Gabe and Johnny
“Careful if Dad turns up,” were the last words Saint muttered before he fell into a deep sleep.
Gabe held Johnny tight. Neither of them had expected what they had learned today.
Initially, when he’d heard Saint was coming to the wedding, Gabe had believed Saint wanted something from Johnny. Hell, he still could, but Gabe wasn’t so sure of that any longer. He led his soon-to-be husband to the kitchen so they could talk without disturbing Saint.
They sat at the kitchen island and Johnny took the contract out of Gabe’s hands. “Could this be fake?”
“Sure, it could. Anything could be faked given today’s technology.”
Johnny looked at him closely. “But you don’t think it is.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, sweetheart.”
“Please.”
“No. I don’t believe it’s fake.” He had to be honest, even if it hurt. This was a deep, dark family secret that had needed to see the light of day years ago. “But we still don’t know how he knows Lucy. I can guess he was her surgeon, but there’s a lot of missing information that we’ll have to wait to learn. Your brother needs to recuperate from whatever was done to him. I’m surprised he made it to Brighton given his condition.”
Johnny shook his head. “I remember that weekend so well. I tried to stay off Dad’s radar because he was in a horrible mood. Saint had come home from school and everything seemed normal between us. Then the next morning he was gone without a word and I never spoke to him again other than in passing. I thought he didn’t have time for me anymore because he was too busy following in our dad’s footsteps. Shit, how did I not suspect something was up? I was wrapped up in my own world and didn’t even stop to consider that this wasn’t the way my brother behaved. Selfish of me not to have seen that.”
“You were young, and you didn’t have anyone to help you. The blame lies with your father alone.” Gabe tried to ease Johnny’s growing guilt. If this turned out to be a scam, Gabe swore Saint would be even more damaged before he left Brighton for putting Johnny through this.
There was a knock on their front door and Gabe stood, gave Johnny a kiss, and went to answer it. He opened the door to find Vincent with a box in his hand, and his lover Tristan waiting on the other side. Gabe brought his finger up to his mouth and made a barely there “shush.”
“We brought some of the pup’s toys over and her bed so that you can be all ready for tomorrow. Are we being quiet because Lucy’s napping?” Tristan asked in a whisper.
“That and because Johnny’s brother is sleeping as well,” Gabe answered quietly while pointing to Saint, who was asleep in the recliner.
Gabe knew something was wrong almost immediately as Vincent’s face changed from curiosity to shock. “That’s Johnny’s brother?”
Johnny came over to the group and said, “Yeah. His name is Saint… Frank Jeffrey officially.”
Tristan had turned to look at Vincent. “What’s wrong?”
“That’s the same man I pulled out of Venezuela four weeks back. He was among a team of doctors and nurses taken hostage while offering medical aid in-country. We were sent over to get them back. He was in rough shape when we found him. It’s good to see he’s recovered.” Vincent turned toward Johnny, “If I had known, I swear I would have told you. I didn’t know who he was other than a hostage.”
“My brother was on an aid mission to another country?” Johnny looked ready to pass out. “How did I not know this? I don’t know my own brother.”
Gabe gathered him into his arms. “Maybe you both have been given this chance to change that.”