Hard Justice: The Asylum Fight Club Book 3

by Bianca Sommerland

  “Yeah, I don’t think Curtis is gonna be having much to do with him. But for real, it’s not Jamie’s fault Noah’s…” Reed shook his head. Noah would be fine. He’d get better. And fuck, he didn’t want to think about what a mess everything was with the man coming back. They’d work themselves out. He forced a smile. “Jamie’s taking things better than I did. Imagine Noah’s reaction if he came back and his boy was all busted up from fighting every night. Now that would be fucked up.”

  Swallowing a gulp of coffee with his head shake, Matt gestured to Reed with his mug. “Nope. You didn’t know where Curtis was. None of us did. So at least Jamie doesn’t have that to deal with. He knows his Dom will be back at some point. Acting out would be a real dick move.”

  “Well, going shopping with me is safe enough. And the place hasn’t burned down.” He cocked his head as the door opened again. Two sets of boots, one definitely Curtis’s. He slid off the bar, popping the rest of his late breakfast in his mouth. “So he’s doing good and I’m doing my duty for our fellow sub. I’ll be his Jedi Master and he’ll be on the right path before Noah gets back.”

  Doc walked in and gave Reed a look. “Is that what they’re calling the road to perdition these days?”

  “Hey, I’m a very good influence.” He planted on his most innocent smile. “Coffee?”

  Curtis shook his head. “Thanks, no. I’ll give you and Jamie a ride. I assume you’re going in your pajamas? Because you have five minutes.”

  “Oh shit.” Reed clamped his lips shut way too late, earning himself five solid smacks before Curtis sent him on his way. Pajamas offered no protection, damn it, but at least it hadn’t cut into his time as much as a mouthful of soap would.

  Skidding across the floor, he took the stairs two at a time up to their loft. Two minutes later, he was dressed in pale blue jeans that hugged his ass, keeping his heated skin nice and achy, and showing the outline of his dick in a way that would make Matt and Curtis’s mouths water. Reed stuffed his feet in his sneakers, tugging on the long-sleeve T-shirt Ezran had gotten him with a colorful shark and the whole ‘Baby Shark’ song in bright blue scattered words, while running back downstairs. He made it to the bar with time to spare but managed to trip over his untied laces before he reached Curtis.

  He grinned up at him. “I did good, right?”

  One corner of his mouth kicking up, Curtis crouched to tie Reed’s laces before scooping Reed’s coat off the back of a barstool and holding it out for him. Reed shoved his arms through and Curtis zipped it to his chin, giving him a kiss on the nose. “Very good.”

  So many little things, which might seem weird to some, but in a power exchange brought a sense of security. The knowledge of how giving up control could be harsh or tender, but both meant he was noticed. His submission natural. Safe.

  Which Jamie would miss while Noah was gone.

  But he’ll get it the right way when he’s back.

  Not that there was only one right way, but Jamie’s doubts proved something was missing for him. Noah’s boy shouldn’t be lacking for anything. Not when Noah was capable of giving him everything.

  And he will.

  Ready to go, Reed hesitated when he spotted Jamie kneeling in front of Doc in the middle of the bar. All right, that was...new. He pressed his lips together, keeping quiet. He might be a lot of things, but an idiot was not one of them. When Doc disciplined another sub, Reed found not moving, breathing, or doing anything to possibly piss him off the best course of action.

  “Back by six, and you’ll be helping downstairs in the bar. Curtis or I will give you your orders and you’ll obey without question. Understood?” Doc cupped Jamie’s chin in his black-gloved hand.

  Nervously licking his lips nervously, Jamie swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

  Doc’s cold gaze cut to Reed. “He’s to behave while he’s with you. And you will tell me if he so much as cusses through a sneeze, or this will be the last outing for a long time.”

  A quick nod, fighting not to inch closer to Curtis, and Reed nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  At Doc’s finger snap and hand command, Jamie stood. Bundled in a sweater, a black-knit cap covering his wicked white hair, Jamie looked ready for some version of winter in a clothing catalogue, but not the one raging outside in icy gusts.

  Curtis bussed Reed’s cheek, leaning in to whisper, “Five free passes if you lose him…” He paused with a short sigh. “Just kidding.”

