Staying Power Book 14 in the Action! Series (12 page)

Mark took it and allowed Jack to haul him up
out of the low slung car. With his arm around Mark's lower back,
Jack walked with him to the front door, trying the knob. "Is Steve
home?"

"He should be." Mark removed his keys from
the pocket of his britches and turned the lock. When he noticed the
alarm had been set, he punched in the code and said, "Well, seems
not. Thank you, Jackie."

"I'm not leaving." Jack removed his work
boots at the door and crouched down to help Mark tug off his high
black leather riding boots.

"Any shite?"

"No," Jack said, setting both pairs of boots
by the door.

"I stink like horse." Mark sniffed his
hands.

"Come on, baby." Jack held him and led him up
the stairs to the master bedroom.

"I wonder where Steven went." Mark felt
around his clothing for his phone and looked at it when he held it
up. "Nothing."

"He probably just headed out to do errands."
Jack stood before Mark and unbuttoned Mark's shirt, rolling it down
his shoulders and arms. Mark tossed the phone onto the bed, limp,
allowing Jack to tend him.

Jack opened Mark's zipper and Mark shimmied
out of the tight beige riding britches. Jack sat him down on the
bed, taking off Mark's socks and then his briefs. Leaving Mark
there, Jack entered the bathroom and started the shower, letting it
warm.

When he returned, Mark was hiding his face in
his hands, curled over his lap.

"Baby, don't do this to yourself." Jack
crouched down and pulled Mark's hair back into a ponytail.
"Sweetheart, please." Jack was so used to Mark's self destructive
tendency; he never stopped fearing for him. He'd witnessed two
suicide attempts already, and neither was for show.

"Come on. Wash up." Jack urged Mark to stand,
seeing tears staining his cheeks. "Talk to me."

Mark shook his head in denial.

Jack stripped and allowed Mark into the
shower first, then stood behind him. He ran soap over Mark's back
and arms, trying to calm him.

In a jerking breath Mark said, "Now…now I
can't have the horse…"

"Mark, we'll find another." Jack tried to
turn Mark to face him but Mark resisted.

"Why…" Mark gulped his sobs, "Why must I
always be punished? Why? What have I done that is so
horrifying?"

"Nothing." Jack hugged him, sealing them
front to back. "Nothing. It's not you. Stop turning their ignorance
into something you are doing!"

Jack felt Mark weaken and held him upright.
"Baby, please." Jack crushed him in his embrace.

"I can't help who I am…" Mark cried, "I
can't."

Feeling Mark sinking to his knees in the tub,
Jack drew him back from the spray and cradled him in his arms,
sitting in the tub. Tears stung Jack's eyes. "It's not you. Goddamn
it, Mark. It's not you."

"I can't even buy a horse…why?" Mark sobbed
and fell apart.

"Baby. Baby," Jack cried with him. Mark was
abused for so long; no person should have to put up with the agony
this man had endured…still endured. Kissing his hair, weeping with
him, Jack said, "I'll find you a beautiful stallion. Let me.
Okay?"

Mark didn't reply, lowering his head and
crying like he did so many times as a young man at the estate.

And no matter how Jack tried to protect him,
hate and intolerance always found their way to Mark's heart.

~

Adam stood inside Alex's house, the phone to
his ear. Jack's cell phone went to voicemail. "Jack? Why aren't you
answering your phone?"

Alex stood by, arms crossed. "Everything
okay?"

"Probably. He and your dad went to look at
horses in Kernville. Maybe there's no cell reception."

"Want me to try Dad?"

"I will." Adam called Mark's cell phone. His
too went to voicemail. "Okay." Adam scrolled down the list. Next he
called Steve.

"Hello, Mr Lewis," Steve answered, sounding
jovial…or drunk.

"Steve. Are Mark and Jack with you?"

"Huh? With me? No. Why?"

Adam heard another man's voice. "Is that
Billy?"

Alex perked up and checked his phone.

"Yeah. It is. Ya caught me. Ha."

"Caught you? Where are you?"

"We hit a bar in WeHo. Where are you? Are you
still with Alex?"

"Yes." Adam tried to think of why Steve and
Billy would be together in WeHo. "Are you celebrating his
promotion?"

"You could say that. What are you guys up to?
I hope you got all the paperwork signed, sealed and delivered."

