“Tommy said Debora cried to his mom all day Sunday, trying to figure out how she screwed him up so much that he is attracted to men.” Holly plops herself down on one of the barstools in the kitchen, reaching for an orange out of the basket. “After hearing Tommy try for hours to explain things to his mom, I guess I can understand a little better why Zeke didn’t tell anyone. Those women really know how to latch onto something and find a way to make it a personal affront.”
Tasha makes her way into the kitchen, looking cute enough to make any woman who has been through pregnancy want to slap her. Now that the morning sickness has passed and the color has returned to her face, she has that pregnant woman glow about her. And if her back is to you, there’s no way you would know she’s carrying a baby around in her perfectly rounded belly. I can only hope to look that good if I ever have kids.
“Oh, my God, you two have got to stop talking about that,” Tasha whines. “I’ve already told Zeke and Dylan that if I wanted that type of drama, I would turn on a soap opera.”
“Tasha, I love you,” Holly mumbles around a slice of her orange. “But pregnancy has turned you into a bitch. Seriously? This is major for Zeke. You weren’t there, you didn’t see how what a witch his mother turned into when she found out that Jeff is more than just a buddy.”
I take a seat on the couch, letting the old friends hash this out amongst themselves. If I tried telling Tasha that she was being a bitch, which she kind of was, I would be lucky to have my head still attached to my shoulders. Despite everything, or maybe because of everything, Tasha and Holly have been through at the hands of Nick Romero, they seem to have total carte blanche honesty with one another.
“I hear he came out in typical Zeke fashion,” Tasha laughs, showing just how quickly a pregnant woman can shift gears. “Speak first, then think about whether or not it was the time and place.”
“Pretty much.” Holly gives her a play-by-play of everything from the moment Zeke found out Tommy was trying to set up Jeff with their cousins all the way to Zeke pulling Jeff to his feet, kissing him in front of his entire family.
“I swear, Mary’s no fun at all,” Holly giggles, playfully slapping my arm. “I’d give just about anything to watch those two go at it and she just had to stop them. I’m telling you, she’s a greedy, selfish woman, keeping all that sexiness to herself.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s going to take years for the Reed family to recover from Zeke’s antics as it is. I saw no need to scar them permanently.” I grab bottle of water out of the refrigerator while we wait for Tasha to make yet another trip to the bathroom before we can leave.
Watching Holly bounce around the condo, so full of life, it’s hard to remember her as the recovering junkie Tommy asked me to represent as a favor. If anyone had told me she would become one of my closest friends when we first met, I would have laughed hysterically. We had nothing in common. Until I got to know her and realized we were both trying to run from our pain, her by doing drugs and sleeping around, me by burying myself in my work, trying to prove I was everything my father could have hoped I would turn out to be.
I’ve never been a fan of shopping. I know, it’s one of those things women are supposed to like, but I hate it. If I had my way, I’d be content to make every purchase online and have it conveniently delivered to my door. Tasha, on the other hand, seems determined to visit every store in the Madison area that caters to new mothers.
“What about this one?” she asks, holding up a lavender baby quilt with pink and green butterflies. My face is buried in my phone, checking email and updating social media because I’m going to scream if I have to spend another hour debating the lifespan of baby bedding. Tasha wants something that will grow with their baby girl without seeming too grown up when they first bring her home from the hospital. Seriously, it shouldn’t be this hard. It’s not like the baby is going to turn her little button nose up at the décor.
“Perfect,” I mumble, never glancing up. My phone tumbles to the ground as Holly pulls me away from Tasha.
“What’s wrong with you?” she hisses, trying to keep her voice down. “Tasha’s really freaking excited about this and you haven’t stopped looking at that damn phone for the past thirty minutes.”
I want to tell Holly that I have a valid reason for being obsessed with my phone and that there are much worse ways I could be ruining the day right now.
It seems that Nick Romero was found hanged in his jail cell this morning. I’ve been emailing back and forth with the colleague who took over Holly’s case since she let me know, trying to figure out what it means for the future of Holly’s own legal troubles. Her plea bargain was based on her cooperation in the case against Nick, so now we’re trying to figure out how to get her case dismissed seeing as it’s not Holly’s fault the worthless sack of shit killed himself.
