Money Man (Woolf Tales Book 3)

by Viva Gold

  12

  Light seeped in through a crack in the curtains, bathing the room in a dim light. I twisted my head resulting in my brains feeling like they were about to burst out my ears. Bastien lay beside me fast asleep. He looked adorable; his familiar snuffly snores were comforting and I wanted to touch him, but even moving my hand made all my muscles scream in agony. A cry of pain escaped my lips and Bastien woke with a start. I regretted disturbing him, but I needed painkillers urgently, plus my bladder was screaming for release.

  “Help!” I hissed. “Pain.”

  Quick as a flash, Bastien jumped out of bed scrambling around to my side where the doctor had left my meds. He picked up several blister packs of drugs and popped out the pills, then he ran to the bathroom for water. Despite the discomfort, I craned my neck to watch his decidedly jiggly little bum. One side of his briefs had disappeared into his crack exposing a delicious bubble butt cheek which I wanted to bite and lick. I took some consolation that my brutal experience had not killed my lust for Bastien, thank God.

  The boy returned and helped me sit up so that I could take my pills. I felt each muscle protest as I worked my way up to a sitting position. Bastien passed me the drink and as I took a sip, my lips cracked again.

  “Jesus, fuck, that’s sore.” I ran a finger along the seam of my mouth. It felt hideously scabby.

  “Here.” Bastien handed me what looked like a lipstick.

  “You do it.” I had no energy.

  Bastien climbed on to the bed and straddled my waist. He knee walked nearer my face. I placed my hands on his thighs and rubbed his smooth skin. I couldn’t get enough of him. He took the lipstick cover off and twisted the end to reveal a white stick of what I assumed was balm, then he gently swiped it over my lips. It stung at first, then slowly began to soothe the abused area around my mouth.

  “I used to have to do this a lot,” Bastien confessed to me in hushed tones. His expression was full of empathy and I hated that he could relate to my discomfort. Probably all of it. He placed the lip balm on the bedside table, then took my face in his hands staring at me straight in the eyes. “I promise you it will be better. I have been where you are now. I know how much it hurts here…” he thumped his abdomen, “et ici…” he thumped his heart, “at ici.” he tapped his head.

  Tears welled in my eyes. The young man on my lap should not have been trying to make me feel better. I was supposed to be helping him get rid of all of his bad memories, but instead he was having to relive them through me. This is why I had asked for him not to be here. I tried to push him off of me, but of course, in my weakened state, he didn’t budge.

  “I know what you are doing, Tal. But I’m stronger than you think. Just because I had a panic attack the first time we met, does not mean I am weak. Sometimes the flashbacks are too vivid to bear; I am not going to lie to you. Recovery is a long road ahead of us. Don’t you think we can help each other?” Bastien kissed my cheeks licking away my tears.

  “You shouldn’t have to go through this again.” He had suffered enough of his own trauma; he didn’t need to get involved with mine.

  “I am not. I am helping you get through yours. It is a sad fact that I understand your experience from a personal perspective, but that’s not going to change if I leave. Je reste…” Bas sat back and crossed his arms. His expression was stern, which looked kind of cute, but I could tell his stubbornness was immovable on this subject. And to be honest, I was grateful. I needed him.

  “I need to go to the loo.” I jerked my hips indicating he needed to get off me. He climbed off and dropped to his feet, where he waited patiently for me to swing my legs over the side. He offered his arm as a crutch and I took it. I was worried I’d be too wobbly like the previous evening, however, my legs held, and with assistance I made it to the loo just in time.

  “Fuck, that stings,” I yelped as I began to urinate.

  “Your penis is sore,” Bastien told me with a grim expression. I refused to look.

  “Everything is bloody sore.” My voice sounded a bit more normal since I’d rested it overnight. Once I’d had a hot coffee I felt like it would be even better.

  “It will heal.” His hand at the small of my back offered warmth and solace.

  “Thank you,” I croaked. My throat felt tight with emotion and I was certain I was going to cry again. I was a mess.

