Brody tugged Aden to the bedroom. He looked like a model in that suit. Had he really found it in a charity shop? He went over to his wardrobe and pulled a red tie from the rack. “Put this on.”

Aden raised his eyebrows. “You want me to put more on, not take stuff off?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll have to help. I’ve not worn a tie since I was at school.”

Brody went behind him, turned up the collar of the shirt and wrapped the tie around Aden’s neck. It was easier to put a tie on another man from this way round, but it made him think of Matt doing this for him and his fingers shook. When he had the knot in place, he moved in front of Aden to straighten it, leaving it a little way from the top of the shirt where the button was undone.

“You look as though you were made for that suit,” Brody whispered. As it if was made for you.

“I’ve never owned a suit, never had reason to wear one.”

Brody let his fingers drift over the bulge in Aden’s trousers. “This is the perfect reason to wear one.”

He stepped into Aden’s space and pulled Aden’s hair through his fingers. “You had it cut?”

“I did it. I couldn’t see through my fringe.”

Brody let his hand drop to Aden’s jaw and stroked the underside where faint stubble faded to soft skin. “You shaved too.”

“This is my version of a date. I can’t afford to take you anywhere. This is the best I can do.” He sucked in air. “I want to fuck you.”

“All you needed to do was ask.”

“I don’t usually.” He faltered. “I don’t mean I force anyone. I just don’t ask.”

Brody smiled. “Was that asking me or telling me?”

“I want to fuck you so hard you can feel me in you when I’m gone.”

Brody had started to think about what that meant when Aden leaned in and kissed him. The moment their mouths joined, Brody’s stomach and heart began sliding down that slippery slope toward ecstasy. Aden sucked Brody’s bottom lip into his mouth, nipped it, changed the angle of his kiss, then he was eating at him, and Brody was doing the same. Aden clutched him as if he were afraid something would break them apart.

Brody was hard as rock. Aden wrenched open the button on Brody’s trousers and pulled down the zipper. He slid his hands into the waistband and tugged them down. Brody staggered before he regained his feet. They kissed without breaking lips as Aden helped him get out of his clothes. When Brody was naked, Aden was still fully dressed. Another flash of memory, a moment of alarm, and Brody knew his face had told Aden what he was thinking. But Aden didn’t miss a beat.

“Get on your knees,” Aden said and unfastened his tie.

Brody watched from the floor as Aden slowly took off his clothes. He hated that he’d thought of Matt a moment ago, but he couldn’t right that now. Though watching Aden undress was hot enough to fog his mind.

“Don’t move.” Aden disappeared from view.

A few moments later, Brody heard a gentle thud as Aden dropped to his knees behind him. He shivered as fingers drifted from his neck down the length of his spine and along the crease of his butt. He could feel Aden breathing on him, the slight rasp of barely-there stubble as he kissed the trail his fingers had laid.

One deep, long lick between his buttocks and Brody’s knees almost gave way. “Oh God.”

He felt heightened to every sensation. The merest tickle of Aden’s hair against his skin and Brody’s heart thumped faster. When Aden spread his butt cheeks and licked him, the air froze in Brody’s lungs. The thrill of having Aden playing there, dribbling saliva over his hole, fluttering the tip of his tongue over and around, pressing it against him, working the ring of muscle, loosening it, before pushing his tongue into his body made him shake with tension, joy, and anticipation of what was to come.

Aden’s finger joined the game, nudging and teasing until he was fucking Brody with that and his tongue. Brody wanted to wrap his fingers around his cock but thought he’d fall if he lifted a hand from the wooden floor.

“Oh fuck,” Brody whispered.

“You going to come for me?” Aden nipped his backside and curled his finger to stroke Brody’s prostate.

“As if I have a choice,” Brody choked out.

“Want me to stop?”

“Obviously.”

Aden put his mouth back in that place and Brody slumped, his head dropping to the floor. Aden caught his wrist and pulled his arm back putting both their hands around Brody’s cock. Aden’s tongue and finger worked faster in his arse and Brody tried to buck back against him, then thrust into their combined fists. When they slid into the perfect rhythm, Brody fell into bliss, caught in that place that promised unearthly delight at the end of the journey.

He was dimly aware of Aden pulling him up onto his knees, urging him up so his back laid against Aden’s chest, where he was held in place by a strong arm. Aden’s teeth pressed into Brody’s shoulder and his stomach gave a violent lurch. Brody didn’t care what Aden did as long as the rest of it didn’t stop, the finger caressing that magic spot in his body, the other hand caressing his cock. Brody arched his back and dropped his head onto Aden’s shoulder.

