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  Salvatore chuckled and drew Elliott up to him. “It’s hot thinking of you alone in your room, pleasuring yourself. Was it to images of big, muscular guys?”

  Elliott shrugged. “There was one who really turned me on. He had a big chest like you, and a furry belly, but you’re way hotter.” Elliott nuzzled close. “You’re real, and he was just some image. Also, you’re just a lot sexier than him.” He smiled a slightly crooked smile.

  “That’s a relief,” Salvatore said, and placed Elliott’s hands on the headboard. Then he slid down under him until his lips slipped around Elliott’s cock. Salvatore gripped Elliott’s butt, controlling his movement as he took him deep, to Elliott’s sharp gasp for breath, and then a slow moan filled the whole room once again. He was quickly falling in love with those noises, and he wanted Elliott to remember this night forever.

  “Sal,” Elliott whimpered, his legs shaking a little. Salvatore didn’t let up, holding Elliott and taking him to the brink, backing away, and then doing it again. When he thought Elliott was about ready to explode into pieces, he sucked him hard and held him as Elliott stiffened and tipped over the edge, swallowing Elliott’s release. He let him down gently, hugging him tightly as Elliott settled on the bed in a bubble of warmth. Salvatore listened to him breathe and rubbed his belly gently, letting him enjoy the postcoital haze. As far as he was concerned, those few minutes were some of the grandest in existence. Everything was quiet and the world didn’t exist for just that small period of time. It was the time for the two of them.

  Elliott rolled over eventually, and Salvatore lay facing him, their lips a few inches apart. “What about you?”

  It seemed like Elliott could hardly move and was relaxed, which was what he wanted. “Go to sleep,” Salvatore whispered, and Elliott hummed and closed his eyes. There was plenty that could wait until tomorrow, and Salvatore figured they were going to need all the rest they could get.

  Chapter 7

  “JUST BE careful,” Bull was saying through the car Bluetooth as they zipped down the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Before they left, Spook had shown up at the hotel with clothes and things from Salvatore’s house, so at least they had been able to change clothes.

  “We will,” Salvatore said. “I know we’re going into the lion’s den.”

  “Yes, and unfortunately I don’t have any support that I can offer you. That area of the state is surprisingly devoid of the people I served with over the years.”

  Elliott suppressed a sigh and tried to ignore the stab to his gut.

  “Watch closely, get what you need, and get the hell out.”

  “We will. The plan is to go to the bank, get the papers, and get out of town.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to drop in at my stepfather’s to say hello,” Elliott said. He had to remind the two of them that he was in the car.

  “No. But your stepfather has a huge network of contacts and people. So I want you to remember that as soon as you make yourself known at the bank, it’s likely a ticking clock.”

  “Why?” Elliott asked. “Banking is confidential.”

  “It’s supposed to be,” Bull said. “But if your stepfather has a contact at the bank or in the organization, all it takes is someone to tip him off that an account with your name on it has been referenced. Then it’s a matter of how fast your stepfather can mobilize to intercept you. I’m not saying that will happen, but that’s how you have to think. So, don’t loiter, and get the hell out of there and back to where we can control the situation.”

  Elliott nodded. “I think I understand. His power is centered there.”

  “Yes. Just be cautious and be aware of everything that’s happening around you.”

  “We will,” Salvatore agreed. “We’ll call you as soon as we’re on our way out, and we can figure out a plan of attack based upon what we have.” They said goodbye, and Bull ended the call.

  Elliott tried like hell not to be nervous.

  “Bull is right. There isn’t much that he isn’t going to know, and with him looking for me, he’s going to have feelers out everywhere.” He sighed and put his hand over his chest where one of the keys to the deposit box hung around his neck under his shirt. “Unfortunately, the bank isn’t particularly close to the freeways. It’s downtown. I thought I could get lost down there, but that means it’s going to be harder for us to get in and out of town.” He cursed under his breath that he hadn’t thought further ahead. All he had wanted to do was get the papers safe and then disappear, and he’d figured a crowd was the best way to do that. He bit his lower lip.

