Fracture

By Mary Stout

The Drake twins have been locked away forever, and the trauma they caused is preparing to heal, but that only leads to older wounds being reopened.

Frederick comes to Lesley, Malcolm, and Julian with a problem: the agents of MI6 seem to be under siege by an unknown ailment. Strange, erratic behavior, fights breaking out without any source. Determined, they set about investigating, but nothing is as it seems.

The crew is joined by a face from Malcolm's past, which only further aggravates the situation. Before too long, Malcolm starts exhibiting the same weird behavior that the agents did. All at once, the case goes from objective to deeply personal. With Malcolm ostensibly out of commission and under siege himself, Lesley and Julian must find a cure, or risk having to keep him locked up forever.

What they discover, both about themselves and each other, is not what they expect. And it is certainly not what they are prepared for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887932729

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Fracture

Mary Stout

Copyright © 2023 Mary Stout

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88793-288-0 (hc)

ISBN 979-8-88793-272-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Epilogue

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Well, we've finally reached it: book 3.

This book was…definitely a challenge, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It was in this installment that I realized that my first ever series was underway, and it was such a thrilling feeling. Fracture is a pivotal turning point in the series, after which the stakes are raised and everything gets gritty. Sorry, more gritty.

Once again I'd like to thank everyone at Page Publishing for giving another installment their all and being awesome throughout. Nicole, thank you! Thank you!

This book is dedicated to my parents (obviously), but I don't need an excuse to thank them again for being supportive and loving. I love you both so much.

To my best friend Cassie, for always being my writing buddy and all-time supporter and part-muse. You're the best, and I love, love, love you.

Of course I can't leave out my great coworkers, you all know who you are. All of you make work so much more fun to put up with and offer plenty of teasing and keeping me on my toes. You are all the best.

And lastly, to everyone and anyone who has followed London Circle so far and are eager for more. I hope Fracture proves to be satisfying and well worth the read.

M.E. Stout

Prologue

"Vance! Come back here! We're not done!"

Timmy's angry shouts followed Malcolm as he and Lesley exited through the front doors of Scotland Yard. The fresh air, added onto the new onslaught of street noise, caused him to stop in place and release a heavy breath.

Lesley, who had gotten two feet ahead of him before he noticed, stopped and moved back. What is it, Malcolm?

Malcolm didn't reply; he merely stood still as he let the noises around him cleanse his mind of the twin's angry shouting. The strange cacophony made him close his eyes tight.

A hand grasped his shoulder tightly. It is over now, Lesley said gently but with conviction. You will never have to see him again.

Malcolm scoffed softly and shook his head. He knew Lesley was right, but he also knew that it would never be truly over for him. What Timmy had done, what he'd proven to him, would forever link them. The wounds on the backs of his legs weren't the only mark the twin had left on him.

Lesley's hand gentled against his shoulder but stayed in place. Malcolm, look at me.

It still was so strange hearing the politician call him by his first name, but it also seemed right somehow. He opened his eyes and met Lesley's.

I know there is nothing that I can say, no assurance I can give, that will calm your fears, Lesley said in his calm, clear voice. But know this: I will be here to help you. If you ever need someone to speak to, to give voice to your misgivings or your fears, you can come to me.

The words warmed Malcolm's heart. Thank you, Lesley.

I mean it, Malcolm, Lesley said, now grasping both his shoulders imploringly. We are friends. I want you to trust in me. He paused, and his lips pursed. I will never again shut you out, or ignore anything you tell me.

Malcolm knew, in that very moment, that Lesley fully, heartfully, hated himself for failing to come to his aid. He could see it in his eyes, in his expression; it practically came off him in waves. Lesley blamed himself, and would most likely keep blaming himself, for a long time.

For some reason, that numbed the rest of the resentment he'd felt toward the politician since the twins attacked him.

Thank you, Lesley, he repeated, unable to find the right words to express how thankful he really was.

