My Forever Read online

  Chapter Two

  Lucas dragged himself in to work on Monday with an espresso in one hand and an energy bar in the other. He’d taken most of yesterday off but it hadn’t been filled with the relaxation he was hoping for. The images of fear and shame on Kyle’s face, along with his busted lip when Lucas had found him talking to his brother, would not leave his mind.

  At a young age, he’d been forced to join The Order—an elite group of soldiers among his race chosen for the rare powers they were born with and trained to uphold the laws of his people. So he wasn’t exactly keen on the dynamics of family, but he was certain they shouldn’t involve abuse among siblings. And where was this boyfriend that Kyle had spoken of? From the young man’s behaviour, Lucas would venture to guess it wasn’t the first time his brother had hit him.

  “Hi, boss! How’s it going?”

  Lucas squinted at Cassy over the rim of his cup while he headed for his office. Her hair was purple this week and pinned atop her head with a myriad of mismatched barrettes and clips to hold it in place. She was a lot like Kyle. Barely of age to work in a liquor store, but more dedicated and ambitious than most of the older people he had hired over the years.

  “Are you sure you can’t work evenings?”

  “Why? Is something wrong?” She leaned on one elbow and plopped her chin on her open palm, worry creasing her brow.

  “Yeah. It’s unnatural to be so perky in the morning. It disturbs me.”

  Cassy just laughed and went back to cleaning the counters.

  “Is Kyle here yet?”

  “No. He was supposed to show up an hour ago but he hasn’t called in. He might have caught the same cold I had.”

  Possible, but not likely.

  Lucas closed his office door and sat at his desk, debating the wisdom of calling Kyle’s cell phone to check in on him. Employers did it all the time. Alarm clocks failed. Cars died. Accidents happened. But Lucas wasn’t calling merely to see if the kid could work his shift. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Kyle was in danger.

  After ten minutes of staring blindly at his paperwork, he swivelled his chair around to the filing cabinet and pulled Kyle’s employment folder. After flipping open his phone, he dialled Kyle’s listed number and got his voicemail after the second ring. Frustrated, he hung up and took note of the time. One hour, then he’d try again.

  Twenty minutes later, his cell rang. Lucas felt his chest expand with a sigh of relief when he saw Kyle’s number on the screen. “Matthews.”

  Several seconds passed then a hoarse voice came on. “It’s Kyle. I’m quitting my job. I’m s-sorry, but I have to go.”

  “Kyle, what’s—” But the line was dead.

  His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. He jotted down Kyle’s address and marched out of his office. “Cassy, can you hold the fort for a while?”

  “Yeah sure, but—”

  “Be back later.” He didn’t wait for a response.

  Once in his Dodge Avenger, he hit the highway, thankful that the lunch rush hour hadn’t hit yet, and took the exit leading to Kyle’s neighbourhood. It was on the ‘rich’ side of town—the street he turned onto full of nothing but mansions and estates. He pulled into the driveway of the address written on Kyle’s application, hoping the kid hadn’t lied about it. After turning off the engine, he got out, proceeded to the ornate front door and rang the doorbell. A short time later, a man with a slightly smaller build than his answered the door with a sneer on his face.

  “Can I help you?”

  It wasn’t Kyle’s brother, and the man looked to be in his late thirties. Too old to be Kyle’s boyfriend, by human standards at least, but stranger things had happened. Lucas took in the expensive threads and cropped brown hair over flat, brown eyes. The guy reeked of money without a touch of class.

  “Does Kyle Jennings live here?”

  “Yes. Who are you?”

  “His boss. I need to see him.”

  The man gave him a condescending onceover. “He’s indisposed at the moment. Besides, he told me he quit his job this morning.”

  “That would be the consensus. However, it’s imperative that I see him now.”

  The man narrowed his eyes and started to close the door. “Sorry, but I’m afraid that’s quite impossible. Goodbye.”

  Lucas stepped forwards and placed his boot in the crevice of the doorway before forcing the door back open. “And I’m afraid I’m not going to be that easy to get rid of. Are you his boyfriend?”

