Page 25 of Winds of War

The fragile blond left his place at the table between Abernathy and Tarrin, walked next to Leon, who was putting the giant omelet on a plate, and put his thin arms around him. In that moment, the wall separating the man's present from his past came crashing down, and the face of the boy he fell in love with eighteen years earlier appeared before his eyes, overlapping with Evon’s.

Julianna, that Valeriani sadistic bastard and his minion Conroy Winters called him Labrat, but he was a sensible, intelligent, delicate, and extremely beautiful boy, just like the one who hugged him and burrowed his head into his chest. My precious little boy, my dear, beloved son, my baby, Leon thought, kissing the top of Evon's head.

The kid closed his eyes like a little kitty, the man's demonstration of love touching his heart in a special way. The sense of safety the blond boy experienced every time he was in Leon's arms overtook him again, a soft sigh escaping from his lips. This is how a fatherly hug must feel like, Evon thought, wishing he could stay like that forever.

Everyone in the kitchen swooned at the scene, but only Darien and Elias understood its real significance. He’s finally home, Leon's husband thought, wrapping the two in a warm gaze. After being separated so cruelly for such a long time, the fates finally reunited them, he said to himself.

************

“Hello, kiddo, how are you? Don't you have any more classes? I don't see anyone from your bunch around. Did you guys fight or something?” Ardan spoke in his usual, soft voice, giving Evon one of his kind, tender smiles.

“Well, my friends have art class, they are all talented musicians. I have no artistic inclination whatsoever, so I borrowed a book from the library, and I'm going to start reading it to kill some time.” Evon lightly frowned. “Excuse me, but I haven't seen you around before, and I’ve come to know most of the guards. Or are you one of the guys working in the administrative building?” He extended his hand in the man's direction. “I'm Evon, by the way.”

“Indeed, I spend most of the time in my office in the administrative building, but sometimes I miss the field work, and I like to patrol and exchange a word or two with the new residents. Ardan MacNamara.” He took Evon's hand, gently squeezing it. “Happy to finally meet that one friend my son Tarrin talks my ears off about.”

CHAPTER 20

“Are you...” Evon's blue-greenish eyes widened, and he let a loud gasp, shock, regret, and a bit of fear mixing on his face. “I only realized now that you are also Tarrin's father, and I'm so, so, sorry, but there is no way to undo what Cahal and I have done, and...” The kid plopped down on the bench, burying his head in his hands as heavy sobs racked through his fragile body.

Ardan sat next to Evon and wrapped him in a warm, tight hug, holding him until he calmed down. “Take it easy, kid. Nothing is lost. Let's go back to where your story starts and see what your friend did. Maybe we can find a way to undo it,” the man said in his gentle, melodious voice.

“Boyfriend. And it's all my fault. Cahal only wants his father's money so he can buy me food, clothes, and pay for a place where the two of us can stay. He took two part-time jobs, but they didn't pay enough, and he couldn't keep an eye on Bob and Tim, so they starved and beat me. Now Cahal wants to destroy The Base...with my help.” Evon's eyes filled with fresh tears, and he lowered his gaze.

“What would your boyfriend have to gain from it, and how does he plan to do that singlehanded? Even if you let him inside, he'd be outnumbered. His chances of success are nonexistent. Or did someone offer him assistance, pay him for the job?” Although Ardan was shaken to the core by Evon's revelation, he managed to remain calm.

“Cahal...he's Nigel Warthon's illegitimate son, and he made a deal with his father. If he manages to eliminate you, Lester Ames, and Jorge Montemayor, Nigel’s business competitors, he'll write everything he owns into Cahal's name. My boyfriend plans to make you fight against each other and then to take down the last man standing.”

“That's a good tactic,” Ardan whispered, his heart aching for the naïve boy who was caught in that dangerous game. “Except Montemayor is a beast who will eat Cahal alive, and then he'll come after you, too.” An idea crossed the man's mind, making him smile. “How exactly does your boyfriend plan to help the Mexican gain the upper hand against me?”

