Crash! Shatter!
Rory flinched as a lamp shattered against the wall close to the leader of the hotel security team's head. Rin and Dillon had been going around in circles with them for over an hour now without making any progress whatsoever. Rory backed against the headboard of the bed and pulled his knees against his chest. He rested his cheek against his knees, too tired to hold his head up any longer but too embarrassed to lie down with a room full of people.
"How the fuck can you be so goddamn useless! The motherfucker walked right up to us and set a fucking drink down not 5 feet away from where we were, and you're saying out of the fucking ass-ton of cameras in this shit ass hotel not a one caught the guy?!" Rin's usual melodious voice now crackled with a sharp, almost shrill pitch as he yelled. His voice was growing hoarse after an hour of non-stop yelling.
Dillon ran his hands through his hair as he flopped down on the edge of the bed Rory was on. "Enough… It's time to chill out." He gestured toward the security staff as Rin turned his angry gaze toward him. "You feel like you're getting anywhere with this? You're not." He blew out a heavy sigh. "I'll stay behind if you'd like and go through the footage myself." He turned his attention to the men standing in the room. "Would that be alright?"
The men exchanged muttered words before the head of security finally answered. "Typically, we wouldn't…" His eyes moved between Rin and Rory. "But since you're a high-profile guest, and it would be in the best interest to keep this matter under wraps as much as possible… I don't see what harm it would be…"
Dillon held up his hand, effectively cutting the man off. "Enough said. Honestly, at the moment we're simply trying to get anything that can lead to IDing the culprit." Dillon shot Rory a troubled gaze. "Right now, we don't even have enough to file a report with the police…"
The guard nodded. "Understood. I hope you'll be able to find more than we have." He shrugged. "But with the crowds moving around the hotel these past few days, you'll see, picking out any one individual is almost impossible."
Dillon blew out a haggard breath. "Nearly impossible, but not completely…"
Dillon watched as the security team left the room. The second the door was closed, he turned his attention to Rin, who paced the room like a caged tiger. "You guys can go ahead and head back. I'll stay here and deal with this. If whoever is behind this is here, it would be best to get as far away as possible…"
Rin nodded, still pacing the floor.
"It's Mike… I know it…" Rory muttered once again, his head still resting on his knees, his eyes focusing on some distant place beyond the confines of the room.
Rin stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head. "It's not. You're worrying yourself sick for nothing. It's just another sick fan trying to get your attention. We've gone through similar shit more than once before."
"The drink was strawberry…" Rory's voice trembled over the words.
Rin shrugged. "At this point, there are probably fewer fans who don't know your preferences. Check the gifts that have been delivered to the room. There are several strawberry-flavored things in there now." Rin resumed his pacing. "No… but it doesn't change the fact this is a sick fuck…" Rin had been on edge since reading the texts Rory had received while they were on stage.
Dillon slid toward Rory. He braced his hands on either side of Rory's thighs. "Rin's right. I realize you can't help but instinctively go to the worst-case scenario first, but trust us, this shit's happened to us before. Hell, we've gotten worse threats, been left creepier shit… We've had fans actually find our homes before. That's why Rin lives so far out in the middle of nowhere now." He moved a hand to Rory's cheek. "Look at me. We're both here for you. Neither of us will let anything happen, alright. You're going to go home, where you'll be safe. Rin's house has never been shot into GPS. Anyone and everyone who knows how to get there was brought there by a trusted family or team member at some point. Regardless of who this person turns out to be, he'll not get to you. We promise." He waited until Rory nodded against his hand. "Good… Now, I'm going to stay here and try to ID this guy. Just to cover all the bases, do you have a picture of this Mike guy you could show me?" When Rory shook his head, Dillon frowned. "He doesn't have social media you could pull up or a friend or family member that may have a picture he'd be in?"
Rory frowned; his voice trembled as he hesitated to answer. "His dad, maybe…"
Rin had already opened the laptop and was impatiently waiting for the page to load. "What's the name?"
Rory's hesitation grew as he tried to and failed to push past the lump building in his throat. When two sets of impatient, questioning eyes stared back at him, he gulped past the strangling tightness of his throat and choked out the name. "Elliot Smith…"
Dillon's brows furrowed. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
A snarl echoed in Rin's voice as he answered. "Because it's the fucking state DA…" His eyes shot to Rory from over his shoulder. "How the fuck did you get mixed up with this guy's kid? No wonder he got away with so much fucked shit…"
Dillon pulled Rory into his arms as his entire body began to tremble. "Rin… maybe just search for a picture of his son and keep the commentary to yourself for the time being."
Rin frowned as he turned back to the computer. "Sorry, babe… Hang in there, alright…"
Dillon pressed Rory's head against his chest as he stroked his hair, but his eyes didn't leave the computer screen as Rin worked. "Anything?"
"Not yet… Ah, wait! Here's an article." Rin's brows furrowed with confusion. "This can't be right… Rory, is your ex… a cop?" Rin stood, lifting the laptop as he did, and walked over to the bed. He tossed the laptop onto the bed in front of Dillon and Rory. "Is this him? The guy in the police uniform beside the DA? It says he just got moved up to detective…"
Rory's heart began pounding hard against his chest as his eyes met the familiar icy blue eyes staring back from the laptop screen. Before he realized what was happening, a throbbing coursed through his foot and a ringing vibrated harshly in his ears, drowning out all sound around him. He fought as several sets of hands grabbed at him from multiple angles. He thrashed and fought against the clawing, grasping hands. "No! Don't touch me!" His throat burned as he cried out shrilly. Hot tears flooded his eyes, and he choked on his own sobs as he continued to struggle.
"Rory! Please!" Rin begged frantically as he struggled against Rory's sudden outburst.
