A Walk Through Fire (3 page)

“Teens, young adults, I think that’s why they’re getting abused. Either at school or at home, they are bearing the brunt of someone’s anger and abuse. Rachel said she’ll come by and talk to any of the kids who want to, giving them a way to ask for help if they need it.”

“And I have the mobile dental clinic ready to help with chipped and broken teeth, as well as crowns and bridges,” said Mike. “Whatever they need. D-man, this is a great thing you’re doing.

Drew popped some chips in his mouth. “I’ll never forget the show I saw on cable about kids who lived in foster care in this one home, and instead of being taken care of by their foster parents, they were made to work almost like slaves.”

He glanced at the food he’d left on his plate, remembering how one boy interviewed said he’d sometimes only been fed bread and water for days at a time. But that had been the least of the boy’s problems. “Many of them were also sexually abused. It upset me so much I called Rachel and told her this is what I planned on doing with some of my settlement from the lawsuit from our parents’ case.”

“That’s great, man. I feel sorry for these kids, you know? It’s bad enough to have no family and be part of the system.” Jordan stroked Domino, who’d come to lie on his lap. “They should have some kind of legal recourse to get these bastards who abuse them.”

“Jordy, I spoke with Keith, and he said if the kids are willing to make statements, the police department would be more than happy to work toward arresting these bastards.” Drew liked Jordan’s partner. Keith was a blond, blue-eyed giant of a guy, with a wicked sense of humor. The one thing Keith never found funny, however, was the abuse of children—something he constantly came across on his job.

“What’s also really good is that I talked to my lawyer today, Peter Dent? You guys met him.” They both answered with nods. “Well, he and his friend, the lawyer on the other side, have agreed to give legal advice to the clinic and kids on a pro bono basis. That’ll be a huge help to any who want to press charges.”

“Who’s the other lawyer, D?” Jordan had his hands buried in Domino’s fur as he watched the Yankees’ pitcher give up a grand slam home run. “No, goddamn it. You gotta be kidding me. Fucking Sox.”

Drew shook his head in disgust at the television. “Uh, I think his name is Davis? Let me get his card.” He scanned the card Peter had handed him with the man’s cell phone number. “Yeah, it’s Asher Davis.”

Domino meowed loudly in protest as Jordan’s hands dug into his fur. “Shit, ow, sorry, Dom.” He lifted the cat off his lap, extracting the cat’s claws from his thighs, and placed him on the sofa. “Fuck ’Em and Duck ’Em Davis? Oh man, you must be joking.”

Drew looked at him in surprise. “You know him, Jordan?” He’d paid only slight attention to the other lawyer, not recalling anything about the other man which would’ve elicited such a strong reaction from his friend.

Snorting, Jordan accepted another beer from Mike, who sat on the sofa next to the cat. Domino transferred his affection to Mike, stretching his length across Mike’s chest.

Mike groaned. “Man, D, this cat’s getting huge. You gotta stop feeding him.”

Drew threw a chip at him. “He’s not big; he’s healthy.” He prodded Jordan with his foot, wanting to hear his story about the other lawyer. “Now finish telling me why this guy has that rep.”

Jordan rubbed his thighs with his hands, then cracked his knuckles. “Uh, yeah, you could say I kind of know him.”

“Sounds like a story. Spill it,” Drew ordered.

Jordan grimaced. “Before I met Keith, while I was a resident, I had to give a deposition on a malpractice case. Davis was the attorney on the other side. He was good-looking.” Jordan’s pale blue eyes glinted. “I was interested at first, but something about him rubbed me the wrong way, so when he asked me out, I turned him down.”

“Oh man, that must’ve pissed him off.” Drew chuckled and helped himself to another slice of pizza. “He seems pretty full of himself. Kind of arrogant and cocky.”

“Ahh, you could say that.” Jordan picked at the label of his beer bottle. “He’s wickedly sharp and never takes no for an answer. It makes for a good lawyer, I guess, but not what I was looking for in a lover.”

“So what was the problem, then?” Mike questioned. “You said no and that was that, right?”

Jordan shifted in his seat, and Drew became even more intrigued. One thing about Jordan, he never let anyone get the better of him.

“Uh, not quite. Later that night I went out to a club with some of the other residents, and Davis was there as well. He insisted on buying me a drink, and I refused, which pissed him off even more.”

