Page 81 of Oddly Fine

“He invited me to dinner one night.”

“Dinner?” Beckett asked, baffled by the sudden switch from counselling sessions at the center to a going on a dinner date.

“It was late in the day, and he called to ask if I could see him for an unscheduled session. I told him I couldn’t because I’d already left the office and was heading to dinner. He—he offered to go with me, and I guess the relationship changed from there,” Franklin admitted sheepishly.

“Changed how?” Beckett asked, although his cool tone indicated that he suspected exactly where this was going. And he didn’t like it one fucking bit.

Hayes didn’t want to assume they’d become fuck buddies. He chose to reserve judgment for the moment.

“We started meeting up more regularly. Coffee, then lunch, then—a hockey game—just, hanging out, you know. He’s a cool guy. Simple, kind. Not at all what you’d expect from someone leading a life of crime.” Franklin chuckled and then bit his bottom lip nervously.

“You’re telling me—” Beckett held up a hand to stave off any interruptions. “You’re saying you became friends with Matthew the mob boss? The self-proclaimed drug lord?” Beckett screeched, looking as if he wanted to reach across the table and throttle his brother.

Game over as far as Hayes was concerned. His gut feeling had been spot on about the progression of their relationship. Good to know his instincts were still foolproof.

Franklin just looked at Beckett in silence. But he might as well have had “That’s not all!” written across his forehead.

“You were fucking. You’re in a relationship with him.” Hayes decided it was time to just say it out loud and be done with it.

Hayes half expected Beckett to flip the table when Franklin nodded in agreement, but the shock of learning about Franklin’s relationship with Matthew must have been too great, because his hot-tempered partner sat very still.

“You—” Beckett began but stopped and had to start again, “I’m sorry—you’re in a relationship with a Mafia boss? A male Mafia boss?”

Franklin nodded.

Beckett sat back in his seat and took a deep, calming breath.

Hayes suspected he was struggling to control some kind of urge—probably an extremely violent one. He was incredibly proud of Beckett for winning that particular battle.

“It’s catching—” Beckett remarked abruptly. “The gay is fucking catching,” he clarified, looking astounded by the discovery of Franklin’s being gay.

“Oh, would you not be an asshole for a minute—I’ve always been bi. I had a boyfriend in college. You’re not special, Beck,” he snapped, like Beckett was being ridiculous.

Hayes had to admire Franklin’s courage in facing off with Beckett, if nothing else.

“You did? What the hell?”

“Sure—we broke up right before I finished medical school. Maggie knew. She met him once.” He waved a hand dismissively like it wasn’t a big deal.

Hayes supposed it really wasn’t. It was the 21st century. People could bang whomever they liked.

“How serious is it?” Hayes decided to get them back on track. “Was it casual? Or were you two—”

“In love,” Franklin declared without any indication of feeling ashamed or remorseful.

Beckett dropped his forehead to the table with a thud and groaned. Loudly. “You’re supposed to be the smart one!” he exclaimed accusingly.

“I know! But it wasn’t—I never planned on any of it.”

Hayes could, very easily, understand that. He hadn’t exactly planned on falling for the professional idiot sitting next to him either. Just goes to show how the Fates can fuck with your life whenever and however they want to.

“Okay—so you fell for a mob boss, but I still don’t think that justifies faking your own death,” Hayes observed with a frown. Franklin had not yet provided enough information as far as Hayes was concerned.

“Matthew wants out. He’s a legit businessman, and he doesn’t want to be part of this whole thing, not anymore, but he refuses to make a move until he knows the rest of his family will be safe.”

“Safe?” Beckett asked, incredulous. “He’s a mob boss! They’re a mob family! Early grave comes with the family name!” he growled, outraged at his brother’s apparent ignorance of how this shit worked in the real world.

“Yes, but right now, things are worse than usual. His uncle took over the family business after the death of Matthew’s father, and he’s been leading it in directions that Matthew doesn’t approve of. It’s no longer just about drugs. His uncle wants to the family to get involved in human trafficking, and Matthew wants to take him out of the game before he walks away.”