My New Step-Brother - Part 14 (Patreon)

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"We are standing here outside number fourteen Ranleigh Crescent, and as you can see behind me, this is the scene of a brutal homicide which took place just hours ago".

A blonde woman said from the television. She held a finger to her ear and wore a pristine black suit jacket as she spoke into the microphone.

"Investigations are underway, but police are following a strong line of enquiry. They are appealing to anybody who may have seen this young man in the vicinity of the area between midday and two PM".

For the third time since I turned the tele on, I stared at a particularly bad photograph of myself on the left hand side of the screen. It was the same photograph that the police had taken of me two days prior when Dustin had me arrested.

"The victim, Dustin Crawford, a forty-three-year-old retired veteran, was gunned down in his home and police believe that the man responsible for the grisly murder is eighteen-year-old Jayden Rafferty, the son of Crawford's partner".

I felt my fists clench in the bed.

"It is understood that Rafferty, who is known to the police, was recently arrested for assault on Mr. Crawford, and the public are being advised to exercise extreme caution should they encounter him. Back to you in the studio, Lisa".

As the camera turned back to another young woman sitting behind a desk, I switched the television off. It felt weird to be hearing my own details on the news, and weirder again that I was being described as someone to be feared. Despite the fact that it was all a complete lie, there was something almost exciting about it.

"Don't be watching that stuff, pet" Bernie smiled warmly as she shuffled into the room with a tray, "you'll only get yourself upset".

The stout woman placed the tray down onto my lap in the bed and rubbed my head as she smiled sadly. "How are you feeling?"

I hadn't been hungry up until now, but as I stared down at the thick soup, buttered brown bread and large glass of milk, my stomach snarled.

"I'm okay" I lied, "how's Tucker?"

Bernie nodded, though I could see a tear beginning in one of her eyes.

"He's alive" she told me, "that's the main thing".

"I'm sorry" I said.

I'd been trying to work out how best to apologise to Bernie since I'd woken up. It felt like the word alone couldn't possibly be enough, but she rubbed my hair from my forehead again and whispered.

"Tucker chose to take you there today, pet" she explained, "and he can be a very hot headed young man".

"I... It was my fault though" I sighed, but Bernie shook her head.

"No, sweetheart" she said softly, "Tucker would have gone to that house with or without you, and I fear that if you hadn't been there, things would have ended a lot worse. Now eat, we have to get you out of sight tonight, before the police come knocking".

I nodded, but I wasn't sure whether to feel better or worse. I didn't want to be a burden on Bernie, god knows she had enough to deal with without trying to harbour a fugitive, and yet I couldn't even think about being on my own. I thought about my mom, and how scared and upset she probably was, and then I thought about Tucker.

He'd risked his life for me. Not only had he risked it, but he'd almost lost it. A feeling of immense guilt punched me in the heart, and suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore.

"Eat" Bernie smiled once more, and scurried from the bedroom.

I played with the soup on my spoon and wondered if Tucker was awake. He hadn't been the last time I asked Leon to check, but that was over an hour ago. Even if he was awake, would he want to see me? It felt unlikely, and that made my heart sink even lower.

I managed half of the soup and bread, and had to admit that I felt a little better after it. I slid out from the warmth of the bed and dropped my bare feet onto the wood. The house was dark upstairs, and for the first time since I'd arrived at Bernie's, the rain had stopped.

"Thank you" I said gently as I returned the tray to the kitchen, where two little girls were playing, quite viciously, with a headless doll.

"You're very welcome sweetheart" Bernie said, taking it off me, "why don't you go in and see how Tucker's doing?" she added, and I nodded.

The house felt almost eerie given the lack of noise that so often echoed through it. There were no kids to be heard, no pots and pans making a racket, nothing but the sound of my bare feet patting toward the dark living room.

I don't know why I felt nervous, but I did. How bad would he be? Had he been shot in the face? In the head? Would he ever wake up? And if he did, would he hate me as much as I'd expected him to? I swallowed a lump in my throat and pushed the door open, and when I did, Leon jumped and let go of a hand that was hanging down by the edge of the sofa.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, stepping backwards from the room.

