Love Slave for Two: Reunions [Love Slave for Two 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (20 page)

Tom grinned. “Then go hurry the heck up. Don’t spend all night talking shop.”

Tom walked Nevvie back to their room. She unlocked the door, then swore.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?”

“I didn’t give Tyler the paperwork!” She turned and handed the envelope to Tom. “The guy’s name is Marcus something or other.”

She didn’t understand the dark shadow that crossed Tom’s face. “Marcus?”

“Yeah. Nice guy, older man. Said he actually met Ty before, years ago. Doubted Ty would remember him.” She walked into the bathroom. “Please run that downstairs to him. I’ll be down in just a minute.”

Thomas couldn’t control the adrenaline spike racing through him as he walked back to the elevator. His hands shook as he ripped open the envelope and looked through the papers until he found the name. A name he hadn’t heard in years.

It couldn’t be. It has to be a coincidence.
Has
to be.

Marcus Van Durben.

Tom felt sick to his stomach. He angrily punched the elevator button, then pushed through the stairwell door and raced downstairs.

* * * *

Tyler walked across the lobby and stepped into the restaurant’s foyer. The host was talking to two uniformed cops who were there waiting on their takeout order from the Starbucks kiosk that shared the hotel lobby.

The host smiled and nodded to Tyler.

Tyler mentally winced. Nevvie didn’t give him the info on the auction winner. Well, no matter. The reservation was in his name anyway, so that was all right.

When it was his turn, Tyler stepped forward and gave his name. The host nodded and consulted his list. “Ah, yes sir. Your other party is already here and has been seated. I’ll take you to the table.”

Blast.
He glanced toward the elevators. No Nevvie. Oh well, he could wing it. He followed the host across the restaurant. A man was seated at the table, his back to Tyler.

When Tyler stepped around and extended his hand, his smile froze in place as a twenty-year-old nightmare stared him in the face.

Marcus smiled up at him. “Hello, boy. Long time, no see.”

* * * *

Tom raced down the stairs, hoping to get there before Marcus showed up. He had to warn Tyler.
Fuck
, he’d personally pay the asshole double what he paid for the auction just to stay out of their lives.

One of the worst memories of his life, besides his father dying, Nevvie’s attack, and getting the news that Tyler had his heart attack, was sitting on the floor in Tyler’s condo so many years ago, holding Tyler while he’d sobbed after admitting what had happened, what Marcus had done to him.

The older man, Ty’s first relationship with a man, had fucked Tyler, literally and mentally, and then walked off without a glance back.

Tom burst through the lobby door and scanned the area, looking for Ty. Ignoring the irritated looks of others, he raced across the space to the restaurant and pushed his way past the host and two cops standing there talking.

His heart pounded so fast he couldn’t tell one beat from another. Then he spotted Tyler, a sick look on his face, taking a seat on the far side of the restaurant.

He’d never thought he’d have a chance to make good on his old promise to Ty, the one he’d made that night while holding him.

Now, it looked like he might.

Tyler’s gut clenched as Marcus’ eyes lingered on him. The man looked good, well-preserved for the twenty years that had passed. His hair held more gray, a few more lines around his eyes, but he was still handsome.

Damn him.

“Sit down, Tyler,” Marcus purred. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“What the bloody hell do you want?”

Marcus feigned innocence. “I lent my support to a good cause. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to spend an evening with an old friend in the process. What could be better?” His eyes hardened as his voice dropped. “You never forget your first, do you? I know I’ve never forgotten you, boy. Please, sit.”

His hand trembling, Tyler pulled out the chair and took a seat.

“There, now we’ll have a nice friendly chat, won’t we?”

It struck Tyler that this man had met Nevvie, and his father. Perhaps had shaken hands with both. The possibility that Marcus had touched his angel, much less spoken to her, even innocently, sickened him. “I doubt that very much.”

“I’ve missed you. I wish things could have been different between us.”

Tyler caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Tom race up.

Tom took a look at Marcus. “Is this him? Is this
that
Marcus? The asshole you told me about?”

Tyler didn’t understand the anger in Tom’s face at first. He’d never before seen that level of rage in his lover.

Marcus arched an eyebrow at Tom, his glance falling on the silver chain around Tom’s neck. “And you are?”

Tom’s voice dropped to a low growl. “I’m his husband, that’s who, asshole. And I’ve got a twenty-fucking-year-old bone to pick with you.”

The night in his condo when he confessed to Tom came back to Tyler with crystal clear clarity. As Tyler stood, so did Marcus, who took a step toward Tom. He was only an inch taller than Tom. He also dropped his voice. “I don’t take kindly to slaves copping an attitude with me, boy.”

Tyler’s control snapped. He started for Marcus, but Tom beat him to it, nailing Marcus in the jaw and putting him on his ass. Tyler tried to hold him back. As other diners shouted in alarm, the two cops raced over and grabbed Tom, pushing him to the floor and cuffing him.

The restaurant manager and one of the cops helped Marcus stand. The older man rubbed his jaw and grinned at Tyler. “So the boy has a boy, hmm? I never would have thought it of you.”

“Shut your bloody gob!”

“What the
hell
is going on!” Nevvie’s voice broke through Tyler’s mental paralysis. She’d finally made it downstairs. “I stop to pee and the world goes crazy!” Then she spotted Tom’s hands cuffed behind him. “Tommy? Oh my God, what’s going on?”

The cop restraining Tom yanked him to his feet. “Come on. You get a trip to the station. We saw the whole thing.”

Nevvie’s eyes widened. “What? What the hell?”

The second cop put a hand out to stop her from stepping forward. “Ma’am, you need to stay back—”

“That’s my husband!”

Tyler spoke up. “Surely you’re not arresting him?”

