The rhythm Connor set was steady, but each thrust was deep and so powerful Josh had to hold on with all he had to prevent himself from being fucked off the bench. It hurt, but it hurt so good. Everything else faded away. Connor’s fingers dug hard into his hips—probably leaving bruises.
That was the last coherent thought Josh had as his brain disengaged, and he stopped thinking. His whole being centered on his body where every nerve was being assaulted in the most delicious way. His ass completely full, his cock stinging something fierce, his balls furiously throbbing and tight, his nipples and butt cheeks smarting like a motherfucker—he was in heaven.
He lost all concept of time, had no idea how long Connor had been nailing him when his lover upped the speed and fired off a furious round of thrusts before erupting inside him all over again. A growl of ecstasy filled the room, followed by almost desperate grunts as Connor fucked him relentlessly to squeeze the last drops of cum out.
Limp, Josh hung in the straps, barely able to support his own weight on his legs. He didn’t react when Connor pulled out, just hung on till his man would take care of him. He didn’t have to wait long till familiar hands unhooked his wrists and hands from the straps.
“You were amazing, baby,” Connor praised him, as Josh collapsed in his arms.
His body was turned over. Josh heard a click, then the pressure on his cock disappeared as the cage was taken off. It was replaced by Connor’s hot mouth, taking him in as far as he could, sucking hard. Josh clenched his eyes as the pressure that had built up in his balls forced its way out to his cock. Within seconds, he spewed into Connor’s mouth. His hips jerking, his back arching to fuck Connor’s mouth as deep as he could. His vision went white, his heart rate furious as he shook violently from his release. Spent, he dropped back onto whatever he was laying on.
Eyes closed, he let himself be picked up, carried to wherever. A bathroom. Steam heated his skin, the smell of sandalwood tickled his nose. Seconds later, Connor lowered them into what had to be the mother of all bathtubs, filled with perfect warm water. Connor laid back and positioned Josh on top of him, looking up. The tub was so deep, they were both underwater to their neckline.
Suddenly, the clamp on his right nipple was removed, quickly followed by the left. Tears trickled down his face as the pain hit.
“Ssshhh, I know, baby.”
Josh kept his eyes closed, melting against Connor who started to wash him with a sponge. “You did so good. I’m so proud of you, Josh.”
The words washed over him, warming him as much as the water did, soothing his frayed nerves. Tender hands spread his ass cheeks, washed him clean. The pain in his nipples subsided to a dull throb.
He fell asleep as Connor kept whispering sweet nothings to him, holding him lovingly. He half-woke as he was lifted out of the tub, patted dry. Cool lotion was rubbed into his buttocks, another flowery-smelling oil into his hole where Connor’s finger pushed it in deep. Josh let it wash over him, completely spent.
16
By all standards, Indy should be tired. He’d driven the entire day yesterday, bringing him from the Empire State all the way to the south of Virginia. Blacksburg, Virginia was new to him, and yet as familiar as many southern towns.
He turned his drawl back on, had switched cars in Roanoke and had insisted on Virginia plates. He was a redhead today—well, this morning. His eyes were green, his wig a deep red that suited his pale skin well. His make up was classy, befitting the Army JAG uniform he was wearing. It was amazing what you could buy online if you were willing to pay for it. He looked rather stunning, if he did say so himself, and damn fucking professional.
And he wasn’t tired at all. On the contrary, a holy fire of revenge burned through his veins, and fuck, it felt good. He had dozens of problems he could do nothing about, but this one he could fix. He could do this for Josh and dammit, he would.
Ty Beaufort was where Indy had expected him to be: working at the Fast-Lube car shop. He was a big guy with a buzz cut, narrow blue eyes, and a permanent scowl. Indy recognized him from the pictures the PI had provided. He skipped the receptionist, walked straight into the shop.
“Mr. Beaufort?”
The guy looked up, his scowl lessening as he took in Indy’s appearance.
“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”
“I’m with the Army JAG Corps, tasked with preparing your case. I need a few minutes of your time, please.”
