Page 40 of The Question of Us (Fisher & Church #2)

Eventually Marty stepped in and pulled Gazza free with a warning look to the birthday boy.

Jacob paled and raised his hands in apology, and I took the exchange to mean Marty had warned Jacob to keep his hands off what was his.

It sent a cold chill down my spine, and it was all I could do not to race down and punch their lights out. All of them. I wasn’t fussy.

Unlike me, Gazza handled the situation much more calmly.

He brushed himself off and wagged his finger at Jacob in a naughty-boy gesture that started everyone laughing again.

To those who didn’t know Gazza like I did, he likely appeared nothing more than amused by the rude affront.

But I knew better. The set of his jaw and the distance he put between himself and Jacob told me Gazza understood things had taken a turn and that he was going to have to use every wile in his book of tricks to leave this damn party in one piece.

Nothing here was as it seemed, and we’d made a huge miscalculation.

Conversation restarted and the tension dissolved. Marty stayed for a while, then disappeared into the marquee. While he was gone, Jacob kept his distance from Gazza, and although the others couldn’t keep their eyes off the gorgeous man, no one made a move on him. Marty’s message had been received.

Marty returned a few minutes later with three glasses of champagne and three half-full whisky glasses on a tray.

He handed a champagne to Gazza, who initially shook his head before finally accepting, one to the young man who swallowed half of it in a single gulp, and the last one he kept for himself.

The remaining three men helped themselves to the whisky.

Marty said something and raised his glass.

Everyone clinked theirs to his, and they drank a toast before resuming the conversation.

Gazza sipped on his champagne, clearly trying to make it last. He’d fully intended not to drink at all, but maybe he worried that turning down Marty’s hospitality would raise a red flag.

As time passed, Marty became increasingly handsy, touching Gazza at every opportunity, stroking his arm and tucking his hair behind his ear.

Gazza handled it well. He smiled politely and slid free of Marty’s arm whenever he could, allowing the man enough flirtable rope to satisfy his obvious interest without overly encouraging it.

In between sips, Gazza casually scoped the yard, clearly on the lookout for Lee and maybe me as well.

But Lee was nowhere to be seen. He was either being kept in the background or not allowed to attend at all, a fact I found troubling.

Freshly returned to the nest and Marty’s control, I’d have thought Marty would’ve wanted to advertise that fact.

Show that the prodigal boyfriend had returned. So where was Lee?

My phone vibrated in my hand. It was Mads. I turned and cupped my hands over the dull screen to check the text.

What’s happening?

I typed back. G is talking with Marty and a few others including a young guy who looks a lot like Lee. Could be Aaron. No sign of Lee yet.

Dots came and went. Aaron? Does Gazza know?

Don’t think so. The kid looks drunk and this arsehole Jacob is all over him.

Mads took a moment to reply. Shit. Give it another forty-five, then if Lee’s a no-show, get out of there.

What about Aaron? I don’t wanna leave him with these jerks.

More dots came and went. They stopped and then started up again. I don’t know. You decide. If it’s too risky you might have to leave him to Lee. Aaron’s his brother after all. Just give me some warning in case I have to save your sorry arses.

I scowled at the phone. Gee, thanks. A lot of help that was. I returned my attention to the party in time to see a man emerge like a bullet from the house on a beeline for Marty and the group.

Lee. Finally . Dressed in fitted white trousers that left little to the imagination and a shocking pink-and-orange floral shirt open to the waist, revealing a white leather harness.

The harness matched the white leather choker, or maybe dog collar, buckled around his throat, its bulky silver ornaments dangling down his long, slender neck.

As Lee barged through a throng of intoxicated dancers, who parted before him like the Red Sea, their curious eyes tracking his progress, I fired Mads another text.

Eyes on Lee heading for Marty.

I’d barely pushed send when Freddie appeared in pursuit of Lee, making a grab for the younger man’s arm.

Lee jerked himself free without even a glance and kept going.

He was spitting mad about something, and it wasn’t hard to guess what.

If I’d been right about Aaron, and after what Lee had told Mads in the supermarket, then Lee wouldn’t be at all happy seeing his tipsy brother in the company of one of Marty’s friends.

