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dylan-dufresne.livejournal.com posting in monaboyd Aug. 12th, 2007 02:00 am)Title: With A Little Help From My Friends - 38/47
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dylan_dufresne
Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: R
Summary: Things go from bad to worse.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Many thanks to my beta,frojane.
Special Thanks: Toloki_girl for the exquisite banner that she has created, and to tarnishedhalo for loaning me her inspirational manip for the centerpiece. I am so thankful and appreciative of you both, and your generosity.
Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. This is my imagination at work.
A/N: :::sniff::: I hate my Muse. Also, I suggest having some klennex handy.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37
Chapter 38
Mark is unpacking the carrier bags of supplies that he picked up this morning after his visit with Billy, arranging them on the counter beside the register when there is a knock at the front door, the sound causing him to look up and then smile. Moving swiftly across the room, he opens the door and closes it again once his new friends have entered the shop.
“Are we late?”
“No, I just got back, actually,” Mark tells them, watching as Drew and Matt shrug out of their jackets. “I was looking around this morning and noticed a few things that need to be touched up.”
“There’s a big scratch on the floor over there,” Matt says, pointing to where two book shelves were damaged, and had to be thrown out. “Some wax might help-”
“I picked some up,” Mark says when the older of the boys trails off. “Do you want to work on it? See what you can do?”
“Sure.”
“Drew, there’s a lot of plaster that needs patching, where the book shelves marked the walls, as well as some dents around the back door,” Mark continues. “I’ve got some filler and sanding blocks if that works for you.”
“Yeah, I can do that. No problem.”
Mark finishes by saying, “The new bookcases need to come from London, so I figure we can paint the walls and have everything all ready by the time they get here.”
Both young men nod in agreement, but Mark catches a furrow in Matt’s brow, like a question he wants to ask, but can’t quite form the words.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he says with a nonchalant shrug. “I just wondered what you were going to do.”
“We’ll need to have books to put on the shelves,” Mark explains, not offended in the least. “Billy’s been a good customer to his suppliers, so I made some calls this morning, and I’ve convinced a few of them to arrange for an expedited delivery of the replacement books. I just need to get the orders in as soon as possible.”
“Cool,” Drew comments.
“Oh, and it looks like Billy will be coming home this afternoon,” Mark announces. “He’ll be very surprised at all you’ve done, and I’m sure he’ll want to express his thanks to you both.”
“We just wanted to help, since Dom-”
“Did you know that’s how they met?” Mark interjects. “Billy and Dom?”
“What?”
“Dom was in pretty bad shape when he showed up here, at the book shop,” Mark explains, recalling the memories of those first, difficult days when Dom moved into the flat. “I was working that day, standing right over there by the register, actually. Dom was different back then. You wouldn’t have recognized him, seeing the way he looks now. He was tired and sick and he really needed a friend. He needed help. Billy was that for him, and so much more.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The journey to the Morgue seems endless and yet far too quick, Dom not saying a single word as he meekly follows David out of the oversized lift and down a long hall. One of the light fixtures above flickers; creating odd shadows on the wall, and reminds Dom of when he was a child, when he was afraid of the dark. He’s dreading the moment when they arrive at their final destination, where the body is being held, and then having to face Billy after, because he won’t be able to avoid the truth any longer.
For months now, he’s been so busy with other things, and because of him, Billy’s beloved shop has been vandalized, his kind and gentle lover is in the hospital, and a boy is dead. The entire mess all comes back to the same thing, no matter how Dom looks at it. Him. He’s the one responsible for this. If Dom wasn’t with Billy, he never would’ve been hurt, Aaron wouldn’t have been at the shop, and they’d both be alive and well right now.
“Wait here for a minute,” David requests, and points at a row of dark blue molded plastic chairs. “I’ll be right back,” he adds before disappearing behind a heavy, swinging door.
Despite the warmth of his down jacket, Dom shivers, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened, and having no success. He’s staring aimlessly at the floor when David returns, and the twisting knot in Dom’s belly only grows bigger when the detective’s hand touches his shoulder to steady him.
“You ready?”
Dom can’t speak, his throat constricted, and all he can manage is a shaky nod before rising to his feet. His eyes following the grout lines of the tile floor, Dom allows himself to be guided over to a stainless steel table, where a body is covered by a white sheet, the air heavy with death and the strong aroma of the sanitizer stings his nose. There is an older man waiting on the other side of the table, hands at his sides and deep blue eyes sympathetic, but it’s of little comfort.
“Okay?” David asks softly.
“Do it,” Dom whispers, biting down on his lower lip as the gloved hands of the medical examiner slowly peel the sheet down to reveal the face and shoulders of the boy they believe to be Aaron.
The hot tears that fill Dom’s eyes answer David’s unasked question, and he nods at the older man to cover the body, and both are surprised when Dom reaches out to stop the movement.
“How?” he asks, barely above a whisper. “What did they do to him?”
“He was severely beaten,” the medical examiner replies quietly. “Along with the facial damage you see, there were numerous internal injuries. He went into shock, and with the blood loss he sustained-”
“What happened to his neck?” Dom inquires, touching his own throat, his eyes locked on the odd line curling around the boy’s neck, struck by the familiarity of the injury, but unable to place it.
Meeting David’s gaze for a moment, the medical examiner swallows hard, and takes a deep breath.
“It would appear that he was whipped, as part of the beating.”
Dom sucks in a harsh breath, taking in the knowledge that if Billy hadn’t come to him and cared for him, this is where he would’ve ended up years ago. Perhaps his own parents would’ve been in the position of identifying his lifeless body, covered by a sheet on a bed of cold metal.
“All over his back?” he asks, already knowing the answer.
“Yes.”
“Dom?”
Looking up at the detective, Dom brushes at his damp eyes.
“That’s what he did to me,” Dom explains, picking up from their earlier conversation, seeing the question in David’s eyes. “He didn’t stop until he thought I was dead.”
“Jesus Christ,” David breathes, watching as Dom returns his gaze to Aaron’s lifeless face.
Long fingers lace together, briefly tightening, and then Dom asks, “Can I touch him?”
“You may.”
Not even aware of the tears that are rolling down his cheeks, Dom leans over and presses his lips to Aaron’s cool forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely, regret and guilt overwhelming him. “I’m so sorry I failed you.”
After Dom straightens up, he takes one last look, and then turns to face David.
“Unless there’s something else you need, can you please take me back to the hospital?” he requests. “Billy will be getting released soon. I’ll need to take him home.”
David nods. “Of course.”
Even though Dom doesn’t look back as they leave the morgue, David has no doubt that the younger man will never forget what he’s seen today, and will carry it with him for the rest of his life.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
After being dropped off at the main entrance of the hospital by David, Dom ducks into the loo just past the admitting desk, splashing some water on his face, blowing his nose, and practicing a calm, relaxed expression in the mirror. The last thing Billy needs is to hear more bad news. It can wait for a day or so, until he’s home, resting comfortably and starting to feel better.
It’s only when Dom is relatively sure that he can control his emotions that he leaves the loo and takes the lift upstairs, to where Billy is no doubt waiting for him. When Dom walks into Billy’s room, he’s only mildly surprised to discover his lover dressed in his regular clothes, lying on the bed in his sock feet. Dom also notices that he’s been fitted with a cloth sling to support his left arm.
“Dommie,” he says warmly, reaching out to take Dom’s hand and draw him closer. “You’re back.”
“I am, and it looks like you’re ready to go home,” Dom replies, soothed ever so slightly by Billy’s smile.
“The paperwork was finished about ten minutes ago,” Viggo adds as he rises from the chair. “Good timing.”
