"What happened?" Adam asked, "Did you get to
talk to Randy?"
Mark appeared pale. He nodded. "Yes. It's
sorted."
"Oh, thank God!" Adam slouched on the
sofa.
"What did you say?" Jack asked.
Steve noticed Mark appeared worse than he had
earlier. He stood and touched his arm.
"I apologized for those two apes." Mark ran
his hand through his hair.
"Do you need something to eat? You don't look
so good." Steve touched Mark's cheek.
"I am having coffee with him." Mark shot
Steve a nasty glare.
Steve nearly recoiled. "Okay."
"Tomorrow. His chauffeur is picking me up at
noon."
"Whoa." Adam shook his head. "That's
weird."
Jack stared at Mark for a moment. "He asked
you to his house?"
"Yes." Mark showed his teeth and continued
walking to the kitchen, not looking very steady on his feet.
"What the fuck?" Steve said to the other
two.
The three of them scrambled to the
kitchen.
Mark was behind the open refrigerator door,
taking juice out and appearing disoriented.
Steve took the bottle out of his hand to pour
for him. "You took another valium, didn't you?"
"Shut up." Mark held onto the counter as if
he would fall if he didn't.
"I'm making him a sandwich." Adam moved
closer to the fridge. "What the hell time is it? When did we all
eat?"
"It's after five. None of us have had
anything." Jack sat at the island counter on a stool. "So, you
smoothed it out? Coffee with the star and we're good?"
Steve handed Mark the glass and he drank it
before he said, "Let's bloody hope so."
"Let me order food." Adam opened a directory
and scanned the restaurant selection.
Steve still wasn't satisfied that all was
good with Randy Dawson. "Mark, what did he say?"
Mark finished the juice and placed the glass
on the counter. "He said he was on the verge of calling George
Ford. But if I see him for 'coffee', he won't." Mark used air
quotes.
Steve became confused. He mimicked the
gesture. "Coffee? What the hell does that mean? You mean, drinking
coffee. That's not a euphemism for fucking, right?"
"What?" Jack immediately bristled and Adam
choked.
"I don't bloody know!" Mark leaned against
the counter. "You idiots placed me in an impossible situation!"
"Oh no." Jack stood up, fists clenched. "You
have to be kidding me."
Adam shook his head. "He's straight! Will you
all calm the fuck down! Jesus! It's this shit that got us into this
mess. Randy Dawson is straight! Fuck, people! Calm down!" Adam
flipped pages after he put the directory on the counter, picking up
the phone.
"I'm coming with you." Steve folded his
arms.
Mark glared at him. "You bloody idiot."
"Mark, Randy doesn't mean that!" Adam said,
then spoke into the phone, "Hi, I'd like some food delivered."
"I can't believe this." Jack sat back down
and shook his head. "I'm having a nightmare."
"You!" Mark coughed in shock. "Oh, this day
has gone down in the record books. Can it get any bloody
worse?"
Adam glared at them and left the room as he
tried to order food in the noise.
Then Steve said, "Where did Alex go?"
"Alex?" Mark seemed to collapse on himself
and reached for Jack. "Your phone."
"Where's yours?" Jack handed him his cell
phone.
"I don't bloody know." Mark scrolled through
the numbers.
"Chinese food on the way." Adam set the
cordless phone in the cradle. "What now?"
"Alex?" Mark said into the phone, "This is
your father. Are you with Billy? I just spoke to Randy and things
are fine. Alex. No worries, lovely. Everything is fine. Call me."
Mark disconnected it and handed it back to Jack. "Voicemail."
"Jesus Christ, Mark. Sit down." Adam held
onto him as he swayed and Steve pulled out a kitchen chair.
"How many pills did you take?" Steve shouted
at Mark in fury.
Mark flipped him off, British style, with two
fingers up, and then he rested his head on his arms on the
table.
"Christ," Jack said, "Do we need to go to the
ER to pump your stomach?"
"No."
Steve covered his face and moaned. "We fucked
up! Okay? We fucked up! God, I'm sorry. Okay?"
Jack and Adam gave Steve a weary look.
Steve sat next to Mark and rested his head on
Mark's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" He hid his face in Mark's
shirt.
~
Billy drove home. Alex was not there. He
began cruising around the streets of LA aimlessly, having no idea
where Alex would go to decompress.