Beaufort’s eyes lit up. “No problem. Yo, Casey, I’m taking my break,” he shouted to another guy who was putting new tires on an F150 truck. The guy waved, which Indy assumed was consent.
“We can talk in the office,” Beaufort said. He gestured toward a small office in the back of the shop.
“Thank you,” Indy said, ever polite.
He took a seat across from Beaufort, who lowered his tall frame in a squeaky desk chair. “What can I do for you?”
Indy folded his hands, smiled. “Am I correct it is your intention to file an appeal in your case against specialist Gordon?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“On what grounds? Merely checking facts here.”
“On the grounds that the rape charge was bogus since it was consensual sex. He asked us to do him, said he liked it rough.”
Indy nodded, fought to keep a professional smile on his face. “And when you say ‘us’, I assume you refer to privates Winters and Moloney as well?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“All right. And you do understand that by confessing to consensual sex, your public army record will reveal you are a homosexual?”
“What? No! I’m no faggot.”
Indy leaned forward, still smiling friendly. “Mr. Beaufort, your defense is that it was consensual sex, that you willingly had anal intercourse with Mr. Gordon. I’m not sure how else this can be interpreted but you being a homosexual.”
“Fuck, no, I’m no faggot. Pardon my language, ma’am. It’s an army thing, you know. Half the guys there fuck each other. There’s hardly any women, so what else can we do to get off? It doesn’t mean nothing. Gordon wanted to be fucked, and we obliged. Doesn’t mean we’re queer.”
Indy nodded as if he understood, then opened the leather briefcase he’d been carrying. He pulled out a large, yellow envelope, opened it while Beaufort looked increasingly nervous. Did he have any idea what was coming? Fuck, Indy hoped not. He wanted to shock the shit out of him. He pulled out the first picture.
“Are you sure you’re not a faggot, in your words?”
Beaufort’s eyes dropped to the picture on the desk, and his color changed fast, the blood draining from his face. “How did you… Where the fuck did you get this?”
“And ‘this’ refers to the picture of you and a gay prostitute who goes by the name of Devious Devin? It’s a screenshot taken from a very…entertaining video of you and Mr. Devin. For someone who claims he’s not a faggot, you sure seem to be enjoying yourself, Mr. Beaufort.”
Small bubbles of spit pooled in the corners of Beaufort’s mouth. “What do you want?”
“I’d hoped to have to convince you with the dozens of other pictures I have in this envelope, but I see you already understand there’s an ulterior motive. Too bad. I especially like the pictures where you’re fucked by—what was his name again? Right, Juicy Justin, a friend of Mr. Devin—while you’re sucking off Mr. Devin.”
Beaufort was barely able to restrain himself. “I will fucking kill you,” he spat at Indy.
Indy leaned back in his chair. “If you want these pictures to become public, by all means, go ahead. I’m sure you’ve realized by now I don’t work for the Army JAG. I need you to listen to me carefully, Mr. Beaufort, because I will only explain this once. If you continue with your appeal, these pictures will become public. I will personally send them to every media outlet in Virginia after I’ve sent them to your wife, your parents, and every one of your brothers, sisters, and cousins. You have quite the extended family here, Mr. Beaufort, and they’re all so
active in the Southern Baptist church. I can only imagine how well you being a faggot would go over with them.”
Beaufort’s hand reached out to snatch his wrist, but Indy was faster. Within seconds, he’d dislocated the man’s thumb, causing him to yelp out in pain. If looks could kill, Indy would have been reduced to ashes right about now.
“You’re not listening, Mr. Beaufort. If you continue the appeal, I will expose you for the flagrant hypocrite you are. If something happens to me, these pictures will become public. But that’s not the worst of your concerns. Ask me what is.”
Beaufort shot him a murdering look but didn’t say anything. With a lightning-fast move, Indy dislocated his index finger. Beaufort screamed in pain. Luckily, his coworker wouldn’t be able to hear it over the noise of the radio and the tools he was using. “Let me try again. Ask me what you should be concerned about, Mr. Beaufort.”
