Can You Reach Us?: The Outreach, #2

By Romilly King

"Before you ask, he can't speak, and before you try it, we're never separated."

Those are the first words Trent says to every new person thrust into his and Micah's life.
Not everyone listens.
So far this place is different. There has been a warm bed and soft clothes. There's filling food and, blessings indeed, a hot shower. For once he is clean, and Micah, when he curls around him, doesn't smell like dirt and sweat and tears.
Trent thinks this must be limbo, but a nice one, not like the one they were expecting.
He's not going to assume it will last, but he'll take it while he can, get his strength back to face the next threat thrown at them.
They've heard a lot of promises, Trent and Micah, but the serious man with the sad eyes insists he's going to fight for them, so they can stay together, and he says that nothing that has happened so far was their fault.
Trent finds that difficult to believe. Nobody has said that before, because it has always been their fault, right from the start.

Can you reach us? The Outreach Series, Book 2 is a hurt/comfort age gap gay romance by Romilly King, author of the Delphic Agency and Handled Series. It features a grieving Daddy dom who needs to let himself act on his instincts, and two traumatised young men who are desperate to be cared for.

Trigger warning for adult scenes, abusive behaviour, homophobic language, and depression

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balloon Ride Books
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215580523

Romilly King

Romilly write's character driven gay romances that focus on the dynamics of intense relationships.  Romilly's plots tend to dive deep into the more fascinating aspects of human behaviour - basically there will be a lot of kinky stuff!

Book preview

Prologue

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Michael looks up from his tablet as Cash lets himself into the dim lit lounge of the crash suite.  Cash crosses the room and lowers himself into the bucket chair next to where Michael has strategically positioned himself to watch the doors.

Trent isn’t asleep, Cash says quietly, Micah is, but Trent is just lying there, I just checked the cameras.

That boy has a lot of endurance, Michael says.

He obviously needed it. Cash slumps forward and drops his head into his hands. Michael doesn’t think he has ever seen his colleague so drained.

It’s not going well, is it? Michael says, The whole Outreach project, it’s not as easy as we thought it would be.

Cash looks up at him, his expression fierce, I don’t care how hard it gets, this is what we should be doing. It’s what I should have been doing from the start, rather than jerking around giving the super rich the kind of orgasm they think they deserve.

We wouldn’t be able to afford to do this if we hadn’t made all those wealthy people insanely happy.

Cash sighs, I know, ignore me Michael, I’ve just had a close up view of the shitty side of life and it’s come as something of a shock. It seems I have led a rather sheltered life until now.

Got a serious case of martyr complex coming on?

Cash manages a tired smile, Yeah, I have, he straightens, I shall give it all up and go to the poor and downtrodden, share their mean lives, and succour them with my presence and psychology skills.

Michael huffs out a small laugh.  It’s the knee jerk response, we all feel like we should be doing more when we see things like this. I’ve just had to talk Christian out of resigning his post and recruiting half the security team to form an ad hoc rescue squad for abused kids.

At least Christian has a more useful skill set in the circumstances.

He can exact revenge but he can’t do what you do, Cash.

Revenge feels like a good option right now, Cash’s voice grows hard, Did you see their bruises, Michael? His eyes are flinty with suppressed rage. They were naked, they were starving. Who the fuck does that to two young men?

I’m so sorry Cash, I think I was too optimistic when I sold you on the idea of the Outreach, I should have seen this coming, the difficult cases, the opposition to what we are doing.

I expected some opposition, Cash says, We are working on the outer edges of sexuality, that always upsets some people, although I didn’t expect there would be a regular posse of protestors camped on my doorstep waving placards at me. He runs a hand through his dark hair, messing it even further, It’s the lack of basic protocols amongst the statutory authorities that has shocked me the most today.  That social worker, she had no idea what those boys were going through.

They are stretched, they have been for decades.  Don’t be too hard on her, Cash.  They are trying to do the right thing with too few resources, that makes them the ideal hunting ground for people with ulterior motives.  A Christian group like Levitican Families looks like a gift to social workers with too little money in the budget.

