Sums of the Heart (Luv by Numbers #1)

23. Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-three

Cade

Cade hopped out of the car, asking the driver to remain on call to pick him up when he finished with his appointment. The man nodded.

Taking the elevator to the eleventh floor, Cade stepped off and saw a familiar face standing at the reception desk. “Hey, Mitch. I’m here.”

“It’s nice to see you. Thank Jax for the tickets to the game last weekend. I took my little brother, and we had a hell of a good time,” Mitch told him as Cade stopped next to him.

“They put the hurt on Houston, didn’t they?” Cade didn’t remember too much of the game they’d watched from home so Jax could give his tickets to his lawyer, but he certainly remembered worshipping Jax’s body after he got home.

Ford had given the big man some ibuprofen because the offense of the other team had targeted him. The taunts on the line were awful, based on what Jax had told them, and it had only fueled Jax’s anger to the point he had a hard time keeping his head, which led to getting his ass kicked up and down the field.

Jackson had come home with an ice pack on his thigh where he’d been speared by an offensive tackle’s helmet, and his hands were wrapped, yet again. Cade guessed it was because his knuckles were bloody from having beaten the shit out of something during halftime, when the home team was down by seven. Thankfully, they rallied in the second half and kicked ass. They were going to Dallas with a lot of momentum.

Mitch laughed. “Yes, they did. Jackson is crazy on the field when he’s upset. Anyway, I’m guessing you’re here to see Lionel Rawlings, your mother’s lawyer? The deposition is coming up, right?”

“Yeah, later in the week. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention it to Jackson. He’s getting ready for the game with Dallas, and he doesn’t need to worry about my stuff. Can you show me where Mr. Rawlings’ office is?” Cade asked.

“Sure. Toni, I’ve got Mr. Hayes. Call Corey Barker and tell her I’m bringing him back. We’ll stop and get coffee on the way.”

“Of course, Mitch. Eve called in to say she’s running late. Her tires were slashed, apparently,” the receptionist told him.

Mitch sighed. “She needs to move to a better neighborhood. Anyway, call her and tell her to use the car service. I’m prepping for a few contract negotiations today, and I need her to stay late.”

Mitch waved his badge over a security monitor. When the door beeped, Mitch pulled it open and led Cade into the hallway where the attorneys’ offices seemed to be.

Cade saw people hustling around and wondered if he should have taken the time to go to law school. He loved what he did for a living, working for Ford and Jax, but whether it would always be enough for him in the future was a question he couldn’t answer.

“Let me drop off my briefcase, and I’ll take you to meet Lionel. I was in the partners’ meeting on Wednesday, and this is set up to be a nasty divorce,” Mitch offered.

Cade nodded. “Yes, it is, but my father should have thought about that before he found a younger woman and started a family while remaining married to my mother. He never supported me in anything I did, making sure I knew he was disappointed in me and my choices, so we’ve never had a good relationship. But my mother didn’t deserve what he did to her. She actually loved the bastard.”

Mitch squeezed his shoulder. “I’m with you, Cade. Anyway, I’ll take you to Lionel’s office. If you need anything or if you want to get lunch, just call me. 553 is my extension. Take deep breaths before you answer questions, so you give yourself time to think about what you want to say, because those words never go away. It’ll be fine, okay?”

Cade nodded and followed Mitch down the hallway to a large, impressive office. A rather statuesque black man stood at a raised desk, looking at a computer monitor. Mitch knocked on the door twice before the man glanced up.

“Mitchell, what can I do for you?” the man asked as he stepped out from behind the desk.

“This is Kincade Hayes, Lionel. I know him because of my representation of Jackson Delacroix. If you remember, Mrs. Hayes asked you for a referral and you gave her my name. Anyway, I leave him in your capable hands.”

When Mitchell Ross closed the door, Lionel Rawlings stepped closer to Cade, offering him a beautiful smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hayes. May I call you Kincade?” he asked, as he extended his hand. The two of them shook and made their way to a couch and two chairs which encircled a coffee table with coffee service set upon it.

“Yes, of course. I, uh, I’m not sure what I can offer regarding this situation, other than what I witnessed at sixteen, but then again, I didn’t tell Mother about it back then so maybe I’m not the best witness.” Cade was nervous as Lionel Rawlings poured the two of them coffee. He offered Cade cream and sugar, both of which he declined, drawing the scorching hot liquid into his mouth as if he could burn away the betrayal he was about to rain down on his father.

Lionel smiled kindly. “Don’t discount your value, Kincade. You were as scorned as your mother, and the fact you remained loyal to her doesn’t make your hurt in this matter any less significant. Now, if you don’t mind, tell me what you remember from growing up with Hudson Hayes.”

