PHILLIP WAS finally able to rest. He, Barry, Heston, and Cooper had talked for over an hour, but didn’t seem any closer to an answer. They had decided to try to set something up to catch the murderer, but no one seemed to have any real concrete ideas, and the ones they came up with involved using him as bait, which Barry flat-out discounted. “There is no way.”
“Barry,” Heston had said, “he wants Phillip alive because he wants him.”
Barry pulled himself to his full height, looming over Heston. “I’m not going to allow it to happen, so quit pushing.”
Heston got to his feet, glaring up at Barry. “Just because you’re as big as a house doesn’t mean you can throw your weight around… especially in my house.” The set jaws and burning eyes of both men might have been funny if Phillip was sure they wouldn’t come to blows. The two men might be friends… even brothers, but the air was thick with testosterone and it was getting downright foggy.
“Do I need to get a ruler?” Phillip asked, and they both turned to him. “First thing, we don’t know who is behind this, so who are we going to set a trap for?” He met both of their looks. “And I will make any decisions regarding my safety. Not either of you.” He turned and left the room, muttering under his breath.
He managed a multimillion-dollar company with four hundred employees and contractors. He’d built it from nothing, and he was more than capable of making decisions that involved his own well-being. Phillip closed the bedroom door and then wondered what he was going to do. Yeah, he had just performed a nice bit of drama, but would it have the effect he wanted?
There was a soft knock, and then Barry peered inside. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not. I have someone after me and the people I care about, and the two of you are in a ‘who has the biggest dick’ contest to see who will make my decisions for me. So no, I’m not all right.” He took a deep breath. “I’m a man and capable of looking after myself. When one of you has a viable idea, I’ll listen to it. But right now, I’m tired, hungry, and cranky as fuck, in case you can’t tell.”
“Heston ordered Italian and left to go get it. The house is locked up, and I thought that maybe we should talk.” Barry waited for him to nod and then came the rest of the way into the room. “I should have asked what you wanted.”
“Yes, you should. But I know I’m overwhelmed and not thinking clearly. All of this is almost too much to take in, you know? I’m a video game nerd. People aren’t supposed to be obsessed with me. Maybe if I was like you, a guy who turns heads, I could understand it. But not me.”
BARRY SHOOK his head and came closer. “Really? And why is that? Because you don’t see yourself as sexy?” He sure as hell saw Phillip that way. “You’re one of the hottest men I have ever seen, and you have been that way since I first met you.” He closed the gap between them. “Let me ask you something. Why do you think this asshole is after you? Because you’re ugly? I remember you in college, and you had regular boyfriends; you know you did. Was that because you were a nerd behind a computer? Or because there’s something warm and gentle in your heart that makes people want to get close to you?”
Phillip’s mouth opened and closed. After a moment, he said, “I never thought of it that way.”
“Well, it’s true. So don’t discount yourself.” Barry pressed himself up to him, gently pushing Phillip back until he sat and then lay back on the mattress. “There isn’t time for me to do what I want to do right now, but after dinner, you and I are going to come in here, shut the door, and I’m going to make love to you for half the night.” God, he wanted that more than anything.
Phillip shivered, and Barry hoped it had nothing to do with the air-conditioning vent over the bed. “We’re in Heston’s house.”
“So we’ll be quiet. But I’m not going to let you go anywhere tomorrow without you knowing exactly how I feel about you.”
A door opened and closed, and Barry tensed, backing away and adjusting his pants so the bulge, which was considerable, wasn’t quite as noticeable. Phillip smoothed his shirt and pants and stepped out of the bedroom.
“THANK YOU for doing all of this,” Phillip told Heston a few minutes later.
“Barry and I fight sometimes. It’s because we both like to be top dog, and neither of us wants to admit when we’re wrong.” He shrugged and met Barry’s gaze. They were both strong guys, and neither of them took it to heart. “It happens. But we’re still brothers, and I’d do anything for him, just like he would for me. Even if there are times when I want to punch the brick wall into next week.” He had such an almost jovial tone when he talked about hitting Barry. It was a Marine thing—probably an overabundance of testosterone.