“He...I agreed to come here, befriend one of your kids, and lure him out of The Base where Montemayor's men would wait for us and kidnap him. You...you are a loving father and would offer yourself in exchange...” Evon's voice broke, and he gave Ardan a pain-filled look. “I was tired of being beaten and starved, so I've tried to put an end to it more than once.”

“Those two bastards will pay for everything they've put you through,” Ardan assured the kid, barely containing his anger. “You have a hell of a boyfriend in Cahal. What you told me about him made me admire and respect him a lot. That plan of his might be exactly what we need to get Montemayor out of the picture once and for all.”

“What...how are you going to do that?” Evon's forehead creased as he was looking for the answer. Suddenly, his face was brightened by a smile. “You want Cahal to convince Montemayor to lure him here, and...wow, that's a brilliant plan,” the boy exclaimed in an enthusiastic voice. “All it takes is for him to spend a few days here and see The Base as I see it now, a place where we can be happy, away from all those who want to hurt us.”

A gentle smile playing on his lips, Ardan ran his long, slim fingers through Evon's hair. “Cahal will be welcomed here with open arms, and I don't doubt that he'll make a lot of friends here in no time, just like you did.” The man paused a little, a hard to decipher look in his eyes as he swept his gaze up and down the kid. “If you choose to stay, that is.”

“What do you mean? We don't have anywhere else to go. Of course we'll stay here, as long as we'll be welcomed. Of course, I would understand if you'd change your mind, after all, Cahal planned to hurt you, and I was going to help him.” Evon cast his eyes down, shame and guilt washing over him.

“It's nothing like that, kid. We’ve already established the two of you will be protected and cared for. However, your father can offer you much more, and you may want to leave The Base and move in with him. Of course he will extend his protection, affection, and care to Cahal, too.

“My...father? You mean the real one who Bob hates so much? The man who paid mom a lot of money to take care of me and visited us when I was little? How...how did he get in touch with you and why did he stop coming?”

“I don't have the answer for most of your questions.” Ardan's reply came in a gentle, soothing voice. But I'll tell you everything I know so far.”

Using simple words, the man told Evon about his first meeting with Arman Bedrossian, the mysterious Armenian gangster who asked for his help in finding his long-lost son. Ardan described the gang leader, insisting on the kindness filling his greenish-blue eyes and the mixture of affection and pain in the man's voice every time he talked about the child he was desperate to find.

From what Ardan could tell, Bedrossian suffered a trauma that resulted in him losing his memories because at the beginning, he couldn't remember anything about the son he was searching for. However, the man added with a smile when he heard the name Evon, the Armenian gangster provided the correct version, Levon, meaning lion in his native language.

Lion. Ardan's words made Evon's little heart dance with joy. He had a father who loved and wanted him very much, a father who welcomed him into the world by giving him a strong, unique, beautiful name. Still, the boy couldn't understand why his father left him in his mother's care and only visited him from time to time.

Ardan said that most likely, Arman had a job that paid well, but he had to stay long hours at work and couldn't take care of a baby so small. Evon nodded in approval at The Base's boss's words, wondering if the man could read people's minds as he offered the boy an answer for his unspoken question.

There were still some aspects to clarify in Arman's story, but the kid knew his father would offer him all the explanations once the two of them were face-to-face. Evon was absolutely sure about one thing: Cahal would also find a place in his father's heart, and the powerful Chicago gangster would help the boy forget the miserable treatment and the humiliations his own soulless father put him through.

Almost without realizing, Evon hugged Ardan and put his head on the man's chest, inhaling his scent. It was a mixture of smells, aromas, and perfumes of all the things surrounding them. The tree above them, the bench, the ground, the flowers in the little park, the stones paving the alleys—they were all there, part of Ardan.

The Base and its creator became one, and it was difficult for Evon once he knew the man, with his loving heart and soft voice, to separate his image from that of the sanctuary he built from scratch with his own two hands. Inhaling the calming scent once again, Evon prayed for Cahal to abandon all his risky plans and come to The Base, where he would find the peace, care, and affection he so much needed.

---