The Travelers- Samuel Read online

  “You saw no sign of the girl on your drive here?” Gerard said. “Didn’t spot the Mustang?” He’d gotten a call from Monty before Rory had arrived and tried to make sure Rory didn’t remember the Mustang.

  “No. I’m so stupid I mistook a black SUV parked in front of True Thomas Convenience store for the Mustang. I am really losing it, my friend.”

  “You’ve been run ragged by that son of yours and his wife. A retired man needs to stop and play some times.”

  “Play, what’s that?” Rory said. “I took early retirement so I could help take care of my grandchildren.”

  “They’re not here right now. Neither are Will and his wife. Forget about them for a bit. What is it you need to clear your mind for a while, my friend?”

  “I don’t want to take up your time. Surely you’re expecting company.”

  “A twenty-five year old mulatto boy that’s so damn good I’m thinking of moving him in.”

  “Really?”

  “He’s handsome and has a great mouth on him. Not to mention a big cock that’s almost more than I can handle. And a huge round ass I can plow for days. One heckuva guy too.”

  Rory laughed. “I can’t imagine you settling down.”

  “Who mentioned settling down? Watch your words. I’m too much for one man to satisfy and my guy knows it. He’s due later and if you’re still here you’re welcome to stay and join Deegan and me.”

  “And what will Deegan think about that? He hasn’t met me.”

  “No, but you’re handsome, he’ll like you. He likes us older types.”

  “Hey, I’m only forty-eight.”

  “To someone who’s twenty-five that’s old.”

  They laughed. Rory couldn’t help but look over at Gerard’s crotch. Especially now that he’d flung one leg over the rocking chair’s arm. His crotch seemed to be practically pointing at Rory. Gerard grabbed the front of his shorts and looked at Rory.

  “Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. But good sex pretty much blocks out the bad thoughts from your mind. All the blood rushes to other places.” He chuckled as did Rory.

  “And we are friends.

  “Yes we are,” Gerard said. “Friends with benefits.” He pulled up the front of his shorts and his large, half-hard cock, and full balls were exposed.

  “What should I do?” Rory said and smiled. “It seems I have a friend in need.”

  Chapter 6

  Trust

  “WE WERE WONDERING how long it would take you to get here,” Monty said, as soon as he saw Veronique enter the convenience store.

  “Am I becoming that obvious?” Veronique said, still in her white dress. She’d added white, strappy heels to her ensemble. “What do you think, Celia?”

  “I think you look very nice,” Celia said. “It’s not often we see you wearing white. And I also think you could’ve trusted us with the truth. Did you think we wouldn’t know who Rory is? Us of all people.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know what I thought,” Veronique said and sighed. “Right now I don’t want to think about anything. And yes, I know I can trust the two of you and Gerard. It’s myself I don’t trust.”

  “You’re worrying me, girlie,” Monty said.

  “Maybe I’m worrying myself,” Veronique said. “I made a bad judgment call—very bad. Let sentiment get in the way and now there’s a price to be paid for my actions.”

  SAMUEL WAS SITTING in the porch swing when he sensed they were close. He felt them before he saw them.

  Rafael had approached Samuel from the back, nibbled on his neck, then tweaked Samuel’s nipples through his T-shirt. Roget had crouched down in front of the swing. He kissed Samuel on the lips as his hand explored Samuel’s crotch.

  They’d always had fun together, so Samuel didn’t attempt to stop the nice diversion. And it had been a long time since they’d gotten together in any real physical way. Roget pulled down Samuel’s shorts and underwear. Samuel moaned when Roget put his cock in his mouth.

  Rafael had moved from Samuel’s neck to his mouth. Their tongues moved against one another in a heated frenzy.

  Soon the three of them were naked on the floor of the porch. Roget sucked on Samuel’s hard cock while Samuel sucked on Rafael’s. Then suddenly Samuel stopped.

  “There’s no need for you to feel guilty,” Rafael said. “Charlie wouldn’t disapprove, you know that.”