“How did it go, with Detective Wenham?” Billy asks, noticing that Dom seems more than a wee bit tired. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Dom says with a nod, hoping that he doesn’t appear evasive with such a short response. “Vig, will you take him downstairs in a few minutes, and I’ll go get the car. Meet you out front?”
“I can walk,” Billy protests. “I’m fine. I don’t need a wheelchair.”
“Hospital rules, Bill,” Viggo reminds him. “You know that.”
“I just want to get you home safe, Bills,” Dom adds, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple, cringing internally at the angry bruise surrounding Billy’s eye that is starting to change colors.
“Fine,” Billy grumbles in agreement.
“We’ll be home soon,” Dom murmurs tenderly. “Just the two of us.”
Appeased by that thought, Billy nods. “Aye.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Without incident, the couple make the trip home, Dom fussing over Billy, insisting on keeping an arm around Billy’s waist for extra support as they walk from the car to the back door of the book shop. Billy is ready to look surprised when the door opens, as he knows that Mark has been working in the shop to clean up, but his expectations are all but shattered when they walk inside. There is no sign of the violence that occurred, the floor washed and polished to a high shine, the walls almost pristine. There are a few places that look rather sparse, but considering the mess he remembers being there before he lost consciousness, this is extraordinary.
“Oh my God,” he whispers, truly stunned.
Upon hearing the sound, Mark steps out of the office, a pen tucked behind one ear and a smile lighting up his face.
“Welcome home,” he says before turning and calling out. “Matt! Drew! C’mere for a minute.”
Confused, Billy watches as two young men walk over, both appearing to be a bit nervous.
“Billy, this is Matt and Drew,” Mark adds, gesturing to each of them. “They’ve been helping out for the last couple of days.”
“How-”
“We know Dom from the Centre,” Matt explains. “We heard what happened from Janeanne.”
“Oh.”
Although he tries to come up with the works to express his gratitude, Billy finds himself speechless, completely overwhelmed by all the work that has been done, and when he looks at Dom, he realizes that he’s not alone.
“The new books should be here in about a week or so,” Mark tells the couple. “Expedited orders, at no extra charge. I found the original receipt from when you ordered the bookcases in your files, and checked with the supplier to see if the same model was still available. They’re shipping out three new cases, and they’ll be here by Thursday, at the latest.”
“Thank you,” Billy says, his eyes bright with emotion. “I don’t-”
“Hold on,” Mark interjects. “We’re not done yet. I’m going to do an inventory, just to make sure we got everything, the floor has two coats of wax, and the walls should be ready for a second coat of paint by morning.”
“I can’t believe you did all this,” Dom murmurs aloud, deeply touched that the boys he helped have been a part of the transformation.
“I couldn’t have done it without these two,” Mark adds, gesturing to the two young men. “They’ve worked really hard.”
“I can see that,” Billy replies. “Thank you. All of you. So much. I didn’t know how I was going to manage.”
“Well, we’ve got it under control. All you have to do is rest, and feel better.”
Dom releases his hold on Billy so he can give Mark a hug of thanks, and while that is going on, Dom walks over to the boys who are hanging back, not wanting to intrude.
“I don’t know what to say,” he tells them. “This is incredible, what you’ve done.”
“We just wanted to help,” Drew says quietly, shrugging his shoulders. “After all, you helped us.”
“Well, I appreciate it more than I can say,” Dom adds. “Thank you both. This is better than I could’ve hoped for it to look when Billy came home.”
“Dom,” Mark says quietly to get his attention.
When he turns, Dom quickly moves back to Billy’s side, as he’s grown a wee bit pale, clearly worn out from the excitement of the trip home, and the shop.
“Let’s get you upstairs, Bills,” Dom soothes, wrapping an arm securely around his lover’s waist. “I think you need a nap.”
“Aye,” Billy admits. “Suddenly quite tired.”
“We’re glad you’re home, Billy,” Mark tells him. “You get some rest.”
“Thank you,” Billy says one last time, and then allows Dom to guide him up the stairs to the flat.
Once the couple have disappeared from sight, Mark turns his attention to his helpers, and smiles widely, the three of them very pleased by the reaction to their hard work.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Would you like some tea?” Dom asks as he smoothes the coverlet over Billy gently, his tone soft and low.
“Maybe a little later,” Billy replies. “Sleepy.”
“All right. You rest, okay?”
“Aye. Tell the boys it’s lovely,” he adds, losing the battle against his exhaustion, his eyelids starting to drop closed.
“I will,” Dom promises tenderly. “Sleep now.”
Dom draws the curtains and closes the door to a crack so Billy isn’t disturbed, and then he moves down the hall to the guest room. At the door he pauses, and after drawing in a painful breath, he moves inside. A book Billy loaned Aaron sits on the night stand, a dark blue t-shirt is draped over the back of the chair at the desk, and a small duffle back sits on the floor in the corner by the closet. For over a minute, Dom can’t move, frozen in place, wondering how he’s going to summon the courage to tell Billy what has happened to the boy, how violently he died.
Dom brushes at the dampness clinging to his eyelashes, and then opens the top drawer of the bureau. The least he can do is pack up Aaron’s things so Billy doesn’t have to. Perhaps David will be able to locate his parents, or another relative who will want the items. The fact that it takes just a few minutes to collect Aaron’s meager possessions only increases Dom’s guilt, and he sets everything on the floor in the closet, closing the door to hide it.
Unable to stop himself, Dom slips back into the master bedroom to check on Billy, standing silent and still at the edge of the bed, watching the older man sleep, his breathing deep and even. Despite the fading bruises on his sweet face and his broken arm supported by the cloth sling, Billy looks peaceful. Being home, in a comfortable, familiar place seems to be helping already, Dom notes, and is thankful that his partner is safe and on the mend.
Leaning over the sleeping man, Dom presses a tender kiss to Billy’s forehead, and smiles when a whisper of his name slips past Billy’s slack lips in a breathy sigh. It would seem that Billy’s dreams are peaceful, a thought that is of comfort to Dom, and also makes him feel guilty, as he’ll be the one to shatter that peace when he tells the truth. Leaving Billy to rest, Dom moves out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the kitchen, suddenly stopping short when an idea comes to him.
Drew, Matt and Aaron all worked in the same neighborhood. They would know where to find who Aaron was working for, or at least, where he took his customers. That would be a place to start, to find the bastard who hurt Aaron. Dom’s first instinct is to reach for the phone to call Detective Wenham, but he can’t make himself do it. Passing it off somehow feels like cheating or something. He’s the one responsible for this mess. It’s his past. He should be the one to clean it up.
Something has to be done, Dom decides firmly, moving swiftly down the stairs to the book shop. He has to do everything he can to make sure that Billy is never targeted again. Billy protected him when he needed it most, and now it’s Dom’s turn to return the favor. He’s relieved when he spots Drew first, the younger of the two boys he helped, stacking boxes in the storage room.
“Hey,” he says as he walks over, hoping to appear casual. “Thanks again for helping out. Billy was really amazed.”
“I’m glad,” the boy replies with a blush.
“Can I, uh, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“You know that Aaron was staying here, yeah?”
“Yeah, you mentioned it,” Drew says, nodding.
“Do you know where he used to work?” Dom inquires. “He came to see me at the Centre, so I’m not sure exactly where he hung around. He disappeared when the shop got robbed, and-”
“You think he had something to do with it?” Drew asks, his eyes wide with alarm.
“No,” Dom tells him quickly, shaking his head. “Never. I’m just trying to find out where he could’ve gone.”
