Discovering Dalton (Manchester Menage Collection #2) (31 page)

“I want you inside me,” Troy moaned back.

“Fuck, Troy.” Dalton kissed him again, harder and deeper, forcing their mouths together with a surge of passion so strong it took Troy’s breath away. When they parted, they were both struggling to stop panting and their cocks were bulging from their pants. “When can we leave again?” Dalton chuckled, rubbing his face gruffly.

“I'm sorry.” Troy took in a big breath, trying to compose himself. “I want to just grab a taxi and go, but… Just give me a few hours, okay?”

Troy was just about to step forward and kiss him again, wanting one last taste of those lips before he headed off to find Liam, when he caught sight of the man himself not ten feet from them. Troy swallowed hard, his grip on Dalton’s arm tensing to a painful point and Dalton turned, looking back over his shoulder.

Troy felt Dalton’s muscles go from fully relaxed to completely stiff, and Troy looked to him, seeing his pale skin tone and wide eyes.

Okay, Liam was scary looking, and pissed off like he obviously was, Troy could understand why Dalton had that reaction.

He stepped forward, placing himself between Dalton and Liam before smiling cautiously. “Liam.”

Dalton and Liam held the other’s gaze, and then Dalton turned to Troy, lips in a thin line and his eyes hard. Troy was confused, but he started to talk to Liam again. Obviously, Liam was pissed off about another rebound relationship, and Troy had no idea what he’d seen, but maybe if he played this cool everything would be okay.

“Dalton?” Liam spoke slowly, trying to keep his cool as he and Dalton continued to look at each other.

Troy was feeling more and more nervous by the tensions rising in the air between them both. “You two know each other?” Troy looked between them, being careful not to touch Dalton in case it set Liam off, standing a good foot away, hands in pockets.

Liam eventually turned those brown eyes to him. “That’s exactly the same question I want an answer to.” Liam flashed his gaze back to Dalton, stepping up to him, almost touching chest to chest but keeping an inch between them. “Is this him?”

Dalton appeared to stop breathing, his chest stilling, every muscle twitching on his body. “Is he T?”

“Yes.”

“What?” Troy tapped Dalton’s arm, but both of them were too caught up in their little Mexican stand-off.

Dalton broke first, shaking his head, not looking at either of them as he walked away, hands folded over his head, looking up to the sky. “That can't be right. This can't be happening. You can't…” He turned to look at them both, casting those brilliant blue eyes over them quickly. “You’re telling me, you two,
you're
brothers?”

Troy stepped up to Dalton, reaching out, but Liam grabbed his hand and shoved it to his side. “Liam, for fuck’s sake. How do you know each other? What’s going on?” Looking from the pain in Dalton’s features to the red rimmed eyes of Liam, Troy stopped breathing and turned to Dalton. “Dee?”

Dalton ripped his gaze from Liam and looked to him, blue eyes so pleading and open. “I'm sorry.”

“Sorry?” Liam stepped up, pushing Troy behind him and squaring up to Dalton. “You’re sorry? Is that it?”

“Liam, how was I to know. I had no idea.” Dalton brushed his fingers down Liam’s arm, trying to hold his hand.

A surge of jealousy ripped through Troy and he growled, grabbing Liam and spinning him around. “This is the guy you met at the gym? The one you’ve been seeing? He’s Dee? How has this… How the fuck…” Troy looked to Dalton, standing as tall as he could and glaring into his eyes. “Is this some sort of joke? You didn’t know you were seeing us both?”

“I swear I had no idea you two knew each other.”

Troy cursed loudly, turning his back on Dalton and instead found himself looking into the fiery eyes of Liam. Shit! Dalton had ended things with him, ended them for Troy. Liam was hurting and it was all Troy’s fault. “Liam… I didn’t… If I had known, I swear I wouldn’t—”

“Wouldn’t have what exactly, Troy?” Liam grabbed hold of Troy’s t-shirt, fisting it in his hands as he launched the smaller build of Troy into his chest. “If you’ve fucked him, I… He’s mine.”

“What?” Both Dalton and Troy spoke at the same time.