  Damn…

  Hard to know what to focus on. The idea of what he could do with those free passes, or what to make of the idea even occurring to Curtis. He chewed at his bottom lip, stepping up to Jamie’s side. “You don’t have a coat?”

  Fingers going to the cap, Jamie tugged at it a little, glancing doubtfully toward the door. “Noah’s was too big. I tried. But I’ll get one while we’re out.”

  Curtis snapped his fingers at them both. “I’m giving you each a cane stroke for every minute I’m late.”

  All right, looked like they were getting a lift from hardcore Curtis. Reed grabbed Jamie’s arm, keeping him close as they stepped outside. Wouldn’t protect him completely from the cold, but Curtis must’ve warmed the car already, so it shouldn’t be horrible. Noah would be pissed if they broke his boy while he was gone—and hell, how could he not feel bad this dude who was used to sunny beaches year-round had to tough out a New York winter without the right stuff. Tracey would murder them all if she saw him like this.

  “Jamie, up front.” Curtis held the door open for the other sub. “There’s a seat warmer on the passenger side.”

  Huddled in on himself, Jamie ducked past Curtis, looking anywhere but at the Dom’s face as Curtis pulled out the seatbelt, started to buckle him in, then stopped, handing him the belt. Jamie muttered his, “Thanks.”

  Curtis shut the door, then came to get Reed settled into the seat behind Jamie with a kiss. “All good?”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Reed hoped eventually Jamie would catch on. Life was gonna be a lot tougher otherwise. He smiled up at Curtis. “And thanks for the ride. I promise I won’t go crazy with the glittery stuff, sir.”

  Shaking his head, Curtis laughed, closing his door before getting in behind the wheel. He adjusted his mirrors. “You do you. As long as you have something appropriate to wear when you need to, Reed, I’m fine with you buying what you want. Fair?”

  “More than fair.” Reed tucked his hands between his thighs to warm up, adding a pair of gloves to his mental shopping list as Curtis pulled onto the street. Not that he didn’t have some, but he couldn’t find any that matched. Going shopping with Jamie, he didn’t want to look too weird. He was still getting to know the dude. “I’ve got to get Matt some new jeans too before his fade away to nothing. And we need to stop at the candy store because...well it’s the candy store. And maybe a few other places.”

  Jamie stared out the window, craning his neck to look at buildings, squinting at signs like he tried to puzzle them out as they went by.

  “You can drop bags at the dojo so you don’t have to carry them, and I’ll give you a ride home when I’m done. Come in the side door.” He gave Reed a look. “You know the way, yes?”

  “I do. And how to slip in and out without notice—not that I’d ever do that again.” He made sure to add the last so he didn’t end up with his second punishment of the day in the parking lot.

  “Mhm.” Taking the turn onto Main Street, Curtis glanced at Jamie. “What are you shopping for?” His tone translated to, ‘What could you possibly need besides a coat and ten-dollars-worth of sense?’

  A flush crept up the back of Jamie’s neck, visible over his fisherman sweater’s rolled collar. “Christmas presents for...for everyone. And a coat and boots.”

  Curtis’s head turned fully, his brows going up, but he didn’t say anything as he took Jamie in. They turned into the parking lot behind the row of shops where Curtis parked, handing Reed a credit card with a silent look. He wasn’t to max it out, but he shouldn’t feel be
holden to Jamie for anything, or like he couldn’t hold his head high next to him.

  Getting out of the car, Reed went to the driver’s side, leaning in when Curtis opened the window. His throat tightened as he met his Dom’s eyes. Hell, it wasn’t like he didn’t get paid for working at the bar, plus Tracey had always made sure he had everything he needed, but both she and Noah taught him the value of working hard. To earn the things he wanted. He hadn’t considered how his budget might seem next to Jamie’s non-existent one. “Thank you, sir.”

  Curtis brushed Reed’s hair back from his forehead, holding his gaze. “I’m proud of you. I love you and want you to have fun. This is me being happy I can make that happen for you in a small way.”

  “You do it in big ways every single day, sir.” Reed took a deep breath. “I love you so flippin’ much. And I’ll be on...how about the equivalent to Matt’s best behavior? Without the fighting?”