Kincade did as Mitch Ross suggested. He took a deep breath and thought about his response to the question. Two hours later, he was sitting on the couch with a box of tissue spread out on the floor and coffee table, Lionel Rawlings next to him with a hand on his back.

“Son, it’s okay. Hurt like this goes deep. I never knew my father, so I can understand a little of what you’re feeling. It isn’t easy to accept the flaws in our parents, but when we’re shunned by either, it’s even harder to handle. To that, I can relate. Now, is there anything I need to know that might come up during your deposition to discredit you? Make you less of a credible witness?” Lionel’s tone was soothing, which helped Kincade gather his thoughts to answer the man’s questions.

Cade took a sip of the bottle of water, which had miraculously appeared on the table, and took one more of those advised deep breaths. When he exhaled, he took a tissue and blew his nose, looking at the lawyer. “I’m in a throuple, which might raise some eyebrows.”

The man contemplated the information for a moment before he asked, “A throuple ? What’s that?”

“I’m in a relationship with Jackson Delacroix and Branford Thomas. We were in the papers after my birthday at the end of August. My father had contacted me around that time, and when I told him I was going to support Mom, he hung up. I’d guess he’ll make some stink about the fact I’m in a relationship with two men.”

Lionel swallowed before glancing at his watch. “I need to speak with Mitch. Will you excuse me?” Cade nodded and watched the man leave the office.

He took the time to pull out his cell and turn on the mirror function. His eyes were puffy, and his nose was red, which wasn’t particularly attractive on anyone. He attempted to push the puff away, but that was futile. When Lionel and Mitch walked back into the room, he shut down his phone and looked at them.

“What does Jackson know about this situation?” Mitch asked.

“Not much, I’d guess. I mean, he knows my mother, and he’s heard me bitch about my dad. Why?”

Mitch shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels for a moment. “He needs his own lawyer, Lionel. Someone outside the firm. We… I can’t protect my client from potential slander if opposing counsel drags Jackson into this situation in order to shift the scrutiny from Hayes’ wrong doings onto my client’s involvement with his son.”

Mitch gave Cade a weary smile. “It’s nothing against you, okay? I have to look out for Jax in this scenario and try to keep his name out of the headlines. Get a lawyer, Cade.” Mitch’s comment didn’t make Cade feel good about the situation at all.

There was no lunch with Mitch Ross. Cade was pretty sure there would be a phone call to Jackson instead, against his request not to include the football player in the hell that was his current situation, and he wasn’t happy about the way the meeting had gone.

Cade went to the club after the meeting to see the dancers busy on stage. He plodded up to the office and knocked, hearing Ford invite him in.

He flopped into one of the leather chairs facing the desk and looked at the other man he loved. “I guess I need a lawyer. You got one?”

Ford chuckled as he rose from his desk and walked around to sit next to Cade, kissing his hand. “Tell me what’s going on so I know who to call.”

Cade did. He explained how everything had gone down, begging Ford to keep it between the two of them so Jax could concentrate on the beginning of the season with no bullshit. After he’d finished, Ford gently kissed his lips.

“I’ve got a hell of a lawyer for you.” Ford stood and flipped through the contacts on his phone. He dialed the phone and put it on speaker, motioning for Cade to join him.

Cade took a seat on the arm of Ford’s chair before the handsome blond pulled him down onto his lap. When the phone was answered, Ford chuckled. “Robin Zacks… Branford, what the hell? You have a nose for these things. Les had the baby this weekend. We named him Landon George Zacks. We’re accepting gifts.”

Ford laughed as he held Cade in his arms. “Congratulations, Momma. I’ll get a gift for you as soon as possible. I need a favor. My dear friend, Kincade Hayes, needs representation in a deposition he’s going to give to support his mother’s divorce from his father.”

“Hi, Ms. Zacks. I’m Kincade Hayes.”

They both heard the woman exhale. “Okay, um, Kincade, can I call you back in a little while? LaNette’s just finished feeding Lanny, and it’s my turn to burp, diaper, and put him down. I’ll call you when I have time, okay? Ford, a word off speaker?”

Cade rose and nodded to Ford before he left the office. He hoped the woman wasn’t going to be pissed about Ford asking for her help. He wished Raney was out of law school because he sure could have used his skills as a lawyer, his best friend had barely started his studies.

It was then he thought about Fiona Porter. He’d bet she knew lawyers. Of course, he had no way of getting in touch with her.

He also hadn’t heard a thing about the charges against Clarence Radcliffe, his former boss, but he chalked it up to the Feds building a case and trying to keep it out of the media until they had their ducks in a row. Was that something he needed to disclose to his mother’s lawyer as well?

