Page 36 of The Question of Us
My mouth fell open. “Your brother?”
Lee’s body seemed to crumple. “Yes. Aaron is working for Marty. He doesn’t know anything about the type of guy Marty really is, of course. But that’s how Freddie finally got me to agree to accompany him back. I didn’t have a choice. ”
“Jesus Christ.” I huffed in disbelief. “Tell me everything.”
CHAPTER TEN
Nick
I checkedmy phone for the millionth time. Nothing. I’d been waiting in the corridor outside the bathroom for twenty minutes, my eyes glued to the door and slowly losing my mind. I was going to kill him, slowly and painfully.
Come on, Mads.
A woman with a toddler wandered down the hall, her gaze flicking toward the accessible bathroom. She shot a questioning look my way and I shook my head.
“Sorry, it’s busy.”
She sighed and steered her child into the regular bathroom opposite.
I paced the corridor for another minute or two, then hovered outside the door, trying to understand the hum of voices coming from within. I debated whether to knock and was still standing there when the door suddenly swung open and Lee burst into the hall, almost running me down in the process.
He came to an abrupt stop, his narrow-eyed gaze rolling angrily over my face. “Are you with him?” He flicked his head back toward the bathroom.
I nodded. “He only wants to help.”
Lee scowled. “Well, he can’t. Now leave me the fuck alone.” He fled up the corridor and back into the supermarket.
Mads followed him out, looking pale and troubled.
“I take it that didn’t go so well?” I wrapped an arm around his waist and led him outside into the car park.
“You might say that.” He let me steer him toward the closest shade, a picnic table under a beech tree outside a gelato shop.
“Wait here.” I went inside and ordered a couple of green apple gelatos, then joined Mads back at the table.
Mads took the gelato without even asking its flavour. “We left our shopping sitting in the supermarket. It’s probably gone by now,” he said absently, licking the icy treat. “Mmm, this is good.”
“We’ll do another round before we head back. Now, tell me everything.” I leaned back and crossed my legs, waiting.
Mads talked as he ate, slowly filling me in on his conversation with Lee. “There was bruising on his arms,” he finished. “Nasty stuff. But when I asked him about it, he wouldn’t answer. He doesn’t want us interfering, so he’s playing it down. I’m sure of it.” Mads tugged his wig back into place from where it was slipping sideways on his forehead. “I’m sweating so much under this thing it’s like a slip ’n’ slide.”
I batted his hand away and adjusted it myself. “Rethinking the buzz cut?”
He looked up, horrified. “Hell no. It might suit you, but I’d look like a demented hedgehog.”
I chuckled. “I quite like hedgehogs.” A comment that earned me a withering look. “So, the brother is staying there as well. How did that happen?”
Mads blew out a long sigh. “According to Lee, they have similar stories. When Lee was outed by a Bible-banging classmate at sixteen, who’d seen Lee kissing another guy, their zealot Christian parents booted him out. He couch-surfed fora while with friends in Adelaide until he finished school, then made his way to Melbourne at eighteen. He skipped from job to job, doing bit work for the most part. Lord knows why he didn’t try modelling. The man has cheekbones to die for. Anyway, he was bartending in the owners’ VIP tent at Caulfield Racetrack when he first met Marty. Marty was charming and interested and showered Lee with gifts... at the start. By the time things started to change between them, Lee was already in too deep. And the rest, he says, is history. That’s as much as he’d say.”
“What doestoo deepmean?”
Mads shrugged. “He wouldn’t elaborate.”
I blew out a sigh. “That still doesn’t explain his brother.”
“Aaron is also gay as it turns out,” Mads explained. “Lee didn’t know because there’s nine years between them and Aaron was only seven when Lee left home, and their parents didn’t allow any contact. They told Aaron that Graham slash Lee had run away and didn’t want to be found. Aaron didn’t know what to believe, but he took his parents’ word for it at first.”
“I take it things changed when he came out?”
