by Kenzi Bond
Beau threw himself at Malcolm, knocking him back against the couch. Lips on his stole his next words. Beau’s strong hands cupped his face as he pulled back to stare at Malcolm.
“Is this real?” he asked, eyes shining bright as he stared at the ring in Malcolm’s hand.
“Yes. I don’t want to get married in a hurry. I want to enjoy calling you my fiancé for a while.” He looked into Beau’s eyes, losing himself in their beauty. “I love you. I want you to be mine always.”
“Yes!” Beau yelled, and then he was kissing Malcolm again. He could have kissed Beau all day, but there were things they needed to discuss. Taking the ring, he pushed it smoothly onto Beau’s finger. He was overcome with the profound sense of rightness as the ring settled in place. He glanced over at Dean, seeing the matching ring on his finger.
Dean and Beau looked at each other wordlessly. “We’ll be right back,” Dean said, reaching for his brother’s hand and rushing from the room.
“What just happened?” Drake asked.
“I don’t know. But they said yes. Guess we wait and see.”
It wasn’t long before the boys returned, carrying a wooden box.
“It’s not a ring…” Dean began.
“We didn’t even know how you would feel about this…” Beau continued.
“You know they removed our collars that night in the hospital. Even though we didn’t wear them again, they still meant something. We took them and had them remade in the hope that one day you would wear them for us.”
Malcolm glanced at the boys. Did they want to collar them? He didn’t know how he felt about that. It wasn’t that he didn’t want everyone to know he belonged to Beau, but he never liked wearing jewelry around his neck. It always felt constricting and annoying. He watched as Beau opened the box. Inside were two masculine bracelets resting on black silk. The bands were similar in design to the collars, with angled edges held together by a heart-shaped padlock through two O-rings. The only difference was the diamond initials on the lock. One had the letter B; the other had the letter D.
Malcolm stared at the bands in awe. He was moved to tears at the thoughtful gesture and was so overwhelmed with emotion he couldn’t speak.
Beau took one of the bands and, with nimble fingers, locked the bracelet around Mal’s thick wrist. The cold metal fit perfectly.
“I’ll never take it off,” he vowed when he managed to find his voice.
“Me neither. I’ll wear it with pride,” Drake promised.
Beau moved onto Malcolm’s lap. “How about we go celebrate, and then later we’ll start moving our stuff. The parents will be a bit overprotective at first, but they’ll be happy for us. It’s not like they didn’t know how we felt. This has been building up for years. Besides, they like you.” Suddenly, he smiled widely.
“Okay, what’s put that look on your face?”
“I just realized Jackson and Lucas will be your fathers-in-law. I tried to imagine you calling them Dad!” His smile widened.
Malcolm swore his heart stopped beating. They had always wanted a father, but not one that was only five or so years older.
“Please call them Dad when we collect our stuff. I wanna see the look on their faces.” He turned to Dean. “Make sure we get Joel and Kasey to help us move. They won’t want to miss out on this.”
Dean looked up from his phone, a big Cheshire grin on his face. “Done already.” He looked down as his phone pinged, alerting that a message had come through.
Dean’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Joel said he’ll pay you a hundred bucks to call them Daddy instead.”
The twins grabbed each other, as they suddenly laughed.
Seeing the boys so happy, Malcolm started to see the funny side. “Tell him to make it two hundred, and I’ll do it.”
After they finally stopped laughing, they went over the things they needed to do for the day. “We should probably announce our engagement, too,” Beau said in contemplation. “Are you up for another press conference?”
Malcolm didn’t particularly hate the idea, but he didn’t love it, either. “Couldn’t we just announce it in the paper like other people?”
Beau reached for his hand. “We could, but we’ve found that it’s easier and quicker to go directly to the journalists. They will hound us either way.”
“You’re the experts. We’ll follow your lead, right, Drake?”
Drake was barely listening. He was too busy lustfully staring at Dean. “Whatever my fiancé says is fine by me. I like the sound of that—fiancé has a certain ring to it. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there. For now…” He reached for Dean. “Someone said something about celebrating?”
