Survive and Conquer Page 16

  “I’m exhausted,” Newton confided.

  “Then maybe we should lock the doors, turn out the lights, and go upstairs. Do you think the kids are asleep?”

  “Yes. I’ll check on them if you want to close up down here. Then I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” Newton kissed him once again and climbed the stairs.

  Chase took care of things, followed him up a few minutes later, and took the dim trail of light into the master bedroom. He closed the door and used the single candle in the corner to guide him to the bed. Newton had already shed his shirt and pants, lying on the bedding in only a pair of black briefs. Damn, the man—his man—looked good. Chase paused at the thought that Newton was his man. He liked that feeling, and didn’t take his gaze off Newton while he toed off his shoes and tugged his polo shirt up over his head.

  “Wow,” Newton whispered.

  Chase dropped his pants and climbed onto the bed. He gently straddled Newton, careful of how much weight he put on him, and kissed him.

  “I’m not going to break.”

  “But—”

  Newton tugged him down, capturing him in an iron grip. “I don’t want any buts….” He slid his hands down Chase’s back and into his boxers, grabbing his cheeks. “Except this one.”

  He would have laughed at Newton’s cheesiness, but those hands felt damn good, and Chase stroked over Newton’s chest. It seemed what he’d thought about for weeks and come close to a couple of times was finally going to happen. Newton, at least for a few hours, was going to belong to him. His to care for and pamper, his to caress and hold, his to love on. Now that was exciting.

  Chase slipped Newton’s briefs down his hips and off his legs, getting the full-on effect of Newton in all his uncovered glory. He was stunning, lithe and sleek, with perky nipples that Chase circled his lips around, drawing out little whimpers of pleasure that seemed to echo off the walls of the room.

  “We have to be quiet,” Newton cautioned.

  “Look who’s talking. You’re the one making all those lovely sounds.” Chase smiled. “And don’t you dare stop. The kids are asleep, and I want to feel, taste, and hear you.” He’d had enough of words, and after kissing Newton breathless, he slipped down the bed, tracing every ridge of Newton’s belly, sucking a trail that led to his long, slender cock. Chase didn’t hesitate for a second, sliding his lips around the head and then down the length.

  “Oh my God,” Newton breathed as Chase took more and more of him, loving the way Newton vibrated beneath him. “And I was nervous that….” He groaned again, and Chase slid his tongue around the shaft. Newton sighed and gasped, the sounds building one on top of the other.

  Chase was in no hurry and determined to draw out Newton’s pleasure for as long as possible. He wanted Newton to experience as much happiness as he could, so he slowed his ministrations, letting the head of Newton’s cock slide across his tongue.

  “It’s been so long. I think I forgot….”

  Chase smiled and let Newton slip from between his lips. He surged upward to take possession of Newton’s mouth, crushing their lips together in a bruising kiss, his own control waning. Chase wanted more, and when Newton tugged them close, their cocks sliding along each other, Chase closed his eyes, the pleasure almost too much to bear. This was amazingly warm and growing more so by the second.

  Newton held him tighter, his hips thrusting upward. Chase didn’t want this to stop, and groaned softly as Newton sucked at his shoulder, whimpering and then stilling as heat spread between them, the sensation sending him over the edge, and he added his own heat to Newton’s.

  Chase hated to move, and Newton held him tightly, both of them enveloped in a bubble of contentment and pleasure that went on and on.

  “Let me get something to clean us up,” Chase whispered, and reluctantly got out of the bed. He returned with a warm cloth and towel, washing up their mess before blowing out the candle and getting back into bed.

  “We should put something on in case one of the kids calls for me in the night.”

  Chase retrieved their underwear, and they put them on before cuddling close under the covers. Newton drew closer, putting an arm around his middle. Chase held him in return and easily slipped off to sleep.

  HE WOKE hours later, the room still dark, but Chase took a second to remember where he was. He looked around, and Newton kicked him under the covers, hard. He then rolled around and whimpered in his sleep. Chase touched his shoulder, and Newton bolted upright in bed.

