19
1675 Words
Not a chance. There was no way he was seeing what he was, right? It had to be some kind of mistake.
Barging into his brother's room, Markus tossed his phone on the bed. Watching his brother pick up the device, he waited while Lukas looked over the picture. "Tell me someone's trying to mess with my head, Luke."
He watched as Lukas picked up his own phone and called Jaxon. Putting the call on speakerphone, he said, "Hey, Jaxon."
The call was muffled as Markus listened to his boyfriend cough. Sniffling, Jaxon answered, "Dude, I was sleeping. What's going on for you to call me?"
"So you're still in bed with a cold?"
Another bout of coughing hit the teen on the other line. "Dad's got Robert sitting on me while he runs errands for Callum. Sky was by earlier with her homemade chili, so he's heating it up for me. I'm not even allowed to play my games because Amber's got me on bed rest. The most I can do is the assignments you dropped off yesterday."
Breathing easier, Markus let the tension melt away from his shoulders. Taking a breath, he said, "I was sent a message, babe."
Something was thrown against the wall of Jaxon's room as he cursed loudly.
"I've been in bed for the last three damn days, Markus. It feels like freaking prison," Jaxon lamented as he blew his nose. "What was the message?"
"A picture of you and another guy," Lukas said. "I'm plugging the number into the system we share now. Let me know if you recognize the guy."
Jaxon coughed. "Every God-forsaken time. Mark, I wouldn't do that to you."
A bang in the background was followed by Robert Drake's voice. "What the hell was that, and why the hell is there a hole in your wall?"
"I threw my textbook."
The brothers could hear Robert ranting. "I know that it's been nearly three damn days, but don't go damaging the freaking building! God, I can't believe I’m stuck babysitting a sixteen-year-old who can't sit still long enough to heal. Here, and I didn't burn it, you sensitive little shit."
"Yeah, yeah. Go f**k yourself, Robbie," Jaxon snapped. "Lukas and I had plans to play Halo Wars and eat junk this weekend."
"Boo-hoo-hoo," Robert shot back. "Cry me a f*****g river. I had plans to get laid, but I'm stuck minding your ass."
As Markus listened, he realized Jaxon was telling the truth. He'd heard Robert say that he'd been at the apartment for the last three days.
"Wait a second. What are you hiding under…? Are you kidding me?! You're on the phone? You're not supposed to have access to tech unless for school purposes. You brazen little brat," Robert snarled. "Why? I mean, Emma is not this hard to take care of, and she's only five!"
Jaxon coughed, groaning as he handed the device over. "Give me a break. Look, someone just sent Markus a picture of me with another guy."
"Another guy? Seriously? You're way too honest to cheat, kid."
Lukas growled in frustration, "I can't believe this. Markus, the number... It belongs to Mom."
"What?" his brother asked in shock.
"Markus, you there?" Robert asked when he finally got Jaxon to let go of his phone.
"Yeah, I'm here," the younger man replied.
"Look, man, I don't know who's telling you what, but Jax has been sick since Thursday. He really did have a sleepover planned with Luke to work on homework and play games. Jesus, he's so stuffed up, it's not even funny. He’s off school until Monday," Robert paused long enough to yell at Jaxon for missing the trash can with his snotty tissue.
Markus looked over at his brother, knowing that they had to do something to stop this farce. Someone was playing with them, and it wasn't going to end well. He groaned when he heard the front door slam.
"Boys, I need you out here, please." Their father was home, and he didn't sound happy.
Swallowing, Lukas rose to his feet, taking his laptop with him. "Let's go, bro."
Markus ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. Following his little brother down the hall, he braced himself for the inevitable explosion. There was nothing. Rounding the corner, he stopped in his tracks as he saw the familiar face of a woman he hadn't seen since he was ten.
Growling in frustration, Lukas smirked at his brother. Markus nodded in response, knowing full well that his little brother was about to pull one of his stunts.
“Why is she here, Dad? Does she need money?” Markus asked, actively trying to provoke her.
Trace narrowed his eyes and grunted, "You wanted to talk to the boys, so talk. Don’t try to order them around. Ten years gone is too long for you to start making demands."
"Ten years is a drop in the bucket. Besides, you can't be doing that well. I mean, I was told that Markus is gay," the woman said airily.
