Ours: Book Six in The Everett Gaming Series Read online

  Fuck. I wasn't a party planner. Not like this at least. Mitch, Anthony and I tossed out some of the nicest restaurants we could think of in the city. Thankfully, we had a lot to select from. We also picked out some trendy bars and clubs. I added to the list that we could golf at the golf course I lived on but for James to find out first if Cheng golfed. James had it all down and was going to contact Cheng's second in command and get the numbers on the golf and send over dinner menus for them to review. The last thing we wanted to do was take him to eat at a place where nothing would appeal to him.

  “And what about our numbers, Colin? How many will you have attend from our company?” James asked while jotting notes down.

  “Mitch and his wife, you and Neil, Anthony…” I realized that Anthony appeared to be the single guy in the group, appearance wise. I had to keep those appearances up. “Anth, do you want to bring anyone?” I hated having to do that. I know how much he loves Sydney and how much it must hurt to have to hide it. Actually, I didn't have a clue, but I'd imagine it's not a good feeling.

  “No, just me. Or maybe I’ll find a cutie while I’m there or hire an escort.”

  His icy stare met mine. I cleared my throat and looked at James.

  “Alright, so just Anthony and then Sydney and me.”

  James would put everything together and get some tickets for shows for their group and make all of the arrangements. That will be a long fucking week.

  “Keep me updated on the schedule of events. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a young woman waiting in my office.”

  Feeling slightly uneasy about Anthony’s comment after the meeting, I left the guys and went down the hall to my office. Sydney was in the same spot that I left her in and had the M&M’s spread out on a napkin on the coffee table. All of the remaining M&M’s were every color with green missing. I went to her and wrapped her up in an embrace.

  “Hi, baby. Ready to go?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  I pulled my phone out to text Anthony. I hated having to hide what we have, and I was worried that he was pissed. It was going on 4:30. I wondered if Anthony would be in the mood for having dinner with Matt and Gina tonight.

  CE: Up for dinner with Matt and Gina?

  Sydney and I headed out of my office and toward Anthony's, but he wasn't there. Hannah said he was downstairs talking with some people in finance, so I asked her to have him call me when he got back upstairs.

  We got to the lobby, and Sydney asked if I minded if she talked with Katie for a few minutes. We had the time, and I hadn't heard from Anthony yet so I took a seat and let her catch up with Katie.

  AG: Sure

  I called Matt while I kept my eye on Sydney. He was on his way home from work and said that he and Gina would meet us at the Underground Grill in thirty minutes. He asked if Anthony was okay with it and seemed surprised when I told him that Anthony said he was fine. I sent Anthony the info on the time and place we were meeting Matt and stood to begin to gather Sydney.

  Once we were in the car, I asked her if she had any ideas on Anthony's upcoming birthday.

  “Yes, I want to get him a journal. I know he's working through some things, as you guys put it. And I know how much I use mine. I mean, I know he probably won't use it much, but it'd be there just in case.”

  She was so thoughtful and sweet. Anthony wasn't a big talker where feelings were involved, but this might be something good for him. While Sydney was gone, I noticed that he toted around a little spiral notebook that I believe he snagged from Sydney’s room.

  “Baby, I think that's a great idea. You and I can go get one for him.”

  “I did some searching online, and there is a stationary store that has some guy looking ones. I don't think he'd want a pastel one with flowers or anything.”

  “Okay, baby. We'll go pick it up this week.”

  “Well, we could order it. They have an online store too.” Her tone had changed, and I don't know why I didn't pick up on this quicker.

  “Sydney, we'll go pick it up. That way you can pick out the one you want to give him.”

  “Um,”

  Um. Her nervousness was showing. At a stoplight, I turned to face her and saw her wiping tears from her face.

  “Baby, don't cry.” I hated seeing tears fall from her eyes. “Tell me why you're upset.”

  “I...I don't want to go to the store. It's at the same place…where..."

  The store was at the outdoor mall where Paul grabbed her. Green light. I proceeded in the direction of the restaurant.

