'Black and White' - The White Bridge Crime Series 2 - LGBT, manXman

23

Rachel --->

Rex was surprised to find himself waking up the next morning, having expected to get no sleep at all.

Eli was still sleeping peacefully, his body sprawled out atop of Rex's, mumbling softly.

Rex let him sleep for another half an hour, before shaking him awake and sitting up, yawning.

Eli rubbed his eyes, stretched and stumbled out of the room to have a shower.

Rex went downstairs and made them each a mug of coffee, fed the cats, and started making breakfast.

They were halfway through their meal when the front door slammed open, making Eli jump and spill his coffee down his shirt.

Swearing loudly, Eli pulled off his shirt before the hot drink scalded him, and turned around to glare at Dom.

"Did you have to come in so... violently?" He demanded, grabbing a tea towel and wiping his chest.

Rex idly let his eyes slide over Eli's torso for a moment, before he looked across at Dom.

"What's up?"

Dom wordlessly handed him the morning newspaper.

Rex scanned the headline and dropped the paper.

"Shit."

"Shit indeed," Dom said grimly.

"What's up?" Eli asked, picked up the paper.

He went pale when he saw the headline.

"How did they find out?" He whispered. "No one knows except us... and Cole."

"And Francis," Rex said. His voice was hard with supressed rage. "She must've told the media."

"To make sure everyone knew," Dom said quietly. ""If her brother knew because of her, we'd immediately trace everything back to her. If the entire town knows..."

Eli shivered.

Rex wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him, ignoring Dom's smirk.

"Can I have a word?" Dom said after a moment, motioned Rex to the front door.

Rex followed him outside.

"So... you two?"

Rex nodded.

"I think so, yeah." Rex grinned sheepishly. "He's, erm... great."

"I didn't realise you... were..."

"Neither did I."

Dom opened his mouth to speak, when a loud gunshot shattered the quiet morning.

They stared blankly at each other for a moment, before a scream echoed from the house.

"Eli!" Rex darted back inside. "Eli, where are you?"

He found Eli in the kitchen, struggling underneath a tall man who was pinning him down, his hands tight around Eli's throat.

Eli was gasping for breath, his fingers scrabbling against the man's hands, trying to push him away.

Rex ran forwards and grabbed the man's collar, twisting it so tightly the man choked. Yanking hard upwards, Rex hauled the man off Eli.

They crashed backwards onto the floor as Dom came into the kitchen, both of them yelling, Rex swearing loudly.

The man's fist sank into Rex's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. Before Dom could step forward to help Rex, Eli had grabbed a heavy frying pan from the worktop and whacked the man around the head with it.

The man fell limply onto Rex with a groan.

Rex pushed the man away and scrambled to his feet. He noticed there was blood pooling on the kitchen floor, and knelt beside the man. He saw a hole in the man's trousers, where the bullet had entered the shin. The entire lower leg looked shattered; how the man had found the strength to move - let alone fight - Rex had no idea.

"Are you alright?" He asked Eli, panting for breath.

The small man was huddled in the corner between two cabinets, shaking.

"Is he... dead?" Eli whispered.

"No, unfortunately. Just knocked out," Rex said grimly.

As he spoke, the back door opened, and two armed policemen came inside.

"Is everyone alright?" The taller one asked.

Dom nodded.

"We couldn't get another clear shot. We had to go for the leg."

"Thanks to you two, we're fine. Take him out to the van. We'll look after Eli."

The two men carried the unconscious man out to the police van and took him to the hospital under a heavy guard.

Rex managed to coax Eli out of the corner and was urging him to drink some whisky.

Dom went over to them and squeezed Rex's shoulder reassuringly, before kneeling in front of Eli.

"Eli, we can't stay here. They have to come in and... take photographs. Evidence."

Eli nodded blankly.

"Rex, go and get some clothes for the pair of you. I'll take Eli out to the car."

Dom lifted Eli to his feet and guided him out to the car; the man seemed to be in shock.

Rex joined them a few minutes later, carrying two cat carriers and a small suitcase, and Dom drove them to his house.

He got out and went to fetch Adrian while Rex talked to Eli.

"Eli, we have to go back to the station. We need to talk to Cole, and we'll talk to Francis as well now. Adrian will look after you."

Rex helped Eli from the car and drew him into a hug, not caring that they were both covered in blood.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, alright."

He kissed Eli gently, before letting Adrian take him inside.

*

"You have been in the wars, haven't you?" Adrian said as he closed the front door. "Go on your bed, Mia."

The huge black and white Newfoundland dog obediently padded back into the kitchen.

"Come on, Eli. Let's get you in the shower."

Adrian found Eli was completely unable to act for himself. He seemed to have completely shut down.

Adrian ran a warm bath, carefully stripped Eli down, and lowered him into the water.

He put Eli's clothes into a plastic bag for Dom to collect later, hoping any evidence was properly preserved, and knelt beside the bath.

Eli was shivering, despite the warm water.

Picking up the sponge that was on the side, Adrian carefully washed the blood from Eli's torso. He washed Eli's hair and face, and helped him out of the bath.

"Come on. Sit in the kitchen while I find you some clothes. The aga keeps the room nice and warm."

Adrian sat Eli down on one of the bar stool at the breakfast bar, beside the aga, and turned to go and fetch some clothes. He felt Eli's hand shoot out and grip his wrist firmly.

"Don't leave me," Eli whispered.

"Alright." Adrian pulled Eli into a hug, cradling him close.

He called Rachel and sent her to fetch some of his clothes for Eli.

Adrian carefully pulled the clothes onto Eli's body and hugged the smaller man again.

He'd stopped shivering, but still seemed to be in a state of complete and utter shock.