Aria Graice - 7. Chapter 7

Time dragged even slower outside in the ballroom. Aware of eyes on him, which he ignored, he wandered from food tables to bar.

Ben eventually materialized, with a woman on his arm. He kissed her cheek and they parted ways. Ben wandered over to Drew.

“How you doing, sexy.” It was clear he’d been drinking, and cold fury ignited in Drew’s blood.

“You’ve been drinking, and where have you been?”

“Ease up, will ya? I told you this is a sweet gig. By the time we get out of here, those two will be too wasted to care what we’ve been up to.”

“I don’t care. We’re professionals, Ben. What if there’s an incident.”

“There won’t be, not here.”

“How do you know.”

Ben shrugged. “Ease up.”

“I don’t know how you have the balls to call yourself a professional. You’re a disgrace.”

Ben laughed and was still laughing when Drew walked away.

Eventually, Drew could bear it no longer and peeped through the door. The room was almost empty. Amara was stretched out on the sofa, apparently asleep, but everyone else had gone. Drew’s heart thumped. He all but ran to the sofa and shook Amara, perhaps a little more roughly than he should have. Amara had wiped off most of his make up and looked more like Aria than ever. He woke with a start and stared blankly at Drew.

“Where’s Aria?”

“Huh?”

“Aria, where is he?”

Amara sat up slowly and yawned, the groaned, his hand fluttering to his head. “Ugh. Feel like shit. Shouldn’t have had the last drink.”

“Yeah, it’s always the last one. Where is he?”

“Where…? Oh. Am…er…Aria’s upstairs with…er…someone.” He waved his hand vaguely toward a door at the other side of the toom.”

“Upstairs? He’s…with someone.”

“Uh huh. It is a party Drew.” His voice was slightly slurred, but even so there was something wrong with it. There was something wrong with the whole situation. Amara wasn’t himself. Not close. Drew peered closer, gazing into his eyes.

“What have you taken?”

Amara shrugged. “I don’t know. Some…stuff. Everyone did. And Absinth.”

“Why do you do it?”

Amara shrugged again. “Because it’s fun. Because it makes me feel good.” He grinned. “Because I can.”

“What about Aria?”

“What about Aria?”

“Is he high, too?”

“Not high, no, but he’s had a little too much to drink.”

“Where is he?”

Amara giggled. “He went to bed.”

Drew sighed. “Is it too much to hope that he went alone?”

“Way too much.”

Amara’s gaze grew sly and he patted the sofa next to him. “Come sit with me, Mr Security guy.”

“I think I’ll pass.”

“Ah, come on. I won’t bite ya.”

The sense of wrongness permeated Drew’s mind. He was sure that somehow, someone was setting him up for something.

“What’s going on?”

“Sit down and we’ll talk about it.”

The smell of bullshit was strong, but Drew couldn’t quite put his finger on where it was coming from. He was sure of one thing, Amara was up to something and he was lying.

“Come on.” Amara said, and something clicked in Drew’s mind. That was why he sat down.

In one smooth, fluid move, Amara flowed over him, to sit astride his lap. Drew didn’t push him away but rested his hands on Amara’s hips. Amara bent his head to rest his forehead against Drew’s. “You are beautiful, Mr Security man.” Amara’s voice was husky, and he smelled of lemon and alcohol.

“So are you, and you know it.”

Amara chuckled and drew back so he could look into Drew’s eyes. His were half lidded and blown. Drew couldn’t tell if it was with lust or drugs. The slow smile suggested the former. Amara slowly licked his lips and swayed forward as if to kiss Drew.

“I don’t think you really want to do that, Aria.”

The boy on his lap froze, then attempted a seductive smile. He buried his hands in Drew’s hair. “What are you talking about? I’m Amara.”

“No ,you’re not, and you should cut the seductive act because you’re not very good at it.”

“I am. Amara said…. Oh shit.”

Aria slumped. “What gave me away?”

“Not being Amara.”

“But no one else can tell,” Aria whined.

“Probably because they’re all as high as you are.”

“I’m not high. No one can ever tell. You’ve done it twice.”

“I told you, my life has depended on being able to see the truth in people.”

“What do you see in me?”

Aria tilted his head to one side and grinned at Drew, his eyes clear. Drew realized he’d been wrong about Aria being high.

Drew tucked Aria’s hair behind his ear. “I see a beautiful young man who should never pretend to be anyone but himself.”