  “Sydney, I will be with you. No one will hurt you, and you'll be safe. I won't let go of you.”

  “What if…"

  “No, baby. There are no what ifs. I won't let go of you.” I parked and shut the car off. “Sydney, we can't live in a bubble. You can't be afraid, baby. You have been doing so good. Think of all the places we went while we were in California. Or when we go out to eat here.”

  “Yeah, but it's not the same place!”

  I leaned over the console and put my hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes.

  “I won't let you live your life afraid. We will go together and do some birthday shopping for him. Together.”

  She smiled through her tears and nodded. I dragged the pad of my thumbs across her cheeks to collect loose tears and then kissed her.

  “Shall we ask Matt and Gina if they want to come with us? I think Gina would enjoy it. To be honest, baby, Matt said Gina is scared too. The four of us can go. We'll do lunch and then birthday shop for our guy.”

  She smiled and laughed.

  “Sorry, it just sounded funny when you called him our guy,” she said.

  “Yeah, but you know what? He is our guy.”

  She looked in my eyes, and I could tell that she really understood our dynamic. It wasn't conventional by any means, but it was what the three of us had, and I loved it. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

  Matt pulled into the spot next to us, and Sydney and I got out of my car and walked around to meet them by theirs. This was the first time seeing Matt and Gina since our trip. He walked over flung his arm around my shoulders and thumped my back.

  “Good to see you're home. You doing alright?”

  “Yeah, we're good.” I squeezed Sydney's hand. I knew Sydney's view of Matt had been temporarily damaged after seeing him get into an altercation with Anthony. She was very protective of her Doms. I knew Matt would try to repair that tonight. Sydney would most likely just be a warm up for Matt though. The true test would be when Anthony arrives.

  “Hi, Sydney,” Matt said gently.

  “Hello…Matt."

  Good, that hadn't gone bad. We exchanged pleasantries with Gina, and she fell into step walking beside Sydney as we headed towards the entrance. I looked back at the parking lot to see if Anthony had pulled in yet. When I hadn't seen a sign of his car yet, I used the time to talk to them about Anthony's birthday.

  “I was thinking about having a few people over Saturday night for a get together for his birthday. Sydney and I wanted to know if you and Gina would be interested in going shopping together Friday.”

  They were interested and when I said where we were going, Matt glanced at Gina and Sydney and then nodded.

  “Yes, I think that would be great,” Matt said and then nodded in the direction of the parking lot. Anthony pulled in, so we made plans to talk later about the party details.

  Sydney waved eagerly at Anthony as he approached and I let go of her hand and encouraged her to go to him. She headed toward him and hugged him. He stood about twenty feet away holding her with his eyes closed. I knew this afternoon was rough on him and I knew we still had to discuss their appointment with Chris.

  “Fuck, Col.” I quickly looked over at Matt. “I thought you said his appetite was back. He's lost a lot of weight.” Matt wouldn't take his eyes off Anthony, and my heart started to pound.

  “Matt, please. Don't rattle him. I'm trying to put all of us back together.”
/>   Matt quickly nodded and apologized. Before we went inside the restaurant, Matt held his hand out towards Anthony as he approached with Sydney by his side. Anthony shook Matt's offered hand and hugged Gina.

  “How have you been, Gina?” Anthony asked her while we were waiting to be seated.

  “I've been okay. I missed Sydney while you guys were gone.”

  “Oh, Gina, look,” Sydney sat down on the bench in the lobby and crossed her leg to show Gina the rope heart anklet that Anthony made for her. “Anthony made it for me for Valentine’s Day,” Sydney explained how our initials were embedded in the heart on the rope. Gina expressed how neat she thought the anklet was as Anthony, Matt and I watched. Matt looked at Anthony, but Anthony didn’t notice since he was focusing on Sydney.

  “That’s pretty fucking neat, Anth,” Matt said quietly. Anthony didn’t say anything in response though. I didn’t know if Anthony was oblivious to Matt or purposely trying to ignore him. I think Matt worried it was the latter and I was beginning to worry if we were going to have an awkward dinner. On our way to the table, Matt tried to engage conversation with Anthony again.

  “Did it take you long to make the anklet?” Matt asked cautiously. I could tell that he was worried that Anthony wouldn’t say anything back or would be short with him.

  Anthony shook his head as we walked to the table. “No, not at all. I made it while I waited for coffee and heart shaped donuts that morning. Apparently, the heart shaped donuts are quite popular.”

  The girls sat by one another and Sydney was showing Gina some pictures from our trip. During dinner, things started to feel normal again, though Matt kept his eyes on Anthony, he didn't say much that would bother him.

  Just when I thought things were going well and we were laughing about the story I told of Anthony and Sydney watching a guy get his dick pierced at the Basement, Anthony coughed. His cough was deep, and he instinctively reached for his chest at the same time he reached for his glass of water. Anthony wouldn't make eye contact with Matt or myself, but he knew all eyes were on him. I guess I would have been surprised if Matt had stayed quiet after hearing that cough. He was worried about Anthony, just like Sydney and I were. Matt sat up straighter and looked at me for a moment before returning his gaze to Anthony.

  “That's a deep cough. Has it been like that for a while?” Matt asked and then looked over at me.

  “Yes,” Sydney answered for Anthony.

  All eyes turned towards Sydney. She bravely told Matt that Anthony's cough has been that bad for a while. Anthony put his arm around her shoulders and said her name softly.

  “I'm sorry, Sir. Matt is a doctor and your best friend, and he's trying to help. He can make it go away and then you'll feel better. Then Colin and I won't worry. Please, Sir. Please let Matt look at you. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Colin and me.”

  Our fragile kitten can be so brave. Anthony stared at her and then at me.

  “I don't want you to have to go back into the hospital. That side of the bed will be cold,” she said to him. I held my breath, and I was unsure of how he'd react. He ended up tapping his fingers on the back of her chair and sipped his Coke quietly.

  He didn't say anything more about it while we finished dinner. Everyone was just about done eating, but Anthony was still working on his soup. I could tell he was tired. We had a long trip, and it was emotional especially towards the end of it. My mind wandered to the things he wrote in the notebook, but I focused on him admitting that his chest hurt and that he has forgiven Matt. I glanced at Anthony while he shoveled soup in his mouth and kept his head down. I sighed. This was probably too soon. He and Sydney had a long, emotional day visiting Chris and then I threw Matt into the mix tonight. When I noticed his hand was shaking some, I realized we needed to wrap it up, and I needed to get them home.

  I flagged the server down and gave her my debit card to run the bill. I felt like I was on the defense again and I refused to let anyone, and I mean anyone, upset Sydney or Anthony. Matt had pulled his phone out, then frowned and looked up at Anthony.

  “When was the last time you took your antibiotic?”

  “This morning.”

  Anthony didn't look up at him. Another reason that I need to get them home. While I was waiting for the fucking bill and my card back, Anthony broke the awkward silence.

  “You working tomorrow?” Anthony asked Matt.

  “Yeah, I’m at my office tomorrow, not the hospital.”

  “Do you have an opening?” Anthony coughed again and looked at Matt. “This cough has gone on long enough. I don't want Sydney to catch a cold if I've got one.”

  Matt looked relieved. I think we all were relieved. “Yeah, come by whenever you can. I'll make the time.”

  “No, you don't have to do that. I don't want special treatment. Just if you have an opening, tell me when and I'll be there.”

  “You don't understand, Anth. You guys all come first. You're part of my family. Besides, I know how you V's are. One of you gets sick, and the other two feel it. I've watched the three of you go through aches and pains. Physical and emotional. Come in a 9:00 and I'll get you taken care of.”

  “Thank you.”

  The bill was finally set in front of me, and I scribbled my name and stood. We all walked out together, and I told Sydney that I thought Anthony would like her company on the way home. Matt and Anthony confirmed their appointment for tomorrow, and then he headed toward his car with Sydney.

  “So, what do you think that was all about?” Matt asked me as he helped Gina into their car and shut the door gently.

