Chapter Three

Smoke swirled around them. No one sat within earshot. They knew better. Beau looked intense. It was rare for Boone to see his dad like this. Even Banks looked serious. That said a lot about the situation.

“Doesn’t that attorney of ours have a guy on the inside?”

Boone nodded. Their longtime attorney, Jarek, had a brother in prison serving time for manslaughter. “I think he was part of some biker gang.”

Beau looked thoughtful for a minute. “Didn’t I hear he just got some time tacked on?”

That was true too. Jarek’s brother, Axton, had been set for release before getting into a violent fight that got him four more years. “That’s what I heard.”

His dad’s eyes lit in a way no man would want to see. Boone knew that look. “I wonder if he’d be willing to do us a little favor for the right price and an early release?”

Banks leaned forward and grabbed a laced cigar. He lit it while speaking around it. “I can set that up.”

Beau gave a sharp nod. “Do it.”

A weight lifted from Boone’s chest. He didn’t like having a shadow hanging over him. A low-level dealer had recently been arrested. He had immediately agreed to give evidence against Boone’s family for a deal. They couldn’t have that. Boone had met Axton briefly years ago before his prison sentence. He had a mean streak and a no fuck’s attitude. He would definitely take a bribe for a quick shanking in the courtyard. Nobody liked a snitch.

Boone took a draw from his cigar. He needed the high for this conversation. “I’ll keep Jarek out of the loop. He might be down for keeping our asses out of prison, but that loyalty probably stops at getting his brother involved.”

“Fair.” Beau stood. “We have a plan. Get things rolling.”

Banks immediately grabbed his phone and started texting. No doubt he knew exactly who to contact to put their plan into action. Banks was an addict who acted dumb, but he could be scary as fuck. In fact, even Boone wouldn’t want to come across him in a dark alley. He had connections no one should want. Boone knew this would be handled by the end of the night.

With his dad gone, Boone finally looked around. He spotted Jupiter playing alone. The PlayPen was a little busier today than usual. It surprised Boone to see Jupiter by himself. Littles usually flocked to him. Boone always suspected it was his welcoming smile and obvious confidence. He wasn’t ashamed of what he wanted. They wanted to be like him. Jupiter glanced up and caught him staring. He twisted his fingers, as if unsure of his place.

Boone motioned with his head for Jupiter to join him. Jupiter’s gaze moved toward Banks, but he stood and headed Boone’s way. Boone got it. Jupiter hadn’t been comfortable with Boone for that long. The idea of being around his family was probably terrifying. Banks gave no fucks about anything at all. They were good.

The moment Jupiter was within reach, Boone scooped him into his lap. Happiness filled his chest when Jupiter immediately settled into his arms, as if he had come home.

“Hi.”

Boone kissed his nose. “Hey. What have you been doing today?”

Jupiter shrugged.

Boone’s eyebrows rose. “What’s wrong?”

Jupiter chewed his lip for a second before responding. “I was playing with Kyson, but he got upset and kicked over our game. He said I was cheating.”

“Were you cheating?”

Jupiter shook his head. His beautiful eyes looked sad. He lowered his voice. “But then his daddy spanked him in front of everyone. Now he’s in the corner crying.”

Boone’s eyebrows snapped together.

Banks’ head lifted, obviously listening in. His expression matched how Boone felt. That wasn’t done. Not here.

As if manifesting him, Kyson appeared at their side. He indeed looked as if he had been crying. His green eyes were bloodshot, and the tip of his nose was red. A guy with dark hair and a set mouth stood at his back with his arms crossed. They hadn’t met, but Boone didn’t try to make friends.

Kyson twisted his fingers. “I’m really sorry.”

Boone couldn’t look away from the guy’s so-called daddy. He didn’t like the guy’s face.

Jupiter climbed from Boone’s lap and hugged Kyson. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to have a bad day.” He cupped his hand and whispered something in Kyson’s ear before pulling away.

Kyson didn’t get to say anything else before his daddy had his hand, pulling him toward the door. He shot a sad look over his shoulder as he went. Boone was more bothered than he could explain. He hadn’t known Kyson had a daddy, but he absolutely recalled the boy always smiling. That wasn’t happening now.

Jupiter looked ready to cry as he reclaimed his seat on Boone’s lap. He kept chewing his bottom lip and watching the door. It was obvious Banks couldn’t look away either.

Boone couldn’t take it anymore. “Talk to me.”

Jupiter shook his head, as if shaking off a spell. “I just can’t stop thinking about it. He spanked Kyson really hard. If he did that where everyone could see, what does he do behind closed doors? Kyson is so pretty. He used to be so happy. Something isn’t right.”