Lesley, perceptive as ever, seemed to read his unspoken gratitude in his eyes because he gave a very faint smile and squeezed both his shoulders in comfort. Now, let's set about cleaning up this mess, he said matter-of-factly.

Malcolm felt his pain ebb a little more at the prospect of work, at the realization that there was still more to do before they could put the Drake twins away forever. I'm ready, he said.

Chapter 1

Julian had been so confident that his plan would work; now he had serious doubts.

It won't work. The words whittled their way into his thoughts as he began to pace the floor of the study. Now they were a steady mantra that only gained more potency with every repetition.

He paused in the middle of the room and sighed heavily. He rubbed at his face, his glasses off and hooked in between two fingers. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the ceiling as he ran a frustrated hand through his brown hair. For the ninth time since he'd entered the room, he cursed his own stupidity.

Three months had passed since the Drake twins were arrested. During those three months, he, Lesley, and Malcolm had set about taking down the Drakes' gang and tracking down every informant and rooting out the backsliders in the law enforcement. The process had been long and grueling—every arrest had taken a serious toll, every raid on both private and public families and properties had wrenched at the very heart of their beliefs in their government's ability to withstand corruption. In the end, their disappointment had been severe.

Julian put his glasses back on and walked to the windows, his thoughts drawn back to the end of the trial. Timmy and Tommy's trial had lasted a week. It had taken the jury less than thirty minutes to find them guilty of hundreds of counts of assault and murder. He, Lesley, and Malcolm had watched every minute of it from the back of the courtroom. Lesley had been silently stoic. Malcolm, however, had watched with a detached numbness.

The week after the Drakes had first been arrested, Malcolm had thrown himself into the destruction of the Drakes' gang. He'd personally made every arrest and led every raid. His desire for justice had been reinforced to an almost alarming level. But neither Lesley nor Julian had minded; they both had known that Malcolm had needed to prove himself again after his own betrayal. When the trial had ended and the Drakes had been taken away for sentencing, they had hoped that that would be the solace Malcolm needed.

They were wrong.

Even though the trial and the case were finally over, Malcolm was still trapped in the trauma of his ordeal. Three months of retribution had done nothing.

Now, Julian hoped to fix that.

When he'd arrived at headquarters that morning, he'd informed Lesley of his plan. His old friend had looked skeptical but had voiced his support. Only now was Julian starting to share the politician's skepticism.

His phone beeped, which caused him to jump beneath his skin. He pulled it from his pocket and looked down at the message.

He's here

A

Julian's heart began to pound furiously as he stowed his phone back into his pocket. He took in a shaky breath and retraced his steps across the room.

A few minutes later, the door to the study opened, and Malcolm appeared. He was dressed in his dark jeans and suit jacket over a plain gray shirt. At his hip, barely noticeable beneath the jacket, Julian could see the familiar bulk of the gun clipped to his waistband. Even after the case had ended, Malcolm had continued to carry it with him everywhere. It only served to make his position as lead investigator all the more stark.

Hey, Jules. Malcolm stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Malcolm. Julian tried to paste a pleasant smile on his face. His lips twitched with the effort.

Sorry I'm late. Malcolm walked across the room and sat down in one of the chairs. I had to stop by the Yard and talk to Inspector Gale about the trial.

Julian slowly, deliberately, walked to the closed door and discreetly locked it. His pulse jumped as the sharp snap echoed in his eardrums. "Don't you mean Commissioner Gale?"

Malcolm's face went still; the look in his eyes mirrored the look. Yeah.

Julian couldn't keep the smirk off his face as he moved back to where Malcolm sat. When the twins had been arrested, Commissioner Drake had also been apprehended for coercion and corruption. He was due to serve three years of minimal labor. With his arrest, Lesley had been forced to promote Inspector Elizabeth Gale to the position of commissioner. It was a move that disturbed the three of them equally.

How did that go? Julian sat down in the chair beside Malcolm's.

Malcolm ran a hand through his black hair. It had grown a bit since the Drakes had been arrested. It now looked more ruffled and disheveled than before. All right. He dropped his hand to his lap. She wanted to make sure there wasn't any underhanded tactics being used in the trial. But she had nothing to worry about, nothing like that would've happened in my father's courtroom.

