Kings of Hearts (An M/M/M Romance Novel)

by Candice Blake

  “Professor,” a young woman called out. “You came to the party!”

  “This is not a party,” I called out.

  I scanned the room, looking for Adrian, who I knew was the one who started this.

  He wasn’t around, and I looked in the pool and game room area. There were empty bottles littered everywhere, and drinks spilled on the floor. I couldn’t believe that he’d be that disrespectful to throw a party in my own home without asking.

  I finally went to the backyard to see Adrian with a cigarette in his hand, talking to some other people.

  “Hey,” I called out to him. “I need to have a word with you.”

  Adrian turned to me, his eyes were wide and his face turned pale. “Sawyer, you’re home,” he said.

  “Yeah, what do you think you’re doing right now?” I asked.

  The kids he was talking to were smart enough to head back in the house to let Adrian and me have a private conversation.

  “I didn’t think you’d be back this early,” Adrian said.

  “So you threw a party without asking?” I asked.

  “It wasn’t a party, I swear. I invited a few guys from school for drinks, and they brought over some girls…who invited their friends as well. I didn’t think this many people would show up.”

  “This isn’t a place to be doing something like this, especially because I teach so many of these students. Why would you think that this is okay?” I asked.

  He was silent, but at the same time, he showed no remorse for his actions. There was no apology.

  I knew that he was trying to test me, to see how far he could get. I knew that he was smarter than that.

  “So what? You’re going to kick me out?” He asked.

  “No of course not. I’d never do that,” I said.

  “Why? I threw a party without asking you. I don’t deserve to live with you.”

  “You’re crazy to think I’d do that. I’m disappointed in you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

  He was shivering in nothing but a white t-shirt. I reached for his half-lit cigarette and tossed it into the grass. Then, I opened up my arms and brought him to my chest.

  “Don’t think you’re too much for me to handle,” I said. “I know what you’re capable of, and you’ll never be too much for me.”

  It was the first time that I had hugged another person in a long time, and it felt right.

  I buried my face in his hair and took in his sweet scent. He was a troubled kid, who probably had a troubled past. People who were that smart usually did.

  I wanted to protect him, and show him my loyalty. I was sure that many people before had betrayed him.

  He rested his face in the valley of my pecs.

  I stroked the back of his head as his body pressed right against mine. I could feel him slowly warm up from the heat of my body.

  I felt his tears soak through my shirt, and I lifted his face gently to meet mine and wiped them off his face. “Don’t cry, baby boy. It’s alright.”

  He nodded, his green eyes were clouded with tears.

  He looked at my hands, and then back up at me.

  “Your ring,” He said.

  “What about it?” I asked.

  “You took it off.”

  “I did.”

  “Why?”

  “Change things up a bit, I guess,” I said without elaborating any further. “Let’s get these people out so we can clean up the house.”

  He nodded and we headed back into the house, escorting all the students out. I ordered some Ubers to take them home safely.

  It was just him and me in the empty house again, and Adrian was helping me clean.

  He was quiet for the rest of the evening. He probably expected me to be angry, but I was able to control myself and hold it in.

  When the house was all clean, Adrian had passed out on the couch.

  Poor guy was too tired to even make it into his room, so I carried him up the stairs. His limp body curled up in my arms.

  For a moment, I thought about bringing him to my bed, but I resisted the urge and carried him into his own. I pulled the covers over him as he sank into the mattress.

  I went back downstairs to my gym.

  I stripped out of my button-up, and put on boxing gloves and cranked up the music so loud to drown out my thoughts. I threw strong jabs into the punching bag, and let out loud grunts.

  It was the healthiest way I knew how to release some steam. Otherwise, I would have exploded.

  I wasn’t angry at Adrian, no.

  I was angry at all the people in the past who must have hurt him for him to behave this way.

  I punched the bag harder. I let out my frustration over my growing attraction towards him.

  Why was I falling for another man? A former student?

  Chapter Nine

  Dominic

  I was lying in bed looking up at the ceiling.

  It had been a week since Adrian left. I thought he’d have come crawling back to me by now. But I was wrong.

  I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep.

  But my mind raced with thoughts that something bad might have happened to him. It wasn’t unusual for me to have those kinds of thoughts. They’d seem to come and go often throughout my whole life.

  What if I did the wrong thing? What if Adrian was in trouble? Why did I even care?

  The self-doubt always happened during this time of day. Knowing how compulsive I was, I knew I wouldn’t be able to let go of those thoughts until I found an answer myself.

  I decided to get up off my bed and go for a drive.

  Maybe I’d see him on the streets. It’d be nice to get some fresh air.

  I put on a white t-shirt and black denim jeans, and headed downstairs.

  I had been used to seeing the light in Adrian’s room on because he was always still up around this time. But instead, the entire first floor was dark.

  Josh, the new recruit, was doing alright.

  I had spent a lot of time with him this week to teach him how to win in online poker. He’d been getting along with the other guys as well.