Boone and Banks exchanged a glance. They might be bad people, but there were some unspoken rules when it came to fetishes.

“What did you whisper to him?”

Banks’ question obviously caught Jupiter off guard. He blushed. “I told him if he needs help getting out, I would help him.”

Boone was so fucking proud of Jupiter. He had chosen well. Judging by Banks’ expression, Jupiter didn’t need to worry about Kyson. Again, Banks knew a lot of bad people who would do bad things. No one would hurt Jupiter’s friend.

“I know it’s hard, but I promise everything will be okay. We’ll keep an eye on things. You know certain shit isn’t tolerated around here.”

“Why do you look familiar to me?” Banks asked suddenly, interrupting Boone. “I mean, outside of this place,” he added.

Jupiter blushed again. “I waited on you last night at Belle époque .”

A smile exploded across Banks’ face. He snapped his fingers. “That explains the way you two looked at each other.” He shot Boone an accusing look. “You should’ve said something.” Boone felt like someone punched him in the chest. Banks’ expression immediately shifted, as if realizing what he said. “Never mind.” He focused on Jupiter. “I’m Banks.”

Jupiter held out his hand. “Jupiter.”

Banks set his cigar aside. Instead of shaking Jupiter’s hand, he kissed it. “A lovely name for a gorgeous man.”

Jupiter chuckled.

Boone rolled his eyes.

Banks stood and snuffed out his cigar. “It’s been a pleasure. I have an important errand.”

“It was nice meeting you.” Jupiter snuggled deeper into Boone’s hold as he made the claim.

Boone’s heart swelled and his arms tightened as his smile grew. With Banks gone, Boone gave Jupiter his full attention. “How did you sleep last night?”

“Good.” Jupiter touched his forehead. “Whew. What are you two smoking? It’s making my head spin.”

Boone immediately grabbed the lit cigar he had forgotten in the ashtray. He moved to extinguish it. “Sorry about that. I suffer from debilitating migraines, and Banks… Well, Banks is just an addict.”

Jupiter stopped him from mashing the cigar against the tray. “No. You’re good. I was just curious. Migraines? That’s awful. I’ve only ever had one when I was younger. It was terrible. Have you been dealing with them all your life?”

“No. It’s only been about ten years.” He quickly changed the subject before Jupiter asked anything else about how he ended up this way. “Since you brought up being younger, how old are you?”

“Twenty-four. How old are you?”

Ancient by comparison. Boone winced at his thoughts. “Thirty-three.”

Jupiter laughed. “Why the wince? That’s not bad.”

Boone shook his head and took a drag from his cigar.

Jupiter’s gaze followed the motion. “Can I try it?”

Boone swallowed back a laugh. He had been raised around drugs, money, and weapons. The shit he smoked was way too strong for Jupiter. “I’ll meet you halfway?”

Jupiter’s expression screamed confusion.

Boone took another drag. A smaller one. He cupped the back of Jupiter’s head, covered his mouth with his, and shared the smoke. Boone pulled away just enough to watch Jupiter release the small amount Boone allowed. Then he went back for seconds. His tongue stroked Jupiter’s. Every second felt like heaven. But he felt the eyes upon them, and he knew they couldn’t continue. Boone wasn’t willing to give anyone that much of a show.

He pulled away and held Jupiter’s aroused-looking stare. “How did you get here?”

“Uber.”

Boone stood while still holding Jupiter. “Good. Let’s get out of here.”

Jupiter wrapped his arms around Boone’s neck. “Okay.”

The smile that stretched his lips felt wicked. Boone practically felt the collective shock in the room. He knew exactly what he did every step of the way. Boone let everyone see Jupiter belonged to him. If anyone touched him, they were dead.

Jupiter had never been high in his life. He couldn’t say that now. Everything spun, but that didn’t dampen the pride he felt. He had gone to The PlayPen as soon as they opened and watched the door. It had been hard to concentrate on any of the games he played. Then Boone had come through the door with his dad and brother. Jupiter had immediately focused on his toys. Boone’s dad didn’t come to The PlayPen often, but when he did, everyone knew to steer clear. The building was a haven for people outside of society's norms and rules. No one interfered with their business. The three had looked intense and scary. Boone hadn’t once looked his way. His chest had started hurting over that detail. It had been a stressful day for Jupiter. Then Beau had walked out and Boone immediately summoned Jupiter to his side. He had pretty much staked his claim. In front of his brother, no less. Jupiter was on cloud nine.

When Boone steered his car into a gated driveway, the gates opened. Jupiter had to lean forward to see the entire house behind it. The place was beautiful. Gorgeous landscaping outlined stone walls. He caught a quick glimpse of a waterfall behind the house as Boone pulled into the garage. There were other cars inside. A black SUV. Some sort of off-road vehicle and a large truck. Jupiter didn’t ask questions. He knew by the way Boone dressed that crime paid very well.