I need to tell Holly and Tasha about this development before it hits the news, but Tasha’s having such a good time, in spite of my inattention, I can’t bring myself to spoil that. I have to keep this to myself until we get back to the condo.
“Sorry, I have some work things going on,” I groan. And I am sorry. Tasha has always been there for me when I needed her, now I need to do the same in return. I pick up my phone, send a quick response to Sarah telling her I’ll be out of touch for a while, and silence my notifications. “Let’s go pick out baby bedding,” I say, plastering on the biggest smile I can manage.
I walk through the door after a particularly stressful day at work, looking forward to having a night with both Mary and Zeke. Imagine my disappointment when the condo is dark and eerily quiet. With three of us living here and Zeke working from home, there’s always something going on.
I pick up my phone, trying to get in touch with Mary. There’s no point calling Zeke because he’s likely in the middle of a meeting. He mentioned problems with a rival promotions company and them trying to keep CapReed from having the right to book a venue.
Mary doesn’t answer, so I toss my phone on the end table and head into the kitchen. If they’re both working late, I might as well surprise them with a home cooked meal for a change. To break the silence, I turn on the television mounted beneath the cabinets, listening to the local news.
“An inmate at the Dane County jail was found dead in his cell this morning after an apparent suicide. Nicholas Romero was awaiting trial…”
The knife clanks against the granite counter top before falling to the floor. I swallow hard, turning up the volume to hear the rest of the report. I should be happy that the worthless fuck is gone, but I don’t believe that he committed suicide for a moment. Even if he had thought about it, he’s too much of a coward to follow through.
With trembling hands, I pick up my phone, trying Mary again. “You’ve reached Mary Brunner, I can’t get to my phone right now…” voicemail again.
I try Zeke, praying he’ll answer the damn phone. “Hello? Hello? Oh, that’s right, I’m the one that’s not really here. Leave a message and I’ll call back.” I’ve always hated that greeting.
“Zeke, it’s me. I can’t get in touch with Mary and really need to talk to her. If you’re with her, can you ask her to answer her phone?” Just before I hang up, I put the phone back to my ear. “And if you’re not with her, please call me. There may or may not be an issue.”
I take a few deep breaths, reminding myself that I have no reason to panic. The authorities are calling it a suicide and they’re probably right. It’s not like I’ve dealt with Nick myself, I’m forming opinions based on the little bits I’ve learned from him from Mary and Holly, nothing concrete.
Then again, is it really that far-fetched to think Mary could be in danger now? Nick has a lot of enemies and they don’t know she’s no longer Holly’s attorney. Holly, the girl Mary convinced to testify against Nick to save her own skin. Holly, my patient—no, former patient—who is finally getting her life on track.
This is why I prefer to distance myself from getting attached to anyone. Whe
n I don’t get too attached, I can think rationally and not let my fascination with the criminal mind conjure up worst-case scenarios.
The front door slams behind Zeke, Tommy and Dylan as they argue about how to move forward with the Coliseum negotiations. Dylan wants to involve Mary, asking her to issue some sort of legal threat to the other promoter.
“I’m not asking her to do that,” Zeke yells over his shoulder. I duck into the kitchen, hoping to remain unseen. No such luck when Zeke rounds the corner. He loops his fingers in my belt loops, pulling me close to him, crashing his lips against mine. Without missing a beat, he turns his head, the rest of his body pressed tightly to mine. “She has to deal with enough shit during the day, I’m not going to ask her for a freebie when she comes home.”
He reaches around me with one hand, the other still holding my hip tight between his thighs, to open the refrigerator and pull out a six pack.
“I never said a freebie,” Dylan’s voice booms from the living room. “I just figure we should use whatever resources we have available to us.”
As Dylan rambles on about all the reasons Mary wouldn’t have a problem helping them, Zeke grinds his hips into mine, our cocks lined up perfectly. Well, not quite perfectly since we’re both fully clothed, but still pretty damn good. He winks as he takes a long draw off his beer, setting the bottle on the counter behind us. “I missed you today.” His breathe is warm across my skin as he leans in, biting my ear and working his way down my jaw. “Where’s Mary? She needs to kick them out so we can go to bed early.”
