Page 61 of Forged

“And look at how they all turned out,” his mum muttered.

Nick blew out a breath. His mum wasn’t making things easier on him. His emotions were already all over the place with the idea brewing in him.

“All that aside,” he said, his heart suddenly racing, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Yes?” his mum asked suspiciously.

“I’ve been thinking that maybe you’re right. Maybe I do need a little time for myself.” He wouldn’t bother telling his mum that it was actually time for Bax he was looking for.

“Nicholas, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” his mum asked, hope simmering in her voice.

Nick swallowed. “I’m saying that maybe we could do a trial run, a trialonly,” he emphasized, “of the kids staying with you for a while.”

“Yes, Nick, this is perfect,” his mum said, running away with the idea, like he knew she would. “I have their rooms ready rightnow. Just give me the afternoon to do a bit of grocery shopping and I’ll come pick them up this evening.”

“Mum,” Nick said, every instinct in him wanting to tell her to slow her roll.

He wasn’t sure this was a good idea. In fact, he thought this was a terrible idea. He didn’t want to be separated from his kids, especially not when Jordan was injured. He didn’t want to wake up to a quiet house or do nothing but sit around on the couch all night staring at the telly.

But he wouldn’t be doing that. He would be sitting on the couch at night with Bax. He would wake up in the morning with Bax in his arms and be able to make love to him without any fear of the two of them being interrupted. He could take Bax out and do grown-up things with him. He might even learn more about Paganism and help Bax find a coven to belong to. Maybe he could join it, too.

Bax. He was doing this for Bax. He wanted the relationship to work, but to do that, sacrifices had to be made. It would be hard, really hard, but it would also be temporary.

He had no choice. Try as he did to tell himself otherwise, he couldn’t shake the feeling that if he didn’t give up his kids, Bax would abandon him.

“Alright,” he said, letting out a breath and slouching as he sat. “Come over later and fetch them. I’ll pack some things up so they’re ready.”

“Excellent,” his mum said. “I knew you’d make the right decision, dear.”

They said goodbye and hung up. Nick sagged even more. He wasn’t sure if he was making the right decision at all.

NINETEEN

He wasin the right place at the right time with the right people. Or so Bax tried to tell himself as he sat at one of the communal tables in The Chameleon Club’s dining-room-slash-ballroom on Sunday afternoon.

“So this accounting firm of yours would specialize in serving the LGBTQ community?” the club’s current Director of Finance, Lloyd Bennett, asked as he sat across from Bax.

Lloyd was relatively young, but the sharp way that he dressed and the seriousness on his face when he looked at Bax made him feel like he was part of a bygone age. He held a lot of sway, though, not only with the inner workings of the club itself, but with its members as well.

“That’s the aim,” Bax said, sitting straighter and speaking in a more refined manner himself. Lloyd had that effect on everyone. He was a living, breathing time machine that recreated the Victorian era within a ten-foot radius of wherever he sat. “It’s in keeping with the mission of The Brotherhood,” Bax went on. “I’d like to serve the community in every way I can.”

“Not just paying dues?” Lloyd asked with a sly grin.

“Right,” Bax laughed.

He suddenly froze, wondering if Lloyd was joking or not. Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure that he had paid his dues for the year yet. That wasn’t at all a good look for someone trying to market his accounting business.

“My hope is eventually to employ LGBTQ accountants and other staff as well,” he went on, hoping Lloyd wasn’t assessing how much money he owed as the two of them chatted over tea and some truly excellent Victoria sponge. “Which is why I wanted to approach you first with my plans.”

It wasn’t entirely true. Bax had a whole pile of resources that Callum had sent him. He could have launched his business and had more work than he knew how to handle if he started contacting the names Callum had given him from the Surrey and Kent LGBTQ Small Business Association. Something about accepting Callum’s help like that didn’t sit right with Bax.

“I must say, your plans intrigue me,” Lloyd said. “The Brotherhood has a list of friendly accountants, if you catch my meaning, but none that are specifically tailored to our members’ needs.”

As Lloyd went on, talking about some of the services available to members and needs that he saw within The Brotherhood, in the slowest and most droning voice possible, Bax’s attention drifted.

He hadn’t started contacting Callum’s friends yet because accepting that kind of help felt like cheating. It probably wasn’t. Business was business and his and Nick’s relationship was separate from that. It felt like it, though.

Every thought Bax had these days felt like cheating. Even sitting at a table with Lloyd, nodding in what he hoped was the right places as Lloyd listened to himself talk, felt wrong. Nick needed him, now more than ever. He should be standing by his man and giving Nick all the support he could.

---