“That’s so good,” Brody groaned. “Fuck.”

The sounds coming from his mouth grew more ragged, much louder as ribbons of pleasure twisted into tight knots inside him. Aden was panting into his neck, making breathy groans as he worked him faster and faster, until Brody flew, his body tensing as he exploded into release. He cried out as hot and sticky come spurted over his fingers, over Aden’s fingers, over his chest, shudders rippling through him. The world disappeared for a moment as Brody was lost in the fierce enjoyment of a climax so powerful it verged on pain.

Brody sagged as he came down, but Aden held him, didn’t let him fall.

“That was…” Brody whispered.

“A starter,” Aden said. “Only I’m greedy. I have to have the main course right now.”

Brody moved back to all fours, heard the snap of latex, the squelch of lube, then Aden was wrapped around him, the hard length of his cock pressed into the crease of Brody’s backside.

“You like fast and furious?” Aden panted.

“Yeah.”

“Thank fuck for that.”

But Aden wasn’t rough, didn’t force his way in. He made sure Brody was okay as he eased inside and part of Brody was disappointed that Aden had been able to delay that long, but then he was in him, buried deep inside him and Brody stopped thinking and just felt.

Each pull back, each shove forward was good, more than good. Brody could feel Aden’s hands shaking on his hips, feel the press of his nails, hear each ragged breath that matched his own. Brody rocked back into him as Aden drove forward and Aden moaned.

“You promised fast and furious.” Brody barely managed to get the words out before that was exactly what Aden was doing. Pushing back into him became a distant dream. It was all Brody could do to stay in position. He couldn’t come again this fast but he felt the surge of interest in his come-soaked cock as it tried to raise its head.

“You feel so good,” Aden gasped. “Tight and hot and oh fuck, fuck.”

Each drag through the nerve-rich tissue of his body seemed better than the last, each touch of his prostate wringing another jolt of pleasure. Aden held him in place, stopped him collapsing when Brody was certain that was going to happen.

Aden changed the angle of his thrusts and Brody let out a long moan. Moments later, Aden’s cock pulsed, then swelled and he wished the condom wasn’t between them, wished he could feel every part of this. When Aden’s shudders subsided, he released a long sigh.

“Nearly done?” Brody asked, his voice as perky as he could manage, and Aden chuckled.

They ended up on the floor, Aden’s body powering him down and he lay sprawled on Brody’s back, still buried inside him. Brody wanted him to stay there, but within a minute, Aden pushed to his feet and pulled Brody to his.

“Separate showers or we’ll never eat,” Aden said and smacked Brody on the butt.

 

After Brody had showered and dressed, he picked up Aden’s suit and put it on a hanger. How had he managed to buy an Armani suit, even secondhand? As Brody smoothed down the flap of one of the pockets he felt something. He slipped his fingers in and pulled out white and black feathers, and a business card.

He pushed the feathers back. Clearly one of Aden’s quirks. The card… Brody turned it over. Nick Starr. Shadow Enterprises. There was a telephone number. Below it was handwritten—Call me, sunshine. Any time, any place. That didn’t sound like the company Aden was supposed to want to work for. Brody put it back in the pocket. He hung the suit on the outside of the wardrobe and headed for the kitchen.

Aden was cooking in just his jeans. The marks on his back were still there but looked less distinct. Brody was surprised they’d faded so much in such a short time.

“Want to pour the wine? It’s in the fridge,” Aden said.

Brody took it out. “Not that I’m complaining, but how did you manage to buy all this? You did buy it and not steal it?”

He regretted that the moment he’d said it, but Aden turned and smiled. “Des paid me for fixing the tractor.”

“Bloody hell, you did impress him.” He opened the screw top on the bottle and poured two glasses. “Anything else I can do?”

“Nope. Just relax.”

Brody dropped onto a chair. Des couldn’t have paid him that much. Enough to buy the print, the suit and the food. Oh fuck, what have you done, Aden?

“What’s the thing with the feathers?”

Aden tensed and Brody wished he’d asked while he could see his face.

“They’re to remind me of where I came from.” Aden turned to look at him. “No matter how many times I try to stop carrying them, I always seem to pick a couple up again.”

Aden’s tone of voice made it clear he didn’t want Brody to press him.

Brody sighed. “I love the picture. Thank you.”

“Sorry it’s secondhand. If it had been a choice between the suit and the picture, I’d have got the picture. And I can’t tell you how much I wanted that suit. Still, I wish the picture wasn’t secondhand.”

