Totally Covered

A Handcuffs and Lace Story

By Sean Michael

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Totally Covered
Copyright © 2013 Sean Michael
Edited by Andrea Grimm and Venus Cahill
Cover Art by Les Byerley

Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118

Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-710-0

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable
by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic Release: October 2013

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product
of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Mal has been Burke and Darby’s sub for many years. As an undercover cop, he needs the release

his once a quarter visits give him. Burke and Darby get a lot of out of the visits, too. Both Doms,

it’s important for them to share a sub now and then to keep them on an even keel.

All that changes, though, when Mal is shot on the job and needs to stay with Burke and Darby

during his recovery. Can his Doms bring Mal out of the funk his last undercover stint has left

him in? Or will the three of them finally go their separate ways?

Chapter One

Burke was surprisingly nervous.

It wasn’t like they hadn’t been friends with Malcolm for over twelve years. It wasn’t like

Malcolm hadn’t been to the house hundreds of times in those last twelve years. They’d shared

wine, laughter, good food, wild sex. They’d loved on Malcolm, torn him inside out and rebuilt

him countless times. They were Malcolm’s ground. They broke him and put him back together

so that he could keep doing his job.

Being an undercover cop was stressful.

Malcolm didn’t have family or friends. He had Burke and Darby. And they liked it like

that. It meant they could play hard without having to bring someone new into their relationship.

Hell, Malcolm was their sub in all but a few practicalities; that he didn’t live with them was the

biggest.

All that had changed when Malcolm had been shot two weeks ago. Their lover had been

hurt on the job before but never like this, never in a life-threatening manner. Malcolm had stayed

with them many times in the past, but this time he was coming to recuperate from a physical

hurt, not a mental or emotional one, and Burke found himself nervous.

Darby chuckled. “Babe. Relax. It’s Malcolm.”

“I know, but…”

“But you’re worried he’s going to find out you’re a closet baker?”

Burke threw the pillow he’d been moving from one couch to the other at Dar. “Ass.”

Dar plucked the pillow out of the air and turned to wiggle his butt in Burke’s direction. “I

thought I saw you admiring it.”

He rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help laughing, relaxing. Dar knew him so well.

Warm, strong hands landed on his arms, Dar giving him a little shake and looking him in

the eye. “Malcolm needs us, just like always. Would you have him turn to anyone else in his

time of need?”

Burke’s “No!” was immediate and heartfelt. No, Malcolm was theirs.

Maybe that was the problem—he and Darby knew that, had known it for over a decade.

Malcolm, on the other hand… Well, their boy still believed he had a choice, still believed he

wasn’t impossibly entwined with them. Burke didn’t know if Malcolm was ready to discover that

he was indeed home when he was with his Doms.

The doorbell rang, and Burke growled a little as he headed to let Malcolm in. “I still

don’t understand why he didn’t let us pick him up from the hospital.”

“Because he’s still the most stubborn son-of-bitch you’ve ever met—he was shot in the

chest and belly, not the head.”

Snorting, Burke flung open the door.

“Hey.” Mal stood there, bag in hand, white as milk and swaying. “I’m here.”

Thank God, they’d seen him every day in the hospital, so they knew that the heavy

muscles had become lean, that the short, short black hair was shaggy now. This undercover

assignment might have destroyed Mal, even if the bullets hadn’t hit him.

Burke kept his growls inside and bit back his complaints about Mal not letting them come

pick him up. Instead, he stepped up and wrapped an arm around Mal’s waist, taking the man’s

bag in his other hand. “Welcome home, boy.”

“I…I’ll go look for a new apartment soon, huh? I just can’t face the storage building.”

Burke snorted again and glared at Darby. Say something, damn it.

Darby chuckled and took the bag from him. “We’re not going to kick you out, Mal. You

don’t need to stress anything. Now, is Burke taking you to bed? Or will you lie down on the

man-eating couch and visit and doze there?”

“Couch, please. I don’t ever want to see another bed again.”

“I’ll take your bag to our bedroom.” Darby kissed Mal’s cheek and disappeared down the

hall.

Burke led Mal over to their huge, cushiony, comfy couch and carefully laid him down.

“What do you need?”

Mal opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Burke sat next to Mal and carefully folded him into a hug. “Baby. You’re home now.

You’re safe.”

“I know.”

But Mal didn’t believe it. Not yet. Burke could see that. Mal would, though. He and

Darby would make it happen.

Darby came back, sitting on the other side of Mal. “Where are your meds, baby?”

“There’s a huge Ziploc bag in my stuff. All the instructions and pills and gauze and shit.”

Burke had never known someone hurt so badly that the hospital made them go stay with a

caretaker.

“I’ll get them. When did you have your last pill?” Darby was a psychiatrist, and while he

rarely practiced anymore—some well-timed investments had ensured they were both set for

life—it did make him the doctor in the house.

“They gave me everything at noon.”

“Okay, I’ll figure out what you need and when, and we’ll make sure you get it.” Dar

stroked Mal’s head. “Now, how are you really feeling?”

“I’m fine. Tired, a little.”

“What do you want to eat?” Their Dar was such a nurturer.

“I don’t. I’m sorry. I just want to sit here.”

“You’ll have to eat something eventually—I’m sure most of your pills demand it.” Darby

kissed Mal again and went back down the hall. Probably to find Mal’s meds and make him food.

“You want a movie or something?” Burke asked.

“I don’t know, Key. I don’t know.” Mal looked nearly panicked.

“Hey.” He cupped Mal’s cheek, waiting until the green eyes met his. “Dar and me, we’ve

got you.”

“I should go home. I… Key, I just…” The thin lips squeezed tight, sealing off the flow of

words. “I’m cool.”

“No, you are not, Mal. The doctors said you needed care. Hell, I’m no doctor, and I can

see that you need.” His words started coming out growly, and he just couldn’t help it. “You

know you can accept our help willingly. It doesn’t have to be a fight.”

“I know. I just. I just need to sit here and try to remember how to breathe.”

“You know how to breathe, boy.” This was familiar territory for them. He dropped his

voice and took long, slow breaths. “It’s just in…and…out… Follow me, boy.”

Mal took a few breaths, following him, chest rising and falling. Then he leapt up from the

sofa, moving away from Burke. “I can’t. I can’t. Oh, God.”

Burke stood as well, moving to intercept Mal. “Baby, you have to relax.”

“I-I-I have to.” Mal was panting, pale, sweat pouring off him.

Burke slipped completely into Dom mode. “You have to tell me what’s wrong, boy.”

Darby came back, huge baggie of pills and shit in hand. “Mal? Why are you standing

up?”

“Because he’s stressing and forgetting how to be a good boy.” Burke grabbed Mal’s

hand. “Come back to the couch.”

Mal’s palms were wet, fingers shaking. “I can’t breathe.”

Burke dropped his mouth over Mal’s, forcing the man to breathe with him. Mal

whimpered, shaking for him, against him. He refused to back down; just because Mal was hurt

physically didn’t mean Burke was going to back down.

He wasn’t worried so much about the physical. He was afraid time with that

motherfucker had broken Mal’s soul.

He bit at Mal’s lower lip, making sure he had their boy’s full attention. Slowly, carefully

he began to walk Mal back to the sofa. Their lover needed rest.

Dar helped him get Mal back on the couch, settled and propped up as comfortably as

possible among the pillows. “Now. You’re going to take it easy. You’re going to let us pamper

you. And you’re going to get well.” Dar waited until Mal looked up at him before continuing.

“The instructions say to wear the waterproof bandages in the shower for the next few days, cover

the stitches. You have antibiotics, muscle relaxants, stool softeners, pain pills, anti-anxiety

pills… You’re a walking pharmacy.”

Mal winked at Darby. “It’s what happens when you take three bullets.”

Burke pressed his lips together, trying not to growl at the flip attitude. He knew Mal was

just trying to deal, but their lover had almost been killed, and he couldn’t find any humor in that.

“Yeah, and the rumor is you weren’t in great shape before that.” Burke met Darby’s eyes.

They’d talked to Luis. Mal’s partner had said he’d never seen anyone so strung out who was still

doing their job.

To his surprise, Mal didn’t make a snappy comeback—proof their lover wasn’t himself.

Mal just closed his eyes for a few seconds, then they popped back open.

Burke mouthed, “rope,” at Dar, who nodded and disappeared again. He stroked Mal’s

cheek, looked into his lover’s eyes. “I’m going to help you relax, boy.”

“Just give me my pills?”

“Nope. You need to eat to take most of them. Ah, here’s Dar now.” He took the red rope

from his lover. “I’m going to tie you, Mal. Bind your legs together. Bind your arms to your

torso.” That way, Mal would have to be still, wouldn’t be able to get up. And Mal wouldn’t have

to worry about trying to sit and stay.

“I don’t know.” Mal shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not ready for a scene.”

This wasn’t a scene. This was a safe place. This would always be Mal’s safe place.

“This isn’t a scene, baby.” He kissed the side of Mal’s mouth and with Dar’s help,

worked the rope gently around Mal’s torso and arms. He didn’t do it tightly; this was more for

Mal’s mind than his body.

“I just want a pill. They help.” Mal’s fingers opened and closed.

Burke took a second piece of rope and tied Mal’s right hand, looping the rope around his

fingers. Then he did the same to Mal’s other hand before binding Mal’s ankles together.

“I’ll get you a strawberry milk shake, Mal. You get down a bit of that, and you can take

your pills.” Dar patted Mal’s shoulder and went to the kitchen.

Mal looked at him. “I need you to let me go.”

Burke knew better. The ropes weren’t for more than show, more than a way to help Mal

relax; they weren’t hurting Mal. Hell, Mal could get out of them without too much effort, even.

He stroked Mal’s hair back off his face. “We can wash this later.” Mal would feel better

if he wasn’t mired in hospital funk.

“I want it gone. All of it. As soon as I can.”

“Why?” Burke thought Mal looked good with a little more hair.

“It’s heavy. It smells. It’s tangled all the time.”

“Well, if you wash and brush it now and then… I know these are foreign things,” he

teased.

Mal almost chuckled for him. Almost. Burke took it as a victory.

“Oh, here’s Dar with your strawberry smoothie. I know it’s your favorite.”

“Milkshake. He makes me milkshakes.”

“Smoothies, milkshake.” Burke shrugged. It was all the same thing to him, really. “So

you have something in your stomach when you take your pills.”

“I’d like that.”

Dar held the straw up to Mal’s mouth. “Suck, baby.” The words were familiar, but they

usually meant something else…

Mal took a drink, and it broke Burke’s heart, to see how much effort that took. Dar

cajoled him into several more mouthfuls before feeding him the pills. Mal began to fade, his

blinking becoming more and more slow.

Dar sat on the other side of Mal, and together, they pet, murmured, and encouraged Mal

to fall asleep. When Mal’s eyes finally closed, Burke looked over at his lover.

Dar blew out a breath and relaxed back against the cushions. “We have quite the task in

front of us, babe.”

“Good thing we’re stubborn.”

Dar chuckled, nodding. “The only person I know who is possibly more stubborn than you

is Mal.”

Burke snorted. “The only person I know who is more stubborn than me is you.”

“Then we’ll do just fine.” Dar winked at him.

He hoped so. Mal looked so fucking tired.

“Lover.” Dar waited until he looked up and met those dark blue eyes. “We’re going to get

him through this.”

God, Burke loved that confidence. Dar was always there when he needed the man to be.

He nodded. They would get through it.

Between him and Dar, they would bring Mal back to the land of the living.

* * * *

Sleep was the enemy.

The memories waited there, the nightmare, and Mal fought it with everything he had,

forcing himself to wake as soon as he figured out he was asleep. Mal pried his eyes open, trying

desperately to focus, to breathe around the stitches in his belly, his chest.

“Easy, boy. Relax.” He knew that voice.

Relax. Relax. God. He wasn’t at the hospital. He wasn’t at… No. No thinking.

“That’s it, boy. Just rest easy.”

“I’m going to go for a walk.” He needed a walk. A drink. Oh. Milk. He needed a glass of

milk.

Twin snorts sounded. “No, Mal. No walks just yet.”

“I need a drink. I’m thirsty. I haven’t plugged in my phone or my computer. No one’s

called.” His brain was spinning.

“I’ll get you water, juice or milk. And you’re recovering, Mal. You don’t have to worry

about anyone calling.”

God, Burke sounded good. “Milk. Milk, please. I want good milk.” Nice and cold and

real. The shit at the hospital was that watered down “skim” crap.

“That’s doable.”

It didn’t feel like any time at all when a straw was being held to his lips. He pulled hard,

hard enough his belly stitches tugged. Oh. Cool. Creamy. So good.

“You can have some more pain pills if you need them, Mal.” That was Dar, playing

doctor.

“I’m okay.” He didn’t want to sleep. “What time is it?”

“It’s only a few hours after you got here, boy. You know you need to heal, right?”

“Only a few hours?” Time had stopped moving, for real.

“Bored already, are you?” asked Key.

“What?” Had he missed something?

“You seemed to think more time should have passed.”

“Time has stopped. It’s never going to start again.” Shut up. Shut the fuck up, Malcolm.

They’ll know you’re crazy, that the motherfucker broke your brain.

“I imagine it feels like that, but it’s okay. You’re safe here, and you don’t need to worry

about time with us.” Burke spoke quietly, gently.

“Yeah.” Mal wasn’t sure he could remember safe.

Burke turned Mal’s face, made him look into the light blue eyes. “Malcolm. It’s not

‘yeah’. It’s ‘Yes, Sir’.”

“Right.” He tried to pull himself up, but his abs wouldn’t cooperate and the ropes and…

He couldn’t handle this, and these men cared for him.

“Mal.” Dar put a hand on his chest. “Breathe.”

“I can’t. Dar. Please, you have to listen to me. I can’t.” Shut up! He clenched his fingers,

his eyelids, his toes, forcing himself to stop.

“You can’t what, boy? You have to tell us.”

No. No, just focus. Just focus on the pounding of your heart.

“Boy!” Dar’s voice snapped, demanding his attention, his focus. “I told you to tell us.”

He shook his head, his breath coming faster, more shallowly. Sparkles were gathering at

the edges of his vision.