  The new club member looked like a completely different person from a week ago.

  He looked healthy and even started to pack on some muscle from all the food he’d been eating. I was pretty proud of his progress.

  But he wasn’t Adrian, and I knew that when I met him.

  I grabbed my jacket on the way out and left my penthouse, heading down the elevator to the main level. I pulled out my phone and used the app to start the car in the parking garage and drive up to meet me at the front door.

  I gave a head nod to the concierge who looked like he needed a nap for his night shift.

  I was aware of his suspicions about why I had so many young men come and go. But because of my status, and the fact that I could buy the whole building if I wanted to, he never mentioned it to me.

  The poker club wasn’t my main source of income.

  In fact, it was less than one-percent of the money I brought in from all my businesses. I did it purely for my interest, to see battered young men turn their lives around and thrive.

  Their gratitude and their happiness were immeasurable. The ability to change them through discipline was the sole reason why I did it.

  It made me feel powerful to see them progress. It was like watching a spider build its web, in a slow and meticulous fashion.

  As expected, my car was already waiting for me as I stepped outside into the cold streets. I used facial recognition to open the door, then I stepped into the driver’s seat.

  This model, in particular, had yet to be released to the public. In fact, it was going to be three years until any kind of safety trials.

  The car was not allowed to be on the streets yet, but as the CEO of the company, I made my own rules.

  I programmed a route around the city and turned on some classical music. The car made its way around the city to the relaxing hymns of Mozart.

&
nbsp; Since I didn’t have to concentrate on the road, I could keep my eyes peeled for Adrian.

  I saw a young man at an intersection, who had blonde hair with a fur hood over his head. I squinted to take a closer look, but it wasn’t Adrian.

  I hoped that the bastard wasn’t dead.

  I circled through different main streets--places where I’d expect him to be.

  But still, I found no traces of him. It was ridiculous to think I’d spot him in a city so big, and I didn’t even think about searching beyond the downtown core.

  I didn’t give up, I never did.

  I had a feeling I’d find him somewhere that evening. But the longer I drove, the less confident I became.

  I circled through the financial district, the university, the clubbing district.

  Nothing.

  It was a Tuesday night, so few people were out on the streets.

  I closed my eyes and let the car continue to drive for a bit. Where the fuck was this kid?

  Then, it popped into my head.

  The Falls.

  It was located on the edge of a cliff that was an hour drive away. I took the car off auto-pilot, and I headed in the direction out of the city.

  The drive to the falls was along a beautiful scenic highway, lined with dense trees.

  It transitioned into a winding road that circled around large rocks with steep sides. Then, right before the exit, there’d be a glow of lights coming from the single street strip.

  It was always busy, despite it being so far from the city.

  I took the exit and drove down, still keeping my eyes open for Adrian. The shops were still opened, fluorescent-lit and selling souvenir items to tourists.

  It was this stretch of road that never failed to make my palms sweat.

  Because at the end of the strip was the Casino. Standing tall, glowing with bright lights, in all its glory. It was right at the edge of the cliff, looking out onto the waterfall one hundred feet below.

  Since it was built forty years ago, many people who’d lost all their money had made the short walk to the cliff to jump off.

  There were guards employed twenty-four-seven now to stand there for prevention. But no matter how many people they had there, people who were desperate enough found a way to jump off.

  There was something seductive about the contrast of the majestic casino. It stood fifty stories above everything else in the vicinity. Right next to it was the dark waterfall with frigid water and sharp rocks another hundred feet below. The warmth of the lights coming from the casino on one side versus the rush of cold wind from the rushing water on the other.

  I found a parking spot on the street and walked along the edge of the cliff, separated by only a steel barrier.

  The eyes of the guard on duty followed me.

  I leaned against the barrier and looked out into the darkness. The rushing sounds of the falling water were calming. It drowned out the pollution of noise coming from cars and pedestrians behind me.

  I closed my eyes and remembered this exact spot half a year ago when I found Adrian.

  He was zoned into the sounds of the water like he usually was when he was deep in thought.

  We had just played a game and I had never seen him around before that evening. It was a five-thousand dollar buy-in in the private room on the rooftop elite area of the casino.

  The game was invite-only, and exclusively for the best players. So naturally, I was surprised that someone that young was there.

  I scoffed when he walked in, judging the tattered blue jeans and t-shirt he was wearing. The other gentlemen in the room and I were wearing expensive suits, which was the unspoken dress code.

  When we sat down to play, I could sense his lack of experience just by looking at him.

  He was nervous, and I could smell it like a shark smelling blood in water.

  The other men at the table were nervous as well, but Adrian was especially so. He was the youngest guy by far to be playing.

  I had to adjust my semi-hard cock in my pants to relieve some of the pressure. The rush I got playing poker had always made me horny as fuck, especially if I sensed my opponents’ fear.

  I played the first hand, pocket Aces, and quickly everyone folded, except for Adrian.

