Page 53 of The Chemist

Behind him, Zero could hear Jared rummaging through files and pulling folders from the cabinets. Hopefully, he finds something useful.

“I don’t get it. I’m assuming that the doctor has an office at his lab and at his home, so why would he need an office here?” Jared asked, still rummaging through some documents.

That was the exact same question Zero had when he discovered that this secondary office existed last week.

“That’s exactly what I’m hoping to find out. Seems a little odd to me,” Zero answered, moving on to the next picture on the wall.

“All I’m seeing here are copies of receipts for purchases of electronic surveillance equipment, shipping manifests, and resumes for security guards.”

“Does it say where the shipping was sent?” Zero asked, glancing over his shoulder at the man currently studying a file.

“No, that line had been redacted.”

“Hmm, that’s odd. Snap a picture of that file and anything else you think sounds odd for a man who spends all day testing and making drugs.”

What was the connection? The doctor spent his days as a chemist in a lab, testing and formulating drugs. There are multiple victims who all wake up in various locations with no memory of how they got there or what happened to them during their blackout periods. They all have physical signs of distress, wounds, bruises, and even dirt under their fingernails, but no signs of sexual assault. That last one was a good thing. And now, this office? Why would a chemist need to keep a secret office separate from his work and home? And what was with all the surveillance equipment?

It all made no sense. Sometimes, he wondered why Marc and Chase had decided to hire him. He wasn’t a trained investigator and knew fuck all about forensic evidence. Marc claimed he was hired because he was good at thinking on his feet and adapting to situations. That was a skill that all con men knew well. But still, sometimes, he felt like a fraud, playing detective and trying to impress Chase with the lack of evidence he was able to find.

Shaking those fears of self-doubt from his mind, he decided to focus on more important things.

“So, how long have you and Diesel been friends?” Zero asked, stealing a glance over at the six-foot-tall wall of muscle.

Jared stopped flipping through a file he was holding, appearing to take a moment to think about his answer.

“Ever since he came toLa Maison.”

“And has he always been so… cheery?”

Zero’s lips turned upward when he heard the man begin to chuckle.

“Yeah, D’s always been a bit… guarded.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Zero continued tapping along the wall as he made his way toward the doctor’s desk. He hadsearched the doc’s office a month ago but didn’t find anything interesting. He hoped that this time might be different.

“Diesel’s like an abused dog,” Jared explained, lifting up junk from the doctor’s shelves and putting them back in their places. “He’s suspicious of anyone who he doesn’t know and always makes sure that he’s never ever cornered. It may take a while, but once you’ve earned that trust from him, he’s the most loyal guy you’ll know. There isn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for my brothers and me. Even if he won’t admit it.”

“Yeah, Diesel mentioned that you were all like family.”

“We are. Think ofLa Maisonas a sort of orphanage for unwanted, emotionally damaged men. Matteo is our daddy who watches over us and makes sure that we are fed and have a roof over our heads. He basically ensures that we don’t die.” Zero let out a chuckle. “We all came toLa Maisonfor different reasons. Some, like Diesel and me, were saved by Matteo and decided to stay because we wanted to. Over time, we all kind of became one big fucked-up family.”

“Saved?” Zero asked, already knowing some of the story but wondering about Jared’s.

“It’s complicated. For me? Matteo brought me back from a very dark place. For D? Well, that’s his story to tell if he deems you worthy.”

That was the big question, wasn’t it? Would Diesel ever truly feel comfortable enough to fully let him in?

“I don’t think he likes me much,” Zero admitted, rummaging through some of the papers left on the doctor’s desk.

“Like I said, defense mechanism. He’s sniffing you out, trying to determine whether you are friend or foe.”

“Yeah, I guess.” The sting of disappointment suddenly made Zero realize just how much he wanted Diesel to like him. Not in that “let’s get married and have a million babies while braiding each other’s hair” kind of way. But it would be nice to hangout from time to time, perhaps exchange blow jobs and even cuddle occasionally. There was something about cuddling thatcloudy ray of sunshinethat made him smile. Diesel would hate cuddling… it would drive him nuts. But it would be so much fun to feel him squirm in his arms in protest.

Zero smiled.

“Shit.”

Zero’s head snapped up, wondering what Jared had just found.

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