Dean smiled. “You’re insatiable. Not that I’m complaining.” He turned to Beau. “Let’s table the discussion for later and meet up in an hour or two.”
Malcolm cleared his throat. “Yeah, two hours should be just enough time.” Reaching urgently for Beau, he imagined all the things they could do in two hours. “Or maybe three.”
28
Drake
D
rake pulled the car up in front of Xavier Tower. He nervously rubbed the palms of his hands along his thighs where the majority of his scars were hidden. Dean’s small hand settled on top of his.
“It’s going to be fine. Trust me, Dad has only ever wanted us to be happy. And you make us deliriously happy, and dare I say satisfied,” Dean teased.
It was just past noon, and reporters were already waiting outside the entrance. Drake smiled as he spotted Joel and Kasey waiting for them in the doorway. Joel was glaring at the reporters until he noticed the four of them. Then he smiled broadly as he tapped his watch, indicating they should hurry up.
“You okay, Drake?” Malcolm asked, noticing Drake’s nervous gesture.
Sweeping his gaze from Malcolm to Beau to Dean, he felt himself relax. “Yep, let’s do this. Time to face the future in-laws.”
The roar of the reporters’ voices as he stepped out of the car was disorienting. He reached for Dean’s hand and helped him out of the vehicle as the clicks of cameras captured the moment.
Looking past him, Dean confidently stared at the reporters. “If you give us a chance, we will answer a few questions, but if you don’t quiet down, you get nothing.”
Instantly, the noise stopped, the only sound coming from the cameras. With his arm around Dean, they moved back to make room for Beau and Malcolm.
Beau was the first to speak. “Hello, everyone. I can see by the size of the crowd that you’re here about Malcolm and Drake. As we announced last night, we are in a relationship with them. And—” He paused dramatically. “—as of this morning, we are engaged.” He waited for the reporters to stop yelling questions before continuing. “We won’t be discussing the details of our relationship further except to say we are very happy.”
“Is it true you were in a sexual relationship with the Tallon brothers when you were sixteen?” asked a voice from the back. “I have a sworn statement from an employee at Beat Boys who stated that he often saw you together.”
There were gasps from those around them. Some reporters called for confirmation. Although neither Beau nor Dean gave any indication that the comment upset them, Drake could feel Dean’s hand tighten in his own. He stepped forward and searched for the speaker. He wasn’t surprised when Jake, the troublemaker from the night before, stepped forward.
“Isn’t it also true that Beau and Dean were visitors to Club Neon during that time? All these years, you have been taking advantage of these innocent young men. You’re no better than the men who tried to buy them!”
Drake felt his blood turn to ice. Dean’s hand held his tightly. Searching Dean’s face, he couldn’t believe how calm he seemed.
“Don’t worry, we have a secret weapon.” He pointed to another car, and Drake watched as Jason Steele and Kaden climbed out. Jason looked imposing as his dark eyes took in everything. He wore dark jeans and a blue henley, and Drake admitted to himself th
at the man was impressive to look at.
“Looks like we arrived just in time,” he said, shaking hands with first Drake, then Malcolm. He looked at Beau and Dean and relaxed. “Do you really want to unleash the Hound?”
Dean and Beau grinned, their faces alight with mischief. Beau laughed. “Hell yeah, and so do you. Don’t try to tell me Kaden doing his thing doesn’t get you all hot and bothered.”
Jason’s lips stretched into smirk. “Oh, hell yeah. It’s the highlight of my life.” Jason turned to Kaden. “Go get ’em, sunshine.” He playfully swatted Kaden on the butt, pushing him forward.
Kaden gave a little excited jump on the spot. “This is going to be so much fun.”
