Us: Book Three in The Everett Gaming Series

by Drew Sera

  “Ours was informal and since Colin had been such an integral part of our relationship with the training, he ended up standing with the two of us as we exchanged promises.” She laughed a little and touched her necklace. “Anthony actually held my collar until Matt was ready to put it on me. It was a wonderful night and I will never forget it. Colin and Anthony were both Matt’s Best Men at our wedding.”

  Gina’s collar was a thin, black cord or round leather necklace and there was a platinum charm that dangled from the center. On the side that rested against her skin it said “Matt’s.” We were quiet for a few minutes before she asked me if there was a reason I was asking about it.

  “The guys were talking about collars last night.”

  “Syd! That’s wonderful! Would you want to be collared by them?”

  “I love the idea. I would love to be a permanent sub for them. I love them both. It’s just hard to believe that they’d be happy enough with me. It’s no secret that I have issues. Sometimes they don’t even get a full night’s rest.”

  “Sydney, they love you no matter what’s in your past. Those two guys are very strong. You aren’t a burden to them, they love you.”

  Love me. I’ve heard Colin say it and I can feel that they both love me. But I wish I’d hear it from Anthony. I know that’s selfish of me, and I shouldn’t want that or get hung up on him not saying it. After all, Colin has said it. We continued walking along the store lined street and changed subjects to Christmas gifts for the guys and finally settled into a booth at Tuscany for lunch.

  “Syd, you should get some sexy lingerie to wear with your dress this weekend. It’ll drive those two crazy.”

  “You think? They seem to like bras and panties not being in their way.”

  “Yeah, but a sexy surprise under your dress will have them climbing the walls until your guys get home.”

  We headed to the lingerie store after we ate and laughed at some of the things they had in there. Gina showed me some of the things she had at home that drove Matt wild. Apparently Matt loves black satin and silk. I began to wonder what in this store would push the buttons for Colin and Anthony.

  “Come on, Sydney. Let’s get some stuff. I’ll wear mine under my dress for the Irons party. Since you have two Christmas parties, you should get two different sets.”

  I picked out a black lace bra with a matching lace thong. I held up the items and looked them over and began worrying if they’d look at all appealing on my body.

  “I don’t think this will look very good on me, Gina. Colin and Anthony will be suffering at the sight of me in it. When you wear this kind of stuff for Matt, he doesn’t have to stare at a bunch of healing bruises or welts.”

  “Sydney, have you not seen the way those two look at you? They’re in for quite a treat Saturday at the Christmas party. Your dress is sexy and flirty, and you’ll have some sexy lingerie under it.”

  I trusted her judgment and got two sets for the parties. We went into a store that had mens stuff, and Gina picked out a couple new ties and underwear for Matt for Christmas. I browsed around at some stuff picturing Anthony and Colin in them. They both wore suits and ties to work everyday. I glanced at some shirts and ties and tried to pick something out for each of them. I at least could be confident that the sizes were right.

  Aside from my book of photos, I wanted to give them something that they could use. Although, they had everything and I don’t think I’ve seen the same tie on Anthony since I started working at Openin.

  14

  Tuesday, December 10th

  Colin

  I hate seeing Sydney so upset. I’m glad Anthony had been texting her as soon as our meeting ended. He could tell with her texts that she was upset and once he got her on the phone, she told him that she was angry with herself over being afraid of closets. That fucking bastard would beat her and then bind her in the closet and would sometimes put a hood over her head. Anthony stayed on the phone with her the entire way. While we waited for the elevator, he pointed to the phone and then the stairs. While I rode the elevator down, Anthony trekked down ten flights of stairs so he could stay on the phone with her.

  “She worries so much, Anth. We’ve got to get her to stop second guessing everything.”

  “I know. I think the collar is really going to help.”

  The collar. I couldn’t wait until Friday. Anthony and I were now heading to meet Matt and Blake for lunch at Vito’s and had planned on telling them that we were going to collar Sydney. We wanted to do it Friday at Irons, so we needed their help. The four of us sat down and began nibbling on the bread and ordering our drinks when I just blurted it out.