He was sweating now, probably from the pain. “What should I be concerned about?” he said between clenched teeth.
“If you continue this smear campaign on specialist Gordon—and let’s face it, we both know you’re lying through your teeth—you will experience firsthand the meaning of the Biblical expression ‘an eye for an eye’. We will find you, Mr. Beaufort, and we will do to you what you did to Joshua Gordon—times ten. By the time we’re done, you’ll be shitting in a bag for the rest of your life. Please tell me I’m making myself clear.”
Beaufort, white as a fucking ghost, nodded.
“Words, Mr. Beaufort. I need to make sure you understand me. This is not a threat. This is a promise, a given. Withdraw the appeal, or you will pay tenfold for your crimes.”
He swallowed visibly. “I understand.” He hesitated. “What about Winters and Moloney?”
Indy smiled. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Mr. Beaufort. We’ll take care of them.” He let go of the man’s hand and rose. He straightened his uniform, then patted Beaufort on his shoulder. “I’m glad we could come to an understanding. I will check in with Army JAG Corps tomorrow, but I’m sure you’ll cooperate, won’t you, Mr. Beaufort?”
He didn’t wait for an answer but walked out. He’d parked around the corner, giving him the time to drive off before Beaufort would even gather his wits to try and make his car.
One down, two to go.
Winters took even less convincing than Beaufort. The PI had said he was a follower, would do what Beaufort said. Still, Indy wanted to make sure Winters understood the consequences should he deviate from the plan.
“I didn’t even touch him,” Winters whimpered after Indy had detailed the Biblical threat to him.
Somehow, that pissed Indy off even more than Beaufort’s actions. He reined in his temper. “And you think that makes you innocent? Two United States soldiers raped a man while you watched and did nothing. He was your brother in arms, your fellow soldier—and you let it happen. I don’t care whether or not you touched him. You’re equally guilty.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. I’ve had nightmares about it. I deserved to be in jail, you know? But Beaufort managed to get us out, and he threatened to pin it all on me if I didn’t cooperate.”
Indy shook his head. What a pathetic excuse for a human being. “My advice to you: grow a pair. Men like you are what’s wrong with this country. Now get out of my sight and do not forget what I told you.”
“No, ma’am. I won’t. I’ll call the JAG corps right now. I’ll do the right thing.”
“The right thing would’ve been to prevent it from happening in the first place,” Indy muttered as he left, but there was no point arguing this with Winters.
Beaufort and Winters had lived about a hundred miles apart, but Moloney was a little farther out. He had settled in Memphis and had found a temporary job as a dishwasher.
When he planned this, Indy had wondered if Beaufort would warn the other two. Winters probably wasn’t worth it to him, but Moloney might be. These two were clearly the brains of the operation. If Beaufort had warned his friend, Indy could walk straight into a trap.
That’s why he hadn’t been a redhead with Winters. He’d been a blond girl in a skanky skirt and a tight top where his boobs were all but spilling out. It was a fucking miracle what a good push up bra and some fake boobs could get you. Winters had been drooling and had invited him in right away. With Moloney, he’d have to be even more careful.
* * *
He’d been damn lucky he hadn’t paid for his stupidity with his life, Noah thought as he managed to get in the passenger seat of Connor’s car. Sweat pearled on his forehead from the exertion. Fuck, the surgery had taken a lot out of him.
What the hell had he been thinking, keeping his infection a secret? He’d known it was a biggie but still hadn’t said anything. If Indy hadn’t woken up from Noah’s feverish restlessness, if he hadn’t gotten help, if Josh hadn’t put his foot down and sent him to the hospital… Noah shuddered to think how close to death he’d been. Sepsis. He knew better. It shamed him, being this reckless with his health, his life.
“You comfortable?” Josh asked, buckling Noah’s seat belt.
He nodded. “Let’s go home.”
Connor slid in behind the wheel, and Josh folded his long legs in the back of the car.
“How’s Aaron doing?” Noah asked. He couldn’t believe Josh's asshole brother had shown up out of the blue. The kid had some nerve after the way he’d treated Josh. Noah wasn’t the forgiving type in general, but he held a deep grudge against the brother who’d gone out of his way to make Josh's life hell.