“Christ, did he stalk you?” Drew hitched his chair closer to Jordan. “He sounds like a predator.”

Jordan shrugged. “Somehow he got my number, and he’d call me every few days, asking me out. He’d show up where I was and ask me out. I knew some of the guys he did go out with during that time, and all he did was screw their brains out and leave.” He took a deep swallow of his beer. “He never called them for another date or even stayed the night with them. You know that’s not my scene.”

Pushing Domino away with his foot, Drew took another slice of pizza. Perhaps he did need to cut down on slipping the cat extra food. “Maybe he’s calmed down since then. He seemed pretty quiet today at the meeting.”

Jordan snorted into his beer bottle. “Doubtful. About four years ago I caught him getting a blowjob from one of the panelists at some dinner function we were both attending. I’d forgotten my jacket in the banquet room and went back inside. There was Asher Davis, up against the wall, pants down at his knees, having his dick sucked by the chief of neurology of one the finest hospitals in the Midwest.” He chuckled. “Guys must’ve thought they’d be hidden by the tall, potted plants, but that’s not something one can hide, know what I mean?”

Holy crap
. Mike groaned, but Drew was interested in the rest of the story. “What happened? Did he see you? He must’ve been a little embarrassed.” To think he used to be too shy to even kiss a girl in public, and this guy. Wow. A sudden image popped up in his mind of the man he saw today, his head flung back in the throes of an orgasm. He rubbed his eyes hard, willing that picture out of his head.

“Not at all. He stared me straight in the eyes and grinned.” Disgusted with the final of the game, Jordan changed to the Mets game, where the score showed they were also losing. “If I remember, I think he even winked at me.”

Drew couldn’t stop himself from asking the next question. “Jesus, Jordy, did you really stand there and watch?” Mike looked at both of them, his mouth open in amazement.

At least Jordan had the grace to look a little embarrassed. “Yeah, I’ll admit, I did for a few minutes.” He shrugged, a defensive tone creeping into his voice. “Hey, it was hot; what can I say? I was younger and hadn’t met Keith yet. But that’s Davis’s rep. From what I’ve heard about him, he came out of nowhere as a scholarship student, and Jacob Frank took him in and made him who he is. Even left him the partnership in his law firm in his will when he died. The guy’s smart as a whip and hard as nails in the courtroom, but a complete asshole in his personal life.” He reached over and grabbed the last piece of meatball hero. “He’s drop-dead gorgeous but only after as much cock as he can get. There’s never been a steady partner I’ve seen him with at any function. As far as I know, he lives and breathes his work.”

Mike laughed. “Except when he has some random guy sucking his dick.”

They all laughed. Drew loved his friends. There was never any holding back or nervousness about saying the wrong thing in front of one another. They’d known each other so long nothing could ever come between them.

His cell phone buzzed. Scrolling to read the message, he chuckled.

“Well, speaking of the proverbial devil, it’s Mr. Asher Davis. He wants to meet tomorrow evening to discuss the clinic and the role I see for him.” It took a minute of silence before he looked up from his phone’s screen to see two sets of worried eyes trained on him. “What’s with the looks?”

Mike looked to Jordan, and Drew’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Uh, look, D, don’t take this the wrong way, but you just broke up with Jackie, and you’re kind of vulnerable now.” Jordan played with Domino’s tail, which flicked back and forth between him and Mike. “In my opinion, Asher Davis hasn’t changed. When he decides he wants something, he stops at nothing until he gets it. Then once he uses it, he’s done.”

Drew sat with his mouth open. This was too fucking crazy. “Are you trying to tell me Davis would hit on me? Like, he’d want to screw me?” Sputtering, he waited for his friends to correct him and tell him how wrong he was.

They didn’t.

“You’re insane. First of all, I’m not gay. Second of all, I don’t sleep with men, and third of all, what the fuck?” Were these guys actually serious? Him and a man? “Why would you even think that was an option?”

“Let’s face it, you aren’t me. I’m stronger than you are. The man is a relentless pursuer when he wants something. And if he thinks he’s got you for even the briefest second, he’ll pounce.” Jordan turned off the game and tossed the remote. All the laughter fled from his voice. “I don’t want you in his crosshairs.”

Once again, like he’d done all his life, Jordan was trying to protect him. “Jordan, you’re making no fucking sense. You’re the one who always says you can’t make someone gay, that they’re born to it. So how can meeting with him make me vulnerable if I don’t have those feelings?”

