by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Slash Fan-Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG-13
LINK TO PART ONE
~
A loud knock on the door woke David up a few hours later. He opened his eyes, cringing at the sunlight in the room as his mind tried to place the noise.
It was coming from the door that connected Adam’s suite to his—that is, the door that connected Adam’s suite to the suite that Little Joe now occupied.
David disentangled himself from Adam and forced himself to get up and walk across the room. He could hear Adam yawning and stretching as he opened the door.
Joe was standing on the other side, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. It was a lean he must have learned from his older brother, David thought, suppressing a smile.
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Joe said caustically.
“Not at all,” David assured him. “We’re just waking up. Come on in.”
He stepped aside, allowing Joe to push past him. He glanced at Adam who was now sitting up on the bed. Adam raised his eyebrows at the way David had allowed Joe into the room, putting an end to any potential intimacies. David just shrugged in response.
“I think we should talk to Niles,” Joe said to Adam as he took a seat next to him on the bed. “I know you don’t like the man, but this is his son we’re talking about. The man probably has no idea that Gregory Miller was blackmailing Stephen—once he finds out, he’ll want to know the full details of Stephen’s death as well.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” David said. “I don’t see how we can talk to him before we know if Marty is playing some role in this.”
Joe turned to glare at him. “I’m not suggesting that you talk to Niles at all,” he said. “I’m sure you’re the last person he’d want to see—whatever Miller was up to, you’re the one who’s most responsible for Stephen’s death.”
David didn’t deign to answer that, but he heard Adam inhale sharply.
Fortunately Adam managed to control his temper. “I’m not ready to go to Niles yet,” he said evenly. “I’m not ruling out the idea, but David is right. We should be sure of Marty first.”
Joe stood up and let out a frustrated sigh. “Then what do you propose we do today? Wait until dark again to trail Marty and Miller? We’ll never make progress that way.”
“Do you have any other suggestions apart from talking to Niles?” Adam asked.
Joe shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m starting to wonder if you really want to investigate Stephen’s death—or if you’re just looking for an excuse to spend time in San Francisco with your catamite.”
Adam leapt up at that. He would have struck his brother if David hadn’t thrust himself between the two men.
“Joe,” David said, turning to the young man with a shamelessly pleading look, “please go downstairs and give Adam and me a moment to talk. Then he’ll meet you for breakfast in the hotel restaurant.”
“Don’t bother just going downstairs,” Adam said savagely. “Go back to the Ponderosa—I think we can survive without any more of your help.”
David rolled his eyes as he glanced at Adam. “Speak for yourself. I think we can use all the help we can get.” He paused and turned back to Joe. “Please just wait for Adam downstairs.”
Joe cocked his head at his brother. At length Adam sighed and nodded. Joe shrugged and turned and walked out of the room.
David turned back to Adam. “Don’t let you’re little brother get to you like that,” he chided. “Do you think I care if he calls me a catamite? He won’t break any bones of mine.”
“I won’t allow him to treat you with contempt,” Adam said as he began to pace the room.
David grinned at that. “What a chivalrous display,” he commented. “But you forget yourself, Adam. I don’t need you to defend me and I certainly don’t need you chivalry. This is a partnership of equals, remember?”
Adam stopped pacing and managed to smile. “All the same, Joe has to learn that I won’t tolerate this. I’m not asking him to love you—I just want him to be civil.”
But David shook his head. “No. Joe has to learn that just because you’ve taken up with me doesn’t mean that you’re rejecting him. He has to learn that you’re still the same older brother he’s always loved and admired. And he has to learn that you’re still committed to your family.”
Adam sighed. “And how do you expect me to convey that to him?”
David shrugged. “I don’t know. You can answer that better than I can. But you can start by meeting your brother for breakfast and spending the day with him.”
Adam sighed again and put a hand on his forehead. “I suppose you’re right,” he owned. “Fighting with Joe won’t help anything.”
He paused and glanced over at David with a wry smile. “You’re plan would have worked,” he commented. “If you had decided to go through with it, I mean. You could have revenged yourself on me by seducing me and driving me apart from my family.”
“I know,” David said, smiling a little. “And believe me, there’s a certain amount of satisfaction in the fact that I could have pulled it off. But I care for you too much now to separate you from your family—so you’d best go take care of your little brother.”
LINK TO PART FIFTY-SIX
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