Chapter Three

Rio

It was as I limped back to the elevator to go upstairs that I began considering my life choices and how our firm had come to take this job in the first place. It all started when Kitt’s father, shortly before his death from cancer, asked a judge to make his brother Jazz his younger brother’s guardian. It was an unusual move for a person Kitt’s age, and I’d never heard of it being done before. But I guess if you were rich enough, anything was possible.

State laws varied with regard to the rights of a guardian over their ward, but as a general rule, it was an extreme and restrictive option that required petitioning the court to declare that an individual like Kitt lacked sufficient “capacity” to make their own decisions. Why would the father take such an extreme action? And how did he get a reputable doctor to sign off on it? Again, it was all about money. The very wealthy old man, a member of the Georgia legislature, had judges in his pocket, not to mention unscrupulous doctors who were willing to sign off on whatever he wanted them to.

Jazz said their father had done it for Kitt’s own good. That he had found Kitt to be what he’d called “unmanageable” and obviously incompetent to make decisions in his own best interests. It was still a dick move, it seemed to me, but maybe the old man had really thought he was protecting Kitt. Jazz told me, however, that his father also had other reasons, one of which was that he found out Kitt was not only gay, but, as Jazz put it, “he had bizarre kinks” that Jazz didn’t want to share with me. He said it wasn’t relevant, and he’d rather not discuss it.

It was okay with me—for now. Knowing his secrets wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker if they weren’t illegal or had nothing to do with the job at hand. But if it became relevant, the brother was going to have to tell me what was going on. I’d met a lot of crazy people in my line of work, and Kitt seemed fine to me. Maybe a little immature, but he was still young.

I found out a few things about what had made the old man so upset. Apparently, Kitt had used a fake ID and gone with friends to a gay BDSM club and then got caught doing whatever it was by the detective hired to follow him. Apparently, it was so kinky that it was the last straw for his ultra-conservative father. The old man had written Kitt out of his will, cut him off without a penny and had him declared incompetent. It was a wonder to me that he hadn’t locked him in the attic.

Jazz himself had to get involved to keep his father from trying to have Kitt committed to a private sanitarium. He’d promised his father he’d watch over Kitt and not let him “ruin the family name.” That had been the story we were given, anyway.

Things had only gone from bad to worse since the old man’s death, though. Jazz said he still wanted to do right by his brother and help support him, but Kitt was fighting him every step of the way. Jazz had kept the guardianship intact, mainly as a means of keeping tabs on Kitt, but that only added to Kitt’s deep resentment. He said that Kitt had threatened to hire lawyers to help him break the old man’s will. Jazz said he wasn’t really worried about it, because it was iron-clad, but he did worry about Kitt’s well-being. And so far, he’d given me no reason to doubt that he meant what he said.

Jazz told us he’d been worried sick about him since he ran away and had hired our agency to track him down. He said he wanted me to get his brother back home, “by any means necessary.”

“I’m getting married at Christmas,” Jazz told me. “My fiancé and I are having a huge wedding, with a reception afterward at the Dunwoody Country Club, and I’d like this all to be finished and cleared up by then, with Kitt safely in custody. My fiancé’s parents are very socially conscious, so there can’t be any hint of a scandal involving my family.”

Jazz also told me that he knew that his brother had an old roommate who lived now in Albuquerque and thought he might have gone there, which gave me a good place to start looking. It only took me a week to find him, and if I could do it in a week, even considering I had the advantage of the tip from his brother, it probably wouldn’t take anybody else too long either.

What Kitt didn’t know was that when he’d handed me his bag in that friend of a friend’s apartment, I had slipped a tracking device inside it, and he’d never even noticed. I’d figured it would be good idea to keep track of him when we got into the busy places, like the airport, never dreaming he was already planning an escape.

Since I wasn’t in a big hurry, I rented another vehicle once I got back to the hotel and had it delivered. I figured he’d probably drive all night to put as much distance as he could between us, but he’d have to stop and rest sometime. I wondered how much money he had left and decided it probably wasn’t all that much, from the glimpse I’d had inside his wallet.

I wasn’t feeling too tired, so I decided to just start driving after him. The radio was playing Christmas songs, which got a little old after a while, so I turned it off. By that time, it was well after midnight. I stopped by a QuikTrip for a cup of strong coffee and a sandwich then headed west on I-40, following his trail. Kitt was headed slightly northwest, according to the tracking device, so I planned on seeing how far I felt like driving before stopping at a motel. I was willing to admit that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Kitt again, but I wanted to be at my best when I did. I was still angry. Since when had I been so damn careless? I should have had him cuffed the entire time I had him, instead of being distracted by his pretty face.

He’d played me for a fool, but I was worried, because he could really be in danger. Though I hated to admit it, there was a little vein of hurt running through all that anger and worry. But there was a lot of anger too. I admitted to myself that I was feeling like I had something to prove.

In the words of some old actor in a late-night movie I saw once, “I got this badge, I got this gun, and I got the love of Jesus right here in my pretty green eyes.” Mine were blue, but close enough. As far as I was concerned, Kitt was a “felon” and a “fugitive” for sure now, because he had run away from me illegally after I’d clearly identified myself, and he had then assaulted me when I came to lawfully retrieve him.

