Chapter Twenty-Six

“Who?”

Seeing the fear in Seth’s eyes as he sat up and drew the blanket higher almost had Vargas wishing he could take back what he’d said, but he needed to tell Seth before he found out some other way.

“Franklin Henderson.”

Seth gaped at him. “Conrad Henderson’s father? But why would he want Prescott to get off? He killed his son.”

“He wants revenge.”

“How does getting him an appeal equal revenge?”

“He wants him out of prison, so he can murder him.”

“Oh.” Seth leaned back against the bench behind them. He seemed to be considering that. “I don’t know… I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about that.”

“You can feel any way you want to.”

“I mean, sometimes I wish Prescott had died that day when Kevin and Walter rescued everyone. Sometimes I dream it was me who shot him.”

Vargas understood. He had a similar dream: that he’d gone into the basement with Walter that day and had been the one to pull the trigger. Instead he’d been a drunken mess, and Walter had left him behind in the club.

“But,” Seth said, “it also feels weird to know that Henderson’s father wants revenge that badly. I mean, his son… He…” Seth breathed deep. “He tried to kill me. Prescott may be the reason I’m scared to leave my apartment alone, scared to be seen, but all the surgeries, the broken bones, the PT, the wheelchair… That was all Conrad Henderson’s fault. And now that I can remember how he looked at me when he hit me, the thought that someone, even his father, cares enough to want revenge for his death… I don’t know what to do with that.”

“Go ahead and hate the son of a bitch. I do.”

Seth snorted out a half-hearted laugh.

“I mean it. I met the man. He’s an ass. I don’t know if I believe him, so don’t get your hopes up.”

“About what?”

“He said he’ll fire the attorney and forget this idea of retaliation. He’ll try to get Prescott to see that the appeal isn’t going to work, try to convince him to drop the whole thing, that he’d ultimately be safer in prison.”

“Do you think Prescott will believe him?”

“Maybe.”

“He’s not that stupid,” Seth said with certainty. “He knows he has nothing to lose and everything to gain by going for the appeal. He’ll just get another attorney to help him. He has a lot of patience. He’ll never give up on the idea that he’ll get out someday.”

“Maybe he will. It’s worth a shot. Let’s hope for the best until we know more, yeah?”

“All right.” Seth was quiet for a minute. Then he asked, “Why is Henderson willing to back off on his plan for Prescott anyway?”

Vargas thought about the best way to explain that, but before he could answer, Seth’s eyes widened in panic. “Franklin Henderson was the one who hired Prescott to get into your club and mess with you, right? He wanted to force you into selling him the building?”

“That was his plan.”

“Vargas, you can’t.” Seth sat taller. “You can’t sell him the Haven.”

Vargas held up a hand. “I’m not. With the tunnels under the club closed off and the cops aware of their existence, his business associates no longer want this place.”

“Then what does he want from you?”

“The police never found enough on him to prove his connection with Prescott, but a man like him hates that it was insinuated in the media. I saw on the news a while back that he’s taken a hit with his investors because of his supposed involvement. The only thing he hates worse than someone messing with his family is losing money and his edge in the business world.” Vargas drew in a steadying breath. “I agreed to go to the press and say that Henderson was not the one who hired Prescott to get into my club and that the two had no association with each other, that the entire thing was a rumor I started out of anger two years ago.”

Seth shook his head. “No. God, no, Vargas. That’s lying.”

“It’s already done. The story comes out tomorrow.”

The disappointment on Seth’s face hurt to see, but Vargas wasn’t about to undo this.

He rotated toward Seth, the blanket still draped across them both. He cupped Seth’s cheek in one hand. “I’m going to keep you safe. No matter what. I’m going to do whatever I have to, to make sure he stays in prison, to keep him from ever getting near you again.”

Seth laid his hand over Vargas’s and leaned into the touch for a long moment.

When he let go, Vargas lowered his hand and added, “Besides, Henderson was never going to be punished for hiring Prescott to mess with me and the club. Even if Henderson one day admits he did it, nothing will happen to him. His lawyers will keep any serious charges away from him. It’s not like he hired Prescott to abduct you. Or kill his own son.”

