Cage Match, page 18
Jabez brushed past a doctor to stand beside Andreas and take his hand. Ignoring everyone else in the room, he leaned over him and smoothed the tangled locks of hair from his sweaty forehead. “Tell me who to call. I"ll make it happen.” Quentin Fortias gave an annoyed click of his tongue. “You"re useless. A thug like you couldn"t get the media to come here unless you took hostages. I"ll arrange it.
Pierson!” His personal secretary sprang to attention. “Call a conference and get my fucking speechwriter over here to help prepare a statement.”
“We don"t need a speechwriter. We just need to tell the truth.” 122
Fortias held up a finger. “Concessions, Andreas. The first rule of business is to learn to negotiate. Maybe if I"d spent more time teaching you how to function in the corporate world, we wouldn"t be in this mess.”
Jabez straightened and turned toward him. “What can I do?”
“Stay out of the way and keep your mouth shut.”
Fortias paused and stared at Jabez. “Actually, you could be useful. You can help spin this—the new face of Fortias giving hope to the ghetto dwellers, helping the disenfranchised achieve their potential. I"ll let my writer figure it out. Stick around, but still keep your mouth shut.”
* * * * *
By the time the media sharks had attacked, fed, and swam away again, Jabez was exhausted. He could barely stand in his position between Andreas, seated in a wheelchair, and Quentin Fortias, who appeared as fresh as if he"d just started the day.
“You got what you wanted.” The old man addressed his son. “Now go home and get some rest. Both of you look ready to collapse. My driver will take you.” Jabez was glad to collapse in the backseat of Fortias"s lavish vehicle, which was almost as large as his old cell. He sat close to Andreas on the wide seat and put his arm around him.
Andreas rested his head on his shoulder. “Wish I could say it"s over, but our work"s only beginning.”
“At least your father"s backing you. The old man may be a son of a bitch, but he knows how to get things done.”
“You sound like you"re growing fond of him.”
“No, but I understand him. He doesn"t let anything get in his way.”
“He certainly doesn"t.”
“You care. He gets shit done. The two of you together are unbeatable.” Jabez closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. “Can we stop talking? I"m beat.”
“Yeah, we can.”
With the weight of Andreas"s head on his shoulder, Jabez tightened his arm around the other man"s body, relieved to have him safe in his embrace once more. How quickly he"d become used to the feeling. More than used to it, he was addicted to Andreas like he"d been hooked on drugs back when he was a kid.
“One more thing.” His drowsy voice drifted to Jabez"s ears as if from far away.
“Mm?”
“I think I forgot to say thank you for coming to get me, so thank you.”
“Now we"re even. You saved me. I saved you,” Jabez mumbled.
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Warm fingers caressed his forearm and wrist, found his fingers, and laced with them. “You never owed me anything. People shouldn"t measure the things they do for each other, especially when they"re in love.”
Jabez"s stomach tightened, and he was suddenly wide awake. He stared at their linked hands before turning his face so his lips brushed against Andreas"s soft curls. He breathed in the musky odor of his body, the sweat and oils from his days of captivity and hand-to-hand combat. Nothing had ever smelled sweeter to him. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
“Sleep now. Talk later.”
“Okay.” Andreas"s voice was barely a murmur.
Jabez continued to stroke his fingers while Andreas"s breathing slowed and deepened. He was happier than he"d ever been, but afraid of the weight of the word
“love.” Could he be everything Andreas needed him to be?
He"d spent his life reacting to whatever shit was thrown at him and surviving situations not of his choosing. Now it was time for him to make his own decisions, to become better than he"d imagined he could be and fulfill a potential he"d never realized he had until Andreas showed it to him.
But letting go of who he used to be, no matter if he"d outgrown that role, was going to take some adjustment. His life was truly about to change.
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Chapter Fifteen
Applause broke out and music blared over the speakers as Andreas cut the ribbon, opening the new Civic Center in Brick Town. He turned and smiled at the assembled crowd, well-dressed people from uptown mingled with the up-and-coming merchants of B-town. Policemen patrolled the perimeter of the gathering. Loitering at the fringe and watching from across the street and from tenement windows were the very types of people the Center was meant to help. Hollow-eyed, stoned, violent, hopeless—the dregs of the city appeared to be beyond saving, but Andreas was determined to try to integrate the two halves of the once-whole city.
His next step was to lobby to take down the wall. No doubt there"d be an outcry at the idea. It was one thing to act as benefactors to the needy, quite another to have them uncontained in the city. Crime rates would go up. Security would be beefed up. The city would be a mess, and people would lay the blame at his door.
Andreas was ready for whatever happened.
He located Jabez and winked at him. His lover didn"t return the smile. He was in focused bodyguard mode today, gaze sweeping the surrounding area and fingers clenching lightly by his side as if eager to reach for his gun. A tingle of warmth at the protective stance lanced through Andreas. As he turned and descended the steps at the edge of the platform, he felt safe, sheltered…and damn horny. But there was at least a half hour of handshaking, smiling, and promoting his agenda followed by a luncheon before he"d find time to be alone with Jabez.
