Zeng’s uncle sounded quite annoyed, which had River thinking twice about asking him for help.
“Thanks, shūshu.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The line disconnected, and it gave River a chance to speak.
“Shūshu?” River asked Zeng.
“It means uncle in Mandarin. Whenever I want to stay on his good side, I pull it out.”
“He doesn’t sound too enthusiastic about helping me.”
Zeng chuckled. “Don’t mind him, Uncle Winston can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but he’s a cuddly goofball, you’ll be in good hands.”
River eyed Zeng, not hiding his skepticism, but his friend chuckled and lightly grabbed him by the back of his neck, kissing him on his forehead. “Trust me, I’m here to help, not hurt you.”
“I’m trying to trust in you,” River whispered. He stepped back, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable by Zeng’s tender touch. There was nothing between them. And there would never be. But he couldn’t explain what was happening to him.
“How long have you been planning my escape?”
Zeng chuckled. “Since the first time I saw your bruised chin.”
River nodded. “So, what’s the next part of your plan?”
“Go pack some clothes. I need to make one more phone call and get you some cash. Speaking of cellphones, give me yours. We’ll get you a new one on the way to the bus depot.”
“You know I can pay for my own stuff, right? This isn’t the first time I’ve run away from home.”
“I do, but while you’re gone, you can’t use any of your credit cards, give me your phone as well. We don’t want Otávio tracking you.”
“Don’t worry about money, I have some stashed away in the hidden compartment of my suitcase.”
“Take as much as you can tonight and I’ll send the rest to you.”
“How?”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out.”
Fuck, why do I trust people so easily?
“You have a big heart, River, that’s why you trust easily.” Zeng smiled and River’s eyes widened. “You said that out loud.”
River had a weird tendency where he sometimes said things out loud without realizing he had.
“All right, let’s get you to the bus station.” Zeng reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. “There are two people I need you to talk to when you get to Killing Brook, they are both friends of mine.”
“Who are they?”
“I have a friend who’s a good listener. Fletcher is also very discreet. I promise anything you tell him, he won’t reveal to anyone.”
He handed River the business card. Eddison Fletcher, Psychiatrist.
“Who’s the other person?”
“Tate Ellison, he’s a lawyer and will help you get away from Otávio for good. I’m pretty sure he’s using your money for more than just music.”
“Why are you helping me?”
Zeng stood and walked over, resting his hands on his shoulders. “I feel inadequate as an alpha male that I haven’t been able to help you until now. No one deserves to be a punching bag. This is my way of righting a wrong. Listen, River, stay in Montana for as long as you want. Fuck everyone and everything else for now! We’ll work all that shit out when you’re better.”
“But the executives and all the people that depend on…”
“Fuck them too,” Zeng said, cutting him off. “You need to be selfish just this once. The executives know what Otávio has been doing to you and have done nothing to stop him. As long as you make them a shit ton of money, they’ll continue to turn a blind eye.”
River stood and hugged his friend, wanting and needing his touch. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for something that I should have done from the moment I found out what Otávio was doing to you.”
Chapter Two
Winston stood in the waiting area of the bus depot waiting for Zeng’s friend to show up.
Winston pulled his Stetson down, covering the upper half of his face, watching as one bus after another pulled up and left with throngs of people getting off and on.
Pulling out his cellphone, Winston brought up the picture of the band. Since he’d spoken to Zeng, he found himself looking at the picture more often than not. His eyes were drawn to the handsome lead singer each time he looked at the picture and the long blond hair that fell like silk curtains around him. He was sitting on a king’s throne in black leather pants, showing off his soft ochre complexion and toned, muscled chest. The leather pants were paired with thigh-high, gold stiletto-heeled leather boots with large gold buckles, and a jeweled crown sitting on top of his head.
The rest of his bandmates flanked around him, lazily leaning against the throne. Zeng was sitting on the arm of the chair whispering in his ear, which could explain the sexy smirk on the singer’s lips.
How close are they? Why the hell do I care?
Winston smiled, wondering if the crown on the singer’s head meant that he was a spoiled little king in real life. But he also couldn’t deny how sexy the man looked. Tucking the phone back into his pocket, scanning the bus station with envy, he watched lovers or loved ones greeting and welcoming each other with sweet kisses.
Winston couldn’t help but think how lonely his life had become since Kane had found his forever one, Cole, a couple of years ago. His melancholy grew worse after Gilliam Wade, his last lover, walked away from him after finding his forever one.
Through it all, Winston was happy for his friend. Kane was not only his best friend, but his business partner as well. Winston worked hard and liked to play even harder. He had hoped to find his soul mate and settle down with a couple of kids and a dog or two. But he didn’t have any prospects at his age, he was starting to give up hope on finding his happily ever after. Winston had been in love a time or two in his lifetime, but they didn’t last for a couple of reasons that he didn’t want to think about.
Kane had asked him a few years back before he’d met Cole and after Winston had caught his last lover cheating on him.
“How do you stay so optimistic when it comes to love?” Kane asked him.
Winston smiled. “You have to keep your mind open to heartbreak, Kane. You can’t be afraid to fall in love or you might end up missing your soul mate.”
Winston scoffed at the memory. What a bunch of bullshit. He wanted to tell Kane that it was hard, and his optimism was waning the older he got. He was getting tired of one-night stands and partners who weren’t ready to commit. He wanted a life partner and children of his own. He was sick of being envious of others.
Winston couldn’t complain that he led a dull life; not only was he the foreman for the Black Meadow Ranch, but a couple of years ago he became part owner of the ranch. He had brought a few ideas to Kane, like buying Jamison’s ranch and extending Black Meadow’s property where they were able to build more cabins and add more livestock.
He’d also suggested they sponsored a few of the big events happening in the state and town. Like concerts and the rodeo happening next year, giving the participants a special rate if they wanted to rent a space in the barn for their horses.