  “That’s all right. Downtown means lots of turns and ways to evade being followed. I know there’s plenty of traffic, but we can get in and out as fast as possible.” Salvatore turned to him. “Was there something else? I get the feeling there’s more. Something that’s missing.”

  Elliott nodded. “It’s so stupid. I have a real close friend. He hates the bastard as much as I do. And when I had to leave, he said he’d take care of Buster for me.” Elliott clenched his fist. “My apartment in Harrisburg doesn’t allow dogs, just like I thought, and since I had to leave in a hurry, Traynor promised to look after Buster.” He refused to cry. It had been the right thing for Buster, even if it had nearly broken his heart.

  “You have a dog,” Salvatore said, and Elliott nodded. “You never mentioned that before.”

  Elliott shrugged. “I couldn’t talk about it. Buster is better away from me and from the house. He loves Traynor and is probably happier. He has a yard and a place where he can run and go outside. I couldn’t give him that with my situation.” He turned away and wiped his eyes, refusing to cry, dammit. “I just want to try to see him.” That would be enough. “But we all can’t have what we want, and getting the papers is way more important.”

  Salvatore gripped the wheel tightly. “So you’re telling me that you left everything, including your dog, in order to get the hell away?”

  “I had to. I knew that without all that much money, I couldn’t get a place where I could live with him.”

  “But you never said anything.” Salvatore’s voice broke a little. “You should have told me.” Not that that would have done anyone any good, and no one would have been able to change it.

  “What was I supposed to do? Talk about it so I could blubber all over the place like some stupid baby?” He took a deep breath to try to push the immense loss down deeper, but it didn’t go away, only becoming more urgent. “Maybe we can see him before we go to the bank. Traynor should be home. He’s a nurse and works nights, and we don’t have to stay long.” He was prepared for Salvatore to say no, but he nodded instead, and Elliott closed his eyes, sitting back, the ache in his heart easing a little.

  Salvatore didn’t say anything for quite a while, the tires humming as they rode, giving Elliott plenty of time to think. “I don’t understand why you didn’t say anything.”

  “Because I guess it didn’t matter. He’s with Traynor and he’s happy and has a place to run. I can’t provide that in Harrisburg.” He shrugged. “I do miss him, though.”

  “What kind of dog is he?” Salvatore asked, half grinning. “I don’t know why I think of him as this little yippy toy poodle with big expressive eyes, running around your feet in circles, happy to see you.” He laughed, and Elliott scowled at him.

  “You’re part right. Buster is a labradoodle, but about fifty pounds or so. He has the energy and the bright eyes, but he isn’t yippy. He loves to take walks and go outside. He’s leash-trained, and I took him to obedience and obstacle course classes. He’s really smart.”

  “How long has your friend had him?” Salvatore asked.

  “About two months now. Buster and Traynor love each other, and Traynor has said that he will adopt Buster if that’s what I want. But I can’t give him up permanently, not yet, even though it’s probably the best thing. The bastard started threatening Buster, so Traynor said he’d take him until I could figure something out.”

  Salvatore nodded. �
��Did you think that your stepfather might use Buster against you?”

  Elliott gasped. “No. He hates Buster and was always complaining about him shedding or something, which he doesn’t do. Buster has curly poodle-type hair and has to be trimmed every six weeks or so. It’s that awful Doberman that the bastard has that sheds all over everywhere and pees anywhere in the house she wants, except in my stepfather’s office. That dog is one manipulative bitch.” Elliott put his hand over his mouth, giggling a little. “She would pee on the carpet and leave the room so Buster would get blamed for it. After Buster was gone, he complained that Buster taught his stupid dog to go inside.” Elliott rolled his eyes. “The man is nuts most of the time, and nothing is ever his fault, including the fact that he never trained his dog to be anything but mean to everyone.”

