Chapter Eighteen

“Aiden,” Scott whispered as Aiden slipped back into consciousness.

“Scott?” Aiden questioned hoarsely. He licked his lips to spread some moisture around his mouth.

“Here,” Scott spoke softly, lifting a glass of water to Aiden’s lips. Aiden hesitated, remembering the drugged water Jaydin gave him. “It’s clean,” Scott assured him. Aiden didn’t believe him, but he needed the water anyway. He drank slowly.

“What happened?” Aiden asked. “Where’s Jay?”

“He’s not here,” Scott answered evasively.

“Where is he?” Aiden demanded, glaring at Scott.

“He went with Alex,” Scott explained reluctantly. “Last night,” he added after a pause.

“How long have I been out?” Aiden questioned.

Scott shrugged. “A while,” he answered.

“He didn’t go to Daniels, did he?” Aiden asked fearfully, already knowing the answer. He shouldn’t have asked Jay to come. He should have realized Jaydin would take his place. God, they hadn’t come back yet. Was he dead? No. Aiden shook his head to refute those thoughts. Jaydin couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t survive that. “Where are they?” he whispered.

“I’m not sure,” Scott answered. “I think you should call home. Eve told me Jaydin called a Detective Derik before coming here yesterday,” Scott told what he knew.

“No, I’ll just call Derik,” Aiden stuttered. “Can I have the phone?”

“Yeah, it’s here,” Scott replied, handing Aiden a phone. Taking the phone, Alex dialed the number he had memorized.

“Hello,” Derik answered.

“Derik,” Aiden said hesitantly.

“Aiden!” Derik yelled. “Where the hell are you?”

“D..erick,” he stuttered, surprised by the detective’s anger.

“Aiden,” Derik repeated, forcing himself to calm down. Aiden was easy to spook. He needed Aiden levelheaded right now. “Where are you?” he repeated.

“At Alex’s apartment,” Aiden replied.

“Alex? Alex Phillips?” Derik pressed.

“Yes,” Aiden answered quietly. “Do you know where he is? Where Jaydin is?”

He heard the detective sigh, and he clutched the phone fearfully. “Are they all right?” he questioned, almost in tears. “Is Jaydin all right?”

“Jaydin is fine. He’s shaken up. Daniels raped him,” Derik told Aiden, and Aiden flinched at the news. He’d gotten his best friend raped. “He’s in the hospital right now. They had to sedate him. He’s been out all night so we haven’t been able to speak with him. He…” Derik paused for a moment.

“What?” Aiden demanded.

“He killed Daniels,” Derik told Aiden. “We tried to arrest him, but he ran. He took Jaydin hostage. It appears Jaydin took a small knife with him to protect himself. He shoved it into Daniels’s heart when he tried to escape.”

Aiden sobbed quietly. What had he done? How could he get Jaydin mixed up in this? Would Jaydin forgive him? He’d killed someone. “What about Alex?” he finally got out.

“Alex has been detained by the police,” Derik informed him. “He’s a known prostitute, and he was the one who brought Jaydin to Daniels. We’ve tried questioning him, but unsurprisingly, he hasn’t been cooperative.”

“No, Alex was just helping,” Aiden explained quickly, frightened for the man who had helped him twice. “It was my idea. I didn’t mean for Jaydin to get involved. I didn’t mean for him to go in my place. Alex agreed to help me see Daniels.”

“Aiden, calm down,” Derik said softly. “Jaydin called me yesterday to tell me about your crazy plan. I had FBI agents stationed at the club when he arrived, and I even pressured one of the guards to help. I assumed Alex was part of the plan, but we’ve had to detain him until someone would tell us something. I need to speak to you. Give me the address where you’re at. I’ll come pick you up.”

“There’s three of us,” Aiden corrected.

“Three? Who else?” Derik questioned.

“Eve Miller, Dr. Miller’s daughter, and S…” Aiden replied, but Scott cut him off. “What?” Aiden demanded, looking at Scott.

“Don’t tell them about me?” Scott mouthed.

“I have to. How else can I explain what happened?” Aiden replied harshly.

