Page 53 of Joey

Denny’s eyes widened, and he sat up straighter. “Holy shit.”

“Why did you have to come out?” Ethan couldn’t keep the question from escaping his mouth.

Denny glanced at him and then away into the distance. “When I declined Robert’s offer, he threatened to out me. I told him to shove it, saying it was Elliott’s choice. The day after Elliott…” He cleared his throat. “The newspaper ran the news about me. I assumed it was Robert, making good on his threat.”

Ethan frowned. “But why would he have done that when Elliott was dead? You wouldn’t be seeing Elliott anymore. He didn’t need to throw you to the wolves.”

Denny turned sad eyes to him. “Some people don’t need a reason. They enjoy throwing their weight around and making others see what they’re capable of. Maybe he wanted me to know just how much reach he had.”

“How has it been since?” Joey asked, settling back onto the step.

Denny blew out a long breath. “Rocky. The band is fine about it. The management, not so much. After all, it’s not ‘appealing’ to change our tagline to ‘a girlor boyin every port,’ so I’m told.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before, but it still stung when people didn’t just accept them for who they were. He narrowed his eyes, looking in the distance, where he could see some people heading their way.

“We’re about to have company, I think,” he told them.

Denny stood, brushing off his jeans. “I better go.”

Joey rose to meet him. “Have you told the police anything?” Denny shook his head. “Am I able to tell them about you if it might help them?”

Denny frowned. “Help them with what? I thought it was a suicide.”

“It was, but I’ve found some inconsistencies that I’m considering taking to the police. I’m less and less convinced he did it on purpose. With all the information coming to light, he had things to live for.”

The war inside Denny was evident, but he squared his shoulders. “Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”

Joey held out his hand. “Thank you.”

They shook, and before Denny walked away, he hesitated. “I never got the chance to tell Elliot…I loved him,” he finished in a whisper.

“I can tell,” Joey said, pulling Denny into a hug before letting him go.

They watched him walk away, and several of the people who had been heading towards them changed direction. Before Denny met them, several large, imposing guards joined him, holding them at bay. Ethan hadn’t seen them anywhere, so wherever they had hidden had been good.

“Things are not adding up,” Joey repeated.

“I don’t know Elliott, but he seemed to have too many things going on to want to leave this place,” Ethan conceded.

“He wouldn’t have left Grey, not with Robert still around. If heisthe threat he seems to be.”

Ethan sighed. “We won’t get any more answers here. Shall we go home?”

Joey smiled and slid his arms around Ethan’s waist, lowering his face to his neck. “I love the sound of that.”

“What?”

Joey lifted his head, spearing Ethan with his gaze. “Home.”

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat at the happiness in Joey’s eyes. Where had this man come from? He’d appeared in Ethan’s life when he had needed him, even though he hadn’t realised it then. Since that moment, Ethan’s life had changed for the better. Not that it had been bad before, but he’d been lonely. He’d wanted more than what he had, and then Joey had shown up and sent everything spiralling out of control.

The kicker? Ethan wouldn’t change any of it. He would be away from his family and friends for extended periods, but he couldn’t give Joey up. Wouldn’t give him up.

As he stared into Joey’s eyes, Ethan knew he would never be the same.

“Let’s go home.”

Joey beamed, and they wandered back towards their car, hand in hand.

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