Chapter 86
“I wish…” It was Tom’s turn to sigh. “I wish you had someone. You’ve been so alone.”
“Not alone, buddy. You’ve always been there for me when I needed you, and I—” Josh had to pause to clear his throat.
“Don’t get maudlin on me, Cooper. You were there for me more times than I can count. What’s a spare shoulder between friends? What I meant was someone to hold you in the dark of the night.”
“Now who’s getting maudlin? Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage. Don’t I always?”
Tom frowned. “Ken hasn’t called, has he?”
“Lucas, Thomas,” he corrected, the corner of his mouth curled in a grin.
After Josh had come to stay with them, it hadn’t taken the Marine long to realize he might have finally gone too far with his “games,” and then he’d started calling Josh’s cell phone. The calls had escalated to all hours of the day and night, Josh turning paler each time his phone rang and then finally shutting it off, until Tom decided it was time to pay a discreet visit to Midway Park, ostensibly to retrieve Josh’s wallet and his belongings, but in actuality to explain the facts of life to Lucas Robinson.
* * * *
Tom drove up to Midway Park in Jack’s pickup rather than taking his Jeep. He used Josh’s key to let himself into the apartment his friend had shared with Robinson. It was empty at that time of day, and he spent the time packing up everything Josh owned and storing it in the back of the pickup. Then he waited for Robinson to come home from the base.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Robinson demanded. Tom had no trouble telling how pissed Josh’s ex was to see Tom lounging in his living room.
“I picked up Josh’s things. He’s not coming back.”
“Are you shitting me? That wuss will be back. No one else can give him what I can.”
“Josh is a good guy. He doesn’t deserve to be treated the way you treat him.”
“Oh, yeah? Who’s gonna stop me?”
Tom rose with casual ease that belied his intent. Then he got up in Ken’s face. “I will.”
Robinson laughed. After all, he was over six feet tall, while Tom was a mere five foot eight.
He stopped laughing after Tom decked him with a single punch, but he jumped to his feet, his fists bunched and raised. It took another couple of punches before he finally realized the wisdom of staying down.
“You never told him I’d moved, did you?” Tom demanded, still seething over that.
“What if I didn’t? So what?” Lucas spat through a mouthful of blood. He shrank back when Tom took a step toward him.
“You son of a bitch.”
“You can have him!” Lucas snapped. “He’s a lousy lay anyway. I’ve had blow-up dolls who were more active sex partners. You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to get him to move that ass of his.”
Tom was all too aware of what some tops would do to their bottoms, and he was afraid to think what this man might have done to his friend. “I should give you a taste of your own medicine,” he snarled.
Robinson cringed and shied away, and Tom shook his head in disgust. As he’d suspected, Robinson was nothing more than a bully and a coward.
“Your kind give leather daddies a bad name, Robinson. Leave Joshua alone.” A final glare to let the bastard know he wasn’t kidding, and then he turned on his heel and walked out.
* * * *
“No, Lucas hasn’t called in ages.”
“Oh, wait a minute. Youdidn’t call him, did you?”
“No.” Josh flushed but met his eyes steadily. “No, I didn’t.”
“But you wanted to?”
“He’s like an addiction, Tommy. I know he’s bad for me, that I should stay away from him, but when I remember the good times…We did have good times, back in the beginning.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I have to keep reminding myself the good times weren’t nearly as good as the bad times were bad. I’m sorry. I ambeing maudlin. Let’s talk about the wedding instead, okay? I was sorry to miss it.”
“It was fun, in spite of how miserable Rush’s parents were to him. And you wouldn’t believe what Billy Bob did.”
“Huh? He’s such a quiet kid.”
“He is.” Tom had to grin. “But he surprised us all that night. Someone said something derogatory about January, and Billy Bob hauled off and slugged the bastard.”
“So that’s how he wound up with a black eye and a busted lip?”
“Yeah.”
“He wouldn’t talk about it.”
“He’s a gentleman.”
“He is.” Josh smiled. “I’m sorry I had to work that day.”
“You’ll be coming for the Labor Day weekend, though, won’t you?” Tom rubbed his friend’s arm. “We’re gonna have a ball. I hope you have a swimsuit.”
“You know I don’t swim, Tom.”
“I thought those scars your daddy put on your back would be faded enough by now.”
“They…they are.”
“Y’know something?”
“What?” Josh asked, caution in his voice.