It was all far too much to consider. His life was way too complicated for Cade’s tastes. He needed some air to sort things because nothing felt settled in his head as he sat at the end of the bar. Brady walked over and smiled. “You want somethin’?”

“How’s Owen?” Cade asked without thinking too much.

“Fine. They’re moving forward with the… what’s wrong?” Brady asked.

“Nothing. I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back.”

Cade walked out the front door and straight to the bus stop where he caught the number three to outside his Edgewater apartment building. He let himself into his studio, looking around at his surroundings, wondering when the hell everything became so fucking problematic.

When he was just a guy hoping to do well at a job working for a trader, it all seemed simple. Then, he moved into his apartment across from two of the most beautiful men he’d ever seen and somehow, he ended up falling in love with them.

Then, his mother finally wised up to his father’s antics, which had eaten away at Cade since he was sixteen and hadn’t told her what the fuck was going on. Now, here she was planning to take Hudson apart at the seams, and Cade was smack in the middle of it.

The Hayes men had never been particularly close—not fucking close at all—but Cade had tried damn hard to live up to his father’s expectations. He’d failed miserably, which had taken a toll on Cade’s psyche, but now he was taking the steps to assist in the downfall of his father’s empire by betraying the cheating bastard and showing him for what he was. There had to be a special place in hell for sons like Cade, but at least he wouldn’t be alone.

He sat down on the futon that Raney and he had put together that first weekend not so long ago, and when his ass met the floor as it collapsed under him, he remembered the handful of screws they’d ended up with when they finished. They were in a teacup somewhere in the kitchen area.

Sitting on the floor with broken wood beneath his ass, Kincade wanted to cry, but he was a grown-ass man, so he simply laughed. It was the end of August, and if he remembered correctly, Raney should be getting ready to move to New York.

Cade pulled out his phone and called his best friend, getting the robotic voice. “ I’m sorry. The number you’ve reached is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again. ”

It was par for the course, really.

Too many things were happening, and Cade didn’t have any answers. There was a quick knock on his door before it opened to reveal Jackson Delacroix in all his muscular glory. “Can we fuck?” Cade didn’t wait for Jax to explain why he was there.

Thankfully, the big man didn’t say anything at all. He started taking off his clothes after he locked the door, including the dead bolt. Cade did the same.

After Kincade stripped and the two of them were on the bed, kissing like the sun wouldn’t rise, Jax pulled away from him. “I love you. Tell me what you need and how you want me.”

It shocked Cade for a moment. “Oh, no, Jax. I want you to fuck me. I’ll talk you through it, okay?”

Cade remembered the redhead had said he and Ford didn’t know how to prep a guy to take their large cocks. If that was the case, Cade was willing to teach them each because he wasn’t about to let them leave him behind.

Pulling Cade atop his muscular body, Jax spoke in a whisper. “Baby boy, what’s going on?”

Kincade stared into Jax’s beautiful emerald eyes that reminded him of shamrocks. “Mitch didn’t call you?” Cade moved up to straddle Jax’s waist, feeling the huge, hard dick under his ass.

“He did, but I didn’t call him back because I wanted to get home. I was at the stadium, running drills before we leave for the road trip.”

“Oh, um. Never mind. Can we just fuck? I’ll get myself ready.” Cade pulled out the box of magnum condoms he’d bought a few weeks prior, along with the lube. He squeezed it onto his fingers and reached behind him, stopping immediately.

“I need to take care of something first.” Cade hurried off the bed and into the bathroom. He reached under the sink and pulled out the enema bulb to cleanse himself before he took a shower. Maybe Ford and Jax didn’t know how things worked, but he did.

Ten minutes later, he walked out of his bathroom to find Jax—and Ford—sitting on the bed while the television droned on in the background. They both studied him and smiled.

“So, how are we doing this?” Cade asked as he walked over to the bed and pulled off the towel, exposing his flaccid cock. He’d already shot one load in the shower after he’d cleaned himself to get ready for intercourse, though he wasn’t sharing that information.

Cade had researched the preparation process. He wanted it to be as perfect as possible.

“We’re not doing this while you’re upset,” Ford said forcefully.

Cade chuckled. “I don’t remember asking you, Branford. Jax?”

The Cajun swallowed. Cade knew the man was itching to shove that gigantic cock up his ass, so he crawled up between them, shaking his ass in invitation. Unfortunately, Ford pulled him around and placed him on his lap. “What the fuck happened at that meeting?”

Cade was about to protest until Jax pulled his legs over his naked lap and kissed him. “I love you, but I will not fuck you when you’re upset. Tell us what happened, Kincade. We can’t do this if— We’re in this together, right? There are three of us, but if you want out now, you better have a damn good reason.”