“He never came back, sent us a message he’d taken Kent up on his offer and was renting a room from him.”
Noah huffed. “Renting, with what money? Does Kent know he’s flat broke?”
Josh shrugged. “I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. Not my problem.”
“I can’t believe you let him even stay that long,” Noah said.
“Connor kicked him out or gave him an ultimatum, more correctly. I guess he got the message as he packed up and left that same day.”
“Good job, man,” Noah said to Connor.
The cop nodded. “He’s not a bad kid, but he needs a serious attitude adjustment.”
“He needs to be taken down a few pegs, is what he needs,” Noah muttered.
“The DA came through with the proof of Connor’s story,” Josh said. “We gave it all to Kent, so Indy should have it by now. I can’t wait for him to come home.”
Noah closed his eyes, drowsy from the painkillers he was still taking. Home. He’d missed it desperately. Indy first of all, but also Josh, their routines, the privacy. How would this work now that he was coming home? Would Josh move in with Connor? The cop had an apartment close to the hospital. The thought of losing Josh clenched his heart. They’d been together for so long, inseparable in many ways. Living without Josh was something he didn’t know how to do, didn’t want to, not even now that he had Indy. He’d have to, at some point, but god, it would be hard.
He cleared his throat, opened his eyes again. “Have you guys talked about what you want to do about living arrangements?”
“Living arrangements?” Josh said. “You sound like a commercial.”
“I have some ideas,” Connor said. “But we can talk about that later.”
Noah guessed that to be code for “not in front of Josh”, which was wise as Josh tended not to take change well. He shouldn’t have even brought it up. His head was still so fuzzy from the meds that it was hard to think straight.
“I don’t understand, what living arrangements?” Josh asked.
“We don’t need to do this now,” Noah said. Oh, crap. He was a fucking idiot with his big mouth.
“I’m asking what you’re talking about, not to give a three-hour discourse,” Josh said, clearly irritated.
“Baby, Noah will want to move back into the master bedroom. It’s his house, after all,” Connor said in a placating tone.
“Yeah, so? We can sleep in the guest bedroom. What�
�s the problem?”
Noah almost smiled. Josh could be so naive. “The problem is that Connor has a home, an apartment, with his own stuff. He may not like being relegated to a small guest bedroom.”
Noah looked over his shoulder, saw Josh freeze. Apparently, reality hadn’t hit until now.
“You want to move back into your apartment?” Josh whispered to Connor, his tone dripping with hurt.
The cop’s jaw set. “Technically, I never moved in. I brought some essentials, but most of my things are still at my place.”
Noah cringed. That might not be the smartest thing to say right now. Josh was silent as they pulled up into the driveway. Noah knew what was coming, hoped Connor could handle it.
“If that’s what you want, then you should go back to your apartment. I’m staying here with Noah and Indy,” Josh said, then got out of the car and shut the door.
Connor threw his door open, all but jumped out, leaving the door wide open. “What do you mean, you’re staying here?”
Josh turned around in a second, his eyes blazing. “You thought you could order me to come with you and I would say ‘yes, Connor’?”
Josh probably didn’t mean it the way it came out, but Noah felt for the cop. That one had to hurt.
“No, you stubborn fool. I wasn’t planning on leaving in the first place. I know you need to stay with Noah and Indy for now, that you need that stability. I had an idea, but I wanted to discuss it with Noah first.”
“Behind my back,” Josh fired.
“Not behind your back, but considering the house is in Noah’s name I thought it the right order to talk to him first. Damn it, Josh, I’m trying to look out for you, for all of us.”
Stuck in the car since he couldn’t get out without help, Noah had no reservations about listening in on their fight. He wondered what the cop’s big plan was.
“I want to know,” Josh said. “The fact I let you boss me around when we’re having sex doesn’t mean you can walk all over me.”
No Shame: The Complete Series: Including exclusive bonus materials and deleted scenes Page 50