A beatific smile broke over Aria’s face. “You think I’m beautiful? You really do?”

“I told you so. Twice. Don’t pretend you don’t know it.”

“There are many ways to be beautiful, Drew. Amara is beautiful. I’m…. I don’t really know what I am.”

“Better than this.” Drew swept his hand over Aria from head to toe in a dismissible gesture.”

Aria bowed his head. “I’m not good enough.” His body tensed, and Drew had a strong urge to take him into is his arms and just hold him until whatever was eating him stopped hurting.

“That’s not what I said, at least that’s not what I meant.” Once again, Drew tucked fine golden hair behind his ear. “You are not Amara. That doesn’t mean you’re any less than him. You’re just different.”

“Ha. You don’t know how right you are.”

Aria slid off his lap and sat beside him. He sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. You’re right. The whole seduction thing isn’t me. I am crap at it.”

“I didn’t say that either.”

“I know.”

They sat side-by-side, their knees touching. For some reason, Drew felt it important to keep that physical contact, but they didn’t speak.

“Why do you do it?” Drew asked after a while. “Dress like Amara, I mean? I can understand why you did it to tease me, but why now?”

“I can’t say.”

“Was it Amara’s idea?”

“Yeah, but he just wanted to help.”

“Help with what?”

Aria glanced at him and shrugged. “Nothing. Just for fun.”

Drew didn’t believe that for a minute, but he let it go. Clearly, Aria didn’t want to talk about it, and Drew could wait.

After another silence, Aria sighed and drew up his legs, leaning against Drew. “Will you keep me safe, Drew?”

“That’s what I’m paid for.”

“I didn’t mean that. Amara says I’m stupid to think of you as a friend, but I really want to.”

“Yes, you can, but I don’t understand why you’d want to. Surely you must have plenty of other friends.”

“Some, but no proper ones. None I trust, not really.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Whatever.” Aria sounded exhausted and leaned more heavily on Drew.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Not until Amara comes back.”

“You don’t have to wait for him. He can find his own way back.”

“No. I have to wait.”

Before Drew could ask anything else, Aria’s head grew heavy on his shoulder as he fell asleep again.

“What the hell have you done to him?”

Drew jumped. He prided himself for being alert and attentive, but it wasn’t the first time one of the Graice twins had taken him by surprise.

“Shit. How do you do that?”

Amara stood in front of him, hands on hips. Ignoring Drew’s question, he snarled. “I asked you a question. What have you done with Ar…Amara? Did you take advantage of him?”

People began to filter in, one of whom, sidled up to Amara and took his arm. “What’s wrong? Is something going on? Has Amara fucked himself into oblivion at last?”

“Shut up,” Amara snapped. “What have you done?”

Drew toyed with challenging Amara, and he would have if he’d been alone, but something held his hand. He didn’t care about Amara making a fool of himself, but he didn’t want to give away Aria when he had no chance to explain himself.

“I’ve done nothing but provide a shoulder. Maybe I should ask you the same question.”

Amara glared at him, his mouth a hard line. Who knows what would have happened if Aria hadn’t stirred and sat up. He smiled sleepily and murmured. “Is it time to go home Am--”

“Yes,” Amara cut in. “We should probably get going. You must be tired after the performance.”

Aria frowned, then his eyes widened. “Oh right, I’m…um…yeah, right okay. Yes. Home. Yes, home. What time is it? Should we go home?”

He was slurring now, sleepiness adding to the effects of his inebriation. Amara chuckled. He took the furry headband off his head and settled it on his brother’s. “Come on, kitten.”

“Aw, Aria, you’re not going yet? We had such fun, surely you’re not going to love me and leave me.”

Amara prized the clutching fingers from his arm, much less gently that Drew had earlier.

“My brother wants to go home, so we’re going home.”

“Why do you have to do everything Amara wants?” the woman said pouting in a rather unpleasant way. “He bullies you.”

“Maybe the rumours are right,” someone else said. “Maybe you are fucking him.”

Drew didn’t see it coming and didn’t know what he would have done if he had. One minute, Amara was gazing at Aria, with a gentle expression, the next, his face became a mask of fury and he spun. One foot, thankfully without the high heels connected with the man’s stomach but he had no chance to fall before Amara’s fist connected with his chin. Despite Amara’s diminutive stature, the man dropped like a stone.

