by Lynn Stark
It took almost an hour for the three to shower and dress. He and Avery spent the time cuddling in his office as they waited. His brothers had brought the clothes, but decided to wait at the hotel.
It was a very difficult hour, since all Colt wanted to do was fuck the man into tomorrow. He would have to arrange some quality time for him, Avery, and Gilly. He felt it was important that they knew without a doubt that they were as important to him as Clarissa and Bliss were.
Angel called three times to see if they were on their way yet. When Colt gently suggested they go ahead and start without them, the man insisted that would be very rude, even if he was really, really hungry. Having seen Angel eat, Colt guessed he was on the edge of starvation.
Angel, Tristan, and Alex were waiting for them in the lobby of the Silver Star Hotel. As was his habit, Avery rushed forward to hug his brothers. He hugged Angel, too, laughing as the younger man pulled him toward the banquet room where brunch was being served. The room was crowded with citizens and winter visitors. As with many things in Silver, the prices set for Sunday brunch was not restrictive. Colt doubted there were many who couldn’t take advantage of it. Those who could not afford it were still able to enjoy the meal, alone or with their family. No one was turned away.
As they moved along the buffet Colt heard Angel ask Gilly, “How much can I get?”
Gilly laughed. “Eat until you pop.”
Everyone who witnessed it laughed as Angel did a little happy dance as he held out his plate for a server to put a huge cinnamon bun on it and then a second. It set the tone for the duration of their meal. Colt couldn’t remember the last time he had been so relaxed and rather carefree. The latter was something he probably hadn’t allowed himself since obtaining adulthood. He supposed with children in their future he needed to learn to be a little more relaxed. He wanted to be a man his children would love and respect. He didn’t want them to be wary or afraid of him.
Colt was brought rudely out of his happy thoughts by a fearful whisper. “Shit, it’s our father.”
This was from Tristan, who was sitting between Avery and Gilly. He had noticed from the beginning that Avery’s brother seemed to count on him a lot for support. He wondered how they had managed to be separated for so long. Turning his head he looked to see a tall, thin man with graying hair approaching their table. He was wearing a very conservative dark blue suit with a gray tie. His thin lips were pressed together in a flat line, one of complete disapproval.
“Don’t worry,” Avery told his brothers. “He can’t do anything to us. We’re adults.”
“He’s correct,” Colt told them in a firm voice. “There is nothing he can do here.”
Colt stood when Tristan jumped up, his body shaking. He didn’t run, but he appeared as if he might at any moment. One wrong move by the man’s father would be all it took.
Benson Crandall looked his sons over. It was obvious what he saw didn’t please him, that he didn’t recognize what treasures he had in his children. His cold gaze raked over them with contempt. “I came for Tristan. I wasn’t certain where he was, until Avery was tracked down here.” He smiled without humor. “Thank you for helping.” There was a snide note in his voice which was equal to fingernails on a blackboard.
“Go to hell,” Avery hissed, jumping up to place himself between his brother and his father. “Just get the fuck out of here. You have no business here. There is no way in hell we’re going to let you take Tristan.”
“Tristan is not capable of making his own decisions. He left a mental health facility without permission. The court placed him there and he will be going back until he’s made a full recovery.”
Colt smiled coldly. He was about to share information he had just received from the people he had investigating everything the brothers had told him. “Why not share the truth? It will make you feel much better, confession being good for the soul, and all that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That everything you just said is bullshit. No court was ever involved in Tristan’s confinement in your friend’s facility. Actually, I believe you and all of your friends could be arrested for kidnapping. If you don’t want to find out, I suggest you leave.”
“Listen, Redford…yes, I know who you are. Sick fucker! You’re living in sin with two immoral women.” His gaze raked across Bliss and Clarissa with the same contempt he had shown his sons. “Now you are living with that man and my son. Is there no limit to your depravities? Why drag all these souls down with you?”