  “Oh God, we had some good times that year the four of us went to Europe together,” Roget said. “Charlie had a cock that wouldn’t quit. I’ll forever be grateful for my time with you both… and your willingness to share one another with us.”

  “He knew about my time alone with the two of you,” Samuel said. It was long before I met him and he wanted a glimpse of what it had been like between us.”

  “There’s no need for jealousy where the love is true,” Rafael said.

  “It had only ever been you two and us,” Samuel said. “Never anyone else with Charlie and me.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Roget said. “Then it really was as special as it felt.”

  “Are you going to do me or are you going to talk?” Samuel said and chuckled.

  “Speaking of which, my cock could use your special attention, Samuel,” Rafael said before pushing his hard cock against Samuel’s lips.

  RORY FELT LIKE he couldn’t get enough of Gerard’s thick, veiny, uncut cock. He’d managed to get all of it down his throat and enjoyed licking and sucking it with abandon. He knew his frustrations were being taken out on the big cock, but it tasted so good and he hungered for it.

  Gerard stood and gave Rory an order. “Get out of your clothes.”

  After standing, Rory removed his deck shoes, shorts, underwear, and shirt. Then he went back to kneeling on the floor. Precum came out of Gerard’s cock and Rory lapped it up with his tongue.

  “Damn, you’re fucking good,” Gerard said when Rory went down on him once more. He stretched his arm out and slapped Rory’s ass playfully.

  They were still going at it when Rory heard a car pull up in front. He turned to move when Gerard spoke.

  “No need to stop. It’s just my friend. The one I told you about.”

  Rory could hear footsteps making their way up to the porch.

  “My, my, now isn’t this a pretty picture. Two sweet daddies going at it.”

  “Don’t stop what you’re doing Rory. It’s my special friend Deegan Carter.”

  “Nice to meet you, Rory,” Deegan said.

  “He’s got a nice ass on him, doesn’t he?” Gerard said.

  “For a white boy,” Deegan said.

  “It looks pretty sweet,” Gerard said, “but it’s a no-go zone. However Rory does have a mouth that doesn’t quit. Nice Irish lips on him.”

  Rory tried to lift his head to say something but Gerard stood and began thrusting from his hips.

  “I’m gonna fuck your mouth a while,” Gerard said. “And if that doesn’t put the day’s troubles behind you, we’ll see what else we can come up with.”

  “Switch places with me, Deegan,” Gerard said. “Strip down and give the white boy a taste of your cock. I bet he’s never had any like it before.”

  “You got it,” Deegan said. “I hope your Irish man can take it all.”

  “I’ll give it my best shot,” Rory said. “And my family came here from Ireland when this country was still new. I’m all American, and I don’t back down from a challenge.”

  When Deegan came into Rory’s line of sight he smiled.

  “Damn, Ger, you do like ‘em big,” Rory said.

  Deegan had to be at least six-foot-two and solid muscle. His skin was a café au lait color and his long brown hair had been pulled back in a ponytail. Scanning Deegan’s physique with his eyes, Rory saw the challenge in front of him growing. A huge piece of thick, erect cock just waiting for him to welcome it into his mouth. And Rory did just that—welcome it in.

  “THAT SESSION WAS over quickly,” Samuel said as he walked around the y
ard with Rafael, Roget, and Amadeus.

  “Well, none of us were sure when her majesty, Veronique, would return,” Roget said. “So we had to speed things up rather than take our time.”

  “Yes, had we been going at it when Veronique got back, she might’ve asked to watch,” Rafael said.

  They all laughed, then Samuel spoke. “I’ve never really understood what you two are to Veronique. I know you follow her when she inspects her prodigies. You bathe them like you bathed me while Veronique watches. It’s almost as if you’re her servants, but I know better than that. My instinct tells me the two of you are more like guards. But why would someone as strong as Veronique need guards?”