"You hope?" Adam turned to look at Alex who
dialed Billy's phone number while Adam watched him. Adam could hear
Billy's ringtone over Steve's phone. "What do you mean, 'you
hope'?"

Alex said into the phone, "Billy? Where are
you?"

Adam became distracted and walked away from
Alex so he could speak to Steve. "What are you two stupid cops up
to?"

"We did some recon. No problem. Don't
panic."

"Recon?" Adam thought about it. "No! Oh no."
He felt nervous. "Please tell me you did not stalk Randy
Dawson."

"We just paid him a visit. That's all."

"Steve! Alex's career is on the line! Are you
out of your mind?" He looked back at Alex who had heard every
word.

Alex said into the phone, "What did you do to
Randy?"

"Billy said the contract is signed. So? What
are you worried about?" Steve said something to Billy Adam didn't
understand.

"You morons!" Adam yelled. "You have any idea
how many get out clauses there are in these fucking acting
contracts! What the fuck did you do?"

Alex appeared pale.

"Did you threaten Randy?" Adam asked, about
to explode.

"No!" Steve said, and then added, "Not
really."

"I'm going to kill both of you." Adam looked
at Alex who was holding the phone to his ear and looking ill.

"What…" Alex choked out, "What did you guys
do?"

Adam balled his fists and said, "Did you two
intimidate him? Huh? Did you?"

"No!" Steve said, "Calm down. We just
chatted."

"Chatted? You two heavy handed LAPD thugs
'chatted' with Alex's co-star. I swear, I'm about to kill both of
you." Adam heard Steve say to Billy, "You said the contract was
done, right?"

Adam disconnected the line and called Jack
again. This time he left a voicemail. "Jack! When you get this
message call me. I need legal advice. Steve and Billy paid Randy a
visit, and I have to know if Alex can be released. Call me!" He
hung up and held back a scream of fury.

"Billy, what the hell did you do?" Alex
asked, frantic.

Adam opened the briefcase in his hand and
removed the contract, reading it once more.

"Where are you?" Alex asked. "You said you
were going grocery shopping. How did you meet up with Steve?"

Adam's hands shook as he went over the
release clause. It didn't seem as if 'talking' to the co-star could
get Alex removed, but Randy Dawson certainly had more clout than
Alex did, and all the star power.

Adam's cell phone rang. He hurried to get it
and saw it was Jack. "Where are you?"

"At Mark's house. What's going on?"

"On my way." Adam stuffed the paperwork into
the briefcase and headed to the door.

"Adam!" Alex asked in exasperation.

"I'm going to your dad's. Jack will look over
your contract and see if those two idiots fucked it up."

Alex's expression turned mean. He said to
Billy over the phone, "Nice job, asshole!" and hung up. "I'm coming
with you."

"Fine." Adam opened the door and stormed to
his car, about to explode.

Alex shut the door behind him and climbed
into his Mustang, following Adam's car.

They drove the short distance to Mark and
Steve's house and Adam parked behind Jack's new Jaguar in the
driveway while Alex parked alongside him. Alex climbed out first,
trotting up to the front door and opened it.

Adam brought his briefcase with him, trying
not to blow a gasket he was so furious.

~

Steve looked at Billy from over the café
table they sat at on Santa Monica Boulevard. "Uh oh."

"He said it was a done deal." Billy began
getting cash out of his wallet to pay the tab.

"We didn't do anything to threaten the guy,
right?" Steve stood, tossing money on the table to cover the
drinks. "Did we? Billy?"

"Fuck. You threw him against the fucking
wall, Miller!" Billy hurried out of the restaurant and they both
jogged to their cars.

"Billy! We didn't fuck it up, did we?" Steve
asked, starting to feel sick. "You said he signed the
contract!"

"I don't fucking know!" Billy climbed into
his pickup and Steve sat behind the wheel of the Mercedes.

Did we fuck it up?

Steve knew not only would Alex never forgive
him, neither would Mark.

Mark looked up at Jack. Jack held out a small
yellow pill. Mark took it from Jack's hand and put it into his
mouth to dissolve. From his spot sitting on the bed, Mark asked,
"You want to put those pants in the wash?"

Jack stuck the jeans to his nose. "Not too
bad. Doesn't smell like horse."

Mark took them and sniffed. "No. Not really."
He handed them back.

