"Jace! Come on in," Imogen said after shaking Jace's hand. He nodded and followed his boss to the living room. Jace wasn't surprised to see Raphael waiting there. Despite the man's increasing focus on his family and medical career, he still had his fingers in every aspect of the vigilante group he'd founded.
Jace had never personally met the third man in the room, but he knew who he was. Imogen had already given him the heads-up that he was a close friend of hers and Raphael's and that he was connected to the powerful Starkweather family.
"Jace, this is Hodge Starkweather," Imogen said.
"Captain," Jace said politely as he extended his hand to the man who'd risen from his position on the couch. He tilted his head at Jace, probably because Jace had used his formal title rather than his name.
"Please, call me Hodge," he murmured as they shook hands. Jace already knew the man was in his late thirties, since he'd done as much research on him as he could once Imogen had told him about the meeting. Jace had spent the better part of the evening weeding through the murky family tree that was the Starkweather clan. Hodge had actually married into the family years earlier, though he wasn't sure if marriage was the correct term, since he was in a relationship with two men at the same time. Jace had seen some news articles about Hodge and his partners, Lorenzo Rey and Andrew Underhill, having had some type of commitment ceremony, but he wasn't about to ask about it.
It certainly wasn't any of his business.
He was here to do a job, nothing more.
"Hodge," he said with a nod.
Jace stepped past Hodge and shook Raphael's hand, then took the chair that Raphael motioned to. It was a good spot because it would allow him to read Hodge's expressions as he spoke. Despite the fact that he was close to Raphael and Imogen, Jace still wanted the ability to judge for himself how forthcoming the man was.
Hodge was a big guy and a good-looking one, but there was a certain weariness about him. Jace wondered if it had anything to do with why he'd been called in. The fact that he was a captain in the Police Department had piqued Jace's interest from the get-go, since it wasn't typical for a do-it-by-the-books cop to seek the help of guys like Raphael and Imogen.
After all, it wasn't like what Jace and the other guys who worked for Raphael did was exactly above board.
"Hodge has asked us for assistance with a case," Imogen began before deferring to Hodge.
Hodge swallowed hard and nodded. Jace had to wonder if whoever the subject was had some kind of personal connection to Hodge because he seemed pained as he tried to figure out where to start.
"His name is Simon Lewis," Hodge said. Imogen handed Jace a file folder and he quickly flipped it open. His eyes fell on the picture that was on top of the stack of papers. He quelled his reaction to the sight of the gorgeous man and promptly shut the folder again.
He'd have time to study the contents later. For now, he wanted to focus all his attention on the man asking for his help.
But the piercing brown eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses, dark hair, and slender body from the photograph rode the edge of his vision as Hodge began speaking.
"We received a 911 call last night from the office of the foundation he runs. Simon was returning to the office to pick up something on his way home from a dinner meeting. He walked in on someone vandalizing the place and got roughed up."
Jace's fists automatically tightened on the folder in his hands. "Is he okay?" Jace asked quickly, despite his intent to remain emotionally detached from the police captain's story.
"Couple of scrapes and bruises. He declined medical treatment."
Jace nodded and ignored the need to fire more questions at Hodge.
He also ignored the innate desire to flip the folder open again so he could take in Simon's image once more. Even now, Jace was wondering about the severity of his injuries.
It wasn't a good sign.
"When I heard about the attack, I went down there myself," Hodge said.
"You have a personal connection to him?" Jace asked.
Hodge paused and shifted his eyes to the ground briefly. "I do," he said softly. Jace was surprised when Raphael settled his hand on Hodge's shoulder.
"There's no judgement here, Hodge," Raphael said gently.
Hodge nodded. "Simon is the son of the man I was partnered with shortly after I got out of the police academy. His name was George. I wasn't out back then, but George was. The department wasn't exactly tolerant when it came to homosexuals on the force. George, he didn't care, but I did. I knew what it meant."