  “You travel a lot, Samuel,” Rafael said. “But always amongst humans. You need to be more aware of our kind. The race of vampires you belong to.”

  “It’s true, you do,” Roget said. “Even our kind can have problems that creep up overnight.”

  “What sort of problems?” Samuel said. “I know of the rise in suicides amongst us.”

  “There is that, but there are also other things,” Rafael said. “The process of transforming a human being into a vampire is not without its flaws. Candidates are usually carefully chosen, but still sickness can come.”

  “What type of sickness?” Samuel said.

  “In the past there were vampires whose age caught up to them—rapidly,” Rafael said. “I’ve witnessed two of those occurrences in my lifetime. Both times it happened because the vampire who sired them didn’t have the strength to do things right. Diseases that were prevalent at the time a person turned into a vampire may also come back—again because the vampire who made them lacked what it took to sire them properly.”

  “It became a tradition for a vampire to visit their children once a year to check for signs of sickness,” Roget said.

  “And if they find any illness, then what?” Samuel said.

  “Then being a good parent they give that child a quick, painless death,” Rafael said. “To let them live would be cruel beyond words. Could you imagine the pain of all the years you’ve lived suddenly catching up to you? It’s too much for even us to endure. And to allow someone with a sickness that has already been wiped out to live is irresponsible. They could reinfect an entire world with plagues that would wipe out nations.”

  Samuel shivered at the thought.

  “You’re checked merely out of habit. All of Veronique’s children are strong and healthy.”

  “Is the one who made you strong, Rafael?”

  “Yes and he’s one of the oldest. There are only two others his age. Helena and Breccan.”

  “I’ve never met them,” Samuel said.

  “Helena is a great beauty,” Rafael said. “She’s the only one of our kind who can hold her own in comparison to Veronique,” he looked around then smiled. “Some say she may even surpass Veronique’s beauty.”

  “I heard that,” Veronique said, suddenly appearing before them.

  “I said some say that,” Rafael said. “Not me.”

  “They’re not wrong, actually,” Veronique said. “Helena is the most beautiful of us. Sometimes when one is turned into a vampire their beauty is heightened to its fullest. The transformative process brings out the best of what we are. The vampire who sired Helena is a great artist. And being an artist, he created a true and lasting work of art. The one who sired me wasn’t as gifted an artist. That is just what it is.”

  “You’ve been visiting Celia and Monty,” Samuel said.

  “I merely wanted to pop in and say hello,” Veronique said, being careful to mask her true reasons for visiting them from Samuel.

  Chapter 7

  For the Kids

  RORY GOT DRESSED, shook Deegan’s hand, and turned to leave. He couldn’t believe he’d engaged in a threeway on the front porch of his friend’s house.

  “Let me walk you downstairs to your car, Rory,” Gerard said as he pulled up his shorts.

  “Sure,” Rory said. “Nice meeting you, Deegan.”

  “Yeah, anytime, Rory,” Deegan said. “And I mean it. We had fun.”

  “Why don’t you go in and clean up, babe?” Gerard said. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  “OK,” Deegan said. “I hope we meet again, Rory.” He went in the house without waiting for a reply.

  Gerard put his arm around Rory’s shoulders as they walked down the porch stairs. “You look a little off still, Rory. Deegan and I didn’t shock you too much, did we? At your age it couldn’t have been your first threesome.”

  “I’ve been in circle jerks before,” Rory said. “I did go away to camp as a young man. But no, I’d never done anything like tonight.”

  “You were stressed and it helped you relax.”

  They were standing next to Rory’s car now, by the driver’s side door. Rory hugged Gerard, who was bare chested, then kissed his cheek.

  “It did help, Ger. My kid had me really worried today. I’d never seen him like that.”

  After putting his hand firmly on Rory’s shoulder, Gerard looked him in the eyes sternly and spoke. “Listen to me as a friend, Rory. For the kids sake—the little ones, not your son and his woman.”

  “I’m listening,” Rory said.

