Page 42 of Lost Boy

Mitch turned back to the table and Byron kissed his forehead. Both Caleb and Avery looked up to Mitch as being the oldest boy. He wasn’t certain it was a role Mitch wanted but he was always super supportive of the two boys.

“Such a sweet boy,” Byron murmured. “You make the world a better place just by being you.”

Mitch seemed surprised then beamed. “I hadn’t thought of that. About how else I could help make the world better. I thought that was what I was doing with my job. Now I don’t think so.”

“You should,” Byron said seriously. “You are one of the people that take away the power of the terrible people you were talking about.”

Mitch nodded. He began to climb into the booth and Byron couldn’t stop himself. He grabbed ahold of Mitch’s ass and squeezed. Mitch froze then pushed back into his hands.

Oh, his boy was feeling much better.

Byron let his boy climb back into the booth. Across from them, Grant had Caleb in his lap. Byron was keeping Mitch beside him on purpose. His boy just didn’t know it yet.

He grabbed his backpack and pulled out the bag of cars for Mitch as Grant set a Tupperware of what looked like barbies with clothes for Caleb.

Mitch moved up to his knees. “Do the barbies want to watch a race?”

“Yes!” Caleb answered. “But I have to change them first. They’re in their evening dresses.”

As the boys began to play Byron picked up his glass. He sipped the expensive liquor.

“Did you find anything out about what we talked about?” he asked Grant.

Grant shook his head. “I swear to God if I hadn’t run into him. Then Mitch. I wouldn’t believe the guy existed. There is nothing on him or anything I could connect to him.”

Byron snorted. “There has to be something. Especially if he’s a hit-man.”

“Fuck man, I’m serious. Every case that I think he’s involved with I got nothing. The bad guys either wind up dead or missing. This guy is good. He leaves no evidence behind.”

Byron couldn’t help but wonder if this Mac guy was doing some good.

One of the reasons Byron had accepted the positions at the University was how safe the city was. For a town that relied on the University students and tourists, the artists brought in the police took any crime seriously.

“No clue who it might be?” They had a name and Mitch’s brief description. That didn’t give them much to go on. Byron shifted closer in the booth so Mitch’s arms brushed his as his boy lined up his cars.

“I might.” Grant peered around like he suspected they’d be overheard. He dropped his voice. “Awhile back I ran into this guy at the dog park by the house. I think he lives in our neighborhood.” Grant rubbed Caleb’s back as he spoke.

“That means he has money,” Byron commented. Caleb had been a child star, actor, and model. The house he and Grant lived in was practically a mansion.

Grant nodded. “I figure being a paid killer pays well.”

“What’d he say to you?” Byron was intrigued. This guy was reaching out to them. Mitch thought he was interested in them because he was a Daddy also.

“Just commented on how safer the park seemed without all the drug dealers hanging around. It was when I worked the case of that drug that had been killing people.”

Byron stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out the small bottle of lube. He kept his hand out of slight as he slicked up a couple of fingers.

“You never found out where the drug was being manufactured, right?” he asked.

“We didn’t. When all the drug dealers were killed or went missing there was no other sign of the drug,” Grant confirmed. “It was what made me suspicious about this guy.”

Byron slipped his arm back around his boy’s back.

“I’m going to find him though. If Mitch is right and he’s following us around it shouldn’t be too hard. I just haven’t been looking around us,” Grant explained.

Byron listened to Grant but slipped his hand under Mitch’s shirt. His boy didn’t respond. That was good. He kept going until he had his fingers inside Mitch’s pull-up.

Mitch peered over at him but Byron didn’t acknowledge his boy. He kept his attention on Grant even as he rubbed his slick fingers up and down Mitch’s crack. Mitch squirmed before going back to play.

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