  “Attends ici.” I understood Bastien wanted me to wait where I was. He returned swiftly with a pair of loose lounge pants and a worn grey t-shirt. “From Sanjay.” Of course, the man was an absolute saint. The soft fabrics felt amazing against my sensitive skin which was still a bit raw from Sanjay’s scrubbing last night. It was a good kind of irritation though; a reminder I had been cleansed. On bare feet, I padded back to the bedroom. I was feeling steadier now.

  Bastien hovered close by. “Hungry?” he asked me. My stomach growled in response. “Do you want to go down for breakfast? If not, I can request it to come to your room.” To my surprise, I found I wanted to join the others. I needed their company, but I wasn’t sure I had the energy to make it all the way through the enormous house and down the stairs to the dining room. Bastien must have guessed my dilemma. “Liam is here, or Adam. They will come for you.”

  I felt like an idiot having to be carried like a baby, but Liam didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. He held me in his strong arms and never once made me feel like I was a burden. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and whispered my thanks. He kissed the top of my head as he deposited me carefully on a dining room chair. Sanjay hurried over with a cushion indicating to Liam to hold me up. I was pathetically grateful to sit back down on something soft, saving my already painful arse from further discomfort. My chin hit my chest in shame. I couldn’t look at my friends. Bastien held my hand, but even so, I was too flustered to face them.

  “Tally.” Izzy’s voice cut the silence. “Please look at me. You have no reason to hang your head.” His Dom voice did the trick and I slowly raised my head. Every single person around that table wore an expression of compassion. I saw no pity or mockery, simply an out-pouring of love. I don’t know how I managed to ingratiate myself into this wonderful family, but I sent a silent prayer of thanks to God, that I had. Izzy smiled at me. “We’re happy to see you. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better now I’m clean and rested.” I spotted Liam and Sanjay with Rob at the end of the table and smiled at them. “Thank you,” I told them and they smiled back.

  G & T shifted in their seats, evidently keen to speak up. I nodded at them to proceed with whatever they had to say. T spoke first.

  “Tolya and Slav are in police custody.” I gasped. That meant I’d have to go public. G held up a hand to me.

  “Don’t fret, Tal. We have them on other charges. There is enough evidence to put them away for a long time without having to involve you at all.”

  Rob cleared his throat from the other end of the table. “May I?” he asked the Twins. It was a rhetorical question as he continued anyway. “We have discovered enough evidence to link them to the death, or more specifically, murder, of Doron Sagall.” I gasped, so it was true, my client was dead. I felt both sick and relieved. “Furthermore, when investigating into the crime, we discovered an email trail that clearly negates you of any involvement in Mr Sagall’s fraudulent financial dealings.”

  My eyes went wide. Email trail? How could that be? I knew for a fact that Doron kept everything verbal so as not to incriminate himself. I twisted my head to seek out G & T, but they were suspiciously busy with their phones. My chest grew tight. They had obviously devised an entire scenario to prove my innocence. It was kind of maddening as I was actually innocent, but I guess having proof worked better in court. I couldn’t deal with the extent of my gratitude towards these men who had put themselves on the line for me. They’d all taken enormous risks.

  “The atmosphere is entirely too morose so early in the day,” Jason quipped. “Prosecco and eggs anyone?” He plonked several bottles of
the fizzy stuff up and down the table and had Cook serve breakfast. It altered the mood immediately as everyone tucked in. I reached for a flute but Bastien stopped me.

  “I don’t think so.” He replaced the prosecco with a glass of orange juice. “Boire ceci a la place.” I frowned at him.

  “Darling, he wants you to drink the OJ instead. What a bore.” Jason scowled at Bastien who responded in rapid fire French, way too fast for me to understand. It ended when Angel intervened, setting himself firmly between the two men.

  “Jason, mon amour. Bastien is perfectly correct. People on medication cannot drink alcohol.” Angle was so serene, I found him mesmerising.

  “All the more reason,” Jason huffed. His pout earned him a growl from Remi, who yanked the Lord on to his lap. “Remiiiiiii,” Jason whined, then yelped then groaned. Remi was clearly doing something interesting to Jason under the cover of the tablecloth.

