Page 42 of Justice For Me

“Promise.”

“Perfect. Can I help in any way? The only way to improve this situation at this point is if I’m involved with jerking his chain.”

“Well, yea, I guess I could use a distraction. You game?”

“Always.”

“Why are you mad at me?” Malachi asked the minute they were alone in the study. “I’ve been a very good boy.” He plopped down on the leather sofa, tossing his legs up on the cushions and stretching out like a lazy panther. He damned well knew why Dante had been mad at him…and why he was no longer mad.

Dante watched and could see how the poor boy,Christopher’s boy, had fallen for the alpha Malachi. Every move the man made was pure sex…erotic and dominant. He’d been so disappointed after Malachi’s phone call, so afraid that his friend was using the inexperienced kid just because he couldn’t get his hands on Megan. He’d been terrified that Malachi’s frustrations in the bedroom, his need to dominant having been taken away from him, was making him do things they would all regret. Malachi used people but they always knew they were being used…and agreed wholeheartedly just so they could be touched, dominated, by him. Justice? He didn’t have a clue what he was up against, never had a chance against Malachi’s more experienced sexual prowess.

“You know damned well why I was mad at you,” Dante smirked and then walk over and slapped his friend on the back. “Are you in love with him?”

“Rolling right down that path pretty quickly,” Malachi answered truthfully…always truthfully with Dante. “I wanted to hate the aggravating bastard. Hell, he nearly drove me crazy for the first three days.” He shrugged and offered one of his rare smiles. “I’m not used to this love shit like you guys, I had no idea what was happening to me. One minute I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and then the next I wanted to fuck him senseless.”

“Well, I’m thankful you chose the last option, friend. Killing Director Conners’ son might have been a difficult one to sweep under the rug.” Dante roamed around the room, touching all the precious arts and crafts he and Travis had personally selected for the décor. Malachi was right, he and Travis did that love shit all the time. He’d been so caught up in his own happiness that he’d missed Malachi’s lack of being able to share such small but important things with someone he cared about. What a fucking friend he was…

“Yea, Meg reminded me that it would be page after page of paperwork and that you’d have to spend a fortune paying people off to keep me out of jail.” Fuck, that conversation seemed like a life time ago. What was happening to him? First Megan and now Justice, all his walls seemed to be tumbling down, whether he was ready for it or not. It was terrifying…and exhilarating.

Nicholas, even when he’d thought he was safely hidden from him, had still managed to control his life, to keep him from having a normal relationship with another person. Other than Dante, he had refused to allow himself to love another. When the bastard had barreled back into his life when they’d launched their rescue of Jasper, he was pretty certain that being forced to face him again…face his fears had caused him to finally start the healing process.

A chuckle from Dante eased him away from his thoughts. “I’ll be sure to thank Megan.” He sobered. “Are you handling this okay? I do know this is new territory for you and I want to help if you’ll let me. I also know Justice is a handful. Those are his father’s words, not mine.” With a deep frown, he asked, “Did he tell you about his…his childhood and the problems it has caused him?”

“He did,” Malachi answered stiffly. Dante was his most precious friend in the world, been there when no one else had, but his need to protect his boy roared to life. Justice had shared that Christopher wasn’t his father and that he’d been addicted to drugs as a child. Those admissions and worries had been revealed during an intimate conversation…so he felt like it needed to stay that way.

He felt Dante studying him, waiting…

“Good,” he finally answered when he realized Malachi was finished sharing. “He’s good for you, M. Only three weeks and the changes are…beautiful. I’m proud of you.”

“Don’t get gay mushy on me. You know I don’t deal well with…emotions. Let’s talk about what kind of shit show I’m going to be walking into with his dad. You know…you turned my son gay, you’re tying my son up and doingwhat? Is he planning on shooting me on sight or do I get the same courtesy as O’Hara?”