Part of Dom feels guilty for lying, but it’s as close to the truth as he can manage for now. Most of what he’s said is true. He’s just neglected to mention that Aaron has been found, and is now lying on a cold slab in the morgue.
Drew’s brow furrows for a few moments, and then he says, “I used to see him by the laundromat. He used the alley across the street quite a bit.”
“Okay.”
“There was one that came by on a regular basis, too,” Drew adds, lowering his head. “I used to see a black car, every few days or so, late afternoon most of the time. It was the only one that he left the block for. At first I thought it was a customer, but then I heard that a few had been offered protection, for a fee. I think he might’ve taken it.”
“Thank you,” Dom says quietly, knowing all too well how difficult it is to talk about the past. “I appreciate it.”
“I hope Billy’s going to be okay.”
With a now rare, genuine smile, Dom draws the boy close for a brief hug. “He’s going to be fine, especially after all you and Matt did. You really made him happy, and me.”
“Good.”
Dom releases him and smiles once more before moving into the office to talk to Mark, closing the door to a crack to give them a wee bit of privacy.
“How’s Billy?” Mark asks, looking up from the paperwork he’s trying to bring some order to.
“Sleeping.”
“Good.”
“Can you keep an eye on him?” Dom requests, reaching into the front pocket of his jeans and pulling out several small pieces of paper. “I need to get his prescriptions filled.”
“Sure. Not a problem.”
“I shouldn’t be very long,” Dom adds. “And Billy should sleep for a while.”
“I’ll check on him, I promise,” Mark tells him, grinning at Dom’s protectiveness. “Don’t worry.”
“Thanks.”
When Dom’s eyes shift uneasily, Mark’s smile fades, and he watches Dom leave, wondering what else is weighing on his mind. It’s completely understandable, he supposes, for Dom to feel a bit strained, considering all that has happened in the last few days. Perhaps it’s just getting to Dom and he’ll be fine once things get back to a more regular routine, back to when it’s just him and Billy. Knowing that getting the book shop up and running again is a big part of that, Mark refocuses on the task at hand, but not before setting the alarm on his watch so he doesn’t forget to check on Billy as he promised.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Having moved at a brisk pace, wrapped up in his down jacket to ward off the chilled air, it only takes a few minutes for Dom to arrive at the laundromat that Matt mentioned, but there is no sign of anyone loitering about. He’d hoped that someone would be working, despite the low temperature, so he could talk to them; possibly find out who this person was, and who offered the protection fee. The icy lump in Dom’s belly tells him that it was a lot more than that, and is forced to consider the possibility that Aaron was being controlled by the threat of violence. That would explain why Aaron was so hesitant to take Dom up on his offer of help, why he was thankful to be hidden away, and why he was dragged away from the book shop.
Looking up and down the street, Dom sighs heavily, growing frustrated, wishing there was some other lead he could explore, and then he hears a faint, plaintive cry of pain. He can’t see anyone, but the sound is close, so he knows whoever it is, they can’t be far away. He takes another look, more slowly this time, and then crosses the street to the alley that Drew mentioned. It’s entirely possible that business is taking place there, hidden in the shadows and away from prying eyes. Dom is about to turn the corner when a boy no more than fifteen stumbles out, his head bent and arms wrapped around his thin frame. He’s looking over his shoulder instead of where he’s going, and runs right into Dom.
“Sorry,” he gasps out fearfully, trying to slip past Dom and repeatedly glancing over his shoulder at the same time. “My mistake.”
When the boy finally looks up to meet Dom’s gaze when the hands at his shoulders don’t release him, and Dom’s heart sinks. A fresh, angry bruise is starting to swell on the boy’s right cheek, the eyelid already puffy, along with a split lower lip, the bright red blood staining his teeth.
“Are you okay?” Dom asks gently, wondering if a customer will be exiting the alley at any moment, perhaps to finish the job. “Who hurt you?”
“M’fine,” the boy says as he wrenches himself free, all but running away, and clearly eager to put distance between himself and the alley.
Rage seethes through Dom in a sudden rush, sick of the violence that keeps being inflicted on those who are desperate to survive and are too weak to fight back. Determined to do something about it, here and now, Dom decides to face the bastard who takes pleasure in causing pain, and strides into the alley, only to stop short when he comes face to face with the one who haunts his nightmares. What’s truly disconcerting is the fact that he doesn’t seem surprised at all to see Dom, his eyes expressionless, somehow looking imposing and aloof at the same time.
His gaze travels the entire length of Dom’s body from head to toe and back up again before he says in a calm, icy voice, “I see you got my message.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy is dozing on the edge of sleep when he's jarred awake by the phone on the night stand as it rings loudly, causing him to twitch sharply and a twinge to radiate across his ribs. Moving as little as possible and panting through the pain, he scoops up the receiver and brings to his ear as he answers the call.
“Hello?” he says breathlessly.
“Billy? It’s Detective Wenham. Uh, David.”
“Hi David,” Billy replies as he sinks back into his pillow. “What can I do for you?”
“Viggo told me that you were home now, and I just wanted to check in,” David explains. “And to see how Dom was doing.”
“Dom?”
“Yeah, it was pretty rough for him this morning,” David adds sadly. “I wish there was some other way he could’ve identified Aaron’s body, but unfortunately-”
David pauses when Billy’s cry of surprise fills the air.
“Aaron’s body?” Billy repeats when he can form words again. “He’s dead?”
“I’m sorry. I thought Dom would’ve told you,” David says, the regret obvious in his tone. “We got the call just after he identified your attacker.”
“He knows who-”
“Fuck,” David curses under his breath, berating himself for unloading the shocking news over the phone, instead of in person. “I’m sorry.”
“Where does Dom know him from?” Billy asks, utterly confused.
“Uh, well-”
“Tell me.”
David takes a deep breath. “I showed him the sketch, and, uh-”
“What?” Billy whispers.
“He got sick,” David tells him, albeit reluctantly. “Physically.”
“Sick?”
“Yeah. Before he could explain, I got a call from the morgue,” David continues, wishing that he was giving this news face to face, so he could see Billy’s face and gauge his response. “They had someone that fit Aaron’s description.”
“And Dom saw him?”
“Yes. He confirmed that it was Aaron, and that’s when he told me why he knew the sketch.”
Billy waits a few seconds and then prompts, “And?”
“He indicated to me that he was attacked by this man,” David reveals. “That his injuries were very similar to Aaron’s, in placement and severity.”
Hot tears sting Billy’s eyes as realization sets in. Dom had a horrific morning, filled with pain, bad memories and death, and he never said a word about it to him. He didn’t let Billy help him bear the immense sadness of the loss. Even though he’s sure he knows the answer, Billy asks the detective another question, just for confirmation. “Aaron was whipped, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Dom told you what happened to him?”
“He said enough to make me understand.”
Billy sighs heavily, ignoring the throbbing that’s begun at the base of his skull. “Dommie.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Billy tells David. “You thought Dom would’ve told me.”
“Is he there?” David asks. “Perhaps talking about it would help you both.”
It suddenly dawns on Billy that Dom isn’t by his side. There is no indentation on the coverlet as evidence that Dom was ever stretched out beside him, and he doesn’t hear any sound coming from the kitchen.
“I took a nap when we got home,” Billy explains, sucking in a stiff breath as he rolls off the bed and rises, sliding his feet into the shoes that Dom had so carefully removed for him earlier. “I haven’t seen him in a while.”
Wedging the phone between his shoulder and his ear, Billy opens the bedroom door and hurries down the hall, adrenaline surging through his veins, and panic spurring him on. His first stop is the guest room, and his eyes widen when he realizes how empty it looks.