Cash shakes his head sadly. I know what you mean, but still, flags should have been raised.

I agree, and now flags have been more than raised, but we’re on thin ice here, and I don’t mean to push you, but have you had any luck in finding a more permanent guardian?

Cash leans back in the seat and crosses his legs, I think we have a good candidate, Andrew Elliot, he’s a former professor of clinical psychology, he took up teaching after a decade in the field. He taught Birch, and Eliza knows him.  He’s a good man.  He lost his husband recently and retired from teaching and clinical work.  His late husband was a crisis intervention specialist for child welfare.

Is he one of us?

Yes, he was part of the testing protocol for Brio’s first paper.  He’s a Daddy dominant, zero markers for sadism, intense need to nurture and a strong caretaker.  His husband was his boy for going on fifteen years although they only married about six months before he died.

How did he pass?

Car accident. Cash grimaces. All very sudden. Andrew took it really badly, naturally.  Retired to their place in the hills, up by Evergreen.  He is squeaky clean reputation wise.

Will he go for it?

I don’t know, I don’t know him that well, it’s years since I spoke to him. I remember his profile though,  we considered him for Brio once upon a time, but he was too gentle.

There are third world dictators that would be too gentle for Brio, he needs a very firm and flexible hand! That manages to raise a smile in Cash which pleases Michael. Do you think the boys will need a Daddy?

Without a full test I can’t say for sure, Cash replies, But they ping that part of my radar, and Birch agrees.  From what I have seen I can guarantee they are complex and whatever they turn out to be Andrew will have the skills.

So the question is, will he want to do it?

You get to persuade him, and your very high priced lawyer then gets to persuade the courts.

Marshall, came through for us on the emergency order.

Yes, he did, but it was all psychobabble, and it won’t hold for long with your name on it.  We need an experienced professional along with a stable and above reproach placement environment.  Andrew fits those criteria.

Michael laughs grimly, Look at me, billionaire, philanthropist, with a family name that glows amongst the ranks, and all they will see is I’m the guy that made whoring something to be proud of.

Cash leans over and rests his hand on Michael’s knee, Yes, and that is the best thing about you.  It saved a lot of people, it may have saved these two, and it may save more if what we suspect is true.

Looks like I have to get my charm on tomorrow then.

Do you want me to stay here and keep an eye on the boys while you go and get some sleep? Cash asks.

No, I’ll be okay, I don’t need much sleep. Go kneel for your dominant. I can see the need in you. You’re upset and hurting, let him take it all away for you.

Cash nods gratefully, And you?

I’ll stay here, I’ll watch over the boys. It’s the least I can do as I’m not good enough to keep them safe for long.

I’ll get Eliza to contact Andrew first thing in the morning, set up a time for you to go and see him.

Thanks.

Michael sits quietly in the dim light of the crash suite after Cash leaves.  He thinks of the two boys sleeping in the other room.  Or if not sleeping then at least resting, at least safe for now.

He doubts that Levitican Families will let them go quietly.  He can smell something rank beneath their do gooding and the bible waving, something worse than casual homophobia and good old fashioned incompetence. 

They don’t want to be looked at, that’s for sure. He has a feeling that now Trent and Micah have drawn attention to them things will only get worse.

He looks at the closed bedroom door.  He doesn’t know these boys, he probably won’t get the chance to know them, but he knows he has a chance to change their lives and he isn’t going to let anything get in the way of that.  Andrew Elliot better have a damn good excuse if he won’t take this case.

Trent

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I don’t know what this place is but it’s okay, so far.  It’s way more than we are used to but it’s got that temporary feel to it, like this isn’t the destination. Even so I’ll take the comfort when I can because I don’t know when things will get shit again.

When we left home (is that a weird word to use, everyone else calls it the cult?) we went to a place sort of like this but nowhere near as comfortable.

I’d call it limbo but limbo is a bad place, God’s worst waiting room. The state of play is the same though, this is stasis until we move on.  I get that.

So I’m gonna enjoy the soft bed, and the blessed showers, and the food (Man, yeah food, so much food), until it’s time to move on.