His cell phone chimed. Billy was stopped at a
red traffic signal and looked at it. He put it to his ear. "What's
up, Chandler?"
"Uh…I could be mistaken…"
"About?" Billy watched the cars flow through
the intersection.
"But Mickey and I just spotted Alex's red
Mustang being towed from a retail shop lot on Santa Monica
Boulevard."
"Huh?" Billy drove through the intersection
when the light changed and pulled over. "You know how many red
Mustangs there are?"
"Uh, dude, we ran the plate. Duh."
"What? Where? What place?'
"That small grocery store on North Vista. You
two have a fight?" Jeff asked. "Let me guess. He found out about
the intel we did on Dandy-Randy."
"Yeah. Steve was in on it too."
"We know. He called right after you did."
"We met up there. Wasn't a good idea."
"You really think Alex will cheat on you,
Sharpe? He's nuts over you."
"Not now he ain't. I'm in the doghouse and
he's on a tear. Let me head over there. Are you there now?"
"We are but Mick and I just got a call for a
prowler. You want us to sit tight?"
"No. Go. I'll call you if I need someone to
do an area check."
"We are already. Haven't seen him yet. Will
let you know if we do."
"Cuff him and throw him in the back of your
car."
Jeff laughed. "Christ, he'd cream."
"Bye." Billy pocketed his phone and made a
U-turn heading to the area where the car was towed, wondering what
the hell was there.
As he drove closer he spotted a row of
gleaming chrome choppers. "Oh no. No fucking way!" Billy looked for
parking and realized why Alex had pulled into the grocery lot. He
parked the truck into a tow-away zone, taking out his red and blue
dash light and setting it against the windshield then dug out an
old police placard and stuffed that on the dash as well.
He hopped out of the truck and jogged across
the street, making his way towards the biker bar.
~
Alex was sitting on the bar, his legs swaying
off the side. A crowd of rough gods surrounded him. He tossed
another shot of tequila down his throat and smiled at the man who
bought it for him; a tattooed biker, pierced eyebrow, in leather
and chains. Alex cupped the back of his head and rubbed noses with
the man. "Mm. That was nice."
The man went for Alex's lips and Alex backed
up. "Uh uh…not drunk enough yet." He wagged his finger.
"Buy this beauty another," a big bruiser with
a leather cap and spiked collar handed the bartender a ten. He ran
his hand up Alex's thigh and made for Alex's crotch.
"Uh uh!" Alex nudged him away. "You can touch
a nipple." Alex took off his shirt. "Look. Pierced."
"You hot motherfucker!" Three men went to
suck on it and Alex laughed and whacked them back playfully before
they knocked heads.
"Alex!"
~
Billy was breathing fire, his hand near his
gun but he knew enough not to touch the fucking thing.
In the chaotic noise of the throbbing music,
and the laughter surrounding Alex, a few men turned to look. One
noticed the badge and gun and backed up, holding up his hands as if
Billy was pointing it at him.
"Alexander!" Billy roared so loudly, every
man in the room heard it.
"You are Alexander Richfield?" a biker with
the shaved head asked.
"I'm Blaze!" Alex narrowed his glare at
Billy. "I don't know who the fuck he is."
Billy approached, measured steps, trying not
to kill someone.
As if the men surrounding Alex felt Billy's
aura of pure homicidal tendencies, they backed up, as slowly as
Billy was approaching. Even the bartender held the shot glass up,
as if he were at gunpoint.
"No guns allowed in a bar!" Alex taunted.
"Someone. Throw him out."
Billy made his way between Alex's knees and
glared at each of the men around him. They all stepped back, giving
him room.
Billy picked Alex up, threw him over his
shoulder and then asked, "Does he owe anyone money?"
"Nope!" The men shook their heads and held up
their hands.
Billy checked with the bartender.
"He's good to go…sir."
Billy carried Alex out of the bar.
"I hate you!" Alex ranted, beating Billy on
the back as Billy held onto him tightly. "You ruined my life! You
ruined my career!"
Billy carried Alex to his truck, amid stunned
spectators who didn't know if Alex was a victim or not. Billy
opened the passenger's side of his truck and dropped Alex on the
seat. Alex immediately tried to scramble out. Billy held him
still.