His question douses the fire he’s trying to stoke. “When was the last time you talked to her?” I ask, gripping Zeke’s shoulders firmly, forcing him back far enough that both of us can pay attention.
“Before work,” Zeke informs me. That’s not normal, they usually text back and forth all day.
Settle down, she probably just had a busy day. You don’t know anything and if you panic, Zeke will lose his shit.
Remembering that we have company, I lead Zeke out to the living room. He almost drops the bottles of beer he originally came into the kitchen to grab. He hands one to each of the guys before returning to his place between my legs.
“Jesus, you two,” Tommy groans as I rest my hip on Zeke’s hip. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”
“Fuck you, Tommy,” Zeke mutters, leaning back to deliver a quick kiss to my lips. It’s a good thing Mary’s not here because every time Zeke touches me, my cock twitches, aching to be buried inside one of them. Right now, I need to stay focused so I can tell them what I just heard on the news.
“I need to tell you guys something,” I say. Zeke turns his entire body this time, concern washing over his face. “Nick Romero is dead,” I blurt out, not sure what else to say. I’m telling them because this affects all of us. If it was a suicide, it means all of our women can rest a bit easier tonight. If it wasn’t, it means we all have to worry about their safety more than ever, just in case.
“Good fucking riddance,” Dylan snorts, holding up his beer in a mock toast. “May the slimy fucker rot in Hell.”
Zeke and Tommy raise their bottles in agreement. The three of them start rambling about what a low-life piece of shit he is and how the world will be a better place without him in it. I don’t disagree with them, but it’s obvious they’re allowing their hatred to cloud the real issue.
“We need to tell the girls before they hear it somewhere else,” I interject. They all fall silent, suddenly more interested in paying attention to what I have to say. “Tommy, do you know where Holly is? I’m thinking it might be best if I’m with you when you tell her. No offense.”
“None taken,” Tommy says with a nod. Things are still strained a bit for us, but I get the impression that we’ll be okay with time. I can’t say I blame the guy seeing as Zeke and I did inadvertently drop a nuclear bomb in the middle of their family reunion. “I think she’s still out with Tasha and Mary. They were doing some baby shopping or some shit.”
“Dylan, can you call and see if they’re still together? Mary’s not answering her phone, so I have no clue where she’s at.” I can relax a bit knowing they’re all together. Not that being together has kept them safe in the past, but today they’re shopping. Nothing more. No reason to let my mind wander. “Tell them to come here when they get back. I’ll make dinner and we’ll tell them after we eat.”
I disappear into the kitchen as Dylan and Tommy both reach for their phones. “Don’t tell them what’s going on, just tell them to meet us down here for dinner,” I call out to them. Between Holly’s fragile emotional state and Tasha’s pregnancy hormones, I get the feeling it’s going to be a long night.
It turns out the ladies were up at Dylan’s, waiting for him to come home so he could unload Tasha’s car. Within minutes, our condo is bustling with activity as Tasha starts delegating tasks to get their spare room converted into a nursery.
Zeke disappears into the office, probably to get away from the bickering between Holly and Tasha over how soon everything needs to be completed. Can’t say I blame him, those two can be like oil and water sometimes.
“Everything okay out here?” Mary asks, poking her head around the corner into the kitchen. When I don’t respond, she hops on the counter beside the stove. There’s so much running through my head, I really need this time to myself.
It’s not just the news about Nick now, it’s visions of Mary being the one excited about starting a family. I’m not even sure she wants that, hell, I’m not sure I want it, but I’ll be damned if the thought will leave my mind.
“So, I got an interesting email today,” Mary says when I continue working around her.
“What’s that?” I ask, trying to sound interested in her work. When we first started hanging out, we’d talk about our cases late at night since both of us were bound to some extent by confidentiality laws. It’s easier that way because we didn’t have to worry about the other person pushing further than we wanted to go. But now, she’s working on some corporate account and I can’t imagine there’s a single thing fascinating about that.
