Chapter 12

Jason smiled as Lyle leaned into his shoulder. He cast his gaze at the slightly taller man.

"So, you busy this weekend?" Jason finally managed to ask.

Lyle's easy smile widened. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I thought maybe I could ask Brad for a night off."

"And?" Lyle quirked his eyebrow mischievously.

Jason groaned that the man was making him squirm. It'd been so long since he'd asked someone out, and he was afraid the man would turn him down. "Lyle..."

Lyle laughed. "Just kidding with you, Jase. Yeah, I'd like to spend some time with you. Outside of the barn.

Jason breathed a sigh of relief as Lyle's hand brushed over his cheek. He felt the man's thumb caress his bottom lip. Jason sucked in a breath, his tongue darting out, tasting the saltiness of the man briefly. Lyle's breath ghosted over his lips.

"Devyn!"

Shit! Jason cursed in his head.

Jason and Lyle both snapped their heads toward the barn at Michael's shout to see Devyn barreling through the stable and stumbling out. The kid looked distraught, running blindly towards the house, and Jason wondered just what the hell had happened between the two boys.

Jason cast a worried look at Lyle, who frowned back him. Jason took several steps towards Michael as the boy barreled out of the barn.

"What the--"

"You!" Michael rounded on Jason suddenly, and Jason stepped back, shocked at the fury in the young man's face.

Michael reached out and grabbed Jason's shirt, yanking him forward. "You are supposed to protect him!"

Jason broke the kid's hold instantly and shoved the boy back, frowning at his words. Lyle darted over to the two before Michael could attack Jason again.

"Woa, kid, you don't want to be doing that," Jason warned as Michael looked like he was going to take a swing at Jason.

"The hell I don't!" Michael snapped but backed off.

"What's going on, Michael?" Lyle cut in.

Michael took a second to draw in a breath, fighting to control his anger. "Devyn's ribs are covered in bruises," he told Lyle, but then cut his glare back at Jason. "You are supposed to keep him safe, asshole!"

Jason stared at the angry young man in shock. Devyn was hurt? When had that happened?

"Shit," Jason muttered as he turned to take off after the younger teen, who had just disappeared into the house. He vaguely heard Lyle trying to soothe Michael as he raced away.

Jason snapped open the patio door, his gaze sweeping the room, catching a stunned looking Chris sitting at the table.

"Devyn!" he called, before looking over at Chris "Where is he?"

Chris only pointed up, and Jason took off for the stairs.

He was halfway up the stairs when he heard footsteps pounding across the foyer.

"What the hell is going on?" Brad demanded as Jason rounded the top of the stairs.

"Not sure," Jason said breathlessly as he knocked on Devyn's door. "Devyn?"

Jason felt someone push him aside and wrench the doorknob, shoving open the door.

"Devyn, what the hell is going on?" Brad demanded as he stormed in to the room.

Jason took in Devyn's wide blue eyes as he stared at his step-brother from his huddled position on the bed. The kid looked so small on the king size bed, cowering against the headboard.

"Brad," Jason said, keeping his voice soft so as not to aggravate the situation. "Devyn didn't do anything wrong. I was just--"

His boss's dark brown eyes snapped back at him. "Then what the hell is all the yelling for?"

Jason could see Sam's hulking shadow hovering in the doorway behind him.

"Michael says Devyn is hurt," Jason said in explanation, at which Devyn's eyes seemed to get even wider. "I was just making sure--"

"Michael? Who the hell is Michael?" Brad snapped, cutting an accusatory gaze at the blond on the bed.

Jason took in the boy's wide panicked eyes and realized the boy was more terrified right now of his step-brother finding out about him and Michael than anything else.

"M-Michael is the kid working at the stables," Jason said calmly.

"And how the fuck would he know if Devyn was hurt?" Brad snapped.

And Jason had a moment where he wondered why Brad would care how Michael knew that Devyn might be hurt, rather than being more concerned with whether Devyn was actually hurt or not.

"Michael told me he saw Devyn moving stiffly while working with his horse," Jason lied easily, noting the grateful look that Devyn gave him.

"Is that true?" Brad demanded of the boy.

Devyn nodded quickly, tucking his chin into his knees.

"I see," the auburn-haired man eyed his younger step-brother, and Jason wasn't sure that Brad believed him.

When Brad looked like he might leave, Jason frowned. "Devyn, are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?"

Devyn glanced worriedly to Brad who was frowning down at the boy. It looked like the kid didn't want to admit that he was in pain.

"Come here," Brad demanded.

The blue eyes widened as his gaze shot from Brad to Jason and back to his step-brother again. The boy looked like he was frozen his place.

"Now!" Brad snapped, and Jason wasn't sure why the man was so angry other than maybe he was upset that he'd been disrupted from his business downstairs.

The young blond scrambled off the bed, and Jason could see the wince that crossed the kid's features as he clenched his jaw shut. The boy flinched slightly as Brad reached for the bottom of his shirt, raising it up.

Jason cursed under his breath, closing his eyes at the sight of the purpling bruises on the kid's ribs. "Brad," he breathed, "I'm sorry. I don't--"

"How did it happen, Devyn?" Brad asked, piercing the boy with his gaze almost like he knew the answer. "Did you fall?"

Jason gaped at Brad. Fall? He thought that was caused by a fall?

But Devyn was nodding, and Jason just stared at the two of them in stunned silence. "But--"

^At Haskins,^ Devyn mouthed silently in explanation, his hands firmly clenched at his side. His blue eyes fell on Jason. ^I tripped on the rug. Fell into the coffee table.^

Jason saw a small smirk appear at the corner of Brad's mouth as he dropped the boy's shirt and patted his shoulder, as if praising a dog. "Be more careful next time," Brad said, as his hand slid over the back of the kid's head.

Devyn's chin dropped as he nodded.

Brad walked by Jason with a soft smile. "Thanks, Jace. For looking out for the kid and worrying about him. Unfortunately, we can't save our kids from every hurt in the world. Accidents will happen."

Jason could do nothing but stare in stunned silence as his boss walked by him.

"Sam, send for the Doc," Brad said, casting a look back at Devyn. "He can look at your ribs and give you something for the pain, alright?"

But Devyn was shaking his head, lips moving, ^I'm fine.^

Brad's lips quirked. "Don't worry, Devyn. The doc will make you feel better. Why don't you lie down until he gets here? I think maybe you should stay in bed the rest of the weekend," Brad said pointedly, and they both saw Devyn's face fall in disappointment.

Shit, Jason cursed. He hadn't meant to get the kid grounded. But maybe the kid did need to rest. His ribs did look pretty bruised up.

As Brad left, followed by Sam, Jason turned to Devyn to offer his sympathy. "Devyn--"

What he was met with was a furious glare. ^GET OUT.^

Jason knew that Devyn was now pissed that Brad had almost found out about Michael, and now he was banned to the house for the weekend.

Jason just nodded understandingly as he backed out of the door, pulling it shut softly behind him.