An Unexpected Win (13 page)

“Fine. He’s a better man than me. I knew you’d figure that out sooner or later.”

Trey touched his chin. “Carter Perry, at times I could just slap you. I won’t, because Hawk would throw me out on my ass. But you’re not getting it. You and I had a wonderful, loving relationship, but something was missing. Now that we’ve found Hawk, I feel complete. I need him, and I need you, and I pray you both will always feel the same way about me. And that, my friend, is the thought that makes me the happiest man on earth.”

Carter studied his face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

He leaned in for a kiss. “I’m all in, baby, and this hand we’re playing for keeps. So do what you’ve got to do to get healthy and get out of here. Because Hawk and I can’t wait to bring you home.” Hugging his love tight, Trey couldn’t see the man’s face. But he felt wet teardrops as they splattered the back of his shirt.

* * * *

“Welcome home!” Trey held the door open for him, as Hawk followed behind with his suitcases. “
Casa Nighthawk
, I call it. And as Hawk so kindly put it,
mi casa es su casa
.”

Carter stepped into the big house and glanced around.
Home.
He was happy to be out of rehab, but wasn’t yet sure this place was home. “Yeah. Thanks.” He’d been here before, but hadn’t really noticed anything. Now, the first thing he spotted was his shiny poker bracelet, displayed in a stand, front and center on the mantelpiece. A couple of his smaller trophies surrounded it. “What’s this?”

Hawk set the luggage down and moved behind him. “It’s only fitting. This is your home, too.”

“But you have more important things to put there, don’t you?”

He grinned. “Like what, a framed copy of my bestselling DVD,
Saving Ryan’s Privates
? That was my biggest hit, you know. Along with
Forrest Hump
.”

Carter laughed. “Got it. Okay, the poker stuff can stay. You’re very kind.” Emotions from the last month bubbled up, and he had to say what he’d been thinking. “Are you always so nice? I mean, nobody is that perfect. You seem too good to be true.”

Hawk shrugged. “I am.” He dropped into his chair.

From the look on his face, Carter could tell he was teasing. “Jerk. Well, it’s great to be here, but I think we need to talk. My financial situation is bothering me, and I’ve got to know what’s happening.”

“Let’s not get into all that now,” Hawk suggested. “You need time to relax and get settled. We can talk about business later.”

He shook his head. “I can’t relax if I don’t know. Please. I need to talk about this.”

Trey glanced at Hawk, who nodded. He sat on the sofa and patted it for Carter to join him.

He did, and looked at each of them expectantly.

Trey began, “Your bills are paid in advance for the next two months. Everything is current, and your credit history is still clean.”

Carter exhaled with relief. “Oh my God. I’m not sure how you managed it, but thank you. That’ll make me rest easier. Now, we’ve got to keep it that way. I was thinking, maybe you need to get me into some smaller poker tournaments instead of focusing on the big ones. I’ve had a healthy dose of pride adjustment, and I realize I just need to get out there and play. It doesn’t always have to be in the biggest and best tournaments.”

Hawk spoke up, “Since you mentioned it, I have something else for you to consider. I’ve made some phone calls, and you have a couple of choices. If you sold your house, you could get completely out of debt and pretty much be set for life.”

He started to protest but Hawk raised a hand.

“I understand you aren’t ready to do that now. It’s just a thought for the future. The other thing is, I talked to a friend on the California Casino Poker Circuit. They could use a good announcer for their televised tournaments. They were thrilled at the possibility of getting someone the caliber of Carter ‘The Annihilator’ Perry.”

Carter blinked. “The California Circuit?”

“I know, it’s not the Main Event. But it’s poker, and they play for serious money. Plus, if you worked for them, you’d have an automatic invitation to play in any tourney you wanted.”

He was stunned. He glanced at Trey, who was smiling and nodding like a fool. “Oh my God!” It was impossible to keep the grin off his own face, and if he looked like a dope, then what the hell.
An automatic invitation to play poker!

