Best Friends

{Best Friends is partly fictional. As I am writing this story, I am above the age of 21. If you want a story with lots of sex, look elsewhere.

This is a love story. Seeing, as it is a love story, sex is in there, but it is in realistic balance in the characters' lives.

Any similarity to any real events, names, or life events is purely accidental. If you are underage, (according to your state laws, a minor), if this literature is offensive to you or to anyone around your viewing area, or it is illegal for you to view such content where you are reading it, stop reading the story.

This story cannot be distributed in any way; shape or form without the author's expressed written consent.}

Written by Romeo

Edited by Trish

Here is the link to all my story where you can find future chapters before their posted on Nifty: http://jacobmillertex.com/

Chapter 16

"Mr. Jackson, this is Tyrone Mathewson. I'm a nurse at Brooklyn General Hospital in New York. I'm calling you on the behalf of a patient of ours named Kandyce Jackson."

"And?" Tyler asked after a moment of silence. He was thinking this guy better have more to this conversation. Tyler doesn't know who the hell Kandyce Jackson is. "I don't know who you're talking about so there better be more information." He continued, still whispering.

"She said she's your mother." Now that shocked Tyler. Why the hell would the woman who gave him and his sister up for adoption almost twenty three years ago be calling him now? "She's a patient of ours here at the hospital. We have you listed as her emergency contact. I'm sorry to tell you this, but she's been in a car accident."

"I think you got the emergency contact information wrong Mr. Mathewson." Tyler informed him. "I haven't seen or spoken to that woman in almost twenty three years. Not since she gave me and my sister up for adoption." And Tyler doesn't want to hear from her either. "How did you get my number?" He asked.

"The NYPD (New York Police Department) contacted the LAPD to locate you after Ms. Jackson was brought in earlier." Mr. Mathewson said. As he was explaining Kandyce's condition, Tyler got out of bed to put on his boxers and left the room to go downstairs. He didn't want to wake up Christian.

It seems that Kandyce had been using Tyler as an emergency contact for a while now. The only problem was that she didn't have an address or number on him just a general location which led the NYPD contacting the LAPD to locate Tyler. It also helped that Tyler Jackson is a major celebrity. Now she was lying in a hospital bed with two broken legs, a broken right arm, and a mild concussion. "Mr. Mathewson." Tyler interrupted. "I hope she'll be all right but I don't have anything to do with her. As I said before, I haven't seen or heard from her in almost twenty three years."

"I understand that Mr. Jackson. I'm just doing my job in notifying the emergency contact of the situation." Mr. Mathewson said in a tone of defense. "You can see her anytime you want if you wish to, but that decision is totally up to you."

Tyler thought about that for a moment. In a way, he wanted Kandyce to see how great he and his sister turned out. On the other hand, Tyler can't forgive or forget how she gave him and his sister up without a second thought.

"Mr. Mathewson, take care of her and I hope she gets better." He responded after gathering his thoughts. "But I don't think I'll be visiting anytime in the near future. In fact, I don't think I'll be visiting at all."

"Okay, we'll keep you up to date on her condition and notify you of any changes." Mr. Mathewson replied. Tyler told him that wouldn't be necessary as he had no interest in Kandyce's condition before politely saying good bye and hanging up the phone.

What the hell is that woman thinking? There's no way I'm visiting her. She gave me and my sister up, now she wants my help? Screw that, she can take care of herself! I have my own family and problems to deal with. Tyler thought to himself as he sat on the sofa.

Putting everything on the back burner, Tyler headed back to bed. Tomorrow will be here soon and he has things that need to be done. He has no time to worry about someone who didn't give a damn about him when she gave him up for adoption all those years ago and never looked back.

When Tyler climbed back into bed Christian instantly wrapped his arms around him. It was like he could sense Tyler's presence. Thank god Christian was still asleep! But that arm calmed Tyler down though, and he snuggled back into Christian's warm embrace and drifted off to sleep. Kandyce can handle her own problems.

When Tyler woke up on Sunday morning, he was cold and shivering. He didn't have the warmth of Christian's body lying next to him that he was use to waking up to now. He tried to snuggled back into Christian's body but didn't feel anything behind him.

Christian wasn't lying in the bed with him. "Chris." Tyler called out to him. When Christian didn't answer he called out again. "Chris." He still got no answer. When he didn't get an answer the third time he called out, Tyler check the time. It read 7:45 am. I wonder why Chris let me sleep this late. He thought to himself.

Tyler went to the bedroom door and pressed the intercom button on the wall to locate Christian in the house. Luckily his intercom has the Braille labeling as does his security alarm so it makes it easier for him to use. "Chris, where are you?" he asked.

A moment later, Christian came back with his response. "I'm in the kitchen with the guys cooking breakfast baby. Come on down, everything's almost ready."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Tyler replied. He put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and left the room. When he got to the kitchen he found the boys up also. Tyler asked Christian if Terry had been fed yet. Christian said he has and breakfast was almost finished so there was nothing for him to do but sit.

Tyler was happy to sit because he was tired. The phone call from the hospital last night had him exhausted. Tyler knows that Kandyce wants something for her to contact him after all these years, but what, he didn't know. Right now he has to get himself together to take care of his family.

