Cordell

Cody woke up next to a warm body. His head was fuzzy and he could not remember much past Chester telling him mama had passed away and then going to Liam’s room. An arm tightened around his middle and something was poking his thigh. Cody lay very still unsure if he should move. He had never slept nude with anyone, not even Jove, although he had seen Jove nude on occasion. “I know you’re awake,” came the whisper by his ear, which caused him to jump.

“What happened?” he asked as he rolled over so he could see Liam.

“What do you hope happened?”

“I’m not sure.” Cody ran his hand down Liam’s side, stopping on his hip. “I mean…” he leaned in to kiss him.

Liam deepened the kiss and pressed their bodies together. He honestly couldn’t recall what had happened the night before either, especially not after they opened the second bottle… Cody’s hips thrust against Liam’s hips and Liam groaned and broke off the kiss. “There is only so far you can go before Chester will take that necklace from you, Cody.”

“I know.” Cody whispered, “but how far have we already gone? How far is too far?” he kissed Liam again. He could not explain how he felt this morning. He knew his mama was dead, and that the contract his papa signed for Chester was really in effect; but more importantly, Hunter was free of the promise he made to mama and he was now free of the promise he made to Hunter. He could not go to Franko, he was already ganami, but he could be Cleansed, and Liam was very handy and not a bad choice either.

Liam groaned, between kisses he mumbled, “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Cody kissed down Liam’s neck and to his ear, where he whispered, “Cleanse me,” and kissed the lobe, “please.”

Liam did not need any more invitation than that.

Hunter

Yelling woke him from his slumber. Groggily Hunter tried to place where the yelling could be coming from, then realized he was not in his own home. He was, instead, in a nicely apportioned suite of rooms adjacent to the master suite of Cliff and Rachael’s home.

“It’s not a perversion!” Cliff spat back at his wife.

“Seven years I’ve been trying to measure up, seven years Cliff. How do you think it makes me feel to have him living here under my roof?”

“You agreed. Vincent wouldn’t do it without your consent although everyone knows I don’t need your permission to have a ganami lover.”

“But to bring him HERE?”

“You are the one who demanded he live up to his part of the contract; I was fine with things the way they were.”

“Fine? You were sneaking off! Cheating on me!” Rachael screamed. Hunter heard flesh meet flesh, then a door slammed, and he wondered in to what hell he had fallen.

Crawling slowly out of his bed and pulling on clothes from yesterday, Hunter managed to make himself presentable enough to deal with finding Odessa and getting mama’s plans finalized. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt he found the kitchen, and the girls.

Gabby smiled at him shyly. At fourteen, she thought she knew more than she really did of his relationship with her parents. Sarah, at twelve, knew little except that Hunter was coming to live with them for a time.

“Good morning, Hunter,” Gabby said with a smile. Hunter harrumphed.

“Elaina is still sleeping. Mama gave her some medicine to make her sleep better cause she wouldn’t stop crying last night.” Gabby said off-handedly.

“Breakfast is on the sideboard, mama and daddy will be down soon.”

“They’re not down yet?”

“Of course not silly, do you see them?”

Hunter was confused as he sat at the table, “I could have sworn I heard them up.”

“Oh they’re probably up already, they just won’t be down for a while.” Gabby grinned at him, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Maybe in a bit.”

“Daddy said we were to be nice to you, at least until your leg heals up,” Sarah told him, “would you like for me to get you anything?”

“Coffee?”

Sarah smiled at him and went to get it, bringing back a cup. She moved the creamer set nearer to him. “Daddy said you are going to be our brother now, aren’t you a little old to be adopted?”

Hunter almost spewed his coffee. “Adopted?”

“Well, usually the young men he brings home are… help,” Gabby answered, “You know like Bailey.”

“Bailey?”

Gabby giggled, “Bailey is the butler, most the time.”

“Hush, Gabby, you’ll make him think bad things about daddy.” Sarah chided her sister.

“Most the time?”

“It’s nothing really, just that Bailey was a street boy before daddy made him our butler. You know one of those…”

Hunter shook his head.

“…boy-whores,” Gabby whispered.

“Ganami?” Hunter tried to clarify.

Gabby nodded, “But now he helps to run our household. That is a much more noble profession than that other don’t you think?”

“I guess it depends on why he decided to join the guild,” Hunter said as he sipped his coffee.

“Does it really matter?” Gabby snapped, “At school they tell us that it’s very derogatory for a woman to allow a man to have one of those in the home. If a man must indulge then he should not bring it home to his family.”

“Do you feel the same Sarah?”

The younger girl nodded, “Bailey makes mama and daddy fight a lot.”

Hunter tried to smile, but his stomach felt sick. This wasn’t hell, this was worse than hell. There was another ganami in the house and three hesti, not all that different from home, he surmised, then burst out in tears.