“Damn it, Mal. You will listen and obey.”

The world was getting tinier with every breath, and he was falling.

“Do you think it’s the meds, Dar?” Key’s voice was so far away.

“I don’t know, but if he doesn’t snap out of this, we’re going to have to call the doctor.”

“He’s hyperventilating.” Key’s voice was suddenly so close, so sure, and something was

over his mouth as he huffed. It helped, almost immediately, and his breathing slowed. “There.

That’s it, boy.”

Oh, God. Better. He looked up at Dar. Oh, God. “Sorry.”

Dar chuckled faintly. “It’s all good. You still need to tell us what has you all worked up

because you know it isn’t going to go away until you do.”

“Everything.” He shook his head. “I feel like I’m totally out of my mind.”

“You’re in the right place for that,” Key told him. “We have your back.”

“And your front,” added Dar.

He tried to smile, but it didn’t work.

They kissed him on either side of his mouth, just soft, gentle busses that said it was going

to be okay.

He just wished he could believe it.

* * * *

Just one day and Dar was already exhausted. Mal didn’t sleep. Oh, he’d doze off, then

wake himself up, often mumbling nonsense. Dar didn’t begrudge their lover the lack of sleep, but

it intensified his worry. And he was worried. Mal seemed so lost.

Burke was pacing in his office, stressing. The man had been researching everything—

Mal’s injuries, the drugs, psychology. Everything. Dar knew the answers were in Mal himself.

They didn’t know exactly what had happened to Mal, the things he’d endured. They knew Mal

had been undercover for five months, missing their usual quarterly visit, sending nothing but an

“I’ll miss you” note on Dar’s birthday card that Luis had delivered by hand. Luis had been scared

for Mal, way before things got out of control.

Dar was scared for Mal now. Bad things had happened, and he and Key needed to

counter them, to find where Mal had buried himself.

“Dar? Do you know where my pills are?”

He checked the clock. “You still have an hour before you can have another pain pill,

three to your anti-anxiety meds, and four for the rest.” It took a damn Excel spreadsheet to keep

track of it all.

“I need another of the anxiety ones. Now.”

“That’s not how it works, boy, and you know it.” The anxiety meds had scary fucking

side effects, especially if you overdid it. He moved to sit next to Mal, held the bound hands. “I’m

here.”

“I know. I need one. Please. I’ll take half a dose, but I need one.”

Dar shook his head; he wasn’t going to let Mal start popping pills indiscriminately. “First,

you need to talk to me.”

“About what?”

“About how you’re feeling, about what happened to you.” God, he never felt more like a

psychiatrist than when he asked someone the ubiquitous “how are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling like I want a pill. I’m tired, sore.” Mal held his hands out. “I want to go for a

walk.”

“I’ll make you a deal—you sleep for four hours in a row, and I will take you for a walk.”

He was pretty sure Mal couldn’t actually handle a walk just yet.

“I can’t.” Well, that was sure, firm.

“Why not?” He was Mal’s Dom, he and Key both were. If Mal was well, they’d do one

hard scene after another. Unfortunately, Mal couldn’t do that yet.

“Because of the dreams. I can’t sleep.”

“Tell me about the dreams.” He wasn’t giving up. It was his job to get to the bottom of

this kind of thing—both professionally and personally.

“No.” Mal shook his head, hair in his face. “I won’t tarnish you two. You deserve better.”

Dar pushed the hair back. They really needed to wash this. “You can’t tarnish us, and you

are our boy. That’s what we deserve—all of you.”

“I can’t. I can’t right now, Dar. I swear to you I’m not being an ass.”

“You missed your last visit, Mal.” They’d been so concerned.

“I did. I wanted to be here, but…you know how it is undercover.” Mal shrugged, only

wincing slightly at the movement. “We were so close to catching him.”

“I know how it is, but you know you’re better at your job when you’ve had your time

here.” Dar actually considered it a victory that he still had Mal talking and lucidly at that.

“God, yes. I was afraid that if I came here then…” Mal’s voice trailed off.

“Then...you wouldn’t be broken enough to continue undercover with this guy?” Dar

offered a guess to keep Mal talking.

“Then I’d just stay. I wanted out so bad.”

Dar shook his head. “Then you should have gotten out. You’re our boy; you’re

important.”

“That’s why I couldn’t come. You would have let me stay.”

Dar growled. He had a hunch they would have insisted on it. “Don’t value your life at so

little!”

“I’m a cop. He’d killed twelve women. Twelve. He was escalating.”

Standing, Dar began moving around the room, touching things, moving them a millimeter

to the side. “I know. I do. But the cost…so high.”

“I took an oath to protect and serve. It’s who I am, what I am. Before anything else, I’m a

cop.”

“I know, Mal. That doesn’t mean I don’t put you before everything, hmm?” He knew in

his mind that it was Mal’s job, that it was a good thing no more women had been killed, but his

heart ached for his lover.

Mal nodded. “I know. Can I have my pill now?”

“A half of one. And you have to have something to eat with it. I could make you another

milkshake?” He had protein powder he was sneaking into the shakes, giving Mal’s body the

building blocks to recover.

“Okay.” Mal shifted, hands working at the ropes restlessly. “I dreamed about your

milkshakes in the hospital.”

That had him smiling, and he stroked Mal’s arm. “Strawberry good, or do you want

something else?”

“Can I have pineapple in it, too?”

“Strawberry and pineapple? Now we’re living the high life.” He gave Mal a wink.

“I know, right?” Mal almost smiled, almost. Dar was tired of almost smiles, and it was

only the first day.

He pressed a kiss to the top of Mal’s head. He would have to speak to Key about giving

Mal a good hair pampering—washing, drying, brushing, a bit of a scalp massage…the whole

nine yards. The longer hair actually suited their lover, made his face seem less harsh.

He had all the makings for the milkshakes ready, knowing it was likely to be the easiest

to get into Mal, and he soon had the blender whirring with strawberries, pineapple, milk, ice

cream, and a scoop of protein powder. Once done, he poured it into a tall glass, added a fresh

berry on the side, and put in a straw. He cut one of Mal’s anti-anxiety pills in half and took it and

the milkshake back out to the living room.

Maybe Mal would let them put on the Sound of Music or something and would fall asleep

during it.

When he got to the living room, Mal wasn’t on the sofa, but the ropes were there,

carefully coiled.

He growled. Then he heard a soft, pained cry down the hall. “Key. Key, Dar. Somebody

help me.”

He went running, finding Mal hunched over the toilet, retching, holding his poor belly.

Key was right behind him, and they each took a side, Key pushing Mal’s hair off his

head, Dar supporting Mal’s body. He kept his hand on those destroyed abs, helping the stitches,

hoping to ease. Nothing came out, just bile, and he made a note. Feed Mal a little more

frequently.

“Better?” he asked when Mal had done retching.

“Sorry. Sorry, guys.” Mal stood up. “My toothbrush?”

Key handed it over and together they helped Mal to the sink. Dar could feel Key all but

vibrating and knew his lover was holding back.

“Thank you.” Mal was drenched in sour-smelling sweat, his breath hitching.

“Be right back,” muttered Key.

A moment later Key returned with a chair, and they got Mal into it once he’d finished

brushing his teeth.

“Sponge bath time.” Key looked positively pleased at the prospect.

“Can I have my shake, too? Please?”

“Of course. I left it in the living room when you weren’t there.” Dar tried not to make it

an accusation.

Mal winked at him. “I know you like that sofa.”

“It would clean and is replaceable.” He cupped Mal’s cheek and looked into his eyes.

“You are not.”

Mal leaned into his touch, into his hand, cheek slightly feverish. “Still, I made it.”

“You took off my ropes,” Key complained.

Dar took that as his cue to go get that shake. He grabbed it from the coffee table and

headed back.

Key had Mal naked, draped in towels when he came in. “He’s got no temperature control

yet. He started shivering.”

“Poor baby. You’re having a hard time of it, aren’t you?” Dar handed over the milkshake

and began running the water, finding the perfect temperature.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s the plan.” He ran a cloth under the water and soaped it up.

“We’re going to make sure it happens,” added Key.

“You don’t want me to just get in the shower?” asked Mal.

Key chuckled. “And miss touching you everywhere? Not a chance.” They wouldn’t even

mention stitches and whatnot.

Dar focused on getting the milkshake in Mal, then in brushing out the tangles in Mal’s

hair.

“Will tilting your head back a bit be hard on your abs, boy?” He could wash this mess

while Key touched their lover’s body all over, distracting him and making him feel good.

Mal tried, shook his head. “It’s okay.”

“I’ll just get the tangles out and braid it.”

“Please, wash it for me. It’s awful.” Mal met his eyes. “It smells like his house, Dar.”

“We could do it, Dar. We just need to be careful of his eyes.” If Key thought they could

do it, then they would. The floor was easy to clean up after all.

Dar nodded and grabbed the cup from the counter. Mal squeezed his eyes closed, fingers

clenched tight.

“Easy, boy. You’re due a pain pill when we’re done.”

He started running the water over Mal’s hair, getting it good and wet. Getting a good

portion of Mal wet, as well. Mal moaned, starting to relax a bit as they cleaned him. Oh, their

boy needed this so badly.

They used their usual soap and shampoo, the good, clean scent letting the natural scents

of the man shine through. Once they had hair and body soaped up, they carefully rinsed Mal

again, managing to get nothing in those pretty eyes.

Key started humming, some soothing tune. By the end, Mal was mostly asleep, boneless

in the chair, breathing in time with Key’s song.

Dar was loathe to wake Mal to move him, but this chair was no place to spend a lot of

time asleep. Key went to get a blanket, and they wrapped Mal in it, Key carrying him back to the

couch.

“I missed you, so much,” Mal murmured the words.

“We missed you too,” Key answered. Then he looked at Dar. “I want to bring him to our

bed.”

Dar didn’t even think about it. He nodded and they turned around, heading back down the

hall. He thought he heard Mal sob once, but the man stayed asleep, all the way down the hall.

“Keep singing,” Dar ordered.

“That’s not what you usually say,” teased Key. His lover kept singing, though.

Mal breathed with Key, sinking deeper and deeper into sleep, face relaxing. Dar settled in

the bed, and Key arranged their lover next to him, then climbed in on the other side. They

sandwiched Mal between them, kept watch over his sleep.

Dar knew they’d do it until the end of time if they had to.

Chapter Two

Four days.

Four days of cajoling, begging, and singing Mal to sleep. Four days of waking Mal up

from nightmares and soothing him down off the wall.

Burke wished the asshole who’d hurt Mal was still alive so he could torture the psycho.

Slow and painful torture, that’s what he deserved.

The physical pains were healing, slowly but surely, but the mental shit was deep and

harsh.

“Leave me alone!” Mal’s screams rang out, splitting the air. “Luis! Key! Dar! Somebody

help me!”

Another fucking dream.

Burke grabbed Mal’s face between his palms. “Wake up, boy,” he ordered in a loud

voice.

“Key. Key.” Mal’s eyes popped open. “I. Uppers. We have to ask the doctor for some. I

can’t do this.”

“More pills are not the answer. You need to start talking. If it isn’t to us, then to your

shrink.” The answer was not to never sleep again.

“No shrinks. No shrinks, Key. No more.” Like the department would let Mal back

without seeing one.

“Then you’re going to have to share with me and Dar.” He gentled his hold, stroking

Mal’s cheeks and wishing like hell that they could do some hard scenes. He was sure they would

help, but Mal just wasn’t in shape yet.

“He had me, Key. He knew, almost from the beginning, that I was a cop. He played me.”

“He was crazy and smart.” It was the worst combination.

“I’m an idiot. I almost died because I thought I’d fooled him.”

“You were desperate to catch him, to stop him hurting anyone else. And he knew exactly

how to play you to keep you from realizing that he knew. This wasn’t your fault, and you have

amazing instincts, and you’re a good cop.” Burke wasn’t saying anything new, but he’d repeat

the words as often as he had to.

“I have to get up. I need to go for a run.”

He snorted. “I don’t think so, Mal.”

“I need to. I need to get away from this.”

“This is your home, and we’re your lovers.” He couldn’t help but growl.

“I’m so tired, Key. I can’t rest. I don’t know what to do. I don’t belong anywhere

anymore, and he’s inside my head, whispering all the time and…” Mal’s eyes went wide, hand

slapping over his mouth.

Burke pulled Mal’s hand away. “Finish it.”

“I’m going crazy. They’re going to put me away.”

Burke pressed their foreheads together, holding Mal’s gaze. “You are not going crazy.

You suffered a traumatic event. You were with him for months. It’s going to take time and care

for you to recover.”

“I thought…I thought we could be friends. I believed him, and all the time, he had her in

his basement.”

So dangerous, the undercover work that Mal did. And he’d been under a long, long time

with this one. “You got him in the end, and that’s what matters. That and you got out of it alive.”

Mal shook his head, just barely, just enough to see.

“No? You don’t think so?” God, that animal had done a number on their boy. Burke

really did want to resuscitate him just to kill him again with bare hands.

“I’m not sure I got out.”

A very big number had been done to Mal.

Burke kissed Mal, slowly, carefully, but thoroughly. “We’re going to make sure you do.”

“I need to move. To walk around. I ache.”

“Under supervision. You have to take it slowly, none of this rushing to the bathroom and

throwing up. That’s not good for you.” Burke helped Mal sit up and put slippers on his feet.

“Lean on me.”

Mal leaned, moving toward the backyard, the pool. Dar met them partway down the hall,

one eyebrow raised.

“He needs to walk, lover,” Burke said to forestall any complaints.

Dar nodded and went to support Mal on the other side.

“I’m okay. Not totally broken.” Mal let Dar stay close, though, and hold on.

“You have to indulge your Doms; it’s our job to care.”

They made it to the lounge chairs, and they helped Mal down, the man lifting his face to

the sun. Maybe they could get Mal into the pool soon; he’d always loved swimming.

They sat on either side, and Burke smiled when Mal pushed deeper into the chair. Better.

This was the most natural rest Mal had indulged in yet.

“I may just stay out here forever.”