  “Anthony and I are going to collar Sydney.”

  Blake and Matt were both all smiles and congratulated us. Anthony and I each got congratulatory hugs from Matt and Blake.

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” Matt teased while smiling from ear to ear.

  “I agree. Sydney has grabbed both of your hearts. I’m happy for all three of you. When will the collaring take place?” Blake looked back and forth from Anthony and I while he worked on his lunch.

  “We are hoping this Friday evening at Irons. But we wanted to talk with you both and see if you’d help us put something together. Nothing crazy, of course.” Blake knew that Anthony and I were not into formal protocol, but we still recognized collaring ceremonies and wanted to take part in that.

  “Consider it done, gentlemen. Don’t worry about a thing. My wife and I will arrange something nice.”

  “What have you guys decided regarding the collar?” Matt asked.

  “We’re having a special one made for her. Henry Conrad is making it,” I explained as Matt glanced over at me smiling. He remembers Henry Conrad from our run in with a guy trying to steal while we were in the store. Anthony was humming the jingle to Henry’s commercial and received a slug in the arm from me. “We gave him our requests and specifications yesterday. It’s supposed to be ready Friday at noon.”

  For the rest of our lunch, Blake spoke fondly about when he and his wife collared Kelsie and Noah. As part of their collaring, aside from a collar or necklace of sorts, they were each pierced. Kelsie got a clit ring and Noah got a penis piercing. Thinking about that makes me ache. Noah also wears a chain with dog tags with Blake’s and his wife’s last name on it, and Kelsie’s necklace has the same engravings.

  As we walked to the parking lot Matt and Anthony walked ahead of Blake and I and were just about to the cars. Blake brought up the auction party again.

  “Has he decided for sure if he’s going through with the rope this year?”

  I nodded confirming that Anthony was going to offer up the rope evening but told him that it wasn’t without slight reservation. Blake said that he understood but went onto say that his wife would love it if he picked up some rope technique. It sounded like Blake was going to bid on it for his wife.

  “She’d love to actually get tied up by Anthony and hope that I pick up on some techniques.”

  “Ha! I think a lot of people from Irons would like to get tied up by him.” I winced as I said it as a disgusting image of Paul Fielding floated across my mind.

  15

  Wednesday, December 11th

  Anthony

  Today was Wednesday and I’ve been getting busier as the holiday approaches. Normally, I don’t get crazy during the holidays, as it’s just been me and the guys and Gina. We didn’t go out and visit holiday displays or drive around looking at Christmas lights. I never gave more than five seconds of thought into a gift that I was giving to someone, but this year was different.

  Sydney made a world of difference and was the best thing that has ever happened to me. She’s gone without for a long time and now that she has Colin and I, those days of going without are behind her. I’ve been making a list of potential Christmas gifts. You’d think it’d be easy gathering Christmas gifts for a girl that had next to nothing. But Sydney isn’t into material items. There are a lot of things she need
s and most of them are material items. Clothes, shoes and that sort of thing. But I’m trying to work on something special for her. Colin and I picked a car out for her and while I’m sure she will like it, I know it has the potential to overwhelm her. But she needs a reliable and safe car that she can go places in with Gina and all of us will know they’re safe.

  I glanced through my calendar for the rest of the week. I had something I had to take care of by Friday and with it already being Wednesday, I needed to get a move on. I didn’t have anything going on for the rest of the day and decided I needed to take the afternoon off to take care of it. Colin wouldn’t mind.

  I hadn’t told Colin about this and now I was starting to feel a little guilty over it. I didn’t want him thinking I was doing anything less than favorable. I just kept this private for reasons I didn’t really understand. I knew he wouldn’t think less of me, that wasn’t the issue. But I didn’t want him to put me on a pedestal either. As I was looking out the window at the Strip, I was hit in the back with the orange ball. I turned to find Colin standing in the doorway to my office. I headed back over to my desk and tried to cover up a little piece of paper before he saw it.

