Chapter 27
Dex
Nothing should surprise me in this house anymore.
That is until I walked past Ryder’s room and saw what was happening.
I stood at the doorway for a few minutes, watching Gage lower himself onto Holden’s cock, making the connection between all of them complete.
I’ve seen the guys mess around plenty of times.
It’s always hot to watch, but nothing compares to seeing that.
What shocked me the most was seeing Zane in there, blissfully fucking Holden’s mouth.
I make my way downstairs to give them privacy and to find Les. She’s in her office on the phone, oblivious to what’s happening upstairs. Not that she would care. She wants everyone to express themselves freely, whether she’s involved or not.
Letting myself into her office, I sit in the chair in front of it, waiting on her phone call to end. When she hangs up, she gives me a sweet smile. “Hello, Dexton.”
I chuckle. “Hey, Baby girl,” I clear my throat, “Do you know what your other boyfriends are doing?”
“No.” She raises an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you do by the look on your face.” I dig my phone out of my pocket, flip to the picture I snuck of them, and slide it across the desk. She spins it to face her. “No way.”
“Way.”
“Oh my god.” She looks up at me with wide eyes. “Is that Zane?”
“They’re bonding,” I try to say with a straight face but end up losing my battle, laughing out loud, Les joining me.
She wipes tears from her cheeks. “I wanted them to bond. I didn’t think it would be in that capacity.”
“You’re okay with it, right?” I ask.
“Of course.” She waves her hand. “I’ve already said you guys are free to do what you wish within our group.” She tilts her head to the side. “Have you ever wanted to?”
“Mess around with the guys?” I ask, and she nods. I shrug. “It’s hot to watch; I don’t know about anything else.”
“That’s fair.” She waves her hand toward the upstairs. “I look at it this way. If they mess around, they give my pussy a break.”
I bark a laugh. “That’s one way to look at it.”
“Alessa,” Shawna says softly from the door. It took Les getting kidnapped for her to stop calling her ma’am. “Mr. Venchelli is here.”
Les frowns, then her eyes widen when she realizes it’s Rocco.
“Um. Take him to the back patio. I’ll be there in a minute.
” Les looks at me, giggling, when Shawna walks back out.
“He doesn’t need to hear what his son is doing upstairs.
” She isn’t wrong about that. We all heard how Rocco talked to Ryder after Ryder told him he was bisexual and in a relationship with Holden.
“You go get Ryder, and I’ll distract Rocco. ”
She heads toward the patio while I take the stairs two at a time.
I pop into Ryder’s room, and they’re all cuddled together on the bed.
“You have a visitor, Ryder.” Ryder looks up with a frown from his place behind Leo.
I hate to pull them away from each other because they look comfortable as hell. “Your dad.”
Gage starts laughing from his spot on Holden’s chest. “Oh, shit.”
Ryder slaps Gage’s ass before sliding off the bed. “It’s not funny.” Ryder looks at me. “Where is he?”
“Les took him outside, so he didn’t hear,” I gesture around, “this.” He raises an eyebrow in question. “She knows what happened.” Because I told her. “She’s fine.”
“You need to take a shower,” Zane mumbles, his face buried in Holden’s neck. “You smell like sex.”
Ryder pops him on the ass too, surprising me. “I’m glad you assholes think this is funny.”
Gage laughs again. “He’s not wrong.” Gage slides backward off the bed, sliding down Holden to his feet. “How the fuck is your cock still that big while it’s soft?”
“I want to know how the hell you took that up your ass while it was hard,” Zane says, lifting his head.
Gage points at Zane. “Keep talking shit, Big daddy, and I’ll shove mine down your throat.”
“Keep calling me big daddy, and I’ll bend you over this fucking bed, Crazy boy,” Zane retorts, laying his head back down.
Ryder rolls his eyes with a laugh, disappearing into the bathroom, presumably to shower.
Leo slides to his feet beside Gage, each slapping me on the ass on their way out with a laugh. Holden rolls to his side and throws an arm around Zane’s waist, pressing their lips together. Zane jerks him closer, sinking into the kiss.
Feeling like I’m intruding, I go downstairs to wait for the rest of the guys.
What the hell happened in that room? And why am I kind of jealous I wasn’t in there?
Shaking my head, I flop down in my favorite chair.
I don’t want to sit out there with Rocco while Les is running interference because I don’t know where she told him Ryder is.
Ryder comes into the living room ten minutes later with wet hair. “I guess you took Zane’s advice.”
He barks a laugh. “Yeah.”
I wonder if Holden and Zane were still making out when he got out of the shower. “You okay with what the fuck ever happened upstairs?”
He lifts a brow. “I wouldn’t have still been laying there if I wasn’t.”
“You cool with Holden and Zane?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He shrugs. “It seems stupid to be jealous over that, but not of Les.”
Nodding, I murmur, “That makes sense.” Raking a hand through his hair, he looks towards the back door. “He’s here. That’s got to mean something.” He looks nervous as hell, and I know it’s killing him about what happened between him and his dad.
“Will you come with me?” he sighs. “I don’t trust myself if he says some shit like before.”
I follow him out of the room to the back patio, where Rocco and Les are talking. She doesn’t look upset or mad, so I consider that a good sign. Or Rocco could be saving that for Ryder.