“Nah, the neighbors would get an eyeful when we got busy.” Still, Burke was pleased

that Mal was expressing an opinion.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever be up to busy again.”

“You will be.” Dar made it sound like a promise and Burke approved.

Mal didn’t respond, just rested, eyes closed.

Burke looked over at Dar, who looked back. He took strength in his lover. They were

going to need it to combat Mal’s demons.

“Has Luis called?” Mal asked quietly.

Dar nodded. “He did. He called to see how you were doing.”

“Oh. Is he mad?”

“Mad? Why would he be mad?” Burke shook his head at yet another indication that Mal

was not yet his old self.

“He liked Marconi for it, from the get-go.”

“And you caught the guy, so why would he be mad? Hell, you risked your life catching

the guy.” He looked over at Dar, who shrugged, clearly not getting it either.

There were things—many things—about Mal’s professional life that were…incredibly

complicated. Not to mention Mal didn’t share much about his undercover work for both security

reasons and because Mal didn’t like talking about it.

Burke knew, though, that Mal’s life outside of this house was built on one lie after

another. This was the only place he could be real. And they were currently stuck at not doing

scenes because of Mal’s physical condition. Or were they?

“I know that look,” murmured Dar.

“Oh, I was just thinking we need to find ways to do scenes with Mal that won’t put a

strain on his healing injuries.”

Mal was pretending to ignore them, but the thin lips twisted.

“Submission doesn’t have to involve whips, chains, and sex,” Burke noted.

Dar slapped his hand over his mouth, dramatically. “Say it isn’t so, Key.”

Burke rolled his eyes. “Butthead.”

“Not so. So, tell me, beloved, about this whip-less submission.” Dar was most definitely

a butthead, and Key was going to beat him.

Mal actually chuckled, though, and that made everything worth it.

He cleared his throat. “Obedience.”

“Our Mal?” Dar trailed fingers over Mal’s arm.

“It could fit in the realm of possibility.”

“I’m right here, guys,” complained Mal.

“Are you sure?” Burke asked.

Dar’s lips twitched.

“Fairly. You both keep talking.”

“About you. Have you got any opinions on the matter?” Unbelievably, this was the most

normal conversation they’d had since Mal had been hurt.

“About you two talking? It’s okay, a little random, but I’m used to that…”

“He meant about us doing scenes with you,” said Dar.

“I’m not filling out another questionnaire.”

Dar started to laugh, and Burke found himself joining in.

Their sub smiled, winked at them, and Burke thought maybe it was going to be okay.

* * * *

Mal got his stitches out and thanked the doctor, got his anxiety meds, one last round of

pain pills, some anti-depressants. He was cleared for light exercise, but not duty yet. Not for six

weeks still.

He headed out of the doctor’s office, knowing that one of his Doms would be sitting,

waiting. One dark, one blond, and both stubborn. He’d taken a taxi out, left a note that he’d take

a cab home, but he knew one of them would be here. Scowling.

He drew up short as he got to the waiting room—or they both would be here. Scowling.

They both stood, each taking one of his arms and walking him out.

“You should have told us,” said Burke.

“We would have driven you here,” added Dar.

“I left a note.” Okay, he hated how hot it was, them focused on him.

“Oh, did you hear that, Key? He left us a note.”

“A note. I did hear, Dar.”

“That changes everything.”

“Indeed.”

“At least we’re all on the same page.” Mal hoped that would be enough.

“We’re not all on the same page, and you know it.” Key opened the back door of the car

and urged him in, following and sitting next to him while Dar got into the driver’s seat.

“I’m an adult. A grown up. I’m not grounded.” He felt better, like he could push, like

they would push back.

Nothing they had tried had helped; he simply hadn’t been well enough to be present.

Hell, he wasn’t sure he would feel any better in an hour, despite the fact he’d been given a dose

of his anti-anxiety meds.

“But you have two perfectly good Doms at your beck and call. You don’t need to take

taxis and deal with doctors on your own.”

“You were both working. You spend so much time dealing with me.”

“You know neither of us has any real need to go to work. Dar hasn’t got any patients

scheduled, and they hardly need me at the gallery. It’s not like we need the money anymore since

that windfall. Besides, we enjoy ‘dealing’ with you.” Key always had an answer. “I happen to

know Dar lives for it.”

“I got all the stitches out.” It suddenly seemed important that they knew that.

“That is good news.” Burke’s smile suddenly became predatory.

“I’ve been cleared for light exercise.” Maybe that was even more important to share with

his Doms.

Dar’s chuckle came from the front seat. “I wonder if the doc would consider what we do

light exercise?”

“I didn’t ask. I’m not having piss hard-ons yet, I don’t think.” He looked at Key. “Am I?

At night?”

Key’s sly grin said yes he was indeed.

He rolled his eyes. “Do you two want lunch?”

“Are you offering to take us out?”

“Somewhere casual, yes.” He wasn’t sure how long his energy would hold out.

“How about we go get ice cream or something. Save lunch out for another day.” Dar

turned the car onto Pamlin Avenue.

“Can I have French fries instead? No one makes better shakes than I can have at home.”

“Sure, boy.” Dar smiled at him through the rear view mirror.

“I want some of your French fries dipped in my ice cream.” Key was a nut job.

“Ew.” He smiled, though. He wanted to be back to normal. Now.

Key just smiled. “Food of the gods.”

“You’re a freak.” He reached out, touched Key’s lips. “Thank you for coming to pick me

up. Both of you.”

Key kissed his fingertips. “Always, Mal.”

He sighed, leaned a little, the anti-anxiety meds working in full force.

Key’s arm slid around his shoulders. “You remember the last time you came to visit?

With the feathers?”

“You made me crazy, made my skin scream.”

“It was sexy as fuck, watching you writhe.” Key could make everything sound dirty as

fuck. Especially if it actually was to start with.

Mal didn’t know what to say, though, whether to be pleased or embarrassed or what.

Dar growled from the front of the car. “Behave you two. Some of us have to drive.”

“I’m being good. I’m just sitting here, chilling out.” Mal wasn’t taking the rap for

anything Key said.

“You’ll get a reward for being good, too.” Key wiggled his eyebrows.

“Uh-huh,” he answered. “French fries.”

“With salt and dipped in ice cream.” Key looked utterly serious.

“No way.” He let his eyes close, let himself breathe, fingers playing with Key’s idly.

“I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t love it.” The thing was, Key honestly meant

that. Man had a cast iron stomach and, clearly, a broken palate.

Mal chuckled softly. “Maybe I’ll try it.” He was feeling mellow.

Dar grunted. “Did they change your medications at the doctor?”

“Upped the anti-anxiety stuff. Gave me a shot, there.”

He watched Dar and Key have a silent conversation as they looked at each other through

the rear-view mirror.

“Give me the new prescription when we get home, and I’ll get it into the chart.” Dar had

named himself keeper of the schedule of meds.

“Sure.” They worried, but he had it. He felt like he could breathe.

Dar pulled into the drive-thru of a Dairy Queen. “I know I’m getting soft serve and fries.

Is that it?”

“I just want fries, Dar.”

“You got it, boy.”

He let his head rest back on the seat, humming softly.

Dar placed the order and moved the car to the window, and in moments, the car smelled

like French fries. Mal’s belly grumbled, the scent exactly what he wanted.

“Nico? Nico, is that you? Did you hear about Linda?” The little teenager who had lived

in the apartment below Mal during his last stint stared at him through the window, and he fought

to keep his face still, unmoved.

Key’s fingers twined with his, squeezed gently.

“Nico?”

He opened his eyes, looked at the girl. “You got the wrong guy, kid. Sorry.”

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. God. Embarrassing!”

“It’s okay.” Key waved at her, and she backed away from the window.

Dar passed back the food and started off.

Mal looked at the fries, stared at them, his stomach clenching. It happened. It happened.

You met people when you were undercover.

“You okay?” Key asked, still holding onto his hand.

“I’m fine. It happens. No big deal.” The girl had a yappy dog and a boyfriend with a

shitty tattoo. They used to sit on the steps where Marconi could hear them plan their futures.

“You need to stop pretending everything is fine.” Key sure could growl when he wanted

to.

“Eat your ice cream.” He was fine.

“If you eat your fries, I will.”

“Sure.” He took one, forced himself to eat it, and the salt and crisp tasted good.

Key stole one and dipped it into his ice cream before eating it. Mal ate another fry, loving

the way the drugs made it easy to let go. They were amazing. Stealing and dipping another fry,

Key held this one out to Mal. His nose wrinkled, but he opened up, ate the fry. It wasn’t too bad,

just odd.

“Thank you.” Key leaned over and kissed his nose.

“Anything for you, huh?”

Key nodded. “Ditto, boy.”

He ate about a third of his fries, then found himself dozing, eyes closed as they drove. He

had no clue how long it had been before they were pulling into the drive at Dar and Key’s home,

but Key nudged him gently and grabbed his fry packet from him, then helped him out of the car.

“I’m okay. I got it.” He grabbed his backpack.

Dar came along and took the backpack from him. “But you don’t have to have it because

we’ve got your back.”

“And your front,” added Key, stepping up against his front.

He chuckled, but leaned, frowning as his wounds ached.

Key frowned, too. “Okay, inside.” They each took one of his arms and supported him as

they went up the front steps and into the house.

“They’re fine, just sore. Taking out the stitches hurt.”

“Still, I think you should lie on the couch, rest.”

Dar nodded his agreement, and Mal wasn’t given a chance to interject. He was simply

placed on the couch, pillows fluffed for his back, legs moved up, so he was lying down. Burke

lifted his t-shirt, wincing at the bandages, the hint of blood on them. The doctor had said the

wounds would weep a little.

“We should change these.” Key nodded decisively and headed down the hall toward the

bathroom.

Dar stayed, stroking his temple.

“The doctor said it was normal, that they looked great.”

“You’ll have to allow us our need to worry about you, Mal. We’re not used to not being

the ones who know what you need.”

“I know. It’s good, knowing you two are here. Weird, though, to be just a…guest.”

“You’re not feeling like our boy at all?”

“I. How can I? I don’t dream as me anymore.” Somewhere he was still trying to not be

Nico.

“I know you can’t do a full-on scene, but I think it’s about time we started doing some

light scenes. Remind you who you are, who you belong to.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. The shrink at the

precinct wants me off duty, wants me driving a desk, says I’m a risk.” He wasn’t sure what was

worse—the recommendation or the fact that he couldn’t argue with her.

“You need to find yourself again before you even think about going out into the world.”

Dar kissed him. “We can help with that.”

Key came back with new gauze in hand.

“I’ll be glad when all the tape is gone.” He ignored Dar’s words, focusing on Key.

“What are we helping with?” Kay asked, kneeling in front of him and working on taking

off the gauze.

“He’s dreaming as his cover.” Dar was a traitor.

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

Key glared at him. “Would you stop saying that?”

“Nope. It’s true. Fine. Fine, fine, fine.”

Dar sighed. “I think we’re going to have to ban that word from your vocabulary.”

“Fine. Fine. Fine.” He knew he shouldn’t push, but he had to.

“I’m with Dar.” Key took the soiled gauze off and replaced it with a new one. “What’ll

the punishment be for saying the word fine, babe?”

“I’m not going to agree to it.” He didn’t care what they decided.

The second wound was healed enough not to need a new bandage.

“We don’t need you to agree, to spank your ass, boy.” Key might have been playing

nurse right now, but that voice was all Dom.

The tone was familiar, oddly comforting, even as he fought against it. “I said I’m fine.”

“That’s one. I may not be able to put you over my lap, but I can still set your ass on fire.”

Dar nodded next to him. “We can find a way to bend you slightly and get your ass out

there for Key’s hand.”

“I didn’t agree to new rules, damn it.” There, he’d broken another one. He wanted to

know how serious they were.

“Are you finished playing doctor?” growled Dar. “Your boy needs his Doms in the worst

way.”

Key nodded, stood and contemplated him. “Face down on the sling should support him,

not put any pressure on his injuries.”

“I’m not going to the playroom. I’m going for a run.”

Key snorted, stood, and picked him up.

“Key! Damn it! Be careful!” Mal wouldn’t hurt his lovers, not for anything.

“I’ve carried you before, boy, and I’ll do it again.”

Dar strode ahead of them to the playroom, moving to set up the sling as Key carried Mal

in.

“Don’t hurt your back, Key. I worry about you.” Mal would be the one growling if Key

overdid it carrying his sorry ass around.

“You’d better not struggle then.”

“I’m not ready to go to the playroom, guys. I don’t know if my subspace is safe.” And

that was pretty fucking scary.

“Well, there’s only one way to find that out. Besides, this is a punishment, and the sling

is the only safe way to spank you.”

“I’m not fucking ready. I didn’t fucking agree to new rules!” They were going to let him

push. They were going to let him push, and they were going to push back. That made it safe to be

loud and angry.

“You agreed to us being your Doms long ago.”

Key and Dar settled him in the sling, and it was surprisingly comfortable, gently

supporting his entire torso, along with his thighs, shins, and arms. Oh, God. Maybe they’d turn

him over, let him sleep here.

Dar worked his pants down. “Skin on skin is best.”

“Oh, yes. My palm is itching for this.” Key was rubbing his hands together gleefully.

“Two, right? We each get one.”

Key grumbled at that.

“Of course, he cursed, too. Multiple times.” Dar sounded altogether too pleased.

“Shall we call it five each?” Key asked.

“You’re bastards. Evil fucking asshole bastards.”

“Oh, that’s six each.” Key leaned down. “I’d quit while I was ahead if I were you. It’s

been awhile, and twelve’s a lot.”

“Fuck off, man. I didn’t say yes.” He held Key’s eyes, though. “The spot up on my hip,

where he gave me the shot, it’s really sore, bruised.” He needed help.

“We’re not going to spank your hip, boy.” Key crouched down by his face. “It’s that

sweet ass of yours is going to get red. You’ll feel it while you sit, a good ache that reminds you

we love you.”

“You can’t love me.” But they did. And he loved them. Any maybe that was the only

reason he hadn’t given up completely yet.

“But you know we do.” Key gave him a kiss. “We’re going to take turns, one at a time.