  “I see. Were you afraid of his dog?” Salvatore asked just before they passed into one of the tunnels. “I hate these things. When driving, I’m always looking for a way out in case of danger or a threat, and there never is one in these.” He sped up as much as the car in front of them would allow until they burst out into daylight once more.

  “Bessie? No. I used to sneak her food all the time when he wasn’t looking. That dog loves me. She didn’t like Buster because they both wanted to be alpha dog and she lost when Buster beat the crap out of her more than once. But I figured that the easiest way to drive the bastard crazy was to take away one of his methods of intimidation.” Elliott sighed and thought about Buster. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go see him. Elliott still didn’t have a place for him, and leaving him again was going to be damned hard. It was probably best if he let Traynor adopt him. At least Buster would have a good forever home.

  “Let’s visit Buster. That way you can see him. Do you think your stepfather might be watching your friends? He could see if you contact them, or does he even know where your dog is?”

  Elliott sighed. “I don’t know. He and Traynor never liked each other. Traynor thought Antonio was a jerk, and he’s my friend… I mean….” He knew he wasn’t making much sense. “I doubt he’d be watching him. Antonio was happy that Buster was gone, and when he asked where he was, I said I had given him to a friend. He seemed happy and mumbled that he was glad the rug pee-er was gone.” Elliott wanted to strangle him again. It was an emotion he seemed to be having a lot lately. “I didn’t realize how stifling things had been at home until I managed to get out.”

  “Abusive, controlling relationships sneak up on us. They don’t usually start out that way, but they grow into them slowly. There are plenty of people, men as well as women, who wake up one day and wonder how things got so bad… or how they can get out when they are so trapped and afraid.”

  “I wonder if things are like that for my mom sometimes. I think she has to see the kind of guy he is, and yet she goes forward happy and seemingly content no matter what anyone says.” Elliott sniffed as a wave of sadness coupled with frustration washed over him. “I tried to tell her, and she said that I had to be making things up.”

  “Gaslighting,” Salvatore said. “It could be that simple.”

  Elliott nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.” He liked to think of his mom as the woman he knew before she married Antonio. He thought that they had been happy enough. Even if the two of them hadn’t had many material things, they’d had each other. Then she’d met and married Antonio, and the things his money could buy seemed more important than the life and care they had before. Elliott knew his mother loved him, but he honestly thought she loved her easy, well-ordered, money-is-no-object life even more. “I don’t know.” And that was the part that hurt the most. He wasn’t sure if he could trust his own mother at all when it came to Antonio.

  They passed Somerset, and a half hour later approached the turnpike exits at the outskirts of the city. Elliott gave Salvatore directions to Traynor’s house, and pretty soon they pulled up in front of a ranch home that had been built in the fifties. Traynor had done a lot to update the exterior of the home. As soon as they pulled to a stop in the driveway, Elliott got out. Near-frantic barking come from inside, with Buster peering out the front window.

  Traynor met them at the front door, looking a little groggy, but he pulled Elliott into a hug just as soon as he got close enough. “God, it’s good to see you. I was getting worried because I haven’t heard from you in so long.” Traynor released him, and his eyes widened as he seemed to see Salvatore for the first time. “Who is the walking wet dream? I just woke up, and man, am I still dreaming? If I am, I want to go back to bed… with him,” he whispered dramatically.

  “Salvatore, this is my friend Traynor.” They shook hands. “Salvatore is helping me out with some of the shit with the asshole stepfather. Have you seen him or any of his minions?”

  “Gosh, no.” Traynor opened the door, and Buster raced out, jumping to get Elliott’s attention. He leaned down, petting, stroking, and getting kisses as Buster practically bent himself into a half moon to get as much attention as he possibly could. “That ass knows to stay away. I saw him at the hospital last week and asked if he was there to get the hemorrhoids removed from his brain.” Traynor laughed as he opened the door once again. “Come on inside. I can get you something to drink.”

  Elliott nodded and continued petting Buster as they went inside, and Traynor closed the front door. Elliott sat down on the sofa, and Buster jumped on his lap, his tail going a mile a minute as Elliott buried his face in Buster’s neck, holding him and petting slowly. He needed this so badly. “What was the bastard at the hospital for?”

