It took two hours to get done at the hospital. Brian had to admit, he was feeling pretty good by then. The medication they’d prescribed, he now had in his pocket, with directions on when to take it. The local they’d given him to stitch shut the small chunk of flesh that had been torn had everything nice and numb. He only wished that he could make his brain numb too.
AJ had been strong and steady beside him the entire time he’d been at the hospital. His love hadn’t spoken much, but neither had Brian. The two had only spoken when they’d had to make their statements to the police. Beyond that, all they wanted was to be in one another’s company. A reassurance that they were together and safe.
Yet Brian could see everything wearing on AJ. The fear that someone had shot at them. Both of them knew that it had been aimed for AJ. They had just moved at the wrong time, and Brian had been grazed by the bullet. This shot had been meant for AJ. That alone was enough to have AJ terrified. Add on that they were stuck sitting in a hospital, surrounded by people that AJ didn’t know, in a place that he couldn’t be positive he was totally safe. It had his nerves jangling.
So when they finally got into the backseat of their car, with a security guard driving them, Brian took hold of AJ’s hand again and held on tight, wanting to offer him strength. He leaned against him as the car started down the road. He felt AJ sigh out his tension and slowly soften against him. They drew strength from one another.
“I’m fine, Alex.” Brian whispered to him. He lifted his good arm to curl it around AJ’s shoulders and pull the younger man against him. He kissed the top of AJ’s head. “Really, I am. You heard them. It’s just a flesh wound.”
“Because of me, Bri.” AJ’s voice was low and hoarse, and held a world of pain. In there, Brian could clearly hear the fear and the guilt. “You got shot because someone wants to kill me. That doesn’t translate to ‘fine’ for me.”
When they reached the hotel, AJ managed to hold himself together. He kept his peace as security rushed them inside by focusing on Brian. “Are you hurting, honey?” he asked softly when they were standing in the elevator. Brian tipped his head up and offered AJ a smile. “A little rummy at the edges, but I’m ok. That pain med stuff they gave me was stronger than I think it needed to be.”
One of the guards chuckled and looked back at them. “When it wears off, Mr. Littrell, trust me, you’ll be ready for another pain pill. It’ll ache more than you’ll realize.”
The doors dinged and opened. Instant chaos seemed to reign. Even as they stepped out they were surrounded again. There were voices echoing down the hallway, one of them cursing loudly. Brian looked over at AJ, thinking that his love would be just as curious as he was. What he saw surprised him. AJ was standing, staring as if he would be able to see through the security. His eyes were wide and his skin pale. From head to toe, quivers ran through him. A bad feeling settled low in Brian’s stomach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AJ couldn’t believe it. He knew that sound. He knew that voice; recognized the anger in it. It was the voice that haunted his dreams. His life. Without realizing it he dropped Brian’s hand and stepped up to his ring of security, peeking through. The sight that met him almost had his stomach dropping out of his body. Six men were being handcuffed and led toward the elevators. Six men that he knew he would never forget in his life.
He stayed perfectly still as they walked past them. All of them were specters of horror in his mind, but the last one in line held his attention. Al. The one who AJ had bumped in to. The one who had taken the most pleasure from him; the one who had threatened to kill him if he ever told. The main voice that had tortured AJ for the past almost seven months.
Something lit deep inside of AJ, burning through the panic, freeing his frozen muscles. Before anyone realized what he was doing, AJ squeezed between the wall of bodies and out into the hallway. He stepped into the path of the officer and the man. AJ stood his ground and met the eyes of the man who had ruined his life. The man who had broken him into pieces and left him there to try to reconstruct his life.
Al smiled as he was stopped right in front of AJ. His eyes were hard and cold, sending a chill down AJ’s spine. “Hey, pretty girl.”
Those familiar words almost had AJ’s body going into a full blown panic. He paid no attention to anyone else around him. He had no idea that the entire hallway was frozen, watching him, waiting to see what would happen. He didn’t know that everyone there felt he had earned this right to face this man. They didn’t feel he was a danger, cuffed, with a cop holding those cuffs.
AJ fought back the fear and the memories. He focused on the here and now. There were so many things he had always thought to himself that he would say if he was ever faced with these men again. But they wouldn’t come to him now.
“What, cat got your tongue?” Al taunted. His smile grew sharper, and he puckered his lips slightly. “Come to give papa a kiss goodbye? I promise, I’ll see you again, don’t you worry.”
“I don’t have to be afraid of you anymore.” AJ told him defiantly. The words were tore from that broken part deep inside of him. He said it as much to himself as he did to Al. “You’re a pathetic excuse for a man, and you’re going to rot in jail.”
“We’ll see about that, pretty girl.” They were only inches apart now. How had they gotten that way? Everyone seemed too frozen to realize it. Al startled them all when he quickly leaned forward and ran his tongue along AJ’s jaw, up to his ear. The shudder that ran through AJ was so big it was almost a convulsion. Al just laughed and stepped back before he could be yanked back.
Looking at him, AJ felt every emotion inside of him build. Fear, anger, pain, disgust, and even a small amount of craziness. They filled him, overpowering him, giving him courage that he didn’t know he had. Without warning his fist shot out, punching Al so hard in his face that the man fell backwards and the cop fell back as well.
