The Long Game, page 27
Jack could barely hear the words over the pounding in his ears. He needed to calm down. To think. They were barely thirty feet from the truck but it felt like miles.
Finally, Babs’ words sank in. “You’re installing garage doors at ten o’clock on a Sunday in the wrong city?” Jack asked.
Babs took a menacing step closer. “You got your boyfriend keeping tabs on me?”
Jack regretted opening his mouth. “Go the fuck away, Babcock.”
Babs took another step closer and Jack took one back, forcing his mother and Colton to move with him. “Is your pig boyfriend watching me?” His face grew redder with every word. “Is that why he was at Bull’s the other day?”
Jack had no idea what Babs was talking about, but he wasn’t going to ask. Grady would tell him, just as soon as he got his mother and Colton out of there.
Babs’ hands were fists at his sides and Jack forced himself to square up and keep his chin high, ignoring the sweat sticking his hair to his forehead and running down his back. He calculated how they could get to the truck versus how far it was to the door to the ER. Both were too far for his mother to run on her best day, let alone with a cast on her cane arm.
He needed Babcock to leave. “I couldn’t care less what shady shit you’ve been up to, Babs. I just want you to go the fuck away. We’ve got places to be.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Babs growled, “until I know you’re not going to ruin my prospects here, too. You and your fucking boyfriends!”
Babs was yelling, but there was no one around to hear or to help. Jack didn’t want to fight Babs. He didn’t want to fight anyone. But he would. He’d be damned if he’d let Babs hurt Colton or his mom.
Sweat dripped from Jack’s hairline down into the collar of his t-shirt. He considered pulling out his phone and texting or calling Grady, but they were on opposite sides of the city and he didn’t want to risk not having his hands free.
His mother released the back of his shirt and he thrust his hand out to keep her back.
The crafty old lady ducked right under Jack’s arm, bad hip and broken arm be damned, and got in Babcock’s face. Or, she would have been in Babs’ face if she wasn’t a foot shorter than him.
Jack reached for her, lightheaded with fear, but she shook him off.
“You heard him,” she said in her sharpest voice—one Jack knew well. “Fuck. Off.”
Babs turned an ugly shade of magenta. Then the motherfucker actually dared to draw his arm back.
A familiar red haze fell over Jack’s vision, one he hadn’t experienced in over a decade but was almost comforting in its return. Flight had turned to fight.
Jack clasped the back of his mother’s shirt, ready to toss her into Colton’s arms and hope like hell he’d catch her, when Babs jerked, let out an explosive wheeze, and fell to his knees. All the blood drained from Babs’ face, leaving him waxen and almost green as he cupped his hands protectively over his balls.
Jack’s mother clutched her freshly casted wrist to her chest. “Merde,” she hissed. “I should have taken those painkillers.”
“Maman?”
His mother’s eyes cut to him. “That’s the first time you’ve called me that since you were twelve.”
Jack shook his head, trying to put the pieces together. “Did you just…?”
“Nut the fucker? Yes.”
Colton let out a loud guffaw and went to her side. She clamped her good hand around Colton’s forearm and tugged him down the row of cars, making a wide arc around Babs as she charged toward the truck far faster than she should on her hip.
She didn’t glance back once at the man she’d left rocking on his knees in the middle of the garage floor. Jack, however, covered the distance to his truck walking backward.
“Your father always had friends who postured like that,” his mother said peevishly. “They’d all stand with their legs apart like their balls were too big or something.” She rolled her eyes and gestured emphatically at the truck door to indicate he should unlock it, and quickly.
He did.
Colton’s eyes moved between Jack, his mother, and Babs, but he remained uncharacteristically quiet, helping Jack’s mother into the truck and climbing in after her while Jack jogged to the driver’s side.
Jack had just closed and locked his door when Colton whispered, “Is he…is he one of the guys who hurt you?”
Jack’s mother’s head whipped around to Colton, then to Jack.