  “Tests of some sort. He wasn’t in my wing or I would have taken a look at his records the first chance I got. I hope it’s some dick-eating disease and the damned thing falls off. Of course, since the guy is a dick, he would just disappear and put all of us out of his misery.” Traynor seemed pleased with his witticism and turned to Salvatore. “What can I get you, tall, dark, and too sexy for words?”

  Elliott growled, and Buster stopped his wriggling to look up at him as Salvatore slowly sat next to him.

  “Okay, I get it. He’s spoken for. Dang it.” Traynor smiled. “What would you like to drink?” he asked, this time much more like Salvatore was a human being rather than a piece of meat. “Don’t mind me. Sometimes I get too swishy for even my own good.”

  Elliott answered and continued petting his dog, and Salvatore checked out the window a few times until Traynor returned with some sodas.

  “Are you here to take Buster?” Traynor asked. “He goes to the door all the time to check for you. You know he’s welcome to stay here and I’ll adopt him if that’s what you want, but….”

  Buster had settled in his lap, and Elliott continued petting him. He didn’t dare look at Salvatore. “I don’t think I can take him, at least not yet. Stuff with my dickhead stepfather is a mess right now.” He hadn’t told Traynor about the papers and things. He’d only said that he had to get out of town and that he couldn’t take Buster with him. Elliott thought he’d be safer if he didn’t know anything.

  “I figured with the way you left town so quickly that it had to have something to do with him.” Traynor popped open his soda, and Salvatore gently stroked Buster’s head.

  “We can’t stay very long,” Salvatore reminded him.

  “Why not?” Traynor asked. “Are you guys on the run or something? I tried calling but never got an answer.” He was always pretty dramatic, only this time he was close to the mark.

  “Not exactly, but Antonio has been after me and we need to get some things and get out of town as quickly as possible.” Elliott buried his face in Buster’s fur, wondering how in the hell he was going to be able to leave him again. “I had to get a new phone and everything.” He showed it to Traynor and then texted him. “Don’t give the number to anyone.”

  “It’s all right. If Traynor can get Buster’s things together quickly, we’ll take him with us. Buster can stay at my house until after this is over, and then you can figure out a better place for the two of you to
live.”

  Elliott smiled and nodded through a stab of disappointment. He should have known that getting too close and too comfortable with Salvatore was probably not a good idea. Granted, they hadn’t known each other but a week or so, but Elliott had become comfortable enough with him so quickly. God, his head was really messed up right now. But still, he hoped after last night that things with Salvatore were becoming serious and that Salvatore cared for him. Something about finding a place to live on his own with Buster left him cold, like some of the warmth had been pulled out of the room all of a sudden.

  “Are you sure?” Elliott asked.

  Salvatore leaned closer. “Yes. We’ll figure things out, but it’s pretty clear that you miss Buster and that he misses you.”

  “Let me get his things together.” Traynor jumped to his feet, and Elliott sighed. This was so tempting and it was what he wanted, no doubt about that. But was it the right thing for Buster? What if his stepfather hurt him or something? God, he wanted Buster with him so badly.

  “Are you sure we should do this?” Elliott lifted his gaze.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not sure of anything except the fact that I know your heart will break if you have to leave him behind.” Salvatore bit his lower lip slightly, like he was nervous. That set Elliott’s belly fluttering because Salvatore was usually so confident. “Though I don’t know where we’ll be staying tonight. Spook was going to see if he couldn’t deal with our visitor from last night. But we may end up at a hotel. I know it isn’t ideal for this guy, but we’ll make it work.”

  Elliott hugged him and closed his eyes, just letting himself be content, if only for a few seconds.

  Traynor returned with two cloth shopping bags of things. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for a little while?”

  Salvatore took the bags. “No. Thank you.”

  Buster jumped down, then nosed the bags. Elliott stood and hugged Traynor. “Thank you for taking care of him. I appreciate it so much.”