Rory led Rin and Dillon through the house and into the kitchen. "Mom, you remember Rin… This is Rin's…" Rory paused as he turned and looked Dillon over. "You know, I don't quite know how to explain all your many roles. You're more of an assistant than I am. You're Rin's head assistant?"
Dillon shrugged. "Fair enough… Whatever you'd like to call me." He held out his hand to Maggie as he sent her a charming smile. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you while working with these two."
Though confused, Maggie warmly greeted them. She turned her attention to Rin, her eyes moving over the more masculine attire. "Rin, dear, we weren't expecting you. Had I known, I'd prepared something better for dinner."
Rin sent her a wide smile. "Oh, no. Don't trouble yourself. If anything, once we're finished here, I'll treat you to dinner." His eyes moved to Rory. "That is, if it's ok with Rory."
Maggie's smile became stiff. It was obvious something was going on between the two of them, and Rory was just as surprised to see Rin here as she was. "Of course…"
Rory crossed his arms over his chest. "If it's alright with you, I was going to take them into Dad's office. We have some… business to work out…"
Rin arched a brow. "Business?" He sent Maggie a crooked smile. "Did Rory tell you he's trying to quit, but he signed a contract. It's a bit harder to quit than just storming off on your own when you've signed something like that, you know." Rin crossed his arms, mirroring Rory but somehow making it look way cockier.
Rory frowned. "Maybe that's why your dad had the no-dating-your-assistants clause in the contract to begin with." His lips turned upward when his words effectively removed Rin's cocky grin.
"I'll stay out here if it's alright…" Sabastian's displeasure was palpable from the glare he cast between Rin and Dillon.
Rin chuckled but didn't reply.
Rory closed the door to the office begrudgingly behind the pair before leaning against it. He watched with quiet trepidation as the two began wandering the room, each finding interest in random items here and there. "You found me… now what? Are you going to force me back, kicking and screaming?"
Rin didn't take his attention off the book in his hands as he shrugged. "I will if I must."
Rory blew out a sigh as he ran his hand through his messy blonde hair. It had grown quite a lot over the past few weeks, but he'd been too busy hiding to bother with a cut. "Rin, I'm trying to protect you… Look what almost happened… I'm protecting myself as well. I can't keep living this way with you in the open. I thought I could… but I really can't."
Rin shrugged again. "Seems we're at an impasse then." Rin's eyes finally moved from the book as he set it down on the shelf and walked toward Rory in long, determined strides. "Because I can't live without you… not now… You're too important to me. I'll not let go of you." Rin stroked the grimace lines of Rory's face as if by smoothing them away, then too would Rory's actual worries fade.
Rory tried to move away, but he was already against the door. Even his cheek hit the door as he turned away from Rin's burning touch. "Rin, that doesn't sound like love… that's obsession… You're no better than the stalker right now."
Rin shrugged. "Maybe I'm not, but the difference is I'm not here to hurt you. I want what's best for you. This isn't it, Rory. How will you live like this? Regardless of who this person is, you can't keep running from them for the rest of your life. Tell me I'm wrong." Rin forced Rory's face up to meet his, but Rory pulled away again.
Rory's head snapped to Dillon. "You know there are more issues between us than just the stalker…"
Rin turned Rory's head back on him. "Just means there are more people to protect you. Dillon is very good at a lot of things."
Rory arched a dubious brow. "You don't say? Is master stalker a part of his job description? How did you guys even find me here?"
Rin shrugged. "No point in hiding it if we're here to prove we can protect you, I guess. Dillon hacked your phone and pulled your call log. You say your stalker is this ex of yours. I say even better. That gives Dillon an easy target to hack… an exact name, and being a detective means all his personal info is in a national database." Rin pulled Rory into his arms. "Come back home. Let us help you. Stop trying to handle all this on your own."
Tears flooded Rory's eyes as he shook his head. "I can't go through that again… I can't see you hurt again…"
Rin cupped both sides of Rory's face and rubbed the tears with the pads of his thumbs. He forced a weak smile. "Look at me, Rory. Do I look that weak to you? I'm fine. It was nothing more than a few cuts and bruises… and the motherfucker got lucky once. We'll be expecting him from here on out. He'll not get the drop on us like that again." Rin bent and pressed his lips to Rory's. "Come back home. We need you."
Rory nodded.
Rin's eyes widened. "Really? You will?"
Rory nodded again, but before he could say anything else, Rin had already pulled him into a tight hug. Rory gasped against the crushing squeeze of Rin's arms around him. Rin's grip had just begun to relax when another set of hands wrapped around him and pulled him against another hard wall. Rory frowned as he realized Dillon had pulled him into a hug as well. He pushed against Dillon's chest as he shot him a glare. "Before I go back… You need to apologize to Sabastian." His gaze shot between Dillon and Rin. "On second thought, you both probably need to. He's done nothing but help these past few weeks… I don't know why, but he has…" Rory's gaze fell to the floor and the decorative rug there. "I… I guess he's kind of started to grow on me…"
Rin shrugged. "Yeah, he has a way of doing that… and you're not wrong… We have been a bit harsh with him, but it was because he can't lie for shit. We knew he was hiding something. We just couldn't figure out exactly what it was."
Rory chuckled. "He swore he was such a good actor…"
"Psh!" Rin snorted. "Maybe when given directions, but when it comes to trying to hide shit… He sucks."
