Saving Alexander (20 page)

Sage felt a blackness descend, a despair so deep that he lost his breath. His eyes prickled with tears, his throat aching at the thought of what had been done to his man.

“Christ, honey,” he whispered as his hands tightened around Alex’s. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Alex smiled sadly. “Then he smiled and told me he needed to teach me another lesson in manners. He took his sabre and cut me on my back.” He swallowed. “He said it would remind me who I belonged to and that he was saving me from myself, that he wanted me to be the best I could be for him and only him. He apologised to me the whole time he was cutting me, he even cried at one point. But he didn’t stop and no one came to help me even though I was screaming.”

Alex’s horrific story made Sage’s stomach churn and still he couldn’t speak.

Alex looked up at him, his eyes flat. “Then one night about a week later, I heard a commotion above. Rudy was…sleeping.” His voice sounded guarded as he said this and Sage noticed the hesitation. “Rudy hadn’t got me any medical attention for the last beating or the knife wounds, so I was a fucking mess. I’d never been in so much pain before. I could hardly move.”

A slow, anguished tear dribbled its way down Sage’s cheek and Alex reached over, wiping it away tenderly with his thumb. “I heard shouts and screams and gunshots and when it all stopped I heard the door open and I saw Cully.” Alex’s face brightened at the memory. “Cully is this huge West Indian black man with shoulders like a barge and the softest eyes I’d ever seen on a man. Apart from yours, of course.”

He smiled softly and Sage’s heart skipped a beat at the fact that this man was telling a horrific story about his abuse yet still found time to make a random comment about his eyes.

“He picked us up—I mean picked me up like I weighed nothing and carried me up the stairs out into the light.”

“You said ‘us.’” Sage regarded Alex curiously. “Was someone else there with you?”

“No. Just a slip of the tongue. I was alone. It was just me.”

Sage thought the reply was evasive but he didn’t push it.

“Cully got me into this repatriation group. I lived with them for almost three years, undergoing therapy. I had to work whilst I was there, contribute to the community. Cully got me a job as an administrator in an educational publishing firm in London. He found me a place to stay.”

Alex’s face darkened. “But I gave him such a hard time. I’d go out drinking until I was senseless. I’d just started taking cocaine and other stuff when Cully found out. He put me right back into the repat group and more therapy. Their tough love worked and I cleaned up my act and went back to work. I stayed sane for a little while but it was an uphill battle. I chose men off and on who hurt me and finally Cully said he’d had enough. He told me I had to see a professional therapist again and sort myself out. I started seeing Melanie three years ago on his recommendation when I was twenty-seven. She suggested writing as therapy and I soon found out I had a talent for it.”

Alex’s face darkened. “I still found myself trawling bars and clubs at the time looking for men who would meet my needs.” His voice wavered. “Melanie was worried I’d get really hurt. Finally she suggested instead of doing that, I try going to somewhere where I could indulge my needs in a safer way. She helped me look for the right place, made some calls and I ended up with Eric at Study in Scarlet. I started seeing Eric just over two years ago to keep me sane. It formed another part of my therapy, one Melanie didn’t like, but she knew she couldn’t stop me. She’s been the best thing that happened to me since Cully and now you.”

He shrugged. “The rest you know. My maternal grandmother died and left me some money. She’d never really been close to me, had never wanted to know me at all so I was surprised at that. I supposed there was no one else and I was still family. I bought the place I have now. I kept writing, found a publisher, sold some novels and am currently making a film series and having sex with this amazing man I know who is sweet, compassionate, sexy and extremely dishy.”

Alex finished the rest of his wine, his face shadowed. “Of course, I still have these needs I’m working on with said man’s help. That’s something that’s going to take a little more time. But I think it might work out. I hope it does. I owe him that much.”

Sage stood up, walking over to Alex. “Come here.” He pulled him off the stool, pulling Alex to him, his arms encircling him tightly. Sage’s chest was tight and he was choked up. “You are an amazingly brave man. You have more strength than anyone I have known. If anyone can overcome their demons, it’ll be you. And I promise to do anything I can to help you do that.”