Chester

Chester sat in his office reviewing the tapes from the night before and keeping an occasional eye on the camera on the sleeping boys when he spotted what he had hoped to see. Liam and Cody making love. He thought the two had clicked earlier in the evening and that Liam might bring Cody to his cleansing on the floor with Vessis, but Cody became intimidated and went to his room. The news of his mother’s death and the alcohol must have done it. In addition, Liam had been correct, he had not been able to get it up, he was limp as a wet dishrag, but that did not keep Cody from mounting him. Chester fast-forwarded the tape. He may have wanted the proof, but he was not a voyeur. He looked back in the room before flipping off the security camera and smiled. They were awake and this time, Liam was the one doing the mounting. Cody would be thoroughly Cleansed by opening time tonight. Now to just help him overcome the shyness and he might have another good ganami on his hands.

William

William sat back in his chair and admired his handiwork. Micah hung unconscious on the wall. The mulciber-in-training never could handle much pain. William had explained part of a mulciber’s duty was to know their own limits as well as the limits of their erebi, it was also part of the trainer’s duty to know the limits of their trainees. Micah had held on well past his for the desire to see Jiovanni safe.

Blood ran from his captive in rivulets down to the rubber mat on the floor to the drain installed for this purpose. William had not cut him enough to actually bleed him to death, shame though, he would have liked to kill him for stealing Jiovanni. However, from what he understood from all parties, it was a complete misunderstanding with the erebi giving false information from the start. He should not kill a perfectly good trainee for believing an erebi. This little lesson would teach him to do a background check on the boys he fucked from now on though; he could almost guarantee that.

William stood up and walked across the room to the divider. He could see through it, and hear any sounds the erebi made on the speakers, but the erebi was isolated from the entire house. The only sound that had come from the speakers was his breathing though. This one would be tough to crack. He saved his energy for the fight, although William was certain he was listening for the slightest change in the room. Then again, his breathing was very regular; he could be sleeping.

He was half tempted to give the boy to Micah under the condition that he could only have him if he gave up his former life entirely and became a trainer full time. He had the ability, even if he had started training so late in life. It was a thought… and one he would save for after Jiovanni’s trial. For now, he had to discover why the erebi had stripped off his shirt when he obviously had been Seeking. He did not believe for one moment the erebi feared detention. With a sigh, William gathered himself for the coming onslaught and slapped the button on the wall.

William walked into the room and stood at the end of the bed. The erebi was good; his breathing had barely changed its cadence and he lay perfectly still. William watched him for several minutes, letting him grow accustomed to the sounds of the wider area, and allowing him to stay tense for as long as possible. A slow smile spread across his face as he noticed the slight twitch of the erebi’s fingers around the binding. William placed his hand on Jiovanni’s foot, caressing him.

“Have you thought about what we talked about?” he asked in a conversational tone, not trying to push the erebi too hard, but not willing to give him an inch either.

Jiovanni did not answer.

“So, that’s how it’s going to be is it?” William asked as he stroked gently up Jiovanni’s leg, caressing his calf, then his knee. “I have all the time in the world, Jiovanni.” Still, silence, William smiled and caressed Jiovanni’s inner thigh, stopping just short of actually touching his groin. He felt the first wave of heat rise off the erebi in a slow roll. It was strong enough to stagger him although he had been prepared for something to happen. William shook his head to clear it, and then leaned in to whisper near Jiovanni’s ear, “You can seek for him all you want, all you are going to find is me.”

The second wave nearly knocked him off his feet. William grabbed the mattress to keep from recoiling. He was nearly overcome by his desire to bed this erebi.

“Jiovanni,” he finally managed to say, “If you want justice for your father, you have to co-operate with me. I’m the only one who can help you.” Hopefully, the other Mulcibers he had called in would have his house under control during this breaking. He had the feeling he would not be able to leave the erebi for long or his emotions would build up to a fevered pitch. William looked over at Micah and wondered how he controlled him, half trained as he was. The thought that Jiovanni submitted willingly to Micah never crossed his mind.

Jove lashed out the only way he knew how tied up as he was and he felt William flinch back from him. He wanted Micah and he could feel him just on the edge of his consciousness, barely. He didn’t know what it meant that he was so faint as he had never felt him before unless he was in the same room with him. All Jove really knew was that he did not want to feel William, but he had no way to block the Mulciber. When William mentioned gaining his co-operation to gain justice for his father Jove turned his head the little that he could manage trussed up as he was, he wasn’t sure if he could trust William, but he knew he could not trust the police. They had allowed him to be raped; William had not — yet.

William smiled down at his charge when Jiovanni turned his head. “Ah so you do hear. I’m going to remove the gag so we can talk, little one, about your father and what you think you know. But first we will discuss my terms for helping you.” William waited for further acknowledgement of his words and received none, but then again he didn’t really expect any from this boy. “To begin, you will honor your father’s contract with me as it is written. If you have not read it completely, I’ll give you that chance. You must attend school with the other Erebi and do your best to better yourself. And unless I say otherwise, you must stay away from Mulciber-in-training MacKenzie. Do you think you can do these things?”

William watched as Jove shook his head.

“Which part do you not agree with just nod when I say it again: honor your father’s contract, attend school, stay away from Micah.” William was surprised when the nod came not on honoring the contract, but on staying away from Micah.
“Do you really think you can honor the contract and maintain contact with Mulciber-in-training MacKenzie?”

Jove nodded.

