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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Ralph does to you. And we should have stepped in a lot sooner, but we were all kind of hesitant to interfere between family members. Brian snorted. Didn t seem to stop my uncle. Phillip patted Brian on the shoulder. Well, if that sexy man from the restaurant is anything to go by, you don t need your uncle. Brian felt his face flush. That s Jacob. Did I hear my name mentioned? Brian swung around to find Jacob standing behind him. He took a step back when Jacob s face darkened and the man walked toward him. Jacob stopped in front of Brian and gripped his chin, tilting his face one way and then the other. Brian, love, you did not have this bruise on your face or split lip when I saw you five minutes ago. Would you care to explain how it happened? Um& not really? 66 Lynn Hagen Jacob arched an eyebrow at him. Very well, then finish getting your stuff. I d like to eat before we go home. Home? I m going home with Jacob? Hot damn! Yeah, about that& Brian frowned and glanced over at the kitchen staff. We might need to go to another restaurant. You don t say. Jacob glanced around until his eyes settled on Ralph, and then they grew dark and menacing. And would Ralph here have anything to do with that? This wasn t going to end well. Brian could see that. He reached over and grabbed Jacob s arm and pulled, trying to get him away from Ralph before he attacked the guy. Can we go home now? Please, master. Oops. Brian froze when Jacob swung around to look at him. Oh man. He really should have kept his mouth shut. He really hadn t meant for that to slip out. Master? Ralph started laughing hysterically. You call him master? Do you bend over and spread your legs whenever your master orders it, Brian? Jacob was across the room before Brian even registered that he had started moving. He grabbed Ralph around the throat and slammed him into the wall, leaning in close until they were almost nose to nose. Do not ever speak to Brian like that again, Jacob snarled. Do you understand me? Y Yes, Ralph choked out. You re not fit to lick his shoes. When Ralph s face started to turn red, Brian knew he needed to go for help. For a split second, he considered getting his uncle. After all, the man did own the restaurant. Brian dismissed that thought almost as soon as it entered his head. Brats in Training 2: Brian s Boundaries 67 He spun around and raced out of the kitchen, running toward the table where Jacob s friends were sitting. Please, please, you have to help, Brian panted out when he reached the table. Ralph pissed Jacob off, and now I m afraid Jacob is going to kill him. The three men were up and out of their seats before Brian even finished explaining what was going on. As they hurried toward the kitchen, Brian ran after them, wringing his hands together. If his careless words had gotten his master into trouble, he would never forgive himself. It had just slipped out. Brian realized that he thought of Jacob as his master, so it was natural to call him that but not out in public. He was positive that Jacob didn t want anyone to know about the things that went on between them when they were alone together. Utter chaos met Brian when he ran into the kitchen. His uncle was shouting at Jacob at the top of his lungs. Two of Jacob s friends were trying to peel Jacob s hand off of Ralph s throat. The third one was shouting at Mr. Compton. Phillip and the rest of the kitchen staff stood off to one side of the kitchen. They were staring at the ensuing fight with looks of utter horror on their faces, although a few of them seemed to like seeing Ralph being handed his ass. Brian heard someone shout something about the police being called and charges of assault being pressed against Jacob for attacking Ralph, and he knew that his master would never forgive him. In one single day, Brian had lost his job, his lover, and alienated almost everyone he knew. Brian quietly scooted past everyone to the employee lounge. He could feel tears start trickling down his cheeks as he grabbed his bag, jacket, and the braided rope bracelet that Jacob had given him. If he couldn t have Jacob, he could hold on to the bracelet and dream a little. Brian peeked out into the main kitchen area. When no one was looking, he hurried out the back door that led to the alleyway. There 68 Lynn Hagen really didn t seem to be any reason to stay, not after what he had done. His life sucked. Brats in Training 2: Brian s Boundaries 69 Chapter 10 Jacob stood outside of Brian s apartment door, his tweed overcoat blowing in the late-September wind. He raised his hand to hit the buzzer and let it fall short. It had taken him four weeks to track Brian s address down. And it wasn t easy. But what hurt the most was that Brian could walk away from Jacob so easily. Had he meant so little to Brian? Jacob had thought that what they had between them was something spectacular, but from what Brian had done, maybe his sub no, not his sub& Brian didn t think so. But here he stood on Brian s threshold, wanting some closure. Jacob had to know exactly why Brian had walked away from what they had, but more specifically, walked away from Jacob. He needed some sort of closure. Maybe it would help him stop dreaming about Brian. He finally blew out a long breath and pressed the buzzer. Yes? Brian s voice sounded defeated as he answered the buzzer. Open up, love. Jacob stood out in the wind for so long that he began to think that Brian wasn t going to buzz him in. And then the buzzer sounded loudly. Jacob grabbed the handle and walked into the building, taking the steps two at a time until he reached the third floor. He walked to apartment 3C and stood in front of the door, feeling his heart breaking in two as he knocked. 70 Lynn Hagen Even though he was a Dom, it didn t mean he had no feelings for Brian. The man had come to mean so much to Jacob in such a short amount of time that it had stunned him at first. He had tried to walk away, to leave Brian alone, but the loneliness and need gnawed at Jacob constantly until he felt as though he would lose his mind. The door cracked open slightly. Jacob pushed it the rest of the way open and walked inside, closing the door behind him. He glanced around to see fast-food containers sitting around the apartment, some half eaten, others barely touched. There were small piles of dirty clothes lying about and pieces of tissue wadded up and lying all over the place. In short, the place was a mess. It shocked Jacob that Brian lived like this. He would have thought Brian had taken better care of himself and where he lived. He heard sniffling and followed the sound to Brian s bedroom. The small man was curled up on the bed, wads of tissue littering the bed and the floor. Brian wiped his eyes, and then tossed the tissue aside, grabbing another from the box. Well, that explained the tissue. He also noticed that Brian s already-slim frame had dwindled down to nothing. The man couldn t weigh any more than one hundred pounds from the looks of him. What have you done? he asked as he studied the dark circles under Brian s eyes. Brian opened his mouth and then closed it, big, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He wiped the moisture away with the tissue and then curled further into himself. Thrown my life away. Why, does it look good on me? Jacob could hear the bitterness in Brian s voice. All the anger, hurt, and resentment he had felt toward Brian for walking away melted at his feet as he watched Brian s frail shoulders bounce as the man lay on his bed and cried. After walking to Brian s bedside, Jacob knelt, removing his black [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |