AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What my lovely partner means is, we like to get as dirty and nasty as we possibly can. And I am not fucking apologizing for it,” Damon pronounced, sitting up and sticking his chest out like some gorilla screeching for his territory.
I was laughing, but Burke didn’t find it as funny. “You’re going to make Noah think we’re horrible.”
“Wearehorrible, babe. I mean, only people deep in the lifestyle would understand. We want a nice man that wants to serve us so completely, he rarely gets to piss on his own. We like what we like.”
Noah held up his hand and told them both, “Now, wait a minute. I’m not here judging. Things I like, things my boy, here, what he likes, most would find that terrible and awful.”
“Oh? Do tell?” Damon prodded, making Burke take his turn at rolling his eyes.
“Damon…”
“It’s fine,” Noah said. “You know Eli enough to know he likes some pain. I like giving it. Right there would be enough to make a few people clutch their pearls.”
“That’s no lie,” Damon commented dryly. “Pain is nice for those that like it. Gives them a helluva rush.”
“As long as it’s,” Burke started, and we all finished with, “Safe, sane, and consensual.”
Noah added, “And above age. Me and Eli, we have enough of an age difference.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I informed him. And really, since the first, I hadn’t.
“I have some snow on the peak, but there’s still fire down below, as the saying goes. I thought it was mostly out until I found this one on the side of the road. He lit me up pretty fast.”
“He’s a beautiful boy,” Burke said, but watched my reaction, and clarified, “I’m just glad someone sees past all the pretty, like I did. He’s a good man. Went through enough hell in his life.”
“He’s… told me a bit of it. I’m not pushing to hear more until he’s ready.”
“I’m right here, fellas. You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not.”
“Settle down, colt,” Noah whispered, kissing my cheek tenderly. “I could never forget you’re here.”
And like that, I was settled.
“See? Like that. Eli, he never… settled that fast. Like ever, and then… well, after what happened in the desert, it got a lot worse.”
I felt like the topic would not move from it, so I okayed the talk. I felt comfortable as I could be about it, with someone that was there, and Noah in the room. “I have PTSD, sure, but who wouldn’t? I watched people I cared about die right in front of me, then… took a part of one as my own injury.”
“What?” Noah was watching me close, and his arms tightened on me.
I looked over to Burke, hoping he’d finish what I couldn’t. He took one look at me and told Noah, “When the explosion happened, well, it took out one man totally. He was… gone, pieces of him, they… well, you can imagine the rest of that. Anyway, that injury Eli got, it was from stray… teeth. And a couple of other bones.”
I closed my eyes, feeling my heart pounding, the memories flashing harshly in my head. I was shaking, but Noah was talking to me, getting through the sounds of screams and explosives and metal twisting…
“Shhh, baby, I’m right here. You’re right here, on the good ol’ Double O.”
A deep, reverberating voice breaking through the din helped, and I felt a hand cupping my cheek. “I’m here,” I assured him, but I was only half there.
“I know. You’re just fine.”
“Noah, did you ever think of going into therapy?” Burke asked in awe.
“I have a client right here,” he said, chuckling. “He’s all I need.”
I was held until the shaking stopped, and Burke came over, sitting on the arm of the chair where Noah and I sat. “You okay, buddy?”
I nodded fast, but I didn’t feel so great. “I’ll have a nightmare, but I don’t have them as often.”
“Me either, but they come.”