He turned to the crowd. “Hello, Jake. I’m so happy you brought these faceless allegations to our attention. It is true, as mentioned last night, that the Xavier twins did, in fact, meet the Tallon brothers when they were sixteen. However, their interactions were at all times aboveboard. As to the affidavit you have, which you obtained from Anthony Smiggs last night, I have my own signed affidavit from Mr. Smiggs documenting that Mr. Smiggs admitted to an attempted sexual assault of the boys. It was decided at the time that he would not be charged for the assault, as the boys did not wish to go through the ordeal of a trial. It was also mutually agreed that Mr. Smiggs would undergo psychiatric counseling for his behavior. The whole exchange was recorded and notarized by a judge. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you think you should have done your research on Mr. Smiggs before paying him a large sum of money for a fabricated story?”
Jake shook his head, looking around at the other reporters for support. “How was I to know about that. I had a witness willing to give me an exclusive story. He signed his statement and everything. I had no reason to suspect it wasn’t true. But it’s not the only statement I have. Reid Mattherson has claimed he had firsthand knowledge that the boys were visitors of the Tallon men. Are you going to claim he assaulted them, too?”
Kaden gave an evil smile. Drake actually felt the threat in the look he was giving Jake.
“Why, Jake, haven’t you learned to do your homework yet? Mr. Mattherson was fired from Club Neon for poor work performance. He had numerous reports against him for his behavior toward the patrons visiting Club Neon. He was released from his employment and went on a rampage of destruction against the properties owned by Drake and Malcolm. The man was arrested and did nine months in jail. The statement is not worth the paper it was written on.”
Drake felt a little bit sorry for the man as he realized he had made a colossal mistake. This interaction would most likely lose the man his job. Jake took a step back, but Kaden wasn’t finished.
“Jake, dear, before you run away, there are a couple of officers waiting over there for you. They want to ask questions about the shrine you have in your home dedicated to the Xavier twins. Some of the items are quite disturbing, and the officers would like to ensure you are not a threat.” Kaden glanced over his shoulder and caught Jason’s eye. The heat in that one look had Drake blushing.
“Who the hell are you?” Jake screamed as he lunged at Kaden.
Jason was between them in a flash. Grabbing the man by his shirt, he lifted him up so their faces met. “That man is my husband, and I am the acting captain of the North Bay precinct. You lay one hand on him, and I’ll have you in jail so fast your head will spin.” He gave him a shake. “Got it?”
Jake crumbled under Jason’s fury. “Yes. Sorry. I won’t touch him.”
Jason nodded to the police. “Get him out of my sight.”
Drake was absolutely floored. What the hell had just happened? How did Kaden get all that information? As Jake was taken away, the reporters quieted down.
Jason faced the reporters. “My name is Jason Steele. As you heard, I am acting captain of the North Bay Police Department. I can give you my personal guarantee that there has never been anything inappropriate between these men. Drake and Malcolm are known and respected by Jackson and Lucas Xavier. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve been invited to lunch, and quite frankly, I’m hungry. You will just have to speak with the Xaviers another time.” With that, he turned and led the way into the building.
The elevator arrived shortly after Kaden pushed the button. Jason followed Kaden inside before turning and holding up his hand. “You get the next one.” As the doors closed, Jason pulled Kaden into an embrace.
Dean and Beau looked at each other and grinned. “Oh my god. Kaden is awesome,” Beau gushed.
Drake must have been staring with his mouth open, because Dean pushed on his chin, closing the gap. “Told you he watches people. He’s a whiz with the computer. He’s a silent partner in Hawkeye Security and teaches cybersecurity classes. He called this morning to tell us about Jake and Reid. Sorry we didn’t warn you, but we didn’t want you to worry. Kaden’s a great friend to have on our side.”
The doors to the elevator opened. Drake couldn’t believe his eyes. Still in the elevator, Jason had Kaden pinned to the wall, biting his neck as Kaden rubbed himself against Jason’s raised knee.
Jason paused. “Take the next one.”
“Holy shit,” Malcolm said.
“Damn it,” Beau muttered. “We should have known this would happen. After all these years, they still can’t keep their hands off each other.” He turned and took Malcolm’s hand. “Follow me; there’s another elevator this way. If we wait for this one, we’ll be here all day.”
29
Beau
S
tepping off the elevator, they found two furious parents waiting for them.