He didn't know how or when he had fallen asleep at the table until Christian gently shook him awake for breakfast. Tyler asked if the other guys were having breakfast with them and Carlos said no. They wanted to have a meeting over breakfast and discuss their security plans.

During breakfast Tyler asked Christian if he could take Terry today and he'll take Jeff. "I'm sure I can, but why?" Tyler told him that he had a hair appointment and couldn't leave Terry just lying around anywhere while he's getting his hair done. "I'll take them both with me. I'll just be setting up my floor today so I would be able to watch them."

"Thanks baby. That will help me out a lot because I might have to run some errands today." Tyler replied before speaking to Mark. "Make sure all the new security's phones are program before we leave. I want all phones fully functional before I leave my boys safety in their hands. You might as well program Travis's phone also."

Travis agreed and Mark said he'll take care of it and they finished breakfast. After breakfast, Christian took Terry upstairs along with Jeff to give them a bath while Carlos, Kevin, and Tyler cleaned up the kitchen. Mark and Travis went to program the new security and Travis's cell phones.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Tyler went to take a shower. A minute after stepping into the shower, Christian joined him. When they finished showering, (I just heard my readers go nuts because of no shower seen. Sorry guys, there's a time and place for everything.) They got dress. Before leaving, Tyler made sure to tell Kevin (Head of his home security.) to hire a maid to take care of the house work.

Five minutes after Tyler, Carlos, and Mark left the house Christian gathered the boys and the security together to go themselves. He asked Travis if he wanted to tag along but Travis decided to stay home with Kevin. "Do me a favor then?" Christian asked and Travis nodded yes. "Stop on base and check with Christine to see if she had heard or seen anything else happening with Troy. Take Kevin with you to make it look like you're just stopping in to pick up some paper work."

"I'll do that but I don't think he's working today. He only seems to be working when you are on base." Christian looked at Travis confused. He had no idea why Troy would be working only when he's on base. "Come on bro, you can't tell me that you haven't noticed Troy hitting on you. And what about the statement he made to his supervisor?"

"What about it?" Christian asked not putting two and two together.

"Bro, he said that he needed Tyler out of his way as much as Joseph needed you out of his way. Troy wants you and the only way he can have you is by eliminating Tyler. Troy needs you to see Tyler as a failure and he's doing that by trying to ruin Tyler's project."

Christian realized Travis may have a point. Troy had been trying to tempt Christian in cheating on Tyler for a while. He had also called Tyler a loser when Christian confronted him in the bathroom, what better way to prove that then by having Tyler's project fail. "He can try, but it won't work. I won't leave my baby for anyone. I love him to much and I will always be there for him."

Travis knew that Christian meant everything he was saying. He could see the love and loyalty in Christian's face as he was speaking. "I know you do bro. I'm just saying that I don't think Troy's going to stop until someone stops him completely. This could lead to an obsession over you and that makes him dangerous to your family."

That terrified Christian but he didn't let it show. He needs to remain in control in order to protect his family. He won't let anyone hurt them. He'll die before he let that happen. "He can obsess all he wants, as long as no harm comes to my family. Believe me, I won't hesitate to let myself or Ty loose if it comes to that."

Travis had no respond to that. He would do the same if someone was trying to harm Kevin in any way. "Well let's hope it doesn't come to that, because I really don't want to be the one who tries to hold you and Tyler back." He smiled at Christian amusingly. "I really like my life now, and I don't want to get to know more about my boyfriend from a hospital bed."

Both guys started laughing. They needed it after that serious discussion. Christian just hopes that Travis's prediction doesn't come true because he don't know what he'll do if anything happens to his family. "Don't worry bro; I'll keep you out of Ty's destruction." He replied through his laughter.

"Thank you." Travis said still laughing. "I don't think I qualify for the witness protection program to hide from Tyler's destruction. I don't think there's a place for me to hide from that anyway." After more laughter, Travis got serious again. "I'll take care of Troy; you take care of your family."

Christian thanked Travis and left for Néné Incorporated. When he left, Travis went to the back of the house to help Kevin with finding a housekeeper before going to the base to check on Troy.

As Christian and Travis's conversation was ending, Tyler, Carlos, and Mark had just arrived at the salon. Fortunately they got there on time. When they walked in, Tyler's hair stylist Mary Easton was there to greet them. "Hi guys, how's it going?" They all said hello and told her everything was going fine. "Okay Tyler, lets get started, I'm ready for you."

"Okay Mary, I'm ready to go." Tyler let Mary grab his hand to lead him to the chair to do the coloring before she starts on the braiding. Tyler originally had short black hair but when he became a model he decided to let it grow and dyed it. Ever since then his hair had been honey blonde and braided.

"How's everything going Tyler?" Mary asked as she placed the plastic smock around his shoulders. Then she took out the pony tail Tyler put in the night before. "I heard about the scandals Cindy Campbell made against you."

"That's all taken care of now." Tyler said with a satisfied smile as Mary started putting the color in his hair. Boy is that stuff cold! It wouldn't surprise Tyler if someone got brain freeze from it. It surely gave Tyler the chills.

It took about fifteen minutes to get it all in. Before Mary walked away to let the color set, she told Tyler that she had another customer and couldn't talk with him at the moment. "No problem. I'll just watch TV." Tyler replied, but he couldn't enjoy it. He wasn't interested in watching Highlander, Even though Adrian Paul was cute. He had other things on his mind.

