“I’ll never refuse your brownies; you know that.” The gentleman hovering next to her caught his eye. “I don’t believe you’ve introduced me to your friend.” He grinned as her cheeks flushed pink. Did Esther have a man in her life? Over her shoulder he caught Drew’s eye. His friend gave a thumb’s up and a wink. He had to blink twice, though, when he saw Lucas and Ash speaking to each other. Perhaps they’d given him a hallucinogenic instead of the flumazenil treatment. Though Lucas had said he wished to make peace with his foster brother, they looked downright cordial to one another. Friendlier even than Jordan himself had ever been to Ash in the past.
“Oh, yes. This is Jack Birnbaum. He and I met at the neighborhood senior center. He lives a few blocks away, and we’ve been enjoying each other’s company.”
Jordan extended his hand and was pleased to note Jack’s firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, Jack.”
The man’s good-natured expression never faltered as he shifted his attention from Esther to Jordan. “Nice to meet you, Doctor. Esther has told me so much about you, about all of you in fact. I’m glad you’re home. Why don’t you let me fix you a little nosh while you relax with everyone.” His brown eyes twinkled as he whispered to Jordan, “That’ll give me a chance to sneak a few cookies in without Esther yelling at me to watch my diet.”
Oh, he liked this man already. “Thanks, Jack. I appreciate it.”
Esther patted Jack’s hand, and he went into the dining room.
“He seems nice.” Lucas sat next to Jordan. “Stretch out. You can put your head in my lap.”
Jordan complied, almost moaning with delight as Lucas’s strong hands began to massage his shoulders. “You have amazing hands.”
All around him he watched as his friends mingled and enjoyed themselves. The food was consumed and the conversation ebbed and flowed. Through it all he remained aware of Lucas’s strong hands on his body; whether it was rubbing his shoulders, briefly touching his face, or pressing against his chest, Lucas’s touch soothed him with a comforting warmth.
The afternoon passed swiftly, and his friends took their leave, aided, he was certain, by Lucas’s constant declaration that Jordan shouldn’t overdo it and needed to rest. Surprisingly enough, he felt good. He’d continued the flumazenil treatment in the hospital, and for the past week he’d been recuperating at home. As Tash had predicted, the short period of his Xanax dependency worked in his favor. His anxiety had faded, and he no longer had that tight, fluttering sensation in his chest when he thought about the future or the past. The treatment would continue, however, for another few days.
“I wish they’d all disappear. I want to be alone with you.” They hadn’t been intimate since he’d been home. Lucas’s hot breath drifted past his ear, and Jordan decided to have some fun. He turned his head, which still lay pillowed in Lucas’s lap, so his lips grazed Lucas’s thigh, right near his crotch. He blew a gentle stream of heated air and laughed as Lucas let out a smothered curse.
“Cut it out.” The warning tone in Lucas’s voice sent a spark racing down his spine.
“Make me,” Jordan dared.
“Later.”
Jordan’s blood heated at the sound of Lucas’s voice, full of promise, want, and need.
A shadow fell over him, and he glanced up to see Neil standing there. “Hey. Let me talk to Neil.” Against Lucas’s protests, Jordan struggled to sit. “I’m fine. Stop coddling me.”
Lucas glared, but Jordan ignored him. “I’m glad you came. Any updates on finding the guys who attacked me? I gave my statement to the two officers who came to the hospital.”
“I know, but I had a few more questions.” Neil took out his ever-present notebook. Keith had also never gone anywhere without it.
“Go ahead.” Jordan settled back against Lucas’s chest. “I don’t really remember much, unfortunately, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
It pissed him off to no end that he couldn’t remember more than he’d already told the police. The thought that someone had entered his house, robbed him of the safety and security he’d always had, left him with an eerie, unbalanced feeling. Lucas had said he didn’t see anything of value missing, which led Jordan to believe it wasn’t simply a robbery. Whoever did this to him meant to send a message. His thoughts flashed back to the meeting on the street with Johnny, and what he’d said.
“Whoever broke in didn’t do it to steal from me. They didn’t take my wallet, phone, or computers. I think—” Jordan paused to collect his thoughts. “I’m almost certain they did so to send me a warning not to tell the police about them.”
Lucas tightened his arms around Jordan, and he winced. “Ow. Lighten up, big guy.”
“Sorry.” Lucas loosened his hold but didn’t let go of him. “That makes sense. That kid meant it when he warned you about talking to the police, Prep School. But it also had to do with the community center. They don’t like its message and the influence it’s having on the teenagers.”
“I agree.” Jordan watched as Neil wrote everything they said down. “Every kid who comes to the center is another potential client lost to them. Without these kids they have no way to sell their poison.” He fell silent.
Ever attuned to his moods, Lucas prodded him in the back. “What is it? Something’s wrong.”
Unwilling to trust himself to speak at the moment, he shook his head. Neil’s sharp glance and subsequent smile let Jordan know he understood.
“I fucked up so badly,” Jordan began. Feeling Lucas tense beneath him, he stopped and put his hand on Lucas’s arm. “Let me say what I have to say, please. It’s important I get this out.”
“Fine.”
Jordan concentrated on Neil’s kind face. “All the time I was feeling sorry for myself and taking the pills, never once did I think of the impact my buying illegal drugs off the streets from kids like Johnny had on my own neighborhood or the city. In a way, I helped perpetuate the culture that allows guns and drugs to thrive here. I aided Keith’s killers.”
“Now, look—”
