No Shame: The Complete Series: Including exclusive bonus materials and deleted scenes

by Phoenix, Nora

  As soon as he’d rounded the corner, Indy got out of his car. There was a cell phone shop right behind where he’d parked, and he ducked in there. It wouldn’t be a strange place for a teen to be, he reasoned. While pretending to compare the two latest Samsung phones, he watched the patrol guy round the corner and come up the street again. To his credit, the man was observing everything around him, but he was looking for something that didn’t exist anymore. He kept on walking, apparently prepared to keep circling the block on foot.

  Next to the diner was a small alley, with an Indian restaurant on the other side. It was almost dinnertime, and things were getting busy. Indy pursed his lips. He would have no trouble getting into that alley unseen, but how would he get inside the diner?

  Maybe he didn't have to. All he needed was for Moloney to come outside. But how? He needed to get into that alley first, get closer.

  He waited till patrol guy had passed for the second time, then exited the cell phone shop, crossed the street and walked into the alley. The guy inside the diner hadn’t even turned his head. Indy hurried through the alley until he had reached the end where it broadened. Both restaurants had large dumpsters there with trash bags sticking half out. Indy ducked behind the dumpster of the Indian restaurant, wanting to make sure he couldn’t be spotted from the street.

  He looked at the back of the diner. It had no windows, but it did have a door, and the Indian restaurant was the same. That had to be an emergency exit, probably for the kitchen staff since the kitchen had to be located in the back. He checked the roofs, the walls, and anything else where a camera could be hidden but didn’t see anything. It seemed they weren’t monitoring the back.

  An idea popped into his head and he smiled. Moloney would be in the kitchen, being a dishwasher. He was expecting trouble to walk in through the front door, not the emergency exit in the back. Big mistake.

  He waited till patrol guy had passed again, then pushed the trash containers as quietly as he could farther into the alley. He put three side by side so they were blocking the alley. Someone had thrown a stack of paper placemats in the diner’s dumpster—presumably because they were replaced with newer ones. Indy grabbed a lighter from his backpack—he was like a fucking boy scout, so prepared—and put it in his pocket. Now all he had to do was wait. If patrol guy was any good, he’d notice the dumpsters and would come investigate.

  It took him three rounds before he noticed, but when he did, he walked straight into the alley. Indy was counting on him not warning the others before he knew there was something to be concerned about. Hopefully, the guy inside the diner hadn’t seen his friend enter the alley. Indy hid behind another dumpster, one he hadn’t needed. Footsteps crunched on the asphalt. When they were close, he stepped out.

  The guy had his back turned toward him, studying the dumpsters.

  “Surprise,” Indy said.

  The guy whipped around, but Indy was faster. He jumped up, hand and leg in perfect coordination. The guy was down on the ground before he could even utter a sound. A solid kick to your carotid artery would do that.

  Indy dragged him away. Damn, that guy was heavier than he looked. He needed to be far away for the next phase of the plan. Behind the dumpsters was a shed on the Indian side, and he dumped the guy there, then tied his arms and legs with tie wraps. For good measure, he took off the guy’s steel-toed shoes since some brainiac had made a YouTube video about escaping from tie wraps using your shoelaces that had gone viral. Indy wasn’t taking any chances.

  He duct-taped the guy’s mouth, made sure his breathing was okay. He’d come around in a minute or so, but that was fine. He wouldn’t be going anywhere. Time for phase two.

  Indy crumpled the paper placemats and spread them out on top of each of the three dumpsters. He got out his lighter and lit them, one by one. Within seconds, each of the dumpsters had a nice fire going. Now all he had to do was make a phone call. He grabbed his phone and dialed the number.

  “Bella’s Burgers, how may I help you?”

  “There’s a fire in the alley next to the diner. I’m across the street, and I can see it. You need to pull the fire alarm, now!”

  The flames were spreading inside the dumpsters, and heat was developing. The fire department better hurry the fuck up. Indy pulled back behind the diner and hid behind stacks and stacks of empty crates. Seconds later, an ear-splitting shrieking noise started. The back door burst open, and three men stumbled out. He recognized Moloney right away from the PI’s pictures.