“Aaron’s things are gone,” he tells David. “The clothes from his room.”
“And Dom?”
“Dommie?” Billy calls as fear takes a firm hold of him. “Where are you?”
“Could he be in the book shop?” David inquires, hearing the distress in Billy’s voice and wondering where Dom could’ve gone. “Viggo told me that he was working hard to get it cleaned up.”
“I don’t know,” Billy replies shakily. “I’m going down there.”
Billy grips the banister with his good hand as he hurries down the flight of stairs as quickly as he dares, fervently hoping that he’ll find Dom there. With his heart in his throat, he moves toward the office, feeling hopeful when he hears movement.
“Dommie?”
“Billy?” Mark replies, standing up quickly when he sees the older man, noticing the cordless phone tucked under his arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Dom?” he asks, looking towards the front of the shop, searching for even a glimpse of his lover.
“He had to go to the chemist to pick up your prescriptions,” Mark explains, rather baffled by Billy’s distress. “What’s wrong? Who’s on the phone?”
Numbly, Billy hands over the receiver and sinks into a nearby chair, only to look up when Drew enters the room, looking unmistakably guilty. He distantly hears Mark talking to David, getting caught up, and watches as Drew’s eyes grow big at what he’s hearing.
“Drew?” Mark says sharply, interrupting the swirl of confusion that’s making Billy’s head spin. “What’s wrong?”
“Dom asked me where Aaron used to work,” he admits in a small voice. “I told him.”
While Mark relays the information to David over the phone, Billy stands up and looks Drew right in the eye.
“What did you tell him?” Billy asks firmly. “Where did he go?”
“The alley by the laundromat,” Drew whispers, fear and shame clouding his eyes. “I didn’t know that Aaron was- I swear Dom didn’t tell me.”
“Dom’s gone after him,” Billy realizes, horror twisting his belly into tight knots. “He’s going to confront him.”
Mark is still clutching the phone and relaying information when Billy grabs a coat off the rack and struggles into it as he heads for the back door.
“Billy wait!” Mark cries out, but it’s already too late. Billy has all but run out the door to find Dom, ignoring his injuries.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Your message,” Dom repeats in disgust, willing his hands to stop shaking. “Is that what you call that?”
“Seems to have gotten your attention,” the man replies coolly.
“I’ve seen lots of your handiwork this week,” Dom spits out. “I suppose you’re proud of what you did to Aaron, you son of a bitch.”
“He knew the rules. He broke them. There were consequences.”
“The rules?” Dom snorts. “You offer a bloody protection fee which is nothing but a way to get your hands on money that you didn’t earn. He was starting over. He had a chance to get out, have a good life.”
“He made his choice,” the man says with an arrogant shrug. “The first time I saw him he was on his knees.”
Dom’s stomach rolls at the thought of how many times he was in that very position, when he had no choice. “He did that out of desperation. That wasn’t what he wanted.”
“You know, there’s something very familiar about you,” the man muses aloud. “It’s like I know you from somewhere.” Taking a long look that makes Dom shudder internally; his mouth then curls up into an unsettling smile. “I remember now. You tried to get away from me, crawling and begging for me to stop.”
Dom’s eyes darken as he draws on every once of strength he possesses to hide the torment and revulsion of that night, not wanting to give this sick bastard the pleasure.
“You didn’t die after all.”
“You assumed that nobody gave a damn about me,” Dom retorts. “You were wrong, and not for the first time.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Boyd, your knight in shining armor,” is the almost amused response. “He gives you a roof over your head, and you’re so grateful you give it to him for free. It’s not a bad plan, really, until he gets bored of you.”
“You don’t know anything about us,” Dom fires back. “You’re a sick, twisted fucker who’s going to rot in prison for what you did. You thought nobody cared about Aaron. You were wrong.”
“And you’re just as naïve as you were the night we met,” the man says darkly as he reaches under his coat, revealing a sleek revolver a moment later.
The sight of the gun causes Dom’s belly to twist, but he maintains his control, refusing to show fear.
“For months now you’ve been a thorn in my side, costing me money, because you’ve been filling their heads with lies,” the man adds. “You tell them they deserve better, and can have better.”
“It’s not a lie,” Dom argues. “I got out. Started over. All it takes is for someone to give a damn, and believe in them.”
Laughter echoes off the walls of the alley. “You really believe that. I had my doubts that you could be reasoned with, and I was right. You’re stubborn.”
“And determined,” Dom adds proudly. “I’m never going to stop trying to help. I’ll be here, long after you’re gone.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” the man tells him, a click being heard as he cocks the hammer of the gun. “I’m tired of you getting in my way. This ends right-”
“Dommie!”
At the familiar sound of his lover’s voice, Dom whirls around, just in time to see Billy enter the alley, clutching his injured arm to his chest and panting for breath.
“Bills, what are you doing?” Dom gasps in shock. “Get out of here.”
He sees Billy’s eyes widen, and Dom spins on his heel again, just in time to see the man take aim, but not at him, as he would’ve expected. The gun is now trained on Billy.
“Even better,” the man says, his eyes closing to narrow slits as he prepares to fire.
For Dom, everything moves in slow motion, a loud cry he barely recognizes as his own filling the cold air as he throws himself between Billy and the gun, fervently hoping that he’s not too late. This life was never supposed to touch Billy, and it’s up to him to keep it from happening again.
An explosion of sound erupts, and Billy watches in stunned horror as a wisp of smoke rises from the barrel of the gun that has just been fired, and Dom slumps to the frozen ground, silent and unmoving.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter 39
Author:
dylan_dufresne Pairing: BB/DM
Rating: R
Summary: Things go from bad to worse.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated as it’s my drug of choice. Many thanks to my beta,
frojane.Special Thanks: To
loki_girl for the exquisite banner that she has created, and to tarnishedhalo for loaning me her inspirational manip for the centerpiece. I am so thankful and appreciative of you both, and your generosity. Disclaimer: Not at all true in reality. This is my imagination at work.
A/N: :::sniff::: I hate my Muse. Also, I suggest having some klennex handy.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37
Chapter 38
Mark is unpacking the carrier bags of supplies that he picked up this morning after his visit with Billy, arranging them on the counter beside the register when there is a knock at the front door, the sound causing him to look up and then smile. Moving swiftly across the room, he opens the door and closes it again once his new friends have entered the shop.
“Are we late?”
“No, I just got back, actually,” Mark tells them, watching as Drew and Matt shrug out of their jackets. “I was looking around this morning and noticed a few things that need to be touched up.”
“There’s a big scratch on the floor over there,” Matt says, pointing to where two book shelves were damaged, and had to be thrown out. “Some wax might help-”
“I picked some up,” Mark says when the older of the boys trails off. “Do you want to work on it? See what you can do?”
“Sure.”
“Drew, there’s a lot of plaster that needs patching, where the book shelves marked the walls, as well as some dents around the back door,” Mark continues. “I’ve got some filler and sanding blocks if that works for you.”
“Yeah, I can do that. No problem.”
Mark finishes by saying, “The new bookcases need to come from London, so I figure we can paint the walls and have everything all ready by the time they get here.”
Both young men nod in agreement, but Mark catches a furrow in Matt’s brow, like a question he wants to ask, but can’t quite form the words.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he says with a nonchalant shrug. “I just wondered what you were going to do.”
“We’ll need to have books to put on the shelves,” Mark explains, not offended in the least. “Billy’s been a good customer to his suppliers, so I made some calls this morning, and I’ve convinced a few of them to arrange for an expedited delivery of the replacement books. I just need to get the orders in as soon as possible.”
