Love Is Everything - 12. Chapter 12

Keith excitedly ran into the living room and practically threw some stapled pages at James, Joey, and Tyler. He giggled boyishly as the trio looked between the author, the pages, and themselves multiple times. "Read it," he said. "It's the start of the new book I'm writing."

"It was eleven o'clock on Thursday night. There was nothing except an eerie darkness around the scarcely populated, run-down part of town where Jim Danvers pulled into a seemingly abandoned warehouse's parking area and exited his silver Toyota Tundra. A dense fog rolled in off the ocean's dark water. The gently lapping waves and a soft humming from the overhead, dimly lit streetlamps were the only sound.

Monday through Friday, the twenty-five-year-old worked as an administrative assistant at the local community college from nine am. to five pm. He was also a dancer at his friend's gay strip club, Bare Skin, on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to that, the hard-working young man was also a freelance model. A few days ago, he'd gotten an offer for a photo shoot. Once Jimmy got the price, location, time, and date, he verbally agreed to show up. That was the only reason he was in this part of Miller's Fork so late at night.

The brunet cautiously turned around as he deeply inhaled the familiar salty air and took in his surroundings. To his left, a metal object's clanging broke the silence. It caused the young man's slender, taut five-foot-nine-inch tall body's sudden shivers and involuntary yelp of surprise. C'mon, Jimmy, he said to himself, get a freakin' grip on yourself. He lightly rubbed the palms of his hands up and down his blushing cheeks and ran his nimble fingers through his curly, shoulder-length raven locks.

Jimmy locked the pickup's door and set the alarm. As he approached the yellow metal stairway leading up to the building's entrance, he felt a strange chill run the length of his spine, then pulled the collar of his leather jacket up against his neck. This is one fuckin' creepy place, the spooked male whispered before placing his hand on the cold thin handrail. He lifted his right leg, and his grey size ten sneaker was about to land on the first step when something grabbed him around his neck. The brunet grunted as his captor's arm tightened and started cutting off his air as the unknown assailant pulled him back against a warm muscular chest. He feverishly pulled at the arm keeping his trapped with all his strength. Terror gripped his mind and emotions as his feet pounded against the pavement. Thoughts of never seeing his loved ones again made his heart beat faster, and his fight to survive faltered. Despite his best efforts, he was getting nowhere, and after another fear-filled couple of minutes, he lost consciousness.

The unannounced assailant grinned behind his black ski mask, bent down, and softly said, you're sure a pretty boy. He picked up and threw his victim's immobile body over his shoulder like a one-pound sack of potatoes. His black boots made a banging sound as his feet hit each step on his way up the stairwell. The heavy windowless steel door had a card entry lock with a glowing red light. The man paused at the entryway, reached into his pocket, retrieved a white key card with a black stripe at the top, and slid the thin object through the electronic device's slot. A couple seconds later, the lock beeped, the red light turned green, and after a clicking sound, the black door opened, swinging inward. Once they crossed the threshold, the masked man placed his captive on the floor. When the door closed, he punched in a code to lock the door, which cut off any hope of escape his prey might eventually have.”

“I love it," James said. He'd just finished reading the start of the author's new project. The older male smiled and kissed his red-haired mate's forehead. His fingers slowly maneuvered the hem of Keith's light green t-shirt, and very lightly, they stroked back and forth along the soft area above his future husband's hips.

"Thahahanks, bahahabe," Keith giggled as his body shifted left to right, and his arms tried and failed to protect his ticklish spot. He continued to squirm as his soles pushed into the sofa's cushion. His toes scrunched and wiggled inside the white athletic crew socks with grey toe and heel patches. "Youhoohoo knohohow thahahat tihihihicklehehels," he squealed.

James chuckled, wrapped his arms around his giggly mate, and cuddled him while he calmed down. "I know it did, babe. You're just too adorable not to tickle," he said before giggling.

"I love the beginning, too, Bro," Joey offered. "I just hope..., ahh, Tyhyhyler," he screeched. His body lurched forward as he bent at the waist when his nephew's index fingers drilled into the sides of his rib cage.

"What were you about to say, Baby Bro?" Keith asked after wiping the tears from his eyes.

Tyler jumped into his uncle's lap, wrapped his arms around his neck, looked up, gave him his most innocent puppy eyes, and said, "I love you, Uncle Joey," The ten-year-old added to his cuteness by quickly kissing Joey's nose and giggling.

The young Italian male shook his head and returned the show of affection, then continued his thought. "What I was about to say was, I hope you're gonna have him kick some ass. That way, I can play him in the movie."

"There also needs to be an adorably cute boy who steals the show," Tyler stated with a cheesy grin. "I'd be perfect for that role."

“Hmm, maybe we should give the cutest author in the world a little bit of ticklish incentive to create a character for each of us," James offered.

Keith yelped, jumped off the couch, and ran to his room with his three ticklers behind him.