At first Seth said nothing in response. His jaw visibly tensed. “I hate this. You’re not a liar, Vargas.”

“I know, but I think it’s our best chance to keep everyone safe. To me, your life, Dylan’s, Aaron’s, and everyone else’s are completely worth this.”

Seth seemed to be giving that and the rest of what Vargas had said a lot of thought. Ultimately he nodded. “I trust your judgement.” He was quiet for another moment. When he spoke again he sounded resigned and unsure all at once. “I’m not so good at making these kinds of decisions now anyway.”

“How do you mean?”

“I don’t know what to do sometimes, or what to believe. Other than you, I don’t know who to trust. At first, I thought you might be right about Miyata, that he was keeping something from you, but now I don’t know. And I get this really weird feeling around both Ian and Neil, which makes no sense.”

“Weird how?”

“I don’t know. I feel like they’re also hiding something, but you trust them more than your other guards or you wouldn’t have picked them to watch the apartment.”

“Yeah, I do.” Vargas lowered his head until Seth looked him in the eye. “But you don’t have to trust anyone you don’t feel right about. You get to decide who you’re comfortable around, who you trust to spend time with and who you believe is being honest with you.”

“I guess.”

Vargas hesitated. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

Seth met his stare.

“When I first figured out that whoever was paying for Prescott’s attorney might be doing it for revenge and not because they were trying to help him, I thought it might be Henderson. But I also thought it might be your father, and I didn’t want to tell you that until I knew for sure who it was.”

“My dad?”

“I knew he was someone who had money, and I figured it was probably a parent of one of Prescott’s victims. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything I was thinking.”

“I wouldn’t have believed it anyway.” Seth shrugged with indifference. “My mom and dad don’t care enough about me to bother picking up the phone, let alone something like that.” He snorted out a laugh as if he’d told a joke.

It wasn’t the least bit funny. Vargas reached for Seth’s hand and held it in his. “Screw them. You don’t need people like that in your life. You’ve got me and your friends.” He ran the pad of his thumb over the back of Seth’s hand. “And my mom is absolutely going to adore you.”

Seth gaped at him, a smile forming on his lips. “You want me to meet her?”

“Definitely.”

“She won’t think I’m too young for you?”

“She’s going to be thrilled I’m finally serious with someone. I’ve never brought anyone home to meet her before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Seth wrapped his arms around Vargas’s middle, laying his head against his shoulder and snuggling in.

They stayed in each other’s arms for a while longer before eventually deciding to get dressed and recheck the safe room’s supplies, hunting for a toolkit they could use to open the control panel. It was getting late. They paused the search long enough to drink some water and eat a couple of energy bars, then moved on to the remaining two tubs.

Seth merely smiled when Vargas held up a black case with the emergency cell phone that had fallen behind the tubs on the bottom shelf.

Neither man had minded in the least how events had unfolded while they’d been locked in that room.

Vargas used the phone to call the Haven’s security office, asking to speak to Carter since he was the only one with access to the safe room. After filling Carter in on their predicament, Vargas told him who to get in touch with if the control panel on the outside was also not functioning.

“Five minutes,” he told Seth when he got off the phone.

As they waited for Carter, Vargas’s claustrophobia-driven anxiety remained subdued until the safe room door opened.

Carter just stood there in the open doorway, grinning at them like he had no doubt about what they’d been up to inside, which was hard to hide with most of the buttons on Vargas’s shirt missing.

Vargas pointed at him. “Not a word, big guy.”

“You got it, boss.” But the smile didn’t fade as he stepped aside to let them out.

Vargas walked him to the apartment door, and to his credit, Carter didn’t offer a single teasing word.

When he was gone and Vargas got back to his room, he found Seth already lying in the bed under the covers. Vargas got undressed and crawled in so they lay facing each other.

“This okay?” Seth asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because I packed all my stuff and was going to leave.”

“You can leave anytime you want. Staying here, being with me… it’s all a choice you get to make.”

“Okay.”

Vargas slipped an arm around him and pulled him close so Seth’s head was tucked under his chin. “And if you ever do leave, you can always come back. Because no matter what you decide, it won’t change what I feel for you. You’re it for me, Seth. You always will be.”