Lukas gently set his laptop down and sat in his chair before pressing a button. He watched the cell phone on the table in front of the woman, waiting for it to ring. A slow, calculating smile crept across his face as he pointed to her handbag. "Aren't you going to get that?"
Markus grinned. He knew what his brother was up to, but his way of doing it was much more entertaining than a simple confrontation. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he said, "So, my boyfriend is cheating on me, is he?"
Her smug smile faded as she paled. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Lukas cut the call as Markus held up his cell phone. Watching the bag, he met his father's confused gaze as the phone started ringing again.
"She sent me a picture with a message saying that Jaxon was cheating on me. She almost had me going, but she messed up. One, Jax has been sick since Thursday. Two, my baby brother is an IT genius when it comes to tracing and hacking," Markus said, handing his phone to his father.
Trace glared at the woman after studying the picture for a moment. "Two words, Anabella—nice try. This is an obviously bad attempt to frame a sixteen-year-old kid with a piss-poor photoshop job."
"I hacked her phone records, Dad," Lukas said gleefully. A few minutes later, Lukas nudged his brother, who turned his head to watch as their mother sent a text message. "I already cut the power to Foxy's phone, so that text won't go anywhere but straight to-"
Trace's phone dinged. Picking it up, he smirked. “‘Find another way to break them up?’ Really? I've accepted my son as he is, and I'm not going to hurt his relationship because mine didn't pan out."
"I won't have my son doing something so immoral!" Anabella snapped as she rose to her feet.
Markus scoffed, "You mean your 'semen demons,' right?"
He watched the fight drain out of her as her other phone rang. Lukas sat back down and pressed a few more keys. A moment later, he forced her phone to answer. "Hello, Ana, you there? Something happened to my other phone."
"Oh, yeah, she's here, Felicity," Trace drawled out. "Right where she doesn't belong."
"Well, if it isn't the German f**k-up that couldn't keep a woman. How's the single life, asshole?"
Trace shook his head. "You're still as childish as ever, aren't you? I want you and my ex-wife to leave Markus alone."
"Go home, Nazi," Felicity laughed tauntingly.
Glancing over at Lukas, Trace nodded. "Markus doesn't deserve what you're doing to him."
"Oh, poor baby, what are you going to do about it?" The woman had a serious death wish if she thought they weren't ahead of the game already.
"Foxy, stop it, they're up to something."
Lukas looked up at her, his grey eyes mirroring his brother's determination to protect their peace. "It’s already too late for both of you. I won't let you treat my brother like crap just because he's gay. Have a little common sense, would you?"
"Awe, is that little Lukas?"
"f**k you, b***h," Lukas snarled. "You might have snowballed my mother into believing you, but I'm putting an end to you. You've got a nice cozy job at Toronto General, right? It would be a shame if that suddenly came to an end, along with any chance of you finishing your degree."
Trace snickered as he saw the side of his son that Lukas kept well hidden. The cold, calculating shadows in Lukas's eyes told him the teen was holding something back. "Oh? Juicy tidbits, Luke?"
"I sent them to you already."
Markus laughed, "See, the thing is, my brother is not easily led. He's brilliant when it comes to computers, which is why he's in OTU. So, any final thoughts before he starts making your lives hell?"
Frustrated, Anabella turned pleadingly to her oldest child. "Markus, baby, you are not gay. It's just a phase, honey. It’s just a curiosity, a... a passing fancy."
Staring blankly at his mother, Markus sighed. "Luke, do what you have to. I'm going to check on my boyfriend."
"You got it, bro. Tell my bestie to get better soon. I need my wingman," Lukas replied.
Trace glanced over the detailed report his son had sent him. "Anabella, if you keep trying to hurt me through our kids, I'll have you arrested. Think this over carefully, because I'm giving Lukas permission to send the info to my boss's wife."
"You wouldn't!"
Nodding at the teen sitting behind the laptop, Trace watched him grin widely.
"Done," Lukas answered. "You're about to be sorry you ever messed with my big brother and our father."
Once she was gone, Trace swallowed, “My little hero. Thank you, Lukas. Make sure to send everything to Ross, Amber, and Callum.”
“Oh, that’s already done, too.”
- Writer