  “Hey, I need to run out for a while. I have something I need to take care of,” I said while shutting down my laptop and slipping my cell in my suit jacket.

  He raised his eyebrow at me. Naturally he was curious because he knew I was never vague with him. He and I were always honest with one another and especially now with Sydney. He sat down in front of my desk and continued to eye me. I would have started walking out, but I needed the fucking piece of paper that I covered up.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Perfectly fine. I just have something I have to do.”

  He continued to look at me and then he glanced down at my desk when I didn’t make a move towards the door. Silence filled the room like heavy smoke from a fire while he tossed the orange ball from hand to hand.

  “Okay. I’m not going to pry.” He stood up and looked me dead center in the eye. “It’s your business.”

  Fuck! I didn’t want him to doubt me for a second, and I was afraid that’s exactly what was happening. I wouldn’t do anything to fuck up what we have with Sydney. That includes doing anything that would cause a shadow of concern in his eyes. He turned to head out of my office, and I stopped him.

  “Wait.” He turned and walked back over to the front of my desk. “It’s not what you think.”

  “What is it that I think, Anth?” Colin seemed surprised that I automatically thought that he thought I was doing something he wouldn’t approve of. I stared in his eyes and tried to explain.

  “I know you’re curious about what I’m doing and somewhere in your head is a worry that whatever I’m doing might possibly hurt Sydney. Or you…or us. It won’t. I promise you.”

  “Anthony, I don’t doubt you. I never have. Your word is our bond. I trust you and I trust that you know you’d come to me if something was wrong.”

  Jesus. This was getting out of hand. I decided to just fucking tell him.

  “Listen, Monday I was on the website for that shelter Sydney volunteered at and was thumbing around looking into their volunteer program. They have this thing at the holidays for the kids called the Reindeer Foundation. The kids who stay there make a paper reindeer and on it they write a toy they’d like in hopes that Santa brings it. I called Carlos and told him I wanted to help. I have the means to help and make a difference.”

  “Ross,” Colin said in a quiet tone.

  “Carlos said that Ross made a reindeer and Monday I drove down to get it before you and I went to see Henry Conrad.”

  “Anthony,”

  I pulled out Ross’s reindeer from under the folder I covered it with and handed it to Colin. Ross wanted a new ball or a Hot Wheel. Or. Not both, just one or the other. He wasn’t greedy.

  “They had the paper reindeers taped to an inflatable reindeer by the front entrance. I took his.”

  “Anthony Graves. Look at you. Scared I’m going to come down on your for being the light of a kid’s Christmas.”

  “No, I just didn’t want any shit over it. I was just going to do it quietly on Friday at lunch. But we’re picking up the collar and that is my priority. But I can’t let this kid down. I took his fucking reindeer.”

  Colin just stood their smiling and holding the reindeer. He asked me if I wanted company for the shopping trip. I went ahead and took him up of the offer. We stopped at Vito’s first for lunch and then headed out to shop.

  I knew Sydney would love to be involved but knew that Colin and I told Carlos we’d keep her out of that element. I didn’t want Sydney down there. Sadly, you never know what you might run into. When people get desperate, they do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do. I didn’t want her around that.

  16

  Wednesday, December 11th

  Colin

  Donating the bedding and towels to the shelter Sydney helped out at and ate at on occasion turned out to be good for us. It caused Anthony and I to open our eyes some and maybe even appreciate what we had just a little bit more. Most importantly, we had Sydney. Anthony and I had everything with her. During that visit, Anthony connected with a little boy who was probably a micro sized version of him. It was obviously very important to Anthony that this little boy has a Christmas and wouldn’t be let down. I had a feeling Anthony knew Christmas as nothing more than another date on the calendar.

  Anthony held the reindeer in his hands as we walked into Target. I stopped and grabbed a cart and met his frown.

  “Seriously, Col. It’s a ball and a toy car. We aren’t helpless.”