Reaching out, Colt dragged the man close by his cheap tie. Crandall was several inches shorter than he was which caused him to push up on his toes.
“You’ve gone too far.” Colt growled the words. “Attack me if you must. I’m a big boy and can take it. The two women you hold in such contempt are part of my heart and soul. Yes, I do have one. And it’s not quite as black as you believe. Avery and Gilly have also become a part of me and are equally important. They are now part of my life, as I am a part of theirs.” He pulled, and the man whimpered and wheezed as the tie began to rob him of breath. He wanted to beat the hell out of the man, but there were children present. “Speak one more word against them and I’ll show you a part of myself you truly do not wish to see. Now get out of here. You’re trespassing.”
Colt released and shoved at the same time. Crandall fell back, barely keeping his balance. He righted himself and his tie. His face was a mottled, angry red as he glared at Colt.
“You can’t stop me from trying to save my sons.”
“Correction. I will do everything within my power to prevent you from destroying the men they are. Now get out. And that means get out of Silver.”
The boney chin came up. “It’s a free country. If we want to stay in town, we will.”
Colt laughed softly. “While Silver is part of America, it’s also private property. I own every square inch of it, which includes thousands of acres surrounding it. You won’t be off of it until you pass that sign you saw while heading in this direction. As I recall, that’s twenty miles from here.” Over the years his family had purchased the land in and around the town, preventing it from being bought up by land developers. It was the only way to help preserve what had been established over a century before. “Now, get the hell out of here and take your buddies with you.”
There was only one direct route into Silver. The other roads could take you places, but they were basically access to farms and ranches. One headed toward the nature preserve and another up to the ski resort. Crandall and his buddies could leave by any of them, but it would take them hours to find their way out, if at all. Colt wanted them to leave as quickly as possible. The sooner they were gone, the sooner they could relax. He would have the people he had hired keep an eye on them, however. He didn’t believe Crandall would just give up. He would be back to try to cause more trouble.
“You can’t keep me from my sons!”
Alex spoke up, his voice flat. “Your sons don’t want anything to do with you. Go away, Dad. You don’t love us and none of us are stupid enough to believe you care. And you’ll never get your hands on Tristan.”
As they stood there Grayson Evans walked into the banquet room where most people were now on their feet and ready to do battle. Silver was filled with the right kind of people. The sheriff moved through, bodies parting for him. One look at his face told Colt he was pissed off. Good. Benson Crandall was going to get a taste of Silver’s justice system.
“This filthy town is filled with sinners! You’re all going to burn in hell!”
Colt smirked as Gray cuffed the man and all but dragged him out of the room by the collar of his suit coat. The deputies rounded up the men who had come in with him. They went out protesting.
Once his father was gone Avery threw himself against Colt. He hugged him close, reassuring him. “Thank you, Colt. It wouldn’t have gone well if you hadn’t been here.”
“Nonsense. You did very well, standing up to him the way you did.
All you have to do is continue to show him you’re not afraid of him. He and his friends are cowards. Never forget that. Now I want you to look around, see the backup you and your brothers have. It won’t be easy for them to come back and cause trouble.”
Avery looked around the room, seeing the men, and some women, on their feet and ready for a fight. He looked both shocked and overwhelmed by the sight. Colt heard him sniffle and knew his love was ready to cry. He supposed it was a shock to someone who had been on the run from his own family, to have the unwavering support of complete strangers. Glancing at Tristan and Alex he saw that they also appeared overwhelmed.
Colt wished he could take away their fear and pain, wipe it from their minds, as if it had never been. It was impossible, of course. But he could give them support and friendship. He would help them in any way he could to get them through this rough time in their lives.
“Come on. Let’s finish breakfast. Then you guys can decide what we’ll do afterward.”
As he sat down a tiny voice reached him. “Uncle Colt?”
It was Merilee, the daughter of Peaches, Logan, Ryan, and Damien. “What is it, darling?”