Fifteen minutes later, the color was set. Now it was time to rinse, wash, and blow dry his hair. Once that was all done, Mary started the braiding. "How's everything with you and Christian, Tyler?" She asked. This part of the appointment Tyler like. It gives him and Mary time to talk.

"Everything is fine. Chris and I are taking care of a little boy that we found in the Big Sur. His mother had abandoned him at a skating rink in a strip mall when we were vacationing there." Tyler could feel a twinge of anger starting to rise. He has to keep that anger bottle down where no one can see it. "We're also taking care of my son Terry whose mother also abandoned him at my office."

"You're kidding, right?" Mary asked disbelievingly. "How could they do that? I don't think I could just leave my children anywhere. No natter how much they get on my nerves." The last part she said with a laugh.

"Oh that's not the half of it." Tyler said disappointingly. He went on telling the rest of Jeff story before telling Terry's story. They continued the conversation through Tyler's appointment. By the time the conversation was over, his hair was done.

Tyler tipped Mary as he always does before heading to pay the bill. After leaving the salon, the three men headed to Malibu mall to buy his jacket.

Before going to Tyler's office building Christian drove across town to one of his shops. He wanted to speak with one of his employees. No one gave any thought as to why Christian was there although they wondered who the children were. They just thought Christian was doing one of his routine visits. That was until he called Trish (Trisha) Brown into the office.

As Trish walked into the office she got worried that something was wrong. Christian could see the worry look on her face and quickly laid her mind at ease. "Trish I called you in here to discuss something important with you." Trish hesitantly nodded, she still have no idea to what was going on. "When I went over your file I saw that you were a secretary at your previous employment before the company was closed, is that correct?" Trish nodded again. "Great, here's what I'm thinking. I'm opening up a corporate office and I need a secretary. I like for you to be that secretary, are you interested?"

Hearing the new job offer from Christian eliminated the worries from Trish's mind and instead left her surprised. Once she comprehended what Christian was offering, she found her voice to give her answer. "Yes sir, I'm very interested. I hope I can live up to your standards. I'd never been a corporate secretary before. The company where I work before was a small company so there were no corporate offices. I'm not sure if I know everything to run a corporate office."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine. Running a corporate office isn't that much different from running a small company and what you don't know I can teach you, or you can get advice from the secretary of a friend of mine. His office is in the same building where my office will be." Christian grinned as he thought about Tyler. No matter what kind of mood he's in, thinking about Tyler always puts a smile on Christian's face.

The confidence that Christian stored upon her gave Trish confidence in herself. She vowed to herself to be the best secretary for Christian. Christian can see by Trish's facial expression that she accepted the job so he waited for her to say it. "I just have one question sir?" Christian asked her what that question was. "When would you like me to start?"

"How about you start now?" Christian smiled. He was glad that she accepted the job. "You can come with me over to the office and have a look around. I need to furnish the floor so you can help me make a list of the necessary items needed including furniture."

"Sure, just let me get my things." Trish replied as she rose to leave. Christian said okay and started to get the boys ready to go. Once they were ready, he met Trish at the door. As they were walking out to their car, Trish asked. "Are these your children, Mr. Michaels?"

"Yes they are. The oldest name is Jeff and the youngest is Terry." Christian answered as a way of introduction. Jeff said hi and Terry just smiled. Trish smiled at both boys. When they got to their cars Trish told Christian she will follow them. "Okay but try not fall behind." Trish said she wouldn't and headed off for her car as Christian and the others climbed into the truck. Having both boys and the security details with him, Christian was glad he used the SUV.

As Tyler, Carlos, and Mark was walking through the mall toward Dolce and Gabbona©, Tyler could feel a pair of eyes on him. He informed Carlos and Mark to stay on alert because they were being followed. "I see him." Mark said from behind him. "I think he's one of those guys who were involved in that gang fight we saw here last time. The one who you said was a new member Tyler."

"If he's trying to do what I think he is, someone will be getting a very unpleasant call from me." Tyler announced firmly as they reached the store. "I have too many problems going on in my life right now, I don't have time to deal with some little kid bruised ego." Carlos asked Tyler if he wanted them to do something. "No, let him think he's in control for now. Once I make my call he should be taken care of. If he isn't, then I'll take care of him myself."

Just then Kim walked over to them with a puzzled look on her face. "Hi Tyler, I didn't expect to see you here today."

"Hi Kim. I'm just here to purchase my jacket that's all." Tyler responded.

"Oh." Kim said surprised before recovering quickly. "Sorry Tyler. One of my salesmen sold the jacket I had on hold for you. I ordered another one but it won't be here until Friday. Can you come back on Saturday to pick it up?"

"No I'm going out of town this weekend." Tyler answered with a suspicious smile. Kim never gave anything away that she was holding for him. He wondered what was going on but decided to let it go for now. "I'll be back on the following Monday to pick it up."

"Okay. I'll be sure to keep it on reserve for you." Kim said although Tyler can still hear the smile in her voice and that made him even more suspicious. Then Kim did something she never did before, she hugged him. "I want to wish you a happy birthday in case I don't see you before then."