“It"s good work you"re doing here, Mr. Fortias.” A kind-faced woman in a chic Moripa gown far too dressy for the occasion smiled at him. He couldn"t remember her name, but the electronic secretary he wore in his ear offered it to him in a cool, computerized voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Sanjasi, but it"s good work all of us are doing together. The Center couldn"t have been built without community support, and I hope the Fortias
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Foundation can continue to count on the generosity of people like you to make the dream come true.”
He cringed inside at the politician-speak coming out of his mouth. But the difference was that he held no office and he meant his words sincerely.
Inside the building in the large main hall, folding tables had been set up and a buffet of soups and breads was available. It was simpler fare in sparser surroundings than most of the assembled society types had probably ever experienced, but if they were dismayed, they hid it well and continued to chatter while they queued for food.
Andreas met and greeted everyone, including the new managing council of B-town and some of the manufacturers and merchants who"d taken advantage of the initiative program to set up shop in the ghetto. Notably absent was the mayor of New Englandia, who appeared ready to fight the integration of the city tooth and nail.
The luncheon dragged to a close, and then there was more networking to do.
Andreas shot another yearning glance at Jabez, this time catching his eye. The smoldering look the other man gave him must have been visible to anyone watching—
or maybe Andreas only imagined Jabez"s gaze was almost physically palpable. His cock was hard, and the event didn"t seem to be drawing to a close.
Andreas excused himself from a conversation with a man opening a glider body shop in B-town. He started toward the restroom, aware of his bodyguard following.
They were barely down the side corridor when he grabbed Jabez"s hand and dragged him into the first empty room he came to, a small office space not yet equipped or occupied.
They came together in a fierce clash as if they were battling in the ring. Even though they"d woken in bed together that morning, it felt to Andreas as if he hadn"t been alone with Jabez in far too long. He pressed his body up against the wall, crushed his mouth in a hungry kiss, and pushed his fingers through the other man"s soft hair. It was quite long now, shaggy and sexy and a medium nut brown. He held Jabez"s head between his hands while their lips mashed together and their tongues curled around each other.
Too many layers of clothes kept their bodies apart. Andreas wanted to tear open Jabez"s shirt to stroke his hands over that sleek, hard chest. He thrust his hips, rubbing his erection against the bulge in the other man"s trousers. Pulling away from the kiss with a groan, he gazed into Jabez"s face.
“How long do you think we could be gone before somebody"d notice?” Jabez"s eyes were trained on Andreas"s mouth, and his hands slipped beneath his jacket to wrap around Andreas"s waist. “Not enough time.” Andreas sighed. “You"re right. We"ll be out of here soon enough; then we"ll have the rest of the day together.” He thrust again and grunted at the sensation in his throbbing cock. “There"s just something about grabbing stolen minutes that"s even hotter than sex at home.”
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Jabez chuckled. The warm sound poured over him like black coffee, rich and potent. Even now after several months together, Andreas treasured every small smile, every rare laugh the other man gave him.
“All right. Soon.” He gave Jabez one more peck on the lips and reluctantly let go.
Stepping back with a sigh, he straightened his clothes and made sure the bulge in his pants was hidden.
As he turned to walk from the room, Jabez"s voice stopped him. “Andreas.”
“Yeah?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“You did good. This place. The new jobs. You"re making it happen.” Succinct as always, Jabez"s compliment meant more to him than the effusive praise of the media or politicians eager to ride the “New Fortias” bandwagon of social reform.
“Thank you.”
* * * * *
The Civic Center opening ended at last. Andreas and Jabez were walking toward the waiting glider on the street when a voice called out, “Hey, Prince, it"s the King.” Andreas recognized the voice and turned to search for King Leonidas in the crowd, but the security guards blocked his view.
“It"s all right. Let the man through,” he ordered. Bodies moved aside, and he caught a glimpse of Leonidas being frisked by one of the guards.
“Hands off, fool. I got no weapons.”
The man left his entourage of three behind and approached Andreas. He was ringed by a protective bubble of security guards. Excited media people pressed close to document the unexpected development.
Leonidas nodded at Jabez before focusing his brown eyes on Andreas. “What"s up you don"t invite me to your party? Supposed to be for the important folks in B-town, right? That"s me.”
“Sorry. I guess I didn"t think you"d come.” Andreas"s smile felt stiff on his lips. He knew Leonidas was fucking with him and hadn"t expected an invitation, but he had to play it carefully. “Welcome. What brings you here?” The dark eyes scanned the new building behind him. “Lot of changes happening here. A new day dawning and all that shit. B-town needs a new day.”
“Yes, it does.”
He looked at Andreas again. “"Course I heard about the lab getting shut down.
People freed and sent to halfway houses to recover. I want some of that „restitution for the victims" action.” He nodded his head slowly. “You done good taking "em down.” More brief but heartfelt praise. Andreas accepted it with a genuine smile this time.
“Thanks.”
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“I respect you, man, but like I told you before, change ain"t good for my business, so I hope you and me aren"t gonna have a tussle.”
