Page 10 of The Bathhouse (Roosters #10)

One day slid into another. Reed had never been so happy and relaxed. Things at the office were going well. The men seemed to respect Joseph, and Reed had no qualms about leaving him in charge.

But being around Joseph in the office, now that was hard. He’d look at him across the room and want to touch him. Or touch the hard cock tenting in his slacks. He had to keep reminding himself that he would see Joseph later.

Nights he spent at Joseph’s apartment. He wanted to end his days sleeping in his lover’s embrace, so now it was his turn to sneak out in the early hours of the morning so he could shower and dress at the hotel.

He did it for appearances, not because he missed the amenities of the hotel.

He didn’t care where they slept as long as they were together.

So not like him. Being with another man for more than one night wasn’t like him either.

Reed surprised himself. None of this behavior was typical for him.

Reed always laid down the ground rules before hooking up. No long-term relationships, and he never spent the night with a lover. Just like he’d never before brought a hookup back to his hotel. He’d already broken those rules with Joseph.

And the cuddling, that was new for sure.

Normally, once his needs had been met, Reed did a runner or his partner took off.

There was no cuddling after fucking. That kind of intimacy made a man vulnerable.

But he enjoyed snuggling with Joseph, and he was determined to enjoy this time as long as he could.

He’d be on his way home soon enough. Only two more days remained of his trip.

It was late morning, and Joseph had gone to pick up lunch while Reed organized files in the office. He’d left the door open so he could keep an eye on the men while he worked.

No knock preceded Dave Torres’ abrupt arrival. He strode forcefully over the threshold, closed the door behind him, and planted himself in front of the desk.

Reed stood. “What are you doing here?”

Torres took a seat uninvited and smiled like the Cheshire cat. “I came to pick up my severance pay.”

“You got whatever was coming to you. Now get out.”

“Not until I get what you owe me.”

“I don’t owe you a thing. Get out or I’ll have you thrown out.” Reed picked up the phone.

“I think you’ll want to see these first.” Torres reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. He threw it on the desk between them. “Go ahead. Take a look.”

Reed sat. Against his better judgment, he reached for the envelope and pulled out a series of photos.

He felt the color drain from his face. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at.

Naked photos of him and Joseph, taken in his hotel room.

They were in bed and there was no mistaking what they were up to. Had Joseph set him up?

His heart refused to believe what his mind told him. “Where did you get these? They can’t be real.”

“Oh, they’re real, all right. Your boyfriend took them himself.”

Could it be true? Was Joseph in on this? Despite the knot in his gut, Reed put on a bold front. He stood and threw the photos across the desk. “Get the fuck out. Blackmail is illegal.”

“Only if it gets reported, and I’m sure you don’t want to share these with the world. I’m not playing games, Reed. I want $200,000 in small bills or these photos will get sent to your family, friends, and colleagues.”

Reed stared at Torres defiantly. “No way.”

“That’s fine. I’d almost rather forego the money and send these off, but do you really want to go that route?” He smiled thinly. “It’s your decision.”

“What guarantee do I have that you won’t send the photos anyway?”

“I’ll disappear and you won’t hear from me again. You’ll have to trust me.”

The throbbing in his temples wouldn’t let him think. He rubbed his head, tried to make a decision. “I… Uh, I need some time.”

Torres laughed. “Sure. I’ll be back tomorrow, same time. Have the cash in a duffle bag. Oh, and you can keep those photos. I have more.” He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

What would this do to my career and reputation ?

Reed sank back into the chair. He could afford the money, but he knew damn well that there was no end to blackmail.

It was never one and done. Torres would use him again.

He’d be living under constant threats and elevating demands. It would never stop.

And, at any time, Torres could decide to reveal his secrets anyway. There’d be no way to stop him. One morning, he could wake up and find the photos plastered all over the Internet. I’d have given him power over me for nothing .

Reed put his head in his hands. He had two choices: Pay up and give Torres this power over him, or break Torres’ hold by revealing his secret life himself. He wasn’t sure he could accept the consequences.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.”