“Please,” Scott whispered. He didn’t need the FBI knowing how much he knew. They’d never leave him alone. “I don’t want to be involved,” he pleaded.

“And someone else who doesn’t want to be identified. I doubt he’ll be here by the time you get here,” Aiden told Derik.

“Aiden,” Derik said sternly, “I need to speak to everyone.”

“I can’t make him stay,” Aiden replied, watching Scott leave the room.

“Fine,” Derik sighed. “Tell me where you’re at. I’ll be there. Damn.”

“Daniels was trying to kill me,” Aiden told him. “There was a price on my head. He’s important to your case. Was important, I guess. He was in charge of Andrew and Cole.”

“Really?” Derik questioned, his voice audibly brightening. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right there.”

*****

“Jay?” Aiden whispered, stepping into Jaydin’s hospital room. It hurt to see Jaydin lying in a hospital bed. Jaydin was awake now though, and he turned his eyes to look at Aiden.

“Aiden,” he answered hoarsely.

“Are you all right?” Aiden asked, coming closer to the bed.

“Fine,” Jaydin answered, sitting up. He winced, expecting pain, but luckily, the drugs were still in full effect. “I’m sorry I drugged you,” he added quietly, reaching out to touch Aiden’s hand. Aiden let him.

“I’m sorry about what … what… he did,” Aiden muttered, looking away in shame. He’d caused this.

Jaydin smiled at Aiden. “It was my choice,” he said, reaching out to pull Aiden’s face back towards him. “And I’m happy I did it. You should be all right now.”

Aiden nodded. He was thankful. Jaydin loved him enough to sacrifice himself to save him. Aiden smiled sadly. He couldn’t be happy when Jaydin was in hospital, drugged for the pain and the hysteria of killing someone. Aiden didn’t ask about the killing, and Jaydin didn’t offer to talk about it.

“Are you hungry?” Aiden questioned, searching for something to say. It was two in the afternoon now. Aiden had spent the morning at the police station with Derik.

Alex had never cooperated, but once Aiden had given his testimony, Alex had been released. Aiden wanted to thank him, but Alex was gone by the time the FBI were finished questioning him. Aiden assumed what Alex had done was actually criminal. He took Jaydin to Daniels with the intention of letting Daniels rape Jay and then letting Jaydin kill Daniels, but he also assumed what the FBI had done was criminal as well. They’d waited until after Daniels had raped Jaydin to interfere. The guard standing in the room had videotaped the entire encounter. Daniels was dead, but they had a warrant for full access to his files. No doubt the FBI would make a huge bust off that information. They owed Alex for giving them that opening so they let him go.

“No,” Jaydin shook his head. The pain medicine made him nauseous, and he didn’t think he could hold food down.

“Thank you,” Aiden whispered, leaning forward to kiss Jaydin.

“I’d do anything for you,” Jaydin replied, pulling Aiden closer to him.

“I know,” Aiden whispered, hugging Jaydin tightly. “Look, don’t tell the FBI anything about Scott.” Aiden pulled away from his boyfriend’s arms.

“Why not?” Jaydin question curiously. “Why doesn’t he want to be identified? He helped? He has nothing to be worried about,” Jaydin pressed.

Aiden sighed. How he hated the moment of truth? “I’ve known Scott for a long time. I knew him from before, from before we met him at Cassie’s. I kinda grew up with him in some ways,” Aiden mumbled. Jaydin nodded in understanding. Scott had been another victim. “He doesn’t want to testify. He’s a prostitute, and the life of a prostitute is hazardous at best. But when you go looking for trouble…” Aiden trailed off shaking his head. “Scott doesn’t think he’d live long if he opened his mouth, and honestly, I think he’s right. He has a lot information, and he’d be an easy target. Someone would just have to pretend to be an interested customer, pick him up, take him someplace private, and kill him.”

Jaydin nodded. “Yeah, I get that,” he replied solemnly. “We owe him. I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks,” Aiden smiled and leaned forward to lightly brush his lips across Jaydin’s.

“Aiden,” Jaydin’s mother squealed in delight, pulling Aiden into a tight hug. Aiden smiled uncomfortably. How much did they know? How much did they suspect? Surely they knew Aiden had played a part in putting their son in this hospital bed.