  Laughing, Curtis tugged Reed’s hair, then leaned over to the glove box to grab his gum along with the parking hang tag for his mirror. He popped a stick in his mouth, eyeing Jamie, who stood a little ways off in a sheltered doorway. “That sounds good. Just don’t forget Doc’s instructions. Clear?”

  “Crystal. But… For real, it’s gonna be fine. Even I can’t get in trouble shopping.” He wrinkled his nose. “And Jamie might be new, but you think he’s gonna risk pissing off Doc?”

  Curtis’ lips tightened at the edges. “Nope. But I know Doc is a perfectionist and he’s decided to train Jamie at the boy’s request. So—” He shrugged, then looked up at the leaden sky. “—we’re going to help Doc like he asked.”

  That made sense. And also sounded like Noah wasn’t the only one who’d gone nuts

  Jamie asked Doc to train him? Holy shit.

  He worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “Will do, sir. And I’ll keep an eye on the time. See you in a bit?”

  Cupping Reed’s face in his warm hands, Curtis leaned in to kiss him. “See you in a bit. Get the silly git a coat first. Not fur, preferably.”

  “Ew, yeah, no worries there. The only dead animal you should wear also provides steak.” He kissed Curtis, then started toward the mall while his Dom pulled out of the parking lot. The wind kicked up, quickening his pace.

  “And now I’m hungry!”

  Jamie blew into his fingers, meeting Reed halfway. “We can get some lunch if you want?”

  Pulling open the door to the mall entrance, Reed let Jamie in first and nodded. “That would be great. They’ve got a ton of little food shops in the middle of the place—maybe grab a chicken wrap so we don’t have to sit long? Then we can go check out some coats. And talk about you losing your mind. Doc? Really?”

  Hands shoved in his pockets, Jamie looked around warily, pulling his hat down further to hide his hair, unrolling the turtleneck of his sweater so it almost covered his lips. “Yeah, desperate times. I figured why not get trained by the guy who hates me the most. Cuz if he ends up liking me, maybe everyone else will, too. Besides, Lawson is too sick, and I can piss Curtis off enough without that kind of arrangement.”

  That was true, but fuck the man liked to go all-in. Reed led the way to the food court, thumbs hooked to his belt loops under the bottom of his puffy gunmetal-colored jacket. “That was a one-time, high-stress thing, man. But you’re right. And, like Doc’s okay when...well you’re really careful and polite and don’t do anything that makes him mad...” He ordered his wrap at his regular place, then slid Jamie his most encouraging smile. “I’ll give you whatever pointers I can. You want anything here?”

  Jamie squinted up at the menu, then rose up on his toes as though to see past the drink machines toward the back. “Um… No, thanks.”

  “Ah...well there’s tons of options. What do you like?” Reed paid for his wrap, thanked the cashier, then turned to consider the other booths. Most of them had much longer lines, and this one was filling up fast, forcing them to move out of the way. The vegetarian stand closer to the center wasn’t too crowded. Maybe a better option for a dude straight out of L.A.? He nodded toward it. “They’ve got really good avocado stuff there. Tracey always gets something.”

  Jamie looked around the large space, his gaze locking on the giant yellow ‘M’. “I have that one memorized.”

  “McDonalds? I hope so, but not sure we’re getting to the cash anytime this century.” Which was quickly becoming true of all the restaurants. He grabbed Jamie’s arm and dragged him to an open booth. “Umm...wanna share my wrap and we can try again when the lunch crowd thins out?”

  Relief shone in Jamie’s green eyes. “Yes, please.”

  Jutting his chin toward the first stretch of stores, Reed took the wax paper off the top of the wrap, handing it over to Jamie for the first bite. “That way when we’re done. You should probably avoid anything too fancy. Won’t be as warm. Look for what temperatures it can handle.”

  “Okay. I have my ski stuff from a trip to Vale, but it’s in storage at a hangar near LAX, so I’d have to have my assistant go through about a hundred boxes.” Jamie slid down in the booth. “It’s stupid because I keep meaning to get an archivist to catalog all the stuff, and like barcode it. But I don’t, so I keep buying shit.”

  Reed continued holding out the wrap, frowning at the other man. “Why’s that stupid? You need a coat today. That doesn’t sound like something that can be done overnight.”