I managed to make it into Arizona before I got almost too tired to keep going. I found an I-Hop and had breakfast, with eggs, bacon, grits, hash browns, biscuits, and lots of orange juice and coffee, even though it was midafternoon. Feeling energized again, I got back on the road, wondering where the hell he thought he was going. He had finally pulled off the road not too far from Flagstaff.

I followed his signal and was glad to see the car he’d stolen from me hadn’t moved in a while. He’d been on the road a long time, and he must have needed to rest. It had been over twenty-four hours by this time since he skipped out on me in Albuquerque and since he’d presumably not slept, other than perhaps getting a quick nap in a rest area, he should be exhausted by now.

I used the tracking device to direct me to a motel that was close to I-40, inexpensive, large and impersonal. With few cars in the parking lot so early in the day, it didn’t take long to find my SUV that he’d stolen. I pulled into a space next to it and sat there a moment trying to figure out what I should do next. A quick look inside the car showed the bag was with him in a room somewhere. I decided to drive back to the front and just ask which room he was in at the front desk.

The obligatory Christmas tree sat in a corner of the small lobby, as Christmas music played softly in the background. The young girl working behind the counter widened her eyes at the sight of my deliberately flirtatious smile.

“Hello, miss, I wonder if you can help me out?” The girl, who had soft brown hair, a Christmas sweater and a big smile leaned toward me, nodding. Her expression indicated she would be glad to help me out with pretty much anything I wanted.

“My younger brother checked in about an hour ago. His name is Kitt Devlin. I’ve arrived a little early and wanted to surprise him. Can you tell me his room number?”

“Oh, I remember him,” she said, seemingly happy to be accommodating. Like I thought he would, the little dumbass had used his real name. “The cute boy with the dark hair?”

I winked at her. “That would be him. Oh, and can I get a key to the room now too, if it’s not too much trouble?”

The girl looked uncertain. “Well, we’re really not supposed to do that without calling the room first.”

I flashed a smile again. “I understand. It’s just that I really wanted to surprise him, but I don’t want to get you in any trouble. I’m actually a police officer myself, so I certainly know what it is to have rules and regulations to follow.”

Her expression brightened. “You’re a police officer?” She looked me over appreciatively. “Well, I guess since you’re his big brother and all, it actually wouldn’t hurt anything, just this one time.” She reached under the desk and pulled out a slim piece of plastic, punched some numbers into the computer and then swiped the card before handing it to me. “Here you go, sir. He’s in room 323, all the way around the back. You can just park anywhere back there. There aren’t any other guests on that hallway at the moment.”

Convenient if he tried to run, though that would give me a great reason to beat his little ass again. I took the card and slipped it into my pocket. “Thanks so much. I’ll be sure to tell the manager how helpful you’ve been.”

A blush stained her cheeks, and for a moment I felt a little guilty. I consoled myself with the knowledge that I really was working on behalf of the police and the court, and Kitt was in contempt. She was on the right side of the law here.

With a little wave, I went back outside and drove around to the back of the hotel.

It was getting to be late afternoon by then, and I ducked my head when I got out of the car, on the off chance Kitt might be looking out the window. I crossed over to where my rental was parked. I squatted down by the front tire and slipped a GPS tracking device under the front wheel, just in case Kitt somehow managed to give me the slip again but didn’t take his bag. I firmly believed in backup.

I used the key to get in the side door and took the elevator to the third floor. After locating Room 323, I listened outside for a moment. I could hear a TV inside, but no other light showed beneath the door. Tensing my muscles a bit, I slipped the key in the lock and let myself in.

The first thing I heard was Kitt’s soft snores coming from the bed. The room was dark, with the curtains pulled shut and a TV flickering on the wall. Kitt was in the middle of a king size bed, almost lost in a mound of pillows, a sheet pulled up across his waist. I walked quietly over to the bed and stood looking down at him. Even now, exhausted, his face lined with weariness, he was still beautiful. His dark hair fell across his brow, and his lips were parted ever so slightly, his breath puffing slowly in and out, his hands lying on top of his chest.

I sat down beside him on the side of the bed. His wrists were still decorated with bracelets. I took one of them and pulled him over toward me. I was barely even surprised to see that he was naked.

“Wakey, wakey,” I said, leaning over to murmur in his ear.

He moaned and rubbed his eyes before blinking them open. I saw the exact moment my presence and more importantly, his situation, registered on him as his eyes shot open and he tried to get up or roll away. I tightened my grip.

“Oh no, you don’t. You’re coming with me. You’ve got yourself in trouble, little boy, and you’ve earned yourself a spanking.”

“No!” he shouted and tried again to raise himself up. I popped his bare ass, and he yelped.

“Stop, please!”

“What did I tell you back in Albuquerque about being a good boy?”

“Let me up!”

“No until I’ve spanked that ass.”

I pulled him over my lap and gave him five hard spanks to redden those plump cheeks.

“Are you going to be a good boy now and mind me? Or do I have to keep doing this?”