“Ah, yes, the shit show with Conners,” Dante laughed. “Well, he’s a reasonable man, so I don’t think you have to worry about getting shot on sight.” Pausing to admire the beautiful lake scenery outside the huge window…and to torture his good friend as long as possible, Dante drew out the time gap. When Malachi cleared his throat and then growled, he figured he’d waited long enough. “Christopher is into the scene, so he doesn’t really have room to complain about what the two…or three of you will be doing in the playroom. As for the fucking his son part? He told me that nobody made Justice do anything he didn’t want to do…except maybe for Justice.” He turned to Malachi. “You’re watching him closely, right?”

“Of course, I am. He’s already proven that he needs help with his limits, arrogant fuck thinks he can do anything.” Malachi said with a laugh.

Dante frowned. “I think it’s more like he thinks hehasto be able to do anything. Just keep an eye on him, help him make good decisions.” When Dante could see that his friend was starting to shut down, refusing to discuss personal issues regarding his sub, he decided it was time to move on. Malachi had the facts, he would handle the boy properly. “Let’s talk about the plan for the courthouse. He has to at least give a deposition, even if O’Hara decides to plea. They want everything on record.”

“Dustin has been keeping me updated on his plans for security when we are moving him to and from the courthouse. I’ll be there, of course, making certain he’s safe. I still don’t feel comfortable with the fact that patriarch O’Hara is going to just sit back and let his son take the fall. I think they’ve got something planned, so I’m going to be there, by his side, the entire time, making certain he’s safe,” Malachi told Dante.

“I haven’t doubted that a second since I walked in on you guys this morning,” Dante smirked. “Seriously, M, did you have to fuck him so thoroughly to stake a claim around me? You know I’m no threat, Travis has me wrapped so tightly around his finger that even I’m embarrassed for folks to see it.”

“Nah…I just had to fuck him, had to stake a claim for myself.” He rolled his fingers through his hair and shook his head in feigned disgust. “You’re right, it is embarrassing. At least you only have one lover whipping your ass. I’ve got two of them working my heart over.”

Dante smiled. “It’s about fucking time, M. You’ve deserved this for so long. I couldn’t be happier that you’re finally letting it happen. Should I give you a kissy kissy to show you how happy I am?”

“Fuck off, asshole. Let’s talk courtroom strategy.”

Two hours later, Malachi felt marginally better about Justice’s safety, but missed the annoying bastard more than he would ever admit to another soul…possibly even himself. He bumped Dante out of the way as they both tried to edge through the doorway too small for two muscled men. Dante sniggered but he chose to ignore the sound and instead focus on trying to make his feet walk at a regular pace…instead of running down the hall, grabbing the kid up, and fucking him again. Video games were blaring from the television in the den, so he headed in that direction.

Travis was seated on the sofa, the same sofa he had bent Justice over and spanked his ass that night a couple weeks ago, playing the video games…by himself. He wouldn’t have thought much of it, figured that Justice was probably down in the gym or on the phone with Megan, but Travis had the most devilish gleam in his eye when he noticed Malachi standing there. Fuck, Dante’s irritating sub was so excited he couldn’t make his ass sit still on the cushioned seat. He looked like a fucking puppy wiggling around after it had been locked in a kennel way too long. That meant only bad things for him. Travis loved two things in the world: Dante and pissing Malachi off.

“Where’s Justice?” He tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible. Travis would smell his irritation like a wolf smells blood…and then he would really start to aggravate him like only Travis could. Pissing him off was a God-given talent the boy never wasted.

Travis merely smiled sweetly, blue eyes sparkling with a wicked gleam, and shrugged his shoulders. “Was I supposed to be watching him? Wait, you didn’t want him to pick up any of my bad habits, so I made myself scarce.” He batted his eyelashes like a fool.

“Travis! Stop being an ass,” Dante admonished when he walked into the room. “It’s very unattractive.”

“Assery is the only language dickhead understands, babe. How else am I supposed to communicate with him?”

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