Beloved: A Henry Dawncraft Novel |boyxboy| Sequel to Lover for Pay

XXXI - Agreement

Henry didn't quite know what he was going to do to get his husband back, but if there was anything he did know — he was not going home without Daniel by his side. He'd surely planned to give this whole issue with Tucker and Otto the finger, but now that they'd gone and inserted themselves somewhere they shouldn't have, there was no way he could let even a portion of this slide.

Otto had sounded so cocky, so sure of himself on the phone, and Henry could practically see the disgusting smile plastered across this man's face. He didn't know what Otto looked like, but he was going to make sure not even Otto would be able to recognize himself when he looked into a mirror after tonight.

He just hoped with all his heart that Daniel would truly remain untouched for the time being. Henry wasn't a fool to believe Otto would respect his one plea to not lay another hand upon his husband, but surely he would right any harm brought to the one he loved no matter what.

As Henry strapped his son's car seat in the back seat of the Honda, he couldn't help but envision all those in the past who'd laid a hand on Daniel. Whether it was a jerk from middle school who'd gotten a kick out of tripping Daniel in the hallway, shoving him around during gym, or actually trying to rough him up whenever they got the chance—always, Henry took it upon himself to teach those a lesson of what happened when you touched his friend. And now that he and Daniel were married, now that the brunette was the love of his entire life, Henry hoped they planned on calling out to whatever God they believed in for mercy once he was before them. Whether it was just Otto or Otto and any others, Henry didn't care. Whoever had a hand in inflicting any sort of pain against his husband was going to pay.

Once Dimitri's car seat was buckled in correctly, Henry opened the driver side door and pulled himself inside. He hardly heard his father as Travis called after him. There wasn't a single word Henry wanted to hear from the man. He felt like he'd trusted so much of himself with Travis, and it seemed his biggest mistake was thinking he could rely on the man to watch over his family. Daniel was gone and Dimitri had been left alone for who knows how long? All for...what? Elaine? Henry's heart burned at the mere understanding that his mother was here in the first place. Had she really not gotten the fucking hint?

"Henry, wait," Travis grabbed the handle of the driver side door, holding it open so his son wouldn't so hurriedly drive off. "What are you going to do? Listen, I'm sorry for what's happened, but you shouldn't try to take this on yourself. Just go to the police."

"They said no cops," Henry recalled, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his father could see how pale his knuckles were becoming.

"And you're actually going to listen to that?"

"Go away," Henry said coldly. "I'm doing this my way."

"Henry—."

"Travis!" Elaine's voice called from the front step of the house. She looked impatient, as if her time with the man she'd come to see had been rudely interrupted.

Travis, on the other hand, made an attempt to shut her out and reached into the Honda, closing an arm around Henry's upper arm. "Look, I'm so sorry about what's happened and I want to help in any way I can, but I can't let you go off—."

"Travis, are you seriously leaving?"

"—on your own like this, son. I know you're furious with me, and you have every right to be, but...please, let me help. I'll do whatever I—."

"Travis!"

Henry shut his eyes as he sat there behind the steering wheel, the smoldering in his heart worsening at the mere sound of his mother's voice. He tried to block her out and finally met Travis' eyes. "It seems like you have more important things to attend to here," he said, and then he shoved his father away, fully shut the driver side door and gave life to the engine. Blocking out every call of his name and requests for him to stay, he backed out of the driveway and headed out onto the road with his son.