Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 88: I'll be here

Leaving the store Gareth noticed his new protection detail was hot on his ass, though they respectfully had waited outside while he had done his shopping. It did not bother him too much. All his life he had been watched by bodyguards in one way or another, though the 7 people Cracker had assigned him felt a little over the top.

He walked to the car and got in checking his phone while the men decided who would ride in the car with him and who would follow in the other cars. Rasputin was driving and Grobij got in and sat quietly in the front passenger seat.

"Where to, boss?" Rasputin asked.
"Picking up Mackenzie at work and then Mansion."
"Ok."

All Gareth's men talked as little as possible to Gareth in the wake of what had happened. It was a hard time for them all and Gareth's temper was an issue when that affected, so they kept clear.

Mackenzie was waiting outside Granston's when they arrived. She too was being crowded by her bodyguards, who got into the other two cars when she was safely inside with Gareth.

"How's Phoenix?"
"It's bad, malyshka. I don't think he's slept properly for 7 days straight."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"Be there for him, I don't think he can handle anything."

Gareth sighed and pulled Mackenzie close. He was not sure how to handle Phoenix, how to get through to him. He refused to eat and if he drank anything it was alcohol. For what it was worth, Gareth could not fault him. It had been how Gareth had acted when Mackenzie had been sick, Phoenix had even more reason to slip from reality.

"Do you think it would help if we got his parents here? They know about him and Jace right? I mean that he's gay?"
"I'm not sure they know. I've been aware all the time I've known him and that's since school, so I suspect his parents know,"

Gareth wondered if Phoenix had been keeping his feelings for Jace a secret because he was not fully out or if he had just been unsure of Jace.

"I don't think it'll matter if they know or not, they're his parents. He needs them."
Nodding Gareth gave her a little squeeze. "I'll send the jet for them."
"You're a good friend, Gareth."
"Not nearly as good as they have been to me. I'm the reason for this."
"You're also the reason they met in the first place."

Like always Mackenzie was right and she put a ray of sunshine in his dark thoughts with her logic. He would not be who he was without Jace or Phoenix, and they would not have been them. It might be a fucked up life they had led, together they had made it work.

At The Mansion Gareth escorted Mackenzie inside.

A depressing gloom hung over the place. People were talking hushed and not many had cracked a smile in the 12 days that had passed since that dreadful night.

They had taken Phoenix out of his sedated state after five days. He had popped Gareth one to the face, from which Gareth was still sporting a minor shiner, and then he had collapsed into a deep darkness where he had refused to talk with anybody. He had sat in the same chair day in and day out, not sleeping, eating or drinking.

Just lost in despair.

Mackenzie gently knocked on the door and opened it. In the dark room she saw the outline of Phoenix sitting slumped in a chair, the only light in there came through from the open door to the bathroom.

One Phoenix could surely need to use.

"Phoenix?" Mackenzie softly called for him to react. She turned on the light to see more clearly, the cold fluorescent light illuminating the room.