The fact that the two of them might be dragged through the mud because of his parents’ divorce made Cade cringe. The possibility of the press coverage broke his heart. He cried in Ford’s arms for a few minutes, feeling Jax’s long arms encircle the two of them. It was comforting, and it reminded Cade that he had two men who did love him.

Cade dried his eyes. “I don’t want out, okay? I just don’t want the two of you caught up in the dog and pony show that will become my parents’ divorce.”

He turned to Ford and tried to smile. “Thank you for the offer of your friend to represent me, but I get the impression she doesn’t want the job. I need someone who will keep me from saying things my father’s lawyers can use against me to cheat my mother out of her half of his business.”

Steadying his gaze on his palms, Cade continued to speak. “She worked for it as much as him, and she didn’t sneak off and start another family. Rina’s always been active in charities, and she has her own money, but that doesn’t mean she’s not entitled to her share of Hudson’s. I’m just afraid his lawyers will use our situation against her somehow. They’ll try to make it out like it’s something awful, this relationship we have, and it’s not.” Cade was unable to hold back any longer, so he began sobbing.

Eventually, Cade fell asleep between Ford and Jax. When he woke at six, he smiled at seeing the two of them holding him and each other. It reminded him there was more to the relationship than just sex… but the sex was important. He craved the sex.

He slid out of bed and went to the bathroom, draining this bladder and then prepping himself with a lot of lube.

He returned to the bed and bounced on it, seeing both of his lovers open their eyes in surprise. Ford spoke first, his voice gravelly from sleep. “What’s going on?”

“Who has a quarter?” Cade asked, as the two men hopped up from the bed and went to the bathroom. He heard them peeing, so he went inside Jax’s jeans and pulled out a quarter.

“Call it in the air, loves.”

“Tails!” Ford called out from the bathroom.

“Head!” It was Jax, and it made Cade laugh. Of course the big man would say head .

Cade held out his hand with the coin atop it as the two of them returned to the main room of the studio apartment. “Tails it is.”

“So, you get to pick whether you fuck me or I blow you. We’re going to get past this sex thing because it’s holding us up. If we want to move into a more serious relationship, we need to get beyond this.” Cade was serious.

He saw Ford look at Jax with a smile. “I choose to receive, Mr. Hayes. Your cock in my ass while Jackson fucks you.” Cade was surprised, but it was a pleasant one.

“I’m definitely ready for it, but are you sure, Bix?”

From there, things took off. Cade prepared Ford, who relayed to Jackson what to do so he could prepare Cade to receive the monster between the big man’s legs. Cade knew he wouldn’t hurt Ford because all he wanted to do was bring him pleasure and his cock wasn’t nearly as large as Jax’s.

After he slowly pushed into Ford’s tight hole, Cade stopped. “Are you okay, Bix?”

Cade leaned forward and kissed Ford between his shoulder blades. It felt better than Cade remembered from his time topping in college, but when Jax gently pushed into him, Cade gulped deep breaths.

“Did he do anything wrong?” Ford glanced over his shoulder.

“No, baby. He’s got a big cock, but that’s not a bad thing. You have one as well.”

Cade took another deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Do me a favor. Remind me if I ever get drunk again and decide I’d like the two of you to DP me, ignore my drunk ass. I don’t think I’d ever be able to walk again.”

Jax and he moved in opposite synchronicity, in and out, against each other.

“Fuck, that feels incredible,” Ford gasped as Cade fucked him, countering the fucking he was receiving from Jackson.

“Oh, god,” Jax whispered as he began pushing harder and faster into Cade, forcing him to push harder and faster into Ford, who seemed to enjoy himself.

“I can’t—” Jax released in the condom but held himself up so as not to push down on Cade.

Cade collapsed between the two of them a few minutes later, having lasted longer than Jackson.

When he released inside Ford, Cade collapsed on the man’s back, feeling tears in his eyes. He’d never felt so completely loved in his life, and he didn’t know how to handle it.

After Jax rolled off him and went to the bathroom, he held the condom and pulled out of Ford. “I didn’t hurt you, right? Did you—.”

Ford rolled over to his back, a sexy smirk on his face that made Cade’s heart skip a beat. “I guess we better change the sheets. I made a mess, sweetheart.” A big grin blossomed on Ford’s face.

With what had just happened, Kincade believed he had the world on a string. Earlier in the day, it seemed as if the walls were closing in around him, but after being with his two lovers, his spirit was renewed.

The three of them had an amazing thing going, and it would only grow stronger. As they pulled on underwear and removed the sheets from Cade’s queen bed to take across the hall to wash, Cade laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Ford swatted Cade’s brief-covered ass before nibbling on his neck. “I’m happy. Before right now, I don’t know if I’ve ever been happy, but thanks to the two of you, I’m in heaven.”