  “Yes, Kyle is mine. Now if you don’t leave immediately, I will call the cops.”

  Lucas had had enough of the man. “Craig, right?” He shoved past him and walked into the house. Kyle wasn’t in sight and from the look of the layout, it could take him too long to search every room for the man. “Kyle!” he shouted. Lucas spun around and ducked the punch Craig threw at him. He grabbed the man’s fist and used his forwards momentum to twist it behind his back. “Where is he?”

  Craig struggled in his hold, spouting out invectives and threats. Lucas would have laughed if he weren’t so concerned about Kyle’s welfare. He’d been trained to kill creatures a lot tougher and meaner than the pathetic human in his arms.

  “I’m only going to repeat this once. Where is Kyle?”

  Craig did as expected and cursed louder. Lucas kicked his feet out from under him and slammed him down to the floor on his chest. He brought one boot down over the back of the man’s neck and yanked on the arm he was still holding. With a vicious twist, he bent Craig’s wrist until the cords of his neck stood out in hollow relief. The scream that followed was almost high enough to pierce his eardrums.

  “In the room! He’s in the bedroom!” Craig cried.

  “That’s better. Now show me where that is.” Lucas hefted the man up and grasped his neck in a bruising hold. The house had very few walls, which he supposed was meant to give it an airy appeal, but the furnishings and decorations simply made it feel cold and uninviting. After twenty or so open yards, Craig stopped at a tall door. Lucas opened it and pushed the man inside. Craig stopped at another door which looked to lead to a closet.

  Lucas was confused but decided to play along for now. “I’m still waiting to see Kyle.”

  “It’s locked,” Craig ground out.

  Lucas arched a brow at him and Craig mumbled under his breath as he pulled a gold key from his pocket with his good hand then turned it in the lock. The door swung open and Lucas felt his breath catch at what he saw inside. Craig cried out beside him and Lucas had to forcibly remove his fingers from around the man’s neck before he crushed it. He curled his other hand and smashed it square on the bridge of Craig’s nose, the crunch of cartilage not even close to satisfying the black fury that suffused him.

  “Stay.” He threw Craig against the wall then turned back to the huddled form on the floor of the closet. Kyle lay in a foetal position, covered in blood from his face to his calves. From the sour smell of urine, he could tell that the man had been in there for a while. Probably since the last night Kyle had worked. He knelt down and checked for a pulse. It was faint and a little too fast, but it was there.

  After taking off his jacket, he draped it over the still body. There was no way he could lift Kyle without hurting him. Most of the wounds appeared to be on his back. As gently as possible, he gathered the smaller man in his arms, letting out a growl when he noticed that Kyle’s wrists were cuffed in front of him. Kyle whimpered and fluttered his eyelashes, but his lids were too swollen to open.

  “It’s all right, kid. I’ve got you.”

  “He’s mine,” Craig hissed. Standing up, he cradled his broken nose in one hand and began to advance on Lucas.

  “You ever touch him again and I’ll have you begging for death before you die.” Lucas meant every word, and from the blanching of Craig’s face, he could tell the guy knew it.

  “He’ll be back.”

  Lucas didn’t contradict him. He couldn’t force Kyle to stay away from his
boyfriend if he truly wanted to return, but he’d try his damnedest to convince him otherwise. He carried Kyle from the room and house, not trusting his ability to restrain himself from causing Craig permanent damage. At his car, he lowered the back of the passenger seat as far as it would go and laid Kyle down, buckling him in. Lucas then slid in behind the wheel and headed towards the nearest hospital.

  Kyle squirmed beside him. “Where am I?” His voice was no more than a soft croak.

  “You’re with me. Lucas. Try not to talk. We’re almost at the hospital.”

  Kyle shook his head but whimpered again. With the amount of bruises on it, it was probably killing him. “No hospitals. Please.”