We aren’t even going to make you count this time.”

“I’m going to be awful. I know it.”

Dar chuckled. “All you have to do is lie there, boy.”

“Don’t laugh at me, Darby, please.”

Dar’s fingers slid over his ass. “I’m not laughing at you, lover.”

His toes curled, and he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to find that quietness the drugs

gave him.

“I’ll start.” Key’s hand landed on his ass, not particularly hard, but it had been a long

time.

He shuddered, hid his face against his upper arm. Dar was next, spanking harder. He

sucked in a deep breath, the burn comforting, a sensation that meant something.

“I love you.” Key’s words came with the next spank.

Dar smacked him again right after. “I love you, too.”

“You’re not allowed to. Sorry.” He wasn’t worthy of their love; he was a screw-up. This

last job had proved that.

“I do.” Key’s third swat was a snap.

His legs tensed, that sting sharp. “Watch it!”

“We give the orders here, boy.” Dar’s hand slapped his left cheek.

“Leave me alone. I wasn’t a sub. I wasn’t. I wasn’t even queer as Nico.” He’d missed

them so much.

“Poor Nico.” Key gave him number four.

Then it was Dar’s turn. “No. Poor Mal.”

He pressed his lips closed. Quiet. Still. Peaceful. Peaceful.

“Our boy,” they said the words together, their fifth smacks coming together.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tight, hiding.

“We love you.” Again they spoke and spanked together.

Then they rubbed his ass, making it burn lightly. He panted, not because his ass hurt, but

because his heart did.

Then both his Doms came to sit against the wall by his head. “The sling supports you,

doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

Dar leaned in and kissed him. “My hand missed you.”

“I don’t know what to do now, Dar. I don’t fit anywhere.”

“You fit with us, Mal. You just need to be reminded of how.”

He wanted to believe that, but right now, he just dangled. Key didn’t say anything,

simply leaned up to take a kiss from him.

He was going to have to leave, at some point, find an apartment, get his shit out of

storage. Get back to work.

Key looked into his eyes as the kiss ended. “Stop it.”

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re thinking awfully hard, though, stressing.” Key always knew.

“It’s a thing.” He rolled his eyes at himself.

“It’s a thing you should stop.”

“I can’t. Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

“Oh, I get another swat for that.” Key kissed him, stood, disappearing from view, and a

good solid swat landed on his ass.

Mal’s toes curled, and he grunted.

“You wanna say the word ‘fine’ a few more times? My hand has a hankering for your

ass.”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh, I’m the swear words.” Dar gave him a quick kiss and stood as well, swatting his

other cheek.

He groaned, trying to fight the ropes.

“Don’t you hurt yourself, boy.”

“I want to do something.” Anything.

Dar was back in sight, looking up at him. “What do you want to do?”

“Run away. I want to run until I can’t fucking breathe anymore.”

“This is the closest place you have to that.” Dar pointed out.

Mal kept looking for words, for something to say, something to explain the random, wild

thoughts that rushed through his head.

“You can say anything here, boy. You can do anything. You might be punished, but you

will never be turned away.”

Key grunted, clear agreement.

“I don’t know what to say. Nothing makes sense.” He was afraid he was broken. He’d

thought Marconi could be his friend, and the man had shot him, wanting to watch him hurt. It

was the pain that had gotten Marconi off. Long, slow agony.

“Then don’t say anything. You need to stop thinking so hard, though. You need to just let

it all go.”

He held Dar’s gaze. “I don’t know how.”

Dar looked past him a moment and nodded. Then that gaze returned to his. “Key’s going

to find you something to focus on.”

Strong fingers landed on his ass cheeks and began to massage them, making them burn.

His thighs tensed, toes curling, but it felt good. Necessary. The sling began to move, swinging

him, making him feel like he was almost flying. Mal found himself relaxing, eyes closing as he

sank into the rhythm.

Soaring and aching, being kissed randomly by his lovers, it was surprisingly easy to lose

himself in it. He could stay there, flying, forever. It was comfortable, warm. Right.

He hardly even noticed it as he dozed off, dreaming that he was a bird, soaring through

the clouds.

Chapter Three

Dar washed the dishes, hands in hot, soapy water. Mal was healing well—they’d taken

the bandages off this morning and hadn’t had to replace them. So physically, Mal was making

strides. Mentally and emotionally were another story.

They spent time every day with Mal in the sling, helping him find a place to float and fly,

but aside from that, it felt like Mal was slipping away. Dar believed it was the drugs. Mal was

finished with the antibiotics, but he was still taking pain pills at least once a day and far too many

anti-anxiety meds for Dar’s liking.

Being wrapped in cotton wool was the last thing Mal needed, at least in Dar’s estimation.

And he and Key were the man’s Doms, damn it, their estimations counted.

Mal was in the pool, doing laps, one after another, Key watching him like a hawk.

Dar dried his hands off, gave them one last look through the window, and poured a tall

glass of juice before heading out the back. “How long has he been at it?”

“An hour. He’s going to wear himself out.”

“Oh, I think that’s more than enough time for him to be working out. And that boy’s due

a scene or twenty. If he can fucking do laps for an hour, he can fucking be our boy again.”

He went to the pool and waited until Mal was near. “Hey. Stop. You’re done.”

“Huh? I’m doing okay. Feeling pretty good.”

“An hour, Mal. Get your ass out. I have plans for it.” Dar was not taking no for an

answer.

“That has way more potential than swimming.” Key stood and came over to where Dar

was crouching by the pool.

Mal climbed out, muscles visibly shaking, abs like a washboard.

“You overdid it,” Dar accused, angry more at Key and himself for letting Mal go at it for

so long.

“I feel good. Like I’m getting stronger.”

“Excellent. We can adjourn to the playroom then.”

“I just got off the sling. Are you sure?”

“Oh, you were just floating then, boy. Key and I—we miss you and we want you, and if

you’re good to go doing laps for an hour, you’re good to go for some old-fashioned kink.” He

was pretty sure Mal needed this badly, a chance for his Doms to remind him of exactly who he

was.

“Kink? Me?” Mal chuckled softly, trying to play, Dar could tell. “Didn’t I tell you? I

turned vanilla.”

Key started laughing and Dar rolled his eyes. “Well, then, let’s go have some new-

fashioned vanilla.”

Mal actually laughed for them, and they headed inside, moving easily.

At the doorway, Dar stopped them, kissing first Mal, then Key, sharing in their tastes.

“I missed you. I want this back, and I’m terrified I can’t.” Mal’s honesty was raw, harsh.

“We’ll get it back. Key and I are just as stubborn as you are.”

“If I can’t, though,” Mal met his eyes, “do you still want me here? Because I need to…I

mean, I come once a quarter and I…”

“This is your home, boy. You are always welcome here.” Dar was growling. He

shouldn’t have to say it.

Key backed him up. “Dar’s right, Mal. You’ll always be ours, no matter what.”

Mal took a single, deep breath, face crumpling for only a second before the vulnerability

was hidden again. “Good.”

Dar tugged Mal to him, mouth dropping onto Mal’s as he took the kiss he’d been wanting

for weeks.

Oh, God. His boy. Their boy. Moaning, he tugged Mal in close, his hands holding onto

that perfect little ass.

So patient. They’d been so fucking patient. He couldn’t wait anymore, he couldn’t stop

kissing and holding and rubbing against his boy. He wanted to touch, to taste every inch, to eat

Mal alive.

Key stepped up behind Mal, moving Dar’s hands away, so the little swim trunks could be

pulled down. He grabbed that skin as soon as it was bare, though, squeezing hard. Key pressed

up against Mal, pushing the lean body into him. He reached up, fingers tangling in the long, wet

hair.

Key bent and began to suck at Mal’s neck. Mal’s response pushed into his lips, those

beautiful green eyes wide. That’s what they needed, Mal’s full attention.

Dar pushed his knee between Mal’s legs, spreading them, pushing at the sweet balls. Key

began to rock, pushing Mal into Dar again and again. Mal’s cock started to fill, and Dar wanted

to crow.

He bit at Mal’s lower lip, at his tongue. Not hard, just enough for Mal to feel it. He felt

Mal’s hips roll, buck against him. He wanted to howl in triumph. His needy boy.

Key’s hands started moving Mal, rocking the three of them together.

Dar broke the kiss, looking into Mal’s eyes. “You. Once. And then the ring goes on.”

Key popped Mal’s ass hard, once. “What do you say, boy?”

Mal swallowed audibly. “Yes, Sir.”

“Mmm. I have missed that.” A lot. It made his cock twitch and his balls ache to hear Mal

say it.

“Until I tell you, boy, we’re in a scene. It may last days.” Key was growling, the sound

happy and male and needy.

“It might last a week,” Dar added, looking across Mal’s shoulder to grin at Key.

“It might last a month.” Key looked fierce. The man wanted Mal as their boy, twenty-

four-seven, forever. He always had.

Dar nodded and gave Mal a wicked grin. “You won’t need any anti-anxiety meds, boy.

You’re not going to have to feel anything but your masters.”

“I need them. You know I do.”

“I know you need us.” He stopped Mal from saying anything else by pressing their

mouths together and tongue fucking him. They would work out their details in the scene.

He pressed against Mal, and Key got the message, moving back into the room. Warm and

quiet, this was his favorite room in the house, everything exactly where he wanted it.

They went to the bed, moving as a unit, his and Key’s mouths on their boy. Mal was

shivering, moaning, body trembling for them. It had been too fucking long. They had let their

worry over the fucking gunshot wounds keep them from doing their job.

They got Mal onto the bed and stripped each other quickly.

Dar kissed Key, hard, fast. “Our boy is home.”

“He sure is.” Grinning, he turned his attention to Mal. “You ready for us to rock your

world, boy?”

“I don’t know.”

“You always say that.” Dar was taking it as a good sign.

“I probably always will.” Mal’s arms were wrapped around himself, comforting, and he

was rocking himself.

Darby and Key stretched Mal out, Key taking their boy’s feet and cuffing Mal’s ankles to

the bed, while Dar stretched Mal’s arms up into the cuffs attached to the headboard. Mal was

still, quiet, in his own head, hiding from them. At least this was normal. Familiar. All of their

sessions started like this.

Key grabbed a little strip of leather and began to slap Mal’s feet with it. Dar had an

identical one, and he started working Mal’s palms.

“Don’t.” Mal clenched his fingers, shook his head. Dar knew Mal’s safeword and “don’t”

sure as hell wasn’t it.

He slapped the leather against Mal’s knuckles, harder than he’d been working the palms.

“Fucker!” Oh, that was against the rules.

He snapped his fingers across Mal’s right nipple. Mal squeezed his eyes closed, clenched

his teeth.

“You know the rules, boy. They never change.”

“No more rules.”

He snapped his fingers against Mal’s other nipple.

Key hummed. “I want you to tell us your rules, boy.”

Mal moaned, shook his head.

“Yes. Each one.” Dar went back to strapping Mal’s palms, peeling Mal’s fingers open to

get to them.

“No more!” Mal growled, sucking in a deep breath.

Key reached up and slapped his balls. “Do as you’re told, boy.”

Mal’s eyes flew open, muscles pulling as Mal yanked at the cuffs. “NO!”

That earned Mal another slap against his balls, Key firmly saying, “Yes.”

Mal screamed, fighting them viciously, and Dar nodded. There. No more hiding.

He grabbed a pair of nipple clamps from the bowl of them on the bookcase, quickly

putting them both on, letting Mal feel the undeniable bite.

“You motherfucking assholes. I want up. I’m going home, and I’m never coming back

here.”

Dar and Key each flicked one of the nipple rings.

“No swearing,” growled Dar.

“Tell us your rules,” Key ordered again.

“No swearing. No hiding. Call you Sir. No jacking off. No running away. No locking

doors. I fucking hate you both!”

“You forgot no more saying you’re fine,” Key murmured.

“That’s right. It’s new, but it’s important.” They wanted the truth, not Mal hiding away

from them behind his newly long hair and his “I’m fines”.

Mal gasped, sucking in air, and Dar grabbed the clamps, tugging slow and hard.

“We said all the rules, boy. Tell us again. All of them this time.”

“You motherfucking bastards. Always fucking pushing me! No fucking swearing. No

fucking hiding. Call you Sir. No jacking off. No goddamn running away. No locking the fucking

doors. No saying I’m fucking fine even if I am!” Oh, someone needed, hard.

“That was eight,” murmured Key.

“I’ll do the right nipple, you can take the left?” Dar suggested.

Key nodded. “Together.”

They each flicked at the tight little clamps on Mal’s nipples, counting together. Mal

screamed, over and over, the sounds tearing out, and Dar felt like he could breathe again, like

they were opening the wound and letting that poison out finally. When they’d counted out four

each, they continued with the leather straps, Dar moving down along Mal’s arms, Key coming up

from his ankles.

The screams stopped, becoming ragged breaths as Mal built up energy for the next fight.

Leaning over Mal, Dar stopped sensitizing that skin long enough to take a long, deep kiss.

“I hate you both.”

The sobbed words made Dar smile. He knew what Mal really meant. “Love you too,

boy.”

“My turn,” growled Key, and Dar got out of the way, letting Key have Mal’s mouth.

Key took Mal like a Marine storming the beach. His Key was less patient than Dar was,

firmer. He had staying power, though, and could out-stubborn their boy, every time.

When the kissing was over, reward for the calm between storms, he and Key went back

to using the leather strips to warm Mal’s skin. He was turning a lovely, healthy light rose color,

the blood just flowing through Mal’s veins.

They reached Mal’s torso together, those horrible scars, and Key mouthed, “gently”. Dar

nodded and adjusted the strength of his blows. They couldn’t just ignore them—Mal needed

them to reclaim every inch, not just the easy bits.

“He wanted me to bleed out. It turned him on. When the blood slowed, he pushed his

fingers in me.”

Dar shuddered. “He was evil, boy. You are not.” He gently slapped the scars, making that

part of Mal theirs again.

“He’s inside me.” Those words were whispered, then Mal closed his eyes, retreating.

“Then we’ll chase him out.”

Mal hid his face in the curve of one arm.

No. No, hiding. It was a rule.

