to know your exact length and girth. He’s thinking about having a dick cake made. Scaled up, obviously.”
Cam slowly lowered his meat-laden fork to his plate, his gray eyes widening with horror. “I swear to God, I will fucking kill Ethan if he—” He stopped and scowled when Gabe snorted and burst out laughing. “You ass.”
“I’m sorry!” Gabe managed between chuckles. “You should have seen the expression on your face.”
Cam narrowed his eyes at him before catching the attention of a passing waitress. “Excuse me, could I have a plate of fresh oysters?”
Gabe gave him a puzzled look. “What are the oysters for? We’ve already ordered.”
Cam flashed him an evil smile. “It’s for your punishment tonight.”
Gabe shivered at the flash of heat in Cam’s eyes. Shit. “He doesn’t need oysters,” he said hastily to the waitress. “Trust me on this.”
The woman’s face reddened as she glanced between them.
Cam arched an eyebrow at Gabe. “Who said the oysters were for me?”
Gabe groaned. Oh God.
The last time Cam had made him have oysters, he’d spent the night horny as hell and had been teased to within an inch of life during the long hours of sex play Cam had indulged in with his over-sensitive body.
Gabe gnawed his lower lip in anxious anticipation after the waitress left their table. “How bad is this going to be?”
Cam reached across the table and pressed a thumb to Gabe’s lip, stopping him from chewing it. “As bad as you want it to be,” he said in a gravelly voice that sent another shiver down Gabe’s spine. “Or rather, as good.”
Gabe’s heart stuttered at the fiery passion burning brightly in Cam’s eyes.
I will never tire of this man. Whatever he wants. Whenever he wants it. I will accept it all. All of him. Forever.
Chapter 6
“What’s wrong?” Eveline Claude said.
Ethan startled and blinked at Eveline. “Nothing. Why?”
Eveline gave him a faintly bemused smile across the restaurant table where they sat having lunch. “You seem a bit distracted.”
“Oh. Sorry, I was just thinking about Gabe and Cam’s bachelor party,” Ethan said in a light voice he hoped masked his lie.
Eveline narrowed her eyes at him. “Speaking of which, I see the need to keep the location and details a secret from the grooms, but how come the rest of the guests are being kept in the dark too?”
Ethan grinned. There were ten of them joining Gabe and Cam on their bachelors’ gig in three weeks. He and his lover Joe Cavendish, Eveline Claude and Lincoln Hudson, Rhys Damon and Wade Tucker, Ash Colby and Luke Rutherford, and Lana Keele and Tom Sutherland. Only Ethan knew the juicy particulars of the where and what of the weekend-long party. And if he was right, the grooms and their guests were going to positively love what he’d planned for them.
“It’s a surprise,” he said, flashing a saucy wink at Eveline.
She sighed. “So what, we’re just supposed to turn up at the airport? You’re not even gonna give us a hint as to what we should pack?”
“Swim suit, formal evening wear, and some casual day clothes,” Ethan said promptly.
Eveline raised her eyebrows. “Swim suit?”
“Yup,” Ethan said. “I’ve sent Luke’s flight crew instructions to give to Luke and Ash. And Tom and Lana since he’ll be picking them up from Shanghai on the way.”
Eveline rolled her eyes at him and stabbed a spring roll with her chopsticks. They finished lunch and were headed out of the restaurant door with their shopping bags when Ethan’s cell buzzed in his jeans. He slipped the phone out of his rear pocket and tensed when he saw the number on the screen.
“Sorry, Evie. I gotta take this,” he mumbled.
Eveline nodded at him as they walked out into the bright, Sunday afternoon sun. Ethan slowed his pace, pressed the answer button, and brought the cell to his ear.
“Hey, Gabe,” he said in a low voice as he strolled up the quiet cul-de-sac where the restaurant was located, Eveline a few steps ahead of him.
“We’re at the airport, headed back to Tokyo,” Gabe started without preamble. “I thought you’d want to know. I met him last night.”
Butterflies swarmed Ethan’s stomach. “And?”
“He’s already got a couple of leads to work on,” Gabe said, his tone full of excitement. “He’s going to keep digging into the records he’s found.” Gabe hesitated. “He warned me not to get our hopes up though.”
Ethan closed his eyes briefly, his heart twisting with a mixture of happiness and apprehension at his best friend’s words. “I know. But I can’t stop myself from wishing this will actually lead somewhere.”
“So do I,” Gabe said wholeheartedly. “He’ll be giving us a weekly update from now on.”
“Great,” Ethan said. The sound of an engine drew his attention. He looked up and saw a black SUV turn the corner and start down the road toward them. “Thanks for doing this, Gabe. Let’s catch up when you—”
The SUV screeched to a halt next to Eveline. She stopped and looked at the vehicle curiously. Two men got out of the front and headed purposefully toward her.
Hairs rose on the back of Ethan’s neck. “Gabe, I gotta go,” he said hastily into his cell. “Call me when you get back.” He ended the call and pocketed the phone.
“Miss Claude?” one of the men asked in a clipped voice as Ethan joined Eveline.
“Yes?” she said in a puzzled tone.
Ethan positioned himself slightly in front of Eveline. His eyes narrowed as he got his first good look at the two men. They were big and built like tanks, their suits and stance screaming some kind of security detail.