  That bastard had raised me. I looked him in the eyes to try to break him, but he was hard to read past his nervous eyes.

  I was curious to see what he had in him. I let the round play out, and by the time the River card was played, I had two pairs. Still, he was impossible to read.

  I raised him, and he checked. We flipped the cards, and that kid ended up beating me with a full house.

  I was impressed, there was something about him.

  Potential.

  I was distracted the whole game, trying to figure out his next move, but he surprised me with every round. Until it was just the two of us left, facing off.

  The prize was alright, to me it was pocket change. But I could see Adrian getting increasingly nervous, his pits were soaked in sweat.

  In the final hand, I knew that he had a slim chance of winning and I was leading in chips. I considered tossing him the win, knowing that he’d be happy if I did.

  But, the act of losing on purpose was worse than actually doing so. It was wrong to hand someone a win that they didn’t deserve.

  I won the game, and I shook his hand.

  I was honestly impressed with his performance. He was a young man who I’d never seen before, playing at elite status.

  He looked shaken up, and after I went to get another drink at the bar, he was already gone.

  As I was exiting the casino, I saw him leaning up against the railing, his face pale. I went up to talk to him.

  “Good game,” I said to him.

  He turned to me, and I could see his eyes were wet with tears. “You too,” he said, turning away to wipe them off his face.

  I leaned up next to him. “Are you in school?”

  “I was...dropped out.”

  “Just playing poker now, I see.”

  He nodded. “I don’t know what to do. That was the last of my student-aid money, and I blew it all in one game.”

  I’d heard that story many times throughout the years.

  But hearing it from Adrian was different. He showed so much potential in the game that for a moment, I thought I was going to lose to him.

  “I have a club,” I said. I told him about it.

  I could feel the powerful energy that radiated from him as he listened to all I had to say.

  Poor kid was pretty desperate and had I not stopped by, I wondered if he would have jumped off the cliff.

  I drove him back to my place that night.

  That was six months ago.

  I went up to the guard who looked stoically out into the distance.

  “Have you seen a blonde kid, about this tall, around here?” I asked, knowing it was a crapshoot at that point.

  He shook his head.

  I sighed.

  I thought about going back into the city. It was already midnight, but I figured that since I was already there, I’d get a drink at the casino.

  I walked along the path and headed inside.

  I presented my elite card to head into the private section on the fiftieth floor, then ordered myself a rum and coke.

  I sat down on the chair and looked at the crowd to see people dressed in cocktail dresses and suits.

  Usually, I’d be in the same get-up, but I wasn’t expecting to come here at all. It was hard to tell who really had money and who was only faking it.

  As my eyes scanned the room, I saw a young man walk in wearing an expensive suit.

  Then, followed by an older taller gentleman. I nearly dropped my drink when I realized who it was. It was Adrian, but I wasn’t surprised to see him there. It was why I’d driven all the way here because I knew the chances were high that he’d show up.

  I was surprised to see the man he was with. I rubbed my eyes to make sure my mind wasn’t pla
ying tricks on me.

  But it was real.

  I hadn’t seen him in fifteen years, not since our fallout. It was my former stepbrother, Sawyer.

  What the hell was he doing with Adrian?

  Chapter Ten

  Sawyer

  I hadn’t been up there for so long, and I was surprised that I still maintained my elite status at the casino.

  Adrian and I decided that we’d play one game to get it out of his system, so we could focus on my research. We decided that if we were going to play one, it would be high-stakes.

  The deal was that if I won, he’d stop playing poker for the next four months. If he won, then he’d be able to play online on the side.

  We rode the elevators up to the highest floor. The doors opened to the main atrium of the elite space. It was different from the last time I came here fifteen years ago.

  Eyes followed Adrian and me when we stepped out. Men were eyeing their competition for the evening. With one glance, I could tell that they had nothing on me, even though I hadn’t played in over fifteen years. Few people played on the level of mathematicians.

  I sensed something in the corner of the room by the bar. It was a dark energy that I could feel.

  In a place like this, all my senses were on high-alert, and when I glanced over, I could see why I was feeling that way. It was someone I hadn’t seen in fifteen years.

  He walked slowly towards me.

  The two of us were the tallest men in the room, neither of us was even one hair taller than the other.

  “Dominic?” Adrian called out.

  I looked at Adrian, confused about how he knew my former stepbrother.

  Dominic continued to walk up to us with his cocky grin.

  I eyed him, to size him up, but he had put on as much muscle as me over the years.

  Though we weren’t blood-related, people had a hard time telling us apart when we were growing up. We played our fair share of mischievous pranks to capitalize on how similar we looked.

  The knot in my stomach grew, as different questions played in a loop in my head.

  “Fancy seeing you two here,” Dominic said, calm as ever in his tenor voice.

  “How do you two know each other?” I asked.

  Adrian kept quiet, looking up to Dominic with his soft green eyes.