“I couldn’t give a toss. I really like it.” I really like you. But you’re lying to me.

All through the meal, Brody tried to think of a way to ask Aden questions without looking as though he didn’t trust him.

“Does it taste okay?” Aden asked.

Brody had almost been too preoccupied to make the comment he should have. “Delicious. I like that tang of ginger.”

“I don’t cook very much. I think I have about ten things I can make when I have the time and energy.” He took the empty plates away and put the dessert on the table. “Notice the professional way I sealed these pots with the shiny foil.”

“Impressive.” Brody didn’t speak again until he’d finished the brûlée.  He loved the bitterness of the burnt sugar and the sweetness of the custard beneath. Sort of a bit like Aden. A mixed up guy. When he looked up, Aden was staring at him.

“Want mine too?” Aden asked.

“Don’t you want it?”

“I’d rather watch you eat it.”

Brody pulled the glass container to his side of the table.

“Karen paid for those. I’d run out of money.”

“How much did Des give you?” Brody tried to ask in a jokey way, leaving no confrontation in his tone.

“Twenty quid.”

The dessert turned sour in his mouth. “How the fuck did you afford to buy the picture, the meal and that suit?” So much for avoiding confrontation.

“I was given the suit,” Aden said quietly.

“Who gives away an Armani suit? Nick Starr? Call me, sunshine. Any time, any place? What did you do?” What am I doing?

“What are you talking about?” Aden sat still as a statue.

Brody pushed away from the table, walked out and came back with the card. He put it in front of Aden. “It was in the pocket of your suit along with two feathers.”

“What were you looking for?”

“Nothing.” Aden’s calm tone was irritating him. “I was smoothing down the flap and felt something. I wasn’t prying.” Yes I was.

Aden sighed. “I didn’t know the card was there. I saw the suit hanging in the shop and was persuaded to try it on. There was a guy in there, Nick Starr. He asked me for a drink and I said no. He paid for the suit while I was changing out of it.”

“He bought you an Armani suit?”

“Yes,” Aden snapped. “A fucking Armani suit and the shirt. Okay? It’s the truth. Nothing happened.”

“You told me you’re a liar.”

“I also told you I’m trying to be a better man.”

The sound of Brody’s phone broke the silence between them.

“You better answer it,” Aden said.

Brody pulled it from his pocket. He didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Don’t hang up,” Matt said.

Fuck.

“I need to talk to you. Face to face.”

“How did you get this number?”

Aden’s gaze shot up when he said that.

“Does it matter? I want to meet up. Thrash everything out.”

“There’s nothing to thrash out.”

“Please. I…I need to see you. I have to understand why. How can I move on when I don’t fucking understand. I can’t live without you. I need you so much I can’t even breathe. I love you more than anything in the entire world. Even more than my kids. I won’t ever hurt you again. I swear to God. Give me a chance to show you I’ve changed.”

Brody felt nothing. No pull of guilt or regret. No anger that Matt couldn’t let go. His head was buzzing with thoughts about Aden.

“Are you listening to me?” Matt whispered. “Please meet me. Anywhere you like. I want to talk to you, show you I’ve changed.”

“I’ll call you.” Brody switched off the phone.

“Was that Matt?” Aden gave a short laugh. “You’ll call him? Are you crazy? You know what he’s capable of. You said it was over. You—”

“He won’t hurt me.”

Aden gaped at him. “He has and he will.”

“You’d know would you?” Brody pinned him with his gaze.

“I told you he tried to drown me. You said you believed me. The guy’s a nutcase.”

“Which makes me crazy to have continued to have anything to do with him, right?”

Aden pushed back from the table and rose to his feet. “You’re not crazy, just misguided. He’s lying to you.”

“So are you. You share just as much as you want to, and I’ve told you every-fucking-thing about my fucked up life. You sit there and pass judgement on someone you don’t know, but it isn’t as if you’re squeaky clean. A stranger doesn’t buy an Armani suit for someone he’s only just met. Give him a blowjob, did you? Or let him fuck you?”

“No.”

“I don’t believe you’re on some sort of recruitment exercise. That’s a load of crap. For all I know you’re a murderer on the run.”

When Brody saw the ashen look on Aden’s face, he felt his stomach somersault. “I’m sorry.” Why the fuck had he said all that?

“Don’t be,” Aden muttered. “That’s who I am. A murderer.”

“What?” An intense pain started up in Brody’s head.

The doorbell rang, and he and Aden started. Brody swallowed hard and went to answer it.

“Hi,” Rita said. “Sorry to bother you.”

“That’s okay. What’s wrong? Is it Henrik? Has something happened?”