Tyler was surprised by this action but he accepted the hug. He didn't know where this emotion from Kim was coming from. Kim never showed him this kind of genuine friendship before. Tyler held the hug for a minute before releasing it. "Thanks Kim. I'll see you next Monday, okay?"

Kim said she will see him then before turning and saying goodbye to Carlos and Mark. As they were walking out to the car, Tyler could sense that they were still being followed. "Why don't you and Tyler wait in the food course while I go get the car?" Carlos said to Mark which confirmed Tyler's feelings of them being followed.

"Okay baby." Mark agreed and grabbed Tyler's hand and led him to the food course. "We'll grab a drink while we're waiting Tyler." He said as they walked up to the McDonald's counter.

After getting their drinks and sitting down JR came over to their table. "Hey Uncle Ty." He gave Tyler a hug as he greeted him. "How are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while."

Tyler held the hug for a couple of minutes. It's been about two weeks since the last time he saw JR and he missed him. "Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?" He asked. Tyler just loves his god son to pieces and will make sure he stays safe.

"Oh, I just came here to see a movie and saw you sitting here." JR answered. "I thought I'd come over and say hello before getting some lunch." He then greeted Mark before turning back to Tyler. "What are you guys waiting for?" He asked no one in particular.

"We're waiting for Carlos to bring the car around." Mark answered in a whisper. "Someone is following Tyler but the kid doesn't know we noticed him following."

"Do you know who he is?" JR asked Mark concern about his god father's safety.

"I think he's a member of the Warlords." Mark said. "Tyler had to break up a fight between them and the St. Nights about a week ago. One of the guys was angry when Tyler took control of the situation and had security escort them out of the mall."

"He's not going to start any trouble, is he Uncle Ty?" JR asked nervously, but Tyler could tell he wasn't to concern. JR knows Tyler can handle the Warlords and St. Nights, but he doesn't want to see his uncle get hurt. "I mean what kid in their right mind would go up against Tyler Jackson?"

"Relax JR. Everything's under control." Tyler spoke in a soft voice. "But I want you to be careful and have your dad call Mr. Chang to hire some security for you. I don't want this guy thinking he can get to me through you and I think this kid is crazy enough to try."

JR agreed without a fight. He knows that he could be in danger from being seen with Tyler, but he also knows that Tyler would never let that happen. Anyone who wants to get to Tyler's family will have to go through him first.

Mark informed Tyler that Carlos was waiting outside. Once again Tyler told JR to be careful and have his father call him. JR gave him another hug before they got up from the table. Mark and Tyler headed out of the mall and JR headed to get his lunch. Tyler needed to get to the office. He doesn't know if he's going to tell Christian about this or not.

When Christian got to Néné Incorporated, He parked in the underground garage. Trish parked right next to him. As they got out of the car, the security detail surrounded Christian, Trish, and the boys to protect them from any harm.

"How many floors are in this building?" Trish asked as they were walking to the elevators. Christian told her there were twenty floors and his office was on the nineteenth floor. "Whose office is on the top floor?"

"The top floor is occupied by the owner and CEO of Néné Incorporated Tyler Jackson. He's a good friend of mine." Trish's eyes popped open with recognition which Christian took notice of. "I take it by the look on your face that you know who I'm talking about?"

"Unless you're talking about Tyler Jackson the model, and owner of Jackson Agency, then I have no idea of who you're talking about."

They reached the elevators and Ryan pushed the button. When the elevator opened, Christian pushed button for the lobby. "That's exactly who I'm talking about." Christian grinned. "Jackson Agency is also in this building on the eighteenth floor and Tyler will be moving other corporation here soon as well. He's also renovating the tenth floor into a cafeteria."

When they reached the first floor, Christian went to the security office to get the master key for the offices on the nineteenth floor. The head of security didn't questioned Christian about the request. He knows about him and Tyler, plus Tyler had informed him about Christian moving his corporate office to the building. Once Christian had the key, they rode the elevator up to the nineteenth floor.

Stepping off the elevator on the nineteenth floor Christian could tell right away that this floor will be fine for his corporate office. As they walked around the floor Trish was taking mental notes of what they would need to set up the offices. When they reached what would be Christian's office and reception area, Trish couldn't believe what she was looking at. The place was huge. Not only was the reception area huge, but it also had a small lounge room complete with sink, refrigerator, and microwave, but enough room for a table to seat ten people. The other room is what was called the meeting room had a table big enough to seat twenty people. The bathroom was next to the meeting room.

Christian's office alone was even more spacious with two rooms connected to it. One could be turn into a nursery for Terry, or for whatever Christian wanted it to be. It also had a built in entertainment system completed with TV, DVD/VCR player, stereo system and satellite connection. The office also had a built in refrigerator. When they stepped into the bathroom Christian smiled. The set up was exactly like Tyler's bathroom in his office, complete with walk in shower and built in cabinets.

"Okay Mr. Michaels, here's what you'll need to set up this office and reception area." Trish said handing him a list of items. She had been writing things down as they walked around realizing that she wouldn't be able to keep the whole list in her mind. There was too much to be needed.

Christian took the list and looked it over before handing it back to her. He then pulled out his wallet and took out a company credit card and handed that to Trish as well. "Take this company credit card and go out and buy what you have on this list. Make sure it can be delivered today."

