Chapter 13
Four hours later, they were all, including the bloodhound Malachi had been forced to pay the ungodly sum of one thousand dollars for, on Dante’s private jet headed back to Texas…
and reality.
The mood felt odd to Justice.
Malachi and Dante were seated together going over more security plans for when they landed and how they would proceed until the courthouse visits were over and O’Hara was locked away.
Travis was texting away on his phone while listening to ridiculous 80’s music loud enough on his ear buds that Justice could hear each and every beat.
The dog, minus a name, looked happier than a pig in slop.
Its lanky body stayed plastered against Justice’s leg and its big brown eyes gazed up adoringly at him.
Justice felt troubled, he should be feeling excitement about going home, getting the O’Hara shit finished once and for all, seeing and touching Megan for the first time…
but instead of excitement, he was fucking terrified.
He’d fucked up, seriously fucked up.
His mind replayed the dog incident over and over in a stupid loop, mocking him.
He’d heard the stupid desperation in his own voice and then saw the naked pity in Malachi’s eyes when he’d looked at him.
Malachi, all power and strength, saw his weakness for what it was and it had to disgust him.
He’d fought so hard to fight it…
to stay focused on keeping his emotions in check, never letting his guard down but somehow, he’d fucked it all up.
His fingers traced the letters on his right wrist while he fought to try to keep his breathing smooth and steady.
Breathing in and out, slow and steady…
One deep breath followed right after another.
His eyes stayed clenched tightly together.
Focus.
He had to focus on the reality of what was happening.
He wasn’t in that damned closet and he wasn’t so fuckingly desperate for someone to touch him that he’d do anything …
any damned thing they wanted him to do if they would just touch him…
He was a submissive for Malachi and Megan, a toy to share between them.
He was not falling in love and they did not love him.
A toy.
Something to play with.
Something to touch.
He wanted them to touch.
He’d looked and sounded so pathetically weak.
Malachi liked him because he was strong, he could handle whatever he dished out in the playroom…
His eyes cracked open long enough to look down and see the dog’s giant brown eyes still focused solely on him, unquestionable love plainly visible as the pup gazed up at his new master.
His fingers left his wrist long enough to caress the soft fur.
Pets were on his ‘safe list’.
He couldn’t love this guy too much.
This dog would love him back no matter what he did.
This was something he couldn’t fuck up.
He jerked in surprise when Malachi’s hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, holding him tightly as his eyes studied him way too closely.
They were a dark purple this morning, like he had pictured they would be when lost in the throes of passion.
Were they that color when he’d fucked him last night or this morning?
He wouldn’t know.
Malachi had been careful to not look him in the eyes, fucking him from behind.
“Hey, pet.” Malachi’s voice broke into his thoughts again.
He forced one of his ‘I-don’t-give-a-fuck’ looks on his face.
“Where did you just go?” He knelt in front of him, still holding onto his wrist tightly.
“Been here the whole time,” Justice answered.
“What’s up?”
Violet eyes narrowed into slits.
“What do you need, pet? Talk to me.”
What did he need?
He needed to get the fuck away from everybody.
He needed to focus .
He’d gone from perfectly normal to teetering right on the fucking edge in less time than it took Malachi to pin him when they were practicing their jujitsu in the basement.
Desperately, he fought the urges that had controlled him his entire life.
He could do this.
“Maybe some flea powder,” he offered with a smirk.
“I’m pretty sure no name has fleas. Meg will kill me if I bring fleas into the house, right?” Did he still get to go to the house?
To Meg?
Sadness and disappointment flashed in Malachi’s eyes but vanished in a flash…
just not fast enough to keep Justice from seeing it.
“I think it’s probably safe to assume that no name does have fleas, but I can assure you that Meg won’t care at all. They are all dog folks at the castle,” he explained.
“No name will be welcomed like one of our own, no questions.”
Both pets?
Justice wondered.
Out loud, he said, “I know. Thank you for rescuing him. He needed saving.” His throat felt tight, like they were trying to stop words from escaping his runaway mouth.
“We all do sometimes.” Malachi countered in a gruff voice and then disappeared.
Justice took a deep, calming breath.
He could do this.
Glancing at his wrist watch, he grimaced when he realized they’d only been in the air a little less than twenty minutes.
They still had well over an hour before they landed.
That was an hour where his mind could play all sorts of tricks on him…
convince himself of things that weren’t real.
He’d known taking the dog would more than likely lead to insecurity and worries, but he’d also known he didn’t have a choice.
Leaving no name to his fate was out of the question.
Decisions always led to consequences, and he supposed this struggle would be his consequence for refusing to leave no name behind.
For the second time in less than five minutes, he jerked in surprise when he felt Malachi’s touch on his arm.
Just a brief stroke from his fingers before soft nylon rope started wrapping around his arms, trapping him to the arm rests of the chair.