Once they were out of the car, Boone held his hand out for Jupiter. “Come here.”

Jupiter didn’t hesitate. He loved the way his hand felt against Boone’s.

Boone led him to the back door. He punched a code into an electronic keypad. It was too long for Jupiter to keep up. Then Boone pressed the pad of Jupiter’s index finger to the fingerprint reader and held it there. The lock made a loud beep.

“There. That gives you access to my place in case you ever need to see me or a place to stay.”

Jupiter stared at Boone, awed. This man couldn’t be real. He had just given Jupiter access to a multi-million dollar mansion. Then again, who would be stupid enough to steal from Boone?

“Thank you.”

Boone held his stare with the intense eyes Jupiter couldn’t get out of his head. “I don’t have many friends. I take care of the ones I do.”

Jupiter didn’t know how to respond. He wanted to be more than a friend, but he knew what Boone meant. “I bet you have a lot of fun toys.”

The wicked smile that stretched Boone’s lips melted Jupiter’s underwear. “Would you like to find out?”

Oh, God. He had no idea. “Absolutely.”

Boone opened the door.

Together, they headed inside. When Boone took off his shoes, Jupiter did too. He was ridiculously overheated being outside in the Southern California sun in a bunny onesie. Jupiter unzipped his pajamas and peeled the material down his arms before tying the arms of the outfit together at his waist to keep it from falling to the floor. He looked up and found Boone watching. Jupiter glanced down. He wore a t-shirt underneath, so it wasn’t like he had stripped.

“What?”

At his question, Boone shook his head. “Nothing. You’re just beautiful and you make me curious to know more.”

“Same.”

A sweet smile touched Boone’s lips. It was a smile he hadn’t seen before—like it was the real him. Not the son of Beau Bosi—Boone. He wanted to know this version too.

“Can I make you dinner?”

Boone looked confused as fuck by the random question. “Are you hungry?”

A laugh burst from Jupiter. “I am, but I also love to cook. You should let me cook for you.”

“Whatever you want, it’s yours.” Boone stepped aside and motioned toward the doorway behind him. It led to the most amazing kitchen Jupiter had ever seen. It was huge and had everything a chef could want.

“Holy shit. It looks like I’m not the only budding chef here.”

A sexy chuckle rumbled from Boone. “Me? Absolutely not. The kitchen just came with the house, but it belonged to a famous TV chef before I bought the place.”

Jupiter bopped around from appliance to appliance, oohing and aahing.

Boone patiently followed on his heels. “I would think the last thing you’d want to do on your day off is to be in the kitchen.” He sat on a barstool at the island.

Jupiter flashed Boone a smile. “I actually went to culinary school. Cooking is my passion, but there are only so many chef positions, especially when you don’t have connections. My grandmother knows the owner of where I work. That’s the only reason I got a job there. Obviously, I didn’t want to be a server, but in a place where a single bottle of wine can cost five grand, that’s a hell of a twenty percent tip. So I can’t complain. I actually make six figures there. It’s just not what I thought I’d be doing. It’s alright, though. Maybe if I had landed the chef position, I would’ve come to hate what I love.”

Boone nodded. “Every passion doesn’t need to draw an income. Honestly, that’s one thing that’s wrong with the world. Everyone thinks they can’t do something enjoyable with their time unless it makes money. Nobody just enjoys things any longer.”

Jupiter was intrigued. “What do you enjoy?”

Boone stood and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Come on.”

Curiosity had Jupiter practically dancing in place as he followed Boone through the house. He tried not to gawk at everything they passed. Jupiter had never seen so much excess in his life. “Do you live here alone?”

Boone glanced over his shoulder as he opened a door that led to a set of stairs heading down. “Yes.”

Goddamn. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have so much. At the bottom of the stairs, Jupiter found himself inside a soundproof room that was almost as big as the house. It was an indoor range of sorts. Guns and bows lined the wall. Jupiter shouldn’t have been surprised. Boone’s father was a weapons dealer. It made sense for him to own a huge stash of various weapons. Boone grabbed a bow as he passed, and then some arrows as he headed for a target. Jupiter thought he was walking toward the final target. Then, faster than Jupiter could follow, Boone fired an arrow into every target they passed, hitting it dead center with barely a glance and while still walking.

Jupiter’s feet froze. His jaw dropped. “Whoa. That’s amazing. So, you’re like a marksman?”

Boone nodded. His smile said it all. He was proud of his talent, as he should have been.

“I can’t imagine how long it’s taken to get this good.”

