Page 1 of Escape into the Night

Chapter One

Caleb

CalebCohen-Williamswassuffocating.Gagging, even. The thick miasma of expensive perfumes and colognes mixed with the fog of artificial social niceties to become a caustic cloud of torture that made him choke. Despite that, he put on his practiced mask of charm and stood solidly beside his husband, champagne flute in hand and crooked smile in place. Fundraising events were diabolical on a good day. The guest list made this one particularly heinous. Fake smiles and sidelong glances followed them through the overly glitzy ballroom as they mingled and conversed withfriends. With the exception of a few familiar faces, Caleb used the term friend with as much disenchantment as the entire farce inspired. They'd encountered way too many plastic personalities dressed in Armani and Dior, the luxury brands being the only authentic thing about most of the politicians, donors, and socialites they'd been forced to play nice with.

“Baby doll,” Caleb whispered behind his flute, leaning in closer to be heard. “I'm feeling stabby. Tell me not to get stabby.”

“Dig deeper. Our favorite person is taking the stage soon.” Elias pressed back, his weight and warmth the only thing keeping Caleb’s homicidal rage in check. He emphatically refused to let the evening be ruined. Unfortunately, as President Adelaide Montgomery took the stage in a stunning Dior gown looking all the part of perfect presidential poise, he felt his composure slipping. What he wouldn't give to tar and feather the woman on the spot. Barbaric and messy, but oh so fitting.

With his attention split between the woman he loved to hate and the man he loved to love, Caleb kept his expression unrevealing, even as her speech continued to inspire thoughts of murder in his psyche. The words felt too personal—claims of rising above the in-fighting, assertions of a unified front despite naysayers and those who would doubt her, and thinly-veiled accusations of being blocked by those she thought had her back all caused a tick in his cheek muscles that was mirrored in the tight set of Elias’ deliciously chiseled jawline.

The biggest blow came at the end of her eloquent, pretentious, but admittedly well-written speech. Neither of them were surprised by the announcement, but it still pissed him off to no end. Bedazzled pitchforks danced in his head as the crowd chanted her cursed name and sang her undeserved praises. Adelaide Montgomery intended to run for a second term. Her plea to the Democratic Party for their nomination felt like a slap across the face that Caleb took personally. Addy was a walking disaster in a designer dress. Not only was she a shitty President, but her entire personality was more than a few dollars short of what he would call winning. Add in the dirty laundry behind the scenes and Caleb was seeing red.

“The actual audacity,” he hissed, leaning more of his weight into his partner’s side.

“We knew this was coming.” Elias’ hand slid under the back of Caleb’s tuxedo jacket, pressing firmly against his spine and likelyprepared to grab on tight lest Caleb give into the murder-shaped intrusive thoughts.

“It's still a joke. Girly pop is the last person I'd vote for. The absolute last person on earth. God, I want to… to throw something. At her. Preferably something heavy and unbreakable to crush her thick skull.”

“Cay, babe.” Elias leaned down to brush his lips over the whorls of Caleb’s ear. Despite his anger, he shivered top to toe over the contact. Elias would always be his kryptonite. “Please refrain from letting your inside thoughts become outside words when the Secret Service is within earshot.”

“Hmph. I'd bet my entire Marc Jacobs collection that half of them feel the same way. I'm comfortable with those odds.”

“Inside thoughts.” Elias pressed a kiss to Caleb’s temple, doing a poor job of hiding his smile.

“As you wish, Bossman.” Caleb snuck out his hand to goose his husband’s adorable ass. “Be warned; I will have so much frustration to work through later.”

“Christ, Cay. May I remind you how tight you tailored these slacks?”

“An intentional choice. For my pleasure. Yes, I'm self-serving. You love me for it.”

“That I do,” Elias replied with a faint chuckle, his posture still tense but his smile genuine as a friendly face approached through the shark-infested waters of the ballroom venue. “Matt, good to see you. Thank you for the invitation tonight.”

“Elias, Caleb! I'm glad you could make it. I knew it would be a hard sell, but I also know, deep down, politics runs in your veins.” Senator Matthew Dresdon, their closest ally in the Senate, reached out a hand with a brilliant smile. He and Elias shook before the same hand was extended toward Caleb.

“Of course we came. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion—horrific but I am unable to look away.” They shook witha firm grip and shifted positions to look out at the crowds around them while still conversing, a bubble of loyalty amid a bloat of greed and cutthroat arrogance. “Where’s my Cynthia?”

“With her ladies. I lost her before we even crossed the threshold.”

“She does wear the delectably tailored pants in your relationship,” Caleb quipped with a lopsided grin.

“Pot, kettle.” Matthew winked, his elbow nudging Caleb's before he turned his gaze toward Elias. Caleb silently groused over his height making it easy for them to talk right over his head. “So, when are we going to see your name on the nomination ticket, Elias?”

“I don't know, Matt. I'm not convinced yet.”

“Pssh. He's convinced. I did lots of convincing.” Caleb lifted his chin with a smug smirk. “So, so much convincing.”

Elias shot him a warning glance that didn't do a damn thing to lessen the blush on his cheeks or the twitch of a shy smile. Matt’s laugh rang out over the din of the crowd in response.

“Good show. I'm serious. We need people like you in the Castle. We’re going to discuss this. Dinner this weekend at the Maryland house?”

“Sold. Tiny quiches please.” Caleb shifted closer to Elias and looped an arm around his waist. “Incoming, ten o’clock. Remind me to play nice.”

Their close proximity made it easy for Caleb to feel the immediate tension course through his partner’s body. The last thing any of them wanted to do was deal with Adelaide fucking Montgomery’s fake smile for the cameras. Unfortunately, she stalked closer by the second, her too-high heels clicking ominously on the parquet floor with her approach.

“Elias, how wonderful you could make it. I planned on having my office send a message after the event, but it's so much better knowing you were here to hear the announcement in person.”She invaded Elias’ space and brushed her lips over his cheek, a pretend kiss for the sole benefit of the reporters lurking in her shadow. Caleb hated every damn second of it.

“Interesting choice, for sure.” Elias’ voice was just this side of sardonic and inspired a smirk in Caleb.

---