"Look at me!" Billy yelled, feeling so angry
at himself he could explode.
"You suck! You suck! You don't trust me! Fuck
you!" Alex lashed out, trying to punch Billy, but he was completely
drunk and not doing more than flailing his arms and kicking his
feet.
Billy caught Alex's wrists, stopping him from
acting out. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Forgive me. Alex,
please."
"You went too far! You and Steve! You went
too far!" Alex's fury transformed into weeping. He covered his face
and wailed.
"Baby. I will fix it. Please." Billy held
him. "I'm sorry."
"I won't cheat on you! I won't!" Alex cried
and clung to him.
Billy closed his eyes and held him tight.
Never had a man made him insecure; Not in his work, not in his
relationships, not in his life. And acting like an insecure partner
was going to stop. Now. Or he'd chase Alex into someone's arms.
"Let me take you home."
Alex nodded. Billy released him and made sure
Alex was inside the truck before he shut the door. When he made a
move to walk around the pickup to the driver's door, bystanders
with cameras were everywhere.
Cursing to himself, Billy pulled away from
the crowd.
"My car." Alex sniffled, wiping his eyes.
"It's been towed. We'll get it later."
Alex nodded and leaned on Billy's shoulder,
exhaling as if he were exhausted.
~
"Mark…Mark…"
Mark tried to open his eyes.
"Baby. Come to bed."
"Aren't I in bed?" Mark felt stiff and
shifted his upper body. He was lying on his arms and had fallen
asleep at the kitchen table. Dragging his hair out of his eyes,
Mark fought through a druggy haze to see Steve trying to rouse him
while Jack and Adam cleared the table. A strong smell of Chinese
food was in the air, and it didn't smell appetizing to him in the
least.
"Christ, how many valiums did you take,
Richfield?" Jack shook his head and stacked plates.
Mark managed to sit up, his arms resting on
the table. "You mean to tell me you three ate dinner while I was
passed out? How rude."
"Do you want to eat?" Adam asked, holding
white boxes of food he was preparing to put away in the
refrigerator.
"Yes, but not that." Mark curled his
nose.
"I'll make you toast and tea." Adam moved
behind Mark, out of his vision.
Steve sat beside him, brushing Mark's long
hair behind his ear, tucking it back. "I tried to wake you up, but
you were out of it. Jack said to let you sleep it off."
"What time is it?" Mark tried to see out of
the back sliding door but it was dark.
"Eight."
"Eight? I slept for three hours here?" Mark
rubbed his neck. "You could have bloody carried me to the bed."
Jack made a noise of annoyance and began
filling the dishwasher. "You could have stopped at one pill."
"Shut up. I have a bleedin' headache now."
Mark scrubbed at his face and eyes. "Does anyone know if Alex is
all right?"
Steve ran his hand down Mark's back. "I'm
sure he's fine or Billy would have called."
"He's Billy's problem now." Jack clattered
the dishes noisily behind Mark.
"No. A father always worries. It makes no
difference how old his baby is." Mark sat up straight, stretching
his back. "Steven, can you find my mobile? I should call him."
"Where did you leave it?"
Mark struggled to think, and then he heard
his ringtone and turned around. Adam had called his number.
"Sounds like it's up in your bedroom." After
putting down his phone, Adam buttered the toast and poured the hot
water from the kettle into a cup.
Steve left to retrieve it.
"Jackie?"
"What?"
"Get us an aspirin, would you?" Mark rubbed
his temples.
Adam set a plate of toast and milky sweet tea
in front of Mark. "Thank you, my pet."
Adam caressed Mark's hair affectionately.
Jack shook out two tablets from a bottle for
Mark and put them on the table. Mark set them aside until his tea
cooled and nibbled the toast.
Jack watched him. "You're not shooting until
after the New Year. Why aren't you eating?"
"After the day I've had?" Mark rolled his
eyes. "Please."
"Jack, just leave him alone." Adam wiped up
the counter.
Jack sat across from Mark. "You prodded Steve
and Billy to check out Randy?"
"I did not prod. I merely asked Steven to see
if he was a decent man."
"Jack, leave Mark alone." Adam stood behind
Mark, pulling his hair back in a ponytail affectionately with his
hands, then letting it flow, toying with the length.