At a noise down below of the front door
opening, both Jack and Mark looked towards the hall.

"Jack?"

"Adam?" Jack called out, putting on the
jeans.

The sound of trotting feet climbing the
carpeted stairs followed.

Mark stood, tucking his shirt into his
slacks, running his hand through his hair. Adam entered the
bedroom, followed by Alex.

"Did we catch you in the middle of
something?" Adam asked, tilting his head.

"No. We just washed up from the riding." Jack
looked back at Mark. "We didn't fuck."

"Dad," Alex said, stepping closer.

"What, my love?" The valium began making Mark
calm.

"Did you ask Steve to check on Randy?"

Mark had. He didn't answer. "Why? What's
happened?"

Adam bristled, holding a briefcase. "Those
two knuckleheads confronted him. You do realize they can put Alex's
contract in jeopardy if they said anything stupid."

"What?" Jack looked stunned. "What did they
do?"

"Jack, just come with me for a minute and
look over the contract, okay?" Adam grabbed him and Jack glanced
back once at Mark before he left the room with Adam.

"Dad?"

Mark rubbed his face and tried to function.
"Yes, Alex?"

Alex stood before him, touching Mark's hair
at the ends. "You okay?"

"What did the two stupid cops do,
Alexander?"

"I don't know. But they went to see
Randy."

Mark shook his head. "I hope to bloody hell
it was a lovely social call."

"Uh," Alex said, "You do know which cops
we're talking about, right?"

Mark dropped down to sit on the bed, rubbing
his face tiredly. "I'm sorry, Alex. Steven is very protective of
you, and don't get me started about your Captain. He's liable to
castrate Randy to prevent him from propositioning you."

Alex threw up his hands. "Why don't they
trust me! Do you know how insulting that is?"

"Alex, calm down." Mark felt the valium go
right to his head on an empty stomach.

"Never once have I cheated on Billy.
Never."

"You cheated on Oliver."

Alex caught Mark's gaze. Mark knew the
emerald green of Alex's eyes mirrored his own. It was like he was
looking into the mirror at himself at age twenty-four.

"Oliver!" Alex held up his index finger
defensively. "I was not madly in love with Oliver Loveday."

"Alex, please. Everything will be all
right."

"Ya know…" Alex paced in front of Mark. "It
would serve him right, now. Serve Billy right if I did fuck Randy.
Wouldn't it? I mean, he already has us in bed doing it."

"Alex, please." Mark ran his hand over his
hair.

The sound of the front door opening again was
heard from below and then shouting began between Jack and
Billy.

Alex took off and headed down the stairs.

Mark moaned and rubbed his face in agony.
"Drama…why is there so much bloody drama? Hmm? Can't I live a
normal life?"

Mark stood and walked slowly through the
hall, hearing and seeing the raging fury below as he made his way
down the stairs.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jack
roared, pointing at Billy. "Do you know how you could fuck this
contract up for Alex?"

"I didn't fuck it up!" Billy puffed up like a
cock about to battle in a ring. "We just wanted to meet the
guy."

"Meet him?" Adam asked gaping at Billy. "Meet
him wearing your gun and badge, with Steve as your backup?"

"How did you get his home address?" Jack
asked, still accusing, leaning closer as if about to pounce. "The
fucking police computers, Sharpe?"

"Fuck you, Larsen!" Billy's veins showed in
his neck. "It's not your husband that's going off to Rome for
months to have sex with Randy-fucking-Dawson!"

"Have sex?" Alex choked. "Have sex with him?
I'm not going to have sex with him! At least I wasn't!"

Mark felt sick. He slid down the wall midway
on the stairs to watch this madness through the banister.

"What do you mean, at least you weren't?"
Billy's fists clenched.

Adam pushed between everyone to separate
them. "Hang on, okay? We don't even know the damage you idiots did
yet! So shut the fuck up and let Jack read the contract and let me
think!"

Mark rested his head on the wall, trying to
be numb and imagining taking another tablet.

"Mark." Steve just seemed to notice him and
raced to him.

Mark felt Steve hold him. "Baby, I'm sorry. I
was just checking him out. That's all."

"Yes, Steven."

"Mark? Did you take something?" Steve spun
back to look at Jack.

"A valium." Mark noticed Jack storm away with
Adam, and no doubt the contract. That left Billy and Alex in a
staring standoff in the living room.