  “Oh God….” He turned and covered his face, then lay back down.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, it was just a dream.”

  “From what happened back then?” Chase asked quietly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No.” Newton breathed heavily. “I need to check on Eric.” He climbed out of bed and left the room, using his cane. Chase watched where he’d gone and waited for him to return. “Eric is fine.” He seemed relieved as he got back under the covers. “I had a dream that I couldn’t wake him up, and I was trying to carry him out to the car and couldn’t make it. My damned leg wouldn’t work, and I knew he was going to die because of me.” Newton shook like a leaf, and Chase held him, hoping it would pass and he’d settle down as the dream memories faded.

  “You know that isn’t going to happen. You’ve taken care of him for years, and you will until he’s out on his own.” Chase wished he could make this all go away.

  “Yeah. But sometimes the nightmares and the flashbacks are so real.” Newton lifted his gaze. “It’s hard to describe. Like the other day with the burned popcorn—for a few seconds, I was there. I could hear it, smell it. Hell, I could even see the entire world coming apart around me. It was real for me.”

  “I know. It happens to me sometimes. I’m that kid again, afraid, scared, and there is nothing I can do about it.” Chase sighed softly, knowing the helplessness that washed over him every time he had a flashback. “What do you want me to do when they happen?”

  “Just what you are,” Newton answered, but Chase wasn’t sure that Newton understood his question.

  “I mean, what do you want me to do when you have a flashback? You pretty much brought yourself out of it the other day, but it will happen again, and I want to be able to help.”

  “Just be there, I guess. Sometimes if they’re bad, they just need to play out. I can get lost in the flashback… and it takes some time for me to find my way out. I haven’t had one of those in a few years, but then I know it’s waiting for me. Something I have no idea about will trigger it.” Newton leaned against him, and Chase guided Newton back down onto the bed.

  “Go back to sleep if you can. I’m here, and I’ll watch over you.” Yeah, it sounded corny, but Chase meant it, and Newton closed his eyes.

  Chase waited, and soon enough Newton’s breathing evened out and he began snoring softly. Chase climbed out of the bed to get a drink of water and returned when a soft cry reached his ears.

  “Daddy.”

  Chase got the robe out of the closet and quietly left the room. “Hey, Rosie. It’s me. Your daddy is sleeping. What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He sat on the edge of her bed, feeling her forehead. She was a little warm, but didn’t seem feverish.

  “I can’t sleep.” She rubbed her eyes.

  “How about I get you a glass of water, and then I’ll read you a story.” Chase got the water, and Rosie showed him the book she wanted him to read. He turned on the little bedside light and pulled the robe closed, waiting while Rosie got comfortable.

  Chase got two pages into the story and Rosie was asleep. He read another page just to be sure, then turned out the light, lifting his gaze to the doorway, where Newton stood, leaning against the frame. He smiled, and Chase got up, put the book aside, and left the room, letting Rosie sleep.

  “I was trying to let you rest,” Chase said once he and Newton were behind a closed door. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”

  “You didn’t. She seemed happy to let you read her
the story.” Newton sat on the edge of the bed. “When she first came to me, she was so shy and quiet, and she rarely spoke at all. At first I thought that maybe she didn’t have much of a vocabulary, but she proved me wrong after a few days. She was one scared little girl. But once she opened up and figured out that I was going to love her no matter what, she changed.” Newton held out his hands. “This is going to sound dumb, but what I remember most is the first time I knew she was being naughty.”

  “Why?” That seemed strange.

  “It was because she knew I’d love her no matter what and she was just being herself. She knew I wasn’t going to send her away.” Newton sighed. “She and I had a talk about acting naughty, and then I went to my bedroom and cried for happiness. She was part of my family. Of course, after that, she and Eric fought like any brother and sister. I knew my little family was complete. And that Rosie had me wrapped around her little finger.”