Boone shrugged and put the bow back in its home. “I have a lot of time on my hands.”

It hit Jupiter. He couldn’t even imagine being the son of a well-known criminal. “Life has probably been pretty damn isolating for you.”

To his surprise, Boone snagged his waist and toyed with the ears of his pajamas that now hung at Jupiter’s ass. “Maybe that’s why I understand how alone you’ve probably felt your entire life.”

A lump formed in Jupiter’s throat. “When I found The PlayPen, I thought I’d finally found a home. But the reality is, I usually leave there feeling like twice the failure. I’m not meek and whatever it is men search for in that place. Even in a place for outcasts, I’m an outcast.”

“Yet all the other Littles flock to you.”

“And I leave there feeling empty.”

“I’ve never wanted to fill someone so badly in my life.”

A huge smile exploded across Jupiter’s face. There was no stopping it. “God, I hope that was some sort of euphemism.”

Boone shuffled closer. The heat in his eyes made Jupiter’s mouth go dry. “No. I said exactly what I meant.”

Goddamn. That was the hottest thing anyone had ever said to him. The air changed between them. Jupiter wondered if he would survive the heat.

Boone had truly meant to go slow. He hadn’t expected Jupiter to be so insightful and vulnerable. Boone didn’t have the strength to resist him. Jupiter wasn’t just some shallow twink, looking for a sugar daddy. He wanted a real connection to accept him as he was. How could Boone resist?

They held each other’s stare. The hunger grew to nearly crippling. Jupiter’s beautiful eyes never turned away. He swore Jupiter silently pled.

Jupiter visibly swallowed. When he spoke, his voice came out in a hoarse whisper. “You have to be the one—”

Boone didn’t let him finish. His mouth covered Jupiter’s as he lifted him from the floor. Jupiter’s legs wrapped around his waist. Boone took three steps until Jupiter’s back hit the wall. Their kiss was almost violent. He had to get Jupiter out of his clothes. There was a tiny voice in his head saying he should slow down. This wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place. Jupiter deserved better. Someone softer. Jupiter clawed his skin, trying to tear his shirt off when the buttons were too much for him. His desperation fed Boone’s insanity. It had been so long. So fucking long.

He needed to be inside Jupiter now. Boone backed away, letting Jupiter’s feet hit the floor. He went to work on his shirt while Jupiter tore out of his clothes. It was as if they raced to see who could get nude the fastest. Jupiter won. His clothes were less complicated. Boone got his shirt unbuttoned and the front of his pants open before he lost the last thread of his patience. He jerked open a drawer in the closest weapons cabinet, finding lube he kept there for various uses. Boone had never been more thankful for that. He had his cock oiled and Jupiter back off his feet before either of them cooled.

It wasn’t until he impaled Jupiter that he froze. A hint of sanity returned. He held this light-as-a-feather man against the wall and fucked him like a whore. This was supposed to be his boy. He was supposed to take care of him. Even though Boone had seen Jupiter’s toy drawer, he didn’t know if the guy had been a virgin. He also wasn’t wearing protection. Boone had done everything wrong. Horror raced through him as he stared at Jupiter’s flushed and innocent-looking face. He felt like the monster he was.

“Please.”

The ragged and desperate-sounding whisper cut through Boone’s spiraling thoughts. His hips rocked. Arousal transformed Jupiter’s face. Boone forgot to care about anything but making Jupiter come. He had to see it. Using the wall for leverage and gravity as his friend, he took Jupiter. Boone thrust, savoring every nuance of Jupiter’s expression and the way he gasped for air. He didn’t try to hide. Jupiter hadn’t lied. He wasn’t meek. In every way, he was perfect for Boone. Boone would destroy a weak man.

Jupiter’s short fingernails dug into Boone’s shoulders. He visibly fought to reach the edge. Boone fought not to beat him there. Jupiter felt too good on his dick. It had been too long since he touched anyone. Whimpers mewled from Jupiter.

Boone’s focus sharpened. “That’s it, baby. Come for Daddy. You’re such a good boy.”

A cry rang out as cum filled the space between them. Boone saw stars as Jupiter’s body convulsed. He captured Jupiter’s mouth as he headed toward the same goal. His entire being stayed focused on blowing. The pressure built, becoming like an itch in his brain. Then Jupiter bit his bottom lip and there was nothing but ecstasy. Boone moaned around Jupiter’s tongue as he pumped his ass full of cum. He doubted it was a mistake, but they would still talk about it. This was permanent. Boone didn’t share. In fact, the biggest misstep had been Jupiter’s. The guy likely didn’t realize being his boy was forever. Boone didn’t have the strength to lose everything twice.