“The point of what?” Mike said sullenly.
“Setting Ru up for stealing Kirstie’s rings. Were you in on it?” he asked Kirstie. “You must have been. Pack your things and go with him.”
“No, please!” Kirstie sobbed. “It was all Mike’s idea. He just wanted to get Ru into trouble.”
“Shut up!” Mike snapped.
Jasim opened his hand and offered her the rings. “It might have been Mike’s idea, but you went along with it. I have a waiting list of people wanting to work here. I no longer want you. Pack up your stuff. Both of you will be leaving without references. Try and get another job in this field without one. If either of you tries to besmirch me or Ru, you’ll feel the full force of my legal team. Mike, you’ve assaulted Ru twice now, and he’s within his rights to press charges, but he doesn’t want to. Get out now before I change my mind and do it for him.”
Kirstie took the rings, then fled from the room crying even harder. Jasim stood with his arms crossed and watched as Mike finishing packing his clothes. When he moved past Jasim with his bags, Mike stopped.
“You think it’s over? It’s not.” Mike smirked and threw the keys on the floor.
Mike and Kirstie ended up leaving in the same cab. Jasim wished he was able to sigh with relief when the vehicle went down the drive, but he couldn’t. Joaquin came up to him as he stood outside the house.
“Trouble?” his Back asked.
Jasim ran through what had happened. Joaquin was the member of his team that he was closest to. If he was going to tell anyone he was gay, he should start with him. Jasim’s throat felt blocked.
“Are you okay?”
“Mike made a threat.”
“What sort of threat?”
“To tell everyone I was fucking Ru.”
Jasim made himself look straight at Joaquin who stared steadily back at him.
“Mike’s parting shot wasYou think it’s over? It’s not. He has no reason to let this go.”
“Are you fucking Ru?”
“Would it matter if I was?”
“Not to me.”
“I’ve not fucked him.” Jasim swallowed.Add the words.Not quite. But he didn’t.
Joaquin gave a short laugh. “What’s the problem?”
So Jasim told him about his family and his father’s threat and the more he talked, the easier it became.
“You’re an idiot,” Joaquin said. “You’ve spent all this time not being who you are. What the hell were you waiting for? Your father to die of old age? Your brother owes you one now because Ru saved his daughter. I think you’re done hiding. And I have an idea how to make you safe. Let’s go for a ride and we’ll talk. At some point today, you’re going to tell the rest of the team and I’m going to look as shocked as them or you might piss a few of them off that you told me first.”
“I’ll meet you at the stables. I need to make sure the gate code is changed and to speak to Ru.”
Jasim headed for the office to find Georgia had already reprogrammed the gate.
“5-8-2-0,” she said. “I’ve sent a text to everyone who needs to know. I’ll send P45s onto Kirstie and Mike. Is Ru okay?”
“I hope so. Thanks, Georgia. I know it’s your job, but I want to deal with requests for references personally for those two.”
Jasim headed for the house, spoke to Mary and asked her to make something for Ru to eat, then walked down to see him. He wondered if by this evening, he’d have plucked up enough courage to announce he was gay to his employees.
Ru was asleep on the sun lounger. And Jasim’s cock went hard.God, I have it bad.He felt guilty waking him, but another concussion on top of the first meant he needed to be watched even more carefully. He sat on the edge of the lounder and nudged Ru.
“What?” Ru jerked awake, then smiled when he looked at Jasim.