“Nick’s dead.” I spit my soda across the room when she blurts it out. She’s known about this all day and didn’t bother to tell anyone?
“Yeah, I heard,” I mutter, trying hard to keep from shaking her for being so nonchalant about this turn of events. “That’s why we’re having dinner here, so we can tell Holly and Tasha.”
“That could have been worse, I suppose,” I sigh, leaning against the front door as I lock it. It’s been an emotional roller coaster of a night. Despite the fact that Nick was an asshole whose list of transgressions is longer than my arm, he was still a big part of both Tasha and Holly’s lives for a long time. Hell, at one point, Tasha vowed to love him until the day he died. Guess she can let that go if there was any lingering emotional connection to him.
Jeff and Zeke are lounging on the couch, already engrossed in some football video game. Sometimes, it amazes me that they’re both functioning adults given how they can go from entertaining company to zoned out to a game in less than a minute. I flop down between them, reaching for my Kindle. I have no problem spending time with them this way, but there’s no way I’m going to be their little cheerleader when I can catch up on my reading. It became quite the addiction when I was laid up for a month after the accident.
“Have you created a line item on your monthly budget for that smut?” Zeke laughs, snatching the Kindle out of my hands. “’Because I don’t want it to end… I wanna fuck you all night, Colton,’ Jace gasped, fisting the silk sheet as he thrust harder—“
My cheeks heat as Zeke reads in a sing-song voice. I can’t help it that gay romance has become my latest obsession. I got used to having fun with my two hot men and then had to go without while I healed. I picked up a few books figuring reading about it was the next best thing and now I’m hooked.
“Damn, Mary!” Jeff grunts, reaching down to adjust himself. “Is he making that shit up?
Because if he is, I think he missed his calling!”
Zeke tosses the e-reader to Jeff, laughing hysterically as I bury my face in my hands. “Nope, see for yourself. I wonder what other kinky shit our girl has hiding on there.”
“Double Full, huh?” Jeff laughs. “I think we’ve got your double full right here.”
He tosses the controller and my Kindle onto the floor, turning so his body is covering mine. I fall back until my head is resting on Zeke’s thigh, staring up as the men lock lips over my head. Who needs to find out if Colton and Jace wind up together when I have my own live show taking place all around me?
I run my hands under Jeff’s shirt feeling his abs tighten beneath my fingers. I gently tug at his nipple rings, enjoying the way he squirms, trying to divide his attention between the man whose fingers are threaded through his hair as they kiss passionately and the teasing I’m giving him.
“Sweet mother of--” Jeff’s words are cut short as Zeke reaches between my body and Jeff’s, rubbing firmly along the bulge in his jeans. He throws his head back, letting out a guttural moan when I release the buttons on his pants, my slender fingers sliding between the cotton and his warm skin. Zeke pushes the denim over Jeff’s hips, his fingers intertwining with mine to form a cocoon around Jeff’s cock. His hips thrust forward as he grows harder with each stroke. The nearness of his arousal quickly overwhelms me and I need more.
I slide my body out from between them, coming to rest kneeling on the floor. It only seems fair that if Jeff is bared to us, Zeke should be in the same state. No longer able to hold himself steady with his hands propped on the back and arm of the couch, Jeff falls onto the cushions, watching me studiously as Zeke continues pumping him from root to tip. I could almost be satisfied watching the two of them, but right now, I need to taste them. Both of them.
Jeff’s hand gravitates to Zeke the moment his steely shaft is exposed, but I swat him away. “Sit back and relax,” I scold him. This is my time. I reach up, shifting his hips so the men are sitting side by side, cocks straining upward. I kneel between them so I will be able to show both men proper attention at the same time. Slowly, I lick Jeff’s tip, savoring the salty tang of the moisture already seeping. As I take him deeper into my mouth, I taunt every inch of him with my tongue, circling my way down his shaft. I reach for Zeke, rolling his balls in my hand before sliding my hand up his shaft. I form a steady rhythm, my hand and mouth working in unison to bring them closer to climax.
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