With intricate knots and talented maneuvers of the rope, Malachi had him strapped to the chair…
completely immobile and unable to move his upper body more than a half an inch in either direction.
He felt, with a gush of relief, his body become instantly pliant and calm.
Just like that, his choices were taken away and the peace replaced his hectic worries.
“Better?”
Tears of relief and joy threatened to tumble from his eyes as he met Malachi’s gaze.
“Much better, thank you, Sir,” he whispered.
“One day you’re going to have to tell me where you go when that happens. That’s what I’m here for, lover. Let me help when you need it.”
“Yes, Sir,” he answered.
“One day.”
Lover, not pet.
His heart soothed to a regular beat and his eyes drifted shut as he relished the feel of the ropes wrapped around him.
He could feel Travis watching him, but he refused to open his eyes and meet the questioning gaze.
With the ropes in place, he could block out everything else.
When they landed, he would be fine.
Dante’s troubled gaze followed Malachi’s movements as his friend wrapped Justice’s body in a tight nylon cocoon.
Fuck, but he hoped the man knew what he was doing.
Playing with Justice was like playing with fire.
If he didn’t handle the boy perfectly, they would all end up being burned.
By the time they landed, Justice’s body felt like molten lava with the help from the ropes wrapped tightly around him during the trip.
His mind had calmed down and he felt much more stable, ready to meet Megan and the rest of Malachi’s make-shift family face to face.
He noticed both Travis and Dante watched him a little more closely, but that was the only change in any one’s behavior.
He felt confident as he slid across the expensive leather seat of Dante’s personal ride until he bumped Travis’ leg.
Dante and Malachi were still outside talking to security detail.
“Like the ropes, do ya?” Travis asked with a friendly smirk.
“Helps to calm me,” Justice answered truthfully.
That was the smartest way, always dance as close to the truth as possible.
“I don’t care for flying much.”
“Uh huh.” Travis answered as he glanced out the window to check on what was keeping Dante.
He nibbled and tugged at his bottom lip and Justice knew he was holding something back.
Since he knew he probably didn’t want to hear it, he turned and gazed out the other window.
“It…it was about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen Malachi do. I mean, he knew you were starting to get into trouble and then he knew exactly what to do.” His eyes, a strange color of green, glittered with amusement when he turned his attention to Justice.
“I’m pretty sure I never thought I would live to see the day that the mighty Malachi turned out to be so…so sensitive.”
“Isn’t that what a Dom should be doing?” Justice countered with a frown.
Fuck, Malachi and Dante really needed to get their asses in the vehicle.
All the work the ropes had done was going to disappear if Travis kept prodding and digging.
“I mean, I don’t know much about the lifestyle, but from the little bit that I’ve read, that would be something they would all notice, yea?” Get your ass into the car !
He tried to send a telepathic message…
Travis shrugged.
“What I just saw Malachi do with you? No, that wasn’t basic Dom 101 and it definitely wasn’t Malachi Dom, either. Most dominants are very attentive during a scene. They learn to read their submissive’s body language and understanding what they want and need becomes a second language to them. That’s during a scene, though. Malachi was all the way in the back of the plane, talking to Dante, and you were barely showing any distress at all. I was right next to you and hadn’t noticed a thing. Add to the mix that Malachi doesn’t normally trouble himself with the, eh, emotional side of things, it was amazing to watch. I’m not his biggest fan,” Travis purred with a smile, “but it was sexier than fuck to watch.”
Thankfully, Dante and Malachi chose that moment to slide in next to them, saving him from having to make a remark or ask a question that he might not want to know the answer to.
No name rested at his feet, ready to embark on his new life.
Justice tried to muster up the same enthusiasm.
Travis’ words made him feel things he shouldn’t…
but it still felt damned good anyway.
“You look terrified, Justice,” Malachi whispered in his ear.
“Trust me, lover, she’s even better in real life. This is going to be good.” After a couple of seconds, he added, “Good for all of us.”
Justice wanted to believe that.
Hell, he was desperate to believe that, but by the time the car pulled through the security gate that protected Dante’s home, he felt the nervous twinges start to threaten again.
He smashed them to a far corner in his mind.
He wasn’t sure if it helped or hurt that more security was visible than what he encountered when visiting his dad…
at his FBI office.
It made him feel like a weak fuck because he figured most of the shit was them being overprotective because of the O’Hara mess he had gotten himself in to.
The house, which was really more of a castle, was like nothing he’d ever seen before in his life.
There weren’t really words to describe how magnificent it was.
He felt a smile curve his lips.
He might not fit in here, but no name was going to think he was the shit.
“Fuck,” he muttered in awe.
“Starter home, Jericho?”
“Just home, kid,” Dante answered with a proud grin.