  Chase climbed under the covers, wondering about that last statement. Was there room for him in this family, or was he simply someone passing through Newton’s life? Chase knew that part of the answer to that question was his, but the rest was up to Newton. He rolled onto his side, facing Newton, tugging him closer, and closed his eyes. Chase didn’t have to have all of the answers. In this case and with this relationship, there was little in his control, and he needed to roll with what happened, or it would be like he was fighting the wind.

  Chapter 7

  “PLEASE TELL me what’s been happening,” Newton said to Marcia, who sat on the sofa, with her son, Joshua, playing on the floor a few feet away. He seemed to watch his mother almost constantly and refused to be out of the room from her. Jolene had come with Newton, and she managed to get Joshua to go to the kitchen with her for a few minutes. Once he was gone, Marcia answered his question.

  “Joshua is scared to death that his father is going to come back. He’s behind in school and doesn’t want to go at all. He’s afraid of the principal, who is big and tall, like his father.” Marcia seemed to be holding up pretty well, which Newton thought was good. She was going to need all her strength.

  “I see.” Newton reached into his bag and pulled out the file. “Your ex-husband’s parents have made a number of complaints, and I’m here to look into them.” It was pretty easy for him to see that some of what was said was totally made up. The house was spotless, and Jolene had said that on her unannounced visits, there had been toys about, but the tiny apartment, which had definitely seen better days, had been clean.

  “I’m sure. My in-laws think that because I can’t afford brie, or the fancy food they stuff themselves with, that I’m not providing for Joshie. I get food stamps, and I’ve had issues. But I see my doctor regularly, and I take my meds each and every day. I qualified for subsidized housing, and I was lucky enough to get it. And I went to a legal aid, and they are helping me apply for disability, because I want to be able to work but can’t.”

  That was all consistent with the information Newton had. “So why all the complaints? In their calls they have said that you aren’t stable and ignore Joshua a lot of the time.” That didn’t seem to be the case to him.

  “I don’t ignore him, but some of my meds are pretty strong.” She stood and opened a drawer in one of the side tables. “This is a list of all the things I take. I keep them in the cabinet in the bathroom. I was told I should lock them up, so I did. That way Joshie can’t get them.” She handed him the paper and sat back down. “There are times when things get really overwhelming, and my mother-in-law loves to push my buttons. Have you met her?”

  “No,” Newton said, hoping he never had to.

  “Now they have decided that they are going to take me to court.” Her hand shook as she handed Newton an envelope from the table. “They want custody of Joshie and want me to submit to a bunch of evaluations. I already have a doctor that I work with, and now I’m supposed to meet with someone from the state. They don’t know anything. I’ve seen my doctor, the same one, since I had Joshie.”

  Newton made notes and nodded. He didn’t see anything to lead him to believe that these charges were true. “Can I take a look around?” He wanted to be thorough, because it was likely that the judge was going to request a review of the home, and that was going to fall on Newton’s shoulders.

  “Yes. We don’t have a lot, but Joshie has some toys and I always feed him.” She turned away. “I’d make sure he got something to eat if I had to go without myself.”

  Joshie ran into the living room and climbed into Marcia’s lap.

  Newton looked in the bedrooms, which were as clean as the rest of the home. Joshie’s bed wasn’t made and there were a few toys on the floor, but nothing seemed unusual. The bathroom was old… as in, old old, and had seen better times, but it smelled of Pine-Sol and was cramped, but clean. Everything had been childproofed. Newton didn’t see any evidence of neglect or a lack of care at all. He went to the back of the apartment and looked down from the second floor out into the yard.

  “Is that a pool?” he asked. God, that could be a real hazard if Joshua could easily get to it.

  “Yes. The owner lives downstairs, and he has the aboveground pool. There is an emergency escape through the backyard. But other than that, we don’t have access.”

  “Great. Do you keep the back door locked?”

  “Yes. It’s high enough that he can’t get to it, but I can unlock it fast if we need to get out.”

