Glenn Read online

  Copyright

  Glenn

  Copyright © 2019 Hayden West

  Cover Art © studioenp

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher or author. The unauthorized replication or allocation of any copyrighted work is illegal. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000 per reported instance, and seizure of computers.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  GLENN

  Blurb for Glenn

  Glenn Howard was one of seven brothers until the day the call came telling him he wasn’t. When the focus is on him for the next potential target, he reaches out to a lover he’d never forgotten.

  Tate Eder, a proud member of Boston SWAT realizes this second chance may be his last to make Glenn understand they were meant to be, and he’s not about to turn that down.

  Table of Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  About Hayden West

  Prologue

  “Let me say this again.” Brix Thorsten, the eldest, the leader of their group said, staring at the six before him. “There is nothing wrong with us. Others may not like us but we seven, we, are family. We support, protect, and defend one another. Am I clear?”

  They were outside, sitting on stumps. They weren’t allowed to be in any building unsupervised. Unless it was to be in their rooms.

  He crossed his arms and dared them to drop his gaze. His life had been unfortunate and on the streets before the system had nabbed him, then he was in a home, and now he was here. This so called rehabilitation center to work their “Conversion Therapy” on him and the others he looked at.

  As if being gay were a horrible thing, a sin, evil.

  On the inside he trembled, unsure if he’d be able to do this but he knew they depended on him. All of them and he wasn’t about to let them down. If he had to dig into the bowels of hell to find the strength, he’d do it, and they would get out of here. Alive and together as they were meant to, as brothers.

  In the distance, the bells chimed for their evening meal. He gestured with his chin for them to get up and move out. All but one left and he stood there looking at the thinnest of the group, Glenn.

  “What?”

  They fell instep together and he waited for Glenn to speak. He didn’t, but he did see two of the “counselors” waiting by where Glenn would have come out at, and anger ran hot and fresh once more. As they neared the duo, Brix, held each of their gazes, aware his own burned with pure hatred.

  He wasn’t the biggest guy here, but he knew how to fight. And this one beside him was his brother, he’d die to protect him. As they stepped inside the dining hall, he muttered to the one beside him, “Head up. I’m working on a plan to get us out of here. All seven of us.”

  Not even looking at the glasses wearing boy, they went to their designated seats, heads down, silent and waited for the long spiel how evil they were and how they could be saved if they renounced their ways.

  Brix turned a deaf ear to the hypocrisy and shit they spewed. He knew better, than many, of what truly went on behind those doors. Instead, he began counting. How many seconds it took people to move through the room, from one door to the next.

  His mind never slowed. Never rested. He broke it all down, everything.

  Their chance came seven months later and under the cover of the new moon sky, they ran, ignoring the sharp rocks cutting into their feet, the worry of poisonous snakes, or other animal dangers. Aarne led and Brix took up the rear, keeping the rest of their brothers between them.

  Glenn, Valentino, Liam, Todd, Prince, Brix and Aarne made their way to freedom.

  Fifteen years later

  “Mr. Howard. There’s a call for you on line two.” Mrs. Lance, his secretary for the past four years, had a calm and steady voice that never got rattled. Right now, it filled his ear as he stared over the cityscape of his city—Boston.

  “Send them on. Who is it?”

  “A Detective Sutol.”

  Glenn frowned. He didn’t recognize the name, but he did donate a few times to some police funds throughout the year.

  “Send him.”

  “Yes sir.”

  He waited for a moment and said, “Detective Sutol, this is Mr. Howard. How may I be of service?”

  “Mr. Howard,” he responded in a low, raspy tone. “I hate to have to do this over the phone, I’m calling about Todd LeGuere.”

  Icy claws closed around his heart and lungs. Not because of the name but because of the place. His gaze darted to the large desk where one photo sat. Of him and his brothers. There was no need to actually lay eyes on the picture. It not only held the distinction of being the only one in the room with people in it, but it was the only one on his desk.

  He could see all seven of them, standing on a beach in Florida celebrating. All were shirtless, goofing off, beers in hand and a campfire before them. One of his last, best days before the brothers—not by blood but by something much stronger—scattered to the wind.

  After clearing his throat, he pinched the bridge of his nose before pushing his palm against the cold glass. “What happened? Do I need to get him a lawyer?”

  “No sir. Nothing like that.” A pause. “There was an accident.”

  “Where is he? What hospital?”

  “You’re not understanding. Mr. LeGuere is dead.”

  Glenn splayed the fingers of his hand on the glass and put his other up there, dropping his head in an effort not to pass out. He needed the support. The morning winter sun glinted off the scars he refused to cover up. Even while he cursed the way the news had been delivered, he respected him. No beating around the bush or hemming and hawing.