Jackson stepped forward, hands fisted on his hips. His long, wavy hair was pulled back from his face, which was flushed with annoyance. “What the hell was that? Engaged? Since when? I can’t believe this. That is not the way to announce to us you got engaged!”
Lucas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jackson’s waist. “Easy, baby. Let them in the door first.” He glared at them. “Not that I’m any happier. Get inside.”
The elevator opened behind them and a rumpled, very satisfied Kaden and Jason stepped out. Kaden dived across the room, leaping at Jackson. “Did you see me, Jax? People should know better than to upset my friends. Hey, what’s that frown for?” He rubbed at the lines between Jackson’s brows.
“I love your work, K-bomb, but I don’t need to hear about my sons getting engaged after the fucking press hears about it first. Of course I’m pissed. They should have told me.”
Kaden gave him a gentle shove. “Bullshit! I told you about the rings months ago. You knew they were going to propose. This is not a surprise.”
Jackson nudged Kaden back. “They didn’t know that! As far as they’re concerned, this is the first I’m hearing about it. Don’t you think they should have at least had the decency to speak to me and, I don’t know, ask permission or something?”
“What century do you think we live in? They were on their way over to tell you. Sure, they could have given you the heads-up, but you and I both know this was going to eventually happen. Stop for one second and look at the smiles on their faces. Your baby boys are in love!”
Beau held his breath as Jackson stared at them. They had handled this poorly. He wished he had told his parents before the press; he’d just been so excited, he wanted to shout it to the world.
“Papa, Dad, we love them. We have always loved them. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you first, but they make us happy,” Beau said.
Jackson held his arms wide. “Come here, you two.”
Beau and Dean let themselves be pulled in for a tight hug. After a moment, they felt Lucas’s arms come around them.
“Okay, I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. Let’s go inside.” Jackson looked over at a hovering Kaden. “Jason, control your man. He looks like he is two seconds from running around the room like a child on a bag of Pixy Stix.”
Moving into the living room, the twins sat down beside their men on a two-seater sofa, while Jackson and Lucas sat oppo
site. Jason sat on an armchair with Kaden perched on his lap. He kept a firm hand on Kaden’s bouncing leg in an attempt to keep it still. Joel took the last armchair, with Kasey sitting on the floor, leaning against his legs.
Looking at everyone’s serious faces, Beau found himself giggling. “Well, that was fun.” He pulled his face into a serious expression. “Papa, Dad, I would like to let you know that Dean and I have agreed to move in with Drake and Mal, and we plan to get married. They love us, they understand us, and we hope you will accept them.”
Lucas rubbed his hand up and down Jackson’s back. Beau was pleased to see he was smiling at them. “Jax and I are very happy for you. Kaden did let the secret out of the bag months ago. I told him he needs to keep his nose out of things, but you know there is no stopping him. Jason can’t even control him.”
Jason snorted in agreement. He always was a big softie when it came to Kaden.
Beau grinned at the amused look on Jason’s face.
“I could, but it’s not worth the tears. Asking Kaden to stop would be like asking him to stop breathing.”
Suddenly, Jackson stood up. He walked toward Malcolm and held out his hand. When Malcolm stood to shake his hand, Jackson surprised him by pulling him into a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” Malcolm replied with a straight face.
While Kasey rolled around on the carpet, cackling like a loon, Joel hooted with laughter. “That was priceless. The look on his face!” He broke off, roaring with mirth. “Daddy… That was worth at least a thousand dollars, and it only cost me two hundred. Did you see his face?”
“You’re dead to me, Joel,” Jackson said dryly. “Get your butt off my couch and get out.” He looked back at a smirking Malcolm. “Amusing, son, but I’d prefer you used my name. Call me Jax.” He turned to Drake and raised an eyebrow. “You too. Don’t even think of calling me Daddy.”
Drake grinned at him. “I’m not as stupid as my brother, sir. I wish to add that I love Dean deeply and will take care of him. And I hope that one day, you will think of me as a friend.”