Trish looked at him with disbelief. "Are you sure you want to trust me with the company credit card, sir? I mean you really don't know me that well."

"No I really don't know you that well Trish, but here's a good chance for us to learn about each other." Christian then spoke sternly while looking her directly in the eyes. "Believe me when I say, there are severe consequences when it comes to stealing in my corporation. You don't get another chance when it comes to stealing."

Trish looked him back directly in the eyes. "I wouldn't steal from you sir. I'm not that kind of person." She took the card from him and put it in her purse. "I'll go out and purchase the items now. I should be back in a couple of hours."

"Take your time; I'll be here all afternoon. Don't forget to stop and have lunch." Christian suggested as she walked out the office. After she was gone, Christian looked down at Jeff who was waiting patiently as Christian conducted his business. "How about we go to McDonald's for lunch?"

That suggestion was fine with Jeff because he loves McDonald's. "What about daddy Ty, shouldn't we wait for him before we go?" He asked his daddy Chris.

"No, that's alright. I'll bring something back for him." With that said, the security surrounded Christian and the boys as they headed down to the underground garage.

When Tyler and his head of security got to his building, Tyler went straight to his office. He needed to make his phone call ASAP and he wanted privacy with no disturbances. When he walked through the door, Janet was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here Tyler?" She asked. "You suppose to be with your family today."

She's right about that. Tyler took this weekend off to be with his family because he and Christian are celebrating his birthday next weekend in Atlantic City. "I need to take care of something and I don't want to be disturbed unless it's Chris and the boys. They're on the nineteenth floor setting up Chris's corporate offices."

"What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later." Tyler replied with a heavy conscious. "First I need to make this call and decide whether or not to tell Chris about it. This kind of news will just freak the hell out of him!"

Janet just said okay. She knows Tyler will tell her when he's ready too. Tyler went into his office and pulled out his cell phone to call the gang leader of the kid that was following him around in the mall. "Hey Tyler, what's up?" a friendly male voice answered after the usual four rings.

"A big problem and the problem is yours if it's not taken care of right away!" Tyler said in a dangerous voice. He knows how to be a badass when he needs to be. That's one of the reasons why the gangs don't fuck with him.

"Woe! Tyler, calm down man. Tell me what's going on." The voice said. Tyler could tell by the sound of the tone that his friend was getting scared and that's not something easy to pull off on a gang leader. "What ever it is, I'll take care of it."

Tyler pulled his anger back a bit. He didn't want to sound too dangerous until he have to. "You know about the fight at the mall, right?" When the answer was yes, Tyler went on. "One of your members didn't like me taking control of the situation. I don't know what he's up to, nor do I care. If he doesn't stop following me, I'll take care of him."

The guy on the other end could hear Tyler's dangerous voice coming back at the end and he didn't like it, he never did. "I'll take care of it Tyler." He said in a shaky voice. "I told every member about you. This guy has to be nuts to take you on."

Tyler ignored the last statement. "See that you do. In fact, I want all the info you have on him. The complete 411 by tomorrow. I have two little boys now and if they get hurt in any way, I'm coming after your whole gang!"

"That's no problem my friend." He answered still with a shaky voice. "I'll get my lieutenants on it." That suggestion calmed Tyler down more. If his friend needs any information he can't find, Tyler would be the first person he calls. "Now tell me about these two little boys you have."

Tyler started giving his friend the water down version of the story on Jeff and Terry and how he and Christian came to be taking care of them. Before he knew it, he spent thirty minutes on the phone just catching up with the 411 before saying their goodbyes and hanging up. Tyler then called Justin to talk with him about protection for JR before heading to Christian's floor.

While eating their lunch at McDonald's, Todd, one of Jeff's security guys saw someone keeping a close eye on Jeff. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I want everyone to keep their cool on this okay?" Todd looked directly at Christian when he said that and Christian nodded. "Sitting at a table in the far right side of the restaurant is someone with their eyes on Jeff." Christian blood ran cold on hearing that. "He may or may not be a threat, but I want everyone to keep their eyes on that table without making it obvious that you're watching." They all agreed and continued eating. After finishing their lunch, Christian and his group headed back to Néné Incorporated. Todd noticed through the side mirror that the person who was watching Jeff at the McDonald's was following them at a distance.

When they arrived at the corporation, they went back to the nineteenth floor. Christian wanted to be there when Trish returns to see what she had purchased. It's not that Christian thought she'll steal from him; he just wanted to find out if she can be trusted. That's why he gave her the corporate credit card. It was sort of a test.

As soon as he put Tyler's lunch on the counter, Trish walked into the lounge. "Here you go Mr. Michaels. Here is your credit card and the receipt for everything. It will be delivered by four o'clock today."

Christian thanked Trish as he looked over the receipt. "You got everything on the list including a new microwave and coffee maker. I didn't see that on the list but I'm glad you brought it. If I need to come in early and don't have my coffee, you better stay away until I do."

"I know the feeling, I'm the same way." Trish replied and they both shared a laugh out of that. Once the laughter died down, Trish turned to Alex. "Can you follow me please? I could use your assistance in bringing up the microwave; it's pretty heavy for me to carry."