  Gaze finally snapping to the sandwich, Jamie nodded his thanks, leaning in for a bite like Noah was the one feeding him. “Hey, that’s pretty good.”

  “I shoulda just ordered two.” Reed grinned once he had his own mouthful, enjoying the fresh, crispy lettuce, spicy ranch dressing with chicken strips and chewy pita bread. “They don’t have the big flashy sign, so they don’t get the same kind of lineup and everything they make is awesome. I stop here whenever I’m out with Tracey or meeting Curtis at his dojo.”

  Totally distracted, Jamie kept looking around. “So weird. I haven’t been to a mall except for a Christmas carol show since I was like eight.” He took another bite of the wrap when Reed offered, chewing slowly before meeting Reed’s gaze. “Sorry for stealing your lunch. I got overwhelmed. Noah—” Swallowing, he looked down. “He’s still teaching me how to read. Because I never really learned, and the letters get all jumbled up.”

  Reed wiped a bit of dressing off his chin, eyes widening slightly. “Oh shit, seriously? I’m sorry, man. If I’d known I woulda helped you out. And no worries sharing. I had like five PopTarts this morning because I wasn’t feeling like cooking. Curtis usually makes breakfast, but things are...well, everyone’s probably gonna be worn out for a bit.” He held out the wrap again, clearing his throat. He should’ve gotten a drink. “Planning and everything. You being involved will be cool. That’s probably what you’ll be asked to do when we get back.”

  Jamie took the wrap in his hands this time, had his bite, then gave it back to Reed. “I was gonna tell you, but I was afraid someone would hear. Not your fault. And I don’t have my security team with me, so we need to know where the back exits are. You feel me?”

  “Yeah, I figured people might take pictures at some point.” With one last bite, Reed gave Jamie the rest, happy the place didn’t skimp so the wrap wasn’t horrible to share and ended up being decently filling. “But I know where the exits are. Noah made sure me and Ez always keep stuff like that in mind. If you keep your head down we might be okay. Lots of the people shopping now are older, or wrapped up in their own thing, so, like Lady Gaga could be here and they wouldn’t notice.” He moved in closer, speaking low. “But I’d totally lose my fucking mind.”

  Leaning in, all conspirator-like, Jamie grinned. “Me too.”

  Well look at that, we have something in common.

  Hopping out of the booth, Reed grabbed Jamie’s hand, pulling him to his feet. He tugged the other sub’s cap lower just in case. “You don’t have any allergies, do you? Lawson always wears these thick wool jackets in the winter and they’re pretty d
amn warm. A long one with a big hood to hide in would look really good on you.”

  They passed along the glass railings overlooking the mall shops a level down. Giant gilded-and-striped Christmas balls hung beneath the skylights overhead. Music played and shoppers jostled, all seemingly lost in their own hurry. Nobody looked up from their phones long enough to notice Jamie.

  “Nope. No allergies.” Jamie grinned, linking his arm with Reed’s. “Thanks for this. I’m gonna need your help picking stuff out for everyone. Tracey, Ez, Garet, Matt...the Doms. I might have to make more than one trip. And I want to know what you want, too? I’ve never shopped like this for people. I’m looking forward to the tree. You have a tree, right? Like in those Christmas movies? Not the weird silver things, but a real one?”

  “Well yeah, Tracey would be pissed if all the lofts didn’t have trees, even though Curtis grumbles about the pine needles, and Lawson shakes his head about the cost. He thinks fake trees would be more practical, but neither of them ever say anything about it to Tracey. She makes holidays special.” He thought back to all the awesome ones they’d had. The two without Noah which...might end up being three. He swallowed hard, pulling Jamie with him into the coat store. “Knowing her, she’ll swing by Noah’s place to set one up. She makes us decorate them though—I can help you with that.”

  Jamie’s footsteps had slowed while Reed talked. “That’d be super cool. I’d like him to come home to that. I thought maybe you guys all celebrated it together, but I guess with things being kinda tense, that’d be weird, huh?”

  Reed cocked his head, blinking at Jamie. Where’d he get that idea? “Of course, we celebrate together. Most of us go to Tracey’s. But, like we all decorate anyway. The whole club will be done up.”