When Hodge seemed too pained to continue, Jace said, "Your brothers in blue wouldn't have your back."
Hodge nodded and then he was looking directly at Jace. "Raphael said you'd get it."
Jace swallowed hard at that.
He got it all too well.
And that fact made it clear as to why he'd been chosen for this particular job.
Jace managed a nod in response, but nothing else.
"I asked to be assigned to a new partner. My request was granted," Hodge continued. "When I next saw George, he'd been notified of the transfer and he..."
Hodge's words fell off, but neither Raphael nor Imogen urged him to go on. It was a good thirty seconds before he did.
"He told me he understood and that he thought I was going to make a hell of a good cop. He was killed that night responding to a home invasion. His backup never showed up."
Hodge took in a shuddering breath before he said, "No one in the department was ever disciplined for it. The higher-ups bought the story that the units who should have responded misunderstood the address dispatch gave them. The fuckers were joking about it the next day - said the best kind of..."
Hodge covered his mouth with his hand briefly, then forced the ugly words out. "The best kind of fag was a dead one." Hodge paused, then explained, "I was one of two people who went to the funeral. The other was George's boyfriend, Magnus. Turned out that George's family had disowned him. Magnus didn't know who I was at first, but afterward when he found out..."
Hodge's voice dropped off and this time, he didn't continue.
"George had a son?" Jace finally prodded.
He nodded. "Simon was adopted. He was just a boy when George died."
It took Hodge several long beats before he seemed to collect himself. "Magnus started a successful investment firm and just recently handed the reins over to Simon. But from everything I've seen and heard, Simon's true passion is the foundation."
It didn't surprise Jace one bit that Hodge had apparently been keeping tabs on George's son. "What kind of foundation is it?" Jace asked.
"It focuses on the rights of LGBTQ individuals by providing legal support in discrimination and court cases. It also donates money to different causes and educates the community."
Jace nodded in understanding. It was no surprise that the young man and his foundation would have been targeted. The support for same-sex relationships had grown in leaps and bounds over the years, but it was far from perfect.
"So, you think someone is targeting Simon?" Jace asked, suddenly eager to get started on his assignment. Even the idea that danger could be stalking Simon Lewis at this very moment was making him antsy.
"It's not the first time the place has been vandalized, but I think it's the first time he's been directly attacked. I don't think he wanted me to know it, but he seemed really spooked by the whole thing. But when I offered to beef up patrols in the neighbourhood, he told me not to bother." Hodge's tone made it clear why Simon had declined the offer - the young man clearly doubted the cops would take any better care of him than they had his father.
Hodge's eyes held Jace's as he said, "I just need to make sure it was a onetime thing. I owe it to Magnus... and George."
"Understood," Jace said. "Why not just put some police protection on him?
"Simon shares his father's hatred of all things police. I doubt he would have even reported the incident last night if a passer-by hadn't seen what was happening and called 911. When we arrived, he wasn't exactly cooperative... or welcoming. Not that I can really blame him."
I just... I need to know the threat to Simon, if there is one, is taken care of. But he can't know I'm involved-"
"He won't," Jace cut in. "I'll make sure of it."
Though Jace didn't have any kind of personal connection with Hodge, he owed it to Raphael and Imogen to make sure this job didn't go sideways. "I'll find a way to get close to him without him being the wiser," Jace murmured before glancing at Imogen and Raphael. Both of them nodded and Jace knew that they were trusting him to figure out the best way to get into Simon's inner circle. Jace stood and held his hand out to Hodge. "I'll keep him safe," Jace said.
Hodge rose, nodded, then took his hand. "For George," he whispered.
"For George," Jace agreed, though he knew in his gut that it wasn't just the obligation to the fallen officer that would have him keeping Simon safe.
It was a reality he didn't want to deal with, so he tucked the folder under his arm before saying his goodbyes to Raphael and Imogen.
Time to figure out who exactly Simon Lewis was and how to keep him from meeting his father's fate.