“Dinner smells good,” Barry said and helped Heston set out the food on the island. Heston got out plates and utensils, and the two of them filled theirs like they hadn’t eaten in days. Phillip took a much smaller amount.
“You know, I think if I had to feed the two of you, I’d have to put an extra line in the budget. My God, you can eat.”
“It’s the activity. Neither of us can sit still for very long,” Heston said around a mouthful of baked penne. “Sorry, I’m just hungry.” He ate some more, and Phillip didn’t try to carry on a conversation. He knew this was the norm for them. They had been trained to eat when there was time, and to eat quickly.
“It isn’t a race,” Phillip said with amusement when he’d taken maybe four bites. Barry and Heston had emptied half their plates by then.
“Old habits,” Heston said.
Barry set down his fork. “Yeah. And it gets worse when we’re together, I guess. You eat fast because you never know how much time you’re going to have, and….” Barry twisted his lips. “Sometimes the food wasn’t the greatest, so if you ate fast, you didn’t always taste it.” He and Heston shared a knowing look.
“I don’t think I could eat something I didn’t like,” Phillip said.
Both he and Heston shrugged. “If you’re hungry and it’s the only thing available, you eat it. And the food wasn’t that bad. Just bland. We ate a lot of MREs, and they were food.”
Heston leaned over the table. “Food quickly became fuel, and you ate because you needed to. Taste was secondary, and sometimes you ate because it was an order, just like there were times when you drank a bottle of water because you were ordered to.”
“Well, go ahead and eat.” Phillip smiled, and Barry dug in again. “This is good, but nothing like our first dinner.” He bumped Barry’s shoulder, and Barry smiled, receiving a silent one in return.
Heston snickered. “I never expected to see Barry Malone all twitterpated.” He flashed a smile, and Barry set down his fork and roared with laughter.
Phillip was confused. “What’s the joke?”
Barry went from laughter to serious in a second. “We found a young boy in a burned-out building outside Kandahar. He was alone and scared, and it was late. So we brought him back to the base so the brass could try to find his family. He was terrified, the poor little guy.” Barry choked up, and Phillip touched his arm. It was obvious that for a few seconds he was back there and had to pull his mind back to the present. “He didn’t talk, and we didn’t know what to do. One of the guys put on a movie.”
“Can you imagine a dozen Marines sitting on the floor in a room with a little Iraqi boy, about seven, all watching Bambi because it was the only children’s movie we had? Someone had left it in the common area, probably when they rotated home. Anyway, at one point in the movie, Bambi meets a girl deer, and they say that he’s twitterpated,” Barry laughed.
Heston nodded along with Barry, as if he remembered the day so clearly. “We watched it three or four times until he fell asleep,” Barry continued. “After the first time, half the Marines left the room when it got to the scene where Bambi’s mother dies. Hajib covered his eyes, but the Marines actually took off.”
Phillip ate even slower, then pushed his plate away and leaned against Barry’s shoulder, gently patting his arm to comfort him. “What happened to the boy?”
“The local authorities came to pick him up with an uncle. But it took two days. By that time, the platoon had sort of adopted him. We all made sure he ate and was taken care of. Oh, and we watched Bambi, because he really seemed to like it.” He paused. “I don’t know what happened to him after that.”
Phillip patted Barry on the leg. For Barry’s sake, he hoped the little boy was living a good life and remembered his time with the Marines with fondness.
THEY LAUGHED and talked for a while longer as they finished up dinner. Then Barry turned to Phillip. “Is there anything you want to do?” Barry whispered.
“No. We could watch TV or something and then go to bed,” Phillip said. Barry wasn’t sure how much Phillip was going to be able to sleep. He was afraid that for most of the night, both of them were going to dream of explosions and twisted pieces of metal. Phillip sighed and helped Heston take care of the dishes. He seemed wrung out completely, and when they settled in the living room in front of the television, he leaned against Barry and barely managed to make it through an episode of whatever cooking show they had on before nodding off.
Barry woke Phillip with a gentle kiss. “Let’s go ahead and go to bed,” Barry said quietly. He led Phillip to their room, where he got undressed and shimmied under the blankets, already half asleep.
“I’m sorry. I know that you had had very different plans for the evening.” Phillip seemed to be shutting down, and Barry didn’t want him to fight it.