“Cool,” Drew comments.
“Oh, and it looks like Billy will be coming home this afternoon,” Mark announces. “He’ll be very surprised at all you’ve done, and I’m sure he’ll want to express his thanks to you both.”
“We just wanted to help, since Dom-”
“Did you know that’s how they met?” Mark interjects. “Billy and Dom?”
“What?”
“Dom was in pretty bad shape when he showed up here, at the book shop,” Mark explains, recalling the memories of those first, difficult days when Dom moved into the flat. “I was working that day, standing right over there by the register, actually. Dom was different back then. You wouldn’t have recognized him, seeing the way he looks now. He was tired and sick and he really needed a friend. He needed help. Billy was that for him, and so much more.”
The journey to the Morgue seems endless and yet far too quick, Dom not saying a single word as he meekly follows David out of the oversized lift and down a long hall. One of the light fixtures above flickers; creating odd shadows on the wall, and reminds Dom of when he was a child, when he was afraid of the dark. He’s dreading the moment when they arrive at their final destination, where the body is being held, and then having to face Billy after, because he won’t be able to avoid the truth any longer.
For months now, he’s been so busy with other things, and because of him, Billy’s beloved shop has been vandalized, his kind and gentle lover is in the hospital, and a boy is dead. The entire mess all comes back to the same thing, no matter how Dom looks at it. Him. He’s the one responsible for this. If Dom wasn’t with Billy, he never would’ve been hurt, Aaron wouldn’t have been at the shop, and they’d both be alive and well right now.
“Wait here for a minute,” David requests, and points at a row of dark blue molded plastic chairs. “I’ll be right back,” he adds before disappearing behind a heavy, swinging door.
Despite the warmth of his down jacket, Dom shivers, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened, and having no success. He’s staring aimlessly at the floor when David returns, and the twisting knot in Dom’s belly only grows bigger when the detective’s hand touches his shoulder to steady him.
“You ready?”
Dom can’t speak, his throat constricted, and all he can manage is a shaky nod before rising to his feet. His eyes following the grout lines of the tile floor, Dom allows himself to be guided over to a stainless steel table, where a body is covered by a white sheet, the air heavy with death and the strong aroma of the sanitizer stings his nose. There is an older man waiting on the other side of the table, hands at his sides and deep blue eyes sympathetic, but it’s of little comfort.
“Okay?” David asks softly.
“Do it,” Dom whispers, biting down on his lower lip as the gloved hands of the medical examiner slowly peel the sheet down to reveal the face and shoulders of the boy they believe to be Aaron.
The hot tears that fill Dom’s eyes answer David’s unasked question, and he nods at the older man to cover the body, and both are surprised when Dom reaches out to stop the movement.
“How?” he asks, barely above a whisper. “What did they do to him?”
“He was severely beaten,” the medical examiner replies quietly. “Along with the facial damage you see, there were numerous internal injuries. He went into shock, and with the blood loss he sustained-”
“What happened to his neck?” Dom inquires, touching his own throat, his eyes locked on the odd line curling around the boy’s neck, struck by the familiarity of the injury, but unable to place it.
Meeting David’s gaze for a moment, the medical examiner swallows hard, and takes a deep breath.
“It would appear that he was whipped, as part of the beating.”
Dom sucks in a harsh breath, taking in the knowledge that if Billy hadn’t come to him and cared for him, this is where he would’ve ended up years ago. Perhaps his own parents would’ve been in the position of identifying his lifeless body, covered by a sheet on a bed of cold metal.
“All over his back?” he asks, already knowing the answer.
“Yes.”
“Dom?”
Looking up at the detective, Dom brushes at his damp eyes.
“That’s what he did to me,” Dom explains, picking up from their earlier conversation, seeing the question in David’s eyes. “He didn’t stop until he thought I was dead.”
“Jesus Christ,” David breathes, watching as Dom returns his gaze to Aaron’s lifeless face.
Long fingers lace together, briefly tightening, and then Dom asks, “Can I touch him?”
“You may.”
Not even aware of the tears that are rolling down his cheeks, Dom leans over and presses his lips to Aaron’s cool forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely, regret and guilt overwhelming him. “I’m so sorry I failed you.”
After Dom straightens up, he takes one last look, and then turns to face David.
“Unless there’s something else you need, can you please take me back to the hospital?” he requests. “Billy will be getting released soon. I’ll need to take him home.”
David nods. “Of course.”
Even though Dom doesn’t look back as they leave the morgue, David has no doubt that the younger man will never forget what he’s seen today, and will carry it with him for the rest of his life.
After being dropped off at the main entrance of the hospital by David, Dom ducks into the loo just past the admitting desk, splashing some water on his face, blowing his nose, and practicing a calm, relaxed expression in the mirror. The last thing Billy needs is to hear more bad news. It can wait for a day or so, until he’s home, resting comfortably and starting to feel better.
It’s only when Dom is relatively sure that he can control his emotions that he leaves the loo and takes the lift upstairs, to where Billy is no doubt waiting for him. When Dom walks into Billy’s room, he’s only mildly surprised to discover his lover dressed in his regular clothes, lying on the bed in his sock feet. Dom also notices that he’s been fitted with a cloth sling to support his left arm.
“Dommie,” he says warmly, reaching out to take Dom’s hand and draw him closer. “You’re back.”
“I am, and it looks like you’re ready to go home,” Dom replies, soothed ever so slightly by Billy’s smile.
“The paperwork was finished about ten minutes ago,” Viggo adds as he rises from the chair. “Good timing.”
“How did it go, with Detective Wenham?” Billy asks, noticing that Dom seems more than a wee bit tired. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Dom says with a nod, hoping that he doesn’t appear evasive with such a short response. “Vig, will you take him downstairs in a few minutes, and I’ll go get the car. Meet you out front?”
“I can walk,” Billy protests. “I’m fine. I don’t need a wheelchair.”
“Hospital rules, Bill,” Viggo reminds him. “You know that.”
“I just want to get you home safe, Bills,” Dom adds, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple, cringing internally at the angry bruise surrounding Billy’s eye that is starting to change colors.
“Fine,” Billy grumbles in agreement.
“We’ll be home soon,” Dom murmurs tenderly. “Just the two of us.”
Appeased by that thought, Billy nods. “Aye.”
Without incident, the couple make the trip home, Dom fussing over Billy, insisting on keeping an arm around Billy’s waist for extra support as they walk from the car to the back door of the book shop. Billy is ready to look surprised when the door opens, as he knows that Mark has been working in the shop to clean up, but his expectations are all but shattered when they walk inside. There is no sign of the violence that occurred, the floor washed and polished to a high shine, the walls almost pristine. There are a few places that look rather sparse, but considering the mess he remembers being there before he lost consciousness, this is extraordinary.
“Oh my God,” he whispers, truly stunned.
Upon hearing the sound, Mark steps out of the office, a pen tucked behind one ear and a smile lighting up his face.
“Welcome home,” he says before turning and calling out. “Matt! Drew! C’mere for a minute.”
Confused, Billy watches as two young men walk over, both appearing to be a bit nervous.
“Billy, this is Matt and Drew,” Mark adds, gesturing to each of them. “They’ve been helping out for the last couple of days.”
“How-”
“We know Dom from the Centre,” Matt explains. “We heard what happened from Janeanne.”
“Oh.”
Although he tries to come up with the works to express his gratitude, Billy finds himself speechless, completely overwhelmed by all the work that has been done, and when he looks at Dom, he realizes that he’s not alone.
