Free Manchester Ménage 01 - Saving Samuel by Nicole Colville Page A

told me this morning. Six months of living in fear and not being able to trust anyone. I'm the first person he’s let in, and I won’t just abandon him. I won’t do that, no matter what.”
    “I know you won’t, fool. That’s not who you are.” Milo dropped his head and looked at his hands clasped in between his thighs. “If there are people trying to get him for some unknown and mysterious reason, if they did set fire to that warehouse and lock him in…” He met Daniel’s gaze and sighed. “Danny, if they did all that, if they’re the same people who hurt him years ago… These people, they’re going to come for you. They’re not going to stop. I don’t want you to be in any danger. You’re thinking about him, and I'm thinking about you. We’re both trying to protect those we care about. Just imagine how I feel about all this. You think I want your life to be in the balance over some stranger you just met two days ago? Let me take him into custody. He’ll be safer there.”
    “No way.” Daniel rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I know you want to keep me safe. I understand that—I’d feel the same way about you if you were in my position. But I know if you take him in, if he leaves here, he won’t talk, Milo. He’ll just shut down again. He trusts me.”
    “Yeah, he trusts you. He sees you as his knight in shining armour. You know all about this shit. People who you’ve saved from anything in their life, they see you as their savior, as the hero. Whatever he’s feeling or telling you right now—”
    “It’s not like that.”
    “Aww, come on, Danny. You’re his hero, the one who’s looking after him, protecting him. You’re the one he needs. Hell, you need him. You always have wanted to look after strays, dogs, cats, the people you help, now him.” Milo sat back and they both stared at each other again.
    “I know he’ll be confused right now. That’s why I would never act on how I feel for him.”
    “Feel for him?” Milo grunted loudly. “And what’s that?”
    “I care about him. Him being safe and well is important to me.”
    “Yeah, it is to me too, but he’s not living in my fucking house, and slouching round the place in clingy, revealing clothes and giving me those big come-to-bed eyes, that’s all for you.”
    “That’s not…” Daniel looked up to the ceiling. “His eyes don’t say that at all. You’ve got this all wrong.”
    “All wrong?” Milo jumped up, towering over Daniel and holding his chin, forcing him to look at him. “Tell me you haven’t thought about fucking him. Tell me you don’t have to fight the urge to get him in bed every single time you look at him and I’ll drop this.”
    Daniel shut his eyes and Milo released him with a huff.
    “He can’t stay here, Danny.”
    “I'm not letting him leave.”
    “That’s not your decision to make.”
    “It’s not yours either.”
    Milo sighed heavily. “He’s been through enough. He’s confused and afraid. Right now, if you came onto him, if you kissed him, or touched him, there’s no way of knowing if that’s what he wants, or if it’s just something to make you happy, to thank you for all you’ve done. I know how much you want him, Danny. I know because I've only ever seen you look like that for one other person.” Milo stroked Daniel’s cheek softly. “I know because that person’s me. I know how hard this will be for you. Just let me help you. I don’t want you to get in trouble or do something which you’ll regret later.”
    “I swear I won’t touch him, no matter how much I want him. I know how confused he is, Milo, but I can’t stop how I want him. Don’t you think I've tried? Nothing works. It’s more than just sex, I care about him. I want him safe.”
    “You’re just as confused as he is. What you think you feel for him, it’s not real, Danny. You just ended things with me two days ago. Which, we still need to talk about, because I'm not ready to let you just walk