  “He's hurting. I need to talk to you about a lot. I can't right now, but whatever you do tomorrow, don't touch the back of his neck. His chest hurts, his stomach is bothering him, and he's not sleeping well.”

  “Okay, Col. Calm down, I'm not going to hurt him.”

  “Yeah, I know, Matt. But,” I paused to decide what I should reveal to Matt in the parking lot. Matt's forehead was wrinkled, and he was frowning at me waiting for me to continue. “Matt, Anthony knows I would never hurt him too, but there was a brief time at the beach house, where I really thought he was afraid of me. And it was when I put my hand on the back of his neck.” Matt looked really bothered now. I wasn't sure how to dance around this subject anymore without creating confusion. “Victor held Anthony down with a hand over the back of his neck.”

  Matt's face contorted to utter disgust and anger. He balled up his hands and looked upward. “Jesus,” he gritted out.

  “Just don't touch his neck, please don’t."

  “Colin, I won’t. Thanks for warning me. Did he tell you anything else?”

  “Little bits. We're still working on it and through it.”

  “Fuck, does Sydney know?”

  “She knows that Anthony saw a sadist Pro Dom. Trust me, that didn't go well. So, we obviously didn't share the more sinister details. Look, I have to be in the office tomorrow morning, will you call me after you see him?”

  Matt gave me a smile and touted his doctor patient confidentiality policy. I playfully punched his arm. “He's not a patient. He's your little brother.”

  I waved at Gina and then got in my car and headed home. On the way home I went over my schedule tomorrow for work and tried to figure out what I needed to move around so that I could go with Anthony to see Matt.

  When I got inside, the two of them were sitting on the couch waiting for me. I joined them on the couch, and for whatever reason, I felt nervous. They were just waiting for me so we could talk about their appointment with Chris.

  They told me about their discussion about Sydney's recent dream about being threatened to be put in a closet by Paul. It was the same closet where Matt found the dead girl. Oh fuck, this was bad. I moved closer and sat beside Sydney and wrapped my arm around her and she shook but told me about being in the closet with the dead girl a few times. She retold the memory of the stench of the rotting body. My heart was pounding, and I was sure she could hear it as I
held her head against my chest. I looked over at Anthony and saw how nervous he looked. There was more.

  “What is it? What haven't you told me yet?” I asked them.

  “Chris asked Sydney how the sex was. She said that it was good but wished I was more comfortable.” Anthony looked down and was rubbing his hands together. “I admitted to Chris, that if there were any sexual issues in our V, that it was because of me. I agreed that we should talk about it, but suggested it either needed to be Chris and I or the three of us together.”

  “Yeah, of course. Anything, Anthony. You know I've got your back and support you.”

  I was shocked. That's twice tonight he's shocked me. First, with agreeing to see Matt tomorrow for his cough and now for admitting he's feeling uneasy and is willing to talk to Chris about it. These were good things, of course. Very good things. He was trying hard to work through some issues, and he was talking with Sydney and me about them.

  The rest of the evening was pretty quiet. We sat in the tub together and didn't talk about anything that would bring us down. We've been trying to keep our talk before bed to be positive. Chris thinks it will help Sydney. I think it'll probably help all of us.

  When we crawled into bed, Sydney wrapped her hand around Anthony's scar, and I put my hand on top of hers. This has become my favorite way to fall asleep at night because I know they're both safe and sound.

  5

  Thursday, March 6th

  Anthony

  “That's it, baby. Make him feel good.” I barely heard Colin say through my sleepiness.

  I opened my eyes just as Sydney began licking my hard cock. I smiled and relaxed back on the bed and shut my eyes. I concentrated on her and Colin's words of encouragement, and it didn't take long for me to issue Sydney my warning of getting ready to blow my load. I savored the moment and went nuts when she pressed her tongue under my cock head as I came.

  Colin had been playing with her as she was sucking me and now he was rubbing her back while she was softly licking my balls. I love it when she licks my balls but could stand it a tad rougher.