  “If things get out of hand or crazy you get those kids and yourself far away from your son and his friends.”

  “What are you worried about, Ger? I can see in your eyes that you’re concerned.”

  “Your son sounds like he’s not thinking straight. You always have to be wary when addicts of any kind are involved.”

  “I don’t think my son was high today.”

  “No, but he’s up to something. Maybe a new addiction you don’t know about yet. What’s that woman of his up to—your daughter-in-law? When people are addicts it makes ‘em do stupid things they might not otherwise do. You gotta be stronger than them.”

  “I understand,” Rory said.

  “Do you? I know you understand on some level cause you’ve been dealing with that boy all your life. But you yourself said he acted differently today. Not like any other time you’d dealt with him.”

  “That’s true. But he’s never hurt me or the kids.”

  “That doesn’t mean he won’t. Just promise me—hang on. We’re friends aren’t we, Rory?”

  “You know we are, we discussed that earlier.”

  “Then it’s simple-like. If your guts tell you that those grandkids and you are in trouble, haul ass over here. I don’t give a shit what time it is. Come here as fast as you can and bang hard on my door.”

  “You really are seriously concerned,” Rory said. “You’re scaring me. If an ex soldier like you is nervous then I—”

  “Then you just need to be extra aware of things happening around you, that’s all.” He kissed Rory deeply. “I’m getting to be a worrywart in my old age. But I do care about you.”

  “Thanks, Ger. I appreciate that and I care about you too. Meanwhile, you have a hot man upstairs who’s probably ready for another session.

  RORY HAD ONLY been on the road for ten minutes when his cell phone rang. William’s number showed up on the phone, so Rory quickly flipped the phone open and said hello.

  “Dad, listen, it’s me Will. Look, I have to go out of town for a few days. It’s real damn important. I don’t have time to explain anything. Can you come get the kids?”

  “Yes, of course,” Rory said. “William, come with us. Whatever’s going on, let me help you. Please, Son. I’m here for you.”

  “I know, Dad. And you have no idea how much I appreciate that, but… but. Dad, in my will, I leave the kids to you. Remember that.”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s more, Dad. Before… before, um, Anna went missing she and I had paperwork drawn up giving you full custody of the kids. You’re all we have Dad. You know Anna has no family at all.”

  “Will, where are you going?”

  “Take care of my kids, they’re yours now. I love you, Dad. What happened to me wasn’t because
of anything you did. Not the drugs or anything else that’s happened. None of it is because of you. You’ve always been a great dad. I’ve never been one to make good choices. I’m probably making the wrong one now.”

  “Please, Son, please wait until I get there. I’m not too far now.”

  “I can’t wait, Dad. They’ll be here to get me soon.”

  “Who?”

  “My new friends. You wouldn’t like them.” He chuckled. “You were always better at choosing your friends than I was. I have to go.”

  “Will! I love you, Son. There’s always a way out—I can help.”

  “You are helping. Leaving my children in your care is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

  “I love you,” Rory said, fighting back tears.

  “I know,” Will said and hung up the phone.

  By the time Rory had driven up to his son’s apartment building and run up the stairs it was too late. Rory walked inside the apartment and took a quick look around. Nothing had been disturbed, so he left. He closed and locked the door behind him before he walked downstairs to the babysitter’s apartment.

  He must’ve looked tired because neither the babysitter nor her mother kept him long. Instead they helped Rory put the twin babies in their baby seats in the car. Then they got two-year-old Aileen in her toddler seat in the front passenger side. The babysitter handed Rory a manila envelope and he thanked her.

  They hadn’t been on the road for long before the kids were all fast asleep. The motion of the car tended to do that to them. Their baby seats had become permanent fixtures in the Kia. Rory often found himself picking up or dropping off his grandchildren without warning. So, he’d stopped taking their seats out of the car. As he drove he said a silent prayer for his son. He asked God to protect Will from whatever danger he’d rushed off to meet.

  Chapter 8

  Changed Plans