Alex agreed and the two of them left. As soon as they got to the elevators one was opening and Tyler was stepping out. "Hey Tyler, looking for Christian?" Alex asked.

When Tyler got off the elevator, he heard someone asking if he was looking for Christian but couldn't make out the voice. "Who's speaking??" Tyler asked and Alex identified himself. "Oh hi Alex. Yes I'm looking for Chris. Is he in his office?" Alex said no. He told Tyler that Christian was in the lounge room of the reception area. Tyler thanks Alex and headed toward Christian office while Alex and Trish got on the elevator.

Christian's floor is just like Tyler's so it was easy for Tyler to find the lounge room. Christian looked up just as Tyler walked through the door. He stopped what ever he was doing and went over to give Tyler a hug. "Hey there hot stuff." He said with a pleasant smile. "I like your hair. It makes you look like a magnificent work of art."

"Thanks baby." Tyler replied smiling back. "How's everything going down here? Are you getting any work done?"

"Everything's going fine but I have to create a nursery and playroom in here too." Christian said. "I want to keep the boys here sometimes when I'm in the office. That way we're both spending equal time with them."

"Call upstairs and have Janet go purchase the items. It should be here by the end of closing today." Tyler told him. "Just give her your credit card. She loves shopping with other people's money." He laughed.

Christian laughed too. When they stopped laughing, they heard a knock at the door. It was Mr. Henry Danielson Tyler's architect wanting to know where to put the cafeteria. Janet told him where he could find Tyler.

Tyler told him on the tenth floor and he wanted to add an arcade room also. That would be great for his new kids modeling department. "You should talk with him on designing your bathroom while he's here. He does a great job." Tyler suggested to Christian.

"No, that's alright. I like my bathroom the way it is except for the cabinet and tiling. I want them to be medium gold." Mr. Danielson told Christian he could have his brother Harold take care of the construction and it wouldn't take long. In fact, he could start tomorrow. Christian agreed and wrote a check out to cover half of the cost. The other half will be paid in full on completion. Just then, Alex returned carrying the microwave and Trish the coffee maker. Alex set the microwave up on the counter to use and Trish did the same with the coffee maker. Christian put the microwave to use by heating up Tyler's lunch from McDonald's while continuing his conversation.

Tyler's bathroom consist of a large shower with six shower heads and light purple tiling, a toilet, a built in cabinet that matches the tiling, and marble sink with vanity mirror. His bathroom is also heated and carpeted.

"That's easy to do." Mr. Danielson said. "My brother can use the same blue prints I designed for Mr. Jackson bathroom. It also has a built in closet to hold towels and other items. He can give you the same type of cabinets if you like?"

"Yes, I like that cabinet. It looks like it can hold more items in it than the cabinet I have now." Christian agreed. "Can you get me those blue prints so I can get the contractor started on it right away? I want this done as soon as possible."

Tyler told Christian that he has those blue prints in his office. "When you call upstairs just ask Janet to bring them down with her okay? She knows where they are."

"I also have a copy myself." Mr. Danielson added. "I can give my copy to my brother to use for the construction. That way you both will have a copy and you can make sure the job is being done to your satisfaction."

Christian couldn't argue with that. Mr. Danielson handed the check back to Christian explaining that since there was no work for him to do there was no need to pay him for it. Christian pushed his hand back to him. "Give it to your brother as a down payment for the job he'll be doing tomorrow."

Mr. Danielson agreed and told Tyler he'll get started on the design for the cafeteria right away before taking his leave. Christian went back to the microwave and removed Tyler's lunch and placed it on a plastic plate that he found in the cabinet.

He then went to get Tyler and brought him over to the counter. "Here baby, I got you something from McDonald's. You'll have to stand and eat because I don't have any furniture until it gets delivered this afternoon, sorry about that."

"That's okay, it's no problem. I had to do the same thing when I first started my business here as well." Tyler said as he began eating. As he was eating Christian introduced him to Trish. Trish was a little surprised when Christian introduced Tyler as his boyfriend but quickly got over it. She had no hang ups about a same sex relationships. In fact, she has a brother who is gay. She was just surprised that a big marine like Christian would be in one with the military's strong policy against it.

Unknown to Trish, Christian saw her expression and decided to press the issue. He wants his office to be a relaxing working environment and if she has any homosexual bigotry then he wanted to know about it. "Is this going to be a problem for you Trish?"

"No sir, no problem at all. I don't judge people because I wouldn't want anyone to judge me. I believe that people should be able to love whom ever their heart allows them to love. My older brother taught that lesson to me when we were kids and I took that lesson to heart." She smiled.

Christian noticed the honesty in Trish's demeanor. She was truly honest in what she said. Now Christian knew he made the right decision when he offered Trish the job as his secretary, he had no more doubts about it. "I'm glad Trish, because this is my family, and I won't let anyone hurt my family in any way."

"That's how it should be sir. You have a beautiful family and you should do everything you can to protect it." The light in Trish's eyes dimmed a little even though she kept the smile on her face. "I know a few ways of how a family can fall apart and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Both Tyler and Christian wondered what brought the sadness in Trish. Even though Tyler couldn't see it Trish's eyes as Christian did, he tell hear it in her voice. They wanted to know what made her sad but felt it wouldn't be right to ask. If Trish wanted them to know then she would tell them so they let it go.