“The doctor’s say you can be released now,” Jaydin’s father broke in, coming over to pat his son’s arm. “The FBI want to talk to you though,” he added. Aiden looked over at the door to see Derik standing there. Looking again at Jaydin, just to assure himself his best friend was all right, Aiden excused himself to the hallway.

“Aiden,” Cassie greeted, wrapping her arms around Aiden’s neck. “I was so worried about you!” she scolded. “You and Jaydin both. You pigheaded rascals! Do you have to tangle yourselves in this mess over and over again!”

“How long have you been here?” Aiden questioned, pulling away.

“Since this morning of course,” she answered quickly. “I poked my head in to see Jaydin, but he was asleep. I went to get some lunch, and when I came back, I saw you two together.” She shrugged. “I figured you’d want some privacy.”

“Thanks,” Aiden smiled.

“Hi,” Scott interrupted awkwardly.

“Scott,” Cassie said in surprise, looking at her once houseguest. No one had mentioned Scott’s involvement to her so she was confused by his presence. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Can I speak to you?” he asked, indicating for Aiden to step away with him for a moment. Aiden looked apologetically at Cassie for blatantly excluding her, but Scott kept his face carefully expressionless.

“What?” Aiden questioned, looking worriedly at Scott. Scott had disappeared before Derik showed up at Alex’s apartment.

“I spoke with Alex,” Scott said softly. “He told me to tell you thanks for getting him out of jail.”

“He would have been out of there sooner if he wasn’t so obstinate,” Aiden replied truthfully. “The FBI were always going to let him go. I didn’t do anything.”

“Well, he sent his appreciation nonetheless,” Scott shrugged.

“He’s going to move again now,” Aiden mused.

“Probably,” Scott agreed. “Now that the FBI know where he lives. He’ll disappear again. He does that regularly anyway. Keeps him a step ahead of the game, you know?” Scott nodded.

“I didn’t mention your name,” Aiden assured him, “and Jaydin agreed to keep quiet as well. Eve didn’t mention anything about you either.”

“Thanks,” Scott forced a smile. “I know you probably think it’s selfish of me not to tell what I know, but we’re on two different sides here. You have all these people protecting you, putting themselves on the line for you. I make my living on the streets. The people there know who I am, know where to find me. If I squealed what I know, I wouldn’t have anywhere safe to go,” Scott explained, shaking his head. “It’s not that I don’t want them to go down because I do, but I don’t want to be a martyr.”

Aiden nodded. He understood. “You’d just be another dead prostitute,” Aiden whispered regretfully. He wasn’t trying to be harsh. It was the truth. “I know that. We all know, and no one wants that to happen.”

“No one would care if I died,” Scott replied emotionlessly.

“I would,” Aiden countered, catching Scott’s eye. “You saved my life.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Scott refuted.

“No,” Aiden shook his head. “You didn’t throw me out. I wouldn’t have had anywhere else to go. I wouldn’t have been able to find Alex on my own. I’d be dead. And I still want to help you. If you still want my help, that is?”

“My GED?” Scott questioned.

Aiden nodded.

“What do you want as payment?” Scott asked, looking away.

Aiden looked back at Cassie. She was sitting at the window watching them. No, she was watching Scott. Aiden knew she couldn’t hear what they were discussing.

“I want you off the streets,” Aiden answered softly. Scott looked at him sharply. “Go back with Cassie.”

Scott shook his head. “I can’t do that,” he hissed. “I can’t…” he sighed deeply. “Forget it. That’s a price I won’t pay,” he muttered angrily before turning to walk away.

“Wait!” Aiden called, blocking his path. “Fine,” Aiden conceded, “then I want…I want you…hell, I don’t know. I just want to help you. Can’t we leave it at that?”

Scott nodded. Aiden saw Derik leaving Jaydin’s bedroom and quickly parted with Scott. Scott was surprised at first, but soon realized who Aiden was talking to in front of Jaydin’s door. Scott didn’t want the agent to even know Aiden knew he existed. Scott caught Cassie’s eyes, and he walked over to her.

