Chapter 6

Jason was glad that Devyn seemed to want to hide away in his room today. The boy had glared at him again when he'd unlocked the door and invited him down to breakfast. He was grateful for Chris and Trent's easy banner to break up the baleful glare that the kid kept casting at him. When the boy gestured at the patio doors again this morning, Jason just lifted his brow, waiting for the boy to relent and say please, well, mouth please, anyway.

Jason was getting pretty good just in the last day at reading the kid's lips, since practically all that came out of it was some combination of curses and insults. He watched Devyn cast a look out the window at the two stable hands exercising the horses in the pasture.

For a second, Jason thought the boy was going to finally break down and ask. But when he turned, lips parted to form words, Jason crossed his arms with a smirk, just waiting for the kid to finally give in. He kinda hoped that he would because Jason thought he'd love to get another closer look at that hunky military looking guy down there as well. Instead, the boy's icy eyes hardened and a silent ^Screw you^ formed from the thin lips.

Jason had chuckled as the kid stormed back up the stairs and shut himself away in his room for the rest of the day. Jason sighed, figuring he'd have to settle for admiring the muscular body from afar.

The kid hiding out in his room made his job easier, especially when the caterers and extra help arrived to set up for the retirement party. He just had to sit outside the kid's room to make sure he didn't sneak out. A couple times, he had heard the door crack open, but it had shut with a resounding bang. Jason had assumed the boy had been pissed to find Jason still sitting guard out in the lounge area.

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Shortly before the party, Brad had disappeared into the kid's room. Jason had heard Brad's raised voice as he demanded that if Devyn planned to come out at all during the party, he was going to be dressed appropriately and behave himself. Jason assumed that the kid had responded in much the same way that he'd responded to Jason earlier, and that Brad had not appreciated the 'colorful metaphors'.

Jason had changed into a nice maroon silk shirt and black dress pants and dress shoes. He was casually lounging in his usual spot in the landing rec area outside of Devyn's door, waiting to see if the kid would come out. There was a lot of noise coming from the first floor as the caterers came in to set up and orders were issued to the hired serving staff and bartenders. Brad had come out, dressed impeccably in khakis and a crisp navy sport coat. He'd paused briefly to inform Jason that Devyn was not to come down unless he was: one, dressed appropriately, and two, promised to behave.

Jason had nodded his understanding. He was kinda figuring on the kid just staying in the room all night, out of spite. So, as guests arrived and there was no indication that Devyn was going to show his face, Jason rose to lean on the railing and watch the partygoers.

Brad was the perfect host, which didn't surprise Jason at all. The man had always been right in the middle of things when they were in high school. Jason swore the man could charm a steak away from a tiger sometimes. Probably why Jason had never realized the man had cheated at poker, the son-of-a-bitch.

The party had been going on for about two hours when Jason heard the door softly click open. The young teen was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a collared shirt with a pair of deck shoes. The bruise on the kid's cheek had faded considerably and was mostly hidden by the fall of his long bangs. The teen started for the stairs, trying to ignore Jason, but Jason grabbed the kid's arm as he walked by.

Devyn flinched, jerking out of his hand, and Jason was a little surprised by the look of fear that flitted across the boy's features before the residual scowl settled back into place.

"Thanks for dressing appropriately," Jason said, and he was sure it came across as somewhat sarcastic. "Now, make sure you behave. This party is important to your brother."

^He's not my fucking brother,^ Devyn snapped back, mouthing the words so clearly that Jason wondered if people below could tell what the kid had said.

"Yeah well, step-brother then. You owe it to him to behave and not cause trouble," Jason sighed.

The blonds' blue eyes narrowed. ^I owe him nothing.^

Jason quirked his eyebrow at the kid, silently asking whether he was going to behave or not.

Devyn finally sighed. ^I just want to eat, alright.^

"Okay, fine," Jason said, moving to the side to Devyn could walk by. He followed the boy down the stairs. Devyn had made it nearly to the dining room when Brad noticed the kid and swept him into his conversation, capturing him with a hand wrapped around his neck to guide him over.

"Devyn, come say hi to the deputy," Brad said, grinning at the man in front of him. "Deputy Watson, you remember Devyn, don't you?"

Devyn seemed to stiffen, casting his eyes to the ground in front of the police officer.

The officer's eyes seemed to narrow slightly. "I certainly do. Glad to see you are not causing trouble anymore, Devyn."

The blond teen was dwarfed by the men around him, and Jason had a moment of pity for the boy. The kid looked scared of the deputy. He probably was remembering all the accusations he'd made about his step-brother four years ago, and he knew the deputy was probably remembering as well. Jason wondered if this officer was one of the ones who had to deal with all of the kid's slander against Brad that his friend had talked about. It was no wonder the kid looked ashamed; he should be for trying to muddy someone's reputation like that.

Brad gave the kid a little squeeze on the neck and ruffled his hair affectionately. "He may be a bit of trouble, but nothing we can't handle."

