Read Online By Any Other Name by Cherie Noel - Free Book Online Page A

of his senses. The idea of Michael in danger made absolute mush of his normally rapier wit. Adrien huffed at him.
“What? Get in the damn car. The ring-tone was Devon and the stupid Moses code thing was that crap Michael’s been trying to teach me since freshman year in high school.”
Sam snickered. Adrien turned, smacking the car keys into his brother’s hands and scowling at him. Sam lifted a honey gold eyebrow, glancing at the only other twink in their group with a claim to the name Samuel. Andy distractedly recalled how confusing it had been until Samuel David Rose had settled on being called by his middle name. Sam Jimenez grunted a damn good question at his brother.
“What do you want David to do?”
Adrien glanced wildly around, clearly at a complete loss. Andy placed a hand on his arm to quiet him. Meanwhile, fighting back his own panic to speak in his normal soft tones, he addressed Michael’s baby brother.
“David, can you stay here and keep the rest of the party-goers entertained and out of trouble? We’ll call you as soon as we know anything, I promise.”
David nodded, squared his painfully thin shoulders and made his way back into the house, closing the door gently but firmly behind him. He looked back through the little glass window in the center of the door, his unruly mop of curls flopping over his forehead. Andy and Adrien both sighed.
Adrien spoke first. “I can’t imagine—”
Andy cut him off. “I know. He’d just wither up and die. Let’s go get his big brother for him… and your man too. Muscle-bound idiots always think they can handle everything without any help.”
His last sentence tapered off into a muttered growl, but Andy was pretty sure Adrien was close enough to make it all out. Adrien nodded jerkily at his younger brother. Sam met his gaze for a second before his eyes dropped and his shoulders sagged. Andy shook his head as he made his way to the car. Those two really needed to get their shit together. They had no fucking clue how lucky they were, or how much Andy would’ve given when they were growing up to trade places with either of them. For right now they all needed to concentrate on getting Michael and Devon out of whatever mess the two Dumkopfs were in right now. He slipped into his seat and fastened his seatbelt. He—oh god, they had to get there in time—the things he’d said to Michael, treating him like some cheap lay. Over the top and drama queeny as it might sound, it really would kill him if those were the last words between the two of them.
Chapter Seven
    When the door slammed shut behind Adrien, Andy didn’t even take a moment to think about what might or might not be safe. He simply pounded on the door until Sam yanked hard on his arm, dragging him over to the side of the little porch. They hopped the rail, pushed through the little shrubs and Sam boosted him up just in time to see Adrien come careening around the side of the couch. In classic Adrien style, the man seemed to trip over the motes of dust in the air. Andy could see the terror on his face and the trajectory of his helpless little body toward the big blown glass thing standing at the end of Devon’s couch. Devon called it his modern art sea urchin. Andy knew because he’d bought the damn thing for Devon during that long ago weekend they’d spent together. In less time than it took to draw in breath to scream, Adrien fell. One arm swept out before him, knocking the sculpture to the floor. Andy’s heart stood still in his chest as he watched one of the longest, stoutest spires of glass break at the tip, leaving behind a wickedly sharp edge.
    Of course, there was no other place for clumsy Adrien to fall. Twin screams rent the air. Sam was tugging on him again, and small as he was Andy had no recourse but to go where the larger man was pulling him. They met Anthony and “E” at the edge of the street, and as Sam turned to bring the other two up to speed on the situation, Andy wrenched his arm