“It’s all right.” After showering, Barry climbed into bed next to Phillip. He knew when the explosions began, because Phillip thrashed around the bed for most of the night.
FIRST THING Monday morning, Barry dropped him off at the office. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you? I can stay the day and work out of an empty office or something. I don’t have appointments today, just calls to make. That way I can be close in case you need me.”
Phillip hesitated and then nodded. There was no reason to be stupid. Having someone there with him would be the prudent thing to do, to make sure he had someone watching his back. And what better someone than a Marine?
“Thank you.” Phillip got out of the rental, and Barry pulled his bag from the trunk. He checked all around before they left the area and entered the office. Phillip showed Barry to the conference room near his office, and as he passed Leonard’s desk, he asked him to reserve it for the day.
“No problem,” Leonard said. “I have your meeting schedule on your desk, and you have a number of phone calls this afternoon. Most of the things you asked for in your note are on your desk, and I’m working on the last two.” He smiled. “I’ll bring in your coffee soon. Do you need anything else?”
“Yes. I have a guest for the next few days. When you get lunch, be sure to check in with him to see what he wants as well, and get something for yourself. I really appreciate you holding down the fort while I was out.”
“Are your ribs okay?” Leonard asked.
Phillip nodded. “I’m still sore, but they feel better than they did. I’m still taking painkillers, but less and less all the time.” He went into his office, checked out the things he needed, and then decided to do a walk-through of the teams, just to make sure everything was running smoothly. He also wanted to check for any strange or unusual reactions. He got none. From Manny, he got a smile and a nod, since he was on the phone, but nothing else. Which only solidified in his mind that Manny couldn’t be their guy.
He said hello to people he passed, but found that he looked at them differently, wondering if they wanted to hurt him. Phillip found his insides churning after a half hour, and he returned to his office, wishing he could blockade himself in. He tried to work, but didn’t get anywhere because his head wouldn’t clear.
Leonard brought in his coffee and stood next to his desk. “Is there something else you need?”
“No, thank you. I’m good.” He checked the time. “I’m off to the staff meeting. This afternoon, I’ll need you to take notes for the two o’clock one.” He really wished his head would clear and he could stop being so damned paranoid. He grabbed his tablet and the agenda for the meeting, then left his office, and stopped by the conference room, where Barry sat working on his laptop.
“I don’t think I’m going to make it through the day. I can’t look at anyone the same way anymore. I keep wondering who’s behind all this and it scares me. I have back-to-back meetings, but if anything happens, I’ll text you.”
“All right. Where are those meetings?” Barry asked, and Phillip told him. “Then go to them, and I’ll be on the lookout for anything unusual. Message me if you feel anything odd. I can be there in a matter of seconds. I’m prepared to jump into action.”
“Thanks.” He had no doubt of that, which allowed Phillip’s meetings to go off without a hitch. And he had a normal lunch with Leonard to go over the rest of the week and his plans for a development design session for the new platform.
“Can I ask who this friend is that you have in the conference room? Is he someone I need to make any arrangements for?” Leonard took a bite of his sandwich.
“No. There’s been some strange things happening and… well…. Barry and I are dating, and he’s here to keep an eye on me.” Phillip decided to make light of things. “He’s a little overprotective, but can work remotely, so he asked to come in.” Phillip grinned. “I really like him.”
“You deserve to be happy,” Leonard said as he began gathering the sandwich wrappers from lunch to throw away.
“I like to think so.” Phillip finally released the breath he seemed to have been holding all morning, and some of the knot in his belly unwound. This felt good—just him and Leonard. In a way, it was comforting, the routine soothing to his nerves.
“Are you really okay?” Leonard asked, tossing the papers in the trash.
“Yes, I will be. There’s just a lot going on right now, and I’m trying to keep my head in the game.” He pushed back from the table. “Is there anything else you need from me before I disappear into the meeting schedule from hell?”
“No. I have everything I need,” Leonard said softly and got his laptop and left the office, closing the door behind him. For the first time that day, Phillip felt some semblance of normal. He only hoped it would last.
AT THE end of a busy but quiet day, he said good night to Leonard and everyone he passed as he got Barry and they left the office. “Where are we going?”