“Mal!” Key tugged on Mal’s balls, hard.

“What? What the fuck do you want from me?”

Key tugged again.

“No hiding,” Dar reminded. “No swearing.”

“I’m leaving. I’m leaving, and I’m never coming back.”

“I don’t think so.” Dar reached for the lube and got his fingers slick, so he could open

Mal up for Key’s cock.

“I am.” Mal groaned. “I’m so tired.”

“I know, boy. We’re going to help you find peace so you can rest.” Dar slid a single

finger into Mal’s ass, just the tip and then the rest as Mal’s hole got used to him.

“I’m…” Mal’s lips pressed close.

“Ours.” He and Key said it together without even trying. They loved Mal, and that was

going to heal their lover, their boy, their sub.

Dar pushed his finger deep, wriggling it along the velvet walls inside Mal’s body. Mal’s

eyes were closed, lips pursed, fingers curled into fists.

“You can’t hide from this, boy. No matter how much you try.” Dar added another finger,

stretching Mal.

Mal simply shook his head. Key flicked the nipple clamps, both together. That belly went

tight, Mal grunting. Dar pushed his fingers over Mal’s gland. That had Mal’s eyes opening, their

needy size queen finally getting a sensation he lusted after.

Smiling softly, Dar did it again. “It’s been too long since we filled you, boy. Key’s cock

is going to be a real stretch.”

Mal moaned, face softening. “I can’t wait.”

“You can wait.” He slipped a third finger in, speeding the process a little.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then tell me what you meant.”

“That I’m looking forward to it, that I miss it.”

“Ah.” Dar smiled and gave Mal a kiss for sharing, for wanting.

Key moaned, fingers joining him, making it four. Dar took a moment to kiss his lover,

tongue pushing in. Key dove into the kiss, tongue fucking his lips. Groaning, he pushed his

fingers into Mal fast and deep. Their boy took it, rode it, the pressure and pleasure a reward—a

reward for surviving.

“He feels ready, Key. For your monster cock.”

Key preened, jacking a little, showing off that fat, amazing prick. Mal actually chuckled

softly.

“Everyone should have one of those in their life.” Dar gave Mal a wink and reached,

fingers dancing on the hot flesh.

“No. Just us.”

“Well, that goes without saying for this cock.” He gave them both a wink this time.

Licking his lips, Mal nodded. “Uh-huh. I’d fight for that, for you two.”

“And we’re fighting for you, boy. You are ours, and nobody is taking you away from us.”

He tugged his fingers out of Mal’s body and put a condom on Key’s prick, then the slick,

making a show of it, making it good for Key. Mal watched, eyes on Key’s prick, Dar’s hand. Dar

ended the slicking up by rubbing his thumb across Key’s slit, making his lover grunt.

“God, I love you.” He had to let Key know.

Key grabbed him by the neck and kissed him, hard and thorough. Oh, fuck. Yes. They

fought for control, growling into each other’s mouths. He pulled his thumb along the tip of Key’s

cock again, making his lover buck. He grinned against Key’s lips, nibbled some.

“You ready for this?” he asked Mal, his lips still mostly touching Key’s.

“Yes. Yes, Sir.”

“Good boy. Remember, you get to come once.”

Mal’s cheeks were burning.

Patting Key’s cock, Dar stepped out of the way. “There’s our boy. Give him what he

needs.”

“Been too long, boy.”

Mal nodded, licked his lips, the look on the man’s face pure eagerness. It had been far too

long since they’d seen that expression.

Key climbed onto the bed between Mal’s legs. “Love you, boy.”

Mal shook his head, groaned. “Key.”

“I do. You don’t get a choice in that.” The thick cock pushed into Mal’s body, spreading

that sweet hole as Dar watched.

Mal groaned, body rippling like it was trying to grow, make room. Key’s moan echoed

the sound, the muscles in his ass clenching as he pushed deeper. Dar reached out, cupped one of

Key’s ass cheeks and squeezed. He fucking loved watching Mal stretch, take Key.

“Beautiful fucking men.” His beautiful fucking men. He leaned in, traced the curve of

Mal’s ear with his tongue. “He’s stretching you, boy. Filling you.”

“I am,” growled Key, coming out and pushing back in again.

Mal groaned, entire body flushing dark. “Inside me.”

“That’s right, boy. Deep inside you.”

Key’s face was a study in control. Dar knew his lover wanted to slam inside, drive into

their boy. Key didn’t, though. Key moved with a slow, careful deliberation. He’d never hurt their

boy, and it had been so long. Months. Fucking months.

“Fuck. So hot and tight.” Key bent to kiss Mal, still moving.

Dar got the little flogger again, started working Mal’s feet, calves, making him feel it. He

could watch Key’s ass while he was doing it, and his prick was nice and hard, his lovers making

him need. Mal’s toes curled with every blow. Tomorrow, they would keep Mal in bed, keep

those feet up. Today, he was going to feel them. Dar ran a fingernail up the sole of Mal’s right

foot. Mal jerked, pulling hard, fighting to get away from him, and Key grunted.

“There’s nowhere to go, boy.”

“Let me go.” Mal was moaning, bucking up onto Key’s prick.

“You’re right where you belong.” Key moved faster, harder.

“Oh, fuck. Key…”

That was two more. Dar moved around to flick at both nipple clamps. Mal and Key both

groaned at that, Key’s eyes rolling back in his head.

“That was good for both of you.” Chuckling, Dar dragged the leather strap over Mal’s

prick.

“It was. He’s like silk inside. I could fuck him forever.”

“I want a turn, so you can’t.” Dar needed in that sweet ass as much as Key did.

Key just growled, kept moving. Mal was covered in sweat, fingers clenching. There was

no way their boy could hide from a single moment of this.

“Are you going to make him come, Key? Make him shoot?”

“I am. Then the ring can go on, and you can take him while he’s not allowed to come.”

Key gave him a wild grin. “We should plug his cock today, let him feel that.” Oh, his lover was

brilliant.

“You have the best ideas while you’re rutting, Key.”

“I know!” Key looked at him, grinned, and Mal groaned, the sound raw.

Laughing, Dar went to get the sound kit. He had a hunch seeing the sounds would put

their boy over the edge, and Mal could have his orgasm before they plugged his slit. Fuck, it felt

like it had been forever since he’d really laughed.

He stopped on the way to kiss Key then Mal, feeling wild. Mal sucked his tongue, pulling

at him, trying to get him to stay.

Dar let it happen for a moment, enjoying the fight, the need. Then he stood. “The sounds

are coming.”

“No…”

Oh, yes. Yes, they were.

Key slammed into Mal’s ass. “Pay attention, boy.”

Dar went to the wardrobe and grabbed the little sound kit. He turned, breath catching as

he watched his lovers fucking. They were stunning together. No one fought the ropes like their

boy, no one fought submission so well.

“I have the sounds here, boy. We’ll have to take a look and decide which one to use.”

Mal shook his head, a low moan sounding.

“Yes. I know you love seeing them, imagining them filling your prick.”

“No. No…”

“Yes. Yes.” Dar opened the little container and showed the sounds to Mal.

Mal turned his face away, squeezed his eyes shut. Silly boy.

“Do you really want me to pick, boy?” Dar was not going to choose the smallest one, not

by a long shot.

“Better you than Key.”

Oh. Oh, ho! That was a challenge and a half.

“I guess I’ll have to change your mind on that.”

Key grimaced. “Gonna make you pay for that little comment, boy.”

Dar grinned. He loved tag-teaming Mal. What’s more, Mal loved it, too.

“You both need someone full-time to distract you.” Mal was far too coherent.

“Harder, Key. He’s thinking.”

“He’s thinking what we’ve been thinking. Having our boy full-time.” Key punched in

harder as he said it.

“Fuck…” Mal groaned, shook for them.

“Are you going to come on Key’s cock? Before I have a chance to get the sound in?”

“I need you to, boy. Need you to give it up for me.” Key sped his rhythm, just slamming

into Mal.

Mal looked at Key, who reached out, cupped Mal’s cheek.

Fuck, Dar loved them both. He held his breath, waiting for Mal to give Key what he’d

asked for.

“Sir.” Mal moaned, nuzzled into Key’s hands, spunk spreading between them.

“Oh, fuck.” The sight, the scent, they were perfect.

“My good, good boy.” Key groaned, eyes rolling back in his head.

“Your turn, lover.” Dar rubbed the base of Key’s spine, making his lover jerk hard.

“Fuck!” Key arched impossibly, his chest flushing dark.

“Come,” Dar clarified, digging his fingers in this time.

Key slammed in, shooting, throat working.

“Fuck, you are a beautiful man, Burke. You and Mal, too.”

Key smiled at Dar, the look goofy and relaxed.

Dar chuckled. “Let me get this sound into our lover, and then it’s my turn. So anytime

you want to come out and cuddle him is good.”

“Bossy, bossy.” Key was loose limbed and grinning. The man was adorable, post-

orgasm.

Dar just shook his head and showed Mal the sounds again. “Which one, boy. Pick before

I do.”

Mal shook his head, eyes closing, proving that his need and trust were bigger than anyone

believed. Bending, he kissed the tip of Mal’s prick and chose the fourth largest of six. It was a

lot, but Mal’s need was huge.

“You’ll need a lot of time, lube.” Key had pulled out, was cleaning up.

“I know how to do it, lover.” A lot of time was the point.

“Mmmhmm.” Key cuddled against Mal, arm pinning his torso down.

Dar took hold of Mal’s cock and rubbed the tip. “I’m going to fill this little hole.”

“No…” Mal shook his head, and Key rubbed Mal’s spunk into that amazing ripped belly.

“Oh, yes. I’m going to fill you with this piece of metal, and you won’t be able to come

again. Not until I take it out when I’m good and ready.”

“No. No more.” Mal pulled at the bonds, pushed at Key, who just smiled, riding it out.

“First is the lube. Lots and lots of Astroglide for your pretty little prick.”

“Let me go.” Mal moaned the words out, hands curled into fists.

“Oh, no, not for a long, long time.”

He grabbed hold of Mal’s prick and began feeding the slick into that little hole. Mal’s

eyes were squeezed shut, chest working. Their boy needed this, so much.

Dar kept filling Mal’s slit. “I remember the first time we did this.”

Key hummed. “Oh, me too. We had to gag him, he screamed so loud.”

“You going to scream for us today, Mal?”

Mal shook his head, lips pursed, jaw clenched.

“I’m going to feed the sound into you, then it’s my turn to take this beautiful ass of

yours.”

“He’s perfect inside, like a furnace. Made to be fucked.” Key hummed softly, fingers

circling one nipple. “Our slut.”

“I need to be inside him. I have to wait, though. I have to make him crazy with this

sound. You hear me, boy?”

“I hate you both.” It didn’t sound like hate, what was coming out of Mal’s mouth.

Key’s laughter was warm. “God, I love how you fight, boy.”

Dar pushed a little more lube into the tiny hole, for good measure. “You’re ready for the

sound now. Gonna fuck your slit, Mal.”

“I can’t breathe!”

“He might need mouth to mouth, Key.”

“Maybe. I’ll see.” Key kissed Mal, mouth wide open.

Dar took Mal’s prick, squeezed the tip, making the little hole an O. “Here we go, boy.”

He touched the end of the sound to Mal’s slit.

Mal’s body tried to pull in, but there was no place to go. Dar fed a quarter of an inch of

the sound in, then tugged it back out again.

Key groaned for him. “Fuck, that makes me ache, seeing you fuck his slit.”

“Bet it makes Mal ache to feel it.” He winked at Key.

“You know it. He craves it, though, being touched everywhere.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!” Mal cried out for him.

“Then stop trying to hide and watch what I’m doing, boy.”

“I’m not a boy!”

“Are too,” replied Key.

“Our boy.” Dar fucked the tiny slit slowly, letting the metal drag in Mal’s cock. “So

fucking sexy.”

“They have rings that hold the sounds in.” Key was almost purring. “That we could keep

you controlled with.”

Mal whimpered, tugged at the ropes again, this time more slowly, like he was swimming.

Dar thought that was an amazing idea. “We need to go shopping, Key.”

“We do.” Key ran one finger over the clamped tip of Mal’s nipple and their boy jerked.

He had just the way to do it, too. “We’ll plug him, clamp him, and make him come with

us.”

“God, yes.” Key’s eyes went hot. “Oh, fuck. Our boy at our side.”

Mal’s cry was pure need, not an ounce of denial in it.

Dar couldn’t wait any longer. He let the sound drop, knowing the ball on top would stop

it from disappearing inside Mal’s body. Grabbing a condom, he worked it on quickly and spread

lube over it. Key was driving Mal crazy, twisting the nipple clamps, nudging the top of the

sound. It was something else, watching their boy writhe with need. Even the scars didn’t seem so

bad when Mal was like this.

Dar pushed between Mal’s thighs, spreading that well-fucked hole with his thumbs.

“Mmm. Looks like you got our boy good and ready for me, Key.” He pushed the head of his

cock in along with his thumbs.

“Always.” Key’s fingers moved over Mal’s skin, pinching and tugging, twisting and

playing.

Mal bucked between his cock and Key’s touches, and Dar sank right in to the hilt, a

needy groan tearing out of him. Fuck, their boy was hot, burning. It had been too long since he’d

felt Mal inside like this. He pushed in again, shifting and managing to get the angle just right to

skate over Mal’s gland. The man’s prick jerked, the little ball at the top of the sound bobbing.

Oh, yes. Right there. Good boy.

He pushed into that spot again, getting the same reaction, and, with a groan, he went to

town, riding Mal’s ass. It was perfect—Mal was with him, rocking with him, welcoming him in.

Dar touched Mal’s balls with his fingertips, then the long cock where he nudged the top of the

sound.

“Sir.” Mal’s body went tight around him, stealing Dar’s breath.

Groaning, he pushed in again, hard as he could. Their bodies slapped together, the sound

satisfying as fuck. He got a good rhythm going, hard and fast, his gaze searching out Mal’s gaze.

Mal’s eyes were slitted, and his boy was focused on him. Good. He wanted that focus. He

wanted to be the center of Mal’s world while he was fucking that sweet hole.