“Daddy said you should have punched the sucker.”
Laughing, Colt looked down the room where Logan MacMillan was seated beside Peaches. She didn’t look happy. Logan, for once, was grinning from ear to ear. He inclined his head in acknowledgment.
“Well, darling, I really couldn’t do that. There are too many children here. They shouldn’t see people getting punched.”
Merilee nodded, her curls bouncing. “No, they shouldn’t. But bad people shouldn’t be bad, and then no one would want to punch them.”
“That’s very true. You are a very wise young woman. I believe you get your good sense, as well as your beauty, from your mother.”
A brilliant smile was his reward. She went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek as he leaned toward her, then ran off and back to her family’s table. As she scooted up into her chair it was obvious she was relating what he said to her parents. Logan scowled at him even as Peaches smiled and waved.
It was a slow re-start, but everyone managed to find a better mood as they finished their meal. They all then left the hotel. The icy wind bit into them as they walked along the sidewalk. As they did so, the brothers and Angel began playing with snow, shoving it down each other’s jacket collars, obviously some of their fears having eased a little.
Colt knew they hadn’t seen the last of Crandall, but he wouldn’t burden them with that. He wanted the brothers to concentrate on becoming whole again.
When the brats pushed in against him Colt wrapped an arm around each of them. They strolled along, looking into windows, occasionally going inside to look more closely at a store’s offering. During the winter skiing season most of the stores in Silver were open on Sundays, if only for limited hours. Everyone wanted to take advantage of the influx of money brought in by visitors. Most of the shops were packed and he saw it as a good sign for the citizens of Silver.
With the holidays approaching Colt knew they would be looking forward to a very good season. It wouldn’t be long before the decorations would be strung across the streets, garlands wrapped around every lamppost, lights sparkling on cold nights. People would brave the cold and the snow. They would scurry from one store to another, shopping bags on their arms, as they sought the perfect gifts for family and friends.
Colt stood back and watched as his four loves picked through a box filled with hand-carved, wooden Christmas ornaments. Gilly pulled out a fat Santa while Avery found an angel. Clarissa and Bliss both admired small cradles. When they turned glowing faces to him a few minutes later his world came to a standstill, everything closing in to the very second in time that he understood what they were silently trying to tell him.
He knew in that moment that his both of his lovelies were pregnant.
Chapter Ten
Bliss had never seen that particular expression on Colt’s handsome face. It was a combination of shock, wonder, and delight. She giggled as the wooden cradle dangled from the tip of her finger by a red satin ribbon. The warmth radiating through her body was also something unlike anything she had ever known before.
There was a baby growing inside her. Granted, it was very early, but the knowledge didn’t make it any less wondrous. She had wanted a baby for the past few years. Three, maybe four years had passed before she allowed herself to toy with the idea of marriage and sharing parenthood with Colt and Clarissa. Colt hadn’t been ready then for fatherhood. Hell, he hadn’t been ready for any kind of committed relationship, though unbeknownst to him, he was in one with her and Clarissa.
They both knew he hadn’t kept any sub more than a year. When one year had blended into two, then three, then beyond, they knew they both had something with Colt no other had achieved. Longevity.
The term made her smile as she moved closer to him. Strong arms wrapped around her and Clarissa, nearly squeezing the breath from them. In the background she could hear Gilly and Avery whispering between them. She turned her head so she could look into the two puzzled faces. Men. Either they saw the obvious or were completely oblivious to it. That made her chuckle.
“We’re having babies,” Bliss told them quietly, feeling another wave of warmth spreading over her.
Turning back she lifted her face toward Colt’s. He had just finished kissing Clarissa and now it was her turn. Warm, firm lips captured hers, stealing her breath away. It was a passionate kiss, but not the I-want-to-fuck-you-into-the-mattress kind. It was a kiss which conveyed every emotion he was feeling at that moment. It told her they hadn’t been wrong in giving him another chance for a life together.