Jack swallowed hard. His mother didn’t know anything about that, but he’d promised Colton no bullshit, so…
“Yes.”
Jack’s mother threw off her seat belt and dove over Colton for the door. Jack hadn’t known she could move that fast. And she was wily.
They barely managed to keep her in the truck.
Jack was amazed his hands were so steady as he drove away. He called Grady as soon as they were out of the parking lot. When he got to the part where his mother had crushed Babs’ nuts, Grady laughed and laughed.
Jack’s mother, sitting prim as you please in the middle of the bench seat, could hear Grady’s laughter. Her smile was smug.
Grady promised to let Jack know if Babs reported the assault—which they agreed was extremely unlikely—and reassured Jack that because his mother was acting in the defense of herself and others, even if Babs did report it, it wasn’t going anywhere.
Jack tried to believe him, but he knew better than anyone how the legal system could go off the rails.
When they arrived back at his mother’s house, Colton settled her on the couch while Jack made her some tea.
Colton came into the kitchen. “I don’t know what to do.”
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked.
“I feel like someone should stay with her, but she’s going to fight us on it.”
Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Why don’t we ask what she wants?” Colton nodded, sticking close while Jack prepared and delivered the tea. “Mom, Colton and I are worried about you being here alone.”
His mother paused in the middle of bringing the mug to her lips, her casted arm held aloft, a cigarette between her fingers. She looked at Jack like he was completely off his rocker. “Why would you be worried about that?”
Colton still hovered at Jack’s side. “Maman Chevalier, you’re hurt.”
Jack’s mother snorted. “Oh, please. I’m fine.” She waved her cast—and the cigarette—to make her point. “I don’t need anyone underfoot.”
“You can’t get it wet,” Colton reminded her.
Jack swore to god her lips quirked, but she masked it with a drag off her smoke. “I know that, silly boy. If you’re so concerned about me, you can come back tomorrow.” She made it sound as though she was granting an audience rather than making a concession.
Colton turned to Jack. He looked worried. And like he wanted Jack to do something, though Jack had no idea what.
“Bring Sam along, too,” Jack’s mother suggested, sending Jack a look he didn’t know how to interpret. “If he’s not working, of course. I want his suggestions for a gift for Fiona.”
Jack studied his mother and wondered when the invasion of the body snatchers had happened and how he’d missed it.
Colton wasn’t any less agitated, his gaze moving between Jack and his mother.
Jack patted his back, hoping to move him toward the door. “Maman has our numbers and will call us if she needs anything. Won’t you?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
Jack was going to mark this day on his calendar because that was the first time in Jack’s entire adult life she’d agreed to anything that easily.
Colton didn’t budge.
Jack’s mother glared at him. “He wants you to tell him it’s okay to leave. That I’m okay,” his mother said in rapid French.
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s what children need from their parents. Reassurance.”
Jack stared at her, speechless.
“With age comes wisdom,” she snapped, knowing perfectly well what Jack was thinking. Weirdly, her biting tone was reassuring. She gestured at Colton impatiently with her cigarette. “Now do your job.”
“Colton, Maman is okay, I promise. The doctors said the best thing is for her to rest. We’ll come tomorrow and make sure she has everything she needs, okay?”
The little wrinkle between Colton’s eyebrows disappeared. “Yeah, if you’re sure?”
“Very sure,” Jack said with confidence.
“Okay, cool,” Colton said, smiling at last. “Is there anything we can do before we go, Maman?”
“You can leave me in peace,” she said, though her voice wasn’t sharp as Jack suspected she’d intended it to be.
Colton circled the coffee table and bent to give her a hug. Jack muffled a snort of laughter at her wide-eyed horror, but it was shockingly sweet when she patted his back with one hand while holding her cast, and the cigarette, away from him.
“You’re a good boy,” she murmured softly.
“What was that?” Colton asked, not able to translate.
She gave him her best stink-eye. “Don’t show up too early, young man. A lady needs her sleep.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Colton’s cheeky grin lit up his face.