  “Damn it, someone set the dumpsters on fire,” one of the other two guys shouted. “We need to get a fire extinguisher.”

  He and his colleague ran back inside, but Moloney hesitated long enough for Indy to spring into action. He jumped Moloney from behind, put a chokehold on him and brought him to the ground. He had seconds at most. Moloney was too stunned to respond, and Indy dragged him behind the crates. He put another chokehold on his neck and brought his mouth to the guy’s ear.

  “If you try and fight me off, I will kill you right now.” He wouldn’t, but the guy didn’t need to know that. Hell, he even had qualms about using this much violence, especially since he was using jiujitsu techniques that were meant to be defensive, not offensive. Still, he had to believe that in the bigger picture, both justice and karma would be on his side.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you guys? Was the warning to Beaufort not clear?”

  No southern drawl this time. Instead, he did his best imitation of a New York-Italian “Are-you-talking-to-me” accent. He held Moloney’s eyes away from his face as much as he could, didn’t want to give him more to possibly identify him on.

  “Use words, asshole. I can’t read your fucking mind.”

  “I’m sorry, okay? We thought…” Moloney stopped, probably reconsidering.

  The two cooks were running outside again, both holding a fire extinguisher. Indy had three minutes, at most, before the fire trucks would show up. It would be enough.

  “You thought you could jump whoever was coming to warn you off, maybe prevent this whole shit from going down? No such luck, asshole. Did Beaufort tell you what we threatened him with?”

  Once again, Moloney waited too long with answering, so Indy tightened his hold, making him gasp for breath.

  “He said…you’d rape us.”

  Indy loosened his hold. As much as he wanted to punish the guy, he didn’t want to kill him. “Tenfold, dipshit. Remember that. You two lowlifes raped Gordon until he bled, and we will do that tenfold to you. You will never, ever want to have sex for the rest of your life, you feel me?”

  Moloney’s answer was barely audible, but his frozen body told Indy the message had been received. “Yes.”

  “Did Beaufort tell you about the pictures?”

  “What pictures?” Good, he was learning fast.

  “Of Beaufort with his male whores. The guy is a bona fide faggot in case you missed it. Wanna know what we have on you?”

  “No. Yes.”

  Indy smiled. “Pretty sure your wife doesn’t know about your son, does she? The one with that blond tramp from Nashville? And the blond tramp doesn’t know about the wife, now does she? Also, you told them both you went to prison for theft, not rape.”

  “Fuck, please. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “You will withdraw the appeal, or I swear to God, we will fuck up your life first, and then come after you. You’ve seen how easy it is for us to get to you. By the time we’re done, you’ll dream of being back in prison. Tell me you understand me.”

  “I promise. God, please, I’ll do what you say.”

  A sour smell permeated the air, and Indy crinkled his nose. What the fuck is that? He looked down. Holy fuck, Moloney had pissed himself. Revenge wasn’t sweet at all. It smelled like dirty urine.

  “You have twenty-four hours. If I call the Army JAG Corps tomorrow and you haven’t withdrawn the appeal, your life is over, do you feel me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good,” Indy
said, then tightened his hold until the guy passed out.

  In the distance, sirens announced the impending arrival of the fire department. Time to get the fuck out of there. He peered around the crates. Both cooks were still busy putting out the flames, getting help from their Indian counterparts. Good.

  Indy got up, eyeballed the wall next to him, then jumped up and hoisted himself over. It was the back side of a coffee shop of some sorts, and he strolled through the connecting alley to the front. The guy who had been watching the street from the diner stood at the entrance to the alley between the diner and the Indian restaurant, agitated because he couldn’t get to the back. He had his phone to his ear, was probably trying to call one or both of his friends.

  Good luck with that. Indy slipped out into the street. He circled the block till he got back to his car. By now the fire department was arriving, two big trucks parking in front of the diner. He waited till the trucks had passed him, then drove off without a care in the world.