The cop started forcing Tom toward the front of the restaurant. “Assault. We’ll need you all to come down to file a report.”

Marcus smiled at Tyler, chilling him. “Officers, I’m not injured. There’s no harm done. I’m afraid there’s been a bit of a mix-up. Could we talk in the lobby, please?”

“You don’t want to press charges?” the second cop asked.

“Let’s go talk out in the lobby, shall we?” Marcus suggested.

Tyler shushed Nevvie, took her hand, and led her out of the restaurant. One of the cops parked Tom on a bench in the atrium outside the restaurant, his hands still cuffed behind him.

Marcus smiled at the other officer. “I’m afraid there was a bit of a misunderstanding. All I’d like to do is continue my evening, as planned, with Mr. Paulson.” He focused a pointed look on Tyler. “I’m sure Mr. Paulson doesn’t want to spend all night at a police station, and neither do I.”

Tom tried to stand, but the cop put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “Don’t do it, Ty! I’d rather go to jail than have him anywhere near you. Just take Nevvie and go back upstairs and call Bob for me. He’ll know what to do.”

Marcus crooked his finger at Tyler and motioned him away from the others. He dropped his voice. “Your choice, boy. Just to talk, and nothing more. I want my two promised hours, that’s all. We can go up to my room.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because I want to talk to you.” He glanced at Nevvie, who was in tears. “She’s beautiful. So you’re poly, hmm? Interesting. Wish I’d known that before. I would have gladly taken you back to Brussels with me.”

Tyler’s face burned as the thought flashed through his brain that, at the time, he would have willingly gone, too. “Don’t you talk about them! Don’t you even fucking look at them!”

Marcus focused his steely gray eyes on Tyler. “Then give me a reason to assure the cops I’m not pressing charges.” A smile curved his lips. Tyler wondered how the hell he’d ever mistaken that predatory gleam for anything even remotely sexy. “It’s your choice, boy.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“What would you have me call you, then? That’s what you are.” His gaze hardened. “Do you share her? Or do they share you?”

“Stop it!”

“Then come with me upstairs to talk in private. It’s as simple as that, and we can let the police get on with their evening as well.”

Tom tried to stand again. “Ty, don’t,” he called out to him. “I can handle this. I can deal with this. Bob’ll get me a lawyer out here and I’ll fight it. Don’t let the fucker mess with your head! I don’t want you alone with him!”

Marcus stepped closer and murmured in Tyler’s ear. “He obviously loves you very much. Imagine taking those two beautiful children to visit their daddy in jail. Make no mistake, I will press charges if you don’t come upstairs with me.”

Swallowing a wave of nausea, Tyler forced a smile he knew wasn’t fooling Tom. “It’s all right, loves. I’ll just go talk with him for a little while, right?”

Tom shook his head. “Ty, please, don’t—”

“It’s all right, Thomas.”

Marcus smiled at the cops. “Please, it’s okay. Just let him go. There’s no trouble here.”

“Are you sure, sir? We saw him hit you.”

“Yes, I’m quite sure. I’m not pressing any charges. I’m afraid it was just a misunderstanding. It’s quite all right.”

Tyler walked over to Tom while the cop uncuffed him. Tom rubbed his wrists while Nevvie leaned over and hugged him. “What the hell happened?” she asked.

Tyler wrapped his arms around both of them. “It’s all right. I shall return to our room in a couple of hours.”

Tom’s arms encircled Tyler’s waist. “Please, Ty, don’t let him fuck with your mind like this!”

He pressed his lips to Tom’s forehead. “It’s all right, love,” he whispered. “I’m not the man I was. I can handle this. I’m all yours, never fear.”

Nevvie wanted answers. “Tyler,
please
tell me what’s going on!”

He kissed her. “Angel,” he whispered in her ear, “I shall tell you later. Let me handle this first, then we shall talk. Take Thomas upstairs and don’t let him leave our room until I return.” He kissed her before stepping back.

Tom stood and slipped his arm around Nevvie’s waist, his gaze hard as he looked at Marcus. “He’s
our
husband, asshole. Don’t you dare fuck with him.”

Marcus smiled. “I’m not sure what you mean,
boy
, but never fear. You shall get him back in one piece.”

* * * *

Marcus led the way up to his room, not speaking the entire way. Tyler tried not to think, tried not to anticipate.

Tried not to remember.

He firmly fixed in his mind the picture he carried in his wallet, the family photo of all of them with Andrew. They were his family. They were his life. No old demon returned from a metaphorical grave would ever be able to take that away from him no matter how painful his torment.

At the door, Marcus unlocked it and pushed it open. “After you.”

Tyler’s jaw clenched as he walked into the room. Marcus tossed his room key onto the dresser and rubbed his jaw. “Well, that was interesting, to say the least. Certainly not the way I envisioned our reunion after all these years.”

Tyler walked over to the windows and stared out at the skyline. “How did you envision it?”

“Frankly? I had hoped for some quiet conversation and possibly even the most remote of chances to reconcile.”

Tyler’s jaw dropped in shock as he turned. “Surely you’re not serious? What was there to reconcile? You seduced me, fucked me, and then literally got up and walked out the door after failing to tell me up front that was our last time together! You took advantage of me!”

“I do regret that. I realize that could have hurt you.”

Tyler stared, dumbfounded.

Marcus looked at the floor. “I’ve followed your career with great—”

“No. You bloody well do
not
get to say something as stupid and asinine as that to me and then skip along to the next topic of conversation! I am also most certainly
not
your boy. I am not who I was. Literally, an entire life has happened since I last saw you. Frankly, while in the beginning I hate to admit I wished you hadn’t left, I haven’t given thought to you in years.”

Tyler barely heard Marcus’ next comment. “I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”

“Bollocks!”