Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
A person who saw suicide as their only remaining option to escape generally didn’t warn anyone right beforehand.
As my brother had already mentioned, Shay’s behavior was a cry for help.
“I’m gonna go through with the fight tomorrow,” I said. “I think it’ll crack him open.”
Riv inclined his head, and the extra crease in his forehead let me know he was troubled by something.
“We’re gonna minimize the foul play.” I squeezed his leg.
He took a drag from his smoke and tilted his head at me. “How’s that even possible?”
“At the risk of sounding like a fucking child, he started it,” I replied. “He needs to own his part. He’s not only put himself at risk by seeking out unsafe play, he’s completely disregarded the Tops’ safety.” I set down my beer again. “I don’t need to tell you what can happen to a masochist—and a Sadist, for that matter—if we start a session with someone without all the facts.”
He eyed me, waiting, and I stole his smoke to take a quick drag. Unlike my foolish twin, I’d given up smoking.
I returned the cigarette as I exhaled some smoke. “Once he sees that, hopefully he’ll be more inclined to understand our perspective.”
“In other words, two wrongs make a right.”
“Two wrongs make it easier to forgive each other,” I corrected. “Intentions matter, River. I can be irritated about him going around lying to Sadists, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand him. He’s lost, angry, confused, and hurting.”
He nodded slowly, then pressed a brief kiss to my shoulder.
I leaned back in my seat and scrubbed my hands over my face. Having always enjoyed a good puzzle, it wasn’t a big surprise to me that I felt so invested. But my reactions to him today did surprise me. He’d been amazing all day. Cuddly, sweet, funny, and carefree. Hesitant too. Like an abused animal that’d just arrived with new owners who meant no harm. Skittish and careful, yet hopeful and sufficiently starved for affection that he didn’t need much coaxing to take a leap of faith.
I suspected River had drawn similar conclusions, hence nicknaming Shay pup.
“All right, so the fight tomorrow.” He stubbed out his smoke. “You’ll strike some deal, yeah?”
“Yes.” One way or another, I’d make the boy stay the week. “Depending on how hard he crashes, I might give him a release at the house.” A solid pain session would drain him of tensions and allow him to cry shit out. “Our plan with Macklin and the others is for Wednesday, right?”
He nodded.
Right. “So, we’ll want Shay in higher spirits by then.”
“He’ll need a break,” River agreed. “I know where you’re going, and I think we should wait till the week after before I get involved.”
He had a point. We’d stick to physical pain this week. Then when he came back after next Friday, and he fucking would, we’d dig deeper.
“It’s a plan.”
He snorted softly. “Can’t wait to see it fall apart.”
I grinned and leaned in to kiss his jaw. “Come on. Grab a shower while I tidy up.”
He smirked wryly and lifted a brow. “You want me to heat up the water before it’s your turn, you mean.”
I chuckled as I stood up. “Whatever. I want us to smell nice when we fuck our new toy.”
“Finally,” he groaned. “I almost took him earlier on the couch.”
I sucked my teeth, gathering the leftovers on the tray I’d brought out earlier. If River was impatient to fuck a partner of ours, it meant all good things. It meant he found the boy special and something extra. But we had our way of doing things, and the first fuck was always a threesome. It was the ultimate way to experience our chemistry together.
Damn, my brother was eager. He wasn’t the type to show it outwardly, but he’d already placed lube, rubbers, and a damp towel on his nightstand.
He was downstairs killing time with the news right now.
Shay was asleep in the middle of our bed, tonight without the duvet, instead opting for just the top sheet. No tee either. His back was exposed, and I studied the stunning artwork as I dragged my towel over my hair.
Two koi fish swam upstream across his spine, the waves shifting in different blue lines with beautiful but subtle shadow work. The tail of a dragon danced over his lower left side, snaking toward his front, and flames and smoke came up from the right side.
His stepdad had trained him in martial arts, I was certain. He’d made a massive impact on Shay, and I believed the man was key to figuring out Shay’s grief.
After returning the towel to the bathroom, I stopped at the top of the stairs. “Riv.”
He leaned sideways and peered up here. “Ah, my nudist brother. Christ. I’ll be right there.”
My mouth twitched. He was about as shameless as I was, yet he’d never consider walking naked around our own house. He could engage in an orgy and act like a heathen, only to leave the room and put on swimwear to go into the pool.