  “I know. But I think there are a few additional things you and I could pick up to help. Like a new coat. The shelter has probably given him a donated coat. Wouldn’t it’d be nice to get him a new one?”

  “Fuck. Yeah, I wasn’t thinking. I’m glad you came with me.”

  We made our way through the holiday shopping crowd to the toy section and picked out a couple Hot Wheels and then found a new foam ball like the one Ross played with when we met him. Next to the foam balls was a small five-foot basketball hoop that Anthony was eyeing.

  “Remember he had that suction cup hoop, Col? I bet he’d like this. It’s adjustable too.” Anthony picked up the box and put it in the cart.

  We had the hoop, ball, Hot Wheels and a few new clothing items. As we headed towards the check out, I stopped.

  “What, Col?”

  “His mom. Anything she gets, she probably gives to him. What about her? Maybe a new coat or a sweater?”

  Anthony ran his hands through his hair and agreed we needed to try to find something for her. We took our best guess on sizing and went for mediums. We picked out a new coat, a sweater and a glove and scarf set and then headed to a huge display of gift cards. Anthony and I stared at all of the options and ended up picking up a Target gift card for his mom along with a gift card for the movies. Taking her son to see a movie was probably not on her list of priorities and would be considered a luxury. I started to push the cart away but Anthony was still looking.

  “What about the kids who don’t have their reindeer taken?”

  I called Carlos while we stood in front of the gift card display and found out how many kids or teens stayed at the shelter with their parents. There were about twenty. Anthony and I grabbed gift cards for Target and the movies enough for thirty families and then he jogged back to the wrapping paper section to get some paper and gift bags while I stood in a line that might had rivaled something you’d see at Disneyland. I had to smile when he came towards me with a ton of small gift bags for the gift cards and then a few larger bags for Ross’s mom. He found boxes and got two rolls of paper for Ross’s stuff. It was a colorful basketball print and all of the basketballs had Santa hats on them.

  We decided to wrap the stuff up as soon as we got home and then would head to the shelter to drop it off. And we’d take Sydney with us. Anthony and I bo
th agreed we didn’t want her to get comfortable in going back down there, but it was Christmas and she has a huge heart and would love to be a part of this.

  Matt and Gina came over to help us put the items together so it’d be faster and so we could get over there at a decent time. Sydney and Anthony worked on the stuff for Ross and his mom while the rest of us put together the small gift bags for thirty families. Sydney talked about the shelter some while we worked on the gifts, and Matt was so intrigued by the story about Anthony connecting with the little boy that he and Gina wanted to help deliver the items.

  We took my Range Rover filled with gifts and headed down to the shelter that kept my baby fed. Anthony and Sydney carried the stuff for Ross and his mom while Matt, Gina and I took the other gift bags.

  “Mr. Everett, Mr. Graves! So nice to see you again. And Sydney, how are you dear?” Carlos and his wife greeted us as we walked in and instantly looked at all of the gift bags we were carrying.

  “I’m very good, Carlos,” Sydney greeted them warmly but then backed up by Anthony and I.

  “Mr. Graves, you only took Ross’s reindeer. What’s all of this?” Carlos was surprised by all of the gift bags.

  “We didn’t want any kids or their parents to go without,” Anthony explained and put his arm around Sydney.

  “Yeah, we put together some gift bags that you can pass out. They have some gift cards and the parents can use them to get some needed items, or the kids can pick out what they want.” I said and looked over at the basketball hoop box under Anthony’s arm.

  Carlos pointed out Ross and his mom. His mom was standing by the food line passing out plates and napkins as the people waited in line. She looked up and waved at us eagerly. She said something to the people she was talking with in line and walked towards the wall and bent down. Sitting against the wall was Ross. He was rolling the torn up foam ball side to side in front of him. She was talking to him and then looked over at us and pointed. A smile appeared on the little boys face and he quickly pushed himself off the floor with his good arm and began scurrying over. He stopped though, returned to his mom and picked up his ball and ran over for a chance to play with Anthony again.