by J. M. Dabney
As he listened to Hunter speak, he studied the occupants of the room closer. Liv was seated in a big chair with Fielding on his lap. The big, scarred man had prepared to die at any moment with not an ounce of regret. That was until a beautiful blond had given him something to live for and changed everything about Liv. Well, the man was still a huge bastard, but that was just Liv’s personality.
Little was chasing his little bow tie wearing cutie around the house while Poe fumed about something. The more pissed off Poe became, the bigger Little smiled. When the big man cupped the smaller man’s belly and nuzzled his throat, Poe couldn’t remain mad. It proved there was someone for everyone.
Raul was in a corner sipping at a beer as he watched Pure like a hawk. Pure hadn’t been the same since the operation ended. The man was losing himself in thought, and he hoped Pure would come to him if he ever needed to talk. He feared Pure’s demons were maybe darker than all of theirs combined. His gut told him Pure wanted Raul, but some hidden fear kept him from voicing that.
“Alex was the only friend I ever had, and when I came here, I didn’t understand what family was. Peaches and Lily, they were always so adamant to bring us all together. I’m getting there, but it’s going to take time.”
“And we won’t force it but being with Derrick makes you family. Don’t fucking think you’re getting out of it. I’m not losing my son because you’re anti-social.”
“Yes, sir,” he said as he noticed Linus motioning him toward the back door. Linus along with the rest of the Crew were headed in the same direction as the Crew partners made themselves comfortable on the couch and the floor in front of it. Derrick smiled at him before he went back to cuddling and talking with Pride.
He strode to the kitchen just in time to catch Little disappearing out the back door. His nose wrinkled at the scent of weed as Little and Linus passed a blunt back and forth. Even Livingston added himself to the rotation. He waved it off as it was handed to him. All that shit did was make him tired and hungry, and he had to make sure his boy got home safely.
“How’s Cameron and Kray?” Pure asked as he flopped onto an Adirondack chair where Raul took the seat beside him.
They all sat down to face the firepit that Linus lit earlier in the night. He’d forgotten the last time they all sat around after an operation just to reflect, have a few drinks or a smoke or two.
“As well as can be expected. Kray is having a harder time adjusting to freedom. He spends days in his room, and the nightmares wake everyone up in the house with his screams. Cameron is the only one who can calm him down. Alex and Margo set them up with the best therapist. It’s going to be a slow process, but to be honest, they’ll never be the same, especially Kray.”
“Maybe a change of scenery would do them good. Alex is definitely handy to have around.” Linus exhaled slightly coughing as he restarted the three-person rotation.
“Actually, he’s thinking about it. A slower pace and he can work from anywhere. Margo suggested him and Cameron spend time together. He was away for a lot of her life.”
“Make sure you let him know whatever they need just tell us. He’s a part of the family now.”
He shook his head at Liv’s laidback statement. Sometimes the changes in his friends shocked him. Maybe that was more of his issue than anything. Everyone around him grew and moved forward while he was still trapped in his past. He couldn’t deny he felt lighter and less tortured by his demons, and he loved the newness of his life.
“How’s pet parenthood going for you, Liv?” Little asked with a snort.
“That fucking cat hates me. Who the fuck wants a hairless, blind demon cat? I swear that fucker knows when I pass by and bites me for no fucking reason.”
He couldn’t help joining in on the laughter. Fielding had wanted a puppy until the boy had spotted the cat alone in a cage. The sweetness of Liv’s boy was strange compared to Liv’s natural grumpiness.
“Animals can sense evil,” Little replied.
“Fuck you.”
He relaxed and listened to the conversations going on around him. The squeak of the screen door drew his attention and found the rest of the Trenton Crew filing outside. He studied each one as they made their way across the lawn to take their seats on the arms of the chairs—Hunter and Wren on either side of Linus. The unrestrained affections of kisses and hugs still made him uncomfortable on occasion only for the fact that he was taught that affection was a sign of weakness. Even as he didn’t feel that way any longer, he knew he still had things to resolve.
“May I?” Derrick motioned to his lap.
He didn’t hesitate to pat his thigh, and everything in him went calm at the weight of his boy. The kiss his boy gave him was sweet and filled with the love he knew his boy felt. He raised his left hand to cup his boy’s cheek, deepening the kiss slightly before pulling back. Derrick’s parents so close made him cautious about giving his boy the kiss he wanted. He softly nipped at Derrick’s mouth before relaxing with his boy’s back to his chest.
These nights weren’t foreign to him. He’d experienced it hundreds of times since he’d hired on. But unlike the times before, his friends—no, family—were happy with their partners. His boy was on his lap, and he was free to touch and love on Derrick as he saw fit. Part of his brain tried to urge him to be prudent and not to let his guard down too much.
He despised that he rethought his every action, but again, he had more to take care of with Kieran. The cutting wasn’t a daily ritual as before. The compulsion was still there and probably always would be in some ways. He couldn’t force himself to be something he wasn’t, and all he could hope was that his boy would still be there in the not so pretty times.
“Love you,” Derrick whispered in his ear as if it were a secret between the two of them.
“Love you too, boy.”
He was ashamed he’d forgotten the family that he’d acquired and taken for granted. No longer though, he’d hold onto Derrick and their family. He was more than what Major had made him. More than the scars on his body. And he wouldn’t forget that. He’d hold on tight to the bright spots in his life and try to move past the demons and darkness. After almost fifty years of killing himself by pieces, he deserved happiness, and he was going to work his ass off to make sure Derrick didn’t regret a moment of their lives together.
Epilogue
Daddy Knows Best
“Boy, what have I told you about your clothes on the floor,” Gage bellowed from downstairs.
