28. Gay

Chapter twenty-eight

Gay

T he drive across downtown to RJ's building passes in a blur and is also the longest five minutes in my life. I run through at least one light, but for once I'm not being a responsible driver.

"Pull up to the main door, I don't care if they tow us," Cin mutters while unbuckling their belt and I'm in complete agreement. I cut off a minivan and set myself up to park and follow right behind Cin.

We only learned about RJ's ex a few days ago, and if he's shown up in person, this is a huge escalation. I'm not the kind of attorney who deals with stalkers and abuse victims, but even I know what could happen. Hell, even if Kyle is only messaging RJ and he is triggered thinking his ex is in Boston, I want to be there for our boy.

God. I never thought I'd hope someone is triggered over any alternative, but I don't want to imagine what Kyle might do after over six months of harassment.

Cin opens the passenger door before I'm fully stopped, flinging themself onto the sidewalk, and I only pause to shift into park and pull my keys out. I think I closed my door, but I only have eyes for the entrance. A security guard is spun around to face where Cin has pushed past to run inside.

"Where's the fire?" She asks, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"A man is breaking the restraining order for an employee of this building," I tell her, explaining as succinctly as possible, following behind Cin before she can reply.

A quick glance doesn't reveal RJ, but I see Cin marching for the side entrance and pick up my pace to catch up.

"Whose fault is that?" A masculine voice pitches up, catching my attention. The phrase is innocuous on the surface, but a sense of foreboding runs through me.

"Sir, I do not think RJ wants you here," a feminine, French-accented voice replies, and I finally catch sight of a handful of people gathered on the far side of the lobby. The same woman speaks again right as I catch up with Cin, "I think you need to leave."

A bulky man with blonde hair has RJ's back against the wall and I know he must be Kyle Morissey. He looks more rundown than his online images, but this is the man who treated RJ like crap and isn't supposed to be within one-hundred yards of him.

There are two women and one man standing between me and Kyle, who I'm guessing are RJ's coworkers, but Cin skirts around them and latches onto the spot where Kyle is. "Take your hands off of him," Cin barks out the order while prying at Kyle's fingers.

"Owe, fuck," Kyle curses when Cin bends his middle finger back until the asshole lets RJ go. "You can't touch me like that."

"They have every right when you put your hands on him." Stepping around the tiny French woman, I put myself between Kyle and RJ. Keeping my voice calm, I make sure to inform Kyle and our onlookers that I have knowledge of the situation. "You have a restraining order saying you can't be here or have any contact with RJ."

At my back, I feel RJ's hand grip onto my blouse. I have to trust that Cin is holding onto him, because I'm not taking my eyes off of the shitstain in front of me until he's away from my sweet boy. Reaching back, I place my hand over RJ's at my lower back to let him know I'm here for him.

Kyle looks me up and down as if I'm gum on his shoe, but I don't flinch. "That's in California."

"Restraining orders are valid in all fifty states plus US territories," I reply, omitting the idiot I want to add.

"What are you, a fucking lawyer?" Kyle spews out, and spittle lingers on his lip.

"Yes, I am," I answer with a tight smile. "And I will be helping RJ file a harassment suit against you."

Kyle's eyes go wide and he leans back like he's rethinking every action leading to this moment. Good . I smile wider at how my stretched truth landed, since I can't file suit in California, but I can help it happen.

"What is going on here?" The security officer marches over with her hands on her taser. "I contacted the police, and they'll be here soon."

Without knowing if she's fibbing or telling the truth, I decide to make sure Kyle doesn't get away. "Do you have handcuffs? This man is Kyle Morissey, and he is the one who is going against court orders and was assaulting an employee of this building."

"I don't carry handcuffs." She answers brusquely before turning to the tiny woman, "Ms. Roux, does one of these people work for you?"

"You know Mr. Merritt works at Fantasie Mode , Julie," Ms. Roux gestures to the space behind me where I feel RJ tense. I recognize the name as his boss as she turns to point at Kyle, who is turning an alarming shade of red. "And I found this strange man holding my employee against his will."

"Understood. The police will want to talk to all of you." The guard, Julie, pulls white zip ties from her utility belt and takes a step around Kyle to block his exit. "Come with me unless you want to have these on your wrists until the cops finish processing you, and they'll add more charges."

"These people have no clue what's going on. This is a domestic situation. Tell them, RJ," Kyle splutters. He holds his hands up like he wants to push Julie away, but she only has to hold up the twist ties for him to drop the pretenses. "Damnit, fine, I'll go talk to you. You don't need to involve the police."

"Not up to you, Mr. Morissey," Julie shakes her head and marches Kyle across the lobby to a security door behind reception. We've drawn a bit of an audience, but they disperse when the center of attention is in a hidden room where I assume they have security cameras.

As soon as the door closes behind Julie and Kyle, I turn and pull RJ into my arms. He presses into me, and I can feel his body shaking. Fear, adrenaline, and maybe some relief are to be expected. I don't move to see his face, though I'm dying to check in.

"It's okay, my sweet boy," I murmur into his curly hair as Cin wraps RJ up from behind. "He's gone. We're here."

"We've got you," Cin adds, kissing RJ's shoulder. "You're safe, baby."

The three of us are in our own little bubble until it gets popped by a redheaded woman—who I barely noticed in my haste to get to RJ—interjects. "RJ, are you alright?"

Letting him go is the last thing I want to do, but when RJ lifts his head to look at me with big eyes, I take in the situation from his perspective. These are the people he works with, is employed by, and we're standing in the lobby of RJ's job. Meanwhile, he has two people holding and touching him like a lover.

Stepping back, I don't let RJ go, but I do put a few inches between us. Being in a polyamorous relationship isn't unheard of, but it's not something many can tell their boss about. Cin follows my lead but keeps a hand on RJ's back.

The redhead steps closer and prompts a response, "RJ?"

"I'm," RJ starts and his voice breaks. He clears his throat and starts again. "I'm okay, now. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you all for stopping when you saw–"

His voice cuts out again, unable to say Kyle's name. Sarah seems to sense it's a sensitive topic. "Of course. And I'm glad your…friends knew the situation."

"Yes," the mustachioed man beside Ms. Roux speaks up for the first time since Cin and I arrived. "Though you could have also informed the building security of the restraining order. They would have been on the lookout so your friends didn't have to jump in."

The urge to roll my eyes at him is strong, but it's Cin who answers in their characteristic sassiness. And they don't hold back.