Rock 01 - FRET (12 page)

“Is that right?” Axel grinned at me wickedly.

“Oh hell.” Ransom sighed.

“Don’t forget tater tots,” Jinx called out from across the room.

I shot him an evil glare and smiled. Axel picked up our bowls and took them to the pot on the stove. I stood next to him and cut them into slices.

“Really? Potatoes?” Axel seemed skeptical.

“We had them a lot because they were cheap. Besides.” I smiled up at him. “Irish.”

“Yes. The Irish eat a lot of potatoes.”

“Are you Irish?”

“No. Scottish.” Axel leaned into me and nuzzled my hair with his nose.

“I’ll let it slide.”

We stood in a line as the kids came down for lunch. Axel and I heaped out mashed potatoes as the rest of the guys served up sloppy joes. The kids were excited to see us there and we ended up sitting in the middle of the room at our own table answering questions as we ate. I felt good, as if I was doing something that mattered. I loved playing and I love my brother, but I was still trying to adjust to the touring life. Axel leaned into my ear.

“Look at them smiling.”

“I know!” I felt giddy inside seeing all those smiling faces.

“Um, Mr. Wolf? Is it true what the news said? That someone is sending you nasty letters?” one of the kids asked.

“Yes. I’m sure a lot of you know that not everyone agrees with whom we choose to love. What I
can
tell you is that I’m not going to back down. I’m not going to keep my mouth shut because someone doesn’t agree with who I am. I refuse to hide anymore and I am so proud of all of you for being brave enough to voice who you are and what you want.”

“How will you stay safe?” another one asked.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Axel announced. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to Gareth.”

“Are you his bodyguard?” a teenage boy asked.

“I sure am.” Axel winked at the kids.

“Boy, you sure are lucky, Mr. Wolf!” another kid shouted from the back of the room.

“You don’t have to tell me,” I laughed.

~*~

We stayed for most of the afternoon. The guys really seemed to be enjoying themselves and Axel had his own little groupies by the time we left. Axel confided in the kids that he was also gay, which surprised all of them. I think it also helped them a lot to know that someone such as Axel preferred men. By the time we got back to Flagstaff, I was exhausted. The sun was beginning to set and I just wanted to crash. Axel did a check of the treehouse before allowing me in. More than once, he tried to convince me to stay in a hotel, but I wasn’t going to change my whole life because some asshole didn’t understand my preferences. I showered and fell into bed. Axel was already on the couch, grinning at me.

“What?”

“You were good today. Those kids look up to you.”

“They look up to you, too. It’s not often you hear of a gay SEAL,” I pointed out.

“Take the compliment, Gareth. Get some sleep, okay?”

“Yep. Thanks for today, Axel.”

“No problem.”

~*~

My eyes flew open and my nose started twitching so fast I looked like a rabbit. I sat up and took a frantic look around the room. Something was off and Axel was gone. He came barreling through my bedroom door and grabbed my hand.

“Move it!” he barked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your treehouse is on fire!”

“What?!”

I didn’t get a chance to say anything else. Axel pulled me toward the front door.

“Wait!” I shouted.

“We don’t have time! This side could be consumed in a second!”

“There’s a sprinkler system attached under the deck! It covers the entire girth of the tree!”

I could see Axel wrestling with what to do. I shook him loose and ran.

“Gareth!”

I sped across the living room to the panel in the kitchen. I flipped the switch and immediately heard the sprinkler system engage. A call went out to the police the moment I flipped the switch, and my phone rang seconds later. Axel was back in the house as I stared down the escape hatch; water cascaded along the tree trunks.

“That’s it!” Axel yelled. “You’re coming with me.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere safe.”

Mac met me at a hotel in town a few hours later. The fire department was still at Gareth’s treehouse looking for evidence of arson. I was sure they’d find some. First, the speeding car. Now, the fire. Not to mention the sleepwalking incident and the explosion in LA. Things ‘at home’ were escalating. Gareth showered as I paced the small room. Mac relaxed on the bed and watched me. The whole situation was fucking with my head.

“Cops pulled some shoe prints,” he spoke up.

“They could be mine or Gareth’s. We’ve gone hiking almost every day that we’ve been there.”

“Well, they’ll take molds.”

“I don’t like this, Mac. It almost has to be an inside job. I mean, who knows he lives in a damn treehouse?”

Mac shrugged. “He does a lot of interviews and he has probably mentioned it at some point. Fans can be better than detectives sometimes — maybe somebody hid out and followed him one night.”

“Yeah, maybe, but I don’t buy that. They’d try to get in and see him naked, not set the place on fire.” I stopped pacing and stared at him. “Whoever set the fire either didn’t know Gareth was prepared with a sprinkler system, or it was just a tactic to scare him, not kill him.”

Mac looked thoughtful. “The car wasn’t going fast enough to kill him; it would have hurt him seriously, though, if it had hit him.”