Derrick bit his lip to conceal his laughter and his hiding spot. Gage was a grumpy man, he already knew it, but he was a loving yet tyrannical Daddy. They’d been dating or whatever for four months, and they hadn’t had any mishaps since the two-week disappearing act. They talked every night about their days, but also what was going on in their heads. He knew some days Gage was crankier than usual and he didn’t miss the bloody gauze in the trash, but they were getting fewer and farther between since he started seeing Kieran Dahl weekly.
Gage had shit to work through, and as much as he wanted to help, professional help was best. He’d been a little jealous when he’d met the psychiatrist. Beautiful with long silvery blond hair and ice blue eyes, the man didn’t even look real. Tall and super lean, the man would give anyone a complex. He’d heard rumors that the man was making quite a few men and women jealous. The guy seemed super sweet and quiet, but also confident in his job. Kieran couldn’t help his alien genetics.
He shifted in bed as he waited for Gage to find him. He’d left a trail of clothes so it shouldn’t be long, but if he knew Gage, the man was picking them up as he went. His Daddy was a slight control freak, and his house was uber neat. They hadn’t moved in together yet, and everyone was starting to ask when. Most of the Crew members had moved their people in within weeks of dating, but some had known each other for years before getting together. So the living together was understandable when someone pretty much knew everything about the other person.
“I should have know
n,” Gage grumped.
He couldn’t help barking out a loud, ugly laugh as he saw his clothes neatly folded in Gage’s arms. Gage glared at him, and he rolled his lips between his teeth to muffle the nasally snorting that his laughter became. As soon as he regained control, he moved to his hands and knees, crawling to the end of the bed. “Why do you put up with me?”
“Because even as bratty as you are, I still adore you.”
“Aren’t I the lucky one?”
“Brat,” Gage said as he walked beside the bed.
He yelled as Gage spanked him hard before Gage laid down on the bed.
“Come here, boy, it’s time for our talk.”
He loved talking especially since he got to cuddle with his man as they did except when he didn’t spend the night which it wasn’t often that they were apart. He stretched out beside Gage, the man dressed in only sleep pants and he rested his head on Gage’s chest. The dark body hair in contrast to the silver and dark gray of his hair. There were a few streaks silver in the mat on his chest, and some sprinkled through the rest of his body hair. He loved how hairy Gage was, and he never hesitated to say so.
“You first,” Gage said as the big man stroked his hand over his ass, roughly squeezing his cheek.
“I accepted a job with Linus today.”
“Finally, I was waiting for them to replace me in the field, but they weren’t hiring anyone.”
“Yeah, they waited until Pelter found my replacement. A married man with kids who just moved here. The city wasn’t working for him, and as he got older, he wanted a new quieter place so he could spend more time with his family. He hasn’t passed the Crew Test yet, but that should be fun.”
“Yeah, we’re not much on law and order, no matter how many times Pelter has threatened to arrest us.”
“You next.”
“Move in with me.”
He jerked his head up and rolled to his knees to stare at Gage. “Are we ready for that step?”
“You’re here anyway most nights, why pay rent at your place?”
He let out a long sigh and batted his lashes. “You are so romantic.”
“You’re asking for a spanking, and you’re still bruised from your paddling two days ago.”
He wasn’t going to admit he enjoyed the correction way more than he should, but the last one wasn’t his favorite. He’d left the house without his vest on, and Gage had found out. He had court on a day he’d asked off, so he was just coming home afterward. Gage was obsessive about his safety. That’s why he was surprised when he hadn’t fought him joining Trenton Security. But in some ways, he guessed it was different—crew watched crew, and also Linus had strict rules, and Gage would be there to watch him if needed.
“I want to move in but are you ready to have me around all the time? We still spend some nights apart to have space.”
“I love you more than I have anyone in my life. I want to wake up to you every morning. Have our talks in bed before we go to sleep. A wise man once told me, You gave him a symbol of promise. A physical vow of your care and affection, isn’t it cruel to make him wear your ownership and not claim the right to it?”
“He does sound very wise. Pure right?”
“He is the sanest one of us, and that’s not saying a lot.”
“I love you too, and I’d be honored to move in. I won’t even make a mess on purpose to get spanked.”
He chuckled as he was pulled onto Gage to straddle his thighs. “But I want you here more than anything even if you can’t pick up after yourself. Tell Daddy you’ll move in.”
“Yes, Daddy, I’ll move in.”
He was flipped onto his back, and Gage’s firm lips came down on his. He moaned as strong hands circled his wrists and pinned them above his head.
“I promise, I’ll never hurt you.”
“I never doubted that. You’re not him.”
Those were the last words they spoke as Gage drove him insane and as Gage slowly pushed into him, the man whispered his love, and it was everything he’d ever dreamed of. All Gage asked was he love him and trust him to understand Daddy knows best.
THE END
About the Author
J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes mainly LGBT romance and fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.
Also by J.M. Dabney
Sappho’s Kiss Series
When All Else Fails
More Than What They See
Dysfunction it its Finest Series
Club Revenge
Soul Collector Prophecy
Twirled World Ink Series
Berzerker
Trouble
Scary
Lucky
Brawlers Series
Crave
Psycho
Bull
Hunter
Executioners Series
Ghost
Joker
King
Sin & Saint
Trenton Security
Livingston
Little
Gage
Pure (Coming Spring 2019)
Masiello Brothers
The Taming of Violet
His Everything
3 Moments Trilogy
A Matter of Time
Killing Him Softly
The Men of Canter Handyman
Black Leather & Knuckle Tattoos
Chance at the Impossible
Not For the Likes of Him
Bloody Knuckles Bar & Grill
Clipping the Gargoyle’s Wings
Cold Beer & Afternoon Naps
New West City Universe
Co-written with Davidson King
The Hunt