Page 16 of Leo, My Partner

Ty: I know it’s late, but are you free to check out this building with me? It’s where I might have Tessa’s. I have a good feeling about this place.

So that was what he was doing here. How strange he would want to view a property this late at night in this part of town. I chose this building specifically for its location. This would be a terrible place for him to open a bakery. I’ll be sure to tell him that after he wakes up.

Since I dosed Ty with the tranquilizer, I can go finish cleaning up. He’ll be out for at least six hours, so I have plenty of time. That doesn’t mean I can delay. When I dump the body parts, I have about an hour drives to my destination. I need every minute I can spare to get Ty away from here, out of his bloodied clothes, and into bed so he can sleep off the drugs.

I stare down at Ty. He’s fucking perfect. Gently, my hand passes over his face to wipe the wetness away. He truly is beautiful, more so with tears on his cheeks.

I only take a moment more to admire his beauty before I pick him up and take him to my car. After sliding him into the passenger seat and leaning it all the way back—rolling the window down so he won’t overheat—I pull out my phone to make a call.

Blu answers on the fifth ring. His voice sounds thick with sleep, but whatever. I need his help. “Leo.”

It’s still odd for him to call me Leo instead of Brad, my birth name, but I hated that fucking name. Thankfully, Blu respects me enough to use the name I chose.

“I need your help.” Quickly, I fill Blu in on everything that transpired tonight. “Can you and June come move his car back to his apartment? I wouldn’t ask if?—”

“Yeah, we can take care of it.” I hear shuffling and soft whispers on the other end of the phone. “Give us twenty minutes. You need me to take care of this Ty fellow, too?”

“No one touches him,” I growl, making it known to my cousin that he’s mine without saying the words.

“No problem. Need help with clean up?”

“Six hands are better than two,” I answer.

“Be there is twenty,” Blu says and hangs up.

Blowing out a long breath, I tilt my head to the heavens, gazing up at the infinite sky. I’ve already killed tonight. Let’s see if I’m up for the job of keeping someone alive.

CHAPTER 6

TYSHAWN

I come awake slowly to the scent of bacon and eggs. My head is pounding, but the smell of the food wins out for me relaxing in bed until the headache goes away. Sam must be up early, whipping up some food. Normally, I would be the one to make breakfast—Sam is a terrible cook—but I can’t. My head is killing me. The aroma has my mouth watering though. Even still, I burrow deeper into the pillows, breathing in the scent of pine needles.

Wait, pine needles? When did my pillow start smelling like pine needles? We don’t exactly stay in a large city, but pine trees aren’t close enough for my bedding to hold the scent.

My eyes fly open. I don’t recognize where I am. My eyes bounce around my surroundings, and I take in the white sheets I’m lying on, the dresser with a flat-screen TV perched atop it just out of my periphery, and the door across from me that’s cracked slightly to show it’s a bathroom.

This isn’t my bedroom. Where the fuck am I?

I sit up, trying to get away from wherever I am. I instantly regret rising so quickly, lying back down as shooting pain vibrates through my skull. What the fuck? Did I get drunk last night? Am I hungover?

Not fucking likely. I search my memories, trying to piece together why I feel so shitty. Last night, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to see the lone building I could afford on the list my realtor sent me. I didn’t make any extra stops.

A hiss drifts past my lips, my head throbbing in time with my rapid heartbeat. Clenching my teeth, I breathe in deeply through my nose, trying to calm myself so I can figure out what is going on.

While I lie there, I slowly open my eyes and look around again. My eyes drop to my clothing, and something niggles in the back of my mind. This shirt doesn’t belong to me. It’s way too big. I don’t let the revelation shock me too much, lest my head start pounding again. I store the information away until I can better deal with it, but one thing does stand out: I was undressed last night.

Cold sets into my bones. Fuck, was I … did someone …? I take stock of myself to ensure I wasn’t a victim of assault. I don’t feel bad. I’m not sore … there. The only thing hurting is my head, but that’s starting to abate. So why were my clothes changed?

When my headache goes from heavy pounding to a dull ache, I try getting vertical again. This time, I sit up slowly, squinting my eyes against the bright morning rays drifting through the blue gossamer curtains. It appears to still be early morning, the sun not too high in the sky.

I take a better look at my surroundings and can’t conjure up where I am. The door across from me is open, but I don’t see anyone through the open space. The smell of eggs and bacon is heavy in the air, but it’s closer, like it’s right beside?—

“Glad to see you’re up,” a deep voice says beside me, and a scream rips from my throat, my hands held out in front of me. I’m not sure why that voice elicits such a visceral reaction out of me. My heart thumps heavily, and sweat beads on my brow. Blood rushes my ears as I wait for a blow or something worse.

Nothing happens.

Slowly, I lower my hands, and I’m met with the blue-green stare of Leo. A long breath leaves my body as I locked eyes with him. It’s Leo. Leo is safe. He’s not?—

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