  He closed his eyes against the onslaught of pain hitting him. It took him two tries to clear his throat. Tears burned hot but he refused to let them go.

  “How did it happen?”

  The detective cleared his throat and Glenn picked up on some hesitation. “He was attacked outside of a club.”

  “Motive?”

  “Right now, it’s considered a hate crime.”

  And he didn’t need anymore. Nausea swarmed as memories of the “camp” that they’d been sent to for its conversion therapy consumed him. In his ear he heard the detective telling him where the body was.

  “I’ll make arrangements with out brothers and we will be down to collect the body.”

  “Yes sir. My condolences for your loss.”

  “Thank you.”

  Like I’m fucking talking about the weather, just a nice thank you for delivering that slice of mother-fucking heaven to me.

  Had he not been to that town for his youth he may actually have believed the man’s sincerity. Glenn touched his ear, disconnecting the call then made his way back to his desk on shaky legs.

  “Mrs. Lance?”

  “Yes sir?”

  “Clear my schedule until f
urther notice.”

  “Yes sir. Hand it all to Mr. Rarity or would you prefer it to be split between him and Ms. Simone?”

  “Split it. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. Thank you.”

  “I’ll have your travel plans ready as soon as I have your itinerary.”

  “I’ll send it right now.”

  He hung up from her and grabbed his head, fingers digging into the sides. Tears again threatened but once more, he denied them.

  He had more calls to make before grief would be allowed in his world.

  Removing the ear bud, he reached for the handset and punched a memorized number on the keys. Some calls had to be done this way. As it rang, he shot off the information he wanted her to take care of.

  “Hello?”

  The deep voice hadn’t changed much. Still reverberated with untold power.

  “Brix? It’s Glenn.”

  Chapter One

  The snowy skyline which typically calmed his nerves didn’t help him in anyway today. Couple that with his irritation and he was not even heading in the right direction. Rage mingled in with the stress. Glenn flexed his fingers around the crumpled paper in his hand. The sheet had arrived this morning by courier. No return address and no way the delivery guy was able to tell him anything more than it was for him.

  He’d almost left it for tomorrow but had made the decision to open it while he ate his burger and fries during his lunch.

  A mistake.

  A single leaf of paper with no more than five words on it. Typed, nothing handwritten about it.

  Abominations deserve Death.

  Tick Tock.

  Normally any threatening letters went straight to a trash can, he didn’t put much, if any, stock into them. His tended to come from rival companies. Not that he received a lot of them.

  This was far different. He’d just buried one of his brothers, two months ago and the cops while labeling it a hate crime, had arrested exactly zero people for the actual attack. And had as such many leads.

  No shock to Glenn. Gays weren’t looked on favorably in that part of Texas. Not a lot of places but as he’d been there for some younger years, that kind of reaction was common among people who pretended they didn’t care one way or the other, right before they turned a blind eye to the attacks.

  Within his gut, he knew this was tied to his past.

  “Mr. Howard.”

  Glenn glanced over his shoulder to discover Mrs. Lance peering in the door.

  She typically buzzes on the intercom.

  “Yes?” He lifted one eyebrow in accordance with his singular worded question.

  “I apologize, but you have a visitor.”

  Stranger and stranger. “Who is it?”

  She scowled and he knew it was at herself, not his question. “A young man. He wouldn’t provide me with his name.”

  Another glance to the note in his hand before he shoved it into his pocket. “Waiting area?”

  She nodded and he made his way to the door. Stepping out after her, he skimmed the area. Mrs. Lance was an older woman, so she considered Glenn a younger man. He was honestly expecting someone older like him. What, or rather who, he discovered was a teen. Probably no more than sixteen.

  As their gazes locked there was no denying the angry and defiant glint in his eye.

  “I’m Glenn Howard. How can I help you?”

  He didn’t move from his slouched position against the wall by the to the door and the elevators. “You don’t look like his brother.”

  Ignoring the look Mrs. Lance cut in his direction even though she’d made her way back to her seat, he crossed his arms.

  “I don’t look like any of my brothers.” He’d always been the skinny nerd boy. Not that he was a wimp but definitely thinner than his brothers. An endless source of his sibling surviving a hellish childhood.

  There was no fear in the boy only defiance with a topping of mulishness.

  “What do you need, and which brother sent you?”

  The flames flickering told him more than any verbal explanation could do. Todd.

  Fighting back his own pain of loss, he took a deep breath. “How did you know Todd?”

  “I never gave his name.”

  He didn’t have the time or the energy to deal with such an attitude. Their gazes clashed, neither willing to give an inch. However, Glenn had far more experience and have every intention of waiting this boy out.

  After a bit of time, the young man shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “He told me to bring you something if he died.”