Rory's brows furrowed. "So, then you both have known this whole time…"
Rin arched a brow. "That he was using me to get closer to Dillon? Yeah… I'm not the only one. I was just the easiest and most convenient." Rin shrugged. "I got enough out of the deal not to complain."
Rory frowned. "But you said so yourself, he could never accept you for you…"
A smile curved Rin's face. "But you have, and that's all that matters. So, let's go say our farewells and go home. What do you say?"
Rory shook his head as he pulled the door to the office open. "It's late, and I already promised my mom we would stay here tonight." His eyes moved over Rin and Dillon. "There is a motel not too far away. You guys could probably get a room there…"
A skeptical gleam slit Rin's eyes. "I'm sure Maggie wouldn't mind two more guests. If you're insistent on staying, should we ask to stay as well?" Rin sent Dillon a questioning wink.
Rory blew out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind, but Ben will. You know that. I'm trying to rebuild a relationship with my mom here, not find new ways to destroy it." His eyes moved over Rin. "How am I supposed to even explain your current appearance right now?"
Rin snorted out an indignant laugh as he tugged open the top buttons of his dress shirt and ripped the tape from his chest. The pain from the quick yanks was obvious on his face, but he didn't say anything as he flung the pieces in Rory's face. "There, better?" A snarky smirk curved his lips as he shoved past Rory.
Dillon's lips curved upwards into a surprised smirk. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
Rory squeezed the bridge of his nose with one hand as he crumpled the tape with the other. "I'm glad my suffering is so amusing to you."
Dillon's wolfish grin widened as he clasped Rory's shoulder. "Oh, no, baby boy. You don't understand. It's not you I find so amusing right now. In all the years I've known Rin, I've never seen him go this far for someone else… for anything that didn't directly benefit Rin…"
Rory sent Dillon a spiteful glare. "And this doesn't benefit him? You heard him, I'm the only one who fully accepts him… Well, except you, I guess…"
Dillon's smile faded. "Wrong… I don't… I'd never let him fuck me like you do." Dillon patted Rory's back before walking out the door after Rin.
Rory sat quietly through a maladroit dinner, desperate for the second it would end. Rin droned on as if nothing had changed since the last time they had all met. Dillon watched in eager fascination as if his favorite sitcom had just picked up a new season after being off the air for several years. The only other person at the table who seemed as uncomfortable as he was Sabastian. No, perhaps Sabastian was even more apprehensive about all this than him. After all, he had no idea what was to come. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk, so he was still very much in the dark. For all he knew, Rin's words could either be a perfect lie or solid truth… or fall somewhere in between… Rory happened to catch his mother's worried gaze as it fell upon him, but she quickly forced a smile.
"Would you like a slice of pie, sweetheart?" Maggie asked.
Rory nodded, ignoring his untouched plate of food in front of him. He stood and followed her to the kitchen. He hadn't realized until he stopped, and someone smashed into him, that Sabastian had followed. Rory blew out a sigh. "What are you doing? You should have stayed in there."
Sabastian frowned as he fumbled with his hands. "Is it true? Are you really going back with them tomorrow?"
Rory forced a stoic expression. "We'll talk more later."
Sabastian caught his arm. "Rory… I… Don't think I can go back there… not after…"
Rory nodded. "I understand…" Rory's eyes moved around the kitchen. His mom had intentionally busied herself on the other side, giving them privacy. He stepped closer to Sabastian. "Have you taken your bags to my room yet?"
"No, they're still in the living room," Sabastian answered, confusion written on his face.
Rory nodded. "Good, leave them there. Mine too." He glanced toward the door leading to the dining room. "Meet me in the office tonight after everyone goes to sleep."
Sabastian's face twisted into despair as he shook his head. His voice was such a low whisper, Rory had to lean closer to hear him. "You don't understand… Dillon and Rin… If they suspect anything at all they'll stay up all night… Whatever you're planning won't work."
Rory squeezed both of Sabastian's hands. "Don't worry, it will… It has to…" Rory turned and retrieved the pie from the counter and handed it to Sabastian. "Here, take this out. I need to talk to my mom for a minute alone."
Maggie frowned as she watched Sabastian leave the room. She held her tongue as she waited for her son to speak first. Without a doubt, something more was going on; she could feel it in her bones… but this time she wouldn't back down. She would be here for her son. She would do whatever he needed of her. She balled her hands by her sides in silent determination as she followed him across the room with her eyes. He'd changed so much since the last time he'd stood in this room… There was no longer the fragile boy who had begged for help… No, now stood a storm-hardened man… though still young. She clutched her chest as it ached at the thought of how much he must have suffered, and how much of that could have been negated had she had the courage to step up then.
"Mom… I apologize in advance for whatever hell this may cause you, but I need you to leave the back door unlocked tonight and the lights off… Can you do that for me?"
Maggie nodded. "Son… Are you sure all this is necessary? If you don't want to leave with Rin, stay here. Your friend too. Don't worry about the job. We can figure something out, contract or no contract."
Rory nodded. "No… It is necessary to leave… For a few reasons…" Rory blew out a long, defeated sigh. "One thing I've learned since leaving, they're just as bad as a stalker… just as obsessed. If I stay here, there will not be any peace for us… and…" His eyes moved to the door leading to the dining room. His thoughts trailed back to his first few months with Rin and the day Dillon showed up at Sabastian's. "You've not seen them angry… they both have horrible tempers." He wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed tightly. "I fear, I've not even seen either of them truly angry… and I don't plan to…"
Maggie wrapped her arms around her son. "I'll help in whatever way I can… as I should have four years ago… no… even before then…"