  Lucas drove two more blocks then let out a defeated sigh. He could assess the kid’s injuries at his house and if they proved to be more than he could take care of, he would insist upon the hospital. Changing course, he headed to the valley just outside of town. His place rested between two rolling hills, hidden from view of the highway. He’d bought the ten acres surrounding it for privacy, but never imagined needing it to unload a semi-conscious, naked man from his car unseen.

  Lucas carried him in and walked through the kitchen to his bedroom on the other side. Pulling down the comforter, he then rolled Kyle onto the black sheets, tugging his jacket from around Kyle’s body so that he lay on his stomach. The sun shining through the open windows made visible so much more than Lucas had been able to make out in the dark closet.

  The lash marks scoring the length of his body were thin but plentiful. Where they crossed over each other, the skin gaped, showing exposed muscle and even bone in a few spots. Bite marks dotted the backs of his arms and purple and black bruises lined the sides of his ribs. Lucas ran his hands lightly over them to determine if any were broken. When he didn’t feel any cracks or protrusions, he pulled Kyle’s wrists from beneath him and lifted them above his head, ripping apart the thin, metal cuffs binding them.

  In a way, he was glad to see the deep red abrasions underneath. It meant that Kyle had fought against the beating. He would need that strength of spirit to get past this.

  “Kyle, I’m going to give you a sedative. I need to clean your wounds and stitch some of them. Are you allergic to anything?”

  Kyle shook his head and buried his face into the pillow beneath it.

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.” Lucas went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. He measured out several different herbs, placed them in a tea strainer, then gathered the supplies needed to wash and mend Kyle. Once the tea was ready, he returned to his bedroom and set everything on the nightstand.

  “I’ve got to sit you up so you can drink this.” Lucas climbed onto the bed and eased Kyle to his side and then up so that Kyle’s back rested against his chest. He picked up the mug and pressed the rim to Kyle’s lips.

  When he was halfway through, Kyle whispered, “What is this?”

  “A recipe native to my people.”

  “Feels good,” he slurred, the sleep-inducing drug mixed in with the medicinal herbs obviously taking effect.

  Lucas chuckled and helped him hold the cup to finish off the rest. When the mug was empty, he slipped out from behind and lay the man back down but Kyle clutched the tail of his shirt in one small hand.

  “Why?”

  Lucas didn’t need Kyle to elaborate to know what he was asking, but how could he answer that when he wasn’t sure himself? He was far from a Good Samaritan. There was just something about the young man, though, that called to protective instincts he’d never realised he had. When he’d suspected that Kyle was in danger, it hadn’t been a matter of whether he should get involved or not. It had been about how fast he could get there and whether or not he should kill Craig.

  “I can’t lose my best employee.”

  The herbs started to take effect and Kyle fell asleep with a small smile on his lips.

  * * * *

  Lucas awoke to the sounds of stuttering footsteps. He rose from the couch and went into the kitchen, turning the light on as he entered. Kyle stood in the opposite doorway, one hand braced against the dark wood panelling as if to keep from toppling over. His lips were pale and his other hand was held to his stomach, but at least the swelling in his eyes had lessened to the point that he could keep them partially open.

  Despite his alarming pallor, Lucas had to admit he still looked damn sexy. A blue cotton T-shirt Lucas had left out for him went down to his knees and contrasted with his ruffled, strawberry-blond hair that fell past his shoulders. After closing the distance between them, he began to guide Kyle back to the room but the smaller man shook his head.

  “I feel like I’ve been laying down forever. Can I sit somewhere?”

  It wasn’t the best idea considering it might pull some of his stitches, but Lucas found he couldn’t deny that soft plea. He helped Kyle to the living room and moved his blankets on the couch aside to clear a spot for him.

  “Are you hungry?”

  At Kyle’s nod, he went back to the kitchen and began rummaging through his fridge and cupboards for sustenance. There wasn’t much. He’d have to go shopping soon. He settled on eggs and toast, figuring Kyle’s stomach may be feeling a little queasy. When everything was ready, he loaded it onto a tray and placed it on the cushion beside Kyle while he took the other end of the couch. Kyle attacked his food with the fervour of a half-starved man.

  “When was the last time you ate?”

