22. Levi

On the fourth day, Chase decided that he needed to meet up with Marc and spend the night formulating a new plan, as their current plan was not yielding any results.

Frustrated, Levi agreed to take the night off and spend some time with the boys down at La Maison. It had been a while since he'd worked anyway.

Given everything that had been going on lately with Chase and Matteo and the search for Peabody, Levi wasn't feeling very sexy or in a party mood. It was understandable. Occasionally, every dancer fell victim to such a mood. They were only human. Whenever this happened, they all pitched in and helped to cover for each other, working more of the floor and being extra flirty with guests who sought the attention of the affected party. They even took turns checking in with one another to ensure that everything was okay.

Tonight, Levi stood next to the bar and watched as his brothers worked the room. Yes, they were not his biological brothers, but they were his chosen brothers. They had all been rescued from some sort of trauma and had all been bonded in an unspoken pact to be there for one another. To protect each other. To never let one of their brothers suffer at the hands of an unjust and cruel world that had chosen to turn their backs on each of them.

Yes, these sorry lot of young men were all his brothers, and he loved each and every one of them. There was nothing he wouldn't do for any of these guys, and there was nothing that they wouldn't do for him.

"So, where's the boyfriend?" Teo, one of his younger brothers, asked as he pulled up beside him at the bar. "Can I get a water?" he asked the bartender before turning his attention back to Levi.

"First off, he's not my boyfriend. Secondly, he's off visiting a friend tonight," Levi explained, watching Isaac pour a shot of vodka into an older gentleman's mouth from between his thighs. Alcohol spilled all over the gentleman's mouth as he licked at the open space between Isaac's crotch and the bottle of booze.

He had to give it to Isaac. The man really played into that whole bad-boy attitude, let's get drunk then fuck ‘till the sun comes up, attitude. And the men around him were really digging it.

Currently, Isaac was dancing on a table in the middle of four Greek men—each looking hornier than the last.

"Seems like Sonic's going to be working every one of his holes and limbs tonight," Teo joked, turning to watch their blue-haired brother shake his ass.

"I'll put security on alert just in case his sleepover gets out of hand. I don't like it when Isaac takes on so many men at once," Levi added.

"Sounds like someone's jealous."

"Not in the least. I just worry about the guy's safety. He can fight off one or two guys if he has to, but four is more than any one man can handle."

"He likes his orgies," Teo added.

Levi gave Teo a look that told him to stop being a smart-ass.

"Okay, I'll see if I can convince Isaac to at least let Jared join in on the action. Most guys who are into Isaac are also into Jared. They've got the same… look and feel."

What Teo was trying to say in a polite way was that both men had a rough, manly look about them, and both were into… rougher sex.

Teo, on the other hand, was the resident hippie. He did yoga every fucking morning, and he drank tea and all sorts of weird green and bright orange concoctions he had the audacity to call drinks. All the guys took turns joining Teo for his morning yoga sessions—mainly because they didn't want him to feel alone. Many of the guys who worked at La Maison had trust and abandonment issues. Let's just say that sifting through the minds of any of the boys who worked at La Maison would be any psychologist"s wet dream.

"That sounds like a good idea, T. I'd appreciate that."

Teo took his bottle of water and sashayed his way over to the group of rowdy men salivating over a sweaty Isaac. He raised his arms and started dancing alongside the blue-haired ball of energy, mashing their bodies together and giving the horny Greeks a show to remember.

"Well, why is it that the sexiest man alive is hanging out all by himself?"

Levi's breath caught in his chest. This was the last voice that he ever expected to hear. Swallowing hard, he turned slowly to meet the smiling face of Mr. Peabody. The man's pale blue eyes gleamed as his lips pulled back into a welcoming smile.

Trying to calm himself, Levi put on the biggest smile he could muster.

"Mr. Peabody! What are you doing here?" Levi asked, taking a step forward and wrapping his arms around the gentleman's thin shoulders. "It's so great to see you again after all this time."

Levi could feel his heart beating in his throat as he tried to regain control over his emotions and not act like he was speaking to a potential serial killer. They still didn't know if the rumor was true or if it was just the ramblings of a sick individual. Did Peabody kidnap people? What did he do with them afterward? Not knowing the truth was making Levi think all sorts of crazy things.

"Well, it's been a while, and I was feeling rather lonely, so I thought I would stop by and see my favorite little friend."

Mr. Peabody was always so polite and gentle, even if he sometimes said or did things a little differently than others.

"Shall we grab a booth?" Levi asked, motioning toward a booth off in the corner.

He glanced around, hoping to catch Matteo's attention. Mr. Peabody was here! In the chateau. He needed to let Chase know.

"Sure thing," Mr. Peabody answered, following Levi to the far corner of the room.

Once seated, Peabody ordered his usual cranberry juice with just a splash of orange juice and tonic water. He never drank anything alcoholic while visiting La Maison. He said he much more preferred to watch the guys drink than partake himself. He said he liked to have a glass of wine sometimes at dinner but didn't find it appropriate to have a glass of red wine in an establishment quite like this.

Levi was never quite sure what Peabody meant by those words, but he didn't mind having an alcoholic drink or two with the man.

Over the next hour, Levi made small talk with the man he had just spent the last three days watching. They talked about work, how their summer was going, and even whether Peabody had travel plans this winter.

All of Peabody's responses were very generic and did not give away any details as to what was going on in his personal life. Levi was hoping that he would be able to get some sort of information or clues that might confirm or deny their suspicions.

"Hey, Jer, do you know where Matteo is?" Levi quickly asked Jared as he walked past him. Peabody went to use the restroom and would be back at any moment.

"No. I haven't seen him all night. Perhaps he went out."

Levi was getting desperate. He needed to let Chase know that Peabody was here, and he needed to get Peabody talking. He cursed Matteo's "no cellphones in the theatre" policy. There was only one thing that he could think of as his next move.

"Hey, when you see Matteo, can you let him know that I went home with Peabody? Tell him I'm just going over for a few drinks and that I will be back in a few hours."

Jared gave Levi a concerned look. "You know Matteo doesn't like us going home with these guys."

"I know, but this is important. Trust me."

Jared glared at him a moment longer, battling against his better judgment, no doubt. "Fine. But be careful and bring your Mace."

"Will do," Levi said just as Peabody returned to the booth.

Hoping he was making the right decision, Levi crossed his legs and leaned into Peabody's chest.

"I've got an idea. How about we go back to your place and have a glass of wine together? I'd love to see that model train collection you keep telling me about." Levi hoped that he sounded convincing and that Peabody would accept his offer without question.

A giant grin spread across Peabody's face. He looked like he'd just been told that he'd won the jackpot in a lottery.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!"

"Okay, let me quickly go and throw on some clothes, then I'll meet you by the valet. Oh, and can we keep this little side trip between us? Matteo doesn't like it when his boys go home with his guests."

The man pressed a finger to the side of his nose, indicating that it was their tiny little secret. For the first time since Levi met Peabody, he felt a chill run down his spine. There was something about the way Peabody was looking at him. It was the same sort of look that a snake might give a mouse before it unhinges its jaw and swallows it whole.

"See you in a bit," Levi whispered as he slid out of the booth and headed toward his bedroom.