  Three down.

  17

  Josh's heart broke for Noah. The day after Noah had come home, Indy still hadn’t shown up. Josh didn’t even want to consider the unthinkable, that Indy had decided not to come back.

  He’ll come back. He has to. He loves Noah too much. And he knows how much we love him.

  Josh's chest constricted, and he pressed a fist against his heart. It felt egocentric, but he missed Indy, too. Horribly, if he was honest. He missed his sweet presence, Indy shadowing him when he was cooking, or the two of them cuddling on the couch. Without him, Josh felt incomplete somehow, like a part of him was missing.

  What if Indy never…Fuck, no, stop it. Don’t let yourself go there. Indy will come back.

  His phone dinged, mercifully yanking him out of his thoughts. Noah needed him upstairs. Connor had gone to his apartment to pick up more clothes and personal stuff, leaving Josh to take care of Noah. He’d been an easy patient so far, mostly sleeping and resting.

  Connor had brought his TV over earlier so Noah would have something to watch and installed it in the guest bedroom where Noah had taken up residence. Noah had indicated Josh would be better off in the master bedroom, which was true since Josh slept better there. Anything unfamiliar threw him off his routine.

  Josh took the stairs a few steps at a time, burst into the guest bedroom. “You okay?”

  Noah had dragged himself into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. “Yeah. Bored, but more importantly, I’m in desperate need of a shower. I stink.”

  Josh smiled. “You do, a little.”

  “Think you could help me shower?”

  His first instinct was to say “Sure, no problem”, but then he reconsidered. Showering Noah would mean getting naked in the shower. With Noah. Would Connor be okay with that?

  Also, he hadn’t told Noah yet about his decision. Since Indy hadn’t come back yet, Noah might ask him for help, and what would he do then? He had to tell Noah first, but could he do that without Connor being here? Was he strong enough for this, to face Noah’s reaction?

  Noah was watching him, his lips curved into a soft smile and his eyes understanding. Did he suspect what Josh was about to tell him?

  “Noah, I have to tell you something,” Josh started. He sat down on the bed, careful not to touch the stump.

  “You can tell me anything, you know that.”

  The kindness in his eyes gave Josh the strength he needed. “I won’t have sex with you anymore.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay? That’s it?” Josh dragged a hand through his hair. Not the reaction he’d expected.

  “You want me to tear out my hair in grief, put ashes on my head, and dress in burlaps?”

  Josh smiled. Classic Noah. “No, Mr. Drama Queen, but I thought you might be disappointed or mad, or at least ask why.”

  “You forget how well I know you. You love him, Josh. It’s easy to see, and even easier to understand. You’re his now, I get it.”

  Tears formed in Josh's eyes. On impulse, he crawled toward Noah on the bed, seeking his arm on his good side. Noah pulled him close like he had done so many times before, and Josh found his favorite spot on Noah’s shoulder. “I still love you,” he mumbled, overcome with emotions.

  “I know. Your heart is big enough for the both of us, or I should say the three of us, Indy included. But Connor deserves first place, Josh. He’s a good man.”

  Josh's heart expanded, relieved of the weight of telling Noah this. He should have known Noah would understand. “I love him so much.”

  Noah kissed the top of his head. “He’s good for you.”

  Josh sighed. “He is. He grounds me, even more than you do. Sorry, I don’t mean to compare.”

  “It’s fine. Though you two are two kinky fuckers, dude,” he joked.

  Josh snickered. “You have no idea. We went to see a Dom together. He’s teaching us how to grow in our Dom/sub relationship.” He told Noah what he had experienced in his session with Master Mark.

  “Wow,” Noah said. “Just, wow. I had no idea. I can tell you’re really into this.”

  “I love it,” Josh said simply. “There’s a peace in submitting to Connor that completely relaxes me. I always fall asleep after a session.”

  Noah snorted. “No wonder if the guy fucks you that intensely. Indy saw his dick when I decked him in the kitchen. Said it was huge.”

  “Trust me, it is. And I take every inch of it and fucking love it.”