Alex slid his arms around Sage’s waist, leaning in for a soft kiss. “You’ve already done more for me that you can ever know just by being here.” He leaned over, turning off the kitchen light. The room plunged into darkness. “Let’s go to bed,” he murmured. “I promised to share some naughty thoughts with a certain someone and right now I feel like being a cowboy. Pity I don’t have the hat.” Alex grinned wickedly as Sage chuckled.

“I guess that make me the horse then. I think Tallulah might have something to say about that.”

Chapter 19

The next morning Sage’s phone rang as he was shaving. He saw who it was and answered it with a smile. “Jenny. It’s good to hear from you. How are things?”

“Sage, have you seen the news this morning?” Jenny’s voice was strained. “I’m trying to control the situation but you need to be aware things are going to get a little hectic. Some reporter’s made the connection between the Dianne incident and the hit-and-run of your godfather.”

Sage’s face darkened. “Shit, I was hoping they wouldn’t do that. Alex is here with me, I’ll let him know.”

“The two of you are an item now?” Jenny’s voice was wry. “Thanks for telling me. Yet another thing I’ll need to manage if anyone finds out.”

Sage sighed. “Sorry. I would have told you about it but it’s all been a bit hectic this side. I don’t think our relationship is common knowledge to the press yet, but I suppose it will be. It certainly is in the studio. I’ll give you a ring later. Thanks for the heads up.”

He rang off, walking through to the lounge with a towel around his waist and switched on the television. He flicked through channels until he found Channel 6 and watched in grim dismay as he saw pictures of himself and Alex flicking across the TV screen. The onscreen reporter was standing in front of Moorcroft Studios.

“There appears to be a connection between the recent letter-bomb attack on Dianne Cunningham, the actress who plays the part of Gillian Blake, and the recent hit-and-run of Miles Conway, a relative of Christopher Sage, who of course is the well-known up-and-coming actor taking the leading role of Carter West in the new
Double Exposure
series. Is it a coincidence that these two incidents closely reflect the actual fictional events depicted in Alexander Montgomery’s novel? This reporter doesn’t think so. Whilst there may be differences, it certainly appears that in this case life is imitating art. Mr. Montgomery has been unavailable as yet for comment and Mr. Sage’s publicist has advised us that at this stage, there will definitely be a response of ‘No comment.’ This has also been the police response. I’d suggest you all keep watching Channel 6 as we bring you regular updates on the situation. This is Grace Evans for Channel 6 Entertainment Today.”

“It’s a circus,” Alex said quietly as he came up behind Sage, his hair wet from the shower. “I’ve got half a dozen messages on my phone. Your phone hasn’t stopped either.”

He waved over to the kitchen table where Sage’s phone was charging. “They seem to have made the assumption that there’s a connection. I can’t blame them. I think the same.”

Sage sighed. “Alex, it was just a matter of time before they put two and two together.”

“My book sales have soared.” Alex shook his head. “My publisher phoned earlier in a very good mood to tell me their site crashed earlier this morning and they’ve had to rent more server space to accommodate the book sales. If that was this person’s intention, they’ve certainly got their wish.” His voice was bitter.

Sage frowned. “I know it sounds like a stupid question but how sure are we that they
aren’t
doing all this to generate the publicity? Stranger things have happened.”

“My editor, Gaynor, tells me the police have already approached them with the same question. The company told them categorically that it isn’t them doing this and the police appear to believe them.” Alex looked at him with a bitter smile. “In fact, apparently they want to ask me the same questions to make sure I’m not the one doing this to increase my own book sales. I’ve been asked to go Chelmsford police station later today to ‘answer their enquiries.’”

Sage looked at him in frustration. “Surely they can’t believe you’d have anything to do with this?”

Alex shrugged. “It appears they do. I suppose I’ll need to go down there and see what they have to say. Will you come with me? They said I can come down anytime and to ask for DS Doyle.”

Sage nodded. “Absolutely. Let me get changed and we can go there this morning and get it over with. I can’t believe they think you have anything to do with this. We’d better get it sorted out quickly. We’ll need to try and avoid the reporters though until we figure out what we tell everyone. I think we’ll be okay for now. No one knows about this place yet, I hope, so we should be safe enough.”