“No, it has nothing to do with him. Is Aden here?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think we could have a word with him?”

A guy came up behind her with a kid in his arms.

“You’ve met my husband Jim. This is our daughter Leah,” Rita said.

“You better come in.” Brody moved down the hallway and bumped into Aden who was emerging from the bedroom, buttoning a shirt.

“Can we talk to you?” Rita asked Aden.

“Go through.” Brody ushered everyone into the living area.

“Aden, this is my husband, Jim, and this is Leah,” Rita said. “I need to ask you something. Would you hold Leah for me?”

“Hold her?” Aden’s shoulders tensed.

“Please.” Rita took the little girl from Jim’s arms and held her out to Aden.

Aden kept his arms down. “I—I don’t understand.”

“She thinks you can cure her,” Jim snapped. “Okay? Just hold her and then we can go home and get some sleep.”

What the hell? Brody tugged Rita’s sleeve. He knew Leah had cystic fibrosis. There was no recovery from that. Leah was waiting for a lung transplant, but even that wasn’t a cure, it just bought time.

Rita was crying now. “Hold her, that’s all I’m asking.”

Aden took the girl in his arms. She was half-asleep and snuggled up against him. Rita closed her eyes and gave a heavy sigh.

“What am I supposed to do?” Aden whispered.

“I don’t know.” Rita looked straight at him. “But every animal you touched has recovered.”

Aden sucked in a breath and sat down on the couch holding the child. Brody felt as though he’d side-stepped into another world. What the hell? He glanced at Jim who rolled his eyes.

“What’s your name?” Leah stirred in Aden’s arms.

“Aden. How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“Your mum says you’re poorly.”

“My lungs get clogged up and I cough a lot.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It isn’t. I’m going to die.”

Rita let out a little gasp.

“We’re all going to die,” Aden said. “Some of us live longer than others, that’s all. You’re much too pretty to die yet. Your mum and dad need you to stay around to look after them. You think you can do that?”

“I don’t know.”

“You have to try your hardest. Your mum and dad need you.”

She nodded. Aden gave Rita a helpless look. Brody thought this was crazy. It had to be a coincidence that the animals Aden had touched had gotten better. Sometimes it was like that at work. Animals you didn’t expect to survive did, and others that were bouncing around one moment, keeled over the next. Brody didn’t believe anyone could heal by touch.

He tugged Rita to one side. “Rita…” He didn’t know what to say to her.

“I know it sounds crazy,” she whispered, “but he did something. I checked the security tapes. Every animal Aden touched is better. People sat in the waiting room with their pets, and those Aden handled turned out to be fine. Today, everything was back to normal, apart from the increase in the number of appointments, but Odin is a changed dog. He’s cured.” She glanced at her daughter who was whispering to Aden. “I don’t understand it, but I had to try.”

“Rita?” Jim touched her shoulder. “Let’s go now. Thank the guy.”

“Henrik told us not to talk about it, but how could we not?” Rita said. “All those people whose pets were made better, they told others and that’s why we were so busy today. If the TV people haven’t been in touch yet, they will be.”

“Oh f…flipping heck.” Aden groaned.

“I’m surprised they haven’t phoned you.” Rita gathered Leah from Aden’s arms.

“I don’t know what happened at the practice, but I wasn’t doing anything other than be kind,” Aden said.

“I still had to try.” Rita smiled at him. “Thank you.”

Brody led them back to the door and Rita carried her daughter to the car.

Jim lingered. “Sorry. She got it into her head that it would make a difference. I think, maybe sometimes, if you believe in something hard enough, it can make a difference, though it’s not going to cure Leah. Thank him for going along with it.”

After they’d driven away, Brody closed the door. He turned to see Aden staring at him and asked the question that had hung in the air. “A murderer?”

“I killed my mother.”

Brody sucked in his cheeks. “So did I, if you remember.”

“Your parents died in a car crash. It wasn’t your fault, nor Des’s. I killed my mother with my own hands.”

Brody’s mouth had lost all moisture. “When you were ten?”

“Yes. When I was ten.”

He wanted to ask him how, when, where but that wasn’t what came out of his mouth. “Are you really trying out for a job?”

“Not a job. A place in heaven or hell.”

Brody frowned in confusion.

“I died and found myself in front of an angel and a demon who were supposed to decide whether I went to heaven or hell. But I ended up with one white wing and one black so they gave me a month—nineteen days left—to be a better man. To—“

“Shut the fuck up.”

“The feathers are—”

“Enough.” Brody dragged his fingers through his hair. “I want the truth not some stupid fantasy.”