Micah likes it.  They have TV with a load of channels, and the place smells nice.  Micah likes things that smell nice, and feel soft. 

He’s curled around me right now, snuffling in his sleep.  I can see his eyeballs moving behind his lids so he’s dreaming - I read about that when we got to go to school - but it can’t be bad dreams because he isn’t biting me.  Always a plus.

It’s good to have him like this.  Warm and clean - he smells so good when he’s clean.  He shifts in his sleep, snuffles, lifts his butt and lets out a little fart - so much for the smelling good. 

I bite my lip to keep from giggling but he must have felt me because he blinks his black eyes up at me, all sleepy and miles away.

Go back to sleep, I tell him, carding my fingers through his too long hair, Everything is good, just don’t eat so much all in one go!

He snorts a breath which is warm against my bare stomach and settles back down, his breathing regular and easy.

I should sleep too but I’m too wired, my brain trying too hard to guess what is coming next.  I know I should hang back, watch, wait, see which way the wind is blowing but I can’t help it, there is this tiny little seed of hope.  Maybe the worst is over - fuck, I shouldn’t even think that, and jinx us.

It came out of nowhere.  One minute we were freezing our pathetic skin off and the next we were being grabbed and pushed outside into the night and the big man, Michael he said his name was, has wrapped his coat around me and Micah is scrabbling his way towards me, desperate for actual touch.

I don’t even know where we are, not that that’s a deal breaker, or even unusual.  The car we were in pulled into an underground parking lot and then we were ushered into this place.  It’s like a hotel room you see on tv, like maybe in Vegas. I know what that is.

The carpets are thick and soft, the lights are dim and that counsellor we met a few months ago, Birch, was here at the start but he’s gone now.  I tell you, it was good to see a familiar face.  Meek threw himself at him and tried to cover him with kisses because Micah doesn’t care how long since he has seen you, if he thinks you’re a friend he’s all over you.

Birch said he had wanted to be with Michael and the dark quiet man who calls himself Cash, when they came to get us but he had to go to court to help get the order that allowed them to take us.

I have no idea why anybody would want to take us, but whatever, not arguing, because I think I was just about running out of hope back there.  I could feel the end coming. Brother Jeremiah had been visiting more and the Grims had been told they wouldn’t have to put up with us much longer.

Turns out it was even less time than they expected.

They’ll be happy about that.

Don’t think Brother Jeremiah will be though. 

He said he had plans for us.  He said we had one last chance to do some good and every time he left Sister Grim would beat us and tell us we were damn lucky Brother Jeremiah was giving us more chances than she would have.

Not going to think about that.  Not going to think about Meek crying as she locked him away from us. 

I hold Meek close and it feels so good to have him back, his skin so soft, his breathing steady and even.  He cries so loud when they separate us but I break inside all quiet like. It feels like being torn in half, like one side of me isn’t working, like I am dragging half a useless body around without him.

They didn’t even try to separate us here.  Birch showed us the bedroom before he left and he never once suggested one of us bunk on the sofa.  Neither did that Michael guy. He’s still here, I saw him when I crept out an hour ago to go to the bathroom.  He was sitting in a chair in the living room, still in his sharp suit and reading from a computer tablet.

I’m not sure about him, he’s a tall man, and he’s got that stern elder vibe that normally means trouble for me and Meek but he smiled when he saw me and his eyes crinkled in a real friendly way.

Didn’t stop me locking the bedroom door when I came back and crawled in with Meek, who moaned I was cold and then proceeded to octopus me until I warmed up again.

I wish I could sleep.  My eyes are gritty and I’m so tired I’ve got that pukey feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I can’t.  It’s been a long time since we were truly safe, fuck even growing up in a cult was better than the last few years, at least there we knew the rules and that we were breaking them just by breathing in sync.

Meek sighs in his sleep and rolls over, turning his back to me. In the dim glow of the lights I can’t work out how to turn off I can see the bruises across his shoulders, lines of old green and new purple.  I squeeze my eyes against stupid tears and swallow them back.  Gently I ease him back against me, carefully wrapping my arms around him.

I can do this.  I can stay awake and make sure nobody takes him