Jack refrained from pointing out his mother had been waking up at 6 a.m. like clockwork for the last thirty years. She was obviously trying to ensure Colton, and maybe even Jack, got enough sleep.
Jack was grateful. And very, very confused.
Definitely body snatchers.
* * *
Grady had a good day at work. The two dark spots were the lack of leads about Hannah and Jack’s call about Babcock. He had everything wrapped up and was standing by his desk when the clock ticked over to five.
As soon as he walked into the apartment, Jack put down what he was working on in the kitchen. Grady pulled him in tight and Jack buried his face in Grady’s neck. The whole day melted away as Jack sagged against him. Fuck, that was better.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
Turning his head to press his lips to Grady’s ear, he murmured, “You know what I really, really want to do tonight?”
Grady’s imagination took flight. He slid his hand down to Jack’s lower back, bringing their hips together. “What?” he whispered.
Jack’s nose dragged along Grady’s cheek. “Watch the Jays play the Yankees, of course.”
Grady went still, his hopeful, arousal-soaked brain momentarily unable to process what he’d just heard. Then he let out a snort of laughter. “Oh my god, you’re such an asshole.”
Jack grinned, and Grady was laughing when he pulled Jack in for a long kiss.
“Do not defile the kitchen!” Colton wailed. “It’s bad enough you terrorize me, but poor, innocent Sam also has to live with your goo-goo eyes and kissy-kissy faces.”
Sam frowned at Colton. “I’m sorry, poor, innocent who?”
Colton ignored him. “The rule is no kissing within six feet of the sacred coffeemaker. Or me, actually. And Sam.”
“Poor, innocent Sam would like to decide for himself, thank you very much,” Sam muttered with an elbow to Colton’s ribs. “I think they’re sweet, and it was just a kiss.”
Jack grinned at Colton. “See! Sam’s a sensible person. I bet he even roots for the Yankees and the Habs.”
Sam’s eyes went wide. “Wow. This just took an ugly turn.”
Grady shook his head. “Jack, Sam and I grew up in the same household. He’s no turncoat.”
“Uh…” Sam bit his lip guiltily.
Jack chuckled. “Are you sure about that, big brother? Because Sam looks like a man with a secret. It’s okay, Sam, you can admit it. The Habs are the best.”
“Sorry, Jack, but that’s just delusional,” Sam said with a grimace. “Everyone knows the Leafs will dominate.”
“In your dreams,” Jack countered. “At least tell me you’re not a Jays fan, too.”
“I’m not,” Sam agreed.
“Ha! Finally someone who understands!”
“I’m a Red Sox fan.”
Jack’s face was priceless. He spent the next ten minutes trash-talking and angrily chopping vegetables. Grady helped with dinner and cuddled Jack as much as he could, particularly after finding Jack’s blender on his counter.
As soon as dinner was done, Jack announced they were expected downstairs. An apartment tour had always been on the agenda, but Grady had forgotten with everything else going on.
As soon as he started down the stairs, he saw who was waiting for them and laughed. “No way!”
Mike Erdo and Alexei Belov grinned up at them. When Jack said he knew the owners, Grady should have asked more questions.
“Belvedoro Management, huh?” he asked with a shake of his head. Now that he knew, it was obvious—it was an anagram of their last names.
Colton whooped when he saw their landlords and they both high-fived him and Sam while leading the way to the door. Grady waited for Jack as everyone filed in, threading their fingers together once Jack caught up.
It had been a week since Jack had first kissed him and Grady was determined to be patient. To let things unfold, no matter what his gut was telling him. But he also wanted Jack to be comfortable wherever they ended up.
As soon as they stepped through the door, Grady jerked to a halt.
Mike and Alexei moved around the room, throwing back curtains, opening blinds, and letting in the afternoon sunlight. It slanted into the room, making the wide-plank oak floors glow.
“How has this space been empty for so long?” Grady wondered, noting Jack looked equally amazed.