“For the third time, the marks on my back are from where my wings were ripped out.”

“Shut up,” Brody screamed.

Aden sagged slightly but didn’t take his gaze away from Brody. “I died when you hit me with your car, but—”

“Get out of here,” Brody said. “I can’t cope with this. You’re doing my head in.”

“You asked for the truth.”

“Aden, listen to yourself. How can you expect me to believe any of that? This is real life, not a film.”

“I need you to believe me.” Aden’s hands clenched.

“Well I don’t. I want you to leave. I have enough to cope with without this crap. Fuck off to Nick Starr. Con your way into his bed like you did into mine.” He glared at Aden. “What are you waiting for?”

“I need to say one last thing. Don’t go near Matt. He’ll pull you down again. He might even kill you.”

“Oh fuck off.” He shoved past Aden and went into the kitchen. His head was going to explode.

A few moments later, when Brody heard the front door quietly close, he let out a choked groan. He strode into the living area and threw himself on the couch. How could everything have turned to shit so fast? A murderer? At ten? No child of ten was a murderer. And all that crap about dying and wings? It wasn’t funny. What had Aden been playing at? What was he trying to tell him? Brody rolled onto his back and groaned.

Why did I let him go?

All this because of Brody’s stupid jealous flounce over a suit from a charity shop.

He heard the sound of a car engine and wondered if Des had given Aden a lift. Brody felt as if he were being pulled in different directions. One of them he could make a dead end right now by finding the card with Nick Starr’s number and calling him.

But the card had gone and so had Brody’s phone. Shit. He yanked open the front door and shivered at the blast of cold air. He pulled on his boots, grabbed his coat and ran across to the farmhouse. When he registered Des and Karen’s cars were still parked in their usual spots, he stumbled. Brody turned to see no vehicle next to his. Had Aden cadged a lift with the visitors?

Brody banged hard on his brother’s door.

Des yanked it open. “What?”

“Is Aden here?” He still hoped.

“No.”

“Can I borrow your phone?”

“What’s wrong with yours?”

“I don’t have it. Please, Des.”

Des handed it over.

There was no answer when he called his number. “Pick up,” he muttered.

“What’s happened?” Des asked.

“Can I borrow your phone for a couple of hours? Aden’s taken mine.”

Des sighed. “I’ll get you Karen’s. She hardly uses it.” He came back a moment later and handed it over. “Put it through the letter box when you’re done. We’re about to go to bed.”

Brody ran to the cottage next to his and knocked on the door just in case. There was no answer. He went back to his place, and slid down on the hall floor, stress draining his limbs of energy, his muscles leaden. He shook his head in self-disgust and called Aden again. This time he left a message.

“Please come back. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

He ended the call and banged his head back against the wall. Once, twice, three times. What could he do? He felt as if he was rolling toward the edge of cliff. Aden had needed trust and emotional security and Brody had fucked up. Aden had needed him and Brody had pushed him away. It was too late to try and follow the car. When his neighbours came back, he could ask them where they’d dropped Aden off but until then, he was stuck. He pushed to his feet and went into the kitchen area. His wallet lay on the countertop. Brody chewed on his nail for a long moment, then looked inside. His money and cards were still there. He felt guilty he’d checked.

His laptop was in the bedroom and he brought it into the kitchen and sat at the table. Not difficult to report his phone missing, put a stop on it and order another. He was insured. He needed his phone. But maybe Aden did too.

He called his number again. “Look. I’m not pissed that you took my phone, but I’m going to have to report it lost so I can get another. I’ll give you twenty-four hours. But I want you to bring it back. Okay?”

Brody opened his laptop and went onto Google. He typed in Aden North…ten years old…murdered mother and waited. Nothing. Fifteen minutes later, after inputting everything he could think of…mechanic…Bradshaw…Lucian Traske…Nick Starr…Shadow Enterprises…he’d still found nothing. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t find Nick Starr or his company. Unless it didn’t exist and it was just a card to impress. Would Aden have been taken in? Brody wished he could remember the number.

In case Aden had used his laptop, Brody pulled up his history and scrolled to the searches prior to the ones he’d done. Aden had been on while Brody had been at work. When he saw the name Matthew Frazer-Hamilton his heart jumped into his throat and lodged there. Aden had looked at photographs of Matt’s wife and youngest son.

Guilt wrapped a steel band around his chest. The other searches tightened that band. What is love? What’s the difference between love and obsession? Had Aden been trying to help him? Christ. What if he still trying to help him by making Brody push him away with all that fantasy crap?