Page 57 of Spencer's Satisfaction
“Shit,” I mutter, then, apologetically, I offer, “I’ll be there soon.”
She makes a non-committal sound and I can’t help the guilt that creeps up my spine and curls tendrils around my stomach. Tanya has been trying really hard to understand and even participate in Tony’s age play, but panic-induced regression sucks for everyone. I imagine seeing her brother like that is jarring, and I know that I’m responsible for bringing out his Little side. For encouraging it. Even if I firmly believe that Tony would have eventually discovered Age Play on his own had we never met, it didn’t happen that way and I’m sure that’s what Tanya’s thinking, too.
From somewhere on Tanya’s end of the line, I can hear the rumblings of other people talking, then they get louder as she gets closer to them, or they get closer to her, or whatever. I can recognize the voices, or at least some of them, and it calms me a bit to know that some of the guys are there.
“Is that Charlie?” I ask, “Can I talk to him?”
Tanya doesn’t say anything, but I can hear the distinct sounds of the phone being passed to someone else and then Charlie’s deep voice is in my ear. “Are you going to be able to make it down here?” he asks me. “Josh is currently taking witness statements, but they need to talk to Tony and he’s nowhere near calm enough -or big enough- for that right now. And,” he lowers his voice, “man, this boss of his…” Charlie trails off and I can imagine him pinning me with those sharp blue eyes of his. “He can’t come back here, you know that, right?”
I’m nodding even though he can’t see me. I knew Tony was unhappy with his job, but with Charlie saying the boss is bad news, I’m assuming it’s even worse than Tony was willing to let on. “We’ll find him something else,” I eventually answer. Then I add, “And I am coming. I’ll be there in twenty. Oh, and Charlie? Thank you.”
“Shut up,” he says lightly, “you’d have stepped in for Ash, too.”
He’s not wrong. Any one of us would step in to help our friends.
Hell, most of us would probably help a stranger in that sort of situation, too.
Jake protests when I hang up and sling my bag over my shoulder, but I glare at him and point at the clock above the window to the booth. “We would have stopped in half an hour anyway. Give me a break. This is an emergency. I’ll be back tomorrow. Maybe. I don’t know. I’ll call.”
I don’t give him any chance to respond as I turn and race out of the studio and towards the car park.
* * *
The diner is a flurry of activity when I arrive. I bypass the tables of people eating and talking and rubbernecking in the direction of the uniforms. I head directly to the cops, recognizing them both with a relieved sigh.
Josh and Max, Charlie’s former partner, both turn to face me as I approach, the latter nodding his blonde head at me before he turns back to the waitress in front of him, his notepad at the ready. I can’t help but notice the waitress’s red-rimmed eyes. Before I can say anything, Josh steps towards me and puts his big, broad palm on my back, guiding me around the counter and towards the kitchen and back end of the diner.
“The guy’s in custody and has been taken in for questioning,” Josh tells me quietly as we walk. “From all accounts, he was looking for a fight and Tones stayed calm and professional the whole time. Didn’t even break down until he was out back.”
I’m not a violent man, but the thought of someone giving my boy a reason to break down at all has my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “What kind of charges can we actually make here?” I ask, some vicious part of me wanting to put the asshole behind bars and throw away the key.
“Well, he didn’t get violent, but-”
“He put his hands on my boy, Josh!”
Josh stops us from walking any further, frowning and holding me in place with his hands on my shoulders. It’s times like this when I forget that he’s a Little himself. He’s imposing in his uniform, with arms which almost match Matt’s.
“Spence, I get it,” Josh speaks calmly, as though he’s trying to coax me into being the same, “and I wanna toss him in a cell and throw away the key as much as I’m sure you’d like me to, but we can’t just make up our own rules here. And Tones needs you to be supportive and calm right now. No homicidal rage daddies allowed.”
I snort a little at that. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m just-”
“I get it.” He cuts me off, and there’s a hint of melancholy when he continues, “You’re a doting Daddy and a great boyfriend. We should all be so lucky to have that kind of person to rely on.” Josh gives himself a little shake, his brown eyes clearing. I want to say that I make a note to follow up on his throwaway comment later, but I’m distracted by his next words. “Anyway, I’m not saying we can’t charge him. Ithinkwe can get him on assault. Harassment at the very least. Dude apparently said some hateful gross things, too.”
I nod. “Good. Now, where’s Tony?”
* * *
Tony is sitting on the stoop outside the back door of the kitchen when Josh leads me to him. He has his knees drawn up to his chest and his face pressed into them, effectively turning himself into a quivering, quietly whimpering ball. Ash is crouched at his side, hugging him and murmuring soothing things into his ear, and he offers me a smile when he notices my approach.
“Hey, look who’s here,” Ash says cheerily, and I want to applaud the effort. Tony just shakes his head and tries to burrow further into his knees.
My heart breaks even more.
“Oh, angel,” I say softly, andthatgets a reaction. Tony whips his head up to look at me so quickly that I’m worried he’s given himself whiplash.
“Daddy,” he sobs, launching himself from the ground and into my arms. He presses his face into my chest and cries as I hold him.
When I realize he’sapologizing, though, I need to put a stop to it. “Anthony, you havenothingto apologize for, do you understand me?”