“Back to Heston’s. It’s off the grid, and I think we both need to get some rest.” Barry checked the car over thoroughly before starting it and letting Phillip get in.
“This isn’t over, is it?” Phillip asked.
“No. I get the feeling that we’re in the calm before the storm. We need to keep vigilant and be careful.”
Phillip nodded. “But how long can we do this? I can’t expect you to put your life on hold forever, and I don’t want to do that either. Somehow we need to figure this out.”
“I spoke to Cooper again today and laid out all the timelines for everything we believe has happened. He thinks that the psychopath is nearing the edge. Things are happening too fast for this person to just suddenly stop. The energy and his need are driving him more and more, and he’s going to have to act. Patience was something that he had before, but now it’s likely that’s gone.” He waited for Phillip to put on his seat belt and then pulled out of the parking space and into traffic.
“I didn’t get any weird vibes from anyone all day. I was watching and trying not to watch, but nothing unusual happened. I almost wish someone had threatened me or….”
“Okay. I think that maybe you should let it be known that I’m your boyfriend. That seemed to be the pattern before, so why not put it out there and see if someone makes a move? I don’t want to use you as bait, but why not use me? I can take care of myself.”
“But, Barry… you’ll be in danger.”
Barry stopped at a light and turned to him. “I know you’ll have my back.” He continued driving, and Phillip sat a little straighter in his seat. Yeah, he would have Barry’s back, at least to the best of his ability. Maybe he could see if Heston could come into the office, but then bringing in a whole group of Marines was probably a surefire way to ensure that nothing happened.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I should hire your entire platoon. Maybe if I had ten or so big guys like you around, the killer would lose his nerve and go the hell someplace else.” He smiled halfheartedly.
“He’d figure a way to take them all out, probably one at a time. No. I think this is a good plan. Make sure our guy knows, in a roundabout way, that his plan isn’t working. Force his hand, and when he shows himself, we take him out.”
It seemed like a pretty simplistic plan, but Phillip had no other suggestions. Maybe once they reached the house, they could run the idea by Heston and get his take on it.
“ARE YOU sure you want to do this?” Heston asked after Barry explained what he wanted to do. “I’ll agree that it doesn’t use Phillip as bait….”
“And the killer is already after me. So we taunt him a little, get him to show himself. Then we can deal with him.”
“Do you really think it will be that simple?” Phillip asked Barry.
“No. But this hiding and skulking around because we’re afraid of our own shadows is driving me out of my head. I spent the day worried about you, and every time my phone rang, I jumped half a mile, ready for action.”
“Patience, Barry. This is a long game for the enemy, so it has to be for us too. We can’t rush in with guns blazing. But you’re right—we can’t do nothing.” Heston sighed. “I’d feel better if we had more people on the inside. Someone we know who would be watching besides Barry.” He stood and walked through the house, pacing his way back. “Do you have room on your calendar tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Then add me for an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon. Heston Data Security. You can say that we’re meeting to discuss improvements to your internal and external data security systems due to the new platform or something. Make it a short meeting in the morning with a follow-up in the afternoon. Do you have desks that guests can use in the office? Put me there. I don’t know if anything is going to happen tomorrow or not, but I think we can expand this project for a while if we need to. I have work I can do just like Barry does, and that way we’ll both be around.”
“Do you think we should run this by Cooper, just to see if he thinks it will do the job?” Phillip asked. “He’s the expert on psychotic killers, right?”
Heston gave a quick nod and got Cooper on the phone, then explained their plan.
“There’s not much I can tell you,” Cooper said over the line. “Other than it’s likely to have the effect you desire, and could quite possibly have some that you aren’t expecting. But… I think you need to do something…. Of course, it doesn’t mean that he’ll take the bait.”
“We know that, but it’s the best plan we’ve got,” Barry said as he slipped an arm around Phillip’s waist. Phillip needed the reassurance. The longer this went on, the more the tension inside him built up, until he felt like he was going to fly to pieces at any second. He hoped the others couldn’t sense it, but he was quickly coming to the point where he was going to lose it.
“Yes,” Phillip agreed. “We have to take matters in hand.”
“Okay, then,” Cooper said. “Let me know if you need me.”