Julian's pulse stilled at the mention of Malcolm's father. James Vance had led the court's prosecution and had leveled the Drakes flat. It had been interesting to watch him conduct a trial, but the entire time he'd kept a close eye on Malcolm. It had been bad enough for Malcolm to be in the same room as Timmy Drake, and throwing his father into the mix had only made it worse.

Was that all she wanted? Julian asked.

Malcolm went still as his eyes focused on the opposite side of the room. She wanted to know if I had gotten any damning information from Timmy after the arrest.

It didn't surprise Julian that the new commissioner had found out about Malcolm's visit to the Yard after the Drakes' arrest. What did surprise him was that she thought that Timmy would've made the error of confiding in Malcolm again.

Did you?

Malcolm completely stiffened. Julian heard him suck in a low breath.

No. The single word was whispered from his lips. We didn't talk about that.

The hidden meaning beneath those words raised the hair on Julian's arms. He shifted in his chair. What did you talk about then?

It doesn't matter.

Julian had been prepared for that response. Denial was always Malcolm's way of dealing with hurtful things. Malcolm—

Malcolm got up from the chair and made his way toward the door.

Julian watched, heart pounding, as his friend reached for the handle and tried to turn the knob. When it didn't budge, his posture went rigid. Let me out, Julian.

I can't do that, Malcolm.

Julian. Malcolm turned and leveled a fierce, sharp look across the room at him. "Let. Me. Out."

No.

"Jules."

If you want to leave, you'll have to go through me. Julian stood from the chair and approached his friend. He forced his posture straight.

Malcolm's fiery gaze quickly dimmed in surprise.

You're not leaving this room until I say so. Julian didn't know where his confidence had come from. He came up to stand directly in front of Malcolm. Their closer proximity once again reminded him that he was at least three inches taller than him. And until I'm satisfied.

Malcolm stared right back into his eyes; hazel bore into gray blue. You can't keep me in here, Jules. I could fight my way out.

The underlined threat didn't startle Julian. I'd win.

Malcolm scoffed, whether good-naturedly or in disbelief, Julian couldn't tell.

You're forgetting that I trained as an agent at MI6, he went on, amazed when his voice came out confident, which was the exact opposite of how he felt.

You're a psychologist, Jules.

"Which means that I could give you a concussion in half a dozen ways while explaining the psychological side effects of each method," Julian countered. A steel entered his voice that he hadn't heard in six years, the steel of the agent he'd left behind.

Malcolm amazingly balked. For a long moment, he didn't move or speak. Finally, after what felt like forever, Julian saw him slowly relax his posture and release a defeated sigh.

Julian, who could tell he'd finally managed to subdue his friend, gently reached out to grasp Malcolm's shoulders. You need to talk, Malcolm. He tried to make his voice as soft as possible. It's been three months. It's time.

Malcolm pulled himself out of Julian's grasp and walked across the room to stand in front of the windows. Julian followed more slowly, but resumed his spot in his chair. He watched Malcolm silently, prepared to listen.

Malcolm? Julian prompted when several minutes of silence passed.

Malcolm released another sigh. His head bowed, and his bangs fell into his eyes.

I only want to help, Julian continued. I know you don't want to talk about what happened, but it'll help you heal. You haven't really told us what happened. There's so much we don't know.

Is that why you've locked us in here? Malcolm asked without turning around. His voice was oddly low, rough. To get me to talk?

I figured you'd rather do it in private.

Malcolm didn't respond.

Please, Malcolm. Julian lowered his own voice this time. He used the same tone he'd used with his former patients, the ones who'd been agitated and shy. Anything you tell me will stay in this room between us, I promise.

Malcolm closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Julian could tell his resistance was crumbling.

Where do you want me to start? he finally asked.

Relief flooded through Julian so fiercely, he almost sighed with the force of it. You said that the first time he visited you was a few days after we brought you home from hospital. Start there.