When Tyler finished his lunch, Trish helped Tyler gather up his trash and threw them away. Christian called upstairs and asked Janet to bring down the blue prints of Tyler's bathroom and Janet said she would be right down. Five minutes later Janet arrived with the blue prints in hand. When she handed them to Christian, he asked. "Janet, I want to create a playroom and nursery in one of the rooms in my office. Can you please buy the products to do that? I like the nursery you did for Ty so I know you'll do a good job for me."

"Sure Christian." Janet smiled. "I like shopping. I like it even more when I'm shopping with other people money!" Her smile grew even bigger and everyone laughed. "Just give me your credit card and I'll take care of it."

Christian pulled out his wallet and handed her his credit card. Only this time he handed her his personal card not the corporate card. "Do you mind if I go with you?" Trish asked Janet. "I love shopping myself but don't always have the money to do it often. It would be fun spending some big bucks with a high credit limit!" She teased.

"Hey now! Don't send us to the poor house." Tyler teased back. "Sooner or later that bill has to be paid and that's going to put a major dent in our pockets."

"Oh please!" Janet sighed exasperatedly. "We couldn't send you to the poor house even if we tried. Your bank account is way too full to do that Tyler." The two women then introduced themselves to each other. "I need to go up and get my purse, and then I'll meet you downstairs."

The two women left to get ready to go shopping, ignoring Tyler's retort. "Yes my bank account is full, and I like to keep it that way thank you." Even though they said nothing, Tyler knew they heard him.

One hour later the office furniture arrived ahead of schedule. Everyone, including the security helped Christian set everything up. The whole process took about an hour. By that time Janet and Trish arrived back from their shopping trip. Janet handed Christian his credit card back along with the receipt. "They had a last minute cancelation so we were able to get them to deliver today. They'll be here in about thirty minutes."

Christian thanked them for their help. "I hate to ask, but can either of you do me another favor?" Both women asked what the favor was. "I need to stop by one of my stores to talk with the manager, so I need to catch him before he leaves. Can one of you wait here for the delivery?"

Trish was the first to speak. "I don't have any plans for tonight so I'll wait and help set everything up. By the time you come in tomorrow everything should be ready to go."

Janet said she would stay to help. Christian thanked them again for their help and he and Tyler got the kids and headed down to their trucks. This time Christian rode with Tyler while Todd drove the other SUV. Eric who was riding shot gun noticed they were being followed and voiced it to everyone. When Todd looked through the rearview mirror he saw that it was the person that had been following them all day. He suggested to everyone that he and Eric should pull Tyler aside while Christian is talking with the manager and inform him of the potential threat and everyone agreed.

When they reached the store where Christian needed to talk to the manager everyone decided to stay in the truck while Christian went inside. While they were waiting for Christian, Todd went over to the other SUV to talk to Tyler.

He told Tyler about someone watching Jeff at McDonald's and that person following them back to his office and how the person is still following them. Tyler asked what the person looks like and Todd gave him a full description. When Mark and Carlos heard the description they knew exactly who was following them and told Tyler. At that moment Tyler became visibly angry. He told Todd to keep an eye on him but not to worry he'll take care of it. Todd agreed to keep an eye on who ever it is and went back to the other truck to inform the others of the situation.

After Todd had left the truck, the three guys discussed their course of action. After five minutes of going over many different scenarios, they settled on one. It was a simple one and didn't really require anything. Before they could set their plan into motion though, Mark saw Christian walking out of the store ready to go.

When Mark informed Tyler of Christian's return, he was angry that they couldn't execute their plan, but when Christian climbed into the truck and kissed him his anger melted away. Who could blame him? It's always hard for Tyler to stay mad at Christian because he loves him so much. Since there was nothing they could do now to execute their plan, Carlos pulled out of the parking spot and headed home. They'll just have to think of another plan.

Among arriving home, Carlos waited at the gates for a minute before getting out of the truck to put in the code to open it. When Carlos stepped out of the truck the car that was following them sped past them. Everyone thought the driver realized he had been spotted and high tailed it out of there. Christian was the only one that was oblivious to the situation.

After putting in the code, Carlos got back into the truck suppressing a snicker and drove up to the house. Arriving at the house, everyone got out of the truck and went inside. Before going their separate ways, Tyler asked the new security if they were having dinner with them. Everyone said no because they're use to frozen food and that's what they were going to have. Tyler thought they were uncomfortable with eating with them and made a mental note of asking them again once they had settled in. In the mean time he, Christian, Carlos, and Mark went to the kitchen to make dinner. Kevin and Travis were already there. While looking through the refrigerator Christian saw that there were still a lot of leftovers from the barbecue and no one was really in the mood to cook so they decided to have the leftovers.

While the occupants of the house was enjoying their dinner, someone on the outside had just climbed the walls surrounding the house and was making their way forward. As they moved forward, they made sure to stay hidden from anyone that may be looking out the window, not knowing that there are security cameras all over the grounds.

In the security room, a monitor showed a figure moving around outside. As the two security men watched the monitors closely, the men spotted the figure getting closer to the house. When the intruder face became visible on the monitors one of the two security men voice came through the walkie talkie. "Code red, intruder on the property! Intruder on the property! Code red, intruder on the property!"