“The new books should be here in about a week or so,” Mark tells the couple. “Expedited orders, at no extra charge. I found the original receipt from when you ordered the bookcases in your files, and checked with the supplier to see if the same model was still available. They’re shipping out three new cases, and they’ll be here by Thursday, at the latest.”
“Thank you,” Billy says, his eyes bright with emotion. “I don’t-”
“Hold on,” Mark interjects. “We’re not done yet. I’m going to do an inventory, just to make sure we got everything, the floor has two coats of wax, and the walls should be ready for a second coat of paint by morning.”
“I can’t believe you did all this,” Dom murmurs aloud, deeply touched that the boys he helped have been a part of the transformation.
“I couldn’t have done it without these two,” Mark adds, gesturing to the two young men. “They’ve worked really hard.”
“I can see that,” Billy replies. “Thank you. All of you. So much. I didn’t know how I was going to manage.”
“Well, we’ve got it under control. All you have to do is rest, and feel better.”
Dom releases his hold on Billy so he can give Mark a hug of thanks, and while that is going on, Dom walks over to the boys who are hanging back, not wanting to intrude.
“I don’t know what to say,” he tells them. “This is incredible, what you’ve done.”
“We just wanted to help,” Drew says quietly, shrugging his shoulders. “After all, you helped us.”
“Well, I appreciate it more than I can say,” Dom adds. “Thank you both. This is better than I could’ve hoped for it to look when Billy came home.”
“Dom,” Mark says quietly to get his attention.
When he turns, Dom quickly moves back to Billy’s side, as he’s grown a wee bit pale, clearly worn out from the excitement of the trip home, and the shop.
“Let’s get you upstairs, Bills,” Dom soothes, wrapping an arm securely around his lover’s waist. “I think you need a nap.”
“Aye,” Billy admits. “Suddenly quite tired.”
“We’re glad you’re home, Billy,” Mark tells him. “You get some rest.”
“Thank you,” Billy says one last time, and then allows Dom to guide him up the stairs to the flat.
Once the couple have disappeared from sight, Mark turns his attention to his helpers, and smiles widely, the three of them very pleased by the reaction to their hard work.
“Would you like some tea?” Dom asks as he smoothes the coverlet over Billy gently, his tone soft and low.
“Maybe a little later,” Billy replies. “Sleepy.”
“All right. You rest, okay?”
“Aye. Tell the boys it’s lovely,” he adds, losing the battle against his exhaustion, his eyelids starting to drop closed.
“I will,” Dom promises tenderly. “Sleep now.”
Dom draws the curtains and closes the door to a crack so Billy isn’t disturbed, and then he moves down the hall to the guest room. At the door he pauses, and after drawing in a painful breath, he moves inside. A book Billy loaned Aaron sits on the night stand, a dark blue t-shirt is draped over the back of the chair at the desk, and a small duffle back sits on the floor in the corner by the closet. For over a minute, Dom can’t move, frozen in place, wondering how he’s going to summon the courage to tell Billy what has happened to the boy, how violently he died.
Dom brushes at the dampness clinging to his eyelashes, and then opens the top drawer of the bureau. The least he can do is pack up Aaron’s things so Billy doesn’t have to. Perhaps David will be able to locate his parents, or another relative who will want the items. The fact that it takes just a few minutes to collect Aaron’s meager possessions only increases Dom’s guilt, and he sets everything on the floor in the closet, closing the door to hide it.
Unable to stop himself, Dom slips back into the master bedroom to check on Billy, standing silent and still at the edge of the bed, watching the older man sleep, his breathing deep and even. Despite the fading bruises on his sweet face and his broken arm supported by the cloth sling, Billy looks peaceful. Being home, in a comfortable, familiar place seems to be helping already, Dom notes, and is thankful that his partner is safe and on the mend.
Leaning over the sleeping man, Dom presses a tender kiss to Billy’s forehead, and smiles when a whisper of his name slips past Billy’s slack lips in a breathy sigh. It would seem that Billy’s dreams are peaceful, a thought that is of comfort to Dom, and also makes him feel guilty, as he’ll be the one to shatter that peace when he tells the truth. Leaving Billy to rest, Dom moves out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the kitchen, suddenly stopping short when an idea comes to him.
Drew, Matt and Aaron all worked in the same neighborhood. They would know where to find who Aaron was working for, or at least, where he took his customers. That would be a place to start, to find the bastard who hurt Aaron. Dom’s first instinct is to reach for the phone to call Detective Wenham, but he can’t make himself do it. Passing it off somehow feels like cheating or something. He’s the one responsible for this mess. It’s his past. He should be the one to clean it up.
Something has to be done, Dom decides firmly, moving swiftly down the stairs to the book shop. He has to do everything he can to make sure that Billy is never targeted again. Billy protected him when he needed it most, and now it’s Dom’s turn to return the favor. He’s relieved when he spots Drew first, the younger of the two boys he helped, stacking boxes in the storage room.
“Hey,” he says as he walks over, hoping to appear casual. “Thanks again for helping out. Billy was really amazed.”
“I’m glad,” the boy replies with a blush.
“Can I, uh, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“You know that Aaron was staying here, yeah?”
“Yeah, you mentioned it,” Drew says, nodding.
“Do you know where he used to work?” Dom inquires. “He came to see me at the Centre, so I’m not sure exactly where he hung around. He disappeared when the shop got robbed, and-”
“You think he had something to do with it?” Drew asks, his eyes wide with alarm.
“No,” Dom tells him quickly, shaking his head. “Never. I’m just trying to find out where he could’ve gone.”
Part of Dom feels guilty for lying, but it’s as close to the truth as he can manage for now. Most of what he’s said is true. He’s just neglected to mention that Aaron has been found, and is now lying on a cold slab in the morgue.
Drew’s brow furrows for a few moments, and then he says, “I used to see him by the laundromat. He used the alley across the street quite a bit.”
“Okay.”
“There was one that came by on a regular basis, too,” Drew adds, lowering his head. “I used to see a black car, every few days or so, late afternoon most of the time. It was the only one that he left the block for. At first I thought it was a customer, but then I heard that a few had been offered protection, for a fee. I think he might’ve taken it.”
“Thank you,” Dom says quietly, knowing all too well how difficult it is to talk about the past. “I appreciate it.”
“I hope Billy’s going to be okay.”
With a now rare, genuine smile, Dom draws the boy close for a brief hug. “He’s going to be fine, especially after all you and Matt did. You really made him happy, and me.”
“Good.”
Dom releases him and smiles once more before moving into the office to talk to Mark, closing the door to a crack to give them a wee bit of privacy.
“How’s Billy?” Mark asks, looking up from the paperwork he’s trying to bring some order to.
“Sleeping.”
“Good.”
“Can you keep an eye on him?” Dom requests, reaching into the front pocket of his jeans and pulling out several small pieces of paper. “I need to get his prescriptions filled.”
“Sure. Not a problem.”
“I shouldn’t be very long,” Dom adds. “And Billy should sleep for a while.”
“I’ll check on him, I promise,” Mark tells him, grinning at Dom’s protectiveness. “Don’t worry.”
“Thanks.”
When Dom’s eyes shift uneasily, Mark’s smile fades, and he watches Dom leave, wondering what else is weighing on his mind. It’s completely understandable, he supposes, for Dom to feel a bit strained, considering all that has happened in the last few days. Perhaps it’s just getting to Dom and he’ll be fine once things get back to a more regular routine, back to when it’s just him and Billy. Knowing that getting the book shop up and running again is a big part of that, Mark refocuses on the task at hand, but not before setting the alarm on his watch so he doesn’t forget to check on Billy as he promised.