“Both Barry and I will be in the office, so I’ll be there for backup. No one there knows me from Adam. They’ll just think I’m a data security contractor.” Heston lifted his gaze from where the phone rested on the dining table. “Are there metal detectors to get in your building?”
“No.”
Heston nodded. “Then both Barry and I will carry weapons. We are both licensed to carry concealed, and we’re going to do that.”
Phillip paled. “For God’s sake, don’t shoot any of my people.” He shivered. “I hate guns.”
Barry pulled him closer. “Heston and I are some of the best-trained people you will ever encounter when it comes to firearms. We don’t shoot unless it’s necessary, and we will have the safeties on until we need them. But if something happens, we need to make sure we can actually help.”
“Okay,” Phillip agreed. It would be stupid to do anything else. They were after someone who had no problem with killing. It was going to take some force to stop this person. Barry had told him more than once that a cornered predator would only become more dangerous. “All we need to do is identify who it is and make sure we have the goods on him. Then we call the police and let them take charge from there. Agreed?”
“Yes. That’s exactly it. Nothing more than that. We don’t need to be heroes, just get this guy off the streets so we can go on with our lives,” Barry said, looking deeply at him. Warmth spread through Phillip. He liked the sound of the two of them going on with their lives… hopefully together.
THEY STAYED up talking for a while, going over things to make sure they were all on the same page. Phillip was exhausted and excused himself, though it wasn’t likely he’d be able to sleep, as keyed up as he was. Hell, once this was all over, he’d sleep for a month—that is, if he didn’t end up dead. His friends could plan all they wanted, but this guy and the shit they were doing was going to be dangerous.
He used the bathroom and pulled down the covers. Phillip figured that Barry was still talking, so he turned out the light just as the door cracked open. Light from the other rooms spilled inside and then was doused as Barry closed the door behind him.
Barry didn’t talk as he got undressed, and Phillip watched him intently in the near darkness. Barry got into bed, the heat from his skin setting Phillip on fire, but he didn’t know if this was a good—
He got his answer as Barry tugged him close, snuggling right against him, his cock demanding and insistent, pressing right against his butt. “Is this okay?”
“Mmmm-hmmm,” Phillip moaned and pressed back as Barry’s hands wandered over his chest. He closed his eyes, letting the sensation and energy wash over him. It felt so good to be held this way, as if he was truly special. “I love this.”
“Me too.” Barry nuzzled his skin and then kissed the base of his neck, tightening his hold. “I love the way you smell.” Barry wriggled his hips, and Phillip moaned a little. He loved the way Barry made him feel, and when his hand slid lower, he stilled.
“Barry….”
“Are you feeling okay? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh God, if you keep that up, I’m never going to feel anything but you.” He reached behind him, circling Barry’s cock with his fingers. “Do you have protection?”
“Oh yes. I have everything we need, sweetheart.” Barry nibbled at his ear, and Phillip stretched and groaned into the touch.
“I’ll be back in just a few seconds.” Barry slipped out of the bed and rummaged in his bag, then returned, spooning him. “How long has it been since…?”
Phillip understood. “Quite a while.”
“Then I’ll take it slow.”
Phillip scooted back as heated hands slipped down his sides, followed by lips that blazed over hips. Slowly, Barry held back as he urged him onto his side, and Barry drew nearer, sliding his lips over his cock, taking him slowly down, deeper, hotter, more intensely. His slow pace only enflamed Phillip more. He wanted so much from Barry, and damn, he got it. Before long, he was close to screaming for more, for release, for just that much additional sensation, but Barry held back.
Phillip was able to finally catch a deep breath when Barry paused. A rip, and slight fumbling preceded Barry slowly pressing into him, opening, filling him. “I’m not going to go fast.”
Phillip growled. He actually made a guttural noise of complete frustration. “You’re going to kill me if you keep that up.” Barry sank deeper, the burn sending Phillip damned near over the edge. “I’m not made of glass.”
