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Paul cocked a brow.
“It’s fresh.” Rory felt defensive.
“Six weeks old,” Paul said. “But don’t you
worry, I chucked it out and the vile smell should
be gone in a week or so.”
Rory opened, closed and reopened his mouth.
He picked up another muffin. Better to shut it
with something tasty, before he said something
he’d regret.
He caught Dennis looking at him longingly.
“Do you miss eating food?” he asked.
“No, not at all. I miss…being hungry though.
Does that make sense?”
“I feel the same way,” Rory’s father said and for
the first time, Rory realized his parents had
turned. How? When? He came back into his body,
out of the realm of spirits for the first time since
they’d landed on dry land.
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Apocalypse
How could I not have noticed my parents were
different?
His mother smiled at him and said, “I miss
food. I miss chocolate the most.”
Rory nodded, not knowing how to respond to
that.
His parents said they chose to turn long before
the war as a way to stave off illness. “We have no
more aches and pains,” his mom said, as she gave
Rory’s office a spring cleaning.
“We
couldn’t
afford
insurance
and
our
healthcare
provider
suggested
we
become
vampires. You know, your father’s libido is now
in the stratosphere.”
“Oh, God…thanks for sharing,” Rory said,
clapping his hands over his ears.
“You should get some flowers in here,” she
said. “A few plants. It’s so…businesslike in here.”
“It’s an office,” he reminded her.
“No need for it to look so sterile,” she insisted.
“Whatever,” Rory said. “Please don’t put fluffy
pillows or stuffed toys in here,” he said.
“Just plants, darling.”
“I know you, Mom.”
He noticed her gaze straying to his barren sofa
and he buried himself in paperwork. Plants and
flowers were the least of his problems. His big
problem was Paul wanting to spend every night
with him. It was nice. Too nice.
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“I like him,” his mom said. “He’s all right for a
human.”
She enjoyed her own little joke and Rory felt
everybody was having a party…a game of musical
chairs. Every time the music stopped, he was the
only one without a chair.
Late one night, he and Paul made love and as
they lay in each other’s arms, Paul started tickling
him. Rory’s laughing prompted Dennis and
Thiago to bang on the wall.
“Knock it off,” they both shouted good-
naturedly.
“Don’t you know vamps have to sleep? That
means you, Paul,” Thiago added with a growl.
“How can I sleep when I’m in love?” he
hollered back.
“Love?” Rory blinked, looking at him. “Are
you?”
He smiled. “Of course. Rory, we’ve been
sleeping together every damn night for months.
What do you think I’m doing here?”
Rory wrapped his arms around his neck and
held tight.
“What is it? You’re shaking.”
“Nothing.”
“Is it Carden?”
Rory let him go. It was rare anyone mentioned
his name. People still left cards and notes by his
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Apocalypse
statue, but Carden was gone. He’d become an
urban myth. Rory sometimes felt his life with
Carden was a dream.
“No, it’s…”
“I know you still feel pain. I’m not trying to
replace him. But I can’t compete with a dead
man…or a vampire, let’s say, who doesn’t exist
anymore.”
“We don’t know that.”
“Rory, he’s been gone over a year. He’s not
coming back. He gave his life to save this world.
He’s a hero but heroes die.”
Rory swallowed. “I know I have to go on. I do
care about you, Paul, I…”
“But you don’t love me? You don’t allow
yourself to love me because you hang on to a dead
man.”
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Rory pulled Paul
closer. “No more Carden. I’m going to put him
behind me. He’s gone.”
* * * *
Derek watched William with amazement. “Did
you just carry that trunk in here by yourself?”
“Yep,” he grinned.
“Damn, you’re strong.”
He shrugged, pulling up his sleeve with a
flirtatious grin. “All in the biceps.”
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“You have great muscles,” Derek groaned,
“especially the one between your legs. Oh, Will,
let’s leave the rest of the stuff on the truck. Come
upstairs and fuck me.”
William laughed. “You’re renting it by the
hour. And I got to get to work, remember?”
“Shorter commute now that we’ve moved to
San Jose,” he suggested. “Come on, baby, I need
that cock.”
William shook his head. “I’ll lock it up. Go
upstairs and get naked. I got exactly an hour
before I have to be at the site.”
“You’re going to be supervisor soon.”
“Don’t count on it,” he said, “boss hates me.”
“He’s an idiot.”
William walked outside and locked up the
truck. He glanced up at the grey sky and sighed.
He was going to work. He doubted they’d get
much work done today. He walked back into the
new house Derek had bought and studied the
room off the entrance. He’d promised to make that
into Derek’s office. It was going to be a job. He
climbed the stairs two at a time and smiled as he
spotted Derek lying on the floor on the mattress.
“You might want to put a blanket over that,” he
laughed, undoing his pants.
“Why? Are you going to come all over it?”
Derek flashed him a smile, glancing back at him.
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Apocalypse
“No, but you are,” he said, stripping off his
clothes and crawling down on top of him. He
dragged him up on all fours and began to run his
hands over him. Derek bucked his hips against his
erection. A finger up inside of him caused him to
move his hips quite frantically.
“I’m ready, God, fuck me, William.”
William dug in his cock, burying it inside
Derek’s ass. He began to pump and pump, his
eyes closed. Carden…oh Carden…yeah…yeah.
His eyes flew open as Derek gasped out his
orgasm. “Who in the hell…” He fell backward,
laughing a little.
“What?” Derek asked, breathing hard.
“Who or what is a Carden?”
“Who?”
“Nothing. I swear I hear voices sometimes, at
weird times.” He stood up, began to dress. “Got to
go. Foreman will kill me.”
“Quit that job, sweetie. Work on my office. I’ll
pay you.”
“You do enough. I want to earn my own
money. I’ll work on it when I get back.” He did up
his shirt. As he walked outside, it started to rain.
* * * *
Rory’s dad came up with a solution for the late-
night noise. He suggested he build a special house
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AJ Llewellyn and DJ Manly
for Thiago and Dennis. Thiago instantly had grand
plans for a big property. He wanted a luxurious
house, with handsome park grounds they’d open
to local children.
Dennis threw himself behind the project and
Rory encouraged them, but secretly, Rory felt life
was moving faster than he would have liked. He
knew Paul wanted them to have a home of their
own.
“I’m willing to stay here by the Bay,” he said,
“even though most refugees are moving into their
own places.”
“But I like it here,” Rory said.
Thiago wanted Rory’s advice and asked him to
come to the new property Eugene had found him.
He burbled with excitement as they drove to the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]