Drew faced his friend and saw actual fear in Jordan’s eyes. “Because, D, and don’t get mad at me, for a few seconds earlier when we were talking about him getting the blowjob, you got a look on your face, like, I don’t know.” Drew froze as he continued to listen. “It looked like you were imagining what it might be like.”

His face flamed, and denial sprang to his lips. “Come on, you guys, that’s ridiculous. Peter Dent is my friend and his as well. He’s also going to be there, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Silence reigned for a few moments.

“Look, Jordy, if you don’t have any plans, why don’t you come tomorrow night too? That way you can see how wrong you are about everything, okay?”

Jordan agreed and with that, his friends relaxed, but Drew’s mind continued to whirl.

Chapter Three

“Christ, Asher, what’s your problem?” Peter tossed the keys to his car at the valet outside the restaurant. “Slow down and relax.”

Ash flipped his friend off and strode into the bar, his eyes adjusting to the dimness. A smile teased his lips, which quickly faded. “Ouch.” He rubbed his side where Peter poked him from behind. “What’s wrong with you?”

With a surprisingly firm hand and an equally surprising stern face, Peter pushed him into a chair at a nearby table. “Now listen to me. I know you better than anyone, and that’s still not a whole lot. But you like to play games, chew guys up, and spit them out when you’ve had your fun.”

“Hey, thanks for the high opinion, friend,” Ash protested, albeit not that strongly. It wouldn’t be the first time Peter had called him out on his bullshit. And he happened to be right.

“Shut up and listen, Ash. Drew’s a friend, and he’s been fucked over badly. He’s at his most vulnerable right now, and I won’t allow you to do to him whatever is in that sexually perverted mind of yours.”

Peter’s tone and face were both uncharacteristically harsh, but that did little to soothe Ash’s outrage at how his friend spoke to him. “Who the fuck are you?” Furious, he spat out his words in angry bullets. “What the hell are you thinking talking to me this way? You ask me to do a favor, and here I am. Other than that, you don’t run my fucking life, so back off.” Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the door, unwilling to meet Peter’s eyes. Knowing deep down his friend was right.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ash raked his hand through his hair. “Look, even if I was maybe thinking of something like that, out of deference to you, I’ll pull back.” He could find an easy lay anywhere in the city. He couldn’t find another friend like Peter, and it wasn’t worth risking their friendship. Besides, Klein most likely was a boring straight guy who wouldn’t think of stepping outside his comfort zone.

Vanilla. And vanilla was his least favorite flavor, unless some interesting special mix-ins were added to spice it up.

Peter grinned, his good humor restored. “I’m glad I can count on you. Ah, there he is.” He waved at the man standing by the entrance to the room, searching the crowd.

Ash paid little attention to Peter as he focused on the lean form of Dr. Klein crossing the room. If Ash thought Drew good-looking when they first met, tonight he was nothing short of mouthwatering. Seeing Drew Klein in a green shirt that brought out the glow in his eyes and tailored black trousers that hugged a fine-looking tight ass, Ash couldn’t hold back his admiration. “Damn.”

Peter squeezed his shoulder hard and shot him a warning glare. “Behave.” He left to meet Klein halfway. It was then Ash saw another man join them and shake Peter’s hand. Ash’s grin and good thoughts fled at the same moment. Shit. Jordan Peterson. Ash remembered the handsome man from their first meeting about five years earlier. Peterson had been a medical resident, and Ash had been working a malpractice case and sat in on the depositions, assisting Mr. Frank. He’d been instantly attracted to the blond-haired, blue-eyed doctor giving his testimony, and tried everything he could to get the man in his bed, but got rebuffed at every turn. It was the first time he could remember not being able to seduce the man he wanted.

As he watched the three men, he recalled that not only had Dr. Peterson not reciprocated the spark, he’d made it a point to tell Ash how he felt about him.

 “You’re a player, Davis. I spotted you a mile away. I’m not interested in a quick fuck, and I’m not easy. I value myself too much.”

Ash rubbed his chin, that conversation still rankling after so many years. So this was one of Klein’s friends who’d be working with him on the project. Interesting. He wondered if the sanctimonious doctor would even remember him. As they approached him, he stood, an easygoing smile on his face, never alerting anyone to the turmoil of his inner thoughts.