Once he’d taken care of business, he had the world’s fastest shower before drying off. He didn’t bother to put on any pyjama bottoms, as Jason liked him to sleep naked. Patrick knew he would wake up to Jason either sucking his cock or lubing it up up to slide into his hole. He wouldn’t complain about either.
Patrick was only in the office for the morning, as he was attending a wedding in the afternoon. An envelope was on his desk, addressed to him by name. Milo usually opened his post and checked it for him, and removed any of the dross. This one hadn’t been opened, though. That was when Patrick realised the envelope had not been posted. But if someone had dropped it at reception, it still would have gone through Milo. What the fuck was going on? Had someone just walked into his office and let it here?
He opened the envelope, convinced it wasn’t a letter bomb or anything. It was pictures, which were all watermarked with “cunt” so they couldn’t be used. Looking at the photos, his jaw dropped. It was the deputy prime minister, Edward Chivington, on his knees with someone’s cock down his throat. The partner’s face wasn’t visible, but he appeared to have a trim, muscular build. It almost looked like Jason. His heart sped up. Is that why they were sent to him?
Patrick opened his desk drawer and pulled out his magnifier to inspect the photo. From what he could make out, the guy having his dick sucked was a brunet and not a blond. He breathed a sigh of relief and then chuckled to himself. Jason wouldn’t cheat on him. That wasn’t the sort of person he was. The loyalty he showed to his friends was enough to convince Patrick that when Jason was in a relationship with someone, he was fully committed.
Unsure why the pictures had been sent to him, Patrick locked them away in his bottom drawer. He didn’t run the sort of paper that outed people. He looked up Chivington’s voting record and saw he had always voted in favour of gay rights, so at least he wasn’t one of those gays who would vote against their own kind and then get their dick sucked in a public toilet on the way home. Chivington wasn’t married either, or didn’t appear to be in a relationship with a woman he was using as a beard. He could also be bi or pan, so even ifPatrick was inclined, he wouldn’t out someone without knowing all the facts.
Patrick didn’t want to discuss it with his team until he’d looked into it more. He powered down his laptop. He had an hour to get home, changed, and over to the wedding venue.
It was Gregory’s wedding day. A quick service, and then back to Knights Corner for a simple reception. The place wasn’t officially open yet, but it was going to be sensational. The wedding and reception were low-key, which is what the grooms wanted. Sebastian and Charlie were getting married next month, and their wedding would be anything but low-key. There had been talk of having it here, but he knew Sebastian had far grander plans now he had free rein over the arrangements. Something Charlie might regret when he realised just how extravagant Sebastian could be, especially for someone he loved.
Patrick was sitting at a table with Jason, and he was wondering how long would be socially acceptable before he could drag him back to his flat. He looked fucking delectable in a suit, and Patrick want to fuck him whilst he was still wearing it. Jason was never fully suited and booted at work, which was a shame, because Patrick would love to see this sight every day.
He was snapped out of his daydreaming by the sight of the last person he’d expected to see today storming towards them.
“What the fuck is this, Jason?” snapped Grant, slamming an envelope onto the table.
Jason looked terrified. Patrick immediately wanted to beat the crap out of Grant, but he knew that wouldn’t end well. He’d investigated even further into Grant’s business interests since he’d found out his connection to Jason. There wasnothing he could print without it becoming libellous, but Grant didn’t need to know that.
“You think you can just ignore me and issue me with divorce papers?” said Grant.
Jason’s brothers had surrounded them. They knew about him and Grant now, after he’d told them all. It had been nowhere near as bad as he’d imagined in his own head. They just wanted to look after him, like they always did. He was their baby brother. Jason didn’t look like he could speak, and he shouldn’t have to. It was Patrick’s job to deal with things like this.
“It’s in your best interest to sign the papers, Grant,” said Patrick.
“Fuck off, old man. This has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me. Jason’s with me now. You had your chance, and you blew it. You haven’t been together for three years, so just sign the papers and make it easier for all sides.”
“Are you threatening me? Do you know who I am?”
“I’m well aware of who you are. I’ve also got lots of juicy stories ready to go to print, unless you sign the papers.”
He wasn’t sure he could bluff a man like Grant Kincaid, but he’d give it a good go.
“Jason,” said Grant, turning away from Patrick. “You’re my husband. You need to come home with me.”
“He might be your husband, legally. But you lost all rights to that title the moment you laid your hands on him.”
“Oh, is that what he told you? Is that what you’ve told them, Jason?”
Jason hadn’t said Grant had beaten him, but something had happened between them. He knew there’d been an incident that had put Grant in the hospital and it had coincided with Jason moving back to London. There had been no police report, and Grant had discharged himself from the hospitalagainst medical advice. Patrick had been on the crime desk long enough to know when something screamed self-defence.
“I’m giving you one last chance, Jason. Are you going to come back to me?”
Jason shook his head.
“Fine, then Patrick needs to know what he’s letting himself in for.”
He pulled out another envelope and dropped it on the table in front of Patrick before he walked out. Langdon went after him.
Patrick looked down at the envelope, and over at Jason who was crying. Patrick pushed the envelope away.
“I won’t look if you don’t want me to, Jason.”
Jason pushed himself up and ran out before anyone could stop him. Patrick wanted to run after him, but Sebastian sat down across from him, shook his head, and then glared at everyone else, who moved away quickly. Patrick couldn’t help but smile at his best friend looking out for him.
