Man in the Middle [Wolf Creek Pack 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) by Stormy Glenn (elon musk reading list txt) 📗

It wouldn’t be too much longer before they were through with him altogether. “Maybe that would be better for them if they did give up on me. Safer, too.”

* * * *

Chase groaned and slapped at his nightstand until the loud blaring noise stopped. He rolled over and tucked the pillow under his head and tried to go back to sleep. When the blaring started up again, he reached behind him and smacked at his cell phone again.

He wanted the noise to stop.

He was so tired. He had barely gotten any sleep the previous night. Instead of being in bed where he should have been, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from shifting and going to sit in the trees just beyond Justin and Taylor’s back patio, hoping for sign of Justin.

There had been no sign of Justin or Taylor, but a light had been on upstairs all night long. It wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning that it finally went out. Chase had finally dragged himself home and fallen into bed.

As the blaring began again, he was positive that he had just climbed into bed five minutes ago. And the blaring wouldn’t stop. Chase grunted and rolled over, grabbing his cell phone. He flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

“What?” he growled.

“Chase, this is Joe Nash. I need you to come over to my house.”

Chase glanced at his alarm clock. The neon green LED lights read five thirty-three in the morning. “Are you out of your mind? Do you know what time it is?”

“Justin is missing.”

Chapter 3

 

Taylor paced back and forth in front of the back door of Joe’s house, wringing his hands together and then shaking them out when they started to cramp. Justin was gone. Justin was gone. Justin was fucking gone.

He had just left. No word. No note. No message. No phone call. Justin had just packed a small bag, said he was going out to run some errands, and he had never come back. And Taylor was going out of his mind.

He had spent the better part of the last three years insuring that Justin was safe, and now he couldn’t even do that because the man had left. This was almost worse than when the Teacher had them. At least then, Taylor was assured that Justin would continue to receive his medication as long as Taylor played ball with the Teacher.

With Justin out in the world on his own, Taylor couldn’t be assured of anything. He didn’t know if Justin was taking his medication, when he would need more, if he was eating okay, or even if he had a warm place to sleep.

He was clueless.

And he was in agony. He couldn’t believe that Justin would just leave him like this. He had thought that they had something special together. Now, he was beginning to wonder if it had all been in his own head.

Maybe Justin didn’t want him now that he had a chance at freedom without someone like Taylor. Taylor had done things, bad things, and he knew it. But he had done them to keep Justin safe. Surely Justin saw that? Didn’t he?

Right about now Taylor wasn’t sure of anything. Doubts he never had before began to creep into his mind. Insecurities were taking hold. Why would Justin just up and leave him? Didn’t Justin treasure the relationship they shared as much as Taylor did?

The sound of a vehicle pulling up the driveway caught Taylor’s attention. With his heart pounding in his chest, Taylor rushed to the edge of the yard, hoping that Justin was coming back to him.

It was Chase.

Taylor had no idea what suddenly overtook him, but he was so angry, and he just knew this whole situation was all Chase’s fault. If Chase had just accepted him and Taylor, then none of this misery would be happening.

Taylor felt the need to make Chase hurt as much as he did. He rushed across the driveway as Chase pulled his truck to a stop. He had the door open before the engine even died. He started hitting at Chase, screaming at him.

“You did this!” Taylor shouted as he pounded his fists into Chase’s wide chest, barely noticing that Chase didn’t try to stop him. “Justin would still be here if you hadn’t been such a bastard.”

“Taylor—”

“Bring him back! I want Justin back!”

“Taylor—”

“I hate you!” Taylor’s shouts slowly turned into sobs as he stopped hitting at Chase and slumped against him. “I hate you,” he cried. “You made Justin leave.”

“Sshhh, baby,” Chase whispered as his arms wrapped around Taylor. “I’ll find Justin, and I’ll bring him back to you. I promise.”

“He…he needs me. He doesn’t have anyone to make sure he gets his medication or to make sure he eats right. He forgets these things. He forgets to eat.”

“I know, baby.”

Deep sobs racked Taylor’s body. His chest felt like a huge weight sat on it. He couldn’t seem to draw in enough air. Not even the feeling of Chase’s hands stroking up and down his back made Taylor feel better, and he had wanted that for weeks.

“Calm down, Taylor,” Chase said. “Deep breaths, baby.”

Taylor slammed his fist into Chase’s chest again, angry at the man’s simple endearment when it took losing Justin to hear it, but then his hand curled into the fabric of Chase’s shirt and he turned his face into Chase’s chest.

“He’s out there all alone, Chase. Justin can’t be alone. There’s no one to take care of him.” Just saying the words brought fresh tears to Taylor’s eyes. Justin was his world. He had been ready to make Chase his world as well, but he knew the man didn’t want that.

Chase didn’t want them.

That thought pounded into Taylor’s head. Taylor pushed himself away from Chase and wiped the tears off his cheeks. Chase might be able to say the appropriate words, but they both knew how the man really felt. Justin did, too, and Taylor had no doubt that was why