  “Behave,” Remi barked. Jason rolled his eyes, but reluctantly complied.

  “For the love of God,” Izzy complained in his sexy Dom baritone. “Can everyone please calm down.”

  I held my hand up and the room fell silent. “It’s ok guys, honestly. Just carry on as normal because it’s like a tonic to my fevered mind. Seriously.” And it was true. Their antics were both amusing and distracting.

  Rob piped up again. “As I was saying, before the Good Lord interrupted. You have no need to be concerned about landing in trouble. That’s all over. You can go back to your life and to your work when you’re ready.”

  Bastien took my hand and laced our fingers together. He must have sensed my anxiety at Rob’s suggestion.

  “Actually, I think I’m going to take a break. I think I need a holiday.” The idea was taking root. I wanted to ask Bastien to come with me, but not in front of all these people.

  “Tally, your mum called like a million times. I had to tell her you’d been mugged. You need to speak to her.” Izzy passed me his phone. I sighed.

  “I’ll call her, but not here.” I rose with some difficulty. “Ok to use the conservatory, Jase?”

  “No need to ask. Only room off limits is mine.” Jason smiled at me.

  Bastien lent me his arm once again as I shuffled alongside him to the glass roofed room. I sank into the sectional sofa and once he was assured I was comfortable, he left me to speak to my mother.

  “Oh God, Tally, I’ve been so worried. Izzy told me you were mugged?” He’d prepped me on the story he had concocted for my parents’ benefit. There was no need for them to know the real details. I could at least save them the heartache of their son’s ordeal.

  “I’m fine, Mama.” I knew how she loved when I called her that. “A little battered and bruised, but otherwise unharmed.” I tried to be as convincing as possible, however there was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.

  “What are you not telling me?” she finally asked. She was freaky like that. I had never been able to lie to her and get away with it. The truth, however, was something I wanted to shield from her.

  “Nothing, honestly, Mama.”

  “Don’t you ‘Mama’ me, young man. I can tell you’re holding something back.”

  I sighed. My throat was thick with tears. For the first time in years, I needed my Mum’s loving embrace. “Please don’t push me on this.” My voice was a desperate whisper.

  “Put Isadore on the phone. Now.” She sounded mad. I covered the voice piece and yelled for Izzy. He came running. “Gayle wants a word.” I sounded defeated even to my own ears. Izzy raised his eyebrows and took the phone.

  “Um, Gayle? How can I help?”

  Izzy jolted and held the handset well away from his ear, as my mother’s high-pitched rant continued for several harried moments. Izzy sighed. His own mum was just as cloying. He strolled off to the other side of the room where I couldn’t make out his words, but he sounded controlled. When he returned he looked a little sheepish.

  “What did you do?” I asked him.

  “Don’t kill me ok, but she wants you to go home so she can look after you properly.”

  My mouth fell open. “Do not tell me you agreed.”

  “I may have.” Izzy shrugged. “She’s your mother, Tal.”

  I dropped my head to the back of the sofa and closed my eyes. There was no point in arguing. If he’d said no, his own mother, Valerie, would have had his guts for garters.

  “When am I going?”

  “Tomorrow morning. G & T are heading back to London – they’ll drive you in the Range Rover.” His voice was tight.

  “And? What else?”

  “I told her you were bringing a friend.”

  I bolted upright, jarring every single one of my injuries which had me yelling in agony. Bastien skidded into the room scowling at Izzy. My brave boy. “What the fuck, Iz? Didn’t you think to ask me first? She’s going to be a fucking nightmare. And supposing Bas doesn’t want to go?”

  “I want to go,” Bastien piped up. I rolled my eyes and tutted.

  “That’s not the point.”

  Izzy rolled his shoulders. “You would never have asked him. I saved you from worrying about it.”

  “You’re such a control freak. There’s a reason I never wanted to be your friend. Now you’ve even made me do that.”

  Izzy threw his head back and howled with laughter. “Oh my God, Tally, would you get over yourself? You love me, just like everyone else does. All I’ve done is hurry along the inevitable. It’s clear you two are stuck on each other. And Gayle is gonna love Bas, you know it.”

