With Caution

hope.
    Jake’s chest felt like it was being crushed. Any minute Remi would turn to him and break off all ties in hopes he’d be able to see Sterling again. With tremendous effort, Jake swallowed the urge to scream and yell. Why couldn’t Remi love him as much as he did Sterling? No, that wasn’t fair. Remi would do whatever it took to take care of anyone he cared about who was in trouble, Jake knew that as sure as he breathed. He even understood Remi’s logic, but it still hurt. He wasn’t being at all rational. Dirk wouldn’t let Remi see Sterling just because Remi was no longer hanging out with Jake. Hell, Dirk had no idea they were lovers. It came down to the fact that Dirk was concerned Remi remembered something…or at least that was Jake’s take on things. And Dirk knew his son well enough to know Sterling was the key to keeping Remi quiet. He was dangling Sterling as bait until Remi came clean, telling Dirk what he knew and promising to keep it secret.
    And Remi would do just that, if Jake allowed him. But it wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t keep either of them from danger, even if it would allow him to see Sterling.
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    With Caution
    Okay think, Jake, think. Which was way easier said than done. He had to fight back.
    Now that he had Remi, he wasn’t letting go. Remi had done well with what he had to work with, but Jake was here now and it was up to him to break this cycle. If he didn’t, Remi would always be under Dirk Lassiter’s thumb.
    There was a file folder sitting next to Rhys. Rhys had glanced at the folder a few times but hadn’t opened it. Why? “What’s in the folder?”
    “Crime scene photos.” Rhys shook his head. “You don’t want to see, trust me. Hell, I don’t want to see them again.” Rhys’ voice sounded rougher than normal.
    Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jake held out his hand. “Let me see them. Maybe we can find something that doesn’t add up.”
    “Jake…”
    He continued to hold out his hand, glancing at Remi, who was still lost in thought by the fireplace. “Rhys.”
    “Fine. But I warned you.” Rhys slapped the folder into Jake’s palm, got up and stalked to the kitchen.
    Staring at the manila file folder, Jake heard the refrigerator door open and noticed the water bottle Rhys had been drinking from sitting on the coffee table empty. The fridge door shut and a can popped open. Okay, he was being ridiculous. Stalling wasn’t going to make what was in the folders less harsh. The descriptions from Remi’s dream painted a horrendously vivid picture, how much worse could the actual pictures be?
    Flipping open the folder, he found what he recognized as an official report. He scanned it. It was what Remi had told him to begin with. The boys were walking back from the movies and attacked by unknown assailants, for unknown reasons. He set the document aside. A boy’s sightless eyes stared back at him.
    He was Apache from the looks of it. In spite of the ugly bruise on one cheek, he was handsome, with tanned skin, big brown eyes, short black hair and a hawk-like nose. This was Billy. Remi’s first love. The kid looked so innocent, almost peaceful with his red shirt open just enough to show off his bruised throat.

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    J.L. Langley
    Jake flipped to the next picture. Another of Billy. He lay in the yellowing grass, arms and legs spread like he’d been positioned there.
    Rhys came back and set a beer in front of him. “You’re going to need this.”
    Great. Ignoring the beer, Jake picked up the picture of Billy and moved it.
    The first thing he saw was the slender back, legs and buttocks covered with bloody welts. Remi’s long hair fanned out around him and his head was turned, leaving one side of his face clearly visible. Dried blood covered his cheek and chin, his nose was purplish black and swollen. Jesus. He was barely recognizable.
    “My God,” Jake whispered to himself. Tears threatened his eyes. It was like being punched in the stomach so hard he lost his breath. How could anyone do this? To Remi?
    Remi, who always thought of others before himself.
    Jake moved to the next picture.
    It was a closeup of Remi’s battered face. Jake closed his eyes, trying to hide his overwhelming anger from his mate. Before Remi, Jake had thought he, Rhys and their group were some tough sons of bitches. Now he realized they were nothing compared to Remi. Remi took what life dished out and never once