Aftermath by Bailey Bradford (most important books of all time txt) 📗

“What do you want?” Johnny didn’t ask rudely, but like a timid child who wanted to know so they could do as you ask then go hide.

“Just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes, if possible,” Lee said in a deceptively friendly voice. “I guess we can come back when your mom’s home, that way we can ask her about Stefan, too.”

Johnny’s head jerked back like he’d been slapped. The fear in his eyes showed as the pupils expanded and chased the blue until it was a thin ring around the black. “I don’t know why you think I know anything about Stefan!”

Lee stepped up to the door and pulled Johnny’s ring from his shirt pocket. “Because Stefan had this. Now you can either let us come inside and talk, or we can stand out here and let all your neighbors hear us asking you why you killed Stefan.”

Johnny gasped and stumbled but threw his hand up as if to hold Lee and Darren back. Lee grabbed Johnny’s wrist and barreled inside the house as he twisted Johnny around and pinned his hand up between his shoulder blades.

Darren opened his mouth to protest the use of force but pressed his lips together when Lee looked at him. Lee’s face was a mask of calmness Darren really hoped his lover felt, at least a little. They’d agreed to confront Johnny and, if his behavior seemed suspicious, accuse him of killing Stefan and see how he reacted. They hadn’t got any further than that with the plan, though, and Darren wasn’t sure he could handle the direction this whole inquisition might be headed in, even if he did think Johnny was guilty.

“Hold this,” Lee said, tucking the ring in the front pocket of Darren’s jeans. “Now let’s go inside and chat.”

Darren followed Lee, who still had a whimpering Johnny in whatever kind of hold that was, into the living room. “Sit. If you get up I will nail your ass to the floor.”

Lee wasn’t as calm as he appeared, not if he was cussing. He really had meant it when he’d said he’d cut back except for when they were having sex. Darren didn’t blame Lee for slipping now—he just hoped it wasn’t a sign his control was snapping.

Johnny dropped to the couch when Lee let go of him. Darren hovered behind the couch, not sure where he should be sitting or standing, or which of those he should be doing. Lee must have noticed his indecision because he waved Darren over to his side where Lee stood in front of Lee.

Lee crossed his arms over his chest and looked impassively at Johnny who was, in Darren’s opinion, a beady-eyed, pug-nosed prick. “Now, you can and will tell me why you killed Stefan.”

Johnny’s eyes seemed to shrink to even smaller beads as he glared back at Lee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t even talk to Stefan.”

Darren saw Lee’s arm tense, the biceps and triceps rippling, and Darren decided now was a good time to lie. He did just that as he stared into Johnny eyes. “I know you’re lying. He was my best friend and he told me everything. Why do you think I left Jackson? I was afraid you’d figure out I knew and kill me, too.”

Johnny’s grin told Darren the prick had thought of that himself once or twice. Lee growled and took a step forward and Johnny’s grin turned into a wavering frown as his chin quivered. “I didn’t kill him! All I did was fuck him once or twice ’cause he wanted it so bad and he knew you wouldn’t touch him! But you knew that already.”

Darren thought he was going to be sick. Johnny had touched Stefan, sweet, innocent Stefan who probably hadn’t known what the sick bastard was going to do to him. Before Darren could stop himself he was leaning down and his hand cracked loud against Johnny’s cheek. “You bastard! Get up so I can beat the crap out of you!” Darren grabbed at Johnny but found himself jerked back and held against Lee’s chest.

“Shh, calm down, baby. I want to kill him, too,” Lee whispered loud enough for Johnny to hear, then quieter just for Darren, “But we can’t, and we shouldn’t. It isn’t our place to mete out vengeance.”

Darren nodded as he glared at Johnny. “Right, but we can try for justice.”

“Hope for it,” Lee corrected softly before slowly loosening his hold on Darren. “Why did you give Stefan your ring, since it doesn’t sound like you cared about him at all?”

Johnny rolled his eyes or he might have just blinked, Darren couldn’t be sure. “Because I wanted to fuck him. I don’t care if he was retarded, he was legal and he was hot. But he kept babbling about love and all that crap.”

Darren understood vengeance, revenge and everything else that made someone punish another person when Lee growled, “So you gave him the ring to make him think you cared,” and Johnny nodded. “Then you killed Stefan when he wouldn’t give the ring back.”

Johnny smiled but shook his head. “I didn’t kill him. He fell.”

“Off a cliff he’d never have gone near!” Darren shouted, diving at Stefan’s murderer.

Johnny stood and slammed his palms against Darren’s chest, knocking him back into Lee, who wrapped his arms around Darren. “Maybe he was eager enough to get fucked he got over being scared!”

“No,” Darren said, trembling so hard his teeth chattered. “Stefan wanted to be loved.” His anger was like a cold thing inside him, spreading through his veins and leeching out of his pores. Lee must have been every bit as furious. Darren could feel his lover shaking. “That’s all Stefan wanted, and you used him like some cheap—”

Darren stopped as Johnny’s little eyes grew wide with fear. “Why’s it so cold in here?” Johnny’s breath came out in a white puff of air and it was then