Typically, Lachlan waits at least two hours before going to bring him home.
Tonight, the full moon joins him on his journey, as he drives to the location of the bracelet.Jules always transfers his threads to Mimi without heartbeat disruption and Lachlan really has to ask him how he does that one day.
Jules is at a house party.
Lachlan has picked him up from near here before.A fairly affluent area, upper middle class.Once he arrives, he parks up in the SUV, watching the time, subtly checking in with Danya who covers for him like always.
Typically, Jules is out on time.
He’ll usually smell like sex, sweat and alcohol, and the car journey home will be quiet, and Lachlan will have mixed feelings, but knows letting Jules have this small slice of freedom means the world to him so it’s worth setting aside his own feelings and concerns.
Tonight is different, though.
Jules is late.
The minutes tick by.
Lachlan scans the surrounding areas.
Sometimes Jules gets creative, runs through yards, comes out different ways because he knows to avoid major cameras.Facial recognition is getting too good these days and it’s not worth Alistair finding out.
But there’s no sign of Jules running through the yards, nor is he coming out from either direction.His tracker is moving only lightly, not travelling.
Lachlan generously waits two minutes more and then he heads inside the house.A big, expensive colonial that’s simplyheavingwith teenagers and early twenty-somethings.Booming music, sugary alcohol, girls in short skirts, everyone yelling about shots.Lachlan stands out from the start but ignores the looks he gets as he moves determinedly through a sea of bodies, scanning for one person only.No sign of Jules downstairs, plus Lachlan has sensors on the SUV and nothing’s flagged, so he didn’t miss Jules on the way in.
‘Whose brother is that?’a girl asks.
Lachlan ignores it, heads upstairs.He really doesn’twantto be upstairs, knows very well what happens up here.
He calls out, ‘Jules,’ in a short, sharp bark, waiting for a response, but now it’s serious, so he starts opening doors and scanning like a machine, ignoring everything he sees that isn’t what he’s searching for.‘Jules!’
‘Are you looking for the rich kid?’a girl asks, stumbling out of the bathroom.Lachlan nods.‘He’s in the summer house, I think.’
‘Thanks.’
Lachlan goes back down faster than before.He heads outside, ignores the smell of weed, whatnoiseshe can hear from two girls in the shadows.He’s only looking for Jules, only cares about Jules.Way down the end of the yard, there’s a small, wooden summer house close to the currently covered pool.
The closer he gets the faster he walks.
He opens the door.It’s dark inside but for a few candles.
Jules is here.He knows it before he even sees him.
Lachlan strides into the bedroom.Jules is there, but something’s wrong.The boy has a split lip, a red cheek and he’s slightly breathless in anot goodway.Several things are knocked over.The bed is rumpled.
Jules’ shirt is missing buttons.
Lachlan instantly slips intoFocus Mode.
Cold, calm, practical.
On the floor some would-be rapist piece of shit is writhing in pain.Lachlan is going to put three bullets in him and not think twice, but for now, his priority is Jules.
‘Hey,’ he greets softly, tone warm.‘There you are.’
Jules stares down at the older boy on the floor.
‘Jules.’Lachlan gets no response.‘Sweetheart.’