Maybe even the same man Marty had warned was interested in Aaron.

Dammit. Our plan was about to go to hell in a fucking handbasket. We needed Lee thinking straight and free to move around the party. What we didn’t need was him causing a scene that would likely get him banished from the party and shut down any chance of getting him alone.

With Lee’s arrival imminent, Jacob nudged Marty, who did a slow turn to greet his ‘boyfriend’, arms out. But Lee didn’t slow. He got right up in Marty’s face and started shouting and gesticulating wildly. From a distance, I caught the angry tone but could only guess at the words.

In contrast to Lee, Marty’s expression remained cold and vaguely threatening, his displeasure evident in the curled lip and menacing expression.

It sent a chill up my spine. If Lee didn’t get out of this place tonight, he’d be facing some kind of punishment for this infraction, for sure.

Marty wouldn’t stand for being embarrassed in front of his guests.

Not getting the answers he was clearly looking for, Lee took a look around the group. His gaze lingered on Gazza, and my heart almost stopped in my chest. Then he stabbed a finger Gazza’s way and started going off at Marty once again.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Had Lee recognised Gazza? Was that what he was telling Marty? I glanced around the patio and wondered how in the hell I was going to get us out of there. It wasn’t like there were a lot of options.

Samuel’s words of advice echoed in my head.

If things go to shit, get Mads to call me or the police.

Everyone keeps their phone at the ready.

Always. If you’re at risk of being caught and have time, call the cops and try to keep the line open so whatever happens is taped and makes any aggressors think twice.

Keep in public view. Don’t let yourselves be taken away.

I thought about his advice and how best to implement it.

Stay in public view . I could keep an open line to the police and go down to the party.

Simply lead Gazza away. Make a scene so everyone sees me.

So the police hear me. Then they can’t do anything, right?

Don’t go inside the house. Don’t go inside the house.

Leave through the garden or up to the turnaround. Get Mads to meet us there.

But Samuel wasn’t counting on the party being complicit with Marty. Or who these men actually were. Would a scene really save us? Did I have a choice?

Not really.

I began to inch forward through the garden to see if I could catch anything of the conversation. Even just a few words above the music. But I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Marty cupped Gazza’s face and kissed him full-on the lips, right in front of Lee.

Gazza’s eyes widened and he appeared to sway backward, his knees crumbling. Marty caught him, the kiss lingering for a long time until Marty finally pulled away, leaving Gazza reaching for Jacob’s arm, seemingly to steady himself.

Lee had stopped talking in the wake of the kiss and was staring at Marty, clearly confused.

Not jealous. Not that. More like this wasn’t going the way he’d expected.

For his part, Marty simply stared back, the look on his face challenging Lee to do something about what he’d just seen.

Like he was itching for a fight, and I imagined he was.

Abusers look for any excuse to lay into their victims. I knew that firsthand.

The other men watched on in silence, amused if anything.

Eventually, Lee shook his head and said something that turned Marty’s expression to ice. Lee reached for his brother’s arm, but Jacob drew Aaron away. Lee lunged again and this time Marty caught his hand, pulling Lee around the side of the marquee and out of sight.

I ran my fingers through my short hair . This was not going to end well.

Aaron swayed in Jacob’s hold as he watched his brother being unceremoniously led away. There was a confused expression on his face, like he didn’t understand what was happening, and it struck me in that moment that Aaron was possibly drugged and not drunk at all. Or maybe both.

Drugged. The thought percolated in my brain for a few seconds before my gaze shot back to Gazza.

With a chill, I remembered the champagne Marty had personally delivered even though he had a ton of wait staff to do it for him.

Gazza’s empty glass was dangling from his hand like he’d forgotten it was even there. The sway. The reaching for Jacob’s arm.

I raised my phone and texted Gazza a warning. Get out now. ?spiked drink.

Gazza raised his free hand to his brow and shook his head like he was trying to clear it. What he didn’t do was reach for his phone.

Come on, Gazza , I silently urged. Check your phone. Check your phone.