“Does anyone else think I’m screwing around with my brother?” He gazed around but no one would meet his eyes. “Get out,” he spat, “and take that piece of filth with you. Pass the word around, if I ever hear anyone say something like that again my fists will be the last thing they have to worry about.”

“Aria, I….”

Amara pushed her away. “Get out,” he said, his voice cold as ice. “Find Ben and send him in.”

“O-okay.”

The woman scurried out, following the others who were falling over each other to make themselves scarce. Drew had a fair idea what would be headlining on the news tomorrow, if not before.

When the door closed, Amara sat down next to Aria and ran his hands through his hair. He growled.

“Mara, why did you do that?”

Amara’s head snapped up. “Why did you call me that? Are you so fucked you don’t know who you are?”

“He knows,” Aria said flatly, not explaining further.

Amara groaned and went back to running his hands through his hair. “Why? Why did you tell him? I specifically told you not to tell him.”

“I didn’t tell him, he knew.”

“That’s not possible.”

“It is. It was. Tell him.” Aria’s big blue eyes gazed at Drew, trusting, pleading.

“I’ll always know who you are,” Drew said, and Amara almost spat at him.

“What makes you so fucking special?”

“He sees what’s really there,” Aria said. “His life depended on it when he was a soldier. He’s killed people, Mara. He’ll protect us, both of us, always.”

Amara narrowed his eyes at Drew and snarled. “What’s your game?”

“No games, Amara. “I just take my job very seriously. I also take my promises very seriously. I promised to take care of Aria, and I will.”

Amaras eyes narrowed even further, but before he could say anything, the door opened and Amara changed into a different person.

“What’s up?” Ben drawled striding over to the sofa. “I was having fun. Looks like you were too.” He winked at Aria and something inside Drew went hard and cold. Of course, Ben would think Aria was Amara, but that look was out of order.

“We’re leaving,” Amara snapped. “Get the car.”

Ben jumped, startled and glanced between Aria and Amara. “Christ,” he said, “you’ve swapped again. You’ll give me a bloody heart attack. Are you sure you want to leave? The Party’s just starting to heat up out there. It’s early and Dave is being generous with his stash.”

“I’m sure. Get the car.”

Ben stood his ground and glared at Amara, an expression on his face that Drew didn’t like one bit at all. Ben was supposed to be protecting Amara, but to Drew’s eyes he looked a lot more like he was trying to intimidate him.

“I think the boys want to go home,” Drew drawled getting to his feet. “Are you going to sort out the car, or shall I?”

Ben turned his attention to Drew and glared at him. Drew almost laughed. If Ben was trying to intimidate him he’d have to work a lot harder than that. Drew took a step forward and Ben’s eyes widened.

“No need for that,” he said, with forced jollity. “If you want to go home, we’ll go home. I’ll go get the car.”

Ben disappeared, but it wasn’t difficult for Drew to tell he wasn’t happy about it.

“Is he always like that?” Drew asked. For a moment, Amara looked as if he was going to give one of his usual snappy responses, but he hung his head and shrugged.

“He’s horrible,” Aria said. “I don’t like him at all. He’s creepy.”

“He’s alright. I can handle him.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Aria said. “I keep telling you. You’re his boss. Make him listen.”

“You don’t have to keep him around if he’s not doing his job, Amara,” Drew said.

“And I suppose you would be so much better,” Amara snapped.

“Mara, don’t. Drew would be better. He could be your friend, too. He’d protect you better than Ben does.”

“What are you talking about? Ben does fine. His job is harder than Drew’s. He has to coordinate all the different security…things and he’s…under pressure. All the time. He does a good job.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Aria insisted sullenly. “He doesn’t, and he makes you sad.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, he doesn’t. What do you know?” Amara shook his head. “Stop talking about it.”

“But—”

“I said, stop talking about it.”

Amara spun on his heel and stalked out the door, taking a thunderous cloud with him.

“I didn’t mean to upset him,” Aria said in a small voice, “but Ben is nasty to him and Amara never stands up to him. I don’t like the way Ben talks to him, and I don’t like the way he looks at me. I stay out of his way when I can.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Drew said frowning at the closed door through which Amara had gone.

“Will you protect Amara, too?”

“You’re my charge, Aria. You will always come first, but I promise I’ll do the best I can.”

Aria nodded and held out his hand to Drew who helped him to his feet. He swayed against Drew’s side and giggled. “I think I might be drunk.”