Another thought struck him and he grew serious. “Trey, if I took the job, it would basically eliminate what you do for me. I mean, I want it, but I was reminded this past month that I need to sometimes think of others first, and not just myself. I’d hate to leave you in the lurch.”

Trey’s grin never faltered. “You wouldn’t be. I’ve already got another job. I’m working in the business office at St. Mark’s Children’s Hospital, the same place where Hawk volunteers.”

“St. Mark’s?” Carter was stunned
again
, and trying to remember where he’d heard about that place. “Someone else I know works there.”

“Nick Fontana,” Hawk supplied. “And his partner Mitch Silver. He’s the long-haired one. You remember them, from the club.”

I sure as hell do.
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s it.”

Trey chuckled. “Nick’s a good guy, really. I like him more since I’ve gotten to know him. Mitch and Adam are both great. They were the ones who told me about these.” He fingered a silver chain around his neck.

Carter leaned in to look at the necklace. “It’s very handsome. But I don’t get—” He paused, and worked the chain around on Trey’s neck. There was a lock on the back which required a key to remove the thing. “Oh. Now I see.” He glanced at Hawk. “You gave this to him?”

He eyed Carter levelly. “I did.”

“And you’re the only one who can take it off.”

“That’s right.”

Trey smiled. “It’s not TPE, Carter. Just a daily reminder of how much my Master loves me.”

He mulled the concept over then asked, “So Fontana has two subs who wear these?”

Trey and Hawk both nodded.

He turned back to Hawk. “Did you just buy one?”

His dark cheeks reddened for the first time that Carter had seen. “I might have purchased another.”

“Ah-ha. Truth time. Is this whole thing a power play, sort of a ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ kind of deal? Fontana has two slaves to flaunt and that grates on you, doesn’t it? If you had two, you’d be just as good as him?”

Trey appeared horrified. “Of course not!”

Hawk didn’t respond.

Carter pressed on. “Because he’s a big businessman, highly respected and all that. And you’re just a lowly, washed up porn star. Isn’t that right, Yuma? Isn’t that how you see yourself?”

“Carter, stop!” Trey cried.

Hawk turned his face to the wall. “I’d rather not discuss this.”

Carter jumped up and moved in front of him, dropping to his knees. “Ah, so you do have an Achilles heel. Your self-worth suffers because of your past career. So you spend all your time and money taking care of other people to prove what a good guy you are.”

Hawk balled up his fists. “I am
not
buying your affection. If you don’t want the things I’ve offered, that’s up to you. But it has nothing to do with how I feel about either of you.”

“I never said that. We’re talking about
you
now.
You
don’t feel worthy of everything you have. You were a poor Indian kid from the wrong side of the tracks, who happened to be blessed with a big dong. Your ticket to stardom, right, Yuma?”

Tears welled in Hawk’s eyes and Carter knew he’d pushed far enough. He placed his hands on the man’s knees. “We needed to know that, to understand how we can help you, Hawk. Trey and I don’t see you that way, but I suspect you still do, deep down, on the inside. Now that we understand, we can nurture you out of those thoughts. We’ll be here for you like you’ve been for us. And if anyone
ever
puts you down in any way, you need to know that we’ve got your back. Trey and I together will stand strong. The first bastard who says something we don’t like—well, he’s out the back door on his ass.”

Turning his head slowly, Hawk’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears and something else.
Love.
Carter could see it, and feel it. He felt the same way. “So, you mentioned that you might have another of those necklaces?” He touched his bare neck, and offered a small smile.

Hawk swiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. “I do, but it can only be given in the heat of passion. When I’m deep inside you, and we’re both so close to coming we can taste it. Trey will bring it to me, and I’ll lock it on you.” He paused. “If that’s what you want.”

Carter blinked. “What are we waiting for?”

Trey whooped with joy and pounced on both of them in a group hug. “This is great!”

Hawk laughed at the younger man and accepted the hug, but his gaze went right back to Carter. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

Happier than he remembered being in a long time, and horny as hell after his celibate month in rehab, Carter grinned at what awaited him. “You bet it does. I’m all in.”