He wanted Mal’s heart and soul with them.

“I see you,” he told Mal. “I see you.”

A single tear escaped their boy, slipped down one cheek, and Key kissed it away.

“We both see you.” Dar kept thrusting, Mal’s body the perfect place.

“And we have you, boy. We’ll always have you.” Key breathed the words against Mal’s

ear.

Dar nodded, pounded in harder, saying it with his body.

“Please.” Mal sucked in deep lungfuls of air.

“You don’t get to come, boy. Not until you’ve been fucked, filled with a plug. Not until

we give you permission.”

“Fuck. Fuck. I love you both, so fucking much.”

“That’s three, baby boy. Three punishments.” Key sounded gleeful.

Dar suspected those had been on purpose, Mal finally giving in to his need.

“After I do this.” Dar wasn’t stopping. He wasn’t sure he could.

Key nodded. “I’ll save them. I have a plan.”

He grinned at Key. His lover could be wicked with a plan. He got a better grip on Mal’s

hips and pulled their boy harder into his thrusts.

“I want to come.” Yes, but Mal wasn’t going to.

“You will. Later.” Dar kept moving, the pleasure clawing at him. It wouldn’t be long

now.

“Much later.” Key twisted the sound.

Dar felt that all around his cock, and he cried out, punching in harder. Key smiled, fingers

playing with the clamps now, tugging them. Dar cried out as he felt himself coming, his body

going tight as he filled the condom. Mal worked him, twisting and shifting under him, trapped.

Groaning, he finally collapsed down onto his boy. Key’s hand slipped over, stroked his

back. He grunted, exactly where he wanted to be.

“Are your arms okay like this, boy, your abs?” Dar asked. Take care of your sub first.

“My belly’s a little sore.”

Key grabbed a pillow, propped up Mal’s ass.

“Better?” Dar cuddled Mal from the opposite side as Key was on. They had him well-

sandwiched between them.

“Thank you.”

“Anything for our boy.” They both kissed one of Mal’s cheeks, and Dar took a deep

breath, finally feeling like they were getting a handle on things, that they were bringing their boy

back to them.

He reached out, and Key’s fingers twined with his, squeezing over Mal’s belly.

It was almost perfect.

Chapter Four

Burke tried not to be an impatient asshole, but Mal had been finished with his

appointment with the shrink over an hour ago. He should have been home about twenty minutes

later. Burke checked his watch. Again.

“Key…” Dar’s low growl warned him that his lover’s patience was being tapped, too.

Only it was probably by him.

“He should have been back already!”

Dar shrugged. “Or his appointment started late, or it ran late, or he wanted to stop and get

a bite to eat afterwards, or a thousand other innocuous things.”

Burke just grunted. Asshole, bringing logic into his perfectly good freak-out.

Mal was driving again, starting to go back to his normal life, slowly but surely. It was

maddening, to have Mal around and not in a scene. They’d never done that before, just

been…together.

The ironic thing was that this was what he wanted—their boy living with them full time.

He needed it to be permanent, though, to start to get into the groove with it. He needed to know

what the deal was, what life was going to be like. He needed to know that Mal wasn’t going to

run away.

He raised his arm, and Dar tossed a pillow at him “Do not check your watch again. It’s a

minute later than the last time you looked.”

Key’s phone rang, Mal’s name showing up. Thank god. He opened it up. “Boy.”

“Hey, Key. I stopped to pick up another fucking prescription. You need anything from

the store? I have cupcakes and Big Red already.”

“Another prescription?” Mal was on too many meds already. “How about some pork

rinds? Dar, you want anything from the store? Our boy’s gone shopping.”

“Big Red and we need eggs, love.”

“He already has your Big Red.” He grinned at Dar before telling Mal, “We need eggs.”

“You got it. You want anything for supper?”

“You.” He could eat Mal up with a spoon, any time of the day.

Mal snorted. “I’ll bring chips and chicken salad.”

“I guess if we have to have real food, that’ll do.”

“Cool.” The phone went dead and Dar gave him a look.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. He’s got another prescription, and he went to the store for Big Red and shit. He’s

bringing home chicken.”

“Another prescription? What for? Are they drugging him into stupidity?”

“I didn’t want to interrogate him over the phone, babe.”

“No. Of course not. Still?” Dar’s lips tightened. “I worry.”

“I know. Me, too. He doesn’t need more stuff to mess with his head.” He wanted Mal

back to himself. Their boy was getting there, but it was slow going, and the damned meds

weren’t helping.

Dar nodded. “I think they’re trying to keep him from going back to work.”

“Then they should be up front about it and offer him a retirement package.”

Snorting, Dar shook his head. “Do you think he’d take it?”

“I don’t know. If he talked to us about it, we could help him work it out. If he didn’t, it

would be a solid no. He thinks his job defines him.”

“And what do you think, Key?”

“I think being our boy defines him. He just hasn’t admitted it yet.” Burke just needed to

know Mal was safe and happy.

“Do you think that will be enough for him?”

“No, but I don’t think he needs to be a cop. Especially an undercover one.” He hated how

Mal’s job twisted him up inside.

“It’s a hard life. I imagine they get eaten up a lot.”

“Yeah.” He started pacing again. He wore out more carpet worrying over Mal.

“You have to relax, babe. He needs us.”

“I know he does—that’s why I’m pacing.”

Dar chuckled and stood, and they slapped together. “Hey, you. Focus.”

Key growled.

“Ooh. Rumbly.”

He was going to kick Dar’s ass. “Don’t make me beat you.”

Dar settled more firmly where he was. “I’d love to see you try.”

“Oh, you would, would you?” He bumped into Dar, pushing the man back a step.

Maybe they needed to play, the two of them. He thought it was a good option, and their

chests bumped hard. Growling again, he reached around and smacked Dar’s ass. Dar snarled,

grabbed his wrists and dragged them up over his head.

He pushed their chests together hard again, making Dar take another step back as Burke

slammed his mouth over Dar’s. Fuck. Hot. So hot.

Yanking one of his hands free, he grabbed hold of one ass cheek, grinding their bodies

together. Dar started attacking his nipples, tugging hard, making his eyes cross. He pulled Dar’s

shirt off, fingernails digging into skin.

“Fucking love you, Key.”

“Ditto, Dar.”

He took another, hard, needy kiss, pouring himself into it, letting Dar feel him. Fuck,

he’d been so worried about Mal he’d forgotten they had this between them, this amazing heat.

They stumbled backward, his back banging against the wall with a thud. Dar was pure strength,

pushing against him, making him fucking need.

“Mine.” His cock was hard as nails and the fight between them intensified.

“Goddamn fucking mine,” Dar growled right back, hips grinding into his.

“Yeah.” Fuck, yeah. He bit at Dar’s lower lip, his fingers finding Dar’s hips and digging

in. Fuck, they were wearing too many clothes. Burke opened Dar’s pants, fingertips dragging

over the hard shaft.

“Baby.” Dar’s mouth fell open, gasping.

“Love.” He started jacking, firm and fast, giving Dar what he liked. “Oh, love. Been

neglecting you.”

Dar grunted, but he knew it was agreement.

“I’ve got you, lover. Want to smell your spunk.”

“Key!” Dar jerked, pushing into his hand.

Fuck, yes. Burke worked that beautiful cock hard. “Yeah, give it to me, love.” No one

was more beautiful than his lovers. No one. He took another hard kiss, pinching the tip of Dar’s

cock.

Dar shot for him, snarling his name, eyes wide. Beautiful.

“Oh, fuck, yes.” He bit Dar’s lower lip then sucked on it, hand still working, encouraging

every last drop from his lover.

“Love you, baby.”

Burke grinned. “I know.” He took another kiss, letting this one be lazier, even though he

hadn’t come.

He heard the kitchen door, the refrigerator open and close. “Our boy is home.”

“He is.” Dar grinned at him, the expression lazy.

“Ass.” He kissed Dar one last time and pushed him back, heading toward the kitchen.

Mal had gone on a junk food bender. Damn.

“You have a craving, boy?” Burke started helping put chips and crap in the pantry.

“Just what I eat at home, is all.”

“Well, you are home, so I guess that’s good.” He leaned in to whisper. “You know Dar’s

going to cook us all sorts of healthy shit to counteract this, right?”

“Uh-huh. And outlaw high fructose corn syrup and salt and we’ll have to go out and

sneak burgers.”

“As long as you remember to bring one back for me when you do.” Dar walked into the

kitchen.

Burke gave Mal a look. They were busted.

Mal pinked but grinned. “Swiss Cake Roll?”

“Oh, make it two.” He winked, swatted Mal’s ass.

“I bought two boxes.”

“You’re a bad, bad boy.” Burke grinned, holding out his hand for the confection.

Dar snorted. “You’re both bad boys. I’m going to have an apple.”

“An apple? When you could have this?” Mal handed over a cake, then sucked two down

himself.

Burke ate his happily and with only the tiniest bit of guilt.

Mal grabbed a Coke, rolling his eyes. “How’s that apple?”

“Delicious.” Butter wouldn’t melt in Dar’s mouth.

Burke chuckled, knowing Dar would have said that even if the thing had worms in it. Mal

counted out pills from the pharmacy bags.

“So what’s this new drug?” Dar asked, crowding Mal at the counter.

“Some psych thing. Doc says it’ll help the dreams.”

Burke thought dreams were healing, honestly.

Dar growled. “You need to dream, boy. It’s healthy.”

“Doc wants me to take them.”

“So, what if you don’t? What if you take a week or two vacation from all the fucking

meds? Your physical injuries are more or less healed, and this cocktail you’re on is insane.” Dar

taking the lead on this battle made sense.

“We’re not discussing this.” Mal had that stubborn look on his face.

“Yes, we are. You need to be involved with your own life.”

Mal growled. “Just drop it, guys.”

Burke shook his head. “Sorry, boy, you know that’s not how it works.”

“This isn’t a scene. You can’t tell me what to do.”

Dar started growling again. “And what am I, Mal? Chopped liver? If nothing else, this

new drug interacts badly with your anti-anxiety meds, and that makes me distrust this guy you’re

seeing.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be all into pills and stuff?”

“My job as a psychiatrist is to make people whole, not get them hooked on some cocktail

that steals who they are.”

Mal’s cheeks heated. “You know. I think it’s time for me to go apartment hunting, guys.

We’re getting in each other’s way.”

“No,” Burke and Dar said the word together, very emphatically.

Dar shook his head. “Don’t run away from us, Mal. You need us, and well, we need you,

don’t we.” It wasn’t a question.

“We’ve never talked about long-term, about how it would work.” Mal had a point.

Burke fielded that one. “Then it’s about time we did.” He wanted Mal with them full-

time, full-stop. He wanted their family whole. “Come on, grab another Swiss Roll and let’s sit,

talk about this like grown-ups.”

Mal nodded, grabbed the box and his drink and went to sit. Burke had to smile. He forgot

sometimes that their Mal was a practical man in his bones.

Burke grabbed a water out of the fridge, Dar did the same, and they went to sit with Mal,

flanking their boy.

“We want you to move in,” Dar said bluntly. “For keeps.”

“But what does that mean? I mean, you want me to rent a room? You want my stuff here?

What about the rules, scenes, work?”

“You,” Burke said, spelling it right out, “are our partner. We want you to live with us full

time as a member of our family. Because that’s what you are. We want your stuff here, we want

you here. We want scenes and rules, and that we’ll have to work out, whether it’s full time, part

time or once every couple months like it used to be.”

Dar nodded, watching them both. “I don’t know if I can not be your Dom, Mal. I can try,

but it’s who I am.”

Burke nodded. “I think we’d both be more comfortable with you being our boy full

time.” He looked at Mal, waiting for their boy’s response.

“I have to think about all this. Everything is different these days, and I need some time.”

“You can tell us what your initial thoughts are, though,” Dar insisted.

Mal looked so tired, so worn. “I love you both. I need what you give me, but I don’t

know if we can survive living together full time. We’ll fight.”

That made Burke laugh. “That’s what people who live together do. You’ve never seen

Darby and I go at it.”

Dar smiled and added, “You need to do what you’re comfortable with. There will always

be a place for you here, always.”

Mal looked at Dar, then one hand was offered over. “Thank you, Darby.”

Darby shook solemnly. “We have your best interest at heart.”

“I know that. I want to make sure we all have all our best interests at heart.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, Mal. Key here is whiney when he needs

something.” Dar winked, and Burke offered his lover his middle finger.

Mal chuckled. “What about when I go undercover again? If they clear me.”

“Then I guess you go live your undercover life for the duration. We won’t be happy

about it, but we never are.”

Mal shrugged, expression uncomfortable, worried.

Burke reached out and took Mal’s hand. “Talk to me. To us.”

“I don’t know what to do, and I’m not used to that. Usually someone’s telling me what

they want—the precinct, the doctors, you. And now I feel confused.”

“We’d be happy to tell you what to do, boy.” Burke knew they were good at that.

“What kind of man would I be, then?” Mal’s lips twisted, and Burke hated the shame that

was there.

“Ours.” There was nothing wrong with that, nothing at all.

“I’m going to have a swim. I need to think.”

“You just ate your body weight in plastic chocolate, boy,” Dar pointed out.

“Give it a half hour, Mal,” Burke suggested.

“Fine. I’ll go for a run.”

Burke looked at Dar, and Dar looked at him, and they both nodded. Leaning in, they

kissed him together.

Mal clung for a few seconds, then leaned back. “You can’t distract me with seduction.”

Sure, they could. They were exceptional at it. “Watch us.”

Dar tugged Mal’s chair out and knelt in front of him, this kiss deep. Mal shuddered, then

reached for Dar, fingers tangling in his hair. It made Dar notice Mal’s hair, which was longer

than Burke had ever seen it, chestnut brown and thick, gorgeous. He watched for a bit, enjoying

the fuck out of the way they looked together. His men. His family.

Then his prick reminded him that while he’d gotten riled up earlier, he hadn’t come, and

grunting, he went to his knees too and pushed right into that kiss. It was Mal who reached for

him first, drawing him closer. Burke pressed up hard against his lover and their boy, his arms

wrapping around them. Mal slid down, joining them, opening for them.