“No. But I’m not going to hurt you either. I want this to be special… to be all pleasure with no pain.” He slowly moved his hips, pulling and sliding. Phillip clenched the bedding in front of him because, God, this felt good. His movements small and slow, Barry wrapped him in his arms as though Phillip were precious, and slowly took him to heaven. That was all Phillip could think as he closed his eyes, heat and passion building to the point where his head spun. Phillip had waited his entire life to feel like this. Barry seemed to know what he wanted and gave it to him. There was no disconnect, no hesitation, just a pure expression of love, which warmed Phillip’s heart even more.
Phillip had learned that no matter how big a guy’s cock was, it wasn’t enough to touch the heart or the soul. That was done in completely different ways, and Barry did that with his hands, his soft words, the way he held him, and the intense way he kissed him just behind the ear. Phillip would love to have been able to look into Barry’s eyes, but in this position, that wasn’t possible. But Barry made up for it. “You feel so good. You know that? I could lie right here and hold you for the rest of my life.”
“Barry…,” he gasped as his cock dragged over that spot inside him. He shook, and Barry hugged him a little tighter, letting the tremor subside before doing it again. “Oh God.” He swallowed to alleviate the instant dryness in his throat, holding Barry’s arms to steady himself, moving right along with him. Phillip turned as best he could, and Barry lifted upward so they could kiss. It was sloppy and a little awkward, but still heavenly, and Barry kissed him again, running a hand through his hair, sending prickles along his scalp.
Everything seemed to build, one thing on top of the other, and Phillip knew he wasn’t going to be able to last much longer. One of Barry’s hands slid down his belly, blazing a heated trail until his fingers closed around his aching cock. Phillip gasped as Barry gripped and stroked him. “You feel amazing in my arms.”
“I wish I’d have known….” Phillip tried to grasp the words to describe just how he felt at this moment, but they were nowhere to be found. He let his voice trail off and was just present in the moment, enjoying it for what it was.
“What it felt like to be the center of someone’s world?” Barry asked, and Phillip nodded. It was all he was able to do. “I’ve loved you in a way for a very long time, and I’ve had plenty of chances to imagine what this moment with you would be like.” Barry sucked lightly on his ear as he stroked harder. “I want to feel you go to pieces around me. I want to know what it’s like to have given you the greatest pleasure I can, and to know that next time, when you’re well, we can top it.”
Phillip’s mouth hung open as his spine tingled. He clamped his eyes closed, willing the pleasure to hold off for a little while longer. He wanted more, but his body and mind were not his to control at that moment, and Barry brought him higher until he shook and then finally blasted into breath-stealing, mind-numbing release, with Barry propelling himself toward his own.
He lay still, head floating and spinning a little, unable to move and not really wanting to. This was what he had longed for since college.
“Are you okay? You aren’t moving. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Phillip realized he had to talk, but he didn’t really have the energy. “I’m wonderful,” he managed to say and then lay quietly once again, enjoying being held and feeling safe in the arms of someone he loved. He wasn’t startled at the thought. Phillip loved Barry, and he hoped that would get the chance to grow. He sighed, and Barry slowly withdrew, then took care of the condom before using his shirt to wipe up the bedding. “What are you thinking?”
Phillip made a contented sound as the reality of what lay ahead of them slowly sank back into his mind. They were about to step into something that could be dangerous. Phillip did his best not to let that interfere with the moment, but it kept pushing at the edges of his mind. “I’m sorry….”
Barry hummed softly. “Tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I can’t get it out of my head.” He slowly turned over and faced Barry. “While we were making love, I couldn’t think of anything else, but now….” He wanted to bury his head. The thing that bothered him most was that this asshole had worked his way into his head, as well as the bed he was sharing with someone he truly cared about. And that pissed him off.
“I can see the anger building behind your eyes,” Barry whispered as he stroked his arm. “And that’s okay. Use it—mix it with the fear and let both of them keep you sharp and on your toes.” It seemed like a strange time, but Barry kissed him. “It’s what they taught us in the corps.” The strange thing was that they were talking about serious, nonsexy stuff, and yet Barry never let him go, holding him just as tightly. “I’m scared too,” he finally added.
Phillip released a deep breath and just held still. This was what he had wanted, and he was going to take it for as long as he could have it. Tomorrow, things would change, and somehow Phillip hoped that he and Barry would be right back here, like this…. But anything was possible in this situation. And some of those things, he didn’t dare think about.