  He shrugged, saying in between bites, “Friday morning, I think.”

  “Friday?” It was Tuesday now. Check that—Wednesday, at one o’clock in the morning. Lucas scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to push back the urge to ask a multitude of questions. There was one main topic that they needed to get out of the way before all else.

  “Thanks. That was really good.”

  Lucas smiled down at the empty plate. At least that proved that Kyle’s starvation wasn’t due to a lack of appetite. He took the tray to the kitchen sink then fished out a bottle of water and a couple of Tylenol. Handing them to Kyle, he sat back down at an angle to face the young man.

  “I’ll be ready to leave by morning,” Kyle mumbled. “And I’ll find a way to pay you back.” He kept his head bowed, his face hidden behind long bangs.

  “Going back to Craig?”

  Kyle shot him a look that said ‘of course’ but only nodded his head.

  He bit back a frustrated sigh. “You don’t have to go back there, you know. Don’t you have any friends that will take you in for a while?”

  This time the look was incredulous, followed by a humourless bark of laughter. “No. No friends.”

  “Kid, he’s liable to kill you the next time he loses his temper.” Kyle shook his head adamantly and Lucas ground his teeth. “Then stay here with me.” A streak of fear passed through emerald green eyes and Lucas quickly clarified his offer. “I only mean to help. You wouldn’t be obligated to do anything but work to save money for yourself. Once you’ve accumulated enough, you could get your own apartment and decide from there whether you want to continue working for me or not.”

  Kyle shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

  Lucas rubbed at his temples, predicting a migraine by the time the sun came up. “Hold that thought.” Jogging over to the fridge, he pulled out a couple of beers, handing one to Kyle when he returned. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but I would like to know why you think Craig is your only option.”

  Kyle placed the water bottle on the floor then took the beer and popped the lid before taking a deep swig. “I guess an explanation is the least I can give you for your help.” He downed the rest of the bottle and stared at it in deep concentration.

  Lucas got up and brought the remainder of the six-pack into the living room. “Good. I’ve got plenty more liquid courage here and no place to go. Lay it on me.”

  His guest giggled as he accepted another bottle but his face all too soon grew solemn and grave. “My dad kicked me out when I was fifteen�
��when he found out I was gay. I thought I was old enough to take care of myself, maybe find a job where I could get paid under the table. The kids at the homeless shelter I went to, though… They weren’t…they, umm… I just couldn’t stay there anymore. After a few months on the streets and a hostage situation, I asked my brother to take me in.”

  “A hostage situation?”

  Kyle sipped at his beer, a troubled expression darkening his features. “I was really hungry and sleeping on a bus-stop bench. Some guy came up and said I could work for him. I thought it was real work. The kind that didn’t involve selling myself.” Glancing up through fair lashes, Kyle blushed shyly before looking away. “I followed him back to his place. He started doing drugs and tried to make me take them. When I tried to leave, he pulled out a knife and said I was going to whore for him. Seven hours later, his girlfriend came home and managed to sneak me out of the bathroom window. Pretty stupid, huh?”

  “No. Not stupid. Everyone is a little naïve at fifteen.” What killed him was that he knew he was getting the watered-down version of Kyle’s hardships.

  “Jake couldn’t support me for long. He didn’t make enough money and couldn’t get laid with me sleeping on the couch. One day he came home with a friend—Craig. His friend said he would let us move in with him if he could have me.”

  “Have you?”

  “As a…boyfriend. I was of age at the time,” Kyle said defensively. “And he was nice at first. Took care of me, bought me things. He said I belonged with him.” He grew silent, spinning the bottle in his hands. After a few minutes, he continued in a hushed voice. “He told me he was into BDSM. It sounded cool at the time. I mean, who doesn’t like a little kink in the bedroom, right?”

  The slight tremors in his voice made Lucas want to reach out and encase the smaller man in a protective bubble—place him on a shelf where no one could hurt him again—but he held himself back. If there was any chance of convincing Kyle to stay until he could support himself, Lucas needed to know the whole story.