Between the three of them, they got their shirts off and their pants open and began to rub.

He was so going to have to scrub the dining room floor. It would be worth it, though, to have

convinced Mal that he was loved and important and right where he belonged.

“You want his hole or his mouth, baby?” Dar asked Burke.

“I want his mouth. This time.” He wanted to watch his prick disappear between those

hungry lips, see Mal’s cheeks swell with him. “But in bed.” Nobody was getting sore knees on

his watch.

He stood and hauled them both up unceremoniously. Mal chuckled, dangling a little

between them.

Between him and Dar, they all got to the bedroom, their bedroom with its king size bed.

Not the playroom.

Burke needed to make that explicit. “Want this to be our bedroom, Mal.”

“The bed’s more than big enough for three.” Dar was always the practical one.

“The bed is perfect. You both know I love your bed.”

“Our bed,” Burke insisted, Dar nodding to him.

“I haven’t agreed to stay.”

“Doesn’t matter. You belong here—it’s our bed.” Burke wasn’t going to let Mal forget

that.

Mal hid his face in Burke’s throat, cheeks hot.

Burke kissed the top of Mal’s head, running his hands over all that lovely skin, ending

with his fingers wrapped around Mal’s ass.

Dar focused on Mal’s hair, tangling his fingers in it, tugging a little. Mal gasped, eyes

rolling. While Dar tugged Mal’s head back, Burke latched onto his lover’s throat.

Mal’s throat vibrated with the soft moan, and Dar chuckled. “Someone likes his hair

pulled.”

“Good thing he’s got some to pull now.”

“Gon’ cut it off.”

“No.” Burke shook his head and Dar grabbed Mal’s hair hard.

Mal jerked, and Burke’s eyes went wide at the sudden arousal. Oh, they’d found a new

game. Grinning, he placed a hard kiss on Mal’s lips. “Do it again, Dar.”

“No…” Mal’s protest didn’t sound very serious at all.

Dar tugged, slow and hard, and Mal sobbed, cock like a diamond.

“Oh, I have an idea.” Burke knelt on the bed and rubbed his prick along Mal’s lips.

“Again, Dar.”

“No more. Plea—” When Mal opened his mouth, Burke pushed his prick in.

Dar tugged, and Mal opened wider on a gasp. Burke rocked his hips. Mal sucked hard,

eyes wide and staring, hungry, wanton.

“Yeah. Take it. Suck me, boy.” He pushed in harder.

Mal’s groan was pure need and Burke loved it, loved that there were still new things to

discover. He and Dar worked together, himself fucking that sweet mouth, Dar tugging on Mal’s

hair now and then, making sure their boy felt it. Mal was working Burke’s prick like it was the

first time, like the man was desperate for it.

“Fuck. Shit, so good.” He grabbed hold of Mal’s shoulders, pushing in harder, thrusting

for all he was worth.

He was staring at Dar, fucking stunned. Dar’s grin was wicked, wild, and he tugged on

Mal’s hair again, pulling his head back even farther.

Burke groaned and pushed deep, sinking into Mal’s throat. “Fuck! Fuck!” He was so

damn close.

Dar reached out, pinched his nipple playfully, making it sting, and Burke glared for a half

second before he shot, losing it. He filled Mal’s throat, his body shuddering. Mal swallowed

around him, over and over, taking him in.

Groaning, he finally pulled out. “Jesus, fuck that was something.”

Mal tried to move away, pull the sheets around him.

Burk wouldn’t let him. “We’re not done yet, boy.”

“I need a breath.”

“Sure.” He and Dar sandwiched Mal between them. “We need to get tested, so we can

dispense with the condoms.”

Mal moaned softly. “I have my tests. They’re regular.”

“Dar and I got tested when they brought out those two-day kits.” He looked at Mal.

“We’re clean.”

“Me too.”

“Then we don’t need the rubbers anymore, right? We don’t play with anyone else, Mal.

There isn’t anyone else, hasn’t been since we started seeing you.”

“I don’t play with anyone. I need you.”

“You’ve got us. You have us lock, stock, and barrel, boy. That’s why we need you here

with us.” He pressed a kiss on Mal, not needing Mal to start thinking of objections just yet. Dar

and Mal both needed to come, needed to rut like bunnies before anyone worried about thinking.

“I want to fill you with my spunk, boy.”

Burke groaned at Dar’s words. “And then we’ll plug you, let you keep Dar deep inside

you.”

Mal moaned, face lax, lips open and well-fucked.

“Just the thought of that makes me need to shoot.” Dar’s smile was wicked.

Burke nodded and leaned back against the headboard to watch, then patted his chest.

“C’mere boy. I’ll hold you while he fills your hole.”

Groaning, Mal moved, coming to lie on him.

Burke shifted Mal until his boy’s hard cock rested against his hip. Then he took a kiss

before nodding to Dar. “He’s ready for you, lover.”

“Look at that tiny little hole.” Darby moved closer, drizzling a spicy-smelling oil down

along Mal’s spine.

Key stroked Mal’s thighs, spreading their lover wider. Dar slid his fingers over Mal’s

back, rubbing Mal’s muscles on the way down to his ass. Mal was heavy, solid against Burke,

heartbeat strong and steady. Keeping half an eye on what Dar was doing, Burke gave most of his

attention to their boy. He touched Mal’s face, tracing each feature.

Dar was talking, fingers sliding through the oil, teasing Mal’s hole. Burke could see

every time that Dar touched Mal’s hole in the way Mal’s nostrils would flare.

“Hot bastard. Our hot bastard.” Dar groaned, hand slapping on Mal’s ass.

Mal moaned and pushed into him. Burke nodded, smiling at both his lovers.

“He’s beautiful.” Dar pressed up close, fingers working Mal’s hole. “Hot and slick inside.

Going to be perfect around my cock.”

“Bareback.” Burke was jealous, but only the barest bit—he knew he’d get a turn.

Dar met his eyes. “If you get it up, baby, we can take him together.”

Time fucking stopped. His cock went rock hard. “Fuck, yes.”

Dar grinned at him over Mal’s shoulder. “We’ll bring him home.”

“Yes. How do we do it?” Both of them at once. Christ, it was going to be amazing.

“You’ll take him just as you are, and I’ll come from here. I have lots of lube, we have

nothing but time.” Dar chuckled softly. “I’ll need to fetch the training plug for after, though, he’ll

be so full.”

Mal’s response was a low groan.

“Come on up here, baby. I’ll finish getting you ready, get started while Dar gets the

hardware.”

After everything they’d done, everything they’d asked of him, Mal went to him without

complaint. How could Mal believe he was anything but theirs?

Burke slicked his fingers up, and holding Mal’s gaze, he pushed two fingers into that

sweet ass.

Dar headed off, eager and whistling, and Mal pressed into Burke’s arm. “Why the

training plug? It’s heavy.”

“It’ll hold in our cum.” It would drive Mal insane, remind their boy who he belonged to.

He pushed his fingers deep, finding Mal’s gland. Mal grunted, teeth on Burke’s shoulder,

biting down. Burke pegged that spot again, and pushed in another finger.

Dar came back in and stopped to watch. “Mmm. Look at your fingers disappearing in that

little hole.”

“I’d need a mirror for that.” Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. He wanted to see Mal taking

them both.

“You want me to move the dressing mirror?” Dar asked.

Mal lifted his head. “No!”

“Fuck, yes.” Was it any wonder he loved and adored his Darby?

Mal groaned. “Perv. You pervs.”

Burke grinned at Mal. “You bet.”

“Will you both fit?” Mal asked.

Burke cupped Mal’s cheeks, looked into his eyes. “We won’t hurt you for anything.”

Dar wheeled the mirror over. “I’ve had my hand inside you, lover. We’ll fit.”

Burke looked up and grinned. “Oh, there we are. Perfect, Dar.” He could see and feel

everything. Fuck, yeah.

He pressed another finger in with the first two, letting his eyes guide him. Mal moaned

and Dar’s finger joined his, making it four. He watched in the mirror, the view exciting him.

Mal’s ass was pale, but that little hole, it was pink and spread for them.

Dar worked in another finger. Fuck. Five. Their boy was something else. Mal was

moaning constantly, and Dar added more lube, slicking them all up.

“I want inside now.” Burke couldn’t wait any longer.

Darby pulled his fingers out and grabbed Burke’s cock, rubbing it over Mal’s hole. Burke

gasped, the sensation of touching their boy bareback stole his breath. This sound came out of

him, low and deep and full of need.

“Mmm. Feels good, hmm?” Dar did it again and again.

“Yes. Fuck.” Goddamn, it felt so good, but at the same time, it wasn’t enough.

“That is the plan, Key. Your cock, my cock, this perfect ass.”

“Yeah. Now. Come on, no more teasing.” He needed to be buried deep.

“Take him, baby boy,” Dar insisted. “You know you love his cock.”

Mal’s whispered “with all my heart” almost broke Burke.

Dar held his prick in place, and they both put a hand on Mal’s hips. Burke groaned as that

tight hole spread around the head of his cock, opening up for him. He’d fucked Dar bareback, but

never Mal, and it was so hot, so tight. Mal moaned and took him, began to move on him like the

son of a bitch was swimming.

“Oh, fuck. Mal.” He met his lover’s eyes, needing to share this moment with him.

Mal nodded. “Skin on skin. I’ve never ever. Ever.” No. Mal had never bottomed before

them.

“Feels good. Feels amazing.” Burke gave Mal another grin and looked over at the mirror,

watching as his cock pushed into Mal’s tiny hole. He groaned as his brain tried to process what

he was feeling and what he was seeing. “Mal. Mal.” He groaned, bumping up with his hips.

“Dar. Lover. Look.”

“I see. You’re both amazing.” Dar let him fuck a couple of times, slide in deep and pull

back, before one finger joined Burke’s prick on a thrust in.

“Fuck!” It surprised him, both the act and how fucking good it felt. Their boy was tight,

but with the extra finger, Mal seemed even tighter.

Moaning, he thrust a couple more times. Dar followed, spreading Mal, stroking his cock.

“Feels fucking amazing.”

When Dar added another finger, Burke almost bit his tongue. Fuck. Fuck, that was, he

was… Fuck. “I’m fucking loving this.”

Mal was silent on the subject, the man’s only sounds soft panting breaths. Burke leaned

in and kissed Mal, tongue sliding through his lover’s mouth. He wanted Mal right here with

them. Their boy met his eyes, stared at him, so needy. Smiling into their kiss, Burke punched up

harder.

“It’s going to be my cock too in a moment, boy. Are you ready for me?” Dar’s fingers

moved all along Burke’s prick.

Mal moaned, lips moving, but the answer didn’t have any voice to it. It didn’t need to,

though. Dar tugged his fingers away and moved up behind Mal.

Burke stopped pushing, held Mal close, down on his cock. “We’ve got you, boy. Gonna

make you fly, make you feel amazing.”

Mal buried his face in the curve of Burke’s shoulder, holding on tight. He nodded to Dar,

holding onto Mal and watching closely in the mirror. Dar slicked himself up and snuggled up

close, pressing against Burke’s cock, Mal’s hole. Suddenly, the pressure against his cock was

immense, making him gasp, groan.

“Oh, fuck. Fuck.” Burke took in a deep breath, making himself relax.

“Sir…”

He forced his focus to their boy, away from himself. Mal was the focus, the important

one. Their reason. “You’re doing great, boy. Amazing.”

“Talk to me?”

“Always, boy. I’ll talk to you until we’re old and gray and popping the blue pills to do

this.”

It felt amazing, Mal’s laugh, both around his cock and inside his soul.

“I love you, boy. You and Darby. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have two men in my

life, but I did.” Doing this, feeling Dar push into Mal next to him was making him sentimental.

He felt Dar’s cock slide along his, push against him. He was on fire. “I can feel him, Mal.

Feel our lover’s prick inside you, right next to mine. God damn.”

He felt Mal’s cry, seconds before those strong fingers grabbed him.

“I’ve got you, Mal. We’ve got you.”

Dar grunted. “We do. Jesus, fuck, Mal. Tightest place on earth, but you have room

enough for both of us. You getting it?”

“Yours.” Mal’s hair was damp with sweat, skin slick.

“That’s fucking right.” Dar howled, the sound needy and triumphant all at once.

Holding onto Mal’s ass, Burke started to move, he and Dar sliding carefully inside their

lover. Burke couldn’t swallow, his mouth was so dry. Electricity shot up his spine, and he could

only imagine how Mal was feeling.

There wouldn’t be room for anything, but them. Not in the man’s body, not in the man’s

head.

Moaning with Dar, Burke kept the movement going, finding their rhythm. Hot and heavy,

but not quite enough to send him over the edge. He was gonna ride this exact sweet spot just as

long as he could. Darby touched his hand, stroked his fingers where they rested on Mal’s ass. He

met his lover’s eyes and smiled, his whole body filling with how he felt about these two men.

“Love.” Darby moaned the word, low and rough.

He nodded, his own words leaving him. “Yes. Fuck. Dar. Mal.” He groaned out the

single syllables, his balls drawing up, suddenly so close to falling over the edge.

“Please. Please, Sir. Touch me. So close.”

“Sweet boy. Mine.” Burke reached for Mal’s prick.

“Ours,” corrected Dar as his lover’s hands met his on Mal’s prick.

He looked into Dar’s eyes, then Mal’s, ignoring the mirror in favor of seeing them.

“Yes. Yours. All of me.” Mal groaned, body milking his cock.

“Come for us, Mal. Show us.” Burke squeezed and Dar squeezed and they pushed into

their boy together, deep.

Mal shuddered, shook hard between them and heat spread over Burke’s fingers. He cried

out as Mal got impossibly tighter, and he rocked in one more time, coming deep inside his boy.

Dar continued to move, the stimulation making Burke’s orgasm go on and on. His focus was

shot, lights sparkling behind his closed eyelids as he fucking soared.

By the time he came down, Dar had come too, and they were all panting hard.

Dar pulled out first, then slicked the plug quickly before tilting Mal’s ass. “Don’t want

you to lose a drop of this, boy. Not until I clean you out.”

Mal moaned but didn’t move.