  Newton went through his list of questions and then the report on the benefits she was getting. “It looks to me like they didn’t add Joshua to your file.” He sat at the table, pulled his small laptop out of his bag, and booted it up. He tethered the connection to his phone’s data so he could check. “Let me add him….” He hummed a few seconds, and sure enough…. “That will increase your food help by two hundred a month. It should start next month, so watch for it on your card.”

  She gasped. “I have been fighting for that for weeks now. They kept telling me that I didn’t qualify.” The expression of complete relief was one Newton never got tired of. This was why he did his job.

  “You definitely do, based on everything here. When I get back, I’ll follow up the trail of your case and make sure it’s put to rights.” He shook his head. This sort of laziness really pissed him off. “I’ve already requested an updated benefits letter to be sent to you.”

  “What about all this?” she asked, holding up the letters from the court. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Talk to the people at legal aid and see if they can help you. I will talk to some people I know and I’ll try to see if I can find a lawyer to help you.” It wasn’t his job, but these people were way out of line as far as he could tell. Maybe Chase could help. “Is there a date to appear? If so, make sure you’re there no matter what. I’ll be sure to file my report and see to it that the court receives a copy.” He jotted down the case numbers from the top of the letter so he could reference them. “I’ll also make sure you get a copy. Do you have an email address?”

  “Just Gmail, and I have to access it at the library.”

  “Give it to me. I’ll make sure it’s mailed and sent there too. Print it out and have it when you go to court. That should help bolster your case. I’ll also be willing to testify, and so will Jolene.” He turned to meet Jolene’s gaze, and she nodded.

  Marcia gave him the email address, and Newton hoped he could help her. If nothing else, he could be there to represent what he saw, which would go a long way toward refuting some of what was being leveled at her. Under normal circumstances, if his department found the kinds of things that Marcia was being accused of, they would take custody of her son right away. But as far as he could tell, there was no basis for doing that at all.

  “What else do I do?”

  “Is there any family? Your parents? Will they support you in this?” Newton asked.

  Marcia shook her head. “I don’t speak to them very much. I burned a lot of bridges before I had Joshie, and it’
s very hard to reconnect with them.” She held her son in front of her.

  “If I could make a suggestion. Call them and explain what’s going on and what you need.” Newton had seen things like this so many times in his career. “Tell them who is accusing you and that they’re lying. Sometimes adversity will bring you back together. They must want to see their grandson.” Who wouldn’t want to be part of that little boy’s life? He was adorable, with a smile that could disarm the Russians. “Also talk to friends to see if they will stand up for you. What you’re going to need to do is paint a picture of how life is in your home, and they can help do that.” Newton stood. “I’ll see what I can do to help. I promise.” He ruffled Joshua’s hair and said goodbye to Marcia before leaving the apartment.

  “Those reports are the biggest bullshit job I’ve ever seen,” Jolene said. “There is nothing there to indicate anything like abuse or neglect. And it was bone clean. You can’t fake that kind of thing. I looked in the refrigerator, and there was food. Not a lot, but it wasn’t empty, and there were leftovers and small containers. You don’t fake stuff like that.”

  “No. I don’t see anything either.” Newton shook his head and got in the passenger side of Jolene’s car. “Thank God I’m done for the day.” He sighed.

  “I’ll take you right back to the office, and you can head home. The kids will be getting off the bus soon.”

  “Yeah. I can write up the report on the visit tonight and get it sent out.” He leaned back, closing his eyes. “I have some other things to do that I can finish once the kids are in bed.” He turned to Jolene. “Thanks for coming with me on this one. It looks like the more eyes on this case, the better.”

  “I did dump you in the middle of this.” She frowned. “Do you really think you can help her? Will that gorgeous hunk of a lawyer you’re seeing be able to help?”

  Newton shrugged. “He can’t take the case. He’s got a full plate right now. But I’m hoping he’ll point me in the right direction.” He felt a little guilty continually going to Chase every time he needed some help. Newton had spent years standing on his own two feet, and almost as soon as he met Chase, he’d been able to lean on him. What was he going to do if that shoulder was no longer there?