“I think you might be a lot more than that.”

Aria blinked up at him. “You’re cross with me.”

“It’s not my place to judge.”

“But you are cross.” Aria sounded both certain and smug. Drew shook his head and trailed behind as Aria headed for the door. Just before he slipped out, he gazed directly into Drew's eyes with the most deirect look he'd had so far. "I'm not high, Drew."

As soon as they hit the hall Aria was mobbed and swept away. He shot an alarmed look at Drew, who elbowed through a crowd that didn’t take it too kindly. Drew didn’t care.

Drew followed as Aria was practically manhandled to the stairs. He managed to slip ahead and block them before Aria was dragged up by a man wearing a suit and lecherous expression.

“Get out of my way,” the man said in a tone that dripped ice.

“I will, and I’ll take Amara with me.”

“You’ve no right. Amara is coming with me, aren’t you sweetcheeks.”

Aria shook his head, looking scared.

“The gentleman said no.” Drew crossed his arms. He noticed men in black uniforms slipping out of a side room, but he ignored them, even though his heart was beating fast.

“Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t, and I don’t much care. I’m not concerned with you, I’m concerned with Aria…and Amara.”

“No, you’re not,” someone piped up. “Ben’s Amara’s security. You’re with Aria, and he’s not here.”

“I don’t care which one I’m with, Amara says he doesn’t want to go with you, so I’m very concerned that he doesn’t go.”

“This is my house, and my party. I’ll entertain anyone I like wherever I like.”

“I’m not arguing with you. What I’m disputing is you dragging someone upstairs who clearly doesn’t want to go. If you’re planning to have sex with him, and he doesn’t want to, that’s rape and I don’t think anyone wants that.”

The man burst out laughing. “Bullshit.” He snapped his fingers and the men in black moved closer. “Of course Amara wants to come. Amara always wants to come.” There was a general titter that infuriated Drew.

“I don’t care what Amara always wants. Right now, he doesn’t want, so he’s coming with me.”

“And what are you going to do with him. Nothing different. When Amara’s fired up and zonked out he’s got the sweetest mouth and the tightest arse.” The man grinned at everyone and there was a general mutter of agreement that turned Drew’s stomach. Aria whimpered and stared at Drew with pleading eyes.

“That’s it. Do you want to go with him, Amara, or do you want to come with me?”

“You,” Aria said instantly.

The man narrowed his eyes. “You little shit. What do you think you’re doing? You owe me.”

“He owes you nothing.”

Drew grabbed Aria’s arm and tugged it out of the man’s grip. Putting his arm around Aria’s shoulder, Drew steered him through the crowd while the man shouted abuse. At one point the men in black closed in, but Drew stared them down and pushed past.

“I’m scared,” Aria whispered.

“Don’t be. I’m taking care of you. You’re safe.”

The crowd thinned as they neared the door and they were able to move faster. The limo was waiting at the bottom of the steps.

Once safe behind the door, Aria collapsed onto the seat and started to shake. He covered his face with his hands.

“Are you alright? Stupid question, of course you’re not. Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now.”

“I-I know, but Amara isn’t. What he said…. I-I know Amara is…. I know he…. But he’s never told me…. He didn’t say he didn’t want to.”

“That man was a jerk. It doesn’t mean it’s happened before.”

“He said Amara owes him.”

“Aria, listen. This is why I don’t like drugs. People do things they would never do usually. That man was high as a kite.”

“So…so Amara didn’t….”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and ask Amara.”

“Please go find him. Please.”

“Will you be alright?”

Aria nodded. He didn’t look as if he was going to be alright, but there was little choice because Drew was concerned that if he didn’t find Amara, Aria would either become hysterical or run back into the house looking for his brother and finding a whole lot of trouble.

However, before he had a chance to get out of the car, the door opened and Amara scrambled in, followed by Ben who had an ugly smirk on his face.

“Amara.” Aria threw himself at Amara and hugged him tightly. “Where were you? David tried to pull me upstairs. Drew saved me. He said you owe him. What did he mean. What have you got into? Why isn’t Ben keeping you safe?”

“Sit down, Aria. Everything’s fine. I’m fine.”

Amara glanced at Ben. Drew caught the glance but said nothing; not here, not now.

Amara and Aria cuddled up together on the seat, their legs drawn up under them. Amara cradled Aria’s head on his chest, automatically toying with his hair as both boys gazed out of the window. The limo slowly pulled out of the arena and onto the road. Both Ben and Drew sat back in their seats.