  “Why me?” His visitor narrowed his eyes. “I mean, we have brothers closer to where he was in Texas than I am.”

  A one shoulder shrug. “Nope. He said you.”

  “Come on into my office, we can continue there.”

  Glenn gestured for him to head for the door ahead of himself. Within moments he’d once more lowered himself to the tall back leather chair before his desk. Mrs. Lance brought them each a bottle of water before exiting as silently as she arrived.

  Glenn took a long swig before recapping the bottle. He drummed his fingers on the smooth dark oak desktop. “I saw you at the service. Why didn’t you approach me then?”

  “Had to make sure you were who you claimed to be.”

  “And what, you looked me up and just came here?”

  “Yes.”

  Interesting.

  “What did you have for me?”

  The boy rose and approached the desk, opening his jean jacket and withdrawing a thicker envelope. Glenn took it and placed it on the desk.

  “Thank you.” A deep breath. “Do you have a place to stay?”

  “I’ll find a place.”

  “Nonsense. You’ll stay with me. You’re a friend of my late brother. How long are you in town for?”

  He avoided Glenn’s gaze. “A few days, not sure yet.”

  Were he to guess, this boy didn’t have the funds. Glenn had no issue paying for his way back to Texas. Again, this was the last link to his brother. One he didn’t want to lose.

  It took a bit of doing but he got his name, Chris Lina, and right now that very boy was in the shower in the guest bathroom.

  Glenn stood in his kitchen and stared at the envelope. With a knife he sliced it open and hesitated a bit longer. Then finally, he unfolded the sheets and frowned.

  Images, collages really, of him and his brothers. They each had a sheet. On the back of Glenn’s was a taped note, also folded.

  We are being hunted down for extermination

  Dramatic. Even so, unease erupted along the base of his neck and spread like wildfire to the rest of him. Digging for his wallet, he pulled out a card from the inside that simply by holding made his dick twitch with anticipation and longing. At his phone, he touched the screen, bringing it to life. He debated then punched in the numbers.

  “I didn’t think you’d even kept my phone number.”

  That low drugging voice strummed along his taut nerves. He sipped some water, moistening the need in his throat.

  “For a while there I nearly did.”

  A grunt. Not the same sounding one he made during those long bouts of hot sex they’d had, but it still was as if the man himself grabbed Glenn’s cock and balls.

  “So, what’s changed?”

  There it was, a bit of bitterness.

  “Nothing on the personal side but as you already are aware I’m gay, you seemed to be the one to reach out to. I think someone is planning on killing me.”

  Silence.

  “I’ll be there in less than an hour.”

  “Thank you.”

  He ended the call and took several deep breaths. All he had to do now was get ready to see the SWAT member he’d had a long weekend with a few months ago. Tate Eder.

  Tate slowed his black Honda Pilot before the street leading to Glenn’s house. He knew exactly where it was. Knew the layout of his house as if it were his own. All because he’d spent a three day stint here, for what he now r
eferred to as his longest ever one-night stand.

  Typically, he fucked ‘em and was out the door before the one he’d been with had come down from his high or woken up. Attachments weren’t sought out and generally avoided on all principals.

  None of his strict rules mattered from the moment when he’d first encountered Glenn Howard. The architect looked much younger than he was but he was brilliant and had his own architectural company, Howard’s Designs. Big or small, he didn’t mind the size of the project.

  His desire to follow the rules sucked once he met this guy because as a member of Boston SWAT, he lived and died by the rules. In more way than one.

  All he wanted to do with Glenn was keep him safe, wrap him up in his arms and protect him. The man had scars, both inside and out that he longed to find out about but anytime he’d questioned, he’d been shut down faster than a hummingbird changing directions.

  He pulled in the driveway to the bungalow and shut off the engine. The outside light shone on the porch and he took several deep breaths. Flipping up his hoodie, he pocketed his keys as he climbed out into the cold night air. He could smell more snow coming and knew winter had yet to release her hold on his city.

  I must be fucking stupid.

  While they may not have stayed together, he was not the kind of man who would go back on his word to help. He’d meant it when he had pressed that card onto the blue marble countertop with the “call me if you need me,” comment seconds before he walked away from the best thing that ever happened to him.

  Now he had a second chance. Not only to help him, but to keep him in Tate’s life from now on. All he had to do was convince them both it was what they needed.

  Readjusting the zipper on his hoodie, he scratched his facial hair, hurried up under the covered porch to the front door and knocked. It didn’t take long and he was again staring at Glenn Howard. His cock swelled, pushing against his jeans. Making sure his expression didn’t give anything away, he waited.

  Glenn pushed up his glasses and waved him in without saying a word. For a moment, he was angry then he realized Glenn was on the phone, he just had an ear bud in as he made occasional mutters and groans.