“It might look like a cold fortress from the outside, but trust me, it’s a warm home on the inside…thanks to the folks that live there. Don’t be nervous, they’ll make you feel right at home. You’re gonna be surrounded by good people.”
Good people?
Hell, wouldn’t he just fit right in.
He figured not a one of them had been in rehab for drug addiction by the age of eight.
Yea, he’d fit right in, alright.
He was so fucking screwed.
Once they hit the foyer, it transformed into a state of chaos.
No name immediately got his ass kicked by a tiny rat terrier monstrosity that couldn’t weigh more than six pounds, soaking wet…
weighted down with two pounds of weights.
It was embarrassing.
Poor no name had him by at least forty pounds and he went down like a geek in a biker bar.
A toy poodle pranced around the entire scene, shaking its ass like it was enjoying poor no name’s smack down.
Careful not to hurt any dog involved, Justice quickly reached down and scooped up the big bloodhound and held it against his chest.
The poor bastard was shaking like he’d just been tossed into a kennel of pit bulls with raw meat attached to its neck.
“Wallace! Stop being such an asshole,” a beautiful red-headed woman shrieked as she jerked the terrier up and smashed him against her chest in a hug after yelling at him.
She was gorgeous with emerald green eyes that danced with mischief and a body that was flat-out hot…
almost as hot as his Meg.
Immediately he figured this to be Susannah.
Behind her stood a guy maybe a year or two younger than him, could almost pass for his twin except his eyes were a brighter blue…
and slightly haunted.
He immediately felt sorry for the kid and not just because Malachi had told him portions of what he’d gone through at the hands of Nicholas and Victor.
No, his sympathy came from knowing the shit Jasper had probably put up with most of his life because of his looks.
The only word that could be used to describe the kid was beautiful, he was much too perfect for handsome.
Justice had heard that crap most of his life, too.
The difference between them was the innocent and guileless look in Jasper’s eyes had probably made it even worse for him.
Justice knew his own pale blue eyes were hard and worldly, never mistaken for innocence.
The way the red head positioned her body between him and the newbie confirmed to Justice that the Goldilocks twin in front of him had to be the infamous Jasper.
He kind of felt unworthy to be in the kid’s presence.
Jasper offered him a shy smile and gently bumped Susannah out of the way with a frown that told Justice he had also noticed the way she used her body to protect him from any potential danger.
Susannah just shrugged and batted her eyelashes at him like a cute little love-sick fool.
“Hi, I’m Jasper and this beauty is Susannah…and she’s mine . Nice to meet you,” he said in a quiet voice that matched the look in his eyes as he extended his hand to Justice.
“Justice,” he answered while shaking hands.
“Nice to meet you guys. I’ve heard a lot about you both.”
Susannah arched a brow.
“From Malachi? He actually talks?” she teased while sticking her tongue out at the man they were discussing.
“Where’s Megan?” Malachi growled in response.
He was happy to see everybody, loved them like his own, but his body was demanding to see his woman.
Hell, he’d smelled her the second they’d walked through the door and his cock was responding accordingly.
Susannah shrugged.
“Probably changing clothes for about the twentieth time this morning,” she explained.
“I told her she wouldn’t be wearing them long enough to worry about how she looked, but she’s as nervous as a whore in church.” Her eyes wandered lazily over Malachi and Justice.
“I can see why she’s so excited, though.”
Jasper smacked her on the ass, causing Justice’s eyes to jerk upward.
He couldn’t imagine him taking those types of liberties with either Malachi or Megan.
Red head just smiled and smacked right back.
They were cute to watch.
“You can put your dog down, Justice. I’ll keep a tight hold on Mighty Mouse, here. They’ll get on just fine, don’t worry. This little guy just had to make certain everybody in the room knew that Chloe was his piece of tail and he doesn’t like to share.” She nodded toward the poodle.
“What’s his name?” Her hand reached out and wiggled no name’s giant ears and then giggled at the flopping sound they made.
Justice eased no name to the ground and tried not to be ashamed at the way his much larger dog still trembled slightly.
No name was obviously submissive like him.
“Eh, he doesn’t have a name yet. We just got him. I’m still trying to come up with something that fits.”
“You could call him asshole,” Travis suggested.
“Name him after Malachi.”
Malachi whirled on Travis and Justice was afraid there was finally going to be trouble between the two.
He watched as Malachi opened his mouth to put Travis in his place, but his body suddenly froze into a statue still pose.
He tilted his head and his nostrils flared slightly.
After that, a huge smile spread across his face.
He turned away from Travis, dismissing him like he no longer existed, and looked toward the staircase.
Justice followed his gaze and hissed a deep breath when he saw Megan standing midway down the steps, looking fucking gorgeous and completely in love.
Love, it would be the only word that could be used to describe the intense look on her face as she gazed down at Malachi.