Liam dropped Troy, pushing him away roughly, Troy hissing as he caught himself from falling. Dalton moved to go to him, but Liam had him now and he wasn’t letting go easily.

“Liam, stop this,” Dalton growled out through clenched teeth.

“I was wrong.” Liam held Dalton still, both of them halting in their movements. “I was wrong to let you go. I can't let this happen.”

Dalton opened his eyes wider, and then took in a big breath. “Liam…”

“No!” Troy split them up, growling out his words and pressing Liam backwards. “He’s not yours, Liam. He
chose
me. You'd only hurt him and fuck around behind his back.”

“And what would you do with him, huh? You know how this is going to end. Don’t pretend it will be any different from the others.” Liam looked to Dalton. “Do you know how many he's seen? How many failed relationship there's been, and do you know why?”

“Liam, Troy… just calm down. You're making a scene,” Dalton pleaded as he looked around, the people nearby already staring at them.

“Making a scene?” Troy half shouted, half laughed. “This isn’t a scene.
This
is a scene.” With that, he punched Liam in the face.

Chapter
34

D
alton was too aware of the gasps and hushed tones that suddenly filled the evening air, and he caught Troy’s hand, holding it tightly but not painfully, quickly pulling it round to his back and pinning him still, whispering into his ear. “Don’t do this, please.”

“Dalton,” Troy hissed out, wriggling in his hold. “Let me go.”

“Not a chance.” Dalton was watching Liam come round from his shock—lips parted, eyes wide and full of the pain he was obviously feeling. Dalton had no doubt considering how close Liam had described his relationship with Troy that the emotional aspect hurt far more than the physical act of the punch. “Liam, please. Let’s go somewhere and talk. Don’t let things escalate any more than they have done.”

Dalton was aware of the two burly, black suited bouncers making their way closer, and he knew they would report any further disturbances to the police. Having either of them, or even himself, in the local cells for the night wasn’t appealing, and it certainly wouldn’t help his case to return to work.

“The only reason he
chose
you was because
I
stepped back.” Liam wiped the blood from his lip, the two bouncers now circling him. Liam tossed them both a look. “Tony, it’s just me and Troy.”

Of course he would know them. They probably went to Aspire.

The one called Tony folded his arms across his chest and eyed up the situation. “Liam, you and T have to take this elsewhere. I don’t want the police involved in this. It’s bad news for the bar.”

Troy squirmed his way loose from Dalton’s grip, standing from the group for a short moment before pacing back and forth. “That’s bullshit. Why would you give him up? He’s the only good thing you’ve ever had.”

“I had you.” Liam stood chest to chest with him, digging his fingers painfully into Troy’s arms. “I did it for you.”

“So I could be happy with him?” Troy laughed out. “You didn’t know I was seeing him.”

“Guys, please…” Dalton’s words were ignored.

“I knew how it would end up if I tried to be with him. I knew it would hurt you. And now I know you’re the guy he thinks can make him happy, that’s all changed because you and I know that won’t work out. You know it won’t, Troy.”

“And if I step back, what difference is it between you and me, huh? None. There’s none.”

Dalton was looking between them both, confusion filling him. These two were messed up, and he thought he was the one with problems. “Look, can we please—”

“Dee, just stay out of it and let me deal with this.” Liam threw him a glance and Troy took the opportunity to slip his grasp.

Before Dalton could say anything else, Troy was shouting, the whole place was crowding around to watch, and Liam was burning red with anger. Dalton was barely taking in their words, too busy trying to figure out how he could calm the situation down and watching the two security guys talking to each other, one already pulling out his walkie talkie.

Dalton wanted to stop this, and getting in between them both seemed to be the only way to stop them from wrestling each other to the ground. Liam already had Troy in a one armed hold, Troy kicking and bitching at him as they tumbled out onto the path outside the bar.

Dalton was about to step in between them when he was halted—strong fingers gripping his forearm, a tall presence too close behind him. He turned, about to shove them off, when he saw who it was. There was Milo, looking tired, dressed in civilian clothing but acting all business.

“Milo…”

“What the fuck is going on? You can’t intervene in this. You’re suspended. Let the on duty officers deal with it and get back to Samuel. I want you all out of here now.”

“Milo, this is… I know them. You know Liam. Don’t let this get to that stage.”

