Capturing Oliver (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-One

Aiden panicked. He considered running at them but stopped himself. Should he call Oliver? Should he call her mother? His mind was a mess. He couldn't tear his eyes away. Rosie was frowning as she spoke with the older man. He tried to hear what they were saying but the loud city around them was overpowering. Aiden focused on the man. He would have been in his late fifties with thinning hair and thick eyebrows. He wore a dark business suit. What kind of dealer wears a suit?

Aiden stopped himself. He was jumping to conclusions. What if this was some associate of her fathers? What if it was a relative?

Aiden wanted to run back into the café and pretend like nothing had happened, but he couldn't leave. What if this man did something to Rosie? He had to make sure that she was okay. After a few minutes, Rosie shook the man's hand and folded up the envelope. She pushed it into the pocket of her dress. He said something to her and Aiden wished that he was close enough to hear them. She turned and walked back towards the street. Aiden waited around the corner.

"What was that?" Aiden asked harshly as Rosie rounded the corner.

She gasped. "You scared me."

"Good," Aiden said, "because you are scaring me!"

"What?"

Aiden crossed his arms. "What's in your pocket?"

Rosie's cheeks reddened. Her eyes hardened. "None of your business, I can't believe that you were spying on me."

"I won't tell your parents."

"There's nothing to tell them," Rosie stated insolently.

"It's drugs, isn't it?" Aiden sighed. "If you have a drug problem then I can help you."

"Nice to know but I don't have a drug problem." Rosie tried to walk back towards the entrance.

Aiden stood in front of her. "Why did we come here today?" he asked. "I won't be mad, Rosie. Tell me what's in that envelope."

Rosie sighed. She looked defeated. "You aren't going to let this go, are you?"

Aiden shook his head. "I'm not."

Rosie looked around them. "I'll tell you inside."

Aiden followed her. He looked her straight in the eye the second that they were sitting. "Tell me."

Rosie slowly pulled out the envelope. "It isn't what you think."

Aiden hesitated. "You don't have to show me if it's something personal, but I do need to know who that man was."

"You have to promise me that you won't show a soul what I'm about to show you."

Aiden's eyes were drawn to the envelope. He was itching to know its contents. "I promise."

Rosie lent forwards. "You have to mean it."

Aiden thought about that. Was he willing to keep a secret from Oliver? He nodded. "I promise." He wasn't sure if he could keep that promise. If Rosie was in danger, then his promise meant nothing to him. He wouldn't put her at risk.

Rosie pulled out the contents. She handed him a photo. It had been bent, a crease straight through the middle. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The photo was the outside of a motel room. It had been taken from a distance. The window was wide open. A woman was on the bed. Her bright red lingerie was clear even from the distance. A man was standing next to the bed. It was a little blurry, but Aiden when he squinted her could recognise who it was.

Pierce Fletcher.

Pierce was in that room, shirtless, with a woman whose blonde hair gave away that she was not his wife.