“Me neither, King. I don"t want trouble. I hope we can work out solutions that help everyone get ahead.”
Leonidas threw back his head and laughed. “You already starting to talk like a politician. Don"t let "em change you.”
“No, sir, I won"t.”
The man turned to Jabez. “Keep an eye on your boy here. Keep him real and keep him out of my shit.”
Jabez grunted.
The rest of the security team was growing restless and visibly uncomfortable about the implied threat in Leo"s words. But before they could hustle him away, he made his own exit, giving an extravagant bow to Andreas. “Royalty to royalty.” Andreas returned the bow.
The crowd parted as King Leo and his mates strode away. Andreas turned to Jabez and whispered, “That was unexpected.”
“That"s Lightning. He likes you, but he could be trouble.” Since Andreas was swamped with trouble and people with conflicting desires making demands on him these days, it was just more to add to his plate.
“Couldn"t be worse than my own friends were,” he remarked, thinking the blunt gangster seemed more real than Timon or Rabi ever had. “I really picked some winners.”
“Simeon isn"t so bad,” Jabez offered.
Andreas wondered how the other two were doing in prison. Knowing Timon"s mouth, he was either ruling the cell block or being beaten up on a daily basis. As for Rabi, he"d probably get shanked the first time he leered at one of the other inmates.
Their lawyer had tried to convince the judge to send them to a white-collar, country-club detention center. Andreas"s father had used his connections to make certain they went to hard-core prison. Andreas tried to feel bad or guilty about that but couldn"t manage it.
Andreas and Jabez continued toward the glider, and soon the driver had whisked them away from the streets of Brick Town back into New Englandia. Leaning over the seat, Andreas handed him a note. “Stop at this address before home, please.” He sat back and made a bet with himself on whether Jabez would be curious enough to ask where they were going or if he"d remain silent and go along for the ride.
The odds were running sixty forty in favor of silence before Jabez finally asked the question.
“Where are we stopping?”
Andreas grinned. “You"ll see. It"s a surprise.”
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He"d been planning it for a while, but things had been so hectic the time wasn"t right. Today, he"d realized life would always be busy and the time to get Jabez this special gift was now.
When they stopped in front of the building, Jabez stared at the window for a moment before looking at him. “You"re shitting me.” Andreas shrugged. “You want this, don"t you?”
“Yeah. But do you?”
“I do. It"ll be nice.”
They got out of the vehicle. Andreas waved off the security escort as the men piled out of the other glider and started to swarm toward them. “I think we"ll be okay in here on our own.”
The smell of disinfectant cleaner and urine, of wood shavings and animal musk assailed his nose as they entered the door of the shop. A continuous chirping of birds from cages in the back filled the air and the monotonous yapping of a single dog voice rose above it.
Andreas hoped Jabez wouldn"t pick that one, but he wasn"t going to say anything.
He wanted the choice to be totally his. “We"d like to see the dogs, please,” he told the clerk when she approached them.
“Any breed in particular?” She led them to a row of kennels where puppies lay and slept or wrestled with one another.
Andreas watched Jabez"s face as he studied the animals, a frown of concentration furrowing his brow.
“You can handle them and see how they react to you in the play area.” The girl indicated an enclosure filled with dog toys and a few scattered seats for customers. “I"ll give you a minute to decide.”
After she hurried away to tend to another customer, Andreas jogged Jabez"s elbow. “What do you think? They"re all cute, huh?”
“Mm-hm. How long do you think they have to live in these cages?”
“Not long. People claim them pretty quickly,” Andreas assured him. He hadn"t thought about the effect seeing caged animals might have on Jabez—or on himself. His chest tightened when one sad-eyed pup gazed at him and whined.
“We"re not taking them all,” he said, trying to convince either himself or Jabez. But when the salesgirl came back, he told her to let all the puppies from their individual cages into the play area. “We want to see how they react to other dogs as well as to us.” A few moments later, they were seated in the center of a pack of overexcited young animals. The pups yipped and fought and played tug-of-war with a rope when Andreas pulled on the other end. They were surrounded by both pedigreed breeds and mutts with short or long coats in brown, black, white, and gray.
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Andreas shook his foot to get a little beagle to stop chewing the toe of his shoe and turned to Jabez. “See any you like? Don"t say „all of them."” He felt increasingly likely to do that himself.
A white terrier sat on Jabez"s lap licking his hand. He scratched its head absently but pointed to another dog sitting quietly, alone, in the middle of the activity. “That one.”
Andreas gazed at the homely animal and repressed the urge to say, Really? The dog was past puppyhood with long, gangly legs and a head that seemed to be too big for its body. Its coat was medium length with brown and white patches. The mutt must have a sloppy stew of a pedigree to create that cobbled-together appearance.
“He or she is cute,” Andreas said enthusiastically. “You"re sure?” Jabez nodded and put the terrier down on the floor. “Yeah. That one.” He snapped his fingers and the ugly dog"s ears pricked up. It came straight to him and rested its chin on his knee.