There was a weighty pause, and Vargas feared he’d said something wrong. Then Seth wound an arm around him and pressed a soft kiss to the center of his chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * * * *

Seth halted at the top of the staircase on the Haven’s second floor, his cane in one hand, the other hand clutching the railing. He had no idea if he was doing the right thing or not. He just knew he had to start trusting his instincts again. Like he did the day before in the safe room with Vargas, one of the best nights of his life.

He was still feeling the high of it all as he surveyed the sea of empty tables and bar stools on the club’s first floor. Perhaps that’s why he’d had the idea to try this now.

When he’d thought up the plan a few minutes earlier, it hadn’t occurred to him that it would be harder to cross the club’s first floor alone than when it was full of men. He wasn’t about to let that realization deter him now. He only had an hour until Vargas would return from the grocery store.

He could do this. He had to do this. For himself and for Vargas. The review of the financial records was getting him nowhere. The only thing he’d learned of significance had nothing to do with the accountant. He needed to expand his search.

Seth eyed the door across the club that led to the employee offices. He tugged out his wallet and removed the access card. Vargas had said it was programmed to open any door in the club.

He took a deep breath and started down the steps. The sporadic overhead lights created shadows along the outer walls, offering enough cover a person could hide crouched in the darkness undetected. He thought he heard the faint sound of footsteps but couldn’t tell from which direction. He stopped and listened.

He shook his head. He was being stupid. It was just his imagination again.

Then came a low voice from behind him. “Seth?”

Seth spun around and almost tripped backward down the stairs, but he caught himself in time.

Carter started forward as soon as he spotted Seth struggling. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. You just startled me.” Seth pointed over his shoulder. “I was heading for the offices to look up some information. I’m helping Vargas with his finances.”

“He mentioned that.” Carter gestured down the stairs. “I’ll walk with you.”

Seth wanted to say he’d be okay on his own, but instead he said, “Thanks.”

Carter gave a nod. “No problem.”

As they headed down the stairs side by side, Seth asked, “You always work in the mornings?”

“I’m actually off today. I stopped by to get some scheduling done. We have a lot more guards on duty than usual, and it takes me longer than I expect to set up their schedules.”

“I’m sorry if my being here has made more work for everyone.”

“Hey.” Carter halted at the base of the stairs. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just hope staying here is helping you.”

“It is. Thanks.”

“Good. Then don’t worry a thing about it.”

They got moving again. When they reached the doorway to the employee offices, Seth paused. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“What do you think of Miyata?”

“The accountant? I like him. He’s an upstanding guy.”

“You don’t think he’d lie to Vargas about anything important, do you?”

“No way. They’ve known each other a long time.”

“That’s what I thought. What about Ian?”

“I’d trust that man with my life.”

The letdown hit Seth square in the chest, but had he really expected anything different? Which meant he’d been imagining things the entire time. Despite that, he asked Carter about one more person. “And Neil?”

That had the big man laughing. The contrast of his usually stoic face and the amused grin was charming. “I recommended him for the job. He’s my nephew.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you ask?”

Seth didn’t respond, unsure if this was a good idea. Maybe he’d never know who he could trust. Or maybe he would someday. He liked Carter, after all.

“Go on,” Carter said. “Say whatever’s on your mind.”

“I thought I saw Neil taking pictures in the club the other day when he was off duty.”

“Pictures? Of members?”

“I guess. Is that part of his job?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“I thought maybe you saw him doing it too. It seemed like you were trying to talk to him.”

“Just to check in with him. His mom hadn’t heard from him in a while. You sure that’s what you saw?”

“I don’t know. I thought he was trying to hide his phone.”

Carter seemed to be mulling that over. “That happens here a lot. Most guys think it’s a pain in the ass not being able to pull out their phones. They want to text their hookups, add a guy’s number, shit like that.”

“Neil was looking around a lot. Maybe he was trying to find someone he was planning to meet.”

“There’s a guy I’ve seen him with a lot lately. My guess is they’re getting serious. Could be he was waiting to hear from him. I’ll talk to him about the phone.”

“I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

Carter held up a hand. “You’re not. If he had his phone out when he wasn’t working, that’s on him. He knows better.”