“Tell me what you need me to do, lover.” Burke was loathe to leave the tight heat of

Mal’s body, but knew he couldn’t stay buried forever.

“Just stay still. I’ll shift him.” Dar’s hands grabbed Mal’s ass and moved it.

Burke popped out, groaning at the loss of heat. He had the presence of mind to watch the

mirror, though, making sure he saw that heavy plug going into Mal’s ass. They both knew Mal

had a love-hate relationship with this plug, and the tiny hole fought to take it in. He stroked

Mal’s back, then grabbed those sweet cheeks and spread them, holding Mal open for Dar.

Mal’s moan was soft, sweet as honey.

“Love you, boy.” His words were fierce. And echoed by Dar.

Mal whimpered, mouth moving for him as the plug was seated, filling their boy to the

brim. Once that was done, they all shifted, Dar moving to sandwich Mal from the other side.

Mal’s cheeks were streaked with tears, but the man was almost asleep without a sleeping pill, at

all.

“He’ll stay,” Dar murmured.

“He has to.”

“He will, Key.”

Burke nodded, holding Mal between them.

* * * *

“Where are my meds?” Mal went to Darby, hands shaking. He’d searched his bag, the

kitchen, the bathroom. He was going to lose his shit.

“You did just fine without them last night,” Darby noted.

“Where. Are. My. Meds.”

“I have your dose for today here.” Dar held out a pill box but didn’t actually hand it over.

“I want you to do something for me. I want you to go see a new shrink. I know it can’t be me—

I’m personally involved. But I’m not happy with the guy the job has you seeing. I want you to

see someone who doesn’t have any irons in the fire.”

He shook his head. “Dar, I don’t want to have to keep going over this shit again and

again. The precinct shrink has to be done with me soon, right?”

He didn’t mind changing, but he didn’t want to keep dredging all the shit up. Just seeing

the pillbox made him breathe a little easier, though, and that worried him some.

“I don’t trust him, Malcolm. Some of these meds he has you on shouldn’t be mixed

together, some he’s got you on a dosage that I think is too high. Like I said, I admit that I’m too

close to you to be impartial. I know it’s hard for you, but you’re worth fighting for, and in this

case, I believe that means a new shrink.”

Dar let him have the box of pills. “If the new shrink agrees with the precinct guy, I will

back off.”

“Are they going to hurt me? The pills, I mean?” Dar was a doctor. Mal trusted him

implicitly.

“They could affect your liver, but I’m just as concerned about your mental health. This

stuff doesn’t all play nicely together, and I do think it’s going to hurt you in the long run, if not

short term.”

“I don’t think I have a mental health anymore,” he teased, turning the pills over and over

in his fingers. “I’m tired of dreaming.”

“Everyone needs to dream, boy. But we could work on some guided meditation before

bed to help you not be aware of the dreams.” Dar closed his fingers over Mal’s palm, stilling

Mal’s hand. “I have the number of a lady doc who comes highly recommended. Will you go?”

“It’s just between us. Nothing that gets to the guys at the precinct? I’m not crazy.” He

wasn’t. He was just worried. All the time. He’d made a terrible mistake, let that motherfucker in

and… His fingers went to his belly, to the deep, heavy scars there.

Dar grabbed his hand and twisted their fingers together. “Not another soul needs to know,

Mal. This will be entirely between you and the doctor. You are not crazy, and I just want to make

sure that the person helping you work through shit doesn’t shove you there.”

“Once. I’ll go once.” He would give Darby that much respect. The man deserved it.

He was glad he had at the wave of relief that passed over Dar’s face. “Thank you.”

Mal nodded, stepped closer, wanting a hug, a touch. Support. Dar cupped his chin and

tilted his head up, took a hard kiss. He opened, not even wanting to fight it today. Dar’s tongue

swept through his mouth, the big body pressing close to him, backing him up against the counter.

The pillbox fell from his fingers, his arms wrapping around Dar’s waist. Dar’s big hands

wrapped around Mal’s hips, pulling him in hard against the cradle of Dar’s hips.

“Please.” Please, Sir. I need to fly with you. He didn’t say it out loud, but he knew Dar.

He didn’t have to.

Dar suddenly picked him up, set him on the counter, the kiss going on. The marble was

cold on his ass, and he fed his sounds to Dar, offering them easily. Dar’s fingers tugged at his

clothing, working to remove it. He helped, just as eager as his master for this connection.

Soon Dar was tilting him on the counter, hard cock pushing at his hole, demanding

entrance. Mal bore down and took it, eager to be taken and touched. Dar moved slowly, filling

him with that hard heat.

He leaned back, giving Dar a better angle, letting that sweet cock in deep. “I need this.”

“I know.” Dar grinned wildly. “I do, too.”

He moaned, head falling back, his throat working.

Dar pulled slowly out, like they had all the time in the world, like they weren’t both

desperate for it. Then that sweet cock slammed into him. Mal’s fingers were gripping the edge of

the counter so hard his knuckles burned, and he swallowed his scream.

Dar did it again, the slow, agonizing retreat, followed by that amazing slam into his body.

After that, Dar just went to town on him, fucking him hard and deep.

There was no finesse, no teasing now. They rutted, groaning as they slapped together,

Mal’s prick caught between them. Dar’s mouth landed on his, the kiss messy and wet. It was

almost impossible to hold, though, in their position, so Mal pulled back, grunting Dar’s name.

Dar held his gaze, bringing their bodies together faster and faster, the friction so fucking

good.

“Soon?” He ached for it.

Dar nodded. “Without touching your prick.”

“Always pushing.” Mal lived for that.

“And I always will.” Dar shifted and slammed in again, finding Mal’s gland this time and

absolutely nailing it.

“Sir!” His scream rang out, echoing off the tile.

Grinning wildly, Dar stayed right there, hammering into him. It only took a few more

thrusts and he was coming, shooting all over his belly.

Dar stayed buried deep inside as Mal came, eyes closing, mouth opening. “Mal…fuck.”

All Mal could do was nod.

Dar shifted, pushing in again, twice more, and coming deep inside Mal. Dar’s arms

trembled on either side of him. Mal’s legs shook with the pleasure of it. Dar’s mouth found his

again, tongue sliding along his lips. He opened, eager to let Dar ease the aches in his soul. The

kiss was long and lazy and extremely intimate.

He was eased off the counter, onto his feet, Dar still holding him, supporting his weight.

He could feel Dar’s cum, dripping down his thighs. How fucking amazing was that? No more

condoms.

“Making a mess.”

“We have a shower.” Dar looked rather smug.

“We have three.” He leaned in, cheek on Dar’s shoulder. “Can we go soak in the bath?

Together?” He’d been good.

Dar all but purred out his agreement.

Oh, good. Soaking was one of his favorite rewards, floating and relaxing in the big tub.

When they got there, Key had the water running, filling the tub, soap bubbling up on the surface.

Dar chuckled. “Someone was watching.”

Key grinned, winked.

“Voyeur.” Mal leaned over to get his kiss from Key.

“With the two of you to look at, there’d be something wrong with me if I wasn’t.” Key’s

mouth dropped onto Mal’s, the kiss very thorough.

Mal was already weak-kneed, and between the kiss and the soft touch of a cloth between

his legs cleaning him, he could barely stand. Dar and Key picked him up together and put him in

the tub, climbing in as well and settling him on both of them.

Mal sighed happily, rested hard, the hot water bolstering him. His lovers were there on

either side of him, pretty much perfect. “Thank you.”

“Love you, boy.” Dar kissed the top of his head.

“I’d be in real trouble if you didn’t.”

“But we do.”

Key nodded his agreement, and they all fell quiet. Just floating together.

The pills stayed right where he’d dropped them, on the kitchen floor.

And right now, he was okay with that.

* * * *

Dar waited impatiently for Mal to get back from his visit with the new psychiatrist. The

only reason he wasn’t pacing was because he always gave Key a hard time for doing it. He did

keep glancing at the clock, though.

Key looked over at him. “I bet you he calls, instead of coming home.”

“It depends on how it went.” He looked at the clock again. It was a minute later than the

last time he’d checked, just like he always told Key when the pacing was on the other foot, so to

speak.

“You said she was good, right?” Key asked.

“The best. And if she says his meds are just fine where they are, I need to retire.”

“She won’t. You love him. You know him.”

He nodded. It was all true. He had every confidence her recommendations would be to

ease Mal off a good amount of his meds. The question really was, would Mal do it?

Dar felt that Mal was caught between concern about the meds and the addictive need to

have the anxiety ease. He could only hope that having another voice, one far more impartial than

himself and the damned precinct shrink, would encourage Mal to make the right choice.

The front door opened, closed, but Mal didn’t appear. That meant the man was either

heading to the tub, the pool, or… No, there wasn’t an or.

“Mal.” Dar didn’t chase after their lover, trusting that Mal would come when called.

“What?”

“Come here, boy, and let us kiss you hello.”

“I need a shower.” Mal peeked in. “Really.”

“We like your stink.” He gave Mal a wink and held out his arms, Key chuckling beside

him.

Mal came to them, tension around his mouth, his eyes. Dar didn’t ask. Mal’s hello was

more important first. Pressing their lips together, he slid his tongue inside. When their lips

parted, Key took a kiss, as well.

Then they sat Mal on the couch between them. He loved the look of off-duty Mal—jeans

and t-shirt, heavy leather flip-flops. The man’s hair was pulled back, tied at the base of his neck.

“So…” He didn’t want to push, but he wanted to know what the doc had said, what Mal

thought of what was said.

“She said that it’s up to me, of course, but that the anxiety meds aren’t meant for long-

term and that she’s not convinced I’m suffering from clinical depression. She says she thinks I

have PTSD, and she recommends just staying on the Prozac for a year and getting rid of the

Xanax and the others. I told her the Xanax was the one I needed.”

Dar nodded, happy to hear his own thoughts borne out by someone not involved. “What

did she say to that?”

“She says it’s up to me, but that they’re addictive and that they haven’t been proven to

work in PTSD cases. It’s up to me, though.”

He took Mal’s face between his hands and looked into his lover’s eyes. “It is, Mal. It’s

always been up to you. I’m not sure the other shrink gave you that impression. And if I made you

think it wasn’t, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know what to do.” Mal gave this to him, and Dar’s heart stopped a little, just like

it did whenever their strong lover offered them more of himself.

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

“Go to bed and hide. Take a long shower. Go for a long drive out in the country and stop

worrying about all this shit.”

“Oh.” Key grinned. “A long drive out in the country sounds good. There’s that winery

that opened up, and they have a B&B attached, so if we got too into the tasting…”

Not worrying about shit seemed like an awesome idea to Dar. Mal wouldn’t need any

Xanax if they got him all relaxed.

“I’ll grab a bag with some clothes and a few toiletries,” he offered. A couple of sex toys,

too, just for kicks.

“Yeah?” Mal looked at him, eyes shining. “I’d love that. We’ve never gone and done

anything together, just for fun.”

“Then it’s about time we did.” He leaned in and gave Mal another kiss, pouring how he

felt into it.

“Absolutely! What fun is working hard if we don’t go play?” Key was still talking, but

Dar was focused and Mal was giving it up.

He slid his fingers up Mal’s shirt, finding the scars and tracing them before outlining the

beautiful muscles.

Mal chuckled. “It’s got enough sensation back to tickle.”

“Good.” He liked that sound from their boy.

“Yeah. Yeah, I hope it is. I think it means things are starting to heal.”

Darby smiled. “I do believe they finally are.”

“Yeah.” Key’s arms wrapped around them. “I say they are indeed.”

“Then we should go and play. Celebrate.” Mal sounded stronger than he had since being

shot, more sure.

Dar thought that was a fabulous idea.

About the Author

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker
of “Maurice”, Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd
collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by
horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean
whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling
the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to Chicago.

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts
of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies
together to see if they spark.

Find Sean on the web at www.seanmichaelwrites.com.

Also Available from

Resplendence Publishing

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All work and white-hot play makes this boss very, very happy.

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Sam Richmond loves his job at Flash. Chief mechanic for both truck teams is a sweet job.
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Sam to see his boss in a new light--a sexy, dominant light.

Can these two continue running hot in and out of bed, or will their differences get the best of
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In for a Pound by Carol Lynne

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Cas Vargas loves undercover work. Though he envies the relationship his best friend has
recently found, he will never give up the career he lives for to have a man. Bed partners, like
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decision blows his cover and lands him in hot water with his bosses at the FBI, Cas is thrust into
a new assignment: guarding Joey Barbati, the nephew of renowned crime boss Tony Lo Russo.

Joey Barbati left the sins of his father and famous uncle behind when he took a job as a host at an
RV part in Wyoming. Grizzly bears notwithstanding, Joey loves the safety the Big Horn
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When it becomes apparent that someone is watching Joey, Cas and Joey go on the run to figure
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Cock and Balls by Mia Watts

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Presidential son and ballsy playboy Hank McClaren isn’t going to make his dad’s reelection
easy. He’s got something to prove and it’s all about exposing the man behind the presidency. Or
rather, that was the plan, until Secret Service agent Montegue is assigned to cover Hank’s detail.
Now, it’s all about melting Monty’s cocky resolve and making him sweat.

Montegue has worked hard to be the president’s number one security agent. Now the antics of
the president’s son have him demoted to babysitting duty. He’s not pleased. Especially since
Hank knows all the right ways to turn him on, and he’s finding it harder and harder to hold back.

But Hank has an ulterior motive, and Monty’s about to get caught in the cross-fire…

The Pit Boss by Dakota Rebel

Derek Sikes has always had a nice, boring life complete with a normal office job and weekly
dinner at his parent's house. His brother was always the crazy, unreliable, wild child in the
family. So Derek isn't really surprised when his brother ends up engaged to a Las Vegas show
girl and begs him to come be the best man at the wedding.

Derek's plan of flying to Nevada, watching his brother make a huge mistake, and making it back
to work by Monday gets sidetracked when he meets a handsome pit boss named Joel his first
night in town. Falling harder and faster than he ever has before, Derek can't help but wonder
what's going to happen when he has to go home to his simple life in Nebraska. Because
unfortunately, what happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas.

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