Having moved at a brisk pace, wrapped up in his down jacket to ward off the chilled air, it only takes a few minutes for Dom to arrive at the laundromat that Matt mentioned, but there is no sign of anyone loitering about. He’d hoped that someone would be working, despite the low temperature, so he could talk to them; possibly find out who this person was, and who offered the protection fee. The icy lump in Dom’s belly tells him that it was a lot more than that, and is forced to consider the possibility that Aaron was being controlled by the threat of violence. That would explain why Aaron was so hesitant to take Dom up on his offer of help, why he was thankful to be hidden away, and why he was dragged away from the book shop.
Looking up and down the street, Dom sighs heavily, growing frustrated, wishing there was some other lead he could explore, and then he hears a faint, plaintive cry of pain. He can’t see anyone, but the sound is close, so he knows whoever it is, they can’t be far away. He takes another look, more slowly this time, and then crosses the street to the alley that Drew mentioned. It’s entirely possible that business is taking place there, hidden in the shadows and away from prying eyes. Dom is about to turn the corner when a boy no more than fifteen stumbles out, his head bent and arms wrapped around his thin frame. He’s looking over his shoulder instead of where he’s going, and runs right into Dom.
“Sorry,” he gasps out fearfully, trying to slip past Dom and repeatedly glancing over his shoulder at the same time. “My mistake.”
When the boy finally looks up to meet Dom’s gaze when the hands at his shoulders don’t release him, and Dom’s heart sinks. A fresh, angry bruise is starting to swell on the boy’s right cheek, the eyelid already puffy, along with a split lower lip, the bright red blood staining his teeth.
“Are you okay?” Dom asks gently, wondering if a customer will be exiting the alley at any moment, perhaps to finish the job. “Who hurt you?”
“M’fine,” the boy says as he wrenches himself free, all but running away, and clearly eager to put distance between himself and the alley.
Rage seethes through Dom in a sudden rush, sick of the violence that keeps being inflicted on those who are desperate to survive and are too weak to fight back. Determined to do something about it, here and now, Dom decides to face the bastard who takes pleasure in causing pain, and strides into the alley, only to stop short when he comes face to face with the one who haunts his nightmares. What’s truly disconcerting is the fact that he doesn’t seem surprised at all to see Dom, his eyes expressionless, somehow looking imposing and aloof at the same time.
His gaze travels the entire length of Dom’s body from head to toe and back up again before he says in a calm, icy voice, “I see you got my message.”
Billy is dozing on the edge of sleep when he's jarred awake by the phone on the night stand as it rings loudly, causing him to twitch sharply and a twinge to radiate across his ribs. Moving as little as possible and panting through the pain, he scoops up the receiver and brings to his ear as he answers the call.
“Hello?” he says breathlessly.
“Billy? It’s Detective Wenham. Uh, David.”
“Hi David,” Billy replies as he sinks back into his pillow. “What can I do for you?”
“Viggo told me that you were home now, and I just wanted to check in,” David explains. “And to see how Dom was doing.”
“Dom?”
“Yeah, it was pretty rough for him this morning,” David adds sadly. “I wish there was some other way he could’ve identified Aaron’s body, but unfortunately-”
David pauses when Billy’s cry of surprise fills the air.
“Aaron’s body?” Billy repeats when he can form words again. “He’s dead?”
“I’m sorry. I thought Dom would’ve told you,” David says, the regret obvious in his tone. “We got the call just after he identified your attacker.”
“He knows who-”
“Fuck,” David curses under his breath, berating himself for unloading the shocking news over the phone, instead of in person. “I’m sorry.”
“Where does Dom know him from?” Billy asks, utterly confused.
“Uh, well-”
“Tell me.”
David takes a deep breath. “I showed him the sketch, and, uh-”
“What?” Billy whispers.
“He got sick,” David tells him, albeit reluctantly. “Physically.”
“Sick?”
“Yeah. Before he could explain, I got a call from the morgue,” David continues, wishing that he was giving this news face to face, so he could see Billy’s face and gauge his response. “They had someone that fit Aaron’s description.”
“And Dom saw him?”
“Yes. He confirmed that it was Aaron, and that’s when he told me why he knew the sketch.”
Billy waits a few seconds and then prompts, “And?”
“He indicated to me that he was attacked by this man,” David reveals. “That his injuries were very similar to Aaron’s, in placement and severity.”
Hot tears sting Billy’s eyes as realization sets in. Dom had a horrific morning, filled with pain, bad memories and death, and he never said a word about it to him. He didn’t let Billy help him bear the immense sadness of the loss. Even though he’s sure he knows the answer, Billy asks the detective another question, just for confirmation. “Aaron was whipped, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Dom told you what happened to him?”
“He said enough to make me understand.”
Billy sighs heavily, ignoring the throbbing that’s begun at the base of his skull. “Dommie.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Billy tells David. “You thought Dom would’ve told me.”
“Is he there?” David asks. “Perhaps talking about it would help you both.”
It suddenly dawns on Billy that Dom isn’t by his side. There is no indentation on the coverlet as evidence that Dom was ever stretched out beside him, and he doesn’t hear any sound coming from the kitchen.
“I took a nap when we got home,” Billy explains, sucking in a stiff breath as he rolls off the bed and rises, sliding his feet into the shoes that Dom had so carefully removed for him earlier. “I haven’t seen him in a while.”
Wedging the phone between his shoulder and his ear, Billy opens the bedroom door and hurries down the hall, adrenaline surging through his veins, and panic spurring him on. His first stop is the guest room, and his eyes widen when he realizes how empty it looks.
“Aaron’s things are gone,” he tells David. “The clothes from his room.”
“And Dom?”
“Dommie?” Billy calls as fear takes a firm hold of him. “Where are you?”
“Could he be in the book shop?” David inquires, hearing the distress in Billy’s voice and wondering where Dom could’ve gone. “Viggo told me that he was working hard to get it cleaned up.”
“I don’t know,” Billy replies shakily. “I’m going down there.”
Billy grips the banister with his good hand as he hurries down the flight of stairs as quickly as he dares, fervently hoping that he’ll find Dom there. With his heart in his throat, he moves toward the office, feeling hopeful when he hears movement.
“Dommie?”
“Billy?” Mark replies, standing up quickly when he sees the older man, noticing the cordless phone tucked under his arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Dom?” he asks, looking towards the front of the shop, searching for even a glimpse of his lover.
“He had to go to the chemist to pick up your prescriptions,” Mark explains, rather baffled by Billy’s distress. “What’s wrong? Who’s on the phone?”
Numbly, Billy hands over the receiver and sinks into a nearby chair, only to look up when Drew enters the room, looking unmistakably guilty. He distantly hears Mark talking to David, getting caught up, and watches as Drew’s eyes grow big at what he’s hearing.
“Drew?” Mark says sharply, interrupting the swirl of confusion that’s making Billy’s head spin. “What’s wrong?”
“Dom asked me where Aaron used to work,” he admits in a small voice. “I told him.”
While Mark relays the information to David over the phone, Billy stands up and looks Drew right in the eye.
“What did you tell him?” Billy asks firmly. “Where did he go?”
“The alley by the laundromat,” Drew whispers, fear and shame clouding his eyes. “I didn’t know that Aaron was- I swear Dom didn’t tell me.”
“Dom’s gone after him,” Billy realizes, horror twisting his belly into tight knots. “He’s going to confront him.”
Mark is still clutching the phone and relaying information when Billy grabs a coat off the rack and struggles into it as he heads for the back door.