“Now, won’t you look at that?” Ben sneered. “Aint they just the picture.”

Neither Aria nor Amara stirred or gave any indication they’d heard, but Drew was sure he’d seen a shiver go through Amara. For whatever reason, there was no love lost between Amara and Ben. In fact, there was definite bad blood. So why didn’t Amara get rid of Ben and find someone he was more comfortable with? It was important to at least trust your security and from the way they’d both been acting Amara couldn’t trust Ben as far as he could spit.

“It’s been a long day,” Drew said, keeping his tone neutral, and trying to convey the message Back off and leave them alone. Ben, however, was either not very good at picking up hidden messages or didn’t give a damn. Drew would be happy to go with either or both.

“For some it has,” Ben said, winking at Drew, “but for others the night is only just beginning. Or at least it was before we had to take the babies home.

Drew leaned forward. “Since when do you get invited to that kind of party, Ben. If not for Amara would you be there?”

Ben scowled. “Maybe not but there’s no harm in making the most of it, is there?”

“Whatever you feel comfortable with, but it makes sense to remember that we’re not the guests, we’re just staff. No different to the waiters. I wonder what all those nice people would do if the waiting staff laid down their trays and started drinking the champagne.” He paused significantly. “Or snorting their cocaine.”

Ben’s scow deepened, then he grinned and sat back, although there was a gleam in his eyes that suggested he wasn’t giving in just saving it up for another time.

“Lighten up, will you? There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun.”

“Where did you and Amara go? You were in front of us, but you took your time.”

“Saying our goodbye’s that’s all. Being polite. Like Aria should have been.”

“But Aria did, didn’t he? Aria was with you. At least, everyone in there thought Amara was with me, especially the host, who seemed to think Amara owes him something.”

Ben paled and Amara’s whole body jerked with the force of his head turning to Drew.

“What did he say? What did he do?”

Aria whimpered softly, more at the movement than the words. Drew was pretty sure he was more than half asleep.

“He wanted to take Aria upstairs.”

“You didn’t let him, did you?”

“Do you think we had time?”

“I don’t know. He—” Amara broke off and bowed his head.

“Aria didn’t get any further than the bottom step, although if I hadn’t been there, or if I had been intimidated by that arsehole and his goons, I wonder where Aria would have been right now?”

Amara swallowed hard. “He’d have been okay. He can take care of himself.”

Drew knew false bravado when he heard it, and he could smell bullshit a mile off. Amara was terrified by the mere thought his brother could have gone with that man. He knew what…Dave, was intending to do. And Dave thought Aria had been Amara.

“Look,” Ben said placatingly. “Everything turned out fine. No harm; no foul. We all live to fight another day.”

“Is that what you’re looking for, Ben? A fight?”

“Oh, for fuck sake stop being so damn up yourself. You know as well as I do what goes on at those parties, and you know what those two precious babies are like. What do you think they get up to? They’re a pair of sluts. Everyone knows they’re up for grabs and the host gets—”

He got no further because Drew had surged across the car and had him pinned to the partition by the front of his shirt.

“I can’t tell Amara who to hire and fire, and I can’t do it for him. If I have to work with you, I’ll work with you but I’m telling you something right now – if I ever hear you talk about those boys like that again, I will hit you so hard you’ll be shitting teeth. Do you understand me?”

“Get off me. You’re a fucking maniac. This is assault. I’ll have your job. I’ll have your license.”

Drew shook him, tightening his grip. “Do. You. Understand. Me?”

Ben choked and nodded. “Yes,” he squeaked.

“Good. I’m so glad we came to this understanding.”

He moved back, brushing off Ben’s jacked and straightening his tie. Ben batted at his hands but said nothing.

Drew didn’t look directly at the boys, but he could see Amara’s shocked face in his peripheral vision. He also saw the look of pure terror he shot at Ben, and the venomous glare he got in return. There was something going on here, something bad, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. There was no way anyone should ever look at someone who is supposed to be protecting them like that. Like they’re the one you need protecting from.

They sat in silence for the rest of the journey. Aria and Amara fell asleep in each others’ arms and Ben refused to even look at Drew. The atmosphere was thick, but Drew had experienced worse, so he was quite comfortable with watching the world slip by outside, content in the knowledge that, at least for now, the boys were safe.