Bliss melted right there in the store. Colt held her tight when he lifted his head, smiling down at her. She was ready to go home to celebrate and wondered if he was still planning to punish them for their shenanigans that morning. They would have to talk to their doctor about whether or not they could continue their time in the playroom. They might have to forgo the more extreme play, but a spanking here and there couldn’t hurt, could it? And being handcuffed to the bed surely was harmless enough.
As they paid for their purchases Bliss began to make a mental list of all the ways they could still play. With the doctor’s approval, of course. Since Mia was in the lifestyle, it wouldn’t be uncomfortable to ask her. She would also fully understand the demands which would be put upon their bodies.
“How long will it be until I’m a father?” Avery asked as they stepped outside.
“Months and months.” Clarissa laughed, bumping her shoulder into his arm as they walked ahead of Bliss and Colt. Gilly was on Clarissa’s right. “There will be more than enough time to get used to the idea of being parents.”
“And to get a nursery ready.”
Avery stopped and turned to them, a smirk on his handsome face. “You know, if I got the two of you pregnant, there’s a chance you’d both have triplets. My family has several sets each generation.”
“Six babies at once?” Colt sounded so horrified they all laughed.
She patted his arm. “Easy there, big guy. No passing out on the sidewalks of Silver. Wouldn’t the gossips just love that?”
A rueful smile was sent in her direction. “Maybe we should get Avery neutered.”
“Hey! What did I ever do to you?” The man stuck his tongue out at Colt. Then he was brightening. “Speaking of neutering, where can I get a puppy around here?”
“You’re getting a puppy?” Bliss squealed with excitement. “Our friend Piper has a rescue center.” She pushed back the sleeve of her coat to look at her watch. “I believe it’s open from noon to three o’clock on Sundays. She’ll have a list of dogs and puppies available for adoption.”
Everyone looked expectantly at Colt. When he hesitated, Gilly said persuasively, “It would be good to have a dog in the house, with all these nut jobs around.”
“If someone comes in the house uninvited, you shoot them,” Colt inform
ed him coolly. “And I already told Avery he could have a dog. I suppose since it is Sunday, it would be a good day to get one. It would give Avery time to get it settled in.”
They watched as Avery did a sexy little happy dance on the sidewalk. After that ended they hurried to where Colt’s SUV was parked. She was relieved. Though the help center wasn’t far, Bliss’s toes were beginning to feel a bit icy in her beautiful but impractical boots.
As they parked in front of the help center a few minutes later, Colt muttered, “How do I get myself into these things?”
Everyone but Colt laughed as doors opened and they began to get out.
“It’s because you love me,” Avery said, glowing. “And you want some of this.” He spun around and slapped his ass meaningfully.
Colt gave that same ass a hard swat, causing the younger man to howl and glare at him. “Keep it up and I will put you on a leash.”
Bliss watched with interest as golden lashes fluttered and the color flooded over high cheekbones. The tip of a pink tongue darted out to wet plump lips. Hmm, she thought, that was an interesting reaction. She suspected Colt had noticed it as well. He never missed a thing. Her pussy got wet just thinking about Avery on a leash and taking their Master’s commands. He would make a lovely pet. As far as she knew Colt had never had a pet before, four-legged or two.
“Let’s find this dog you want so much. I suspect we will have to stop at the pet store.”
Clarissa pushed close as they followed Avery and Colt into the center. “Did you see that? I think our Avery wants to be naughty.”
“Yeah, I saw.” She giggled. “Maybe we’re a bad influence on him.”
Gilly chuckled. “The two of you are a bad influence on everyone.”
“Avery doesn’t need any help being bad.” Tristan asked, pushing in behind them, followed by Alex and Angel. “Bad is his middle name.”
“Is that really his middle name?” Angel asked, and then ran off when he saw a crate with several kittens in it. “Oh, I love kittens.” He sat down and opened the door.