  “You are a kinky little fuck, aren’t you?”

  How liberating it was to talk about this with Noah. Josh had feared losing this aspect of their friendship, the ability to talk about anything and everything without judgment from either of them. But here he was, sharing what was in his heart with his best friend. If only Indy would come home, life would be perfect.

  “Have you heard from Indy?” he asked, almost fearing the answer.

  Noah let out a long sigh. “No. What if he doesn’t come back?”

  How Josh wanted to reassure him, but he couldn’t. “Do you have any reason to believe he won’t?”

  “He’s so scared, Josh. Scared of being found, but even more of being found with us. He fears what those fuckers will do to me, to you, to anyone Indy loves. And how can I blame him for that? Connor checked, and there is a contract on his head. Two hundred grand. Alive. They don’t want him killed. They want to torture him, then kill him. With an amount like that, there’s got to be some bad people looking for him everywhere.”

  “He’ll never be safe as long as Duncan Fitzpatrick is alive,” Josh concluded, his heart heavy all over again, if for a different reason.

  “Or in jail,” Noah said.

  “Would Indy be willing to testify after all?” Josh thought out loud.

  “I don’t know if I want him to. It’s a catch-22, you know. Testifying could get him killed, but not testifying means being on the run forever. There’s no solution here, at least, not one that I can see.”

  If there was a way out of this, Josh didn’t see it either. Until Indy came home, there was little they could do.

  “I’ll text Connor and ask him if I can help you shower,” he said, raising his head and kissing Noah on his lips.

  “Thank you.”

  Connor’s answer came fast. “Fine. Keep your cage on.”

  Josh smiled. “Let’s go get you cleaned up, because you really do stink.”

  Minutes later, they were both in the shower. Noah was leaning heavily on the handrails while Josh was attending to him. He’d put a plastic bag around Noah’s leg and had taped it off so water couldn’t come in. Noah groaned as Josh lathered his hair with shampoo, giving a little scalp massage while he was at it. “Damn, that feels good. It’s been, like, a week since I washed my hair.”

  “You need a haircut.”

  “Yeah, amongst other things.”

  “Lean back so I can rinse it out.”

  Noah shook his head when it was clean. “So much better.”

  J
osh grabbed a sponge and squeezed out a healthy amount of Axe shower gel. He inched past Noah to get behind him so he could wash his back. Noah was fully aroused already, which was no surprise. His body remembered. Josh's own cock wanted to stir as well but had no way to go with the cage around it.

  “Connor makes you wear that?” Noah asked.

  “I want to. It’s part of the dynamic. And I like that I can’t even get hard without Connor’s permission.”

  “Damn right,” Connor’s voice said.

  Josh found him leaning against the wall, studying the two of them with burning eyes. “Hi, baby,” he said, happy.

  “Sure, walk right in. It’s not like I’m naked in the shower, or anything,” Noah muttered.

  “With my boyfriend. And you have zero right to talk, considering how you let your own boyfriend watch while you fucked another man.”

  Josh had stopped worrying about this dynamic between Noah and Connor. Apparently, they both got a rise out of teasing each other like this. Whatever, as long as they got along.

  “True,” Noah admitted. “Wanna return the favor? I could watch while you ravish our Josh here.”

  Josh grinned, squeezed past Noah again and washed his front.

  “I wouldn’t do that to you,” Connor said.

  “Oh, you think I would get jealous?”

  “No. More like performance anxiety and feelings of inadequacy,” Connor said with a straight face.

  Josh's body shook with laughter, and Noah smirked, too. “I heard rumors,” Noah said.

  “Did you, now? Then you know why I want to protect your fragile ego, Flint.”

  “Fragile ego, my ass,” Josh muttered. He’d reached Noah’s cock and kneeled. He grabbed it, washed it without even thinking about it.

  “You like watching your boyfriend on his knees, washing my dick?”

  Josh froze. He shot a quick look over his shoulder. Had he fucked up? Connor’s smile assured him he was fine. He continued, curious how Connor would respond.