Page 5 of Dark Passion

“You presume too much, and I don’t need you to give me a lecture, Jay. You’ve done enough for me to kick your ass out of here this minute. Now tell me what you’ve found out about their whereabouts, and make it quick, because this place needs cleaning up.”

“I have a crew coming in soon. It won’t take long for them to clean the place, spotless and you may not need to replace the furniture,” Ryan said, trying his best to save his job. “And before you threaten us again, we’re trying to track down who took the dogs. The security caught two guys on tape walking casually with the dogs once the fire started, and they placed them in a limo and drove away,” Ryan added.

I raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t a threat. If you don’t do what I asked, you’re gone. And since you came as a team, both of you are out of here. I don’t care if I have to close the place down, but I will find someone to replace you Bobbsey twins.”

Jay and Ryan exchanged glances confused. I was confused when my father called me and Sidney that because we sort of resembled each other, and behaved the same way. And we were always getting into trouble together. He couldn’t figure out how we were so alike with me being gay and Sidney being straight. I was wondering if he knew the answer, but didn’t want to admit it to himself.

It was because wewerealike. We had the same parent, same interests in cooking, and the arts. We loved plays and would sneak out of school to go to a Broadway play. As we became adults, the similarities became unmistakable that we were attracted to the same men.

“Why would they take the dogs? I questioned. “They’re riding in a limo. They could buy dogs if they wanted them that bad,” Jay questioned, taking me from my thoughts. Then he glanced at me and placed his hand on his hips. “Who did you piss off, Daniel?” The silence coming from me filled the room and I had to walk away from Mr. Inquisitor, who’d turned the tables on me.

When I reached the back of the bar, I poured myself a drink and looked over at Ryan. “When the fuck are you going to call an adjuster, or put the paperwork in?”

“I’m doing it now,” Ryan said. “I need your permission to use the computer in your office.”

“My fucking office again.” I narrowed my glance. “It’s not a bus station or truck stop to fuck in. I don’t want to smell anything but smoke. Now do what you need to do to get my place ready.” I rolled my eyes, because they hadn’t followed directions yet.If I didn’t need them...I thought, pouring myself a large glass of Scotch.

Chapter 4

Daniel

Igive up. Those twowill be the death of me,I thought. “Go ahead and take Jay with you. I don’t feel like seeing him.” They turned with a satisfied expression, Ryan kissed Jay on the cheek, trotted off holding hands, knowing they had dodged a bullet, which was nearly impossible if they weren’t super heroes, and trust me they weren’t. They were here because of the grace of the universe, not me. I needed them for now.

“And one more thing...” I said, as they took one step, then turned to face me, looking as if they’d killed the neighbor’s dog by accident, and buried it in the backyard. “I don’t want to go into my office and smell sex on my desk. Remember, Ryan, you have an office, and if you have to have celebratory sex, then that’s where you should be if you have to take the edge off. Now, I want to be alone and have a drink, then I have business to take care of.”

“But it’s too early for a drink.”

I glared at Jay. “Who the fuck are you to tell menotto drink. My mother?” He got the message and turned on the balls of his feet, and scurried out of the bar area, heading behind Ryan who knew that was taking my good graces too far. I plopped down in a booth with my drink in hand and sat there, thought about the shitstorm I’d put myself in. Took another drink and gathered my courage to meet with Julian.

I knew who’d taken my dogs, and it had to be Julian. He probably had someone throw a wayward cigarette into a basket to create chaos while one of his boys diverted Jay’s attention by bracing him against a wall. If I’d go into the storeroom and check the wall there would be cum and saliva stains. Jay always left clues wherever he went and destruction, and that brought me back to the financial position he’d put me in, because the business had a party and Jay didn’t collect the money for the bar beforehand. And the next day was too late because they’d moved out of the building leaving no address.

Jay had a way of keeping Ryan busy while he entertained men, and now I was being held hostage by his antics, all because I needed Ryan. Jay had made it a hobby and a science of being oversexed and under-competent.

I could hear Jay now bragging to the scoundrel who’d dropped the cigarette and fucked him against a wall in the storeroom. He perhaps said this was his bar, and he was showing him my office, then the dim-lit storeroom which had to be a perfect place for his shenanigans, and he couldn’t concentrate with a cock up his ass and his face pressed against the wall to realize what was going on.

That was Jay’s way of impressing men, especially since he could be impressed by the slightest of things. If a man wore an expensive suit, he thought he had money. If a man said he knew an athlete, that would impress him, and he’d be down on his knees giving him a blow job. If a man said he knew a celebrity, that would impress him.

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