“So what are we looking at here? Someone who wants to cause him misery or injure him, but not kill him? Paul can’t be behind it because he can’t play anyway. Stan is gay, so what does he have to gain by this?”

“Unrequited love?” Mac shrugged.

“What the fuck are we missing?” I sighed in frustration. “I can’t see the other guys in the band doing this, and their other friends check out.”

“Well, they don’t have record deals,” Mac pointed out.

“So — what? You think one of the other guys? I don’t know. I didn’t get a sketchy vibe from them.”

“Well, the Skull Blasters made it big and they didn’t. What’s to say they don’t want a little payback?”

“But why single out Gareth? Why not the whole damn band!”

“Mikey and the guys don’t want what we have,” Gareth interrupted from behind me.

I turned and silently counted to five to slow my pulse. He was standing in the bathroom doorway, a towel draped around his hips.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re not about the fame and fortune. They give back to the community and run a few charities. It was never about the limelight for them. You’re looking at the wrong people.”

I threw up my hands. “Then you tell me, Gareth! Who am I supposed to be looking at?!”

“I wish I knew.” Gareth sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a shaky hand through his wet hair.

I exhaled and moved toward him. I knelt down and lifted his face gently.

“I need to find out who’s doing this. Someone set a fire at the base of your treehouse.”

“Yes, the base. We still had a clear way out the front door.”

“I called Ransom. He’s on his way.”

“Perfect,” Gareth groaned.

“Right now Mac, Ransom and I are the only people who know where you are.”

Mac’s phone rang and he excused himself. I joined Gareth on the bed and took his hand. I know he’s freaked out; his hand is shaking and his breathing seems labored. I ran a hand down his back and watched as he visibly relaxed beneath my touch.

I smiled and leaned in, kissing his temple.

“Hey. Breathe, okay? I will
not
let anything happen to you.”

“I know that.” Gareth peered at me though his lashes.

Mac came in the door and placed his phone on the desk.

“Okay, that was the fire investigator. The cops have a mold of the three shoe prints around the area and we have a preliminary report on the cause of the fire.”

“It was deliberately set,” I said with certainty.

“Yeah, but here’s the curious part — it was set in a way so that it wouldn’t start instantly. The sun had to be at a certain point in the sky. They found glass in the ashes.”

“Kinda like burning an ant with a piece of glass? That kind of thing?” Gareth looked puzzled.

“Something like that.” Mac nodded.

“I think you and I both know what we need to do.” I stared at Mac.

“I believe you’re right.”

“What?” Gareth looked from me to Mac. “What needs to be done?”

“I think we’re going to keep you out of this for now, Gareth.” I took his hand. “I can’t reveal where this investigation is going.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too nice for your own good. Let me and Mac take care of this.”

“I’ll head out now.” Mac grabbed his jacket and gun. “I’ll give you a call.”

I walked Mac out and closed the door behind me. I leaned on the motel railing. Clouds were forming in the sky and a storm was kicking up, swirling leaves into tiny tornadoes. Ransom was just pulling up in the parking lot below. I turned to Mac and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s keep this between us. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“I agree. I’ll check in.”

Ransom came around the corner and eyed us. He crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze.

“Where’s my brother?”

“Inside.”

“Any info about the fire?”

“I’ll fill you in,” I assured him.

As soon as Ransom shut the door behind him, I turned to Mac.

“Well, let’s set the bait.”

~*~

Over the course of the next two days, I kept Gareth sequestered at the hotel. The only person allowed near him was Ransom. Mac was active, checking in with me to keep me posted. I was pretty damn sure I knew who was behind everything, but I needed concrete proof. The European tour was right around the corner and the guys were getting ready to leave for London.

I looked around the hotel room one last time, making sure we had everything. I was taking Gareth to the house in Glendale to gather his belongings for the European tour. Ransom paced in front of me, mumbling.

“Something you care to share?” I finally asked.

“Why Gareth? He’s the sweetest guy in the world. Hell, even as his big brother I couldn’t help but love the shit out of him. We never had that sibling rivalry crap and I never looked on him as a nuisance. He’s been my rock since the day he was born.”

“That’s odd, isn’t it?”

“What?” Ransom stopped pacing and looked at me.

“I don’t know. Seems like most older siblings
do
look at the younger ones as a nuisance. At least at some point.”

“Not me.” Ransom shook his head. “I was seven when Gareth was born. He was premature; he was so tiny. There were days when we didn’t know if he was going to make it. His lungs weren’t fully formed, on top of some other issues, so he was in the NICU for months. I was old enough to go with my parents to see him, and old enough to understand how serious his situation was. I could only look at him through the NICU window, connected to all those tubes and monitors. Every time I visited, I was scared he wouldn’t be there when I got there. Do you know what that’s like, Axel? Not knowing whether your flesh and blood will survive the night? I do. It’s something I’ll never forget. When we were finally able to bring him home, Mom put him in my arms and he immediately grabbed my finger and held it. I knew from that day forward that I was always going to make sure he was protected, safe.”

