He fought through the fog. Brian could handle severe physical pain, almost to the point of self-destruction. He didn’t seek it as would a true pain slut, but if it came his way, he squared his shoulders and bore it until it passed. It always passed. If it didn’t, his body would pass on, and it wouldn’t matter. To Brian, the emotional battery assailing him rendered him helpless…from his mother, to his aunt, and his economic situation. These were bad enough, but finding Bear amidst the turmoil was more than Brian could handle, because he couldn’t run away. He knew Bear Drummond would own his heart for the rest of his life and that scared the s**t out of him. His responsibilities prevented him from running as fast and as far from Bear Drummond as he could. He knew from now on, there would be