Deputy Watson laughed, his eyes casting a smirk in Devyn's direction, "Yeah, that's true."

Jason frowned, wondering about the odd look that the officer gave Devyn before smirking at Brad, who smiled back with an odd glint in his eyes. The odd scene passed so quickly that Jason was sure he must have misread the looks. Weird, he shook his head, watching the two men grin amicably.

"Go on and get something to eat, Devyn," Brad smiled down at the teen.

Jason was slightly surprised and impressed that Devyn didn't cause any scenes like he had when Jason first met him. He guessed that the boy at least had the sense to stay out of trouble in front of so many other people. The boy ducked away quickly to the dining room, nodding back at greetings that he received on the way, and scooping up a plate and filling it quickly.

Jason leaned casually against the archway leading into the dining room, watching the teen from there. He'd seen several people offer him fond hellos as he walked by. Jason was surprised to note that the kid was quick to shrug away any hand that landed on his shoulder or patted his arm.

One man stepped up close to the boy, crowding him. The man was older, his hair graying slightly, and he seemed to laugh as Devyn stepped back, bumping into the woman behind him. When the man leaned in to talk over the noise in the room, Devyn stiffened, his eyes casting down. Jason straightened, frowning, wondering who the man was.

But then the man walked away, and Devyn quickly returned to filling his plate. Devyn was half-way down the table, when he looked up and Jason watched as he froze. He followed his gaze across the room, landing on a kid who was staring at Devyn in shock and surprise.

The kid was pretty good-looking, Jason admitted to himself. Dark haired, tall and broad-shouldered. He wondered what about this kid made Devyn so anxious. When the teen started pushing his way across the room, Jason noticed that Devyn had dropped his plate on the serving table and darted for the stairs.

"What the hell?" Jason muttered, launching himself from his serene repose to follow the blond teen up the stairs.

Halfway up the stairs, he called the boy's name, but the kid was already slamming his door shut. Jason glanced back down and noticed the dark-haired teen had emerged from the dining room and was staring up the stairs. His fists were clenched and he looked pretty angry. Jason watched the kid rake his hand through his hair, turning as he cursed under his breath.

Jason frowned as he continued up the stairs. Just who the hell was that kid?

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Devyn slammed the door behind him, collapsing back against it as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. His knees buckled from under him as he slid down the door. His head fell into his hands as he furiously wiped at his eyes.

He couldn't stand to face Michael, not after all this time. Michael must hate him by now. It had been two weeks since Michael had asked him to meet him at the lake, and Devyn hadn't said a word to him since--not that he could have with Sam keeping him locked in the house--but Michael didn't know that, and he probably thought that Devyn had rejected him.

He sighed heavily, his head dropping back against the wall as his heart slowly tried to return to normal. Devyn closed his eyes, tears slipping down his cheeks.

He'd panicked when he'd seen Michael downstairs. Michael had looked so good all dressed up standing there with several of his friends. It seemed like the whole town was coming and going through the estate tonight.

But then Michael had looked at him. He'd seemed surprised to see him at first, but then he'd looked determined and started towards Devyn.

Devyn knew he couldn't talk to Michael then, at the party, where his step-brother might see them. Brad would wonder just how well Michael knew Devyn, and Devyn couldn't risk Brad finding out and hurting Michael for it. So he'd fled. Like a coward, he'd retreated to his room to hide.

There was a knock on the door, and Devyn stiffened. "Devyn, are you okay?"

He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was just his bodyguard. He grabbed a piece of paper from the dresser next to him and scribbled "I'm fine, go away" on it before slipping it under the door.

He heard the rustle as the paper was picked up. "Okay, then," he heard the deep voice call back. Then he heard the man mumble under his breath. "Keep your grumpy ass in there."

And Devyn slumped over, hugging his knees. He didn't care what one of Brad's minions thought of him anyway, so screw him. The only people he cared about were his grandmother and Michael.

Nana, who was across the country in her long term care hospice, probably didn't even remember who he was anymore. He'd only even seen her twice since living here. It was so hard when he'd desperately needed someone to reach out to, only to have her ask him his name again. They hadn't been close before his mother was killed, but he had hoped to find some spark of love, of concern, in her face the one time Brad had taken him to see her. But it was like he was a stranger to her, and his hopes of finding what he desperately needed died as he'd left her room. He suspected that Brad knew that somehow--that it was the only reason the bastard had agreed to take him there to visit. He hadn't asked to go again. He still cared for her (and Brad knew it), but he couldn't stand to see the blank look on her face again.

He'd needed more.

And he thought, for a brief time, that he had found it in Michael. For the first time in years, he'd finally felt a spark of hope, of love. But Michael probably hated him now. Not that Michael could ever love him, if he knew what he'd done, what he'd been made to do.

So why should he give a shit what some asshole friend of Brad's thought of him?