“How are you doing? How’s the baby?” Scott asked curiously.

“All right,” Cassie smiled. “I’m glad to see you again,” she added quickly before blushing and looking away. She hadn’t meant to say that. Cassie had enjoyed their time together before to the point that she’d developed quite a crush on him.

Scott smiled softly, looking away. Cassie was nice. Trusting. Naïve. Someone who should stay far away from him.

“They seem busy,” Cassie muttered, watching Aiden and Derik part ways. Aiden entered into Jaydin’s room. “I think I’ll just go and check in on Jay tomorrow.” She fluttered her lashes and smiled invitingly at Scott. “You want to hang out for a while?” she asked.

“Cassie, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Scott shook his head. “You really don’t know anything about me,” he muttered.

“Well, we can get to know each other better,” Cassie offered flirtatiously. “I’d really like to know more about you.”

Sighing, Scott nodded in agreement. “Not now though,” he muttered. “I have to go.” He hadn’t worked the night before so he’d have to make up for it with extra clients tonight. He wasn’t looking forward to the abuse.

“Will I see you again?” Cassie questioned hopefully.

“I’m sure,” Scott replied. “I have an arrangement of sorts with Aiden so I’ll probably see you around.”

“Could we go out on a date?” Cassie asked, blushing deeply for being so forward.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Scott answered, hating how neutral his voice sounded when he could tell Cassie was embarrassed. Scott took a seat next to Cassie. “Look,” he whispered, taking her hand. “I like you,” he offered, “and I think you’re a great girl. If I dated, I’d be happy to go out with you…”

“But you don’t date,” Cassie supplied for him, pulling her hand away and feeling humiliated.

“I’m being honest,” Scott smiled sadly. “Dating isn’t really an option for me in my line of work.”

“Line of work?” Cassie questioned, looking confused.

“How do you think I manage on the streets. It’s not like I have some big trust fund to maintain my lifestyle,” Scott scoffed.

“What do you do?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’m a prostitute,” Scott answered without breaking eye contact. He wasn’t ashamed of what he was, and if she was, then obviously there were fundamental problems.

“You have sex with men for money?” Cassie demanded, sounding outraged.

“And some woman too,” he added, shrugging. “I have to go,” he told her. “I understand if you have a problem with my choices, but I won’t apologize for them.” He left the hospital quickly, worried he might miss his bus back to Jonesville.

*****

Jaydin smiled genuinely when Aiden slipped back into his room. His parents were standing over him fusing. The police had given them a watered-down version of events, and even what he’d mentioned had been filtered at best. Still his mother was clinging desperately to his hand, and he thought he detected a little resentment in his father’s gaze as it wandered over Aiden’s form. “Can we go home now?” he questioned quietly, carefully lifting himself up. His father moved to help him, and Aiden was careful to stay just out of the way. He was perceptive enough to feel the change in the atmosphere. He’d made a murdered out of their son. Aiden had decided to slip away, but Jaydin, knowing Aiden as well as he did, lovingly took his boyfriend’s hand in his to keep him close.

Jaydin was silent during the car ride. He was thinking heavily over what Aiden had said about Scott, and also about the things Scott had done and said the night before. He found that everything about Scott depressed him. Not that he particularly cared about what happened to Scott. He didn’t know the other boy that well. But it was clear to Jaydin that what happened to Scott could have easily happened to Aiden. After all, Aiden said they grew up together, meaning they were probably abused together, but somehow Scott had come out as a hooker selling himself on the streets.

Jaydin glanced towards Aiden and reached out to take his hand. Aiden glanced at Jaydin when he felt the other’s fingers encircling his hand. Jaydin felt a deep shudder throughout his body. He could see Aiden standing at a vacant street corner wearing nothing but what he’d worn to meet Daniels in. He could see countless men eyeing him hungrily and paying cheap sums to take him into dark alleyways. He could see them brutalizing his small body. Jaydin turned away sharply. How different was that from what actually happened to him? Aiden said he was sold to different men. How? Where? Probably not on a street corner. Someone’s house? Probably took him to a small room with a dirty mattress lying on the floor. Blood and semen stains everywhere. Thin walls and the sounds of forced sex, heavy grunting and pained sobs, coming from every direction.