“Hey, lover lover,” she purred in a sultry voice that caused two cocks in the room to get hard in an instant.
Then, moving in what could only be described as super human speed, she raced down the stairs and launched herself into Malachi’s open arms.
Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as her lips claimed his mouth in a kiss that left no doubts as to how badly she had missed him.
Justice watched, a bad feeling washing over him, as they kissed…
made love to one another with their mouths right in front of everybody.
Megan was purring her satisfaction and Malachi was grunting his.
Justice thought he might have lost the ability to swallow as he continued to torture himself by watching.
In his mind, over and over again, he kept thinking…
’I didn’t think Malachi kissed on the mouth’.
He’d never once kissed his lips.
Justice had just assumed it was something the Dom didn’t do, a part he held back from everybody.
Well, apparently it wasn’t everybody he held it back from.
Maybe it was just him?
Maybe he didn’t kiss subs on the lips?
Maybe a fucking pet needed to learn his position?
He forced the saliva down his throat and fought the wave of feelings that the kiss had caused to begin haunting him.
He would not fuck this up.
Nobody knew about his darkness, he could do this.
He just needed to focus on what his role was.
Focus.
His hand traced the wrist until he glanced around and caught Dante watching him…
way too closely.
He dropped his hand and forced a smile to his lips.
“I missed you, M. So very much,” she added.
“Welcome home, baby.”
“Missed you, too,” Malachi growled between hungry kisses.
His hands kneaded her ass like they weren’t in a room with eight other people…
and three dogs watching them.
Dante cleared his throat.
Malachi ignored him.
Travis said, “Get a room already. Gross.”
Malachi ignored him.
Megan giggled.
“I think no name needs to go outside,” Justice mumbled as he turned to head back out of the door they’d just entered.
Malachi did not ignore him.
“Don’t move, Justice,” he barked sharply.
After placing another wet kiss on Megan’s lips, he allowed her feet to finally drop back down to the floor.
He winked at her and then stepped aside.
It felt like every breath in the room was held at the moment.
There wasn’t a one of them in there that wasn’t well aware of how much Malachi loved Megan, of how protective he was of what belonged to him.
Megan had shared with all of them about their plans for Justice, how they wanted the three of them to be together.
All of them, excluding Megan and Malachi, were concerned about how Malachi would handle another man touching his woman.
Even Justice, who had only known Malachi for a few short weeks, was worried about how this was going to work.
Justice stood frozen to the exact spot where his feet had been the second Malachi had told him to stop.
His chest felt tight and to be perfectly honest, he was a bit light-headed.
He could sum it up by saying he felt like a chick.
Shit, he was more nervous than he’d been when Malachi had told him he planned on fucking him…
in the ass…
for the first time.
His heart tumbled cartwheels as Megan, a very wickedly naughty smile dancing on her lips, closed the distance between them.
She looked every inch his Domme at the moment.
He thought about kneeling but she was too close before he had the opportunity to make his move.
His eyes drifted to Malachi, expecting to see jealousy or anger…
or, even worse, emptiness since he wasn’t that important, but that isn’t what confronted him.
Malachi’s violet eyes were dark with arousal and hunger as he watched both his lovers.
He welcomed the wave of possessiveness that washed over him as he hungrily soaked up their beauty.
A tilt of his head, just a nod, to Justice caused Justice’s fears and worries to vanish in an instant.
“Welcome, baby. I’ve waited for this moment for what seems like forever,” Megan whispered as she caught his face between both her palms.
It wasn’t the hungry embrace she’d shared with Malachi, but it was just as special…
in a different way.
She was tender and soft, a touch hesitant, but still knowing what she wanted and intending to take it.
“Who’s your Mistress?”
“You are,” Justice answered quickly.
His pale blue eyes dropped to the floor, causing his long lashes to rest demurely against his high cheekbones.
She stood there with her hands clutching his face and her eyes loving him with both a wild and tender intensity.
She acted as if there wasn’t another soul in the room…
just him, her, and Malachi.
Her eyes fluttered as she blinked back tears and her bow-shaped lips formed a breathtaking smile.
At least it threatened to take his breath away.
“You are…perfect. Preciously perfect. Achingly perfect. You are ours .” She placed a soft kiss against his slightly parted lips.
“And we are never letting you go.” With that declaration, she kissed him with the exact same intensity she’d shown Malachi.
Her lips mastered and plundered.
She purred but refused to stop until she heard him moan his own arousal…
his submission.
His body relaxed against her as he felt all worries vanish as she claimed him , in front of everybody.
Only when they heard Malachi’s soft chuckle did they finally separate.
Justice was blushing from head to toe and Megan was glowing from head to toe.
Her eyes were lazy with arousal and lust.
He nibbled his bottom lip, still swollen from her lovely assault.
“Huhhhh…who would have thought it?” Travis said.