“This I’ve got to hear.” William said softly as he stroked Jiovanni’s stomach, before loosening the gag from his mouth. “Tell me.”

“He quenches the fire totally,” Jiovanni croaked out, “you do not, may not be able to, papa would have provisioned for that.”

“You think so?”

Jiovanni nodded his head. “Papa was a fair man. Smart man too. He would have written it in there, somewhere.”

William smiled, he had been a smart man, and it was written in there, but William didn’t see any sense in telling Jiovanni that yet. “When we were at the jail you said you knew who killed your papa, can you tell me?”

“Micah’s grandfather.”

“And would this be the same reason you decided to strip off your shirt when you knew you would be sent to juvie?”

Jiovanni nodded. “I was afraid he would kill me to make me go away, so I made myself go away.”

“Did it every occur to you to go to Franko?”

“Franko couldn’t protect my papa.” Jiovanni said with the saddest voice William ever heard.

“No, Jiovanni, Franko didn’t protect your papa. And for that I’m sorry. But he could have protected you, because all he had to do was call me, and I know I can protect you.”

“You hurt me.”

“You like pain.”

“I like for Micah to hurt me.”

“He had your Cleansing didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“And have you visited with any other gentlemen?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know you don’t like it when others bring you pain and pleasure? You have too narrow a field to work from, Jiovanni. Your papa wanted you to have a variety to choose from before settling down with one patron. He wanted you to have a firm hand to guide you through the difficult times that will be happening as your abilities grow. I can provide you with that firm hand, but I cannot force you. You have to want me to help you.”

“I don’t want you.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“I’ll never want you.”

William put the gag back in place and leaned in next to Jiovanni’s ear to speak, “We’ll see about that.” Then he left him to lie there. It had been a trying hour for him, and now he needed to rest.

Elaina

She didn’t want to get out of bed.

Ever.

Mama was gone. The words kept bouncing around in her head causing her eyes to leak. Mama was gone. Pappa was gone. Jove was gone. Cody was gone. Odessa was gone. Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Elaina buried her head into the barrowed pillow and wept. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. Never — her family was gone.

Cliff

“Daddy! Daddy! Come quick!” Sarah’s voice penetrated his mind and he disengaged from Bailey’s lithe form.

“Shhh, I’ll be back soon,” he comforted his lover, then pulled on his clothing to find out whatever could be distressing his daughter so.

The sound of racking sobs coming from the dining room made it easy to determine where if not what. It was there he found Hunter. Wrapping his arms protectively around the young man, Cliff lifted him up.

“Hunter will be fine, remember what I explained about his mom?”

Both girls nodded.

“He’s very sad. He may be very sad for a long time.” Cliff continued to comfort Hunter.

“How can we help him not be sad?”

“Just be your charming selves, that should keep him smiling.” Cliff picked the still crying young man up in his arms, “I think I’m going to put him back to bed now.”

“Daddy, is Hunter like Bailey?”

Cliff looked at Gabby askew. “Like Bailey? How do you mean?”

“Ganami?”

“Bailey is not Ganami, he hadn’t joined the guild. Hunter is ganami, but he’s also the son of a very good friend of mine.”

“Is Hunter going to make mama cry too?” Sarah asked.

Cliff didn’t know what to say, so he took Hunter back to his room and lay him in the bed. After a moment’s consideration, Cliff climbed into bed with him and held him as they both wept.

Hours later, after Hunter had gathered himself enough to make the necessary phone calls to set mama’s funeral in motion, and after Hunter had dealt with Elaina’s situation, and after it was nearly time to go to bed again; he allowed himself to think of Jiovanni and Cordell and wonder how they were doing in their situations.

Odessa

Odessa arrived home to an empty house. She knew her mother was dead and there was nothing that could be done about it, she had spent the afternoon in the library and the evening with Sterling up until it was time for him to go meet with his client. So now she was home. She had expected to come in to a house full of tears and sorrow and be expected to start putting things and people to rights again, but that was not the case. No one was to be found. She didn’t know which she found more disconcerting.

After she put her things away she went into the kitchen where she found the note from Hunter. Jiovanni was in jail and he was trying to find out which one and where. Cody had been taken away by his guardian from school to some pleasure house, he wasn’t sure which one, but would find out and let her know as soon as possible. Cliff had come to collect him and he had no choice, the contract was binding. Because she wasn’t home, he begged Cliff to allow Elaina to come with him until she could be found or until she showed up. Elaina should not be left home alone at a time like this. Odessa agreed. No one should be left home alone at a time like this. She walked over to the phone and picked it up dialing the number from memory. Sterling’s voice mail picked up on the third ring and she managed to get out the words “mama’s dead” before hanging up. Then she sat on the couch in the darkened living room unsure what to do with herself. Her future was opening before her like a rose blooming in the spring but she did not know which petal to pluck.

Less than two hours later Sterling rapped on the door begging entry. Odessa let him in and nearly collapsed in his arms. He held her gently and whispered words of love to her. It was then that all the pent up fear came pouring out in wracking sobs. In the early hours of the morning, Sterling carried Odessa to a bedroom and laid her down on a bed before crawling in behind her. It had been an emotional night for the both of them.