Escape
Chapter 12
Justin lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure how long he had been awake, but the morning light had just started to shine through the windows. He thought about his wedding night. He never knew anything could be so intense. He smiled at the memories as he played with the ring on his finger. Suddenly the smile gave way, as thoughts of what had gone on in his life over the past months took over.
He could still hear his father screaming at him, saying he wouldn't allow any son of his to be a homosexual, as if it was his choice. "I have news for you, Craig," he had shot back, "I was born gay. It's who I am and who I will always be. Get used to it." He should have taken his father's words more to heart, because it was only a few days later that he was essentially kidnapped and taken to Greenhills. Greenhills, such a nice name. More like a country club than the prison it really was.
"Hey, Sunshine. Can't sleep?"
Justin turned over to face his husband. "Just thinking," he said, caressing Brian's face.
"Anything you want to discuss with me?"
"Not right now. Umm, you know that thing you did last night with your tongue? Think you can do that this morning, too?"
Brian was more than happy to oblige.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Craig paced the home office with the phone to his ear. "Well, he showed up here, in Pittsburgh and it seems he's "married" to someone named Kinney." He listened for a minute. "That's what I thought. Of all the incompetent assholes I've had to deal with, you are at the top of the list. You can forget your money. I'm not giving you another cent." He slammed the phone down then picked it up again. "Stan, find my son...if you saw the paper then you know he's here in Pittsburgh somewhere. Evidently this Kinney guy is a big shot among the fags of the city, start with him. No, don't bring him here. Take him to the empty warehouse and call me. Kinney? I don't care what you do with him." He hung up and walked out of the office. Grabbing his coat, he hollered to his wife that he was going to work. He pulled the front door open and came face to face with his son.
"Hi, Dad. Going somewhere? I was just coming to see you. I have some wonderful news."
"You're not coming inside, Justin," Craig said, through gritted teeth. He glared at the man standing next to his son. "And he's certainly not welcome here."
"Gee, Brian, I think he's already heard the news. That's right," he said, snapping his fingers, "the morning newspaper's here. Aren't you going to congratulate us? After all, it isn't every day your only son gets married." Justin grabbed Brian's hand and pushed past his father into the living room.
"I said you're not welcome in this house as long as this pervert is with you."
"You're not happy to see me. Us. And we rushed right back here as soon as we could, didn't we, Sweetie?"
"Why, yes we did, Honey," Brian said, sweetly. He was doing his best not to punch Craig Taylor out, but this was Justin's scene, not his and he was going to let it play out the way Justin wanted.
"Did you know that I left Greenhills? Yes, I guess you did. They couldn't very well have kept that from you for very long."
A woman's voice called from the hallway. "Craig, who was at the door? Who are you talk...Justin. Oh my God. How...what?" She dropped the dishtowel she was drying her hands with and rushed to hug her son. She pulled away when she realized he wasn't returning the hug. His arms hung stiffly at his side. She looked at the good looking man standing next to her son. Brian could feel the hot glare, but didn't let his discomfort show.
"Mrs. Taylor. How nice to meet you," he said with a smile as he held out his hand to her. "I'm Brian Kinney, Justin's husband."
"Yes. I figured as much." Country club manners or not, she gave little doubt about her feelings for the older man standing next to her teenage son.
"Craig, did you know they discharged Justin already? Although I'm a little confused," she said, looking from Justin to Brian.
"They didn't discharge me, Mother. I left. I managed to wake up enough from the drugs they gave me and get out of the leather straps they put around my wrists and ankles and I left. But not before releasing Brian too. He was in an isolation room, drugged out of his head."
"Drugs? Leather restraints? What are you talking about, Justin? Greenhills is a hospital, not a prison."
"Whatever the brochures say, that was not a hospital. Ask your husband. He knows the truth."
"Craig, what is he talking about?"
"Look, Jenn. We did what was best for him. They said they could send him back to us as a `normal person', not some pervert who will do nothing but bring us shame."
"What kind of shame have I brought you? I get straight A's in school and am at the top of my class and some of my drawings have won prizes in art shows around here. I got 1500 on my SAT's and have my pick of universities, even Ivy League ones. What kind of shame is there in that?" By now he was standing in front of Craig with his finger shaking at his father's angry face. He felt Brian put his hand on his shoulder and leaned back against him.
"That's the shame right there," Craig said, pointing to the hand on his son's shoulder.
"Craig, please."
"No, Jenn. He's going to hear this. I told you we loved you and that you could stay here and live your life under this roof as long as you didn't flaunt your depraved lifestyle in front of us and never mentioned boyfriends ever again. I will pay your tuition to Dartmouth, but you will never get a penny from me to go to that faggot art school."
"So, Mr. Taylor, you want him to deny who he is and how he feels? Well, that's not love, that's hate."
"Mr. Kinney, we don't hate Justin. He's our son. We just want what's best for him." Jennifer realized she was losing her only son and the thought sickened her.
"No. You want what's going to make you look best at the country club and at work. You don't care for Justin, for his feelings. If you did, you would know that who he loves doesn't matter. The fact that he can love, that's what matters. Believe me, I know. At least that hasn't been destroyed. When I asked Justin why he wanted to come back here, do you know what he said? He said he wanted to kill you. That's what Greenhills did to him. That's what you did to him. Frankly, I don't think you're worth it." Brian glared at the shocked face of the older man and turned to leave. "Come on, Justin. I think we're done here." As he reached for the door, Brian made one more statement. "Oh, and if you ever try to hurt Justin again, it'll be the last thing you ever do." With that, he put his arm protectively around his husband and the two of them walked out the door.
"So," Brian said as they walked to the car. "You got 1500 on your SAT's?"