Something told Ethan they were trouble.
The men scrutinized him from behind their black sunglasses for a couple of beats.
“Senator Hudson would like a word with you, Miss Claude,” the first man said to Eveline coolly over Ethan’s shoulder. “Please come with us.”
Eveline stiffened behind Ethan. “What?”
Ethan frowned. Senator Harry Hudson was Lincoln’s estranged father. As far as he knew from what Eveline had revealed to him, the two men hadn’t been on speaking terms for over a decade. Their relationship had soured even further as of late, after the senator discovered his one and only son was going out with a former escort.
“What do you mean Senator Hudson wants to have a word with me?” Eveline said in a hardening voice. Ethan saw her glance at the SUV out of the corner of his left eye.
The first man stepped to the side and reached around Ethan.
Ethan twisted and grabbed the stranger’s wrist before his fingers made contact with Eveline’s arm. “Whoa! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? The lady hasn’t agreed to anything.”
A hand landed heavily on Ethan’s right shoulder.
“Step aside, kid,” the second man said with a heavy frown, his fingers clenching warningly into the material of Ethan’s T-shirt. “This has nothing to do with you.”
Ethan looked between the two men before glancing up the road. He gritted his teeth. There was no one else in sight.
Fuck. I’m not sure if I can take both of them on.
“Now, if you could just get into the back of the vehicle,” the first man said to Eveline.
Eveline’s eyes widened. She stared at the blackout windows of the SUV. “What’s this about? Is he—is Lincoln’s father in there?!”
“No,” the man replied. “But he wants to talk to you. From a more private location.”
Ethan swore when the guy gripping his shoulder suddenly grabbed his arms and wrenched them behind his back. His bags thudded to the ground as he stumbled backward on the narrow sidewalk.
“Hey! What the hell are you—,” Eveline started, stepping toward them.
The first man took hold of Eveline’s arm and halted her stride. She froze, her gaze slowly dropping to where he gripped her flesh.
Fear sent Ethan’s pulse rocketing toward the stratosphere. He cursed and started to struggle in his assailant’s grip. “You asshole!” he hissed at the man clutching Eveline’s arm. “Let go of her—”
Eveline scowled.
Chapter 7
“She did what?!” Lincoln roared down the phone line.
Ethan winced as he held an improvised ice compress to his bloodied lower lip.
“Evie beat the shit out of the guys your father hired to intimidate her,” he mumbled into his cell. “She was like a fucking ninja, Linc,” he added, not bothering to hide the admiration in his voice. He glanced across the police station’s reception to the glass window of the interrogation room where Eveline sat giving her deposition to a female detective. A muscle ticked in Eveline’s cheek while she spoke to the woman. Her arms were crossed across her chest and her left knee bounced impatiently under the table. “By the looks of it, she’s still pissed. You’d better get here.”
“Give me twenty minutes!” Lincoln barked. “No. Fifteen!”
Ethan realized he was listening to the dial tone. He sighed and tucked his phone into his rear pocket. The front doors of the police station banged open to his right, startling him.
Joe Cavendish stormed inside the reception, ignored the sergeant staring at him from behind the front desk, and looked around agitatedly. He froze when he saw Ethan.
Ethan pushed away from the wall and smiled weakly at his lover as the latter marched toward him. “Hey, Joe. I—”
That was as far as Ethan got before Joe engulfed him tightly in his arms.
“Shit!” Joe groaned. He buried his face in Ethan’s hair, his hands clenching almost painfully into Ethan’s back. “I thought I was going to have a heart attack when the cops called!” He straightened, took hold of Ethan’s shoulders, and held him at arm’s length while he examined him from head to toe, his hazel eyes blazing with fear and panic. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?!”
Ethan grimaced. “Well, apart from my pride taking a hit, I’m—” His breath stuttered when Joe raised a hand and gently stroked the pad of his thumb across his swollen lip.
Joe’s eyes darkened with anger. “Did those assholes do this to you?”
“I managed to land a few hits before one of them took a swipe at me,” Ethan murmured, heat suffusing his body from where Joe was touching him. It never ceased to amaze him how hot he got for Joe the moment he laid a single finger on him.
Joe’s jaw clenched when his gaze dropped to the swollen, red knuckles of Ethan’s right hand, oblivious to the direction Ethan’s thoughts had just taken. “Fuck.”
“Ethan?” someone called out from the other side of the reception area. Ethan looked past Joe to the man heading briskly toward them. The guy slowed as he drew close and acknowledged Joe with a curt nod. “Hey, Joe.”
“Asahi,” Joe said, nodding back.
Asahi Watanabe was the brother of Ethan’s accountant and a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Ethan and Joe had gotten to know him two years ago, when the detective took the lead in the case of the violent stalker who had shadowed Ethan for months before finally attacking him in the back alley behind Saron, the club owned by Joe.
Asahi had happened to be in the area that afternoon when Ethan had called him to ask for his help after the cops brought him, Eveline, and their assailants to the local station.
“You were lucky,” Asahi told Ethan with a faint frown. “There was a security camera on the street covering the entrance to the restaurant where you and Miss Claude had lunch. It caught the whole episode and corroborates your versions of events. We won’t be pressing any charges against the two of you.”
Relief flooded Ethan at the detective’s words.