Milo grunted, looking over his shoulder at Liam. “I'm not about to let them fight it out, but I want you with Samuel and Blue in my car parked around the corner.”

“I'm not leaving them.”

“Dalton, don’t make me pull rank on you.” Milo squared up, giving Dalton his famously stern look.

“Like you said, I'm suspended from duty. I don’t have to follow your orders,
Sir
.”

The background noise of the crowd, and Liam and Troy, who were now falling to the ground, hit an all-time high, and Dalton moved to them again, calling out to Liam as Milo dragged him backwards.

Liam and Troy both shot him a look, Liam halting with his thighs straddling Troy’s back, Troy’s hand releasing Liam’s hair.

“Hey!” Liam jumped up off the ground, Troy quickly following him when the heavy weight released his body.

“Who the fuck are you?” Troy was trying to get to Milo, but Liam luckily had the presence of mind to stop him.

“Milo, this is none of your business.” Liam was staring right into Milo’s dark eyes.

“None of my business?” Milo almost chuckled. “How is this none of my business? This is my turf you’re causing a public disturbance on—brawling in the street. I'm a police sergeant. This is not just one of my police officers, but he’s also my best friend. Explain again how this is
none
of my business?”

Troy rolled his eyes to Dalton. Obviously Milo being a policeman was news to him, but then he didn’t know Dalton was one, oh…

Dalton offered up an apologetic look, shrugging as Troy shook his head, running long fingers through his hair. “Let me calm the situation down, Milo.”

“Again,” Milo hissed out through clenched teeth, leaning in and whispering to him, “you're suspended from duty. Let me deal with this. I know Liam’s your friend, but still.”

“You're a copper?” Troy stood with his hands on his hips, his question directed at Dalton and both of them now suddenly on a different path where Dalton was the bad guy.

“Yes.” Dalton grimaced. “It just never came up.”

“Never came up?” Troy huffed loudly.

“See how much you two know each other?” Liam laughed sarcastically. “You don’t know shit about the other. I told you, Dalton, he’s all about the rebound relationship. You’re the latest in a long line of men who’s fallen to the roadside. Don’t let yourself join them, Baby.”

“Baby?” Troy shoved him again.

Milo tightened his grip on his arm, and Dalton looked up into dark brown eyes and gulped. “What the fuck, Dalton? Is this… is this what I think it is? Have you been…” He looked around them, and then pulled him further from the prying ears of the crowd. “You’ve moved onto men now I see? And not just one but two.” Milo opened his arms wide, hair blowing in the breeze, familiar frown on his handsome face. “This is something I’d think you’d want to discuss with me.”

“It’s nothing to do with the force who I share my bed with.”

Liam growled, hearing the last part and stepped closer, but Dalton held his hand up, calming him a little.

Milo was oblivious to anything happening around him now except Dalton, and he leaned in closer, growling his words out through gritted teeth. “I meant as a friend, dickhead. You can’t tell me? Me! After everything I went through in the force when we started, and after everything I’ve been through with Danny and Samuel, you can’t tell me?” Milo tried to hide the hurt in those expressive eyes, but Dalton saw it.

“I had no idea what to say at the time. I guess I still don’t. I just… I had Liam. I wanted to speak to him.”

“Liam?” Milo spared a quick glance at Liam, casting a short look up and down his tall body. “Look, you may be off work right now, but you’re still in the force. You still have a reputation to uphold and whether he was male or female, Dalton…” He leaned in closer. “I know both of these from years ago. Trust me when I tell you to back off and experiment with someone else.”

“Experiment?” Dalton pulled back his shoulders, defiantly squaring up to his bigger friend. “That’s not what this is, Milo.”

Liam tapped his huge boot clad foot on the pavement beside them, both Dalton and Milo meeting his stubborn gaze. “We’re not good enough for him? Really?”

Troy held onto Liam’s shoulder, now being the one to offer comfort, the tide shifting and Dalton noticing it in a deep way. “He’s a copper, don’t, Liam.”

“Yeah,
don’t
, Liam.” Milo tried to keep professional, but he almost sneered out his words. “Listen to your friend and step back. Assaulting an officer isn’t something you need adding to your criminal record. It’s pretty clean right now. Let’s keep it that way, huh.”