“I feel the same way you do,” I assured him quietly.

“Do you?” Ransom glared at me.

“I would give my life for him, Ransom.”

The look of shock on his face rivaled the shock I felt as soon as the words left my mouth. I realized in that instant that I meant them. I’d fucked my share of men, but I’d never felt anything for any of them. Certainly, nothing remotely resembling what I feel for Gareth — and I hadn’t even fucked him.

Gareth came out of the bathroom, saving me from further interrogation. He looked between us and then tilted his head.

“What did I miss?”

“Not a thing,” I answered. “You ready?”

“Yep.”

~*~

I manned the grill as Ransom and Gareth swam in the pool. Not for the first time since I’d been protecting Gareth, I had the feeling of being at home. Whether it was a hotel, his Glendale house, or the treehouse it just felt so right. Mac was spot on. For the first time in my life, I cared for someone other than my parents and it was freaking me the fuck out.

Feelings were complicated. They fucked with your head.

There was a reason I killed people for a living.

I didn’t give a flying fuck.

Now I did.

I watched with a smile as Gareth dunked his brother. I understood why Ransom was so protective; theirs wasn’t a sibling relationship you saw very often. Ransom would die for his brother. Gareth splashed out of the pool a few minutes later, toweling his hair dry. He stepped up to the grill and inhaled deeply.

“Is it still mooing?” he asked.

“Yes, this one right here.” I pointed to a porterhouse with the tongs. “This has Gareth written on it.”

The smile he shot me would have melted the hardest heart. I shook my head clear and flipped Ransom’s steak. The foil-wrapped potatoes were done. Gareth grabbed the salad bowl and Ransom joined us. We sat at the patio table, and Ransom looked over the tour dates as he ate.

“This tour is pretty laid back. We’ve got days between gigs so we have plenty of down time if we want to explore.”

“I definitely want to spend some time in Italy.” Gareth enthused. “Have you been there, Axel?”

“Yes, but I didn’t get to sightsee.”

“Ah, one of those visits.” Gareth grinned, slapping butter on his potato.

“I can’t believe how nonchalant you are about that, Gareth.” Ransom frowned.

“What? Everyone has to make a living somehow,” Gareth shot back.

“So what do you say, Axel, when people ask you what you do for a living?”

“Well, normally I’ll say, ‘Hey, I’m Axel and I’m a mercenary.’”

Gareth snickered and Ransom slapped his arm. I fixed Ransom with a look.

“I don’t have conversations with people, Ransom. That’s not who I am. I stay to myself and I don’t make friends. Mac is the only person in my life who knows anything about me.”

“I know stuff,” Gareth piped up.

“Yes, you do.” I shot him a grin.

“Like what?” Ransom asked suspiciously.

I told Ransom the story about how I got my name, how I became a SEAL and how I came to work for Mac. I figured he should know who was going to be dating his brother. Because I intend to see Gareth again once I catch his stalker. Ransom listened attentively to my story, nodding every now and then.

“So, these guys you kill — they’re bad?” he asked slowly.

“Let’s just say a lot of people are still alive because the guys I killed are not.”

Ransom contemplated my answer and then nodded slowly.

“Okay, I get it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Well, sorry to say but it’s not your opinion I’m worried about.” I glanced at Gareth.

“I already told you how I feel about it, Axel,” Gareth assured me.

“I never thought I’d see the day. My brother is falling for an assassin.” Ransom winked at me.

“Damn, Bro! Really?” Gareth ducked his head, his cheeks tinged pink.

I chuckled and took Gareth’s hand. Was he really falling for me? The thought made my stomach knot up. Maybe it was time to have someone like Gareth in my life? I know how I feel about him. I’m not sure what love is, though.

“Eat up, Gareth. You’re pale again,” Ransom warned.

“Are you anemic?” I asked.

“Yes. I have lots of problems because I was born early. I got Valley Fever when I was a kid.”

“Scared the shit out of me,” Ransom said. “Gareth got all the weird shit. Any sickness that was rare, Gareth got it. His immune system is pretty damn fragile.”

“
Was
,” Gareth corrected. “I’m much better now.”

“That’s why you don’t take any drugs at all, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

Ransom’s phone rang and he excused himself from the table. I scooted closer to Gareth and ran my fingers through his hair. He wasn’t delicate; he’d taken my ass down in seconds at the campground, so why did I feel like I had to swath him in bubble wrap? Gareth must have sensed my thoughts because he smiled at me and palmed my face.

“I’m tougher than I look, you know.”

“I do. I just worry about you. Gareth, I need you to know that anything I do is to keep you safe. You know that, right?”

“What does that mean?”

“I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

“I do trust you, Axel.” Gareth searched my eyes.

“Good.”

~*~