“Billy wait!” Mark cries out, but it’s already too late. Billy has all but run out the door to find Dom, ignoring his injuries.
“Your message,” Dom repeats in disgust, willing his hands to stop shaking. “Is that what you call that?”
“Seems to have gotten your attention,” the man replies coolly.
“I’ve seen lots of your handiwork this week,” Dom spits out. “I suppose you’re proud of what you did to Aaron, you son of a bitch.”
“He knew the rules. He broke them. There were consequences.”
“The rules?” Dom snorts. “You offer a bloody protection fee which is nothing but a way to get your hands on money that you didn’t earn. He was starting over. He had a chance to get out, have a good life.”
“He made his choice,” the man says with an arrogant shrug. “The first time I saw him he was on his knees.”
Dom’s stomach rolls at the thought of how many times he was in that very position, when he had no choice. “He did that out of desperation. That wasn’t what he wanted.”
“You know, there’s something very familiar about you,” the man muses aloud. “It’s like I know you from somewhere.” Taking a long look that makes Dom shudder internally; his mouth then curls up into an unsettling smile. “I remember now. You tried to get away from me, crawling and begging for me to stop.”
Dom’s eyes darken as he draws on every once of strength he possesses to hide the torment and revulsion of that night, not wanting to give this sick bastard the pleasure.
“You didn’t die after all.”
“You assumed that nobody gave a damn about me,” Dom retorts. “You were wrong, and not for the first time.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Boyd, your knight in shining armor,” is the almost amused response. “He gives you a roof over your head, and you’re so grateful you give it to him for free. It’s not a bad plan, really, until he gets bored of you.”
“You don’t know anything about us,” Dom fires back. “You’re a sick, twisted fucker who’s going to rot in prison for what you did. You thought nobody cared about Aaron. You were wrong.”
“And you’re just as naïve as you were the night we met,” the man says darkly as he reaches under his coat, revealing a sleek revolver a moment later.
The sight of the gun causes Dom’s belly to twist, but he maintains his control, refusing to show fear.
“For months now you’ve been a thorn in my side, costing me money, because you’ve been filling their heads with lies,” the man adds. “You tell them they deserve better, and can have better.”
“It’s not a lie,” Dom argues. “I got out. Started over. All it takes is for someone to give a damn, and believe in them.”
Laughter echoes off the walls of the alley. “You really believe that. I had my doubts that you could be reasoned with, and I was right. You’re stubborn.”
“And determined,” Dom adds proudly. “I’m never going to stop trying to help. I’ll be here, long after you’re gone.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” the man tells him, a click being heard as he cocks the hammer of the gun. “I’m tired of you getting in my way. This ends right-”
“Dommie!”
At the familiar sound of his lover’s voice, Dom whirls around, just in time to see Billy enter the alley, clutching his injured arm to his chest and panting for breath.
“Bills, what are you doing?” Dom gasps in shock. “Get out of here.”
He sees Billy’s eyes widen, and Dom spins on his heel again, just in time to see the man take aim, but not at him, as he would’ve expected. The gun is now trained on Billy.
“Even better,” the man says, his eyes closing to narrow slits as he prepares to fire.
For Dom, everything moves in slow motion, a loud cry he barely recognizes as his own filling the cold air as he throws himself between Billy and the gun, fervently hoping that he’s not too late. This life was never supposed to touch Billy, and it’s up to him to keep it from happening again.
An explosion of sound erupts, and Billy watches in stunned horror as a wisp of smoke rises from the barrel of the gun that has just been fired, and Dom slumps to the frozen ground, silent and unmoving.
Chapter 39
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It's a good thing you've started posting this every day. If we had to wait until Thursday to find out what happened, people might go insane.
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Thank you.
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WHY THE FUCK DID I READ THIS BEFORE GOING TO WORK.
OMFG!
AHHHHHHHHHH!
WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK FUCK FUCK!
AHHHHHHH!
OK, NEXT CHAPTER ASAFP, PLEASE, KTHNK.
WTF!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HOW FAST CAN DAVID GET THERE? DUDE DREW WILL FLIP THE FUCK OUT. FUCK.
this icon so doesn't even begin t cover it.
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Deep breaths, hon. It's only 12 hours until the next chapter is posted. As previously discussed, I agree you need a 'Well fuck' icon.
Thank you.
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No hints!
I ♥ the icon.
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Thank you.
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Womanz I'm not pleased with how you make cliff hangers, your as bad as TV writers. Hey they you go write scripts.
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Thank you.
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....
I bet he liked that didn't he, not much of a punishment....
OH well!
Your welcome. ;)
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More soon.
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When Dom gets out of hospital who'll take care of them both - two invalids. See I'm being pleasantly optimistic that all will be well - I'm correct in assuming that right? Right? RIGHT? Why won't you answer me! :-)
Another fantastic chapter. See it's all about the details that suck us in and hold us suspended - eagerly waiting for more.
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Thank you. And hey, only 12 hours until the next chapter is posted.
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Dom got fucking shot.....fucking hell, what's going to happen now?
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More tomorrow morning. Thank you.
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Sorry. I really am. :(
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aw, sweet. I love Mark (Mark's are usually soooo very nice. I'm prejudice since I'm married to one) *g* I love that Drew and Matt are being such good support/helpers. Maybe they can find work in construction? I can just see Dom trying out a work placement/apprenticeship type thing to help kids at the shelter. It's good, too, that the boys learned where Dom was before.
This is gonna be so hard for Dom, but he really can't think, "Aaron wouldn’t have been at the shop, and they’d both be alive and well right now.
Aaron wouldn't have been at the shop, true, but he wouldn't be better. Dom got him out of that life. Even if the freedom was cut short, Aaron still had the taste of Hope.
:scene identifying the body:
Dylan, hon. You better come up with a clever way to catch this rat bastard. Srsly. :stomach clenches: Poor Dommie. :pets:
The bookshop! yay. glad Billy is surprised for real. :happy:
Dom’s first instinct is to reach for the phone to call Detective Wenham, but he can’t make himself do it
of course. stupid stubborn bastard. you know? you're muse isn't the only one i wanna kick right now. Dom is begging for a serious arse kicking, and I've got the size 10's to do it. :grrrrr:
The alley... of course Dom wants to go charging in, both guns blazing. “I see you got my message.”
oh, fuck. not good.
“And determined,” Dom adds proudly. “I’m never going to stop trying to help. I’ll be here, long after you’re gone.”
ok. tissues aren't an issue right now. oxygen? yeah.
sweet fucking Christ. Dom, would you shut the fuck up, already???? you don't tell a person holding a gun, pointed at you btw, that you're never gonna stop!Q!! fuck.
bill... alley... dom... fuck. fuck. fuck.
omg. :breathes: shit. lamaze breathing isn't helping. There's nothing to stop this fucker from shooting again. I would imagine he has more then one bullet in his gun. And Billy is a witness. You don't leave witnesses.
ok. i'm trusting you. i'm not jumping ahead, but it's a damn good thing i can read each new chapter now. Especially after yesterday's drama (r/l, which I'll explain later) I still wont skip ahead, but Jesus, this is rough.
Kerry
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Aaron still had the taste of Hope. That made my heart pang. Writing the morgue scene hurt so bad. I wanted Aaron to make it so much, for him to have a chance to start over.
Yes, Dom is a very stubborn bastard, and did something INCREDIBLY stupid, when he was blinded by emotion and pain.
And Billy is a witness. You don't leave witnesses. That's very true.
I'm so very impressed that you're not skipping ahead. I really don't have the words for it. Keep trusting me. Please?