Malcolm took in a deep breath and released it slowly. At first I thought he was just trying to keep me quiet, to make sure I didn't try to go after them again. But then he said that…that he liked me.

Julian nodded. Did he tell you why he liked you?

He said we were alike. Malcolm's voice was still rough. I didn't see how at first, but then he…, he trailed off, eyes closed.

He made it very clear he was interested in you, Julian said. He remembered the times he'd seen Timmy pay a little too much attention to Malcolm, not to mention the way he talked about him. Did he make his interest known to you?

This time, Malcolm's posture went ramrod straight again. Julian noticed that his left hand strayed, absently, to the gun at his side.

The action was all the answer Julian needed. Malcolm, after the raid, Lesley and I talked to Loren about what he saw when he was undercover.

Malcolm didn't move. Julian, however, already knew that his friend hadn't known that. He and Lesley had questioned Loren, privately, about what he'd seen during his undercover stint in the Drakes' gang. They had made sure Malcolm hadn't been present.

Malcolm's breathing deepened.

Loren told us that before the failed raid on the Drakes' hideout, Tommy had referred to you as his brother's…conquest. The word tasted like acid on Julian's lips.

Malcolm's breathing hitched violently.

Now, he might've been trying to be vulgar to keep appearances and unsettle Timmy, Julian countered, his voice quivering as he spoke. But that seems like a stretch.

Malcolm finally turned to look at him. His hazel eyes were fierce again. What are you trying to get at, Jules?

Julian stared right back into those fiery hazel eyes. Were you intimately involved with Timmy Drake?

Silence.

Malcolm turned back to the window. His breathing was still rough, and Julian saw his jaw clench so tightly, he was amazed it didn't break.

Discomfort itched at Julian's skin in the silence. He hadn't wanted to be so blunt, but Malcolm had left him no choice. The question had dogged him for months since the failed raid. It had taken root in the back of his thoughts until he'd been forced to sift through it. At first, he had disputed the very idea. Malcolm's past had dictated and reassured him that he wouldn't have been coerced in that way, that there was no way Timmy would've succeeded.

Now, his doubt crept in like an ugly shadow. Malcolm's silence only made it grow.

So that's it. Malcolm's voice came out quietly but rough. That's really why we're here.

Julian swallowed. No, we're here because you need to talk.

"Yeah, talk about what you think happened. Malcolm turned on the spot. The ferocity in his hazel eyes was even stronger now. That's the truth of it, right, Jules? You think that there was something between us that compelled me to betray our team?"

Julian stared back at him. He tried his best to ignore the lump in his throat. Wasn't there?

No.

Don't lie to me, Malcolm, Julian growled. The sound made his pulse jump. "You can lie to everyone else, but don't you dare lie to me. His pulse rumbled in his ears. Your actions proved that you were coerced in some way, and it was profound enough to get you to go against one of your most personal beliefs without a second thought."

Malcolm froze. The fiery expression he'd worn quickly switched to a look of bewilderment.

Julian met that look evenly. Go ahead and lie again, but you'll only be lying to yourself.

He said that to me. The words rasped from Malcolm's lips; the bewildered look in his eyes quickly switched back to withheld fury. He told me I was lying to myself, that I was hiding from myself. He said he wouldn't let me do that anymore.

The statement chilled Julian to his core. While he had known that Malcolm was quiet and shy about his sexuality, he hadn't known that Malcolm hadn't truly acknowledged his attraction to his own gender.

In the silence, Malcolm sighed and turned so he could walk slowly across the floor. The look in his eyes was faraway and shadowed. When I'd realized that I liked Vivian as more than a friend, I thought…I thought it was just a one-chance thing. I didn't really think about…whether or not I found other blokes attractive.

Until Timmy, Julian ventured with a nod.

Malcolm noticeably shivered at the use of the name. No, before him.

Julian's eyes narrowed. Before him?

Malcolm leveled a heavy look back at him, despair glittering in his eyes.