Jaydin was in tears by the time his father pulled into the driveway. Crying silently, he clutched Aiden’s hand. Aiden was uncertain, not used to being the one comforting Jaydin, but he had comforted others over the years. Jaydin slipped out of the car and hurried inside, up to his room. Aiden didn’t want to be alone with Jaydin’s parents, aware that Jaydin’s parents blamed him for what happened. They should; after all, it was all his fault.

“Aiden, wait,” Mr. Carr called after Aiden stepped out of the car and closed the car door behind him.

Aiden paused, nervously looking between Jaydin’s parents standing in front of the car. Aiden glanced towards the front door. Jaydin had already rushed inside, leaving him alone with Mark and Meggie.

“Aiden, it’s all right. We just want to talk to you,” Mrs. Carr soothed, smiling gently.

“I’m really sorry,” Aiden whispered, staring at his feet. He didn’t move any closer to the couple.

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” Mark assured him. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen?”

“But you blame me,” Aiden argued softly, refusing to move. “And you should. It was my fault.”

“No, Aiden, we’re sorry,” Mark countered. “We shouldn’t have acted the way we did at the hospital. I was angry with you about what happened to Jaydin but that was wrong of me because I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“It was,” Aiden disagreed, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean for that to happen to him though. He was never supposed to be involved.”

“I know you care for him and would never purposefully put him in danger. I know you were in danger, and Jaydin would do anything to protect you. He loves you, and as weird as it is for me to accept that, I know it’s true. None of this is your fault, and I don’t think you hear that enough,” Meggie smiled, walking towards Aiden, she wrapped her arms around him.. “We know you and Jaydin love each other,” she finished.

Aiden was tense for a moment but let himself relax into the embrace.

“We’ve known you since you were three years old,” Mark remarked, walking up behind Aiden and Meggie. Aiden glanced up to look at him.

“You’re like a son to us,” Meggie added. “You’ve always been welcome here, and you always will be.”

Aiden didn’t say anything but smiled to himself and hugged Meggie back. He did care about Jaydin’s parents as well as Jaydin. He’d known them his entire life. They’d been his second family, and it was nice to know that he was accepted as a part of their family, no matter what.

“Jaydin,” Aiden whispered softly, pushing Jaydin’s door open. After Meggie had released him, Mark had patted him on the back before Aiden followed Jaydin up to his room. “I’m so sorry,” he said, seeing Jaydin drying his eyes.

“It’s not your fault,” Jay assured him, walking towards Aiden and pulling him into a tight hug.

“You would never have been …” Aiden whispered, “if it wasn’t for me.”

“I made my choice,” Jaydin replied. “Honestly, it wasn’t that bad.”

Aiden looked at him searchingly.

“Really,” Jaydin confirmed, pulling Aiden towards the bed. The two sat on it. Aiden pulled his knees against his chest.

“What was it like for you?” Aiden questioned. He wanted Jaydin to talk about this. The psychiatrists always said it helped, and when he’d actually taken their advice, it did seem to.

“All I could think,” Jaydin answered honestly, “was Aiden went through worse.” He pulled Aiden close against his chest and gently ran his fingers through Aiden’s hair. “You told me how bad it hurt, and I believed you. But in that detached way you believe something you’ve never experienced. It hurt. He prepared me, and it still hurt.” Jaydin shook his head, leaning down to kiss Aiden’s forehead. “God, what did they do to you?”

“It was your first time,” Aiden replied softly. “You didn’t know how to take it.”

“Also,” Jaydin admitted hesitantly, “I kept thinking how glad I was that it wasn’t Andrew. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Aiden replied quietly. “I’m glad it wasn’t Andrew too. It would have been worse for you, and I don’t want you hurt, especially not the way he likes to hurt. What happened was bad enough.”

“God, I’m so fucking sorry we didn’t save you,” Jaydin muttered, tightening his grip on Aiden. “And thinking about Scott. I know that could have been you. If you didn’t have your Mom, what would have happened to you?”

