over again. He’d also never find friends like them again. They were his best friends, his brothers.
“We’ll stop at the apartment and get you some clothes and stuff,” Harry told him softly. “I can’t force you to stay with me for a few days, so if you want to stay at your apartment, then we’ll stop at my house to check on Butterscotch, and then I can crash at your place for a few days. Kevin’s not there, right? Maybe I could stay in his room.”
“You’d stay there? You’d do that?”
“Yes. I told you I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you, and I meant it. I know I’m not Bull, but then there’s only one of him. He could intimidate the hell out of anyone… well except Zach, who thinks he’s a big teddy bear. But I won’t let you go through this alone.” Something in Harry’s expression made Tristan pause.
“How can you do this? You have your own life.”
“Not really,” Harry admitted and then sighed. “Let’s just say I understand how you feel.”
“How can you?” Tristan pressed. “The fear that someone you loved now….” Tristan shivered. “He’s a monster. There has to be something wrong with me.”
“Why? You aren’t the one acting this way. He is. There is nothing wrong with you or for you to be ashamed of. I know that you didn’t understand what Eddie was truly like until later. Guys like him don’t show their true colors right away. They lure you in, and then once they have you, you’re trapped.”
Tristan gasped softly. “Did the same thing happen to you?”
“Yes. Sometime ago. The guy wasn’t a dealer like Eddie, but he was bad news, and I fell for him, big-time.” Harry paused and then stood. “Let me get these papers put away and locked up. Then we can get out of here. Did you eat before you left the restaurant?”
“I had something this afternoon, but we were too busy for me to be able to stop later, so I haven’t had anything in a while.”
Harry began putting papers away in his files. “Then on the way home, we can pick up something to eat. Is Chinese okay? There’s a place near the house where I can order ahead. It’s pretty good.”
“That’s fine,” Tristan said. He’d already made up his mind that it would probably be best if he went to Harry’s. He felt safer at Harry’s. “You can call after we stop at my apartment to get some clothes.”
Harry finished clearing his desk and secured everything before opening the office door and leading the way toward the club. The music had started, with a few patrons arriving early. Harry headed straight for the front door, and Tristan followed.
The rain had let up, coming down much more lightly. “It’s probably going to be a slow night with this weather,” Harry said as they reached the car, and he unlocked the doors with his smart key.
H ARRY DROVE Tristan to the apartment and went in to make sure everything was okay. Tristan got a bag and packed some things. Once he was ready, Tristan called Kevin and told him what was going on. “I’m staying with Jeremy for a few days just in case too,” Kevin said. But they both hoped they would be able to get back to normal soon. Tristan apologized for all this bother, but Kevin verbally shrugged it off. After completing his call, Tristan locked the door, and they went out to the car.
“Where is your car?” Harry asked once they were on the road and he’d called in their food order.
Tristan shrugged. “I don’t have one. Kevin gives me a ride sometimes, and otherwise I take the bus. Since I’m often with the guys, it isn’t as pressing as it would normally be, but a car is more than I can afford right now.” Most people were shocked when they found that out, but to him it was practical and the way things were. Maybe someday he could afford one, but not now. “I’ve gotten used to doing without what I don’t really need.”
“Oh,” Harry said.
Tristan stared at his feet, not wanting to look at Harry. “I grew up poor.
“We’ll stop at the apartment and get you some clothes and stuff,” Harry told him softly. “I can’t force you to stay with me for a few days, so if you want to stay at your apartment, then we’ll stop at my house to check on Butterscotch, and then I can crash at your place for a few days. Kevin’s not there, right? Maybe I could stay in his room.”
“You’d stay there? You’d do that?”
“Yes. I told you I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you, and I meant it. I know I’m not Bull, but then there’s only one of him. He could intimidate the hell out of anyone… well except Zach, who thinks he’s a big teddy bear. But I won’t let you go through this alone.” Something in Harry’s expression made Tristan pause.
“How can you do this? You have your own life.”
“Not really,” Harry admitted and then sighed. “Let’s just say I understand how you feel.”
“How can you?” Tristan pressed. “The fear that someone you loved now….” Tristan shivered. “He’s a monster. There has to be something wrong with me.”
“Why? You aren’t the one acting this way. He is. There is nothing wrong with you or for you to be ashamed of. I know that you didn’t understand what Eddie was truly like until later. Guys like him don’t show their true colors right away. They lure you in, and then once they have you, you’re trapped.”
Tristan gasped softly. “Did the same thing happen to you?”
“Yes. Sometime ago. The guy wasn’t a dealer like Eddie, but he was bad news, and I fell for him, big-time.” Harry paused and then stood. “Let me get these papers put away and locked up. Then we can get out of here. Did you eat before you left the restaurant?”
“I had something this afternoon, but we were too busy for me to be able to stop later, so I haven’t had anything in a while.”
Harry began putting papers away in his files. “Then on the way home, we can pick up something to eat. Is Chinese okay? There’s a place near the house where I can order ahead. It’s pretty good.”
“That’s fine,” Tristan said. He’d already made up his mind that it would probably be best if he went to Harry’s. He felt safer at Harry’s. “You can call after we stop at my apartment to get some clothes.”
Harry finished clearing his desk and secured everything before opening the office door and leading the way toward the club. The music had started, with a few patrons arriving early. Harry headed straight for the front door, and Tristan followed.
The rain had let up, coming down much more lightly. “It’s probably going to be a slow night with this weather,” Harry said as they reached the car, and he unlocked the doors with his smart key.
H ARRY DROVE Tristan to the apartment and went in to make sure everything was okay. Tristan got a bag and packed some things. Once he was ready, Tristan called Kevin and told him what was going on. “I’m staying with Jeremy for a few days just in case too,” Kevin said. But they both hoped they would be able to get back to normal soon. Tristan apologized for all this bother, but Kevin verbally shrugged it off. After completing his call, Tristan locked the door, and they went out to the car.
“Where is your car?” Harry asked once they were on the road and he’d called in their food order.
Tristan shrugged. “I don’t have one. Kevin gives me a ride sometimes, and otherwise I take the bus. Since I’m often with the guys, it isn’t as pressing as it would normally be, but a car is more than I can afford right now.” Most people were shocked when they found that out, but to him it was practical and the way things were. Maybe someday he could afford one, but not now. “I’ve gotten used to doing without what I don’t really need.”
“Oh,” Harry said.
Tristan stared at his feet, not wanting to look at Harry. “I grew up poor.
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