The young boy wiped his eyes and nose with the back of his hand and stood up.

"It's cool" he sniffled, and turned his head to hide his puffy features, "I was just uh... I...–"

"How is he?" I asked, stepping back inside, and interrupting him so he didn't feel the need to explain himself.

"Okay, I think" Leon said, "I've just been watching him breathing" he added, with a forced laugh, "it's dumb, isn't it?"

"No" I told him, and walked closer, despite my heart hammering in my chest, "it's not dumb at all".

Leon stayed on his feet, and I reached the edge of the sofa and sat down on the chair he'd just been on. Tucker lay there, his shirt had been cut off and in the dark, I could see the thick white bandage which had been wrapped around his chest that held another white patch above his pec. The blood had seeped through it, but everything else about the young man was as perfect as it always was.

"He won't die" Leon said, in a way that sounded as though he was trying to convince me of that, but really he was assuring himself.

"I know" I smiled, and squeezed his shoulder, "a bullet can't kill Tucker, remember?"

A sad smile crossed his face.

"I better go and eat before my mom kills me" he sniffed, and left the room.

Tucker looked peaceful as he slept. I wasn't sure if it was a real sleep, or an induced one, but either way he looked peaceful. His muscular chest rose and fell softly, and I leaned my head on the part that wasn't injured and felt his warmth.

"I'm so sorry" I whispered to him, allowing him to lift me with his breaths. "I never meant for you to get hurt".

I took his strong, yet limp hand in mine and held it tight, bringing it to my lips and kissing it gently.

"You know" I smiled, though I could feel tears trailing down both cheeks, "when I first met you in my back yard, I thought you looked like a Disney prince" I laughed, "but like a jock version, and I thought 'damn this guy is gonna' be a fucking douchebag'".

I laughed again, and felt my tears fall from my chin.

"Do you remember your first words to me?" I continued, wiping my cheeks, "you said 'sup bro' and I thought, yep, douchebag for sure".

I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb and knew that I was on the verge of bawling.

"That feels like so long ago" I sighed, "you've made me feel like the most special guy in the world since that, Tucker. You're kind, you're loving, and you're hot of course" I sniggered wetly.

I looked up to the ceiling, took a deep breath and tried to stop myself from breaking down.

"I'm gonna hand myself in in the morning" I told him, "I've put you and your family through enough, and with any luck, I'll be able to get out of this mess and go and live back with my mom".

I kissed his hand again and closed my eyes. It felt like my heart was being ripped into a million pieces with every word I spoke.

"Well that was better than Leon's speech" a croaky voice whispered, and my eyes opened so fast that I saw stars for a moment.

Tucker's eyes were on mine, and in that instant, everything felt better. I leaned forward, took his face in my hands and pressed my lips against his. He was warm, and wet, and I could have screamed with joy as we kissed.

"But you're not going anywhere" he winced, as I leaned back and he dug his elbows into the sofa and lifted himself slightly.

"Be careful" I told him, but he smirked and sat up.

"You really thought I'd be a douchebag, huh?" He grinned, but winced again and held his chest.

"I was wrong" I laughed, wiping more tears, "very wrong".

Tucker looked around the dark room and then back toward the door.

"Hey, close that over will you?" He whispered, and I did so and returned.

"I need to ask you something" he said, and his tone was serious so I nodded and gulped.

"You know the way I'm all bandaged up and weak and shit?" He asked, and I nodded again. "Well" he continued, in barely more than a whisper, "I think that warrants a blowjob".

I stared at him for a moment as a devious grin spread across his beautiful face, and all I could do was laugh.

"You've got to be kidding me" I sniggered, holding my hand over my mouth, "your mom is in the next room!"

"That's why I told you to close the door!" He laughed, "come on, just a quick one?"

I shook my head with a smile and shrugged. "Fine".