"Rin! I know you're worried, but stop! You're making it worse!" Dillon shouted as he pushed Rin away. "Trust me, dude!"
Rin begrudgingly nodded as he backed away. He panted breathlessly as he watched Dillon wrap Rory tightly in the blanket and begin to rock him in his arms. Tears burned Rin's eyes as he watched helplessly.
"Come over and talk to him calmly…" Dillon whispered.
Rin nodded as he wiped at his own cheeks. He settled on the bed beside them and began softly stroking Rory's cheek. Rory's whaling had settled down now to soft, steady sobs. "Rory, can you hear me? It's Rin…" He bent and pressed his forehead against Rory's. "Come back to me, baby…" Silent tears streamed down Rin's face as he pressed his face against Rory's. Dillon shifted beside him and wrapped an arm around him, too.
"That has to be him, right?" Dillon whispered. "If it is him…"
Rin shook his head against Rory's before lifting his tear-streaked face to meet Dillon's. "No, someone who just got that kind of promotion wouldn't risk their job for something this foolish and petty. It has to be just another crazed fan… Right?" His eyes shifted down to Rory. "But to see how much that person affects him…"
Dillon nodded. "Yeah… And between his job and his dad… I can see how he got away with it… How he was always able to track Rory down before…"
Rin nodded. "What do we do?"
Dillon's eyes moved toward the edge of the bed. "First, make sure the laptop isn't busted after he kicked the shit out of it… Then, try to get a face or tattoo match. I can print off that picture and ask the front desk if they'd seen him check in, but like you said, it's highly unlikely…"
Rin slid his arms under Rory. "Here, I'll take him if you want to work on that then. As soon as I get him calmed down or asleep… either one, we'll head out."
Dillon nodded. "Typically, I wouldn't recommend carrying, then loading a sleeping person into your car in the middle of the night, but…"
Rin gave a huffed laugh. "Well, at this point, what else can be posted about us? I'm kidnapping him? We already came out as a couple. There was that incident earlier… Honestly, I'm fucking tired of having to explain everything… even if it is to the fans."
Dillon nodded. "And if I'm being honest… It's past time you felt that way. You've lived for the public your entire life, Rin… Live for yourself for once. No one who matters will hold it against you."
Rin snorted out a mocking laugh. "My dad sure as fuck will."
Dillon shrugged, a smirk curving his lips. "I said, no one who matters."
Rin's lips lifted into a smile. "I knew there was a reason I kept you by my side all these years."
Dillon snorted out a laugh. "And lookie there, I'm not just a pretty face and good fuck after all."
Rin rolled his eyes as his gaze shifted down to Rory, who seemed to have fallen asleep from mental exhaustion. "You know you've always been more than that… and hopefully one day you'll be more than that to him as well…"
Dillon arched a brow. "Does that mean you plan on sharing your lover boy?"
Rin shrugged. "You and I… We're ying and yang… two parts of a whole, whether we want to admit it or not." A contemplative frown contorted Rin's features. "You're everything I'm not… You handle things… people… everything… so much better than I'll ever be able to… Regardless of what I do or how hard I try, I just can't imagine my future without you by my side… I don't know what capacity that may be right now…But I know I want to keep you there."
Dillon blew out a long breath as he leaned back in the desk chair. "That's a very selfish thing to say, especially with your lover curled up in your arms as you say it."
Rin nodded. "I know, but look how much you've done for him as well… Every time he's needed you, you've been there. I can't see you being a part of our lives as a bad thing."
Dillon frowned as he blew out another sigh. "But… you don't know what capacity you want me?"
Rin shrugged, his eyes pleading with Dillon's. "Even if I gave you the answer you wanted right now, it wouldn't be solely up to me… now would it? It would have to be his choice as well."
"Are you asking me to seduce your boyfriend? Find a way to make him fall in love with me as well?"
Rin shrugged.
Dillon leaned forward and raked both hands through his hair. "Fuck Rin… You know how messed up what you're asking is?"
"Is it not what you want, too?" Rin asked honestly.
Dillon's hands slid slowly from his hair as he lifted his head to meet Rin's gaze. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he studied Rory, wrapped tightly in Rin's arms. He shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache creeping in. "Yeah… You know it is… Regardless of how fucked up or complicated it might be, I'll always want to be with you. Rory just happens to be a great added bonus. Maybe the best you've found, with the exception of a chick…"
The corner of Rin's lip rose in a smirk. "So, is that a yes?"
Dillon shook his head. "That's a 'we'll see how it goes' at best…"
Rin chuckled. "I'll take that for now." His eyes shifted back down to Rory. "That also means more protection and comfort for him… So, yeah… win, win." Rin caressed Rory's now sleeping face. "I think he's sleeping well enough that I can probably go ahead and move him to the car…"
A thought crossed Dillon's mind. "What if he wakes up and freaks out again? Maybe we should at least wake him up long enough to let him know what's going on."
Rin twitched his nose in thought. "No… I think he'll be fine. Usually, with his dreams, my voice pulls him right out of them. I'll have to make a few phone calls anyway. He'll most likely wake to my voice."
Dillon nodded. "Sounds like a plan then. I'll follow you down with your bags. Anything else, I'll just load into my car when I go to leave."
30 minutes later, Rory had only woken briefly as they'd loaded him into the car along with their essential bags. Dillon rested his arms against the roof of the vehicle as he waited for Rin to program his father's office into the GPS. It was always the marker they set when traveling. He lifted as Rin placed the cell phone in the dashboard stand. "Set?"
Rin nodded. "I'll call you after I talk with Mandy and dad…"
Dillon nodded. "Hopefully, I'll have something to report as well by then." He tapped the roof as he stood and stepped away. Although he watched as Rin pulled away from the hotel, he didn't stay long enough to see the black SUV that followed them shortly after.