“No! Stop it please! I-I’ll be good. I promise!”

“I seem to remember promises being made before.”

“I mean it this time! I swear! Please!”

I pulled him up to sit on my lap. He put his hands down over his dick. I guess it was so I couldn’t see it, and I shook my head at him. “I’m not going to molest you, damn it. You cost me time and money.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Not yet, but you’re going to be.” I put him back over on the bed. “Now cover yourself.”

He pulled the sheet over his lap and stared up at me with big, tear-stained eyes.

“W-what are you doing here? How did you find me?” he said, staring into my eyes with panic as I glared down at him. “Please, please let me go!”

“Sorry, but I can’t do that. Looks like you’re well and truly caught, Kitten.”

“No, please! I-I’ll do anything!” He reached for my groin, but I pushed his hand away.

In one of the passionate speeches I was already getting used to from him, he suddenly pulled me back down over him by my shirt front and gave me a long, soulful kiss. “Nooo, let me make it up to you, please. Please make love to me. I want you to. Please,” he said, in between kisses.

Anger flew over me at the idea that he was offering himself to me like that. Had he done something like this before? I was surprised at how furious the idea made me. I slapped his hands away and stood up, seriously thinking of putting him across my lap again. I forced the feeling down and pulled on his arm. “Get out of bed so you can get dressed.”

His face flushed bright red. “But don’t you want to make love to me? Doesn’t that interest you? Why don’t you want me?” His pretty eyes shone up at me, full of hope and hurt and willing to make himself a part of the deal.

My gaze roamed up and down Kitt’s gorgeous little body, as he pushed down the sheet to show it to me, and I had a surge of angry resentment. Angry because he wasn’t mine—so I really shouldn’t spank his little ass again for valuing himself so lightly, no matter how badly I wanted to. Yet the idea of him belonging to anyone other than me was like a giant fist clenching my guts. And where the hell had that suddenly come from?

I picked up the sheet and threw it back over him.

“I said to cover yourself. And what makes you think I would want anything like that anyway?” I said, knowing it was mean, but just needing to make him stop. Kitt’s eyes changed at the harsh words though, putting out that hopeful spark that had been shining up at me and changing to a look of hurt. Those sultry, dark eyelashes came down over his eyes, and he got a sweet little pout I knew he wasn’t even aware of. The flash of pain I saw before he carefully hooded his eyes made me feel even worse, and I wanted to tell him I was sorry, and I didn’t mean a word of it. I knew I’d probably hurt his feelings, but he was too in control of his emotions to show it—not a lot anyway. And where had he learned to do that?

“Get up and get dressed, Kitten.”

A little sob escaped his throat, and despite how angry I was at him, it almost killed me to hear it. He was such a child. Then he suddenly threw his arms around my neck again, giving it one last shot, and his rigid cock pressed into my stomach. Maybe he wasn’t such a child after all.

He was so luscious, and his kisses tasted so sweet. He sighed into the kiss, and his hands roamed over my lower back and dropped down to caress my hips. He looked up and gave me that sweet, tremulous smile, the one that didn’t quite touch the despair in his eyes.

“I’m begging you. I’m so tired and I know you must be too. We both drove all night. Just lie down here beside me for a little while and hold me. You don’t have to do anything else. Then we can get up and go. I know you must be so tired. I am too—and if you lie here with me for just a little while and rest, then when we get up, we can leave. I won’t cause you any more trouble, I promise! Cross my heart and hope to die!”

It was such a childish comment to make. But it still got to me. And he was right about one thing—I was exhausted and needed to rest. This room was paid for, and he was so sleepy and soft and smelled so good…he was hard to resist.

Kitt sighed as he saw my hesitation and immediately snuggled even closer against me. I didn’t want to move away from him. He pulled me down beside him, and I allowed it, letting myself relax for just a few minutes. Maybe I could take a little nap and just enjoy the feeling of still being close to this beautiful body of his.

Kitt and I didn’t say anything to each other, just lay there exhausted, our breath mingling. He put his face right onto my chest with his hand around my neck and soon I heard him breathing deeply. Damn it. I closed my eyes too, thinking a little nap might not be so bad—just a small one so I could get a second wind.

I must have slept hard, if just for a little while, and I only woke up when I felt his body sliding away from me. I opened my eyes and raised up on my elbow to ask him where he thought he was going and saw him standing over me holding the bedside landline telephone over his head. Sex and sleep had made me sluggish and stupid. Before I could move out of the way, he brought the phone crashing down on my head.

I didn’t wake up until he was already gone. He’d left the door standing wide open and took not only his own clothes, but mine too, including my goddamn wallet with all my money, though he left my credit cards thrown down on the floor. I had more clothing in my suitcase, of course, so I stumbled to the bathroom, washed the blood off my face, and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I was angry, numb, furious, and in pain, and I wanted to get my hands on him badly. I was maybe mostly pissed off at myself for letting him play me that way. He’d made a complete fool of me. No, I’d made a fool of own damn self. I looked at myself in the mirror and vowed not to show him any mercy at all when I found him. And I would find him.