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

Clear Blue Sky

Jenna Byrnes

Excerpt

Chapter One

“No one will ever love you as much as I do.” The ominous words echoed in Sky Warren’s head as he tossed and turned. The shadowy figure stood directly in front of him, reaching for his arm, and once again he felt the painful snap of a broken shoulder. Sky groaned and sprang up in bed, sweat pouring down his face.

He glanced around the dark room, trying to get his bearings.
It was just a dream
. He was used to them. Sleep was tenuous most nights, with nightmares just a whisper away from his consciousness.

Sky’s bedroom door opened and his cousin Billy moved in front of him, a beer in one hand and a plastic bottle of water in the other. “Bad dream again?” He held out both drinks.

Sky accepted the water and chugged down half of it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and looked at Billy. Curly blond hair gave his cousin the perpetual appearance of bed head, no matter what time of day. A soul patch below the lower lip was his only facial hair, and there was usually a cigarette hanging from the edge of his mouth. Tonight was no exception.

“I’m okay.”

“I know.” Billy twisted off the beer cap and, after removing his smoke, took a swig. “Ruby and I were kickin’ back for the night. Checking if there’s anything I can do for ya before we go.”

“No thanks.” Sky felt slightly guilty. It was bad enough he was crashing at his cousin’s apartment, dampening any shreds of privacy the man had. Now he’d interrupted what was happening between his cousin and Ruby, his perky girlfriend with curly red hair and the biggest tits he’d ever seen on a woman the ripe old age of twenty-one.
Barely.
He shook his head and offered a small smile. “Sorry, man. I’ll keep it down.”

Bottle and cigarette in one hand, Billy ruffled Sky’s short, spiked brown hair with the other. “Nah, it’s all good. Just remember… The prick is gone. Prolly doing time in Leavenworth by now. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Sky hugged his arms around his chest. “I know. Damn it! I’m fucking tired of these nightmares. Makes me look like such a pussy.”

“It doesn’t. You had a fucking broken shoulder, man. Even three months after the surgery and physical therapy, I know it still twinges. Prolly never be normal.”

“Thanks for that.” Sky smiled at his closest relative in the world. Billy had been like a brother growing up in Kansas. When his aunt had moved Billy to Colorado for her job, they’d both taken it hard. They’d kept in touch, and any time one of them needed the other, they’d come running.

Like Billy had, when Sky’s former partner Duke had ratcheted domestic violence up to a whole new level. He’d thought his cousin was going to kill the man, but there hadn’t been anything Sky could do about it from his hospital bed. What he had had a choice about—and what Billy could never understand—was Sky’s going home with Duke when he’d been released from the hospital. That fact was still a sore subject between them.

“If you’re sure you’re okay…” Billy motioned toward the other room.

Sky nodded. “Thanks for the water—and everything.”

“Any time, dude. Get some sleep.”

“You do the same.”

Billy grinned. “No promises.” He backed out then closed the door.

It wasn’t five minutes later that Sky heard his cousin’s headboard banging against the wall. He had to smile.

He polished off the last of the water then tossed the empty aside. Leaning back, he tried to face his demons because the therapist he’d seen a couple of times had told him that could make the bad dreams go away. It hadn’t worked yet, but Sky had hopes.

Duke.
He closed his eyes, picturing the man he’d loved passionately for three years. Big and burly, with long, unruly brown hair and a full beard to match, Duke was ruggedly handsome—a definite bear in the gay community. Sky wasn’t a twink—at six foot two he was strong and muscular in his own right—but Duke was just
so much
bigger than him.

It had all been good in bed. Back then he’d loved being dominated by his aggressive partner. Until Duke had begun taking small steps over the line, eventually ending up miles away from the nice guy Sky had fallen in love with.

“Fuck him!” Sky swore, determined to break the hold Duke had over his dreams. “He’s in prison, and I’m in Colorado working at the best bike shop in Lakewood. Life is great.”

He closed his eyes but knew sleep wouldn’t come that quickly. “Leave me the fuck alone, Duke.”