The realization dawned on Julian within seconds. "Jacob?" The name gasped, almost a squeak, from his lips.

It was after I'd finished my first case as a constable. Malcolm's voice was rough again, although this time, Julian could hear the clear despair in every word. Jake and I had gone to the Crown to celebrate. He closed his eyes during a pause. Jake had had too much to drink…he'd just come off of a bad breakup. He pulled me into a corner of the pub and kissed me.

Julian wished he wasn't shocked, but he was. While he had always wondered if Jacob's fondness for Malcolm had stemmed from a romantic attraction, he'd never known that the reporter had actually acted on his attraction.

I kissed him back. The shame in Malcolm's voice was severe. I was pissed, but not pissed enough to be completely unaware of what was happening or ignore the way it felt. Something flickered in the depths of his hazel eyes, the memory clearly still there. Vivian and I had never really been that way, it was always simple between us. But when Jake kissed me, when he actually showed me what it felt like to be wanted, I…

You realized you wanted him.

Malcolm shook his head. No, not him specifically. He only showed me that Vivian hadn't been a coincidence, that I wasn't just attracted to one boy, but to boys in general.

Julian could understand how the revelation would've shocked Malcolm. What happened next?

I was so shocked when I realized it. Malcolm's voice quivered dangerously between grief and despair. I shoved Jake away and ran out of the pub back to H Division. It was raining, I was soaked by the time I reached my car, but before I could get into it…Will came to me.

"Inspector Simms?" Julian had heard Malcolm call his former chief inspector by his first name enough times to know who he meant.

Malcolm nodded. He calmed me down and brought me back to his flat with him. He looked over at Julian, tears glinting in his eyes. Simms had been a family friend of both my father and my uncle Edward. They'd worked on cases together before Will had been reassigned to H Division.

Now, Julian finally understood why Malcolm had been so hell-bent on finding justice for Inspector Simms. The late chief inspector had clearly been a type of father to him.

I told him what'd happened with Jake, Malcolm went on. He already knew about my relationship with Vivian, but he promised to keep it between us. He also told me that I shouldn't be afraid of my nature, that there was nothing wrong with me. I believed him for a while, until…

Until Timmy Drake. This time Julian knew he was right.

Malcolm closed his eyes tightly in response. I knew, from the first moment we met, I knew. I could tell. Every time I saw him. After that, I tried to ignore the way he made me feel. It didn't help that it was obvious he was interested in me.

Julian was beyond proud of Malcolm for sharing so much, but he knew they had only touched the outer layer of the situation. The darker part still remained. Malcolm—

The last time we were alone together, before the raid, he… Malcolm cut Julian off, his voice still rough. He did something that completely shattered me. His eyes glinted with the memory. Julian could've sworn he saw the pupils of Malcolm's eyes dilate in response. I reacted in a way that showed me the side of myself I hadn't known was there, the thing I'd been ignoring for years.

Julian's stomach flipped over. What did you do, Malcolm?

He wanted me— the words grated from Malcolm's lips—and I showed him that I wanted him back.

Julian withheld the gasp that crawled up his throat. His eyes widened in shock.

I kicked him out, Malcolm continued, although he sounded like he was in actual pain this time. I cursed him to the very pit of hell for making me realize that I did want him. Even though I hated him and feared him, the way he made me feel…the way he looked at me…

Julian could hear it in Malcolm's voice, the awe and the unwavering desire. He could see the war that Malcolm had been through, the one that clearly still went on within himself now. Torn between hatred and fear, desiring the attention while fearing and hating the benefactor. It was a situation that Julian couldn't begin to fathom going through himself.

Slowly Julian stood from the chair and went to Malcolm. He pulled his friend into his arms and hugged him tight. He heard Malcolm gasp and felt him stiffen, but within seconds, he relaxed in his arms and buried his face into Julian's neck.

What happened wasn't your fault, Malcolm. Julian said the words into Malcolm's hair. He used your desire for attention and your emotions against you. Nothing that happened was your fault.

