"There is someone here to see you, sir," the butler announced him. "He doesn't want to say his name, but he has been here before. A certain Mr. Lopez."
Klaus quirked an eyebrow. Not the Lopez brother he wanted to see, that was certain. It was late, Hans was already asleep, and he was just burning the midnight oil, for no apparent reason.
"May I suggest something, sir?" the butler spoke again. "This visitor looks rather strange. Maybe I should send him on his way?"
"No, it is all right. I will see him. Just check him, would you, please?"
The butler nodded and disappeared as silently as he had entered.
Klaus rested his chin on his linked fingers, pondering. Why was Diaz paying a courtesy visit at such a strange hour? He had to give it to the man. Diaz was not scared to face the man who had put him in the hospital, with a broken leg.
He looked straight at his visitor the moment Diaz walked through the door. Yes, that must have been painful. Yet, the man still tried to keep his head high.
"Where is Jake?" Diaz asked directly.
Klaus pointed towards the chair across from him.
"Come in Mr. Lopez, and take a seat. You look like you could use a bit of rest."
The man looked haggard, more so than usual. There was an unhealthy pallor stretching on his face, lost in the stubble. But what was very noticeable was the limp he had, even with the short walk across the room.
"Where is Jake, you motherfucker?"
Despite the insult, the words had been spoken softly. Diaz seemed tired.
"Just have him come down here. I want to take him home with me."
Klaus frowned. That was an unexpected development.
"He is not here. And may I suggest refraining from insulting your host? It is bad taste."
Diaz snorted and shook his head, ignoring the correction.
"Don't make me search this big ass house. Just make him come here."
Klaus sighed.
"I told you. He is not here."
Diaz searched his face and finally seemed convinced.
"Are you fucking my little brother?"
Ah, that explained some things.
"As you can see, currently no," Klaus joked, his eyes narrowing, as he measured his adversary.
"What a fucked up asshole you are," Diaz said with bitterness. "Don't you have plenty of fags to fuck up the chute? Why did you have to turn Jake into your little bitch? He didn't deserve this."
"Deserve?" Klaus murmured. "I think he deserves to be whoever he wants to be. And I did not 'turn' him, as you said. He is gay. I did not make him change his sexuality, as you imply."
Diaz shook his head, with a pained expression on his face.
"That's not ... that can't be. I know Jake. You did something to him."
Klaus shrugged.
"I will not waste my breath trying to convince you otherwise. You are definitely not worth the effort. But now I should ask you. Where is Jake? And how did you come to the conclusion that he was involved with me?"
"I know how to put two and two together. I don't need to see you fucking him to know stuff like that."
Klaus could feel a migraine starting to take root deep into his temples.
"How come you cannot keep tabs on your brother? It is not like you have much to do these days, anyway."
"I have plenty to do, asshole. He ran away. I thought he came here."
Klaus could feel tension rising in his muscles. He gripped the edge of the desk, in an effort to control his emotional reaction. That should have not affected him so much. He needed to learn where the boy was.
"I'll find him and I'll take him home. Then I'm going to get this ... thing out of his head. Couldn't you settle for ruining the entire town? You had to go after my little brother, too?" Diaz spat in disgust.
"You clearly understand nothing," Klaus said slowly, careful not to let his true feelings known. He was not one to beat up a broken man like Diaz, no matter how much the guy wanted to provoke him.
"What's to understand?" Diaz raised his voice. "What did you promise him? Jake never wants anything. He's a good boy. How could you convince him to do something so dirty?"
"Trust me, Diaz, your brother needed little convincing to end up between the sheets with me."
It was not like him to be crass, but Diaz, apparently, needed to hear the whole truth. Most probably, Jake had not said everything. Maybe he had not been given the chance.
"He was like a low hanging fruit. Ripe for the taking," he continued, feeling a surge of bloodlust rising.
"Bullshit!" Diaz paled even more.
"He is an exquisite lover. I must say that I have met few who can compete with him on this level. He really does bend over nicely."
"Stop it with the fag talk. My brother is not like that!"
Klaus exhaled slowly.
"What your brother does and what your brother is, these are things that are completely up to him. Not you."
"Not you, either," Diaz replied. "You had no right, asshole! No right to mess with his head, and make him think he's a freak, like you!"
"I should warn you, Diaz that my patience is running thin. I have already indulged you too much at this late hour and now with you insulting me under my roof, on top of all things. See yourself to the door."