“I was probably making something out of nothing. I think I just wanted a reason to try walking through the club on my own when there were people here.”

“Next time, shoot me a text. I can wait up on the balcony and keep an eye out for you.”

“Thanks. For everything.” Seth opened the door and pointed down the hall. “I’ll be okay from here.”

“I can stay until you’re done.”

“Nah. It’s okay. Enjoy your day off.”

He eyed Seth for a long breath. “Call the main security line when you’re done, and someone will walk back with you.”

“Thanks.”

Carter offered a last smile, then headed back through the club. When he was out of sight, Seth started for the offices.

Forty minutes later, he had the rest of the information he needed. Now he just had to figure out how to bring it up with Vargas. Because something had to change.

* * * * *

Vargas finished putting the groceries away, then made his way down the hall. He leaned in the doorway of his bedroom and took in the sight of the man lying across the bed, just like the night before after they’d gotten out of the safe room. Only this time Seth was on top of the covers, stretched out on his stomach horizontally across the middle of the mattress, his head on his folded arms. His eyes were closed, the hint of a smile on his face.

Vargas approached and stopped beside the bed. Seth was adorable with his cheek resting on his clasped hands, his dark hair mussed. The jeans he wore hugged the beautiful curve of his ass in the most delicious way. Vargas had never seen him in jeans at any time during the past two years. Seth had his legs slightly spread. The pose had Vargas picturing climbing on top of him and pressing his groin into the crack of Seth’s ass.

“What are you looking at?” Seth asked without opening his eyes. “Are you staring at my ass?”

“Not just your sweet ass, but yeah, I’m admiring the view.”

Seth rolled over onto his back and grinned up at him. “You like what you see?”

“I do.”

Rising up onto his elbows, Seth crooked a finger at him. “Then come here.”

Vargas got on his hands and knees and crawled to Seth. He lowered down beside him, then wrapped an arm around him and hauled him forward until they were pressed body to body. He planted a heated kiss on Seth’s lips, and Seth returned it with as much fervor, driving into the kiss again and again like he couldn’t get enough. The feeling was completely mutual.

Vargas held Seth by the back of the head and deepened the kiss. Seth let out a muffled whimper, reminding Vargas of all the little encouraging noises he’d made in the safe room the night before.

Vargas kissed his way to Seth’s ear. “God, I love the way you sound.”

Immediately Seth’s entire body tensed. He shoved Vargas away. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that to me!” He scrambled back and nearly fell off the bed but caught himself before he went down. He shot to his feet in a flash and continued backing away, his hands up. “Just… just don’t say that again.”

Slowly Vargas retreated to the other side of the bed and stood. He made no attempt at an approach. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Seth shook his head. His breathing had eased some but was still labored. He returned to the bed and slumped to sit on the mattress. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” He shook his head again. “He said he liked how I sounded, the noises I made.”

Vargas eased forward a couple of steps. When Seth didn’t react to the move, Vargas went the rest of the way and sat beside him, leaving some distance between them so he wasn’t crowding him. “You don’t ever have to be sorry. Ever. I want to know when something makes you uncomfortable, when something triggers a memory or a negative feeling. It’s important that you communicate what you’re going through with me, in any way you can. I’d never want to keep doing anything that causes you distress. That would—” He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat.

Seth nodded but said nothing.

“You can always say no, change your mind, tell me to stop, shove me away, whatever you need. I’ll respect your boundaries, no matter what. I want to hear you and give you what you need more than anything in this world. If that means we don’t touch for a while, for days or weeks or months, whatever, that’s completely okay with me. How I feel about you isn’t just physical.”

That time Seth’s nod was more pronounced, but he kept staring at the floor before him. “I thought I was doing so good.”

“You are.”

There was another grave pause. Then without warning Seth shot up and paced the room in front of the window. His breathing returned to the same angry, rapid pants as earlier.

He halted before Vargas, his posture stiff and straight. “I want to see the room. Where he first attacked me.” He went to the nightstand and retrieved his cane that was leaning against it. He returned to stand in front of Vargas. “It’s part of why I came here. To confront my fears. I’ve talked about that day, but maybe what I really need is to face it head-on.”