Sage disappeared to finish dressing. It was close to lunchtime when Sage delivered Alex back to his London home. Alex was relieved to see the sidewalk was paparazzi free but he knew it wouldn’t be for too long. Once they got wind of where he lived, they’d be camped out on his doorstep. He dismounted the bike with a relieved sigh. “I’m not used to this. My butt is aching from the bike. I’ll be glad to get in and sit down on something soft and cushiony.”

Sage grinned, taking off his helmet and leathers. “It takes a bit of getting used to. I can always rub your butt for you later if you like.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I can think of a few other things I could do with your backside too.”

Alex laughed. “Christ, you are a randy sod.” But he was pleased. “I’m glad we got all that interrogation done. Do you think they believed me when I told them I really did have nothing to do with it all?”

Sage nodded. “I don’t think they really thought you did in the first place. They were just covering all the bases. DS Doyle seems like a very fair man.”

Alex unlocked his door, beckoning for Sage to follow him into the cool recess of his apartment. He breathed a sigh of satisfaction at being home.

“Cully will be here pretty soon. Do you want to stay and meet him? I know he’d like to meet you. He’s always been a big fan of yours. He thought it was a great idea when I used you as my inspiration for—” he stopped short uncomfortably, wanting to kick himself for blurting out the words.

“Inspiration for what?” Sage said suspiciously.

Alex shuffled uncomfortably. “I sort of developed the character of Carter with you in mind.”

“What do you mean?” Sage asked curiously.

Alex sighed, knowing he’d have to tell him the truth now. Sage was insatiable when it came to getting answers and he was no fool.

“I’d seen you in
Dalton Hospital
and in
Loving Katie
and then
King Solomon’s Mines
and I thought you were really amazing. I had the vague idea for the story but no idea of the character yet and I thought you’d be a great template to use for Carter. Then the story just wrote itself. It was so much easier.”

Sage’s eyes grew wider.

Alex sighed at the expression on his face. “So I wrote the character of Carter using you as my visual.
You
are Carter, not the other way around, Sage.”

Sage’s eyes narrowed. “Let me get this straight. You saw me and decided to write a book so you could include a character that looked like me?”

Alex nodded, feeling very embarrassed. “Not just looked. I used some of your movements and your body language to develop Carter.”

Sage chuckled softly. “I see. So when you were writing your fairly raunchy sex scenes, in your mind you saw me? And you’ve been seeing me ever since you started writing over a year ago?” He was smiling suggestively now and Alex flushed.

“I suppose so. It’s a way of visualising what I’m writing, it makes things so much more real…”

“So, Alex Montgomery, to put it bluntly, you’ve been having fantasies about me in your ‘writing inspiration’ long before you even met me?”

Alex scowled. “Don’t get so bloody full of yourself.”

Sage laughed, a great chortling belly laugh that made Alex’s insides churn and his hands want to rip his clothes off and take him right there and then.

“Is that why you recommended I get this part, because you actually wrote it for me?”

Sage was very quick, Alex had to admit. He’d hoped he wouldn’t figure that one out. His hesitation told Sage all he needed to know. Sage pulled Alex over to him, lifting his chin and gazing into his eyes. Alex swallowed, feeling the surge at his groin, feeling Sage’s hardness pressed against him.

“So…when were you going to tell me all this?” Sage’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “Oh, I get it, you weren’t. That would mean admitting you wanted my body long before I met you. That you longed for me and thought about me every night you were in your bed, alone, jacking off—” his self-satisfied voice was suddenly muffled as Alex moved his mouth on his, kissing him voraciously, his hands twisting violently in Sage’s curly hair, pulling his head down to his own with a sense of urgency. Sage’s arms wrapped around Alex’s waist and Alex’s growing hardness pushed through his jeans as he groaned softly.

“This is the only bloody way I can shut you up, you egomaniac,” Alex whispered as he softly ran his tongue over Sage’s top lip. Sage laughed softly, his hands sliding down to Alex’s backside, caressing it, finally sliding up under his polo shirt to tease his nipple. Alex thought he would burst there and then.

An amused voice broke into their make-out session. “I’m sorry to interrupt you both as it looks like you’re really busy but I did knock.”