Diaz got up and stumbled backwards.
"You better leave this town, motherfucker," he threatened on his way out, pointing a finger at Klaus. "You cannot watch your back forever. For what you did to Jake, you'll fucking pay!"
"Spare me the big talk. Out," he ordered. At that moment, the butler appeared, and ushered him to the outside door.
At least, Diaz knew not to overstay his welcome. And he was probably way too pissed with the idea that he could not, indeed, do anything. A fangless dog, that was what he was now. Since the butler had checked the guy for concealed weapons and come out empty, that only strengthened that belief. Diaz had been obliterated, and Klaus could at least say that was according to plan.
There were other things not working as he wanted, though. Klaus took out his phone. Maybe Jake was going to finally pick up. Maybe he was somewhere, alone and scared, right now. If he had come out to his brother, maybe he was even hurt.
The faint sound took him by surprise. Intrigued, he began searching for the source. The small package, wrapped in brown paper on his desk, lay there, cold and uncaring. Klaus put his phone down and proceeded to unwrap the package.
He took out Jake's phone and looked at it. That was unexpected. So Jake had run away, indeed. He had run away, from them both, without a look back.
His entire body went rigid as he grabbed the offending object and threw it in the trashcan. It was clear as day what he needed to do.
***
"Are you coming back with me?" Hans seemed shocked by his decision. "What about the business you run here? And what about Jake?"
"What good would it do to have as much power and money as I do, if I am still going to behave like I'm a slave to someone else? I want a change of scenery. I can conduct business from the headquarters location, just as fine."
"Earth to Klaus," Hans frowned. "What about Jake?"
"Jake," Klaus said, pursing his lips. "Jake, well, he made a decision, after all. I have no intention of getting in his way."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hans asked.
"That lowlife of a brother he has was here last night and informed me that Jake ran away from home."
"All the more reason to go after him."
"Please, do not interrupt me. Jake sent me back the phone I gave him. That is a clear sign he does not want to be found."
"For a man like you, it's easy to find him."
"Yes, it is," Klaus admitted, and his eyes became a tad unfocused. "Point taken. I do not wish to do so. Let me explain it better: there is no reason for me to do so."
"Wow," Hans shook his head. "I thought you were in love with him."
"Really? What gave you that idea?" Klaus began arranging the things on his desk, nothing but busywork, to avoid looking at his best friend.
"Geez, I don't know," Hans chose to be sarcastic. "Your own words. Jake is the most beautiful man I have ever met. Do you know what Jake did today? And how smart he is? You would not believe it. I must be with Jake. I cannot stand leaving his side again."
"Stop it already," Klaus snapped and Hans finally shut up. "Nothing of the kind matters anymore. My ... interest was misplaced. I am not going to chase him. He does not want me. And that leaves me no choice."
"And I thought you were the master of control," Hans shook his head. "As a friend, I will only tell you this. You are making a huge mistake. The biggest in your life. You will not meet another like him."
"Really? Boys like him are everywhere you look," Klaus said with a small shrug.
He could not believe his own ears. He had never told a bigger lie in his entire life.
"Keep telling that to yourself, buddy," Hans patted his shoulder, a bit too forcefully. "One day, you might just believe it."
"I am in no mood to argue, Hans. I have to pack."
"Gosh, and I never thought to ever see the day," Hans sighed.
"I should not, but I will ask anyway. What day?"
"The day I'd see you acting like a coward."
Klaus shot a dark look at Hans. But then his shoulders slumped.
"Maybe," he admitted. "I have already dealt with his rejection for much too long. As a friend, you should understand. I will not take this anymore. If I go after him, he will just tell me the same thing over and over again. And a masochist ... that I am not. Plus, by now, he should have known better."
Hans seemed on the point to say something, but then he smiled.
"Thanks for being honest for a change," he spoke. "You're my friend and I support you. Even when you do stupid things."
"Thank you, I suppose," Klaus replied.
He did not like Hans's smile at all. Not one bit. He could almost hear the gears in the guy's head turning. For what purpose? At that moment, he was too tired to care.
***
Jake blew hot air into his cupped hands, as he waited for his coffee. The last two months had been tough, but he had managed to rent his own place, and find work. He was working two jobs, and he felt worn to the bone, but it still felt like the right thing.
"Thanks, man," he smiled at the guy behind the counter.
He was rewarded with a big flashy smile back.