“I’m not Scott, and that didn’t happen to me,” Aiden assured him. “Anyway, I wouldn’t have made Scott’s choices. He prefers to live on the streets. I would have stayed in foster care, probably.”

“Yeah,” Jaydin nodded, not comforted by Aiden’s words but not seeing a reason to dwell on what didn’t happen. At least not out loud to Aiden. No doubt his best friend knew exactly what could have happened to him. “I’m sorry for letting you go down on me too,” Jaydin added. “I didn’t realize how awful that was.”

Aiden quickly looked up at him and pulled back to see his face. “I wanted to do that,” Aiden admitted, smiling softly at Jay. “It’s not bad when it’s consensual. What he’d do?”

Jaydin shook his head. The memory still making him nauseous. “The bastard grabbed my head and forced it all the way down my throat. Then he made me swallow. I thought I was gonna puke,” Jaydin admitted.

Aiden nodded. “It’s hard to take it in at first, but you get used to it. Having a guy force it down will always make you feel sick, regardless of how many times you do it though. And yeah, I hate swallowing,” Aiden finished. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to Jay, but casual conversation seemed to be working fine.

“Alex helped though. He talked me through it,” Jaydin said quietly. “I was grateful for that. I couldn’t remember exactly what you or anyone else did.”

Aiden nodded. He was grateful to Alex as well then. They owed him. “How did you get the knife in?” Aiden questioned. Surely the guards had checked him.

“That was Alex’s doing,” Jaydin laughed, shaking his head. “The crazy bastard actually hid it in his rectum. I couldn’t believe I had to touch the thing.”

Aiden raised his eyebrows. It wasn’t unheard of, especially among prostitutes, but a knife? He assumed that took a certain amount of skill. Plus he was lucky no one raped him. That would have ended badly for everyone.

“He had me hide it in my shoe, but that was after I’d already been searched. He was really calm and in control of the whole thing,” Jaydin observed.

“Yes, he seems to be quite the planner,” Aiden mused, and suddenly, he wondered how much they’d been played. How much had Alex gained from Daniels’s death? It didn’t matter now. Hopefully he would be left alone, and Jaydin as well. “Jay,” Aiden muttered softly, “about the killing… you did what you had to do to survive. There’s never a reason to feel ashamed about that.”

Jaydin nodded and closed his eyes. He’d killed someone. He could still see the spurts of blood jumping out of the man’s chest after he’d buried his knife in his heart. He hadn’t really thought about it even. He decided to do it, and then he did it. No, that’s not true. It was premeditated. Derik said no charges would be filed. It’d been self-defense. The man had a gun, had taken him hostage, but still, it had been premeditated. He went there with the intention of killing Daniels. Killing the man so Aiden would be safe. Yes, he’d done it for Aiden because he’d do anything for him and he’d promised to keep him safe. Was he ashamed?

Jaydin shook his head. “I’m not ashamed. He wanted you dead,” Jaydin replied with a strong voice. “He would have shot you himself if given a chance, and I think he would have killed me as soon as we reached the end of his escape route. One of us had to die, and I’m not upset that it wasn’t me. I just…,” Jaydin faltered. “I didn’t think it’d be so easy,” he whispered.

“I don’t know,” Aiden admitted, hugging Jaydin, “but I know you’re a good person, Jay. You’re a good person who protected me, and I’m so grateful to have someone who loves me like you do. I’m not unappreciative. I hope you know that.”

“You looked so scared when I drugged you,” Jaydin whispered, leaning forward to kiss Aiden lightly. “It hurts me to think you could look at me with that much fear. I was afraid you’d be more afraid of me if you knew I’d taken someone’s life.”

Aiden shook his head. “I’m not afraid of you. I was never afraid of you. I know you’d only do it for my protection.”

Jaydin nodded, carefully pushing Aiden down on the bed. Aiden smiled up at his boyfriend, feeling safe and protected in the arms of someone who nearly sacrificed his life for him. “I love you,” Jaydin whispered, delving deeply into Aiden’s mouth. Aiden made a small moan as he felt Jaydin exploring his mouth. He let his eyes slide closed and surrendered to the feelings between them.

“I always loved you,” Aiden whispered back.