That got everyone in the house attention especially Tyler's. His home had never been invaded. Immediately Christian and Travis's military training went into effect but it was Tyler who took charge. "What's the location of the intruder?"

"About sixty feet away on the right standing under a tree and moving in slowly."

"Okay, keep us updated with the location." Tyler then turned to everyone in the room with him and gave out his orders. He used the walkie talkie to give his orders for the security in the back of the house just in case the intruder tried to get in through the back. Once they had their orders everyone moved into position. Christian and Tyler stayed with the kids in the living room sitting on the sofa.

When the intruder was close enough to look through a window, he saw who he was looking for sitting on the sofa oblivious to the fact that his home was about to be invaded. He thought to himself that this should be an easy job. He drew his weapon from the waistband of the back of his pants and moved around to the side of the house looking for an entrance into the house.

Meanwhile, the two security guys was keeping everyone updated with the intruder's location. There wasn't a single person in the house who didn't know the location of the intruder. Christian and Tyler were doing their best to keep the boys calm and Jeff's mind off the intruder. "If he's smart he'll come in through my office window. I forgot to lock it yesterday." Tyler whispered to Christian. Just as soon as the words left his mouth, he heard the same security voice coning through the walkie talkie saying the same thing.

The intruder climbed through the window of Tyler's office. It took some doing considering the intruder isn't very flexible. Once the intruder was finally in the house, he actually took the time to close the window back! Then the intruder slowly moved through the room and out into the hall. Once in the hall, he then slowly moved his way down the hall in search of his target, his weapon ready to take fire.

When the intruder found the room where he saw his target, he peeked around the doorframe and found him still sitting there watching television. The room was in complete darkness except for the light from the television so he can use the darkness to his advantage not noticing that his target can see him from the corner of his eyes.

The intruder sternly took a stance, aimed his weapon right for his target's head, and started to pull the trigger...

To Be Continued...

Writer's Corner:

Welcome back one and all to another chapter of Best Friends. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Now let's get to the summary of this chapter, shall we?

We started off with the phone call in the middle of the night. It was Brooklyn General hospital calling Tyler in regards to his mother. How many seen that coming? I don't know about Tyler but I would want to see the woman that gave me and my sister away all those years ago just so I can tell her to go to hell. How will the situation with Tyler's mother trying to get involved in his life affect him? Will this be the strike that breaks Tyler?

The next morning it was Christian who let Tyler sleep in. Wow, I hope I can find someone who will let me sleep in while they take care of the children. Tyler is use to waking up with Christian wrapped around him that he was shivering when he woke up alone.

Before leaving the house, Christian had a serious talk with Travis. During that conversation Travis told him the reason why Troy needs Tyler's project to fail. Will all of this lead to an obsession with Troy over Christian?

How did you like Christian's first full day with the boys? It wasn't exciting for them but they took it in strives. I'll try to write more exciting days that Christian or Tyler will spend with the boys in future chapters.

While Tyler was having his hair done, he had a friendly chat with his stylist. I took that from my own personal experience. I always have a good friendly conversation with my stylist when I'm having my hair braided.

Christian finally got the secretary he needed. Can you guess where I got that name from? It should be obvious so I'm not going to give you any hints. I think Trish is going to be a great secretary for Christian as Janet is for Tyler.

Who was watching Jeff at the McDonald's that got Christian so worry? Why were they watching him? You'll have to read the future chapters to find that out.

Who is JR? Who was following Tyler? Why did Kim give Tyler's jacket away? You'll need to go back and reread chapters six and ten for the answer to those questions.

Who was following the guys around when they left Néné Incorporated? Was it the same person who was following them earlier or someone else entirely? What was Tyler's plan to find out who was following them? I hope it wasn't something that would have gotten Tyler into any trouble.

Now we come to the cliff hanger. Who did the intruder shoot at and did he get them? Was he one of the people that had been following them all day?

One more thing you guys! I'm currently writing the first chapter of my new story. Keep a look out for the first posting day. It should be coning to you soon. I won't tell you what it's about; you'll have to read the story to find out.

If I had missed anything in my corner, I hope my editor will catch it in her corner. I need to get started on writing the next chapter for you guys to enjoy reading.

So much is going on and not enough time to write it all out! New plots are going to open and some will close. Keep reading the future chapters and enjoy! Please let me know how I'm doing. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions at {romeo.jacobmillertex@gmail.com} thanks.

Editors Corner:

WOW that was a great chapter. I would like to say I know the answers to the questions but I don't I'm waiting with the rest of you to see who is behind all this. I have an idea about the jacket, but I will have to see if I'm correct on that one.

Whoever has gotten into the house has made a big mistake and hope that whoever it is will make it out alive.

Will Tyler tell his sister about the phone call about their Mom and if so will she want to see her?

I too would like to see more days with Christian and the boys as well as Tyler having his day with them.

How far will Troy go to get Christian if indeed if that is his plan, how off the wall would it be if he was actually after Tyler?

How about that? A new story, what could it be about? I can't wait to see what it will be about.

Hope you are enjoying the story as much as I am, if so drop Romeo a line and let him know how you are enjoying the story. Trish