We get settled around the table, an awkward silence settling around us. “You mind giving us some privacy?” Rocco asks, looking at Les and me.
“Sorry, Rocco,” Les says, shaking her head. “We’re here to support Ryder.”
Ryder kisses the back of her hand tucked into his. “They stay.”
Rocco jerks a nod. “I came to talk to Holden.”
Ryder lifts a brow. “That’s not happening.”
“I want to talk to the guy dating my son,” Rocco argues.
“With all due respect, Rocco,” Les says, “after the way you treated Ryder, you have no business talking to Holden.”
“I want to know what he has over my son!” Rocco yells, slamming his fist down on the table, causing Les to jump.
“That’s it,” I growl, standing up. “You can get the fuck out.”
“No,” Ryder says, looking at me, then back at his dad, squaring his shoulders.
“Holden doesn’t have anything over me. Do I look that fucking weak to you?
” Ryder asks, then continues, not waiting for an answer.
“Like I said, I love Holden. I love every single person in this goddamn house. And if you can’t accept that, I don’t need you in my life.
Accept it or not. But make your decision wisely because I won’t have you come into our home and disrespect us like that. ”
Lowering myself back in the chair, I squeeze Ryder’s arm in support. Rocco looks seconds from blowing a fucking gasket. Movement from the door catches my eye, and Holden steps onto the patio, probably overhearing the yelling. Gage and Leo shrug behind him, letting me know they tried to stop him.
Holden pulls his shoulders back and looks Rocco dead in the eye. We watch in amazement as it happens. “I love your son, Mr. Venchelli. That’s the only motive I have. You can hate me all you want, but you won’t talk to him like that, and you won’t act like that around Les.”
Rocco narrows his eyes, and I can feel Ryder bristle beside me. I squeeze his arm again in warning to let Holden handle this. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Someone who just came into someone else’s house throwing his dick around,” Holden grinds out. “Someone who doesn’t give a fuck that this is tearing his son apart. Someone who can’t look past his bullshit to notice his son is happy with me. With Les. With us.”
Les is watching this whole exchange go down with wide eyes, pride shining through that not only is Holden taking up for himself, but he’s also defending the ones he loves.
Rocco looks back at Ryder. “Is that how you’re going to let him talk to your father?”
“You’re not my dad right now,” Ryder says sadly. “My dad wouldn’t let something like this push us apart.”
“The son I know wouldn’t be with a man,” Rocco hisses. “Or let a goddamn cop lay around his house.”
“Nope,” Les says, standing up. “You’re done. I told you before Ryder ever came out here that you either respected our decisions or you could leave. It’s time for you to go.”
Ryder squeezes Les’ hand. “Leave us, please.”
“Ryder, I don’t think…” Les starts.
“Go. I’ll be fine,” Ryder smiles, but it’s strained around the edges.
Giving Ryder one last look, I follow the rest of them into the house, hoping like hell they can fix this.
Two hours later, Ryder and Rocco come back inside, finding us in the kitchen. Rocco comes straight to Les, jerking her into a bear hug. “I’m sorry, Bellissima.”
Les peeks at Ryder, and Ryder nods, letting us know they are good. “It’s okay.”
Rocco pulls back, pecking both her cheeks before turning to Holden and thrusting his hand out. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve what I said,” Rocco says when Holden clasps it.
Rocco hugs Ryder tight before saying he needs to get back to Katherine. When we hear the front door shut, Les slides her arms around Ryder’s waist. “Is everything okay?”
He squeezes her to his chest. “It is now. I wasn’t sure at first, but he said he’s going to try to accept it.” Ryder pulls Holden into the hug. “Either way, I’ll always be okay.”
I know exactly what he means. No matter what people thought about our unconventional relationship, we will always have each other. That’s all that matters in the end, anyway.
Les pulls back to peck Ryder on the lips. “I love you. We love you. We’ll always be here for you.”
“I love you too, Il mio sole,” Ryder looks at Holden. “I love you too, Bello.”
“What about me?” Gage pouts, making us laugh. Ryder rolls his eyes and opens his other arm. Gage doesn’t hesitate running to him, wrapping his other arm around Les’ back, making her laugh again.
Les excuses herself to make phone calls, and the rest of us sit down in the living room. As soon as we’re settled, Gage sits up on the couch. “I have something I want to talk to you guys about.” He waits for us to acknowledge him. “I think we should ask Les to marry us.”
“How the hell is that supposed to work?” Leo asks with a frown.
“A commitment ceremony,” Gage announces proudly. “It’s not legally binding. It’ll mostly be for us, but I think it’s something she might want.”
“You think?” Ryder asks with a chuckle. “Or you know?”
“I know,” Gage says.
“What exactly is a commitment ceremony?” Zane asks, sitting back on the loveseat, Holden between him and Ryder.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Gage shrugs. “We commit ourselves to each other, just like a wedding.”
“I don’t think now is the time for that,” I add. I want nothing more than to commit myself to every one of them, but we have a stalker and Viktor breathing down her neck.
“I don’t mean now. I mean, when the dust settles, we can officially make Les ours.”
“I like it,” Holden says with a smile. “I think we should do it.”
“Alright,” Ryder says, kicking back on the loveseat. “What’s your bright idea?” he asks Gage.
I’d love to know that too.