Wasn't it? Malcolm lifted his head to stare into Julian's eyes. Julian was alarmed to see the self-loathing in those hazel eyes. I let him get to me, I—I let him… Tears sparked afresh in his eyes, and he closed them tightly.

The question that Julian had asked earlier reappeared in his mind, and he fought very hard not to voice it again.

I told him about the raid because I wanted to. The confession whispered from Malcolm's lips, his words slightly muffled by Julian's neck. "I don't know why I wanted to, only… He stopped, swallowed. I wanted his affection, I craved his touch. Fury entered his voice, shot through with disgust. I would've done anything for it."

Julian shivered at the words, at the shear force in every one. Malcolm's emotions were genuine. His need for contact, for affection, had caused him to overlook his own moral beliefs. Timmy had provoked his vulnerabilities so badly that Malcolm had, more or less, been forced to betray himself.

The realization only made Julian hate the Drake twin even more.

Before he could do anything or say anything, a knock came from the opposite side of the door, which startled both men from their embrace.

Julian slowly released Malcolm, went to the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

Sorry, Julian, I know you said not to interrupt. Agatha stood beyond the door, dressed in her normal suit with her hair tied back.

What is it? Julian asked.

Mr. Ashcroft wants to see you and Malcolm in his office, Agatha replied. He said it's urgent.

Frustration burned through Julian's chest. Leave it to Lesley to have the worst possible timing in the world. Fine, we're coming.

As he stepped out of the room with Agatha, Malcolm quickly followed and took the lead up the hallway. Julian heard him breathe deeply and wipe angrily at his eyes.

How did it go? Agatha asked softly as they went.

Julian gazed after Malcolm. He's been through a lot.

That was putting it mildly.

As they reached Lesley's office, Malcolm strode in first while Julian followed behind. Once inside, both of them froze when they saw that Lesley wasn't alone. Frederick sat in one of the chairs facing his brother's desk, fingers tapping idly on the armrests. When they both came inside, he turned and looked sideways as them. His sharp blue eyes caught Julian's.

Julian hated that his heart traitorously skipped a beat in response.

I apologize for the interruption, Julian. Lesley stood in front of his desk, arms crossed over his chest. But I'm afraid it couldn't wait.

What couldn't wait? Malcolm asked before Julian could.

We have our next case, Lesley replied.

So soon? Julian couldn't hide the shock from his expression. We've only just finished with the Drakes.

The timing is unfortunate, Lesley agreed, but it appears our new benefactor wishes for us to start immediately.

Julian's eyes narrowed. To his left, he saw that Malcolm looked confused too. Who is that?

Lesley didn't answer. Instead, his eyes settled onto his older brother.

That would be me, Doctor, Frederick said in response.

Julian's stomach dropped violently.

Chapter 2

"You? The single syllable practically squeaked from Malcolm's lips. You have a case for us?"

Frederick gave Malcolm an exasperated look before he turned to look at Lesley. Why does he always insist on repeating things we've already made quite evident?

Malcolm bristled. Lesley, however, reached out to grasp the sergeant's shoulder, silently gesturing for calm. Maybe it would be better if you explained exactly what it is you wish us to investigate?

Frederick gave him a long-suffering look. Lesley, however, returned it. While Frederick had already confided in him what the case was about, he wasn't going to let his brother get away with leaving Malcolm and Julian in the dark.

Very well, Frederick conceded.

Julian walked across the room and sat in the chair next to Frederick. Malcolm moved closer to stand next to Lesley. The movement jarred Lesley's hand from his shoulder, and he dropped it back to his side.

Over the last week, I've noticed the changes in behavior of some of my agents, Frederick explained.

Lesley could hear the hesitancy in his brother's voice as he spoke.

At first, I believed it was simply the repercussions of the Drake case. But something happened yesterday that made it quite obvious that my thoughts were wrong.

What happened? Julian asked.

Two of my more trusted agents got into a very potent fight, Frederick went on. He shifted in the chair, and Lesley saw his jaw tense. "At first it