  The man was insufferably arrogant and way too smug. He was right of course, about everything, but that didn’t help my angst over bringing Bastien home. I needed Izzy to go away. As if on cue, Adam appeared.

  “Sir.” he called quietly. Izzy responded immediately.

  “Boy?”

  Adam entered and immediately dropped to his knees beside Izzy. “May I speak?”

  “Of course, Pet.’’

  I was intrigued by their dynamic. It should have been cringey, but it was utterly mesmerising.

  “I’ve been bad, Sir,” Adam confessed. Izzy sat up straight. Adam leaned up to whisper in his ear. The expression that crossed Izzy’s face made me catch my breath. No denying the man was sexy, but when he was appropriately aroused? Well, that made him gorgeous on a whole other level. Adam dropped his chin to his chest.

  “Apologies Tal; Bastien. My Boy has indeed transgressed and is due some punishment accordingly. Please excuse us.”

  Izzy permitted Adam to stand and they left. Izzy led while Adam trailed behind. He quickly turned to me and winked. I gasped. “He bloody contrived the entire thing!” Bastien giggled. It was such a happy sound it lightened my spirits immediately. “So, it seems you’re going to meet my mother. It’s a little sooner than I anticipated.” Bastien didn’t need to know I had never taken anyone home before.

  “Mr Woolf told me you have never taken a boy home before?”

  “I’m going to fucking kill him,” I muttered through gritted teeth. Bastien giggled again. He was so sweet. “I’m glad you’re my first. I wish things had been different, though.”

  “I want to meet your Maman. She is sure to be a wonderful person.” Bastien looked so wistful, I didn’t want to burst his bubble. And in truth, Gayle was fabulous. Cloying, overbearing, interfering, yet still the best Mum in the world. I loved her. She never made me feel bad about being gay, or that it was unacceptable to be so. That was a big thing in her community, but she dared anyone to say anything about it and get out alive. I knew she would be fiercely protective of Bastien, especially once she knew he had no contact with his own piece of shit mother.

  “Can we please stick to the mugging story?” I requested. “I won’t be able to handle her knowing the truth.”

  Bastien nodded. He looked sceptical. “I think she will guess it is not this.”

  “She already does.”

  “Et votre Pere?”

  I thought about my Dad. �
�He’s probably better not knowing. Fancies himself a bit of a bruiser, especially when he gets together with Izzy’s dad, Jack. Probably want to go on a rampage.” I made light of it, but one day, Izzy had told me that our fathers had made up a sort of a gang in their day. Being that they were both affluent and Jewish, their strength was in manipulation rather than brute force, but I understood violence was involved too and that they were a group to be reckoned with back then.

  “I know Jack Woolf,” Bastien replied. “He joined us after the rescue mission for Remi with Izzy, Adam, Jason, G & T.” That floored me. I had forgotten. “Jack and Lord Ben Greenall, are good friends.”

  “That means he must also know my Dad, Ira.”

  “Ira Roth. That is a great name. Sounds like a gangster, non?” We chuckled. Mine turned into a yawn. Bastien pushed me back into the cushions. “Time for, how do you say, fifty winks?”

  “Forty,” I corrected him. “Stay with me.”

  Bastien covered me with a light grey cotton throw. I was snug and cosy. The painkillers had kicked in, and I felt less stressed than I had in the last 24 hours. Bastien fussed over me and I dozed off.

  “Oh God, that feels so good, don’t stop.” My balls ached with need. My cock was rigid and wept with lust. The hand on my shaft tugged long divine pulls that made me quiver. My nipples peaked into hard nubs that had me panting with each pinch and flick. I was in heaven.

  “The Jew faggot likes that, huh?”

  Tolya’s menacing tone fucked with my head. I opened my eyes to find him bent over me. His latex covered fist was pumping my engorged cock while Slav tormented my nipples. I hated myself for enjoying what they were doing, but each brush of their hand on my sensitive genitals had me catching my breath. It was wrong but felt too good.

  Slav threw me a lascivious grin. His smirk was crude and held promise of evil things to come. It excited me. It made me feel dirty with longing.