AJ didn’t waste time. He jumped on top of Al with a wild shout, punching him for all he was worth. He grabbed the collar of Al’s shirt to hold him there, and punched his face with his other hand. He didn’t realize that he was screaming at him, words that broke the hearts of those around him. “How does it feel? Huh? How does it feel to be helpless?” AJ screamed at him. “You like being held down, not being able to defend yourself? Does it feel good? You ruined my life!”
Al bucked his body, sending AJ rolling sideways with him rolling on top. Before the cops could grab him, he was trying to ram his knee into AJ’s stomach. He got a few solid hits in before three cops were pulling him back. Instead of curling up on the ground, AJ let out a wild yell and launched again, tackling them both to the ground.
Four security guards grabbed hold of AJ, pulling him backwards. Instead of stopping him, it only added the slick layer of panic to everything, making him fight harder. He didn’t know who was grabbing him. All he knew was that there were hands on him, holding him and trying to carry him away.
It was the smug smirk on Al’s face that did him in. AJ didn’t stop to think about his actions. He didn’t take time to try to be rational. Reacting solely on emotion, he reached his arm down just as he broke free from the cops, grabbing the gun that rested in the holster there. Before anyone realized what had happened, AJ was standing away from everyone, the gun in his hands pointed straight at Al’s head.
The hallway went silent. One of the cops made to move, to step between Al and AJ, and AJ let out a growl. “Stay out of my way.”
Al’s eyes had grown wide at first, but they were slightly mocking now. “You think you got the balls to shoot me, pretty girl? You don’t have the balls to do it.” He taunted.
In response, AJ drew the hammer back, enjoying the way it echoed through the hall. No one dared come near him. All it would take was one squeeze, and the man who had done this would be dead. Never again would he have to be afraid of him coming back. In this moment, AJ had the power, for the first time in a long time. He was taking his power back from him in the most final way.
But something was in his way. AJ watched as Brian stepped between the gun and Al. “No, AJ.” He said firmly.
“Move.”
Brian shook his head, taking a step closer. “I won’t let you shoot him.”
The gun shook slightly before AJ managed to firm it. “You know what he did to me. What they all did to me. He deserves it.”
“I know he does. But you’re not the one to do it.”
Tears pricked the corners of AJ’s eyes. He noticed that the cop was starting to move Al away and shifted his gun toward him. Brian followed, staying in the pathway. “Move, Brian!”
“I won’t. Listen to me, Alex. You’re not like him. This isn’t who you are.”
“I’m exactly what he made me!”
“No.” Brian shook his head, taking another step toward AJ. Slowly, very cautiously, he was closing the distance between them. “No, you’re not. You’re so much more than that. You’re better than this; stronger. They’ve taken so much from you. Don’t let them take your life too. That’s what you’d be giving up to do this. Your life.”
The shaking came back to AJ’s hands. “They tried to destroy my life. They…they raped me and they hurt me and left me in that room. They didn’t care if I died.” AJ didn’t realize that the tears were pouring down his cheeks. His vision was clear enough to keep his gun trained just over Brian’s shoulder to a small hint of Al’s head. “It was funny, to hurt me. They didn’t care how much I bled. They didn’t care that I couldn’t sit right for a week afterwards. They laughed at me! Just because I bumped him in the hallway. I’m not alone anymore, and I’m not such an easy target.”
Another step, and another. Brian was almost right in front of him now. “You are better than this.” He repeated softly, staring into AJ’s eyes. There was so much love there that AJ found he couldn’t look away. “Alexander James, I love you. We’re fixing things, and we’re making a life together. Don’t throw it away for him. Don’t let him take this away from us too.”
Instead of reaching for the gun, Brian stepped forward and cupped his hand to AJ’s cheek. He stretched up, brushing their lips together. AJ couldn’t move. He felt his shudders grow until the urge to collapse into Brian’s arms was almost too much to resist.
Brian pressed their cheeks together. “Put the gun down, Alex.” He whispered in his ear. “Please, for me? Put the gun down.”
For a moment AJ hesitated. Then, carefully, he loosened his grip and lowered the point, holding the gun out to an officer who came running up. Once the gun was out of his hands, Brian was wrapping an arm around him, holding his head against his shoulder. AJ found his face buried in the curve of Brian’s neck as he took great, quivering gasps of air. Slowly he brought his arms up, wrapping them around Brian’s waist.
Neither of them paid any attention as Al was rushed from the room. Their entire focus was on one another. Brian held AJ close, and AJ clung to Brian like a lifeline.
Softly, Brian whispered in AJ’s ear. “I am so proud of you, baby. So proud of you. You were so strong. You did what was right. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Bri.” AJ whispered back. He sniffled, ignoring the tears that were soaking the shoulder of Brian’s borrowed shirt. “Can we go to our room?”
“I think so. I for one am ready for my next pain pill.” Brian chuckled. He didn’t let go of AJ, but simply turned him enough that they were still held against one another, but AJ was more by his side. They paid no attention to anyone else, allowing Marcus to lead them to their new hotel room.