Joseph opened the door and walked in smiling. He placed a bag of food on the desk. “You’re going to love this Pancit. It’s a simple dish but --”

Overcome by a wave of fury, Reed swept the bag off the desk. Noodles, meat, and vegetables spilled across the floor.

Joseph’s smile vanished, wiped away by shock. Silent, he stared at Reed, his expression like someone who had been struck in the face.

Reed picked up the photos and shoved them at Joseph. “I had a visitor while you were gone.”

Joseph shuffled through the pictures; his face became twisted with anguish. He collapsed into the chair and put his head in his hands. “I’m so sorry.”

Reed’s heart sank. Some small part of him had hoped that Joseph would explain this all away, but that hope disappeared. “So you admit to being part of this blackmail scheme?”

Joseph looked up; his face full of despair. “No. I admit I took these photos, but I was never going to use them against you. They were for me, no one else. Who gave you these?”

“Your partner, Dave Torres.”

“You’re my only partner.”

Reed laughed, a humorless vicious sound.

“That’s a joke. I can see now I was wrong to trust you.

There were red flags, but stupidly, I ignored them.

” Suddenly, Reed’s anger was washed away by a wave of sadness.

He sat heavily in the chair. “You should pack your things and go, Joseph. I don’t want to see you again. ”

* * *

Joseph left quietly, but he was filled with rage against Torres. He’d probably lose his job now, but he didn’t care about that. Losing Reed’s affection and respect was so much worse.

Now he knew how his phone had gone missing. Torres had picked it up and hacked his way inside, looking for something he could use for revenge. Joseph wanted to kick that motherfucker’s ass.

Looking up Dave’s address was not a problem. Finding his apartment was. When he arrived at the address on record, a woman came to the door. She’d been renting for months and never heard of a Dave Torres.

Joseph felt frustrated, but not shocked.

Being a lowlife lawbreaker, Torres would probably move around a lot.

A setback for sure, but not time to give up.

Joseph looked for a place he’d frequented when he was still searching for a job and needed computer access.

Back then, there used to be dozens of Internet cafes, but now many stood empty or had been taken over by different businesses because of the pandemic.

The streets were crowded, and people pushed at Joseph.

Evidently he moved too slowly, but he didn’t want to miss the small storefront that he remembered.

He turned down an alley behind a building and spotted it, a large sign bearing the name CYBER CAFé in all caps.

Greeted by a dim room filled with computers, Joseph quickly got to work.

His attempt to find Torres on Facebook failed, but he’d expected that. A criminal mind had to be secretive.

Googling how to find someone brought up numerous results. At the top of the list was On the Hunt , a service that claimed it would search public records and provide a detailed report on any person you were looking for. It would cost him, but the good reviews promised it would be worth the expense.

Joseph entered Torres’ full name, and previous location. Up came a list of possible candidates. Selecting the one that matched the Torres he knew, Joseph submitted a background check request.

The detailed report came back quicker than he expected. It included addresses, phone numbers, and not surprisingly, a criminal record. Joseph’s eyes went wide. This was more than speeding tickets. Felonies and misdemeanors were listed. This was worth every penny he’d spent.

Obviously, either no one had done a background check on Torres or one of his cronies had covered for him. No matter. Joseph had what he needed now, and he was ready to confront his kaaway . Torres hadn’t counted on Joseph’s tenacity when he made Joseph his enemy.

* * *

Joseph had never been a violent man, but right now, he wanted to knock out the son of a bitch in front of him.

He needed to smash that cocky look off Torres’ face for so many reasons.

Not just for targeting Reed. God knew, he must have cheated so many others in his lifetime.

Joseph would be doing them all a favor. Somehow, he kept his calm. He needed information.

“Why?”

Torres smiled. “That’s a silly question. Why did you take the photos in the first place? Why do we do anything? You’re just like me, Joseph. It’s all about the money.”

“I’m nothing like you. I admit I took the pictures, but in the end, I couldn’t go through with anything that would hurt Reed.”

“Bullshit. You don’t care about that pompous ass, only what he can do for you.”

The insults made Joseph see red. He felt his pulse rise, his heart started to beat faster. In an instant, they were on each other. Torres blocked every blow.