Mike shrugged. “It hasn’t been that long. We bought the house for a great price from the woman who lived in here, and in exchange she stayed as our tenant at a fixed rent. When she passed away a few years ago, we took our time doing the work down here ourselves. You’ll see one bathroom isn’t done yet. Once it is, we’ll put it on the rental market.”
As with the other two units, the main living areas were all open to each other. Unlike the smaller apartments above, a good-sized dining room table would fit in the bowed windows that overlooked the front lawn and still leave room for a couch beneath the other windows. The rest of the living room cut through the middle of the old house until an island delineated the bright white kitchen. More light came through the windows at the back of the house overlooking the small parking area. A hallway ran beneath the main staircase up to their current apartment, and Grady knew there was more space on the other side that only existed on the first floor. Like a lot of old Victorians, the house was built like a wedding cake, with additions and porches on the ground level that hadn’t been added to the floors above.
He gestured that way. “How many bedrooms?”
“On that side? Two. Three total.”
Sam and Colton, who had already surveyed every corner and cabinet, disappeared down the hall with a whoop from Colton.
Jack scanned what he could see of the apartment. “Where’s the third bedroom?”
Alexei went to the door Grady had assumed went to a guest bath or the basement stairs and opened it. “The primary bedroom is here.”
Grady felt drawn to the warm light spilling down a short hallway and through the door. He knew from the outside of the house there was a space he’d assumed was a three-season porch or sunroom this way. In the hallway, he passed an open door to the right, where the bedroom’s en suite bathroom was tucked behind the kitchen. It was little more than subflooring and plumbing, currently, but a huge, sleek white tub sat next to what would become a large walk-in shower with, based on the boxes tucked in one corner, a glass wall and door.
He wanted to see Jack in that tub, up to his nipples in bubbles and smiling at him.
The bedroom was large, with windows on three sides and a gas fireplace in one corner. Mike picked up the remote and, with a click, set it to blazing.
“We’ve insulated this room as best we can, but with the windows and this being Canada, we decided the fireplace was a nice way to make sure it can be extra toasty if wanted.”
Jack stood in the middle of the room and spun in a slow circle. “This is awesome.” He looked at Grady. “You might want to invest in light-blocking shades, but otherwise it’s perfect.”
You’re perfect, Grady thought, distracted by the way Jack glowed in the early evening light. He could imagine Jack spread out on their king bed, his blue ink in contrast to the warm oranges of the sunset coming through the windows.
Before he could say something embarrassing, Colton and Sam ran into the room. “The other bedrooms are awesome! And there’s a bathroom, too, so we don’t have to walk through your sex den to shower.”
Sam clapped a hand over his face.
Mike blinked.
Alexei arched an eyebrow.
Jack sighed. “Really, Colton?”
“What? You know it’s true,” Colton said, shameless. “Thank god it’s summer and you’ve been able to open the windows.” When Jack and Grady exchanged an alarmed look, Colton harumphed. “Yeah, you thought you were being so stealth, but Sam and I aren’t fools.”
“I thought it was perfectly innocent,” Sam said to no one in particular.
Alexei and Mike watched them like a manic match at Wimbledon, bemused smiles on their faces even as they edged out the door to give them some privacy. Grady wanted to apologize for their insane behavior, but it would have been a lie. Colton’s spirit and Sam’s dry humor did more to convince Grady they’d be all right in the long run than anything else could.
Though he did wish Colton wasn’t quite so astute. Or so free with his observations, for fuck’s sake.
Grady worried Jack would be mortified, but his smirk just said whoops.
Grady pretended a great interest in the fireplace and tried to hold in his laughter.
“Don’t think I can’t see your shoulders shaking, Grady Samuel McDonnough!” Colton cried. “And you can stop snorting, Jackson Frederick Chevalier.”
Jack’s snickers abruptly cut off. “Who?”
Colton shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know your middle name and after busting out Grady’s full name, I felt like you needed one.”
