Now his eyes did narrow as he focused on Demitri’s temple. Even though Demitri had tried to hide it, when he straightened and shook his head, his loose hair moved, revealing yellow, purple, and green skin above his temple.
That explained the lack of styling.
“Who hit you?” Kiernan’s cool tone finally got Demitri to focus on him. The blush was gone, his face now pale.
“No one,” he denied.
Growling low, he hissed, “That’s a lie, and we both know it. Was it your father? Did he backhand you or something?”
“No, he…” Demitri glanced around as if worried someone was watching him. “You want your usual?” he asked, instead of finishing.
He almost declined, but then he saw the fear in Demitri’s eyes and nodded. “Yes, the meatloaf sandwich. Thank you.”
Wrapping his hands around his glass to keep from grabbing Demitri and demanding the young man tell him what the hell was going on, Kiernan watched him slip back into the kitchen.
That’s when he noticed the glaring man near the front of the restaurant. Short, dark hair, glasses on a round face, the man wore jeans and a sweatshirt that hid his true form.
Either way, it was easy to see the guy was watching Demitri.
A few moments later, Demitri came back out and placed the plate of food in front of him. “I’m sorry, Kiernan,” he whispered. “I can’t go hiking with you tonight.” Before he could say anything, Demitri straightened. In his normal voice, he said, “Enjoy your meal, sir. Please, let me know if I can do anything else for you.”
Kiernan watched Demitri hustle away, all the while wanting to tell him that what he could do for him was tell him what the hell was going on. He ate his food in silence, watching Demitri move slowly about his duties, with a hell of a lot more subtlety than the other guy. Once done, he paid for his meal and left.
Starting his truck, Kiernan pulled out of the lot. Instead of heading home, he wended through the streets until he’d circled back around. Kiernan parked in the shadows across from the diner and waited, watching through the window.
When the frumpy man with glasses left at nine o’clock, hustled out by the hostess and one of the bus boys, Kiernan watched him get into a dark sedan and drive away.
He exited his truck and, sticking to the shadows, headed across the street. Kiernan figured it might be considered stalkerish to be hiding in the shadows at the back door, but fuck that, he wanted answers. He knew someone had hit Demitri, and he meant to find out whom.
His patience paid off when Demitri came out carrying a bag of garbage. When he swung it into the dumpster, Kiernan heard him gasp, then grab his side. Growling, Kiernan strode toward him. From the shocked look on Demitri’s face, followed quickly by fear, Kiernan could just imagine the rage etched across his features.
It took some effort, but Kiernan managed to soften his look. He wasn’t angry with Demitri, after all. Gently, he cupped the young man’s jaw and tipped his head back. Still, Demitri’s eyelashes hid his eyes.
Kiernan didn’t like how Demitri trembled in his arms.
“Demitri, look at me,” he urged. He did like how the man immediately obeyed, but hated the fear in the green depths. “Tell me what’s going on. Who was that man watching you?
Who hurt you?”
“That was my father’s friend, Brett. My father, Cooper, didn’t like that I went on a date with you,” Demitri whispered the admission.
“Oh, darling,” he murmured. Settling a hand on Demitri’s hip, Kiernan squeezed it lightly.
Demitri flinched and whimpered.
Kiernan froze and frowned. His heart began to race as he saw the pained expression on the sweet man’s face. “It wasn’t just your face he hit, was it?”
Demitri pinched his lips together, but at least he admitted the truth by shaking his head.
Dropping to one knee in the dirty alleyway, Kiernan gently pulled Demitri’s shirt from the waist of his slacks. He drew in a sharp breath when he lifted the material and spotted more dark and angry looking bruises.
“Dee…” he breathed. Looking up, he peered at Demitri.
“Your father did this?”
Demitri nodded.
“Why?” He couldn’t fathom why any father would want to strike their son, let alone one as sweet and hard working as Demitri.
“He told me I wasn’t gay and I had the audacity to disagree.”
“Did you go to the police?” he asked incredulously.
Demitri shook his head. “He’s my father.”
Kiernan let his eyelids slide closed. He struggled against his desire to hunt the man down and beat him black and blue like he’d done to Demitri. But he couldn’t do that. He knew that, even if he didn’t like it. However, there was no way he wanted Demitri back in that environment.
“Come home with me,” he blurted out even before he realized what he’d planned to say. Even as he said the words, Kiernan knew he was going to insist. He wanted to take care of Demitri.
Demitri’s eyes widened. “Oh, I don’t—”
“You can’t go back to that house,” Kiernan stated, interrupting. “I won’t allow it.” It wasn’t like he really had any say in the matter and he knew it. From the shock of Demitri’s face, Kiernan realized he probably knew it, too.
Racking his brain, he rose back to his feet and gently held the young man’s face, rubbing his thumbs along his high cheekbones. “Come with me just for the night. Let me take care of you. Tomorrow,”— Damn, why was this so hard to offer? —”we’ll find alternate arrangements. Just…just don’t go back home tonight. Please,” he pleaded.
That finally seemed to get through to him. Demitri gave him a smile.