“You arrogant piece of—”

“What!” Milo stepped closer. The situation was well out of hand.

Thinking quickly, Dalton pulled out his wallet, showing his ID card to the group of people and raising both his hands. “Please return to your business. This situation is now under control and being dealt with by the Greater Manchester Police force. I’m Officer Young, and this is Sergeant Barnes. I’d like you to all step back and allow us to do our job.”

Milo hissed through his teeth, but became more professional and took hold of Liam’s arm, Dalton moving to Troy and taking hold of his gently.

“Please, Troy. This is for Liam. Just walk with me and let’s get this out of the public’s eye.”

Troy shared a silent, angry glare with him, and then turned, walking to Liam and Milo who’d moved across the street, down an empty alleyway. Liam was leaning against the wall while he and Milo shared heated words.

Milo held a stony look, and then glared at Dalton. “I want you to get in my car, right now. These two can go their separate ways and cool off.”

Troy chuckled with Liam before he raised his brows, snarky smile of his lips. “We live together. How is going our separate ways going to help?”

“You live…” Milo spun around to face them both, and Dalton gulped again. “You're not serious… They live together?” He questioned Dalton, obviously not believing Troy or Liam.

“Foster brothers.” Liam pointed between them “Different surnames confusing you?”

Milo just took that insult on the chin and discarded them both in favour of Dalton. “Get in the car. We need to talk.”

“No, let me—”

“No!” Milo hated being in the dark and he hated not knowing what was going on. Dalton could tell he was having a minor freak out in his own way, but to others, it look cruel and bossy.

“I need to be here, Milo.”

“You need to be away from the situation, and by situation, I don’t mean this fight, I mean
totally
away.”

Troy was the one who spoke up first and Dalton sighed. “He’s a big boy, Officer. Let him deal with it. Like he said, he’s not on the job right now and you’re just being a bit over the top with all this alpha male performance.”

Milo obviously reached his pissy attitude limit, and with a hand gripping Dalton’s forearm and the other pointing between Troy and Liam, he spoke up. “I'm letting you two off with a warning, not an official one, just me. You two leave now, back home, separately, together, I don’t really give a shit, but
he
stays with me. This is over for tonight. Until I know what’s going on, it’s
all
over.”

“Milo, please, you don’t understand. This is all my fault.”

“I don’t care whose fault it was, Dalton. I don’t care how it started. What I do care about is ending it.” Milo was frog marching him away.

Dalton took one glance over his shoulder, looking between the two people who he cared for more than any others, and he felt his heart miss a beat. Leaving one was hard enough, but parting from them both, he couldn’t stand it.

“You’re not taking him anywhere.” Liam stepped to them and Dalton smiled in relief.

Troy was quickly following. “He’s staying with us. He’s not your property.”

Liam was all puffed up, but his eyes were full of concern. “You can’t force him to go with you. You’re not arresting him.”

“This is his choice. He doesn’t want to go with you.” Troy and Dalton stared into each other’s eyes.

Liam stepped in when Troy paused. “If you don’t stop, I'm calling this in and having you investigated.”

Troy folded his arms across his chest and glared at Milo’s back. “He’s not leaving, and I'm pretty much ready to make you stop pulling him around like this if I have to.”

Milo stopped dead and Dalton breathed out.

“Please, Milo. I'm right where I want to be.”

Milo ran his long fingers through his shoulder-length dark hair and sighed. “You want to be here, in the middle of this? You know how this will look, Dalton. You think this is going to get you back to work any faster? You think this will be easy? I'm living proof it’s not.”

“I'm not you and I'm not leaving them.”

Milo stopped tugging him and just stood still, breathing hard and fighting with himself over what to do.

“You should go. You have Samuel to think about. Just go home. I’ll call you tomorrow. I swear I will. We’ll talk.” Dalton leaned closer, reaching up and holding onto Milo’s shoulder, looking right into those familiar eyes as he whispered, “I don’t know what this is, or what it could be, but if I walk away now, I’ll always be left wondering. I have to do this. You're not losing me, I'm just finding out who I really am.”